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Monroe Doctrine Only available on StudyMode • Download(s) : 438 • Published : April 20, 2012 Open Document Text Preview Ever since its inception as a nation, the United States of America followed a foreign policy of isolationism right up to president Jefferson. This was become the European nations, which were at the helm of American affairs, were involved in several conflicts and turmoil, and American presidents realized the folly of involving such a young nation in war. Thus in 1793, when France declared war on Britain, Americans had divided opinions on the course of action. The federalists wanted to support Britain, and Hamilton, the secretary of treasury, rallied their cause. Secretary of state, who like many other Americans wanted to support France against Britain. However George Washington stuck by his policy of isolationism and avoided conflict. John Adams, and his successor Thomas Jefferson also adapted this policy. When this conflict between Britain and France increased, Jefferson placed an embargo on trade with both nations. While this action highlighted American neutrality, it was also harmful for the American economy, which led to the removal of the embargo. This step highlighted the folly of the policy of isolationism; making it obvious that United States had to make a stand, while continuing its policy of neutrality, not simply isolate itself from world affairs. Hence was a predecessor to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was the fruition of early American foreign policy. It was delivered by president James Monroe, in his seventh annual address to the Congress on the 2nd of December 1823. It stated that United states would not tolerate any attempt by the European powers to colonize or interfere in the functioning of the western hemisphere, whilst the western hemisphere would in no way interfere in the European sphere of influence. It was meant to protect the newly independent Latin American states from European control. It was a defining moment in the separation of the old and new world, and became a long-standing American policy with minor variations, to be invoked by several American presidents. The Monroe doctrine, was delivered, and not read out in the congress unlike the other addresses. In this address Monroe gave the background for such a policy and the existing state of foreign relations, in which he mentioned negotiations with France, and dialogue with Russia on their commercial interests in the United States. He also talked about the Treaty of Ghent and the difference between US and Britain on the boundaries between the US and Canada. The president also announced to Congress a new round of negotiations with the British toward establishing a treaty that would define the exclusive and shared commercial interests of the United States and Great Britain as regarded states and territories bordering on lakes and rivers emptying into the St. Lawrence River. Thus he justified the need for such a policy and in his address included military strategies and provisions to safeguard it, like authorizing additional naval force for safeguarding their commercial interests in the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic coast. The key paragraph of the address, which summed up the foreign policy stated “We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere, but with the Governments who have declared their independence and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any inter- position for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States”. The Monroe... tracking img
Ponderosa Pines are for the Birds ponderosa pine (2 of 2)Next time you walk by a Ponderosa Pine, go stick your nose on the tree and take three short inhalations. You’ll smell vanilla. If you’re on a long hot summertime backpacking trip the smell will be almost as refreshing as if you had just had a spoonful of cold vanilla ice cream. By the way, the three short inhalations are otherwise known as “The Fireman’s Sniff.” Firefighters know that three short inhalations deposit more odor molecules in our nostrils, enhancing our ability to smell. They need odor information in all kinds of situations, to smell smoke or detect dangerous chemicals. But it works with all kinds of odors. Try it on your food tonight. Now back to the vanilla-smelling ponderosa pines. They smell that way because of chemicals in their bark called “terpenes.” Terpenes are a large group of naturally occurring hydrocarbons found throughout the plant world. Vitamin A is a terpene, modern medical steroids are derived from them, and conifer resins give us terpentine. Insects affect the chemical composition of the terpenes in ponderosa pines. And when birds, such as Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pygmy Nuthatches, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, stop by the trees for a snack of fresh insects, they can actually alter the terpenes by removing sufficient numbers of insects. Because the smell of the terpenes influences the desirability of the tree’s bark to bark beetles, squirrels, and porcupines, the birds indirectly affect the health and the life of the tree. Whhite-breasted Nuthatch (1 of 1) Birds, small mammals, and insects aren’t the only ones that have used the trees for food. Native Americans collected the sweet inner bark of the tree in the spring time and rolled it up to use as food later. They harvested in the spring just when the sugar content was highest. They also used the sap to make waterproof baskets and to repair leaks in canoes. The Nez Perce showed Lewis and Clark how to make canoes from the trees which the Corps of Discovery then used to float down to the Pacific Ocean. The birds, by removing large numbers of insects from the trees, help spur growth. Scientists think that one function of the terpenes in the bark is to act as a kind of immune system for the tree. Many species of bark-eating insects weaken the tree’s immune system just like stress can weaken yours. After the trees begin producing mature seeds in their pine cones, you’ll find the smaller song birds joined by larger birds like Red Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks and Stellar’s Jays. Every female cone produces about 75 seeds and an individual tree may produce hundreds of cones every three or four years. The presence of the larger birds indicates that the tree is at least 45 years old. ponderosa pine (1 of 2)If its bark flakes off easily and has that distinctive burnt orange color associated with ponderosa, the tree is at least 125 years old. But it could be far, far older than that. You could be sticking your nose on a tree that popped out of the ground when Henry II was the King of England, or when Isaac Newton first took breath, or when billions of Carrier Pigeons roamed the air over the planet. The oldest Ponderosa we know about lived to be 1047 years old. Think of what that tree in Colorado witnessed as it lived through its allotted millennium of life. Imagine how many generations of song birds and jays feasted on its outpouring, all the while helping protect it from disease. For more on the science of pines here is a recent article. This is a good piece on the history and ages of the ponderosa pines. Thanks to Larry at Wild Resiliency for the idea and the link. Tags: , , , , One Response to “Ponderosa Pines are for the Birds” 1. Larry Glover Says: Great piece Kent. Nice job explaining the relationship between the insects, the terpenes and the birds. Think I need to go smell one of those mysteriously old ponderosas again. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s %d bloggers like this:
Final Web Design Blogs What is HTML? What is HTML? Have you ever been curious about how the internet is constructed? The answer is complex but HTML is the foundation computer code that is used to create the World Wide Web. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and uses markup tags to located content and files and then publish them for viewing on the World Wide Web. HTML tags are structured by a opening and closing markup tag ie '<> </>' Most modern websites consist of more interactive and engaging web functionality then just HTML can offer. These often more dynamic websites are created through the use of HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and MySQL databases. All websites are developed using HTML but often are combined with additional languages that generate a more interactive and engaging user experience. HTML Structure There are two main structures to HTML web pages, including the head and body sections. The head section of a HTML document identifies the non-visual elements that generate the web page. The head sections non-visual elements can include the websites meta information, css style sheets, scripts and additional information that is used within the web page The second section is the body section. The body section of the HTML document is where the visual elements are generated and what users see while visiting a website. Importance of Learning HTML It could be argued that learning HTML is important if you have any desire to work in the information technology or computer programing fields. With simple skills in HTML you will find yourself a more valuable and skilled employee in todays ever evolving workforce. HTML is the foundational language needed to understand other web languages. With a strong understanding of HTML you will find that you are ready to learn additional languages such as CSS and Javascript. Perfecting your HTML Skills Practice makes perfect. You will realize that learning HTML is something that you will only get better at with practice. The majority of professional web developers and programmers spend countless hours improving and perfecting their HTML skills. Stay active in the web development community and always continue to explore new outlets and techniques used to improve your understanding of web development and coding. 5 New Significant Technologies Half the Internet Goes Down - DDoS Attack Suspecte... Related Posts Other Posts 12 January 2013 Tech Blog Today’s media companies are realizing the importance of going beyond the content distribution business in order to survive. Interestingly, many tech companies are morphing into product driven media co... 21 October 2012 Tech Blog Mobile apps dramatically impact modern healthcare. The smart phone’s ability to instantly access medical diagnostics and patient records is saving lives and improving healthcare outcomes. Some of... 11 September 2013 Web Design Blog A web design portfolio is kind of like a resume for a web designer. If you’re a business owner who simply knows about the processes of running a business, then you probably don’t know much about prope... 11 December 2012 Tech Blog Fields marked with * are required Contact Final Web Design: (888) 674-7779 Email Final Web Design at "" or fill out the contact us form below.
Black History Month – A Word on the Abolition of Slavery. SlaveryBlack History Month is recognised in UK in October; Canada and USA have their Black History Month in February. I am a White, middle-aged man. This article is from my perspective looking at History at the deplorable trade in Humans. I encourage everyone to look a little further. I do not write about Politics directly, though some of my articles do sometimes touch on subjects that are often involve in politics – clearly this is one. There have been many forms of Slavery over Human History and there are several examples of States abolishing Slavery. In this article I’m looking mostly at the African Slave Trade and looking at recorded History. Common conception in the UK is that we were the first to abolish slavery, in 1807. That’s a rather blinkered view; but then much of what we are taught in the UK has a British (often more accurately English) or at least European bias. The truth is usually out there for people to read, often without having to dig far either. It isn’t always that the facts have been altered, just that some facts have been omitted. Slavery was not a recognised status in Britain in any statute. However clearly there were Slaves on British Mainland, mostly being used as domestic servants. In the late 1700s the estimate was somewhere in the region of 15,000 Black people held as, or in the form of, Slaves. This was tested in British Common Law in 1772 when a Slave, James Somerset, had his case heard in court. Somerset was bought as a Slave in the British Colony of Boston by a Customs Officer named Charles Stewart. Stewart returned to Britain in 1769 and at some point in 1771 Somerset escaped. He was recaptured and imprisoned on a ship to transport him to Jamaica to be sold as a work-slave on a plantation. Somerset had been baptised and his God Parents brought a case of unlawful imprisonment. William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, heard the case and after giving the parties a chance to settle the matter between themselves retired to reach a decision. The case resulted in James Somerset being freed and set a precedent in British law that no Slave brought to Britain could be removed against his own wishes to be sold abroad. However that precedent did not stop the movement, including recapturing and exportation of Slaves. There is documentary evidence of newspaper adverts regarding this practice. Further the Earl of Mansfield later decreed that a Slave in England need not be paid for work undertaken. So clearly a Slave brought to England was still a Slave unless when forced to leave England someone intervened. Portugal made the most strident steps in Europe at the time. In 1761 Portugal had abolished Slavery in mainland Portugal and the Indian Colonies. Black Slave Trade was outlawed in 1774 and children of slaves that had been born in Portugal were emancipated. There was clearly a two-tiered system in place with people of different ethnicity being treated in a variety of ways. Moreover Slavery in the South American colony of Brazil was still legal under Portuguese law. The Portuguese island of Madeira didn’t outlaw Slavery until 1777. Slavery wasn’t outlawed in Portuguese territories in Africa until 1869. Brazil, independent from Portugal since 1825, passed a law in 1831 banning the importation of Slaves but didn’t ban Slavery inside Brazil until 1888 after slowly implementing other reforms. France abolished Slavery in all of its territories in 1794. However Napoleon reversed this in 1802, something that clearly contradicts any slogan of ‘liberty’. The French didn’t release all Slaves in its colonies until 1899. The American States that rebelled against Britain suspended the Slave Trade in 1795 and Slavery slowly became illegal in some States, the first was in 1777 when Vermont freed males aged over 21 and females aged over 18. Pennsylvania followed in 1780 with a law that anyone born to a Slave was not a Slave, though anyone who was a Slave at the time of the law being passed remained a Slave. Pennsylvania finally ended Slavery in 1847. Abraham Lincoln declared Emancipation in 1863 but the law was not passed until 1865. So given the above Britain’s claim of being the first to free slaves in 1807 doesn’t stand up to historical record. And there is more yet to discredit the claims. Despite Slavery being banned already in Portugal and Britain a treaty banning Slave Trade between the countries was made in 1818 after Britain had paid Portugal to stop the trade North of the Equator in 1815. That of course was Trade that technically was not on British or Portugal mainland. All of this though makes all claims by Europe, or countries ruled by Europeans, to have abolished Slavery as a little disingenuous. So if not in Europe or America which country did, in truth, abolish Slavery first? In all forms and for all people that came under its control? 1804 Haiti gained independence from France. A Slave revolt in 1791, led by Toussaint Louverture and aided by free people of colour such as Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a Black French Officer. They repelled Spanish and British invaders and sided with France when they abolished Slavery. They then resisted Napoleons forces sent to reclaim the territory in 1802. There was infighting between the revolutionaries and sadly many white non combatants were slaughtered after independence, though those that fought with the new regime, such as a large number of Polish soldiers were spared. However history clearly shows that Haiti abolished all Slavery first. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
How can we help? You can also find more resources in our Help Center. 35 terms Chapter 17 Hormones Pituitary hormones Follicle-stimulating hormone FSH ovaries- female: growth of ovarian follicles and secretion of estrogen testes-male: sperm production luteinizing hormone LH ovaries- female: ovulation, maintenance of corpus luteum testes- male: testosterone secretion thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH growth of thyroid, secretion of thyroid hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH growth of adrenal cortex, secretion of glucocorticoids prolactin PRL female- milk synthesis male- increased LH sensitivity growth hormone GH widespread tissue growth, especially in the stated tissues antidiuretic hormone ADH water retention oxytocin OT labor contrations, milk release; possibly involved in ejaculation, sperm transport, sexual affection, and mother-infant bonding follicle-stimulating, luteinizing, thyroid-stimulating, adrenocorticotropic, prolactin, growth 6 anterior pituitary hormones antidiuretic, oxytocin 2 posterior pituitary hormones thyrotropin, corticotropin, gonadotropin, growth-hormone 4 hypothalamic releasing hormones that regulates the anterior pituitary prolactin, somatostatin 2 hypothalamic inhibiting hormones that regulates the anterior pituitary thyrotropin-releasing hormone TRH promotes secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) corticotropin-releasing hormone CRH promotes secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH promotes secretion of follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) growth hormone-releasing hormone GHRH promotes secretion of growth hormone GH prolactin-inhibiting hormone PIH inhibits secretion of prolactin PRL inhibits secretion of growth hormone (GH) and thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) follicle stimulating hormone FSH and luteinizing hormone LH pituitary hormones which targets the ovaries and testes thyroid-stimulating hormones TSH pituitary hormones which targets the thyroid gland adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH pituitary hormones which targets the adrenal cortex prolactin PRL pituitary hormones which targets the mammary glands, testes growth hormones GH pituitary hormones which targets the liver, bone, cartilage, muscle, fat antidiuretic hormone ADH pituitary hormones which targets the kidneys oxytocin OT pituitary hormones which targets the uterus, mammary glands steroids, peptides, monoamines three chemical classes of hormones cholesterol, gonads, adrenal glands steroids are derived from and are secreted by chains of amino acids, pituitary, hypothalamus peptides and glycoproteins are created from and secreted by amino acids, adrenal acids, thyroid gland monoamines (biogenic amines) are derived from and secreted by cholesterol or amino acids with carbohydrate added to make glycoproteins all hormones are made from steroids hormones sythesized from first several amino acids is a signal peptide that guides it into cisterna of rough endoplasmic reticulum step 1 of peptide synthesis signal peptide removed to form prohormone step 2 of peptide synthesis golgi does final transformation to hormone packaged for secretion step 3 of peptide synthesis follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormones two gonadotropin hormones that target gonads
How can we help? You can also find more resources in our Help Center. 12 terms ebio Microevolution and Macroevolution evolution at or below the level of the species evolution that is above the level of species, such as orders and classes) directional selection average value of a trait is shifted in a particular direction (higher or lower) stabilizing selection acts to standardize the population around some average value. May be the most common type of selection disruptive selection the environment selects for the two extremes, against the average, splitting the population in two or more types disruptive selection diversifying selection is also known as what? industrial melanism replacement of a light morph by a dark morph in an industrialized area - nearly 200 species of Lepidoptera The adjustment or changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism to become more suited to an environment homologous structures Structures derived from a common ancestor or same evolutionary or developmental origin, evidence of divergent evolution analogous structures Structures of different species having similar or corresponding function but not from the same evolutionary origin. Evidence of convergent evolution. Superficially similar, but structurally and developmentally different divergent evolution when an interbreeding population or species splits into two or more descendant species, resulting in differences convergent evolution When organisms evolve structures that have similar structures or functions in spite of their evolutionary ancestors being unrelated
Skip Navigation A frequent claim in the climate change debate is that a “consensus” or even “overwhelming consensus” of scientists embrace the more alarming end of the spectrum of scientific projections of future climate change. The Issue The global warming debate is one of the most consequential public policy debates taking place in the world today. Billions of dollars have been spent in the name of preventing global warming or mitigating the human impact on Earth’s climate. Governments are negotiating treaties that would require trillions of dollars more to be spent in the years ahead. Politicians including President Barack Obama and government agencies including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) claim “97 percent of scientists agree” that climate change is both man-made and dangerous. Our Stance The claim of “scientific consensus” on the causes and consequences of climate change is without merit. There is no survey or study showing “consensus” on any of the most important scientific issues in the climate change debate. On the contrary, there is extensive evidence of scientific disagreement about many of the most important issues that must be resolved before the hypothesis of dangerous man-made global warming can be validated.
