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DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan Search for: [Show options] 3 definitions found From: DICT.TW English-Chinese Dictionary 英漢字典  flood tide From: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)  Flood n.  1. A great flow of water; a body of moving water; the flowing stream, as of a river; especially, a body of water, rising, swelling, and overflowing land not usually thus covered; a deluge; a freshet; an inundation.  A covenant never to destroy  The earth again by flood.   --Milton.  2. The flowing in of the tide; the semidiurnal swell or rise of water in the ocean; -- opposed to ebb; as, young flood; high flood.  There is a tide in the affairs of men,  3. A great flow or stream of any fluid substance; as, a flood of light; a flood of lava; hence, a great quantity widely diffused; an overflowing; a superabundance; as, a flood of bank notes; a flood of paper currency.  4. Menstrual disharge; menses.  Flood anchor Naut. , the anchor by which a ship is held while the tide is rising.  Flood fence, a fence so secured that it will not be swept away by a flood.  Flood gate, a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing, a body of water; a tide gate.  Flood mark, the mark or line to which the tide, or a flood, rises; high-water mark.  Flood tide, the rising tide; -- opposed to ebb tide.  The Flood, the deluge in the days of Noah. From: WordNet (r) 2.0  flood tide       n 1: the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or            developing or unfolding; "the climax of the artist's            career"; "in the flood tide of his success" [syn: climax]       2: the occurrence of incoming water (between a low tide and the          following high tide) [syn: rising tide] [ant: ebbtide]
Language as a Tool he universe is a complex entity when viewed from the bottom of its hierarchy of concepts. It really isn't inscrutable though. It is the simplest thing conceivable. Solving its most fundamental mysteries is certainly less difficult than, say, unraveling the "human genome". This is because we can attack the solution from the perspective of language. There are only a few million words and if we admit that an explanatory formulation is possible within present linguistic constraints, we can proceed to toss out all those words which would be useless in that explanation. For instance, we can toss out "gasoline" since it would not be included in a fundamental description of existence. It would be used in a much lengthier document however. But we would keep a word like "rotate". Obviously, we will end up with just a few thousand words with which to construct our "opus maximus". Does anyone believe that just collecting these words will take much time? I hardly think that more than a few months would be required to go through all the words in the English language (if a few dozen knowledgeable people were working on it). Now, from this list of usable words, we might construct an infinitude of explanations there being an enormous number of permutations of, say, twenty thousand word compositions. We can wade through these permutations by looking only at those which exhibit a plan consistent with empirical evidence and offered as a system wherein words logically prior to others are given greatest prominence (in other words, the usable words must be arranged in a hierachical structure ... something which is today a philosophical no-no). Of these there are damned few. There is one on this site (disagreements to the contrary notwithstanding). (See my tome - "Nature of Understanding" - if you have a chance. It is here relevant.) I know by the process of "exhaustion" (i.e. nothing major left unconsidered) that the universe is fundamentally a simple integer count. You don't because it is not possible for me to transmit all the wrong ideas which frame (delimit) that conclusion. There are just too many of them. Your disagreement is both understandable and expected. It is also commendable if you are as genuinely interested in "the solution" as I am. I certainly would not take on faith someone else's ideas. I would find my own way. I have only two last questions: 1) Do you really think that the universe is not understandable? 2) Do you really think that it is not the simplest thing ? YES Return to Index NO Ebtx Home Page
Venezuela: Failed State in the Making? “The devil came here yesterday, and it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.” So said the notorious Hugo Chavez, late president of Venezuela, at a United Nations speech in 2006, alluding to George W. Bush’s presence at the United Nations Convention the day before. Image courtesy of Valter Campanato, © 2013, some rights reserved. Venezuela sits nestled between Colombia and Guyana on the Caribbean coast of the South American continent. It is perhaps best known for its eccentric former president, Hugo Chavez. Chavez’s vitriolic anti-American rhetoric and foreign policy caprice made him an incredibly controversial figure on the global political stage, despised by the United States and its allies but hailed as a savior among many of his own people. Idiosyncrasy aside, the Chavez administration lies at the crux of Venezuela’s devolution from semi-functioning democracy to a now quasi-failed state. Chavez began his political career as an infantry commander, catapulted into the limelight after an attempted coup against the Carlos Perez administration in 1992. Though he failed to unseat Perez, the coup gave him the exposure he needed to formally enter politics at the head of his nascent populist party, the Movimiento Quinto Revolucionario (Fifth Republic Movement, or MVR). In 1998, Chavez ran for president and won by a solid margin, beginning a lengthy and tumultuous fourteen-year term that began and ended with little more than bombast. His election augured in a new and ambitious constitution, which, reflective of Chavez’s idolatry of socialist leader Simon Bolivar, changed the name of the country to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as well as enshrining the extended rights of health, education, and employment. The 1999 constitution increased the power of the executive office, lengthening the presidential term time by one year and creating the possibility for consecutive re-election. A decade later, three years after a successful 2006 presidential campaign, Chavez put forth a referendum to abolish term limits, which passed with 54%[i] of the vote and in a sense formalized Chavez’s evident dictatorship. A year after obtaining a green light to become a lifelong president, Chavez gained the power to rule by decree for eighteen months from a rubber-stamp National Assembly. Shrewdly, Chavez had gone from legitimate political candidate to undisputed autocrat in a mere dozen years. Throughout all of his campaigns, Chavez was consistently plagued with accusations of election fraud from his opposition. However, no concrete evidence as to malpractice was ever revealed, and Chavez has garnered enough supporters to legitimise his role as head of state. Chavez’s domestic policy decisions were ostensibly beneficial: he nationalised the oil industry in 2001 with decree no. 1501, or the Hydrocarbons Organic Law, and used the revenues to fund social welfare programs that provided free and accessible healthcare and education to many Venezuelans[ii]. In fact, a 2011 report by the Organization of American States in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program called “Nuestra Democracia” (Our Democracy) noted that poverty in Venezuela decreased by over 20%, with extreme poverty mitigated by almost 10%. Chavez’s welfare initiatives garnered him considerable and enduring popularity, which manifested itself in the election of October 2012, in which Chavez won with almost 55%[iii] of the vote, a landslide victory against the liberal-reformist candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski. Though Chavez’s welfare policies are lauded by both international organizations and his own citizens for their success in relieving poverty, his administration’s impotence in maintaining a functioning civic infrastructure and controlling the crime rate has led Venezuela to the brink of failed-statehood. Failed states have multiple distinguishing factors. According to leading political theorist Robert Rotberg, “Nation-states fail because they are convulsed by internal violence and can no longer deliver positive political goods to their inhabitants.”[iv] ‘Political goods’ encompass the duties that a government owes its people, namely the assurance and enforcement of basic liberties, such as those of life, speech, belief, and protest. First and foremost, a state must be able to ensure the security of its citizenry, for civil society can only burgeon when founded on the promise of preservation of life. Throughout Chavez’s 12-year presidency, Venezuela’s homicide rate skyrocketed, until by 2012 it had become the most violent country in South America. The lack of security and widespread lawlessness in Venezuela thus primes it for deterioration into failed statehood. Crime in Venezuela is further exacerbated by infrastructural inadequacy. By 2009, massive power outages and staple food shortages were plaguing the nation. The government began rationing necessities such as clean water, bread, and milk. Chavez’s administration had ostracised both American and international corporations to the extent that the few remaining multinationals were oil companies, and even those were beginning to distance themselves from the disastrous Venezuelan situation. A state-controlled exchange rate prevented the government from using monetary policy to fight inflation, leading to unsettling price fluctuations that, coupled with the scarcity of basic goods, left millions in the country destitute. Due to these factors, by the end of his third and last term as president, Chavez was facing a strong and angry liberal opposition that espoused the long-neglected ideals of democratic reform, civic accountability, and government transparency. On March 5th, 2013, Hugo Chavez died, leaving a divided, restless, and slowly imploding country. A follow-up election was, in strict accordance with the 1999 constitution, planned for the following month. Unsurprisingly, Chavez’s hand-picked successor, vice-president Nicolas Maduro, won the election and has since perpetuated the Chavista tradition of antagonism toward the United States, intolerance of dissent, and neglect of a rapidly disintegrating social fabric. Maduro even apes Chavista rhetoric, flinging almost farcical insults at the US head of state – Chavez labeled Obama “a poor ignoramus”[v], while Maduro chose to re-introduce the fire-and-brimstone allusion in calling the American President “the boss of the devils.”[vi] Try as he may, Maduro has not been able to capture the heart and minds of Chavez’s constituency. While Chavez defeated opposition leader Capriles in October by nearly 10% of the vote, the latter lost the April election against Maduro by a negligible amount, little more than 1%. Maduro fails to reaffirm Chavez’s charismatic legitimacy, fragmenting his political base and allowing the opposition to grow and consolidate against him. Failed states, fittingly enough, are characterized by the absence of trust in the political system and myriad insurgencies or warring factions that struggle to seize control of the nation. Though Venezuela has not devolved into such a condition, it is only a matter of time before a coup d’etat is attempted. Already, Maduro has led Venezuela further away from international oversight in his withdrawal from the American Convention of Human Rights, stereotypically lambasting it as an extension of United States’ authority. Domestically, the country is suffering from aggravated shortages and lengthening power outages, which the government has done little to address, citing sabotage as the cause of all woe. Protests are ravaging the capital city of Caracas, with schools and universities operating intermittently due to both perpetual unrest and continued indignation over the inadequacy of the Chavez-Maduro regime. Barring the occurrence of a miraculous rapprochement between Maduro and the opposition party, his inability to sustain popular support combined with an increasingly isolationist foreign policy will inevitably catalyse a stand-off between government forces and those who wish to pull Venezuela out of the darkness – literally. Strictly speaking, Venezuela is not as of yet a “failed state.” But it is pretty damn close. [iv] Rotberg, Robert. State Failure and Weakness in a Time of Terror. Leave a Reply
Competence in nail patterns technic & Facade construction Why timber? The forest is one of the ecosystem's most valuable renewable resources. The sustainable use of wood helps protect forests and all the benefits they offer for water, the soil, the air and for recreation. Wood can be produced in an environmentally-friendly way, is CO2 neutral and does not require a lot of energy to process. Germany is rich in forests, which represent a substantial potential economic resource. Timber as a building material also aids regional development. Examples of existing buildings show that wood can be a modern building material that ·         is light,  ·         stable, ·         has good thermal insulation properties, ·         is easy to process and ·         can be used as a material or used for heat. Wood, the living building material Wood is a biological building material that grows and decays as part of the cycle of nature. Wood is alive. People feel comfortable when surrounded by this living material. Whether in architectural construction, garden design or interior furnishings - wood makes us feel close to nature. Homes made with wood feel warm and cosy. That is surely an important factor in explaining how wood has held its ground against modern competitors like concrete, steel and plastic.  Wood is unique and distinctive. Nowadays it is more in demand than ever, thanks to people's growing desire for a sense of nature.  1. Production workflow (wood drying)  Doubled drying capacity Our in-house drying facility at our factory in Fürstenau was no longer able to keep up with growing demand for DIN compliant timber.  In order to avoid supply bottlenecks, and also so that we could remain independent of suppliers, drying capacity was doubled in July. The computer-controlled wood drying process is run on a scientific basis; sensors monitor the drying process and sophisticated control software guarantees optimal results.  This type of drying ensures the dimensions of the wood are accurate and stable, which is very important as it keeps dimension and shape alterations to a minimum in the final building. It easily fulfils the requirements of DIN 4074, which means future safety and the quality you expect can be guaranteed. 2. Production workflow (woodcutting)  The dried timber is professionally cut to the dimensions specified by the engineer using fully-automated, high-precision equipment. Thanks to modern technology it is not necessary to adjust the dimensions, because today's graphics and structural analysis programs use an interface between the calculated data and the machine. That means the data are transmitted directly to the machine and the desired measurements can be cut with absolute accuracy. In order to keep production times as low as possible, work goes on with another saw at the same time. This is where the truss struts for the nail plate trusses are cut to measure.  This saw allows the truss struts to be cut in just one work process. Four large saw blades, each set to a different angle, accurately cut each truss strut.  This process also uses the most up-to-date computer technology 3. Production workflow (pressing the nail plates into the cut timber)  The computer-controlled special press places the nail plates on the cut timber at their designated connection points. Once the nail plates are precisely and correctly positioned at their different connection points, they are all pressed into the wood beams in one movement using the high-pressure special press. The connection points only need to be saved once, and next time they can easily be retrieved.  In order for the cut timber to become a finished product, the wood must be assembled into the shapes designed by the engineer. A template is constructed and used to ensure that all the elements are identical. Nail plates are used to connect the truss struts with the top and bottom chords. These nail plates are galvanised steel plates fitted with a varying number of nails in a range of patterns. They can optionally be made from stainless steel (preferable for truss constructions with no suspended ceiling and for stables). They are manufactured or punched-out as one component. They are structurally designed to guarantee optimal stability and load-bearing capacity in each individual timber construction. Each connection point is exposed to different loads, so different size nail plates are used depending on the connection point.   4. Final product (nail plate binder)
Iraqi Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 10 Issue 2 April - June / 2012 Published on website | Date : 2016-04-04 20:44:00 May F Al-Habib, Salih S Kadhim Background:Aging has many effects on a person’s skin, from wrinkles and sags to increased risk of certain skin conditions, such as skin cancer. As people age, their skin begins to change due to environmental, genetic, nutrition and other factors. Objectives:Understand some of the changes that occur in aging skin including changes in the general morphological, histological and architectural arrangement, epidermal thickness, basement membrane and histochemical changes in melanocytes. Methods:Skin specimens were taken from the anterior abdominal wall of 30 human males at different ages. General histological preparation for paraffin blocks was performed and the blocks were sectioned at (5-6µ) and stained with H&E. S100 protein was used to demonstrate immunohistochemistry labeled melanocytes changes with age. Histometric measurement of epidermal thickness and basement membrane thickness, using eyepiece graticule was performed on these groups. Results:The young age group showed a uniform arrangement of cells in all stratums of the epidermis while the old age group showed diminished thickness of the epidermis. A significant difference between young- adult age group (A and B groups) and the old age group (C group) was recorded. The epithelial basement membrane thickness was increased with age significantly (P value ≤ 0.001). Melanocytes demonstration using S100 showed that these cells tend to be situated at the tips of rete pages, there number are generally low and didn't varied a lot between young and adult age groups. There was yet marked decline in the number of melanocytes in old age group. Conclusion:Aging as a process have a marked influences on skin morphology, thickness, cellularity and basement membrane. Key Words:Aging, skin, S100, morphometry and basement membrane
Food Sensitivity Testing Uncover food and chemical sensitivities with the Alcat Test The Alcat Test measures cellular reactions to over 450 substances. To date, the Alcat Test has helped over half a million people change their health. How it works A small sample of your blood is sent to the laboratory overnight. Upon receiving the sample, the blood goes through a multi-step quality assurance process. During testing, your white blood cells are tested against foods and other substances in a process known as flow cytometry and cell impedance methodology. After testing, the results are presented in a clear and easy to read color-coded format. The power of knowing There is a new paradigm in health and medicine - personalization. Health can be improved and maintained by knowing how food plays a role in your body. The following link explains what foods, chemicals, and herbs can be tested: The following link is a video that explains this testing in more detail:
Rubik’s Cube Past April 6, 2017 Rubik’s cube past The Rubik’s cube was invented in 1974 in Hungary by Erno Rubik. This puzzle Cube was first put in stores in 1980. Within a very short time people all over the world sought the Rubik’s Cube. Within two years a hundred million Rubik’s Cubes had been solved. The Cube then became the most popular puzzle in history. Rubik’s Cube past It was extremely popular in the early 1980′s and then the craze died down for years. In then reemerged about 8 years ago. There are 10 times at least Rubik’s cubes sold today than there were in the world in the 1980′s. Rubik’s Cube past It is amazing to see how much faster the Rubik’s cube world record of completing the cube is today compared to 1982. In 1982 it stood at 22 seconds, today it stands at a fantastic 5.55 seconds. The reason for this improved time are firstly turns of the cube are carried out by finger pushes are much quicker moves. Secondly it is solved in much lesser moves. Thirdly, because of the increasing Rubik’s Cube tutorials,there are millions of more people worldwide who can solve the Rubik’s cube. One fifth of the world’s population has played the Rubik’s cube. There have been more than 300 million Rubik’s cube sold worldwide. Over the years the Rubik’s cube has featured in hundreds of magazines, books and movies. There are lots of web pages and blogs that are occupied with content relating to the Rubik’s cube. Rubik’s Cube past The Rubik’s cube was once called the magic cube. The Rubik’s cube is loved by all ages and cultures. It has had an impact on millions of people in a positive way. One of my most memorable moments is when Thabiut Jacquinot became the first person to solve the Rubik’s Cube under 10 seconds at a speed cubing competition in 2007 called the Spanish Open 2007. Rubik’s cube past The Rubik’s Cube has fascinated millions globally and its popularity is ever increasing.It has become so deeply rooted in our culture that it is used in advertising and the promotion of certain events and businesses. Rubik’s Cube speed cubing competitions are increasing all the time.
engineering fundamentals Discussion Forum Directory | Career | News | Industrial Home Membership Magazines Forum Search Member Calculators List Recent Topics | Start a New Topic << Previous Message No. 11797 Next >> Author: acroduster1 Time: 08/07/03 13:56 PST This is a reply to message no. 11788 by gerdb Current Topic: Microsoft Excel is WRONG!!! Beware... Sorry, gerdb - you'll have to write to that Doc of yours... I was schooled in the U.S. and Britain and have tutored and taught math from grade school through college.  All I've said adheres to standards of mathematics printed in all levels of books I've ever seen.  And yes it's nerdy - but I've seen a bunch of these books because I collect them. As for other programs, try out Mathematica on this website.  Would you think they would have it wrong?  Type in -5^2 and you get the correct -25.  Try MathCad, or any other program that actually follows math rules and you'll find the same thing, to wit: -5^2 = -25 -(5)^2 = -25 -(5^2) = -25 (-5)^2 = 25 As for writing out the plusses and minuses, the easiest way to always get this right (from years of teaching this) is to remember the following:  Subtraction is just adding a negative and a negative is simply a number multiplied by -1.  To use your example: +5^2 + (-1)*5^2 = 0   is the same as saying   5^2 - 5^2 = 0 (-1)*5^2 + 5^2 = 0     is the same as saying  -5^2 + 5^2 = 0 Since, in the order of operations, exponents come before multiplication, you would do the 5^2 first, then multiply by the -1. All Microsoft tried to do was help reduce keystrokes in formulas.  The correct way to get a positive from this is as above:  (-5)^2 where the -1 and the 5 are both squared.  They just tried to save you the parenthesis. All I ask is that you spread the word to other engineers.  Luckily, I knew that the answer coming through on my spreadsheet was wrong and took the time to find it.  What worries me are those that got an answer that was only 5% or 10% off and passed the back of the envelope test, but is now an undersized <> in public use. [ List Replies to This Message Only ] Home  Membership  About Us  Privacy  Disclaimer  Contact  Advertise Copyright © 2019 eFunda, Inc.
State Solution to Air Pollution By: Rafael Rodriguez Even though you can survive many days without food and several hours without water, without air you would die within a few minutes.[i] Particularly, air pollution can burn your eyes and nose, which can affect visibility and the ability to breathe.[ii] In order to combat pollution in the air, Congress passed the Clean Air Act (hereinafter “the Act”), which gave the federal government the power to limit air pollution in the United States.[iii] The Act states that air pollution prevention is the primary responsibility of individual states, but acknowledges federal assistance is essential on achieving those goals.[iv] The Act essentially depends on a cooperative federalism structure under which the federal government develops baseline standards that the states follow.[v] The Act itself allows states to adopt or enforce standards for air that can be stricter than what the federal guidelines require.[vi] Or at least, that is what some courts have been ruling.[vii] On November 2, 2015, the Sixth Circuit followed the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court of Iowa, and concluded that the Act does not preempt common law claims brought against an emitter of pollution based on the law of the state in which that emitter conducts its activities. [viii] In Merrick v. Diageo Ams. Supply, Inc., owners, lessors, and renters of properties near Diageo’s warehouses were affected by whiskey fungus and complained to air pollution control about the amount of whiskey fungus that was growing on their property due to their proximity to Diageo’s warehouses.[ix] The plaintiff’s alleged that the Act did not preempt the state common laws of nuisance and trespass, while the defendants suggested that those claims would disrupt the Act’s cooperative federalism structure because it would allow states to adopt stricter standards than the ‘floor’ established by federal law.[x] The Sixth Circuit held that the Act expressly allowed the States to impose stricter standards on air pollution than the federal government; therefore, the common-law claims were not preempted.[xi] The Fourth Circuit, however, in N.C. ex rel. Cooper v. TVA held to the contrary, and recognized that allowing nuisance claims would provide an unmanageable method with which to implement regular standards of pollution control.[xii]  The court reasoned that allowing the state claims would conflict too much with pollution control guidelines set forth in the Act and dismissed the claims.[xiii] This circuit split raises the question on whether the Act preempts state common law claims or not. A plain reading of the statute suggests that it does not, as Congress specifically carved out a provision for the states to retain authority over the level of strictness of air control.[xiv] Additionally, if the Act were to be read as dismissing all common-law claims, something which even the Fourth Circuit failed to accept, then there would be no remedy for those whose property value was damaged.[xv] Furthermore, the question whether state law is preempted by federal law depends on whether compliance with the state law defeats the purposes and objectives of the federal law.[xvi] Allowing tort claims against polluters does not seem to defeat the purpose of Congress’ goal of quality air control. In fact, it seems to further the goal as emitters will have stricter standards to adhere to. [i] The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act, U. S. Envtl. Protection Agency (Sept. 10, 2015), /concern.html. [ii] Id. [iii] Id. [iv] Bell v. Cheswick Generating Station, 734 F.3d 188, 190 (3d Cir. 2013). [v] See id. [vi] See 42 U.S.C. § 7416 (1999); See id. [vii] John A. Ferrolli, Sixth Circuit Holds That Clean Air Act Does Not Preempt State Common-Law Claims, DYKEMA (Nov. 6, 2015), (explaining that the Sixth Circuit and Third Circuit agree that The Clean Air Act does not preempt state common-law claims, while the Fourth Circuit held that the Act does preempt state common-law claims). [viii] Justin Jennewine, Sixth Circuit Sides with Third Circuit on Preemption Issue, Sixth Circuit App Blog (Nov. 3, 2015), recent-cases/sixth-circuit-sides-with-third-circuit-on-preemption-issue/. [ix] Merrick v. Diageo Ams. Supply, Inc., No. 14-6198, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 19096, at *7 (6th Cir. Nov. 2, 2015). [x] Id. at *25. [xi] Id. at *26. [xii] N.C. ex rel. Cooper v. TVA, 615 F.3d 291, 302 (4th Cir. 2010). [xiii] Id. at 303, 312. [xiv] 42 U.S.C. § 7416. [xv] N.C. ex rel. Cooper v. TVA, 615 F.3d at 302-303. [xvi] Merrick v. Diageo Ams. Supply, Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 19096, at *25.
NATHHAN National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network Christian Families Homeschooling Special Needs Children  Home | Login | Contact Us | Resource Room A Lesson From Potty Training   by Joyce Herzog     A child (adult) who is learning disabled is not learning as you would expect, even though he is not mentally retarded, he is not educationally deprived, he is not culturally disadvantaged, and he is not....... His not learning must be in the areas of: *basic reading skills *reading comprehension * listening comprehension *written expression *oral expression *math computation *math reasoning This is like saying because your  3 1/2 (7 1/3) year old child is not potty trained and you have tried to adequately potty train him and he isn't yet.......he must be potty disabled. .....AND therefore you schedule him for one hour daily potty training lessons, work him till he can recite the steps to proper potty procedure, and make plans to send him off to his wedding in diapers! Fortunately none of us react to delayed or resistant potty training in that way. We back off, reward, entice, project success, model proper potty training behavior, try new angles, incorporate fun, have Daddy talk to him (and for a boy show him how), put him back in diapers until he is ready to try again, tell him how wonderful it will be (feel) when he doesn't have to sit in those wet (dirty ) diapers anymore, and wait a while and try again. It's really amazing. As moms we just do what seems right. Maybe we consult with all of our more experienced friends. Maybe we pray. maybe we even ask for advise from a professional. But in the end, we do what we think is right. When the problem is regarding education, some panic and pay thousands of dollars to identify whether their child is "learning disabled" and what to do about it. And if he meets the legal definition of learning disabled, that only means he is not learning and not all those other things in the first paragraph. It doesn't even tell us what to do. Let's look back at those things Mom did when she hit resistance in potty training, and see if we can apply the same wisdom to out present situation. Prayer is the place to begin. if we try to accomplish anything in our strength for our purposes, we fail. Only when we put it in God's hands and leave it there does it work for His glory and our good. Back off. Sometimes doing nothing is the best technique! There are many reasons why a child may not be ready to learn a certain concept at a particular time. This may be mental, emotional, or maturational, but the only answer to this problem is to wait. If you don't you may spend many frustrating hours drumming in what could be learned in brief moments later. That doesn't mean to stop working, but keep nagging. It really means to drop the subject and leave it alone for a few weeks - or even months. The child may be ready to tackle the job with renewed vigor after he's had a break and some success in other areas. Reward. We all work for rewards in life. How many of us would stay at our jobs if there were no pay check at the end of the week? How long would we keep fixing pleasant meals if we never heard a thank you or saw a smile of recognition? Children need rewards too, but they need rewards they can touch and see with brief time between achievement and actualization of reward. This is more true the younger the student. "I love the way you ---------! Here's a -------- for your effort." Entice. "I'll be so proud when you can --------." "When you have mastered this, you may have a free day (a trip to the museum, a dinner out, a new book, whatever.)" "I've planned a special surprise. It will be yours when you have mastered this. I'll write it down (draw a picture of it) and put it inside this envelope. When you're successful, you may open the envelope and the surprise will be yours!" Project success. Often it is encouraging to believe that we will have success. Project success with your words: "Keeps at it, you'll get it!," "You're on the way!," "So close! Maybe tomorrow." Project success by choosing projects and activities or altering assignments as necessary. Project success by finding a way to simplify the way of approaching or responding to the task. Model proper behavior. Some children learn by observing. When we model proper behavior, we make it possible for them to have success. There is something comforting about seeing someone do what we are trying to do---especially if it is done in love. Try new angles. There may be a different way to approach the subject --a different method, a different person to present it, a visual aid. Sometimes we don't even realize that we are stuck in a rut and repeating the same words every time we speak. If a child doesn't understand, this gives him no way to gain a new perspective. Incorporate fun. It's like the old adage..."Just a spoon fun of sugar helps the medicine go down.." Children enjoy a very elemental level of humor. They like to be silly and pretend and tease. They also have a tendency, of course, to carry it too far for too long; but the parent who learns to use and control humor and games in the learning setting is miles ahead. Have Daddy talk to him (and for a boy, show him how). Usually Daddy holds a special place in the heart of a child - and a special force as well. When a Daddy speaks, there is authority behind it. One of the most important jobs of a homeschool dad is to put his authority behind the actions of mom. When a child knows that there is unity of purpose and unity of power, a different approach may benefit the situation greatly. Tell him how wonderful it will be (feel) when he doesn't have to sit in those wet (dirty) diapers any more.  This is a combination of projecting success and helping the child understand the problem. If the child is perfectly comfortable sitting in wet and dirty pants, he sees no personal need to make the effort to change. Find a way to help him see, feel, and experience the benefit of change or negative side of staying the same. Buy him some grown up style pants and put them where he can see. Most children want to grow up. We can assist this by putting around them the symbols of achievement. If a child hasn't mastered the multiplication facts, let him watch as some others enjoy a game based on fast manipulation of numbers. If he hasn't learned to write, let him see the joy you get in expressing your ideas on paper. Find a way to show him how great it will be to have mastered the skill. Many of us accomplish the things we do, not because we enjoy doing it, but because we enjoy having it all done. Wait a while and try again. Hmmmmm. Didn't we say that before? Yes, but how very important it is both to wait and to try it again. Don't give up. Don't drone on. Just put it aside for a time and then try again. Consulting with all of our more experienced friends can be comforting in two ways. First it gives us the opportunity to sound off and vent our frustration on someone other than the child involved. Second, in the multiplicity of counsel there is sure to be someone who agrees with us...Oh, I mean someone who has some good advice. Anyway, we are likely to be confirmed or redirected and either may help. When all else fails, consult a professional. Realize that professionals are still people. They do not have a computerized machine to attach for diagnosis. They are also, in most areas, quite expensive. When a problem in life seems too big, simplify it. We have just looked at techniques we successfully employed in potty training to apply to other learning situations. In the same way, we can sometimes look back to a success to glean methods to deal with a more difficult problem. We started with prayer. We end with prayer. Where would we be if we didn't have a loving, caring, omnipotent Father to turn to?
Reusable Rockets: The Future Of Space Exploration There is not one single specific reason for why space programs are so expensive, especially government funded programs like NASA. However, if one were to pinpoint what one of the biggest costs to a space program was, it would likely be launch costs. Since the beginning of the space age in the 1950s one of […] Nuclear Thermal Rockets: An Old Propulsion System That May Be The Future For Space Exploration To achieve any measure of space travel there is one tool that has always been indispensable, rockets. Rockets have been the primary tool for sending spacecraft into orbit and accelerating them beyond Earth orbit to other planets in the solar system, and for a few craft, on their way out to the rest of the […]
Coral and fish in the Red Sea of Egypt At Spike Aerospace, aeronautical innovation and environ­mental responsibility go hand in hand. In designing the S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet, we’re considering the impact of supersonic flight on marine life, airport communities, and the eco-sphere. Our engineers are researching and developing technologies to minimize the sonic boom effect and maximize fuel efficiency. One key innovation, our exclusive Multiplex Digital Cabin, reduces aircraft skin friction, improves fuel economy, and reduces cabin noise. In addition, our marine biologists are researching ways to decrease the impact of a fleet of supersonic aircraft on marine wildlife. An independent team of atmospheric scientists is also looking for any adverse impact on the atmosphere or global warming. We believe supersonic flight is the future of aviation, and we are investing our time and energy to ensure that the S-512 leads the world in a safe, clean, viable future filled with possibilities.
Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know. Jump to navigation Jump to search Setting subpages are used to organize tropes about the setting of a work, or to go into more detail about the setting of a work. Settings are the environment, backstory, and events in a work of fiction. Settings are the fabric of the world upon which a plot is built, and in which characters act. Therefore, its counterpart categories are Category:Recap about plots, and Category:Characters about characters. This is a list of every setting subpage. For the list of setting tropes, see Category:Settings.
Investing is the act of committing money or capital to an endeavor (a business, project, real estate, etc.), with the expectation of obtaining an additional income or profit. Investing can be in the form of earned capital or in the form of time and labor. Many young people invest a lot of time going to college and put of working in hopes of earning a much larger salary down the road. Most of us invest our time in someone else’s investment in hopes that they will pay us. Investing capital/money is only possible once you have created a surplus of capital above and beyond your monthly or yearly living cost, I guess you could borrow to invest but I don’t recommend that. So the first thing you need to do is create a monthly list of all expenses you current have and then tally up how much income you bring home in a month. If you have more income than expenses then you can start investing. Now before we get to far along and get all excited about earning profits, let me say that I believe that it is best to first pay off debt because it gives you a guaranteed return because it keeps you you from owing others interest and it will eventually free up a lot more monthly income for investing. The one exception I will always make is that if your company offers a 401K match then you should always, always, always invest enough to get the full match, this is like free money (FREE $$$$). Below are some of the most popular investment vehicles, when I say vehicle I mean a place to park investments. 401Ks, IRAs, ROTH IRAs, or individual accounts are not investments in of themselves but accounts that you can buy stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc… in and hold them there. 401K – The most common employer sponsored plan. Contributions go in pre-tax and grow tax free until they are withdrawn. In general 401K owners can tap into their savings at age 59 and a half, any time before then and you could be subject to a 10% early withdrawal fee in addition to the taxes being due. Additionally at age 70 and a half you will be forced to take minimum distributions/withdrawals from the account. The minimum withdrawals will be based off account balance and your expected life span. The withdrawals will be taxed at your current income tax rate. The term 401K actually refers to the tax code that was enacted in 1978 to allow for pre-tax contributions. A major advantage of most 401K plans is that the employer who is sponsoring the plan usually offers a match on the employees contribution up to a certain predetermined amount. The current limit on annual contributions is $18,500. IRA – An IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account and operates much like a 401K but isn’t run by an employer, this usually allows for a much more divers array of investment options. One major difference is instead contributions going in pre-tax is that your contributions are credited back to you as a tax write off, thus lowering your taxable income. The rules are basically the same as the 401K plan in that you must be 59.5 to make a withdrawal without being penalized and will be required to take minimum withdrawals at 70.5 years of age. The current limit on annual contributions is $5,500. Roth IRA – The Roth IRA was established by the Tax payer relief act  (Public Law 105-34) and named for its chief legislative sponsor, Senator William ROTH of Delaware. A ROTH IRA is similar to an IRA in that it is privately owned and operated by an individual, with a lots of investment options. Unlike a IRA, ROTH contributions go in after tax but are allowed to grow tax free and not taxed when withdrawn. Another huge advantage is that there is no age for required withdrawals and you contributions can be withdrawn anytime penalty free, however your account earnings will be subject to a penalty if withdrawn before age 59.5. There are limits on who can contribute, single earners over $120,000 and married over $189,000 can no longer contribute to a ROTH IRA. The current annual contribution limit is $5,500. • A custodial account, which is an account invested in mutual funds. A 403b plan can be set up for contributions to be pre or post tax, depending on the administrator of the account. SEP 401k/SEP IRA – These plans are for individuals that are self employed or own a small business. They operate just like regular 401k and IRA accounts except that the business owner is the administrator and in the SEP 401k plan can make contributions as the employee and as the owner. Taxable Account – A taxable account is a regular account that offers no pre or post tax savings or deferrals.
Open main menu A horse archer is a cavalryman armed with a bow, able to shoot while riding from horseback. Archery has occasionally been used from the backs of other riding animals. In large open areas, it was a highly successful technique for hunting, for protecting the herds, and for war. It was a defining characteristic of the Eurasian nomads during antiquity and the medieval period, as well as the Iranian peoples, (Alans, Scythians, Sarmatians, Parthians, Sassanid Persians) and Indians in antiquity, and by the Hungarians, Mongols and the Turkic peoples during the Middle Ages. By the expansion of these peoples, the practice also spread to Eastern Europe (via the Sarmatians and the Huns), Mesopotamia, and East Asia. In East Asia, horse archery came to be particularly honored in the samurai tradition of Japan, where horse archery is called Yabusame. The term mounted archer occurs in medieval English sources to describe a soldier who rode to battle but who dismounted to shoot. 'Horse archer' is the term used more specifically to describe a warrior who shoots from the saddle at the gallop. Another term, 'horseback archery', has crept into modern use. Basic featuresEdit Wallachian horse archers in the late 16th century Young prince (later Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I) hunting for birds as a horsed archer. Woodcut by Albrecht Dürer. Since using a bow requires the rider to let go of the reins with both hands, horse archers need superb equestrian skills if they are to shoot on the move. The natives of large grassland areas used horse archery for hunting, for protecting their herds, and for war. Horse archery was for many groups a basic survival skill, and additionally made each able-bodied man, at need, a highly-mobile warrior. The buffalo hunts of the North American prairies may be the best-recorded examples of bowhunting by horse archers.[2] In battle, light horse archers were typically skirmishers, lightly armed missile troops capable of moving swiftly to avoid close combat or to deliver a rapid blow to the flanks or rear of the foe. Captain Robert G. Carter described the experience of facing Quanah Parker's forces: "an irregular line of swirling warriors, all rapidly moving in right and left hand circles.. while advancing, to the right or left, and as rapidly concentrating... in the centre... and their falling back in the same manner...all was most puzzling to our... veterans who had never witnessed such tactical maneuvers, or such a flexible line of skirmishers"[3] An example of these tactics comes from an attack on Comanche horse archers by a group of Texas Rangers, who were saved by their muzzle-loading firearms and by a convenient terrain feature. Fifty Rangers armed with guns met about 20 Comanche hunters who were hunting buffalo and attacked them. The Comanches fled, easily keeping clear of the Rangers, for several miles across the open prairie. They led the Rangers into a stronger force of two hundred. The Rangers immediately retreated, only to discover they had committed a classic error in fighting mounted archers: the Comanches pursued in turn, able to shoot what seemed like clouds of arrows. The Rangers found a ravine where they could shoot at the Comanche from cover. The horse archers did not charge but kept the Rangers under siege until seven of them were dead or dying, whereupon the Rangers retreated but claimed victory.[4] Heavy horse archersEdit Horse archers may be either light, such as Scythian, Hun, Parthian, Cuman or Pecheneg horsemen, or heavy, such as Byzantine kavallarioi, Turkish timariots, Russian druzhina and Japanese samurai. Heavy horse archers typically fought as disciplined units. Instead of harassing without ever making contact, they shot in volleys, weakening the enemy before they charged. In addition to bows, they often also carried close combat weapons, such as lances or spears. Some nations, like medieval Mongols, Hungarians and Cumans fielded both light and heavy horse archers. In some armies, such as those of the Parthians, Palmyrans, and the Teutonic Order of Knights, the mounted troops consisted of both super-heavy troops (cataphracts, knights) without bows, and light horse archers. Appearance in historyEdit Assyrian relief of a mounted archer Parthian horse archer shooting at full gallop, undated relief[clarification needed] at the Palazzo Madama, Turin. Horse archery first developed during the Iron Age, gradually replacing the Bronze Age chariot. The earliest depictions of horse archers are found in artwork of the Neo-Assyrian Empire of about the 9th century BC and reflects the incursions of the early Iranian peoples. Early horse archery, depicted on the Assyrian carvings, involved two riders, one controlling both horses while the second shot.[citation needed] Heavy horse archers first appeared in the Assyrian army in the 7th century BC after abandoning chariot warfare and formed a link between light skirmishing cavalrymen and heavy cataphract cavalry. The heavy horse archers usually had mail or lamellar armour and helmets, and sometimes even their horses were armoured. Skirmishing requires vast areas of free space to run, manoeuvre and flee, and if the terrain is close, light horse archers can be charged and defeated easily. Light horse archers are also very vulnerable to foot archers and crossbowmen, who are smaller targets and can outshoot horsemen. Large armies very seldom relied solely on skirmishing horse archers, but there are many examples of victories in which horse archers played a leading part. The Roman general Crassus led a large army, with inadequate cavalry and missile troops, to catastrophe against Parthian horse archers and cataphracts at the Battle of Carrhae. The Persian king Darius the Great led a campaign against the mounted Scythians, who refused to engage in pitched battle; Darius conquered and occupied land but lost enough troops and supplies that he was compelled to withdraw. Darius, however, kept the lands he had conquered. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Persian general Mardonius used horse archers to attack and harass his opponents during the Battle of Plataea,[5] which was won by the Greeks. Philip of Macedon scored an epic victory against the Scythians residing north of the Danube, killing their king, Ateas, and causing their kingdom to fall apart thereafter. Alexander the Great defeated Scythians/Sakas in 329 BC at the Battle of Jaxartes, at the Syr Darya river. Later on, Alexander himself used mounted archers recruited among the Scythians and Dahae, during the Greek invasion of India.[6] The Roman Empire and its military also had an extensive use of horse archers after their conflict with eastern armies that relied heavily on mounted archery in the 1st century BC. They had regiments such as the Equites Sagittarii, who acted as Rome's horse archers in combat.[7] The Crusaders used conscripted cavalry and horse archers known as the Turcopole, made up of mostly Greek and Turks.[8] Heavy horse archers could usually outshoot their light counterparts, and because of the armour they wore, could better withstand return fire. The Russian druzhina cavalry developed as a countermeasure to the Tatar light troops. Likewise, the Turkish timariots and qapikulu were often as heavily armoured as Western knights, and could match the Hungarian, Albanian and Mongol horse archers. 16th-century Muscovite cavalry. German and Scandinavian Medieval armies made extensive use of mounted crossbowmen. They would act not only as scouts and skirmishers, but also protect the flanks of the knights and infantry, chasing away enemy light cavalry. When the battle was fully engaged, they would charge at the enemy flank, shoot a single devastating volley at point-blank range and then attack the enemy with swords, without reloading. In some instances, mounted crossbowmen could also reload and fire continuously on horseback if they used specific "weak" crossbows that could be reloaded easily with the hand, such as the 13th century Speculum Regale,[9] and the invention of the goat's foot lever and the ratchet cranequin allowed mounted crossbowmen to reload and fire heavy crossbows on horseback.[10][11] Another example of combined troops winning against armies mostly of horse archers is the highly successful Han campaign against the mounted Xiongnu nomads. Well-led Roman troops managed to score crushing defeats against the Parthians, including the Roman–Parthian War of 161–66 and Trajan's war against Parthia, and succeeded in sacking the Parthian capital on three occasions. Horse archers were eventually rendered obsolete by the maturity of firearm technology. In the 16th and subsequent centuries, various cavalry forces armed with firearms gradually started appearing. Because the conventional arquebus and musket were too awkward for a cavalryman to use, lighter weapons such as the carbine had to be developed, which could be effectively used from horseback, much in the same manner as the composite recurve bow presumably developed from earlier bows. 16th-century Dragoons and Carabiniers were heavier cavalry equipped only with firearms, but pistols coexisted with the composite bow, often used by the same rider, well into the 17th century in Eastern European cavalry such as Muscovites, Kalmyks, Turks and Cossacks. For many armies, mounted archery remained an effective tactical system in open country until the introduction of repeating firearms. Qing Dynasty mounted archers face off against Dzungar mounted musketeers. By the 18th century, firearms had largely displaced traditional composite bows in Mongolia, whereas in Manchuria horse archery was still highly esteemed. In the 1758 Battle of Khorgos, mounted Mongolian Dzungars troops armed with muskets faced off against Qing Dynasty mounted Manchurian, Mongolian, and Chinese archers armed with Manchu bows. The battle was won by the Qing forces, and traditional Manchurian archery continued to be practiced in China up to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.[12] During the Napoleonic Wars, the Russian Imperial Army deployed Cossack, Bashkir, and Kalmyk horse archers against Napoleon's forces. Baron de Marbot writes that on the eve of the Battle of Leipzig, his forces encountered mounted archers: Bashkirs and Cossacks fighting French Forces at the Battle of Leipzig (1813). With much shouting, these barbarians rapidly surrounded our squadrons, against which they launched thousands of arrows which did very little damage because the Baskirs, being entirely irregulars, do not know how to form up in ranks and they go about in a mob like a flock of sheep, with the result that the riders cannot shoot horizontally without wounding or killing their comrades who are in front of them, but shoot their arrows into the air to describe an arc which will allow them to descend on the enemy. This system does not permit any accurate aim, and nine tenths of the arrows miss their target. Those that do arrive have used up in their ascent the impulse given to them by the bow, and fall only under their own weight, which is very small, so that they do not as a rule inflict any serious injuries. In fact the Baskirs, having no other arms, are undoubtedly the world’s least dangerous troops.[13] Although general de Marbot describes the horse archers in disdainful terms, the general was himself wounded in the leg by an enemy arrow, and Baskir troops were amongst the occupying troops in Paris in 1814. Bashkir Horse Archers in Paris 1814. It has been proposed that firearms began to replace bows in Europe and Russia not because firearms were superior but because they were easier to use and required less practice.[14] However, discussing buffalo hunting in 1846, Francis Parkman noted that "the bows and arrows which the Indians use in running buffalo have many advantages over firearms, and even white men occasionally employ them."[15] The Comanches of North America found their bows more effective than muzzle loading guns. "After... about 1800, most Comanches began to discard muskets and pistols and to rely on their older weapons."[16] Bows were still used in the fighting that ended the freedom of Native Americans in the United States, but almost all warriors who had immediate access to modern repeating firearms used these guns instead. Modern revival of horse archeryEdit Chinese horse archeryEdit Wall fragment from a Chinese tomb, with an incised relief decoration showing a hunting scene with mounted archery, Han dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) National Museum of Oriental Art, Rome Mathematics, calligraphy, literature, equestrianism, archery, music, and rites were the Six Arts.[18] At the Guozijian, law, mathematics, calligraphy, equestrianism, and archery were emphasized by the Ming dynasty Hongwu Emperor in addition to Confucian classics and also required in the Imperial Examinations.[19][20][21][22][23][24] Archery and equestrianism were added to the exam by Hongwu in 1370 like how archery and equestrianism were required for non-military officials at the 武舉 College of War in 1162 by the Song Emperor Xiaozong.[25] The area around the Meridian Gate of Nanjing was used for archery by guards and generals under Hongwu.[26] The Imperial exam included archery. Archery on horseback was practiced by Chinese living near the frontier. Wang Ju's writings on archery were followed during the Ming and Yuan and the Ming developed new methods of archery.[27] Jinling Tuyong showed archery in Nanjing during the Ming.[28] Contests in archery were held in the capital for Garrison of Guard soldiers who were handpicked.[29] Equestrianism and archery were favored activities of Zhu Di (the Yongle Emperor).[30] Archery and equestrianism were frequent pastimes by the Zhengde Emperor.[31] He practiced archery and horseriding with eunuchs.[32] Tibetan Buddhist monks, Muslim women and musicians were obtained and provided to Zhengde by his guard Ch'ien Ning, who acquainted him with the ambidextrous archer and military officer Chiang Pin.[33] An accomplished military commander and archer was demoted to commoner status on a wrongful charge of treason was the Prince of Lu's grandson in 1514.[34] He was disinterested in military matters but had prowess in archery (Hongxi Emperor).[35] Archery competitions, equestrianism and calligraphy were some of the pastimes of the Wanli Emperor.[36] Football and archery were practiced by the Ming Emperors.[37][38] Traditional Korean schoolEdit Korea has a tradition of horse archery. In 2007, the Korean government passed a law to preserve and encourage development of traditional Korean martial arts, including horse archery.[citation needed] Traditional Japanese horse archeryEdit Yabusame archer on horseback The history of Japanese horse archery dates back to the 4th century.[40] It became popular in Japan, attracting crowds. The emperor found that the crowds were not appropriate to the solemn and sacred nature of the occasion, and banned public displays in 698.[41] Horse archery was a widely used combat technique from the Heian Period to the Warring States Period.[42] Nasu no Yoichi, a samurai of the Kamakura Period is the most famous horse archer in Japan. Three kinds of Japanese horse archery (Kasagake, Yabusame, and Inuoumono (dog shooting)) were defined. When the arquebus was introduced by the Portuguese to Japan in the 16th century, archery became outdated. To maintain traditional Japanese horse archery, Tokugawa Yoshimune, the shōgun, ordered the Ogasawara clan to found a school. Current Japanese horse archery succeeds to the technique reformed by the Ogasawara clan. The Yabusame school of horseback archery has found a following in Australia, with the setting up of the Australian Horse Archery School which today conducts public shows in various parts of the world. Horse archery in the United StatesEdit Horse archery is a growing sport in the United States, as well. Through the efforts of The Mounted Archery Association of the Americas, there are horse archery clubs around the country. Competitive courses one might find in the U.S. incorporate the Korean, Hungarian and Persian Styles (i.e., the Qabaq). Participants combine the skills of an archer with the skills of a good rider to create this beautiful equestrian sport. Emphasis on care and training of the horse is evident as riders run reinless down a 90-meter course while loosing arrows at various target arrangements. Surprisingly, as challenging as the sport appears to be, many who have never picked up a bow can achieve great success with some courage and a little practice. MA3 Clubs around the country offer members the opportunity to learn the sport by providing ranges, a ranking system, and competitions. Horse archery in the United KingdomEdit The British Horseback Archery Association was established in 2007, and is the governing body of horse archery. The first national competition took place in 2010.[44][45] Since 2013, members have represented Great Britain in international team competitions.[46][47] Postal matches are also held with participants from across the UK. Categories for disabled riders and for juniors have also been introduced. See alsoEdit 3. ^ Carter, Captain R. G. On the border with Mackenzie, or Winning West Texas from the Comanches. p 289-290. New York, Antiquarian Press, 1961 (First published 1935). As quoted in Los Comanches. The Horse People, 1751-1845. Stanley Noyes. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 1993 ISBN 0-82631459-7 p. 221-222. 5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-10. Retrieved 2013-08-26.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) 6. ^ Ashley. p. 35. 7. ^ Jeffrey L. Davies: Roman Arrowheads from Dinorben and the 'Sagittarii' of the Roman Army, Britannia, Vol. 8. (1977), pp. 257-270 8. ^ R.C. Small: Crusading Warfare 1097-1193, pp. 111-112, ISBN 978-0-521-48029-1 9. ^ Heath, Ian. Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300. Wargames Research Group; 2nd Revised edition edition (Sept. 1989). p. 165. ISBN 978-0904417432 10. ^ Payne-Gallwey, Ralph. The Crossbow: Its Military and Sporting History, Construction and Use. Skyhorse Publishing; First Edition edition (April 1, 2007). ISBN 978-1602390102 11. ^ Dezobry and Bachelet, Dictionary of Biography, t.1, Ch.Delagrave, 1876, p. 704 12. ^ Dekker, Peter (2018-04-22). "Did Qing Ban Archery in Mongolia?". 13. ^ Marbot, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine-Marcelin (2000-11-01). The Memoirs of General Baron de Marbot. Translated by Colt, Oliver C. 14. ^ Donald Ostrowski, "The Replacement of the Composite Reflex Bow by Firearms in the Muscovite Cavalry," Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History 11, no. 3 (2010): 513-534 15. ^ The Oregon Trail (1847) by Francis Parkman. Chapter 24. 17. ^ Mongolian National Archery by Munkhtsetseg. 18. ^ Zhidong Hao (1 February 2012). Intellectuals at a Crossroads: The Changing Politics of China's Knowledge Workers. SUNY Press. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-0-7914-8757-0. 23. ^ 24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) 26. ^ 27. ^ Stephen Selby (1 January 2000). Chinese Archery. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 271–. ISBN 978-962-209-501-4. 28. ^ Si-yen Fei (2009). Negotiating Urban Space: Urbanization and Late Ming Nanjing. Harvard University Press. pp. x–. ISBN 978-0-674-03561-4. 29. ^ Foon Ming Liew (1 January 1998). The Treatises on Military Affairs of the Ming Dynastic History (1368-1644): An Annotated Translation of the Treatises on Military Affairs, Chapter 89 and Chapter 90: Supplemented by the Treatises on Military Affairs of the Draft of the Ming Dynastic History: A Documentation of Ming-Qing Historiography and the Decline and Fall of. Ges.f. Natur-e.V. p. 243. ISBN 978-3-928463-64-5. 30. ^ Shih-shan Henry Tsai (1 July 2011). Perpetual happiness: the Ming emperor Yongle. University of Washington Press. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-0-295-80022-6. 31. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 403–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 32. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 404–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 33. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 414–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 34. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 425–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 35. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 277–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 36. ^ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 514–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2. 37. ^ 38. ^ 39. ^ For a pictorial presentation, see: Korean track 40. ^ Nihon Shoki volume 14 "大泊瀬天皇 彎弓驟馬(horse archery)　而陽呼　曰猪有　即射殺市邊押磐皇子　皇子帳内佐伯部賣輪" 43. ^ "Kishagasa", by Alice Gordenker. Japan Times Tuesday, May 16, 2006. 44. ^ "The 2010 BHAA Championships". 2011-05-13. Archived from the original on 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2017-06-14.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link) 45. ^ Sawyer, Claire. "BHAA championships". Retrieved 2016-09-20. 46. ^ Sawyer, Claire. "international match report 13". Retrieved 2016-09-20. 47. ^ "horseback archery competition | Cotteswold Mounted Archers". Retrieved 2016-09-20. Further readingEdit External linksEdit
Where Is the Great Barrier Reef? Where Is the Great Barrier Reef? Author: Nico Medina Pages: 112 ISBN10: 0448486997 Genre: Nonfiction Series Where Is... Goodreads Rating: 3.91 ISBN13: 9780448486994 Published: September 6th 2016 by Penguin Workshop In this Where Is? title, kids can explore the Great Barrier Reef--big enough to be seen from space but made up of billions of tiny living organisms. The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia, is the world's largest coral reef system. Stretching more than 1,400 miles, it provides a home to a wide diversity of creatures. Designated a World Heritage Site, the reef is suffering from the effects of climate change but this fascinating book shows this spectacular part of our planet.
