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Today's low was 38. The record for Jan. 29 is 19, recorded in 1966. Monday: Sunny. Highs in the mid-60s. Lows in the mid-40s. Chance of rain 5 percent. Tomorrow's weather column by WKRG's Jonathan Owens: A chilly night is ahead for the Gulf Coast. Under a clear sky, temperatures will fall quickly and reach the mid 30s by dawn. Fair weather starts the week, and bright sunshine warms us up into the mid 60s on Monday. Monday night, temperatures won’t fall as far, with lows in the mid 40s by dawn on Tuesday. Increasing clouds push in ahead of our next storm system on Tuesday, and showers will start to develop by Wednesday. Right now, computer models have indicated a 40% chance of rain across our area. The chance of showers will linger through the end of the week, with more clouds than sun coming up each afternoon. At least temperatures will be on the warm side. Highs will stay in the upper 60s to low 70s through the period and morning lows, after hitting the 50-degree mark by Wednesday, will stay mild until a push of cold air arrives next weekend.	221,178
A session of steam is an integral part of healing and wellness throughout the world. Hot water bags and hot showers form an indispensable part of personal care. Heat is used in different forms like Hamam (Turkish bath), Thermae (Roman bath), Banya (Russian Sauna) hot stone massages, Thailand and so on in different ancient systems of medicines and home remedies. Lately steam is becoming popular again for its important health benefits. Ayurveda understands steam as an integral part of healing. It is considered as one of the cardinal process that can help to correct different pathologies. It is highly recommended to correct stiffness, blockage, numbness and pain. Steam is highly beneficial to ease - Muscle stiffness - Poor circulation - Respiratory problems - Joint pain - Weight gain - Poor immunity - Improve skin beauty - Anxiety and depression - Provide detoxification Steam is applied in various forms in Ayurveda. Sitting in a room filled with aromatic steam, streaming steam via tubes to specific parts, hot packs (for localised pain and inflammation), hot pouches (called Pinda sweda), are few popular forms. Steam therapy is successfully used in Ayurveda to address osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, joint effusions, plantar fasciitis, calcaneal spur, cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, frozen shoulder, low back pain, sore muscles, disc bulge, numbness, restless leg syndrome, sensitivities and other nervous disorders, asthma, sinusitis, allergy, cellulite, weight gain, feeling down, feeling heavy, poor digestion, anxiety, depression, post natal care and so on. A session of steam leaves you light and easy with relaxed mind, clear skin and relaxed muscles. A session of hot oil massage (Abhyanga) before steam boosts the effects of steam. Along with other therapies, a session of steam can be added just for $20.	53,072
Books and other resources... continued So straight forward (if there is such a thing) copying of another makers porting is not so straight forward . So with that I began reading up on two stoke engine theory. There seems to be several good books on the topic, here are a couple of the more popular ones, The Two-Stroke Tuners Handbook can be downloaded free from a couple of sources (google is your friend). I found the Grahm Bell book to be pretty good too (about $25 on amazon). If these books dont put you to sleep, try the Eyvind Boyesen patents on porting and reed valves... After reading these, the take away for me is that blue printing is about the best I can shoot for with the finite time I have. Yamaha knows quite well what they are doing (certainly more than me) and it would require a great deal of effort and experimentation (access to a dyno) to improve upon the original design. Also when I look at what a guy like Eric Gorr charges for port work, it's a bargin compared to the time it would take to replicate his know how from scratch. So my focus was and remains a high quality, reliable rebuild with focus on proper running and jetting. Sometimes I simply forget the bike is too fast for me anyway Still, it would be fun to take port area/timing measurements, crank through the equations, and see how the yz design stacks up agaist the recommendations of these books. If I get through all of this I will be sure to post the results here. Next up will be pistons and the rest of the top end. First, recall this bike was stolen and then recovered, here is a recent picture after repairing the (minor) damage. The thieves never started it so I am happy to say it still runs great!	166,597
Canada will hold a federal election on Oct. 19, and if the polls are right, it might just tear the country apart. The majority left-leaning nation of 35 million people has been led since 2006 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, of the Conservative Party. In very loose terms, he is Canada’s answer to George W. Bush, a center-right pol from an oil-rich province accused of being hostile to science and to dissent at large. Because Canada has a multi-party system with a unified right-leaning party, Harper has won two terms as prime minister with Conservatives getting 36 percent of the national vote in 2006 and 38 percent in 2011. Most of the other 60-plus percent of the Canadian electorate would just as soon see him get bounced. But they’re splitting their votes between other national parties: the center-left Liberal Party (think: Hillary Clinton), the further-left New Democratic Party (think: Bernie Sanders), and small but dedicated Green Party. Canada right now is like “America with one Republican Party and three Democratic parties,” University of Toronto political science professor Christopher Cochrane tells me. “And it just doesn’t work.” With national polls showing another likely slim plurality win for the Conservatives, the Canadian left is down to the dicey practice of crossing party lines, and maybe swapping votes. NDP partisans in strongly Liberal areas might agree to trade a vote to Liberals in areas likely to produce an NDP win, or they can eye polls and try to back whomever is running in front. It’s a utopian, data-driven attempt to elbow Conservatives out of Parliament, idealism as interpreted by Machiavelli. To help, Hisham Abdel-Rahman, an IT programmer and consultant by trade, and a political activist by disposition, has established and organized the site strategicvoting.ca. On it, left-leaning voters can research whether they live in a riding (Canada’s version of a Congressional district) with a split-left vote. Then, they scheme. Take, for example, Labrador. The riding has a combined progressive vote, or CPV (a term Abdel-Rahman uses to describe the total number of left-leaning votes), of 6,436. That’s every Liberal (4,177), plus every New Democrat (2,120), and every Green (139). The riding’s Conservative vote in the 2011 election was 4,256. In other words, though this riding’s voters are 60 percent left-leaning, the Conservatives narrowly won the seat. Abdel-Rahman believes NDP supporters in a place like Labrador would prefer the Liberal candidate — the party that came closer in the 2011 election and is polling better than the NDP candidate, according to current data — to another Conservative victory. If they want to be represented by a non-Conservative, and do their part to prevent a Conservative-controlled government, then, their best tactic is to put aside party loyalty and vote Liberal. “Strategicvoting.ca is a grassroots effort dedicated to assisting progressive voters make a difference instead of voting just to make a statement,” Abdel-Rahman tells me in an email. “The goal is to elect as many progressive members of Parliament as possible in federal elections.” Vote-trading will always be democracy’s answer to liar’s poker — how will you know, really, that the partisan you traded your vote to will hold up his end of the deal? — but it seems like a natural combination of social media and any first-past-the-post election where a third party polls well. Imagine the dealmaking on Facebook in 2016 if one of the myriad Republican candidates (Donald Trump, perhaps) split off to run independently. The right might organize to avoid the so-called Nader effect, named for America’s 2000 presidential election, in which the independent candidacy of Ralph Nader was blamed for siphoning votes from Al Gore. Eight years of George W. Bush presidency followed. “We saw strategic voting work this year in the Alberta provincial election,” Abdel-Rahman says. There, after 40 years of Conservative victories, the NDP triumphed. Voters there used websites like ChangeAlberta.ca to coordinate votes based on closely contested areas. “I am not trying to register vote-swapping,” Abdel-Rahman writes. “I am trying to achieve the best results in each riding while not hurting the weak parties. In ridings where strategic voting could not change the outcome and the Conservative party is sure to win, I am recommending that all progressives vote Green to [maintain] the Green Party’s total share of the vote.” The idea has gotten traction among the nail-biting Canadian left. Data scientist Ali Kashani writes on Medium that the battle is concentrated in just 16 ridings where strategic voting could topple Harper. And musician Dan Mangan shared this chart on his Facebook page, projecting election results if NDP and Liberal voters tried to pick non-Conservative winners rather than vote their party lines. In a perfect world, then, the left would unite and see more proportional representation in Parliament. But this ain’t a perfect world, and it’s likely that if Conservatives eke out another close win, Cochrane says, the left is going to have to coalesce, as parties on the Canadian right did in the early ‘00s. “Strategic Voting won’t be enough for the Liberals, and the NDP, and to an extent the Greens, to overcome what the Conservatives confronted early in the 21st century,” Cochrane says, “which is that they should have cooperated before the election, and that they need to think seriously about uniting.” The problems are just too numerous with strategic voting, he says: “The level of information and sophistication that one would have to have in order to cast a vote strategically is higher than your average voter is capable of.” Polling errors and small sample sizes cloud the data. And people just don’t like it. Aligning against a party is just unsatisfying, maybe even undemocratic, if you’re voting for another party you also disagree with. Cochrane predicts a Conservative victory will set off “three stages of grief” for the Canadian left. First, they will complain about first-past-the-post elections, the principle by which wins go to the plurality winner, compared to proportional representation, the comparable parliamentary system in England, by which parties achieve legislative representation proportional to the percentage of total votes they receive. (“That wouldn’t work in Canada,” Cochrane says, “because of the way our federalist structure is set up,” and furthermore, it’s unlikely that something as dramatic as a shift to proportional representation would have the support to pass.) “The second stage,” he says, “will be blaming Conservatives for winning by deploying tactics that some would find objectionable. The third will be an introspection, finding what it is the left needs to do to win, which in my mind would be to form some kind of cooperative arrangement, whether it’s to unite, or to arrange running candidates like a coalition government.” Could it happen in the States? It would take an independent candidacy, which is unlikely but hardly unprecedented. But, further, America is, in professor Cochrane’s words, more “bipolar” on party identification. The most viable third option here has been to stay home on Election Day. Still, for the experiment happening in the next week, Canada’s strategic voting will be worth watching.	228,981
An International System of Thought Centered in Paris, the movement gained international character at cosmopolitan salons. Masonic lodges played an important role in disseminating the new ideas throughout Europe. Foremost in France among proponents of the Enlightenment were baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and comte de Buffon; Baron Turgot and other physiocrats; and Jean Jacques Rousseau, who greatly influenced romanticism. Many opposed the extreme materialism of Julien de La Mettrie, baron d' Holbach, and Claude Helvétius. In England the coffeehouses and the newly flourishing press stimulated social and political criticism, such as the urbane commentary of Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele. Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope were influential Tory satirists. Lockean theories of learning by sense perception were further developed by David Hume. The philosophical view of human rationality as being in harmony with the universe created a hospitable climate for the laissez-faire economics of Adam Smith and for the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham. Historical writing gained secular detachment in the work of Edward Gibbon. In Germany the universities became centers of the Enlightenment (Ger. Aufklärung ). Moses Mendelssohn set forth a doctrine of rational progress; G. E. Lessing advanced a natural religion of morality; Johann Herder developed a philosophy of cultural nationalism. The supreme importance of the individual formed the basis of the ethics of Immanuel Kant. Italian representatives of the age included Cesare Beccaria and Giambattista Vico. From America, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin exerted vast international influence. Some philosophers at first proposed that their theories be implemented by "enlightened despots"—rulers who would impose reform by authoritarian means. Czar Peter I of Russia anticipated the trend, and Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II was the prototype of the enlightened despot; others were Frederick II of Prussia, Catherine II of Russia, and Charles III of Spain. The proponents of the Enlightenment have often been held responsible for the French Revolution. Certainly the Age of Enlightenment can be seen as a major demarcation in the emergence of the modern world. Sections in this article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Philosophy, Terms and Concepts	137,469
Foreseeing all-round prosperity on the removal of Congress-led government at the Centre, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused it of failing to fulfil the promises it had made when the state government came to power in 2011. Mamata, who was attending a press conference at Uttarkanya — the new north Bengal secretariat in Siliguri — said that her government was assured by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Centre-backed loans to West Bengal will be restructured but nothing happened in three years. “Now this (UPA) government has just 15 days to live and the early it goes, the better it will be for people,” the chief minister said. She also accused the previous Left Front government of bringing economic disaster in the state by going on a borrowing spree and the Centre of allowing it to do so. All the “borrowed money”, according to the chief minister, that were earmarked under planned heads, were spent on other projects. What maximised the state’s troubles, she alleged, was that the erstwhile government didn’t plan anything and often indulged in strikes, thereby spoiling the state’s work culture. She also criticised the previous government for not introducing provisions of Fiscal Responsibility Budget Management (FRBM) Act, and gave her government credit for trying “to bring the economy under a discipline”. She termed West Bengal as “the most deprived state in the country”. “This year we will earn Rs 40,000 crore through revenue receipts but the Centre will take away Rs 28,000 crore (as annual interest on Central loans) from the state exchequer,” she said, and asked “if the Centre takes away bulk of the state’s earnings, how will she pay salaries and pensions and carry on with other development work?” “We have to figure out ways to pay salaries to school teachers, police and government employees under the circumstances as we have lots of plans for development.” First Cabinet meeting outside Kolkata in over 40 years KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Cabinet meeting today at Uttarkanya in Siliguri became the first such meeting in over 40 years that was held outside of Kolkata. The last cabinet meet outside Kolkata was held under the chief ministership of Siddhartha Shankar Ray, during the period of 1972-1976. The Uttarkanya secretariat (also known as mini secretariat) in north Bengal was set up last month to decentralise administration and speed up the development programmes in the region. The chief minister said this – “holding of a meeting within 20 days of the inauguration of the secretariat” as was promised – proves that “we do what we say”. North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Deb said now the people of north Bengal districts “will not have to go to Kolkata to get their work done as the mini secretariat would have 20 departments other than the North Bengal Development Department. PTI	93,808
What can I comment on? Planning applications are decided on the basis of planning issues such as: - The effect on a neighbour's daylight, sunlight or privacy - The impact on traffic, road access, parking and servicing - The appearance, bulk or height of the proposed development - Impacts such as noise generated by the proposed development - The potential loss of a valued local service or use, such as a shop or a residential flat. The council cannot consider non-planning issues such as: - The effect on property values - Competition between rival businesses - Party wall disputes and fire escape matters - Moral and religious issues. We cannot refuse permission for a scheme because of construction noise but we can restrict the hours of work to reduce disturbance to residents and other neighbours. What is the time limit for comments? You must comment within 28 days of registration of the planning application. You can find the deadline by viewing the application online. What happens to my comments? The planning officer will consider all comments received about an application and may contact the applicant to suggest changes. Everybody who has commented on an application will be informed of the decision. Submitting paper comments You can also write to us. Make sure you include your name and address, and the application reference number. Anonymous comments will not be considered.	243,306
In northernmost Madagascar, fishermen exponentially increased their fish catch in six years. Here’s how. Could the Pope’s new environmental encyclical mark a turning point in how we care for the Earth? Mexico City needs this forest — but do we know how to save it? A CI expedition finds a trove of unexpected discoveries — and more reasons to protect nature at a potential tourist destination. Search for species continues in a place where life subsists precariously on a trickle of water. A special CI series: A fascinating speck of an island off Timor-Leste has never been formally studied — until now. The little-known country’s new reserve is part of a global order in which indigenous peoples are increasingly claiming rights to manage their traditional lands. So far, this project has kept nearly 40,000 pounds — the equivalent of 2.5 dump trucks — of sediment from damaging the reef below. Connecting the dots between nature and people in recent news stories. The latest post in our “Gender + Conservation” blog series.	46,850
From About Archaeology: In the decades before World War I, industrialists such as John D. Rockefeller had become millionaires; by the early years of the 20th century labor unrest blossomed in the United States, particularly in the coal mine industry. Strikes grew into riots occurring throughout the US, and then into full scale battles, the most famous of which was in 1914, the Ludlow Coal Massacre, when Colorado National Guard opened fire on a tent city of striking miners and their families in Ludlow Colorado. On April 20, 1914, Colorado National Guardsmen attacked a tent colony of 1,200 striking miners at Ludlow, Colorado, looting and burning the colony. Twenty-five people were killed. This was the worst of many such skirmishes between the government and the miners in Coal Field War of 1914, which lasted for seven months. The battle lasted 14 hours and included a machine gun and 200 armed militia; the tent city was destroyed. Of the 25 people killed, three were militia men, twelve were children, and one was an uninvolved passerby. The strikers were mostly Greek, Italian, Slav, and Mexican workers; the militia were sent by the Governor of Colorado and ultimately by John D. Rockefeller, owner of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. United Mine Workers History The UMWA lost the Coal Field War. The strike ended in December 1914, and 408 miners were arrested, some for murder, including their leader John Lawson. However, none of the arrests ever resulted in findings of guilt. Ten officers and 12 enlisted men were court-martialed and exonerated for the events at Ludlow. However, because of the public outcry, the UMWA grew strong and eventually the miners’ situation improved. Recent Research and Findings Dean Saitta and Randall MacGuire have been conducting archaeological investigations at Ludlow for the past several years, using innovative techniques combining remote sensing and historic photographs. Several professional articles have been published, and are listed on the Colorado Coal Field War Project Site. Sources and links on the Ludlow Massacre * The Ludlow Massacre, this information and more sources * Colorado Coal Field War Project, from Binghamton University, Fort Lewis, and the University of Denver is the best source for detailed information about the site, including a bibliography and photos * Battlefield Archaeology This music video from the USA is the song Ludlow Massacre by Woodie Guthrie. It says about itself: Refers to the violent deaths of 20 people, 11 of them children, during an attack by the Colorado National Guard on a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado on April 20, 1914. Read the lyrics here. US labor movement about 1900: here. The Ludlow Massacre: Never to be forgotten! Here. There are few private law enforcement organizations in the United States that have been as controversial as the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. On one side it is admired for bringing to law many a notorious criminal. On the other, it is detested for its vicious behavior and it intense support of anti labor measures. Read more at Suite101: The Pinkerton Detective Agency: Between the Law and Hooliganism: here. - NEW! Regional Award: Ludlow Massacre & SoCo Mine Wars (schistoryday.wordpress.com) - Louis Tikas: from Crete to Colorado as Labor Union Organizer (usa.greekreporter.com) - Christmas Eve massacre, 1913, Michigan, USA (dearkitty1.wordpress.com) - 102. Ludlow Massacre (fugious.wordpress.com) - The Wereth 11, a Little-Known Massacre During the Battle of the Bulge (historynet.com) - 1930 – Death of Cork-born union organizer and human rights activist, Mary Harris – “Mother” Jones”. (stairnaheireann.wordpress.com) - The 1914 Christmas Truce – Remembering a Miracle (freedomoutpost.com)	165,937
Whether it’s a pyramid, pie or whatever other weird shape they try to cram a food chart into, you’ll notice that vegetables always take up plenty of elbow room. Veggies provide fiber, minerals and a bursting cornucopia of vitamins that every body needs. But even the healthiest person can have a tricky time when it comes to eating the proper amount of them. Finding fresh produce, worrying about spoilage, the debate over organic vs. non-organic food and just the hassle of cooking at the end of an exhausting day can make the siren song of take-out junk food even more irresistible. Add in the joint pain and added fatigue that can come with lupus, and you’ve got a recipe for disastrous eating habits. Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have to be a Chore As a kid, the only veggies on my plate were those little cubed carrots and lima bean mixes frozen from the bag. Ugh. It was a long road to overcome those first (bad) impressions of vegetables and start actually enjoying them. My biggest obstacles in my leafy green path to better eating were my beautiful fresh produce spoiling before I could use it all, and the washing, chopping and prep that some veggies involved. Frozen vegetables are good vegetables. Frozen veggies are a god-send. They are not only pre-washed, skinned and chopped, but frozen veggies might also contain more nutrients than fresh ones. Buy them loose inside a bag (instead of in the small boxes) and you can scoop out a cup at a time for any meal. No soggy leftovers, no spoilage because you forgot they were there. Supermarket choices are wide-ranging – you can buy a bag of only one vegetable or pre-made mixes. Buyer beware though; frozen mixes that include seasonings and/or sauces can add unwanted sodium and sugar (and calories!) to your meal. For the healthiest results, get your veggies dressing-free and add your own fixings. However, frozen veggies have their limits. If you like a good stir-fry, frozen veggies can actually add to your cooking time, since after defrosting them, they will likely be soggy and not fry-friendly. Also, there are some veggies that just don’t do well once frozen. The taste and texture just don’t measure up when compared to their fresh-shipped counterparts. Some veggies that I think are worth the extra prep to enjoy are: - Spinach. Frozen spinach tends to clump and wind up more like shredded mush. Get a bundle of fresh spinach – it’s super easy to cook and requires a minimum of prep. - Mushrooms. I’ve never actually seen frozen mushrooms, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were pretty pricey. - Garlic. Delicious and one of the body’s superfoods. When roasted, it’s mellow and buttery – just the thing for home-made garlic bread. Ditch the jar stuff – seriously there’s no comparison. - Onions. Frozen onions are a great option if you really have trouble chopping, but they don’t caramelize well when cooked – or at least I haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Slowly, I’ve noticed bagged fresh veggies making an appearance on supermarket shelves. Some even come vented so that you can toss the bag in a microwave and steam them. These are fabulous products that any lupie should keep an eye open for. Keep in mind, these are fresh veggies, so they will spoil and go soggy if you forget about them. If you can’t bring yourself to have some greenery every day, stick with buying smaller amounts or getting them frozen to avoid waste. Another way to cook fresh or frozen veggies without the hassle of too much chopping and peeling is by using a slow cooker. A slow cooker can make even the toughest fresh veggies tender enough to fall apart with a fork. I’ve often thrown in veggies whole or very roughly chopped, skin on and all. Make a nice homemade vegetable soup by letting chicken and carrots slowly simmer in broth while you’re out at work or throw in a small beef roast and flake it over rice. What other tips are there for making cooking with vegetables easier? Want more tips and tricks (and maybe a few tawdry stories thrown in)? Subscribe to Life Despite Lupus by Email	139,401
This article was originally published in the January/February 1993 issue of Home Energy Magazine. Some formatting inconsistencies may be evident in older archive content. \| Home Energy Home Page \| Back Issues of Home Energy \| Home Energy Magazine Online January/February 1993 WHAT'S WRONG WITH REFRIGERATOR ENERGY RATINGS? As refrigerators become more and more efficient, consumers and utility demand-side managers are faced with a number of questions. Does the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) test procedure adequately predict refrigerator energy consumption? How much energy can be saved by replacing an old refrigerator? Do conveniences like automatic ice makers increase energy use? How does refrigerator energy consumption change with the seasons? A 1991 study sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) shed new light on these questions. In 1990 PG&E offered rebates for high-efficiency refrigerators purchased for use in its service territory: Selecting The Homes Automatic defrost refrigerators with top freezers in the 18-22 ft3 range represent the largest group of refrigerators rebated in 1990. All 20 of the refrigerators we studied had these characteristics and were located in Fresno, Calif. for logistical reasons. The study established three groups of refrigerators based on the rebate scheme: Group A. Models saving less than 10% of the federal standard (seven units). Group B. Models saving 10-15% of the federal standard (seven units). Group C. Models saving more than 15% of the federal standard (six units). The study randomly selected refrigerator rebate participants--Groups B and C--from lists prepared by the Electric and Gas Industries Association (EGIA), which manages the rebate program for PG&E. The Fresno Montgomery Ward & Co. store provided a list of customers who bought refrigerators in 1990. Individuals with non-rebated refrigerators--Group A--were selected from that list. Proctor Engineering solicited participants by letter and phone. Those selected received $100 on completion of the study. Obtaining The Data PG&E technicians visited every site, installed a submeter, completed a short interview with the occupant, and recorded one-time measurements of temperatures and other factors that might influence refrigerator energy consumption. Table 1 shows the average characteristics of each monitored group. The submeter, a 120V version of PG&E's residential time-of-use meter, recorded refrigerator consumption in 15-minute intervals. We obtained data for 20 refrigerators, submetered for three time periods: Changing Seasons--and Consumption We know intuitively that the energy consumption of a refrigerator will increase as the kitchen temperature rises. This study addressed the question: is daily average outdoor temperature a good predictor of refrigerator energy use? To investigate this relationship, we ran linear regressions, comparing the average daily consumption of each group against 71 days and three seasons of outdoor temperatures (see Figure 1). The results showed over 90% of the variations in group average use were predicted by variations in the ambient temperature. DOE Testing--Adequate Predictor? Whether the DOE lab test adequately predicts refrigerator consumption depends on the local climate. The laboratory test for complying with federal standards is conducted at a single temperature--90deg.F. It produces an estimate of annual energy without accounting for changes in temperature, food loading, door openings, and other variables that exist in the field. Nevertheless for some climates the lab test estimate may be quite close. (For more on ambient temperatures and refrigerator energy use, see box, Keep That Kitchen Cool.) This study used linear regression models to estimate the annual refrigerator consumption in Fresno. The average annual temperature for Fresno is 65deg.F. Substituting this value into the models, we found that the laboratory test closely matched the estimate for Groups A and C, but not for Group B (see Table 2). Group B, however, consumed substantially more energy than predicted. On average, these refrigerators used even more than their less efficient counterparts. When we analyzed the data, it became immediately apparent that two lemons (high-use refrigerators) caused a large portion of this excess consumption. Compared with the remaining units in group B, the lemons consumed 43% more energy over the first two test periods. We visited those refrigerators to determine the cause of the high use. At the house of the first lemon, the occupants complained that they had to get up every morning and empty all the ice out of the freezer, otherwise they couldn't get to their frozen food. A bent ice maker shut-off arm created the overabundance of ice. Since the ice maker did not shut off, it produced ice around the clock, resulting in an impressive increase in electrical use. The total energy use from automatic ice makers is the total of four components: Since the ice maker was not turned off, it cycled just as if it were making ice. Without water, it never made ice and the sensing arm did not halt the process. Every half hour the ice maker repeated the process. When the ice maker on this unit was turned off, it showed a usage reduction equivalent to 357 kWh annually. (For more on energy use and conveniences, see box Through-The-Door Energy Use.) One Peach (a rotten one) One refrigerator in Group A used far less energy than the rest of the refrigerators in that group. The owner of this refrigerator complained of melting ice cream and food spoilage. An on-site investigation revealed that the temperatures in both the fresh food compartment and the freezer were high. The thermostat on this unit was replaced, controlling temperatures at a more reasonable level. Can Replacement Save Energy and Reduce Load? The cost-effectiveness of refrigerator replacement clearly depends on how wasteful the existing refrigerator is. PG&E has monitored typical refrigerators for many years as part of the Appliance Metering Project (AMP). Their 1985-86 Residential Appliance Load Study reported the measured usage from 21 refrigerators.2 The annualized use for those refrigerators was 1,990 kWh. All the new refrigerators submetered in the current study averaged 960 kWh--only 48% of the energy expended by the older refrigerators represented in the AMP sample. Refrigerators that meet or exceed the 1993 standard will use substantially less energy than these units. Replacing old inefficient refrigerators will not only save the customer money, it will also assist the local utility by reducing demand during peak load periods. This sample indicates, an average reduction of over 100W per replacement refrigerator. Of course, neither the customer's energy bill nor the utility peak will decrease if the old refrigerator relocates from the kitchen to the garage where it cools liquid refreshment. The DOE lab test provides a quick method of rating refrigerator efficiency, but it does not capture some of the more important variables that effect use in the field. These case studies indicate that ambient temperature and automatic ice makers are significant variables in refrigerator energy consumption. Yet the DOE test procedure is conducted at a single temperature and without an ice maker. At best, demand-side planners do not take these variables into account when estimating conservation savings. At worst, refrigerator energy use can increase 40-60% when the ice maker is malfunctioning or is not attached to a water source. For this reason, consumers should receive additional instructions about ice makers, how to turn them off if there is no water supply, and when to call a service person (when the freezer is filling with ice). -- John Proctor 1. PG&E Refrigerator Field Metering Project, Final Report 1991. Available from Proctor Engineering Group, 700 Larkspur Landing Cr., Ste. 259, Larkspur, CA 94939. Tel:(415)925-2322; Fax:(415)461-2925. 2. Brodsky, J. and McNicoll, S., principal investigators, Residential Appliance Load Study 1985-1986, Appliance Metering Project, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Regulatory Cost of Service Dept., September 1987. John Proctor is president of Proctor Engineering Group in Larkspur, Calif. Figure 1. Refrigerator Energy Consumption versus Outside Temperature Note: For regression lines, estimated daily consumption = constant + outside temperatures 2 coefficient of determination (R = .9). Table 1. Monitored Refrigerators Percentage Refrigerator Anti- DOE test better adjusted sweat With annual than volume1 heater automatic use minimum (ft3) on2 ice maker3 (kWh)4 efficiency5 ____________________________________________________________________ Group A 22.2 43% 14% 951 4% Group B 22.9 29% 71% 895 11% Group C 22.2 67% 20% 838 15% ____________________________________________________________________ 1. Adjusted volume, calculated as 1.63 X freezer volume (ft3) + refrigerator volume (ft3). Combines variable freezer and fresh food volumes. 2. The anti-sweat heater (electric resistance) controls condensation near the door seal and can be turned off. 3. Presence of an icemaker (not a through-the-door ice maker), a proven large energy use. 4. Annual consumption predicted by the Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Electric Refrigerators and Electric Refrigerator Freezers, Appendix A-1 to subpart B of part 430, Department of Energy, 10 CFR Chap. 11. January 1, 1991. This test determines the energy required to maintain a refrigerator at steady state in a 90deg.F room. Annual consumption predicted by the Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Electric Refrigerators and Electric Refrigerator Freezers, Appendix A-1 to subpart B of part 430, Department of Energy, 10 CFR Chap. 11. January 1, 1991. 5. Calculated as: Maximum allowable consumption-Laboratory estimated consumption ______________________________________________________________ Maximum allowable consumption The maximum allowable estimated consumption from the laboratory test is set by the Federal standards. For these units (refrigerator-freezer, with automatic defrost, top-mounted freezer, without through-the-door ice service) the 1990 standard = 23.5 2 Adjusted volume + 471 kWh. Directory of Certified Refrigerators, Freezers and Refrigerator Freezers, Califonia Energy Commission. Available from California Energy Commission, P.O. Box 944295, Sacramento, CA 94244-2950. Keep That Kitchen Cool A recent study in Rochester, N.Y., revealed the most reliable way to reduce an existing refrigerator's energy use. In the study, the kitchen temperature was monitored every 30 minutes (along with the energy use) in 22 homes. The results were surprisingly consistent: changes in kitchen temperatures explained almost all of the changes in the refrigerators' energy use during the eight-month monitoring period (see Figure 2). Individual refrigerators were very sensitive to kitchen temperatures. Many experienced a doubling in energy use when the temperature rose from 65deg.F to 80deg.F. Refrigerators rarely achieved their labeled consumptions until the kitchen temperature rose above 80deg.F (see Figure 3). Thus, keeping a cool kitchen is an important element for minimizing refrigerator energy use. (This does not mean air conditioning!) Adequate ventilation is the key strategy during those seasons where the outside temperature is cooler than the kitchen. It is also crucial to permit air to easily circulate around refrigerators. Modern kitchen designs can frustrate this strategy because most refrigerators are tightly enclosed in a cabinet. (See Leftovers, p. 41.) Figure 2. Kitchen Temperature versus Energy Usage Figure 3. One Year of Energy Consumption and Kitchen Temperature Through-The-Door Energy Use Most refrigerator manufacturers offer several models with through the door features. These features include cold water dispensers, ice dispensers, and some even have a little door to give access to frequently-used items. Often the manufacturers suggest that these features save energy because they avoid door openings. Unfortunately, the opposite is true: through-the-door conveniences increase energy use. Danny Parker, at the Florida Solar Energy Center, demonstrated this by a clever analysis. Parker discovered that manufacturers typically use the same box for a standard unit and one with through-the-door features. Thus, by comparing the labeled energy use for two models, one can determine the extra energy used by those features. Parker identified 24 twins in the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers directory. The through-door-features uniformly added 10% to the labeled energy use of the refrigerators, corresponding to 120 kWh per year, or about $12 (see Figure 4). Parker's comparison may understate the difference because the measurements were performed in the laboratory where no water or ice is used. The differences simply reflect the thermal short circuits in the through-the-door features (because insulation cannot fit in that area). There is some anecdotal evidence that the in-kitchen increase will be considerably more, partly because the ease of access increases use (and waste) of chilled water and ice. There are no field data to confirm this estimate, but literally hundreds of door openings would be needed to achieve the same increase in energy use. The consumer must decide if the added convenience of the through-the-door features is worth the added energy cost. In any event, through-the-door features are certainly not energy savers. -- Alan Meier Figure 4. Matched Pair Analysis of Side-by-Side Refrigerators Table 2. Annual Consumption: DOE Test versus Submetered Seasonal Estimate Predicted annual use Estimated annual use according to according to Ratio of Annual use: DOE test 71-day sample sample/DOE test ____________________________________________________________________________ Group A 951 kWh 972 kWh 1.0 Group B 887 kWh 1,041 kWh 1.2 Group C 839 kWh 849 kWh 1.0 ____________________________________________________________________________ * Due to small sample size, sample means cannot be used to determine differences between rebated and non-rebated refrigerators with any degree of confidence. Related ArticlesBuilding an Energy-Efficient Home Office (Geltz) Chasing the Golden Carrot (Frantz) Eliminating CFCs Without Regrets (Houghton) Hauling in the Culprits: Michigan's Bounty Pilot (Witte and Kushler) Home Alone--Living Off the Grid (Casebolt) How Accurate Are Yellow Labels (Meier) Is That Old Refrigerator Worth Saving? (Meier) Leaking Electricity (Meier) Maintenance Doesn't Necessarily Lower Energy Use (Litt, Megowan, and Meier) New Standards Begin, But Will Rebates Continue? (Morrill) Recycling Refrigerators: Whose Responsibility? (Nelson) Refrigerator Replacement in Florida: A Case Study (Parker and Stedman) Remodeling Kitchens: A Smorgasbord of Energy Savings (Sullivan) SMUD's Refrigerator Graveyard--Conditions of the Deceased (Bos) Understanding Power Quality (De Almeida) Waterbed Heating: Uncovering Energy Savings in the Bedroom (Rieger) What Stays On When You Go Out (Meier) Checking Out HUD's Proposed Mobile Home Performance Standards (Judkoff) Making Energy Mortgages Work (Luboff) Managing Large-Scale Duct Programs (Downey) New Group Hunts Bad Ducts (Obst) One Size Fits All: A Thermal Distribution Efficiency Standard (Modera) Telecommuting: An Alternative Route to Work (Quaid) Weatherization Assistance: The Single-Family Study (Brown and Berry) \| Back to Contents Page \| Home Energy Index \| About Home Energy \| Home Energy can be reached at: firstname.lastname@example.org Home Energy magazine -- Please read our Copyright Notice - FIRST PAGE - PREVIOUS PAGE	226,876
The Murky Guide to London's Criminal History London is a city rich in history, however there are many sinister tales involved as well. The criminal world of London's past has introduced some infamous names, whose bad deeds and despicable behaviours still incite curiosity and fascination today. Hopefully this short guide will be interesting to the layman and the students (such as those taking an MA criminology degree at MDX). These are some of the most well known: Jack the Ripper The mysterious Jack the Ripper is one of the most famous criminals to come out of London's gory history. This serial killer was known for disemboweling his victims in the backstreets of East London in 1888. He killed at least five women although it is believed there may have been more. The Ripper's identity has never been proven, and over time many lunatics tried to take credit for his crimes, although none of the claims were substantiated. Today you can follow the footsteps of the famous killer on a Jack the Ripper walking tour which set off every evening from Tower Hill, and takes in the very East London streets where the Ripper committed his ghastly crimes. Another famous criminal mind from England's capital is Guy (or "Guido") Fawkes, who tried to assassinate the King - a Protestant - in 1604 so that a Catholic would take his place as the reigning English monarch. His attempt to blow up Parliament (famously known as the Gunpowder Plot) failed after he was discovered hiding beneath the House of Lords with many barrels of gunpowder. The date he was discovered and his mutinous plan foiled, 5th November, is still celebrated each year with fireworks in London and across the country. And effigies of Fawkes are often burned upon a bonfire. The famous highwayman and murderer of the 1730s is the subject of many famous stories and ballads which romanticise his name and lifestyle - but few are true to his real life story. Turpin was certainly no romantic. He was a horse thief whose gang (known as the Essex Gang) wreaked havoc throughout London, Essex and other areas of England, stealing horses and money, often by violent means. His gang often used Epping Forest, in east London, as their hideout, and it was here that Turpin killed Thomas Morris, who had attempted to capture the wanted criminal. This shooting merely fuelled the quest for Turpin's eventual capture and execution. The Kray Twins Ronald "Ronnie" and Reginald "Reggie" Kray were twin brothers were London’s most prominent leaders in organised crime from the 1950s to late 1969s. Behind a facade of charming socialites during the swinging 60s the Krays perpetuated a life of violence, torture, arson, robbery and murder. They were finally caught in 1968 and both sentenced to life imprisonment. You can still visit the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel, where Ronnie Kray famously shot a man in front of fellow drinkers. There is also a crossbow once used by the Krays at London's "Black Museum", a collection of criminals' property dating back to 1874. This grim display is closed to the public, although given its gruesome nature, perhaps that's for the best. MONEY & COSTS	120,312
Greek monarchy referendum, 1935 \|This article is part of a series on the\| politics and government of After the defeat of Greece by the Turkish National Movement (the "Asia Minor Disaster" of 1922), the defeated army revolted against the royal government. King Constantine I was forced to abdicate in 1922, and died in exile in 1923. His eldest son and successor, King George II, was soon after asked by the parliament to leave Greece so the nation could decide what form of government it should adopt. In a 1924 referendum, Greeks voted to create a republic. In 1935, Prime Minister Georgios Kondylis, a former pro-Venizelos military officer, became the most powerful political figure in Greece. On 10 October, he compelled Panagis Tsaldaris to resign as Prime Minister and took over the government, suspending many constitutional provisions in the process. Kondylis, who had now joined the Conservatives, decided to hold a referendum in order to re-establish the monarchy, despite the fact that he used to be a supporter of the anti-monarchist wing of Greek politics. The referendum was scheduled to take place on 3 November per resolution "on the abolition of the republic" of 10 October 1935 (ΦΕΚ Α΄ 456). Observers of the time expressed serious doubts about the vote's legitimacy. Besides the implausibly high "yes" vote, the vote was held in far-from-secret circumstances. Voters dropped a blue piece of paper into the ballot box if they supported the king's return, or a red paper to retain the republic. Anyone who cast a red paper risked being beaten up. \|Source: Nohlen & Stöver\| - Dieter Nohlen & Phillip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p830 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7 - Nohlen & Stöver, p838 - Miller, William (1936). "A New Era in Greece". Foreign Affairs. 14 (4): 654–661. JSTOR 20030766. - see Gazette 456, dated 10.10.1935, p. 2295 - By the Grace of God Time, 18 November 1935	238,404
Over at Deadspin, Anthony Mason takes a spin through the patent record to tell a brief, vaguely horrifying, history of sports bra technology. The story stretches from a '70s-era "jockstrap for women," which gave rise to the first real sports bra, to a piezoelectrically controlled contraption that generates electricity through the power of bouncing boobs (yes, really). The inventions' silliness hints at a serious problem: Sports bra design is terrible. Supportive bras for the bustiest of women still don’t exist outside the lab, which means many of them have to layer on two bras when exercising, ABC reported in 2010. Studies show that over time, breast pain and sag can lead to “lower self-esteem, less exercise, and a decreased quality of life.” "There's so much more we can do with design," Jenny White, a breast biomechanic researcher at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, told ABC. "There are good bras out there if you look for them, but the optimal sports bra may not have been made yet." Read Deadspin's full story here.	3,471
Friday, 13 January 2012 Framing in Argento -- fragment of a Deleuzean reading Like Leone, Argento used 2.35:1 widescreen Techniscope until commercial considerations of television and video sales encouraged use of the 1.85 ratio on Inferno and Tenebre. While Argento's compositions perhaps do not draw attention to the shape of the 2.35:1 frame as often as Leone does, the effect on those occasions where he does so is thereby arguably heightened. In Leone's films the use of the all areas of the frame, the out of field/frame and quasi-split screen effects generally does not serve any obvious purpose beyond making the conventions of classical cinema evident. In contrast the likes of the widescreen composition in Deep Red when Marc, on the far left, and Carlo, on the far right, shout to one another across a space dominated by the central statuary, also have a pedagogical role. For in conjunction with Carlo's remarks on the distinction between what Marc thought he saw and what he actually saw this image draws attention to Marc's reading of the image of Carlo's mother in the bottom left of the frame as a face in the painting she was reflected into. This image also establishes a crystal-image circuit between the actual - Carlo's mother - and the virtual - Carlo's mother as mirrored into the painting that confuses Marc.	188,490