take (something) into consideration Definition of take (something) into consideration 1. : to think about (something) before one makes a decision or forms an opinion We will take your experience into consideration when we decide who will get the job. Results of the study should be taken into consideration before the medication is prescribed to patients. Word by Word Definitions 1. : to get into one's hands or into one's possession, power, or control: such as : to seize or capture physically : to get possession of (fish or game) by killing or capturing 1. : a distinct or personal point of view, outlook, or assessment : a distinct treatment or variation : an act or the action of taking: such as 1. : some indeterminate or unspecified thing : a person or thing of consequence : one having more or less the character, qualities, or nature of something different 1. : in some degree : somewhat : used as an intensive giving adverbial force to an adjective 1. : continuous and careful thought : a matter weighed or taken into account when formulating an opinion or plan : a taking into account Seen and Heard What made you want to look up take (something) into consideration? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). to cast off or become cast off Get Word of the Day daily email!
Interrupting Ransomware Interrupting Ransomware The threat landscape is ever expanding. In the past, threats were limited to minor attacks that would cause a small amount of damage to an organization. As time has progressed, far more advanced attacks have surfaced, such as complex phishing attacks and ransomware, resulting in extensive damage to organizations. Today, cyberattacks have become more prevalent, and much more difficult to prevent, which has increased the number of major, targeted attacks on businesses—I’ve seen many smaller and less experienced cybercriminals gain access to incredibly advanced hacking technologies. Take a look, for example, at how easy it is to gain access to ransomware as service (RaaS). The fact is, ransomware is only one type of threat in the wild. Organizations need to look beyond the payload and pay closer attention to the exploit as well. If an organization’s security stack fails to block an exploit, then the payload, ransomware in this case, has a much higher likelihood of being successful. The continuing rise of mobile usage also presents newer threats. Using our mobile devices for so many different tasks and having them constantly connected makes them perfect targets for cyberattacks. Once attackers gain access to your mobile device, they have access to an unprecedented amount of personal and professional information. The Internet of Things has also contributed to the rise in cyberattacks, as more devices than ever are now connected to the internet. So, how can organizations stop attacks sooner and prevent them? A few years back, Lockheed Martin coined the term “Cyber Kill Chain.” The seven steps of this kill chain provide visibility into an attack methodology. Step 1: Reconnaissance. The attacker gathers information on the target before the actual attack starts. He can do this by looking for publicly available information on the Internet. Step 2: Weaponization. The attacker uses an exploit and creates a malicious payload to send to the victim. This happens on the attacker side, without contact with the victim. Step 3: Delivery. The attacker sends the malicious payload to the victim by email or one of the many intrusion methods the attacker can use. Step 4: Exploitation. The exploit is actually executed. (This step is only relevant if the attacker uses an exploit.) Step 5: Installation. Malware is installed on the infected computer. This step is relevant only if the attacker used malware as part of the attack, and even when there is malware involved, installation is just one point in time within an elaborate attack process that takes months to complete. Step 6: Command and control. The attacker creates a command-and-control channel in order to operate internal assets remotely. This step occurs throughout the attack, not only when malware is installed. Step 7: Action on objectives. The attacker performs the steps to achieve his goals inside the victim’s network. This is an elaborate process that takes months and involves thousands of small steps. While the cyber kill chain doesn’t take into account insider threats, it does a fairly decent job of summarizing the chain of events for cyberattacks. Most of the products in the market today focus on step 7 of the kill chain (action on objectives). While I agree that solutions such as threat analytic platforms and UEBAs are needed, I also believe we should be able to stop threats before exploits deliver their payloads to client systems. If we change our thinking, and focus more on step 2 (weaponization), step 3 (delivery), and step 4 (exploitation), then we can stop cyberthreats sooner. In the past few years, we have seen a number of threat feeds surface; however, over time most of these have lost value as they don’t provide context for threats that are specific to an enterprise. What if we took those threat feeds and augmented them with an active geographically distributed crawling technology net to gather even more data on malicious URLs, exploits, malware, and ransomware? What if you could use this same technology within an enterprise to gather zero-day threats that are specific to that enterprise—and in in real time? Such an approach would arm organizations with solid contextual knowledge about the threat surface specific to them. This isn’t where we should stop. Now that have thousands of valid threats per hour they need to be distilled down. Security teams could take the captured exploits along with malware or ransomware and replay them against a virtualized replicate of their security architecture and assets from their environment, right down to specific operating systems, applications, firmware, signatures, and behavioral technology. This would allow organizations to know which security solutions (layered or not) are actually protecting them. Now stack that with visualization of the exploit chain of events and indicators of attack from any exploit against the environment and you have one powerful solution. Since we’ve gathered the exploits and payload in the process, the PCAP, SAZ and shell code is available with the IOAs. Such IOAs can be consumed via an API, which allows for automated threat mitigation with endpoint detection and response technology. This will help organizations protect against such threats through new signatures, adjustments in behavioral algorithms, and even patches. Combining the NSS CAWS Cyber Threat Protection Platform and Contextual Threat Analysis (CTA) product with SIEM, threat analytics platforms, endpoint, and incident response platforms would drastically decrease the likelihood of a successful cyberattack. Follow us on Twitter @NSSLabs to keep informed as new research is released. TAGS: Blocking Ransomware, Exploits, Malware, NSS Labs, Ransomware, Ransomware in the cloud, Remediation
My Cat Has White Gums CatChannel veterinary expert Arnold Plotnick, DVM, says anemia could affect gum color. Q: If a cat has white gums, what does that mean? A: Pale gums suggest that your cat is anemic (deficient in red blood cells). If the gums are truly white, and not just pale pink, it suggests severe anemia. Pale or white gums should be investigated immediately by your vet. If your vet confirms that your cat is anemic, he can do a test called a reticulocyte count to determine whether or not the bone marrow is successfully trying to replenish the blood stream. If the reticulocyte count is high, this means the bone marrow is trying to replenish the missing red blood cells, and this narrows the cause of the anemia down to either blood loss (internal or external bleeding), or lysis (destruction of the red blood cells by the cat’s own immune system). If the bone marrow is not responding to the missing red blood cells, a bone marrow evaluation may be necessary to ultimately figure out the cause of the anemia. Depending on how severe your cat’s anemia is, your vet may recommend a blood transfusion to stabilize your cat while waiting for test results. Share On Facebook Share On Twitter Share On Google Plus Share On Linkedin Share On Pinterest Share On Reddit Share On Stumbleupon Article Tags: · · · · · Article Categories: Cats · Lifestyle
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Genetic data does not support ancient trans-Atlantic migration, professor says A few recent publications and documentaries have hypothesized about an ancient trans-Atlantic migration that possibly could mean ancient Europeans or ancient Israelites contributed to the population of Native Americans, often called an "Ice Age Columbus." However, Jennifer Raff, a University of Kansas assistant professor of anthropology, said mitochondrial and genomic data that scientists have recovered don't support such an early wave of migrants. "That hypothesis is only held by a very tiny minority of the archaeological community, but nevertheless it gets a lot of attention from people who have a casual interest in American archaeology," said Raff, lead author of a recent article in the journal PaleoAmerica on the issue. "When we summarize the genetic results we have, we find nothing that's consistent with these hypothesized trans-Atlantic migrations." Raff and co-author Deborah Bolnick, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin, published the article that evaluated these hypotheses in light of current genetic evidence from ancient and present-day Native Americans. They concluded that genetic data scientists have recovered to date only supports a migration from Siberia into the Americas and does not show evidence of earlier migrations from ancient Israelites or inhabitants of what is now Europe. Within the next month, the journal article will available to the public via open access, Raff said. The genetic piece of one recent argument for a trans-Atlantic migration—known as the Solutrean hypothesis—contended that the presence of mitochondrial haplogroup X2a in Native American populations provided evidence for ancient gene flow from Europe or the Middle East into North America. The hypothesis suggested that the North American Clovis culture dated roughly 13,000 years ago was directly descended from the Solutrean culture of southwestern Europe dated roughly 23,000 years before present. However, Raff and Bolnick said in analyzing all recent genetic studies of the earliest Native Americans they didn't find anything consistent with a possible early trans-Atlantic migration. For example, the recent publication of the complete genome from the 8,500-year-old Kennewick Man, found in Washington state in 1996, showed that he belonged to haplogroup X2a but had no indication of recent European ancestry throughout the rest of his genome. Michael Crawford, head of KU's Laboratory of Biological Anthropology and a professor of anthropology, was a co-author on that genetic project. Raff said it was significant that Kennewick Man was on the West Coast, as it put the oldest and most ancestral lineage of X2a ever recovered in a geographic region more consistent with a migration from Siberia across the land bridge known as Beringia, which no longer exists between Alaska and Siberia, than a migration across the Atlantic. Prior to the sequencing of his genome, Kennewick Man had been used as an argument to support non-Siberian ancestry, because his skull looked different from those of later Native Americans. But his genome, and that of other ancient Americans with distinctive skull shapes, showed that was not true. "When you look at the complete genome of ancient Native Americans up until now, we see no evidence for ancient European ancestry," she said. Proponents of an early trans-Atlantic migration typically point to a similarity in the tools used by Clovis people—ancient Native Americans—with the early Solutrean hunter-gatherer people in Europe, Raff said. However, most anthropologists and archaeologists consider that a coincidence, especially because the genetic evidence thus far doesn't seem to support the early trans-Atlantic migration. Raff said it was important to accurately examine the populating of the Americas, especially because many times in American history those who favor the idea of a European influence upon Native Americans have used that to take away from their tribal sovereignty and cultural achievements. "That is really troubling not just because it's bad science, but also because it's trying to disassociate contemporary Native Americans from their history," Raff said. "Even though I don't believe authors of the Solutrean hypothesis intended it this way, it's just another facet of that move to separate Native Americans from their ancestors." Diepenbrock, George.2016. “Genetic data does not support ancient trans-Atlantic migration, professor says”. Posted: January 15, 2016. Available online: No comments:
Rocky Shores The Oregon coast is famous for its rocky shores. Our uniquely beautiful coastline is visited by millions of people each year and provides habitats to countless species of animals and plants. Twice a day at high tide, surging waves send cold seawater crashing onto the rocky cliffs and beaches to collect in pools in the rocks. At low tide, the rocks might steam dry in the sun but the pools remain, havens for a variety of organisms. In order to survive in this rocky intertidal zone, plants and animals must be adapted to survive both the cold water and the hot sun. While some animals keep cool and wet in the tide pools, other trap moisture in watertight shells or crawl into the damp shade under rocks or beneath the broken leaves of bull kelp. As if exposure to water, wind, sun and waves weren’t enough, rocky intertidal life must cope with predators of all description – from seabirds to forest animals such as raccoons, skunks and otters. To deal with these challenges, many of these marine animals are covered in hard shells, have elaborate camouflage or are armed with stinging cells called nematocysts. When touring through this gallery, see how many of these defensive adaptations you can spot! rocky-shoresThe centerpiece of the Rocky Shores Gallery is our touch-pool. Staffed by volunteers, this exhibit lets visitors gently interact with tide pool residents like sea stars, gumboot chitons and anemones. Other gallery highlights include a tide pool cut-away raked by waves and a deep pool in which a visitor-operated video camera has been mounted for close-up investigation. The Rocky Shores Gallery holds a total of 15 exhibits, including habitats for the fearsome-looking (but gentle) Wolf Eel, brightly-colored rockfish and a wide range of sea stars, limpets and other invertebrates. What lives here? Black Rockfish Sebastes melanops The Black Rockfish can be found at depths of up to 1,200 feet (365 meters) but prefer mid-water and surface dwelling. The fish often gather together in huge schools, sometimes with other rockfish species including the Blue Rockfish. Box Crab Lopholithodes foraminatus Often hunted by octopus and other creatures that dwell on the ocean’s bottom, the Box Crab is a master of disguise. This crustacean’s descriptive name comes from its tendency to bury itself in the mud while pulling its legs in underneath its body and folding its claws in front of it – thereby appearing box-shaped. Burrowing Sea Cucumber Cucumaria miniata California Mussel Mytilus californianus California Mussels have large, blue-black shells (also called valves) with irregular growth lines. The shells are thick and pointed at the end attached to the rocks. California Stichopus Parastichopus californicus It may be hard to believe that these strange-looking creatures (commonly known as sea cucumbers) are actually related to sea stars, sea urchins and sand dollars. Canary Rockfish Sebastes pinniger As the name implies, Canary Rockfish are a stunningly colorful animal related to scorpionfish and thornyheads. They are usually bright orange and have three darker orange stripes across the head. Christmas Anemone Urticina crassicornis The Christmas Anemone is so called because of its dark green body with red striations that run vertically along the column toward the head. Like other anemones, this species can unfurl or retract its tentacles as needed. Flat Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes cinctipes Despite its name and appearance, the Flat Porcelain Crab is not a crab at all. In fact, it is more closely related to the lobster, but through a process known as carcinisation has evolved to look like a crab. Giant Green Anemone Anthopleura xanthogrammica If you have ever had the pleasure of going “tide-pooling” on the Oregon coast, you have undoubtedly seen these beautiful marine animals clumped to the rocks. When living close to the sunlight, these invertebrates are usually a vivid green – a coloration often causes people to confuse them for plants. Giant Rock Scallop Crassedoma giganteum Giant Rock Scallops have coarsely ribbed shells called valves. The upper valve is usually scallop-shaped but the lower valve takes the shape of the substrate to which it's attached. Grunt Sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsonii Ophiodon elongates This predatory fish is a common in our Halibut Flats exhibit where it patrols near the sandy bottom. The lingcod is a striking-looking fish with mottled coloring in gray, brown, green and blue. Hairy Hermit Crab Pagurus hirsutiusculus Monkeyface Prickleback Cebidichthys violaceus One glance and you will understand how this fish earned its unusual name. The adults have a large fleshy lump on the top of their head that looks similar to a primate’s nose. Ochre Star Pistaster ochraceus Ochre stars may be yellow, orange, brown, reddish or even purple. Small white spines form a pattern across their backs. Most Ochre stars have five stout, tapering arms but they may have four or seven. Purple Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus This urchin’s body and spines are typically bright purple. Juveniles are occasionally pale green or greenish with tinges of purple. They are domed above and flattened below. Red Octopus Octopus rubescens Red octopuses are small, dull red or reddish brown animals. They have eight sucker-lined arms and rough skin. Like their octopus kin, red octopus can change their skin color and texture at will. Sea Lemon Anisodoris nobillis It may be difficult to see typical animal features on the Sea Lemon and often they are mistaken for plants or inanimate marine objects by laypeople. Sharp-Nosed Crab Scyra acutifrons This crab is named after the unusual shape of its carapace, which has a sharp, snout-like feature at the front and a broad, flat rear. Stalked Tunicate Styela montereyensis Almost alien-looking, Stalked Tunicates (sometimes known as Sea Squirts) are often mistaken for a plant rather than an invertebrate animal. Strawberry Anemone Corynactis californica This beautiful invertebrate is abundant on rocky reefs, ledges and pier pilings all along the Oregon coast. They are usually found on open shores or in bays and can be easily spotted at low tide. Tiger Rockfish Sebastes nigrocinctus One of multiple species of rockfish to inhabit our Orford Reef habitat in the Passages of the Deep, this specimen is particularly colorful with red to black bands set against a pink or orange background. Wolf Eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus Clearly, this animal is not a wolf... but is it even an eel? Although this fish may appear like an eel, the similarities are superficial – true eels do not have fins.