Bald eagles slaughtered for black market Canadian wildlife officers are tracking smugglers in the macabre slaughter and mutilation of 40 bald eagles, which has shaken aboriginal people on Canada’s west coast. The first dead birds were discovered on February 2 by a woman walking her dog on the reserve of the Burrard Indian band, a forested area across an ocean inlet from Vancouver, in British Columbia. Julie Bryson-McElwee said her dog led her to the shallow graves of 26 eagles, all of which had their legs and feathers cut off. On February 21, a Burrard member out walking with her two grandchildren found another 14 mutilated birds. The band called in the police and conservation service. “We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg here,” warned British Columbia conservation officer Colin Copland. “For every 40 killed, there may have been 40 injured that flew away.” Eagle feathers and claws are used in sacred ceremonies by North American aboriginals. When illegally exported across the border to the United States, said Copland, each eagle is worth hundreds of dollars on the black market. The birds are an endangered species in Canada. The 395-member Burrard band, also known as the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, has donated 2 000 Canadian dollars (R9 200) toward a reward for the capture of the poacher or poachers. State governments and other agencies have chipped in for 10 000 Canadian dollars (R46 400). Killing and mutilating eagles “is not part of our belief system, not part of our traditions, it’s not our truth and its not our law”, said band leader Leah George-Wilson. “We would like these individuals caught and prosecuted.” Maximum Canadian penalties for poaching, trafficking or illegally exporting eagle parts are 200 000 Canadian dollars (R928 000) and five years in jail. But the threat of punishment does not seem to be a deterrent, and cases of eagle poaching continue to be discovered. Four years ago, more than 90 mutilated eagles were found on Cowichan Indian band territory on Vancouver Island. A Cowichan band member was convicted and sentenced to 24 months in jail. “We know there is a black market for eagle feathers and eagle parts,” said George-Wilson. “Many first nations, or tribes as they are called in the US, use eagle feathers and claws in ceremony and on regalia.” But, she said, aboriginals do not condone poaching. “People are horrified and outraged and incredibly sad that these eagles were found in our community,” she said. The giant birds, the US national emblem, have a 2,4m wing span, fierce yellow eyes and a snow-white head, and are strong enough to lift large salmon in their claws. They mate for life, and can live as long as 40 years. Every November, about 2 500 birds migrate from the north-western US and Canada to this urban metropolis. The flocks gorge on salmon spawning in local rivers until late February, before flying home to nest. Canadian conservation officers have formed a task force to tackle smuggling of eagle parts to the US.—Sapa-AFP Client Media Releases SA political parties talk foreign policy Barloworld announces new group structure Should I stay or should I grow? Use Microsoft's eDiscovery for non-Office 365 data sources
Views: 2018 Essay on earthquake for class 9th number of people needing emergency housing due to an Intensity IX earthquake. Similarly make sure that there are no bill boards nearby. They often do great harm after disasters. Anss will become the first line of defense in the war on earthquake hazardswith the ultimate victory being public safety, lives saved, and major losses to the economy avoided. Can earthquakes be predicted? What movement has there been on branching faults? The Mw7.3 aftershock killed an estimated 160 people, which is in addition to a 8,600 death toll for the main Mw7.8 event (Kargel., 2016). The magnitude.9 earthquake that shook Fairbanks, Alaska, on June 21, 1967, was preceded by a magnitude.6 foreshock, followed by a magnitude.5 aftershock, and then, over the next 24 hours, by more than 2,000 smaller aftershocks. Also the long term planning implications, preventative measures, preparedness, response implications, and well as recovery implications will covered and described Continue Reading The Massive Earthquake and Tsunami at Fukishima Essay 1285 Words 6 Pages a massive earthquake and tsunami caused genres equipment damage that eventually lead. When the stress gets to be too much, like all of the events building up on a bad day, the rock breaks and the ground begins to shake. Some Concepts on Earthquake Resistant Construction. Adobe Buildings with Earthquake Resistant Components.2 Rice Straw/Wheat Straw Buildings.3 Bamboo Wooden Houses.4 Continue Reading The Messina Earthquake of 19 Words 7 Pages Earthquakes have been recorded throughout history for thousands. The Hindu believed that "the earth was a platform that rested on the Continue Reading The Force and Effects of the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake 722 Words 3 Pages Introduction On the 22nd of May 1960, the worlds largest earthquake which was documented occurred very close. Remember: Not all earthquakes cause tsunamis, but many. This is nature's tsunami warning and should be heeded. If in a crowded store, do not rush for a doorway since hundreds may have the same idea. Do schools kill creativity essay Essay on earthquake for class 9th They produce compressive pressures 1906, relief operations may involve your school essay building. Wave motion is not considered in describing the travel of seismic waves through the earth. Directly above http the focus on the surface is the epicenter. An earthquake (or quake or tremor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth.Earthquakes can be extremely violent or so slight that they only register. Writing vs typing brain Essay on earthquake for class 9th 40 000 tons per square inch and temperature is 10 3 million Haitians were left homeless Earthquake Information for 2010. My group spent much of our time building reinforcements between joints and areas that would be under strain during testing such as the bases of each of our towers floors Continue Reading Newcastle Earthquake Essay 5533 Words 23 Pages parntroduction AIM The aim. The sides of the rebounding fault move horizontally with respect to one another strikeslip vertically dipslip or in combinations of such motion. Constructed since a 1971 tremor don giovanni commendatore topic had spurred new standards. When the energy is released it radiates outward in all directions. And some that did not The safest structures proved to be highrise office buildings in San Francisco.
Student ServicesBilingual Assessment Team → School-age students School-Age Students The Bilingual Assessment Team (BAT) provides services to school-age students who qualify for ESOL level 1, 2, 3, or 4 services. When the IEP team suspects that a school-age ESOL level 1 or 2 student may be eligible for special education services, the school IEP team will recommend evaluation. The school should submit the appropriate referral for evaluation to the BAT unit. School-age ESOL level 3 or 4 students are referred to BAT by their school's Educational Management Team prior to a referral being made to the screening Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team. The BAT will provide a language dominance determination for ESOL level 3 or 4 students. Based on a student's dominant language determination, the BAT may provide appropriate eligibility assessments as requested by the IEP.
Communication Standard Form HTTP Request model The Guardian Cloud system works with an HTTP request model quite simply to make the collection and processing of data. The default HTTP method is GET (can be tested directly from the browser), intended to facilitate efficient access to the system we created a simplified URL, which can be accessed through the address: One data will always be referenced is the Number of Device Series and the API Key, so keep these values in hand, and any questions of how to obtain this value, go here. If in doubt of what could be invented visit our site examples. There is a standard HTTP return code for all devices, the return code and its meaning is below: Code HTTP Meaning 200 Information obtained / stored successfully. 404 Number not found. 500 Failed to find the project (Api Key not found) 501 Illegal State Shipping (only trigger). Collecting device To perform data collection, it is only necessary to call the URL: /collect/ then say what Serial number the device. After such a call is required to pass the parameter containing the API Key, in the following format: ?apiKey={API_KEY} in our example below we use the following value: ?apiKey=497aa991-d8e6-4bb6-ad17-f01a13648333. Any other value passed after this parameter is understood as data collection, that is, after the value of API Key, separado por & It will be understood to value any collection. $ curl -X GET "" # response: {"status":"OK"} In our example here, three pieces of information being collected: &temperature=10&humidity=30&luminosity=15. For each value is displayed as shown below: Identifier Value temperature 10 humidity 30 luminosity 15 Remembering!! The data collection can have any name but must have numeric value. The trigger always waiting to know which state that the device should be, whether active or inactive. Therefore, there are two URL's, using the beginning: /trigger/, that can be called under certain conditions. Thinking about the following scenario: I have a presence sensor, and was shot by the sensor that there is some movement in the room which is monitored. Can activate / enable the trigger, using the URL: $ curl -X GET "" # answer: {"status":true,"dateUpdated":"2015-05-26T11:38:41.587Z"} Depending on the need, it is possible to activate only (there is a button on the dashboard which can inactivate). If you want to disable, as our example, I can call the following URL: $ curl -X GET "" # answer: {"status":false,"dateUpdated":"2015-05-26T11:50:12.249Z"} The only parameter that changes the URL is /on/ and /off/ that is, they both follow the same model. The actuators are device that only orders the state it should be. Ie through the URL: /actuator/ You will be asked whether it should be active or inactive. To control the device, you can activate / inactivate the device by Dashboard or by API Service. $ curl -X GET "" If the device is inactive, the return will be given as JSON example: A good tip to try is through the active dashboard and disable the device and call the URL as example, and see the return.
The strongest archaeological support comes from the structures discovered under the sea-bed off the coast of Dwaraka in Gujarat by the pioneering team led by Dr S.R. Rao, one of India's most respected archaelogists. An emeritus scientist at the marine archaeology unit of the National Institute of Oceanography, Rao has excavated a large number of Harappan sites including the port city of Lothal in Gujarat. In his book The Lost City of Dwaraka (Aditya Prakashan, Rs 1500), published in 1999 he writes about his undersea finds: "The discovery is an important landmark in the history of India. It has set to rest the doubts expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very existence of Dwaraka city. It has greatly narrowed the gap in Indian history by establishing the continuity of the Indian civilisation from the Vedic Age to the present day. [article courtesy :] The underwater expeditions-which won Rao the first World Ship Trust Award for individual Achievement-were undertaken after extensive on-shore excavations had yielded incontrovertible evidence of a protohistoric settlement of 1600 BC destroyed by the sea. Conducting 12 expeditions during 1983-1990, Rao identified two underwater settlements, one near the present-day Dwaraka and the other in the nearby island of Bet Dwaraka. In the book The Lost City of Dwaraka describing his discoveries, Rao suggested that Krishna occupied these places around 1500 BC. In search of submerged human settlements: A diver inspecting the rocky ridge having man-made holes for securing boats What Rao and his team discovered was a well-fortified township that extended more than half a mile from the shore. The sketch plan of Dwaraka, prepared on the basis of structural remains exposed in the sea-bed, suggests six different sectors of the town all fortified and some interconnected. Two major roads, each about 18m wide, connect a group of three buildings on the east which formed another designated enclosure, in which six bastions were found in a line. The foundation of boulders on which the city's walls were erected showed that the land had been reclaimed from the sea some 3,600 years back. The submerged township extended in the north up to Bet Dwaraka (Also known as Sankhodhara-said to have been the pleasure resort of Krishna and his consorts Satyabhama and Jambavati. The area is noted for its conch shell of good quality which was in great demand as a non-corrosive substitute for metal). It extended up to Okhamadhi in the south, and Pindara in the east. (A pearl fishing village for more than 3,000 years, Pindara is a holy place-Pinda Taraka is mentioned in the Mahabharata where sage Durvasa had his hermitage.) The general layout of the city of Dwaraka described in ancient texts agrees with that of the submerged city and shows evidence of town planning. For example: "Land was reclaimed from the sea near the western shores of Saurashtra. A city was planned and built here. Dwaraka was a planned city, on the banks of the river Gomati. This beautiful city was also known as Dwaramati, Dwarawati and Kushastali. It had well-organised six sectors, residential and commercial zones, wide roads, plazas, palaces and many public utilities. A hall called Sudharma Sabha was built to hold public meetings. The city also boasted of a good harbour." The excavations show that Dwaraka was an urban centre with certain specialised industries such as boat building and metal working as evidenced by this copper lota (left) found in the sea bed. Iron too was known to the smiths of Bet Dwaraka. The Sabha Parva text of the Mahabharata describes houses, but none had survived the sea. A few paved paths, drains, etc. were traced. Some houses or public buildings had pillared halls. "An idea of the houses built of dressed and undressed stones in ancient Dwaraka can be had from the structures laid bare in the Harappan town of Surkotada in Kutch," said Rao. Kushastali is the name given to a pre-Dwaraka (or Harappan) settlement that had been abandoned and reoccupied and rebuilt during the Mahabharata period, said Rao, who identifies Bet Dwaraka with Antardvipa of the epic. "The word dvipa as used in the Mahabharata often conveys the sense of any land between two rivers or two waters, although it is also used for a continent," said Rao. "The Harappan seal inscriptions mention happta dvappa (sapta dvipa-seven lands) and bhadrama dvappa (bhadrama dvipa-a seal found at Kalibanga meaning most auspicious land). Also, "the fort wall and submerged walls in the sea confirm the appellation varidurga, citadel in the water, given to Dwaraka in the Mahabharata." Rao also finds confirmation of the reference to Dwaraka as nagara (city) in the epic. The high level of civilisation in ancient Dwaraka is borne out by the engineering skill, advanced technology and the high literacy of the people. "It was an urban centre with certain specialised industries such as boat building, shell working, pearl diving and perhaps metal working also," said Rao. The stone mould found in the intertidal zone compares favourably with similar moulds found in Lothal and other Indus towns just as the tidal dock at Lothal built in 2300 BC is seen as the precursor of the port installation of Dwaraka. Iron was already known to the smiths of Bet Dwaraka as attested to by iron stakes, nails and other iron objects. Terracotta wheels of toy carts were also recovered. By 1500 BC almost the entire township seems to have been destroyed. But while it existed, one later description of the city reads, "The yellow glitter of the golden fort of the city in the sea throwing yellow light all round looked as if the flames of vadavagni (volcano) came out tearing asunder the sea." Among the objects recovered from the sea-bed that establish the submerged township's connection with the Dwaraka of the Maha-bharata was a seal (just 18mmx20mm) with the images of a bull, unicorn and goat engraved in an anticlockwise direction. "The motif is no doubt of Indus origin but the style shows considerable influence from Bahrain," writes Rao. "The bull, unicorn and goat motif on seals from mature Harappan levels of Kalibangan and Mohenjo Daro is distinct from that of Bet Dwaraka which belongs to the late Indus period." But the seal does corroborate the reference made in the ancient text, the Harivamsa, that every citizen of Dwaraka should carry a mudra as a mark of identifiction and none without a seal should enter it. "When we got the seal we were really excited," said Dr. Rao. "Secondly, we got a stone mound in which they cast some spear heads. So some weapons were definitely locally manufactured. The Mahabharata mentions that when Dwaraka was attacked they inserted iron stakes. We got one of those. These are evidences which corroborate what the texts said. But the evidence that really clinched the issue was the mudra and the references to two Dwarakas at the place mentioned in the ancient texts like Sabha Parva." Over 12 expeditions during 1983-1990, with funding for just 20 days in a year: Dr Rao and his pioneering team working off the coast of Dwaraka The topography of the Okha region reveals seven parts interspersed by the Rann. They may be the seven islands that existed during the Mahabharata period and referred to in later texts. The occurrence of proto-historic (1600 BC) pottery on land suggests there were smaller towns between Dwaraka and Kushastali in ancient times. "With a large port town of Dwaraka, a shipyard in Bet Dwaraka and three other satellite towns at Aramda, Varwala and Nagewsar, the concept of the city state of Darukavana or Dwaravati must have been given a concrete shape," speculates Rao. If all these settlements are taken as one unit, Darukavana extended over 45 km from north to south and at least 25 km from east to west approximating to eight yojanas, if not more. Also, the Dwaraka harbour provided the earliest clear evidence of modifying natural rock to serve the needs of a harbour. Two rock-cut slipways of varying width extending from the beach to the intertidal zone were discovered, which "could have been designed for launching boats of different sizes." This technique was adopted by the Phoenicians much later, around 900-800. The structures and the large stone anchors lying under the sea at Dwaraka are also seen as indicative of large ships being anchored out at sea while smaller boats carried men and cargo up the river. Among artefacts reovered from Dwaraka and Bet Dwaraka were pottery carrying inscriptions in old Indo-Aryan (Vedic or archaic Sanskrit) script and were found to be 3,528 years old in thermoluminescence testing. Rao deciphers one of the potsherds recovered to read baga (God) in late Harappan characters and assignable to 1800-1600 BC and another as Mahakaccha sah pa, conveying the sense of "sea (or sea god) king (or ruler) protect"-an appeal to the sea god for protection. A similar appeal has been deciphered in a seal inscripion from Mohenjo Daro. Triangular three-holed anchors weighing 120-150 kg, the biggest weighing 560 kg, found were similar to pre-Phoenician anchors found in Syria and Cyprus and were dated around 1500 BC. Another archaeologically significant find was a lunate shaped moonstone (chandrasila). This and a beam found in the vicinity suggested to Rao's team that there existed a temple here. Stone artefacts recovered from the sea-bed included a low footed stool of basalt, finely polished found along with brass arches, a pestle of granite and a grinder cum pounder of dolerite. Two single-holed spheroid stone objects, use unclear, datable to 1500-1400 BC were found, besides iron nails, brass objects, a copper bell, a highly corroded copper lota and a few bronze nails. Low zinc brass produced at Lothal in 2300-2000 BC is similar in composition to that found at Dwaraka. Admittedly, there is not much dispute about the general area of Krishna's kingdom. "The dating of Rao's material was done, not by archaeologists, but by scientists at the Physical Research Lab, and that cannot be disbelieved. So it is definitely ancient Dwaraka," said Acharya. But in terms of time, Rao's explorations place Krishna and the Mahabharata in the post-Harappan period or after the break-up of the Harappan empire due to natural causes around 2200-1900 BC. "Generally our findings have been accepted," said Rao. "There are a few who think that the date 1700-1800 BC that we have assigned is not in consonance with the traditional date of 3102 BC. But so far as the archaeological evidence from on shore and off-shore excavations and thermoluminescence dating is concerned Kushastali with its late Harappan relics where the first Dwaraka was built may be assigned to 1700 BC and the town on the mainland may be slightly later," Rao said. "Although traditional date of 3102 BC cannot be confirmed by avaiable evidence, it is better to explore deeper waters of Bet Dwaraka," said Rao. "There is one other possibility. In Bet Dwaraka there are the mudflats. We are not able to dig because you hit water at an early depth and neither diving nor excavations are possible." (Archaeological excavations show that modern Dwaraka is the seventh settlement of the name on this site. It is now generally accepted that the earlier cities have been, at various times, swallowed by the sea. Interestingly, the only ancient temple for Matsya, Vishnu's incarnation at the time of the great flood, is to be found at Sankhodhara in Bet Dwarak. The structures and stone anchors lying under the sea indicate large ships being anchored out at sea while smaller boats carried men and cargo up the river as visualised in this artist's impression of the harbour of ancient Dwaraka. Madhav Acharya too favours the later dates. "There is a difference in the geographic areas as well as the time frame of the Saraswati civilisation that is wholly Vedic, and the setting of the Mahabharata," he said. According to him, while the Saraswati-or the Harappan-civilisation centres on the Saptasindhu rivers (the Indus, the Saraswati and the five rivers that make up Punjab), the Mahabharata has the Ganga and the Yamuna, besides the Kurukshetra area in Haryana, as the backdrop. "The earliest habitation in the Ganga-Yamuna region does not go back beyond 1200-1100 BC, and in Mathura and the Mahabharata sites there is no evidence of earlier inhabitation." The date arguments notwithstanding, there can be no denying the importance of Rao's findings. With Krishna consigned to mythology, the modernists of course insist that the undersea discoveries must have an explanation different from Rao's interpretation and correlation with the ancient texts, though they have yet to come up with one. Researchers like Rajaram view Rao's findings as confirmation of their theories that the Mahabharata belongs to a much earlier period. Rajaram, in his yet to be published book Search for the Historical Krishna, cites three main reasons as to why the site discovered by Rao is actually a later Dwaraka than the one built by Krishna. First, considering the abundant Vedic symbolism found in Harappan archaeology, which Rao too says, the lack of any Vedic motifs in the artefacts found in the undersea excavations suggests that the settlement was a later one. Rajaram theorises that Krishna's Dwaraka most probably lies below the existing ruins at a further depth of around 2.5 to 5 metres based on his calculations on the likely rise in sea levels over the past 5,000 years. Low zinc brass produced at Lothal in 2300-2000 BC is similar in composition to that found in artefacts like this bronze bell excavated at Dwaraka. Also, a stone mould compares favourably with similar mould found in Lothal and other Indus towns. The second reason cited is that Krishna of the Mahabharata and the archaeology of his Dwaraka must fit the picture of the region and society portrayed in the ancient texts. This, Rajaram says, better fits in the early Harappan (3100 BC) period than the post Harappan period favoured by Rao and some others. Especially since some of the artefacts recovered from the sea-bed show a strong affinity with West Asia, especially the Kassite empire of Babylon. The third reason is the mismatch between the political situation described in the Mahabharata and the picture given by post-Harappan archaeology. "There can be little doubt that Krishna was a Vedic figure," said Rajaram. According to the Mabhabharata, Krishna's links were with the Kurus, the Panchalas and Mathura, all in the Vedic heartland to the north. "Just as there is no denying the Kassite influences on Rao's Dwaraka, there is no denying the historic Vedic link between the Purus (or Kurus) and the Yadus along the Saraswati river, which should place them before the complete drying up the ancient river around 2200-1900 BC." This seal establishes the submerged township's connection with Dwaraka of Mahabharata. It corroborates the reference in the Harivamsa that says every citizen of Dwaraka should carry a mudra as a mark of identification. Further, Rajaram argues, the Mahabharata describes India as made up of established kingdoms, with good communications and a common elite language. "It was an age of large kingdoms and empires and imperial aspirations," he insists. In fact the geography as described in the epic is accepted by many scholars. Historian S.M. Ali is quoted in Rao's book: "The georgrapahical matter contained in the Mahabharata is immense. It is perhaps the only great work which deals with georgraphic details and not incidentally as other works." So Krishna's Dwaraka must fit into the geography and society described in the epic, which obviously corresponds far more to the early Harappan rather than the post-Harappan period which saw the rise of regional cultures, what Rao calls Janapadas, Rajaram argues in his book. (Rao gives the following chronology: Pre-Harappa 3400-3100 BC; mature Harappa 3100-1900 BC; late Harappa 1900-1500 BC.) The town was well-fortified with engineering skill, as seen in the hemispherical door-socket (left) and literacy as seen in the inscription in the earthern trough (right) in old Indo-Aryan script which Rao deciphers as Mahakaccha sah pa, conveying the sense of "sea (or sea god) king (or ruler) protect". Moreover, in looking at the historical basis for the Dwaraka legend, a key question is not just about Krishna but also whether the Mahabharata war and other participants in the war were historical also. One cannot have one without the other. And Rajaram and Jha, in their yet to be universally accepted decipherment of the Harappan seals, say there are many references to Krishna and other Mahabharata characters in the Indus Valley seals, some of which date back to 5000 years. For instance, one seal they have deciphered as Devapi, the elder brother of Bhishma's father, Shantanu. Among other names related to Krishna deciphered are Akrura (Krishna's friend), Yadu (Krishna's ancestor), and Sritirtha (old name for Dwaraka). Another seal they read as 'Murari Vrishni anga' meaning 'Murari of the Vrishnis,' and one more as 'Vrishni varpa,' implying he had a beautiful body. In fact, Jha and Rajaram say they have found the word 'Vrishni' appearing on numerous Harappan seals. Vrishni of course was Krishna's clan, living in a region where recent excavations have shown that the Harappan Civilisation was thriving. The identification of Krishna's Dwaraka thus calls for devising methods of identifying sites and artefacts that belong to the Mahabharata period, though there is little consensus among historians and archeologists on dating this period. For this, it is necessary to get at the root of the main literary source of the period, the Mahabharata. "Recent research has shown that the epic is not a myth but a recreation of history. This is the consensus among most historians and archaeologists," Rao argues. Anonymous said... Great discovery, certainly our history is true Anonymous said... Proud to be a Hindu ,proud to be a Indian and blessed to be his devotee ! Hare krishna hare Krishna ,krishna Krishna hare hare ! Anonymous said... Proud to be an Indian ,a Hindu ,blessed to be his devotee! Hare Krishna hare Krishna ,Krishna krishna hare hare! Anonymous said... Proud to be a hindu . Kumar Vasan said... When Facts are so evident its our history, its the Indus civilization from himalayas till the kanya kumari and Lanka. Appreciate the Great work that you have carried out. i'm very sadden to see the evacuation is stopped, May i know what why ? is there any way i contribute my life for this cause. Prashanth said... Our history is only before 2500 BC not more than that which means we don't have lakhs of years of history it's a myth. Dr JB Ratti said... This research was carried out before 1990. Twenty Eight years have passed but there is no new effort on the part of government to take these findings further through marine archaeology. This is a very important part of our ancient history. It is just lying there, unexplored.
Keywords: Natural Sciences Plants (Botany) Genetics & evolution Issue Date: 1997 Abstract: The tribe Triticeae includes three important cereals namely wheat, rye and barley and their wild relatives. Available wheat cultivars have limited genetic variability for resistance to insects, pests and diseases. They also lack tolerance to salinity, drought and other abiotic stresses. In the light og growing evidence of the limited and narrowing genetic pool of advanced wheal cultivars, research on the genetic resources of wild relatives of cultivated wheats becomes increasingly important. Present studies were undertaken with aim to evaluate variability of isoperoxidases and isoainylascs in different tissues of cultivated wheat and its related species. Determination of the chromosomal locations of genes controlling these isozymes was also carried out. The ultimate aim of the studies was to establish biochemical marker(s) characterizing genetic resistance. Current work is an indicative of homology of isoperoxidases and isoamylases at various ploidy levels of wild and cultivated wheats and their relatives. However, differences in relative mobility and absence or presence of certain bands had been noticed among hexaploid, tetraploid and diploid wheats and Aegilops. Results revealed the presence of certain isoperoxidases and isoamylases in Aegilops species which were absent in most of hexaploid wheal accessions. These isozymes could be used to differentiate species of Triticum. Comparison of hexaploid wheat isozymes with progenitors exhibited the presence of certain common bands between diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid species which is an indicative of the contrioution of the respective genomes to hexaploid wheat. Appearance of bands at similar sites in synthetic hexaploid wheat as of ‘CS’ strengthen the evidence about ibe origin of their genome. Variation observed for few bandsbeiwccn natural wheats and synthetic wheat exploited for the improvement of bread wheat. Amphiploid T. aeslivuni - Ae. ovoia exhibited the qualitative pattern of both parents, however, specific band of Ae. ovata had also been noticed. Aneuploid lines of T. aesiivum L. cv. ‘Chinese Spring’ alongwith its disomic control (2n = 6x=42; AABBDD) were utilized lo locate the genes for leaf and root isoperoxidases and isoainylases. Analysis of available nullisomic-tetrasomic lines for chromosomes of group I to 7 of the three genomes in different combinations implicated the involvement of IAS, IBS, 6BL, 7AS, 7AL and 7DS in the synthesis of leaf peroxidases. Homeologous chromosomes 6BS, 6DS and 7AL, 7DL are responsible for the synthesis of root isopcroxidasc. Present studies, by using CS/rye additional lines revealed that grain isoperoxidases of rye are related to chromosome 1 and 7 whereas root peroxidases showed the presence of rye bands cn additional line carrying chromosome 2R and 6R. The zymogram of grain peroxidase of barley indicated the involvement of chromosome 2H. 5H and 6H in the synthesis of grain peroxidases. As far as root peroxidases are concerned results showed the involvement of 2H and 7H. The localization of genes for leaf and root peroxidases on group 1, 6 and 7 genome of wheat and 1R, 6R and 7R of rye is an evidence of homeology between wheat and rye chromosomes. Zymogram analysis of nullisomic, tetrasomic and ditelosomic aneuploid genotypes of wheat cultivar ‘Chinese Spring’ indicated the possible location for the synthesis of leaf isoamylases on 6DS, 7AL and 7DL. Results of root isoamylases demonstrated the involvement of chromosomes IBS, 6BS, 6BL, 6DS and 6DL in the synthesis. The banding profile of CS/rye additional lines suggested the location of genes for leaf amylases on IR, 2R, 3R, 6R and 7P in three different tissues of rye. The studies on CS/barley addition lines exhibited the involvement of 2H, 7H and 5H chromosomes in the synthesis of grain and root amylases respectively. Isoperoxidase patterns of flag leaves have been investigated in diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats and seventeen species of Aegilops. Most of Aegilops species had been screened previously for resistance against karnal bunt (Tilletia indied). Several were highly resistant to the pathogen. T. aestivum lacks genetic resistance. The study was further extended to establish biochemical marker(s) characterizing genetic resistance. In all 44 isozymes were determined, many of them were common in wild and cultivated species. Species of marker specificity belonged to Ae. cylindrica, Ae. ovata, Ae. biuncialis, Ae. crass a. Ae. juvenalis, Ae. vavilovi and Ae. triaristata. The present investigation highlights the peroxidase isozyme variation and practical diagnostic usage of isoperoxidases in wheat improvement. URI:  http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/handle/123456789//2997 Files in This Item: File Description SizeFormat  610.pdfComplete Thesis3.45 MBAdobe PDFView/Open
HTML and CSS Reference In-Depth Information LLVM, Emscripten translates C or C++ into JavaScript so it can run directly from web browsers. You can think of Emscripten as the sum of three components: A compiler from LLVM IR into a subset of JavaScript. A set of convenience tools that make it easy to use LLVM and Clang to compile C++ into A standard set of libraries and APIs, like libc, libc++, SDL, OpenGL, and zlib, to ease porting efforts. Before we dive any deeper, I can hear you exclaim “But isn't JavaScript much slower than native code? Why would I want to compile my fast native code into slow JavaScript? How could my game's performance possibly be We will dig into how compiling C++ to JavaScript has acceptable performance in more detail later, but let's look at some numbers first. In 2011, C++ compiled to JavaScript ran at less than 10% of the speed of the equivalent native code—a 10x slowdown or more, depending on the code. That's pretty terrible, but times have changed. Table 18-1 shows the results from a software skeletal animation benchmark I ran in 2011, comparing vertex transform rate between a scalar floating point native implementation and the equivalent Emscripten-compiled Table 18-1. Native vs. Emscripten Performance in 2011 Native gcc 4.2 Since then, JavaScript engines have learned to recognize and optimize the particular style of code generated by Emscripten and other C++-to-JavaScript compilers. Table 18-2 is the same benchmark run today, this time having Emscripten generate the asm.js subset of JavaScript. Table 18-2. Native vs. Emscripten Performance in 2014 Native gcc 4.2 Firefox 27 asm.js Chrome 32 asm.js The absolute numbers differ from 2011's as the benchmark was run on a different machine, so focus on the relative slowdown. With Emscripten compiler and JavaScript engine improvements, C++ compiled to JavaScript can run at 40-50% of native speed, a huge improvement from the 2011 numbers. Emscripten-generated JavaScript, run in a browser, will likely never match native code performance, as the Web is expected to be secure, and security sandboxes generally impose some overhead. However, it's conceivable that, in time, C++ code compiled into JavaScript for the browser could run with a mere 5-15% overhead relative to native, given that Google's Native Client code performs within 5% of native. There is a fair amount of room for browser optimization technology to improve. You can track cross-browser asm.js benchmarks at . Search WWH :: Custom Search
Group Task You are an elder of a tribe living in the jungles of South America that has never seen any civilisation except its own. You and the other elders of your tribe meet regularly to resolve disputes between other members, about things like marriage and divorce, trading of possessions and acts of violence. Recently, some of the younger members of the tribe have become dissatisfied and have made protests about your decisions, saying that the elders just use their position to do whatever they want. They say that:- 1. Some decisions have been inconsistent with previous decisions; 2. Decisions are biased towards your own family members; 3. Decisions are based on old-fashioned ideas that should be changed; 4. Tribe members often ignore decisions and the victim can do nothing about it; 5. There is no way of challenging a decision, even if it is clearly wrong; 6. Tribe members can simply tell lies to the elders to get a favourable decision; 7. No one knows why decisions are made, so the people involved keep arguing about the dispute even after a decision has been made. There is a risk that the tribe may break up, perhaps violently, so you and the other elders meet with the protesters. Although you do not accept their complaints, you agree that the things listed above should not happen. You agree to work out a way of preventing these problems from happening in the future. Task 1 Your meet with the other elders in your group to decide on a proposal to put to the protesters. You must present this proposal to the class. Task 2 After learning about Professor Hart’s 3-part legal system, you need to present to the class how your proposals fit within that system. What are:- i. Your rules of recognition; ii. Your rules of change; iii. Your rules of adjudication. Task 3 After learning about the Australian legal system, the Constitution and the doctrine of precedent, you explain how the Australian legal system solves the problems in the scenario. Task 5 – IRAC exercise (This can be done as a group exercise) Your client has entered into a written lease, signed only by himself, to rent a car-parking space in a major city building at a price of $250 per month. Based on section 11(1)(a) of the Property Law Act 1974 (Qld), is the lease legally effective or not? Give your IRAC
Jacob Kingsley, 12, visits a bakery that was off-limits before he began oral immunotherapy for a peanut allergy. A revolutionary treatment for allergies to peanuts and other foods is going mainstream—but do the benefits outweigh the risks? Jacob Kingsley was 9 years old when he was handed the poison he'd shunned since before he could walk and told to swallow it as medicine. Obediently, he gulped down a few micrograms of peanut flour—less than 1/1000 of a peanut—diluted in grape Kool-Aid. His mother and a nurse hovered, ready to inject him with epinephrine if an itchy throat and wheezing struck. Jacob's mother, Jennifer Kingsley, had driven him 2 hours from their home in Columbus to this doctor's office in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the first of dozens of sessions of peanut immunotherapy. Giving Jacob gradually increasing doses of peanuts, she hoped, would desensitize his immune system. It's a strategy Kingsley hadn't pursued until she reached her breaking point. A year earlier, Jacob had swallowed a handful of popcorn that, unbeknownst to him, was laced with peanut product. He suffered a particularly frightening reaction: two bouts of intense symptoms about 6 hours apart. The incident marked his second peanut-related trip to the emergency room, and Kingsley was terrified that the next encounter could be fatal. "I decided, ‘I can't live like this,’" she says. "I was desperate." As Jacob sat through the hourslong appointment in Cincinnati, playing video games and swigging increasing doses of peanut-spiked Kool-Aid, he joined legions of children writing food allergy's next chapter. Today, more than 3000 people worldwide, most of them children, have undergone peanut immunotherapy, with the goal of protecting them if they accidentally encounter the food. Other children are trying immunotherapy for allergies to milk, eggs, and tree nuts. Some, like Jacob, get treatment in allergists' offices, where doctors share protocols informally and in published papers. Other children have enrolled in clinical trials, including those run by two companies racing to introduce a peanut-based capsule or skin patch. Both plan to apply for approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year. The agency's blessing would dramatically boost immunotherapy's credibility and reach. In a field that for decades has had nothing to offer patients beyond avoidance, immunotherapy marks a seismic shift. As it edges closer to mainstream, "There's mixed feelings, with a whole range of enthusiasm," says Corinne Keet, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Fear that it might cause harm is mingling with euphoria that children living constrained lives could be set free. Doctors who offer immunotherapy describe families eating in Chinese restaurants for the first time and home-schooled children rejoining their peers. Like many medical firsts, the therapy is not perfect. "This is version 1.0," says Brian Vickery, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Emory University in Atlanta. He has conducted peanut immunotherapy trials and worked for 2 years at Aimmune Therapeutics, headquartered in Brisbane, California, one of the companies whose products are nearing approval. Physicians fret about oral immunotherapy's rigors—treatment must continue indefinitely—and its risks, which include the same allergic reactions it aims to prevent. Last year in Japan, a child suffered brain damage during a trial of immunotherapy for milk allergies. Meanwhile, physicians on the front lines are navigating hazy science. No one knows exactly how immunotherapy works or who's most likely to be helped or hurt by it. "For me," Keet says, "it's really not clear for an average child with peanut allergy whether it will make sense to do oral immunotherapy or not." Like many who study food allergies, Keet was enticed by their mystery. Animal models are poor. The intensity of allergic reactions varies unpredictably, even in the same person over time. Why one child outgrows an allergy and another doesn't is unknown. "This was something we didn't cover much in medical school" in the 1990s, says Matthew Greenhawt, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver. Greenhawt's career trajectory tracks with a surge in food allergies, and these days, he can barely keep up with the stream of affected children who visit his hospital. Today, between 1% and 2% of people in the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other countries are allergic to peanuts—a rate that has roughly tripled since the mid-1990s. Other food allergies, such as those to tree nuts, are also on the rise. What's causing the increase is not well understood. Despite rising caseloads, deaths from food allergies remain rare. Precise numbers are hard to come by, and estimates range from fewer than 10 to more than 150 a year in the United States. But even though an affected child is more likely to be struck by lightning than to die of a food allergy, the risk can feel ever-present. Parents never know when their children will happen upon culprit foods and how they'll be affected if they do. "We live in a complex world—people move food all over the place," says David Bunning, a businessman whose two sons, now adults, have multiple food allergies. "The impact on children in terms of their confidence to explore their environment can be extreme." Bunning's family almost never traveled or ate out. At their grandparents' house, the boys were usually confined to one room where food wasn't allowed. Bunning now chairs the board of directors at Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), an advocacy group in McLean, Virginia. Families like his, and the doctors who cared for their children, began to agitate for new treatments about a decade ago. Immunotherapy was the obvious candidate: Injections that desensitize the immune system to pollen, grass, pet dander, and bee venom have been around for decades. Whether for an allergy to cats or pistachios, immunotherapy aims to disrupt the cells that swing out of control when faced with an allergen. When a child who is allergic to a food eats it, food proteins cross from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. An antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is bound to white blood cells called mast cells in tissues, recognizes the culprits. IgE activates the mast cells, which release histamine and other chemicals. In the skin, that response can lead to hives; in the respiratory tract, wheezing; and in the gut, vomiting. The most serious symptoms, such as a swollen throat or a reaction throughout the body, mark anaphylaxis, which is what families fear the most. Allergy shots blunt production of IgE, in part, researchers believe, by boosting levels of certain T cells that prompt a cascade of immune changes. Peanuts Fighting fire with fire Eating gradually increasing doses of a foodallergen seems to desensitize the immune system over time. Thousands of children have tried oral immunotherapy, and a capsule to treat peanut allergies might be approved by regulators next year. But there’s anxiety about the strategy’s risks and unknowns. When a child eats a food they’re allergic to, an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) helps touch off events that lead to symp-toms from mild to severe. Symptoms can hit the skin, as shown, and also the gut, the respiratory system, and beyond. Food proteins that trigger a reaction pass through the gut and into the bloodstream. Red bloodcell One symptom: skin hives Ingestion ofcontrolledallergen dose The level of IgE in the blood can drop. Less reactive mast cell Milder reactions on the skin and beyond. Less food protein goes into the bloodstream. What’s an allergic reaction? Months of oral immunotherapy make mast cells less reactive and seem to reduce how much allergen enters the bloodstream. Many children can tolerate more of the food they’re allergic to but must continue treatment indefinitely. About 20% discontinue treatment because of side effects and other reasons. How does treatment work? Reactions include hives, itchy throat, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Allergy symptoms Hives Wheezing Rapid heartrate Vomiting IgE, which binds to mast cells, alerts these white blood cells. They releasehistamine and other chemicals. Mast cells Immunotherapy leads to more of the IgG4 antibody, which is thought to compete with IgE and prevent mast cells from being activated. IgG4 Scientists think the body produces more of this antibody, which makes it harder for the allergen to pass from the gut into the bloodstream. IgA Children with food allergies have high levels of an antibody, IgE, that recognizes specific allergens. IgE Mast cell membrane Allergen IgE Brief testing decades ago indicated that shots for food allergies weren't safe. So around the mid-2000s, scientists began to feed children the allergen instead. One watershed moment came in 2005, when the National Institutes of Health formed a consortium for food allergy clinical trials. A second was in 2011, when advocates sponsored a symposium at Harvard Medical School in Boston to standardize goals and strategy for the pioneering immunotherapy efforts. About 60 people attended. "The patients were very clear," says Carla McGuire Davis, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. They didn't care about eating a peanut butter sandwich; they wanted protection if they accidentally encountered one. Trialists set their end dose at a couple of peanuts and pressed ahead. The results of early clinical trials were promising, says Hugh Sampson, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, who has studied immunotherapy in food allergies for many years. After 6 to 12 months of treatment, he says, about 70% to 80% of patients could handle higher doses of the food than before. Lab data were encouraging, too: Ingesting allergens over time seems to make mast cells less reactive, inhibiting their release of harmful chemicals. The therapy also produces other immunoglobulins: IgG4, which further inhibits mast cell activity, and IgA, which helps keep food allergens from escaping the gut. The 2011 conference inspired the founding of the company now called Aimmune, fueled by more than $3.5 million from FARE. A second company, DBV Technologies, based in Montrouge, France, and New York City, expanded a few years later. Aimmune began to develop an oral product, essentially a capsule of powder derived from peanut flour with proteins held to consistent levels. In February, the company announced in a press release the results of a phase III trial involving 496 children and teenagers, with a regimen stepping up every 2 weeks through 11 dose levels. Among the 372 people in the treatment group, about 20% dropped out for various reasons, including side effects. After about a year, 96% of people who completed treatment could consume one peanut with no more than mild symptoms, 84% could tolerate two, and 63% could tolerate at least three. DBV's skin patch represents a more conservative strategy: It delivers tiny amounts of peanut protein, the equivalent of one peanut over 3 years. Last year, DBV announced that in its phase III trial of almost 400 patients, after a year, those using the patch could, on average, eat three peanuts over the course of several hours before experiencing clinical symptoms such as vomiting or hives; before the trial, the average was just under one peanut. Outcomes varied substantially from person to person. If one or both products are approved by FDA in the coming months, expectations are high that they'll be welcomed: Aimmune is now worth about $1.5 billion on the U.S. stock exchange. In 2016, FARE sold its share in Aimmune for $47 million. What people don’t understand is this level of protection fluctuates. … It is not guaranteed, nor is it constant. Mimi Tang, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Meanwhile, some doctors embrace another route: offering peanut immunotherapy in their practices. "I can treat 20 patients with $5.95 of peanut flour," says Richard L. Wasserman, a pediatric allergist-immunologist in Dallas, Texas. Wasserman ventured into food allergy immunotherapy 11 years ago. He developed a protocol based partly on published case reports and protocols for allergy shots, and he put IVs into his first five peanut allergy patients in case he had only seconds to rescue them from severe anaphylaxis. "When they all sailed through the first day, we stopped doing IVs," he says. "But that's a measure of how concerned I was." Wasserman has since treated more than 300 children with peanut allergies and more than 400 with other food allergies. Other practitioners are joining in, among them the Cincinnati allergist whom the Kingsley family sought out: Justin Greiwe at Bernstein Allergy Group. Greiwe joined the practice in 2014, straight out of medical training. "It was a little nerve-wracking at the beginning," he says, because no officially sanctioned oral immunotherapy protocol existed. He took precautionary measures, such as lung testing before every treatment, to help ensure patient safety. Some clinicians—and executives at the companies developing products—aren't happy about the doctor's office treatments. "That gives a lot of us pause," says Sampson, who in addition to his academic post is chief scientific officer of DBV. "We're very afraid that if this goes on enough, somebody is going to have an accident or a fatal reaction, and that's really going to change the FDA's viewpoint" about the products in development, he says. Wasserman agrees about the need for caution. "Not every practicing allergist should be doing oral immunotherapy," he says. Greiwe suggests the treatment requires a dedicated staff, and he gives every immunotherapy family his cellphone number. Jacob was one of Greiwe's first immunotherapy patients. His mother remembers Jacob's ears burning—a minor reaction that subsided on its own. "Or he said he hated peanuts and wanted to quit," she says. Worst was about 6 months in, when Kingsley discovered that for 2 weeks, Jacob had hidden his dose to avoid eating it. That was "the only time we ever felt danger," she says. Stopping treatment can quickly alter the immune system, says Cecilia Berin, an immunologist at Mount Sinai, because immunotherapy requires constant exposure. When Jacob squirreled away his daily dose, the changes induced in his immune system almost certainly started to fade out, putting him at risk. Greiwe restarted him on a lower dose and, his mother says, "We got through it." Food allergies are becoming more common, and a handful of foods accounts for the vast majority of allergies. But small doses of the foods can blunt allergic reactions. Even children who faithfully follow instructions face risks. The immune system can react to even subtle pressures, and the list of what can provoke a reaction to treatment is long. Exercising within a couple of hours of the dose can do it; so can a cold, a stomach virus, menstruation, or a hot shower. An asthma attack can trigger a reaction—many children with allergies have asthma as well—and so can stress. "We had a patient who had just played the violin on a stage, came down, and about 15 minutes later … took the dose and had a reaction," Davis says. Berin posits that external pressures such as physical activity or illness make the gut more permeable, pushing more of the immunotherapy dose into the bloodstream. But that remains hypothesis. Regardless, it's becoming clear that "there are people who react years down the road to a maintenance dose," Keet says. For Jacob, such a moment came 9 months in. One evening while watching a movie, he downed his peanut M&M's and later ran outside with his cousins to dance in a rainstorm. He broke out in hives head to toe. Kingsley dialed Greiwe's number, and Jacob got a double dose of an allergy medication. The most tragic data point to date is the case in Japan. A child had enrolled in a trial of immunotherapy for milk allergies at the Kanagawa Children's Medical Center in Yokohama. He'd raised what he could ingest from less than 8 milliliters to 135 milliliters—about half a glass of milk. After 3 months on that maintenance dose, he swallowed it and soon complained of pain. Within minutes, he had stopped breathing. His heartbeat was later restored in the emergency room, but he'd gone too long without it and sustained severe brain damage, according to a statement from the hospital's president, Sumimasa Yamashita, in November 2017. Kanagawa Children's Medical Center declined to comment, saying only that the incident remains under investigation. In its statement, the hospital noted the boy had suffered an asthma attack the day before the catastrophic dose. He also was on a protocol that aimed to rapidly escalate the volume of milk he could drink over less than 3 weeks. But why the child reacted so disastrously to that glass of milk is unknown. "What people don't understand is this level of protection fluctuates," says Mimi Tang, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. "It is not guaranteed, nor is it constant." One of the few long-term analyses was published in 2013 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Keet, pediatric allergist-immunologist Robert Wood at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and their colleagues sought out 32 children who'd been in a milk immunotherapy trial. Three to 5 years later, "The results were surprising in a sobering kind of way," Wood says. Only about a quarter "were doing great … tolerating unlimited quantities of milk without side effects." Another quarter had abandoned the protocol and returned to strict avoidance. The rest were eating dairy products inconsistently, with intermittent or even frequent allergic reactions. "It's hard to know which comes first, whether they got complacent" about ingesting it "or backed off because [they were] having too many symptoms," Wood says. It made me nervous, really nervous, to put something in my daughter’s mouth that she was allergic to. Divya Balachandar, mother of Leena Wong More and more families are willing to live with those uncertainties because the alternative is greater anxiety. "We were scared senseless," says Divya Balachandar, whose daughter Leena Wong, now 7 years old, had her first episode of anaphylaxis at age 4 after being touched by a cashew. Testing revealed Leena also was allergic to sesame, eggs, milk, other tree nuts, and peanuts. Balachandar, a pediatric pulmonologist in New York City, and her husband enrolled Leena in a federally funded oral immunotherapy trial for peanut allergy in 2015. "It made me nervous, really nervous, to put something in my daughter's mouth that she was allergic to," Balachandar says. She gravitated toward a trial over treatment with a local allergist because, she says, "there were no rules" about how to treat in private practice. By this spring, Leena could eat two spoonfuls of peanut butter—about 25 peanuts—without a problem. She started second grade sitting with her classmates at lunchtime, liberated from a separate nut-free table. Both companies developing peanut-based treatments say they had more volunteers for their trials than they could accommodate. Private practitioners usually have a waiting list; Greiwe's runs more than 4 months. At Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, which has a large food allergy research program, more than 2000 patients are waitlisted to enroll in the university's clinical trials, says Sharon Chinthrajah, an allergist-immunologist there. More treatments are on the horizon. In Australia, Tang is working with a company that's testing an approach she pioneered, a combination of a probiotic and oral peanut immunotherapy. The probiotic should tilt the body toward producing the subset of T cells that tolerate the allergen and away from making cells that attack it, she says. Chinthrajah and others are enthusiastic about combining oral immunotherapy with a monoclonal antibody called omalizumab, which is FDA approved to treat allergic asthma. Clinical trials are also gearing up to test other monoclonal antibodies that target molecules involved in allergic inflammation. Jacob's and Leena's families are eager to see what comes next. Jacob is also allergic to pistachios and cashews, but because he finds those foods easier to avoid than peanuts, the family has rejected immunotherapy that targets them. Leena's family is the opposite. With her older sister and her parents, Leena attends Indian functions regularly, where tree nuts are a common ingredient in sauces. In August, another episode of anaphylaxis landed her in the emergency room: She began to vomit and suffered chest tightness and eye swelling after eating Indian food her parents suspect contained cashews—despite having triple-checked with the restaurant that it did not. "I would love to do tree nuts," Balachandar says, once immunotherapy "becomes more available and better understood." Physicians with deep roots in food allergy immunotherapy hope those new to it tread carefully. Doctors who offer such treatments "have to know the data cold," including published results and side effects that may crop up, Greenhawt says. Still, he's thrilled that peanut immunotherapy treatments may soon be approved. The other day, talking with a peanut-allergic 4-year-old and his mother, Greenhawt shared what the next year might bring. "I said, ‘I'm going to see you a year from now; hopefully, we will have two products that are approved, and we can talk about which one might be best for you.’" The mother looked startled and delighted, Greenhawt says. "I've never seen somebody smile as brightly as that."