While using sound waves as a statistics carrier is not new, applying the precept to tune has continually been a project because even small distortions made when adding information could be observed through the human ear. Researchers have evolved a way for records to be secretly transferred internal a music song at a usable rate without turning it into unlistenable mush. If one should overcome this, the song could make an awesome medium for data switch because it can, without problems, be picked up by way of the microphones used by smartphones and computers without stressful human beings blasting unstructured sound at them. The approach mentioned via Manuel Eichelberger and Simon Tanner of ETH Zurich makes use of orthogonal frequency-department multiplexing (OFDM) to feature information to the musical frequencies humans are much less in all likelihood to notice while warding off the ones they may be touchy too. It sounds easy sufficient in principle but making use of it to music tracks with person harmonic compositions throughout distinct genres fast turns into a enormously technical assignment. Then there’s the trouble of switching sufficient information at a given distance to make a complete concept worthwhile. After conducting experiments, the researchers observed it turned into feasible to obtain information costs of three hundred to 400 bits according to second (bps) over distances of up to 24 meters, with a ten% blunders price, without affecting the original tune whilst performed to a take a look at the group of forty humans. What may you want to do with it? Although a low information rate through current radio frequency standards, the pair reckon that is nonetheless enough for simple programs, which brings us to the critical query of what this sort of statistics-in-music technology is probably used for. Granted, encoding useful statistics in music at bit fees and stages not yet matched via other researchers is awesome, however to a few, this may sound like an answer searching out a utility. If something as compact as a Wi-Fi key will be transferred using sound waves, why not try this using a short blast of sound or easy series of musical notes? Inevitably, the usage of music creates the inherent hassle of distortion simultaneously as the usage of sound at all depends on making assumptions about heritage noise. Readers can decide for themselves by comparing the authentic, unchanged music with the one to which information has been added. On a associated observation (pardon the pun), in 2015, every other set of researchers from ETH Zurich recommended that evaluating ambient sounds picked up using a cellphone and a PC to confirm they may be in the same location may be used for 2-component authentication.	116,859
Paul rightly puts forth the reason we should feel compelled to live a godly life: that God saved our lives, in this world and in the next. This puts on us a pleasant moral obligation to live a life of grateful obedience to Him. “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:11-13 NASB Gratitude produces in us the impetus to say no to the voice within us to rebel against the God who made us and live according to the inclinations of our own hearts. “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13 NASB Godly, obedient living fulfills His dying purpose for us — “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:12-14 NASB Lord, overwhelm me with the joyful obligation that is the normal response to Your undeserved forgiveness and grace in my life. Motivate me to eagerly live the redeemed life that You have purchased for me with Your own blood.	161,326
Alcohols and phenols react with carboxylic acids, acid chlorides and acid anhydrides to form esters. R-O-H + R' - COOH -----H+-----> ROCOR' + H2O Ethanol Acetic acid Ethyl acetate(Ester) C2-OH + CH3-COOH -----H2SO4----------> C2H5O COCH3 + H2O Ar-OH + R'-COOH ------------------> ArOCOR' + H2O Ar-OH/ R-OH + (R'CO)2 ---------H+----------> Ar/ ROCOR' + R'COOH Ease of esterification of alcohol is in the order primary> secondary> tertiary . The reaction with carboxylic acid and acid anhydride is carried out in presence of small amount of concentrated sulphuric acid. The reaction with carboxylic acid is reversible, and therefore, water is removed as soon as it is formed. The Reaction With Acid Chloride Is Carried Out In Presence Of A Base (Pyridine) so as to remove HCl. It also shifts the equilibrium to right hand side. The introduction of acetyl (CH3CO-) group in alcohols or phenols is known as acetylation. Acetylation of salicylic acid (2-hydroxy benzoic acid) produces aspirin which possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. Related post Chemical properties of Alcohols and Phenols	215,002
Navigate up to... How to change your sparkplugs Figured this might be helpful for somebody. First you'll need to properly gap your selected spark plugs- factory calls for .028-.031 gap, yours may vary depending on model ie iridium or needs. Lots of info out there on choices of plugs- I won't go into any of it here. You'll need to use some kind of gapping device and you'll want an accurate gap. Here's the tool I use: We'll start on the drivers side, but first we'll have to make some room. The battery as well as the washer needs to come out, Two 10mm nuts on the battery, two 10mm bolts on the washer bottle and a connector: Here's where the connector is on the washer bottle: Remove the battery and plastic holder. Move the washer bottle out of the way: I'd highly recommend a few "speciality" tools to tackle this job. First a set of flex head sockets to get at the coilpacks, you'll use these on lots of jobs: Next a flex spark plug socket: The spark plug socket has rubber inside of it to hold the spark plug: A variety of extensions, I like the ones that are "lockable" so the extension doesn't come off the socket: With everything out of the way, we'll first remove the coil packs. I undo the connectors to each coil pack first: Next the coil packets themselves, 12mm (use the flex head socket). After the bolts are loosened, gently pull on the coil packs to get them off of the spark plugs: Here's what the coil packs look like: Your now ready remove the spark plugs. Use the spark plug socket on a extension, gently put it into the "hole" until you firmly have the spark plug on the socket. Using a ratchet remove the spark plug- shouldn't be in there too tight. We can now put your properly gapped new spark plugs in. Use the flex spark plug socket and a extension. You may want to put a light coating of antiseize on the threads. Gently start the plug in using just the extension, tighten firmly by hand. You'll then put a ratchet on the extension and tighten to 15 ft lbs- you likely won't be able to get a torque wrench in there, so tighten carefully -15 ft lbs is not that much. Next the coil packs go back on. Slide the boot portion over the spark plug, gently snugging it on- you'll feel it going on. Once properly on, tighen the coil pack bolt to 12 ft lbs- again a torque wrench won't likley fit so go careful- 12 ft lbs is not that much. Next reconnect the connectors to the coil packs. We're ready to move to the other side: First remove the air scoop, two 10mm bolts: Next we'll remove the airbox. We'll disconnect the hose connecting the airbox to the turbo inlet hose. Then we'll disconnect the connector to the MAF sensor (see pic). Then we'll remove the upper half of the air filter w/ the filter. Next we'll remove the lower portion of the air box, two 12mm bolts- one shown in pic, the other on the other side: With everything out of the way, we'll now have access to the passenger side coil packs- they come out the same way as before: The only difference on this side is there is a bracket that is attached to the coil pack closest to the fire wall- simply remove it (make sure to reinstall when putting the coilpack together). pic of bracket: Reinstall all the pieces you have removed. Hooking up the battery last. Check your spark plugs for unusual color- lot's of good sites explaining the different colors and conditions. You have effectively reset your ECU by disconnecting your battery, which means the Advanced Multiplier (AM) is set back to 8, you want it to get to 16. You can do this quicly by gently driving (no boost) until you have a place you can get into 3rd gear- accelaerate slowly, left foot braking (puts load on) keep boost at ~ 2-3 psi for ~ 20-30 secs and it should be there. Ofcourse if you have a Delta Dash, you can tell for sure.	128,046
Dozens of UFO Sightings in Kokomo, Indian USA More than 40 UFO sightings from across Howard County have been reported to a national research centre since the mid-1990s, according to a database published late last year. The Associated Press released the database in December outlining sightings collected by the National UFO Research Centre, an investigative organization based in a decommissioned U.S. Air Force ICBM base in eastern Washington. In total, 41 reports from Kokomo were collected by the centre, also known as NUFORC, from 1996 to 2017. Two more were received from Greentown. Credit: George Myers, Kokomo Tribune	30,447
A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change Authors: Douglas Thomas & John Seely Brown The 21st century is a world in constant change. In A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown pursue an understanding of how the forces of change, and emerging waves of interest associated with these forces, inspire and invite us to imagine a future of learning that is as powerful as it is optimistic. Our understanding of what constitutes “a new culture of learning” is based on several basic assumptions about the world and how learning occurs. The world is changing faster than ever and our skill sets have a shorter and shorter life Strategies which resist or even adapt to a constantly changing world are insufficient to keep up. We need ways to embrace change and even enjoy making sense out of a constantly changing work.. Denying change has become a losing strategy. We need to fundamentally rethink learning and strive for ways to amplify learning and make it scalable. Understanding play is critical to understanding learning Play is universally recognized as a critical tool for children. It is how they come to understand, experience, and know the world. As we get older, play is seen as unimportant, trivial, or as a means of relaxation and learning switches to something you do in school where now you are taught. What we fail to fully grasp is that play is the way that children manage new, unexpected and changing conditions, exactly the situation we now all face in the fast-paced world of the 21st century. Play is more than a tool to manage change; it allows us to make new things familiar, to perfect new skills, to experiment with moves and crucially to embrace change —a key disposition for succeeding in the 21st century The world is getting more connected that ever before – can that be a resource? Access to information and to other people is both unparalleled in modern history. Our “connectedness” is not only to resources, but to people who are helping to manage, organize, disseminate and make sense of those resources as well. This interconnectedness is creating a new sense of peer mentoring enabled by access to multiple levels and degrees of expertise. In this connected world, mentorship takes on new importance and meaning Where traditionally mentoring was a means of enculturating members into a community, mentoring in the collective relies more on the sense of learning and developing temporary, peer-to-peer relationships that are fluid and impermanent. Expertise is shared openly and willingly, without regard to an institutional mission. Instead, expertise is shared conditionally and situationally, as a way to enable the agency of other members of the collective. Challenges we face are multi-faceted requiring systems thinking & socio-technical sensibilities As part of what Hagel & Brown call “The Big Shift” change is happening on an exponential scale. This requires our learning environments to match the speed and degree of change happening in the world around us. Our current educational models neither scale sufficiently nor provide a robust enough set of solutions to meet the needs of the current complexities that we face. Skills are important but so are mind sets and dispositions It is no longer sufficient to teach skills or even meta-skills (e.g. learning how to learn). These approaches only tell us what needs to be taught, whereas dispositions shift the ground back to learning, grounding education in passion, imagination, and arc of life learning. Innovation is more important than ever – but turns on our ability to cultivate imagination Contrary to popular myth, imagination and innovation are actually spurred by constraints. Too much freedom can be paralyzing, too many constraints can be stifling and we currently have a situation where our classrooms are suffocating and the outside resources (e.g. the Net) are unstructured and unguided (apart from the collectives that form to manage that issue). What a new culture of learning points to is the fusion of freedom and constraint, helping us understand how collectives can provide a sense of institutional structure while enabling personal and individual agency. A new culture of learning needs to leverage social & technical infrastructures in new ways We believe a new culture of learning does this in four ways: 1) By thinking about the problem as a crisis in learning rather than teaching 2) By looking at the incredible power of new cultures of learning that are happening already and understanding what makes them successful 3) By tapping new resources: peer to peer learning, amplified by the power of the collective, which favors things like questing dispositions over transfer models of education and embraces play as a modality of exploration, experimentation, and engagement. 4) By understanding how to optimize the resources (and freedom) of large networks, while at the same time affording personal and individual agency constrained within a problem space created by a bounded learning environment. Play is the basis for cultivating imagination and innovation The essence of play is twofold: 1) the freedom to act in new ways which are different from “everyday life” and 2) a set of rules that constrain that freedom. Think of any game a kid creates of make-believe. It is both fantasy and it has to have rules (which may be arbitrary and even ridiculous), but what it results in is a world of imagination and something entirely new and innovative. It is easy to understand that play is a perspective or modality for learning. But we have been framing innovation too narrowly. Innovation is not an outcome. It too is a perspective and that perspective is governed by play which in some cases might be thought of as tinkering. More information \| www.newcultureoflearning.com	296,195
Here is a quick and easy recipe for a simple weeknight meal using tinned kipper snacks. If kippers are new to you, they are smoked herring. Kippers are usually sold in a pop-top tin and are a type of canned fish often called kipper snacks. You’ll find kippers to be reasonably priced. They are a nutrient-dense food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My content may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay. Table of Contents - What are Kippers and Why Should Be Eat Them? - Ingredients to Make a Kippers Meal - How to Make a Kippers Meal - Recipe Tips - Storing and Reheating - How to Use Kippers in Other Ways - More Canned Fish Recipes - Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List - The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - Kitchen Academy Videos - Tinned Kippers Recipe Recipe - Shop for items used in this blog post or video What are Kippers and Why Should Be Eat Them? Kippers are smoked herring, which are small oily fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. This fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows Omega-3s are especially beneficial to heart and brain health. So to aid your physical and mental health, you’ll want to consume fatty fish, like kippers, on a regular basis. Although fresh kippers are occasionally available from a local fishmonger, they are generally sold pre-cooked in a tin labeled kipper snacks in the United States. These snacks are perfect for home cooks since they are fully cooked and require minimal preparation, making them an ideal ingredient for a quick weeknight meal. But don’t underestimate kippers just because they may be labeled snacks or because they come ready to eat in a can. Kippers are a nutrient-dense food because, ounce for ounce, they are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and are also rich in vitamins D and B12, niacin, and riboflavin. - Learn more: Everything You Need to Know About Smoked Kippers Ingredients to Make a Kippers Meal Find the full printable recipe with ingredients below. - 2 Tins of Kippers - 1 Bunch of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley - 1 Lemon - 1 Shallot - Olive Oil How to Make a Kippers Meal Find the full printable recipe with measurements below. You can prepare a delicious kippers meal as follows: - Cook the rice with chicken broth or bone broth, butter, and sea salt. - When the rice is done, place a portion in a bowl and top the rice with one can of kippers. Set aside. - Chop the parsley and mix it with the lemon zest, pulp, and juice. - Add a minced shallot to the parsley mixture. - Drizzle some olive oil into the parsley mixture to create a sauce. - Top the kippers with the sauce and enjoy! In case you have tried kippers and are not a big fan, not to worry. Canned mackerel works well in this recipe too! The kippers require very little preparation, but be sure to improve the nutritional profile of the rice. In place of water, prepare the rice using the following ingredients: - Chicken Broth or Bone Broth - Sea Salt Storing and Reheating This meal made with tinned kippers is best eaten soon within the time you prepare it. However, you can store the topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also put the topping in your freezer for up to 2 months, but note the freezing process will slightly change the consistency of your parsley mixture. How to Use Kippers in Other Ways You can use kippers in a variety of ways, including: - Simply eaten right out of the can. - Topped on crackers with a few capers or a squeeze of lemon juice. - As a source of protein in a salad. - Sautéed in butter and served for breakfast along with toast and eggs. More Canned Fish Recipes You can store lots of canned fish in your Prepper Pantry since they are a nutrient-dense food and have a long shelf life. And once you’re ready to enjoy your canned fish, try the following recipes. - How to Make Salmon Patties with Canned Salmon - The Best Sardines Recipe for Canned Sardines - How to Make Tuna Boat Surprise Using Canned Tuna - How to Make a Depression Era Tuna Pie Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more! And if you’re looking for a printed book full of my traditional foods recipes that shows you how to create a traditional foods kitchen, be sure to preorder your copy of my new book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook. Order YOUR COPY Now! The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos, live streams, and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge. I chat about why it was important for me to create this comprehensive curriculum for students in grades K-12. I share upcoming recipes and what I have planned for my Mary’s Nest YouTube channel in 2024. During this month’s members-only live stream, we talked about a variety of topics, including a preview of upcoming videos. Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest - Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video. - Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry. - Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos, live streams, and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community. - Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint. I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen! Tinned Kippers Recipe - 2 Serving bowls - 2 cups Cooked rice See Recipe Notes. - 2 cans Kippers Alternatively, you can use canned mackerel. - 1 bunch Flat-leaf Italian Parsley, chopped, stems removed See the recipe video for the process of trimming your parsley. - 1 large Lemon, zest, juice, and pulp Be sure to remove the seeds. - 1 medium Shallot, minced - 1/4-1/2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil - Put one cup of the cooked rice into each bowl. - Open the 2 cans of kippers. - Empty the contents of one can of kippers on the rice in your first bowl. Repeat this process with the second can of kippers in your second bowl. - Mix the parsley, lemon zest, juice, pulp, and shallots in a bowl and mix well to incorporate. - Add in enough olive oil to the parsley mixture to make a sauce. - Top the kippers with as much sauce as you would like and serve immediately. This dish is best consumed when made. - You can store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shop for items used in this blog post or video Favorite Kitchen Supplies Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide - Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop - Visit my Shopping Guide page Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!	77,984
Civic Science Sparks With…Boston University May 5, 2023 Greetings Civic Science Community, Beyond the headlines of ChatGPT, partnerships are coalescing to find more effective, resilient responses to misinformation—from social scientists investigating approaches through research (as Civic Science Fellow Michelle Amazeen discusses below); to efforts to look across the ecosystem of challenges and potential solutions (as in a consensus study being led by partners at the National Academies); to gatherings bringing together experts, leaders, and the public (as in the Nobel Prize Summit). While some focus explicitly on misinformation, in a broader sense, people across the civic science network are working together to contribute to creating the conditions needed for science and evidence to thrive as part of democracy—and more ways for our pluralistic society to weigh in on choices, risks, and benefits. The Civic Science Fellows program and growing network began after many years of looking at intersecting challenges, including misinformation, with an intention to connect learning and action across boundaries. Together, we are building innovative approaches to complex problems that require civic engagement as well as technical solutions. More of these approaches are highlighted here, including strengthening science journalism and communication, as Michelle’s host partner, Boston University College of Communication Dean Mariette DiChristina shares. And—in a move toward civic science being recognized as inherent to scientific work and impact—Civic Science Fellow Elyse Aurbach and her host partners at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities will discuss efforts to increase incentives for academic researchers to engage in civic science in the next Civic Science Connect event (register here). President and Chief Executive Officer, Rita Allen Foundation Elizabeth Christopherson: How would you describe yourself to the civic science community? Mariette DiChristina: I spent three decades as a science journalist, culminating in ten years as the first woman editor in chief of Scientific American and an executive vice president of its parent company, Springer Nature. Today, I am dean of Boston University’s College of Communication and Professor of the Practice in Journalism. Our college teaches students from undergraduate through Ph.D. in a variety of communication areas: journalism, advertising, public relations, media science, emerging media, film, and TV. With the support of the Rita Allen Foundation, my college hosts a Civic Science Fellow, Dr. Michelle Amazeen, and I am honored to be a member of the Practice and Science of Civic Science Advisory Committee. Michelle Amazeen: As an associate professor at Boston University, I study persuasion and misinformation, exploring the nature and influence of misinformation and efforts to correct it. Using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, I strive to offer findings with practical applications for journalists, educators, policymakers, and consumers who want to better recognize and resist persuasion and misinformation in media, especially pertaining to science-related issues. Elizabeth: What inspired your civic science path? What’s your why? Mariette: As science popularizer Michio Kaku has said, science is the engine of human prosperity. I agree. And good communication is essential for all of society to benefit from science. But I believe that it is not enough to simply disseminate information about science. To make an impact on society’s challenges, scientists and engineers—and science journalists like me—have to be active listeners, engage respectfully with people who have different ways of knowing, and collaborate via our civic processes to be able to go forward together. Michelle: Prior to academia, I began my career in communications “selling air” at WPGU radio in Champaign, Illinois, and went on to conduct marketing research in various client and supplier side positions. After witnessing much business, political, and scientific misinformation, I decided to study for my Ph.D. in Media and Communication. Our society has become so saturated with media messages, it’s important for us to understand how these messages—especially as they relate to science-related issues—are affecting human perceptions and behavior. Elizabeth: Would you share more about your work as a Fellow—and what you are especially proud of or excited about? Michelle: As a Civic Science Fellow, I led a team that designed and implemented a three-phase study to explore two broad questions: 1) Which are the most science-misinformed communities, and 2) what are effective ways to combat science-related misperceptions in social media? In phase 1, we found that marginalized groups in the U.S. have experienced a plethora of racial and ethnic inequities and that global issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have further amplified these disparities, increasing distrust in science. Moreover, while misinformation is pervasive on social media platforms, we found that corporate and special interests often create the narratives that are perpetuated not only by social media, but via corporate mainstream media, as well. In phase 2, we conducted focus groups among Black and Latino populations who qualified as misinformation-susceptible to discuss their engagement with and perceptions of science. While participants were familiar with best practices of verifying sources of information, they were highly distrustful of authority figures, celebrity testimonials, and fact-checking strategies that attempt to combat online misinformation. However, most were receptive to an “inoculation” message that forewarned about dubious influence strategies rather than messages that refuted specific claims. We are in the final phase of the project: selecting the most influential misinformation messages and conducting a laboratory experiment among a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents to determine which of the interventions modified from phase 2 are most effective at mitigating scientific misperceptions. We are excited about having results soon. Elizabeth: How does your work with the Civic Science Fellows program and Practice and Science of Civic Science Advisory Committee influence your professional work? Where do you see opportunities to build on your experiences with the program? Mariette: I’m inspired by the Civic Science Fellows and also by the colleagues and community we’ve created in the Practice and Science of Civic Science Advisory Committee. This inspiration drives me forward, to do my part to help create momentum for a culture of civic science. At the Boston University’s College of Communication, we are very excited to be creating four online courses to pilot a master’s certificate in civic science, thanks to the support of the Rita Allen Foundation. The importance and potential impact of civic science communication has inspired a gift to support a Civic Science Initiative here. We’ll be developing additional learning opportunities; enhancing community services such as the free SciCommers network for researchers and engineers who want to engage the public; and developing a program to support projects in civic science communication. Elizabeth: Would you share a few thoughts about the future of science communication over the next 3-5-10 years—and intersection with societal issues such as misinformation? Mariette: We live in a 24/7 info-blizzard. Our information ecosystem is fractured into multiple digital channels, increasingly polarized, and often rife with misinformation. On top of that, social media platforms have siphoned off both advertising and circulation revenues that were previously available to news media to fund quality journalism; media were further stressed by having to report the fast-changing global story of the pandemic during lockdowns. For all these reasons, today’s—and tomorrow’s—science communicators have to sort good information from bad more rapidly and with less support than ever. To do that, they need to master the principles of trust-building communication and apply those to their work across a wide variety of dissemination platforms to engage communities. Michelle: Effective science communication in the future will require the ability to understand both the supply and demand side of information. When engaging in scientific outreach, it is imperative that science communicators recognize how contemporary media systems incentivize sensationalistic sound bites over thoughtful, deliberative explanations. At the same time, disingenuous consumers of science may try to weaponize ill-conceived communication efforts. Especially in rapidly emerging and evolving situations as we’ve seen with COVID-19, effective science communicators are critical in contributing to public policy, industry, and civil society. Elizabeth: As you look toward the future, what is a civic science aspiration to share? What’s your call to action? Mariette: We need to build momentum around fostering a culture of civic science and building trust, and I believe journalists and academics can play critical roles. Journalists and scientists may sometimes seem to be at odds, but they have a lot in common. They are both curious and evidence-based. They can be partners in helping to engage society. Together, they can cut through the noise of social media platforms whose algorithms foster echo chambers, misinformation, and polarization, and where celebrities can drown out the experts. Journalism business models are also shifting, which has shrunk the pool of specialized reporters at media outlets. For all these reasons, the mission of journalism to inform the public on civic issues can benefit from a partnership with scientists who share in that important mission. Turning to academia, we are at a critical moment. With the rise of populism, many have become mistrustful of experts. Especially given the cost of tuition, academia needs to remind everyone of the value it brings to the world in enhancing human discovery and knowledge and in teaching critical thinking. I believe that by fostering a culture of civic science and building trust, academia can provide a vital service to a world that really needs help grappling with complex challenges such as climate change, racial inequities, and improving public health. Academics bring a helpful mix of convening power, connections between researchers and practitioners, and a strategic planning horizon that lasts decades, rather than one election cycle at a time. Civic science teaches us the great power in our collective action to build a better future together. Michelle: Fostering a collaborative effort to build inclusive engagement between science, communities, and civic life—the definition of civic science, itself—is part and parcel to effectively addressing complex problems rooted in science and technology. Thus, encouraging a culture of civic science will go a long way in wresting control back over disinformation efforts. While an all-of-society effort is needed—including changes to public policy, educational updates, and structural reforms in the architecture and incentives of our media systems—promoting civic science is an important part of building a better future together.	21,621
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items ) The Future of Children is a new semiannual publication that provies research and analysis to promote effective policies and programs for children. This first issue focuses on "School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps." For more than 30 years, researchers have seen white children outperform black and other minority children in tests of reading and math skills. Though there is evidence that the gap has narrowed somewhat, the very persistence of this "racial and ethnic gap" remains a source considerable concern for academics, policy professionals and parents. The ethnic and racial gaps appear to reach back to the preschool years. When children reach the school door, minority children exhibit lower school readiness skills, at least those measured by standardized tests, than their white counterparts. From that point forward, the achievement gap only widens. If policy professionals are to address this disparity in academic achievement (and the consequent disparity in later opportunity), the racial and ethnic gap must be examined in the very earliest years, before students begin school with embedded inequalities. This volume critically summarizes the research on the origin and trajectory of the racial and ethnic gap in the early years from several theoretical perspectives. In particular, research is analyzed to determine when these differences start to emerge, in what areas they appear, what factors contribute to their development by the time children enter grade school and what are the long term effects. Introducing the Issue of Test Score Ethnic and Racial Disparities Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Sara McLanahan, and Cecilia Elena Rouse Identifying Racial and Ethnic Differences in School Readiness Donald Rock and Jack Stenner Test Score Gaps: The Contribution of Family and Neighborhood Characteristics Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson Genetic Differences and School Readiness William T. Dickens Neuroscience Perspectives on Disparities in School Readiness Kim Noble, B. J. Casey, and Nim Tottenham Low Birth Weight and School Readiness The Impact of Health on School Readiness Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Lisa Markman Childcare and Early Education Katherine Magnuson and Jane Waldfogel	33,787
ISO 27001:2013 (INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) - The organizational context and stakeholders - Information security leadership and high-level support - Planning of an Information Security Management System (ISMS), including risk assessment; risk treatment - Supporting an ISMS - Making an ISMS operational INTRODUCTION: An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is a system of processes, documents, technology and people that helps to manage, monitor, audit and improve your organization’s information security. It helps you to manage all of your security practices in one place, consistently and cost-effectively. At the heart of ISO 27001, compliant ISMS is business driven risk assessments, which means you will be able to identify and treat security threats according to your organization’s risk appetite and tolerance. BENEFITS: ISO 27001 certification demonstrates that you have identified the risks, assessed the implications and put in place systemized controls to limit any damage to the organization. Additional benefits are, Increased reliability and security of systems and information. Improved customer and business partner confidence. APPLICABLE TO: ISO 27001 is applicable to the firms that are working in IT sector, Financial Industry, Telecom Service Providers, Government Agencies and any other organization with sensitive data.	242,634
This is a tutorial paper giving an introduction to the perception of multichannel sound reproduction. The important underlying psychoacoustic phenomena are reviewed -- starting with the behaviour of the auditory periphery and moving on through binaural perception, central binaural phenomena and cognition.: : The author highlights the way the perception of a recording can be changed according to the number of replay channels used. The paper opens the question of relating perceptual and cognitive responses to directional sound or to sound fields. Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES! This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.	289,530
The Autism Project: Decoding the autistic brain Toronto scientists explore the impact of environmental “triggers” on autistic brain development. \|Report an Error\| Share via Email Autism is rooted in genetics, this much is certain. It doesn’t explain the whole story, however. Many scientists believe the genes identified in most cases of the neurological disorder are actually “risk genes;” in other words, they are triggered or turned on by some environmental influence or factors. When that happens, the mutated genes go on to impact early brain development. Around the globe, parents from China to Ireland to North America are desperate to know why their child is afflicted with autism. Was it something they did? Was it a toxin in the environment? Smoking? A microbe? An infection during pregnancy? The age of a parent at conception, or the use of fertility treatments? And why are there unusually high rates among Somali children in two cities in Sweden and the U.S.? In Toronto, home to some of the best autism scientists, research is looking into the effect of those genetic mistakes, or mutations, on the brain to determine when this change occurs, what causes it and why. Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, a child neurologist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, says the brains of autistic children look “relatively disconnected.” “Looking at the tracks that connect the brain from front to back . . . the kids with autism seem to have bundles of tissues connected in different parts of the brain that are more randomly arranged. It is not nice and organized,” she says. It explains why autistic children are often trapped in their own minds, unable to express themselves or socialize. Conversely, there are some areas of the brain that are “very well-connected,” Anagnostou says. This may explain why some autistic children have, for instance, incredibly sensitive hearing or are extremely gifted. Margot Taylor, director of functional neuroimaging at the Hospital for Sick Children, is conducting a long-term autism research project following the brains of premature infants, born before 30 weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies are at a significant risk of developing autism, but researchers don’t know why. And, more preterm babies are now being born due to fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization. Whether there is a correlation between these types of treatments and autism remains to be seen, Taylor says. Having the ability to monitor the changes in premature babies’ brains from birth may give scientists clues as to how the autistic brain develops. Researchers are also looking at a range of environmental factors that may trigger the so-called autism “risk” genes that, in turn, impact brain development. Fetal exposure to anticonvulsant medication, antidepressants, pesticides or infections, like rubella, all are potential culprits that may trigger the mutations. One of the most suggestive studies, linking gestational exposure to pesticides and autism rates, was conducted in California’s Central Valley — the lettuce-growing hub. Autism rates were higher among children whose mothers lived closer to the lettuce fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides, according to the study released in 2007 by the California Department of Public Health. Until the 10 K Project in Shenzhen can provide more genetic clues, scientists will continue to hypothesize on the cause or causes of autism, and assume something more is going on. Says Anagnostou: “There is something happening with the genes, which makes the expression (of autism) more prevalent in kids who already have a genetic predisposition.” - Mohamed Fahmy's fate born of poor decisions the world over: Analysis - Patrick Brown touts Simcoe County bona fides in crucial byelection battle - Harper vows renewal of cancer agency’s mandate, funding if re-elected - Photos Migrants face uncertain future in Europe after ‘terrifying’ journey - Sizzling slugger Encarnacion notches hat trick for Blue Jays: DiManno - Kenney derides Trudeau’s pledge to repeal PC citizenship law - First Nations bear the risks of oilsands development - Video Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy sentenced to three years in prison	181,360
Water heaters - unvented megaflows and cylinders As with central heating systems there are quite a few variations available that may suit a new installation or indeed you may already find them in your own home. Perhaps one of the main options when it comes to choosing a cylinder is whether the cylinder is of an unvented or vented type. For further information on unvented water cylinders please visit the Megaflow page and for vented cylinders please visit the water cylinders page. Megaflow are a renowned brand for unvented hot water cylinders, we always like to recommend Megaflow's because of their reliability and quality. We are qualified to work on and install unvented Megaflow cylinders - please note not all Gas Safe engineers are qualified to work on this type of system. Open vented or traditional cylinders are still widely used mostly in older systems. Most vented cylinders are fed by a cold-water storage cistern usually located in the attic, whereas unvented cylinders are mains water fed. Direct or Indirect? Both unvented and vented cylinders can be either what is called 'direct' or 'indirect'. This can be referring to two important aspects, how the mains water is fed into the system, either directly into the pressure vessel contained within a cylinder or indirectly into to the cold water storage tank. Or how the water is heated within the hot water cylinder, directly using an electric immersion heater or indirectly using a heat exchanger supplied via a boiler. Many households use a combination of the two, indirect for normal heating and only use their immersion heater as back-up. There are a number of differences between each method and a number of key benefits and disadvantages as outlined below. Back to top Water delivery - if you use a combination boiler or unvented cylinder such as a Megaflow the mains water entry is primarily considered to be direct. This is because the water is fed directly to the taps, showers, and other appliances directly and at mains pressure. Advantages - Unvented cylinders provide hot water at mains pressure throughout, this also means you do not need a cold water storage tank and associated pipework. As you do not rely on gravity, you are considerably less restricted in where you site your cylinder. Disadvantages - You can not use a unvented cylinder with power showers and some mixers. Also because an unvented cylinder requires specialist installation they can be more expensive than conventional cylinders. Water heating - in a directly heated system an immersion heater will be used to heat all of the water contained within the cylinder. As the immersion heater is ran from electric there is no reliance on your boiler to provide the heat. Advantages / Disadvantages -An immersion element is convenient and relatively easier to install and operate. However the biggest disadvantage is cost, electricity is relatively far more expensive to heat your domestic hot water supply than through a heat exchanger. Back to top Water delivery - if you have a traditional gravity fed or partially pumped system (not sealed) then the mains water entry is classified as indirect. This is because the mains water is fed to the cold water storage tank, and from here on to the appliances. Thus all appliances requiring hot water are fed indirectly via the cold water storage tank. Advantages - Perhaps the main two benefits of a vented cylinder is the fact they are much less complicated which means they are easier to install, lower in price and easier to maintain. Disadvantages - In contrast to an unvented cylinder a vented cylinder must still retain a cold water storage tank, not so good if you want to save space. You must also rely on a gravity fed system for your hot water pressure which can be substantially less than mains water pressure. Water heating - in a indirect heating system your water will be heated indirectly by a primary heat exchanger within the vessel being supplied by your heating boiler. Advantages / Disadvantages - Using a heat exchanger within the vessel is far more economical option. Hot water from the boiler flows through a series of coils within the hot water cylinder, which in turn heats the water. However if you solely rely on your heat exchanger and you have a problem with your boiler, you could be left without heating whilst you make the repairs on the boiler. Back to top Combination vented cylinders A combination water storage cylinder has its own cold-water header tank fitted on top of the hot water cylinder. Essentially a combination cylinder combines the hot water vessel and cold water storage tank into one unit. This means you can do away with your storage tank in your loft and get everything built into one relatively compact unit. Advantages / Disadvantages - A combination water storage cylinder is ideal for a small flat or where space is at a premium, it is also cheaper to install than alternative storage systems and also maintain. However the main disadvantage in using a combination cylinder is water pressure, as the cylinder still relies a cold water storage tank, albeit a built in one, it still relies on gravity. Given that the cold water storage tank only sits above the cylinder, pressure levels can suffer a great deal. To try and combat this somewhat, the combination cylinder must be located above the highest outlet. Back to top Other water heating systems Instantaneous Multi-Point Water Heater These are room-sealed appliances (requires no ventilation) that can give continuous hot water to various number of taps at once. They are totally independent of any central heating system and so can be fitted in homes without central heating. They can also be used to give instant hot water with any other type of heating. When a hot tap is turned on, the burner fires up heating the water and delivering it at about 8-10 litres/min (dependent on incoming water supply) for as long as the tap remains open. Although several taps, showers etc, can be supplied, realistically water can only adequately flow from one draw off point at a time. Sink water heaters These are a small, flueless appliance giving single point continuous hot water to supply a single tap or spout. Sink water heaters are ideal for cloakrooms or small offices where a single heat source is required. There are two options to where they can be sited, over a sink (as pictured) or more concealed under the sink, both options are convenient for hand washing, but not much more. Back to top What we can do for you Choosing a system that not only suits your needs and matches your own criteria whilst also being efficient and cost friendly is no mean feat. We try to offer as much information as possible so you can base your decisions safe in the knowledge that your choice will be the right one. Why not let our technical surveyor advise you and offer practical suggestions based on years of experience. We always want you to feel confident in your decision and confident in us to do the job to your specification. Based on you requirements our surveyor can advice what can and can't be done, what is and isn't practical and what will be more economical in terms of your money and the environment. So if your cylinder is need of repair or you are thinking of upgrading your old cylinder or installing a new cylinder please give us a call. Please contact us to discuss your requirements: 1 Wintershill Farm Tel: 02380 695554	132,723
Did you know there are several species of bugs living in your backyard? In this segment of Backyard Bug Adventures, Brent trekked through his backyard to find baby Ladybugs. Check out his awesome discovery in the video below. With the sunny season near, we know that means your child’s summer vacation is trailing closely behind. Have no fear; we’ve compiled a list of 7 easy outdoor activities that you and the kids can enjoy together today. 1. Rally … Continue reading It’s Marcia Gresko here from Educational Insights. I’ve got a few summer tips for you to keep kids interested in reading. Reading and writing is obviously critical for school success, and there are lots of fun ways that you can … Continue reading How long have you worked at Educational Insights? I’ve worked here for 2 years. How do you like it? I hate it. [Laughs]. No, I’m just joking. It’s wonderful. Incredible. It’s a dream job in many ways. I get to … Continue reading [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd6pKGWMRXY&feature=youtu.be] Summer days can get kind of long when you’ve got little ones around, so if you’re like me, you’re going to want to get your kids outside and active. You might take them to the park to the playground, … Continue reading	76,256
Jeffrey Powers talked to Upton of Visteon about integrating wi-fi enabled devices, including the iPad into vehicles. The iPad or another device then could become the vehicles middle dashboard. You could control audio, GPS and other information from it. Upton said “It allows you to change the way you design cockpits.” If the system works as proposed you could have various cockpits in the car, both in the back and front. Since you could remove the device, it would be more secure than a traditional system. The traditional system would remain for those times when the wi-fi enabled devices is not around. Upton said right now this is just a concept, but there has been a lot of interest shown. They already have all the parts necessary to make the system work, they just require wi-fi secure devices. Visteon is known for creating innovative products for vehicles. It will be interesting to see if anyone actually installs something like this in a vehicle. Interview by Jeffrey Powers of The Geekazine Podcast. Please Support our CES 2011 Sponsors. Save 25% on 4GH Hosting 1yr Subscriptions Save 25% Promo Code CES2.	255,158
Social circles tend to shrink as we get older. The kids leave home to start their lives and our friends have their own lives to live too. These are just two of the reasons why social isolation and loneliness are so common in older adults. Studies have shown that loneliness can be as deadly as obesity or smoking, with the additional health conditions associated with loneliness making things worse. In this article, we will look at some risks associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults. An Increase in Unhealthy Habits According to the American Psychology Association, social isolation is a precursor to unhealthy habits. Lonely seniors are more likely to drink excessively, smoke, and neglect exercise. Social support can encourage them to live healthier lifestyles, exercise, eat well, and sleep better. It is, therefore, important that families encourage their loved ones to have and keep social connections alive. This can be through encouraging them to visit friends or call them from time to time. Family members can also visit and spend some time with their older loved ones to decrease loneliness. Loneliness Can Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s A study conducted by the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging found that loneliness is a risk factor for memory and cognitive issues, including those caused by diseases like Alzheimer’s. In the study, senior adults who were lonely were twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s and other cognitive conditions and issues. Memory decline was also faster in these subjects and the progression of these conditions was also faster. One reason for this is that lonely people have less brain stimulation which is required as we age. Additionally, there was a lower probability of their symptoms being reported and the symptoms being diagnosed correctly. Once diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, memory decline, and cognitive issues, a loved one should receive the care they need. Apart from having a full-time caregiver, family members can also consider assisted living facilities providing memory care services. Skilled nursing and assisted living communities like Parc Provence are a great option as such a community eliminates social isolation and loneliness while providing your loved ones with the care they need. Stress and Loneliness are Linked Stress will always follow loneliness. The increased stress levels can lead to additional health issues such as blood pressure and depression. Apart from decreasing the quality of the lives of lonely senior adults, all these conditions combined can cause additional serious complications. Lonely Seniors are Less Likely to Take Care of Themselves Lonely seniors are less likely to do what they should as part of taking care of their health and well-being. It is not uncommon for these seniors to ignore eating a balanced diet. This is especially an issue when you consider they likely have decreased appetites and a lower capacity for nutrient absorption. Other issues that may arise are refusing or forgetting to take medications and not taking care of their hygiene. Loneliness is a serious issue among seniors, especially those who do not have strong social ties. Senior adults experiencing this should get help or move to assisted living facilities where they will have social connections while receiving the care they need.	137,328