Genetic variation in human populations and individuals I’m old enough to remember when we didn’t have a good sense of how many genes humans had. I vaguely recall numbers around 100,000 at first, which in hindsight seems rather like a round and large number. A guess. Then it went to 40,000 in the early 2000s and then further until it converged to some number just below 20,000. But perhaps more fascinating is that we have a much better catalog of the variation across the whole human genome now. Often friends ask me questions of the form: “so DTC genomic company X has about 800,000 SNPs, is that enough to do much?” To answer such a question you need some basic numbers in your head, as well as what you want to “do.” First, the human genome has about 3 billion base pairs (3 Gb). That’s a lot. But most of the genome famously doesn’t code for proteins. The exome, the proportion of the genome where bases directly translate into a protein accounts for 1% of the whole genome. That’s 30 million bases (30 Mb). But this small region of the genome is very important, as the vast majority of major disease mutations are found in the exome. When it comes to a standard 800K SNP chip, which samples 800,000 positions across the 3 Gb genome, it is likely that the designers enriched the marker set for functional positions relevant to diseases. Not all marker positions are created equal. Though even outside of those functional positions there are often nearby SNPs that can “tag” them, so you can infer one from the state of the other. But are 800,000 positions enough to make good ancestry inference? (to give one example) Yes. 800,000 is actually a substantial proportion of the polymorphism in any given genome. There have been some papers which improved on the numbers in 2015’s A global reference for human genetic variation, but it’s still a good comprehensive review to get an order-of-magnitude sense. The table below gives you a sense of individual variation: Median autosomal variant sites per genome When it comes to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), what SNP chips are getting at, an 800K array should get a substantial proportion of your genome-wide variation. More than enough for ancestry inference or forensics. The singleton column shows mutations specific to the individual. When focusing on new mutations specific to an individual that might cause disease, singleton large deletions and nonsynonymous SNPs is really where I’d look. But what about whole populations? The plot to the left shows the count of variants as a function of alternative allele frequency. When we say “SNP”, you really mean variants which exhibit polymorphism at a particular cut-off frequency for the minor allele (often 1%). It is clear that as the minor allele frequency increases in relation to the human reference genome the number of variants decreases. From the paper: The majority of variants in the data set are rare: ~64 million autosomal variants have a frequency <0.5%, ~12 million have a frequency between 0.5% and 5%, and only ~8 million have a frequency >5% (Extended Data Fig. 3a). Nevertheless, the majority of variants observed in a single genome are common: just 40,000 to 200,000 of the variants in a typical genome (1–4%) have a frequency <0.5% (Fig. 1c and Extended Data Fig. 3b). As such, we estimate that improved rare variant discovery by deep sequencing our entire sample would at least double the total number of variants in our sample but increase the number of variants in a typical genome by only ~20,000 to 60,000. An 800K SNP chip will be biased toward the 8 million or so variants with a frequency of 5%. This number gives you a sense of the limited scope of variation in the human genome. 0.27% of the genome captures a lot of the polymorphism. Citation: 1000 Genomes Project Consortium. “A global reference for human genetic variation.” Nature 526.7571 (2015): 68-74. One thought on “Genetic variation in human populations and individuals Leave a Reply
As a child I used to run along the rivers of the Palouse near Spokane, next to fields of wheat that would reach out across the rolling hills like a wild fire. In the late evening of summer days the yellowing stalks of grain would glow crimson in the dusk. You might be imagining cool, clear water in these river beds, small ripples catching the day’s last light. A hundred years ago that was the case. Today these rivers are green, with signs warning people not to swim. With the invention of petroleum based nitrogen during the Green Revolution, fertilizer became the cheapest way to produce a high volume of food. What before had come from manure and compost now was so concentrated that it started being used in bombs. Farmers, seeing the potential return, began increasing the amount of simple fertilizers added to their crops. The problem was the majority of this fertilizer never got to the roots. With tillage and the deconstruction of topsoil, fertilizer had little to bond with. Like an animal looking for food, fertilizer follows gravity until it finds humus, a natural form of carbon created through the lifecycle of soil bacteria. As our humus levels washed away with industrial agriculture, fertilizer had little to keep it from moving into our water. Called “algae blooms” by biologists, these fertilizers disrupt the natural ecosystem of streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, and aquifers, feeding algae that chokes out other plants, decreasing the food source for animals that live there. Or we drink it. My grandmother calls as I’m putting in a window on the cabin. “It hasn’t rained in months,” she says. “They’re calling for people to decrease water usage, but I don’t see anyone doing it. All the lawns are way too green.” My grandmother lives in San Francisco, which just experienced the most significant drought in 1,200 years according to researchers. As she talks I get a flashback to driving to see her as a kid, looking out the car window watching irrigation sprinklers in the San Joaquin Valley spraying hundreds of feet across the fields, men scratching among lettuce with hoes, water avaporating into steam in the air.
3D Printing: a tool for precision and personalized medicine 3D printed models provide better spatial comprehension of patient anatomy, allowing selection of an optimal, patient-specific treatment strategy. Preoperative simulation and surgical planning using these models minimizes actual operating time and cost associated with the use of surgical rooms. The time that the patient has to remain under general anesthesia and other potential complications are subsequently reduced leading to shortened hospital stay and decreased need for follow up procedures. Models can also been used to design implants and prosthesis that are customized to each patient. 3D printed models allow patients who typically don’t have years of medical training to gain deeper understanding of the planned procedure and alternatives before deciding to proceed with a treatment. 3D models are also superb educational tools for teaching anatomy, pathology and surgical techniques to trainees. Bioprinting, which involves printing of live cells and viable tissues that can potentially be implanted into human beings, is currently an active field of research.
Emphasis on Technology Technology: Any equipment, tools or operating methods that are designed to make work more efficient. Suppose you need information on how well your department is meeting its production standards. A generation ago you probably would have had to submit a requisition to the operations control department. Their response may have taken a couple of weeks, and the information would have been in whatever format the operations department dictated. Today, however a few key strokes on your computer will get that information you want which may be entirely different from the information one of your colleagues needs on a similar account. Since the 1970s, US companies such as General Electric, Citi group Global Technologies, Wal-Mart, and 3M have been using automated offices, robotics in manufacturing, computer assisted design software, integrated circuits, microprocessors, and electronic meetings. These technological advances make the organizations more productive and help them create maintain a competitive advantage. Technology includes any equipment, tools, or operating methods that are designed to make work more efficient. Technological advances involve the integration of technology into a process for changing inputs into outputs. For example, to sell its goods or services, and organization must first take certain inputs – labor, raw materials, and the like and transform them into output. In years past, many of these transforming operations were performed by human labor. Technology, however, has made it possible to enhance this production process by replacing human labor with electronic and computer equipment. For instance, assembly operations at General Motors rely heavily on robotics. Robots perform repetitive tasks, such as spot welding and painting, much more quickly than humans can. And the robots are not subject to health problems caused by exposure to chemicals or other hazardous materials. Technology is also making it possible to better serve customers. For example, Asian Paints offers over 1,000 shades of paint at “Color World” in its chain of retail outlets, where customers mix different colors on tinting machines to get customized shades. This allows dealers to stock limited shades, and manage inventories efficiently. Technology however, is not used only in manufacturing enterprises. The banking industry has been able to replace thousands of tellers with ATM machines and online banking systems. Technological advances are also used to provide better, more useful information. Most cars built today have an onboard computer circuit that a technician can plug in to determine operating problems, saving countless diagnostic hours for a mechanic. And at Wal-Mart, technology has meant getting and timelier information. Company representatives are able to instantly obtain warehouse logistics and inventories. As a result, Wal-Mart has increased its efficiency by more than 20 percent. Technology enhances the production process by replacing human labor with electronic and computer equipment. Believing that robots can do the job more reliably than humans, Honda uses robots extensively on its auto assembly line. The only jobs at Honda’s assembly plants requiring human labor are inspection, adjustments, and repair of defects. Technological changes, especially those related to information technology (IT), have had an continue to have a significant effect on the way organizations are managed. For instance, Dell Computer Corporation designed its newest factory without any space for inventory storage. ERP implementation at Hero Cycles has allowed the company to significantly reduce raw materials and finished goods inventories. The use of 3D Design software has reduced the new product design time to as low as 2 days for simple models, bringing it down from 30 days in the days of manual design. Both of those decisions and actions were made possible by IT. In addition, IT has created the ability to circumvent the physical confines of working only in a specified organizational location. With notebook and desktop computers, fax machines, high speed modems, organizational intranets, and other forms of IT, organizational members can do their work from any place, at any time. What are the implications of this vast spread of IT? One important is that employees’ job skill requirements will increase. Workers will need the ability to read and comprehend software and hardware manuals, technical journals, and detailed reports. Another implication is that IT tends to level the competitive playing field. It provides organizations (no matter what their market power) with the ability to innovate, bring products to market rapidly, and respond to customer requests. Companies such as India Mart for example, have made it possible for small exporters to access global markets directly through the medium of the Internet by providing online directories or online search engines for the searching of products. One of the greatest phenomena we’ve witnessed in business today, however, is the proliferation of activities over the Internet – commonly grouped under the term of the e-organization. • Justin Beaver nice post • Most of these new-age production techniques and processes are now also certified to make sure they’re able to reach a certain standard – standards that not only help in increasing production quality by setting goals, but also help production firms come up with consistent, high-quality products or services.
10.1.3 Race conditions If some other process is modifying the file system while tar is reading or writing files, the result may well be inconsistent due to race conditions. For example, if another process creates some files in a directory while tar is creating an archive containing the directory's files, tar may see some of the files but not others, or it may see a file that is in the process of being created. The resulting archive may not be a snapshot of the file system at any point in time. If an application such as a database system depends on an accurate snapshot, restoring from the tar archive of a live file system may therefore break that consistency and may break the application. The simplest way to avoid the consistency issues is to avoid making other changes to the file system while tar is reading it or writing it. When creating an archive, several options are available to avoid race conditions. Some hosts have a way of snapshotting a file system, or of temporarily suspending all changes to a file system, by (say) suspending the only virtual machine that can modify a file system; if you use these facilities and have tar -c read from a snapshot when creating an archive, you can avoid inconsistency problems. More drastically, before starting tar you could suspend or shut down all processes other than tar that have access to the file system, or you could unmount the file system and then mount it read-only. When extracting from an archive, one approach to avoid race conditions is to create a directory that no other process can write to, and extract into that.