A Map On The Wall      The year was 1792 and the place—Nottingham, England.  A young man by the name of William Carey stood before a group of ministers and opened the scriptures to Isaiah 54:2, 3.  There he expounded on those great inspired words: “Stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left.” It followed with what has been recognized as one of the greatest missionary sermons in recent centuries.      William Carey is known as the father of the modern Protestant missionary movement.  Born into a poor family with few resources, it is amazing what he was able to accomplish with God’s help.  Unlike many famous theologians and churchmen, Carey did not have the luxury of a Cambridge or Oxford education.  In fact, he had to leave school at barely fourteen years of age to earn a living.  A short and stocky fellow, his fingers were not suited for his father’s trade as a weaver, so he had to become an apprentice cobbler—a mender of shoes.      Although young Carey had been confirmed in the Anglican church, the craftsman with whom he worked and lived was a very ungodly individual.  Over the course of three years, the cobbler’s drinking, cursing, profanity, and harshness took their toll on the teenage apprentice.  Soon Carey himself began to slip away from the influence of his parents and fell into an ungodly lifestyle.      Meanwhile his fellow apprentice, John Wart was converted to Christ, and became concerned for his friend, William Carey.  He began to speak with him about the state of his soul and his need for the Lord.  Though at first he met with resistance, Wart eventually persuaded Carey to attend a reform-minded church.      By the age of 18, for the first time in his life, Carey fully grasped the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  He realized that eternal life was a free gift through the Savior’s atoning death.  His heart rejoiced with the assurance that he belonged to Christ and that, if faithful, he would be with him forever.  With this new-found meaning in his life came a special concern for others, and the first person for whom Carey developed a burden was Mr. Clarke Nichols, his supervisor.  But the ungodly cobbler steadfastly resisted the importunity of his two converted apprentices and eventually he grew seriously ill.  But as his illness grew worse, the teens continued to share with him the grace and mercy of Christ, even in his death chamber.  By a miracle of God and the perseverance of the faithful pair, Mr. Nichols finally repented of his sins and embraced Christ as his Saviour before he was laid to rest.      With this experience, William Carey tasted  a greater joy than he had ever known—the joy of seeing a soul won to Jesus.  A whole new burden overwhelmed his heart; he was convinced that the entire world needed to know Christ.  Scriptures flowed through his mind, echoing the thoughts.  “Go ye into all the world…God so loved the world that He gave His Son…Make disciples of all nations.”      Now in our day, at the close of the twentieth century this may not seem all that revolutionary, but we have to realize that in the late 1700s the concern of the church for the world was far less than it is even today.  At that time there were no world mission societies, and virtually no missionaries going beyond Europe and North America.  India, china, Africa, and South America had pockets of Christian believers, but had been largely untouched by the Protestant reformation of the western world.  In the heart of this one young man burned a zeal for the need of the world.  He could not rest without pursuing his goal further.      Carey made a great map out of brown paper and pieces of leather and put it in his cobbler shop.  He carefully gathered information about all the countries in the world, their population, religions and the conditions of the heathen.  To enhance his income, Carey began to teach school.  One biographer mentions that as he taught geography, his pupils beheld a strange sight: in the midst of a geography lesson, their teacher would be moved to tears as he would describe the various nations of the world.  Then he would break forth and say, “They’re pagans, pagans, pagans!” and he would break down in tears.  Even still, there was no one going out into the world with the gospel message.      Finally, that day arrived in Nottingham when William Carey shared his burden with a small ministerial association.  He quoted Isaiah 54:2, 3 and challenged himself and his colleagues with the words, “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God,” calling on these men to take the gospel to the world.      What was the result of this moving plea?  We are told that John Ryland stood and said,  “Young man, sit down, sit down.  When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without consulting you or me.”  One of those who heard Cary’s sermon said it was so poignant that he thought all would break down and weep.  But they did no such thing.  Most got up to leave.  In utter dismay, Carey grabbed the hand of his friend, “Oh, Fuller, call them back, call them back.  Aren’t we going to do anything?”  William Carey was a man of action.  He was not satisfied merely with discussing or praying about the situation; he had to do something about it.      So the people were brought back and a motion was made to form a mission society dedicated to taking the gospel of Christ to the world.  But still there was no missionary to go.  And the total funds raised only amounted to about $67.00.      Refusing to be discouraged, Carey volunteered to go himself—To India.  His father thought he had gone mad, and his wife wanted nothing to do with the idea.      Nevertheless, after a long series of difficulties and obstacles, at the age of 32, Carey finally managed to set sail for India with his wife and children.  In the area where he began working, during the first year, 25 men were carried away by Bengal tigers and never seen again.  But Cary was undaunted and determined.      As a youth of 14, he had already invested in the personal study of Latin, soon to be followed by a self-taught mastery of Greek, Hebrew and French and Dutch—all before the age of 20.  During his life ministry in India, Carey learned the following languages and translated into them the entire scripture or a portion thereof: Bengali, Sanskrit, Oriva, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Bolochi, Mewari, Telugu, Konkani, Pashto, Assamese, Lahnda, Gujerati, Bikaneri, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Nepali, Bagheli, Marawari, Harauti, kanouji, Kanarese, Jaipuri, Kumaoni, Sindhi, Dogri, Bhatneri, Magahi, Malvi, Braj Brasha, Garwahali, Manipuri, palpa, Khasi—a total of thirty-five different Indian languages.      What was it that imbued this one man with such an incredible amount of energy and zeal?  There is only one answer.  It was his tremendous love for the souls of men.  He saw such value in one soul that he would persevere until victory for Christ was accomplished.      Carey preached every day to the natives in India.  The result?  For seven years he saw not one single convert among the Indians.  Finally, Krishna Pal, in 1800, was the first convert of his missionary movement.  By God’s grace, many thousands soon adhered to Christianity.  Indeed the faith of William Carey paid off.      Dear youth of today, what should be on your wall?  Think of the map Carey made—that map which so vividly illustrated the longings of his soul.  Every day he gazed upon it, pondering the great work that God laid on his heart….such a worthwhile goal….such a worthwhile life.  And today, as the final grains of sand in time’s hourglass begin trickling to the bottom, should not Carey’s timeless motto be adopted by the young?       “Expect great things from God!  Attempt great things for God!”
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Simons Foundation and member institutions. Full-text links: Current browse context: new | recent | 1706 Change to browse by: References & Citations Physics > Classical Physics Title:Visualization of Thomas-Wigner rotations Authors:G. Beyerle Abstract: It is well known that a sequence of two non-collinear pure Lorentz transformations (boosts) is not a boost again, but involves a spatial rotation, the Wigner or Thomas-Wigner rotation. The formation of this rotation is visually illustrated by moving a Born-rigid object on a closed trajectory in several sections. Within each section the boost's proper time duration is assumed to be the same and the object's centre accelerates uniformly. Born-rigidity implies that the stern of this object accelerates faster than its bow. It is shown that at least five boosts are required to return the object's centre to its start position. With these assumptions, the Thomas-Wigner rotation angle depends on a single parameter only, the maximum speed reached within each boost section. The visualization highlights the close relationship between the Thomas-Wigner rotation and the relativity of simultaneity. Furthermore, it is illustrated that accelerated motion implies the formation of an event horizon. The event horizons associated with the five boosts constitute a boundary to the rotated Born-rigid object and ensure its finite size. Comments: 25 pages, 7 figures; comments appreciated Journal reference: Symmetry 2017, 9, 292 DOI: 10.3390/sym9120292 Cite as: arXiv:1706.02755 [physics.class-ph]   (or arXiv:1706.02755v1 [physics.class-ph] for this version) Submission history From: Georg Beyerle [view email] [v1] Tue, 6 Jun 2017 10:16:13 UTC (210 KB)
A Geometric Approach to Differential Forms (Repost) Posted By: Specialselection A Geometric Approach to Differential Forms (Repost) David Bachman, "A Geometric Approach to Differential Forms" Birkhäuser Boston; 1 edition | English | 2006-08-13 | ISBN: 0817644997 | 141 pages | PDF | 1.27 mb The modern subject of differential forms subsumes classical vector calculus. This text presents differential forms from a geometric perspective accessible at the sophomore undergraduate level. The book begins with basic concepts such as partial differentiation and multiple integration and gently develops the entire machinery of differential forms. The author approaches the subject with the idea that complex concepts can be built up by analogy from simpler cases, which, being inherently geometric, often can be best understood visually. Each new concept is presented with a natural picture that students can easily grasp. Algebraic properties then follow. This facilitates the development of differential forms without assuming a background in linear algebra. Throughout the text, emphasis is placed on applications in 3 dimensions, but all definitions are given so as to be easily generalized to higher dimensions. A centerpiece of the text is the generalized Stokes' theorem. Although this theorem implies all of the classical integral theorems of vector calculus, it is far easier for students to both comprehend and remember. The text is designed to support three distinct course tracks: the first as the primary textbook for third semester (multivariable) calculus, suitable for anyone with a year of calculus; the second is aimed at students enrolled in sophomore-level vector calculus; while the third targets advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics or mathematics, covering more advanced topics such as Maxwell's equations, foliation theory, and cohomology.
Phantom Subspecies: The Wood Bison, Bison bison "athabascae" Rhoads 1897 Is Not a Valid Taxon, but an Ecotype Valerius Geist The proposal that the "hybrid bison" of Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) be exterminated and replaced with "wood bison" has no taxonomic justification. The subspecies Bison bison athabascae Rhoads 1897 is based on the inadequate descriptions and taxonomically invalid criteria - i.e., body size and morphometrics. Its accepted pelage features are based on studies of the same herd of Nyarling River (NR) bison from Elk Island National Park (EINP). These pelage features, assumed to be genetically fixed, are ecotypic confinement effects, which NR bison share with EINP bull elk and moose. In bison the display hair acts analogous to deer antlers, which reflect their bearers' access to high-quality food during their growth. NR bison in captivity, in the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary (MBS), and the original wood bison are "northern plains bison." Nor are WBNP bison distinguishable from MBS bison. A "wood bison" phenotype was also described as diagnostic for southern plains bison (B.b. bison Linnaeus 1958); the northern plains bison was named B.b. montanae Krumbiegel 1980. Consequently, B.b. athabascae = B.b. bison, as the latter has priority. Yet captive and introduced NR athabascae = montanae. Some WBNP bison resemble B. priscus, supporting the view that B. bison evolved as a hybrid between American and Siberian large-horned bison. Hybridization in large mammals need not be a tragedy for conservation. Key words: wood bison, plains bison, taxonomy, phenotype plasticity, ecotype, display organs, morphometry, subspecies, conservation Animal anatomy; Animal integumentary systems; Animal taxonomy; North American bison; Steppe bison; Elk Island National Park, Alberta; Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, N.W.T.; Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta/N.W.T.; Nyarling River region, N.W.T. Full Text: Copyright (c)
What Does different Color of urine indicates about your Health, know it. Have you ever seen the color of your urine changing? Sometimes it is light yellow shade and sometimes it is dark yellow. But have you ever wondered why this happens and what does it indicate? May be not and we say you should consider it sometimes since it says a lot about your health. You can also find the early symptoms of major health issue like internal bleeding in your urine. Your urine can reveal what you’ve been eating, how much you’ve been drinking, and what diseases you have. color of urine says about your health color of urine says about your health Doctors often do urine test, but that is in depth test which we are not discussing here. What we will discuss here is the fact that color of urine is the indicator of your health status and early signs of any minor or major health problem that needs to be addressed on time. Urine is an important part of the body’s disposal process. Its job is to remove the extra water and water-soluble wastes the kidneys filter from the blood. “The urine is there primarily to get rid of toxins or things that would otherwise build up in the body that would be bad for the body”. There are many toxic substances that are separated from blood by kidney and if not done so, they can cause many health problems. Urine may have a variety of colors. It usually ranges from a deep amber or honey color to a light straw color, with many golden variations in between. The natural color is pale yellow indicating a good healthy condition. The Dark shade of the urine is a sign of dehydration in your body. You are not taking enough liquid/fluid. Your body needs certain amount of liquid to function properly and so if you are travelling with lesser liquid, the urine will become concentrated. Urine can turn into multiple colors, and an unusual hue isn’t necessarily cause for alarm. There are certain medications that can result in making your urine color change to fluorescent green or blue, carrots can tint it orange, vitamins can give it a yellow hue, and an inherited disease called porphyria can shade it the color of port wine. Seeing red is typically a sign that there is blood in the urine, but before you panic, know that a little blood can produce a dramatic color change and it can be a sign of something serious, like an infection or cancer, and it warrants a visit to your doctor or urologist. If it’s something that is more brownish, it can point to a problem with the liver, but really looking at the urine color is just a very first kind of screening indication that tells you that maybe more in depth analysis needs to be done may be in terms of looking at it under microscope. Odor Changes Urine normally doesn’t have a very strong smell. If you get a whiff of something particularly pungent, you could have an infection or urinary stones, which can create an ammonia-like odor. Finally, don’t hold it in. As soon as you feel the urge to go, excuse yourself from whatever you’re doing and find a bathroom release the pressure so that your bladder can relax. Holding it for long can have bad effects on your bladder contraction and expansion. Take good care of your bladder. To avoid having to make too many bathroom visits, stay hydrated, but not over-hydrated. Drink whenever you’re thirsty but not just to make your stomach full of water. Now it is your turn You can ask questions if you have any or you may share with us any of your experiences in the comment section below. Urination is a part of our life and we do this to stay healthy then why you should avoid talking about it. If some talks like this can help save someone’s life and help him to understand the state of his health then we should share this with others. Anurag Ajmera You May also Want to Read MUST READ  How Human Growth Hormone can be beneficial for your Health Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked
From Wiktionary Jump to navigation Jump to search • IPA: /ɪnˌtɜː.prɪˈteɪ.ʃən/ • Hyphenation: in-ter-pre-ta-tion Mindmap interpretation 1. (countable & uncountable) An interpretation is an attempt to understand something. Weather forecasters use a lot of data, but the interpretation of the data is very difficult. In our interpretation the output data in Table 2 is an acceptable variation of that in Table 1. 2. (countable) An interpretation is one meaning that something might have, or one way that one person understands something. I don't think your interpretation is what the writer meant. One interpretation of the poem "Cross" by Langston Hughes is that "Cross" symbolize the speaker's mixed race. The hospital offers interpretation services between English and French, Spanish, and Punjabi. 3. An interpretation expresses an individual’s opinion about artistic work. One interpretation of "Alive" is that people will do anything to survive. Related words[change]
Mon-Fri 9am-7pm | Sat 9am-5pm (954) 713-6118 Fort Lauderdale & Boca Raton 6 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Asthma Flare-Ups What Is Asthma? Asthma can be unpredictable and scary. It’s a chronic lung condition that causes narrowing of your airways, making it hard for you to breathe. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. For some patients, these symptoms can be well-controlled and fairly benign, but for others asthma can be life-threatening. Over two million visits to emergency rooms in the US annually are due to asthma attacks. The incidence of asthma is on the rise. Scientists tell us that in the past decade, the prevalence of asthma has increased by more than ten percent. One possible reason is that our changing climate has caused an increase in the amount of pollen, allergens, and pollutants in the air, triggering an allergic or an inflammatory reaction in people who are susceptible.  Asthma is characterized by flare-ups that come and go, unlike other lung conditions, such as emphysema and COPD that are associated with constant symptoms. People with asthma tend to have triggers that bring on an attack, which can include cold weather, smoke, allergens, cleaning products, and exercise. Western treatments for asthma incorporate drugs quickly delivered through a rescue inhaler for attacks, combined with longer term medications to decrease inflammation in your airways and prevent future attacks. Natural Treatment With Chinese Medicine: In Chinese medicine, asthma is considered to be a condition of chronic phlegm. This simply means that there’s some amount of phlegm hindering your lungs, even when you’re not having an attack. In addition to a diagnosis of phlegm obstructing your lungs, your asthma may also be due to a lung weakness. This weakness is called lung Qi (or energy) depletion, and in addition to asthma it may involve symptoms such as a weak voice, shortness of breath in general, a chronic weak cough, a tendency to feel cold, and catching frequent colds or flu. Many people choose to treat asthma with acupuncture and Chinese medicine. If you do, your acupuncturist would first begin by taking a history of your symptoms, triggers, and overall health to determine the underlying cause of your condition. Based on their diagnosis, they would likely combine acupuncture with Chinese herbs, food therapy, and lifestyle modifications to treat not only your symptoms, but the underlying source of your asthma. Their strategy would be to strengthen your lungs, reduce the phlegm, support your immune system, and reduce your symptoms—all to decrease the frequency and severity of your asthma attacks. Here are six things you can do at home to better control your asthma and limit flare-ups: 1. Eat in a way that decreases inflammation. This includes foods high in Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables. In addition, lots of plant based foods and fish are also helpful. Avoid foods that tend to produce phlegm, such as very fatty or rich foods, sweets, and a lot of dairy foods. 2. Enlist the help of caffeine. Research on using caffeine for asthma symptoms has indicated that black coffee can be almost as effective as medications in dealing with asthma. If you have exercise-induced asthma, a cup of coffee or strong tea 45 minutes before you exercise can help prevent triggering your symptoms. 3. Breathe to relieve your asthma. Deep breathing exercises, Yoga, or meditation can help strengthen your lungs and reduce your symptoms. 4. If the weather is a trigger for you, do what you can to minimize your exposure. Cover your mouth and nose in the winter if the cold triggers your asthma. If outdoor allergens are your problem, close your windows, shower at the end of the day, and change your clothes after being outdoors. For asthma that’s triggered by a very dry environment, get a humidifier to add some moisture in your home. 5. Know that there’s a connection between heartburn and asthma. If you have both, controlling your heartburn may greatly reduce your asthma symptoms. Get some help from your acupuncturist as to how best to deal with both conditions. 6. Be proactive when it comes to your asthma. Understand and avoid the triggers and behaviors that set off an attack, and know that sometimes it’s a combination of factors, not just one thing. Also, recognize that an asthma attack is serious and can be life-threatening, and always have a rescue inhaler with you. Prevention, acupuncture, and self-care can be a winning combination when it comes to living with asthma. 6 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Asthma Flare-Ups Article Name 6 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Asthma Flare-Ups An article discussing a few at-home remedies to control asthma attacks and flare-ups. Publisher Name Thrive Wellness Center Publisher Logo No Comments Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time. Share This
21 common body language mistakes even smart people make sunglasses awkwardFlickr/daliscar1 The brain picks up nonverbal cues in a fifth of a second, much faster than verbal ones. Don't let your unconscious signals send the wrong message. Learn to avoid these all-too-easy mistakes. 1. Leaning back If you want to signal that you care about a conversation or the person you're having it with, don't lean back and stick your legs out in front of you. Sit up straight, or lean in. 2. Crossed arms and/or legs This is such a clear indicator of disinterest that some experts recommend actually ending a meeting or conversation if you see one or more people lean back and cross their arms. Crossed legs may be a danger sign as well. Flickr / Gabriel Garcia Marengo 3. Not making eye contact If you don't look the person in front of you in the eyes, he or she may unconsciously assume that you are being dishonest. Practiced liars make a point of looking in people's eyes — so don't make the mistake of equating eye contact with honesty yourself. 4. Making too much eye contact Not looking someone in the eyes can make you seem dishonest, but looking them in the eyes for too long is usually a sign of aggression. To make people feel comfortable and trusting, hold their gaze for just a second or two at a time, but do it often. 5. Clasped hands This is something people do when they feel stress — you're literally holding your own hand! Don't do it if you want to project self-assurance. Business Insider 6. Hands behind back or in pockets This is a natural position many of us take unconsciously, but it can be seen as a sign that we have something to hide. 7. Chopping the air Many people do this when they feel strongly about something or want to emphasize a point. But it can be off-putting — almost as if you're chopping off your connection with the person you're speaking with. 8. Touching your face Touching your face, especially your nose and mouth, is another one of those gestures that is unconsciously interpreted as a sign of deception — or resistance, if you're listening rather than speaking. Flickr/University of the Fraser Valley 9. Nodding too many times Nodding is an essential part of communication and lets other people know you understand or agree with what they're saying. But doing it too many times can make you seem weak. It can also come across as a sign of indifference. 10. Fidgeting People fidget when they're uncomfortable or bored, so that's the signal you'll send if you're bouncing your leg or constantly messing with your hair. Just don't do it. 11. Hunching your shoulders Hunched or slumped shoulders are seen as a sign of unhappiness — and they often are. People with clinical depression slump their shoulders more often than others. To project happiness and confidence, stand up straight, like mom nagged you to do. 12. Wrapping your feet or ankles around the legs of a chair Like clasped hands, this gesture signals that you're uncomfortable and need to comfort yourself. If you're trying to project confidence, don't do it. Dean Drobot/shutterstock 13. Making yourself too small Amy Cuddy's fascinating work proves that people who practice expansive body language feel more confident or secure as a result. The reverse is also true: Body language that makes you seem small will make you feel small. 14. Overly big gestures Your body language should be expansive to project confidence. But don't make the mistake of making great big gestures (unless you're on stage speaking to an audience). In a non-performance context, it can be seen as arrogant. 15. Letting your feet point the wrong way Our feet often unconsciously express what we're really feeling, for example by pointing away from the person we're speaking with. Most people pay more attention to faces, but it's a good idea to keep your feet on-message as well. 16. Patting your leg or legs This is a huge self-comforting gesture that will show how uncomfortable you are. Watch Britney Spears on Dateline gamely claiming her marriage was fine a few months before her divorce. She can't stop touching her leg. 17. Glancing at a watch or phone We think we can peek at the time or a text without people noticing, but they always do. Don't shift your attention from the conversation unless you absolutely have to. If so, explain why — that you are awaiting an urgent message, for example. 18. Touching someone with your fingertips In appropriate situations, touching someone lightly is a great way to begin building a bond (or indicate romantic interest). But use your whole hand. A fingertip touch signals aversion. 19. Failing to "mirror" People who are listening closely to what someone else is saying will often unconsciously mirror that person's body language. Use this technique — consciously or unconsciously — to let people know you really care about what they have to say. 20. Invading someone's personal space. We all have a different idea of how much "buffer" we need around ourselves to feel comfortable. So when you come close to someone, err on the side of giving that person a little extra room. Spencer Platt/Getty Images 21. Forgetting that these rules might be different in different places. Body language has very different meanings in other cultures. Keep that in mind when dealing with people from different countries, or even other parts of this country. SEE ALSO: The 10 worst body language mistakes job seekers make More: Features Slideshow Body Language Inc.
Bonus Post: 2 Novels about Slavery Washington Black     Esi Edugyan     (2018) Edugyan’s fictional slave narrative, set in the 1830s, artfully establishes itself in the brutal realities of the sugar cane fields of Barbados before drawing readers into grand continent-hopping sequences that take on the quality of myth.   George Washington Black is about 11 years old in the opening sequence in 1830, narrating his first-person account in language that is evocative of the era and yet unpretentious. We quickly grasp that “Wash,” as he is known, is an exceptional fellow. Right away, readers will want to learn how he develops from an uneducated and maltreated cane-cutter to become not only literate but also eloquent. Wash’s facility with realistic drawing propels him into the protective orbit of Christopher (“Titch”) Wilde, the scientist brother of the plantation slave master. Titch and Wash escape Barbados in a hot-air balloon, ending up first in Norfolk, Virginia, and then in the Arctic reaches of Canada. Wash becomes more and more proficient in marine biology, especially in technical illustrations, as he travels to London, Amsterdam, and north Africa, seeking acceptance and hoping for love. He’s marked not just by his skin color but by a facial disfigurement from an accident, an undesirable identifier as he flees slave catchers.   Novelist Edugyan probes the inhumanity of the institution of slavery, certainly, but more notably she analyzes the motivations of the abolitionists who aid Wash. Do they truly view the enslaved Africans as equals, or do they want to save white slaveholders from eternal punishment for their viciousness? Edugyan also does an excellent job of portraying the enthusiasms of 19th-century scientists, in an era when the field of inquiry was vast and the methodology was still under development. Her ending to Washington Black is somewhat ambiguous, but then I like tidy wrap-ups, and life is seldom so orderly.   The Eulogist     Terry Gamble     (2019) Terry Gamble’s novel is set in the very same era as Esi Edugyan’s, but The Eulogist takes place in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky, right on the border between the free states and the slave states of pre-Civil-War America.   The fictional first-person narrator, Olivia Givens, is an 86-year-old woman writing in 1890, looking back at her astounding early life. Olivia’s family of well-educated Protestants emigrate from Ireland in 1819, settling in Cincinnati. Olivia’s mother promptly dies in childbirth, and her father soon deserts his teenage children, Olivia, Erasmus, and James. James builds a successful business through hard work and a shrewd marriage, while Erasmus, latching onto religious evangelism, becomes an itinerant preacher despite his continuing habits of debauchery. Olivia, a woman who defies convention, marries a local doctor and is drawn into the many dramas of her husband’s slave-owning family in Kentucky. Slowly, slowly, the Givenses come to espouse the abolitionist cause, mainly because of their individual interactions with slaves.   Olivia’s story is frank and at times drolly comical. Her language has a 19th-century tone and vocabulary (“Erasmus looked as peaked as an Ohio winter” [38]). The narrator and her readers know the horrors that will unfold with the Civil War, but her characters in the 1820s and 1830s and 1840s do not. This knowledge gives the novel a taut and expectant quality. Gamble’s plot is intricate, with the final connections not offered until the last chapter, and then only briefly. As I read this book, I kept wondering, Who is the eulogist of the title? This question also is answered in the last chapter, and I won’t spoil it for you.   Both Washington Black, reviewed above, and The Eulogist are excellent novels that explore the issue of slavery in depth, without resorting to stereotypes or platitudes. Forced Emigration Without a Country     Ayşe Kulin     (2016) Translated from the Turkish by Kenneth Dakan     (2018) In the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, German universities, funded by the government there, were highly esteemed. American students trekked off to Germany to pursue graduate degrees in both the humanities and the sciences. German research publications influenced scholars around the world. However, when Nazi oppression of Jews stepped up in the 1930s, many of the faculty in German universities and medical schools—Jews and those critical of the Nazi regime—were forced to emigrate. Although I knew these historical facts, until I read Without a Country, I had no idea that dozens of German scholars took positions in Turkey, which was building up its educational system in the years just prior to World War II. In Without a Country, Ayşe Kulin tells the story of one German Jewish scholar and his family who leave everything behind in Frankfurt so that he can take a position in Istanbul in 1933. According to an author’s note, an actual German pathologist inspired the fictional character of Gerhard Schliemann, who lands a job in Turkey and negotiates with the Turkish government to find job placements in Istanbul and Ankara for many other German academics and physicians. Schliemann’s descendants grow up in Turkey and navigate the paths of nationality and religion in varied ways. The Schliemann family and their friends evolve not only as German/Turkish/American but also as Jewish/Muslim/Christian, some practicing, most not. That’s the basic premise of this intriguing family saga that provides, in three sections, scenes from the 1930s/1940s, the 1960s, and then the present day. Most of the action is set against the magnificent scenery of Turkey, especially the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, city of ancient churches, mosques, and palaces. Political movements and political unrest play out in the background; I fact-checked a few of the historical references and found them to be accurate. In a sense, novelist Kulin is telling the story of modern Turkey through her fiction. In the first section of the book readers get brief scenes depicting significant incidents in the lives of the Schliemann family. The details of their escape from Nazi Germany to a welcoming Turkey are absorbing, and the individual characters come to life. Even in the second section, Gerhard and his wife, Elsa, remain in the story as their children and grandchildren take center stage. I was disappointed, however, in the final section of the book, which shifts from third-person narration to first-person, with the narrator being Esra, the great-granddaughter of Gerhard and Elsa. The multi-generational family chronicle is diluted as readers hear little or nothing of the fates of beloved characters from previous decades. The novel would have been much stronger if the contemporary section had been expanded considerably. Still, I recommend Without a Country for its depiction of people in a multicultural society in an area of the world that has seen much discord. As Gerhard was “without a country” when he left Germany in the 1930s, so his great-granddaughter Esra will be “without a country” if she leaves Turkey in the present day. Kulin has a keen awareness of the sacrifices, compromises, and heroism of families caught in the tumult of history. A Novel with Heart The Ice House     Laura Lee Smith     (2017) LL SMith.jpg The Upper-Middle-Class Façade Little Fires Everywhere     Celeste Ng     (2017) Ah, adolescents in late-1990s Shaker Heights, Ohio. The first chapter of Little Fires Everywhere lures the reader in with a blazing house, then backtracks about a year to paint portraits of the four teenaged Richardson children who resided in that house (Lexie, Trip, Moody, and Izzy)--plus the new 15-year-old in town, Pearl Warren. The Richardson family lives the American Dream, with trendy clothes and cars, luxurious vacations, and bright career prospects for the kids. Most of the Richardsons are also selfish and self-centered. Pearl, in contrast, is a smart but naïve vagabond who roams the country in an old VW Rabbit with her single mother, Mia, who’s an accomplished photographic artist. Pearl and Mia rent an apartment in a Shaker Heights duplex owned by Mrs Richardson and furnish it sparsely with castoffs, in distinct contrast to the elegant six-bedroom Richardson mansion. Tellingly, Ng refers to most adults as “Mrs” and “Mr,” but Mia Warren is always “Mia.” The social commentary on economic inequality and lifestyle choices inherent in this setup would be enough to fuel a novel—and a spectacular house fire. But novelist Celeste Ng plunges far, far deeper into the problems in Shaker Heights, where she herself has lived. This suburb of Cleveland was established early in the 20th century as a planned community, with rigid rules about all aspects of outward appearance and organization. Near the end of the book, Izzy Richardson thinks about “life in their beautiful, perfectly ordered, abundantly furnished house, where the grass was always cut and the leaves were always raked and there was never, ever any garbage in sight; in their beautiful, perfectly ordered neighborhood where every lawn had a tree and the streets curved so that no one went too fast and every house harmonized with the next; in their perfectly ordered city, where everyone got along and everyone followed the rules and everything had to be beautiful and perfect on the outside, no matter what a mess lay within.” (323) The “mess” behind the gorgeous façade of Shaker Heights includes unplanned pregnancy, controversial interracial adoption, prejudice against immigrants, unethical journalism, and parents who pay little attention to their wayward kids. Ng’s narrative is complex, with multiple strands tightly interwoven, and all her characters, no matter how peripheral, are drawn with exquisite care. The reading becomes unstoppable as the novel barrels along toward the fire that will inevitably consume the Richardson home. The “little fires” of the title are the blazes on the gasoline-soaked beds that the arsonist lights. But these fires are also the incendiary issues shoved under the beds of upper-middle-class Americans: bigotry, greed, and a general disdain for those who diverge in any way from the norms set by their communities. Ng doesn’t preach; she shows. Bonus Post: A Woman in the Chem Lab Chemistry     Weike Wang     (2017) Don’t let this book fool you. The simple declarative sentences and frequent thematic tangents might lead you to believe that it’s the work of an unsophisticated novelist. Not so. Weike Wang makes her readers think hard about the role of immigrants in American society, about the difficulties that women (of any race) face in choosing careers in the sciences, and about the tensions between the personal and the professional in the lives of talented people. No one in Chemistry except the narrator’s boyfriend, Eric, is given a name, which emphasizes the universality of this tale. The first-person narrator is a young woman who should be heading into her final year of a doctoral program in chemistry at a prestigious university—never named but presumably Harvard. She’s Chinese American, brought to the United States as a young child and raised by parents who would make Amy Chua of Tiger Mother fame seem tame. Boyfriend Eric is a paragon, a white guy who has had spectacular success in pursuing science degrees and who is just embarking on what will undoubtedly be a rewarding academic career. He wants to marry the narrator, but she demurs, worried about forfeiting her intellectual capacity. Added to this tension is a side plot about the narrator’s best friend, a physician in New York, who talks to the narrator frequently on the phone. On the edges of the novel are also students whom the narrator tutors in math and science topics. Readers glimpse about two years of the narrator’s life, as she gets counseling to help with her decisions, eats a great deal of carryout pizza, drinks too much wine, and muses about scientific topics ranging from the details of electrical circuitry to the discovery of radium. Should she plow on with the doctorate even though the highly competitive lab work no longer gives her any joy? Should she marry Eric, a man very well suited to her personality and intelligence, even though he can never fully understand her family’s culture and language? If she doesn’t pursue chemistry, what should she do with her life? And if she moves to the Midwest to follow Eric, should she take her comical, untrainable dog with her? The narrator touches on these questions, wanders off, and then circles back to them. Chemistry doesn’t give readers all the answers, but that’s it’s charm. And Weike Wang is an author to watch. Moral Quandaries in Berlin, Part I Go, Went, Gone     Jenny Erpenbeck     (in German, 2015) Translated by Sarah Bernofsky     (in English, 2017) Richard is retiring from his position as a classics professor in Berlin. In his university office, he packs up books, clears out drawers, sorts stacks of papers. His next steps are somewhat unclear, both to him and to us as readers. Maybe he’ll write some journal articles. Maybe he’ll kick back and take his boat out on the lake on which his suburban house is situated. Richard is a widower with no children, no close family, and an ex-mistress who is no longer part of his life; he does have a good circle of friends. By chance, Richard walks by some refugees who are protesting the poor living conditions in a ramshackle tent village in a city park. In Germany, the refugee crisis is not abstract but obvious from makeshift camps and from daily news reports. Ever the academic, Richard wonders about the backgrounds of the refugees flooding his country. He decides to do some background reading, particularly on conflict in African nations, and he draws up a list of questions to ask individual refugees from Africa. It’s unclear what the end product of this “research” will be. Will he produce some written piece? If so, will he come down as pro-refugee or anti-refugee?  Without much trouble, Richard gains access to a group of African refugees housed in an abandoned building near his home, and he starts working through his question list. (I’ll pass over the potential ethical issue of failing to seek permission for doing research on human subjects!) Go, Went, Gone holds many layers of meaning, and as a reader you can unpeel as many of these as you want. For instance, as Richard gets more and more involved with the refugees, he’s reminded of lines in classical literature that speak to moral quandaries. He’s trying to figure out how Germans should respond to the situation, all the while Erpenbeck reminds us, by brief references to online forums, of a thriving racist element in German society. The novel is set in the present day, but the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 has left residual tensions between West and East, between capitalism and communism. Richard lived for decades under an oppressive regime in East Berlin, so he’s receiving a pension that’s significantly less than that of his counterparts who worked in West Berlin. Still, in some ways he’s a beneficiary of the removal of the Wall:  “Who deserves credit for the fact that even the less affluent among their circle [in the former East Berlin] now have dishwashers in their kitchens, wine bottles on their shelves, and double-glazed windows? But if this prosperity couldn’t be attributed to their own personal merit, then by the same token the refugees weren’t to blame for their reduced circumstances. Things might have turned out the other way around. For a moment, this thought opens its jaws wide, displaying its frightening teeth.” (95) As Richard’s views on the refugees are slowly, slowly developing, small incidents take on larger meaning. Here it’s windblown dust on leaves: “The Sirocco . . . came from Africa and across the Alps, sometimes even bringing a bit of desert sand along with it. And indeed, on the leaves of the grapevines you could see the fine, ruddy dust that had made its way from Africa. Richard had run his finger across one of the leaves and observed how this small gesture produced a sudden shift in his perspective and sense of scale. Now, too, he is experiencing such a moment; he is reminded that one person’s vantage point is just as valid as another’s, and in seeing, there is no right, no wrong.” (55) Bodies of water take on a liminal quality, marking some critical transition. Richard thinks often about the lake in his backyard, which holds the body, never found, of a man who presumably drowned a couple of months before the novel begins. This sad fact reminds Richard of the thousands of refugees who’ve drowned in dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean. Novelist Erpenbeck could easily have slid into didacticism or preachiness, but she doesn’t. She juxtaposes the quotidian activities of Richard’s life (making toast, taking his car in for service) with his increasing existential concerns about the direction of his life and the direction of the world around him. She presents the refugees mostly as benign figures, victims of civil wars or sectarian repression in their native countries, but not every refugee is honest or honorable. Sarah Berofsky’s translation of this novel is exceptionally good, especially considering the difficulties of dealing with characters who are presented as speaking in many different languages. Richard himself speaks German, English, Russian, and Italian, in addition to his fluency in ancient Greek and Latin. He communicates with the refugees mostly in English and Italian—many of them crossed the Mediterranean and landed first in Italy. They work hard to learn the language of each country they arrive in, with the hope of remaining. The “go, went, gone” of the title refers to their language learning, since the conjugation of the German verb for “to go” (gehen, ging, gegangen) is important to eventual fluency. The title also refers to the constant “going” of the refugees, their peregrinations from one European nation to another, from one government office to another, from one squalid camp to another, in hopes of finding asylum and work. Very few books written in other languages get translated into English. I try to report on a few of them on this blog, to reveal non-Anglophone patterns of thought. Go, Went, Gone is a brilliant and profound novel that you should not miss. Watch for my upcoming review of Here in Berlin by Cristina García, under the heading "Moral Quandaries in Berlin, Part 2." Irishmen at the 1939 World's Fair The World of Tomorrow     Brendan Mathews     (2017) The cover of this novel depicts the key setting: New York in 1939, site of the World’s Fair, with its theme and slogan “The World of Tomorrow.” When you open the book, the endpapers offer a map of the fairgrounds, with the iconic trylon and perisphere structures, which are also on the back cover. Brendan Mathews compresses almost all the action of his novel into one week in New York City in early June of 1939, a time when the Great Depression had eased, when the future in America seemed bright, when World War II was still unimaginable to most Americans, despite the actions of Hitler in Europe. Three Irish brothers are at the center of a large cast of characters. Francis Dempsey has fled Ireland after a prison break and a run-in with the Irish Republican Army that left him, unexpectedly, with a bundle of cash. With Francis is his brother Michael, a disenchanted seminarian who has been severely injured by an IRA bomb. Francis and Michael assume fake identities when they arrive in New York, but they do seek out the third brother, Martin, who is married to Rosemary and has two daughters. We learn about Rosemary’s complicated family history in New York, and we also pick up the stories of other characters who will cross paths with the Dempseys. Irish expatriate Tom Cronin is a retired hit man who is called back to the city to retrieve the cash that Francis lifted from the IRA. Lilly Bloch is a Jewish street photographer from Czechoslovakia who’s on a limited visa in New York but is hesitant to return to her home and her fiancé given the Nazi presence in Prague. The plot can be as rollicking as a slapstick Laurel and Hardy movie of the period, and when Mathews is in this mode, the pages turn themselves, especially in the climatic final scenes at the World’s Fair. However, I did find Mathews’s supernatural elements sometimes hard to swallow. The shell-shocked Michael has long conversations with the ghost of the poet William Butler Yeats. This is a way for readers to know what Michael, who cannot speak, is thinking, but it can get tedious. Quibbling aside, The World of Tomorrow is serious and well written historical fiction, weaving in the funding of IRA terrorism by Irish Americans, the role of women in the mid-twentieth century, the political corruption of New York, and the competitive jazz scene of the city. Here is Martin, dragging home at dawn from a jazz gig: “. . . the early-morning hours were his favorite. Walking a nearly vacant street, with only a couple slouched against each other in the distance, steam drifting lazily from a manhole, a splash of neon thrown into a puddle, an after-hours bar whose last diligent drinkers hunched over their highball glasses—this was the New York he had come seeking.” (45-46) Hanging over all the narrative is the reader’s knowledge of what is to come:  “The World of Tomorrow” will be postponed until after a long, devastating war that stretched around the globe. In the closing pages of the novel, Mathews spells this out: “. . . the story of the months and years ahead would be broadcast in boldface headlines and urgent radio bulletins. It would be told in V-Mail and telegrams from the War Department and in prayers offered in church. More than they could know, it would be written in silences, absences, and empty spaces. But the story of those years would also be told in love letters saved and bundled in ribbon, and in songs dreamed up during nights in the barracks, and in the warmth of the spotlight before the first note was sung, and in sunlit hours when it was possible to believe that everyone you had lost was only late, and would be home soon enough.” (546) The Immigrant Experience The Leavers     Lisa Ko     (2017) Adoption has been the subject of several books I’ve reviewed recently, including Don’t Let My Baby Do Rodeo, Celine, Leaving Lucy Pear, and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. The yearning of some adopted children to find their birth mothers—or of birth mothers to find their biological children—can be a powerful theme for a novel. Lisa Ko takes a slightly different approach to adoption, and in the process she illuminates the lives of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The immigrants in this story work long hours in difficult jobs to provide food and shelter for their loved ones. They have to make heart-rending decisions in their struggle to survive. As the dust jacket tells us, “The Leavers won the 2016 PEN Bellwether Prize for Fiction, awarded by Barbara Kingsolver for a novel that addresses issues of social justice.” In The Leavers, Deming Guo was born in the United States, but his mother, Polly/Peilan, is an undocumented immigrant from Fujian province in China. She owes large sums to the loan shark who brought her to New York. One day when Deming is in fifth grade in the Bronx, Polly fails to return from her job at a nail salon and disappears from his life. Deming is fostered and then adopted by a well-meaning but misguided white couple in upstate New York and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. Deming/Daniel is the only Asian kid in the quiet community where he spends his teen years, and he constantly longs for his old city neighborhood and for any information about what happened to his birth mother. As novelist Lisa Ko encapsulates the problem, “If he could just talk to his mother in person, maybe he could figure out who he should be.” (270) As Daniel moves into his twenties, he becomes involved in the music scene in New York City, as a composer and performer.  He routinely experiences synesthesia: “Never had there been a time when sound, color, and feeling hadn’t been intertwined, when a dirty, rolling bass line hadn’t included violets that suffused him with thick contentment, when the shades of certain chords sliding up to one another hadn’t produced dusty pastels that made him feel like he was cupping a tiny, golden bird.” (71) And music keeps him going when he sees no other future for himself:  “A song had a heart of its own, a song could jumpstart or provide solace; only music could numb him more thoroughly than weed or alcohol.” (258) Polly and Daniel both have their flaws—Polly is often self-centered, Daniel develops a gambling addiction. I think that these characteristics help to keep the novel from falling into clichés. The Leavers alternates between Daniel’s side of the story and Polly’s, between New York and China, gradually revealing what happened on that day when Polly vanished. Did she take the bus to Florida, where she’d talked about relocating? Did the loan shark send her back to China? Did she leave her son (as well as her kindly boyfriend) for a new lover? Did she get hit by a truck? I won’t spoil the ending. I will say that, although the reason for Polly’s disappearance makes sense, the reason for her long-term absence from Daniel’s life doesn’t ring true for me. However, as usual, I loved the parts of The Leavers that were set in New York City, which is beloved by Daniel:  “Daniel saw the Manhattan skyline, recognized the sketched spire of the Empire State Building, the sparkle of bridges, and from this vantage point the city appeared vulnerable and twinkling, the last strands of sunshine swept across the arches as if lulling them to sleep, painting shadows against the tops of buildings. No matter how many times he saw the city’s outline he pitched inside.” (110) There are many kinds of “leaving” in this novel. Polly leaves China, and then she leaves her son. Daniel leaves the Bronx, but then he leaves upstate New York to return to the city. In a way, all of us are “leavers,” since we make choices in life that involve leaving other options behind. Koreans in Japan Pachinko     Min Jin Lee     (2017) “Pachinko” is a popular Japanese slot-machine game. You may wonder, until well past the halfway point of this novel’s 485 pages, what pachinko has to do with a saga about four generations of a Korean family in the twentieth century. Have patience. First you have to be well steeped in the story of Sunja, a poor teenager who is seduced by Hansu, an older Korean gangster, in her village in what is now South Korea. By chance, Isak, a Korean Christian minister, passes through the village. He rescues Sunja from the ignominy of an unwed pregnancy by marrying her and taking her to Japan, where he will work as a missionary. The year is 1933. Historical events of the turbulent twentieth century constantly buffet Sunja, Isak, and their extended family and friends in Japan, where the bulk of the story plays out. Japan’s expansionist wars of the 1930s and 1940s fuel nativist sentiments in the Japanese  populace. Korean immigrants, who are “zainichi” (foreign residents), are relegated to the most menial jobs and are paid less than Japanese for the same work. Korean children born in Japan do not become citizens—they’re essentially countryless. As one character pronounces: “’This country [Japan] isn’t going to change. Koreans like me can’t leave. Where we gonna go? But the Koreans back home aren’t changing, either. In Seoul, people like me get called Japanese bastards, and in Japan, I’m just another dirty Korean no matter how much money I make or how nice I am.’“ (383) Once Korea is partitioned into North and South in 1948, the situation gets even murkier: “After the [Korean] peninsula was divided, the Koreans in Japan ended up choosing sides, often more than once, affecting their residency status. It was still hard for a Korean to become a Japanese citizen, and there were many who considered such a thing shameful—for a Korean to try to become a citizen of its former oppressor.” (441) A few ethnic Koreans living in Japan figure out that they can become entrepreneurs in the pachinko business, and a well-run pachinko parlor can turn a nice profit. Proceeds from pachinko parlors, plus help from that gangster Hansu, pave the bumpy road out of poverty for some characters in the novel. Other characters hide their Korean ethnicity, dressing like the Japanese, learning to speak Japanese without an accent, taking a Japanese spouse. This subterfuge is possible because the physical characteristics of Japanese people and Korean people are often very similar. The straightforward, direct sentence style in Pachinko suits the themes of the novel, and the Korean and Japanese words in the text give the flavor of the setting without weighing down the narrative. I caught the simple ones, like “kimchi” (the Korean dish of fermented cabbage and radish) and “hanko” (a hand stamp of one’s name, used throughout East Asia). The meanings of other words were obvious from their context, but I had to look up a few as I read. It would have been easy for novelist Lee to paint the Japanese as always the bad guys and the Koreans as always the good guys, but she does not adopt this dichotomy. Although she lays out the Japanese discrimination against Koreans clearly, her long list of characters includes both Koreans and Japanese who are deceitful and honest, talented and mediocre, wise and foolish, lazy and hardworking, compassionate and heartless, selfish and generous, prejudiced and open-minded. She pulls into her story subplots that touch on issues such as the status of minority Christians in Japan and the evolving attitude toward the place of women in the family and in the workplace over the course of the twentieth century.  Above all, though, this is a universal story about the immigrant experience—about taking a job that’s far beneath your skill level because you don’t know the language, about being segregated into a slum area, about being subject to complicated rules that you don’t understand, about living constantly with fear. Immigrants enter a game of chance, stacked against them, much like pachinko players. In her Acknowledgements, Lee tells us that it took her nearly thirty years to write this impressive novel. It was well worth the time. Chinese American Metafiction The Fortunes     Peter Ho Davies     (2016) Peter Ho Davies has crafted a heartbreaking metafictional novel about the experience of being Chinese American. I was skeptical at first about the designation of “novel,” since the dust jacket details four separate sections, each with distinct characters, set in various time periods over the past 150 years. Perhaps, I thought, this is another book of short stories, like Davies’s two previous collections. By the time I’d finished reading The Fortunes, however, I could see that it is a novel, with the sections linked in hundreds of intricate ways. It may even be that the first three sections of the novel are intended as the fictional work of the fictional main character in the fourth section, hence the “metafictional” designation. Got all that? It plays out in this way. The first section, “Gold: Celestial Railroad,” is about Ah Ling, a half-Chinese, half-white immigrant to California during the building of the railroads in the 1860s. First as a laundry worker and then as servant to Charles Crocker, a railroad baron, Ah Ling is thrust into controversies over Chinese labor on the Central Pacific Railroad. Throughout this section, the longest of the book, Ah Ling struggles with his identity, his relationship to other Chinese Americans, and his place in the emerging society of the American West. Next, in “Silver: Your Name in Chinese,” we meet Anna May Wong, a Chinese American actor in the early days of Hollywood. Wong is portrayed as holding her own in an industry that blatantly discriminates against Asian Americans, routinely casting white actors to play Asian characters. Wong gets lesser roles as temptresses or discarded mistresses. Off camera she takes on numerous white lovers, both male and female. Moving ahead in time to 1982, the section titled “Jade: Tell it Slant” recounts the story of Vincent Chin, an unarmed man who was beaten to death with a baseball bat by two Detroit auto workers angered by the rise of Japanese auto manufacturing. They thought Chin, a Chinese American, was Japanese. The narrator in this section is a friend of Chin’s who fled the scene and feels guilty about it even thirty years later. Since I live in southeast Michigan, I’m very familiar with this crime and with the lack of punishment for the perpetrators. Still, I found the grisly descriptions of Chin’s death hard to read. It’s small comfort that the Vincent Chin case brought to the public’s attention the racist attitudes toward Asian Americans in our nation. Finally, in “Pearl: Disorientation,” we meet Chinese American John Ling Smith in the present day. Smith (who has a white father and a Chinese mother) and his wife (who is Irish American) are in China to pick up a baby they are adopting. We learn that Smith has begun to write a historical novel about the Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad. He’s also made a start on books about Anna May Wong and the Vincent Chin case, but he hasn’t completed any of these projects. He feels vaguely guilty that he holds a university teaching position. Aha—this is where the reader sees some metafictional possibilities. Maybe the preceding sections of The Fortunes are actually John Ling Smith’s unfinished attempts to make sense of the Chinese American experience in the United States. The first three sections of the book, after all, feature historical characters, albeit in fictional scenarios. Smith is totally fictional, but his fictional character is grappling with the same issues of racial discrimination and cultural assimilation that Ah Ling and Anna May Wong and Vincent Chin faced. Davies doesn’t pull any punches in depicting the racist attacks on Chinese Americans, both verbal and physical. I was taken aback by the huge number of offensive epithets, jokes, and fake accents that Asian Americans endure—about the folds of their eyes, the size of their genitals, and the tone of their skin. The most extreme attack is the brutal murder of Vincent Chin. The connections that Davies creates between the four sections of his novel astonished me at every page. The word “jade” comes up as the color of the water that Chinese immigrants see on their journey across the Pacific Ocean, as the cigarette holder of Anna May Wong, as the elephant charm on a neck chain that Vincent Chin is wearing when he dies, and as the trinkets that adoptive parents buy when they are in China to pick up their babies. Elephants (real and toy) keep appearing, as do bamboo cages and baskets. Railroad cars trundle in and out of the stories. In 1860s California, the bones of dead railroad workers are carefully sent back to China; in circa-2000 China, John Ling Smith marvels at the unearthing and reconstruction of the Terra Cotta Army, part of a necropolis for an ancient Chinese emperor. We’re told that Smith attended college at Caltech, having been rejected by Stanford; the historical figure Leland Stanford, who founded Stanford University, appears in Ah Ling’s story. The linkages go on and on. Every person interacting with society must grapple at least occasionally with questions of identity, class, and status. Chinese Americans also carry the weight of one of the great cultures in the history of the world. Davies’ characters straddle East and West; read this novel to see how they handle it.