The Dirksen Center Special Projects Dirksen Center Special Projects - Web-based resources on more than a dozen focused topics from congressional leadership, civil rights, editorial cartooning to a congressional timeline and milestones in Dirksen's life. Over the years, The Center has developed a series of multi-media projects rich in Web-based resources on a variety of topics from civil rights to editorial cartoons. We have posted them where it makes sense within our Web suite. But as the suite has grown, we suspect it has become more difficult to find these special projects.To make them stand out, we have created this Dirksen Center Project web page to host links to all our special projects listed below. As part of the Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln, the Dirksen Congressional Center is pleased to present a version of the Lincoln legacy through the eyes of two members of Congress, Everett McKinley Dirksen and Robert H. Michel, who later represented the central Illinois congressional district that once sent Lincoln to the House of Representatives. Anatomy of a CongressionalLeadership Race In December 1980, Republicans in the House of Representatives chose Robert H. Michel of Illinois as their leader, the Minority Leader of the House, a position he held until retiring in 1995. Anatomy of a Congressional Leadership Race uses historical materials contained in the Robert H. Michel Papers housed at The Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, Illinois, to describe the contest. The race featured two contenders: Michel, a strategic expert skilled at the give and take of guiding legislation through the House, and Guy Vander Jagt of Michigan, an accomplished orator. The difference between the two was not ideological. Both were staunch conservatives with similar voting records. But the contest reflected a contrast in styles and approach to the leadership post and in the direction in which the two would be likely to lead the House Republicans. Here's what a Minority Leader, at that time a Republican, did: 1. Oversaw the development and implementation of all Republican policy and strategy in the House 2. Served as liaison for Republican members with the administration and the Senate 3. Served to a great extent as a spokesman for Republican positions 4. Had overall responsibility for the coordination of Republican activities in the subcommittees and committees of the House as well as activities on the floor of the House 5. Was responsible for appointments to various committees and commissions. The landmark civil rights legislation of the mid-1960s has attracted considerable scholarly attention, deservedly so. Much of the analysis has centered on the social and cultural conditions that gave birth to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As valuable as the emphasis on the civil rights movement has been, an equally vital chapter has been neglected—the story of the legislative process itself. The Civil Rights Documentation Project provides a fuller accounting of law-making based on published sources and the unique archival resources housed at The Dirksen Congressional Center, including the collection of then-Senate Minority Leader Everett McKinley Dirksen (R-IL), widely credited with securing the passage of the bills. Intended to serve the needs of teachers and students, the Civil Rights Documentation Project demonstrates that Congress is capable of converting big ideas into powerful law, that citizen engagement is essential to that process, and that the public policies produced fifty years ago continue to influence our lives. When completed in early 2014, the project will consist of the following elements: (1) a brief chronological overview of the legislative history of the 1964 act, emphasizing the highlights; (2) a detailed legislative history of the act with links to additional resources; and (3) a note on sources. The Congressional Timeline, developed and maintained by The Dirksen Congressional Center, arrays more than 900 of the nation's laws on a timeline beginning with the first Congress in 1789 and continuing to the present. A second timeline "band" depicts major political events as context for Congress's law-making. Editorial cartoonists loved Everett Dirksen (1896-1969)—his position of influence as Minority Leader in the Senate (1959-69), his way with words, and, of course, his distinctive appearance. Over the years, Senator Dirksen’s staff compiled a scrapbook containing more than 300 editorial cartoons. Topics covered include Vietnam, civil rights, Republican Party politics, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, reapportionment, Taft-Hartley 14(b), school prayer, Dirksen’s recording career, Senate procedures, congressional pay, presidential appointments, and Dirksen’s legacy. Naturally, cartoonists also used these topics to depict Dirksen’s relationship with President Lyndon Johnson, with his Democratic colleagues in the Senate, and with the Supreme Court. In addition, cartoonists sent Dirksen between 50 and 60 original sketches on equally diverse topics. Among the scores of cartoonists represented in the collection are Herblock, Gib Crockett, Hugo, Bill Mauldin, Gene Basset, Pat Oliphant, Al Capp, Wayne Stayskal, Jim Berry, Guernsey LePelley, Tom Engelhardt, Paul Conrad, and Jim Berryman. The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor. On February 21, 1945, then Congressman Dirksen set out on a world trip that would take him to twenty-one countries, logging 32,000 miles. This was not an ordinary junket. Dirksen traveled on behalf of the House Committee on Appropriations to inspect American embassies, reconstruction agencies, intelligence services, and the armed forces. He had a bird’s-eye view of Europe and the Middle East as World War II neared its end. His stops included London, Algiers, Tunis, Cairo, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Karachi, Teheran, Baghdad, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Palestine, Beirut, Damascus, Ankara, Istanbul, Athens, Rome, Florence, Paris, Rheims, Augsburg, Dachau, Wiesbaden, and Leipzig, among many others. The Dirksen Center has created a Web-based feature that will give you an idea of what Dirksen’s trip was like and how it affected his thinking about the state of the world in 1945. This Web presentation consists of the introduction, a timeline of Dirksen’s trip with links to selective, digitized trip log entries and letters home, and a set of seven “anchor” documents with accompanying study questions. The historical documents are drawn from The Dirksen Congressional Center’s archival holdings. On April 16, 2013, Dirksen Center staff member Frank Mackaman delivered remarks entitled "Civility in the Golden Age, 1959-1969" to a conference, "Returning Civility to Our Public Discourse," funded by The Center and sponsored by the Institute for Principled Leadership at Bradley University. Mackaman used documents from Everett Dirksen's papers to illustrate the nature of civil discourse among the political leaders in the 1960s. The minutes of the Republican leadership during the presidential administrations of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. In their original state, each session’s minutes generally include attendance, brief summaries of topics discussed, and background “fact sheets” for statements at press conferences following the meetings. The digitized document presented here include only the formal minutes. The press conferences following the leadership meetings achieved fame as the “Ev and Charlie” and “Ev and Jerry” shows. For audio samples and curricular materials associated with a small sample of these minutes, please visit “The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill” at http://www.dirksencenter.org/emd_audio/index.htm. The Gerald R. Ford Library has digitized nearly 2,000 pages of documents related to Republican congressional leadership meetings with President Richard Nixon, 1969-73 at: http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/hartmannp/rleaders.asp [Double-click each page for zooming or click the magnifying glass located in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen] This online book authored by John F. Gilligan, Ph.D., President Emeritus, Fayette Companies, and Ray LaHood, Member of Congress, 18th District, Illinois, demonstrates how the American identity is embodied in the Library's architecture, sculptures, paintings, and mosaics. By focusing on the symbols, allegories, and decorations that first dazzle the eye upon visiting the Library, a deeper understanding of who we are or ought to be as Americans emerges. This special edition on the art and architecture of the Library of Congress highlights the building's magnificence. The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill is a rich online environment that supports the learning and teaching of the public policy challenges resulting from those tumultuous times using a unique body of records housed in The Center’s historical collections—the minutes and press conferences (both print and audio) of the Joint Senate-House Republican Leadership, 1961-69. Following the election of John F. Kennedy to the White House in 1960, congressional Republicans sought a new venue to communicate their principles and positions to the public. At the suggestion of out-going President Dwight Eisenhower, they created a new policy-making group called the Joint Senate-House Republican Leadership. This group held weekly meetings when Congress was in session to discuss important legislative matters and to formulate party policy. Following most meetings, Senate Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen and House Minority Leader Charles Halleck (and later Gerald R. Ford) appeared together in a press conference designed to provide Republicans with an effective opposition voice. Over the course of the decade, these press conferences became popular news events, widely covered by the print and nonprint media and achieving a cult status comparable to C-SPAN today. They became known as the “Ev and Charlie Show” and the “Ev and Jerry Show” when Jerry Ford replaced Halleck as House Republican leader in 1965. The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill: Identifies and digitizes the minutes, press conference transcripts, still photographs, and audio recordings of the Joint Senate-House Republican leadership. These multi-media materials are located in four separate series of the Everett McKinley Dirksen Papers housed at The Center. Creates curricular aids (e.g., contextual information, study questions, links to related Web sites) to facilitate the use of these materials in classrooms and for scholarship. Illustrates the role of the political party out-of-power in shaping legislative action and in contesting or supporting the president. Depicts the symbiotic relationship between the opposition leadership in Congress and the national press. Demonstrates the staying power of the major issues of war and peace, economic prosperity, social justice, and the proper role of government in American life. The Neil MacNeil (1923-2008), Collection, ca. 1940-2008<br><br> The collection is divided into the following series which are described in more detail in the accompanying guide: (1) Clippings, (2) Notes, (3) Reports, (4) Subjects, and (5) Miscellaneous. Everett Dirksen’s well known fondness for the marigold took root in 1959 as a result of David Burpee’s persistent efforts to persuade the senator to sponsor legislation naming it the national floral emblem. As CEO of the W. Atlee Burpee Co., seed growers extraordinaire, Burpee used the full range of lobbying techniques in his ultimately unsuccessful campaign. The 1950 campaign for the U.S. Senate in Illinois pitted Republican challenger Everett M. Dirksen against incumbent Democrat Scott Lucas, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. The Illinois Democratic State Central Committee produced a 16-page, professionally illustrated, full-color, cartoon-style brochure on Lucas's behalf. Even today, it is an amazing piece of campaign literature complete with headings set apart from cartoon frames filled with action scenes and dialogue presented in bubbles. The span of subjects is equally impressive. They include depictions of Lucas's ancestors; his early years of a hard-scrabble existence; his education, law practice, and public service; his election first to House, then to Senate, and finally to his leadership position; and his stance on issues. Lucas, not Dirksen, could afford the extravagance of such a brochure. In selecting this option, the campaign reviewed several examples of comic books, including one devoted to Harry Truman's life and career. They even consulted research on the effectiveness of comic books. For example, a study entitled, "Adult America's Interest in Comics," reported these findings: four out of every five urban adults read comics; the reading of comics was widespread among all levels of society; people who read comics generally spent more time listening to the radio, read more magazines, and attended more movies than people who did not; a much higher percentage of adults with a college education read comics than those limited to a grade school education; one out of four adults was a present reader of comic books. Lucas's campaign selected Commercial Comics, Inc. to produce the piece. The contract called for a press run of one million at a cost of $13,250. The shipment weighed 50,000 pounds and occupied 1,600 cubic feet. In 2011, Stephen Frantzich, U.S. Naval Academy, received a Michel Special Grant for a project entitled "The Serious Consequences of Congress as a Target of Humorists." This exploratory research is designed to analyze humorous representations correlated with public knowledge and evaluation of Congress. Congressional representations seem like fertile ground for testing a number of important hypotheses relevant both to Congress and a broader understanding of the sources of public opinion toward other political institutions. The research resulted in a teaching module now posted on The Center's Web site. How do Members of Congress make decisions about the votes they cast? Analogies offer a systematic and insightful way to identify and make subtle inferences about factors involved in congressional decision making. In this interactive exercise, Steve Frantzich, Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Naval Academy, uses vectors to illustrate how competing influences, such as personal preference or constituency interests, affect decisions. Note: This presentation was created in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint installed, open the PowerPoint Viewer installer file from the "Download Now" link and follow the instructions. Download Now! The legislative process is a fascinating, important, and complex set of actions whose excitement and variability are not fully captured in the standard "a bill becomes a law" chart. While the formal stages in the legislative process are a good place to start, it is important to recognize alternative routes. Legislation passes or fails both on the quality of its content and the strategies of its opponents and proponents. This module uses text, graphics and video to enliven students' understanding of the legislative process and to allow them to explore in-depth its various facets. As a member of the House of Representatives, Bob Michel served with nine presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. In what he called his "Presidential Scrapbooks," Michel kept selected photographs and correspondence from each. His relationship with Richard Nixon arguably spanned the longest period. The selection posted here begins in 1956 and concludes the year Nixon died, 1994. As a member of the House of Representatives, Robert H. Michel served with nine presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. In what he called his "Presidential Scrapbooks," Michel kept selected photographs and correspondence with each of the nine.Michel's contact with Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson was limited and perfunctory. In the case of Kennedy, for example, no unique documents appear in the scrapbooks. The selection reproduces what does exist for Eisenhower.	290,998
The study shows a significant increase in recreational boating's impact, as compared to similar data compiled in 1999 by The Ohio State University. That year, recreational boating's impact was set at $1.4 billion in Ohio, with support for 19,500 jobs. "We know recreational boating is a viable and growing industry in the region, which explains why Ohio and five other Great Lakes states are among the top 10 states nationally in number of registered watercraft," Sean D. Logan, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said in a statement. The study details the primary and secondary economic impacts generated by boaters and the boating industry. Primary impacts in Ohio included $1.96 billion in direct sales of boats, equipment, repairs, insurance and trip-related expenses such as gasoline, lodging, restaurants and marina fees. Additionally, researchers added $656 million in personal income from salaries related to the boating industry and $939 million in value-added expenditures such as restaurant suppliers, repair workers and service station employees.	267,613
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more About Crawford blade. (Crawford, Okla.) 1907-1909 Crawford, Okla. (1907-1909) Crawford blade. : (Crawford, Okla.) 1907-1909 - Place of publication: - Crawford, Okla. - Geographic coverage: \| View more titles from this: - A.H. Carter - Dates of publication: Vol. 1, no. 51 (May 24, 1907)-v. 3, no. 42 (Mar. 19, 1909). - Crawford (Okla.)--Newspapers. - Roger Mills County (Okla.)--Newspapers. - sn 93066176 - Preceding Titles: - Succeeding Titles: View complete holdings information	212,652
Interpretive exhibition featuring saint Colmcille [Columba], Patriarch of the Irish Monasticism and Scottish Church. The story is told with artistically designed banners, stained glass, illustrated panels, artefacts, a wax model with authentic clothing and a step-by-step illustration of ancient A tour of the centre also includes an audiovisual on the life of Saint Colmcille. A special tapestry display protraying the Derryveagh Evictions is also on show within the centre. The art collection of the heritage trust is on display in the dining Restaurant/Tea Rooms situated on a lakeside site in 100 acres estate with nature walks. Video on life and historical significance of St. Colmcille for sale - €5	57,775
I used to dread the word “inventory”. As a part-time cashier in high school, the word inventory only meant one thing: lots and lots of counting. It’s common for businesses to reconcile their inventory at the end of the year by counting up all their physical product and making sure it matches what’s on the books. For big companies like the one I used to work for, this requires everyone’s help. These days, I understand just how important solid inventory management is. Inventory is a placeholder for money. You paid money for it, and you’ll get that money back (and then some) when you sell it. Why Inventory Management Is Important Holding inventory ties up a lot of cash. That’s why good inventory management is crucial for growing a company. Just like cash flow, it can make or break your business. Inventory Management Saves You Money Good inventory management saves you money in a few critical ways: If you’re selling a product that has an expiry date (like food or makeup), there’s a very real chance it will go bad if you don’t sell it in time. Solid inventory management helps you avoid unnecessary spoilage. Avoid Dead Stock Dead stock is stock that can no longer be sold, but not necessarily because it expired. It could have gone out of season, out of style, or otherwise become irrelevant. By managing your inventory better, you can avoid dead stock. Save on Storage Costs Warehousing is often a variable cost, meaning it fluctuates based on how much product you’re storing. When you store too much product at once or end up with a product that’s difficult to sell, your storage costs will go up. Avoiding this will save you money. Inventory Management Improves Cash Flow Not only does good inventory management save you money, it also improves cash flow in other ways. Remember, inventory is product that you’ve likely already paid for with cash (checks and electronic transfers count as cash too), and you’re going to sell it for cash, but while it’s sitting in your warehouse it is definitively not cash. Just try paying your landlord with 500 iPhone cases. This is why it’s important to factor inventory into your cash flow management. It affects both sales (by dictating how much you can sell), and expenses (by dictating what you have to buy). Both of these things factor heavily into how much cash you have on hand. Better inventory management leads to better cash flow management. When you have a solid inventory system, you’ll know exactly how much product you have, and based on sales, you can project when you’ll run out and make sure you replace it on time. Not only does this make sure you don’t lose sales (critical for cash flow), but it also helps you plan ahead for buying more so you can ensure you have enough cash set aside. Money spent on inventory is money that is not spent on growth. Manage it wisely. 8 Inventory Management Techniques Inventory management is a highly customizable part of doing business. The optimal system is different for each company. However, every business should strive to remove human error from inventory management as much as possible. This means taking of advantage inventory management software. If you run your business with Shopify, inventory management is already built in. Regardless of the system you use, the following eight techniques to will help you improve your inventory management—and cash flow. 1. Set Par Levels Make inventory management easier by setting “par levels” for each of your products. Par levels are the minimum amount of product that must be on hand at all times. When your inventory stock dips below the predetermined levels, you know it’s time to order more. Ideally, you’ll typically order the minimum quantity that will get you back above par. Par levels will vary by product based on how quickly the item sells, and how long it takes to get back in stock. Although it requires some research and decision-making up front, setting par levels will systemize the process of ordering. Not only will it make it easier for you to make decisions quickly, it will allow your staff to make decisions on your behalf. Remember that conditions change over time. Check on par levels a few times throughout the year to confirm they still make sense. If something changes in the meantime, don’t be afraid to adjust your par levels up or down. 2. First-In First-Out (FIFO) “First-in, first-out” is an important principle of inventory management. It means that your oldest stock (first-in) gets sold first (first-out), not your newest stock. This is particularly important for perishable products so you don’t end up with unsellable spoilage. It’s also a good idea to practice FIFO for non-perishable products. If the same boxes are always sitting at the back, they’re more likely to get worn out. Plus, packaging design and features often change over time. You don’t want to end up with something obsolete that you can’t sell. In order to manage a FIFO system, you’ll need an organized warehouse. This typically means adding new products from the back, or otherwise making sure old product stays at the front. If you’re working with a warehousing and fulfillment company they probably do this already, but it’s a good idea to call them to confirm. 3. Manage Relationships Part of successful inventory management is being able to adapt quickly. Whether you need to return a slow selling item to make room for a new product, restock a fast seller very quickly, troubleshoot manufacturing issues, or temporarily expand your storage space, it’s important to have a good relationship with your suppliers. That way they’ll be more willing to work with you to solve problems. In particular, having a good relationship with your product suppliers goes a long way. Minimum order quantities are often negotiable. Don’t be afraid to ask for a lower minimum so you don’t have to carry as much inventory. A good relationship isn’t just about being friendly. It’s about good communication. Let your supplier know when you’re expecting an increase in sales so they can adjust production. Have them let you know when a product is running behind schedule so you can pause promotions or look for a temporary substitute. 4. Contingency Planning A lot of issues can pop up related to inventory management. These types of problems can cripple unprepared businesses. For example: - your sales spike unexpectedly and you oversell your stock - you run into a cash flow shortfall and can’t pay for product you desperately need - your warehouse doesn’t have enough room to accommodate your seasonal spike in sales - a miscalculation in inventory means you have less product than you thought - a slow moving product takes up all your storage space - your manufacturer runs out of your product and you have orders to fill - your manufacturer discontinues your product without warning It’s not a matter of if problems arise, but when. Figure out where your risks areand prepare a contingency plan. How will you react? What steps will you take to solve the problem? How will this impact other parts of your business? Remember that solid relationships go a long way here. 5. Regular Auditing Regular reconciliation is vital. In most cases, you’ll be relying on software and reports from your warehouse to know how much product you have stock. However, it’s important to make sure that the facts matche up. There are several methods for doing this. A physical inventory is the practice is counting all your inventory at once. Many businesses do this at their year-end because it ties in with accounting and filing income tax. Although physical inventories are typically only done once a year, it can be incredibly disruptive to the business, and believe me, it’s tedious. If you do find a discrepancy, it can be difficult to pinpoint the issue when you’re looking back at an entire year. If you do a full physical inventory at the end of the year and you often run into problems, or you have a lot of products, you may want to start spot checking throughout the year. This simply means choosing a product, counting it, and comparing the number to what it’s supposed to be. This isn’t done on a schedule and is supplemental to physical inventory. In particular, you may want to spot check problematic or fast-moving products. Instead of doing a full physical inventory, some businesses use cycle counting to audit their inventory. Rather than a full count at year-end, cycle counting spreads reconciliation throughout the year. Each day, week, or month a different product is checked on a rotating schedule. There are different methods of determining which items to count when, but, generally speaking, items of higher value will be counted more frequently. 6. Prioritize With ABC Some products need more attention than others. Use an ABC analysis to prioritize your inventory management. Separate out products that require a lot of attention from those that don’t. Do this by going through your product list and adding each product to one of three categories: A – high-value products with a low frequency of sales B – moderate value products with a moderate frequency of sales C – low-value products with a high frequency of sales Items in category A require regular attention because their financial impact is significant but sales are unpredictable. Items in category C require less oversight because they have a smaller financial impact and they’re constantly turning over. Items in category B fall somewhere in-between. 7. Accurate Forecasting A huge part of good inventory management comes down to accurately predicting demand. Make no mistake, this is incredibly hard to do. There are so many variables involved and you’ll never know for sure exactly what’s coming—but you can get close. Here are a few things to look at when projecting your future sales: - trends in the market - last year’s sales during the same week - this year’s growth rate - guaranteed sales from contracts and subscriptions - seasonality and the overall economy - upcoming promotions - planned ad spend If there’s something else that will help you create a more accurate forecast, be sure to include it. 8. Consider Dropshipping Dropshipping is really the ideal scenario from an inventory management perspective. Instead of having to carry inventory and ship products yourself—whether internally or through third-party logistics—the manufacturer or wholesaler takes care of it for you. Basically, you completely remove inventory management from your business. Many wholesalers and manufacturers advertise dropshipping as a service, but even if your supplier doesn’t, it may still be an option. Don’t be afraid to ask. Although products often cost more this way than they do in bulk orders, you don’t have to worry about expenses related to holding inventory, storage, and fulfillment. You can test out dropshipping today, with Oberlo, for free. It’s time to take control of your inventory management and stop losing money. Choose the right inventory management techniques for your business, and start implementing them today.	141,330
While it may come as a bit of a shock, fish have become a part of pop culture. Whether they hail from the ocean, stream, or pond, they have found their way into our films, our books, and our video games. They feature prominently on the silver screen and our television shows. Our kids love them, fear them and play with them. Fish are everywhere! Nemo – In 2003, Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios released a film called Finding Nemo. The story was based in the ocean and centered around a Father-Son Clownfish duo that become separated. Nemo, the son, is a young Clownfish with a damaged fin. He is captured by a diver and taken off to Sydney, Australia, where he is placed into a marine aquarium with a group of other saltwater fish. Nemo receives horrifying news while trying to adapt to life in the aquarium. He is going to be given to the niece of the dentist who owns the aquarium, a girl named Darla, known for “shaking the bag” and killing the fish given to her as gifts. It is a touching film and Nemo is an excellent example of overcoming your disabilities. In order to escape his impending doom, he must break the filter of the fish tank, which requires him to overcome his difficulty swimming. Kraken – The Kraken has seen a recent gain in notoriety with the appearance of the Pirates of the Caribbean films produced by Disney. The monstrous pet of Captain Davy Jones makes its grand appearance in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, in which it eats Capt. Jack Sparrow and his beloved ship the Black Pearl in practically one gulp. Kraken are mythical sea monsters that have existed in Norwegian and Icelandic myth for over a thousand years. What truth there is in the existence of the kraken can be attributed to sightings of giant squid by sailors. While normally these creatures live in the oceans at depths of over 300 meters and up to 1000 meters. These monsters can supposedly grow to lengths of more than fifty feet! Dory – Another character from the Disney film Finding Nemo, Dory is the likable blue surgeonfish with a short-term memory problem. Nemo’s father, Marlin, bumps into her while chasing after the boat that stole his son. Dory’s amicable nature endears her to the audience. She helps Marlin overcome his fears, learn to trust others, and let go of his need to control everything that happens in order to prevent tragedy. In the end it is Dory, not Marlin, who finds Nemo and re-unites the father-son duo, bringing the film to its conclusion. Jaws – A more modern terror of the deep, most people know of Jaws even if they have not seen the films or read the book. The Great White Shark in the films and books invades the small town waters of Amity, wreaking havoc and destruction as he chomps his way through men, women, and children. He is virtually indestructible and has a penchant for dramatically rising out of the water. In the end, the sheriff of small town of Amity destroys the behemoth by blowing up a gas canister that the unwitting shark had decided to take a bite out of. Flounder – Flounder is perhaps one of the more uncelebrated celebrity fish. He was Princess Ariel’s best friend and companion, but his part in her story is often overshadowed by the more vivacious personality of Sebastian the crab. Flounder is a small flounder fish who tries to be brave and keep up with the constantly-in-trouble Ariel. Though he is small, it is in Ariel’s greatest moment of need that Flounder comes through in a shining example of friendship. Unable to swim herself, he pulls the princess through the ocean to the boat where her true love Prince Eric is going to marry the sea-witch Ursula. Flounder is a shining example of friendship and overcoming your fears in order to help others!	245,439
Photo: Pew Research Hispanic Center SACRAMENTO, Calif.--As the state with the country's largest immigrant population, California has the most to gain--or the most to lose--in the immigration debate. That's why over 100 organizations based in the Golden State unveiled a bold statement of values and policy recommendations this week, including organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union of California, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and the California Dream Team Alliance. The statement urges Congress to pass immigration reform that protects the principle of family unity for all, including families with diverse sexual orientations; creates a road to citizenship for 11 million aspiring citizens that is free of obstructions; ends unjust detentions and deportations; protects worker rights; and ensures a humane and efficient border. California’s experience with immigration is especially pertinent now. The state used to be a lot like Arizona. But ugly policies that today are called "self-deportation" inspired a backlash from immigrant communities that forever changed the political equation in this state. Since then, we've seen the positive impact of polices honoring the values of equality, family and hard work. Just ask the student in San Jose, who, for the first time this year, applied for state financial aid to further her dreams. Or the cook in San Bernardino, still working hard after a state law busted a discriminatory local plan that would have forced restaurants to fire immigrant workers last year. Broken Federal Policies More than any other state, California has seen the immense suffering that broken federal policies cause. Just ask the families of people like Anastasio Rojas, brutally tased to death by border patrol agents. Or the tens of thousands of people deported last year after arrests as minor as selling ice cream without a permit. (Here, California is also at fault.) The point is, the fine print matters. Just one paragraph buried among thousands of pages of legislation can transform the lives of all of California's 2.7 million aspiring citizens and their families. That's why Congress must make sure reform sticks to this nation's founding principle--that all people are created equal. Of course, the pathway to citizenship that's gaining acceptance on both sides of the political aisle must be for all 11 million undocumented Americans. It must be as broad as possible and can't contain roadblocks, especially the awful threat of detention and deportation that hangs over immigrant communities across the nation. The United States also needs to scrap controversial programs, such as Secure Communities, eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement's constitutionally questionable "hold" requests (the driving force behind the deportation of over 92,000 Californians), and ensure fair treatment for those who are detained. It is imperative that the U.S. protect the rights of all workers. As even Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, noted on Wednesday, forcing employers to check workers' immigration status through web-based programs like E-Verify would essentially make "every business owner a policeman." Were E-Verify forced on all California businesses, it would kill the jobs of some 90,000 authorized workers in the state, while pushing many others into the underground economy--including that San Bernardino restaurant worker. Keep Border Agencies Accountable Finally, to prevent tragedies, such as the fatal tasing of Anastasio Rojas, the U.S. needs to keep border agencies accountable and uphold basic civil and human rights protections. Ultimately, border communities should be gateways for trade and relationships. If we're going to invest more at the border, let's improve the infrastructure at the ports-of-entry so people and goods can swiftly move through. We hope that future generations will remember 2013 as the year America's immigration policies finally came into line with our values. Reshma Shamasunder is the Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center. CIPC coordinated the values statement in partnership with the National Immigration Law Center. photo: A percolation pond inside the Santa Clara Valley Water District. (James Wang/World Journal)SANTA CLARA,… PARIS - If former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg had used the Vélib’ – Paris’… VALLEJO, Calif. -- Flash mob dances, a downtown march, and more than enough wild art… photo: Fishermen's boats on the Mekong River in northern Laos. There are already 30 existing… The jolting woke us and we jumped into action mode. “Earthquake!” We bolted through the… Magma is on the move in Iceland. But is it moving up?This is the question…	246,627
Children with short attention spans present challenges for the best of parents/caregivers. Parents/Caregivers who learn their child has been determined to have a short attention span, there are some specific techniques that have been found helpful. First, parents/caregivers should never blame themselves. Children are born with different temperaments. A child with a short attention span is one of these many varieties. What is known is that this temperament variety adapts well in many cultures as well as in the careers of adults. That said, children with short attention spans can greatly affect a parent’s/caregiver’s mental health in addition to a child’s progress in school. Second, routines are important for all children. This is more so for children with short attention spans. Third, children with short attention spans appear to have limitless energy. Children with short attention spans almost always require physical activity. It is highly recommended they be permitted ample opportunity to “burn off” this energy. A parent/caregiver will quickly find children with short attention spans have difficulty making transitions from one activity to another. It is recommended parents/caregivers resist strenuous physical activity before putting a short attention span child to bed. Four, short attention span children often have difficulty focusing on one activity at a time. Allowing a short attention span child to wander from one activity to another can result in overload. It is helpful to have a designated quiet area with a limited number of choices. Five, when a short attention span child’s activity level increases, they are likely to get into trouble. All children need limits to be set and discipline established in a firm, consistent manner. Corporal punishment almost never works. A child needs to know that inappropriate behavior is never acceptable. After a violation of limits or inappropriate behavior occurs, the child must understand that he or she is unconditionally loved and important to the parent/caregiver. Six, avoid making decisions involving the short attention span child when angry. Calm down before working with the child. Seven, spend time with the child alone doing activities such as reading, playing games and the like. Eight, short attention span children will challenge parents/caregivers as well as other family members. It is especially important that the parent/caregiver find time to do things for themselves to re-charge their battery. If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW	175,006
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today spoke at the winter meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) where he called for improved oversight of companies transporting hazardous materials and crude oil by rail through America’s cities. Railways are used to transport these dangerous substances right through the heart of American cities and Mayor Emanuel called on other mayors to target this emerging threat with federal partners to reduce the risk of accidents while protecting residents and property. Revenue from the fee would be dedicated to improving America’s aging rail infrastructure. “Freight train accidents across the United States should be more than a wake-up call,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Railroads are the backbone of our country, providing an economic lifeline to Chicago and communities across the nation. These incidents must move us to take action so we can strengthen safety standards and employ new technology to prevent future harm.” Mayor Emanuel highlighted five common-sense measures that would make communities safer by reducing the risk of the next catastrophe. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, Kansas City Mayor Sly James, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis have already signed on in support of Mayor Emanuel’s call to action. “Rail safety and the monitoring of this industry needs to be a priority,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “I applaud Mayor Emanuel for taking the lead and approaching this on a national level. It’s my hope that the Department of Transportation will move swiftly before another incident occurs. “ “I am happy to support these common sense proposals which will protect our residents while maintaining the integrity of the rail system,” said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. Rail infrastructure improvements are essential to avoid the risk of transporting hazardous materials. The Department of Transportation is currently considering new rules to improve construction standards to make safer railcars. While no single rule or regulation can eliminate rail accidents, these common-sense steps will reduce the possible danger. Building a 21st century infrastructure, using 21st century technology will create jobs and boost economic opportunity while protecting communities. “As mayors, there is no greater responsibility than ensuring the safety of our residents, especially our children and I encourage everyone to share other ideas to protect our quality of life,” said Mayor Emanuel.	13,428
Dr. Adrien Hannus Ancient Hunting Technology: The Atlatl Adrien Hannus talks about Folsom hunters and the atlatl, a device which helps propel a spear farther, faster, and more fatally than the human arm alone can. More than 10,000 years ago, people created this ingenious device. It's one example of technology from ancient times.	168,933
A number of gene mutations in genes producing collagen, a component of connective tissue, cause combined skeletal and eye problems with many overlapping features. This disorder causes short fingers and early arthritis, primarily in the fingers of the hand which are described as ‘stubby’. Some patients also have early onset hip disease. The retina and the vitreous (the gel-like material filling the back of the eye) are abnormal as well and together raise the risk of a retinal detachment. This may occur as early as the second decade of life, but the risk lasts throughout life. Stature is normal and no skull or facial abnormalities are seen as they are sometimes in other collagen disorders. Inheritance is direct from parent to child creating a vertical pattern characteristic of autosomal dominant disease. Ophthalmologists and orthopedists are important to the diagnosis of this rare autosomal dominant disorder. Degenerative disease in large joints such as the hips may require surgical treatment. The hands are usually functional without difficulty. Retinal detachments require prompt repair to maintain vision. Early detection is important to the prognosis and since the risk for a detachment is present throughout life, repeated dilated eye examinations are essential.	152,889
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that dosing instructions for kids’ liquid medicines are confusing — confirming what every parent who has squinted at tiny lines on a plastic cup at 3am knows. Last fall, the FDA released voluntary guidelines for clearing up the problems with product labeling and measuring devices, and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the industry group for OTC medicine makers, put out its own slightly different guidance. H. Shonna Yin, first author of the JAMA study and a pediatrician at the New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center, says it’s too early for changes made by manufacturers to have taken effect, and that this study, conducted during the year ended October 30, 2009, is intended to provide a baseline against which to measure the industry’s future progress. It looked at 200 OTC pediatric liquid medications and found that 74% came with a measuring device such as a cup or syringe, almost all of which contained at least one inconsistency, such as extra markings on the measurement device that weren’t relevant to the dosing instructions. (A full 81% of products studied had superfluous markings.) Some 89% of products had text that wasn’t consistent between the label and measuring device, 24% of products lacked necessary markings and 6% used nonstandard units of measurement. “These inconsistencies are really likely to be a source of confusion for parents and can lead to errors in dosing,” Yin tells the Health Blog. Yin’s group plans to revisit the issue in a year or so. In a statement, the CHPA said its “goal is that all OTC medicines will fully follow the guidelines by the end of 2011.” Photo: Associated Press	42,092
September 28, 2012 300 EXONERATED on death row. Today, Damon Thibodeaux, who has been on death row in Louisiana since October 1997, was exonerated of the murder and rape of his 14-year old step-cousin, Crystal Champagne, making him the 300th person to be exonerated by DNA evidence in the United States, and the 18th to have served time on death row. In recognition of this historic milestone, please invite your friends and family to join us in working for wrongful conviction reform! While we are grateful for the cooperation we received from District Attorney Paul Connick, Jr. in working with Damon’s legal team to prove his innocence, there is no question that Damon, like the other 299 DNA exonerees, suffered terribly because of the faults in the criminal justice system. The 300 DNA exonerees served a combined total 4,013 years in prison. In nearly half of the cases, the true perpetrator was caught. But had the true perpetrator been correctly captured in the first place, more than 130 violent crimes could have been prevented. Fortunately, there are simple, common sense reforms that can prevent wrongful convictions and make sure law enforcement is focused on identifying the true perpetrators of crime. We owe it to the 300 men and women who have been exonerated to pass these reforms to help make sure that our criminal justice system is as accurate as possible. Fixing the system protects everyone because it ensures that the innocent go free and the real perpetrators are locked up and unable to commit other crimes.	137,069
Image via WikipediaDr. Arlene Blum (Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute) provided this report from the 11th Annual Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants. This is a topic that that deserves more of our attention than it currently gets. I am just back from an informative and fun Brominated Flame Retardant meeting in Ottawa where I presented my talk, Do Flame Retardants Save Lives? How Peer-Reviewed Science Can Impact Regulatory Decision-Making. Upcoming Fire Retardant Dilemma symposia hosted by GSP will be held in August in Beijing and the next will be on September 25th at U.C. Berkeley. I’m attaching the abstracts from the BFR meeting. There were presentations showing levels of fire retardant chemicals in albatross, kestrals, belugas, stellar sea lions, snapping turtles, great blue herons, and a variety of other animals and birds. Scientists reported on connections between exposure to fire retardant chemicals and indicators of reproductive success such as smaller broods, thinner egg shells, changes to courtship behavior, decrease copulation rates, fewer pairs laying eggs, decrease in parental care, smaller reproductive organs, delays in puberty, and others in a variety of species. Although some of the species are in decline, it is difficult to make a causal connection between chemical exposure and health impacts. Some connections between PBDE levels and hormonal changes in humans were documented as well as higher PBDE levels in beef, pork, chicken, and turkey from California compared to other states. Also levels in sediments, biosolids, lake water and sewage sludge were reported. All this information is motivational for our work to bring science into regulatory processes to reduce the use of toxic chemicals. The next BFR meeting will be in Kyoto Japan in April, and I’m planning to attend. More information at http://www.bfr2010.com/ On another note, Obama has nominated Paul Anastas to be EPA Asst Administrator for Research and Development. Paul Anastas is an outstanding green chemist. This should help toxics be included in the national environmental agenda. More at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-More-Key-Administration-Posts-5-21-09/ Arlene Blum PhD Visiting Scholar, Chemistry University of California, Berkeley Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute Telephone: 510 644-3164 Mobile: 510 919-6363 Web: www .greensciencepolicy.org, www.arleneblum.com Green Science Policy Institute The Green Science Policy Institute provides unbiased scientific information to government, industry, and non-governmental organizations to facilitate more informed decision-making about chemicals used in consumer products in order to protect health and environment world-wide.	68,926