Hurricane Katrina Anniversary Latino Workers Helped Rebuild New Orleans, But Many Weren’t Paid Santos Alvarado, 53, is among the thousands of workers who till this day haven't gotten paid for work that they did to help rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Fernando Lopez Thousands of Latino immigrants began arriving to New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the city a decade ago. They were lured by promises of high wages and abundant work. But once they got there, they faced another reality. Many became victims of wage theft and still haven't gotten paid for the work they did to help rebuild New Orleans—even 10 years after the storm. "The word was that there was a huge demand for workers to help with the reconstruction efforts," said Santos Alvarado, an immigrant from Honduras who has temporary protected status in the United States. He watched the hurricane's destruction unfold on television from his home in Dallas, Texas. Both Progress and Stumbling Blocks Linger a Decade After Katrina 2:30 So great was the demand for workers that the Bush administration temporarily suspended immigration regulations that required employers to verify the immigration status of people who worked for them. In doing so, it allowed federal contractors to hire undocumented workers to help meet the demand. Alvarado left Texas and headed to New Orleans toward the end of 2005. When he got there, he joined 2,000 people who worked cleaning hospitals, schools and government buildings. They all stayed in a hotel and worked 12-hour days. Image: 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina landfall A file picture dated 21 October 2005 of a woman walking past a mountain of debris that took up entire city blocks from homes destroyed in the Lakeview section of New Orleans, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of Latino workers, mostly immigrants, helped rebuild the city. BEVIL KNAPP / EPA After Alvarado left the hotel, he and three of his family members were hired by a contractor to remodel a home in New Orleans. It was then, he says, that he discovered contractors couldn't be trusted. The contractor promised to pay them once they finished the job. "We called him when we were done with the house, but he didn't answer," Alvarado said, adding that they later learned the contractor had left to Texas and had no intention of paying them. "He ended up owing us a total of $12,000 for the work that we did for about a month." Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, Alvarado is among the thousands of workers who were taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors and still haven't gotten paid. He told stories of how contractors picked up workers at street corners where Latino immigrants—many of them undocumented—congregate to seek work in the first few years after Hurricane Katrina. "By the end of the week, after they had done all the work, the contractors wouldn't pay them and threatened to call the police or immigration," he said. In other cases, workers were threatened with violence when they asked contractors to pay them the amount they were owed. Some workers called the police to report violence and wage theft but were discouraged when nothing was done. Many workers, including Alvarado, turned to the Congress of Day Laborers for help. The group was formed in December 2006 by the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice to fight back against wage theft and to defend rights of low-wage workers. "The reality is that wage theft is still happening," said Fernando Lopez, an organizer with the Congress of Day Laborers. "Unfortunately, people are still being robbed and taken advantage of." "But I also think we've been able to gain some recognition in the city," he added. "I feel like locals are actually thankful with a lot of immigrant workers who helped rebuild their homes." It's difficult to calculate just how many workers were victims of wage theft in the first few years following Hurricane Katrina. But a survey by Interfaith Worker Justice gives an idea of how many workers were impacted. Of the 218 workers that the group interviewed in New Orleans during the summer of 2006, almost half - 47 percent - said they didn't receive all the pay they were owed and 55 percent said they didn't received overtime pay. The survey also found many workers handled and inhaled a slew of toxins in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Of the workers interviewed, 58 percent said they were exposed to dangerous substances, such as mold and contaminated water. Alvarado said he was once tasked with cleaning up a school cafeteria filled with spoiled food but wasn't given proper safety equipment or training. "It smelled so bad that we could only be inside for no more than 30 minutes at a time," he said. "We couldn't stand the smell." Luz Molina, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, said one of the reasons why many contractors got away with worker rights violations following Hurricane Katrina was because the Bush administration suspended several labor laws, including one that set minimum salaries for workers. "It was the wild west of labor enforcement," she said. In December 2005, after moving back to her home in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Molina formed the Workplace Justice Project to provide free legal assistance for low-wage workers. She also helped form the Wage Claims Clinic in partnership with Catholic Charities and the Pro Bono Project. The clinic is open to workers every Thursday night. It provides workshops and teaches workers how to draft a letter to demand unpaid wages. Workers are also given the opportunity to meet with law students and staff attorneys to discuss the possibility of filing a lawsuit against an employer. In the last few years, the clinic has filed claims on behalf of workers to try to recover more than $700,000 in stolen wages. Molina said that to this day, she still runs into workers who are waiting to get paid for work they did after Hurricane Katrina. But also troubling, she said, are the stories of Latino immigrant workers who were injured on the job and didn't get medical care or those who were harassed by employers when they demanded to get paid for their work. "For 10 years, we've heard horrible stories of contractors dehumanizing their workers," she said. "And the truth of the matter is, if you took the Latino presence out, this city would not have recovered the way it did. There's absolutely no way that there would've been enough workers." Follow NBC News Latino on Facebook and Twitter
Attested: AI iter 12 and iter 13 Burrio Where: Usk, where a short-lived large Roman fort at SO37840052 was succeeded by a much smaller fort and a veterans’ settlement when the main Roman base shifted to Caerleon. Name origin: Latin burrus ‘orangey-red’, from Greek πυρρος ‘flame-coloured’, describing the local Raglan Mudstone, which can be seen in modern Usk Bridge and in soil beside Red Hill, a road near the fort. Celtic suggestions by R&S and others are not credible. Notes: This site probably had some of the first stone buildings in Wales. Last Edited: 26 April 2016
The DUP and Sinn Fein Overview This is the second in a series of weekly blog posts giving an overview of each of the main eight political parties' manifestos ahead of the General Election. In Northern Ireland there are 56 political parties registered to contest elections, with 18 constituencies. This blog focusses on two of the main parties; the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin. The structure and history of Irish politics is, at best, complex and I am not able to sum it up in 500 words. There has obviously been a huge amount of historical turmoil that affects where the parties stand now and changes that each party wants to make. This blog does not focus on the Republic of Ireland (southern) which is a sovereign state and is not part of the United Kingdom. In 2006 an agreement between the British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland's political parties in relation to the devolution of power resulted in the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the formation of a new Northern Ireland Executive. It also stated a decision by Sinn Féin to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland and courts and rule of law. This agreement was called the St Andrews Agreement. DUP are the only party in Northern Ireland with representation at every level. DUP is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. DUP believe that unionisation on all levels and working together is the way forward. Currently led by Peter Robinson the DUP is the fourth largest party in the House of Commons holding 8 seats. Sinn Féin state they are the only truly all-Ireland political party. They are an Irish Republican political party in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin is a left wing party believing in nationalism and democratic socialism. Sinn Féin firmly believe that Ireland should be an independent republic and their Facebook page states they are an Irish Republican party dedicated to the reunification of Ireland and the creation of a 32-county democratic socialist republic. Gerry Adams has been leader of the party since 1983. Currently Sinn Féin has 5 seats at Westminster. They are opposed to the Euro-led austerity measures which they believe have stifled the economic recovery. Although many will think that the May elections will not be affected particularly by Northern Ireland, the predicted closeness of the polls for Labour and the Conservatives may mean that Northern Irish MPs may be influential in deciding the Westminster government in a couple of ways. Firstly, potential MPs from the DUP (or the UUP if they win any seats) may be crucial to keeping a Conservative government in power. Secondly, Sinn Féin, who refuse to take up seats they win in Westminster (due to their long-standing policy of refusing to recognise the legitimacy of British rule in Northern Ireland), potentially lower the threshold required for a majority or to make a minority government stable. Neither party mention green or environmental concerns but both focus more on rebuilding communities and getting Ireland stable again. Publicly both parties are seen to be spatting with each other but on the other hand it appears that over the past few years that both the DUP and Sinn Féin appear to be both agreeing something between themselves and then passing it through the Executive and Assembly. Both parties appear to not particularly like or respect each other but there is certainly a picture emerging that they have some kind of informal agreement to drive changes forward. In summary, both parties are very focussed towards Northern Ireland (obviously!), both are community focussed and striving for stability, although the wrangling and squabbling still appears to be continuing. The parties are looking to increase their number elected representatives, and given the odds of a hung parliament it may increase the chance for smaller parties to wield some influence. UK Office: Unit 4.2 Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH Tel: +44 (0)117 325 4168 Site: CompanyX
Make us your home page Today’s top headlines delivered to you daily. (View our Privacy Policy) Meteorite strikes happen several times a year How often do meteorites hit Earth? When was the last event like this? What would happen if a sizable meteorite hit a city? A blast at low altitude or on the surface would result in many casualties and cause serious damage to buildings. The exact extent would depend on the mass of the meteorite, its speed and composition. European Space Agency spokesman Bernhard von Weyhe says experts from Europe, the U.S. and Russia are working on way to spot potential threats sooner and avert them. But don't expect a Hollywood-style mission to fly a nuclear bomb into space, like the movie Armageddon. Associated Press Meteorite strikes happen several times a year 02/15/13 [Last modified: Friday, February 15, 2013 10:36pm] Photo reprints \| Article reprints Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours
Charlie "Bird" Parker. Essay by cadenzaHigh School, 12th grade October 2003 download word file, 5 pages 3.0 As the nineteenth century drew to a close, so to did the era where the grandeur of classical music prospered as the essential foundation in the world of Western music. Society implored music that boasted simplicity, energy and a modest approach to real life issues, devoid of the glamour and cultural idioms exhibited by former composers, predominantly European. Inevitably, the famed arrival of jazz emerged at the turn of the century from the creative flair of Negro Spirituals, gospel and blues. As with nearly every facet of music, jazz is only a broad term applied to represent a myriad of styles within jazz. Bebop, rag, swing, blues and scat are only a few examples of jazz styles, each identified via individual characteristics and features. Some styles have developed naturally, while others were the direct product of influential leaders. Charlie Parker, a virtuosic saxophonist and composer is the epitome of a jazz leader; his field - bebop. Born in 1920, many perceive Parker as a product of Kansas City jam sessions, his hometown. As a youth, Parker was exposed to a range of Afro-American folk music (his father was a victim of black slavery) and, as was common in the U.S. in the 1930's, a variety of twentieth century concert music. Bebop can be identified as a style that exhibits frequent use of improvised solos, dissonant chords, complex rhythms and a continuous melodic line. Its performing media usually consists of a reed instrument, keyboard or piano, percussion and bass. The earliest examples of bebop were labelled as "inhuman" "inaccessible" and "absurd" by cynical journalists. Devoted advocates of the style, however, recognised the potential of the revolutionary advent and eagerly anticipated its rapid ascent to the heights of popularity. Atlantic Monthly music critic Francis Davis claimed Parker, "As Armstrong had...