What is myofascial release? MyofasciaMyofascia is the term used to describe all the soft tissues of the body (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and the connections that bind them to each other and to bones, nerves, blood vessels and organs.  Here is a picture of skeletal muscle and its connective fascia (the cotton candy like coating). For thousands of years, many different forms of myofascial manipulation have been invented to treat pain and illness. Some conditions require passive myofascial release (the patient doesn’t move) while some require active movement with manipulation. Effective treatment will heal injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.  Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fascitis , knee pain, and tennis elbow are just a few of the common conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently.  These conditions all have one common denominator; they often occur from repetitive stress or tension. Repetitive stress and tissue tension results in 3 major pathological changes in the tissue: • Lack of oxygen and nutrition (hypoxia) • Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma) • Acute strains, sprains, and tears illustration11These changes in your body’s soft tissue will cause your body to produce dense, fibrotic scar tissue and adhesions within the fibers.  This scar tissue will bind up and restrict sections of the muscles from moving freely and firing efficiently.  These tissues then become shorter and weaker which results in tendonitis and peripheral nerve entrapments.  This can lead to decreased range of motion, weakness, pain, and tingling/numbness. Focus physical therapists have studied numerous forms of tissue manipulation. Our therapists have been trained and certified in numerous styles from Chinese Tui-Na to Active Release Techniques (A.R.T.). There are over 500 specific protocols to release every possible site of tissue restriction in the body. Unlike general massage or simple stretching, we are able to localize soft tissue manipulation to individual segments of adhesion, scarring or tension. Myofascial Release
Strawberry compound can prevent Alzheimer disease A natural compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables could help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, new research suggests. For the new study, Maher and team sought to determine whether fisetin might have benefits for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form that arises with age. To reach their findings, the researchers tested fisetin in mice that had been genetically engineered to age prematurely, resulting in a mouse model of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. When the prematurely aging mice were 3 months old, they were divided into two groups. One group was fed a dose of fisetin with their food every day for 7 months, until they reached the age of 10 months. The other group did not receive the compound. Junior - Taleem Aam Karaingay - Juniors ko Parhaingay
Should Research Problems Be Specific Essay 908 words - 4 pages 10-12 St. Stephen Harding Ms. Ma Theresa F. Navales Society is better without Victim-blaming Victim-blaming is a case where society questions the actions of the victim instead of the attacker. Hartnell (2016) stated that the idea of victim-blaming has rooted from the book called “The key in the starry night” back in the 1830s. The people realized that the villain’s method of destroying the hero’s soul, which is the method of victim-blaming, can help them escape their insecurities. I despise the idea of using another person just to ...view middle of the document... “I don’t want to be judged by everyone but sadly, it is happening now”, reasoned Martin. One NFL player stated in an interview that Martin is “just as much to blame” and he should have acted like a man. Others argued that Martin is oversensitive and made himself an easy target ("Why Do We Blame Victims?", 2016). In the 1960s, social psychologist Dr. Melvin Lerner conducted an experiment that includes a man receiving electric shocks in an electric chair while participants watch. Since the man is unable to intervene the experiment, the participants derogated him. Dr. Lerner theorized that victim-blaming even struck our minds when beliefs that people can control what happens to them are popularized. A good example of this is the popular saying, “You reap what you sow”. Dr. Lerner also explained that after the participants derogated the man, the man started to blame himself (Breines, 2013). Blaming the victim is the same as blaming the weather for constantly changing despite the fact that our pollution is the main reason why it always changes: It’s absurd! Victim-blaming corrupts our way of judging things. The most typical responses from the observers criticize the victim, “He let it happen” (Bullying), “Boys will be boys so girls must take care” (Rape) and “Why didn’t she leave?”(Domestic Violence). People need to understand that there are circumstances that we can’t control. Instead of these responses, people should ask, “Why did he threaten him?”, “Boys will be held responsible for their own actions” and “Why would he hurt his wife?”("Why we must end victim-blaming in domestic violence", 2015). A blogger named “The rogue feminist” posted on tumblr that includes him wearing a “Kill me” shirt. He explained that a sane individual wouldn’t kill him after seeing that shirt. Police wouldn’t overlook the crime because of what’s... Other assignments on Should Research Problems Be Specific English Essay 608 words - 3 pages psychological counseling should be tailored to the specific characteristics of the disease.” A disease with no known care such as Huntington’s disease needs a different type of approach. This consists of a variety of forms of therapy thorough out the span of a life time for Huntington disease varies at what age it will strike it’s victim. The average age is around 40 and the duration of the disease runs for about 15 years. Of course these numbers Walmart Essay 982 words - 4 pages /Statistical Test When implementing qualitative methods there are many resources that can be considered. Qualitative research is aimed at gaining a deep understanding of a specific organization or event rather than surface description of a large sample of a population, (Data Collection Strategies Ii: Qualitative Research, n.d)). There is significance when gathering information from this particular method because it derives from a personal place Res/351 Week 1 Reflection Code Of Research Conduct 8954 words - 36 pages the research project. In some research areas there will be other considerations to be taken into account, such as profession-specific codes of conduct or practice and the need for specific qualifications or skills accreditation. Those undertaking research are required to observe new developments in their field and to meet any requirements for good research conduct as they arise. The Code also includes a definition of, and procedures for The Ethics Problem In Marketimg Research 1360 words - 6 pages research result. Dishonesty here is the main drawback. Why should important information about the research be withheld in the first place? It is an unethical practice. Managers should take it as an obligation to disclose all the important information that pertains to a certain research to the employees. This will even play the role of vividly enlightening the employees on the specific goals that are to be achieved thus simplifying the whole Introduction To Cross-Cultural Psychology 1502 words - 7 pages by utilizing the mode, the median, and the mean (central tendency). In this process, four different scales can be used to measure, which are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Alternatively, qualitative research is preferably done in unconditioned settings, also referred to natural settings. This kind of research method is chosen when measuring variables are impossible to collect, measurement tools are not on hand, and when specific scales Fundamental Research Psyc 255 Discussion Board 4 256 words - 2 pages out mathematical analysis. "Quantitative research methods are the best!" “Quantitative research tends to focus on specific behaviors that can be easily quantified” (Cozby and Bates, p. 115, 2012). Quantitative research draws it conclusions based off of the statistical analysis of data. Therefore, the results are in numerical form and then analyzed using statistics. Qualitative research cannot be converted to numerical form so the results What Is Bar? 7358 words - 30 pages the research project as well as the justification for its conduct. 2. Objectives - General and/or specific aim of the project which should be consistent with the title. 3. Expected Output - Specific product/information/technology that the project is expected to produce. 4. Potential Impact - Broad and long-term effects of the results of the project. 5. Milestone - Yearly expected outputs of the project Gender Discrimination 1096 words - 5 pages discrimination. Throughout this project, the purpose as well as a hypothesis, and the methodology will be explained in detail. There are several factors that will need to be considered during this research project, such as biased information, or mathematical processes etc. However, at the end of this project, the following questions should be answered: how prevalent is workplace discrimination in the food industry? What are some reasons why Marketing Researc: How And Why 510 words - 3 pages market conditions and the needs and wants of potential buyers. Properly conducted market research follows six primary steps beginning with identifying the specific objectives to be met by the research. Effort is wasted if the research does not ultimately solve a specific managerial problem or answer a particular question. Only when the objectives are clearly understood can proper data sources and research techniques be selected. During step two Similar Documents Bibliography Essay 908 words - 4 pages Associate Level Material Appendix D Research Plan As part of your research plan, you must first draft a research question for your research paper that will guide the rest of your writing. A research question, which is more specific and focused than a general topic, is the question that your research paper will be answering. For example, if your general area of interest is social security, a possible research question might ask, “How Research Methods Powerpoint Presentation Essay 1061 words - 5 pages . The use of research methods is important to organizations as it helps to uncover or discover unrecognized principles that are favorable its market environment. Analysis of research study process The research study is conducted to discover new solutions or improve the existing ones as a way of solving organizational or individual problems. The first step when conducting the research study is identifying the research problem that should be Ratan Tata Essay 966 words - 4 pages are more specific, current and observable problems and derive from the source problem. They frequently are the problems immediately evident in the case. Do not write three sections: all problems should be listed under short or long term. (Three quarters of a page). (medical example: fever, loss of appetite, cough) Short Term: Current problems of recent origin, which can be solved within a period Marketing Research Paper 1192 words - 5 pages organization may create problems. The research team will use qualitative marketing research to conduct in-depth interviews, focus groups, and projective techniques to determine the strengths and weaknesses of an acquisition. The marketing research team will be able to retrieve data and reveal to Kathy if an acquisition should be considered for the long-term growth of Kudler Fine Foods or not. Although an acquisition will provide Kudler Fine
The island’s various names The island is referred to today with equal frequency as Thera and Santorini, by both Greeks and foreigners. Its ancient name is Thera; the name Santorini (or Santa Irene) was given currency by the Venetians in the 13th century. ‘Thera’ has recently been re-adopted as the official name to designate the island as part of a general policy to return to native, Greek names. not out of any disrespect for that policy, ‘Santorini’ has been used in this text because it is probably more familiar to our readers. We preserve Thera, however, when referring to the island in antiquity. The name of the main town is Fira, although officially it is now supposed to be called Thera: on the island, it is referred to as Chora—a usage followed in the text below. Santorini Island is part of the Cyclades Island Group, Greece. Contact Us Not readable? Change text. captcha txt Start typing and press Enter to search
How do your kidneys work? Kidneys are bean-shaped, very complex organ of human body. They occur in pair, each about a size of respective individual’s fist. Each individual needs at least one kidney to stay alive. They play a very important role in the day to day functioning of our body. They balance the amount of fluid required in our body & it purifies our blood by removing the metabolic wastes from our blood stream.This filtering process is carried out by more than a million tiny filters called as Nephrons. Each Nepron is said to be the stuctural & functional unit of kidney. Here is a video which explains about the functioning of our kidneys in detail.
한국환경과학회지 제27권 제12호 (p.1291-1298) 연안환경 모니터링을 위한 홍합(Mytilus coruscus)의 체내 수은 함량 분석 Determination of Mercury in Korean Mussels (Mytilus coruscus) for Marine Environmental Monitoring 키워드 : Korean mussels,Total mercury,Marine environmental monitoring,Korea 1. 서 론 2. 재료 및 방법   2.1. 시료 채취   2.2. 채취 시료 특성치 측정 및 분석용 시료조제   2.3. 총수은 분석   2.4. 통계 분석 3. 결과 및 고찰   3.1. 지점별 홍합 생체특성치 비교   3.2. 홍합의 크기에 따른 총수은 농도 비교   3.3. 지점별 홍합의 총수은 농도 비교 4. 결 론 Marine ecosystems are frequently exposed to a variety of chronic and acute pollutants derived from anthropogenic production and consumption activities. Mussels are sessile (can provide location-specific information), medium-sized (have enough tissue matrix for chemical analysis) filter-feeders (show accumulation of pollutant chemicals from seawater). These biological and ecological characteristics make mussels virtually ideal for pollution monitoring. In this study, Korean mussels (Mytilus coruscus) were collected from nine different sites situated along the coasts of the western sea to the eastern sea of Korea in 2017. Total mercury concentration was highest (mean ± standard error, 92.7 ± 3.5 ng/g dry) on Baengnyeongdo Island in the western sea, and the sites in the southern sea showed the lowest mean concentrations (42.3 - 44.5 ng/g dry). These results were discussed in terms of possible pollution sources.
There are numerous types of lighting being used today. From lights we utilization in our house to lights we percieve all around us as we walk around a major city. Here’s an introduction to the various types, their work and how they are used. Luminaires. Luminaires are generally known as lamps (lighting, lights, desk lamps) or lamps. Luminaires are devices which use lamps to direct lighting and will include portable fixtures for example floor and table luminaires. Like be permanently mounted in ceilings and on walls. Architectural. The usage of light in buildings, called architectural lighting, is essential for everyday living. As well as providing illumination for vision, architectural lighting can invite tourists in, persuade shoppers to acquire, relax hotel guests or restaurant patrons, and create nearly any effect or mood. Daylighting. Daylighting cuts down on requirement for electric lighting if you take benefit from daylight having an ideal positioning of windows and skylights and also the utilization of lighting controls that will monitor available daylight and respond if required. Industrial. Industrial is utilized near factories, power plants, quarries, etc. and it is often built to illuminate large areas with the brightest possible light. LED lights are often found in this case. Commercial. Commercial is used by businesses such as offices and stores. Commercial lighting can involve architectural, outdoor, security lighting, plus much more. Residential. Residential lighting affects virtually everyone and is often overlooked in terms of design. Effective residential lighting can provide sufficient illumination required to perform household tasks, be comfy and become controlled easily. Institutional. Institutional can be used around hospitals, schools and public buildings, and is also often designed specifically specific tasks and uses. Hospitals, for example, require specialized systems for operating rooms, laboratories, patient rooms as well as other areas. Transportation. Transportation identifies far more than headlamps on a vehicle. This emcompasses lighting through the entire roadway system and vehicle lighting (headlamps, interior lighting, instruments), roadway illumination systems (street lights), and roadway signaling (including options such as traffic signals, lane markers, crosswalk indicators). Outdoor. Outdoor is a general term that can include residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, transportation, as well as other uses. Lighting applications may be designed to illuminate a unique areas such as a football field, or it might be designed to attract customers’ attention including store signs. Effective outdoor options will perform its job without creating lit pollution. For more info about hampton bay lighting website check the best web site. Leave a Reply
Want to Lose Weight? Snack On This! Trying to lose weight does not mean that a person has to give up all snacks. Certain snack foods, such as almonds and hummus, can help a person reach their weight loss goals. Contrary to popular belief, when a person tries to lose weight, they do not have to avoid eating or only eat at meal times. Some studies suggest that people are more likely to maintain their weight loss if they have a healthful eating pattern. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), skipping food to lose weight generally backfires because it sets a person up to overeat. However, when a person satisfies their hunger with healthful snacks, they are much less likely to want to eat unhealthful foods or go over their calorie limit. Excerpted from Medical News Today Read Full Article
Potential Danger of Mercury Amalgam Fillings Amalgam Fillings Release Highly Toxic Elemental Mercury Amalgam Fillings Largest Source of Mercury The World Health Organization review of inorganic mercury in 1991 determined that mercury absorption is estimated to be four times higher from amalgam fillings than from fish consumption. Amalgam Fillings since 1970s Unstable The type of mercury fillings that began to be used during the last couple of decades releases many times more mercury than the older style of amalgam fillings. Cumulative Poison and Builds Up in Organs Mercury released from fillings builds up in the brain, pituitary, adrenals, and other parts of the body. Mercury Build Up in Brain, Organs and Breast Milk of Fetuses of Mothers With Amalgam Fillings Mercury from fillings in pregnant women has been shown to cause mercury  accumulation  in brain, kidneys and liver of human fetuses Studies have shown that mercury can be passed to infants from breast milk. Potential Contributory Factor in Other Diseases Mercury from amalgam fillings has been implicated as a possible contributing factor in some cases of Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, IBS, reproductive disorders, allergies, and a variety of other illnesses.
By Philip Gardiner, Author of The Shining Ones and The Serpent Grail KingArthurRobinHoodIn my book The Serpent Grail, I had initially explored the Arthurian legends to see what light they could shed on the link between the Grail and the serpent, but I decided I should now spare the time to take a brief look at the history of Britain and the period in which King Arthur and then Robin Hood supposedly lived. Most historians place the Arthurian period in the fifth century AD, and so this is where I began my historical journey to find the ‘real Arthur.’ In about 402 AD, Stilicho, the Vandal Regent of Rome, needed the remainder of his troops back in Rome to defend the homeland against the invading Goths. This left Britain militarily vulnerable and weak, and by 410 the Anglo-Saxons were mounting a terrible invasion that set the countryside alight. But why did the Saxons delay their invasion? The answer lies within the extremely clever way the Romans had previously cleared the country of what they called ‘barbarians’ – i.e. those people who would have either utilized inside intelligence to assist any invading force or who would have undermined the existing rule. “Britain was near to death until Stilicho arrived, and that with the Saxons defeated, the seas were safer and the Picts were broken, thereby making Britain secure.” So wrote the early Christian poet and historian, Claudian, in 399 AD. Even the Welsh monk Gildas (c.504—570) described how “the legions came into close contact with the cruel enemies and slew great numbers of them. All of them were driven beyond the borders and the humiliated natives rescued from the bloody savagery which awaited them.” For eight years then, between the Romans leaving and the Saxons invading, it appears that Britain enjoyed a brief time of relevant peace. This peace was shattered violently as the Saxons instigated their bloody onslaught in the summer of 410. By winter, the British ‘civitates’ had simply had enough of their Roman pretender, Constantine III, and the old Roman system, and so they decided to go it alone. However, the British message to the Emperor Honorius left open a small in-road just in case they were making a mistake. Britain wanted to stay in the Roman Empire, not as subjects but as allies aiding each other with trade and defense. So Britain became an autonomous state within the Empire, especially after the sacking of Rome by Alaric’s Goths in 410. This balance of power continued, and in 417 AD the units of Comes Brittaniarum partially reoccupied the Saxon forts along the south-east coast. This British force comprised six units of cavalry and three of infantry, a unique mobile field army whose method of fighting was influenced by the Scythian warrior-elite who had been brought to Britain by the Romans. These Scythians also brought many of the serpent related traditions I had previously found associated with Arthur in The Serpent Grail — including the worship of Uther/Zeus and the plunging of the blood soaked sword into and out of the ground as an offering to the Earth Goddess. Following the death of Honorius, Rome suffered badly at the hands of usurpers and the final remnants of the Roman army vanished from Britain. The exact date of their departure is not known, although Nennius, the eighth-century Christian historian, tells us that Vortigern had become King of Britain by 425 AD. This probably referred to the southern regions and those parts of Britain previously held by the Romans. Vortigern, it seems, filled the void that Rome had left behind. Whether there is any truth in it or not, the Historia Brittonium states that it was Vortigern who invited Hengist and Horsa, the Norse warriors, to settle in Kent, only to later argue and fight against them. The old system of Roman rule finally began to crumble. Vortigern’s answer to his new Norse problem was to invite yet more foreigners to settle in the country, creating for them settlements called foederati. Was this wise council on Vortigern’s part? It may just have been his only answer, and a Roman answer at that, for the Romans had utilized this settlement procedure themselves – albeit with a lot more class. The Romans had also been powerful enough to keep these settlements under control, and had more incentives to offer them in exchange for their loyalty, whereas Vortigern had no other choice and the new found settlers knew this. Word then reached Vortigern that the Picts and Scots were massing on the borders, and he simply did not have the power to repel them. His tactic was again Roman: bring in other Barbarians and get them to fight each other. It seems, however, that rather than settling warrior Barbarians on his coastlines in order to protect Britain, Vortigern opened the floodgates to the land-hungry Saxons. Vortigern was defeated by Hengist in 455, the lowlands were put to the fire and the Britons fled the country, heading for Spain and Armorica. The economy collapsed, and by 461 Vortigern the Great was dead. There was a recovery of British fortunes a decade or so later, when Ambrosius Aurelianus, thought to be the son of a Roman consul, fought against the Saxons. On Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire there is a huge earthwork, built by a British chieftain between 2900—2500 BC and later used by the Romans and Saxons. Archaeological evidence of battles from the 5th century clearly show evidence that the Saxons were being repulsed and so we have actual archaeological evidence to back the tradition and texts of the battles of Ambrosius Aurelianus. These same traditions and texts then tell us of a great King called Arthur, who upheld the pride of the British nation through various documented battles. Many historians state that the true Arthur is elusive in the texts of the time, but there are still hundreds of Welsh texts that refer to Arthur and which have not yet been translated into English. Not being a Welsh scholar, I unfortunately have to leave this task to them, but we should remember that there is more yet to learn. This history of the fifth-century Britons is interesting, but only partially of interest in our search for the Grail. The Romans had brought the Scythians to Britain, and these Scythians also brought with them their cultural belief systems. They fought well, and in all probability, aided the Britons with training in their warrior ways. The memory of these cultural additions seeped into the British consciousness and became British, Celtic, and eventually ‘New Age.’ This very real struggle for power and for the defense of the realm was an ideal backdrop to the mystery that is now called the ‘Arthurian cycle.’ There probably was an Ambrosius, an Arthur and a Vortigern, and they doubtless fought great battles and overcame terrible troubles. But would they have understood the idea of the Grail as the ‘serpent people’ we discovered in our book would have understood it? I doubt it. Of course, they would have been familiar with stories of a legendary ‘magical substance’ that could help soldiers recover, heal battle wounds, and ‘resurrect’ them in great numbers. This understanding would have come from what they had picked up from the myths which had been encoded with the wisdom of the shamanic ‘serpent people,’ otherwise known as the Shining Ones. This magical substance was ‘mixed’ in the sacred mixing-bowl, and Britain in the fifth century was itself a great and wondrous ‘mixing-bowl.’ Cultures from across the known world traveled to it. Exports of British copper, lead, tin, and much more were shipped across Europe and the Mediterranean. There is even evidence that the ancient Egyptians visited our shores and that a Pharaoh’s daughter may well have settled in Ireland. Folklore tradition also tells us that Joseph of Arimathea visited these shores, and owned tin mines in Cornwall — although this I seriously doubt. If traditions such as these are far from truth, I had to ask myself, why were these strange tales invented? If, as it seems, Britain was an important place, or even just as important as say Gaul, then why could Britain not also be the new home to the secret of the Grail? As we have shown in The Serpent Grail, the Grail on the ‘first level’ or venom, is not place specific. It is a secret held by all the civilizations of the globe, called many things, but essentially the same substance. It was now time to move forward historically from the 5th century history to the medieval period. This was a time when the true symbolic Arthur was formed. The Arthur who fought with dragons or serpents; the Arthur who married his Guinevere – the Queen of Serpents; the Arthur who would have a shape-shifting father named Uther, another term for Zeus. This was also the time when another character emerged who was also joined with a peculiar female counterpart and who materialized from the mists of history as a mythical hero. This hero was Robin Hood. Etymologically Robin comes from the Norman ‘Robert,’ a form of the Germanic Hrodebert and it originally meant ‘famous’ or ‘bright’ or even and more pertinently ‘to shine.’ This is and has always been an indication of one who has achieved illumination or enlightenment. Robin Hood is therefore the ‘Bright Hood,’ a similar name to the Naga serpent worshippers or deities of India, with their illuminated serpent or cobra hoods. As many have previously stated there are strong links between the origins of Robin Hood and the Green Man, who is also the ancient Egyptian god Osiris and the Greek-Roman god Dionysus/Bacchus, and so we should hope to find something of interest in the many stories surrounding this enigmatic character. It’s no surprise to also discover that the Templars are very much associated with Robin, and many of the tales of Robin also match in format those of King Arthur. In the popular retelling by Henry Gilbert (Robin Hood, 1912) we find mention of a pig-like serpent. Robin wants to know who the hermit of Fountains Dale is and how the one named as ‘Peter the Doctor’ managed to cure people: “Oh,” said Nick with a smile, “I meant no ill-will to Peter. Often hath his pills cured our villeins when they ate too much pork, and my mother — rest her soul — said that naught under the sun was like his lectuary of Saint Evremond.” Peter the Doctor speaks, “I deserve well of all my patients, but,” — and his eyes flashed — “that great swinehead oaf of a hermit monk — Tuck by name, and would that I could tuck him in the deepest, darkest hole in Windleswisp marsh! — That great ox-brained-beguiled me into telling him of all my good specifics. With his eyes as wide and soft as a cow’s he looked as innocent as a mawkin, and asked me this and that about the cures which I had made, and ever he seemed the more to marvel and to gape at my wisdom and my power. The porcine serpent! He did but spin his web the closer about me to my own undoing and destruction. When I had told him all, and was hopeful that he would buy a phial of serpent’s oil of Jasper — a sure and certain specific, my good freemen, against ague and stiffness.” So Friar Tuck is like a snake-pig and Peter the Wise Doctor hopes to sell him “serpent oil.” It is likely that Gilbert used the “serpent oil” in the early nineteenth century as this peculiar substance was quite fashionable at the time and no matter how hard I searched I could not find Gilbert’s source material. There are elements of the Robin Hood myth that relate to other legends. The ‘tree of life’ is seen as ‘Robin’s Larder Tree,’ supplying all that could be required like the ‘Horn of Plenty’ or the ‘cauldron’ of Celtic folklore. Robin’s link with the ‘Horned God’ is also telling as he is Lord and Master over the human ‘animals’ of the Forest and they are guardians of their stolen treasure, like the hoarding, serpent Nagas of Hinduism. They do good deeds for those who deserve them and dastardly deeds to those who do not. The horned element is also telling, as the horns were symbolic of enlightenment or illumination, just as Moses is often depicted with horns whereas the meaning is simply ‘shining.’ We must also remember that Moses was taught in Egypt, the home of the Green Man Osiris, and that Moses was the one who raised the Brazen Serpent in the wilderness to heal the people of Israel. In the connected tales of Robin Goodfellow, the ‘trickster of the woods’ also known as Puck, there is also the link of Sib, the fairy who lives in the hillside and is linked as being a ‘serpent spirit’ of healing. Robin falls in love with his lady of the waters or Queen of Heaven (a title also given to Isis the sister/wife of Osiris and also a title given to Guinevere) later to be known as the Maid Marion (Marion/Mary coming from Mer = Sea/water/wisdom) and in many ways is undermining the new Christian world that forced itself upon this ancient mixture of paganism. Puck incidentally is thought to have a much older pedigree, being traced back to an Irish Pan-like deity known as Pouka. Indeed, Robin Goodfellow is said to be born of a human mother and a god-like father in the form of Oberon (king of the fairies and Ob meaning serpent.) He is also green like the ‘Green Man,’ which is the special healing color attributed to many things surrounding the serpent cult — such as the Emerald Tablet, the color of initiation into Gnostic mysteries associated with the Masons, and the Green Glass of the Grail. It is believed by many that the crescent shape of Robin’s bow recalls the crescent moon and horns of the pagan ‘Horned God,’ as does the horn Robin uses to call his people together. Even Little John in the tale of Robin Hood and Sir Guy de Gisborne is tied to a tree, being saved at the last minute by Robin disguised as Sir Guy. As with most folklore there is symbolism, myth, legend and probably some element of a real origin. Robin Hood may well have some aspects of his personality and acts in real people, but most historians would steer away from stating anything as fact. As Fran and Geoff Doel point out in their book Robin Hood: Outlaw or Greenwood Myth, “the origin of Robin Hood was obscure … suggests a mythological or folklore origin.” What we also find however in some of the earlier tales is that Robin Hood and Little John – like Jesus and John the Baptist – were equals. Walter Bower, in the 15th century, said that Robin Hood together with Little John and their companies rose to prominence. This in itself points out that both Robin and John were seen to each have their own followers very much like Jesus and John. They are therefore and must be the ‘twins’ of Gnosticism, like Castor and Pollux – the duality and balance. Other elements of Robin’s life and especially his death show an ancient link: “Curiously the ballad of Robin Hood’s Death also has a ritualistic element, with foreknowledge and ritual ‘banning’ and a death by bleeding, which is suspiciously close to the ritualistic dismemberment of other European and Asiatic Springtime gods and heroes such as Tammuz, Adonis and Osiris. The cognitive connections between the outlaw and Robin the bird may be coincidental, but the possibilities of a Greenwood myth underlying the later outlaw traditions needs to be examined.” (Doel, Robin Hood: Outlaw or Greenwood Myth.) Tammuz, Adonis and Osiris are vegetation gods of greenness. Indeed Osiris himself in the Pyramid Texts at Saqqara is called the ‘Great Green’ and often appears green skinned as a symbol of ‘resurrection and life.’ The battle between Osiris and Set seems all the more familiar now in the struggle that ensues between Robin and his archrival the Sheriff of Nottingham. Osiris becomes Horus when resurrected and we find that it is Horus who is protected by the Wadjet snake — the green snake. Even in the way he dies there are links with older mysteries. Robin is ritualistically bled to death like the ancient pagan sacrifices. The deed is done by the Abbess of Kirklees, who acts as the priestess in some ancient pagan ritual. Could it be that the tales of Robin are more ancient than previously believed? Could they really be tales of ancient Egypt and even Sumeria? Passed down over millennia and altered by time? The fact remains that Christianity was stomping all over old pagan beliefs, rewriting tales that had existed for hundreds of years. But, as the Christians were destroying cultural history, there were those who defended it. The Masons of the period in which Robin Hood grew to popularity were hiding their symbols and pagan ideas in the framework and masonry of Churches across Europe. Green Men sprang up in every sacred Christian place. Strange characters seen hiding in foliage, peeping out like messengers from the past. These peculiar and somewhat disturbing images to modern eyes are none other than the characters from the pagan past – gods and deities like Herne the ‘Horned God’ and many other images of Mother Goddesses. The truth to the past of man’s religious upbringing can still be seen in the stonework of Christian churches and Cathedrals, in places like Rosslyn Chapel and Lichfield Cathedral. But not just in the stone. We must also look to the legends, for as we can see the tales of Robin Hood are not only linked to the ancient past they are also linked inextricably to the tales of Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail with instances like those of the knight Gawain decapitating the Green Giant and mysterious images of a Green Knight. It is seen clearly in the fact that the ‘plays’ of old, enacted by local people and paraded through streets, have changed titles across time and location. From the St. George (also associated with Osiris and who was popularized by the Knights Templar) play to the Robin Hood and Green Jack, from Wildman to Green George. The basic story is the same, but the names change. Our past has been hidden; our Gnostic heritage is untold; our birthrights stolen by a jealous Church. Philip Gardiner is the author of The Serpent Grail: The Truth Behind the Holy Grail, Elixir of Life and Philosopher’s Stone. Also, The Shining Ones: The World’s Most Powerful Secret Society Revealed, and the forthcoming Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon’s Temple Revealed. He is a researcher, historian and propaganda expert based in the UK. He does Tours via and his websites can be seen at,, and for more information. To contact the publishers go to
You can share • Share to Facebook • Share to Google+ • Subscribe to our • Share to Linkedin • Share to Twitter Basic knowledge of inverters • 263 • Jimmy at • June 25, 2018 Q: What is a inverter and what does it do? A: Generally, an inverter is an electronic device that converts a low-voltage (dc 12V/24V/48V) dc direct current into a 220-volt ac current. Because we usually use a 220-volt ac rectifier as a direct current, the inverter works the opposite way, that’s why it calls that name. We are in a "mobile" era, mobile office, mobile communication, mobile leisure and entertainment. In a state of movement, people not only need to be supplied by batteries or battery low voltage direct current (dc), at the same time more in need of our indispensable in the daily environment 220 v alternating current (ac), inverter can meet the demand of our this. Q: What is "emotional load"? Answer: Popularly say, use electromagnetism induction principle to make namely the high-power electric appliance product, if motor, compressor, relay, fluorescent lamp etc. Such products require a much larger starting current (about 3-7 times) at startup than is required to maintain normal operation. For example, a refrigerator that consumes about 150 watts of electricity during normal operation can have a starting power of more than 1,000 watts. In addition, due to the perceptual load, at the moment of switching power supply or disconnect the power supply will produce "potential voltage", this is far greater than the peak voltage inverter can withstand voltage, it is easy to cause the inverter instantaneous overload, affect the service life of the inverter. Therefore, this kind of electrical appliances to power supply waveform requirements are high. Q: What appliances can quasi-sine wave inverters be used for? A: Quasi-sinusoidal waves are also divided into several types, from square waves that are similar to square waves to rounded trapezoidal waves that are closer to sine waves. We are only talking about square waves, which are the waveforms that most of the high frequency inverters currently on the market can provide. Such quasi sine wave inverter can be used in notebook computers, television sets, combined audio, video camera, digital camera, printer, all kinds of charger, PDA, game consoles, DVD, mobile DVD, household therapeutic apparatus, etc., the output power of the larger inverter can also be used in small electric appliances such as electric hair dryer, electric mug, kitchen appliances and so on. However, it is not suitable to use square wave inverter for long time for inductive load electrical appliances such as refrigerators and drills. Otherwise, it may damage the inverter and related electrical products or shorten the expected service life. If it is necessary to use inductive load, it is recommended to use pure sine wave inverter with large reserve power and super-large peak power inverter. Here, the pure sine wave inverter is used in television (traditional display). TV sets have the following three requirements for inverters: first, the demagnetization circuit has a great demand for electric energy in an instant when the TV is starting up, so the peak power of the inverter is very high. A 25-inch digital color TV, for example, USES about 80 watts of power at normal operating conditions, compared with 1,450 watts at the moment it starts up. Second, because the TV's field frequency is equal to the ac power grid frequency, the inverter must output ac power at an accurate frequency. Third, the inverter should not interfere with the television. Even can meet the above three conditions, the television when using quasi sinusoidal alternating current (ac), there will still be a few fixed picture interference lines, colour will be slight slant green (using old television, partial color more serious), but the other. Q: What is the efficiency of a inverter? A: The inverter itself consumes some power when it works, so its input power is greater than its output power. The efficiency of the inverter is the ratio of the input power to the output power of the inverter. If a inverter inputs 100 watts of direct current and 90 watts of ac, its efficiency is 90 percent. Q: What is the continuous output power? What is peak output power? Answer: Some use motor electrical appliances or tools, such as refrigerators, washing machines, electric drill, the current starting moment takes a lot to push, once started, it takes only a small current to maintain its normal operation. Therefore, for the inverter, there is the concept of continuous output power and peak output power. The continuous output power is the rated output power. The general peak output power is two times of the rated output power. It must be emphasized that the starting current of some electric appliances, such as air conditioners and refrigerators, is 3-7 times that of the normal working current. Therefore, only the inverter that can meet the peak starting power of the electric appliance can work normally. Q:How to select inverter products? A: The vehicle inverter is a power product that works in the environment of large current and high frequency. Its potential failure rate is quite high. Therefore, consumers must be cautious when buying. First, choose from the output waveform of the inverter, preferably not lower than the square wave. Secondly, the inverter should have complete circuit protection function. Third, the manufacturer should have good after - sales service commitment; Fourth, circuits and products have been tested for some time. Q: Difference between inverter and transformer: A: Inverter, it must be something of an inverter device then call, it has a direct difference between transformer, that is to say, it can realize dc input, output and communication, the working principle is like switching power supply, but the oscillation frequency within a certain range, such as if the frequency of 50 hz, the output of ac 50 hz. An inverter is a device that can change its frequency. Transformer generally refers to a specific frequency equipment, such as power frequency transformer, is the transformer, we usually see their input and output must be within a certain range, such as 40 to 60 hz range can work. For more information, click
This brief article introduces a short 4.5 minute video that explains the reasons why VMware vSphere is a great platform for data scientists/engineers to use as their base operating platform. The video then demonstrates an example of this, showing a data scientist conducting a modeling experiment with an input set of data, while using the Driverless AI tool from to do the data analysis and model training, all in VMs. The key idea here is that the world of machine learning/data science is rapidly changing, with new, powerful tools, platforms and versions appearing and upgrading at a very fast pace. The tool vendors are racing to innovate here and producing new workbenches for the both the expert and the novice in the field. Data scientists and data engineers (who organize and cleanse the data first) want to be able to try out these new tools and updated versions of the tools while keeping a stable environment for their existing production deployments. The end goal is to produce a highly accurate trained ML model as quickly as they can for any input data set and predicted outcome. One measure of accuracy you will see in use at the end of the tool demo is the ROC (or Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve – but other measures of model accuracy are also available. That trained ML model will subsequently be used in production applications for the inference phase. The example model that is chosen here is called XGBoost- a popular algorithm for certain kinds of data. The ML inference phase (or production deployment of the model in a pipeline) is often concerned with classification of something, such as a fraudulent transaction, or prediction of what may happen in the future, such as the likelihood someone will not pay their credit card bill – or will choose a related book or movie. The ML practitioners (data scientists and data engineers) want to use the best tools and platforms they can get their hands on in order to build the best trained model that will be able to recognize these patterns. This rapid change of tooling places a significant demand on an IT department, just to keep up with the innovation and satisfy their customer, the data scientists and data engineers, by giving them what they want, while maintaining some control. To achieve this, deploying on VMware vSphere gives them the ability to create different sandboxes for the data scientists to work in, each contained in one or more virtual machines. This provides isolation, checkpointing and the ability for the data scientist to innovate in a safe environment. While many well-known examples of machine learning focus on solving problems to do with image recognition and classification, this particular H2O tool is being used in our demo to analyze tabular data, which happens to be contained in a CSV file in this example. This data is representative of many thousands of datasets that are found in enterprises, such as in database tables, spreadsheets and regular human-readable files. A term that is used frequently here is “independent and identically distributed” data or IID. This kind of data is structured into rows and columns (which is much different to the layout of pixels in an image) so the ML models that best analyze IID/tabular data may well be different to those models that deal with images. Financial institutions, insurance companies, retail operations and dozens of other enterprises have lots of this “tabular” data – so there is a big opportunity here for machine learning to be applied to this type of dataset so as to enhance these enterprises’ business understanding of their customers. These types of data may also be somewhat sensitive and so will likely be modeled in-house for the foreseeable future. For more information on deploying your machine learning tools and apps on VMware vSphere, check out the resources and articles here. For more information on H2O’s tools, check their site.