National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Advances Excellence in science and engineering research and education in Maine. Three NSF EPSCoR grants are currently underway in our state, and I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight each of the three programs. Our current NSF EPSCoR RII Track 1 grant, the Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET), consists of four research themes (Ecological and Sociological Carrying Capacity; Aquaculture in a Changing Ecosystem; Innovations in Aquaculture; and Human Dimensions) that are collaborating through a variety of projects to positively impact Maine’s working waterfront. SEANET consists of 42 faculty members, 78 undergraduate students and 39 graduate students who are engaged in aquaculture research at 10 institutions across the state. Recent accomplishments include: • Successful AAAS review completed in March, 2017, which reviewed the project against plan and objectives • SEANET faculty and students have been highly productive in the past year, publishing 33 journal articles and conducting 128 conference presentations, helping to disseminate SEANET research results to the broader community • Follow-on grants totaling $7,691,243 awarded since beginning of the grant in 2014 Maine EPSCoR, "Maine EPSCoR Spring 2017 Newsletter" (2017). General University of Maine Publications. 1651. publisher's version of the published document Rights and Access Note This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, contact Special Collections.	194,718
As a philosopher, Lee Bowie's work cuts across a number of disciplines. His upper-level logic course, for example, is cross-listed in the mathematics and statistics department, and his work in philosophy of mind deals with issues in cognitive psychology, computer theory, linguistics, and neurobiology. Bowie has also taught courses cross-listed as upper-level psychology courses, and programming courses. In fact, in Bowie's view, "the most exciting aspect of being a philosopher is the permission it confers to do serious work in other people's areas. The difficult question of how the mind works will require the synthesized efforts of multiple approaches." Although most of Bowie's publications are in logic, the question that occupies most of his attention concerns how it is possible for a physical system—for example, the human brain—to be aware. Says Bowie, "While it seems possible to understand how a big pile of objects—atoms in a computer, for example—could represent something, it seems impossible to understand how even a very big pile of objects could feel like something. Yet evidently the big pile of atoms inside our skulls does just that." Bowie's recent work on neurobiology and neuropsychology suggests that "our view of ourselves as unified experiencers, psychologically continuous with our earlier and later selves, may be a convenient trick that our brains have evolved to play on us." Bowie aims in his work to find a way to reconcile our first-person experience of ourselves with the neuroscientific data. Bowie is the editor, with Meredith Michaels and Robert Solomon, ofTwenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy 7/e (Cengage, 2010); and with Meredith Michaels and Kathleen Higgins of Thirteen Questions in Ethics and Social Philosophy (Harcourt Brace, 1998). He is the founding director of Mount Holyoke's Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program as well as the founding codirector of Mount Holyoke's Harriet L. and Paul M. Weissman Center for Leadership. Bowie also is a former dean of the College (2003-2008) and chair of the Philosophy Department. - "Bowie Previews Engaging Philosophy on WAMC," WAMC The Academic Minute, March 24, 2011 - "Lee Bowie on Head Trauma in Football Players," Office of Communications, November 5, 2009 - "Questioning Authority: Lee Bowie on the Super Bowl," Office of Communications, February 1, 2007 - "Lee Bowie Named Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of the College", College Street Journal, January 24, 2003	246,353
The perimeter of a rhombus is 180cm and one of its diagonal is 72m. Find the length of the other diagonal and the area of the rhombus. a = the wide of the rhombus d1 = 72cm the diagonal of the rhombus d2 = the other diagonal of the rhombus the perimeter of a rhombus is 180 cm 4a = 180 => a = 180/4 a = 45 cm the diagonals d1 and d2 of a rhombus bisect each other at right angles. using the Pythagorean Theorem we have (d1/2)^2 + (d2/2)^2 = a^2 (72/2)^2 + (d2/2)^2 = 45^2 36^2 + (d2/2)^2 = 2025 by solving the equation we find and consider only the positive roots d2 = 54 cm to see the step by step solution click here: the are of the rhombus is A = (d1d2)/2 A = 7254/2 A = 1944 cm^2 the length of the other diagonal of the rhombus is 54 cm. the area of the rhombus is 1944 cm^2. \|← Previous Problem\|\|Next Problem →\|	16,029
Basketball of future built near Austin A prototype basketball that could revolutionize the sport and featured in last weekend's NBA All-Star dunk contest was built in Pflugerville. Driving the news: The 3D Airless Prototype Basketball, designed by Wilson Sporting Goods Co., was made just north of Austin, at the lab of 3D printing company EOS. - The ball looks like a giant black Wiffle ball. - Houston Rockets star K.J. Martin used the ball in the contest — but didn't win. Why it matters: Basketball pickup players everywhere could soon avoid annoying pre-game conversations about which ball has the right amount of air. What they're saying: "The quality control was mind-blowing," Jon Walker, business development manager at EOS, tells Axios. - The company traditionally works with automotive, aerospace and medical device companies to build everything from rocket components to hip replacements. - EOS sent a ball a day to Wilson's test facility in Ohio, and received daily feedback about its bounce, roll and roundness. How it works: A laser sweeping across a powder bed, over and over again in an etch-a-sketch fashion, builds up the basketball, Nadine Lippa, innovation manager at Wilson, said in a video. - Even something as small as adding a logo to the ball could change its mass distribution. - Because it's a ball, "you're trying to get something to uniformly respond in all directions in the same way," Dave Krzeminski, a consulting engineer at EOS, tells Axios. Context: Spalding offers a "NeverFlat" model — but, per the company's description, it's good for a year. - The new Wilson model can't deflate because there's no closed-off inside space. The challenge: Building a basketball that's truly playable, with that just-right bounce — a journey that took Wilson years as it sorted through material combinations. - The ball, comprised of black see-through lattice, nearly fits the performance specifications of a regulation NBA basketball including its weight and size, per Wilson. - "Once I actually saw the ball in person, it was crazy," Martin told Forbes. "I didn’t expect a basketball with holes to bounce and feel like a normal leather basketball." Between the lines: The basketball is almost silent while it's dribbled, Krzeminski says. - For proprietary reasons, EOS would not disclose the material used in the ball except to say it's made of an elastomer. What's next: Lippa, the Wilson innovation manager, tells Axios she is "confident" the airless ball will be available to the general public "in the next year or so." More Austin stories No stories could be found Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Austin.	109,079
* Prices may differ from that shown Love, war, broken and forced marriages bound four Chinese women who decided to have a new life in the USA. Seems like all is well when you get your American dream, but the past knows no boundaries, cultural or geographical. And so the sad stories of four missfortunate women reveal at a mahjong game at a mourning of one of them. Suyuan Woo, at who's mourning the story beggins, had to leave her twin daughters by the road during a Japanese invasion in China. The whole in her heart couldn't be filled with the birth of her "american" daughter Jing-mei so Suyuan allways tried to fill it with high expectations for Jing-mei, telling her she could be anything she wishes. An always demanding mother is hard to please when you feel you're a "never-good-enough-daughter" so Jing-mei allways felt missunderstood. Only at the end of the novel, as she finds out that her half-sisters are alive, Jing-mei realises that her mother actually loved her too much because she didn't get a chance to love her other children at all. Jing-mei relizes that her and her mother's life were actually quite similar- as one was looking for the approval of her mother, the other was looking for forgiveness from her children, both needing love as a compass in their lives. Suyuan's grief was Jing-mei's grief but they payed off when the sisters finally met in China. An-Mei Hsu was raised by her grandparents since her mother became a concubine and a Fourth wife to a man called Wu-Tsing's. As her mother comes to take her away one day An-Mei finds out her mother was actually raped and had to become a lover to her rapist. Young An-Mei, at her tender age, whitnesses the dark side of her mother's marriage and becomes rebelious towards the other wives in order to "revenge" her mother and show that such a marriage will never be forced upon her. When she tells her story to her daughter Rose, a servile wife of a doctor who decides to leave her, Rose gets courage to face her husband with pride and cheek she never had during her marriage. Once again, one mother's pain becomes a daughter's joy. Lindo Jong was forced into marriage with a boy from the neighbourhood when she was only 16. Stronheaded and proud, she found a way to trick her mother-in-law believing the grandchild she would give her would bring bad luck since a servant of the house was already pregnant with her husband's spiritual child. Fleeing to USA Lido gives birth to her daughter Waverly, who she constantly critisies for losing connections to her Chinese heritage. Still, through that criticism Waverly inherited the most important heritage- her mother's feisty character. Ying-Ying, a seemingly meek young girl married a passionate and abusive man named Lin Xiao. In order to retain some dignity and satisfaction for all the affairs her husband had, Ying-Ying has an abortion when she finds out she's carrying his child. Coming to America, she gives birth to Lena, but due to an abusive marriage and an abortion she cannot openly express her motherly feelings. When Lena ends up in a marriage similar to Ying-Ying's a mother will tell her story in order to give her daughter strenght to brake free as well. So, do our mothers try to prevent their daughters from making the same mistakes? They do. Do we end up making them anyway? We certainly do. Why? Because we are our mothers' daughters. And raising us is not an easy thing knowing that, in the end, the biggest and the toughest 'mistake' in bringing us up is passing us a bit of their character. This is the third book I've read by Amy Tan and was looking forward to it, having enjoyed the previous two, which were "The Bonesetters Daughter" and "The Kitchen God Wife." All three books have a had a similar theme in that there is conflict between a Chinese mother and their Chinese-American daughter. However unlike the previous books I read, rather than focus on one mother and one daughter, this book focuses upon four women and their daughters. The book is set in modern day San Fransisco, and the first character we are introduced to is Jing-Mei Woo, who has been invited to join the Joy Luck Club after the death of her mother. The group consists of eight people - all couples until Jing-Mei's mothers death - who meet regularly to play mah-jong, eat and gossip. Jing-Mei is not keen on joining - being a western woman she does not see the same need to continue with traditions as her older relations do - but for the sake of her mother's memory and her grieving father, she decides to go along. It is at this meeting that her three "aunties" give her a gift and ask her to fulfil one of her late mother's wishes. However rather than go on to show what Jing-Mei does next, the book then jumps to the point of view and story of another character. It continues in this manner for the rest of the book, which is divided into four sections with four chapters each. Each mother and daughter has two chapters, except Jing-Mei Woo who has four, as there are none form the point of view of her mother. This book doesn't follow a plot as such. It is more like snapshots of each person's lives, as they were when they were young and as they are now, and like Ms Tan's other books they highlight the differences between the generations and allow us an insight into a very different culture. The daughters deal with issues such as their mother's desperation to turn them into child prodigies, deaths of siblings and the dread of telling their parents that they divorcing or co-habiting with a new partner. In order to give us a further insight to the cultural differences, these issues are also mentioned in the mother's chapters, so we get to see their take on it. However the issues that the mothers faced in childhood and early adulthood are somewhat different to those faced by their daughters - one has to flee the Japanese and loses everything as a result. Another uses deceit to escape an unhappy marriage, another has to leave her family to live with her concubine mother and the fourth is rich and spoilt and has to learn the hard way not to take things for granted. The final chapters from the mother's point of view show us that they understand and relate to their daughters more than their daughters realise and despite the many differences between them, there are similarities there aswell. Reading about their past helps us to see how they became the way they are and why their daughters perceive them in a certain way. I love reading about Chinese culture so I found the detail in the book interesting. There are moving moments and although each character only has a couple of chapters I felt that I got to know a lot about each one individually, although I felt I knew Jing-Mei better than the others, probably as she has more chapters. I also found her the most likeable. However I did get confused at times as to who was speaking and who was who's daughter or mother, so frequently had to refer to the note in the front of the book to confirm! Also, as this is the third book I've read by Ms Tan I am beginning to find them a bit same-y, although to be fair what she does is brilliant. As with her other books this book beautifully illustrates mother-daughter relationships. This was also Ms Tan's first novel, something I only recently discovered. It is testament to her writing skills to say that there is nothing about this book that screams" first novel!" as it is often the case that even the most renowned author improves with each publication. However I do think that her later books have a clearer sense of story about them; this book could almost be read as a collection of short stories rather than a novel. This is a short read, at 288 pages, and although an enjoyable read it wasn't my favourite by this author. It's an international best seller which to be honest surprises me as its good but not that good. If you enjoy books about Chinese culture, cultural differences or mother-daughter relationships then you'll like this, but I would recommend "The Bonesetters Daughter" or "The Kitchen God's Wife" as a more satisfying read. Amy Tan was born in California but her parents were Chinese immigrants. She started writing short stories in 1985 and drew on her Chinese background and the experiences her family had been through in China. The Joy Luck Club is a set of sixteen tales about four Chinese mothers and their Chinese - American daughters. Their stories interlock to give the book continuity. One or two stories were published in magazines but the complete volume quickly became a best seller when it was published in 1989. This book is often called a 'novel' but much of it is based on fact and actual incidents. The contrasting worlds of modern America and old China are brought sharply into focus by the tales told around a mah-jong table and in the mother's memories and attempts to understand the modern world around her. The ancient game of mah-jong plays a major part in holding the stories together. It is a social game which was banned in China in 1949 under the communist regime as it was considered gambling and therefore a capitalist pursuit. We are left in doubt about the gambling as the session around the table unfold. The title of the book comes from the name of the mah-jong club that the four mothers form: 'The Joy Luck Club'. Personally I thought this was a very cleverly put together group of stories which were given a common thread by way of the mah-jong table. It is a very moving book at time but also has a tinge of humour in parts. There is a lot of sadness over what has passed but not so much that it makes it heavy reading. The book itself is quite short at just 288 pages and I must admit that I would have liked to read more. It was a bit difficult at times to remember who was speaking, or telling a tale but that may well have been down to lack of concentration on my part, rather than a fault in the structure of the book. An enjoyable read and certainly something I would recommend to others. The fact that I wanted more says it all. This book is about four Chinese mothers, born in the first decades of the 20th century, and their four daughters who were born in America shortly after World War II. The book opens with Jing-Mei Woo - who is now in her thirties - being invited by her father to join the 'Joy Luck Club' shortly after the death of her mother. This is a group of eight Chinese people which meets to play mah-jong, to raise money, and to gossip. Jing-Mei doesn't really want to join with these older people - her father, and three sets of honourary aunts and uncles, but does so for the sake of her mother's memory. After eating a meal, playing a game, and remembering some incidents in her past, she's given a surprise gift. This was a promising start to the book, and I was eager to know what Jing-Mei would do after receiving this gift. However the next chapter is written from the perspective of one of the other women in the Joy Luck Club, An-Mei Hsu, flashing back to her childhood. Again it's interesting, but I found myself feeling slightly bewildered by the contrast. Here we learn about An-Mei's unhappy past; she was abandoned by her mother, and brought up by her strict grandmother and other relatives. It's a short chapter, and recounts a painful incident which led to a lifelong scar on An-Mei's neck. ~~ Structure of the book ~~ This change of perspective continues throughout. The book has four distinct sections, each of which has four chapters. The first and last sections are devoted to the mothers, the middle two sections to the daughters. The exception is Jing-Mei who has a chapter in each section. It's not until the final chapter of the book that time moves forward again, and we learn what she does with her gift. There isn't a great deal of plot. Instead we see, through flashbacks alternating with the present, incidents from the childhoods of each of the seven women concerned. The four mothers had very different backgrounds: one was from an extremely wealthy Chinese family, but she took her riches for granted. Another grew up rather devious and manipulative. An-Mei grew up indecisive, always wanting other people to make decisions for her. Jing-Mei's mother had to escape the invading Japanese, and lost everything as a result. Each of the mothers ends up in America in early adulthood, so their daughters are raised as Chinese-Americans. Inevitably there are cultural clashes, and the daughters struggle to come to terms with their identities, clashing at times with what they perceive as the old-fashioned natures of their parents, and the demands of Chinese culture. Part Two of the book shows incidents from the childhood of each of the four daughters, and part Three shows them as young adults, struggling with their relationships to non-Chinese Americans, making mistakes which their mothers watch with pain and inevitable misunderstandings. Ironically, despite being brought up quite differently from the way their mothers were brought up, each of the daughters shows remarkably similarities of character to her mother. Part Four returns to the three mothers for their perspectives on their adult children's lives and loves. They see themselves reflected in their daughters, and their daughters begin to understand them better. Then the final chapter is Jing-Mei's again, moving forward at last. ~~ The packaging! ~~ This isn't the kind of book I would usually read. I prefer historical romances, or family sagas - the kind of books that generally come with a white or pastel cover. My copy of 'The Joy Luck Club' is mainly black, like a thriller; I picked it up at a jumble sale when I was thinking about experimenting with reading some different fiction. Recent publishers have given it a scarlet cover, like a scandalous modern novel. But in a way it's more like a family saga than either a thriller or chick-lit, except that it covers the lives of four families rather than one. Had it been just one family, with more incidents, I'd probably have enjoyed it more. As it was, every time I started a new chapter, I had to look at the contents list, to remind myself whose mother (or daughter) this character was. By the time I was half-way through, I started thinking of it as a book of short stories, and that helped. Each chapter was almost complete in itself, and could be read that way, so once I'd stopped looking for connections, it made more sense. I saw the connections as I got to the end, although I still don't remember which family was which without checking! The front cover rather intrigued me, saying the book was 'hilarious' and 'moving'. Hilarious? There were certainly a few places that made me smile in mild amusement. Mostly they were to do with cultural misunderstandings. But I felt the humour was bittersweet; it's all too easy to make mistakes living out of one's own culture. When the daughters were ridiculing their mother's traditions and customs, I didn't find it funny at all, but sad, from the perspectives of both. As for 'moving': well, once I'd gathered the overall concept of the book - the division and reconciliation of mothers and daughters, the gradual merging of the cultures - I suppose it could be described that way. Certain incidents within the book were somewhat emotional, although none of them moved me to tears. I think the reason for this is that it was so confusing to read, even though after finishing it I can better see the big picture. ~~ Conclusions ~~ 'The Joy Luck Club' is apparently an international bestseller, so clearly I'm missing something that other people enjoy. Indeed, by the time I got to the final chapter, I'd almost forgotten what it was that interested me at the beginning. It wasn't as if I read it over several weeks, either: it's not a long book, under 300 pages. Once I'd started, I tried to read a chapter or two every time I sat down, so I finished it in just over two days. If I hadn't, I'd probably have put it aside and never got to the end. Still, there was nothing I specially disliked about the book. I won't be returning it to the next jumble sale; I expect my younger son will read it some time since he's an avid reader of almost anything, and I might even dip into it again myself one day. If I do, though, I shall probably read it in a different order from the way it's written. I'll take one family at a time and read through all their chapters. So - all things considered - I'm giving it three stars. It was well-written, and I expect it gives some useful cultural background for people who have never lived outside their community. Perhaps when it was written (1989 in America) there was even more insularity in the USA than there is now, and this book could have helped bridge some gaps, helping ordinary white Americans to understand better those of Chinese and other descent. For me, growing up in multi-cultural Birmingham, and now living in Cyprus, it seemed - well, rather ordinary. Call me a philistine if you wish, but it's not a book I'd choose to buy new. For anyone interested in Chinese Americans, or indeed any cross-cultural issues, I'd recommend it in a low-key way when you have a few days spare and nothing better to read. I understand a film was made of this book; perhaps it's one of the few books that would be better in movie form, since it would give a clear pictorial image of what the author - herself a Chinese American - wanted to convey. Re-printed many times, it's now published in paperback by Vintage, and is available at Amazon for £5.59. They also have several copies of the old Minerva Press edition (the black one) for considerably less. It's the kind of book that often seems to turn up in charity shops and jumble sales, and I expect libraries stock it. At the moment, I have a passion for reading novels set in cultures different from my own. They provide me with such a different experience and perspective to think from that I find them addictive. This is why I picked up ?The Joy Luck Club? by Amy Tan for £1.00 in a charity shop (where else?). I was unaware that she wasn?t just a one-off author and has in fact written other novels, amongst them ?The Bone-setter?s Daughter.? This book, ?The Joy Luck Club? published in 1989 won The National Book Aware and L.A Times Book Award, also in 1989. The book begins by introducing us to Jing-Mei Woo and the Joy Luck Club. This is a club where a group of old friends go to play mah-jongg and to discuss their lives with each other. Jing-Mei is asked to take her mother?s place at the table after she dies. Once there, she listens to the women as they ask her to do one last favour for her mother. This involves travelling to China to find the twin daughters her mother lost many years ago. ?It is Auntie Ying who finally speaks. ?I think your mother die with an important thought on her mind,? she says in halting English.? (P.38) After this beginning, I was expecting it to carry on in the usual manner of a novel ? logical, continuous manner with a strong thread of plot running through it. Instead, the book deals with seven of the eight Chinese women and instead of a single plot, it dips into their lives at various points: the childhoods of the mothers and their efforts to get to used to the American way of life and the childhoods of the daughters and their attempts to merge their Chinese background with their American surroundings. It is fairly logical and ordered in how these ?extracts of life? are organised, but it meant that apart from Jing-Mei?s story, there is no single plot within it. One woman tells of her childhood as a chess genius; another of how her mother wanted her to be famous no matter what; a childhood spent in the household where her mother was a concubine; moving to America; marriage; having children and losing children; there is a broad range of experiences within these women and we are treated to brief excerpts from them all. On the face of it, that seems like it would make for a frustrating read, as most of us are so used to a natural progression within our books. Actually, I found it quite a refreshing read ? the point of the book wasn?t that something happened, but that we found out about these women and how they coped with the conflict between the two cultures they existed within. ?In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. They see daughters who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese, who think they are stupid why they explain things in fractured English.? (P.40-41) The language is quite similar to other books with a Chinese author/influence, such as ?Memoirs of a Geisha? and ?Wild Swans.? There is a lot of symbolism and beautiful phrases to describe things, which might seem a little odd to Western eyes and ears but they provide a little bit of exoticism within the reading and gives me the impression that the Chinese language in itself is very striking and spiritual. ? ?An ancestor of ours once stole water from a sacred well. Now the water is trying to steal back. We must sweeten the temper of the Coiling Dragon who lives in the sea. And then we must make him loosen his coils from Bing by giving him another treasure he can hide.?? (P.129) It is a fairly short book at 288 pages, but within this I gained quite a good mental picture of what each woman was like: her attitude, personality, experiences. It may have been a bit confusing at first to remember who each person was, but this was helped by the name of the author of each section and a table in the front of the mothers and their daughters. It finished in a similar place to whe re it started, with Jing-Mei in China searching for her long-lost half-sisters. It was slightly annoying that I never found out what happened to the other women within the story in a definite ending, but each woman seemed to arrive at a point where she could continue on her with life, either getting happier and stronger or just coping with what she had. I don?t actually have any major criticisms of the book or a single reason why I?m not going to award it 5 or even 4 stars. I think I?ll give it 3 with a recommendation to read because it is an enjoyable book but it isn?t the best I?ve ever read within the genre or the most exciting. It is a simple, pleasant book that took me a day to read and again has given me something different to think about. Do not approach the book expecting a strong plot and earth-shattering events and you won?t be disappointed, though obviously I read it with little expectations and quite enjoyed it. I think individual readers will enjoy it in different way. * About the Author * Amy Tan was born in 1952 in Oakland, California. She graduated from high school in Switzerland then received her master?s degree in Linguistics from San Jose State University. Her parents moved to America to escape civil war in China. The story of her mother?s early life inspired one of Amy?s novels ?The Kitchen God?s Wife.? Her other novels include ?The Hundred Secret Senses? and ?The Bonesetter?s Daughter.? ?The Joy Luck Club? has also been made into a film, which I haven?t yet seen but would love to after reading the book. Thanks to: http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/amytan/ for providing this information. Available from amazon.com for £5.59 and the usual bargain prices on Ebay. ISBN No. 0-7493-9957-0 Amy Tan is one of my favourite authors. She has a slightly different style of writing (cant explain it but there is something different about it) but it gets to me every single time I pick up one of her books. The Joy luck club is her first book and it is a great book. She follows the lives of 4 women and their daughters first the mothers then the daughters and how their life inter act with each other. All of the women being Chineese and "now" living in America. The Joy luck club makes you laugh, cry, angry and sad. It is a all in all BRILLIANT book and I would reccommend it VERY highly. (as I would all her other books) Only "problem" I forsee is that you will jump out to buy/borrow her other books ;o)	298,871
Microbes in soils and other environments produce extracellular enzymes to depolymerize and hydrolyze organic macromolecules so that they can be assimilated for energy and nutrients. Measuring soil microbial enzyme activity is crucial in understanding soil ecosystem functional dynamics. The general concept of the fluorescence enzyme assay is that synthetic C-, N-, or P-rich substrates bound with a fluorescent dye are added to soil samples. When intact, the labeled substrates do not fluoresce. Enzyme activity is measured as the increase in fluorescence as the fluorescent dyes are cleaved from their substrates, which allows them to fluoresce. Enzyme measurements can be expressed in units of molarity or activity. To perform this assay, soil slurries are prepared by combining soil with a pH buffer. The pH buffer (typically a 50 mM sodium acetate or 50 mM Tris buffer), is chosen for the buffer's particular acid dissociation constant (pKa) to best match the soil sample pH. The soil slurries are inoculated with a nonlimiting amount of fluorescently labeled (i.e. C-, N-, or P-rich) substrate. Using soil slurries in the assay serves to minimize limitations on enzyme and substrate diffusion. Therefore, this assay controls for differences in substrate limitation, diffusion rates, and soil pH conditions; thus detecting potential enzyme activity rates as a function of the difference in enzyme concentrations (per sample). Fluorescence enzyme assays are typically more sensitive than spectrophotometric (i.e. colorimetric) assays, but can suffer from interference caused by impurities and the instability of many fluorescent compounds when exposed to light; so caution is required when handling fluorescent substrates. Likewise, this method only assesses potential enzyme activities under laboratory conditions when substrates are not limiting. Caution should be used when interpreting the data representing cross-site comparisons with differing temperatures or soil types, as in situ soil type and temperature can influence enzyme kinetics. 21 Related JoVE Articles! Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading Institutions: Grand Valley State University. Eutrophication is a water quality issue in lakes worldwide, and there is a critical need to identify and control nutrient sources. Internal phosphorus (P) loading from lake sediments can account for a substantial portion of the total P load in eutrophic, and some mesotrophic, lakes. Laboratory determination of P release rates from sediment cores is one approach for determining the role of internal P loading and guiding management decisions. Two principal alternatives to experimental determination of sediment P release exist for estimating internal load: in situ measurements of changes in hypolimnetic P over time and P mass balance. The experimental approach using laboratory-based sediment incubations to quantify internal P load is a direct method, making it a valuable tool for lake management and restoration. Laboratory incubations of sediment cores can help determine the relative importance of internal vs. external P loads, as well as be used to answer a variety of lake management and research questions. We illustrate the use of sediment core incubations to assess the effectiveness of an aluminum sulfate (alum) treatment for reducing sediment P release. Other research questions that can be investigated using this approach include the effects of sediment resuspension and bioturbation on P release. The approach also has limitations. Assumptions must be made with respect to: extrapolating results from sediment cores to the entire lake; deciding over what time periods to measure nutrient release; and addressing possible core tube artifacts. A comprehensive dissolved oxygen monitoring strategy to assess temporal and spatial redox status in the lake provides greater confidence in annual P loads estimated from sediment core incubations. Environmental Sciences, Issue 85, Limnology, internal loading, eutrophication, nutrient flux, sediment coring, phosphorus, lakes Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites Institutions: Royal Military College of Canada, Queen's University. The physical and chemical properties of biochar vary based on feedstock sources and production conditions, making it possible to engineer biochars with specific functions (e.g. carbon sequestration, soil quality improvements, or contaminant sorption). In 2013, the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) made publically available their Standardized Product Definition and Product Testing Guidelines (Version 1.1) which set standards for physical and chemical characteristics for biochar. Six biochars made from three different feedstocks and at two temperatures were analyzed for characteristics related to their use as a soil amendment. The protocol describes analyses of the feedstocks and biochars and includes: cation exchange capacity (CEC), specific surface area (SSA), organic carbon (OC) and moisture percentage, pH, particle size distribution, and proximate and ultimate analysis. Also described in the protocol are the analyses of the feedstocks and biochars for contaminants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals and mercury as well as nutrients (phosphorous, nitrite and nitrate and ammonium as nitrogen). The protocol also includes the biological testing procedures, earthworm avoidance and germination assays. Based on the quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) results of blanks, duplicates, standards and reference materials, all methods were determined adequate for use with biochar and feedstock materials. All biochars and feedstocks were well within the criterion set by the IBI and there were little differences among biochars, except in the case of the biochar produced from construction waste materials. This biochar (referred to as Old biochar) was determined to have elevated levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, and lead, and failed the earthworm avoidance and germination assays. Based on these results, Old biochar would not be appropriate for use as a soil amendment for carbon sequestration, substrate quality improvements or remediation. Environmental Sciences, Issue 93, biochar, characterization, carbon sequestration, remediation, International Biochar Initiative (IBI), soil amendment Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility Institutions: Texas A&M University, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. As the urban population increases, so does the area of irrigated urban landscape. Summer water use in urban areas can be 2-3x winter base line water use due to increased demand for landscape irrigation. Improper irrigation practices and large rainfall events can result in runoff from urban landscapes which has potential to carry nutrients and sediments into local streams and lakes where they may contribute to eutrophication. A 1,000 m2 facility was constructed which consists of 24 individual 33.6 m2 field plots, each equipped for measuring total runoff volumes with time and collection of runoff subsamples at selected intervals for quantification of chemical constituents in the runoff water from simulated urban landscapes. Runoff volumes from the first and second trials had coefficient of variability (CV) values of 38.2 and 28.7%, respectively. CV values for runoff pH, EC, and Na concentration for both trials were all under 10%. Concentrations of DOC, TDN, DON, PO4 , and Ca2+ had CV values less than 50% in both trials. Overall, the results of testing performed after sod installation at the facility indicated good uniformity between plots for runoff volumes and chemical constituents. The large plot size is sufficient to include much of the natural variability and therefore provides better simulation of urban landscape ecosystems. Environmental Sciences, Issue 90, urban runoff, landscapes, home lawns, turfgrass, St. Augustinegrass, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium Preparation and Use of Photocatalytically Active Segmented Ag\|ZnO and Coaxial TiO2-Ag Nanowires Made by Templated Electrodeposition Institutions: University of Twente. Photocatalytically active nanostructures require a large specific surface area with the presence of many catalytically active sites for the oxidation and reduction half reactions, and fast electron (hole) diffusion and charge separation. Nanowires present suitable architectures to meet these requirements. Axially segmented Ag\|ZnO and radially segmented (coaxial) TiO2 -Ag nanowires with a diameter of 200 nm and a length of 6-20 µm were made by templated electrodeposition within the pores of polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) or anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes, respectively. In the photocatalytic experiments, the ZnO and TiO2 phases acted as photoanodes, and Ag as cathode. No external circuit is needed to connect both electrodes, which is a key advantage over conventional photo-electrochemical cells. For making segmented Ag\|ZnO nanowires, the Ag salt electrolyte was replaced after formation of the Ag segment to form a ZnO segment attached to the Ag segment. For making coaxial TiO2 -Ag nanowires, a TiO2 gel was first formed by the electrochemically induced sol-gel method. Drying and thermal annealing of the as-formed TiO2 gel resulted in the formation of crystalline TiO2 nanotubes. A subsequent Ag electrodeposition step inside the TiO2 nanotubes resulted in formation of coaxial TiO2 -Ag nanowires. Due to the combination of an n -type semiconductor (ZnO or TiO2 ) and a metal (Ag) within the same nanowire, a Schottky barrier was created at the interface between the phases. To demonstrate the photocatalytic activity of these nanowires, the Ag\|ZnO nanowires were used in a photocatalytic experiment in which H2 gas was detected upon UV illumination of the nanowires dispersed in a methanol/water mixture. After 17 min of illumination, approximately 0.2 vol% H2 gas was detected from a suspension of ~0.1 g of Ag\|ZnO nanowires in a 50 ml 80 vol% aqueous methanol solution. Physics, Issue 87, Multicomponent nanowires, electrochemistry, sol-gel processes, photocatalysis, photochemistry, H2 evolution A Method of Permeabilization of Drosophila Embryos for Assays of Small Molecule Activity Institutions: University of Rochester School of Dentistry and Medicine. embryo has long been a powerful laboratory model for elucidating molecular and genetic mechanisms that control development. The ease of genetic manipulations with this model has supplanted pharmacological approaches that are commonplace in other animal models and cell-based assays. Here we describe recent advances in a protocol that enables application of small molecules to the developing fruit fly embryo. The method details steps to overcome the impermeability of the eggshell while maintaining embryo viability. Eggshell permeabilization across a broad range of developmental stages is achieved by application of a previously described d-limonene embryo permeabilization solvent (EPS1 ) and by aging embryos at reduced temperature (18 °C) prior to treatments. In addition, use of a far-red dye (CY5) as a permeabilization indicator is described, which is compatible with downstream applications involving standard red and green fluorescent dyes in live and fixed preparations. This protocol is applicable to studies using bioactive compounds to probe developmental mechanisms as well as for studies aimed at evaluating teratogenic or pharmacologic activity of uncharacterized small molecules. Bioengineering, Issue 89, Drosophila embryo, embryo development, viteline membrane, d-limonene, membrane permeabilization, teratogen, Rhodamine B, CY5, methylmercury Modeling Astrocytoma Pathogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo Using Cortical Astrocytes or Neural Stem Cells from Conditional, Genetically Engineered Mice Institutions: University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Current astrocytoma models are limited in their ability to define the roles of oncogenic mutations in specific brain cell types during disease pathogenesis and their utility for preclinical drug development. In order to design a better model system for these applications, phenotypically wild-type cortical astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSC) from conditional, genetically engineered mice (GEM) that harbor various combinations of floxed oncogenic alleles were harvested and grown in culture. Genetic recombination was induced in vitro using adenoviral Cre-mediated recombination, resulting in expression of mutated oncogenes and deletion of tumor suppressor genes. The phenotypic consequences of these mutations were defined by measuring proliferation, transformation, and drug response in vitro . Orthotopic allograft models, whereby transformed cells are stereotactically injected into the brains of immune-competent, syngeneic littermates, were developed to define the role of oncogenic mutations and cell type on tumorigenesis in vivo . Unlike most established human glioblastoma cell line xenografts, injection of transformed GEM-derived cortical astrocytes into the brains of immune-competent littermates produced astrocytomas, including the most aggressive subtype, glioblastoma, that recapitulated the histopathological hallmarks of human astrocytomas, including diffuse invasion of normal brain parenchyma. Bioluminescence imaging of orthotopic allografts from transformed astrocytes engineered to express luciferase was utilized to monitor in vivo tumor growth over time. Thus, astrocytoma models using astrocytes and NSC harvested from GEM with conditional oncogenic alleles provide an integrated system to study the genetics and cell biology of astrocytoma pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo and may be useful in preclinical drug development for these devastating diseases. Neuroscience, Issue 90, astrocytoma, cortical astrocytes, genetically engineered mice, glioblastoma, neural stem cells, orthotopic allograft Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation Institutions: North Carolina State University, North Carolina State University. Potentially toxic chemicals are routinely applied to land to meet growing demands on waste management and food production, but the fate of these chemicals is often not well understood. Here we demonstrate an integrated field lysimetry and porewater sampling method for evaluating the mobility of chemicals applied to soils and established vegetation. Lysimeters, open columns made of metal or plastic, are driven into bareground or vegetated soils. Porewater samplers, which are commercially available and use vacuum to collect percolating soil water, are installed at predetermined depths within the lysimeters. At prearranged times following chemical application to experimental plots, porewater is collected, and lysimeters, containing soil and vegetation, are exhumed. By analyzing chemical concentrations in the lysimeter soil, vegetation, and porewater, downward leaching rates, soil retention capacities, and plant uptake for the chemical of interest may be quantified. Because field lysimetry and porewater sampling are conducted under natural environmental conditions and with minimal soil disturbance, derived results project real-case scenarios and provide valuable information for chemical management. As chemicals are increasingly applied to land worldwide, the described techniques may be utilized to determine whether applied chemicals pose adverse effects to human health or the environment. Environmental Sciences, Issue 89, Lysimetry, porewater, soil, chemical leaching, pesticides, turfgrass, waste Quantitative Detection of Trace Explosive Vapors by Programmed Temperature Desorption Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector Institutions: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, NOVA Research, Inc., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. The direct liquid deposition of solution standards onto sorbent-filled thermal desorption tubes is used for the quantitative analysis of trace explosive vapor samples. The direct liquid deposition method yields a higher fidelity between the analysis of vapor samples and the analysis of solution standards than using separate injection methods for vapors and solutions, i.e. , samples collected on vapor collection tubes and standards prepared in solution vials. Additionally, the method can account for instrumentation losses, which makes it ideal for minimizing variability and quantitative trace chemical detection. Gas chromatography with an electron capture detector is an instrumentation configuration sensitive to nitro-energetics, such as TNT and RDX, due to their relatively high electron affinity. However, vapor quantitation of these compounds is difficult without viable vapor standards. Thus, we eliminate the requirement for vapor standards by combining the sensitivity of the instrumentation with a direct liquid deposition protocol to analyze trace explosive vapor samples. Chemistry, Issue 89, Gas Chromatography (GC), Electron Capture Detector, Explosives, Quantitation, Thermal Desorption, TNT, RDX Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology Institutions: San Diego State University, University of California San Diego. Here we introduce a series of thoroughly tested and well standardized research protocols adapted for use in remote marine environments. The sampling protocols include the assessment of resources available to the microbial community (dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, inorganic nutrients), and a comprehensive description of the viral and bacterial communities (via direct viral and microbial counts, enumeration of autofluorescent microbes, and construction of viral and microbial metagenomes). We use a combination of methods, which represent a dispersed field of scientific disciplines comprising already established protocols and some of the most recent techniques developed. Especially metagenomic sequencing techniques used for viral and bacterial community characterization, have been established only in recent years, and are thus still subjected to constant improvement. This has led to a variety of sampling and sample processing procedures currently in use. The set of methods presented here provides an up to date approach to collect and process environmental samples. Parameters addressed with these protocols yield the minimum on information essential to characterize and understand the underlying mechanisms of viral and microbial community dynamics. It gives easy to follow guidelines to conduct comprehensive surveys and discusses critical steps and potential caveats pertinent to each technique. Environmental Sciences, Issue 93, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, nutrients, DAPI, SYBR, microbial metagenomics, viral metagenomics, marine environment Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey Institutions: U. S. Geological Survey, Grand Valley State University, Shedd Aquarium. A technique for laboratory estimation of net trophic transfer efficiency (γ) of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners to piscivorous fish from their prey is described herein. During a 135-day laboratory experiment, we fed bloater (Coregonus hoyi ) that had been caught in Lake Michigan to lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush ) kept in eight laboratory tanks. Bloater is a natural prey for lake trout. In four of the tanks, a relatively high flow rate was used to ensure relatively high activity by the lake trout, whereas a low flow rate was used in the other four tanks, allowing for low lake trout activity. On a tank-by-tank basis, the amount of food eaten by the lake trout on each day of the experiment was recorded. Each lake trout was weighed at the start and end of the experiment. Four to nine lake trout from each of the eight tanks were sacrificed at the start of the experiment, and all 10 lake trout remaining in each of the tanks were euthanized at the end of the experiment. We determined concentrations of 75 PCB congeners in the lake trout at the start of the experiment, in the lake trout at the end of the experiment, and in bloaters fed to the lake trout during the experiment. Based on these measurements, γ was calculated for each of 75 PCB congeners in each of the eight tanks. Mean γ was calculated for each of the 75 PCB congeners for both active and inactive lake trout. Because the experiment was replicated in eight tanks, the standard error about mean γ could be estimated. Results from this type of experiment are useful in risk assessment models to predict future risk to humans and wildlife eating contaminated fish under various scenarios of environmental contamination. Environmental Sciences, Issue 90, trophic transfer efficiency, polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, lake trout, activity, contaminants, accumulation, risk assessment, toxic equivalents In Situ SIMS and IR Spectroscopy of Well-defined Surfaces Prepared by Soft Landing of Mass-selected Ions Institutions: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Soft landing of mass-selected ions onto surfaces is a powerful approach for the highly-controlled preparation of materials that are inaccessible using conventional synthesis techniques. Coupling soft landing with in situ characterization using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) enables analysis of well-defined surfaces under clean vacuum conditions. The capabilities of three soft-landing instruments constructed in our laboratory are illustrated for the representative system of surface-bound organometallics prepared by soft landing of mass-selected ruthenium tris(bipyridine) dications, [Ru(bpy)3 (bpy = bipyridine), onto carboxylic acid terminated self-assembled monolayer surfaces on gold (COOH-SAMs). In situ time-of-flight (TOF)-SIMS provides insight into the reactivity of the soft-landed ions. In addition, the kinetics of charge reduction, neutralization and desorption occurring on the COOH-SAM both during and after ion soft landing are studied using in situ Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR)-SIMS measurements. In situ IRRAS experiments provide insight into how the structure of organic ligands surrounding metal centers is perturbed through immobilization of organometallic ions on COOH-SAM surfaces by soft landing. Collectively, the three instruments provide complementary information about the chemical composition, reactivity and structure of well-defined species supported on surfaces. Chemistry, Issue 88, soft landing, mass selected ions, electrospray, secondary ion mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, organometallic, catalysis Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation Institutions: Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Illinois Institute of Technology- Moffett Campus, University of Guadalajara, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech. Woody materials are comprised of plant cell walls that contain a layered secondary cell wall composed of structural polymers of polysaccharides and lignin. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly process which relies on the assembly of oppositely charged molecules from aqueous solutions was used to build a freestanding composite film of isolated wood polymers of lignin and oxidized nanofibril cellulose (NFC). To facilitate the assembly of these negatively charged polymers, a positively charged polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethylammomium chloride) (PDDA), was used as a linking layer to create this simplified model cell wall. The layered adsorption process was studied quantitatively using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and ellipsometry. The results showed that layer mass/thickness per adsorbed layer increased as a function of total number of layers. The surface coverage of the adsorbed layers was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Complete coverage of the surface with lignin in all the deposition cycles was found for the system, however, surface coverage by NFC increased with the number of layers. The adsorption process was carried out for 250 cycles (500 bilayers) on a cellulose acetate (CA) substrate. Transparent free-standing LBL assembled nanocomposite films were obtained when the CA substrate was later dissolved in acetone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fractured cross-sections showed a lamellar structure, and the thickness per adsorption cycle (PDDA-Lignin-PDDA-NC) was estimated to be 17 nm for two different lignin types used in the study. The data indicates a film with highly controlled architecture where nanocellulose and lignin are spatially deposited on the nanoscale (a polymer-polymer nanocomposites), similar to what is observed in the native cell wall. Plant Biology, Issue 88, nanocellulose, thin films, quartz crystal microbalance, layer-by-layer, LbL Membrane Potentials, Synaptic Responses, Neuronal Circuitry, Neuromodulation and Muscle Histology Using the Crayfish: Student Laboratory Exercises Institutions: University of Kentucky, University of Toronto. The purpose of this report is to help develop an understanding of the effects caused by ion gradients across a biological membrane. Two aspects that influence a cell's membrane potential and which we address in these experiments are: (1) Ion concentration of K+ on the outside of the membrane, and (2) the permeability of the membrane to specific ions. The crayfish abdominal extensor muscles are in groupings with some being tonic (slow) and others phasic (fast) in their biochemical and physiological phenotypes, as well as in their structure; the motor neurons that innervate these muscles are correspondingly different in functional characteristics. We use these muscles as well as the superficial, tonic abdominal flexor muscle to demonstrate properties in synaptic transmission. In addition, we introduce a sensory-CNS-motor neuron-muscle circuit to demonstrate the effect of cuticular sensory stimulation as well as the influence of neuromodulators on certain aspects of the circuit. With the techniques obtained in this exercise, one can begin to answer many questions remaining in other experimental preparations as well as in physiological applications related to medicine and health. We have demonstrated the usefulness of model invertebrate preparations to address fundamental questions pertinent to all animals. Neuroscience, Issue 47, Invertebrate, Crayfish, neurophysiology, muscle, anatomy, electrophysiology Rapid Point-of-Care Assay of Enoxaparin Anticoagulant Efficacy in Whole Blood Institutions: New York Medical College , New York Medical College . There is the need for a clinical assay to determine the extent to which a patient's blood is effectively anticoagulated by the low-molecular-weight-heparin (LMWH), enoxaparin. There are also urgent clinical situations where it would be important if this could be determined rapidly. The present assay is designed to accomplish this. We only assayed human blood samples that were spiked with known concentrations of enoxaparin. The essential feature of the present assay is the quantification of the efficacy of enoxaparin in a patient's blood sample by degrading it to complete inactivity with heparinase. Two blood samples were drawn into Vacutainer tubes (Becton-Dickenson; Franklin Lakes, NJ) that were spiked with enoxaparin; one sample was digested with heparinase for 5 min at 37 °C, the other sample represented the patient's baseline anticoagulated status. The percent shortening of clotting time in the heparinase-treated sample, as compared to the baseline state, yielded the anticoagulant contribution of enoxaparin. We used the portable, battery operated Hemochron 801 apparatus for measurements of clotting times (International Technidyne Corp., Edison, NJ). The apparatus has 2 thermostatically controlled (37 °C) assay tube wells. We conducted the assays in two types of assay cartridges that are available from the manufacturer of the instrument. One cartridge was modified to increase its sensitivity. We removed the kaolin from the FTK-ACT cartridge by extensive rinsing with distilled water, leaving only the glass surface of the tube, and perhaps the detection magnet, as activators. We called this our minimally activated assay (MAA). The use of a minimally activated assay has been studied by us and others. 2-4 The second cartridge that was studied was an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assay (A104). This was used as supplied from the manufacturer. The thermostated wells of the instrument were used for both the heparinase digestion and coagulation assays. The assay can be completed within 10 min. The MAA assay showed robust changes in clotting time after heparinase digestion of enoxaparin over a typical clinical concentration range. At 0.2 anti-Xa I.U. of enoxaparin per ml of blood sample, heparinase digestion caused an average decrease of 9.8% (20.4 sec) in clotting time; at 1.0 I.U. per ml of enoxaparin there was a 41.4% decrease (148.8 sec). This report only presents the experimental application of the assay; its value in a clinical setting must still be established. Medicine, Issue 68, Immunology, Physiology, Pharmacology, low-molecular-weight-heparin, low-molecular-weight-heparin assay, LMWH point-of-care assay, anti-Factor-Xa activity, enoxaparin, heparinase, whole blood, assay Multi-parameter Measurement of the Permeability Transition Pore Opening in Isolated Mouse Heart Mitochondria Institutions: University of Washington, Seattle. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mtPTP) is a non specific channel that forms in the inner mitochondrial membrane to transport solutes with a molecular mass smaller than 1.5 kDa. Although the definitive molecular identity of the pore is still under debate, proteins such as cyclophilin D, VDAC and ANT contribute to mtPTP formation. While the involvement of mtPTP opening in cell death is well established1 , accumulating evidence indicates that the mtPTP serves a physiologic role during mitochondrial Ca2+ , bioenergetics and redox signaling 3 mtPTP opening is triggered by matrix Ca2+ but its activity can be modulated by several other factors such as oxidative stress, adenine nucleotide depletion, high concentrations of Pi, mitochondrial membrane depolarization or uncoupling, and long chain fatty acids4 . In vitro , mtPTP opening can be achieved by increasing Ca2+ concentration inside the mitochondrial matrix through exogenous additions of Ca2+ (calcium retention capacity). When Ca2+ levels inside mitochondria reach a certain threshold, the mtPTP opens and facilitates Ca2+ release, dissipation of the proton motive force, membrane potential collapse and an increase in mitochondrial matrix volume (swelling) that ultimately leads to the rupture of the outer mitochondrial membrane and irreversible loss of organelle function. Here we describe a fluorometric assay that allows for a comprehensive characterization of mtPTP opening in isolated mouse heart mitochondria. The assay involves the simultaneous measurement of 3 mitochondrial parameters that are altered when mtPTP opening occurs: mitochondrial Ca2+ handling (uptake and release, as measured by Ca2+ concentration in the assay medium), mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial volume. The dyes employed for Ca2+ measurement in the assay medium and mitochondrial membrane potential are Fura FF, a membrane impermeant, ratiometric indicator which undergoes a shift in the excitation wavelength in the presence of Ca2+ , and JC-1, a cationic, ratiometric indicator which forms green monomers or red aggregates at low and high membrane potential, respectively. Changes in mitochondrial volume are measured by recording light scattering by the mitochondrial suspension. Since high-quality, functional mitochondria are required for the mtPTP opening assay, we also describe the steps necessary to obtain intact, highly coupled and functional isolated heart mitochondria. Cellular Biology, Issue 67, Mitochondria, respiration, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), membrane potential, swelling, calcium, spectrofluorometer Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter Institutions: Yale University, Virginia Tech, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The quantity and quality of detritus entering the soil determines the rate of decomposition by microbial communities as well as recycle rates of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) sequestration1,2 . Plant litter comprises the majority of detritus3 , and so it is assumed that decomposition is only marginally influenced by biomass inputs from animals such as herbivores and carnivores4,5 . However, carnivores may influence microbial decomposition of plant litter via a chain of interactions in which predation risk alters the physiology of their herbivore prey that in turn alters soil microbial functioning when the herbivore carcasses are decomposed6 . A physiological stress response by herbivores to the risk of predation can change the C:N elemental composition of herbivore biomass7,8,9 because stress from predation risk increases herbivore basal energy demands that in nutrient-limited systems forces herbivores to shift their consumption from N-rich resources to support growth and reproduction to C-rich carbohydrate resources to support heightened metabolism6 . Herbivores have limited ability to store excess nutrients, so stressed herbivores excrete N as they increase carbohydrate-C consumption7 . Ultimately, prey stressed by predation risk increase their body C:N ratio7,10 , making them poorer quality resources for the soil microbial pool likely due to lower availability of labile N for microbial enzyme production6 . Thus, decomposition of carcasses of stressed herbivores has a priming effect on the functioning of microbial communities that decreases subsequent ability to of microbes to decompose plant litter6,10,11 We present the methodology to evaluate linkages between predation risk and litter decomposition by soil microbes. We describe how to: induce stress in herbivores from predation risk; measure those stress responses, and measure the consequences on microbial decomposition. We use insights from a model grassland ecosystem comprising the hunting spider predator (Pisuarina mira ), a dominant grasshopper herbivore (Melanoplus femurrubrum ),and a variety of grass and forb plants9 Environmental Sciences, Issue 73, Microbiology, Plant Biology, Entomology, Organisms, Investigative Techniques, Biological Phenomena, Chemical Phenomena, Metabolic Phenomena, Microbiological Phenomena, Earth Resources and Remote Sensing, Life Sciences (General), Litter Decomposition, Ecological Stoichiometry, Physiological Stress and Ecosystem Function, Predation Risk, Soil Respiration, Carbon Sequestration, Soil Science, respiration, spider, grasshoper, model system Ultrahigh Density Array of Vertically Aligned Small-molecular Organic Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates Institutions: University of Alberta. In recent years π-conjugated organic semiconductors have emerged as the active material in a number of diverse applications including large-area, low-cost displays, photovoltaics, printable and flexible electronics and organic spin valves. Organics allow (a) low-cost, low-temperature processing and (b) molecular-level design of electronic, optical and spin transport characteristics. Such features are not readily available for mainstream inorganic semiconductors, which have enabled organics to carve a niche in the silicon-dominated electronics market. The first generation of organic-based devices has focused on thin film geometries, grown by physical vapor deposition or solution processing. However, it has been realized that organic nanostructures can be used to enhance performance of above-mentioned applications and significant effort has been invested in exploring methods for organic nanostructure fabrication. A particularly interesting class of organic nanostructures is the one in which vertically oriented organic nanowires, nanorods or nanotubes are organized in a well-regimented, high-density array . Such structures are highly versatile and are ideal morphological architectures for various applications such as chemical sensors, split-dipole nanoantennas, photovoltaic devices with radially heterostructured "core-shell" nanowires, and memory devices with a cross-point geometry. Such architecture is generally realized by a template-directed approach. In the past this method has been used to grow metal and inorganic semiconductor nanowire arrays. More recently π-conjugated polymer nanowires have been grown within nanoporous templates. However, these approaches have had limited success in growing nanowires of technologically important π-conjugated small molecular weight organics , such as tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3 ), rubrene and methanofullerenes, which are commonly used in diverse areas including organic displays, photovoltaics, thin film transistors and spintronics. Recently we have been able to address the above-mentioned issue by employing a novel "centrifugation-assisted" approach. This method therefore broadens the spectrum of organic materials that can be patterned in a vertically ordered nanowire array. Due to the technological importance of Alq3 , rubrene and methanofullerenes, our method can be used to explore how the nanostructuring of these materials affects the performance of aforementioned organic devices. The purpose of this article is to describe the technical details of the above-mentioned protocol, demonstrate how this process can be extended to grow small-molecular organic nanowires on arbitrary substrates and finally, to discuss the critical steps, limitations, possible modifications, trouble-shooting and future applications. Physics, Issue 76, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology, nanodevices (electronic), semiconductor devices, solid state devices, thin films (theory, deposition and growth), crystal growth (general), Organic semiconductors, small molecular organics, organic nanowires, nanorods and nanotubes, bottom-up nanofabrication, electrochemical self-assembly, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), template-assisted synthesis of nanostructures, Raman spectrum, field emission scanning electron microscopy, FESEM Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease Institutions: SRI International, University of California-Santa Cruz. Lipoxygenase (LOX) activity has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, but its effects in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis are less understood. Gene-environment interaction models have utility in unmasking the impact of specific cellular pathways in toxicity that may not be observed using a solely genetic or toxicant disease model alone. To evaluate if distinct LOX isozymes selectively contribute to PD-related neurodegeneration, transgenic (i.e. 5-LOX and 12/15-LOX deficient) mice can be challenged with a toxin that mimics cell injury and death in the disorder. Here we describe the use of a neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), which produces a nigrostriatal lesion to elucidate the distinct contributions of LOX isozymes to neurodegeneration related to PD. The use of MPTP in mouse, and nonhuman primate, is well-established to recapitulate the nigrostriatal damage in PD. The extent of MPTP-induced lesioning is measured by HPLC analysis of dopamine and its metabolites and semi-quantitative Western blot analysis of striatum for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of dopamine. To assess inflammatory markers, which may demonstrate LOX isozyme-selective sensitivity, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Iba-1 immunohistochemistry are performed on brain sections containing substantia nigra, and GFAP Western blot analysis is performed on striatal homogenates. This experimental approach can provide novel insights into gene-environment interactions underlying nigrostriatal degeneration and PD. Medicine, Issue 83, MPTP, dopamine, Iba1, TH, GFAP, lipoxygenase, transgenic, gene-environment interactions, mouse, Parkinson's disease, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation Characterization of Complex Systems Using the Design of Experiments Approach: Transient Protein Expression in Tobacco as a Case Study Institutions: RWTH Aachen University, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. Plants provide multiple benefits for the production of biopharmaceuticals including low costs, scalability, and safety. Transient expression offers the additional advantage of short development and production times, but expression levels can vary significantly between batches thus giving rise to regulatory concerns in the context of good manufacturing practice. We used a design of experiments (DoE) approach to determine the impact of major factors such as regulatory elements in the expression construct, plant growth and development parameters, and the incubation conditions during expression, on the variability of expression between batches. We tested plants expressing a model anti-HIV monoclonal antibody (2G12) and a fluorescent marker protein (DsRed). We discuss the rationale for selecting certain properties of the model and identify its potential limitations. The general approach can easily be transferred to other problems because the principles of the model are broadly applicable: knowledge-based parameter selection, complexity reduction by splitting the initial problem into smaller modules, software-guided setup of optimal experiment combinations and step-wise design augmentation. Therefore, the methodology is not only useful for characterizing protein expression in plants but also for the investigation of other complex systems lacking a mechanistic description. The predictive equations describing the interconnectivity between parameters can be used to establish mechanistic models for other complex systems. Bioengineering, Issue 83, design of experiments (DoE), transient protein expression, plant-derived biopharmaceuticals, promoter, 5'UTR, fluorescent reporter protein, model building, incubation conditions, monoclonal antibody In Vitro Nuclear Assembly Using Fractionated Xenopus Egg Extracts Institutions: Emory University. Nuclear membrane assembly is an essential step in the cell division cycle; this process can be replicated in the test tube by combining Xenopus sperm chromatin, cytosol, and light membrane fractions. Complete nuclei are formed, including nuclear membranes with pore complexes, and these reconstituted nuclei are capable of normal nuclear processes. Cellular Biology, Issue 19, Current Protocols Wiley, Xenopus Egg Extracts, Nuclear Assembly, Nuclear Membrane Electrophoretic Separation of Proteins Institutions: Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences. Electrophoresis is used to separate complex mixtures of proteins (e.g., from cells, subcellular fractions, column fractions, or immunoprecipitates), to investigate subunit compositions, and to verify homogeneity of protein samples. It can also serve to purify proteins for use in further applications. In polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteins migrate in response to an electrical field through pores in a polyacrylamide gel matrix; pore size decreases with increasing acrylamide concentration. The combination of pore size and protein charge, size, and shape determines the migration rate of the protein. In this unit, the standard Laemmli method is described for discontinuous gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, i.e., in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Basic Protocols, Issue 16, Current Protocols Wiley, Electrophoresis, Biochemistry, Protein Separage, Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, PAGE	268,787
WHEEZING and Chinese Medicine Wheezing, that whistling, high-pitched sound while breathing can be of an acute nature – often in connection with a cold or allergic reaction – or be longstanding. It is caused by the narrowing, compression or obstruction of your small airways. In Chinese Medicine (CM), it’s the blockage of Qi (Energy) that causes the breathing difficulties. Qi is supposed to move down in tune with the breathing rhythm. It can be stuck due to Excess pathogens such as Wind and Phlegm. In case of deficiencies, the Lung Qi is too weak to descend and therefore accumulates in the chest, causing the typical wheezing sound. Often, wheezing presents with a combination of Excess and Deficiency, where an Excess pathogen (the acute condition) brings to the forefront a chronic underlying deficiency. The treatment of choice will be to clear any Excess pathogen, while carefully tonifying any pre-existing Deficiencies ❤	119,119
The Chicago Tribune reported that Ebert, who was hospitalized last December after he broke his hip, wrote online on Tuesday that "the 'painful fracture' that made it difficult for me to walk has recently been revealed to be a cancer. It is being treated with radiation, which has made it impossible for me to attend as many movies as I used to." It is unclear so far what kind of cancer Ebert had been diagnosed with before his death; he had previously been diagnosed with thyroid and salivary gland cancer, but there are no reports as to whether one of these cancers came back, or if a new cancer developed. The Chicago Tribune reported that Ebert was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, and salivary gland cancer in 2003. Doctors found cancer in his jaw in 2006, which necessitated the removal of the lower part of his jaw. But a complication after this procedure -- which caused the bursting of his carotid artery -- led to more surgeries, including a tracheostomy that ultimately took away his voice, Esquire reported. According to the 2010 profile in Esquire, Ebert has gone through so many surgical procedures that he and his wife have lost official count: He believes he’s had three more surgeries since the removal of his lower jaw; Chaz remembers four. Each time, however many times, surgeons carved bone and tissue and skin from his back, arm and legs and transplanted them in an attempt to reconstruct his jaw and throat. Each time, he had one or two weeks of hope and relief when he could eat a little and drink a little and talk a little. Once, the surgery looked nearly perfect. (“Like a movie star,” Chaz remembers.) But each time, the reconstructive work fell apart and had to be stripped out, the hole opened up again. At the beginning of 2011, Ebert debuted a collar-like silicone prosthetic chin and new voice technology from CereProc, according to ABC News. "We wanted to design a prosthesis that would elevate his lower jaw or chin area," University of Illinois Medical Center's Dr. David Reisberg, who was part of the team that developed Ebert's chin, told ABC News. "It wasn't so much because he wanted to look better, but he felt that other people would be more comfortable dealing with him." In the wake of his death, Ebert's candidness with his cancer is lauded. Dr. Michael Neuss, who is the chief medical officer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, told ABC News that Ebert "broadened our understanding of cancer based on his incredible courage and incredible strength and genuine demeanor through this tough time. ... It has to show people that we do treat cancer patients and that things do happen, but you keep going." And Matthew Herper, who covers medicine for Forbes, called Ebert a "voice for all those who face cancer bravely."	48,868
What helps people to pray? What might help you to be more confident in how you pray? The sections below offer information and resources to explore. To find out about how you can arrange for evenings exploring prayer to happen at your school or church click here. Different Prayer Traditions When we pray we become part of a community that stretches across time and space. Our prayers join with the prayers of people from all nationalities and walks of life, past and present, who are praying in countless different circumstances – within monastic communities, in churches, at work, on the way to work, doing the washing-up, cooking the evening meal. In this way we are involved in God’s creative and compassionate work in the world. There are many different prayer traditions, some stretching back many centuries to the beginnings of Christianity. The websites below provide resources and information about some of these. - Franciscan Prayer - Orthodox Church - Ignatian Prayer - Lectio Divina - Praying with the Labyrinth These traditions of prayer come from different traditions of spirituality. To find out more click here. Weeks of Accompanied Prayer Dates for 2018: 24th – 30th June 2018 Holy Trinity Benefice, Folkestone Contact: Janet McDonald 23rd – 29th September 2018 St Mary of Charity, Faversham Contact: Janet McDonald 14th – 20th October 2018 Tenterden Contact: Lesley Hardy For further information or to book a week in your church, please contact the Coordinator, Janet McDonald by email or on 01227 860837. Alternatively, access the information leaflet. Prayer and the Arts To be creative is an expression of our humanity which is made in the image of a creator God. We might not be artistic, but we are all creative – from cooks to engineers to accountants. The Arts can inspire new ways of exploring faith. Each of us experiences God in our own unique way. As well as inspiring creativity, linking into the wealth of material that art, literature and music provides can help widen our perspective, opening our senses to reach God and hear him speaking in different ways. The websites below offer resources that use art, music and literature as a springboard for prayer. Christians have offered daily prayers for thousands of years. The regular cycle of daily prayers – morning prayer, midday prayer, evening prayer, compline – provides a structure and a rhythm around which the hustle and bustle of life takes shape and purpose. Daily prayer gives a way of placing God at the centre of our ordinary lives. Many parish churches say the Daily Office – please contact your local vicar for further information. Alternatively, the websites below offer resources for daily prayer.	147,159
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm turn into a fantasy fairy theme park in Anakie, Victoria, where childhood memories come to life as you wander along cobbled pathways to the castle at the top of Magic Mountain. Just less than an hours drive from the Melbourne City Center the Grimm Brother's fairy tales come to life as they are acted out using magic little puppets and clever interactive gadgetry. The Seven Dwarfs From Snow White Entrance To Anakie Fairy Park The Grimm Brothers Famous Fairy Tales have been handed down through generations. I read them as a child and I read them to my children. They in turn are now reading them to their little ones and so the tradition goes on. What a wonderful legacy the Brothers Grimm have left behind. The Statue of the two skilled and famous brothers stands at the entrance to this magical fairy tale land. Gulliver welcomes you to the Anakie Fairy Park. Take your first photograph here and get ready for more memory making shots. The Fairy Park is close to Anakie, in the heart of koala country. Just situated one hour west from Melbourne and approximately 30 minutes from Geelong. Nearby are the Brisbane Ranges National Park, the Anakie Gorge and 4 top class wineries. The historic gold mining town of Steiglitz is also nearby. For a more detailed planned route then click Google MyMaps and follow the prompts. Gates shut at 5:00pm every day except for being closed on Christmas Day. Anakie Fairytale Castle Waterfall The famous Fairy Park boasts as being the first established and oldest theme park in Australia. It is an ongoing creation which began on St Nicholas's Day 1959. Helmut Mayer worked with his parents and their imagination to produce what is now one of the best and most unique amusement parks for children. The innocence of childhood has been captured and presented for all of us to enjoy here, at Anakie Fairy Park. What a wonderful Mayer Legacy. The third generation continue to pour their enthusiasm and skills into the Fairy Park and this is obvious to all who wander the cobbled pathways. Set on 23 acres, uniquely designed and landscaped, famous fairy tales can be found along the pathways leading up to and down from the fairy tale castle at the top of the Magic Mountain. Anakie Magic Mountain Push the button at each post and listen to the famous fairy tale as you watch, enchanted and enthralled, the little puppets came alive...what a magical experience. The Gingerbread House - Anakie Fairytale Park "What big teeth you have Grandma!" The Wolf From Little Red Riding Hood Have a look through the windows of the cottage, into the world of the 3 Bears. A Modern day Goldilocks comes to visit. "Knock, knock, is anybody home?" The little cottage is so lifelike it could almost be real. Press the button to find out what happens in the famous fairy tales story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Near by make a wish in the magic wishing well. Watch out for the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk! See if you can find Jack. Puppet Displays At Anakie Fairytale Park Wander on up to the top of Magic Mountain and you will find the museum with an amazing collection of model trains. A coin in the slot interactive model train track complete with trains, train yard, village and villagers, tunnels and so much more. Try and find the Thomas the Tank Engine. There is also a fascinating collection of wooden toy soldiers and other toy dolls and animals. The view from on top of the mountain is spectacular. You can see a full 360 degrees around and right across to Port Phillip Bay, spectacular on a bright sunny day. Stand at the edge of the cliff and feel your knees give way! He stands on top of the tower holding his magic crystal ball, welcoming all to play in his magic playground. Let the kids run free to explore the hidden tunnels, dungeons and secret passageways of Merlin's Camelot. They can climb the many towers and basically let their imaginations run wild. And magic does happen! While we played here we were witness to the birthing of a calf in the Paddock beside the playground. What an incredible magic thing for my granddaughter to see. Life Begins For A Calf At Anakie Fairytale Park There are plenty of picnic facilities here at the Fairy Theme Park with 10 electric BBQ's, a $1:00 coin is required to operate these. There are clean sheltered areas with plenty of tables. While you set up your Picnic let the kids climb Elephant Rock and explore the area. For a quick snack or Take Away meal you can find the Kiosk housed in it's own Fairy Tale Castle near by. If you have a Special Celebration coming up, why not celebrate it here, perhaps a... Why not dress for the occasion in medieval costumes or famous fairy tale character. Catch a glimpse here of what fun and adventures you and your family can have at the famous Fairy Tales Park at Anakie. These folk really love the place, find out why. Introduce your little ones to the Grimm Brothers famous fairy tales prior to visiting the Fairy Park. Take a look at this selection of Grimm Fairy Tales from Fishpond Please note that some links on this page are to companies that I have an affiliation with. By that I mean that if you purchase a product through them I receive a very small commission. This way of earning income is termed Monetization and it is a way for me to keep my site out here for you to enjoy. I will only affiliate with companies that I feel offer value for money and excellent back up service. These are Companies that I personally have used to purchase products for myself, my family and my friends. To learn more please refer to my Disclaimer page	69,122
\| AM08 2008 \|\|START Conference Manager Improving Information Access to Digital Botanical Collection by Allowing Users to Search with Domain Knowledge Xiaoya Tang, P. Bryan Heidorn ASIS&T 2008 Annual Meeting (AM08 2008) Columbus, Ohio, October 24-29, 2008 In the field of biological science, correct field identification of species is of critical importance and requires effective access to and use of specialized biological information. Field guides, floras and faunas, and other publications are written to provide critical information for identification. However, full-text retrieval systems are ineffective at providing access to the very specific information needed for species identification. In this study, dichotomous key-like information that is often used in species identification is automatically generated from botanical documents and used to enhance full-text botanical document retrieval. Such information is used to describe document content and isalso used to provide a form-based search that allows users to apply their domain knowledge to define various plant characteristics in their queries. Information extraction techniques were used to generate the key-like information from semi-structured botanical documents. Experimental results indicate that this approach improved search performance as well as userís satisfaction. Conference Manager (V2.54.6)	68,099
WASHINGTON (Aug. 7) A funny thing is happening on Israel’s way into Lebanon: Its war with Hezbollah is converging politically with the civil war now convulsing Iraq. In Baghdad, tens of thousands of Shi’ite marchers swore allegiance last week to their Hezbollah co-religionists; some even pledged their lives. “Mahdi Army and Hezbollah are one, let them confront us if they dare,” the marchers chanted, referring to the brutal militia headed by the popular Iraqi Shi’ite leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. In Washington, some officials are saying the two conflicts are inextricable. “We must find a comprehensive solution to the corrosive Arab-Israeli conflict,” Gen. John Abizaid said Aug. 3 in outlining to the U.S. Senate his top priorities as the top U.S. commander trying to prevent Iraq’s collapse. The other two priorities, he said, are to isolate Al-Qaida and deter Iran’s expanding influence in the Middle East. The idea that the two struggles are linked could inhibit U.S. support for Israel’s efforts to rout Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. “The United States is discovering that as Israel’s war with Lebanon becomes more and more of an issue with its friends like Saudi Arabia and Jordan, America’s relations with these countries become more and more tenuous,” said Stephen P. Cohen, an analyst with the Israel Policy Forum who consults regularly with Middle East leaders. Israel and the United States “are caught in a common web.” Abizaid made the same point. “Iraq is only one part of a broader regional struggle under way, one which requires the wise application of all our resources,” he said. Israel threaded itself insistently through a hearing that was to have been devoted to Iraq. The powerful committee chairman, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), said one of the reasons he convened the hearings is because of “concerns about the potential impact of events in Lebanon and Israel and their cascading effect on the wider Middle East region, and specifically on the United States and coalition forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Close to 700 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have been killed since July 12, when Hezbollah launched the war with rocket attacks and a cross-border raid. More than 90 Israelis have died, half of them in rocket attacks. In the same hearing, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who has vigorously defended Israel’s response to Hezbollah, acknowledged that the risks of the conflagration have drawn concerns from the highest echelons of government. “In the meetings that I’ve been in with the president and the secretary of state and those that are intimately involved in the situation in Lebanon and Israel with respect to the Hezbollah, there is a sensitivity to the desire to not have our country or our interests or our forces put at greater risk as a result of what’s taking place between Israel and Hezbollah,” Rumsfeld said. Another ominous signal for Israel’s hope for continued U.S. support was a column in Sunday’s New York Times by David Brooks, who has close Bush administration ties. Brooks devoted his column to an anonymous “policy-maker” who said the legitimacy of Israel’s war “was forfeited during the first days with the bombing campaign, which seemed to punish all of Lebanon instead of just Hezbollah.” That’s an about-face from the Bush administration’s consistent message, since the outbreak of hostilities, that Israel’s response is appropriately aimed at the terrorist group and not at Lebanon more generally. More substantially, the policy-maker suggested the administration’s policies of bolstering Iraq and pulling Arab moderates out of the fire were at risk because of Israel’s policies, adding that the Israelis “won’t like” aspects of the U.N. Security Council resolution the United States and France proposed this weekend as a way out of the conflict. Israel’s official response was that it was examining the resolution, but it was already clear that the document fell considerably short of Israeli expectations. The resolution “emphasizes” the need to return two Israeli soldiers captured July 12, which precipitated the war; that language falls short of the “calls for” that Israel was hoping for, and which carries the weight of international law. That significantly weakens one of the three pillars of Israel’s preconditions for ending the war. The other two, which the resolution “calls for,” are a cease-fire and the removal of armed Hezbollah forces south of the Litani River. Also unpalatable for Israel are paragraphs that anticipate that Israel will release Lebanese prisoners and relinquish the Shebaa Farms area of the Golan Heights. Lebanon suddenly raised a claim to the area after Israel ended its 18-year occupation of Lebanon in 2000. The United Nations checked the Lebanese claim and found it baseless, agreeing with Israel that the area — captured in the 1967 Six-Day War — was Syrian and should remain under Israeli occupation until Syria and Israel resolve border issues. Israeli officials have said they are loathe to reopen the issue, which would essentially mean handing Hezbollah a victory. “We never said that this is part of our motherland,” Shimon Peres, the deputy prime minister, told CNN on Sunday. “On the other hand, we are not ready to pay a price for an aggression.” The more sensitive issue is the prisoners. Israel kept just three Lebanese prisoners after a 2004 exchange with Hezbollah. This was partly because of the severity of their crimes — one, Samir Kuntar, has been imprisoned since 1979 when he murdered a father in front of his 4-year-old daughter and then smashed in the girl’s head — but also to retain a bargaining card in Israel’s 20-year-old effort to track Ron Arad, a missing airman known to have been once held by Hezbollah. Returning the prisoners would be profoundly unpopular in Israel and would bury what leverage Israel still has in tracking Arad’s fate. Israel also was hoping that the resolution would call for the immediate deployment of an international force to keep southern Lebanon free of Hezbollah, but Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, said that would come in a subsequent resolution. The Lebanese are unhappy with the resolution because it allows Israeli troops to remain in southern Lebanon for now and retaliate against Hezbollah attacks. Rice balanced the concerns of both countries in a meeting with reporters Sunday prior to briefing President Bush at his Texas ranch. “There are things the Israelis wanted and things the Lebanese wanted, and everybody wasn’t going to get everything that they wanted,” she said. “This is the international community’s effort to bring about an equitable, reasonable basis for a cessation of hostilities of the kind that are so devastating to civilian populations.”	289,910
Patient Safety Primers Guides for key topics in patient safety through context, epidemiology, and relevant AHRQ PSNet content. Being discharged from the hospital can be dangerous for patients. Nearly 20% of patients experience an adverse event in the first 3 weeks after discharge, including medication errors, health care–associated infections, and procedural complications. Computerized warnings and alarms are used to improve safety by alerting clinicians of potentially unsafe situations. However, this proliferation of alerts may have negative implications for patient safety as well. Though a seemingly simple intervention, checklists have played a leading role in the most significant successes of the patient safety movement, including the near-elimination of central line–associated bloodstream infections in many intensive care units. Computerized provider order entry systems ensure standardized, legible, and complete orders, and—especially when paired with decision support systems—have the potential to sharply reduce medication prescribing errors. Health care organizations use a variety of established and emerging methods to prospectively identify safety hazards before errors have occurred and to retrospectively analyze errors to prevent future harm. Thousands of patients die every year due to diagnostic errors. While clinicians’ cognitive biases play a role in many diagnostic errors, underlying health care system problems also contribute to missed and delayed diagnoses. Popular media often depicts physicians as brilliant, intimidating, and condescending in equal measures. This stereotype, though undoubtedly dramatic and even amusing, obscures the fact that disruptive and unprofessional behavior by clinicians poses a definite threat to patient safety. Many victims of medical errors never learn of the mistake, because the error is simply not disclosed. Physicians have traditionally shied away from discussing errors with patients, due to fear of precipitating a malpractice lawsuit and embarrassment and discomfort with the disclosure process. Discontinuity is an unfortunate but necessary reality of hospital care. No provider can stay in the hospital around the clock, creating the potential for errors when clinical information is transmitted incompletely or incorrectly between clinicians. Although long accepted by clinicians as an inevitable hazard of hospitalization, recent efforts demonstrate that relatively simple measures can prevent the majority of health care–associated infections. As a result, hospitals are under intense pressure to reduce the burden of these infections. High reliability organizations are organizations that operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents or catastrophic failures. High reliability is an ongoing process of cultivating organizational mindfulness; standardization is necessary but not sufficient for achieving resilient and reliable health care systems. Human factors engineering is the discipline that attempts to identify and address safety problems that arise due to the interaction between people, technology, and work environments. Clear and high-quality communication between all staff involved in caring for a patient is essential in order to achieve situational awareness. Breakdowns in communication are closely tied to preventable adverse events in hospitalized and ambulatory patients. Adverse drug events are likely the most common source of preventable harm in both hospitalized and ambulatory patients, and preventing ADEs is a major priority for accrediting bodies and regulatory agencies. Medication errors can occur at any stage of the medication use pathway, and a growing evidence base supports specific strategies to prevent ADEs. Unintended inconsistencies in medication regimens occur with any transition in care. Medication reconciliation refers to the process of avoiding such inadvertent inconsistencies by reviewing the patient's current medication regimen and comparing it with the regimen being considered for the new setting of care. Missed nursing care is linked to patient harm including falls and infections. Organizations can prevent missed nursing care by ensuring appropriate nurse staffing, promoting a positive safety culture, and making sure needed supplies and equipment are readily available. The list of never events has expanded over time to include adverse events that are unambiguous, serious, and usually preventable. While most are rare, when never events occur, they are devastating to patients and indicate serious underlying organizational safety problems. Nurses play a critical role in patient safety through their constant presence at patient's bedside. However, staffing issues and suboptimal working conditions can impede nurses' ability to detect and prevent adverse events. The vast majority of health care takes place in the outpatient, or ambulatory, setting, and a growing body of research has identified and characterized factors that influence safety in office practice, the types of errors commonly encountered in ambulatory care, and potential strategies for improving ambulatory safety. Long and unpredictable work hours have been a staple of medical training for centuries. However, little attention was paid to the patient safety effects of fatigue among residents until March 1984, when Libby Zion died due to a medication-prescribing error while under the care of residents in the midst of a 36-hour shift. Greater availability of advanced diagnostic imaging techniques has resulted in tremendous benefits to patients. However, the increased use of diagnostic imaging poses significant harm to patients through excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. Rapid response teams represent an intuitively simple concept: when a patient demonstrates signs of imminent clinical deterioration, a team of providers is summoned to the bedside to immediately assess and treat the patient with the goal of preventing adverse clinical outcomes. Initially developed to analyze industrial accidents, root cause analysis is now widely deployed as an error analysis tool in health care. A central tenet of RCA is to identify underlying problems that increase the likelihood of errors while avoiding the trap of focusing on mistakes by individuals. High-reliability organizations consistently minimize adverse events despite carrying out intrinsically hazardous work. Such organizations establish a culture of safety by maintaining a commitment to safety at all levels, from frontline providers to managers and executives. Simulation-based training has been successful in other industries, such as aviation, and is emerging as a key component of the patient safety movement. Simulation is increasingly being used to improve clinical and teamwork skills in a variety of health care environments. The first priority following a medical error or adverse event is to attend to the patient and family. However clinicians can also be deeply affected by errors and adverse events and may need structured follow-up to ensure adaptive coping and organization learning. Medicine has traditionally treated errors as failings on the part of individual providers, reflecting inadequate knowledge or skill. The systems approach, by contrast, takes the view that most errors reflect predictable human failings in the context of poorly designed systems. Providing safe health care depends on highly trained individuals with disparate roles and responsibilities acting together in the best interests of the patient. The need for improved teamwork has led to the application of teamwork training principles, originally developed in aviation, to a variety of health care settings. Efforts to engage patients in safety efforts have focused on three areas: enlisting patients in detecting adverse events, empowering patients to ensure safe care, and emphasizing patient involvement as a means of improving the culture of safety. Patient safety event reporting systems are ubiquitous in hospitals and are a mainstay of efforts to detect safety and quality problems. However, while event reports may highlight specific safety concerns, they do not provide insights into the epidemiology of safety problems. Few medical errors are as terrifying as those that involve patients who have undergone surgery on the wrong body part, undergone the incorrect procedure, or had a procedure intended for another patient. These "wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-patient errors" (WSPEs) are rightly termed never events.	33,848