Let your puppy show you how to run your computer without a Hard Disk Ye, it is possible, and I'm going to tell you why and how. So hold on. First here's why you don't need a hard disk: All you really need to run a computer is an operating system, which can access and use the computer's processor and dynamic memory (RAM). It really doesn't matter where this operating comes from. The Hard drive is just a place to store the operating system, software and other information when it's not being used. In theory you can use any storage media to store all this. Guess what, you can do it in practice too. It's just a simple case of writing software designed to run off your desired storage medium and not the hard disk. No, you don't have to do it yourself. People have done it already. My latest discovery is a beautiful piece of technical wizardry that goes by the unassuming name of Puppy Linux. it's a Live CD with a difference. Live CD's allow you to run an operating system straight off the CD. Unfortunately most Live CD's take the place of the Hard Drive a bit too closely, i.e. the software remains on the CD and is loaded into the RAM as and when needed. Puppy Linux turns this on it's head. When the CD boots, the whole OS is loaded into RAM. This is possible because the Operating System along with a variety of graphic tools, office software, multimedia programs and a full internet suite has been squeezed into a mere 60MB. So if you have a computer with just 64MB of RAM, you can run Puppy with ease. And the fun just starts there. Once the computer has booted up, you can actually take out the Puppy CD and put in another CD, without so much as missed byte. The Operating System simply doesn't care because it's all free of storage media. So you can listen to a music CD or even watch a DVD. And when you're done working, just pop in the Puppy Linux CD, and before shutdown any new files that you have created and any modfications you have made (including new programs installed) will be written to the free space on the disk. Now you not only have your documents on a portable CD, but your whole Operating System. (Yes, if you have a Hard Drive you can save files to it). And If all this CD swapping isn't your thing, your Puppy can even hitch a ride on a USB stick. So what you are waiting for? Trash that hard disk and go adopt a Puppy today! Massive Multiboot Postponed Preparing for a Massive Multiboot Multibooting a host of different Operating Systems is a challenge, but first I need to get a machine to multiboot on. Here are the system specs in case you're interested: • Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz • 512 MB RAM • Samsung CD-RW/DVD combo drive • 80 GB Hard disk • 17 inch CRT monitor, mouse, keyboard, usual assorted cables Everything is already at home, except for the monitor which is currently at my Uncle's house and which my dad's going to get in the afternoon. So in the evening I should be in a position to start to set up my Massively Multibooting Machine. But that also means that i need to decide exactly how many partitions I want. The simplest would be either eight 10GB partitions or ten 8GB partitions and that would be great if all the partitions had more or less the same function. But they don't. Referring to the Operating system list in the last post, Ubuntu will be my primary OS, which I will use for the more mundane tasks of emailing, blogging, writing documents etc. Arch will be my Linux experimentation OS, where I can learn about the internals of a Linux system. So that's two partitions, which should have 10 GB each. Third is a partition for PCLinuxOS, which I want because I think that it is the best KDE-based distro currently out there, and I really don't want to install KDE in Ubuntu. That shouldn't need more than 5GB. Before I start making partitions for my experimental OS's I think I should set apart disk space for my media and documents. My music alone weighs in at around 5GB and is expected to grow. Then there is about a gigabyte of miscellaneous files which are currently in my Home folder. And I should have a good 2 GB spare for keeping ISO images of distros. That brings it to around 8 GB in all. It would be prudent to keep some margin so about 14GB should be more than enough to meet any eventualities. Add to that a gigabyte of swap space. That brings the total to 25GB for permanent operating systems and 15GB for data and swap, making it 40GB in all. That still leaves about half my drive free. I am tempted to partition it all right now, but it would be a better idea to wait. Most Operating Systems won't need more than 2GB of space and my list of OS's that I want to try is bound to keep changing. So the 40Gb will be hanging around as free space for now. Getting the host of Linux systems to coexist shouldn't be too much of a hassle, but i am concerned with other systems like the BSD's, Minix3 and other more exotic operating systems that I'm interested in trying. I'm currently looking through the 100-OS forum posts and the GRUB manual. I'll be too busy tomorrow to try anything interesting, so most of the multi-boot action will have to wait till Monday. Building a Massively Multibooting Machine I'm getting a computer all my own this week and so I'm very happy. Now I'm not your average computer user and so i don't intend to use my computer for mundane things like just browsing the web and listening to music. I intend to turn this computer of mine into a Massively Multibooting Machine. First things first, what is a Massively Multibooting Machine (from now on referred to as MMM). Well, normally your computer boots or loads into memory one and only one operating system. For most people that will be some version of Windows. However it is quite possible to configure your system to be able to load more than operating system. Now that doesn't mean that you can run more than operating system simultaneously. You have more than operating sytem installed to your hard drive and you choose at startup which one it is that you want to use. A growing number of people who are moving to Linux from Windows normally double-boot Windows and Linux. Currently that's what I do. But there is really no reason to stay limited to just two operating systems. In fact a few months ago there was a post by person who had managed to create a multiboot system of over a hundred operating systems. Now my plans are nothing as ambitious. I'll be happy to boot about five to six operating systems. Right now my plans are to install the following: 1. Ubuntu 2. Arch Linux 3. PC LinuxOS 4. Fedora Core 5 5. FreeBSD 6. Minix3 Now as you probably know, it is not recommended (in many cases not possible) to install more than OS onto a single hard disk partition. Luckily for me, I have enough space on my 80GB hard disk. So I can certainly make about eight 10GB partitions, six for the operating systems and two to store my documents and music. I've posted a thread on the Ubuntu Forums asking for help, because I am uncertain as to how to go about the process of making sure that each Operating System is installed without interfering with the others. If you have any experience please leave a comment. I will be continuing with this tomorrow and will keep posting updates until I actually manage to set everything up properly. Yahoo! Now you can Google your Notebook! As the title shamelessly screams, this post is about Yahoo! and Google Notebook. Yahoo has released it's new homepage to public use, and it's a nice change from what it had earlier. However I can't help thinking that it's just a tad more cluttered than what it was before. Personally I don't really use Yahoo! at all. I've almost never used it's search and I only used it's mail briefly. The use of AJAX is quite nice though, but it would be nice if you could customize it, like Netvibes, or even personalized Google homepage. Yahoo! has always been somewhat of an oddity for me, I never really understood why it was around, or what it was used for. I mean, Google's used for searches, Flickr's used for pics, but what's Yahoo! used for? Yes I know it's a portal, but I never really found a use for it and so you could say that I am a bit indifferent to what happens to it. On to Google. Now that's a company that I see a lot of. Firstly I use Gmail, and firstly as well, I use their search everyday. And my first blog was on Blogger (though I quit that in six months). Now I like Google, despite all the hype about privacy loss etc. etc., for the simple reason that they give me free software and services that really are quite good. But of late, Google has been a bit disappointing. Blogger hasn't had any real improvements (like categories or stat tracking) for ages, the main page deserves a bit of an overhaul and many of it's newer products seem distinctly half-hearted. Take Google Notebook for instance, It appears to be a direct competitor to Del.icio.us, it lets you "bookmark" content on the web, add your note to it, categorize it and save it. But there is no tagging system and you can't place content in multiple categories. Like I said before, half-hearted. Another similar example is Google Calendar, which loses hands down to more mature apps like Kiko or 30boxes. Maybe it's about time that Google stop rolling out new products and take more care in improving and integrating existing ones. It is beyond me why Google is so keen to roll out clones of existing popular services, when it would be easier to just integrate existing services with ones that Google already has. For example, wouldn't it be great to have Gmail, Blogger, Del.icio.us, Flickr and your calendar app, say Kiko, all seamlessly integrated into one great Web 2.0 interface? Google, slam on the brakes and give your policy a good look through.
LiuHao LiuHao - 7 months ago 27 Python Question What does the regex [^\s]? mean? I am starting to learn python spider to download some pictures on the web and I found the code as follows. I know some basic regex. I knew . what's the meaning of of the first line? I am wondering why using And what's the difference between the two regexes? Alright, so to answer your first question, I'll break down [^\s]?. • The square brackets ([]) indicate a character class. A character class basically means that you want to match anything in the class, at that position, one time. [abc] will match the strings a, b, and c. In this case, your character class is negated using the caret (^) at the beginning - this inverts its meaning, making it match anything but the characters in it. • \s is fairly simple - it's a common shorthand in many regex flavours for "any whitespace character". This includes spaces, tabs, and newlines. • ? is a little harder to explain. The quantifier is fairly simple - it means "match this token (the character class in this case) zero or more times". The ?, when applied to a quantifier, makes it lazy - it will match as little as it can, going from left to right one character at a time. In this case, what the whole pattern snippet [^\s]? means is "match any sequence of non-whitespace characters, including the empty string". As mentioned in the comments, this can more succinctly be written as \S?. To answer the second part of your question, I'll compare the two regexes you give: They both start the same way: attempting to match the protocol at the beginning of a URL and the subsequent colon (:) character. The first then matches any string that does not contain any whitespace and ends with the specified file extensions. The second, meanwhile, will match two literal slash characters (/) before matching any sequence of characters followed by a valid extension. Now, it's obvious that both patterns are meant to match a URL, but both are incorrect. The first pattern, for instance, will match strings like Both of which are invalid. Likewise, the second pattern will permit spaces, allowing stuff like this: http:// .jpg http://foo bar.png Which is equally illegal in valid URLs.
Discrimination against LGBTQ Discrimination against LGBTQ The things that surprised me most about the discrimination were the lack of action when AIDs was first discovered and the role physicians played in increasing discrimination against LGBTQ people. Its really horrible how many people were allowed to die to this disease due to prejudice against the LGBTQ community. It is also horrible how physicians tried to use science to justify their own prejudice. This shows why it is so important to be aware of unconscious bias, so that we do not end up letting it affect how we treat others. I think the most important part of trying to reduce discrimination is to get people more familiar with people who aren’t like them, as this can prevent them from viewing groups different them as an ‘other’ like what happened during the AIDs epidemic. While we still have a long way to go to overcome prejudice we are slowly getting closer and can work together to reach that goal faster. 14 thoughts on “Discrimination against LGBTQ 1. I would also like to say that the AIDS epidemic was extremely frightening in so many therms of morality. I already knew that when AIDS was just discovered people though the disease was only susceptible to gay men. I did not know, that little was done in terms was preventive care or curing the disease. Even more amazing was the reason behind the lack of action. Due to the strong national dislike towards the queer community, the federal government decided AIDS was an isolated an unimportant issue at the time. It seems as if the whole country caught a bad case of karma when AIDS began to infect people from all sexual backgrounds. This just goes to sow that we should always help those in need, despite their own personal preferences that differ from our own. 2. The significantly higher suicide attempt rate of the transgender community compared to the general U.S suicide attempt rate gets us a glimpse of how difficult it must be to be a transgender and be happy. It must take so much courage and strength simply to go through every day living true to themselves. It takes a strong soul to refuse to bend to the pressures, the misunderstandings, the indifferences, or even the fear of the rest of the presumably “normal” population. But not everyone of the community is strong enough to be immune to the pressures of society, so they sink into depression, they close their hearts, they kill themselves. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for them to feel safe and content. They are who they are but still, so many do not allow them to be who they are. I am grateful for the past lecture, because as I go on to join the medical profession, I am reminded that I will need to confront individuals from this community and I will be held responsible for any bias I may have even if I may be unaware of them. How I respond to my patient can put down as well as lift up. And it is my goal that I always do the latter. 3. I agree with you. I think that problems like those you mentioned can be addressed more easily when people pay less attention to the stereotypes they have surrounding particular groups, and instead try and form a solution. 4. While we have progressed as a society as far as being more aware and more sensitive towards these issues, we still have plenty of work to do to end gender discrimination. The fact that members of the LGBTQ community often don’t get proper treatment simply because of their identities is sickening. It seems that we never notice these issues until people start dying. When numbers are thrown in our faces we finally get the picture. The best thing we can do is tackle this issue at its face and not allow it to just continue while no one takes action. More lives are going to be lost. 5. I agree that it was horrible that physicians were discriminating LGBQT by stating that only certain people were able to catch such a disease. What was even worse was that there was not much research thrown into trying to find treatment because they were already against LGBQT in the first place. Because of their ignorance, many more people started to get AIDS, which was finally able to catch the attention of the public. No one should have to be treat unfairly because of who they are and ignoring people that need help by using discrimination as an excuse is terrible. Stating that one person is different from another just because of their identity is not justification to not provide treatment. 6. I agree that it is really surprising how little was done when the AID’s epidemic broke out. I was amazed in lecture when we were told that it took years for Reagan to even say the word AIDs. If they had just addressed the problem, it probably would not have grown into the huge epidemic that it is. I also found the facts about Truvada really surprising. The fact that there is a pill out there that can greatly reduce a person’s chance of contracting HIV, but they don’t know about it is sad. In a time when more and more people are open about their sexuality, I think it is very important for clinicians to keep up on possible things they can provide for all of their patients. I agree with you that it is really important for people to become used to others that they are different from, but how could schools or employers enforce that? I think something like this class could be very useful. Before coming to U of M, I went to small catholic schools my whole life, so I really had minimal contact with the LGBTQ community. I really did not know what to think. Since I have been here though, the more exposure I have had to the topic has really made it easier for me to understand, and a lot of my misconceptions have been cleared up. I think that the doctor’s of our generation will be much more open to the LGBTQ community because we were raised in a time where it is acceptable and welcomed. I think it is mostly important for the doctors who are already doctors, who have not necessarily had the opportunity to clear their own misconceptions, to learn more about the community. 7. I also find it very frightening that people in the medical field chose to ignore a disease because it affected only a certain group of people. People working in the medical field have certain responsibilities that not all people have, because of their position. One of these is to do everything they can in order to help their patients. When physicians or nurses discriminate against their patients because of their lifestyle choices lots of harm is done. This is especially apparent in the LGBTQ community and the AIDS epidemic, so many lives were lost that could have been saved had more doctors cared to research the disease. All lives are extremely valuable and no one in the medical field should get to decide who lives and who dies. If research can be done to help cure a disease or stop its spread it needs to be done, no matter what. 8. I believe many of us were surprised of how little was done to fight the AIDS epidemic when it first broke out. I’m also surprised about how little is being done now. What I mean is how many people are unaware of the resources they have, like the preventive services to avoid contracting the virus. It’s also very surprising that services like these aren’t covered on most healthcare plans. I believe it’s a very important thing for our country to stop the spread of AIDS, and as of right now, I don’t believe we’re doing enough. I also agree that it was absolutely horrible what physicians did to increase discrimination against LGBTQ people in the sense that they made the assumption that only they could contract AIDS. The LGBTQ community was already discriminated on, and all that did was increase the discrimination they had to go through. I somewhat agree with what you said as being the largest role we must take to reduce discrimination. I believe to discrimination, not only against LGBTQ people, but against all people we must stop separating ourselves so easily and so fast. We need to stop placing people into categories and really look at people as what they are, people. Not some label we as a society decided to place on them. I also believe our society is on its way to solving this problem. We’ve become a much more accepting society, but we are no where near perfect yet. 9. I’m also shocked at the complete lack of action medical professionals took during the AIDS epidemic. It’s mind-blowing that these people first decided that they could just generalize this disease to the LGBTQ population, and then also decided that it was okay to just let these people die. These historical examples serve as an example to us to always be conscious of our biases and make every effort to not let them cloud our judgement, in healthcare and in day to day life. It also is just one of many cases of extreme discrimination that the LGBTQ community has faced, and is still facing. I think it’s important for schools at every grade level to focus on educating students about these minority populations and not shy away from these difficult and sometimes controversial subjects. We’ve made a lot of progress towards tolerance, but there’s still a long way to go and education is the first step towards equality. 10. The lack of professional help to LGBTQ while the AIDS epidemic occurred is eye opening yet not surprising. speaking from the perspective of other i could understand why health care providers would not like to help a certain group of people. There are a lot of boundaries that certain men and women would have to cross as professionals that would produce a uncomfortable feeling for many. Speaking from my frame of my mind i am completely open and willing to help anyone that reaches out. There is no logical explanation for the enormous amount of deaths that occurred during this time period. Just because you do not support someone’s lifestyle does not mean they deserve to suffer! 11. Back in the days, Lobotomy was a popular neurosurgical procedure used to treat mental illness such as schizophrenia. Researchers and physicians that that time believed that sticking an ice pick in a person’s head was a legitimate procedure for the surgery. A Nobel Prize in Medicine was even awarded to the inventor of this method. 70 years later, everyone has come to a unanimous behavior that lobotomy was ridiculous, just like other popular practices in the past such as the Geocentric theory, witch hunt and slavery. The more educated people become the more reasonable they are. I’m sure people in the future will look and laugh at the biased individuals today. The best thing we can to change the bias is through education. 12. It also surprised me that physicians would discriminate against the LGBTQ community. They have come a long way to help and treat people only to discriminate one group of people is unfair. A physician is supposed to help an individual in need despite their background or race. Everyone deserves to get the help they need. I hope in the future that situations like before never repeat itself because it is terrible that many individuals weren’t given the attention they need just because of their preferences which had no correlation to their health, or should’ve been a factor. At the end of the day, progress is slowly being made. 13. I was not very surprised that physicians would discriminate against the LGBTQ community. As of right now, in our society, it’s to be expected considering that many parts of the society are unwilling to accept that different aspect and personalities that make up our society. So, I agree that the first step to making change is to learn that things are changing and you may not always accept them, but these new characteristics of society make people who that are and everyone has a right to be who they are when they want to be it. 14. I agree I feel that the discrepancies between these groups in regards to healthcare is problematic. Though, I feel that reforms are coming naturally with the changing mindsets of the people as a whole. Leave a Reply
Limited access Upgrade to access all content for this subject Which of the following is not a characterization of Claudius by Shakespeare? He tells Hamlet that his persistent grief is unmanly and shows a will most incorrect to heaven because he is an officious and self-important man. He goes along with Polonius’s plan to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia because he is a gullible man who is susceptible to the wild theories of others. He demonstrates a consciousness of his sins but acknowledges that he does not feel adequate remorse to sacrifice what he has gained from his crime against his brother because he is cold-hearted and selfish. He encourages Laertes to pursue carefully planned revenge against Hamlet and manipulates Laertes into attacking him with his poison sword because he is self-serving and wishes to remain unimpeachable. He claims that Gertrude has fallen because she has fainted at the sight of blood because he privileges his own life above others and will sacrifice those he loves he most to achieve his own nefarious ends. Select an assignment template
Advices and tips The glass gets dirty, black with smoke The view of flickering fire and pleasant heat, it is the most beautiful delight brought by a prefabricated fireplace. Therefore, the fireplace needs to have clean glass all the time. What is most important is to prevent or at least minimize deposition of soot on the glass during heating. You can ensure this through the proper combustion temperature, dry wood (humidity 18-20%), sufficient supply of air and a suitable size of logs. The logs should be small, with the diameter of approx. 8-10 cm. A frequent mistake is also “suffocation” of fire to extend the combustion time to avoid frequent adding of wood. However, this leads to deposition of soot not only on the glass, but also in the fireplace, flue and in the chimney. You can remove soot from the glass by catching fine ashes on a wetted newspaper and using it to wipe soot off the glass. You can complete the cleaning by rubbing the glass with a wet paper napkin. How often should the fireplace and chimney be cleaned? If you use the fireplace for seasonal heating, you should have the chimney inspected by an expert at least twice a year in accordance with the ČSN 734201 standard. You should also clean the fireplace thoroughly once a year to extend its service life. Remove all the fireclay elements from the combustion chamber according to simple instructions, vacuum-clean the fireplace and replace the elements. If the fireplace gets excessively clogged (poor draught, wet wood, poor combustion), the fireplace needs cleaning more frequently. How often should ashes be removed? On the bottom of the combustion chamber leave 2-3 cm high ash layer. Ashes act as insulation of the grate, similarly to the fireclay elements at the fireplace sides. This enables you to increase the combustion temperature, which supports good combustion. Besides, ashes protect the grate from growing cinders. The ash pan must be regularly emptied so that the grate should not lie in hot ashes and get damaged. Cracked fireclay lining The fireclay lining of the combustion chamber protects the furnace jacket from high temperatures and at the same time supports complete burning of combustible gases. This fireclay lining gets damaged mechanically in most cases, which happens during adding of fuel. If the fireclay lining is only cracked, it need not be replaced immediately. A crack itself does not have any impact on combustion or service life of the fireplace. The fireclay lining must not be crumbled away down to the sheet metal. If the fireclay lining is becoming disintegrated, replace the elements according to simple instructions included in the operation manual. Fireclay elements are brittle and therefore they must be protected from dropping and impacts! When adding logs, do not sharply hit the fireclay lining as you might damage it. After opening the door smoke escapes into the room Do not open the door before wood turns into cinders! If you need to open the fireplace earlier, proceed carefully. First, open the door a bit to equalize the pressures and approx. after 10 seconds open the door for the necessary period. Another reason may be poor chimney draught. In such a case contact a chimney sweeper.