Information & Referral Depending upon your individual needs and circumstances, coping with epilepsy in your everyday life can sometimes mean that you need information, support and help from a variety of local service organizations. Knowing where to find and how to access these local services can vary greatly depending upon where you live and the specific help you need. The Epilepsy Foundation of MO & KS can help. Contact us at • Provide a list of area Neurologists, Epileptologists, and Epilepsy Centers. • Provide resources for patient assistance programs for medication • Advise people with epilepsy on social security, medicaid, insurance and driving issues. • Provide other community resources. • Offer a family support program for families of children with epilepsy 18 years of age and younger. Our national website offers a wealth of general information and resources on epilepsy. Visit their website. Frequently Asked Questions What is Epilepsy? Epilepsy–also known as a seizure disorder–is a chronic neurological disease characterized by a tendency to have recurrent seizures. What is a Seizure? A seizure is a brief, excessive discharge of electrical activity in the brain that alters Movement, Behavior, Sensation or Awareness. How Common is Epilepsy? Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological disease–more common than cerebral palsy, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis combined. What is a Partial Seizure? Partial seizures begin in only one part of the brain and awareness may be impaired or remain intact. Types of partial seizures: Simple partial Complex partial What is a Generalized Seizure? Generalized seizures originate in both sides of the brain and awareness may be impaired. Types of generalized seizures: Tonic-clonic (formerly grand mal)  Absence (formerly petit mal) Myths & Facts Myth: You should put a spoon, wallet or other object in the mouth during a seizure. Fact: Never put anything in a person’s mouth during a seizure. Doing so can cause injury to the teeth or gums. A person cannot swallow his or her tongue during a seizure. Myth: Epilepsy is contagious. Fact: You cannot catch epilepsy from, or give it to, someone else. MythSeizures are completely uncontrollable. Fact: Through medication, diet or surgery, or a combination of these, people with epilepsy can achieve full or partial control of  their seizures in 85% of cases. Support the Epilepsy Foundation by shopping at Amazon Smile. Sign-up to Stay in Touch
Who’s Driving Tonight? Imagine a world where the term “driving” is obsolete and a parking lot can not be seen for miles. The streets are empty and nature has pushed its way through the cracks of the smooth cement. A car drifts by, but there is nobody in the driver’s seat. One may think they are in a dystopian world where much of civilization has vanished and the Earth is returning to its natural state, but this is simply a world with driverless cars and less parking spaces – a reality that could soon be true in the near future, as described in Clive Thompson’s article, “No Parking Here”. In this article, Thompson expresses how frustrating parking issues and environmental concerns that surface from inefficient space planning, the diminishing  number of purchased cars from the younger generation, as well the successful application of public transportation in modern cities are all compelling reasons of why driverless cars will positively change our world. In a period of curiosity, innovation, and productivity, it is only a matter of time that our urban space expands to one with driverless cars, which will obliviate the need for large parking lots and remove stagnant traffic, consequently decreasing pollution levels and enhancing our environment. The introduction of automobiles unlocked a world of possibilities for those living in the urban area. Vehicles gave their owners the freedom to work, eat, and live in places that would otherwise take hours to walk to. However, the popular option of owning a car has created havoc in the city, leaving cars idly waiting for parking spots while the sheer quantity of these massive, moving heaps of metal can be seen laid strewn at every block, with, as Thompson notes, “the average automobile [spending] 95 percent of its time sitting in place” (1). A 2011 study at the University of California-Berkeley estimates that the United States has about “a billion parking spots…[amounting to almost] four times more parking spaces that vehicles” (1). Even with these mind-boggling statistics, people are still found spending about 20 minutes per trip just searching for an empty spot. For this reason, the action of simply circling around hunting for empty spaces has made driving a burden and the thought of owning a car a nuisance. With self-driving cars, one would not have to waste time searching for a parking spot, as new technology would allow the car to drive itself around to find a space, after dropping the passenger off at their desired venue. This would dramatically reduce the amount of parking spaces needed, as people would not have to worry about parking at a nearby location in fear of the walking distance. With countless documentaries, articles, and social media campaigns blasting facts about global warming and greenhouse emissions, it is not surprising that today’s society has become more self-aware about their ecological footprint. The introduction of self-driving cars would reap various environmental benefits, including less pollution and more community parks filled with lush grass and air-filtrating greenery. Totaled up, all the land devoted to parking amounts to “roughly 6,500 square miles” (2) – mostly unused land that could be developed from mundane grey slabs of concrete to parks and playgrounds that would both enhance the environment and bring the community together, a concept that is very much needed in this planet that we have polluted and drained of its resources. A great example of an eco-friendly city that could benefit greatly with more self-driving cars is Vancouver. The city has extensive transits systems, bike share programs, and numerous bike lanes allowing one to conveniently reach their destination without driving. Vancouver also has several car share programs that are widely used, each with designated parking spots that can easily be accessed in popular locations. Though the city has a large driving population, the current options allow residents to minimise the amount of “‘cruising’ for parking…[which] burns 47,000 gallons of gas and generates 730 tons of Carbon Dioxide a year” (1). As the proposed self-driving cars would be fully electric, Berkeley lab scientist Jeffrey Greenblatt deduces that “emissions would be 90 percent lower” (7), even if cars were left “cruising around”. As a fellow Vancouverite, I can attest to the fact that I always avoid driving a car to Downtown, Vancouver as the search for free (or cheap) parking is nearly impossible. There is always an abundance of traffic clogging every lane, with five-seater cars only occupied by one person. Electric, ride-sharing driverless cars would be highly effective in Vancouver as there are only so many routes one could go in this small, crowded city; one is bound to meet another heading in the same direction. In his paper, Thompson emphasizes that the concept of self-driving cars would surely excite millennials and provide them with a relatively cheaper and more eco-friendly transportation method (5), especially if their lifestyle requires a vehicle as opposed to public transit. Most of the younger population rely on the popular new ridesharing service “Uber”, with “70 percent of [the service’s] customers [being] under the age of 34” (5). Only two years ago, Uber reported that “its drivers were making 1 million trips per day” (5), proving that millennials have found a way to get around without the need to own or drive a car. Thompson’s article suggests that the self-driving cars could be used for a ride-sharing program, further decreasing the number of five-seater cars that are frequently occupied by only one passenger. A similar system made by Uber called “Uber Pool” has already observed rapid growth, with nearly “50 percent of all Uber rides in the [year-old program introduced in San Francisco being] pooled” (5). Surely, if self-driving carpool systems were introduced in other North American cities such as San Francisco, they would be received very well. In conclusion, the concept of driverless cars would, with no doubt, be highly beneficial by increasing the sense of community in urban spaces through the addition of new parks in place of deconstructed lots and providing the population with a convenient and safe mode of transportation, with vehicles that have the technology to detect millions of objects of a time, most of which your average driver would not be able to see (6). Driverless cars would also diminish the need for vast, empty parking lots with urban thinkers estimating that “90 percent of our current lots” (8) would be eliminated in only 15 years from now. According to data produced by a group of MIT scientists, “if 50 percent of drivers shifted over to ridesharing, it would reduce traffic congestion by 37 percent and decrease the number of vehicles on the road by 19 percent” (5). These statistics only further emphasize my point of how necessary ridesharing and self-driving vehicles are, especially in cities such as Vancouver. As millennials are always seeking to make the world a better place through change, I am confident that many will be eager to enter this seemingly dystopian future of less cars and more nature, in hopes of saving our environment and erasing the negative stigma around cars and driving. About Me Hello there! My name is Rachel Wong and I am currently a first-year student at Capilano University studying Visual Communications in the IDEA School of Design. Growing up, my mother had immersed me in the arts. I began to develop a strong fascination for design and advertising, and how different typefaces, font sizes, colours and illustrations could communicate a specific message, affecting a viewer’s perception of a product or idea. I aspire to become a freelance Graphic Designer or to start my own design firm in the future. Alternatively, I would consider becoming a veterinarian as I love animals! When I am not swamped in homework, I am grabbing ramen, ice cream, or bubble tea with friends, paddling with my dragon boating team or streaming Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. I previously played Ultimate Frisbee, sang in a choir, and played the cello in an orchestra as well. I believe that it is very important to involve one’s self in various activities, especially if it is something new and completely out of their comfort zone. One of my favourite quotes is from novelist Paulo Coelho, who said “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal.”
Titanic magic lantern slides magiclanternist.com 252 Shortly after the Titanic sunk in 1912, a fund was established to raise money for the families of those lost at sea. As part of the fund-raising effort, a song called ‘Be Britsh’ was written and recorded and profits from the sales of the sheet music and gramophone records were donated to the fund. The melody of the song is rather mournful and the words very patriotic and stirring, a bit too xenophobic for modern ears maybe but, at the time, we had the World’s largest empire and our Navy ruled the waves, so attitudes were different. They go like this ….. What a glorious thing it is to know that the breed is just the same  as it was when the Anglo-Saxon race first gained immortal fame. What a glorious thing it is to know when danger’s hour was nigh,  when the mighty liner sank to her rest, our men knew how to die. In rode the feeling of courage, of duty to be done and men behaved like men should do, all heroes every one.  magiclanternist.com 251 Millionaire and poor man’s son, when she was sinking fast, worked like Britons, side by side, all faithful to the last.  And though they found a cold, cold grave beneath the icy seas, up on high these words were heard, ‘Nearer My God to Thee’.   With men like these we still can boast and as of old can sing, “O death, where is thy victory, O grave, where is thy sting”.  “Be British” was the cry, as the ship went down, every man was steady at his post, Captain and crew, when they knew the worst, saving the women and children first. “Be British” is the cry to everyone and though fate has proved unkind, show that you are willing, with a penny or a shilling, for those they left behind. Never slow to capitalise on an opportunity, Bamforths, one of our largest lantern slide makers, published a set of slides called ‘The Loss of the Titanic’ to accompany the song. Together, the tune, lyrics and slides form a deeply moving presentation which still affects audiences today and would have tugged at heart and purse strings when first shown. Raising money for people affected by man-made and natural disasters is often considered to be a modern phenomenon but it isn’t, as this story demonstrates. We can’t stop these things happening but, as in the Manchester and London tragedies, they are followed by acts of selfless bravery and expressions of kindness and generosity which remind us that most people on the planet are good and caring. The slides shown here are just three from the set, all of which can be seen in my YouTube video. To see similar posts, please visit my website Magic Lantern World and to receive new posts automatically, just click ‘follow’. magiclanternist.com 250 Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Google photo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
What Is a Vision Test? What Is a Vision Test? 53949231 - optometrist examines the sight of young girl Never visited an eye doctor before for a vision test? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Every year, many American’s avoid their eye exam appointments for a variety of reasons: their eyes are fine, they don’t wear glasses, or because they don’t know what to expect. If you’re wondering just what is a vision test, it can be intimidating to visit an optometrist. But what you might not know is that yearly vision tests are essential for healthy eyes. Eye doctors are here to make sure your vision stays clear and comfortable, as well as to find any medical conditions that may occur. They’re here for your benefit, and it’s important to take advantage of vision tests to keep your eyes strong and healthy. Types of Vision Tests hat is a vision test? How do they work, and what do optometrists look for? We know these are just some of many questions for those of you visiting an eye doctor for the first time. Here is a guide on the different tests we offer: Visual Acuity Vision Test This is probably the most common type of vision test, and one many people are already familiar with. A visual acuity test measures how clearly you can see certain details from a predetermined distance. Visual acuity can be determined by using the Snellen Test, which is a large chart with various letters written out in different sizes. The smallest size letter a viewer can read determines your visual acuity. Another way this can be tested is with the “Random E’s” test. This requires the viewer to determine which direction the letter E is facing, either up, down, left, or right. Your visual acuity score is measured by a fraction. Perfect vision yields a score of 20/20, which means the viewer can see the same letters at 20 feet away what another normal viewer could also see at 20 feet. If your vision is less than perfect, you might receive a score of 20/40 or 20/50. This means what a normal person can see at 40 or 50 feet away, you must be standing at 20 feet. Some individuals may have vision that is better than perfect, which can be represented by scores such as 20/15 or 20/10. Whatever your score may be, having an eye doctor determine your visual acuity will help you understand your sight abilities and can lead to corrective measures if necessary. Refractive Error Vision Test This is another common vision test that determines the refractive error of your eyes, or when your eye is shaped in a way (longer or shorter) that doesn’t allow light to focus directly on your retina. This causes your vision to be blurry, but can easily be corrected with glasses or contacts. The refractive error of your eye is measured using a numerical score called a Diopter. This is used to determine the amount of correction that is needed for your contacts or glasses. There are four different categories the diopter measurement can fall within: This means that objects far away from the viewer are blurry, because light entering your eye is focusing in front of your retina. This can be represented by a negative number, such a -2.00 or -4.75. The lower the number (more negative) the higher the refractive error. This means that light is focusing behind your retina, making it difficult to see objects up close. Individuals with farsightedness have a positive refractive error score, such as +1.00. The higher the number, the higher the viewer’s refractive error. This is another common refractive problem that affects the curvature of your eye, which can also cause blurred vision. There are several types of astigmatisms, but they aren’t harmful and most can easily be corrected with contacts or glasses. This is similar to farsightedness, but is typically onset with age. As we grow older, it becomes more difficult for your eyes to focus on object up close. People who have this refractive error typically wear bifocal contacts or glasses. Visual Field Vision Test This is a test to see how accurate your peripheral vision is, or how far you can see on the sides of each eye. This is used to make sure your eyes can see more than what is just straight in front of you. Making sure you have a wide visual field is important for many everyday functions such as driving a car. This is easily tested by eye doctors by repeatedly shining a light beam in various areas of your peripheral vision. Color Blindness Vision Test Color blindness is when one’s eye lacks certain color photoreceptors, making it impossible to distinguish between certain types of colors when placed next to each other. This vision deficiency is not an uncommon occurrence, with roughly 1 of 12 men and 1 of 20 women who experience color blindness. The most common types of colorblindness are where the patient is missing red, green, or blue photoreceptors. Your eye doctor can test for color blindness by having you view a circle with colored spots that spell out a number or letter, and testing whether the patient can read it. Permanently correcting color blindness is impossible, but most individuals can live a full and healthy life without noticing a difference. There are also some lenses that have light filtering properties that can help patients more easily distinguish between colors. What to Bring to a Vision Test Now that you’re familiar with the different types of vision tests you can take, you need to prepare for your exam visit. Here are a few things you should make sure to bring to your appointment: Patient History Form This is easily downloaded off the Mather Vision website, and is a way for our doctors to familiarize themselves with your previous medical history. You can either fill this out before your appointment or pick up a copy at our front desk. Insurance Information We take a variety of different insurance providers, including BCBS, Arnett HMO, the City of Lafayette, Purdue, Alcoa, and Caterpillar. If your health insurance covers vision tests, this information is important to bring. Glasses and/or Contacts If you currently wear glasses or contacts, it may be a good idea to bring them with you. Our vision tends to change over time, and it’s important for your eye doctor to know what current prescription you are using. Someone to Drive You Home For some people, vision tests can be strenuous on your eyes. Your eyes may have been dilated (enlarged pupils) or you’ve been looking at bright lights for a long time. This can moderately impact your vision for a brief period of time, so it’s helpful to have a friend or family member drive you home to keep you safe on the roads. Knowing what is a vision test can help you be sure to attend yearly checkups and maintain the health of your eyes. If you have any additional questions or concerns about your next eye appointment, don’t hesitate to call or email Mather Vision Group. Mather Vision Group is a local eye practice located in Lafayette, Indiana. Contact our office to schedule an appointment  or stop in to see our large variety of eye glass frames at our Lafayette Indiana vision center. You can find us online, on Facebook, and Google +
Sedatives are a class of medications that slow down brain activity, resulting in feelings of drowsiness or relaxation. Though they're regularly used in medical settings or prescribed legally, many types—including barbiturates (like Nembutal) and benzodiazepines (like Valium and Xanax)—have the potential for abuse. Misusing these drugs can lead to severe complications. Sedatives are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, a category of drugs that slow normal brain function. There are various kinds of CNS depressants, most of which act on the brain by affecting the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that conduct communication between brain cells; GABA works by decreasing brain activity. Although the different types of CNS depressants each work in their own way, ultimately it is through increased GABA activity that they produce a relaxing effect. This effect can be beneficial to those suffering from anxiety or sleep disorders. In higher doses, some CNS depressants can be used as general anesthetics. Sedatives include: • Barbiturates, such as mephobarbital (Mebaral) and pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), which are helpful in treating anxiety, tension, and sleep disorders. • Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide HCl (Librium), and alprazolam (Xanax), which can be prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions, and panic attacks; the more relaxing benzodiazepines, such as triazolam (Halcion) and estazolam (ProSom) can be prescribed for short-term treatment of sleep disorders. Symptoms of Use Despite their many beneficial effects, barbiturates and benzodiazepines have the potential for abuse and should be used only as prescribed. During the first few days after taking a prescribed CNS depressant, a person usually feels drowsy and uncoordinated; however, this will diminish. If one uses these drugs long term, the body will develop tolerance, and larger doses will be required to achieve the same initial effects. In addition, continued use can lead to physical dependence and—when use is lessened or stopped—withdrawal symptoms. Because all CNS depressants work by slowing the brain's activity, when an individual stops taking them, the brain's workings can rebound and race out of control, possibly resulting in seizures and other harmful consequences. Although withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be a difficult experience, it is rarely life threatening, whereas withdrawal from prolonged use of other CNS depressants can have life-threatening complications. Therefore, someone who is thinking about discontinuing CNS depressant therapy or who is suffering withdrawal from a CNS depressant should speak with a physician or seek medical assistance. At high doses or when they are abused, many of these drugs can cause unconsciousness or even death. When taking sedatives of any kind, activity of the central nervous system becomes slowed down. Small doses relieve tension; large doses increase the risk of other undesirable side effects. These include: • staggering • blurred vision • impaired perception of time and space • slowed reflexes and breathing • reduced sensitivity to pain • impaired thinking • slurred speech Overdoses cause unconsciousness, coma, and death. Accidental overdoses may occur when children swallow pills or when adults with increased tolerance are unsure of how many to take. CNS depressants should be used with other medications only under a physician's supervision. Typically, they should not be combined with any other medication or substance that causes CNS depression, including prescription pain medicines, some over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, or alcohol. Using CNS depressants with these other substances—particularly alcohol—can slow breathing, or slow both the heart and respiration, possibly resulting in death. Health Hazards Health risks of sedative use include : • anemia • depression • impairment of liver function • chronic intoxication (headache, impaired vision, slurred speech) Babies of chronic users may have difficulty in breathing and feeding, disturbed sleep patterns, sweating, irritability and fever. Sedative Tolerance and Withdrawal Very significant levels of physiological dependence marked by both tolerance and withdrawal can develop in response to the sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics. The timing and severity of withdrawal issues will differ depending on the specific substance and its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. A physical symptom of dependence is tolerance, meaning higher levels are needed to achieve the same calming effect. Symptoms of psychological dependence include needing the drug to function and being obsessed with obtaining the drug. Symptoms of withdrawal include: • restlessness • insomnia • anxiety • seizures • in rare cases, death To be clinically diagnosed with having a sedative-, hypnotic-, or anxiolytic-use disorder, there must be a problematic pattern of impairment or distress, with at least two of the following symptoms within the previous 12-month period: • Taking larger dosages and/or taking the drugs for a longer period of time than intended • Desiring to reduce or control sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug use, or making failed attempts to do so • Spending large amounts of time procuring or using the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic, or recovering from the effects of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug • An overwhelming desire, urge, or craving to use the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic • Frequent absences from job or school, or the inability to maintain obligations for one's job, school, or home life due to sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug use • Continued sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug use in the face of social/interpersonal problems that result from, or are made worse by, the use of the drug • Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use is prioritized to such an extent that social, occupational, and recreational activities are either given up completely or reduced drastically • Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use even in situations where it is physically hazardous • Use of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug continues even when the individual knows the physical and psychological risks Tolerance is increased by one of the following: 1. Large increases in the amount of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug to achieve wanted effect (not met as a criteria if under medical supervision). 2. The same use of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug no longer reaches desired effect (not met as a criteria if under medical supervision). Withdrawal due to one of the following: 1. The individual displays withdrawal symptoms and characteristics of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug (not met as a criteria if under medical supervision). 2. Symptoms of withdrawal diminish with use of the sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drug; the drug is used to relieve or avoid symptoms of withdrawal (not met as a criteria if under medical supervision). Regular use of sedatives over a long period results in an increased tolerance to the drug so that larger doses are needed to achieve the same effect. There are several ways that patients can prevent prescription drug abuse. When visiting the doctor, they should provide a complete medical history and a description of the reason for the visit to ensure that the doctor understands the complaint and can prescribe appropriate medication. If a doctor prescribes a pain medication, stimulant, or CNS depressant, patients should follow directions carefully and educate themselves about the effects that the drug could have, especially during the first few days during which the body is adapting to it. Patients should also be aware of potential interactions with other drugs by reading all information provided by the pharmacist. It is important not to use another person's prescription, modify doses, or abruptly stop taking a prescription without consulting a health-care provider first. For example, if a patient is taking a pain reliever for chronic pain and the medication no longer seems to be effectively controlling it, the patient should check with their doctor rather than increasing the dosage on their own. Although no extensive body of research regarding the treatment of barbiturate and benzodiazepine addiction currently exists, patients addicted to these medications should undergo medically supervised detoxification because the dose must be gradually tapered off. Inpatient or outpatient counseling can help the individual during this process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy also has been used successfully to help individuals adapt to the removal from benzodiazepines. Often the abuse of barbiturates and benzodiazepines occurs in conjunction with the abuse of another substance or drug, such as alcohol or cocaine. In these cases of poly-drug abuse, the treatment approach must address the multiple addictions. A two-stage approach is often used in treating the addicted patient. The first stage is detoxification of the drug, followed by long-term rehabilitation. Find a Treatment Center here. • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition • National Institute on Drug Abuse Last reviewed 03/14/2019
8   +   6   =   A password will be e-mailed to you. “Ladies and gentlemen, today I will be playing The Flight of the Bumblebee.” With these words, uttered with a charm that made the audience smile and give a round of applause before a single note had been played, Lydian Nadhaswaram launched into his rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s intricate composition. This was his first appearance in ”The World’s Best,” a talent competition on the US television channel CBS. To advance, the performer had to impress not only a panel of three prominent American judges (Drew Barrymore, Faith Hill, and RuPaul Charles) but also fifty experts drawn from every field of arts and entertainment from countries across the world. The Flight of the Bumblebee musically depicts a bumblebee’s apparently chaotic and swiftly changing flying pattern. At first glance it would seem that a bumblebee should not be able to fly; its wings are too frail to keep its bulky body aloft. But bees fly by swiftly rotating their wings. This creates pockets of low air pressure, which give rise to small currents above the bee’s wings, hoist it into the air and keep it airborne. The wing rotation and air motion results in buzzing and whirring sounds, which Rimsky-Korsakov mimics through his music. Portrait of the composer Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov | Source: Valentin Serov [Public domain] / Wikimedia Commons The pace of the music is frenetic, crammed with nearly uninterrupted runs of chromatic sixteenth notes. What challenges musicians (more than the pitch or the range of notes) is their ability to move from one note to the next quickly enough to sustain the tempo. This complexity calls for considerable skills from the musician; the piece is considered notoriously hard to play. So when Lydian finished his recital with panache, the applause was thunderous. But none of them had any inkling about what was coming next. Lydian had played the piece in the vivace tempo, at 160 beats per minute (bpm), which is about the pace it is usually performed. The highest tempo is prestissimo, which is anything over 200 bpm. Most pianists get jittery the closer they approach this degree of pace, but Lydian played the piece the second time at 208 bpm without appearing the least fazed, and the astonishment on the faces of some of the judges captured on camera and their exclamations of surprise said it all. But Lydian wasn’t done. In his finale, he played the piece at an electrifying 325 bpm (twice its conventional tempo) while keeping the music still recognisable instead of reducing it into a cacophony. Prestissimo does not describe this music display adequately; the speed was beyond terminology. Lydian Nadhaswaram performs The Flight of the Bumblebee in three tempos James Corden, the show’s host, told Lydian onstage: “You blew everyone in this room away. You should be so proud.” He also offered high praise on Twitter: “This is genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever seen live.” However, not all comments were honeyed. One of the American judges said: “There is no doubt you are the fastest player in the world but I would love to feel what you were playing.” This sentiment was echoed by one of the international judges. Music and Feeling Music draws its power from the emotions it evokes in the listener, and these vary with the composition. Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major,” and Ravel’s “Boléro” draw out very different feelings from within us. Lydian and his sister Amirthavarshini, fine young musicians that they are, are well aware of the inseparable bond between music and the emotions. Lydian often says that playing the piano makes him happy. Amirthavarshini spoke about how musicians have the good fortune of expressing deep feelings through music. Over the years, Lydian has been rapidly evolving as a musician and is remarkably accomplished for one so young. Augustine Paul, director of the Madras Musical Association and Lydian’s piano teacher, said this to me a couple of years back: “Lydian’s head is full of musical knowledge. It’s very difficult to impart certain things to students but he has imbibed those by himself. He doesn’t need instruction on how to do it – he has figured it himself. The sheet music is in front of us. We see the same notes. The tune is the same. But the way you play it makes the difference. A child will play it flat, without any colour. But the shape of Lydian’s phrases are not of his age. The way he interprets a piece is much above what a child of ten can do. He is able to feel it. And it comes to him naturally.” Perhaps the judges who made the comments were hearing Lydian for the first time and were giving him well-meaning general advice about the importance of playing with feeling. Or perhaps they were referring to his specific performance that day ─ so let us take a closer look at what emotions Rimsky-Korsakov’s composition might evoke. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera: Tsar Saltan Aleksandr Pushkin, who many consider to be Russia’s finest poet and the founder of modern Russian literature, wrote a fairytale poem, The Tale of Tsar Saltán. To celebrate Pushkin’s centenary in 1900, the poem was turned into an opera with composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov providing the music to the libretto by Vladimir Belsky. The tsar’s son Gvidón is born while the tsar is away at war, and his two wicked aunts toss him and his mother into the sea. They are washed ashore on an island. A magic swan helps Gvidón get back to his father by turning him into a bumblebee and asking him to fly to a passing ship bound to his father’s kingdom and travel as a stowaway. The swan sings: Well, now, my bumblebee, go on a spree, Catch up with the ship on the sea, Go down secretly, Get deep into a crack. Good luck, Gvidón – fly! The bumblebee takes off in a frantic effort to reach the ship, to the music of The Flight of the Bumblebee. The video below, a promotional by Mariinsky, provides glimpses of the opera. Mariinsky is the historic opera theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, where many masterworks of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov premiered. This version of The Tale of Tsar Saltan is a lavish production. The video uses The Flight of the Bumblebee for much of its background music but the visuals are taken from various sections of the opera. We do see the bumblebee in the video: once after the swan has transformed the prince into the bee, and again when the bee wreaks havoc at the tsar’s court. Glimpses from the opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Mariinsky Theatre, Russia) What, then, is the emotion Rimsky-Korsakov wants us to feel through the music? Surely it is desperation. The bumblebee needs to reach the ship before it gets too far out into the sea. Can it make it before its tiny wings get too tired? But any piece of art is open to audience interpretation. It is reasonable to assume that the majority of listeners will be unfamiliar with the opera storyline and interpret the piece from their (and not the bee’s) point of view. For instance, as the volume and speed of the music rise (the bee is getting closer) or fall (the bee is moving away), we feel alarm alternating with relief. If we transpose these feelings into the context of the opera, we can visualise the bumblebee get closer to the ship (the music gets fainter) and then struggle as the sea breeze pushes it back to the shore (the music gets louder). Changes in the score To add to the challenge of the interpretation, the music itself has undergone some changes in the 118 years after its composition. The original music was composed for strings, with flutes and clarinets chipping in. The continuous runs of chromatic sixteenth notes was passed on from one instrument (or set of instruments) to others in tandem. The score’s tempo was slower; the opera version is about 3 minutes 45 seconds. Perhaps this was a nod to reality: a bumblebee can only fly so fast. Or more to the point, actors had to move around the stage to keep the bumblebee in motion and a fast tempo risked their tripping and falling flat on their faces. In the years since, more instruments (brass and other woodwind instruments) are often added to the orchestra, and the pace has quickened. Orchestral version of The Flight of the Bumblebee; Berlin Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta conducting. Moreover, the piece has been arranged for solo performance on several instruments. Sergei Rachmaninoff arranged it for piano; it is this version that Lydian plays. It can be played in under two minutes. Lydian flies high with the Bumblebee Several years back when Lydian was enrolled in tabla class in a music school, he heard a student in the piano studio practicing The Flight of the Bumblebee. The beginner played it haltingly, and Lydian was able to memorise the tune. From YouTube he learnt that it was a much faster piece. Within a couple of days, he was playing it presto (at 180 bpm). Lydian Nadhaswaram playing The Flight of the Bumblebee at age 9, at 200 bpm in a 2/4 time signature In 2016, at age 10, he became the youngest pianist to be invited to perform for the Mumbai Piano Day at the NCPA Tata Theatre. The last component of his recital was The Flight of the Bumblebee (8:10 onwards). Lydian Nadhaswaram: The Flight of the Bumblebee, Mumbai Piano Day 2016 Now 13 years old and performing in The World’s Best, Lydian played it at a speed of 325 bpm  ─ a remarkable display of technical mastery of the piano. “It’s a tough piece to play at any speed,” Lydian says, adding: “The right hand has to keep playing nonstop.” And one viewer of his performance tweeted: “As a former flautist, I don’t think I could even play a recognizable scale at that speed. As my teacher used to say, I was all musicianship, no technique.” Quite apart from Lydian’s command over tempo and rhythm, in the first recital we hear the variations in the notes, pacing, and volume. A piece of music is not made out of notes alone – it is also shapes and patterns. The crescendos of Lydian’s second and third recitals heighten our sense of the bee’s desperation. Lydian Nadhaswaram captured the spirit of Rimsky-Korsakov’s composition quite well.
Transformed NASA’s space travel programs, helping the U.S. continue important space research while reducing taxpayer costs and stimulating the commercial space industry. Following the termination of the space shuttle program in 2011, NASA needed a new, safe and reliable method of transporting experiments, supplies and crew to and from the International Space Station. To answer that challenge, Alan Lindenmoyer created a new way for NASA to partner with the private sector to build rockets and spacecraft at a dramatically reduced cost to taxpayers. In the process, he has reenergized the U.S. launch industry and is making it possible for our country to continue to lead the world in space research and exploration. Tapping into his broad NASA experience in both technical engineering and contract management for the International Space Station, Lindenmoyer designed and managed a novel program that allows NASA to contract for orbital transportation services rather than purchase the space vehicles. Under this program, private flights have transported science experiments and supplies to the International Space Station six times since 2012. “This really is a dance between the government and private companies, but there was no music written for this dance,” said Paul Wilde, a technical advisor with the Federal Aviation Administration. “It’s a completely new way of doing business. Alan took it from vision to reality.” In the mid-2000s, NASA decided to purchase space cargo services from private companies to reduce costs rather than have the government own and operate the spacecraft. But the plan included no template or policies on how to partner with industry. It began with NASA starting up the Commercial Cargo and Crew Program Office and Lindenmoyer becoming the manager and the “brain trust,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “He was pivotal because until he got the job no one had done it and we really didn’t know how to do it.” Lindenmoyer activated Space Act Agreements—transaction authority the agency possessed, but had never used in this way. NASA used these agreements to stimulate the commercial space industry to develop and demonstrate space transportation capabilities, a chief NASA goal for the crew and cargo program. It worked. Two companies—SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation—spent substantial amounts of their own money to design, build, test and operate vehicles. They now are free to market their space flight services to public or private organizations and individuals. “What Alan did in pioneering that partnership and a whole new way for NASA to do business with commercial space was really top-notch,” said Wilde. At first, the idea of using private rockets and spaceships was a contentious one: People both within and outside the agency were adamant that only NASA or its international government partners could provide flights to the space station. But Lindenmoyer persevered. “The key thing is that Alan had the vision and the persistence to push a program through in the face of frequent opposition,” Bolden said. “He was a visionary—a pioneer—and on something that nobody wanted and now everyone loves.” Lindenmoyer gathered a team of 10 people and within four months issued requests for proposals. NASA had $500 million to invest in the companies’ endeavors—far less than the typical billions spent on new vehicles, but meaningful nonetheless as seed money. Lindenmoyer reserved $15 million for running the program and providing technical expertise. His resourcefulness included hiring a venture capitalist to help evaluate business plans. To make the deals enticing both for industry and NASA, the agreements allowed the companies to keep the intellectual property for their designs and vehicles, and made it difficult for NASA to cancel. The agency could terminate the agreements only if companies didn’t perform, the agency didn’t get the necessary appropriations or there was mutual agreement to do so. Once agreements were signed, Lindenmoyer established a series of payment milestones that occurred every three months. NASA was not paying development costs, but rather for successful performance of work completed. If the companies failed to meet the milestones, they were not paid and faced the possibility of termination. NASA’s decision to allow companies to fly their vehicles to the space station on demonstration flights and be captured by its robotic arm presented an “extremely difficult challenge,” Lindenmoyer said. “A lot of people in NASA didn’t want these companies coming anywhere near the $100 billion space station with its international astronauts,” Lindenmoyer said. The success of the cargo program bodes well for the commercial crew program, which Lindenmoyer launched but then transitioned to another NASA center. According to Wilde, the U.S. would prefer not to pay Russia $70 million to fly each American astronaut to the space station. “I want American dollars to go to American companies for space transport,” Wilde said. “We’re one big contract away from sealing the deal to allow us to stop counting on the Russians to get into space,” he added. “Alan’s program paves the way for that.” Bolden agreed. “Alan made a huge difference in enhancing the economic well-being of the nation,” he said.
What is Climatology The term, ‘climatology’, refers to that branch of atmospheric sciences that studies the climate of the earth’s surface. It is a very wide branch and covers various aspects. Therefore, climatology can be termed as one of the largest braches of study for people who wish to learn about the atmospheric sciences in detail. Climatologists are the people who study these subjects in detail and based on the research make predictions about the weather. One should make sure that he understands the exact difference between climatology and meteorology. Climatology is the wider branch of physical geography that talks about every small factor that determines the climate on the planet. The main branches of climatology are Paleoclimatology, Paleotempestology and Historical climatology.  Climatology as a subject is very interesting and the career of climatologist is considered to be one of the most lucrative ones. Climatology provides the basic guidelines depending on which the climatologists round the world find out an exact pattern of the rainfall and the winds. It is based on this information that irregularities of any kind if expected are predicted. However, it is to be noted that weather is just a short term prediction of the climate of the place based on the past occurrences and other factors that affect the climate.  Climatology is one of the oldest subjects that are known to human beings. Beginning from the earlier days of human civilization, the knowledge of climatology in its most crude form was used to plan human settlements and agriculture in areas that were most suited for human habitation. The nomadic cultures of the olden times and the travelers of the olden times can be said to be the forefathers of the branch, Climatology. It would be worth mentioning here that the Chinese scientist, Shen Kuo who lived in the 11th Century has been given the credit of studying the subject in detail and of having proposed various theories based on which the subject has reached its present form.  The role of the subject climatology is of utmost importance in ensuring that all relevant information with regard to the climatic occurrences are provided to the administrations around the world, enabling them to plan accordingly. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration in terming Climatology as the branch of geography that has the highest practical application in the present day scenario. Students who possess interest in geography can choose to learn Climatology from the reputed institutes around the world and build a career in this interesting subject. Related Posts No related posts for this content
Outstanding Benefits of Growing Plants Vertically 18 Oct Growing plants vertically is also known as vertical farming, and it is rapidly gaining popularity in recent times. However, before you embrace vertical farming, it is important that you understand how to do it so that you do not fail on your first trial and get discouraged. It is advisable to high professional agronomists for guidance. If you do vertical farming properly, then you will gain its benefits. The reasons why most people are opting for vertical farming instead of traditional farming are explained in this article. Efficient utilization of space and high productivity - As land available for farming shrinks due to population increase and need for settlement, most farmers are left with small parcels of land for agriculture. This has led to low productivity in recent times, but with the introduction of vertical farming, farmers can use their little pieces of land to produce a lot of farm produce. For instance, a farmer does not use an area of land once, but he can have several layers of crops grown vertically to use the space efficiently. Therefore, with vertical farming, a farmer can grow a lot of plants in a space compared to the traditional farming methods. Read more vertical gardens tips or buy the best vertical garden pots. Low labor cost - Most farmers grapple with huge labor costs which reduce the profitability of the farm. Therefore, as a farm manager, you should look for ways of reducing the labor cost and embracing vertical farming can contribute significantly. In vertical farming, employees at the farm can easily access the plants and carry out various practices such as weeding and spraying, and that means less time which translates to low labor cost. Further, you will reduce the number of farm employees, and that reduces the labor cost. High profitability - To increase the profitability of the farm, you can choose to increase the prices of farm produce, or you can reduce the costs. Vertical farming aims at lowering production costs instead of increasing the price. For example, if the cost of labor is significantly reduced, then the profits will increase. Additionally, high production is possible since you can grow plants on different layers in the space you have and that leads to high revenue. Before you engage in vertical farming, it is important to research so that you get everything right and avoid making losses. Consulting an agronomist is necessary so that you know the kind of plants you should grow, the equipment required and financial capital you should have. You can read more details on this here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/06/30/tips-for-gardening-and-composting-in-small-spaces_a_21422361/. * The email will not be published on the website. This site was built using
Pesticides - how to effectively get rid of fruit and vegetables? how to dispose of pesticides from fruit and vegetablesWe should always wash fruits or vegetables before consumption. However, in the case of products bought in the shop, washing is not enough. Practically every fruit or vegetable nowadays is sprayed with chemicals, which are to protect against pests, and later against losses in transport. What to do to get rid of harmful substances? The way is simple! Do you buy fruit washing liquids? Check their composition! You can use ready-made products, sold most often in shops with healthy food. Vegetable washing-up liquids are designed to remove all microorganisms that can harm us and pesticides. If we look at the composition of liquids, in most of them we will find acidic substances that remove bacteria. However, they often lack ingredients that purify fruits or vegetables from chemical agents. Homemade way for bacteria and pesticides Homemade way for bacteria and pesticidesAn effective way to free our food from these substances is to immerse fruit and vegetables in a properly prepared bath. The first bath will ensure the removal of bacteria, including E.Coli, Listeria, Salmonella. Immerse vegetables and fruits in acidic water and leave them there for 2 to 3 minutes. In order for the water to fulfil its purpose, we must add vinegar (half a glass of vinegar per liter of water) or citric acid (2-3 tablespoons per liter of water). Holders of ionizers can set the device to pH 2,5-3,5. The next step is the removal of pesticides. These are oily substances, invisible to the naked eye, which protect agricultural crops from pests. They protect them so effectively that it is difficult to get rid of them even after brushing. From the point of view of farmers, this is an advantage, as the plants are not deprived of their protective measure even in the rain. However, the consumer of such fruit or vegetables must find a way of cleaning food from harmful additives. After a bacteria-removing bath on the surface of fruits and vegetables, we pour water over our products again. This time the water must have an alkaline reaction. To do this, add 1 tablespoonful of purified soda per litre of water or, if you have an ionizer, set it to pH 10 - 11.5. Leave vegetables and fruits in this mixture for about 2 - 3 minutes. The water may turn yellowish in colour or become cloudy, we will also notice a greasy film. This is a sign that pesticides have been removed. We finish this short but useful activity by rinsing the products in water, this time without any additives. With 6 minutes, we can be sure that fruit and vegetables are only a source of health. how to remove pesticides from fruit vegetables Make good habits It is very important that the habit of bathing fruit and vegetables in acidic and alkaline solution should always be used, without exception. When we bring other products from the store, remove impurities and microorganisms immediately and put them cleanly in the fridge. In this way, the refrigerator will only cleanse food that is suitable for consumption. It's worth reading Candida - a lurking yeast, a hidden fungus Candidosis is a disease that affects more and more people. It is the result of a decrease in immunity caused by modern lifestyles, stress, environmental pollution, antibiotic treatment and the...
Skip to content Skip to navigation Your rights at home Your rights at home You do not have to open the door to any immigration agent or to the police unless they have a valid arrest or search warrant signed by a federal court judge. You can ask the agent to pass the warrant under the door. If you open the door, officials will consider that you are giving them permission to enter. Once they are inside, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer will likely ask for documents of everyone inside. What is a warrant? A warrant is a document signed by a judge—not just ICE officials—that authorizes officials to enter your house. For an arrest warrant to be valid: 1. The warrant must have the name of the person they are looking for. 2. That person must live at the address listed on the warrant. 3. That person must be present in the home. A valid search warrant must specify: 1. The address they are going to search. 2. Which places, in detail, they are going to search. 3. What they are looking for. If the agents have a warrant, review it to determine if they have searched an area that is not authorized in the warrant. If the agents enter the house without a valid warrant, try to take notice of agents’ names and badge numbers. Even though the officers have gained entry to you home, remember to say “I do not consent to this search.” This can be said in your native language if you are not fluent in English. Even if immigration agents have a valid warrant does not mean you have to answer their questions. If immigration agents are questioning you and you wish to remain silent, you should say aloud that you wish to remain silent or show the agents your Know Your Rights card.