We’ve seen an incredible amount of construction projects take place in and around New Orleans since Katrina hit nearly 8 years ago. Over $14 billion in levee and flood wall construction alone. Infrastructure projects that have long been neglected are now finally getting built. New Orleans, in many ways, is finally catching up to where it’s supposed to be as if it were run like a real city the last half century or so. We are finally catching up to speed, catching up to other U.S. cities, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Our sewerage and water system still needs billions in upgrades and repairs, City Hall needs to be replaced, and crime is still our biggest problem. One thing that’s mysteriously missing from the “upgraded” New Orleans list is an elevated interstate system throughout the metro area. Yesterday’s downpour obviously flooded some city streets, but also it put our interstate under water in different places at times. One of the biggest oversights in our city post-Katrina was our leaders not demanding the federally funded interstate system be elevated throughout our area. Our major evacuation routes can easily be compromised by flood waters, potentially trapping individuals in the exact spot they don’t want to be. Before, even during, and of course after a hurricane, or in yesterday’s case, a downpour, the interstate system must remain functioning. The ball was dropped, and who knows if it might be too late, but elevating the interstate system in Metro New Orleans is a must. We don’t need to wait for the next Katrina to realize that. Any summer deluge lets us know quite clearly.	192,699
From Free net encyclopedia Template:Ethnic group The Beta Israel (or "House of Israel"), known by outsiders by the term Falasha ("exiles" or "strangers"), a term that they consider to be pejorative, are Jews of Ethiopian origin. Under the provisions of Israel's "Law of Return" (1950), over 90,000 (over 80%) of them have emigrated to Israel, most notably during Operation Moses and Operation Solomon, but also continuing until the present time. The related Falash Mura are Ethiopian Jews who converted to Christianity in the past, but have since returned to Judaism. Template:ClearrightTemplate:Jew The Beta Israel, also known as Chabashim, come from a Jewish enclave in the Ethiopian highlands that had little contact with other Jewish communities until the 1860s. One of the earliest dated references to the Beta Israel in Ethiopian literature is in the Glorious Victories of Amda Seyon (trans. G.W.B. Huntingford [Oxford: Clarendon Press], p. 61), which mentions a revolt in the province of Begemder by "the renegades who are like Jews" in the year 1332. The isolation of the Beta Israel was reported by an explorer James Bruce, who published his Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile in Edinburgh in 1790. But in 1860 a Jewish convert to Christianity traveled to Ethiopia in order to attempt to convert the Beta Israel to Christianity. Popularly touted as a "lost" tribe, the Beta Israel at first found many cultural barriers to assimilating in Israel. It should be noted that there are many descendants of Jews whose ancestors converted to Christianity who are now returning to the practice of Judaism. This group of people are known as the Falash Mura. The Falash Mura in recent years have abandonded Christianity in favor of Judaism and are eligible to immigrate to the Jewish state of Israel as a result. Although nobody knows for certain what the exact population is of the Falash Mura in Ethiopia many say it is roughly 20,000-26,000 individuals. However, recently some reporters and other travelers in remote regions of Ethiopia have noted that they have found entire villages where people claim they are Jewish or are Falash Mura (Jews who have been practicing Christianity). In Achefar, a region in Ethiopia, roughly 1,000-2,000 families of Beta Israel were found. However, as of now, they have not petitioned to immigrate to the Jewish state. Yet there are estimates that there are other such regions in Ethiopia with significant Jewish enclaves, raising the total Jewish population to perhaps well over 50,000 people. Israel has approved the immigration of the Falash Mura at 300 a month although the Ethiopian Jewish community and their supporters have been petitioning to increase this to 600 a month in order to prevent the spread of disease and malnourishment amongst the Jews still waiting in Ethiopia. The holiest work is the Torah—Orit (i.e., oraita, "Tora" in Aramaic). All the holy writings, including the Torah, are handwritten on parchment pages that are assembled into a book rather than a scroll. The rest of the Prophets and the Hagiographa are of secondary importance. Outside the Biblical canon, a number of the external writings—the books of Hanoch, Jubilees, Baruch and the books of Ezra—are held sacred as well. The basic wording of Beta Israel Biblical writings was passed down apparently through the ancient Greek translations like the Septuagint, which incorporates some of the Apocrypha as well. The Beta Israel possess several other books, among these other books are the Arde'et (The Book of the Disciples), Acts of Moses, Apocalypse of Gorgorios, Meddrash Abba Elija, and biographies of the nation's forebears: Gadla Adam, Gadla Avraham, Gadla Ishak, Gadla Ya'kov, Gadla Moshe, Gadla Aaron, Nagara Musye, Mota Musye. A book of special importance for the leaders of the community is one dealing with the Shabbat and its precepts—Te'ezaza Sanbat (Precepts of the Sabbath). The leaders of the Beta Israel also read liturgical works including weekday services, Shabbat and Festival prayers, and the wordings of the various blessings: Sefer Cahen deals with priestly functions, while Sefer Sa'atat (Book of the Hours) applies to weekdays and Shabbat. The Beta Israel have an interesting holiday Sigd, on the 29th of Cheshvan, which is unique to them. It celebrates the giving of the Torah and the days of the return from exile in Babylonia to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. The Beta Israel once spoke Qwara and Kayla, both closely-related Cushitic language, but now they speak Amharic, a Semitic language. Their liturgical language is Ge'ez; since the 1950s Hebrew has been taught in schools. They consider the term "Falasha" pejorative, and today they prefer the term "Beta Israel" for themselves. Image:Balankab.jpg After the rise of Christianity in Ethiopia in the fourth century, the Jews who refused to convert were persecuted and withdrew to the mountainous Gondar region where they made their homes ever since. In the tenth century, a queen by the name of Yodit (or Judith) or Gudit, rose against the Kingdom of Aksum, overthrew the emperor of Ethiopia and sought to eradicate Christianity throughout the country. Ethiopian tradition has it that she was a Jewish queen, but the appelation could have simply meant that she was pagan, as she is believed to be from the south. Later, with the establishment of a new royal dynasty, the Jews of Ethiopia enjoyed great influence for some 350 years, often acting as the balance of power between the Muslims and Christian forces. In 1270 the Axum dynasty returned to the throne of Ethiopia once again, ushering in 400 years of tribal warfare and bloodshed. The end of that war in 1624 marked the end of Jewish freedom in Ethiopia. Jewish forces were defeated in a final battle by the Portuguese-backed Ethiopians and a long period of oppression began. Jewish captives were sold into slavery or forcibly baptized. Their lands were confiscated, their writings and religious books were burned and the practice of any form of Jewish religion was forbidden in Ethiopia. Image:Ethiopian Jewish woman.jpg Over the next two hundred years, despite some encounters with explorers and missionaries, the Jewish community remained fairly isolated. For centuries, the world's Jewish community remained unaware of the existence of Jews in the northern Ethiopian province of Gondar. Slowly however, recognition of Jews living in persecution in Ethiopia came to their attention. In the 16th century, the Chief Rabbi of Egypt, Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Avi Zimra (Radbaz) proclaimed that in terms of Halakha (Jewish legal code), the Ethiopian community was certainly Jewish. Throughout the 19th century, the majority of European Jewish authorities openly supported this assertion. In 1908, the chief rabbis of 45 countries made a joint statement officially declaring that Ethiopian Jews were indeed Jewish. This proclamation was in large part due to the work of Professor Jaques Faitlovitch, who studied Amharic and Tigrinya at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris under Professor Yosef Halevi. Halevi first visited the Ethiopian Jews in 1876. Upon his return to Europe, he published a "Kol Korei," a cry to the world Jewish community to save the Ethiopian Jews. He also formed an organization called Kol Yisroel Chaverim ("All Israel are Friends"), which was to actively advocate on behalf of Ethiopian Jews for years to come. The Israeli government officially accepted the Beta Israel as Jews in 1975; Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin obtained clear rulings from Chief Sefardi Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that they were legitimate descendants of the lost tribes. They were however required to undergo pro forma halakhic conversions to Judaism, as is done in all cases of doubt, however slight. Beginning in 1984, Israeli-led Operation Moses began transporting Ethiopian Jews to Israel. It came to an abrupt halt in 1985, though, leaving many of the Beta Israel still in Ethiopia. It was not until 1990 that the governments of Israel and Ethiopia came to an agreement that would allow the remaining Beta Israel a chance to migrate to Israel. In 1991, however, the political and economic stability of Ethiopia deteriorated as rebels mounted attacks against and eventually won over the capital city of Addis Ababa. Worried about the fate of the Beta Israel during the transition period, the Israeli government along with several private groups prepared to covertly continue along with the migration. With El Al obtaining a special provision to fly on Shabbat (because of pikuach nefesh), on Friday, May 24, Operation Solomon began. Over the course of 36 hours, a total of 34 El Al passenger planes, with their seats removed to maximize passenger capacity, flew 14,325 Ethiopian Jews non-stop to Israel. Traditions of the Beta Israel The Ethiopian legend described in the Kebra Negast relates that Ethiopians are descendants of Israelite tribes who came to Ethiopia with Menelik I, alleged to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (or Makeda, in the legend). The legend relates that Menelik, as an adult, returned to his father in Jerusalem, and then resettled in Ethiopia, and that he took with him the Ark of the Covenant. In the Bible there is no mention that the Queen of Sheba either married or had any sexual relations with King Solomon; rather, the narrative records that she was impressed with his wealth and wisdom, and they exchanged royal gifts, and then she returned to rule her people in Kush. However, the "royal gifts" are interpreted by some as sexual contact. The loss of the Ark is also not mentioned in the Bible. However, most of the Beta Israel consider the Kebra Negast legend to be a fabrication. Instead they believe, based on the 9th century stories of Eldad ha-Dani (the Danite), that the tribe of Dan attempted to avoid the civil war in the Kingdom of Israel between Solomon's son Rehoboam and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by resettling in Egypt. From there they moved southwards up the Nile into Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Jews are descended from these Danites. This tradition was made known to Rabbi Ovadiah Yare of Bertinoro who wrote a letter from Jerusalem in 1488: I myself saw two of them in Egypt. They are dark-skinned...and one could not tell whether they keep the teaching of the Karaites, or of the Rabbis, for some of their practices resemble the Karaite teaching...but in other things they appear to follow the instruction of the Rabbis; and they say they are related to the tribe of Dan (Avraham Ya'ari, Igrot Eretz Yisrael, Ramat Gan 1971). Other sources tell of many Jews who were brought as prisoners of war from Eretz Israel by Ptolemy I and also settled on the border of his kingdom with Nubia (Sudan). Another tradition handed down in the community from father to son asserts that they arrived either via the old district of Qwara in northwestern Ethiopia, or via the Atbara River, where the Nile tributaries flow into Sudan. Some accounts even specify the route taken by their forefathers on their way upstream from Egypt. Some Jewish 'halakhic' authorities have asserted that the Beta Israel are the descendants of the tribe of Dan, one of the Ten Lost Tribes. This is supported by the medieval traveller Eldad ha-Dani. In their view, these people established a Jewish kingdom that lasted for hundreds of years. With the rise of Christianity and later Islam, schisms arose and three kingdoms competed. Eventually, the Christian and Muslim Ethiopian kingdoms reduced the Jewish kingdom to a small impoverished section. The earliest authority to rule this way was the Radbaz (Rabbi David ben Zimra, 1462–1572). Radbaz explains in a responsum concerning the status of a Beta Israel slave: But those Jews who come from the land of Cush are without doubt from the tribe of Dan, and since they did not have in their midst sages who were masters of the tradition, they clung to the simple meaning of the Scriptures. If they had been taught, however, they would not be irreverent towards the words of our sages, so their status is comparable to a Jewish infant taken captive by non-Jews … And even if you say that the matter is in doubt, it is a commandment to redeem them (Responsum of the Radbaz on the Falasha Slave, Part 7. No. 5, cited in Corinaldi, 1998: 196) Other 'halakhic' authorities have maintained that the Jewishness of the Beta Israel is seriously suspect. Authorities who have also ruled this way, include Rabbis Moshe Feinstein, Elazar Shach, Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, and Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. In either case, some modern rabbinical authorities require the Beta Israel to undergo shortened conversions as a religious precaution. Among those who carry the latter opinion, however, conversion is no mere formality if an Ethiopian Jew wishes to be accepted within other Jewish communities. Gerard Lucotte and Pierre Smets in Human Biology (vol 71, December 1999, pp. 989–993) studied the DNA of 38 unrelated Beta Israel males living in Israel and 104 Ethiopians living in regions located north of Addis Ababa and concluded that "the distinctiveness of the Y-chromosome haplotype distribution of Beta Israel Jews from conventional Jewish populations and their relatively greater similarity in haplotype profile to non-Jewish Ethiopians are consistent with the view that the Beta Israel people descended from ancient inhabitants of Ethiopia who converted to Judaism." This study confirms the findings of an earlier study by Avshalom Zoossmann-Disken, A. Ticher, I. Hakim, Z. Goldwitch, A. Rubinstein, and Batsheva Bonné-Tamir titled "Genetic affinities of Ethiopian Jews," published in Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 27:245 (1991).. A study of Y-chromosome biallelic haplotypes of Jewish and non-Jewish groups titled Jewish and Middle Eastern non-Jewish populations share a common pool of Y-chromosome biallelic haplotypes and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June, 2000 suggested that "paternal gene pools of Jewish communities from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East descended from a common Middle Eastern ancestral population," with the exception of the Beta Israel, who were "affiliated more closely with non-Jewish Ethiopians and other North Africans." . These Y-chromosome studies only speak to the paternal lineage (some ethnic groups are a product of one maternal lineage and a different paternal lineage, see Métis people (Canada)), but a study of the Mitochondrial DNA (which is passed only along the maternal lineage) shows that the most common mtDNA type found among the Ethiopian Jewish sample was present elsewhere only in Somalia, furthering the view of most that Ethiopian Jews are of local (Ethiopian) origin. However, a study performed by the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University did find a possible genetic similarity between 11 Ethiopian Jews and 4 Yemenite Jews who took part in the testing. The differentiation statistic and genetic distances for the 11 Ethiopian Jews and 4 Yemenite Jews tested were quite low, among the smallest of comparisons that involved either of these populations. Ethiopian Jewish Y-Chromosomal haplotype are often present in Yemenite and other Jewish populations, but analysis of Y-Chromosomal haplotype frequencies does not indicate a close relationship between Ethiopian Jewish groups. It is possible that the 4 Yemenite Jews from this study may be descendents of reverse migrants of African origin, who crossed Ethiopia to Yemen. The result from this study suggests that gene flow between Ethiopia and Yemen as a possible explanation. The study also suggests that the gene flow between Ethiopian and Yemenite Jewish populations may not have been direct, but instead could have been between Jewish and non-Jewish populations of both regions. In the past secular scholars were divided on the origins of the Beta Israel; whether they were the descendents of an Israelite tribe, or converted by Jews living in Yemen, or by the Jewish community in southern Egypt (Elephantine). Some have conjectured, based on references in the Bible, that they could be remnants of an ancient Jewish community in the region. For example in the Book of Isaiah the author prophesies that "the Lord will bring back a remnant of his people...returning them to the land of Israel from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands" (Isaiah 11:11). In the Book of Zephaniah it is also prophesied that "from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering" (Zephaniah 3:10). Both books are believed to have been written during the 8th and 7th century B.C.E. Modern scholars of Ethiopian history and Ethiopian Jews, such as James Quirin, Steve Kaplan, Kay Shelemay, and Harold Marcus, consider the Beta Israel to be a native group of Ethiopian Christians, who took on Biblical practices, and came to see themselves as Jews. As Paul B. Henze explains in his Layers of Time (Palgrave, 2000): These groups came into conflict with the military colonies and Christian missions which were the main instruments of the extension southward of the Ethiopian state. They may have been joined by dissidents or rebelling northern Christians who felt their interpretation of ritual, sacred texts and traditions of art represented a more ancient Israelite connection than Orthodox Monophysite Christianity itself. The Beta Israel can thus be understood as a manifestation of the kind of rebellious archaism that has often come to the surface in Christianity -- e.g. Russian Old Believers and German Old Lutherans. Assertion of Jewish derivation, they felt, provided them with a stronger claim to legitimacy than their Christian enemies. (p. 55) Operation Moses was the subject of an Israeli-French film titled Va, Vis et Deviens (Go, Live and Become), directed by Romanian-born Radu Mihaileanu. The film is based on an Ethiopian Christian child whose mother forces him to pass off as Jew so he can emigrate to Israel along with the Jews in order to escape famine that is looming in Ethiopia. The film went on to get the 2005 best film award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. - Kaplan, Steve The Beta Israel (Falasha in Ethiopia: from Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century). New York University Press, re-issue edition, 1994. ISBN 0814746640 - Marcus, Harold G. A History of Ethiopia. University of California Press, updated edition, 2002. ISBN 0520224795 - Quirin, James. The Evolution of the Ethiopian Jews: A History of the Beta Israel (Falasha) to 1920. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992. ISBN 0812231163 - Shelemay, Kay Kaufman. Music, Ritual, and Falasha History. Michigan State University Press; 1989. ISBN 0870132741 - Collection of photos of Ethiopian Jews celebrating the Sigd Festival in Jerusalem - Construction of Beta Israel Identity - Jewish Encyclopedia - The Jews of Ethiopia and their Names - Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews - Exile in Ethiopia - Abstract of the Lucotte-Smets article. - Marc Shapiro, "Return of a lost tribe." details the rediscovery of the Falasha. - History of Ethiopian Jews - North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewrybg:Бета израел	104,195
(Washington, DC) – The US should renew its grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to almost 7,000 Syrians living in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. People forced to return to Syria still face violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to make a decision by the end of July on whether to extend existing TPS for Syrians. “The Syrian government and other groups continue to disregard international human rights and humanitarian law protections,” said Clara Long, acting deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch. “Many of the core reasons that Syrians fled – indiscriminate attacks, disappearances, torture, and dire humanitarian conditions – still pose a daily risk to civilians.” More than 400,000 people have died because of the Syrian conflict since 2011, according to the World Bank, with 5 million seeking refuge abroad and more than 6 million displaced internally, according to UN agencies. While the nature of the fighting in Syria has changed, with the Syrian government retaking areas previously held by anti-government groups and the battle against the Islamic State (ISIS) winding down, profound civilian suffering and loss of life persists. In the city of Idlib, the Syrian-Russian military alliance continues to indiscriminately bomb civilians, and use prohibited weapons, resulting in the death of at least 400 since April, including 90 children, according to Save the Children. In other areas under the control of the Syrian government and anti-government groups, arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, and harassment are still the status quo. New waves of displacement, mass food insecurity, and lack of accessto health care are ongoing. The US first granted TPS to Syrians already in the US in 2012, finding that “extraordinary and temporary conditions” in Syria prevented “nationals from returning in safety,” the requirements set out in US law for extending temporary protection from deportation. The Homeland Security secretary revised the classification in 2016, making Syrians who had continuously lived in the US since at least August 1 of that year eligible to register. In January 2018, the Homeland Security Secretary renewed its prior decision to grant TPS to Syrians but did not extend the date by which Syrians had to be present in the US to qualify for the status. The US government should both keep the program in place for Syrians who currently receive its protection and expand protected status to include people who arrived after the current August 2016 cutoff date. This would provide blanket protection for people who arrived in the US after that date, but who would face exactly the same dangers if returned to Syria. The United Nations refugee agency has said that “the vast majority of Syrian asylum-seekers continue to … need international refugee protection” and therefore “calls on states not to forcibly return Syrian nationals and former habitual residents of Syria.” “Temporary Protected Status for Syrians remains a no-brainer under the requirements of US law,” Long said. “Not renewing TPS protections in the midst of continuing dangers to people’s lives and dignity would send a terrible message that could affect decisions in countries hosting far greater numbers of Syrian refugees.”	64,429
So, how do you do go about aquiring pounds when you’re planning a trip to the United Kingdom? Do you worry about this before leaving your home country or after you reach there? How do you generally you buy pounds – from an airport a bank or from forex dealers? These are questions that every foreign travelers ought to consider before they go off on their new adventure. Individuals who visit the UK from India, will need to pay a part of their travel budget in Indian Rupees and a part of their expenses in pounds. The Indian rupee part (INR) goes towards your Airfare and visas and the pounds part goes towards your lodging, Transports Meals, Sightseeing’s & Shopping. Here are some of your tips to get best rates for pounds in India: - Currency Exchange Dealers around You: This is the first option that comes into everyone’s mind. But always keep in mind that currency exchange rates change every hour & your local money exchange dealers offer you currency on daily rates & keep their margins, and commission very high. - Money Exchange Counters at Banks: Keep in mind that banks don’t keep a large amount of currencies with them. Beyond this, you often incur hidden costs. - Purchase It at The Airport Terminal: Currency exchange desks are present on most of the airports. But Airport exchange counters are the least advisable by experts, they often charge you extra commission in each transaction & currency exchange rates are generally higher than any other foreign exchange option. - International Currency or Prepaid Forex Cards: Prepaid forex cards are becoming very popular among frequent travelers & turned out to be the best option for carrying foreign currency because of their endless benefits such as security, usability, remote reload option, multicurrency capability etc. - Online Foreign Exchange: Apart from better & live rates and savings, using online foreign exchange service gives you utmost ease and access to manage your foreign currency payments, while giving you the transparency that your bank doesn’t. You can book your order 24*7 to buy pounds in india without leaving your comfort & your order will be delivered to your doorstep.	80,073
Sometimes a good sentence zings in like a mosquito on a mission from the Minnesota woods. When I hear or read a good line, it often catches me off guard and makes me see my world in a new way. When I first started teaching creative writing, at the California Institute of the Arts, I carried home a pile of final projects to read. In the story I began with, a student described the veins on his grandfather’s hands as “swollen ropes.” Another student wrote about a maypole from her youth that had brightly colored ribbons “hanging in glorious tendrils to the grass.” Those are the kinds of analogies and details that give writing life, whether you’re writing fiction or not. It occurred to me then, too, that some people think great writing is all about good grammar. Good grammar alone is box architecture. A square cinder-block building may stand, but there’s nothing exceptional about it. It has no personality, no feeling, no style. It’s a house but not a home. In high school and most of college, English class bored the hell out of me. Why? I didn’t see the fun and freedom in language—I didn’t grasp that it was something to be handled like film, that images could be slammed against each other, or similes and metaphors could carry me to new heights. Perhaps my teachers didn’t know this either, or I just didn’t absorb it. Now, ironically, I teach English, and I try to lead students to this water’s edge. One of the points I try to make to them—and now to you—is that beyond grammar is the idea of writing with specifics. I offer you a few major points. 1: God is in the details. This simply means that you should avoid the general for the specific. “How was the dance?” you might ask a friend. “It was nice,” as an answer, may not tell you a lot. In contrast, the following brings more: “I danced with Daphne Richards who wore white shorts and a royal blue sweater, and when I held her during Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Back in Your Arms,’ I could feel her skin was moist from the previous dance, and I could smell her perfume, which reminded me of orange blossoms.” That speaks volumes. Words such as “nice,” “good,” “fun,” and “awesome”—and all stand-alone adjectives in general—don’t have as much power as when you appeal to the senses. I have an exercise to help you work on this skill. It’s in three parts. Try this: Go outside with a pencil and paper to where a stranger might pass. You might sit on a stoop in front of your house or at an outdoor cafe. A) Describe an object nearby or a person whisking past by giving details—just write on your paper without a lot of thinking, much like a sketch artist begins a sketch. B) After that, come up with a simile of this person or object by using the word “like,” as in “He is like a ____________.” Just fill in the blank. Come up with two or more, and again write as quickly as possible. C) Now create a metaphor by saying the person or object is a ___________. Fill in the blank with a noun. For example, one person I tried this with went to an ice cream vending machine and wrote: “A) ‘Klondike, the Original’ says the silver wrapped square with blue ink. There’s a picture of an Eskimo. The machine says it ‘accepts $1 bills’ and to ‘insert face up.’ B) The ice cream square is like an invitation to all my needs. It is like a cigarette ad—so much promise. I can be fulfilled. C) Because I have no money, the ice cream is unreacheable… so the ice cream bar is a dancer in a cage. It is Emily Dickinson, where need is greater than attainment.” I am constantly impressed by the results of this exercise. Even people who do not write very often come up with some amazing lines. 2: After creating structure, let yourself get lost in the moment. Again, harking back to what I often implore, don’t feel you have to write a perfect first draft. Allow yourself to be imperfect. I find the best writing comes when you know what you want to say in general (or from an outline), but then you allow yourself some fun in saying it. Allow yourself to be impulsive. Try out sentences or thoughts that stretch you. You can always erase them later. As in the exercise above, if you just do it without spending a lot of time pondering, good things will come. 3: Analogies—similes and metaphors—are important. Similes and metaphors are one way to get specific. They don’t come tripping naturally from my fingers. Hence, I don’t worry about creating them in a first draft. In rewriting, I’ll often look for spots to insert a simile or metaphor. Similes and metaphors evoke images and feelings—they are specific. To provide examples to my class of the rich use of simile and metaphor, I sometimes grab a book by Tom Robbins, such as Jitterbug Perfume. Some critics say Robbins goes overboard, but that’s what I love about his work. His analogies come like a runner’s breath, one automatically after another. For example, I just opened the above book to read: “They stopped to catch their breath after the rigorous descent. There, sitting against the base of the cliff, sequins of sweat sewn to their brows, they regarded one another as pilgrims—or survivors—do. Kudra folded her hands over her uterus, where some very strange little swimmers recently drowned. Alobar issued a sigh that was shaped like a funnel: a full quart of beet juice could have been poured through it” (p. 148). Notice the analogies: Sweat is described as sewn sequins. The travelers are pilgrims, survivors. Kudra’s abdomen is described as her uterus—an important point—and the “swimmers” you can guess. Last, a sigh is compared to a funnel—quite unique. Come up with your own unique comparisons. If you like a more “normal” or nonfiction example of analogies, I offer you this from Time: “The Chickasha twister settled in like a plow, ripping an 80-mile gash northeast through a corner of Oklahoma City and several suburbs for an endless four hours. Thousands of Oklahomans heard the shriek of the warning sirens gradually overwhelmed by a sound variously described like a locomotive, or a screaming jet engine, or nothing on Earth.” That certainly gets you into the moment, much more so than, “A big dark thing came down on the city creating a big noise. It ruined houses and made a mess.” As you read a book or story you like, underline good descriptions and lines you love. 4: Writing is a dance between the general and the specific. Despite what I said in rule #1, you need the general to set the scene. Then you get specific. Back and forth. Ursula K. Le Guin in her excellent book, Steering the Craft, describes this process as “Crowding and Leaping.” If you’re telling a story, fiction or nonfiction, you first have to quickly get into the who-what-where-when-why-how in a general way before getting into specifics. You then focus on an event, a crowding of details, before leaping to the next event. In novels, short stories, playwriting, and screenwriting, you the writer choose which scenes to show. Between each scene is a leap. Other than the rare work, you do not show every single minute in a person’s day. Even in such non-narrative and “dry” situations as writing a software manual, you set the stage by describing in general what a function can do before giving the exact details—the keystrokes and effects—of how to work the function. A good software manual leads the reader into understanding why something is important or what it does before getting into specifics. Trying to understand a poorly written manual shows you how important specifics can be. 5: Use active verbs. “Spot is tired. Jim is happy.” One of the biggest ways to make your writing more interesting is, after you write a first draft, seek out and destroy forms of “to be.” This means “am,” “are,” “is,” “was,” “were,” “be,” and “been.” Replace them with more active verbs. “Spot fell to the floor, dog tired. Jim swooped Jill up in his arms and licked her neck like Spot might.” Already the situations and sentences are getting more interesting. You won’t be able to replace all forms of “to be”—nor should you—but getting in the habit of using active verbs also will take you into metaphorland. Sirens don’t literally scream, after all (no vocal cords), and winds don’t literally whistle (no lips), but such active verbs can paint a scene well (even though there’s no paintbrush.) Active verbs are great tools to use. While specifics alone won't make your writing great, using them has the effect of balance. Remember the moment when you first learned to ride a bicycle? You found balance. Then everything else came along naturally: the pedaling, the steering, the enjoying. May the wind whip through your hair as you find the balance in your writing. Before I wrote novels and plays, I was a journalist and reviewer (plays and books). I blogged on Red Room for five years before moving here.	190,868
IDP students come to Trinity from a wide range of academic backgrounds, and many have not taken a college-level course for years or even decades. We recognize that every IDP student needs to make an individual transition to Trinity, so we have built in academic features to help you succeed from the time you enter until you graduate. IDP Transitional Seminar This seminar, required for all entering IDP students, is structured to help you make a smooth transition to Trinity. While devoted to an important topic, such as globalization or social class, the seminar emphasizes the analytical reading, critical thinking, discussion, and writing skills you will need to get the most from your Trinity education. The seminar also introduces you to the latest tools for research and information literacy, and a designated Research Education Librarian is available to assist IDP students. Study units offer additional academic flexibility to IDP students who must limit their time on campus due to other obligations or who want to accelerate their progress of their degree. In essence, a study unit is a regular Trinity course that has been redesigned for IDP students to take independently under faculty guidance. A study unit is distinct from an independent study course, where a student develops a topic to pursue with the oversight of a faculty member.	119,654
Radio science is \|“\|\|[a]ny scientific endeavor that employs the use of radio or microwave radiation to explore the fundamental characteristics of natural phenomena.\|\|”\| "Radio sciences have a strong practical importance. Accurate weather forecasting is vital for many activities critical to human health, welfare, and security — including agriculture, transportation, military defense, and the mitigation of damage from extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfire, and drought." - ↑ Spectrum Management for Science in the 21st Century, Glossary, at 229. - ↑ Id. at 8.	264,167
Economy showing recovery signs Vernon’s economy appears to be shaking off the recession. The City of Vernon is reporting a sharp increase in construction activity so far during 2014. “Building permit revenue is up so far,” said Kim Flick, planning and building manager. For the first three months of the year, there have been 62 building permits issued worth $10 million, compared to 54 permits valued at $7.3 million in 2013. Most of the activity is coming from single-family residential and commercial construction. Mayor Rob Sawatzky welcomes the shift away from the recent economic downturn. “The consensus has been that we scraped along the bottom for a couple of years and we’re moving our way up,” he said. “We’re at the mercy of large forces and forestry is improving dramatically.” The increased development comes at the same time the city is proceeding with a revision of the official community plan, which outlines land use. Council has now supported the OCP’s guiding principles, although Coun. Catherine Lord isn’t pleased with the order in which they are listed. “The community doesn’t exist unless there is some form of economy going on,” she said. The first guiding principles referred to protecting the environment and ensuring a range of housing while economic development was several points below that. Staff insists the order of the issues doesn’t reflect importance and all items are considered equal in status. However, Lord insists that residents will look at the list and believe the top items are the city’s priorities. “Economic viability should be No. 1 because that’s what allows people to live in the community,” she said.	209,717
- Ghanaian immigrants in the USA are the most hardworking - This is according to a 2016 report by the American Census Bureau - Millions of Ghanaian immigrants in America have been barred A recent ranking report has shown that Ghanaians are the best working immigrants in the United States of America. This shocking revelation was captured in a 2016 census bureau American survey which saw Ghana come first ahead of other countries like Bulgaria and Ethiopia. We always hear of situations where many Ghanaians risk everything to seek greener pastures in America just for the perception that the USA is a land flowing with milk and honey. It is for these reasons and more that we continue to have huge numbers of Ghanaians use all kinds of legal and mostly illegal means of getting to America. In these cases, you can even see Ghanaians with degrees choose various menial jobs including washing dishes and scrubbing public toilets just for some dollars. This trend of Ghanaians scrambling to get to the USA has also had the US government strike so hard with intense border security to clamp down on persons traveling illegally or those already living in the USA with the wrong papers. Check YEN.com.gh's list of Top 5 Triumphant Returns after ACL Injury as we countdown to the 2018 FIFA World Cup:	103,892
So each month UK children spend an average of 43.5 hours online. And we're supposed to be surprised, even worried, by this? So it would seem, going by the deluge of press coverage. Symantec's Norton Online Living report tells us this about our yout', and more. It points out that, according to Symantec's figures, children are spending twice as much time on the web as their hapless parents believe they are. The cheeky wee sods. Okay, the lack of clarity is a concern, but still, 43.5 hours a month? That's a little more than 13 hours a week, less than two hours a day. It's a smidgeon on top of the the working month of an average technology journalist - ie, it's no time at all. Which leads me to wonder what on earth they do for the rest of the time? (Is it possible that, rather than spending their time on wholesome activities such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, our children are kicking balls, flying kites and helping old ladies across roads? I think we should be told.) In fact, most evidence suggests that when young people are 'online', they are generally also watching TV or listening to music. Some may even have their homework or a book open (albeit just for show). It's the equivalent of the 12-year-old me watching Newsround, Ulysees and Blue Peter (and starting fights with my sister because I was so very, very bored). The digital divide between young and not-so-young has never been so wide. And, given the way today's school children grow up as digital natives, the chances are it will never be so big again. But we shouldn't fear it. (Don't fear the tech, embrace the tech.) No-one ever got obese from using a computer (despite Domino's Pizza's best efforts). It's the eating pies, drinking fizzy nonsense and making like a sloth that do that. The little 'uns should be encouraged to spend a reasonable amount of (lightly supervised) time online, checking in with friends and keeping up with trends we don't understand. Take it from someone who'd never shut down a PC before attending university: the modern and future workforce needs to be at ease with computer technology to get on. And if kids aren't joining in, they may be frozen out. Yes, supervision is important, and children need to know the boundaries of behaviour, online and off. But the next time we learn that - shock, horror - young people spend more time surfing the web than their elders and betters, let's keep the chorus of disapproval down to a vague mutter.	198,436
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that aims to keep cellphones, iPads or other electronic devices out of the hands of teen drivers when they are behind the wheel. The Senate passed the measure on a 25-8 vote Thursday after a panel loosened a proposed statewide texting ban on adult drivers. The bill would make texting with hand-held devices a secondary offense for adults, much like not wearing seatbelts. That means drivers could be ticketed for typing emails or instant messages only if they were pulled over for another offense, such as running a red light. Minors could have hands-free, GPS navigation devices. But they couldn't use other devices unless there's an emergency. The House overwhelmingly passed an earlier version, and would now have to vote on these changes. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	23,705
We build more K12 schools than any other Intermountain builder. Elizabeth Academy (Private School) As a private, or independent school that teaches the Montessori method of education, the 51,674-square-foot building features educational spaces for students from 2 to 12 years of age. Much different than other schools, Elizabeth Academy offers inclusive programs whether a student is gifted, typical, or in need of extra support. The Hogan Advantage Because the school had a non-traditional approach to learning—with its integration of special needs students in classrooms with average and gifted students—each classroom was built to meet needs of every ability on either end of the spectrum. Hogan’s advanced experience in K12 construction led to this unique facility to be built within budget and on schedule. Please view a few other recent school projects: Capstone Classical Academy (Charter School)	114,914
(Sorry for the inconvenience) PC-BSD® version numbers are the same as those used by FreeBSD. In addition, PC-BSD® provides two branches. The branch that you choose to install or upgrade determines whether or not you will receive updates as new features and drivers are added to the operating system. Image names will include the version number, where 10.0 is the most recent version, and either the word RELEASE or STABLE, where: - RELEASE: indicates that new drivers and features will not be added to the operating system until the next RELEASE version becomes available and the user upgrades to that new version. If reliability is more important to you than new features or drivers, use the RELEASE version. - STABLE: around the 1st of each month, Update Manager will provide a patch which will update the operating system to include all of the new features and drivers. If you wish to have or test the latest features and drivers as they become available and can tolerate possible breakage caused by new features being available before the next RELEASE, use the STABLE version.	197,621
YOUNG filmmakers got a taste of stardom as they hit the red carpet for their version of the Oscars. More than 1,100 people turned up for the ceremony in Lava and Ignite clubs, in The Skydome. About 700 children, from 30 city schools, took part in The Digital Film and Animation Project, aimed at getting them to work together to make a film on any subject to be used by schools in the future. There were three categories, film, animation and mixed media (podcasts) with prizes awarded to different age groups in each category. Coventry film maker Debbie Isitt, who directed the recent hit movie Nativity, presented the awards and gave out 48 prizes and 18 trophies to the overall winners. David Haley, the council’s strategic lead for learning and achievement, said: “Coventry Schools Digital Media Awards encourages pupils to communicate and collaborate as well as celebrate their creativity. The awards have real potential for learning across the curriculum.” Winners in the best film section were Willenhall Community Primary (Key Stage 1), Potters Green School (KS2), Woodfield School (KS3), President Kennedy School (KS4) and Coundon Court School (KS5). In the animation category the winners were Allesley Primary (KS1), Howes Community Primary (KS2), Barr’s Hill School (KS4 and KS5). The mixed media prizes went to Christ the King Infants (KS1), Stoke Heath Primary (KS2), Corley Special School (KS3) and The Spinney, part of Woodfield School, (KS4). Special prizes were given to Courthouse Green Primary for exceptional effort in film (KS1) and mixed media contribution (KS2), St Gregory’s Primary, for funniest film (KS2), Earlsdon Primary, for contribution to animation (KS2) and Corley Special School for contribution to film (KS3). The awards were donated by software companies and the ceremony was hosted by Mercia Radio presenter John Dalziel, while Sky Blue Sam also there to meet and greet. The children were also treated to an after show party run by one of the DJs from Lava and Ignite.	18,313
The New York Times WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has adopted new procedures for using the Defense Department’s vast array of cyberwarfare capabilities in case of an attack on vital computer networks inside the United States, delicately navigating historic rules that restrict military action on American soil. The system would mirror that used when the military is called on in natural disasters like hurricanes or wildfires. A presidential order dispatches the military forces, working under the control of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Under the new rules, the president would approve the use of the military’s expertise in computer-network warfare, and the Department of Homeland Security would direct the work. Officials involved in drafting the rules said the goal was to ensure a rapid response to a cyberthreat while balancing concerns that civil liberties might be at risk should the military take over such domestic operations.	107,539
California Proposition 191, Elimination of Justice Courts (1994) Proposition 191 amended the California Constitution to eliminate justice courts. Under Prop 191, all justice courts became municipal courts and all justice court judges became full-time municipal court judges. The amendment was effective on January 1, 1995. Proposition 191 amended the California Constitution as follows: - Amended Section 1 of Article VI. - Amended Section 5 of Article VI. - Amended Section 6 of Article VI. - Amended Section 11 of Article VI. - Amended Section 15 of Article VI. Text of measure The ballot title was: - Justice Courts. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. The ballot summary was: - Effective January 1, 1995, eliminates justice courts; elevates existing justice courts to municipal courts; and unifies justice courts within municipal courts. Continues number, qualifications, compensation of judges and personnel, until modified by Legislature. - Authorizes Legislature to provide for organization and jurisdiction of municipal courts, and to prescribe number, qualifications and compensation of municipal court judges, staff. - Makes conforming changes to composition of Judicial Council, appellate jurisdiction of Superior Court. The fiscal estimate provided by the California Legislative Analyst's Office said: - Probably no significant fiscal impact on state or local governments. Path to the ballot The California State Legislature voted to put Proposition 191 on the ballot via Senate Constitutional Amendment 7. \|Votes in legislature to refer to ballot\| - Statement of vote, California November 8, 1994 statewide elections - Los Angeles Law Library, 1994 ballot propositions - November 8, 1994 supplemental ballot proposition voter guide	234,627