Urbanization (ning 4) Published on • Be the first to comment • Be the first to like this No Downloads Total views On SlideShare From Embeds Number of Embeds Embeds 0 No embeds No notes for slide • 0 • Urbanization (ning 4) 1. 1. Urbanization By: Jessica Bakken 2. 2. "A Merger That Puts New York on Top": New York City and the US Economy <ul><li>In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the discovery of electricity and the invention of the telephone, motion pictures, wireless radio and television solidified New York's economic hegemony </li></ul><ul><li>American Telephone & Telegraph and General Electric--and set the stage for Manhattan to become the headquarters of the three major TV networks. As a result, the city was able to reap enormous benefits from the postwar commercial explosion that was fueled by mass media and advertising </li></ul><ul><li>With 22 million online subscribers, it has a strategic location in the new e-economy. Although AOL Time Warner will keep a substantial base of operations in Northern Virginia, it is inevitable that the company's real center of gravity will shift to New York, where it can exploit the city's financial infrastructure, strategic experience and capacity to create content </li></ul> 3. 3. World Capitals of the Future and Rome vs. Gotham <ul><li>Today, Moscow and Shanghai lead the way in one of the most prospering countries </li></ul><ul><li>Manufacturing has propelled the rise of the great Chinese cities. In Brazil, Sao Paulo's growth spans everything from shoes and aerospace to technology. The city also dominates Brazil's growing energy sector, both renewable and traditional. Energy overwhelmingly of the fossil fuel variety – has powered the rise of Moscow and Dubai. </li></ul><ul><li>Also remarkable: the rise of other great cities – Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in India; Beijing; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Dubai – that a quarter century ago were either obscure or better known for their destitution than their rapid construction </li></ul><ul><li>Of course, none of these cities' wealth or economic power have passed leading global centers like Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong. But our list [1] of emerging global cities is clearly gaining on them – and with remarkable speed. </li></ul><ul><li>The great protean tradition of American urbanism--with scores of competing economic centers--is giving way to a new Romanism, in which all power and decisions devolve down to the imperial core </li></ul><ul><li>In many ways, the economic disasters in New York and other cities have proved a boom for Washington. Wall Street's demise, for example, has been D.C.'s gain as the locus of financial power leaves New York for the Treasury, Fed, White House and the finance-related congressional committees </li></ul><ul><li>Even today European cities and localities tend to have far less control over their destiny than in the U.S. Zoning, planning decisions and even economic strategy often originate from the center, as does the power to tax and spend </li></ul><ul><li>The great European capitals rose largely because they also served as the domicile of princes, bureaucrats and, until recent times, the clerical establishment </li></ul> 4. 4. Conquering and Settling the West: Gridded Lives <ul><li>One of first themes of the article is about how history has been changed in more of a glorified and innocent manner </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Instead of the image of the individuals in the frontier being fur traders then cattlemen and miners then pioneer farmers and then finally to townspeople there are being viewed as being more prosaic and powerful people being government planners, corporate bosses, railroad builders and land speculators who controlled and conquered the West </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>New historians are looking into the idea that they believe the West had gridded towns and that it was decided by corporations, railroads, and a national network of farms </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>It also compares the settling of the West to be that of communist Russia under Stalin which some people believe is a stretch </li></ul></ul> 5. 5. Immigrants and Cities : The Great Transatlantic Migrations <ul><li>The major theme of the article is that between 1870 and 1914 when the United States was overall having 23 million immigrants arrive during that time it was not the only country being affected immigration </li></ul><ul><ul><li>In the century before 1924, five and a half million people went to Argentina as well as four and a half million people went to Canada in which both nations were smaller in the size of there populate therefore a greater impact occurred </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>In 1914, one in every three people in Argentina were foreign born where even during the largest increase in foreigners, only one out of six was born outside the United States </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The entire article suggests that during this great migration across the Atlantic ocean, not only were European immigrants traveling to the United States </li></ul></ul> 6. 6. Immigrants and Cities : The City in the Land of the Dollar <ul><li>The article introduces people’s curiosity about why major cities in the United States such as New York look so visually different then every other major city around the world such as Paris, London, and Hong Kong </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Other famous cities are centered around historical monuments with diverse buildings around them while the cities in the United States are mainly tall buildings and parking garages </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>It also looks at how the cities got their start which in the United States the cities maintained a slaughter house, factories and granaries </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The difference with who built the cities is huge as well, New York was built by and for businessmen as a form of making money while other foreign cities were built by civic patrons and architects </li></ul></ul> 7. 7. Foreign Policy: Global Cities Issue <ul><li>The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by the city. In an age that appears increasingly unmanageable, cities rather than states are becoming the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built </li></ul><ul><li>Time, technology, and population growth have massively accelerated the advent of this new urbanized era </li></ul><ul><li>Many are world capitals that have evolved and adapted through centuries of dominance: London, New York, Paris. New York City's economy alone is larger than 46 of sub-Saharan Africa's economies combined </li></ul><ul><li>These cities are the engines of globalization, and their enduring vibrancy lies in money, knowledge, and stability </li></ul> 8. 8. Foreign Policy: Global Cities Issue (cont.) <ul><li>A massive influx of people has not only spurred the growth of existing cities, but created new ones from the factory towns in China's Guangdong province to the artificial " knowledge cities " rising in the Arabian desert </li></ul><ul><li>Globalization allows major cities to pull away from their home states, a reality captured by the massive and potentially dangerous wealth gap between city and countryside in second-world countries such as Brazil, China, India, and Turkey </li></ul><ul><li>An Asian monetary fund now provides stability for the region's currencies, and trade within the Asian sphere has grown much larger than trade across the Pacific </li></ul><ul><li>New pairings among global cities follow the markets: Witness the new Doha to Sao Paulo direct flight on Qatar Airways or the Buenos Aires to Johannesburg route on South African Airways </li></ul> 9. 9. Foreign Policy: Global Cities Issue (cont.2) <ul><li>The human world is fast becoming an urban world -- and according to many, the faster that happens and the bigger the cities get, the better off we all will be </li></ul><ul><li>Today's Third World megacities face basic challenges in feeding their people, getting them to and from work, and maintaining a minimum level of health </li></ul><ul><li>In 1975, Tokyo was the largest city in the world, with over 26 million residents, and there were only two other cities worldwide with more than 10 million residents but by 2025, the U.N. projects that there may be 27 cities of that size </li></ul><ul><li>Many of the world's largest advanced cities are nestled in relatively declining economies -- London, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and are suffering from a growing income inequality and outward migration of middle-class families </li></ul>
SpaceX Dragon V2 SpaceX has been taking cargo back and forth to the International Space Station since 2012, however the Dragon V1 they have been using is not human rated and can’t be reused. To solve these issues, CEO Elon Musk and his team have developed the Dragon V2, a reusable, human rated spaceship that comes with fully 3D printed rocket engines. Just the other day the private space company announced they had completed qualification tests of the 3D printed SuperDraco thruster engine. The SuperDraco’s combustion chamber is printed via direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), which utilizes metal powder and a high powered laser to fuse metal particles together. SpaceX decided to make the chamber out of Inconel; a nickel-chromium alloy that is also used in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Merlin rocket engines. SuperDraco Engines SuperDraco Engines “Through 3D printing, robust and high-performing engine parts can be created at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional manufacturing methods,” says Elon Musk “SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of what additive manufacturing can do in the 21st century, ultimately making our vehicles more efficient, reliable and robust than ever before.” The SuperDraco’s engines enable the Dragon V2 to land almost anywhere in the world, with helicopter-like accuracy. Each engine will supply around 16,000lbf of thrust, massive increase over the standard Draco’s 100lbf. According to Musk, the Dragon V2 will make its first voyage with humans on-board in 2016. The engines and craft itself still have a long way to go before they are safe enough to handle human passengers. Source: SpaceX
YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollections Designs for Space Colonies : Calculating Youths' Ideas on Traveling Are Way Out May 03, 1987\|LAURA FISHER Hsin-Fa (Seth) Chang was furiously scribbling calculus equations in a stuffy room in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory last weekend. Oblivious to the din around him, the 17-year-old senior from Temple City High School paused and asked: "What is the formula for the volume of a doughnut?" The doughnut in question was not the sugar-coated kind. Rather, it was an orbiting space station designed to hold several thousand colonists from Earth in the year 2007. Chang was competing with 107 other California teen-agers in the third Space Settlement Design Competition, also known as Spaceset 87, sponsored by the Explorer Scout post at JPL. Most of the participants, aged 12 to 19, are aspiring engineers and scientists recruited from the ranks of Explorer Scouts, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets, the Upward Bound college preparatory program and science classes. Potential Leaders "These are kids who are both sharp and demonstrate an interest in being leaders in the space design industry," said Anita Gale, a project engineer for Rockwell International who helped found Spaceset. The students' mission was to split into four mock aerospace companies that would put together bids for a contract to design and construct the first human settlement in space. The idea was to give teen-agers interested in space careers a taste of what it is like to work in the industry. More important, they got the chance to work hard and have fun doing it, said Rockwell project manager Dick Edwards, one of a dozen aerospace executives who volunteered to spend the weekend helping the students. "You don't survive in industry if you don't learn to have fun while you're working 16- and 17-hour days," Edwards said. The students, who paid $40 each to enter Spaceset, gathered in Pasadena on Friday night for an orientation session that included a talk by Tom Heppenheimer, author of "Colonies in Space." Next morning, they heard a lecture on how businesses function and were assigned to work for one of the four companies. The mock firms--Grumbo, Hugmar Ltd., Vulture and SVK--were modeled after existing aerospace giants. Each student got a handout with pertinent information about the mock companies--their history, strengths and weaknesses. They were told, for example, that Hugmar had been plagued in recent years by increased expenses and lower profits, and was counting on winning the bid to strengthen its financial picture, and that SVK excelled in producing mainframe computers for the aerospace industry. Colony for Thousands The fledgling scientists then set out to design a colony that would accommodate 5,000 people and could be expanded to eventually house 25,000. The proposals had to include provisions for not only such basic human needs as food, water and air, but also the economic, psychological and social elements of an entire community. They had to consider what the people would do to keep from going "stir crazy" inside the space station and how much such an installation would cost. The students were given a price list of structural materials available from Earth, the moon and asteroids, and each group got a personal computer that could produce graphics. The students had less than 24 hours to research and design their proposals, which were due at 9 a.m. Sunday. At that time, they made 30-minute presentations before the Foundation Society, a fictional organization that awarded the contract. 'Incredible' Proposals Each presentation had to include a drawing of the basic shape of the settlement, with the locations of residential, industrial, commercial and port areas. It had to describe how artificial gravity would be produced, how people would move around and how much manpower and time it would take to design and build the colony. Rockwell's Gale described the proposals as "incredible, much beyond expectations." "It's just amazing how much these kids can produce," she said. "With college kids, you might have a few more accurate computations, (but) you might get a more conventional approach. "These kids are not fettered by, for example, considerations of rotation dynamics." Probably foremost in the students' minds was the need to work quickly. Told to Skip Calculus To save time, Jim French, a volunteer from American Rocket Co. in Camarillo, who served as Hugmar's chief executive officer, advised his group to skip the calculus and just estimate the size and weight of materials and components. "You learn to work together in a group better and more efficiently because you have no time," said Tiffany Gibbs, a sophomore from San Gabriel High School who worked on the SVK team. "You have to work efficiently and be well organized in order to accomplish what we did." The deadline also made sleep a low priority. On Sunday morning, a bleary-eyed SVK team straggled into the JPL cafeteria, bemoaning the fact that none of them had squeezed in more than six hours of sleep all weekend. Despite their fatigue, spirits were high. Judges Award Bid Los Angeles Times Articles
Saturday, February 16, 2008 Hello faithful few, its that time again. I need theme music! LOL! I want to talk to you briefly about "Black History Month." It originated back in 1926 through the efforts of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The original name was "Negro History Week." He created the week so that people could be educated about the contributions of "African-Americans" in our society. It would also be a way for our people to recognize those of us who were trying to and succeeding I might add, in making a difference in our society. He picked the second week of February as "Negro History Week," so as to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln(two prominent leaders who proved most influential in the early civil rights movement). It evolved from being the second week in February to becoming the entire month of February and being known as "Black History Month," in 1976. I can recall in elementary school getting excited about the first of every year. One, my birthday came around(January 12th, for those of you who don't know!) and two, in approximately 4 weeks it would be "Black History Month." I have always been a history nut, but when it came to "Black History," I really became enamored with history. I loved hearing about all the different African-Americans(I will expand on my feelings on being labeled "Black" or "African-American" in a later post to come.) and the stories that came along with their struggles and achievements. The more and more, I progressed through my early schooling, I began to question why we only had a month. I mean when we speak of Columbus and the Industrial Revolution, World War I and World War II, we are not confined to a month. So why is it when it comes to "Black America," is this necessary? How is this possible that we, as a people are only given a month, when we have contributed so much to this country? How can we, a people who was removed from our homeland and had to persevere through so much, be only given a month? Most of our achievements are not even listed in our so-called "history books." These are just a few things on my mind that I hope will get you thinking. I got lots more to come. I know it seems as though I am leaving you guys kind of abruptly but I feel as though this post is a great starter for next weeks' post and the following weeks' post. So buckle up! I am back in full swing. Until next week sometime, namaste and stay strong... 1 comment: Roscheeta said... My local gospel radio station has an 'African American in History Highlight' Every day...I guess sometimes I don't realize that other people don't have that privilege.