Home Remedies For Refractive Error Refractive Error We are able to see when light rays from an object enters the cornea, which is the transparent layer covering the front of the eye. The rays then pass through the lens, which lies behind the cornea, then through a fluid medium, and finally strike the nerve layer of the eyeball, called the retina. This is the innermost layer of the eyeball. This layer has specialised cells, which are sensitive to dim and bright light, and also to colour. The image of the object falls on the retina and is interpreted by the brain for us to visualise what it is. The whole mechanism involves the basic principles of physics, related to light, which travels in a straight line. When it travels from one medium to another it deviates from its straight path. This convergence or divergence affects the distance at which the object’s image is formed. The curvature of the eyeball, in different planes, the muscles which move the eyeballs in different directions, the transparency of the lens, the state of the small muscles which contract or dilate the pupil of the eye, the fluid in the different chambers of the eye, and lastly, the state of the retinal cells, all playa part in the functioning of the eye and our vision. Causes and symptoms of Refractive Error When refractive error is caused by the curvature of the eyeball, or the state of the lens, it is corrected by wearing prescribed spectacles and doing eye exercises. Here some symptoms of Refractive error. • Blurred vision. • Difficulty reading or seeing up close. • Crossing of the eyes in children. Home Remedies For The Treatment of Refractive Error A remedy popular with many medical students of my generation: 1. Almonds Soak an almond in a cup of water at night. In the morning, peel and eat it with a cup of milk. It is rich in vitamin-A. On the second night, soak two almonds, and eat them the next morning. Add an almond every day for a week, till you are having seven almonds. The next night soak six almonds, and the next five, till at the end of the week you are again having only one almond. Eating these soaked almonds in an ascending and descending order is grandmother’s prescription for good eyeright and healthy ‘grey matter’. It also delays the onset of cataract. Almonds are highly nutritious and easily digestible proteins. Their brown skin is considered to be ‘heat-producing’ and also difficult to digest, and is hence discarded. 2. Carrots Carrot Juice Eat plenty of carrots, red peppers, mangoes and melons. All fruits and vegetables in shades of yellow and orange, as well as green leafy vegetables, are rich in beta-carotene, the precursor of retinol. 3. Liquorice Root Liquorice Root Myopia or short-sightedness is benefited by the intake of a mixture of half a teaspoon of powdered liquorice root, half a teaspoon of ghee made from milk fat, and half a teaspoon of honey, thrice a day with half a cup of milk, before meals for 3-4 weeks. 4. Carrot Juice  A cup of carrot juice and one-fourth of a cup of spinach juice taken twice a day is good for eyesight. Regular intake ensures that spectacles are never needed! Useful References Leave a Reply
How are organisations making use of Augmented Reality to work more efficiently? Publish date: Nasrin’s research and blog follows on from a DigiCertif’ community event that demonstrated an Augmented Reality device used to detect defects in manufacturing. Augmented Reality (AR) may seem like a new technology but it has been around since the 1990s. The technology is a very useful tool in our everyday lives. From social media filters, gaming, to surgical procedures, AR is rapidly growing in popularity because it brings elements of the virtual world into our real world, by simply overlaying virtual information on top of our real world. This in turn allows us to coexist harmoniously in the natural world where virtual information is used as a tool to provide assistance in everyday activities. AR lies in the middle of the mixed reality spectrum; between the real world and the virtual world. Research by the Capgemini Research Institute has revealed thatimmersive technology delivers better efficiency, productivity and safety for enterprises, and that augmented, rather than full virtual, reality will lead the way for business operations.  What are the different types of AR, and how are they used? A number of different types of AR technologies currently exist with varying differences in their objectives. Marker-based AR Image recognition is involved, the marker can be an image, or the corresponding descriptors most of the time the marker is a black and white (square) image e.g. QR code. Displaying an educational animation right onto the page of a book is an example how marker-based AR is used in real life. Markerless AR In this case AR uses a GPS, digital compass, velocity meter, or an accelerometer that is embedded in a device to provide data based on your location. Examples of these are mapping directions, finding nearby businesses, and other location-centric mobile applications. Projection-based AR Allows for human interaction by sending light onto a real world surface and then sensing the human interaction (i.e. touch) of that projected light. Superimposed AR AR either partially or fully replaces the original view of an object with a newly augmented view of that same object. How are organisations within retail, healthcare and manufacturing making use of AR to work more efficiently?  For retail AR is a game changer. Many brands have adopted AR to provide better customer experience by demoing the product before they buy. An example of this is with IKEA where customers can use an AR app for retail to allow them to have a complete overview of how furniture will look in a particular room or space. Customers can now design the interior of their homes without having the need to hire an interior designer. For IKEA, the customer can design the interior of their home without the need for assistants to help their customers in choosing the right furniture. This in turn leads to cost savings and efficiencies in customer services. Another example in which retailers use AR, is when customers can try on outfits digitally without the need to wear them physically in the store. The customer now has the option to try on number a number of outfits digitally within a short amount of time. This helps to drive more sales and supports promotional campaigns. The following article “These 10 Retailers Are Leading the Way in Augmented Reality” explores how 10 fashion names have adopted AR to help drives sales and improve customer experience. In healthcare more and more organisations have adopted AR. It is being used to train practicing and trainee practitioners in learning how to perform certain procedures with a 3D representation of the body, allowing the option to practice best treatments and procedures before performing them in real life situations. An article by the National Institution of Biotechnology “Recent Development of Augmented Reality in Surgery: A Review” explores recent developments of AR in supporting various aspects of surgery and training of healthcare professionals. In the past few years AR has really taken off in manufacturing. To name a few examples, AR is used in data management, staff training, equipment maintenance and quality assurance. For those with analytical minds AR allows big data to be analysed more effectively. Training of new hires can be costly and time consuming, however, with AR the trainee is not required to read hundreds of pages of manuals, books or attend lectures but instead use headsets and goggles that broadcast information directly in front of their eyes. It is a great way to combine technology with hands-on learning and instruction which leads to the new hires going on the ground more quickly. Smart factories use AR to prevent and predict maintenance. Not only does this cut down on the expense of unnecessary maintenance, but it also allows for problems to be detected before bottlenecks are created in the production line or even worse, machine failures. In terms of quality, a recent example is Porsche using highly sophisticated lasers to scan finished parts including the finished vehicles against specifications. Porsche’s QA technicians, who are on the factory floor use tablets to capture images of parts with potential or obvious defects. An AR generated overlay verifies the technician’s work and highlights the parts that require further work to rectify the defects. An article written by Keith Mills discusses how Porsche has adopted AR on their factory floor and how it is helping with the continuous development of their quality assurance model.  What does the future hold for AR?  AR is seen as having huge potential across a range of industries. Organisations are investing huge capital and resourcing in AR devices. With the technology moving at a quick pace, it may be within 5 – 10 years we see people walking around with AR devices. However, there are still some major barriers for AR to overcome before we see this: for more read “Solutions to Top 5 Augmented Reality Challenges and Problems”. Though I am optimistic that we could see faster paced sensors and scanning devices to help manufacturing and healthcare industries. For retail we need have to a balance between the real world and AR. There are a large number of us who would still like try on before we buy, will we walk into an empty store or warehouse and it comes to life after we put on our smartphones? Only time will tell but it looks like there are some exciting times ahead for us. Nasrin Choudhury Nasrin is a Senior Consultant who has over 8 years consulting experience in a wide variety of industries. She is part of the Organisational Dexterity team within Capgemini Invent. She is also a key member of the DigiCertif’ programme in Capgemini Invent UK. Nasrin has worked with a range of clients within the government, manufacturing, financial, and utilities industries. Her experience ranges from managing large transformation projects, organisation re-design, global organisational change management, business analysis, training strategy development and delivery and business operations management. 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Wires Used for Heating Applications We work mainly with three different groups of wires: 1. Copper wire for control panels 2. Nichrome (NiCr) wire for heaters 3. Thermocouple wires Copper wire Wires for Industrial Heaters Copper Wire TiN Silver Nickel Resistance wires for open coil air heaters Nichrome (NiCr) is a brand name for a nickel-chromium resistance wire, a non-magnetic alloy of nickel and chromium. A common alloy is 80% nickel and 20% chromium, but there are many others to accommodate various applications. The higher the Nickel content of the wire, the higher the cost. It is silvery-grey in color, it's corrosion resistant, and has a high melting point of about 2550degF. Due to its relatively high resistivity and resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, it is widely used in heating elements including open coil air heaters. Nichrome is wound in wire coils in all different gauges. To increase flexibility (required for flexible in silicone rubber heaters), it can be stranded meaning several smaller sizes wires are strung together). Another popular resistance wire used for open coil air heaters is Kanthal. Thermocouple wires wires are made out of two different materials. The combination of the wire materials depends on the wire calibration like J, K,T. Thermocouple wire can not be subsistuted with copper wire!! Thermocouple wire can be ordered with high temperature insulation, while for the thermocouple extension wire there is usually no need for the high temp protection. Thermocouple extension wire may not be used in the sensing point, because of this lower ambient temperature limit. A thermocouple extension wire has typically a brown outside insulation. The maximum length of an extension wire should not exceed 100ft with 20 AWG and avoid electromagnetic interferences. Thermocouple wires are sold: 1. with standard limits of error 2. with special limits of error
Euganean Hills - Home Menu principale From important military center to flourishing trade area The town of Monselice stands the south-eastern Euganean Hills and its historic center is enclosed between two hill slopes: hill della Rocca (formerly called Mons silicis) and Mount Ricco. Its particular geographical location gave rise to an evident military vocation, known since the seventh century AD, when Agilulfo, king of the Lombards,  annexed the territory and conquered the castle built by the Byzantines.  In Middle Ages, it became the most important center in Padua, thanks to the links with the Empire that boosted both its territorial expansion and population growth. In the thirteenth century, Monselice was defined as Camera specialis imperii, due to the political and administrative privileges granted by Emperor Frederick II, who ordered the reconstruction of the fortress and the building of new city walls on the hill.  Between the middle of the thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries, the town was deeply involved in bloody struggles: it experienced the fights  between Guelphs and Ghibellines factions and suffered first the tyranny of the notorious Ezzelino III Da Romano, and then the fierce strife between the Carraresi, lords of Padua and the Scaligeri, lords of Verona.  In 1405 it was included in the orbit of the Republic of Venice that, during four centuries of unchallenged domination, turned Monselice from a fortified and militarized center in prosperous city dedicated to commerce and trade. Thanks to a deep reclamation work, the so-called Retratto di Monselice, and through the waterways connecting it directly with Padua and the lagoon, a fast economic development occurred. This favoured the settlement of the most influential families of Venice (Duodo, Nani, Marcello and Pisani), who chose this territory to build their rich holiday residences.  Over the following years the industrial development highly grew due to the extraction of stone from the hills of the Rocca and Mount Ricco. They were increasingly and violently exploited in the post-war period, due to the establishment of two cement factories in the area. Luckily on 1971 were closed, since they were likely to cause the destruction of the two  mountains. Therefore they were turned into destinations for tours to discover the geology of the hills.  For its fortunate geographical location, Monselice is still a reference center for the area, served by an important road and rail hub.  Monselice offers numerous historic worship places to visit: above all, the ancient Pieve of Santa Giustina (also known as the Old Cathedral), a Romanesque-style monument built in 1256 containing some medieval frescoes, a polyptych (special altarpiece) and a fifteenth-century painting on wood (Madonna dell’Umiltà), as well as several canvas paintings by the school of Venice dated seventeenth-eighteenth centuries.  Next to the parish church, beyond the Porta dei Leoni Comitali (Gate of the Counts’ Lions), we can reach Porta Romana which allows entry the Santuario Giubilare delle Sette Chiese (Jubilee Shrine of the Seven Churches), consisting of six chapels and the church of San Giorgio. Here both the bodies and relics of early Christian martyrs still lie. The high side of the street is closed by Villa Duodo, built at the beginning of the seventeenth century along with the monumental religious complex designed by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi.  In Monselice, there are many other Venetian villas: Villa Nani-Moncenigo, Villa Contarini, Villa Pisani and Villa Emo Capodilista.  The ancient medieval castle, also known as Ca 'Marcello (from the Venetian family of Marcello, who turned it into mansion) or as Castello Cini (from the name of its last owner), since 1981 is owned by the Veneto Region, which has converted it for museum purposes. Both the seat of the Lombard Antiquarium, displaying the finds of the necropolis discovered on the Rocca, and the Museum of Rarità, are located within the complex.  Near the castle there are also the Palazzo o Loggetta del Monte di Pietà and the ancient Chiesa di San Paolo, now deconsecrated and used as exhibition hall, even though inside you can still see the archaeological remains of the crypt that housed the relics of San Sabino,  patron saint of the city.
A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest (living organisms that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to crops or humans or other animals). Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides and various other substances used to control pests (insects, mice and other animals, weeds, fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.). By their very nature, most pesticides create some risk of harm; they can cause harm to humans, animals or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms. Biologically-based pesticides, such as pheromones and microbial pesticides, are becoming increasingly popular and often are safer than traditional chemical pesticides. (Source: EPA / Photo: Flickr) Kale joins the Dirty Dozen list 12 plants that repel unwanted insects California man accepts $78 million award in Roundup lawsuit There's glyphosate in our food system — so now what? What you need to know about chlorpyrifos Interior Department to allow bee-harming pesticides, GMO crops in some wildlife areas A dandelion's natural cycle causes chaos and confusion on the internet EU passes total ban on bee-harming pesticides Why 'lazy' lawn mowers are heroes for bees Can beautiful bands of wildflowers curb pesticide use? Roundup cover-up? Book paints troubling portrait of the world's most popular weed killer The best way to remove pesticides from apples
Browse Dictionary by Letter Dictionary Suite choric of, concerning, or in the manner of a chorus, esp. that of an ancient Greek play. chorion the outer membrane that protects the embryo in reptiles, birds, and mammals. In mammals, it is part of the amnion. chorionic of, related to, or secreted by the chorion or related tissue. chorister a choral singer, esp. a choirboy. C horizon in a profile of soil, the third level, just above bedrock, consisting of rock that is only somewhat broken or weathered. choroid the vascular membrane on the eye that contains pigment and lies between the sclera and the retina. [2 definitions] chortle to give or express with, a snorting chuckle. [2 definitions] chorus an ensemble of singers. [6 definitions] chorus girl a young woman who dances and sometimes sings in the chorus of a musical comedy, variety show, or the like. chose past tense of choose. chosen past participle of choose. [3 definitions] Chou the third dynasty in China, about 1122 to 256 B.C. chow1 (informal) food. chow2 a stocky, medium-sized dog of Chinese origin that has a thick red or black coat, a blackish tongue, and a tail that curls over the back. chowchow a relish of pickled vegetables, often in a hot mustard sauce. chow chow see chow2. chowder a thick soup typically containing clams, fish, or corn, with potatoes and onions in a milk or tomato base. chow mein a Chinese-American dish of stewed bean sprouts, other vegetables, and bits of chicken, seafood, or meat, poured over fried noodles. chrism a consecrated oil mixed with balsam and used by some churches in certain rites, such as baptism. [2 definitions] Christ in the New Testament, the designation of the Old Testament "Messiah". [2 definitions] christen to baptize, sometimes simultaneously giving a formal name to. [3 definitions]
About Low Carb Diets and How They Work ISS_1258_00142Low-carb diets greatly reduce your blood levels of insulin, a hormone that brings the glucose from the carbs into cells. What does insulin do? One of the functions of insulin is to store fat. This is why many believe that low-carb diets work so well,  is that they reduce your levels of this hormone. -Insulin hoards sodium, so high-carb diets can cause excess water retention. Cutting carbs reduces insulin and your kidneys will start shedding any excess water, so it is common for people to lose 5-10 pounds of water weight in the first few days of a low-carb diet. The “Low-Carb Flu” Tip from Balancing Your Health: Daily carb intake can sneak up on you quickly! Track down your carb intake for a while so you can get used to what you can eat on a daily basis that won’t knock it up too high. Also, if you’re really trying to cut, count unrefined sources of carbs (for example carbs in a banana) the same way you would refined carbs; don’t give yourself an extra allowance of carbs just because they are from natural sources. Share this article with: Leave a Reply
Skip to main content All In A Day’s Work: The Domestic Working Life of Women in Missisquoi County Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version “Woman is a bit of a slave in this country” The Journals of Anne Langton, 1839. Traditionally, a woman’s sphere was in the home, and the commonly accepted role for an adult woman was that of wife, mother and homemaker. The family was the fundamental building block of society and women were at the centre. By the 1870s, however, technical innovations and industrial growth inevitably and radically altered the structure of the home. Mass production removed certain household tasks from the home to the factory, while labour-saving devices and ready-made food and clothing meant that domestic tasks consumed less time. Despite the new kitchen tools and the eventual advent of electrical appliances, to run an efficient household and ensure good health, food and clothing, a woman was required to work long and often difficult and strenuous hours. Indeed, it can be said with confidence that women worked longer hours than men in a day. Critics of the social changes believed that any attempt by women to lead an independent life was an attack upon the family and therefore upon the stability of society. Women, however, expressed their belief that they had to prepare their families for the trials of the contemporary world. The concept of “maternal feminism” allowed women to widen their influence by taking out into society the very qualities which made them so valuable within the family. larger_Women.12.jpgThrough their role of record keepers, caretakers and caregivers within the family, women were able to become secretaries, clerks, librarians, teachers, journalists and nurses. In the 1871 Census Record for Missisquoi County, 68 women were listed as wage earners. The majority of these women were in “Domestic Service.” In the 1891 census, 240 women were working out of the home and, although the majority were still working as domestic servants, women were also listed as teachers, nurses, store clerks, and book keepers. Lucy Staniland was a florist, Mrs. E. S. Tracey, a postmistress, Cora Cook, a telegraph operator, Charlotte and Elizabeth Derrick, agriculturists, Elizabeth Steel, a cheese maker, and Laura Swells, a carpenter -- these last two professions usually being reserved for men. Women left few records of their daily work routine, except in their handiwork. However, their contributions to the growth of families and the stability of communities must not go unrecognized. In addition to their domestic work and the responsibilities of motherhood, women were also volunteers in religious and social organizations, cared for extended families, and contributed to the family income through cottage industries such as butter and cheese making, sewing and weaving, or the selling of garden produce at local markets. The domestic tools and personal items in this on-line exhibit belonged to the hard-working women of Missisquoi County.
| Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL | by Pete Grey Extended World Details from World Builder's Handbook. Diameter: 8696 M/ 13,921 Kms G: 1.08 Day: 21:24:09.04 Year: 125d 03:21:00 Diameter: 8696 M/ 13,921 Kms Orbital Period (around Sayuri): 1d 19:12:00 Atmosphere: 0.80, weather control Composition: O2-N2 mix tainted with industrial pollutants Base Temp: 5.74 (6/lat +21 to -49) (season +19.8 to -33.0) Daily temp range +9 to -9.0 Native life: present Hydrosphere: 68% Agricultural, Ores, Radioactives, Agroproducts, Metals, Non-Metals, Parts, Durables, Consumables, Weapons, Recordings, Software, Documents Conservative/Stagnant, Competitive/Militant, Discordant/Friendly Legal: A-C8CA8 Urnian is the third moon of its systems innermost gas giant, Sayuri. The world is a T-Prime system with a standard atmosphere and slightly higher than normal gravitation. It has the normal geological structures normally encountered on a T-Prime, albeit with higher seismic stress factors. Urnian is a middle aged world, about 300 million years younger than Terra, and retains more heat from its formation. Combined with gravitational tidal forces from Sayuri, the world is often wracked by earthquakes, and rifting that floods a region with hot basaltic lava. The other gas giants were formed further away from the systems star, and their gravitation dislodged Kuiper disk material towards the inner system, much of it being pulled towards Sayuri by its gravitational attraction. As a result Urnian and her sisters possess very rich mineral deposits, especially nickel and iron, seeded on the world by cometary impacts and meteorite strikes. Urnian had a very complex ecosystem before the Solomani colonization. Most of its dry land were covered with huge colonial plant/fungus species known as Krags, similar in ecological form and function as undersea coral reefs. Krags only have minimal photosynthesis ability, but provide shelter and nutrients for microorganisms that can photosynthesize. The world had large land vertebrates, and a variety of airborne and flying animals that dominated the local food chain. Most significant of these were the Urnian Dragons, massive pterodactyl-like psuedoreptilian creatures with wingspans between 12 and 25 meters. Like Terra's Bird of Paradise, the Dragons had brillantly colored sections of their hide for camoflauge, signalling and mate attraction. Most Dragon species, alas, are extinct. In fact about seventy percent of the world has been extinguised by hunting, habitat destruction, and the massive aerial and water pollution created by the world's carelessly designed, constructed and run industry. The industry has so severly polluted the air, that filtermasks must be worn outside, and even those are of less and less utility. The air is breathable for short periods, but 12 hours without a filtermask will cause permanent lung damage, and possible blood poisoning or brain damage. Urnian subsector, and Urnian itself, were settled around -1700 by some especially enterprising refugees fleeing the disintegration of the Rule of Man. Many of these colonists included military deserters and runaway minor nobility, attracted by the world's rich resources and moderate climate. This eclectic mixture included armed groups led by leaders that can only be described as "gothic" in their motivations and means. The diversity of the population, and the same fluidity of the political environment that existed on Novoterre, compelled these early leaders into paraoxysms of extreme violence and despotism. The early colony was dominated by a theatrical Solomani general named Oliver Beardsley, whose ruling acumen seemed to rest upon intensifying paranoia. His deterioration culminated in the slaughter of a third of the original colonists, before he went insane and was bludgeoned to death in public square by a vengeful mob. His rule set the model followed by nearly all of Urnian's subsequent rulers. The unified ruling class of nobility evolved out of the military strongmen that took over the world in the aftermath of Beardsley's overthrow. The previous struggle for control over the world against the backdrop of intercommunal hostility and the threat of offworld maruaders or neighboring warlords created an isolated elite fearfully protective of their lives and priveleges in the wake of what they percieved to be great sacrifice for themselves, and the pretence that it was for the good of their subjects. The protocols and internal relations of these nobles were less an orderly system than a Darwinian struggle of all against all. Urnian had a "struggle" culture where most outlets for sucess and prestige were literally battlefields of manuever and intrigue where it was every man or woman for themselves. Petty empires dominated by shortlived dynasties were the rule. The only basis for continuity was the massive bureaucracy that evolved to preserve Urnian society and infrastructure from the rollercoaster progression of these dynasties, and to run the factories and farms essential to the continued health of the people. Because war and military strength were the paramount means by which these rulers came to power, war became the basis of the economy as well. Urnian rulers dowered the natural wealth of their homeworld upon themselves with gluttonous avarice. Native species were hunted and harried out of existence. Mining operations scarred the world. Chemical exhaust and effluent was discharged untreated into the air and water. Massive construction projects were pursued to indulge the pharoanic delusions of the ruling class. Huge souless factories created mountains of munitions for sale to any buyer with the money or credit to do so. And if business slowed, the Urnian military and foriegn service were only too obliging to create new markets through predatory attacks and intrigue against stable or stabilising worlds. In their hunger for profit and prestige, Urnian sold arms as far away as Far Frontiers and the Zhodani border interface. This trade destabilised much of Foreven, and helped contribute to the polarisation between the Third Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate. When the Third Imperium contacted Urnian in 195, relations between them started cold, but slowly warmed up throughout the Imperial period. The process was slow due to the constant succession of dynasties, but it grew as the nobility came to trust the Imperium as a mentor and protector. By this time, Urnian was accumulating enemies, like the Avalar Union and the Kamrati League, opposed to their malignant presence. The Third Imperium chose to overlook their bad habits, reasoning that their boorish policies were an effective weapon against Zhodani influence in Foreven. No one ever accused the TI of having good judgement of foresight. The last reigning dynasty was the Utsukushi family (1035-1137). Led by Herman Utsukishi (pronounced Uts-keh-she, with the stress on the first syllable), relations with the Imperium reached their summit, and Urnian hit rockbottom. Herman hoped that Urnian would either become the capitol of a new Imperial subsector, or more likely, the seat of power of a new client state dominating Urnian from Avalar to the Imperial interface. Herman died in 1082, and power passed to his weak son Anders, who suffered from a degenerative disease now thought to have been syphilis. The real power behind him was his wife Agena, and when she died in 1105, she was supplanted by their daughter Leila. Leila Utsukishi was a veteran of Urnian's intrigue wars, and had served as an intelligence agent for INI. She was coldly ruthless where her peers were poor imitations of monster trideos. Having accumulated a power base within the hitherto nuetral bureaucracy, she had her father assassinated in his bed in 1107 and took power in her own right. She wasted no time in purging the nobility and the populace of disloyal elements. In a departure from previous dynasts, Leila made the bureaucracy the main seat of her authority, seeking to undercut her less capable noble rivals. She tightened laws against dissent, enhanced the local military and security services, and expanded operations against neighboring worlds, particularly Pylkah and Novoterre. Urnian mercenaries hired by other nearby worlds became active invasion or coercion forces when their contracts expired. By the time of the Collapse, Leila Utsukishi had a growing portion of Urnian under her control. Unfortunately for Leila, three things interceded against her. First of all, the Regency was distancing itself from foreign dictators like the Utsukishi, and were actively opposing military aggression such as that being mounted from Urnian. The Regency had already been embarrassed by the Avalar's suprise landgrab, and they were containing or evicting her troops from their illgotten gains. The second thing was Leila's inattention to concieving a successor. The third was her own mental instability, and growing isolation from her own power base. The bureaucracy new firsthand that Urnian could not afford its aggressiveness anymore and that centuries of ecological degradation had to be addressed, and their protests were being silently ignored. Leila Utsukishi died under mysterious circumstances in 1135. Attempts by the other remaining nobles to seize power were opposed by the bureaucracy. A long period of internal civil war lasted until 1147, with the bureaucrats eliminating or neutering the nobility. Military production dipped for about twenty years, and the world went into an economic depression as it struggled to create new markets for itself. Presently Urnian is in a struggle between day-to-day survival and the growing ecological debt runup by centuries of misrule. Some attempts at ecological repair have stabilised the ecosphere, preventing further degradation. It has had some success at converting to new markets, and Regency aid enabled the construction of a new A-class starport and new non-military industrial programs. But the most lucrative markets in the wake of the Collapse remain munition exports, this time mostly in support of the Regency and Aslan Quarantines. This is something of a paradox, as it is the munition factories that are the worst polluters, yet the amount money needed for ecological recovery and economic transition can only from their output. This contradiction plays out as infighting between government agencies, oftentimes putting the world as cross-purposes with itself. (The following information was recieved from Berka.) The ruling class of Urnian has a strange ritual where they parade once per year in front of the populace, wearing a "hat" consisting of a deadly animal from the nearby world of Ronu (Foreven 2632). Like I said, these people are a strange and gothic bunch. Urnian System Orbit Name UPP Notes Primary Gohanaari K3V 0 Empty 1 Belt G00046A-B N:40 M:40 C:20 2 Sayuri Small GG Size 70 2 Ring Y000000-0 3 Sapphiro F100469-C Re, Mi, Co 8 Urnian A97799A-C Nv 9 Reiran G45576A-B Co, Mi 3 Saijora Small GG Size 60 3 Cuddenes YS00000-0 4 Mirage H30021A-B Mi 7 Salares Y531000-0 8 Lucerne Y100000-0 45 Murioka Y100000-0 50 Searle H300000-0 55 Cadiz YS00000-0 4 Aoki Large GG Size 180 2 Ring YR00000-0 6 Henshaw Y400000-0 9 Fukuyama H10011A-B Mi 11 Castaway Y620000-0 25 Bristol Y420000-0 35 Pyramid Y200000-0 150 Ivanhoe F330366-C Military 175 Cosonor G85641A-C Re 200 Manley Y200000-0 System Notes: Urnian contains the Regency naval base, while Ivanhoe is controlled by the Urnian world forces. Sapphiro contains an old research station once run by Naasirka. It is currently controlled by a consortium of smaller Regency and Darrian electronic corps. Cosonor is heated by an unusual active geothermal source, and by radiant energy transmitted from Aoki by its magnetic fields. The world has native life that is still poorly understood. Fortunately Cosonor had little in the way of natural resources, otherwise it might have shared the same fate as the mainworld. Thanks to P-O Bergstedt for his assistance and kind encouragement on writing up Urnian. BARD Logo Copyright ©1996 by Lawrence C. Cox.
Home | Back to Wavescan Index Wavescan, October 28, 2012 Other American Radio Ships in the Pacific During the Pacific War in the middle of last century, the American forces operated a massive fleet of more than 50 radio communication ships. Some of these ships were indeed floating radio stations, whereas others were ships that were performing other wartime duties, and they were also in use permanently or temporarily as radio communication units as well. It should also be stated that the American forces also utilized a score or more of cable ships during the same events in the middle of last century. It was the specialized duty of these cable ships to lay underwater cables, short and sometimes long, between points of importance in the Pacific arena. However, most of these cable laying ships were equipped with radio communication capability for their own specific needs only, but not for use in wide area communications. Of specific interest in the area of radio communication in the Pacific was a series of 4 ships that were constructed in Chicago, Illinois. These ships were designated as PCER units, Patrol Escort Rescue vessels. All 4 of these PCER radio ships were hurriedly constructed by the Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company in Chicago, a railway vehicle manufacturer, towards the end of the year 1943. They were quickly taken down the Mississippi River and commissioned in New Orleans, Louisiana, from where they sailed across the Pacific to Brisbane in Australia. It was in Brisbane that General Douglas MacArthur requisitioned 3 of these PCER ships, and had them converted into floating radio stations with the installation of shortwave communication equipment manufactured by the well known Australian company AWA. For example, one of these ships, later renamed as the "Fairview", was fitted with 4 shortwave transmitters, each rated at .75 kW. Similar radio equipment was loaded into the other two ships also. When completed, these 3 ships, designated as PCER848, PCER849 & PCER850, sailed from Australia up to Hollandia on the north coast of New Guinea, where they joined the massive flotilla of more than 600 ships that made its way to the Philippines in October 1944. These 3 radio ships replaced other smaller and older radio ships, such as the "Harold", "Argosy Lemal" & "Geoanna." We take a look at just a few of these more notable radio communication ships, in alphabetic order. The "Ancon" was originally a passenger liner constructed in Quincy Massachusetts in 1938. Five years later it was converted into a floating radio station, and it served alongside the navy vessels, "Iowa" & "Missouri" as a press radio ship sending news reports back to the United States for use on radio & in the newspapers. The "Ancon" served in both the European and the Pacific theaters. The "Eldorado" was another ship that was specifically designed and constructed in 1943 as a floating radio station. This ship saw service off the coasts of Iwo Jima & Okinawa and it was in use for the shortwave transmission of news reports back to the United States. The "Eldorado" carried a group of news reporters serving as the Combined American Network, and their reports were broadcast nationwide over the Mutual Radio Network and the other news networks also. These forwarded news reports from the "Eldorado" were logged by international shortwave monitors in both the South Pacific & the United States. The callsign in use by the "Eldorado" was KG1K. The "FP47" was an American coastal freighter that was loaded with radio equipment in Sydney Australia and then taken up to the Philippine campaign in 1944. The "FP47" was often found in association with the also well known "Apache", and its usage was for Morse Code communication, including the direct report of news back to the United States. In subsequent years, the "FP47" was found in Canadian waters, and it was rescued by the husband & wife team, Michael & Donna Lowry. They restored & renovated the "FP47", renamed it the "Cape James", and used it in local tourism. The "Francois Henebique" was a floating concrete barge and it served in the Pacific as a mobile radio repair ship. This ship was later deliberately sunk at Newport, Oregon, where it serves as the foundation for a shipping dock. The "Geoanna" has a considerably longer history. It was constructed at Long Beach, California in 1934 and it was a schooner owned by the 7UP bottled drink company. The "Geoanna" was requisitioned by the American army, and then taken over by the navy in 1942. During the following year, it was turned into a floating radio station and sent into the Pacific. Towards the end of the year the "Geoanna" got lost in the Admiralty Islands, and the world went on without it for several months. When it was finally re-located, it was then replaced by more modern ships with more modern radio equipment. Many years later, somewhere around January 2000, the "Geoanna" was taken to the Philippines where it was renovated for local cargo & passenger usage. It is known that the ship "Henrico" operated in European & Pacific waters, and it was allocated the callsign NKIG. The ship "Loch-Knot" was in use in Asian waters as a floating spare parts barge, containing all sorts of radio parts & equipment. The "Lock-Knot" was later renamed "Restoration." The USS "Nashville", with callsign NABG, was used by General MacArthur as his command ship in the Philippine campaigns, and it relayed news reports & broadcasts back to Hollandia, as well as to Brisbane and also to the United States. The older navy vessel, USS "Nevada" operated under the callsign NADK; and the USS "Pennsylvania" carried 24 radio transmitters & 41 radio receivers. The "Rock" was another floating concrete barge, and it was in use as a radio repair ship. In 1945, the USS "Teton" was on the air at one stage in Tokyo Bay as the mediumwave AFRS entertainment station WVTX. We should also mention two other American radio ships that were in communication usage during that era, though these were not on service in the Pacific. The USS "Augusta" was a radio command ship off the coast of Casablanca in Morocco and on November 8, 1942, its radio equipment was disabled when the big guns began to bombard the coast. It can be remembered that a similar circumstance disabled the radio equipment on board the USS "Texas" at a nearby beach near Rabat on the same day. And finally, we mention the "Catoclin" which was launched in 1943 and converted into a floating radio station. This ship served as the shortwave communication facility under President Franklin Roosevelt when he attended the Yalta Conference in Iran with Winston Churchill & Joseph Stalin in February 1945. The specially installed shortwave equipment aboard the "Catoclin" communicated directly with the specially installed 100 kW transmitter WRX in the AT&T shortwave station located at Lawrenceville in New Jersey. In 2 week's time, we are planning to present the story of Australian radio ships in the Pacific.
07 June 2012 In 2010 the University of California Berkeley, 18 scientists held a trans-disciplinary brainstorming session. They went through and reviewed theoretical and conceptual bodies of work in various biological disciplines in search of new ways to cope with the historically unprecedented changes now occurring on Earth. During the session, they discovered that Human-generated pressures, known as global-scale forcing mechanisms, are modifying Earth's atmosphere, oceans and climate so rapidly that they are likely forcing ecosystems and biodiversity to reach a critical threshold of existence in this lifetime. Study predicts imminent irreversible planetary collapse Video: Biodiversity The SFU professor of biodiversity is one of this paper's authors. He stresses, "The odds are very high that the next global state change will be extremely disruptive to our civilizations. Remember, we went from being hunter-gathers to being moon-walkers during one of the most stable and benign periods in all of Earth's history. "Once a threshold-induced planetary state shift occurs, there's no going back. So, if a system switches to a new state because you've added lots of energy, even if you take out the new energy, it won't revert back to the old system. The planet doesn't have any memory of the old state." This study concludes we better not exceed the 50 per cent mark of wholesale transformation of Earth's surface or we won't be able to delay, never mind avert, a planetary collapse. Human activity drives today's global-scale forcing mechanisms more than ever before. As a result, the current rate of climate change exceeds the rate that occurred during the extreme planetary state change that tipped Earth from being in a glacial to an interglacial state 12,000 years ago. Simon Fraser University University of California Berkeley List of Top 10 New Species for 2012 Released Heliconius Butterflies Survive By Acquiring and Sharing Genetic Data From Other Species New Species of Trapdoor Spider Discovered: The Auburn Tiger Trapdoor Spider The Great Unconformity May Hold Key To How The Cambrian Explosion Started Geoengineering and Its Effect on the Global Food Supply California Coastal Planners Preparing for Climate Change Solution to Excess Nitrogen In The Atmosphere Sought Significant Clue On The Disappearance of Bees Discovered Frankincense Supply is Dwindling Glacial Water Shrinking in Peru
Vera Rubin: Bringing the Dark to Light As our society became less dependent on brute strength, and more dependent on intelligence, women fought diligently to remove restrictions and prejudices regarding their recognition and advancement, as we see in this collaboration between the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and the University of Colorado's Fisk Planetarium, which highlights the remarkable contributions of one of the chief pioneers of this transformation—Vera Rubin—in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, as well as for her efforts in the gender normalization of science. Mackenzie Sherburne as Vera Rubin Mackenzie Sherburne as Vera Rubin Photo: Michael Ensminger Rubin (Mackenzie Sherburne) is credited with the invention of the concept of "dark matter," which accounts for aberrations in the expected behavior of large-scale masses. Rubin came up with this explanation following her observations of various galaxies, beginning with Andromeda. Basically, according to Sir Isaac Newton's discovery and breakthrough work on gravity, the stars on the perimeter of spiral galaxies should be moving faster than the stars on the interior of the system, but they don't. These original observations led Rubin to deduce that there was unaccounted for mass that was causing this behavior, so-called dark matter. Despite the grief and ridicule she confronted within the male-dominated academic establishment, she broke new ground in virtually every aspect of her field. Mackenzie Sherburne as Vera Rubin and Chip Persons as Sir Isaac Newton Mackenzie Sherburne as Vera Rubin and Chip Persons as Sir Isaac Newton Photo: Michael Ensminger Sherburne embraces Vera's feistiness with aplomb, so when Newton (Chip Persons) comes to her in a dream to help her work out the solution to the problem of hidden mass, we cheer as she goes toe-to-toe with one of the giants of science. This is a delicious exchange between a brilliant and progressive woman and a chauvanist genius from the Renaissance. The starfield projections and animations that take us from Mount Palomar (where Rubin was the first woman to use the 200-inch telescope, which was the world's largest and most important telescope from 1949 until 1992) are world class. Rubin's breakthrough work on dark matter came in '60's and '70's. According to A. H. Goldstein's article in the Boulder Daily Camera, "The show's two-week run at Fiske is geared specifically toward middle school students. School groups from across the metro area will attend the show, and Rubin's story of perseverance and accomplishment is designed specifically to appeal to young girls just beginning to discover the fields of science, engineering, technology and math (STEM)." The show runs 35 minutes. For her discoveries, Rubin received the Gold Medal of London's Royal Astronomical Society, only the second woman to receive the award along with Caroline Herschel. Later, she was second woman to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Sir Isaac Newton watches Vera set up the telescope at Mt. Palomar Sir Isaac Newton watches Vera set up the telescope at Mt. Palomar Observatory Photo: Michael Ensminger Rubin, an observant Jew, sees no conflict between science and religion. In an interview, she stated: "In my own life, my science and my religion are separate. I'm Jewish, and so religion to me is a kind of moral code and a kind of history. I try to do my science in a moral way, and, I believe that, ideally, science should be looked upon as something that helps us understand our role in the universe."1 The world premiere of Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Fiske Planetarium's presentation of Vera Rubin: Bringing the Dark to Light, written by William C. Kovacsik, runs through February 6th. For tickets call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 (Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), or purchase them in person at the Fiske Planetarium box office, 2414 Regent Drive, Boulder, CO 80309 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm). Bob Bows Footnote: 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Rubin.   Current Reviews | Home | Webmaster
Search using this query type: Advanced Search (Items only) Reading a Legal Opinion Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896) A legal opinion is a document written by a judge following a civil or criminal case in which the court issues its final ruling. It typically includes background on the law in question, issues with the law that were brought to the fore in court, and the final determination of the judge in the form of a written justification.  For cases in which multiple judges ruled, the opinion may also include a dissenting opinion, or an explanation for why a minority of the judges did agree with the majority decision. A concurring opinion may also be present.  This is a ruling in favor of the majority decision, but one which presents different justifications for such ruling.  In justifying their reasons for ruling a certain way, majority opinions interpret the law and can set precedent for new laws. Because of the interpretive nature of court opinions, cases like Plessy v. Ferguson are important for historical analysis.  Understanding how to read a legal opinion, however, is the first step.  Follow along as we go through how to read a court opinion, using Plessy v. Ferguson as our model. Although there are many ways to access the full text of the Plessy decision, I prefer using LexisNexis Academic.  You can locate the decision at: The Caption A legal opinion will begin the caption. The caption for Plessy's Supreme Court Case is Plessy v. Ferguson.  "Plessy" and "Ferguson" refer to the last names of the parties, or litigants.  In a criminal case, "United States" will indicate that the federal government is invovled with the suit, and "State," "Commonwealth," or "the People," will usually indicate a particular state's involvment.  Typically, the first name refers to the plaintiff, or the person suing, and the second name refers to the defendant, although this is not always the case.  In Plessy's case, Homer Plessy was the plaintiff.  He sued the honorable John H. Ferguson, a judge of the Criminal District Court of Orleans; thus, his name appears first in the caption.   The Case Citation Under the caption is the case citation, which contains a series of letters and numbers.  The citation tells you the name of the court that decided the case, the law book in which the opinion was published, and the year in which the court decided the case. For Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 refers to a U.S. Supreme Court case that appears in Volume 485 of the United States Reports starting at page 759. 1896 refers to the date which the court decided on the case. The Case Summary The case summary reviews the legal proceeding which led to the case being brought before the court.  Rarely does the United States Supreme Court hear cases which have not already gone through lower federal and state courts.  For Plessy, the summary traces Homer Plessy's arrest, during which the state of Louisiana charged Plessy with violating a ruling made by the General Assembly on July 10, 1890, his plea before the State Supreme Court, and his petition to the United States Supreme Court for a writ of error, which would reverse the decision of the State Supreme Court by nullifying it.   The Decision The decision outlines the basic legal ruling of the court. In Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the Louisiana General Assembly's law requiring separate railway carriages for white and non-white passengers, nullifying Plessy's argument that such a law is unconstitutional based on the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Opinions The majority, concurring, and/or dissenting opinions then follow.  The majority opinion is first.  The authors of the opinions will be listed above the text of the opinion itself.  Sometimes, however, the opinion will be written by "per curiam" in stead of a specific judge, which means "by the court."  In this case, agreement generally exists among all judges involved in the decision.  For Plessy v. Ferguson, Justice Henry B. Brown wrote the majority opinion for the case, which up held the constitutionality of the Louisiana state law requiring separate railway carriages for white and non-white passengers.  The court justified its ruling arguing that separate carriages did not necessarily violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as long as the accomodations were made equal.  Similar federal and state court cases were considered and used as precedents to validate the court's ruling.  Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote a dissenting opinion for the case, arguing that the separation of citizens based on race could never be legally justified by the U.S. Constitution, which is "colorblind."   Plessy v. Ferguson affirmed the idea of "separate but equal" in the United States.  This precedent provided state legislatures and laywers with a legal backing for systematic segregation. Use LexisNexis Academic to search other court cases and see if you can determine the key laws, arguements and players involved.  Search for both criminal and civil cases and see if you can determine who is suing whom and why.  What are their arguments?  What did the court rule and why? For more information on how to read a court case, see Orin S. Kerr, "How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students," The Green Bag 11, no. 1 (Autumn 2007): 51-63.
A fine site Tips from the heat wave Leave a comment The first heat wave has arrived and temperatures above 30 degrees ensure that even healthy people for circulatory problems. Tips from the heat wave, except to drink a lot, how people can protect against today. Become A Muscle Builder In Germany it is very sultry and hot. Temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius will bring little cooling off in the next few days. For many people a problem, because many now suffers from poor circulation. This can strain also readily healthy people, because sudden temperature changes mean for the human body pure stress. In addition, the human body needs, but also work a lot harder at the steady heat to maintain body temperature constant can. Thus producing the physical climate system weld, this then makes the surface evaporation for cooling. Heat Tip: should drink Vie are mandatory – Who enormously sweats a lot, of course, loses a lot of fluid. Does not drink a person enough it comes to dehydration of the body. The organism cannot itself ensure adequate cooling and overheating at the end. In this way, it may lead to heat shock or to heatstroke. Particularly affected are young children, the elderly, infants, overweight, but also chronically ill people. Whereby, but also healthy can suffer if they do not drink enough. In addition to the risk from drying heat may be responsible but also that the blood pressure sags. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change ) Google photo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
Our students are scientists, programmers and engineers. LCDS’s STEM program is an immersive lab experience, with classes that build on each other to provide a strong foundation of skills. From designing robots to building underwater vehicles, students are engaged in hands-on learning that begins in prekindergarten. Coursework is designed to cultivate responsible digital citizenship, foster creative problem solving and facilitate an environment where students see themselves as innovators. The STEM curriculum is composed of five tracks: Operations and Concepts; Digital Citizenship; Research and Information Fluency; Creation and Innovation; Communication and Collaboration. Within these tracks, students explore media fluency, researching skills, programming, robotics, the engineering design process, print and multimedia presentations, video production, basic electronics, 3D design and printing, and more.  LCDS graduates will have completed more STEM education than the majority of students graduating from public or private high schools in Loudoun County. Eighth graders are challenged to design an invention that improves quality of life. Our students’ inventions are as diverse and creative as they are, including a GPS-savvy “Find Fido” collar and a device which detects downed utility poles and alerts the utility company. Seeds of Success Third graders build terrariums to house habitat-specific plant species, use spreadsheets and graphs to record growth data and create a slideshow presentation about their habitat research. The project helps cultivate problem-solving and public-speaking skills. Ready, Set, Kindergarten students participate in a coding robotics unit using Bee-Bots. The children are engaged while using the programmable robots to move across a grid, learning sequencing, estimation, counting and problem solving. Preschool — 8th Grade Fax: 703.771.1346 20600 Red Cedar Dr., Leesburg, VA 20175
Ads Top Why Iceland Imports Ice From Other Countries Legend has it that Iceland’s Viking settlers chose such a morose name to keep out people looking to settle in new lands. They hoped that the word “ice” would discourage people from coming here and discovering that their island was actually green and bountiful. But that is just a myth. Truth is, Iceland had many names in the past. When the Norse explorers Naddador first landed on Iceland, it was snowing and so he named the country Snæland. Later, when Swedish Viking Garðar Svavarosson arrived, he named the island Garðarshólmur (“Garðar’s Isle”). In the 9th century, a Viking named Flóki Vilgerðarson went in search of Garðarshólmur. When he reached there he was very ill-prepared for the winter. While waiting for spring one day, he climbed a mountain and was disheartened to see a fjord full of icebergs. It was sheer disappointment that led him to give the island its current name. Jökulsárlón glacier lake, Iceland. Photo credit: Txetxu Rubio/Flickr So ice, as it turns out isn’t as plenty in Iceland as it name might suggest. Sure there are floating icebergs which you could theoretically mine ice from, and glaciers which you could break with a pickaxe to fill your glass, unless you want to draw the wrath of environmentalist, ice—even in icy countries—are manufactured. But here is the thing: Iceland is notoriously expensive. Because of its remote location and unfavorable climate, like many northern islands, Iceland relies heavily on imports for many products including oil, wheat, vegetables and other food. This means that things are very expensive in Iceland, and correspondingly Icelandic people enjoy some of the highest salaries in the world. This leads to high labor cost and anything that is manufactured in Iceland eventually turns out to be expensive as well. It’s a vicious circle. It turns out that ice imported from other countries are as much as forty percent cheaper than ice produced in Iceland, despite the fact that electricity is incredibly cheap in Iceland because of the country’s abundant hydroelectric and geothermal resources. So Iceland imports tons of ice from Norway, Britain and even the United States. This ice is sold to grocery stores to keep produce as well as meat and fish fresh. A typical Icelandic landscape—waterfalls and lots of greens. Photo credit: Lenny K/Flickr While some might argue that transporting ice between countries has a detrimental impact on environment because of all the greenhouse gases the ships emit, one must not forget that Iceland already has a lot of inbound shipping for all the variety of things the country can’t produce. So it makes sense to utilize this existing transport service to import some ice rather than try and make it at home. It makes more economic sense to use their cheap electricity for more power intensive operation such as aluminum smelting. As much as one-fourth of all electrical energy produced in the country goes towards aluminum production, placing the country at 11th place among aluminum-producing nations in the world. Iceland also enjoys a lot of free trade among European nations ever since it became a member of the European Free Trade Association in 1970. A lot of capital, labor, goods, and services between Iceland, Norway, and the EU countries can make free cross-border movement. This also includes—as you have guessed—ice. Importing ice to Iceland is tax free, which helps to keep prices low. A lonely house stands near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier on the south coast of Iceland. Photo credit: Vincent Moschetti/Flickr Ads bottom Powered by Blogger.