by Willy B President Trump’s April 17 veto of the Congressional resolution calling for the ending of US support to the Saudi war in Yemen, it seems, won‛t end the conflict in that country, regardless of what side you’re on. Trump claimed that the US has a "duty to protect the safety of the more than 80,000 Americans who reside in certain coalition countries that have been subject to Houthi attacks from Yemen.” He gave Saudi Arabia as one example where he said the “Houthis, supported by Iran, have used missiles, armed drones, and explosive boats to attack civilian and military targets in those coalition countries.” Never mind that the Houthi rocket attacks are solely a response to the unrelenting Saudi bombing campaign that has killed thousands of civilians and wrecked Yemen‛s ability to feed itself. The unanswered question at this point is to what degree was John Bolton responsible for Trump’s decision to veto the resolution. On April 13, that is, four days prior to the veto, the Washington Examiner reported that backers of the resolution had sent a letter to Trump asking for a meeting to discuss it, but that the White House ahd not responded. While the White House staff had recommended vetoing the bill, Trump himself had been more open to it, saying earlier that the matter was "very serious" and that he would have more to say later. Sponsors of the legislation believed Trump was willing to sign the bill, but was being told by his staff, led Bolton, that he should not. "I think his advisers are at odds with where he is … advisers in the administration have their own interests and may not be giving him the full picture," said Ro Khanna D-Calif., one of the key sponsors of the bill in the House. Trump allies including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, signed the letter requesting a meeting, as did Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, i-Vt. "I really believe if Rand Paul, myself, Matt Gaetz, and Mike Lee got in a room with him, we would persuade the president. The challenge is, are his advisers going to allow us to do it?" Khanna said. "The president's a dove. He has dovish tendencies," Gaetz told Vice News this week. "I think that if we get some time with him, we can make our argument about how the war in Yemen runs afoul of the Trump doctrine." Even after the veto, Khanna was conciliatory towards Trump but vowed to continue the fight. “From a president elected on the promise of putting a stop to our endless wars, this veto is a painful missed opportunity, Khanna said. "The Yemen War Powers Resolution was a bipartisan, bicameral effort to end the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and supported by some of the president’s most trusted Republican allies." In Sana’a, the veto is being seen as a betrayal Yemeni civilians and a sign that the Saudi bombing campaign will continue. In an article written by a Yemeni journalist in Sana'a, Mintpress News reports that tens of thousands of Yemenis held demonstrations in the country’s capital, Sana`a, Hodeida, Sada`a and others provinces on Friday to condemn Trump's veto of the resolution. “My message is only to the American people: is spilling more Yemeni blood acceptable to you?” a man in his seventies told MintPress. Yemenis who spoke to MintPress about the move said they view Trump’s veto against ending U.S. involvement in their country as immoral and fear that it will enable the Saudi-led Coalition to commit more crimes against their people, who they insist have done nothing to the U.S. and pose no threat to it. Fighting between the Houthis and the forces of the Saudi/UAE backed government has intensified in recent weeks, but UN Envoy Martin Griffiths expressed optimism about the situation in Hodeidah during an April 15 briefing to the UN Security Council. He said that while the process has been slow and protracted, progress is being made on the mutual withdrawal from Hodeidah that both sides agreed to in Sweden last December. “I am happy to announce to you Mr. President that both parties have now accepted the detailed redeployment plan, prepared by General Michael Lollesgaard [the retired Danish general who heads the UN monitoring mission] for phase one of the redeployments in Hodeida," he said. "And we will now move with all speed towards resolving the final outstanding issues related to the operational plans for phase two, redeployments and also the issue of the status of local security forces we're introducing in the coming days." He not only praised Lollesgaard for this progress but also both Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the Saudi puppet president, and Abdul Malik al Houthi, the leader of Ansar Allah in Sana'a. Griffiths stressed two other inter-related points: While the search for a political solution to the war has been more or less on hold while the Hodeidah cease fire is being worked out, progress in Hodeidah is vital for that eventual political solution. At the same time, the groundwork for political consultations must be laid because the war in the rest of the country shows no signs of abating.	9,596
May 23rd, 2011 Nobody wants their car to be a statistic in car theft and carjacking. According to one study, a car is being stolen every 21 minutes. The places where car theft usually occurs is in shopping malls, colleges, movie complexes, stadiums and sporting events. There is no particular day of the week or time for car theft to occur, it happens at random and it depends more on the location. We have gathered some tips that you can follow in order to limit the risk of car theft. When some people are in a hurry, they just leave their car running and dash inside the house or any establishment. This is just like handing the car over to the car thief. Avoid doing this. Turn off your engine, bring your car keys and lock your car before leaving. Again, do not leave your keys in the car. Even if your car is parked in front of your house, always roll up the window and lock it. Do not leave your valuable things like laptop, cellphones, bags and purse in plain view inside your car. This is too much of a temptation for car thieves. If you don’t want to bring your things with you just hide them in the trunk or glove compartment. Avoid parking your car in dark areas. Always choose a well lighted area of the parking lot. Do not leave important documents like your personal identification papers, vehicle ownership title and credit cards inside your car. You can just put the vehicle title and registration in your wallet. The thief will have an easier time selling your car if he has the registration and ownership title. To deter the thief from stealing your car, you can install steering wheel lock, column or brake locks. If your area is prone to car theft, you can have your Vehicle Identification Number or VIN etched on your car windows, doors, trunk lid and fenders. By doing this, it will not be easy for the thief to sell your stolen car parts. Always have a copy of your license plate and VIN. This is a valuable information for the police if your car is stolen. There are anti car theft gadgets and security system that can be installed in your car. One of the best and effective gadget or mechanism is the security system that shuts off the fuel supply of the car making it impossible for the thief to drive away. These are just some of the tips you can use to reduce the risk of your car being stolen. If your car is stolen, report it immediately to the authorities. May 21st, 2011 One of the pleasures of driving are long road trips. It is fun to drive across state on the open road with your road trip buddies or your family. You are happily chatting with your friends while driving when you suddenly hear a loud bumping sound from your car. Your tire is out, a big flat tire. Now this can be fun if you are with your college buddies but this may be a nightmare for some people. To prevent this from happening, a complete car check must be done before your planned road trip. Here are some tips that you can do in order to prepare your car for that long drive ahead. The first advice is to take your car to your regular mechanic and have it checked out two weeks before your road trip. This way, your car can be checked thoroughly for any leaks or wear. You have to give your mechanic some time for the necessary adjustments and repairs that your car may need. Have your tires inspected. Is it time to replace those tires? If it is already bald then you better replace those tires. It is quite dangerous for your tires to blow out in the middle of the open highway. It is wise to spend a few bucks on new tires than spending it on the towing service and waiting for your car to be fixed on the side of the road. Check all the lights if it is working properly. A broken tail light can easily get the attention of the local police patrol and you wouldn’t want your long drive taking a detour straight to the police station. Bring an emergency kit with you just in case, like flashlights, pen and paper and cellphone with camera. This may come in handy if an accident occurs. Little things should be inspected also like your windshield wipers. Driving along on unfamiliar road can be hazardous especially when it rains. You need every little bit of your car working in perfect condition and that includes your wiper. Take an extra supply of things that your car may need like a new bottle of anti-freeze, engine oil and transmission fluid. Your trunk should include a tool box for flat tires, screw drivers, pliers, radiator hose clamps, a roll of electrical tape, jumper cables and a hand towel. Last but not the least. Give your car a thorough cleaning both the interior and the exterior. Your windows and windshield should be very clean because you need a clear visibility for that long drive. Also, you want your driving to be as comfortable as possible so everything must be clean and in order. May 14th, 2011 If you are thinking of buying a used car then you better be prepared. Buying used cars can be risky especially if you do not have any former experience. There are a lot of things you have to look out for and to consider. Be cautious about private sellers. Never meet with the seller somewhere like a gasoline station, always view the car at their home and in broad daylight. Bring someone with you just to be safe. Try to find out if the seller is really the owner and if the place is really their home and they know the car they are selling by knowing its history and its controls. You should know your budget limit so that you would know what car you can afford. Research and ask other people about the going rate for the particular model you want to buy. In terms of mileage, the best buy can be a three year old car with an annual mileage of 10,000 - 15,000. So a three year old car should have an average mileage of 25,000 to 35,000. Cars having mileage above 10,000 a year is most likely used for business or driven long distances constantly. When inspecting the car, the general rule is to check the engine plate if it matches the registration documents. Look for any tampering if there are any. Do not buy a car without test driving it first. It is advisable to test the car on a variation of conditions like twisting roads, urban driving and highways. In terms of bodywork, check the car in daylight so you can easily spot if there are rusts and corrosion. Crash repairs will show up especially if it is not done perfectly. Ripples and change in texture of the body indicates that there are a lot of body filler underneath. A good tip is to bring a magnet, it will stick to metal but it will not stick to plastic body fillers. Check the structural bodywork like the chassis members, inner wings and subframes for corrosion. Check also the brake pipes, suspension and steering mounting points. These can lead to serious problems if they are crusted with rust and corrosion. Inside the car, check the odometer if it is working properly. A car with a low mileage can also cause engine problems because this means that it is left for a long period of time or used only for short driving. It is better if the car is regularly used and serviced. The next thing you should check is the engine. If the engine and its surroundings are dirty this means it has not been maintained properly. Upon starting, listen to the engine sound. If there is heavy rattling it could indicate a wear in the crank shaft and big end bearings.Check for blue or black smoke on its exhaust and check for oil leaks. When it comes to the actual buying, there is nothing wrong with haggling or bargaining the price. Car sellers allow bargaining and they anticipate it and always remember your budget. Do not be pressured in buying the car, there are still a lot of cars you can find. You can always walk away if you are not happy with the car. May 12th, 2011 The new 2011 Honda Fit is simply one of the best hatchback car to come out this year. It still offers that fun driving experience with its strong 1.5 liter four cylinder good for 117 horespower and 106 pound-feet torque. The four cylinder engine means you don’t have to worry a lot about spending too much on fuel. In terms of price, it is ranked as the second out of 34 affordable small cars. This ranking is based on the 33 published reviews of other subcompact cars. It garnered a lot of awards and praises from different the Auto Press industry. It is included in the 10Best list of Car and Driver for third year in a row. Consumer Guide named it as 2011 Best Buy. Its price starts at $15,100 which can be a bit pricey for the usual small car buyers. Another complaint about this car is its noise. If you are driving down the highway a considerable amount of wind, engine and road noise can be heard inside the car. Despite its drawbacks it is still preferred by a lot of driving enthusiast because of its sharp steering response, 2,500 pound curb weight and its 1.5 liter engine that delivers tons of driving pleasure. The interior features are perfectly designed for such a small compact car. Two adults can fit easily at the back without any complaints on long and extended drives. This car is also well known for its versatility. The maximum cargo capacity is a surprising 57.3 cubic feet. Almost the same as a small crossover SUV. This subcompact four door hatchback is available in base and Sport level. With its fuel efficient engine and fun driving experience, this is absolutely one of the best small cars that you can find today. May 7th, 2011 No one wants to be involved in a car accident. Not only is it expensive to fix your car but statistics show that a lot of people die in major car accidents. There are ways to limit the chances of car accidents but the first thing you should do is obey road rules and use your common sense. If you have children, keep them buckled at all times. Never let them roam around or fight inside the car while your driving. This will cause too much distraction from your driving. Only drive at the allowed speed limits. If you are the type of person who wants to go fast and is always in a hurry then you better learn to slow down and drive the posted speed limit. Always wear your seat belt. This is one advice that we hear often but it is the one thing we sometimes forget doing. Remember that many people survive car accidents because of seat belts. It really can really save your life. Never drink and drive. This is just pure common sense. Just think of the problems that you will face if ever you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol. You can be fined and your license can be suspended but the worst thing is if you cause an accident that hurt or killed someone. You have to drive defensively. This means you always have to be on guard when driving. There are driving schools that teach defensive driving if you want to learn. A lot of car accidents are caused by driver error and negligence so you have learn how not to be involved in one. Keep your focus on the road and not on your cellphone or car radio. By talking or texting on your cellphone you are putting yourself and others at risk because only half of your attention is on driving. The same is true with women who are applying make up while driving. Pay attention to the road and be a responsible driver. These are just some of the most common and simple ways you can avoid accidents and the sad truth is that it is very easy to follow but people still get into accidents because they fail to follow road rules. April 3rd, 2011 We have seen the evolution of vehicles since its invention up to the present. Cars have been a part of our lives and will probably be with us into the future. The major change that will happen to cars and other vehicles in the future is limiting or possibly eliminating its dependence on fossil fuel. Steps have been taken to find alternative fuel to keep our cars running but it will still take a long time before we completely replace diesel and gasoline for other types of fuel. There are two reasons why cars of the future won’t be dependent on gasoline. The first one is that cars are considered as one of the major air pollutant today and the environmental concern on global warming is rapidly growing. The second reason is that our fossil fuel will not last forever. Oil prices today are soaring and we have to find a solution to this problem by developing other means of fuel that will power our vehicles and will not pollute our environment. The trend in the car industry today is producing fuel efficient cars such as hybrid cars. Hybrid cars have two engines, it has the normal internal combustion engine of the normal car and the battery and electric motor of an electric car. Hybrid cars are considered environment friendly cars because they do not have high emission fumes and they don’t need much gasoline as compared to a normal car. Hybrid car works by using electric motor when you are just driving at a normal 30 mile per hour pace. If you are on a traffic stop and go city driving condition then your hybrid electric motor is the one doing the work. When you get to the open highway and you are going to drive faster, the gasoline motor kicks in. Unlike in electric cars, you will not need to recharge your electric battery motor when it runs low because it automatically recharges while you drive. This year there are numerous hybrid cars that have come out. Here are some of the 2011 hybrid cars that are available. Honda has the Insight Hybrid – A 5 door hatchback compact sedan that offers automatic climate control, tire monitoring pressure system and other cool features. It has a fuel capacity of 10.6 gallons. Honda has also released the Honda Civic Hybrid. 2011 Toyota Hybrid Camry – A 4 door/5 passenger midsize sedan that has anti skid traction control, keyless entry starting system, curtain side and driver’s knee airbag, etc. Toyota Prius also has its latest hybrid model as well as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid – It’s also a midsize 5 passenger sedan with dual zone automatic temperature control, rear view camera, keyless entry pad and other modern features. These are just some of the latest hybrid cars in the market today. Other automakers have also released their latest hybrid cars: 2011 Lexus RX 450h, Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Experts believe that hybrid cars are just a transition technology from gasoline cars to alternative fueled cars. These hybrid cars may not completely revolutionize the car industry but it is a very big step towards the goal of cleaning the carbon emissions of our car. March 25th, 2011 Cars, just like people, need proper care and attention. If you take care of your car it will surely reward you back with better performance. You may find out that a little effort on your part can make a very big difference in maintaining your car. Here are some basic helpful tips that you need to know for your car maintenance. When is the best time to change my oil and filter? This is one of the common questions asked in car maintenance. Well the basic rule of thumb when changing oil and filter regularly should be every 3,000 to 4,000 miles if you are using conventional engine oil and every 5,000 to 6,000 miles if you are using synthetic engine oil. All the fluids in your car should be checked regularly. These fluids are your brake fluids, power steering, transmission, antifreeze and windshield washer solvent. Safety should be the number one priority for you, having these fluids inspected will ensure that your car is always safe to drive. Do not forget to check your tires at least once a month. Always remember that an under inflated tire can cause early tire wear. The worst thing is that under inflated tire can negatively affect your fuel efficiency. This simply means a waste in money and fuel just because your tire is under inflated. Check your spark plug regularly and have your engine tuned. You may think that it will cost you more money to have your engine tuned but having a damaged spark plug is actually much worse because it will reduce your fuel efficiency up to 30 percent. The lighting system of your car should also be included in your maintenance. This is important for your safety because this includes checking your headlights, tail lights, turn and brake signals. Another safety precaution maintenance is having your hoses and engine belts inspected. You would not want having worn out engine belts because it can affect the performance of your engine. The next sets of tips are car care tips that will help boost your fuel efficiency and save gas. Never leave your car parked under the heat of the sun. Always try to park your car under a shade. A car left baking under the heat of the sun has a higher amount of evaporative emission rather than cars parked in the shade. Choose the lower octane gasoline for your car. Unless your car needs premium gasoline, that pricey high octane gasoline is just a waste of money for you. Don’t expect that this high octane gasoline will improve your car performance or improve your fuel efficiency. You can save hundreds of dollars a year if you follow this advice. Those are just some of the basic car care tips that you have to keep in mind. Remember to always follow the manufacturer recommended maintenance which can be found in your car manual. Do not just take your car for granted, your car’s performance will depend on how you maintain your car. January 21st, 2010 The Bentley name has always been associated with exceptional style, and the 2010 Bentley Azure is certainly no exception. The Azure is currently only available in one trim, which is powered by a 500 horsepower 6.8 liter V8 engine with twin-turbo. The six-speed automatic transmission includes overdrive. Standard features for the 2010 Bentley Azure include leather/chrome gear shift knob trim, programmable garage door opener, a trunk/cargo mounted 6 disc CD changer, a navigation system, Bluetooth compatibility, six speakers and 20″ painted alloy wheels. Safety features include front airbags, side-impact airbags, ABS and driveline traction control, programmable exterior light control and parking assist. The MSRP for the 2010 Bentley Azure starts at $363,000. January 19th, 2010 The 2010 Audi TTS is a step up from other vehicles in its class. The TTS is currently available in two trims - a two-door quattro Roadster, and a two-door quattro Coupe. Both of these trims are powered by a direct-injection turbocharged 265 horsepower 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. The only transmission choice is a six-speed automatic S-Tronic. Standard features include cruise control, heated front seats, SIRIUS AM/FM/Satellite radio, steering wheel audio controls and Bluetooth compatibility. Safety features include front airbags, side-impact airbags, a headlight washer, ABS and driveline traction control, panic alarm, daytime running lights and knee airbags. The current MSRP for the 2010 Audi TTS starts at $45,900. January 16th, 2010 For the 2010 model, the Audi TT is designed to be the beginning of the Audi and VW selection of performance vehicles. The 2010 Audi TT is powered by a 200 horsepower 2.0 liter direct-injection turbocharged engine. The transmission is only available as a six-speed automatic. Some standard features include cargo concealed storage, a programmable garage door opener, a trip computer, a service interval warning, power fuel door release, a CD player, Bluetooth compatibility and a tilt-wheel adjustable steering column. Safety features include stability control, knee, front and side airbags, run-flat tires and 4 wheel anti-lock brakes. The MSRP for the 2010 Audi TT currently starts at $37,800.	100,483
> hi list, > i’d like to investigate the possibilities that exist to let regular > phones call a gsm that is connected to a mac (would a gsm usb modem > be the thing in need?). > the things that i would like to use are > a) dialing tones passed on to max, for triggering > b) spoken sound passed on to msp, for sound processing > [ok, a) could be realized thru b).. would that be the way to go?] > i saw a) possible in an installation by olaf matthes; b) should be > possible, too. > but are a) and b) possible in the same constellation? what you saw was an analogue modem connected to a normal telephone line, not a GSM modem. I have a [gsm] external, but GSM modems usually don’t support detection of DTMF tones, so in order to trigger anything you’d have to pass the audio on to the mac and do the DTMF detection separately. If you really find a GSM modem that does it, please let me know!	274,231
NCLB and the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in the Accountability and Assessment Systems of Martha Thurlow, Ph.D., Director, National Center on Educational Outcomes this page in PDF On March 3, 2004, Dr. Martha L. Thurlow, Director, National Center on Educational Outcomes, testified before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, about No Child Left Behind and the inclusion of students with disabilities in accountability and She testified, "We know how to educate all children, including those with disabilities, if we have the will to do so. The discussion should not be about whether students with disabilities can learn to proficiency and thus, it should not be about whether they should be included in assessment and accountability measures it must be about whether we have the will and commitment to make it happen." Chairman, Mr. Miller, and Other Members of the Committee: for inviting me to speak today. I am the Director of the National Center on Educational Outcomes, a technical assistance center that provides assistance to states on the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district assessments, and on important related topics such as standards-based reform, accommodations, alternate assessments, graduation requirements, universally designed assessments and accessible testing. our technical assistance with policy research on states current policies and practices in these and other areas. We also conduct other research to move the field forward in its thinking, in areas such as how to develop universally-designed assessments that are accessible for students with disabilities without changing the content or level of challenge of the test, and how to most appropriately assess students with disabilities who are English language learners. of our organization results in our close involvement with states as they implement their No Child Left Behind plans. Yet, because of our many years of working on these issues, I think that we can see the forest as well as the trees. It is because of this view, and the evidence we see about the effects of including students with disabilities that I so strongly support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the assessment and accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. I want to make four points today. These points confirm the importance of including students with disabilities in assessment and accountability. They show that it is not unreasonable to hold schools accountable for these students. of Including Students with Disabilities First, we are already beginning to see the benefits of the inclusion of students with disabilities in assessments and accountability systems. As a result of having actual assessment data for these students, we know that more students with disabilities are participating in assessments now than were tested a mere three to five years ago. We see these data in every state. Participation rates have gone up dramatically. Think of New Yorks Regents exams, some of the most rigorous exams in the country. The state released data showing that more students with disabilities took and passed those tests in recent years than had ever taken them before and to take them, students had to first be enrolled in Regents courses. This means that they had to have access to a curriculum that they had not had access to before, and they are achieving success. also has data showing the passing rates for students with disabilities on its high stakes graduation exam. Many students did not pass when the exams were first administered. People started to pay attention when that happened, including the students. Attention was devoted to what was happening in the classrooms for all students, including students with disabilities. Training was provided to make sure that all educators including special educators knew WHAT all children were to know and be able to do the content standards and how to teach them. Massachusettss data show where the passing rates for students with disabilities have steadily climbed from one year to the next. as a result of its emphasis on reform, has reported that the overall percentage of students with disabilities who are proficient in reading has increased from 26% in 2000 to 50% in 2003. The percentage who are proficient in math has increased from 36% in 2000 to 58% in 2003. show what can be. Staff at NCEO talk to state directors nearly every day, and they tell us that they are seeing positive changes. Of course, they also tell us about the challenges. The challenges are not necessarily due to the assessment or the accountability system, however. The assessment system and its results serve as a warning flag. They tell us when we need to do something about our instruction, our resources and supports. Making changes to the assessment or accountability system is not the answer. a Disability Does Not Mean Students Cannot Meet Standards My second point is that being in special education having a disability does not mean that students cannot meet standards. I know that it is terrible to speak in double negatives, but I so often hear educators say something like: How can you expect special education students to perform well on these tests? If they could do that, they wouldnt be in special education. Those statements are outrageous to me. Special education eligibility should result in an identified student receiving the services and supports needed so that the student can be successful so that the student can achieve proficiency. Special education eligibility should NOT be an excuse to expect little from a child, and to provide little for the child. The assessment and accountability provisions of NCLB have helped us recognize this for what it is, a problem of low Problem of Low Expectations Low expectations is a pervasive problem one that our colleague Kevin McGrew, who is one of the authors of the Woodcock-Johnson III tests of cognitive ability and achievement, has examined by looking at the academic achievement of students of varying IQs, often used for eligibility for special education services. He has found: It is not possible to predict which children will be in the upper half of the achievement distribution based on any given level of general intelligence. For most children with cognitive disabilities (those with below average IQ scores), it is NOT possible to predict individual levels of expected achievement with the degree of accuracy that would be required to deny a child the right to high standards/expectations. One of the bedrock principles of No Child Left Behind is that all students can learn to high standards. I believe that No Child Left Behind is shining a very bright light on low expectations, and that is an important outcome. Modifications, Supports, Instruction The third point that I want to make today is about where adjustments are in fact needed. First we should look at accommodations, supports, and instruction. These are where the issues that are causing low student achievement are most likely to lie, not in the assessment. While there are some ways in which assessments can be improved, for example by making the assessments more accessible through the use of universal design principles, the real work that needs to be done is in providing students with disabilities greater access to the curriculum, making sure that they have the appropriate accommodations and other supports they need. States that have done this have seen the improved results that are the goal of No Child Left Behind, as shown in the data from New York, Massachusetts, and Kansas. know how to educate all children, including those with disabilities, if we have the will to do so. The discussion should not be about whether students with disabilities can learn to proficiency and thus, it should not be about whether they should be included in assessment and accountability measures it must be about whether we have the will and commitment to make it happen. are Natural - We Need to Stay the Course Finally, my last point is to emphasize the importance of staying the course. Complaints and controversy are a natural reaction to the increased pressure of the racheting-up of accountability. This does not mean that it is bad, or that there should be a change. It does mean that people are paying It means that students with disabilities are not just the concern of special educators anymore. They are the concern of all educators, and this is good. Everyone needs to take responsibility for the learning of students with disabilities. Recent research has shown that schools where there is shared responsibility and collaboration among staff have students scoring higher on their district assessments. are now is a sea change from where we were 10 years ago. Some of this started before No Child Left Behind. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 required that students with disabilities participate in state and district assessments and that their results be reported publicly in the same way and with the same frequency as those of other students. While this happened in some states, not until No Child Left Behind did all states really pay attention to the requirements. The assessment and accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind have given us data on students with disabilities that we only had sporadically before. These data can help educators know where to devote resources. No Child Left Behind has given the impetus for special educators and general educators to work together in a way that in many places never seemed to rise to the level of importance to make it happen before. Making students with disabilities one of the subgroups of No Child Left Behind truly has been a very important and positive event in the education history of children with disabilities. Martha L. Thurlow, Ph.D. Martha Thurlow is the Director of the National Center on Educational Outcomes. In her position, she addresses the implications of contemporary U.S. policy and practice for students with disabilities and English Language Learners, national and state assessment policies and practices, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements. Dr. Thurlow has conducted research for the past 30 years in a variety of areas, including assessment and decision making, learning disabilities, early childhood education, dropout prevention, effective classroom instruction, and integration of students with disabilities in general education settings. has published extensively on all of these topics, authoring numerous books and book chapters, and publishing more than 200 articles and reports. In 2003, she completed her 8-year term as coeditor of Exceptional Children, the research journal of the Council for Exceptional Children, and is currently associate editor for numerous journals. Martha Thurlow, Ph.D. National Center on Educational Outcomes University of Minnesota 350 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Road Minneapolis, MN 55455 Copyright © 1999-2013, Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights reserved.	267,254
\|Written by\|\|Susan Kantor\| \|Publisher\|\|Simon & Schuster\| Look and Find with Bear! is a Bear in the Big Blue House board book featuring tabs with various objects on the side. Each page features one of the objects. A character on the page is looking for it and the reader is asked to look for it on the page to help the character find it.	220,894
Two of the biggest trends in cutting edge medical technology are customized medicine and minimally invasive techniques. The new artificial knees by CorforMIS represent both ideas: Using rapid prototyping, the artificial knees are manufactured the specific contours of bones, so that less bone needs to be cut away for the implant. The startup announced that it raised $50 million in funding, and plans to introduce the knee sometime in 2010. As Technology Review reports, ConforMIS knees–which recently won a prestigious award for medical design–take about six weeks to make, from start to finish. They’re aimed at the arthritic, whose joints can be worn away into irregular contours because of the disease. The process starts with an MRI or CT scanner, which creates a 3-D image of the damaged joint. That model is then used to create a precisely molded interior surface for the implant, while the metal side facing the new joint recreates the shape of the formerly healthy joint. Typically, large chunks of bone have to be cut away to accommodate off-the-shelf artificial knees; the ConforMIS eliminate almost all of that. They’re currently undergoing trials to study patient outcomes–the idea is that the knees, because they cause less trauma, will lessen operating and recovery times. You can watch video of exactly how the knees are made here. [Via Tech Review]	167,823
Religious Sue for GM Food-labelling WASHINGTON-What do three rabbis, a Roman Catholic priest, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, an Eastern Orthodox cleric and a Buddhist who converted from Judaism have in common? The answer: They all are part of a lawsuit in federal court here against the Food and Drug Administration. The suit charges that the lack of labeling of genetically engineered foods makes it impossible for religious people to observe dietary laws and customs. The religious plaintiffs are demanding mandatory safety testing and labeling. The lawsuit, filed in May 1998, adds a new and unusual twist to the debate over biofoods. Almost since such products started appearing on supermarket shelves a half-dozen years ago, critics worried that such experiments as splicing flounder genes into beets to make them resistant to cold could produce unpredictable results. In Europe, too, memories of mad-cow disease, along with old-fashioned protectionism, have stoked antipathy toward U.S. biofoods. But the lawsuit filed by the religious officials charges, among other things, that genetically altered foods are sinful, unethical - and maybe not kosher. "The religious groups add a vital aspect," says Andrew Kimbrell, who heads the Center for Food Safety, a nonprofit group that is litigating the action. "It brings in a lot of the ethical questions that allow the public to better understand this." The religious group was assembled by Steven Druker, a peripatetic lawyer, Transcendental Meditator, Torah student and founding faculty member of Maharishi International University in Iowa. To Mr. Druker, 52 years old, the issue is very clear. In the Bible, Leviticus 19:19 forbids mating one species of animal with another, as well as sowing a field with two types of seeds. Companies and scientists who disobey this law, he declares, have "cosmic chutzpah." The FDA doesn't see it that way. It treats the new gene combinations in biofoods just like the variations produced by more traditional breeding techniques; in neither case does the regulatory agency require mandatory screening or rules. "Do we see [genetically engineered foods] as being so different as to be put in a special class, and be treated differently and regulated differently? I say no," says Eric Flamm, senior policy adviser in the FDA's office of policy planning and legislation. But if Mr. Druker prevails, and strict labeling is required, the consequences for the biofood industry could be huge. "The large concern [about labeling] in the back of everybody's mind is a boycott of products," worries Alan Goldhammer, executive director for technical affairs at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a trade group. "That could have a serious economic impact." Mr. Goldhammer says biofoods have nutritional qualities that benefit consumers and agronomic qualities that aid farmers. He adds that the religious plaintiffs aren't making a "cogent argument," because "a gene is a gene." He explains that when a cow gene is put in a tomato, "it's no longer a cow gene," because it has been chemically synthesized in a test tube. Mr. Druker began to focus on forcing biofood companies to use labels in 1996. He had grown up in a not-very-observant Jewish household in Des Moines, Iowa. But about a decade ago, divorced and practicing law in Los Angeles, he joined a Torah study group. "I became more involved with Judaism and studying Judaism and believing that we do have a duty to uphold the integrity of God's creation," he says. Several years later, Mr. Druker began research for a planned book on the integration of religion, science and ethics. The more he researched, the more concerned he became about genetic engineering. He decided that the only answer to his concerns would be a lawsuit forcing food makers to at least label the ingredients of biofoods. Mr. Druker says that one morning in August 1996, while praying in his apartment in tiny Fairfield, Iowa, he received guidance. "I don't want to come across as Joan of Arc," he says, "but I felt on an inner level a very strong inner feeling to go ahead and leave the book off for a while and go ahead" with the legal action. And so he began crisscrossing the country, gathering his Noah's Ark of plaintiffs, many of whom share his mystical spirituality and distrust of authority. In December 1996, on his first recruiting trip to the East Coast, he was put in touch with Jossi Serebryanski, a Brooklynite and Hasidic rabbi. Rabbi Serebryanski is part of Judaism's cabalistic tradition, which focuses on the mystical dimension of the Torah and other Jewish law. He told Mr. Druker that he believes there is a spiritual energy in food, an energy he feels when he eats kosher foods. Indeed, he says, he has channeled that energy to help heal people. He claims it has taken him three to five minutes to heal carpal tunnel syndrome. Mixing different species in food results in "destroying the natural boundaries of nature," says Rabbi Serebryanski. "No one is big enough to know all the damage that causes, and no one is big enough to repair it," he says. He signed on as a plaintiff. Mr. Druker signed up four others after he spoke at the July 1998 "Summerfest of the North American Vegetarian Society" near Pittsburgh. One listener linked him up with Father Samuel Kedala, a priest at her church, the Holy Spirit Orthodox church in Wantage, N.J. In his written declaration in the lawsuit, Father Kedala sounds an apocalyptical warning against biogenetic engineering. It is the biofood industry's worst labeling nightmare: "Viewed from the Eastern Orthodox theological perspective, this process appears to be utilizing the infectious, destructive forces of nature in the creation of new life forms, which seems like a gross affront to the Creator's original design." Mr. Druker's speech also caught the attention of the Rev. DeWitt Williams, director of health ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist church in North America. About half the church's 10 million members world-wide are vegetarians, he says. "The reason I'm concerned about genetic foods is that many are made from soybeans," about one-third to one-half of which have been genetically engineered, he says. Ron Epstein, a child of the radical 1960s, was concerned about other living things, including insects. "The basis for all Buddhist teachings is respect for life," says Mr. Epstein, who converted to Buddhism from Judaism. He worries that the damage from biofoods, which sometimes contain insect genes, could be permanent. "If General Motors puts out a car, and it's got a problem, you can recall it; genetic changes are out there forever." After three years of recruiting plaintiffs, Mr. Druker also even succeeded in finding common ground between observant Jews and Muslims. Both religions eschew pork products. Joseph Regenstein, a Cornell University professor who has written about biofoods, says the biofoods issue "is not a problem" for even strict kosher certification organizations. And Mr. Druker says he doesn't think there are any biofoods on the market that contain pigs' genes. But without mandatory labeling, he says, there's no way to know what is in biofood. Insects, says Mr. Druker, aren't kosher, citing the Torah's proscription against eating "swarming, crawling creatures." The lawsuit is also crawling along, as Mr. Druker collects more religious supporters. According to one court document, the list recently consisted of: 113 Christians, 37 Jews, 12 Buddhists and 122 people who checked a box saying "my faith is not easily categorized." \| Top or Page	117,322
Learn how to situate your home to save energy and maximize sunlight. Our ancestors, building homes before the days of mechanical heating and air conditioning, understood almost intuitively how to harness the natural forces of sunlight and wind. Thankfully, many of these techniques have made a strong comeback in recent years as people try to maximize the satisfaction of their home environment. The sun and the wind, whether you realize it or not, influence the rooms you like best, how well you see inside, your electric bill, and your overall well-being. Here’s where to start thinking about the “chi” of your next house. The biggest variable is the solar orientation of your lot. The ideal situation is when your home is situated along an east-west street. That way the biggest portion of the roof faces south or north. That not only enables you to do more with photovoltaic panels (they are more efficient facing south) but it opens up daylight opportunities that can dramatically influence the enjoyment of your home. The optimal situation is when the back of your house faces south, since you can hide the solar panels from the street. Don’t worry, though, if your home will be oriented differently; all is not lost. The other reason this orientation is preferable is because most new homes these days relegate the most commonly used rooms – the family room and kitchen – to the back of the house. You can use windows in the back (or south side) of the house to soak up heat during the winter months when the sun is low in the sky. Then you can use a porch, an overhang, or even a trellis to shade the home during the summer, when the sun is high in the sky. A study by the Bonneville Power Administration found that re-orienting homes toward the sun saved between 10 and 20 percent on heating costs – without any additional solar features. Plan 935-14 , below, features overhangs that shade the home and add Prairie-style flair. How the sun strikes your home may influence your choice of a bedroom location as well. If you want to rise with the sun, then put your bedroom on the east side. If you prefer to sleep in, you may prefer your bedroom on the west or north side. Plan 890-6 provides plenty of windows to the bedrooms, so you can wake with the sun if you like. If noisy traffic is a consideration, you may want your bedroom as far from that nuisance as possible. It’s usually no problem, though it may involve a cost, for a designer to redraw a plan to put the master bedroom on the side you prefer. Many plans are sold with pre-drawn reversals, like plan 895-60 Some other rules of thumb apply. The east side of your home, since it gets the most morning sunlight, may be the ideal spot for a kitchen nook to do morning crossword puzzles or a Zen garden to meditate. The office in plan 924-1 would make an excellent east-facing spot to get productive work done in the morning. The east side is a good place to put a dense floor -- concrete or tile -- that will soak up early morning sun and radiate heat into the rest of the house during the day. That’s how early adobe homes were heated. And many fancy New England cottages still employ the technique today. The west side of the house, on the other hand, often gets the most sun. That makes it a bad location for a TV room, since sunlight may produce glare that makes it hard to view the screen. But it may be a great location for a hot tub to enjoy the sunset, especially in a northern climate where heat from the sun is precious. Most architects, when designing from scratch, put seldom used rooms on the west side – the laundry room, closets, bathrooms, the garage. If you have an option, you may also want to locate the garage on west-facing portion of your lot, unless you plan to spend a lot of time there. Most designers try to limit fenestration on the north side of the home. These windows produce the least natural light. Unless they are high efficiency windows, they may even be a source of heat loss. Wind is another important natural force worth controlling. Winds typically come from the southwest during the summer and northwest during the winter. But they can vary -- you may want to make trips to your lot to check. One reason this is important is that insects don’t like wind. If you are planning a deck or open porch, put it where it gets the most breezes. Another tactic is to use trees, or a detached garage, to funnel prevailing wind toward Prevailing winds should also influence where you put windows. You can take advantage of natural ventilation and save on air conditioning bills by creating a wind tunnel through the house. You want wind coming in a window and going out on the opposite one with minimal interruption. Ceiling fans can help facilitate the process. Planting trees, shrubs, and flowers outside the window may cool the air before it enters the house. That’s definitely a better situation than drawing air from a hot driveway slab. Some plans do a better job than others creating a natural cooling effect. You want cool air to enter the house from a low window and leave through high windows – designers often put them in the stairway. You can increase wind velocity by using smaller windows for air to enter and bigger windows for air to exit. Certain features – like long meandering hallways or rooms with odd angles – may work against a free flow of air through the house. Transoms over doors can move air from one room to the next. One secret to creating the most enjoyable rooms is to give them windows on two or more sides. That not only increases the opportunity for natural ventilation, but it helps control glare, which is often worse when sunlight has only one opportunity to enter a room. Another common daylight tactic is to use surfaces by the window to bounce light into the interior. That may provide enough natural light that you don’t have to use an electric light. Plan 132-221 puts windows on two sides of the master suite. One advantage to open floor plans is that they allow spaces to borrow light from each other. If you know you will have a room that won’t get a lot of natural light, consider a skylight or a solar tube. Plan 929-1032 , below, places a sun tunnel in the laundry room to add light. A stairwell at the center of the home may be the ideal location. It could light otherwise dark spaces. Plan 64-260 shows how bright and cheerful a staircase can be when naturally illuminated. Don’t worry if you can’t employ all these old-school techniques on your new home. Even doing a few of them will result in a more enjoyable and satisfying home, a home with more chi. And remember that most house plans can be revised for a small fee . Go over your favorite plans with an idea of how the sun and wind will affect it. It can be a fun, and spiritually rewarding exercise. Interested in energy-efficient designs? Check out our collection here	146,451
On Friday, February 17, the annual Great Backyard Bird Count begins. This will be my 6th year to participate. Over the years, I have counted a high of 12 species on one day, and a total of 231 birds. Last year, at my location purple finches and northern cardinals were the most common. The year before, cedar waxwings came through, and I counted 11 at one time, and they were the most common. In 2008, a red-tailed hawk spent time in the backyard on one of the days. But my best sighting has been a Eurasian Collared Dove, a pair actually. But it wasn't during the Great Backyard Bird Count. I wrote about it here, on March 31, 2008. Last year there were 13 lists submitted from Bessemer. An additional 8 were submitted from McCalla. I think we can do better than that. Get your binoculars out. It only takes 15 minutes or so each day, and you just sit on your porch or elsewhere and look at the birds. There are resources here to help you identify, if you don't have a bird book (doesn't everyone?)	89,464