Home Bauernkäse Sinds 1915 Producten Biologisch Kaasmakers Contact What is biological? The biological cow has space at its disposal (per cow around 10,000 m2 of grassland). It has fresh grass and clovers at its disposal and during the spring and summer they graze daily outside (at least 120 days). On the grasslands no fertiliser and/or chemical and/or herbicides are used. The fodder only originates from the own company or from other biological companies. No genetically manipulated fodder is used. The animals stand in the dry, have the space to move around and lie down. Since in the biological cheese preparation the use of all sorts of anti-fungal compounds (antibiotics) and bactericidal compounds are absolutely not permitted, the biological farmer has to operate in a very hygienic way. Very strict regulations apply in order to prevent contamination with undesired bacteria. Not only clean udders during the milking, but also the type of fodder that is given to the cows is important. During the winter they are given hay. The cheese then has a somewhat lighter colour. When the summer arrives the cows eat grass again ("grass cheese", middle of June) and the cheese has more colour again. In the biological cheese preparation maturation-enhancing compounds are prohibited. Finally, the salt content for biological cheese is generally lower (1.7 - 2%) than in ordinary cheese (3.2 - 3.4%), which benefits the taste.
Create Your Own Energy With a Biogas Generator! Turn lawn shavings, food compost and animal manure into sustainable energy using a homemade biogas generator. You can produce your own natural gas using organic materials normally considered to be household waste. This “biogas” can be used to cook food, light rooms, and heat water. Additionally, it can fuel an absorption cooling system or an engine (such as a chiller or gas refrigerator), replacing the need for fossil-based natural gases. 1Build Yourn Own Biogas Plant This Maitreya Ecovillage (located in Eugene, Oregon) biogas digester turns 15 pounds of kitchen scraps and garden clippings into a day’s worth of cooking fuel for the community’s kitchen. (photo credit: What is Biogas Biogas is a combination of flammable gases (mainly methane) and carbon dioxide. It is obtained wherever organic elements break down without the presence of oxygen through a process called anaerobic digestion.e50a5444d22ff5e17097934e8c0a428b4c2a9629 Inside a homemade biogas digester, bacteria that can live in an atmosphere without oxygen dissolves organic components into carbon dioxide, methane and sludge. It begins with acid-producing bacteria decomposing the raw waste into primary fatty acids. A next, methane-producing bacterium absorbs the acids, which in turns produces biogas. Facebook Comments Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here
What causes ocean waves and currents? 1. 0 Votes The cause of many currents and water patterns such as the gulf stream are the effects of the Earth’s spinning. According to Sir Issac Newton and the Coriolis effect, the rotation of the Earth along with its distance from the sun and moon affect the movement of the oceans and tides. Accordingly, storms, underwater volcanic activity and plate movement also affect the size and severity of waves and currents. 2. 0 Votes The wind causes waves on the surface of the ocean (and on lakes) by transferring a portion of its energy to the water surface. Stronger winds cause stronger waves. Please signup or login to answer this question.
Higher-level Systematics of Heteroptera Heteroptera, the true bugs, are part of the largest clade of non-holometabolous insects, the Hemiptera, and include more than 40,000 described species. They comprise agricultural pests, e.g, Pentatomidae (stink bugs) and Miridae (plant bugs), nuisance pests such as Cimicidae (bed bugs), natural enemies used in biological control applications e.g., Anthocoridae (minute pirate bugs) and some Reduviidae (mostly Harpactorinae), and blood-feeders that are of medical importance as vectors of Chagas disease (Triatominae). Heteroptera also contain species that possess fascinating evolutionary traits that provide textbook examples for sexual selection, e.g. water striders (Gerridae), and for sexual conflict involving traumatic insemination (e.g., bed bugs and allies). Phylogenetic hypotheses are important for understanding heteropteran diversity and essential for testing current classifications and evolutionary hypotheses. Heteropteran phylogenetics has made progress during the past two decades in analyzing relationships among the 7 infraorders of true bugs (see some of the hypotheses above; after Weirauch and Schuh, 2011), but also those within infraorders and certain families. Despite these efforts, hypotheses on relationships among and within infraorders are not stable. Grazia, J., Schuh, R.T., Wheeler, W.C., 2008. Phylogenetic relationships of family groups in Pentatomoidea based on morphology and DNA sequences (Insecta: Heteroptera). Cladistics 24, 932–976. Jung, S., Lee, S., 2011. Molecular phylogeny of the plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) and the evolution of feeding habits. Cladistics 28, 50–79. Li, M., Tian, Y., Zhao, Y., Bu, W., 2012. Higher Level Phylogeny and the First Divergence Time Estimation of Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera) Based on Multiple Genes. PLoS ONE 7, e32152. Schuh, R.T., Slater, J.A., 1995. True bugs of the world (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): classification and natural history, in: True Bugs of the World. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, pp. i–xii, 1–336. Schuh, R.T., Weirauch, C., Wheeler, W.C., 2009. Phylogenetic relationships within the Cimicomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): a total-evidence analysis. Systematic Entomology 34, 15–48. Weirauch, C., Schuh, R.T., 2011. Systematics and evolution of Heteroptera: 25 years of progress. Annual Review of Entomology 56, 487–510
Editor's Choice The tallest warrior on the Longest Day Growing up, I knew that my dad, as a teenager, fought in Europe in a war they called “World War II.” Because dad never spoke about it until recently, I was even more curious about what happened. But, my fascination with World War II really began when I saw the movie The Longest Day as a young boy. To this day, I am still intrigued by the history of the war. Young American men — still boys really — who had never been far from home, were sent to a far away land to free a people they had never met. Courageous warriors charged onto a beach through a hail of gunfire in order to stop the spreading threat of evil in Europe. This action-packed movie starring Hollywood greats like John Wayne, Sean Connery and Richard Burton depicts the graphic details of the longest day, June 6, 1944, otherwise called D-Day. The movie is filled with all the dramatic elements of a fictional war movie — guns, blood, death, tears and heroes — but the story it reveals is all too real. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. is portrayed in The Longest Day by actor Henry Fonda. Gen. Roosevelt was the son of President (and Colonel) Theodore Roosevelt, who led a charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War. Just like his father, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was no stranger to battle. He first fought in World War I, along with his brothers. His brother Quentin, a fighter pilot, was killed in action. Gen. Roosevelt was crippled from the physical wounds of World War I, but he was not finished fighting. Years later, at the age of 56, Gen. Roosevelt demanded to be a part of the invasion of Europe with the 8th Infantry. His request was denied twice because of his age. Finally, he put his request in writing, and it was granted. His reasoning for returning to battle was that having a general land in the first wave of attacks at Normandy would boost morale for the troops. He was right. He said: “They’ll figure that if a general is going in, it can’t be that rough.” His leadership did encourage the young men of America to fight and to fight hard. Roosevelt not only limped from the wounds of the first war, he also had a bad heart condition. No matter his age or his lack of peak physical condition, he was determined to lead the new generation of warriors — who became the Greatest Generation — as they took on the Nazis. His son, Quentin Roosevelt II (named after Teddy Jr.’s late brother, the fighter pilot) was also on the beaches of Normandy that day. They were the only father and son duo known to fight on D-Day. Roosevelt and his boys were part of “Operation Overlord”. The invasion would give Allied Forces a chance to break the Nazi’s hold on Western Europe, and it was expected to come at an extremely high cost. And, it did. On the day the operation launched, even the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower, was uncertain that the invasion would succeed. He penned a note, to be released in the event of failure, stating that all blame was entirely his. Bombers did their best to pave the way. The B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-24 Liberators, and B-26 Marauders filled the sky. Their task was to drop their 500 pound bombs right at the water’s edge, to stun or kill the Germans in their pillboxes, forts, and trenches Like his father before him, General Roosevelt led American forces as they stormed enemy fortifications. This assault on Utah Beach was part the greatest invasion in history. He was the only general who landed in the first wave of troops. Most people would have called it a suicide mission. Armed with only a walking stick and a pistol, he led several groups of twenty-somethings up the beach and inland. General Omar Bradley described Roosevelt’s actions as the “single greatest act of courage” he witnessed in the entire war. His presence made a difference on the beach. Like his father before him, he led men into battle, rather than followed. This Greatest Generation might have been young in age before the invasion, but they grew up quickly that day. Thousands of American boys stepped onto French soil, beginning the liberation of Western Europe. These young patriots came from every state and territory throughout the fruited plain. Many had never been but a few miles from home, but they went ashore and overseas to unknown, foreign lands. Our boys laid claim to the beachheads inch by bloody inch. The Rangers climbed the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc under heavy, brutal German fire. They had to. Their courage, leadership and commitment to freedom ultimately cracked the Nazi grip on Western Europe. D-Day was the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe. Allied forces freed an entire continent of peoples from oppression and wanted nothing in return. Americans did not go to Normandy to conquer. They went and they sacrificed to ensure that Hitler would no longer be a threat. Hitler didn’t believe this was ever possible. He was certain that the soft children of America could never become soldiers. He was certain that the Nazi youth would always outfight the Boy Scouts. He was wrong. The Boy Scouts took them on D-Day. Our boys won freedom for the world that day, but at tremendous cost. The sand was stained red with the blood of young American warriors and that of our allies. In all, 9,387 GIs lie in rest in the U.S. cemetery at Normandy. Buried on the cliffs, their white crosses and their Stars of David shine and glisten in the morning sunshine over the now peaceful Omaha and Utah Beaches. One of the buried is the tallest warrior of the longest day, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Fittingly, he is buried next to his brother Quentin. Quentin is the only World War I veteran buried at the Normandy cemetery. General Roosevelt, who died of a heart attack shortly after the Normandy invasion, later received the Medal of Honor for his heroics. Winston Churchill said, “We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” Today we express our gratitude to the Greatest Generation of Americans who defied danger and fearlessly fought for freedom. They were the young breed, the rare breed, the American breed who took to the treacherous beaches of Normandy under the leadership of a remarkable man who stood tall to lead his troops into battle on the longest day: Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. And that’s just the way it is. Sign Up
Table of Contents, How To Influence People Resources Page Previous Section, How To Influence People Next Section, How To Influence People Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California Chapter 18 Influencing Indirectly What Is Indirect Influence? Indirect influence means simply that you keep your influence goal in mind and take some action other than dealing directly with the person or group whom you wish to influence. This can mean either that you work through other people or that you use other means to accomplish your goal. Indirect influence is normally done in the open, however, and should not be confused with manipulation, in which your motivations and agenda are intentionally hidden. When Is Indirect Influence Appropriate? Most of the time it will be easier to influence others directly. Here are some situations in which that may not be as effective: These situations and others like them will lead you to consider other means of influencing. Influencing Through Other Individuals Sometimes the best solution is to find someone who is in a better position to influence the target person than you are and delegate the influencing to him or her. (Of course, this will require you to influence that person to take on the responsibility of influencing the target person or group.) If this is your best option, be sure to discuss your influence goal very thoroughly with the other person and give him or her the benefit of the planning work you have done. You are giving up some control of the specific outcome in exchange for the chance to achieve your goal, so it is essential that you trust the other person and share all relevant information, including your own areas of flexibility. You should also be very open to this person's advice regarding your goal; he or she will have to believe in it to be able to achieve it for you or your team. Influencing as Part of a Group When an issue is extremely important or affects a great many people, or when the influence target is at some political or hierarchical distance, you will want to consider organizing a group in order to influence. One middle manager's opinion may not count for much with the COO, but a cross-functional committee of concerned managers may be able to get a hearing. One son or daughter may not be able to convince an elderly parent to give up the privilege of driving, but all the siblings acting in concert may be effective. It often takes not only a large number, but also a broad coalition of people and vested interests to influence senior corporate or government officials to take action or change course. It is easy to dismiss a small homogeneous group as "a bunch of cranks," but much more difficult to do so when they represent diverse aspects of the community. On the other hand, recent research suggests that change can happen rapidly when the right people with a powerful idea "tip the balance." Debate as an Indirect Influence Tactic One common approach that does not work well as a direct influence tactic, although it has other important uses, is debating. This often comes as a surprise to people, especially those who are more analytical. While debating an issue can develop strong ideas and make sure that bad ideas don't go unchallenged, it is a contest of ideas and positions with winners and losers. The greatest influence impact is on those who are listening to and/or judging the debate. Since most debate is focused on proving that your position is right and the other's position is wrong, the debaters are likely to become more firmly fixed in the rightness of their cause or opinion, rather than influencing one another. Thus, you can debate with another person as a way of influencing a third party (of course, it's best if both debaters are aware that this is what they are doing), but there is little hope of influencing the other debater. Disengaging as a Means to an End Disengaging can be an effective way to manage time, authority issues, and relationships. Sometimes moving away temporarily can help