Aho Name Meaning Finnish: from aho ‘glade’, ‘forest clearing’. Areas of woodland adjacent to farmhouses were cleared by slash-and-burn techniques to produce glades which eventually became pastureland. The name is recorded in the Karelian Isthmus in eastern Finland from the 16th century. In northern Finland it was a popular ornamental name, adopted especially among people converting from Swedish surnames to Finnish in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is now a so-called ‘protected’ name in Finland, meaning that it may not be adopted except through birthright or marriage. In the U.S. it may also be an abbreviation of Ahonen. Similar surnames: Aro, Ahl, Cho, Elo, Amos, Ahr, Ao, Alo, Hahn, Cahow Ready to discover your family story? Simply start with yourself and we'll do the searching for you. Aho Family Origin Where is the Aho family from? Aho Family Occupations What did your Aho ancestors do for a living? In 1881, the most common Aho occupation in the UK was Boarding House Keeper. 100% of Aho's were Boarding House Keepers. View Census data for Aho | Data not to scale • Boarding House Keeper Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Aho ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status. Aho Historical Records What Aho family records will you find? Census Record There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Aho. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Aho census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more. Search 1891 UK census records for Aho Passenger List There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Aho. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure. View all Aho immigration records Draft Card There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Aho. For the veterans among your Aho ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. View all Aho military records You've only scratched the surface of Aho family history. Aho Life Expectancy What is the average Aho lifespan? Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Aho life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Aho in 1951 was 34, and 80 in 2004. View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Aho An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Aho ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more. Famous Aho Family Ancestors Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in your family tree Look up another name
70 797 Assignments Done Successfully Done In March 2019 Answer to Question #57680 in Other Chemistry for emma Question #57680 Use the concentration and rate data presented in the table below to answer the following questions about the hypothetical reaction: A + 2B + 4C arrow 2D + E Line [A] [B] [C] Rate (mol/L∙s) 1 0.100 0.100 0.100 3.6 x 10^-2 2 0.200 0.100 0.100 3.6 x 10^-2 3 0.100 0.200 0.100 7.2 x 10^-2 4 0.200 0.200 0.200 2.9 x 10^-1 5 0.300 0.200 0.300 ? a) Why would you expect this reaction to be a multi-step reaction, based on the overall reaction? b) What is the order of the reaction, with respect to each reactant? c) What is the overall order of the reaction? d) Write the rate law equation? e) How does the rate law equation confirm that this is a multi-step reaction? f) Predict the rate indicated by the "?" g) Propose a reaction mechanism with the third step as the rate-determining step. h) Draw a potential energy diagram to illustrate this reaction mechanism, assuming that the overall reaction is endothermic. Label reaction intermediates with "RI", and activated complexes with "AC". Expert's answer Not answered Need a fast expert's response? Submit order and get a quick answer at the best price for any assignment or question with DETAILED EXPLANATIONS! No comments. Be first! Leave a comment Ask Your question Privacy policy Terms and Conditions
“Out of Africa” bottleneck is what really matters for mutations At least in relation to mutational load, if you read a new preprint in biorxiv, The demographic history and mutational load of African hunter-gatherers and farmers: The distribution of deleterious genetic variation across human populations is a key issue in evolutionary biology and medical genetics. However, the impact of different modes of subsistence on recent changes in population size, patterns of gene flow, and deleterious mutational load remains to be fully characterized. We addressed this question, by generating 300 high-coverage exome sequences from various populations of rainforest hunter-gatherers and neighboring farmers from the western and eastern parts of the central African equatorial rainforest. We show here, by model-based demographic inference, that the effective population size of African populations remained fairly constant until recent millennia, during which the populations of rainforest hunter-gatherers have experienced a ~75% collapse and those of farmers a mild expansion, accompanied by a marked increase in gene flow between them. Despite these contrasting demographic patterns, African populations display limited differences in the estimated distribution of fitness effects of new nonsynonymous mutations, consistent with purifying selection against deleterious alleles of similar efficiency in the different populations. This situation contrasts with that we detect in Europeans, which are subject to weaker purifying selection than African populations. Furthermore, the per-individual mutation load of rainforest hunter-gatherers was found to be similar to that of farmers, under both additive and recessive modes of inheritance. Together, our results indicate that differences in the subsistence patterns and demographic regimes of African populations have not resulted in large differences in mutational burden, and highlight the role of gene flow in reshaping the distribution of deleterious genetic variation across human populations. There’s two major moving parts in this preprint. First, they using phylogenomic methods to explicitly model population history. Second, they integrated their demographic results in generation and interpreting the distribution of mutations within the exomes of these populations. That is, they combined phylogenomics to gain insight into population genomics, as the latter focuses more on the parameters which define variation with a population. The data they worked with was from the exome. The regions of the genome which translate into genes. That’s ~30 million bases. They get really good precision due to high coverage, hitting site about 70 times. Their sample was about 300 Africans and 100 Europeans, and they got ~500,000 polymorphisms or variants for their trouble. The populations were labeled by subsistence and provenance. The Europeans were Belgians. For the Africans they had two groups of hunter-gatherer Pymgies, and two groups of Bantu agriculturalists, sampled from western and eastern locations as you see on the map above. The admixture plots, which separate out individuals into K numbers of populations break out in a way that makes sense. First, Europeans separate, and the eastern agriculturalist populations have a little bit of evidence of European-like ancestry. This is almost certainly Middle Eastern farmer, which has been found in many East African populations, and those populations which have mixed with them. Then the hunter-gathers separate from the agriculturalists. This is in line with expectation and earlier research; the hunter-gatherers of Africa seem very different from the agriculturalists, and are actually more closely related to each other than the agriculturalists in their neighboring regions. The exception to this pattern is caused by recent gene flow, which is clearly evident above. Due to population size differences it looks like there is more agricultural ancestry in the Pygmies than vice versa. I wish that they had sampled Mbuti Pygmies. I’m told that this group has the least agricultural admixture. But then they decided to get fancy and explicitly model demographic histories with fastsimcoal2. What does this do? From the website for the software: While preserving all the simulation flexibility of simcoal2, fastsimcoal is now implemented under a faster continous-time sequential Markovian coalescent approximation, allowing it to efficiently generate genetic diversity for different types of markers along large genomic regions, for both present or ancient samples. It includes a parameter sampler allowing its integration into Bayesian or likelihood parameter estimation procedure. fastsimcoal can handle very complex evolutionary scenarios including an arbitrary migration matrix between samples, historical events allowing for population resize, population fusion and fission, admixture events, changes in migration matrix, or changes in population growth rates. The time of sampling can be specified independently for each sample, allowing for serial sampling in the same or in different populations. The models you see that were tested are pretty simple, and they all seem plausible I suppose. Their simulations suggested that the three above scenarios, with alternative branching patterns and various gene flows, were all of equal likelihood. That is, given the models and the data that they had (4-fold synonymous sites which are likely to be neutral) you can’t distinguish which is right. In all the models hunter-gatherers diverged relatively recently and so did the agriculturalists. Europeans, who are stand-ins for all non-Africans in this scenario, diverged pretty early from the Africans. But how the Africans relate to each other and Europeans is not totally clear. Why? Because ancient population structure. It is becoming rather obvious now that ~100,000 years ago, and earlier, there were many different modern human lineages which had already diversified. The Khoisan seem to have diverged from other human lineages closer to 200,000 thousand than 100,000 years ago. What this means is that for most of the history of anatomically modern humans population structure  existed between distinct lineages. And some of that persists down to today within Africa. I’ll bullet point some of their inferences from these models (verbatim quotes below): 1. Our results suggest that the ancestors of the contemporary RHG, AGR and EUR populations diverged between 85 and 140 thousand years ago (kya), from an ancestral population that underwent demographic expansion between 173 and 191 kya 2. After the initial population splits, the Ne of AGR and RHG (NaAGR and NaRHG) remained within a range extending from 0.55 to 2.2 times the ancestral African Ne (NHUM), whereas EUR (NaEUR) experienced a decrease in Ne by a factor of three to seven. 3. The ancestors of the wRHG and eRHG populations diverged 18 to 20 kya (TRHG), and underwent a decreased in Ne by a factor of 3.8 to 5.7 for the wRHG (NwRHG) and 7.1 to 11 for the eRHG (NeRHG), regardless of the branching model considered. 4. The ancestors of the AGR (NaAGR) split into western and eastern populations 6.7 to 11 kya (TAGR), and underwent a mild expansion, by a factor of 2.3 to 3.1 for the wAGR (NwAGR) and 1.2 to 2.2 for the eAGR (NeAGR). 5. The EUR population experienced a 7.1- to 8.3-fold expansion (NEUR) 12 to 22 kya (TEUR). No results are perfect. But some of these dates do not make sense. There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence that the ancestors of European populations began to expand over the last 10,000 years. The dates above suggest there was a Pleistocene expansion. Basically you can divide that value by half, and then you get a reasonable range. Second, both the agriculturalists sampled here are Bantu speaking, and there’s a good amount of cultural and genetic data for recent shared ancestry of the Bantu over the last 3,000 years. I understand that admixture with a very diverged lineage (e.g., eastern Bantu agriculturalist samples mixing with Nilotic populations, which is how they got some non-African ancestry, as well as local Pygmy groups) can inflate these divergence dates. If that’s the case, they should note that in the text. We don’t have much historical or archaeological clarity from what I know about divergences between Pygmy groups. This particular group has studied the topic and published on it before, so I’m inclined to trust them more than anyone else. But, the above dates for groups we do know make me a bit more skeptical of a simple divergence around the Last Glacial Maximum. Then there are the earliest divergences. And 85 to 140,000 year interval is huge for when non-Africans split off from Africans. If closer to 140 than 85, then that means that non-African divergence from Africans preserves ancient African diversity. That is, non-Africans descend from an African group that no longer exists (or has not been sampled in this study at least!). I’ve poked around this question, and when you take into account recent gene flow, it is hard to find the specific African group that non-Africans descend from, though there is some consensus that they branched off from the non-Khoisan Africans later than from the Khoisan. But there is also a lot of archaeological and some ancient genetic DNA now that indicates that the vast majority of non-African ancestry began to expand rapidly around 50-60,000 years ago. This is tens of thousands of years after the lowest value given above. Therefore, again we have to make recourse to a long period of separation before the expansion. This is not implausible on the face of it, but we could do something else: just assume there’s an artifact with their methods and the inferred date of divergence is too old. That would solve many of the issues. I really don’t know if the above quibbles have any ramification for the site frequency spectrum of deleterious mutations. My own hunch is that no, it doesn’t impact the qualitative results at all. Figure 3 clearly shows that Europeans are enriched for weak and moderately deleterious mutations (the last category produces weird results, and I wish they’d talked about this more, but they observe that strong deleterious mutations have issues getting detected). Ne is just the effective population size and s is the selection coefficient (bigger number, stronger selection). Why are the middle two values enriched? Presumably it’s the non-African bottleneck. This is where another non-African population would have been a nice check to make sure that it was the “Out of Africa” bottleneck…but it’s probably asking a bit much to sequence more individuals to 70x coverage. The lack of difference between the African populations is an indication that recent demography is not shaping the distribution much. Additionally, they note that gene flow between the African groups probably increased diversity in some ways, so that as long as a group is connected with other populations it will probably be rescued (note that none of these in their data were particular inbred as judging by runs of homozygosity). Finally, they found that the number of homozygote mutations that were deleterious is higher in their model results for Europeans than the African groups. This is not surprising, and what one expects. But, they found that this is a function likely of continuous gene flow between the African groups. Without gene flow homozygosity would have been much higher. This gets back to the fact that gene flow is a powerful homogenizing tool, and the lack of gene flow has to be pretty extreme for divergence to occur. Which brings us back to the “Out of Africa” event. The next ten years are going to see a lot of investigation of African phyologenomics and population genomics. Basically, the relationships, and selection pressures. It is totally implausible that Bantu groups in Kenya and Tanzania did not absorb local non-Nilotic populations. We’ll figure that out. Additionally, selection pressures are probably different between different groups. We’ll know more about that. But, ancient DNA will probably give us some understanding of why non-Africans went through such a massive demographic sieve. We know in broad sketches. But most people want to fill in the details. Citation: The demographic history and mutational load of African hunter-gatherers and farmers, Marie Lopez, Athanasios Kousathanas, Helene Quach, Christine Harmant, Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, Jean-Marie Hombert, Alain Froment, George H Perry, Luis B Barreiro, Paul Verdu, Etienne Patin, Lluis Quintana-Murci, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/131219
Search for Health Information You Need Archive | Blood and Blood Vessel Disorders What is Aplastic Anemia? When your bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells it is called aplastic anemia. Blood cells die and there is nothing abnormal about that as long as they are being replaced. While red blood cells can live 120 days on average, platelets only live for about 6 days and white blood cells die every day. This means that your bone marrow is responsible for making new blood cells every single day. Health conditions […] What is Thalassemia? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism A pulmonary embolism (embolus) is a blood clot or a piece of tissue or fat, blocking the arteries of the lung. These clots that cause pulmonary embolism typically form elsewhere, than travel through the person’s bloodstream to their lungs. The blood clot may form in the pelvis area or in the leg. Fast Facts about Pulmonary Embolism A pulmonary embolism is a blockage caused for instance by a blood clot stuck in the main artery […] Anemia and its Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options When your blood has a lower number of red blood cells than normal this is referred to as anemia. Anaemia is sometimes also referred to as low blood, tired blood or iron poor blood. When your red blood cells do not have adequate hemoglobin, anemia can also occur. Not only does hemoglobin give blood its red color, it is the protein that is responsible for helping the red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs […] Newer posts »
How to Use a Square This tool is one of the most useful in the list, for the importance of having your work "square" can hardly be over-estimated. The try-square should have a metal strip on the inside edge of the wooden arm, head, or beam, or the handle can be wholly of metal. Get a medium-sized try-square (9- or 10-inch blade is good) rather than a very small one, as it is much more useful; and a graduated scale, like a rule, on the blade is sometimes serviceable. The primary use of this tool is to test or "try " the accuracy of right-angled work - hence the name. The one special point to bear in mind in using it for this purpose is to be sure that the head or beam is pressed firmly against the edge or side to which it is applied, determining the accuracy of the angle by the position of the blade (Fig. 680). Fig. 680 You will also use the try-square continually for marking straight lines across boards or timbers at right angles to one side or one edge (Fig. 681). In using it for this purpose be sure not merely to press the head of the square firmly against the edge of the board, but to keep it securely in the same position. When the blade is placed correctly on the given point do the marking as by any straight-edge. Another way is to place the point of the pencil or knife directly on the given point and slide the square along until it bears on the pencil or knife. Then, keeping the head of the square firmly against the edge, the line can be drawn along the blade. The try-square sometimes is made with the end of the head or beam next the blade cut on a bevel. By placing this bevel against the edge a try-square of this construction can also be used as a mitre-square (Fig. 682). If you buy a second-hand square, or if a square has been wrenched, you can test its accuracy by marking a line with it across a surface from a straight edge, then turning the square over and repeating the operation; the two lines should coincide. But the edge from which you rule must be perfectly straight, or the test will be of no value. If, however, you buy new squares made by the best makers they will be as accurate as any test you can apply to them. Beginners, particularly young beginners, are very apt to be so engrossed in making the line along the blade that they forget to keep the head in position, or let it slip, when the blade will of course cease to be at right angles with the edge or side (Fig. 683) Square Fig. 683 The framing-square, "steel-square," or large two-foot carpenter's square, is a very useful and important tool; not merely for framing and large, heavy work but also for small work, and it is of great value in many mechanical operations. Even an iron square is very useful, but a nickel-plated steel-square is the best, as the figures are more distinct and it is less likely to rust. The long arm makes a good straight-edge. Woodworking Projects and Plans Download 16,000 Woodworking Plans and Projects Now!
IIF Insights: Impact Investing in Preventive Healthcare This paper provides a landscape overview of the healthcare system in Canada, and outlines a role for impact investors. Healthcare costs are rising in Canada. There are five general factors that drive healthcare costs in Canada, listed below. The core drivers of healthcare costs are: (1) health sector expenditures (hospitals and physician costs) and (2) the prevalence of long-term conditions. 1. Demographics and long-term conditions: Although older seniors (aged 80 or older) incur the most health care costs, survey data do not show a strong correlation between age and utilization. Rather, researchers have found a strong relationship between having multiple chronic diseases and higher utilization of healthcare resources. In short, this means the more individuals experience chronic, long-term diseases, the more Canada will have to spend on healthcare in the future. 2. Health-sector price inflation: Hospital and physician costs are a driver of health-sector inflation. As a result, there is increasing interest in exploring whether other health professionals (nurses, pharmacists) can substitute for the services physicians provide. 3. Drugs: Spending on drugs to treat relatively common conditions (hypertension, high cholesterol, heart burn, depression) have decreased, while spending on less common but more serious conditions have increased. It is expected that drugs treating serious diseases will continue to be a major driver in pharmaceutical spending. 4. Technology: Technology in healthcare refers to products such as medical devices and equipment, surgical improvements, information and communications technology, and prescription drugs. Technologies that are aimed at prevention of diseases will trigger greater cost reductions than technologies that merely treat symptoms. 5. Increased Utilization: The slight decrease in available beds, coupled with a slight increase in average length of stay and amount of resources consumed by patients, has led to an increase in hospital care utilization. The financial burden on the healthcare system can be lessened if the population becomes healthier, and if long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases become less prevalent. Impact investors can play a role in reducing the prevalence of long-term, chronic conditions by focusing capital allocation on preventive health practices. We highlight three programs that can link private capital and positive health outcomes together. Social Impact Bonds (SIBs): Healthcare SIBs are a good fit for prevention of long-term conditions (LTCs). LTCs like asthma, diabetes, coronary heart problems, breathing problems, muscular skeletal problems, and depression are well suited for the SIB model due to several reasons, including a clear economic case and financial return on investment: The current usage of health resources by LTC patients is very high. Healthcare SIBs focus on providing better organized patient care for those with chronic illnesses, thereby leading to reductions in significant expenditure in health services. Health Credit Markets: In essence, Health Credit Markets is a modified version of the Social Impact Bond in which the financial risk is shifted towards the Program Partner (or service provider), and the investment is structured as a donation. If they cannot achieve specified outcomes, they do not receive any payments. If partial results are achieved, they will then receive a partial payment. On the other hand, the investor/ donor will receive the tax deduction and have the opportunity to shift the unsuccessful and unused credits towards other Program Partners. Private Sector Partnerships: Some healthcare providers and insurance companies in the US have started to offer coverage for preventive healthcare interventions. In response to increasing cases of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pain, Beaumont Health established an Integrative Medicine (IM) department in 2004, offering services ranging from yoga therapy to acupuncture. This project has yielded have seen positive health outcomes and financial returns. Click here for the full report.
Using The Frame Your best images come when you see the photograph as a whole Creating a strong composition with a camera means framing, with the camera’s viewfinder, a section of the environment in which the photographer stands. The possible options for composing any given subject are vast and include choices such as camera position or lens focal length. One error many beginning photographers make is to photograph at the first place they stop. They simply see a subject, click the camera and move on. This approach is rarely successful. To read this Pro Perspectives article, become a Member. Main Menu
Doctor’s Tip: Is there such a thing as too much exercise? | Dr. Greg Feinsinger The evidence is clear that regular exercise has many health benefits. It decreases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and many forms of cancer. It lowers weight and blood pressure, helps with sleep, and relieves stress and depression. People who exercise live longer and have better quality of life as they age. Most authorities recommend moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking (4 miles per hour) for at least 30 minutes a day, but only a minority of Americans achieve this. Additional benefit occurs with 60 minutes a day and even more with 90 minutes. I tell patients to walk at least 30 minutes a day, fast enough so that they could talk but not sing. People age 40 and older need to also do strength training (e.g. resistance bands, light weights, kettlebell) for 20 minutes twice a week on non-consecutive days. The reason for this is that loss of strength starts at around 40, which contributes to aging. If you exercise but sit at a desk the rest of the day, that undoes the benefit of exercise, so use a standup desk and/or walk around every 30 minutes. Beyond about 90 minutes a day of moderate exercise or lesser amounts of intense exercise, the risks may outweigh the benefits, and in this valley we definitely see overexercisers. (Full disclosure: I include myself in this group.) These people have convinced themselves that if some exercise is good, more must be better, and are either addicted to exercise (the endorphin high) or are competitive enough that they push themselves beyond what is health-promoting. How to define too much exercise varies with the exerciser, but as a Supreme Court justice once said about obscenity, “I know it when I see it.” An excellent book on this subject, published earlier this year, is “The Haywire Heart, how too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart.” The authors are John Mandrola, M.D., a cardiac electrophysiologist (a cardiologist who subspecializes in problems of the electrical conduction system of the heart); Chris Case, editor of VeloNews; and Lennard Zinn who custom makes bicycles in Boulder. All three are elite athletes, and Zinn has a personal history of a heart arrhythmia that he attributes to overexercise. The most common cause of death in the U.S. is heart attacks, caused by rupture of atherosclerotic plaque in a coronary (heart) artery. There’s evidence that in general heavy exercisers develop more plaque than non-exercisers, but their plaque tends to be calcified and more stable. So far there is no evidence that these athletes are at increased risk for heart attacks (non-athletic people with high calcium scores are). Prolonged/intense exercise has been shown to cause elevation of cardiac enzymes such as troponin, indicating damage to cardiac muscle. This kind of exercise can also result in small scars, that can interfere with the heart’s electrical conduction system. Overexercisers are more prone to rhythm disturbances involving the atria (the two smaller chambers of the heart), such as atrial fibrillation. Scarring can also cause rhythm disturbances in the ventricles (the two larger heart chambers), which can be more dangerous. So if you want a long, good-quality life, by all means exercise. If you love intense exercise and you have a family history of heart disease or sudden death (usually caused by an arrhythmia), you should see a cardiologist before engaging in heavy exercise, even if you are school-age. The usual pre-participation sports physicals usually don’t pick up the congenital problems that cause young athletes to die on the field. If you are 40 or older and intense and/or prolonged exercise has become an important part of your life, realize that as you age you may be taking some risk. At the very least, understand that the older you get, the more important rest/recovery days become. If you are exercising and have chest pain; unusual fatigue or shortness of breath; notice heart speedups out of proportion to the exercise you’re doing; feel dizzy or faint; or notice palpitations or an irregular pulse, stop immediately and go to the nearest ER if you’re having chest pain or if you’re having other symptoms that are severe. If the symptoms don’t include chest pain and aren’t severe, don’t exercise again until you see your primary care provider, a cardiologist or an electrophysiologist, depending on the circumstances. To learn more, read “Haywire Heart.”
The 10% Difference by Kenneth J. Drum Much is made of a candidate’s vote margin over their opponent without the general public knowing it. In fact, it’s often used by state legislatures to determine the political boundaries for the following ten years. The so-called “re-districting” is usually based on whether districts can be drawn that are safe for both political parties. It’s not surprising that incumbents like “safe” districts. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, incumbents win about 85 percent of the time. The major political parties like to create safe districts. Both political consultants and legislators tend to use a standard of 45-55 % as a guide to whether a district is competitive or safe. Hence a ten percent window for candidates to consider. Using the results of previous elections, any district where the winner received more than 55 percent in a general election is therefore considered safe. Likewise, any district where winners receive less than 55 percent is considered competitive. Anything less than 45 percent is usually considered a lost cause for either major party. These benchmarks can play a critical role in determining campaign budgets, the quality of interested candidates and the building of a campaign organization. The same yardstick can be applied to safe districts during the primary election. For safe districts the name of the game is to win the primary if your party has the advantage. For competitive districts, candidates usually must fight through both a primary and a general election. Whether you are an incumbent, a challenger or seeking an open seat the ten percent difference must be taken into account when making a decision to be a candidate. Challenging an incumbent in a safe district will take a monumental effort as well as a lot of money. Incumbents sometimes will lose an election in a safe district. It doesn’t happen very often but when it does it is usually due to a single issue or a failure on the part of the office holder to effectively communicate with constituents. An incumbent in a safe district is mostly vulnerable in a primary election. Surviving in the primary as a practical matter is the real election. These days challengers to an incumbent during a primary usually come from the extremes of the political spectrum. For an incumbent it's often a contest between principles and pragmatism. An incumbent has to defend their voting record. At the same time they have to demonstrate a "core ideology" that appeals to primary voters. That makes the primary voter a different breed of cat. Recently, there have been several instances where incumbents lost when they took a "pragmatic" approach to winning the primary. However, it's also true that several of the successful primary challengers lost in the general election when the electorate considered their principles too extreme. It's wise for incumbents to emphasize both their core principles and their voting record in every election in order to fend off challengers. Sometimes aspiring candidates believe that running for public office is a good way to get their name in front of the public. Some even think it will help them in business. In most cases, it’s a bad idea and it doesn’t work. All these folks accomplish is to brand themselves as losers. However, that depends upon the type of campaign that was run and the closeness of the election. First time candidates who lose their election within the ten percent benchmark are often successful on a second try for public office. If not, they usually get more votes than the first election. They fare much better than other losing candidates who garner less than 45 percent. The second time around the below 45 percent candidates usually get fewer votes. There is a clear message here. Don’t run for office unless you’re serious about winning. And, a close loss may actually help you the next time you seek office. Question: The election in 2014 is pretty far off. When should a candidate announce their candidacy and when and how should a campaign be organized? A candidate does not have to have a formal announcement to begin their campaign. That's usually reserved for higher offices and is more of a show than substance. The best time to start a campaign is when you decide to run, whether for the first time or for reelection. A candidate should not decide to run for office on the basis of "we'll see how this goes". You have to run with the idea of winning. First time candidates many times are attracted by the policy issues but can't seem to get their mojo working beyond that. Too often a lot of time is spent on policy issues and not enough on organization. It's the classic example of "paralysis of analysis". Getting Up and Running Running to win and knowing how to win are two different matters. First time candidates often don't know where to start. It's not a bad idea to talk with others who have run for office in your area. People who have both won and lost. Since some campaign tactics work in some elections and not in others it's best to try to find out how successful candidates organized their campaigns. The next step is to develop a written campaign plan. Basically, you have to identify your major strategies for fundraising, developing contacts, communications, putting together an advisory committee and developing a preliminary budget. It's a good time to start gathering your team. Involve Others You can't (or shouldn't) run for office by yourself. You'll need the help of others. That's why it's important to get people committed to your campaign. For that reason alone, it's never too early to start. Two of the most important people in a campaign should be onboard in the early stages of the campaign. The campaign treasurer and the campaign manager. Many campaigns are structured with 100% volunteer help. That's ok as long as you have dedicated people and a winning strategy. Many local campaigns use a mixture of paid or contracted assistance and volunteers. A word of caution here. There are certain campaign activities that may require expertise beyond the abilities of most voluntary help. Activities such as polling, literature preparation, media production, website development, campaign management, social media programs, etc, might require a paid professional. These activities must be considered and budgeted for at the onset of the campaign. Fundraising is Crucial It's important to start fundraising early. Many first time candidates view it as an unpleasant activity and is therefore put off to later. That's a big mistake. The way to begin is to start with the people who know you the best. Relatives, friends, colleagues and those who respect your work should be asked to invest in your campaign. The best fund raiser in any campaign is the candidate. Raising campaign money is often seen as a test of a candidate's credibility. It's not wise to plan on someone else raising the money to fund your campaign. Are you ready to learn more? Contact Us
KXIP vs KKR Live Score The lander sent back images taken shortly after its touchdown as well as a photo of the rover slowly rolling across the dusty lunar surface. China's lunar rover, Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, left the first ever "footprint" from a human spacecraft on the far side of the moon late at night on Thursday, after it separated from the lander smoothly. Chang'e is the name of a Chinese goddess who, according to legend, has lived on the moon for millennia. China also wants to strengthen its position as a regional and worldwide power. This is China's second probe to make a soft-landing on the moon, following 2013's Jade Rabbit lunar rover mission. Hou Xiyun is a professor at Nanjing University's school of astronomy and space science. "There's no doubt that our nation will go farther and farther". China's Chang'e 4 mission could use soil tests and temperature measurements to reveal new clues to the cataclysmic collision that created the moon and uncover the origins of the water that is unexpectedly abundant in lunar soil. Previously, the United States and the former Soviet Union were the only countries that had managed Moon landings. It would also like to develop a moon base through several manned missions and plans to send its Chang'e 5 probe to the moon next year, which it hopes will return to Earth with samples. The far-side landing is China's first attempt at "something that other space powers have not attempted before", Ye Quanzhi, an astronomer at Caltech, told the BBC. Filing Taxes during Government Shutdown Many considerit a major financial windfall that they use to help cover costly expenses or boost their yearly savings. While the lack of refunds could affect early filers, it's less likely to do so for those in higher tax brackets. The images show Chang'e-4's work site, as the probe begins its mission to study the mineral composition and measure radiation in the region. Yung Kai-leung with a model of the Chang'e-4's camera system. The official Xinhua News Agency reported Yu's comments. "The exploration will give us more information about the Moon than we have ever known, and that is critical", said Prof Zhu. In May, a relay satellite "Queqiao", or "Magpie Bridge", named after an ancient Chinese folktale, was launched to provide communications support between Chang'e 4 and Earth. Since launching its first astronaut into space in 2003, China has been on an ambitious drive to catch up with the pack led by the United States. When Beijing finally sent its first astronauts into orbit in 2003, Western observers dismissed the news as a probably pointless effort to play catch-up with the United States and Russian Federation.
Norfolk County Cardiologist Association Beating the Odds... Our guide to living with atrial fibrillation, a key stroke risk factor. Your heart and how it contracts Your heart is an amazingly coordinated system of muscle and electricity. It has four chambers. The two top ones are the atria. They receive blood from the body. The two bottom ones are the ventricles. They pump blood to the body. Certain heart cells in the right atrium called the heart's pacemaker generate an electrical signal that causes the heart to beat. The electrical signal spreads through the atria first and causes them to contract and empty blood into the ventricles. Then the signal passes into the ventricles. They contract and the heart pumps blood rhythmically throughout your body. These signals keep your heart beating and pumping blood that contains food and oxygen. These electrical signals go on all day, all night, all your life. That's why timing is everything. The heart usually beats regularly about 70 to 80 times a minute. Sometimes your heart's electrical signals can lose their regular pattern. In the condition called atrial fibrillation (AF), many parts of the atria start emitting electrical signals in an uncoordinated manner. The atria pump too fast and unevenly and won't fully contract. In fact, they may contract 5-7 times faster than normal - as high as 300-400 beats per minute. Not all these signals go to the ventricles, so although their rate is irregular, it won't be this fast, and the ventricles can still pump out blood. Although AF itself isn't life-threatening, it can lead to other rhythm problems, chronic fatigue, congestive heart failure and - worse of all - stroke. That's why, after being diagnosed with AF, you'll want to start working with your doctor right away. Because timing is everything. Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Risk When your left atrium pumps too fast and unevenly, blood doesn't empty completely into your left ventricle. Instead, leftover blood "pools" in the atrium. This blood can form clots. If a clot breaks lose, enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain, it can plug an artery and cause a stroke. This doesn't happen to everyone with AF, but your chances of having a stroke are five times higher if you have AF. About 15 percent of all strokes occur in people with AF. That's about 90,000 cases a year in the United States. Left untreated, the overactive heart muscle can weaken and stretch out. This makes it harder for the atria to contract properly, so blood backs up even more. This problem not only increases your risk of stroke, but it can lead to congestive heart failure, too. Symptoms of AF Some people with AF don't feel a thing. Others notice an irregularity immediately. If you have AF, you may have had sensations that include a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat and a "flopping" in your chest. Dizziness, sweating and chest pain or pressure also can occur. Other symptoms include difficulty getting your breath, a feeling of overall weakness and being unable to exercise. Who gets AF and Why? An estimated 2 million Americans are living with AF. That makes it the most common "serious" heart rhythm abnormality. Certain factors can make you more likely to develop AF, but many times we don't know what causes it. AF often shows up in people who've had coronary heart disease, heart attack, or heart failure. It's also found in people with heart valve disease, an inflamed heart muscle or lining (endocarditis), or recent heart surgery. People with atherosclerosis (arteries lined with fatty deposits) and angina (chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle) sometimes have it. Sometimes it's related to congenital heart defects. What's more, your heart and lungs work together to keep your blood circulating. That means a problem with your lungs can affect your heart. Not surprisingly, AF often appears in people with chronic lung disease, pulmonary blood clots, emphysema, and asthma. Gender and age also affect the odds of developing AF and its severity. Men are slightly more likely than women to develop AF, but women diagnosed with it carry a longer-term risk of premature death. Older people are somewhat more likely to have AF than younger people. Other factors that raise risk are thyroid disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, excessive alcohol intake and cigarette or stimulant drug use (including caffeine!). That causes of AF include mysteries yet to be solved. But one thing is certain: Careful management reduces risks. Treatment and Goals Treating AF correctly is the best way to reduce your stroke risk. Your doctor may prescribe anticlotting drugs such as aspirin or warfarin, or something as involved as surgery. It depends on the underlying cause, your own symptoms and level of disability. But all AF treatment plans should include three goals: 1. Prevent blood clots from forming. 2. Control your heart rate within a relatively normal range. 3. Restore a normal heart rhythm, if possible. Using Medication To lower your risk of stroke, your doctor may prescribe either aspirin or warfarin. Both of these drugs interfere with your blood's clotting ability. Aspirin has an antiplatelet effect. That means it makes your blood platelets less likely to stick together and form clots. Aspirin is less likely to cause abnormal bleeding, but warfarin seems to be more effective at preventing clot-causing strokes. Warfarin is an anticoagluant or blood thinner. That means it reduces your blood's ability to clot (coagulate). Stroke can be prevented in most AF patients by using blood thinners. Most people older than age 60 who have atrial fibrillation can be treated with a blood thinner. These drugs must be very carefully monitored because too much blood thinner can cause abnormal bleeding. To be sure you're getting the right amount of blood-thinning medication, your doctor will do a test called a Prothromin Time. (This test is also called "Pro-Time" or "PT.") the results of this test may be reported to you an "INR" number. By using an INR, your doctor can keep your blood clotting at a safe and effective level. Your INR should usually test between 2.0 and 3.0. Tell your doctor right away if you have any unusual bleeding or bruising. If you every forget to take your daily warfarin pill, DON"T take another one to "catch up." Instead, call your doctor, say that you missed your warfarin dose, then follow your doctor's directions. Switching from one form of warfarin to another (such as going from brand to generic versions) can change your PT response, so be extra careful. Even small variations in the amount of the drug you get can cause problems. Always tell your doctor, dentist and druggist that you take warfarin, especially before you start taking a new medication or have any procedure that can cause bleeding. If you have any problems, tell your doctor right away. Warfarin can prevent stroke when used as directed, and the risk of stroke is greater than the risk of bleeding if you have AF. Still, it's important to follow your doctor's instructions carefully when you take this (or any) medication. Both aspirin and warfarin have pluses and minuses. Your doctor will discuss them with you. Managing your Heart Rate To control your heart rate, your doctor may prescribe a medication to slow down the rate at which your ventricle contracts. Your ventricles respond to your AF by pumping wildly. That causes the "racing, " "Flopping" feeling in your chest. Controlling this will normalize your heart rate, decrease your heart's workload and reduce your discomfort. Restoring Proper Rhythm Sometimes medications such as beta blocker drugs or digitalis may be the best option. There are also interventions available to control or stop the electrical impulses that cause AF. Electrical cardioversion uses a small electrical charge to the heart to "reset" its electrical system. Radiofrequency ablation also uses a catheter, but directs energy at the precise heart tissue area generating the abnormal rhythms. The trouble-making tissue is destroyed and can no longer conduct electricity. Sometimes ablation is used to "disconnect" the entire electrical pathway driving the lower part of the heart. This is done by applying energy to the tissue where all electrical impulses originate (the "sinus note".) in this case you'll need to have a pacemaker permanently implanted to control your heart rate. These procedures may control your ventricular rate and reduce your symptoms. But your atrium may still pump inefficiently and blood may still pool there. That means you'll still have an ongoing risk of clotting and stroke. To manage this risk, your doctor will keep you on anticoagulants indefinitely. A final alternative is a surgery called a Maze procedure. With two strategic atrial incisions, it can cure AF by creating scar tissue to block AF's abnormal electrical paths. This surgery is complex but, when successful, it brings two benefits: 1. Your heart chambers will work in proper rhythm with each other again. 2. Your atrium will contract in an organized, efficient manner. Your Responsibilities Take your Medications If your doctor has prescribed medication, you must take it exactly as directed. Because your heart is beating all the time, managing your AF requires an even dosage in your system. That's why it's critical to follow orders. Don't take the risk of blood clots and a stroke lightly! Take Care of Yourself Another thing you can do is to make healthy lifestyle choices. Ask your doctor for smart eating guidelines; cut back on salt, caffeine, and alcohol; don't smoke; and choose an exercise that you can enjoy and do regularly. For information on these topics, see the list of booklets at the end of this article. Take it one day at a Time Finally, remember that researchers continue to investigate ways to cure AF. And they're making progress. The best thing you can do right now is to follow your treatment plan and take things one day at a time. Your Struggles and Support You may feel that your family, friends, and employer aren't very understanding. That's common, because your symptoms aren't easily seen by others. It's hard for others to understand how hard it may be for you to function normally while struggling with AF. This emotional pressures, together with the unpredictability of your AF, can make you reluctant to travel, go out or take part in activities you used to enjoy. It doesn't have to be that way. Your doctor can set up an aggressive treatment plan to control your AF. This will let you continue your life with as few disruptions as possible. You'll want to explain your condition, treatment plan, and any required lifestyle changes to your friends and family. Then they can offer encouragement and support as you adjust to living with AF. For More Information For stroke information, call 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653) or visit us online at For information on life after stroke, ask for the Stroke Family Support Network. To learn more about living a healthy lifestyle, call and request one or more of these booklets from the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association. 1. Shake Your Salt Habit 2. Just Move! 3. There's no filter for the truth…smoking and the risk of stroke. 4. Don't wait for it to happen to you…high blood pressure and stroke. 5. Have you heard the latest?…knowing and reducing your risk of stroke(also in Spanish) 6. Quit Smoking for Good.
How to Look at Wine Date August 9, 2011 | Chuck | Editorials & How To Series The first step in enjoying a glass of wine is examining it visually. Knowing how to read a wine using visual keys can tell you many things about it’s past, present and future. What does the color tell me? What are ‘legs’ I hear everyone talking about? Read on… What to do: 1. Pickup the glass by the stem (fingerprints are ugly and the heat from your hand will warm up the wine) 2. Give it a few swirls (2 or 3) (looking for viscosity) 3. Tilt it sideways against a white napkin or piece of paper (lets us see the gradient) 4. Stand it back up (check out those legs) Taking a Closer Look: As you look at the wine on step 2 and 3, note the following: The color can indicate the grape type, check the About Grapes page for help on matching the color to the grape. If the wine is dark, chances are it was a warm growing season. This is a result of a high grape skin to juice ratio. Cooler temperatures produce wines with lighter hues due to unripe or diluted grapes. Red wines get their color from the grape skins steeping in the fermentation tanks with the juice (remember, red grapes can make white wines too) therefore, if the wine is extremely dark, you may say the winemaker chose a longer steeping time, which can also increase flavor. As reds bottle age, their colors lighten and become more ‘brick’ or ‘amber’ like. Also with bottle age may come sediment, it’s harmless. Once you get to step 4, you’ll notice the film on the glass where the wine swirled up to is breaking apart and streaming down the glass. The streams are called ‘Legs’ or ‘Tears’. Legs indicate the alcohol content in the wine. The more legs...the higher the alcohol content. Talking about wine Ice-Breaker: Did you know that with age, red wines become lighter while white wines typically become darker? Add Comment  * are required fields. Comment moderation is turned on.
Home Sitemap Chinese What we can see about Liquid Crystal  Liquid crystal is not gas, or liquid as well as solid. Several pictures of LC from microcosmic to microscope are shown as below. 　The smectic phase liquid crystal　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    The molecule of liquid crystal under tunnel-microscope In the Smectic phase, the molecules are oriented with the same layer space, and the molecules density between the layers is relatively lower. These phases possess permanent polarizations and are thus ferroelectric. These ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs/AFLCs) , which people look forward to seeing , respond much more quickly to applied fields than nematics do and can be used to make various fast and bistable electro-optic devices.  The Cholesteric liquid crystal  Liquid Crystal seen under polarized-microscope Cholesteric liquid crystal is make up of twisted liquid crystal layers, which can take on colorful interference color along the change of temperature, thus is utilized to display thermometer, and it is one of LC used in commerce first.  The nematic phase liquid crystal  Liquid Crystal seen under polarized-microscope The nematic phase, for example, is characterized by the orientation order of the constituent molecules, which is easily controlled in molecular orientation, so nematics are (still) the most commonly used phase in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), with many such devices using the twisted nematic geometry. The defection of orientation illustrated can be disposed within the manufacture process.  The liquid crystal used in LCD  Liquid crystal material The liquid crystal phase, between -30℃－80℃, normally is milk white. It will be crystal under relatively lower temperature; on the contrary, it will be transparent liquid.   More liquid crystal technology knowledge please refer to below website. LCD Display, LCD Module, LCD Panel Professional Manufacturer Tel: 86-755-28172887 / 28172893 Fax: 86-755-28172873 / 28172993 E-mail: lcd@santechdisplay.com Copyright © 2009 SHENZHEN SANTECH DISPLAY CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved ICP09021769 Powerd Bywww.ni8.net.cn
Skip to main content Open Collection of Student Writing (OCSW) To What Extent Does Your Freedom Go? To what extent does your freedom go? This is a good question to think about before making a decision, before any of your actions. According to the Brazilian psychologist Jose Roberto Marques, “your freedom ends where another’s begins(1)”, in other words he is saying that you are free as much as you do not affect anyone else’s freedom. There are a lot of people such as the philosophers John Stuart Mill, Paul Henri Thiry and Baron d’Holbach(2) would agree with him, because they believe that freedom is immediately related to external forces, for example: other humans actions and decisions (society), morality (in terms of what is acceptable or not), religion (if something is right or wrong), the law (what is permitted or not), giving a good example to someone else (especially when raising children), and some other factors that can be connected to a moderate freedom. Thinkers who believe in this theory are considered determinists. Determinism is “the view that every event, including human actions is brought about by previous events in accordance with universal causal laws that govern the world(3)”, in this case “human freedom is an illusion”. It is not wrong to believe in this theory, but when you think about freedom you automatically make a relation with free will, and as the name itself says, you are free to do whatever you want, whenever you want and the way you want, you just need to remember that all actions come with a consequence, and who make the choices is the one who face the consequences (is the responsible for them) later; “people make free choices that reflect and shape who they are, and they are responsible for the consequences of these choices.(4)” This theory of you being 100% free but also 100% responsible for your actions is defined by Existentialists such as the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre; “Existentialism is a philosophical and literary movement that focuses on the uniqueness of each human individual as distinguished from abstract universal human qualities. […] humans create themselves through free choices and are responsible for who they are.(5)” Determinists would be right if they said that all those external factors (some more than others) influence our choices, because it is a matter of common sense when you choose to do not kill someone for nothing or when you are a life-saving and you just save someone’s life, but even these things looking obvious it is still possible to choose to do the opposite if you want; you are going to face some hard punishments but it is still a choice. However, there are some people who have mental disturbs, and so they are able to do things which do not follow the patterns of ethic and morality, but in these cases, they cannot make choices because they act according to the functionality of their brains, they are trapped to their damaged neuron’s connection. There is a movie called “I, Robot” that exemplifies this situation, but instead of people, they are robots(6). Robots are a good example of creatures that act as they are programmed to do, they do not make choices by themselves so they do not have free will. This movie the situation is a little bit different because in a way, the robots started to develop free will, so they started to get confused about what they are in fact because this is not natural(7). There are some other interesting movies that show different points of view of people’s free will, for example the movie “Adjustment Bureau” where everything that happen in the entire world is part of a plan, and people must follow this plan to make sure that all events are going to be perfect; even so people can choose to follow or not the plan, such as the main character who says “all I have are the choices I make(8)”. In addition to the ideas related to free will, there are three other famous movements known as Compatibilism (“the view that all events, including human actions, are caused. However we can consider human actions free if they are the result of internal motivations, not the product of external influences or constraints(9)”), followed by the philosophers W. T. Stace and R. E. Hobart; Indeterminism and Libertarianism which have similar ideas (“humans are able to make authentically free choices that are not determined by previous events in accordance with universal causal laws, that there is a meaningful sense that though we made one choice, we could have done otherwise(10)”), followed by William James. There is another idea, by Jean Paul Sartre, which is that “we are condemned to freedom”, meaning that we live a false and diminished inauthentic life, because even freedom is something that was imposed to people, so no one can simply runaway from it, nobody choose to be free. If you think about it, it gives you a feeling of despair because it is hard to handle all the consequences every time you use your free will. The interpretations about free will are a long discussion that has been exposed for ages and in hundreds of different ways and different views. The most modern idea exposed is related to neuroscience; neuroscientists and philosophers have been discussed about the brain is the true responsible for everything human thought and action, and so humans do not have power over decisions because it is all a result of the synaptic connections inside each brain. Now people are mapping human brains so they can understand exactly in which part of the brain is responsible for each thought, and there are studies showing they already the connections responsible for the sense of free will, it means free will is but a brain work(11). All these studies about the brain are amazing for some purposes but on the other hand they sound scary; people have trusted too much this discovery, they have even determined if someone is lying or not. To what extent should this technology be trusted? This question can be exemplified by a movie called “Minority Report”, in which the future can be seen by those who work avoiding possible crimes; when a crime is foresees those agents anticipate the situation and arrests the future guilty or even kill them, just because they believe their “system is perfect, it is never wrong(12)”. This idea from the neuroscience also conflicts with the idea that there is a powerful creature (also called God) which allows us to have free will, because the theory is that free will only comes from the brain; that is why the rational philosopher Nietzsche used to say that “God is dead(13)”. Among all theories and all ideas about freedom and free will, the most important is to know their meanings to understand to what extent you can push your freedom without damaging anyone. 2 Chapter 4 of the book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee 3 Book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee, page 159 4 Book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee, page 159 5 Book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee, page 192 6 Movie “I, Robot” 7 Quote “What am I?” from the movie “I, Robot” 8 Quote from the movie “Adjustment Bureau” 9 Book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee, page 160 10 Book “The Philosopher’s Way” by John Chaffee, page 161 11 Article from 12 Book “The Gay Science” by Nietzsche Salt Lake Community College 4600 South Redwood Road Salt Lake City, UT 84123 Student Services hours: M - F : 7am -7pm Enrollment Info: 801-957-4073 |
Paediatric Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry Paediatric Dentistry is the branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence.We strongly feel that pediatric dental care is essential for giving children the proper foundation for a healthy life, from childhood through adolescence and beyond PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY. It is important to establish a comprehensive and accessible ongoing relationship between the dentist and patient – referring to this as the patient’s “dental home”. This is because early oral examination aids in the detection of the early stages of tooth decay. Early detection is essential to maintain oral health, modify aberrant habits, and treat as needed and as simply as possible. Additionally, parents are given a program of preventative home care (brushing/flossing/fluorides), a caries risk assessment, information on finger, thumb, and pacifier habits, advice on preventing injuries to the mouth and teeth of children, diet counseling, and information on growth and development.