Cracking The Mystery To Cooking Eggs Just in time for springtime celebrations like Easter and Passover, this Cooking 101 guide will have you expertly whisking, poaching, boiling, and frying eggs in no time. If the thought of cooking or preparing eggs has you as confused as the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, then this is the guide for you! There are so many good things to say about eggs, from their nutritional and economic value to their flavor and versatility. However, if you don't know how to prepare them, you may be losing out on their egg-ceptional goodness. Eggs are used in a variety of dishes, from your favorite breakfast meals to baked goods to soups and to quiches (and don't forget the hardboiled and colored options). When you set out on your quest to buy the perfect egg, there are a few things to consider including which type of egg you prefer to take home. Hen-picked: Which eggs to buy There are a variety of options when it comes to buying eggs and your choices include the following: Organic Eggs - Organic eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors. These hens have good diets, eating only organic grains, and are not given any chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones. Free range Eggs - The hens that lay free-range eggs are housed in barns but they have the freedom to roam outside. Barn laid Eggs - Hens that produce barn-laid eggs are kept indoors in pens, but have room to move freely. Standard Eggs - The lowest priced eggs are standard eggs. These come from hens that are raised in cages with no room to move around on their own. These hens are fed a high-protein diet and may contain hormones, antibiotics, or chemicals. These hens are kept in very large quantities for maximum output, resulting in lower grocery store prices. Techniques & tips There is a method to the madness of cooking and baking with eggs. Keep the following in mind to get you prepping like a true chef: Beating Eggs - Egg whites and yolks are mixed together to use for scrambled eggs, omelets, or for baking. A whisk is the quickest tool for combining the parts, but a fork will do, too. Use a fast, circular motion and beat until combined. Separating Yolks and Whites – Often in baking, recipes call for either egg whites or yolks. To separate an egg, crack the middle and use the shells to hold both egg white and egg yolk. Pour the egg from one half to the other until one side holds the yolk and one side holds the white; use one bowl for the whites and one for the yolks. If this fails, look for a gadget called an egg separator (set up to "strain" the eggs), available at most kitchen stores. Color of Yolks and Shells – Some people think brown eggs are healthier than white, but there is no nutritional difference between the two. The colors are a result of the breed of the hen that laid the egg. Yolks may be paler or brighter in color, the difference depends on what the hen was fed. A pale yolk comes from a diet of lighter color feed and a more vibrant yolk comes from a diet of brighter feed. Storing Eggs – Always keep eggs refrigerated. After purchase, you can keep eggs for 3 to 5 weeks (the "sell by" date may expire by that point, but the eggs should still be safe to use). Keep eggs in their shells refrigerated, not frozen. Keep the eggs stored in the cardboard container from the store to maximize freshness. Up next: Get crackin'! >>	40,372
The Chosun became the center stage of Korea's political, economical, and cultural activities since 1914 to the present. Seoul's luxury hotels have played a major role in city's transformation into a modern metropolis. Chosun Hoteru, now known as the Westin-Chosun Hotel, was considered an example of ultra-modern Western architecture when it was inaugurated in 1914. For nearly a century, the hotel has served as a focal point of Korean politics and society. In 2007 and 2008, the Westin-Chosun underwent extensive renovations under the directions of interior architect Adam Tihany and lighting designer Arnold Chan. It was transformed into a future-oriented space that retains a rich sense of history-a trend seen in many of South Korea's other five-star hotels. The renovation was one of its largest scale projects, costing about 10 billion won over a five year preparatory period and four months of actual construction. Designers, Adam Tihany and Babey Moulton, led the massive transformation with the basic concept of mixing the old with the new.	282,017
Polish authorities will rebury the remains of more than 2,100 people, mostly German civilians, recently exhumed from a World War II mass grave found in northeastern Poland. “Their remains will be transferred to Glinna, near Szczecin … the reburial ceremony will take place August 14,” said Andrzej Przewoznik, head of Poland’s Council for the Preservation of the Memory of Struggles and Martyrdom, told the Polish PAP news agency. The decision to transfer the remains to a German war cemetery in Poland was taken by German authorities, Przewoznik explained. According to experts, the grave contained the remains of 2,120 people including at least 1,001 women, 381 men and 377 children. It was impossible to determine the age and gender of others found in the grave. Log in to leave a comment. Sign In / Sign Up	145,016
Yes, cataracts could be treated through the surgery. It is really a cure for cataracts which a lot of people use this way. However the cataracts will come back again after the surgery if you donâ€™t treat the eyes well after the surgery. If you use the eyes a lot in front of the computers with little rest, your eyes may get cataracts again. Your eyes may infection or other eyes problems which indirectly cause the cataracts. Yes, taking a surgery is a main and usually necessary treatment for people who get cataracts. Nowadays the surgical technique for cataracts has developed into a very mature extent, and the rates of successful surgery can be more than ninety-nine percent. The recurrence of cataracts after surgery usually refers to the muddiness on the membrance of the lens capsule behind the crystalline lenses in the eyes, which is known as "cataracta", whose occurrence rate is as high as about 30 percent, while it can still be solved by taking a laser therapy to break the membrance. The effects of cataracts surgery usually depend on the personal health conditions as well as the prevention and healthcare after the surgery. People after the surgery should be more careful in their daily diet and rest, take good rest and sleep well, eat more vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, and so on. Well, yes, it is possible for cataracts to come back after the surgery. Generally speaking, a cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye, which can eventually block the central line of sight and impairs vision. And when some clouding occurs on it, some treatments should be taken to cure it, such as the cataract surgery. So we can say that cataract surgery is an operation to remove the clouded lens. Of course, by having surgery, it will just be effective, if the recovery is smooth. But on the other hand, after the surgery, if your eyes are irritated by some allergens, or some other factors, it will just make the recovery process stop. And in some cases, cataracts can come back. So just pay more attention to your eyes after cataract surgery.	194,509
Our editor Andrea Harman, Concept Developer for Healthcare in the UK, attended Euronoise in Crete. Here are her main takeaway points from the session: Building Acoustics and Health. Effects of children charcteristics on sound environment in fast food restaurants in china – Liu Shanshan This interesting session started with the question would you like to eat with a little angel or little devil? The speaker felt that the introduction of soft play areas into fast food restaurants encouraged the noisy “devil” to appear in a child. Measuring the sound pressure levels of 3-6 year olds playing she correlated the information to the number of children playing and the pattern of interaction in the play. Finding that an increase in the number of children did not necessarily lead to an increase in the level of sound. As a small group of children are more likely to play interactively and generate more noise. Whereas a larger group tend to play more independently and so more quietly Evaluation and improvement of the acoustic comfort in nursing homes: a case study in Flanders Belgium – Pieter Thomas et al The aim of this project was to improve everyday life for care home residents and the conditions for staff. Pieter and the team monitored 5 new or recently renovated nursing homes lived in by older citizens and people with dementia as a part of this study. All were monitored for a typical week of operation. They found that noise levels increased and decreased at various times of day in line with activities. So for example breakfast time was a noisier time with levels up to 60dBa. The main challenge apperared to be the transfer of noise from the corridor to bedrooms and bedrooms to corridor. And sound propagation along the corridor; with doors being a particular weak spot allowing transfer of sound. The solution to the challenge of the doors in one home with one particularly noisy resident whose screaming was upsetting other residents was to add an acoustic curtain inside the room to help absorb the sound. As a side note I would comment that although this worked well with this particular resident who was unable to move independently it could however could be confusing for more mobile residents if they cannot find the door to a room because it is blocked by a curtain. The corridor solution was the introduction of sound absorbing panels to the ceilings in corridors. This significantly reduced the reverberation time. The nurses found the acoustically treated spaces a more pleasant environment to work in, but are in themselves part of the problem. So the study felt a further solution would be to make them more aware of their impact on the sound environment and how they can influence it. Human sleep in silent environment: experiment and results – Chen Yuxiao This experiment looked at what happens to sleep when you take noise away. Does a very quiet environment (less than 5dB background noise) lead to a good night’s sleep or does the silent environment inhibit sleep? Could it be too quiet? The bedrooms used were very nice looking and comfortable with good air flow of unpolluted air. People were monitored for the whole night both in the this room and in their own bedroom. It was found that they averaged longer and deeper sleep in the quiet environment with increased levels of REM sleep. Although interestingly some people sleep worsened in the quiet room the gains made by those whose sleep was improved far outweighed this and improved the average. Experimental research for skull vibration from vocalisation impact on cerebrospinal fluid circulation – Li hui The starting point for this study was that deaf children have a low IQ. Whilst blind children share an IQ level similar to hearing and sighted children so how does speech influence our brain. The theory is that skull vibration from vocalisation promotes the diffusion process helps clear plaques on brain tissue and CSF flow increases with vibration. Specifically the sound “eeeee” works best. The link to a decreasing risk of stroke from increased vocalisation was also discussed. Whilst it was generally felt that more needs to be known about the impact of the sounds deaf children do vocalise. And why they do or do not have an effect and whether external vibration such as from playing a violin would have an effect, the audience enjoyed the participation and making the relevant sounds. An investigation into the soundscape harmony between historic mausoleum and modern urban park – Zhang Yuan A large tomb from the Quing dynasty in China is open to the public it is set in a large space of land that is now a public park that contains many activities and a more peaceful woodland setting. It was felt that the noise form the active park would interrupt with the atmosphere of respect found around the mausoleum and felt by visitors to the tomb. It was found that whilst people feel more comfortable in the wooden area a better transition is needed between the active and quiet spaces. Effects of indoor and outdoor noise on residents annoyance and blood pressure – Park Sang Hee 300 residents aged between 20 and 60 took part in this study. All had normal blood pressure and did not take blood pressure medication. The study assessed how annoyed they were by both indoor and outdoor noise and whether this annoyance affected their blood pressure. It was found that those who rated noise annoyance higher did so for both indoor and outside noise so they may have been more sound sensitive. The more annoyance people felt by noise the higher their blood pressure was. It did not matter if this was indoor or outdoor noise Acoustics in operating theatres with modular building technique – Maria Quinn Maria’s presentation started by showing the high sound levels in hospital including the sound level in operating theatres which are extremely noisy spaces. She showed that whilst the Swedish standard SS25268 sets a maximum reverberation time of 0.6 seconds the developers of the increasingly popular modular operating theatres did not appear to know or account for this. In her study the aim was to affect a modular building by adding a 40mm thick sound absorber to the ceiling to meet the 0.6 second requirement. The sound absorbent ceilings had to meet infection control requirements and because of the structure of the space absorption could not be added to the walls. Based on two different designs and size of theatre space (65m2 and 105m2) , T20 and C50 were measured to give a reverberation time and speech clarity, so a perceivement of how sound was actually felt in the space. It was found to be really difficult to achieve 0.6 seconds reverberation time in the larger space and speech frequencies were a specific problem. So the decision was made to add an additional 50mm bass frequency absorber to the back of the ceiling. This had a significant reducing the reverberation time form 0.9 seconds to the 0.6 seconds required by the standard and showed an improvement in speech clarity. Read more about the project here. For more information about the session and Building Acoustics and Health, please contact Andrea Harman.	26,832
GORDON Brown weighs into the independence debate this week with a clinical analysis of the SNP’s case for a Yes vote. The former prime minister sets out to expose what he believes are myths and half-truths peddled by Alex Salmond to win over the electorate. Policy by policy, he takes their arguments apart in a bid to prove that Scotland is better off as part of the United Kingdom. The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP says every plus point put forward by the Yes campaign is deeply flawed – from plans to grow the economy to pensions, our currency and claims that Scotland will be a fairer place to live. Brown said: “I want to delve more deeply into the heart of the arguments on such key issues like childcare, currency, pensions and jobs to show how the SNP’s sums do not add up.” Here, he sets out seven reasons to vote No: FOR half a century the SNP have called for the levers of power on monetary and fiscal policy to be in Scotland. Now the SNP seem prepared to accept that these powers would be limited by their desire to share the pound. If the Scottish Government have their way, monetary policy would be run by England with no formal Scottish input, thus limiting their freedom in decisions on taxation and spending. The Scottish Government would give up being part of the UK and thus lose any formal or direct say over the decisions of the UK Government, the Treasury and the Bank of England. If they fail to achieve this, it will probably leave Scotland trying to peg our currency to the pound, without the stability that allows Hong Kong to align with the dollar and Denmark with the euro. But in both scenarios, formally in or out of the UK currency, we would have no control over exchange or interest rates. The only logical conclusion I can draw is that to manage this crucial area of economic policy, Scotland should remain part of the UK. That way, there would be Scottish MPs at Westminster and Scottish representatives in the UK Government and the Bank of England to ensure a direct leverage over the decisions they make. LAST year, £3335 per head of Scotland’s population was spent on tax credits and benefits, compared with £3275 for the UK as a whole. As a result, Scotland receives more per head for pensions – £1805 versus £1725 – than a population-weighted share would give us. In fact, the share of pensioners in Scotland is 19.2 per cent – higher than the UK’s 18.7 per cent. What’s true for pensioners is also true for all claimants of disability benefits. We receive £375million more in disability payments than a population-weighted allocation would give, with £365 spent per capita compared with the UK’s £305 figure on all disability benefits. The key question is how much of the nearly-poor are lifted out of poverty by tax and benefit transfers. The US lifts only 26 per cent of its poor out of poverty, Canada 30 per cent and Australia 25 per cent. Germany and France do better with 56 and 62 per cent. But Scotland takes 56 per cent of the nearly-poor out of poverty. Projections over the next 25 years suggest that the population of Scotland will rise from 5.22million in 2010 to just over 5.76million in 2035. The cost of pensions in an independent Scotland will rise from five per cent of national income in 2017-18 to nearly eight per cent as early as 2062-3, according to the IFS. And because the numbers in every other age group will decline, there will be a funding gap as National Insurance contributions from those in work fail to keep pace. The Scottish Government promise “accrued rights will be honoured and protected”. But they do not tell us they will have to start afresh with a wholly new Scottish national insurance fund in place of the British NI Fund. WHAT about job prospects, especially for young people? The young person looking to the future will think first of all of what opportunities and job prospects he or she has. Only 56.6 per cent of Scotland’s 16 to 24-year-olds are in work. The answer is that jobs are most likely to come at least in part from trade with, and being part of, the UK. Just under a fifth of private-sector employment in Scotland comes from companies elsewhere in Britain. More than a quarter of Scottish jobs are either dependent on or supported by exports to the rest of the UK. In the public sector, many people are employed directly by the UK Government, such as the armed forces and HMRC. Taking the Civil Service as an example, around 29,000 staff out of 45,000 in Scotland are employed by the UK Government. While many would continue, the ability of an independent Scotland to maintain staffing at current levels is not guaranteed. Jobs in research and development would also be at risk if we sever links with UK-wide research councils, a group of which provides up to 40 per cent of funding to Glasgow and Edinburgh universities. And with a new border slowing down trade, Scotland would lose the benefits of far deeper integration of our economy with England than is achieved within the European Union. Independence is not in itself a solution to the question of where future jobs will come from. THE SNP have predicted growth in an independent Scotland – so where will that come from? Unable to point to a better economic performance than the rest of the UK, they turn to reforms, specifically to higher levels of employment and thus overall growth. They say this will be achieved by getting more women into work, through better childcare provision and by immigration. So are they right about women in the workplace? Enhancing women’s employment opportunities so that they can develop and use their talents to the full, and thereby increase the incomes of their families, was one of my objectives in government from 1997 to 2010. By 2012, Scotland’s rate of women in work had risen to 71.9 per cent and a higher proportion are now in the workforce than in Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the rest of the UK. But the gaps in both the availability and affordability of childcare remain big. In the last six months, according to one assessment, more than half of Scottish parents relied on help from grandparents, compared with just a third across Britain. The Scottish Government promise that by the end of the first parliament “all three and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds will be entitled to 1140 hours of childcare a year” and that by the end of the second parliament “all children from one to school age will be entitled to 1140 hours of childcare per year”. Phase one – 600 hours of childcare for 50 per cent of two-year-olds – is estimated to cost around £80million. Phase two – doubling to 1140 hours by 2020 – has been estimated by the Scottish Government to cost £700million. Yet no estimate of capital costs has been provided. The third and final phase – universal provision of 1140 hours, worth £2000 per child – is uncosted. The Scottish Government claim their proposals will create 35,000 jobs in the childcare sector. But they admit they have conducted no modelling on the impact of the childcare policy itself. The Scottish Parliament Information Centre estimate the cost to be £1.2billion. There is yet another weakness in the SNP’s plan which is dependent on 104,000 women returning to work. The Scottish Parliament Information Centre found there are only 64,000 mothers with children aged one to five. So the policy would cost £1.2billion more than originally thought. ONE of the big drivers of inequality in Scotland is that we have, in Edinburgh, some of the highest-paid financial staff in the Western world. In Scotland, as the economists David Eiser and David Comerford have shown, the richest one per cent had 6.3 per cent of pre-tax incomes in 1997 but 9.4 per cent by 2009. The SNP know that – and it is one of the reasons they’ve refused to commit to Labour’s proposals for a 50p tax rate. Nor do they support a new top-rate band on council tax, or a mansion tax, a higher rate of stamp duty for the most expensive house sales. They don’t even support a tax on bankers’ bonuses. In fact, their main tax pledge is to cut corporation tax by up to three per cent, which would reduce revenues for public services. The SNP do not look to be serious about tackling inequality. That isn’t simply a political failing on their part as a party – it is a direct result of the notion of independence itself, which focuses on the constitutional status of the nation rather than the inequalities within it. WHAT about the SNP’s predicted growth through immigration? For the purposes of their analysis of the impact of migration on growth and the fiscal position, the Institute for Fiscal Studies assume that long-term productivity levels in Scotland will be similar to those of the UK. But it is doubtful whether a major increase in immigration can give us all the extra growth we need. Survey evidence suggests there is little difference in attitudes to immigration between Scotland and the rest of the UK, making it hard to secure public backing for immigration rates at the level Scotland would need. The IFS have examined the impact of an increase in net inward migration over the next 50 years and calculated the impact of a rise from the current average of 9000 people a year to 26,000 a year. This trebling of net inward migration would require immigration to exceed emigration by an overall total of more than one million people between now and 2062. The Treasury believe that net migration between Scotland and the rest of the UK, which has been running at 40,000 a year, may fall to 10,000 a year. But even the most optimistic projection – an additional £1.3billion added over five decades through net migration – would not give us the extra growth we need, according to the IFS, to keep our fiscal position in order. 7. SNP PLEDGES Every SNP pronouncement is based on their certainty that we will be richer. Opinion polls suggest the main reason why people support independence is that they believe they will be better off. Yet the economic arguments for and against independence are not finely balanced. Up to two-thirds of our exports go to England and we enjoy benefits in access to business and employment that come from being part of the UK economy. With oil running down, debts high and the cost of pensions and social security rising, the economic argument for breaking from the UK looks weaker.	166,923
Letter from the Editor Aducanumab approval: Letter from the Editor This week, biotech saw one of its most momentous decisions since the industry’s foundation, with the FDA approval of Biogen’s aducanumab, an anti-amyloid mAb to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The road has been long and hard, and it doesn’t end with this decision. BioCentury has documented the rise and fall and rise again of the amyloid hypothesis, one of the rare areas that stoke passions in the industry with hardened camps of believers and non-believers. The approval this week put FDA cleanly in the believers’ camp, but did little to convince the others. Passions remain high, and the evidence on which FDA made its decision has left stakeholders as polarized as they were before. This week’s collection is a special edition of BioCentury, exploring the implications of the decision for payers, the next amyloid therapies in line, other Alzheimer’s drug developers, and the future of drug development in neurodegeneration. It includes viewpoints from the different stakeholders, in addition to data analyses, the stock market response, and a podcast discussion by BioCentury editors. BioCentury’s team has spoken with dozens of representatives across the industry. Some views are starkly consistent: few if any believe the drug will have a major impact on the disease broadly. Most see this as a seminal moment for drug development, the importance heightened by the huge patient population and the devastating toll the disease takes. None are impervious to the desperation felt by patients and their caregivers. But views diverge on whether this was the right decision for patients, and whether it bolsters or harms FDA’s standing with the public, and with the industry. FDA’s decision-making process, Biogen’s price for the drug, and the uncertainty surrounding access for the treatment have raised questions. Many believe, however, that beyond what it means for this drug, the decision could herald a more optimistic future for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. What’s clear is that this approval will continue to ripple through the industry, and the story is only half told.	141,877
For French carmaker Renault, diversity – men and women, young and old, engineers and non-engineers, different nationalities – means increased creativity, imagination and performance. "Whenever we have a problem we cannot solve, we put together a cross-functional team and I am always amazed at the solutions they come up with," says Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Renault and Nissan. Ghosn, a keynote speaker at the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society which was held here recently, says that there is no limit to the amount of diversity he would accept because diversity is not only right; it is a powerful source of performance and wealth. However, he says we need to define our goals regarding diversity, and the best way to do this is to ensure we are approaching diversity from the right direction. We must also be prepared to accept some segregation while waiting for diversity to arrive. Customer satisfaction and commitment Customers are satisfied when the carmaker’s team is as diverse as the customers themselves. “How can you understand and support your customers if your team is not equally diverse?” he argues. Diversity is also an excellent tool for motivation and commitment, says Ghosn. “You cannot motivate people when there is a glass ceiling. If the employee knows that he can’t be CEO of the company because of his citizenship, why does he need to be loyal? If he feels like a second-class citizen because of his age, why should he go the extra mile?” It is easier to relate to people similar to us in age, cultural background, gender, and language. However, says Ghosn, facing differences is less comfortable but more enriching. While the solutions that come from a diverse team are better than a uniform group, the problem is that at the outset, it takes time and energy to overcome differences. We have to be patient, he says, but in the end diversity will prevail. Would diversity become easier or more difficult for societies to integrate people from different ethnic backgrounds in the years to come, a discussion group was asked. Liz Padmore, a director and associate fellow at Britain's Oxford Said Business School says the group’s overwhelming conclusion was that it would be easier but it would be a rocky road. The internet, education systems that teach children about different cultures, the spread of English as a common world language, the media and global travel are also aiding integration. However, technologies like the internet could also lead to less integration, creating even bigger divisions between those who are connected to it, and those who are not. "Other barriers to integration could be nationalism, the perception of threat, religious extremism and the fear of immigrant populations losing their own national identities," Padmore says. A second discussion group led by Jennifer Jackson-Preece, a senior lecturer at the London School of Economics, identified the best ways to manage and encourage national cohesion and avoid fragmentation. “There’s a need for common values and shared goals, and it’s crucial to involve governments, the private sector and individuals as 'stakeholders' in the process,” she says. "We believe a top-down approach from the government at improving integration does not always work on its own. There needs to be common involvement.” Legislation to outlaw discrimination and prejudice is vital, and the media could be encouraged to promote more positive aspects of immigration, rather than always focusing on the negative, she adds. Making diversity an asset When asked to consider what action could be taken to make diversity an asset in companies and societies, moderator Anita Pratap, an independent writer and journalist from Norway, summed up the views of her discussion group: "We found that there was no single individual action that would be enough, but rather a combination of actions from macro-government level right down to the micro level of communities and families.” The group also felt that education was essential as the very first step in making diversity an asset to our societies, she says. Ghosn concludes that in order to promote cohesion at all levels, it is vital to get to the very root of the differences that exist between people. "A prime example of this is perhaps the fact that women still cannot be priests in the Catholic church. But it just so happens that if you look in the Bible, you'll find that Jesus never actually said that. Jesus fought segregation and so should we." The Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society was held in Deauville in mid-October.	19,033
Mar 07, 2005 “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life,” by Jon Kabat-Zinn Kabat-Zinn, son of historian Howard Zinn, is a true pioneer in the field of applying mindfulness to the problem of relieving psychological and physical distress. Thirty years ago at UMass Medical Center he started the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program — a program that has since spawned Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-based Anxiety Reduction, Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders, and so on. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction title is arguably a misnomer, tending as it does to conjure up images of executives with ulcers. Kabat-Zinn’s field was working with people who experienced chronic pain, and whom conventional treatments had failed. In other words he took on the most difficult cases. And he was successful. Clinical trials showed long-term reduction in the amount of pain that his patients experienced, even years after they had taken a course. To Kabat-Zinn, meditation is important because it brings about a state of “mindfulness,” a condition of “being” rather than “doing” during which you pay attention to the moment rather than the past, the future, or the multitudinous distractions of modern life. I n brief, rather poetic chapters, he describes different meditative practices and what they can do for the practitioner. The idea that meditation is “spiritual” is often confusing to people, Kabat-Zinn writes; he prefers to think of it as what you might call a workout for your consciousness. This book makes learning meditation remarkably easy (although practicing it is not). But it also makes it seem infinitely appealing.	108,777
The INSIDER summary: - Legendary rock climber Alex Honnold recently completed the first free-solo climb of 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, scaling the cliff without ropes or safety devices in less than four hours on June 3. - It's a climb that many are calling the most difficult and dangerous free solo ever. - Sensation-seekers are individuals who aren't afraid to take risks. - Joseph hopes that one day, research might show ways to channel this personality trait in people at risk for substance abuse away from those risks and towards other rewarding activities. Honnold almost certainly fits into a group of people that are defined as high — or in Honnold's case, "super" — sensation seekers, who frequently seek out extreme and risky experiences, according to Jane Joseph, a Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. Most high sensation seekers aren't as extreme as Honnold, who also has aspects of his personality that may help him mitigate risk, but sensation-seeking is still a fairly common personality trait. Many people are driven to do things that excite them, no matter how risky or terrifying those activities might seem to others. If you heard about a chance to ski down a steep backcountry slope, would you jump on that opportunity? Does wandering through an unknown city where you don't speak the language sound fun? Do you get restless or bored doing the same thing day after day? Does watching video of someone like Honnold climb make you feel thrilled? Then you may score highly on measures of a personality trait that psychologists call "sensation-seeking." "It's an overall behavior tendency to really seek out rewarding experiences despite the risk involved," Joseph tells Business Insider. In other words, she says it's not about the risk. It's about the reward. But the desire for that rewarding sensation overpowers concerns about risk, according to Joseph. Here are 17 of the ways that behavioral tendency is expressed and things that sensation-seekers have in common. Everyone falls somewhere on the sensation-seeking spectrum, but some people are more likely to ignore risks and instead seek rewards than others, to the point they may seem attracted to risk. There are four subcategories to sensation seeking: experience seeking (wanting new sensory or mental experiences), thrill and adventure seeking, susceptibility to boredom, and disinhibition (enjoying things like "wild parties"). Not all sensation-seeking activities are risky (and not everyone who takes risks does so because of this behavior trait). Younger people are more likely to score highly on a sensation seeking-scale than older people. And men generally report higher levels of sensation-seeking than women. We don't know exactly how common sensation-seeking is, but Joseph says it's pretty easy to find people with high levels of this trait on college campuses. Psychologists like Joseph study this behavior because it's one of the stronger predictors we have of drug and alcohol abuse. That may be especially the case when sensation-seeking is combined with "negative urgency," a trait that causes people to do impulsive things in response to negative sensations. There are genetic components to sensation-seeking. Brain scans of people who score very highly on this trait tend to show reduced responses to some stimuli, which may explain why these individuals are driven to particularly intense activities. Sensation-seekers tend to enjoy adventure travel and extreme sports. Source: Pizam et al.	117,235
The Training Program The anesthesiology residency program at UAB is a national leader in anesthesia education, combining robust clinical experiences, strong didactic program and opportunities for leadership and service. The Department of Anesthesiology at UAB performs more than 40,000 anesthetic procedures annually at University Hospital, UAB Highlands, Callahan Eye Hospital, Kirklin Clinic, Children's Hospital of Alabama and Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Our goal is to provide a balanced academic environment in which aspiring young physicians develop into excellent consultant anesthesiologists. Such an environment promotes clinical excellence, sparks investigative interests and helps to develop administrative and teaching skills that will be applicable throughout an evolving career. Upon graduation, these physicians enter the practice of their choice, whether private or academic, and rapidly develop the respect and admiration of their colleagues and patients.	67,695
The Internal Combustion Engine Division of the ASME is pleased to announce the details of its upcoming 2011 Fall Technical Conference to be held October 2 - 5, 2011 in Morgantown, West Virginia and hosted by West Virginia University. The technical program includes the following: - Around 100 technical papers presented by leading researchers in the field. - Keynote address by Professor Nigel Clark (West Virginia University) discussing the development of internal combustion engines in the face of societal pressures. - A free workshop (to registered conference participants) conducted by the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emission of West Virginia University on Advances in Tailpipe Sensors. - A panel composed of leading alternative fuel researchers discussing the future directions of alternative fuels and their impact on internal combustion engines. - Presentations delivered by three undergraduate student engine enthusiasts who competed through an international competition to attend and participate in the conference for free. - Technical tours of West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emission Laboratories. In addition to the technically rich environment, the conference offers a small but collegial atmosphere for networking, vibrant discussions, and enthusiastic collaborations to advance the science and art of the internal combustion engine. Reduced registration fees for students offer employers a unique opportunity to recruit next-generation experts to their organizations. Registration is now open with early-bird registration rates available until September 1, 2011. For more information, please contact: Administrative Questions (including sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities): John C. Hedrick Southwest Research Institute Technical Program Questions: Timothy J. Jacobs, Ph.D Texas A&M University \|SAVE THE DATES \|ASME IC Engine 2012 Spring Technical Conference Hosted by Polytechnic University of Torino May 6 - 9, 2012 \|\|ASME IC Engine 2012 Fall Technical Conference Hosted by Westport Innovations, Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada September 23 - 26, 2012	162,728
A former home team on the brink of a championshipBy The days of baseball are quickly drawing to a close. An hour ago, I flipped my calendar to November, and forty minutes before that, Brian Wilson completed what Madison Bumgarner to bring the San Francisco Giants one win away from their first World Series since 1954 when they were New York’s third team. As New York City baseball history goes, the Giants seem to be the forgotten team. The Brooklyn Dodgers are the lovable losers of yesteryear whose departure left a Walter O’Malley- or Robert Moses-sized hole in the heart of the Borough of Kings. The Mets are the scrappy upstarts. The Yankees reign supreme. But the Giants — 75-year veterans of Manhattan — are an afterthought. No one waxes nostalgic at the catches made by Willie Mays in the Polo Grounds, the five World Series titles they took home, their quirky ballpark on the bluff across the river from Yankee Stadium. Three thousand miles and 43 seasons removed from their last year in New York, the Giants could win the World Series today for the first time since New York. When the Giants left town, the final game was treated like a celebratory funeral. Milton Bracker of The Times wrote about how fans stormed the field, taking anything they could from the Polo Grounds. “The mass pursuit,” he said, “was touched off by affection, excitement, nostalgia, curiosity and annoyance at the fact the team next year will represent San Francisco.” The Giants came to New York by way of Troy in 1883 when the upstate team folded. The National League moved the franchise to New York and called it the Gothams for a few years. By the end of the 1880s, the team had inherited the Giants moniker and were a powerhouse of the early 1900s. By the time the team left for the windier pastures of San Francisco, fans were calling for the head of the owner and for the adulation of Willie Mays. “Stay, team, stay,” said the banner in the outfield, but it was too little, too late. Of course, attendance — and a new ballpark — were the driving factors behind the Giants’ departure. They drew just a million fans a year over the last few seasons of their stay in the Polo Grounds. New York would not grant them a new stadium, and with Minneapolis and San Francisco vying for a club, the team’s days in the Big Apple were numbered. In fact, the Giants announced their departure from New York a week before the Dodgers did, and while O’Malley and Moses engaged in a ballpark fight until the bitter end, Horace Stoneham just picked up his team and left. Today, Giants fans still live in New York. In 2008, Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing outed himself as one on the Banter, and more recently, Corey Kilgannon tracked down some old-time Giants fans who couldn’t watch the game due to the FOX/Cablevision dispute. “A lot of us never stopped rooting for the Giants after they moved, and the loyalty has been passed down to younger generations,” 81-year-old Bill Kent, a former Polo Grounds worker and current head of the New York Baseball Giants Nostalgia Society said. “So the Giants have a big fan base in New York, but you never hear about us.” Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps Wednesday, the Giants will grab that elusive sixth World Series title. They’ve been waiting for 56 years and two coasts to win it, and most New Yorkers won’t blink. Perhaps we should though as a team that once called our fair city home will bring a trophy to its West Coast environs years after packing up the cats and shipping west.	76,865
Whole Foods Workers Launch 'Fight for 15' Higher Wage Campaign LAKEVIEW — More than a dozen employees and 50 activists marched outside the Whole Foods on Halsted Street and Waveland Avenue Wednesday, demanding that the organic food grocer treat its workers better. The company makes billions, protesters said, so its employees deserve at least $15 an hour in wages. A point system that penalizes employees for being sick or missing work to care for a sick loved one should be eliminated, they said. And workers have a right to unionize and demand better treatment, they declared. "We live every day on a razor's edge," said Matthew Camp, who's worked as a cashier for two years. Many of the 15 or so Whole Foods employees also protested low wages in April as part of a citywide fast food and retail worker campaign called "Fight for 15," spearheaded by the Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago. Management responded by saying in May that it would look into eliminating the point program, Camp said. But since then, workers have heard nothing, he said. Whole Foods management at the store had no comment. The Austin, Texas-based company's CEO, John Mackey, has been a vocally anti-union, and the company has squashed earlier attempts to organize at other stores. However, the company said it has been named by Fortune magazine as one of America's top 100 places to work in each of the last 15 years. Whole Foods called its pay and benefits "competitive," with the average pay for "team members" being $18.63, said spokesman Keith Stewart. Whole Foods also pays the health insurance premiums for its "team members" and offers discounted stock options, the company says. "Whole Foods Market supports fair wages for all workers [in and outside of Whole Foods Market] and are proud of our team members and the things that we do to support them," Stewart said in an email statement. But Whole Foods Lincoln Park employee Trish Kahle said management responded to complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace after April's protest by blaming her clothing. Women frequently experience sexual harassment, and management does nothing about it, she said. Bosses once stood by as a customer invited her and three female co-workers to join him in a limo if one performed fellatio on him, she said. "We can't tell a creep to go away," she said. "The second I complained about it, he said I shouldn't wear the shirt I was wearing." Even though the company has not made changes locally, April's protest "emboldened people" to ask for what they need — "dignity at work," she said. Fewer than 100 people work at the Lakeview Whole Foods, Camp said. About 20 people signed on to organize, he said. Inside the Lakeview Whole Foods, 3640 N. Halsted St., people still milled about during the lunch hour, and a handful of cashiers were still working. An employee who was not part of the protest said influx of customers was "steady" and that he was surprised to see the march outside. "I didn't know it was a situation," he said. Later in the day, the Fight for 15 campaign protested outside a McDonald's at 38th and Archer in Brighton Park, according to the campaign's Twitter. The campaign, denoted on Twitter with the hashtag #strikefor15, has reportedly spread to low-wage jobs in other cities. Whole Foods employee Ramon Quinones said employees planned to protest as long as necessary. "Trust me," he said, "They're going to be wishing I was there today."	156,570
Compared to the other cities in Texas and cities in all other U.S. states, how safe is Dallas, TX? From the gauges displayed above, you will notice that Dallas, TX has been ranked safer than 10% of other cities in the state of Texas. In addition, Dallas, TX is safer than 12% of cities in the entire United States. To achieve these results, all Texas and United States cities were analyzed to determine how many locations had a lower crime rate than Dallas, TX. By studying this data, it was possible to determine that Dallas, TX is below average in safety when compared with other United States cities.	80,102
You may not have realised it before now but the Solar Challenge happens around this time of year in Australia. Competitors from around the world try to get from Darwin to Adelaide (it is quite a long way) in the solar powered cars they have designed. It sounds like a great idea to me and I wonder what other things we should be looking to make solar powered as well. Solar powered electric lawn mowers sound like a fairly sensible idea. After all, grass only grows when it is sunny and everyone waits for a sunny Sunday afternoon to go out and cut their lawns. When did you ever see anyone mow their grass in the dark? Actually, I did it once but it turned out really badly so I won’t be doing it again. Would solar powered commercial freezers make any sense at all. Well, you don’t really need your freezer to works its ice based magic when it is cold and dark, do you? Yet, when the sun is shining you want it to cool away and make ice. This could be a great idea for portable fridges in which you want to keep soft drinks or, gulp, beer when you have a picnic. If the sun doesn’t shine then you can get all depressed with some warm drinks and if our solar friend makes an appearance everyone’s a winner. Didn’t the Mayans or the Egyptians have some sort of solar powered antique hand drills? I was watching one of those programmes about aliens the other day (I love that stuff, the more unbeleivable the better as far as I am concerned) and I am sure the guy with the wild hair said that. If I could have a ride in a solar powered zeppelin my life would be complete. Can you imagine harnessing the power of the astral disc and soaring up in the sky justlike the ancient Incas and Persians once did?	235,821
Two varieties of locust tree grow in the United States, the honey locust tree and black locust tree. Both types of locust tree are common ornamental plantings, but these sturdy trees are also useful in preventing erosion and as windbreaks. Like most trees, both varieties of locust tree may develop shoots, or suckers, at the base, though the black locust is more prone to them. Whichever variety of locust tree is in your yard, you will remove the base shoots in the same way. Things You'll Need Inspect thriving locust trees for suckers weekly. Walk around each locust tree in your landscape to look for shoots coming up at the base of the trees. Remove all locust tree shoots as they appear. When you find a new shoot at the base of the locust tree during your inspections, pull the shoots up like weeds if they are very thin and small to break them from the roots. If the shoots are more than 1/2 inch when you find them, use shears to cut them off at ground level to keep from disturbing the roots of the locust tree beneath the soil. Inspect and pull up shoots at the base of locust trees that have been cut down as well. Check the base of a locust tree stump every week and remove any shoots that appear. If you continue this process, according to Barbara Medford of the University of Texas, the roots of the locust trees eventually starve from lack of sunlight and the locust tree stump will rot naturally. Kill shoots coming up around locust tree stumps with an herbicide brush killer if they are causing issues or if the shoots appear too quickly for you to keep up with them. To kill the roots of the trees, and therefore the shoots that form from those roots, most effectively, dig to find a large, main root of the tree and cut into the root. Apply the brush killer to the exposed area of the root with a paintbrush to attack the roots of the locust tree directly. Always wear gloves and safety glasses and keep all areas of skin covered when handling herbicides, such as brush killers. By painting brush killer directly onto the roots of locust trees, you kill the plant more quickly and also prevent contamination of the surrounding soil and plants. - United States Department of Agriculture; Honey Locust Plant Guide; Guy Nesom; February 2003 - United States Department of Agriculture; Black Locus Plant Fact Sheet; John Dickerson; February 2002 - University of Texas at Austin; Plant Propagation; Barbara Medford; July 2009 - Donnan; Honeylocust Sprouts; Sandy Feather; 2010	167,807

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