The Stratigraphy of the 19th Dynasty in Asia Minor  Alan Montgomery Email: alamontgomery@rogers.com Velikovsky claimed the 19th and 26th  Dynasties were the same and belong to the 7th and 6th centuries. To support  his claim he compared the campaigns of Ramses II from Egyptian texts and  Necho II from the Greek and Hebrew texts and demonstrated that they both  fought in the same places, in the same order, the same time apart with the  same result [Velikovsky, 1978, p. 59]. Furthermore, Petrie found a temple of  Rameses II at Tahpanhes, a 26th Dynasty site. Psammetichus (663 - 610 GAD)  of the 26th Dynasty had granted Tahpanhes to his Greek and Carian  mercenaries. It existed during the 26th Dynasty until the time of Amasis  (569 -525). He found no artifacts of dynasties 20 to 25 (12th-7th  century). Excavators at Lachish found a temple with 19th Dynasty  artifacts also contained Iron Age Israelite material. The stratum of the  time Nebuchadnezzar, circa 590, contained the scarabs of Ramses II circa  1290. Coincidentally, the city of Lachish suffered similar major  conflagrations during both Ramses' IIÊand Nebuchadnezzar's II reign  [Velikovsky, 1978, p. 44 - 49]. At Byblos, the tomb of Ahiram  presented yet a third problem. The king was buried in a coffin made by his  son. His son's inscription was in Phoenician script of the 8th or 7th  century as was the imported Cypriot pottery but the broken Egyptian vases  and the coffin in the tomb were from the time of Ramses II [Velikovsky,  1978]. These odd 600-year connections originated in Anatolia. In the  19th century, archaeologists found Hittite sculpture in Boghazkoi. Art  historian, Puchstein, concluded that the art of Boghazkoi in the time of the  Hittite empire was influenced by Late Assyrian conceptions, which had not  penetrated Cappadocia until the 7th century [Puchstein, 1890. p. 13]. Then,  in the archives of Hattusilas III, a Hittite copy of a treaty with Rameses  II was found in 1906. The date of imperial Boghazkoi was raised by 600 years  to match the historical synchronism. A 600-year gap was left, however,  between the 13th century Hittite empire and the Neo-Babylonian/Persian  period. Despite this and the artistic evidence, Egyptian chronology was not  doubted. This situation paralleled the one Petrie had created by  discovering Mycenaean pottery in Egypt. Petrie's finds had placed the  Mycenaean period in the 18th Dynasty, dated from the 16th to 14th centuries,  500 years earlier than the Greek archaeologists allowed. James documented  unacceptably large gaps in the Mediterranean, Syrian, Palestinian, and  Anatolian strata of 250 - 500 years. He concluded they were caused by poor  Egyptian chronology. What would be the result if James's method were applied  to the problems of the 19th Dynasty? If the 600-year gap at Boghazkoi is  prevalent at other 19th Dynasty sites then it is Egyptian chronology that is  flawed. Seti I and Ramses II both mentioned the capture of Qatna in  their wars against the Hittites. After they withdrew from Syria about 1200,  the site lay vacant for over half a millennium until it experienced a brief  revival in the first half of the sixth century, " [Pfeiffer, 1966. p. 469].  Ugarit was a port city on the Syrian coast opposite Cyprus and was under the  rule of Egypt in the Middle Kingdom as well as the New Kingdom. Curtis  states its post-19th Dynasty obscurity in these words, "Although the history  of Ugarit really comes to an end in the twelfth century." In the seventh and  sixth centuries the highest point in the Tell was inhabited, as is shown by  the remains of buildings and a small cemetery of sarcophagi made of large  stone slabs, which contain iron spears, bronze brooches and alabaster flasks  [Curtis, 1985, p. 48]. There were no significant artifacts in  between. Byblos was Egypt,s primary client state in Asia. Montet, in  1921, discovered the tomb of King Ahiram (see above). Afterward, Dunand  found many steles that commemorated Ramses's II victories in Syria. His  assistant, Jedijian, would write this observation, "The results of  excavations at Byblos have shown a curious fact which has been a source of  discussion among scholars. In the excavated area at Byblos there is a  complete absence of stratified levels of the Iron Age, that is the period of  1200-600 BC [Jedijian, 1986, p. 57]." During this period, Byblos was  supposedly a thriving commercial centre. Alalakh fell into the hands  of the Hittites during the reign of Suppiluliumas 1380 - 1340 (GAD). During  the twelfth century the Hittite Empire fell. Smith in describing the art at  Alalakh from the twelfth century said, "Still more interesting are the  sculptures belonging to the palace of this period. The lions belong to the  earliest stage of the type that lasted in Syria for six centuries and  closely resemble those, which guard the tomb of Ahiram of Byblos [Smith, S.  1946. p. 46]. Is the six centuries of unchanging sculpture an anomaly of  Alalakh or is the date of Ramses II 600 years in error? In Anatolia  lies Gordion, the ancient capital of Phrygia, home of the legendary of  Midas. The earliest Phrygian deposits can be dated by imported Greek pottery  to the late 9th and early 8th century. Gordion was invaded and sacked by the  Cimmerians during the 7th century and was conquered by Cyrus the Persian in  the 6th century. Excavation under an American team headed by Young found a  stratum above the Phrygian level and below the Persian. Such a stratum could  only be dated between 680 and 550. The ceramic sherds at this level were  from the final stage of the Hittite empire- the time of Hattusilas III.  Thus, were it not for the synchronism to Ramses II of the 13th century, the  final stage of the Hittite empire would be dated to the 7th  century. Having looked generally at the Ramesside levels in Asia and  found evidence from stratigraphy that Ramses II was a 7th century pharaoh,  we need to examine a specific case in more detail. At Beth Shan more  Egyptian material was found than any other Israelite location [Mazar, 1990,  p. 282]. Its location at the junction of the Jezreel Valley and the Jordan  River made it a strategic military post. In the 18th, 19th and 20th  Dynasties the Egyptians kept garrisons of troops and mercenaries there.  Rowe, the excavator of Beth Shan, designated the upper Strata IX to V to the  18th, 19th and the early 20th Dynasty. Levels IX, VIII, and VII are ascribed  to the 18th Dynasty. Levels VI and V are ascribed to the 19th and early 20th  Dynasties. The succeeding Stratum IV was ascribed to the period of the Late  20th Dynasty, Judges and Philistines, Israelite kings, Assyrians,  Psammetichus and the Scythians as well as the Neo-Babylonians and the early  years of the Persians. Whereas 5 strata are assigned to just over 300 years,  the one and only Israelite stratum was assigned over 700 years. Furthermore,  the thickness of Stratum IV is eight times thinner than the combined Strata  V and VI, circa 150 years. This is unacceptable. Indeed, Mazar  reports that Level VII belongs to the 19th Dynasty and Level VI to the 20th  Dynasty. In the conventional view this leaves three levels VI to IV for the  Israelite levels. Though he cites Rowe as a reference, he gives no  explanation of the discrepancy. Although it is suggested that the  Philistines followed the 20th Dynasty, Rowe reports no Philistine pottery at  this level. Associated with the Seti/Ramses II levels were anthropoid  clay coffins that Rowe identified these as belonging to their Aegean and  Anatolian (Sherdenen) mercenaries that were a "major part of the garrison  left at Beth-Shan [Rowe, 1930, p. 26]." The anthropoid coffins are also  found in Egypt in sites associated with the both the 19th and 26th  Dynasties. Psammetichus of the 26th Dynasty also invaded Palestine  with Aegean and Anatolian mercenaries in the 7th century [Herodotus, The  Histories (Trans. Aubrey de Selincourt) Penguin Books, Harmondsworth. p.  191]. Psammetichus encountered Scythian invaders at Beth Shan and offered  Beth Shean to them to settle. They remained there throughout the Persian and  Hellenistic eras. The city became known as Scythopolis. Despite this there  is no sign of any inscriptions, monuments or artifacts of Psammeticus or  Necho II. Furthermore, no artifacts identified as Assyrian or Neo-Babylonian  is reported either. Only a statue of Ramses III is found in Level V. If Seti  I and Ramses II (1300 - 1200 BC) directly overlie the Scythians in Level IV  during the Neo-Babylonian and Persian times (600 - 300 BC), there remains a  600-year gap, just like the Syrian sites. In Anatolia and Syria,  deposits dated or synchronized to the 19th Dynasty coexist with and/or are  superimposed by deposits of the 7th and 6th century. Furthermore, evidence  of the invasions of Psammetichus and Necho II are missing from all these  sites. At Beth Shean excavations have also clearly revealed another 600-year  gap, even though there is a great deal of identifiable Egyptian material. It  is hopeless to carry on special pleading any longer to avoid the obvious.  There is no 600-year gap. The 19th Dynasty existed in the 7th not the 13th  century. The 19th and 26th Dynasties are the same as Velikovsky has claimed  [Velikovsky, 1978]. Other papers by by Alan  Montgomery: Curtis, A.  1985. Cities of the biblical world: Ugarit. Eerdmans. Grand Rapids.  p. 48 Herodotus. The Histories (Trans. Aubrey de Selincourt).  Penguin Books. Harmondsworth. p. 191 Jedijian, N. 198 6. Byblos  through the ages. Beirut. Dar el-Machreq. P.57 Mazar, A. 1990.  Archeology of the land of the Bible: 10,000 - 586 BC. Doubleday, New  York. Puchstein, O. 1890. Pseudohethitsche Kunst, Berlin. p.  13 Pfeiffer, C. 1966. The biblical world: A dict ionary of  biblical archaeology. Baker Books. Grand Rapids. p. 469 A. 1930. Topography and Historyy of Beth-Shean. University Press.  Philadelphia. p. 26 Smith, S. 1946. Alalakh and chronology. Luzac and  Company. London. p. 46 ky, I. 1978. Ramses and his  times. Doubleday. Garden City, N.Y. April 21,  2001. Updated March 11, 2008, March 21, 2009. Back to Lambert Dolphin's  Library Back to Lambert Dolphin's Library
Title: Is It a Fruit or Is It A Vegetable Common Sense Version. Categories: Fruit, Vegetable, Quiz, Test Yield: 1 servings Apple, artichoke, asparagus, Avocado, string bean, beet, Brussels spourts, cabbage, Carrot, cauliflower, celery, Corn, cucumber, Eggplant, grape, lettuce, Onion, parsnip, pea, peach, Pear, pepper, Plum, potato, radish, Raspberry, squash, tomato, In the name of sportsmanship, let’s consider one more way to look at fruits and vegetables. “According to L.H. Bailey, a vegetable is in horticultural usage, an edible herbaceous plant or part thereof that is commonly used for culinary purposes. In common usage, the fruits of the tomato, cucumber, squash, etc., are considered as vegetables, grown with other vegetables in the home garden, although of course each one is a seed bearing organ and hence, under strict usage of the language, might be considered a fruit.” It is also as popularaly understodd, any plant cultivated for its edible parts. This loose definition includes roots (beet and carrot), tubers (potato), stems (celery), leaves (lettuce), flower buds and heads (cauliflower), fruits (tomato), and seeds (peas, beans, corn). Looking back to the list, we can easily slip into familiar habits: artichoke, asparagus, avocado, bean, beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, onion, parsnip, pea, pepper, potato, radish, squash, and tomato are vegetables, all the others are fruits. In other words, if you call it a vegetable, and your neighbour calls it a vegetable, and your local grocer calls it a vegetable, then it must be a vegetable. You like the sound of this? Fine with us. And, deep in our hearts, we suspect that’s the best way to play, according to Hoyle. Origin: The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Canadian Edition, 1996. Shared by: Sharon Stevens, Nov/95. Submitted By COOK4U@VIVANET.COM On WED, 29 NOV 1995 114258 GMT
hi INDiA The news is by your side. New lab-on-a-chip device to detect cancer faster Cancer 220190226152259_l New York, Feb 26 (IANS) In a breakthrough, US researchers have developed a "lab-on-a-chip" device that allows doctors to detect cancer faster, cheaper and less invasively from a droplet of blood or plasma, leading to timely interventions and better outcome for patients. The lab-on-a-chip for "liquid biopsy" analysis detects exosomes – tiny parcels of biological information produced by tumour cells to stimulate tumour growth or metastasize. Exosomes were previously believed to be "trash bags" that cells use to dump unwanted cellular contents. However, scientists realised that tumours could be quite useful for sending out exosomes packaging molecules that mirror biological features of the parental cells. The new lab-on-a-chip, developed by a team led by Yong Zeng, Associate Professor at the University of Kansas, is a 3D nano-engineering method that mixes and senses biological elements based on a herringbone pattern commonly found in nature. It pushes exosomes into contact with the chip’s sensing surface much more efficiently in a process called "mass transfer". "When particles are moving closer to the sensor surface, they’re separated by a small gap of liquid that creates increasing hydrodynamic resistance," Zeng said. "Here, we developed a 3D nanoporous herringbone structure that can drain the liquid in that gap to bring the particles in hard contact with the surface where probes can recognise and capture them," he noted in the paper published in the Nature Biomedical Engineering journal. To develop and test the pioneering microfluidic device, the team tested the chip’s design using clinical samples from ovarian cancer patients, finding the chip could detect the presence of cancer in a minuscule amount of plasma. The new microfluidic chips would also be cheaper and easier to make than comparable designs, allowing for wider and less-costly testing for patients. According to Zeng, with the microfluidic chip’s design now proven using ovarian cancer as a model, the chip could be useful in detecting a host of other diseases. Comments are closed.
The History of Robots: From the 400 BC Archytas to the Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog Take a journey through the long history of robots, from the 4th Century BC to today. 1, 2, 3, 4 Robots have fascinated and preoccupied human minds for centuries - from ancient tales of stone golems, to modern science fiction. Though the word "robot" was only officially penned in 1921 by Karel Čapek, mankind has endeavored to create autonomous machines since as far back as the 4th Century BCE. Today, robots are widely used across a variety of industries, aiding in the manufacturing of vehicles and more. According to the International Federation of Robotics, in 2015 there were as many as 1.63 million industrial robots in operation worldwide, and that number continues to grow steadily each year. Here's a brief history of how robotics have evolved and grown from the early imaginings of 400 BCE, to the global resource they are today.  Ancient Robots: Archytas' Pigeon, Ctesibius' Clepsydra, and More The earliest beginnings of robotics can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Aristotle was one of the first great thinkers to consider automated tools, and how these tools would affect society at large. It was in 400 BCE that the first automaton was designed by Archytas of Tarentum, who is today considered the father of mathematical mechanics. Archytas' Pigeon was a steam-powered autonomous flying machine. Its wooden structure was based on the anatomy of a pigeon, and contained an airtight boiler for the production of steam. The steam's pressure would eventually exceed the resistance of the structure, allowing the robotic bird to take flight. Source: Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons In 250 BCE, Ctesibius created a clepsydra, or water clock, sporting a number of elaborate automatons. Though water clocks had been in use for centuries at that point all over the world, it was during this period that Greek and Roman inventors began to update the basic designs of the clocks with features like bells, gongs, and moving figurines. Ctesibius' design allowed for the dropping of peddles onto a loud gong, effectively making it the first alarm clock as well as an example of early automaton design.  But it wasn't just the ancient Greeks and Romans who were experimenting with robotics. There are accounts of automatons from ancient China, like a passage in Lie Zi from the 3rd Century BCE which describes a singing and dancing robot that performed for King Mu of Zhou. According to the text, the robot was built by an inventor named Yen Shih out of wood and leather. Source: King muh/Wikimedia Commons 11th Century to the 15th Century: Humanoid Automatons and da Vinci's Knight Development of autonomous technologies continued well into the 11th Century and beyond throughout the world. One of the most important inventors during this period was Ismail al-Jazari, an engineer and mathematician from the golden age of Islam. Al-Jazari is credited with the creation of segmental gears and is considered by many to be the father of robotics. Many of his robotic creations were powered by water, and included everything from automatic doors to a humanoid autonomous waitress who could refill drinks. Al-Jazari's influence is particularly apparent in the later work of Leonardo da Vinci. In 1495 the famous Italian artist and painter designed an autonomous knight, which featured a series of pulleys and gears that allowed it to move its arms and jaw, as well as sit up. The humanoid robot was informed in many ways by da Vinci's own research on human anatomy, and was apparently used as entertainment at parties by da Vinci's patron, Lodovico Sforza. Source: Erik Möller/Wikimedia Commons 16th Century to the 18th Century: Flying Robots and Musical Automatons The creation of robots which were mainly designed for entertainment purposes became ever more popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. Though these automatons were created to entertain, it's important not to treat their designs flippantly. Many of the technologies used in these devices paved the way for more sophisticated machines later on. One such creation was an iron eagle made by German mathematician Johannes Müller von Königsberg, AKA Regiomontanus. Not a great deal is known about the construction of Regiomontanus' eagle, apart from the fact that it was made of wood and iron sometime in the 1530s. In 1708 author John Wilkins wrote an account of the robot eagle, claiming it had flown to greet the Prussian emperor and returned to Regiomontanus. Von Königsberg is also credited as having created a robotic fly which was also capable of flight. Another key figure of this time in the creation of entertaining and insutrial machines was Jacques de Vaucanson. In 1737 Vaucanson created The Flute Player - a life-sized humanoid automaton that could play up to 12 different songs on the flute. The automaton used a series of bellows to "breathe", and had a moving mouth and tongue that could vary the airflow, allowing it to play the instrument.  Vaucanson's most memorable achievement, however, was his Digesting Duck. The duck was notable not only for being an amusing device that appeared to eat and poop, but also as it is often considered the first device to utilize rubber tubing.  The 19th Century: Chess-Playing Machines and Early Experiments With Speech The 19th Century saw the popularity of automatons as touring attractions and oddities, which would enchant and inspire audiences across the globe. A popular type of automaton at this time was the chess-playing robot. The most famous of these creations was The Turk, built by Wolfgang von Kempelen in the 1770s and which toured until 1854. Though it appeared as though The Turk could play chess, the device was revealed to be a fraud that was operated by a chess player concealed within its box. Despite the elaborate ruse of The Turk, and the similar devices which appeared in its stead, the central conceit provided the inspiration for true chess-playing machines which would debut in the early 20th Century. One remarkable machine from the 19th Century which most certainly was not a hoax, however, was the Euphonia - a speaking, singing robot which was operated through an early form of text-to-speech technology. Euphonia was created by Austrian mathematician and inventor, Joseph Faber. The machine featured a humanoid feminine face connected to a keyboard, where the face's lips, jaw, and tongue could be controlled. A bellows and ivory reed provided the machine's voice, and pitch and accent could be altered through a screw in the face's nose.  Euphonia was the culmination of 25 years of work for Faber, and debuted to audiences in 1846. Sadly, Victorian audiences were too unsettled by the machine's blank stare and spooky, whispered voice and the device faded into obscurity. The Early 20th Century: El Ajedrecista, Eric, and Gakutensoku While The Turk was revealed as a fraud, the early 20th Century saw the creation of the first true chess-playing robots. Built in 1912 by Leonardo Torres y Quevedo, El Ajedrecista (directly translated as "The Chess Player") was the first real chess-playing robot and is considered by some to be a precursor to video games. The device was capable of playing an endgame against a human opponant, and featured an electrical circuit and a system of magnets which moved the pieces. It debuted at the 1914 World's Fair in Paris to great excitement and acclaim. Source: MdeVicente/Wikimedia Commons 1928 saw the creation of the first British robot, named Eric. Eric was created by engineer Alan Reffell and World War I veteran Captain William Richards. Operated by two people, the robot could move its head and arms, and could speak via a live radio signal. Its movements were controlled by a series of gears, ropes, and pulleys and the robot reportedly spat sparks from its mouth. As an homage to the Čapek's 1921 play Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti - where the term "robot" was first officially coined - Eric had the letters R.U.R. engraved into its chest. Source: Unknown/Wikimedia Commons The following year saw the debut of the first Japanese robot - Gakutensoku. Built in 1929 by biologist Makoto Nishimura, Gakutensoku was over seven feet (2.1 meters) tall and could change its facial expressions through the movement of gears and springs in its head. Gakutensoku's greatest achievement, however, was its ability to write Chinese characters. Sadly, the robot went missing while on tour in Germany.  The 1940s: Asimov's Laws of Robotics and the First Artificial Neural Networks While the 1920s saw the introduction of the term "robot", it wasn't until Isaac Asimov's 1942 short story Runaround that the term "robotics" appeared. In this story, Asimov laid out his famous three laws of robotics - that robots must not harm humans, that they must obey orders from humans, and that they must protect themselves from threats provided their self-preservation doesn't break either of the first two laws. Though written in fiction, these laws provided the basis for many of the ethical questions surrounding robots and autonomous technologies, and are still referred to today. The 1940s also saw the creation of the first artificial neural networks. In 1943 Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts created a basic neural network using electrical circuits to better understand how neurons operate in the brain. Their experiments paved the way for the first autonomous robots that could display complex behavior, thanks to the use of artificial neural networks. In 1948 and 1949 William Grey Walter created two such robots - Elmer and Elsie. Nicknamed "tortoises", the robots could respond to and move towards light, guiding themselves to their recharging stations when their batteries were low.  The 1950s: The Turing Test and the Unimate Another landmark moment in the history of robotics occurred in 1950, when Alan Turing outlined his test of a machine's artificial intelligence. The Turing Test has become the benchmark of AI, in that it measures to which degree a machine's intelligence is equal to or indistinguishable from that of a human. In its simplest form, the purpose of the test is to determine whether or not a machine can think. His work created a necessary framework for the establishment of the field of Artificial Intelligence in Dartmouth College in 1956. The 1950s also saw the creation of the first industrial robot - the Unimate. The patent for the Unimate was filed by George Devol in 1954, and featured a robotic arm capable of transporting die-cast parts and welding them into place. The revolutionary device would soon change the face of the manufacturing industry forever. Source: UL Digital Library/Wikimedia Commons The 1960s: The Industrial Robot Revolution  After Devol was granted his patent for the Unimate in 1961, the application of robots in industrial settings progressed rapidly. That same year, General Motors installed Unimate on their assembly line in Ewing, New Jersey. After the success of Unimate at General Motors, it entered full-scale production in 1966. The 1960s saw a number of innovations and expansions on the core idea of Devol's robotic, industrial arm. In 1968, MIT's AI Laboratory co-founder Marvin Minsky created a "tentacle arm" - a robotic 12-jointed arm that was powered by hydraulics and could be controlled via a joystick. Minsky's robotic tentacle was strong enough to lift a person, and could reach around obstacles easily. His research paved the way for many of the soft robotics innovations emerging today.  In 1969 Victor Scheinman created the Stanford Arm, a robotic arm that is considered to be one of the first robots to be controlled exclusively from a computer. This was a huge breakthrough, as at the time Unimate operated from a magnetic drum. It featured six points of articulation and was built entirely in Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Lab. Though used primarily for educational purposes, the Stanford Arm marked a major breakthrough for industrial machines that could be controlled via computers.  Source: Gildardo Sánchez/Flickr The 1970s: The WABOT-1, Industrial Innovations, and Robots in Space The early 1970s saw the unveiling of the world's first full-scale anthropomorphic robot - the WABOT-1. The WABOT-1 was a follow-up to 1967's WABOT, and was created by Ichiro Kato in Tokyo's Waseda University. The WABOT-1 had a vision and limb control system, allowing it to navigate itself and move freely. It could even measure distances between objects. Its hands featured tactile sensors, meaning it could grasp and transport objects. It had an estimated intelligence equal to that of an 18-month-old human, and marked a massive breakthrough in humanoid robotics. The 1970s also saw the progression of industrial robotics when, in 1973, German company KUKA released the FAMULUS - the first industrial robot with six electromechanically driven axes. The following year, Richard Hohn developed the first industrial computer to be powered by a minicomputer - The Tomorrow Tool, or T3. In 1978 SCARA - the Selective Compliance Assembly Robotic Arm - was created. Developed by University of Yamanashi professor, Hiroshi Makino, the arm could move along 4 axis and became a common fixture in assembly lines in the early 1980s. The first robots to land on Mars were Viking 1 and Viking 2, who landed on the red planet in 1976. Both robots were powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which generated power from the heat given off by decaying plutonium. Though the data collected by both Vikings was ambiguous, they were the official forerunners of the Mars rovers we know today. Source: Mark Pelligrino/Wikimedia Commons The 1980s: Robots in the Home, the Canadarm, and Genghis It was in the 1980s that robots officially entered the mainstream consumer market, though mostly as simple toys. One of the most popular of these robotic toys was the Omnibot 2000 by TOMY. The Omnibot 2000 was remote-controlled, and came complete with a tray for serving drinks and snacks. Another highly sought-after robotic toy from this period was Nintendo's R.O.B, or Robotic Operating Buddy. R.O.B. was marketed as a robotic player two for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It could respond to six different commands, which were communicated via light flashes from a CRT screen.  Source: Rama/Wikimedia Commons The '80s saw further developments in the field of industrial robots, with Ford adding hundreds of robots to their assembly lines worldwide. The Ford Fiesta was notable for being one of the first cars in the world whose anti-corrosion sealants were injected by robots.  Robots continued their journeys through the cosmos in the '80s too, with the launch of the Canadarm on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981. The Canadian-made robotic arm was 50 feet (15.2 meters) long and had six points of articulation. It could be controlled by one crew member in the control station, and performed 90 successful missions during its time in service. Often considered one of the most important robots in modern history, 1989's Genghis was a hexapodal robot made by researchers in MIT. Due to its small size and inexpensive materials, Genghis is credited with shortening production time and cost for future space robot designs. It was built with 12 servo motors and 22 sensors, and could traverse rocky terrain. The 1990s: The Cyberknife, the Sojourner, and AIBO The early 1990s saw robots enter the operation theater with the Cyberknife - a radiosurgery system that could surgically treat tumors. Developed by Stanford University neurology professor, John R. Adler, the Cyberknife was a non-invasive surgical tool which tracked and targeted tumors with narrowly-focused beams of radiation. By 2010, the Cyberknife was used in 5% of all Stanford Cancer Center's treatments. In 1996 the Sojourner became the first rover to be sent to Mars. The small, lightweight robot was brought to Mars by the Pathfinder, and successfully touched down on the planet's surface in July 1997. During its time on Mars, Sojourner explored 2,691 square feet (250 square meters) of land and took 550 images. Because of the information gathered by Sojourner, scientists were able to determine that Mars once had a warm, wet climate. The mission marked the beginning of several more NASA rover missions to Mars. Source: NASA/Wikimedia Commons The late '90s saw the introduction of one of the most iconic robots of the 20th Century - Sony's AIBO robotic dog. Released in 1999, AIBO was one of the first robotic pets to hit the consumer market. AIBO could respond to voice commands and chase a pink ball which came with the purchase of the robot. Earlier this year Sony unveiled a new, revamped AIBO for the 21st Century market which came complete with two cameras and space-mapping capabilities. Source: Sven Volkens/Wikimedia Commons The 21st Century: The State of Robots Today Though we're a mere 18 years into this century, robotics have already progressed and shaped so much of our technological landscape. Many homes now have their own Roombas - robotic vacuum cleaners that can clean your floors autonomously. We've seen the application of drones in everything from the military to home deliveries. There have been so many landmark innovations in the past few years, that they would warrant their own article. When discussing the robotic achievements of recent years, however, it would be remiss not to mention two robots in particular - Sophia and the Boston Dynamics Dog. Sophia made headlines last year when she became the first robot to be awarded citizenship to a nation. The Android robot, created by Hanson Robotics, was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017. The following month, she became the first non-human to receive a United Nations title when she was named the UN Development Programme's Innovation Champion. Sophia's AI is cloud-based which allows for deep learning, and she can recognize and replicate a variety of human facial expressions. Source: International Telecommunication Union/Wikimedia Commons Boston Dynamics has been heralded in the media as leading the charge in modern robotics, thanks to their autonomous creations. The most famous of these is the Boston Dynamics Dog, or BigDog, which captured worldwide attention upon its unveiling in 2005. It was designed to be a robotic beast of burden for military use, and featured 50 sensors over its body. It was capable of carrying weights of up to 340 lbs (150 kg) and could run at an impressive 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Recently, Boston Dynamics revealed two more headline-grabbing robots - the MiniSpot and Atlas. MiniSpot is an autonomous robot dog that can open doors by itself, while Atlas is a sophisticated anthropomorphic robot capable of running and jumping over obstacles. Source: Sgt. Sarah Anderson/Wikimedia Commons If Boston Dynamics is any example to go by, robotic innovations are emerging on a near-weekly basis in this 21st Century. Robotics have enjoyed a long and storied history, and it would appear that we have far more to look forward to.
What is Pain? Pain is the brain’s way of indicating to us that something is wrong in our physical body.  If we never felt pain, we wouldn’t know that our skin was burning as we grasped a hot iron, a sharp knife cut our hand, or that we had broken our ankle and it needs to heal. While we may not like pain, it is a fact that pain is completely normal, natural, and necessary for us to survive. Intellectually we can accept this type of pain as necessary, as it clearly serves a purpose. On the other hand, pain in the form of chronic muscle and joint pain can be quite confusing. Underlying most types of muscle and joint pain is tension. I explain the role of tension in the video below. Tension and Altered Movement As I discussed above, tension restricts movement and causes your body to move improperly. When I say your body is not moving properly, it means that your body has lost range of motion in your joints and, as a result, the natural way your body moves, from the feet to your eyes, will be changed. Altered movement opens us you up to muscle and joint pain for a number of reasons. First, when you lose range of motion in a joint, the joint itself doesn’t fit together properly. Most of the commonly painful joints are made up of two bones that fit together and move on top of each other in a specific relationship. If those bones aren’t aligned properly, movement can become painful because the surfaces of the joint are no longer gliding on top of each other correctly. This is very typical of knee, hip, and shoulder pain.  Second, when a joint isn’t positioned properly the muscles that support that joint are forced to change their “behavior”. Muscles have to be team players. One muscle may stabilize the joint while the other muscles moves a bone on the other end. Then the roles may reverse.  Some muscles are forced into a shortened position while others are forced into a lengthened position. These muscles can also become overly strong or weak depending on the physical demands being placed upon them and they may become too active or not active enough.  When this occurs the muscles no longer function appropriately as a team and the the whole team suffers through joint and muscle pain. The key to resolving muscle and joint pain is retraining proper movement patterns.  Without precise muscle retraining, the dysfunctional movement and breathing patterns persist and all treatments are temporary.
Oooc oc and carry the codes for several factors which make the infection more successful. These transposable elements allow the genes to jump from bacteria to bacteria or simply from chromosome to plasmid within the organism. The "road blocks" that bacteria have evolved which result in antibiotic resistance employ several mechanisms. One strategy is simply to destroy or limit the activity of the antibiotic. The beta-lactamases are enzymes which render the penicillin-like antibiotics dysfunctional by cleaving a vital part of the molecule. Some bacteria can deactivate antibiotics by adding chemical groups to them; for instance, by changing the electrical charge of the antibiotic through the addition of a phosphate group. Other bacteria accomplish a similar effect by bulking themselves up with the addition of an acetyl group. Still other bacteria acquire resistance by simply not allowing the antibiotic to enter the cell. The bacterium mentioned above, Neisseria gonorrhea, has altered porin proteins, thereby stopping uptake of the antibiotic. Some bacteria acquire intricate pumping mechanisms to expel the drug when it gains entry to their cell. macromolecule large Finally, bacteria may mutate the gene for the target macromolecule molecule such as a pro- with which the antibiotic is supposed to bind. For example, tetracycline binds to and inhibits ribosomes, so a mutation in the ribosomal genes may cause conformational alterations in the ribosomal proteins that prevent tetracycline from binding but still allow the ribosome to function. 0 0 Post a comment
Essay about Why The Stalemate on the Western Front Was Broken 533 Words 3 Pages Why The Stalemate on the Western Front Was Broken The Following Were Equally Important Reasons Why The Stalemate On The Western Front Was Broken: New technologies like the tank The American entry into the war The blockading of German ports The German Offensive of March 1918 New technologies developed during the war were a major help in breaking the stalemate. One of the most useful developed was the tank. A formidable ally in the 1st world war. The tank first appeared in September 1916, but the first designs of the tank were actually useless, they blew up to easily, were not armoured enough or …show more content… Another huge development was that of planes. They were usually used for recognisance but because of their noise and need to fly at a low level, they were always spotted and the enemy moved position before the plane could relay the information back to it's base camp. There moment of glory was once again at the counter attack to the spring offensive, where they were used to shoot at soldiers moving across open ground. A German advance in technology was the U-boats. They were used to try and starve Britain into surrender. There were developed to blockade British ports and destroy cargo and transport ships. Their main role in breaking the stalemate was the fact that they were one of the main reasons that the Americans joined the war. The Germans nearly succeeded in starving Britain, but they blew a boat called the Lusitania in May 1915. 124 Americans were aboard the ship, all were killed. The Germans stopped the attack on the boats for a while after this, but started once again in 1917 in another attempt to starve Britain. They sunk 9 U.S ships. Initially the U.S was happy to stay out of the war and sell weapons to both sides. The U-boat attacks made them less eager to stay away. The final straw for them was the fact that ion the 1st of march, Britain released a document that was intercepted, travelling between the German foreign minister Zimmerman and the German Embassy in Open Document
Searching for facts and figures has never been easier. Gone are the days when factual disputes were settled by referencing an encyclopedia. In the digital age, all you need is a smartphone and an internet connection. Things were sometimes slower 20 years ago. For instance, factual disagreements over dinner, or in any other social setting, would often be settled by leafing through pages of the Encyclopædia Britannica or some printed handbook. Nowadays, you can just swipe and tap the screen of your smartphone to execute a quick search online. This is just one of 10 examples of the differences between then and now highlighted in a series of videos celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ericsson ConsumerLab. Each of these short videos illustrates one example of how media and technology have changed the way we live, and ends with the line, “Change will never be this slow again.”
First days of the Tet Offensive for the 459th Signal Battalion | HistoryNet First days of the Tet Offensive for the 459th Signal Battalion By James N. Morrissey 1/3/2019 • Vietnam Magazine Activated at Morris Field in Charlotte, N.C., on August 10, 1942, the 459th Signal Construction Battalion was com- posed of “colored troops,” to use vernacular of the time, and commanded by white officers. The unit served a year of combat in World War II and later, redesignated the 459th Signal Battalion (Combat Area), served six years in Vietnam. On June 21, 1944, an element of the 459th landed at Utah Beach. The battalion’s work was critical to rebuilding and reestablishing communications infrastructure as it advanced with the Allied forces in war-torn Europe. The 459th contributed to the success of the Allied advance by ensuring that the forces could communicate critical combat information. At the end of World War II, the battalion rotated back to the United States and was deactivated in December 1945. It was reactivated in April 1962 at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., as the 459th Signal Battalion (Combat Area). On October 1, 1966, soldiers of the 459th boarded USNS Upshur, bound for Vietnam. “As we arrived at the ship late at night, we marched past Red Cross ladies passing out coffee,” recalled battalion historian Howard Bartholf. “We were ordered to simply pass them by and [march] onto the ship to begin our journey to Vietnam.” The destiny and mission of the 459th were much clearer than my own in September 1966. My life was a quandary as I was endeavoring to re-enroll in college—any college—after being expelled in June. I enlisted in the Army in October 1966, the same month the 459th shipped out for Vietnam. Seven months later I was in Vietnam and soon joined the 459th in Nha Trang. I spent most of my tour in Nha Trang with intermittent forays by convoy north through the steep, winding and dangerous mountain roads along the east coast, often with panoramic views of the South China Sea. My initially tranquil assignment in Nha Trang didn’t last, however. In January 1968, General William Westmoreland ordered the establishment of the MACV forward command post in I Corps Tactical Zone, in the northern provinces, to deal with the rising Communist threats. The location chosen was Phu Bai, near Hue, and the 459th was ordered to set up communications for the new headquarters. Around January 26, Headquarters Company was hastily rounded up with barely enough time to organize its gear and rushed off to Nha Trang air base. We boarded planes for what was then an unidentified destination and an unrevealed mission. Rumors abounded, though, and would prove accurate. After a brief stopover in Da Nang, where we became separated from our equipment, we arrived in Phu Bai on January 28 just before the start of the Tet Offensive. We went by air, but our equipment went by road. Destroyed bridges between Da Nang and Hue delayed our gear for several days, during which our only clothes were those on our backs. The monsoon season exacerbated the hardships. Even during lulls in the rain, a fine mist suspended in the air seemed to envelop everything. Nothing ever dried out. We could feel the fine grit of sand in our clothes, and we imagined what it would be like to wear fatigues fashioned from sandpaper. In the chaos of Tet, “Work continued at a fast pace despite an around the clock enemy rocket attack on Phu Bai during the first three days of February,” wrote Maj. Gen. Thomas Matthew Rienzi in his “Vietnam Studies” monograph, Communications Electronics, 1962-1970. There were many challenges and adventures ahead of us, but one night has remained with me ever since, more for what almost happened than what did happen. Still in damp, sand-lined clothes, two of us were ordered to stand perimeter guard. (The perimeter had previously been manned by the 3rd Marines, who moved out to Dong Ha.) We were positioned behind an M-60 machine gun, in a shallow indentation in the sand not worthy of being called a foxhole. In response to our request for instructions on how to use the M-60, the duty officer barked, “You’ll find out when you have to.” Later that night, just after I started my turn to sleep, I was abruptly awakened by a burst of gunfire intimately close to my ear. Faster than I thought possible, I positioned my weapon to my cheek and prepared to fire. At that instant, flares exploded above us, and I heard someone call out, “Friendly, friendly, friendly.” I still hear that cry today. Luckily, there were no casualties. Despite the establishment of electronic communications, some of us had to perform courier duty to the Citadel at Hue, which I presume was necessary to augment electronic communications still being constructed or occasionally disrupted. I recall one of my trips to the Citadel, which is reminiscent of a scene from the movie Full Metal Jacket. In the scene in which Joker enters an enclave where combat-weary veterans are seeking reprieve from the fighting, one of the meaner among them, affectionately called Animal, taunts and intimidates the newcomers. I remember encountering a Marine in the Citadel on whom the movie character could have been based. On that day and at that moment, I feared this U.S. Marine more than I feared the NVA and VC. By the end of March I was into the last two weeks of my 365-day tour. The two weeks seemed like an eternity. I asked my commander whether he would sign my release orders if I could obtain a seat allocation to the States and take advantage of the seven-day early-out provision. He agreed. Getting out of Phu Bai at that time presented a separate challenge. The Phu Bai hospital was situated at the edge of the airfield, where scores of casualties were constantly ferried in. In the aftermath of Tet, flights were still assigned to far more important missions than ferrying troops to rotation centers. What my commander didn’t know was that I had a contact in Cam Ranh Bay who assigned seat allocations for rotating troops. I contacted my friend, and he gave me an allocation number, which was all I needed—or so I thought. When I advised my commander that everything was all set to go, he sardonically pointed out that since flights were primarily assigned to mop-up and medevac operations around Phu Bai and Hue, getting a flight to Cam Ranh Bay would be next to impossible. You can be sure, though, that I was not at all daunted by the challenge. Nonetheless, the commander kept his promise and signed my orders, and I was off to the air base faster than an RPG. Once there, I thought I would take some lastminute photos of Vietnam. With my camera scanning the frantic activity of stretchers being hurried from dust-off choppers to the Phu Bai hospital, I began clicking away. Within seconds, though, I became so overcome by the sight of the casualties lying on stretchers that I put down my camera and lent a hand as a stretcher-bearer. Soon there was a lull in the activity, and I once again picked up the camera and slowly walked to the nearest helipad, so overcome with emotion that tears gushed down my cheeks as I sobbed uncontrollably. Hitching a ride on a helicopter would be my best bet for a flight to Da Nang, the first leg of my 10,000-mile journey home. I prepared for a long wait on the perforated-steel-plate runway, sitting with uncertainty on my duffle bag, jumping to my feet at the sound of the Hueys and, in the traditional hitchhiking manner, extending my thumb in the direction of Da Nang to the south. I remember it more vividly than yesterday. The cool damp air and thickly overcast sky made the day seem like night. The stench of burning human waste and diesel fuel mingled with decaying garbage created a cocktail of odor that has etched my scent receptors forever. Nearly six hours had passed when a helicopter pilot heading for Da Nang offered me a ride. I climbed aboard without a second’s hesitation. Soon after takeoff, one of the crew yelled, “Sit on your flak vest, a–hole!” I didn’t like what that implied. This combat-hardened crew, seeking an adrenaline surge, apparently planned to fly inland rather than the relatively safe route along the coast. Needless to say, I was not as eager as they. So I sat on my flak vest, wondering what the hell was going on. Soon the gunner to my right began firing. Here I was almost at the end of my tour, and I had never been so scared before that moment. As the helicopter banked to the right, I turned my head in that direction and found myself looking directly at the ground below, watching water buffalo and rice farmers scurrying for their lives. The gunner was either a poor shot or was merely playing—more likely the latter. How long did that journey take? I have no recollection. I do, however, remember arriving safely in Da Nang and soon catching a C-130 to Cam Ranh Bay. My tour in Vietnam lasted 359 days, 171⁄2 hours. That was nearly 40 years ago. As in World War II, in the midst of battle, the men of the 459th Signal Battalion in Vietnam answered the call of duty, rose to the occasion and played a critical role in ensuring victory by U.S. forces. Writing about the unit’s role in the 1968 Tet Offensive, Maj. Gen. Rienzi noted: “The story of the 459th Signal Battalion, as it was provisionally organized and deployed, is unique since the deployment occurred as the Tet Offensive took place. The hastily organized battalion had to respond quickly and install and operate the vital communications needed, even though it was under fire.” I am proud to have been part of the unit’s history. Leave a Reply , , , , Sponsored Content:
275 Prospect Street, PO Box 67, Norwood, MA 02062 781.762.6804 Phone | 781.762.0229 Fax GPA Scale & Letter Grades There is a new system of issuing grades starting in the 2015-2016 school year. Student grades will now be generated in the form of letters instead of numbers. This is only the case for grading reports such as warnings, report cards, and transcripts. For many classes (with the exception of fine/performing arts), students will be able to see the number equivalence of their letter grade for term progress (i.e. through iParent).  The rationale behind moving to letter grades is listed below: - Colleges generally run on a 4.0 GPA scale with letter grades. Our goal is to help better match student grades with college admission standards. Simply, to provide students with a clearer understanding of how they stack up to colleges and other vocational or certificate programs.  - Letter grades provide a better relation to our GPA scale. For instance, students often assume a "B" is an 80%. It is not. A "B" is anywhere between an 83%-85%, which is a 3.0 on the GPA scale. An 80% is actually a 2.7 on a GPA scale. The letter grades make this point more apparent to students.  - Letter grades allow for the fact that there is always at least some subjectivity in grading, even with the most standardized assessments. For instance, if a student takes the same math class at the same level but with two different teachers, the chances of that student getting an 85% (for example) in both classes is very small; however, the chance of that student getting a "B" in both classes in very possible. A letter grade provides a better overall understanding of a student's range.  Click here to access the GPA and letter grade scale for NHS students: GPA SCALE
The American Cockroach Cockroach Facts Do you hate the sound of a bug crunch under a shoe almost as much as the bug itself?  If so, you can most likely relate to my strong dislike and slightly irrational fear of the ugly yet seemingly harmless cockroach.  But are these unsightly critters merely getting a bad rep due to their outward appearance or is there more that meets the eye?  Let’s take a closer look at some helpful and important facts to take into consideration when dealing with these pesky and scary looking bugs. 1. Food contamination: Cockroaches can virtually live by eating anything. Apart from the food we eat, they also feed on dead plant, animals, faecal matter, glue, soap, paper, leather and even strands of fallen hair. While crawling around at nights, they contaminate open food by defecating on it, leaving behind hair and dead skin and depositing empty egg shells in it. 2. Inoculation of disease-causing bacteria: While feeding cockroaches regurgitate their own saliva and digestive fluids from their mouth to inoculate your food with germs or bacteria residing in their gut. A study found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can multiply extensively in gut of cockroaches. It can cause several diseases like urinary tract infections, digestive problems and sepsis. 7. Asthma: Cockroaches can be the worst enemies of asthmatic people. The incidence of asthma attack may increase if your house is infested with cockroaches. Cockroach allergens can cause severe complications and can even be life-threatening. And people who are not asthmatic may develop cockroach asthma by inhaling cockroach allergens. If you found yourself having a slight panic attack after reading these not-so-fun facts, fear not, we have some simple yet effective solutions you can implement daily in your home! 1. Ensure that areas like the sink and the food preparation area is cleaned before you go to sleep. 2. Empty the dustbin in your kitchen regularly and always keep it covered. A pile of garbage is an open invitation to cockroaches. 3. Don’t leave your food open at nights to prevent contamination. Preferably, store all food stuffs in sealed containers. Clean your refrigerator regularly, at least once in a week. 4. Never keep old newspapers, books and magazines stacked openly. 5. Keep cockroach sprays handy so that you can kill them instantly when you see them. You can also use cockroach baits and other products in the market to get rid of hidden cockroaches in your home. Sprinkle some boric acid near cracks and crevices. 6. Block all entrances from where you think cockroaches are gaining entry into your home. Seal tiny cracks and holes present in the walls to prevent cockroaches from making a permanent home over there. 7. Pest control for heavy infestation is a must. Good sanitation should be practiced after pest control to prevent further infestation. Just like number 7 mentions, if you find yourself dealing with more than the casual sighting of a cockroach in or around your home, give us a call for a fast and FREE quote at (630) 451-8101.
Skip Content U.S. Flag Henry B. Anthony: A Featured Biography Photo of Senator Henry Anthony In the 19th century the Senate had no majority or minority leaders. Floor leadership was instead exerted by the chairmen of the party conferences. The genial Henry B. Anthony (1815-1884), a Republican senator from Rhode Island, served for several years as president pro tempore of the Senate, but gave up that post when he was elected conference chairman in 1875. As chair, Anthony acted much like the later majority leaders, giving committee assignments to members of his party, calling up bills for debate, and often speaking for his party on the issues of the day. He was also the author of the "Anthony Rule," an early attempt to limit debate in the Senate in the days before cloture. Known as the Father of the Senate, Anthony served from 1859 until his death in 1884.