you to reach a satisfactory outcome when moving forward would only create greater resistance or loss of an opportunity. Sometimes it is useful to maintain your individual connection to the influence target, but move to a different set of tactics. For example, when you are at an impasse (or, preferably, when you see that you are headed in that direction but before it occurs), you can choose to disengage temporarily. My husband, who is particularly good at this tactic, used to say in a line reminiscent of a popular commercial for wine, "Let's make no decision before its time; we can discuss this later." Artfully, he always manages to do this just before I have committed to an absolute "no" on the issue. This tactic allows the use of persistence and timing to have its effect. When you choose to disengage, it's important to let the other know that you'll be back - and often to establish when you will reconvene. This prevents disengagement from looking like retreat. Of course, there will be times when you recognize that there is no point in continuing an influence attempt, given the time and energy it looks as if it will take compared to the likelihood and value of success. In that case, disengagement may be permanent. (It may also provide an opportunity to refocus your influence plan on a more appropriate goal or a different person.) You can still gain some influence value from such a situation by being graceful rather than huffy about it. "I can see that this issue is of great importance to you. As long as you are willing to take the major responsibility for seeing that it gets done, I'm willing to do it your way." Then let go of the issue completely, rather than wait in hiding until something goes wrong so you can say, "I told you so." You'll pay for that. This is an example of "disarming" or letting go of issues that are more important to the other than to you and saving your influence energy for issues that you care about more. This may create a sense of fairness and reasonableness that you can call on later. On the other hand, you may be better off using such opportunities for more direct negotiation. A quid pro quo that is a done deal is more effective than "you owe me one" - something that is almost never remembered in the same way by both parties. Using Other Means to Influence Indirectly When you do not have access to a "subject-matter expert" and the issue involves knowledge that the other person does not think you have, influencing through books and articles by people that he or she respects may be helpful. This is better done early in the process, however, rather than as an "I told you so" attempt that is likely to inspire a defensive and resistant response. Finally, one of the most useful indirect influence tools (a form of disengaging briefly) is the use of humor. Knowing when to use a story, joke, or wry comment to relieve tension or keep the encounter from going too far in the wrong direction is an art. But there is one clear rule about the use of humor in influencing. It should NEVER be used in a sarcastic manner or in any way that might reflect negatively on the other person or something he or she holds dear. It should be either slightly self-deprecating or directed at a force or third party that you both consider a "common enemy." And you must also be artful about bringing the conversation back toward where you want it to go.
Geothermal Energy: A Resource Waiting To Be More Fully Tapped (Part 1) Note: because of the anticipated length of this blog I have broken it up into two parts Part 1 of 2: the geothermal context and power generation Geothermal energy is heat from the earth and has been used by mankind for bathing and heating for centuries. The first power plant to use geothermal heat dates from 1904 in Larderello, Italy and it is still operating. Geothermal energy has an extensive and growing literature and my purpose in this blog is not to ‘reinvent the wheel’ but to add to the history where I have personal information that is not widely known, and to speculate on geothermal’s future. It is a large energy resource, in many ways the largest on earth, and one that is just in the early stages of realizing its potential. Many useful references can be found on geothermal energy and its various manifestations and applications. I list three web references below as good places to start: – Wikipedia: – Union of Concerned Scientists: – Geothermal Energy Association: Geothermal energy derives largely, but not exclusively, from radioactive decay of uranium, thorium and potassium in the earth’s core. Lesser amounts of core heating derive from heat released when iron cools and solidifies at the earth’s central core, mineral phase changes, friction heating associated with earth’s tides, and even impact collisions with matter from space. This heat convects and conducts up to the earth’s thin crust (just one percent of the earth’s mass) through various pathways and manifests itself as hot water and steam, hot rock, warm earth, magma and volcanic eruptions. We can think of the crust as a blanket on the rest of the planet. This heat has been flowing from the center of the earth for more than 4.5 billion years and will continue as long as the earth exists, about another 5 billion years. Since this flow is limitless geothermal may be considered a renewable energy source . It also is constantly available and thus a baseload energy source. Temperatures close to the earth’s center are about as hot as the sun’s surface (5,500C or 9,900F), and geologists estimate that the rate at which energy flows from the earth’s interior is on the order of 44 terrawatts (TW, millions of megawatts). The replenishment rate from radioactive decay is estimated to be about 30 TW. To put this number in perspective, today’s global installed electrical generating capacity is just over 5 TW. Initially the core of the earth was a hot liquid but it has cooled over geological time and the core is now seen as an anisotopic very high temperature core of solid iron created under conditions of extremely high pressure. Somewhat above the core some rock is still molten, creating magma that convects upward since it is lighter than rock. The magma heats rock and water in the crust, creating hot water and steam at various points on and near the earth’s surface. It is estimated that the amount of heat in hot rock and water within 6 miles of the earth’s surface is more than 50,000 times as much as all the energy stored in the planet’s oil and natural gas resources. How has this heat been used used in the past, how is it being used today, and how might it be used in the future? Historically, hot springs have been used for bathing by humans since Stone Age times and since Roman times for space heating. These uses are still present and growing, and the first district heating system in the U.S., in Boise, Idaho, was powered by geothermal energy starting in 1892. In Iceland 90 percent of the households are heated by geothermal energy. Other applications include desalination, agricultural drying and industrial heating, for a total of about 30 GWt. In modern times geothermal energy is best known for its application to power generation and ground source (aka ‘geothermal’) heat pumps. I will say just a few words on each of these applications, and then focus on geothermal’s potential, which is huge. Today’s geothermal power plants (called ‘hydrogeothermal’) use geothermal heat in the form of dry steam issuing from the ground, hot water that flashes into steam, or the vapor of a volatile liquid (such as isobutane) heated by hot water, to drive a turbine generator. The U.S. currently leads the world in geothermal power generation (3,200 MWe), followed by the Philippines (1,900 MWe), Indonesia (1,200 MWe), Mexico (960 MWe), Italy (880 MWe), New Zealand (770 MWe), and Iceland (660MWe). As of May 2012 twenty four countries had geothermal power plants, for a total generating capacity of 11,400 MWe. Future geothermal power plants will use so-called ‘enhanced geothermal/EGS’ (previously called ‘hot dry rock’) systems in which deep wells are drilled into hot rock with no natural water and water is introduced from and returned, heated, to the surface. Estimated global potential varies from 0.04 to 2 TW, depending on the depth of drilling and level of investment. Wells as deep as 6 miles are now common in the petroleum industry. fat body There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thank you
New method may improve delivery of drugs to the brain Scientists at Oxford University have developed a new method for delivering drugs directly to the brain. The technique, which is yet to be tested on humans, uses the body's own transport system to carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier, which is usually impermeable. Researchers focused on tiny particles which are naturally released by cells, called exosomes. By injecting exosomes into the blood of mice, they were able to harness their transporting powers and use them to ferry a drug into the brain, where it switched off a gene involved in Alzheimer's disease. This led to a 60 per cent decrease in the production of a malformed protein which builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. The researchers are yet to determine whether this makes a difference to the progression of the disease. However, they believe their advance, which is detailed in the journal Nature Biotechnology, could one day provide a new method for delivering drugs in patients with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophy. Lead researcher Dr Matthew Wood, from the university's department of physiology, anatomy and genetics, described the results as 'dramatic and exciting'. He revealed: 'It's the first time new 'biological' medicines have been delivered effectively across the blood-brain barrier to the brain.' Dr Susan Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, welcomed the study. She observed: 'If this delivery method proves safe in humans, then we may see more effective drugs being made available for people with Alzheimer's in the future.'ADNFCR-554-ID-800469755-ADNFCR More from Netdoctor: unrolled toilet roll Your IBS symptoms might actually be something else Sleeping newborn baby This cheap medicine could save the lives of mothers around the world It could prevent thousands of women dying in childbirth every year Sexual health Men are removing condoms during sex and calling it 'stealthing' What you need to know about the illegal trend Upset and distraught woman Mental Health 6 things people with PTSD want you to know This complex condition is still often misunderstood Young woman with stomach ache How to get doctors to take your vagina concerns seriously The best way to talk to GPs about reproductive health Dr Michael Mosley Medical doctor and BBC broadcaster on his new diet Nurse holding patient's hand This is what it's really like to be a Macmillan cancer nurse "The worst part of my job is breaking bad news" Father and son looking out to sea What happens when you don't get enough sleep? It can take its toll physically AND mentally Woman running to toilet "My overactive bladder turned out to be an incurable condition"
Africans are the most diverse people on Earth, suggests DNA analysis Written by: Super Admin Subscribe to Oneindia News London, May 1 (ANI): In a new DNA based study, an international team of scientists has suggested that the Africans are the most diverse people on Earth, as they originated from 14 ancestral groups that mixed freely with each other to create the distinct populations that exist today. According to a report in Nature News, the study, which included a wide-ranging DNA analysis of Africans, revealed a detailed picture of the continent's rich genetic diversity, as well as traces of the evolutionary history and migrations of various groups. Modern humans first evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago, before migrating to other parts of the world. Today, Africa has more than 2,000 groups with different ethnicities and languages. But, genetic studies of Africans have been limited to small numbers of populations or have not covered large parts of the genome. Although geneticists knew that Africans show more genetic diversity within groups than non-Africans do, the details of genome-wide variation in many populations remained unclear. "We just didn't know as much as we should about African population genetics," said Molly Przeworski, from the University of Chicago. A team led by geneticist Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia has now published research that includes DNA samples from 2,432 Africans from 113 populations, including groups in Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya and the Sudan plus non-African samples from Yemen. They looked for differences at 1,327 sites in the genome and combined the results with existing genetic data from 8 African and 59 non-African groups. The team then ran statistical analyses to cluster the individuals by genetic similarity and determine their ancestry. The results confirm that Africans have the highest within-population diversity worldwide, and suggest that they originated from 14 ancestral groups. Most African populations seem to show genetic traces from multiple ancestral groups, supporting previous archaeological and linguistic evidence for migrations across the continent that would have led to mixing. The analysis also suggests that hunter-gatherers from different regions and cultures, including pygmies in central Africa and click-language groups in southern Africa, may have descended from one ancestral population. The genetic clusters generally aligned with ethnicity and language, although the team found exceptions in cases where groups had lost, or possibly replaced, their languages. While the overall results are not surprising, the study gives a fine-scaled view of genetic variation across a large number of African populations, according to Noah Rosenberg, a geneticist at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who plans to collaborate with Tishkoff. "They show just how much diversity in Africa actually exists," he said. (ANI) Please Wait while comments are loading...
Dairy Farm Waste Treatment May Not Remove All Pollutants 12 February 2016 US - When University at Buffalo chemists began studying waste disposal at a dairy farm in New York State, they thought that the farm's advanced system for processing manure would help remove oestrogens and antibiotics from the excrement. The waste management process - an advanced anaerobic digestion system - also converted a less harmful form of oestrogen in the manure into a form that may pose a greater ecological threat. Oestrogens, for example, can enter rivers and lakes, causing male fish to develop female traits - a phenomenon that can harm reproduction. Rogue antibiotics pose a different kind of challenge, encouraging the spread of antibiotic resistance, in which disease-causing bacteria stop responding to drugs. Even waste treatment systems that are considered to be state-of-the-art often fail to account for chemicals routinely found in modern society, says University at Buffalo researcher Diana Aga, who led the new study. She is a professor of chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and a member of UB RENEW (Research and Education in energy, Environment and Water), an institute that addresses complex environmental issues. "The chemicals we are studying are not exotic," Ms Aga says. "Antibiotics are used to treat sick animals, and the cows on a dairy farm are females, so they produce a lot of oestrogens. Chemicals on the farm The facility uses two techniques to treat manure: pasteurisation, which uses heat to remove pathogens, and anaerobic digestion, which employs microorganisms to break down and convert biodegradable matter into products that include biogas, liquid fertiliser and solid matter that is repurposed as bedding for the animals. Ms Aga's team measured levels of veterinary antibiotics and oestrogens in the waste at various points during the treatment process. When it came to oestrogens, Ms Aga said, "We had hypothesised that the digestion process would remove the hormones, but it didn't." Instead, the total concentration of oestrogens remained relatively steady. In addition, the treatment process appeared to convert a less harmful form of oestrogen into one with greater potential for disrupting the function of animals' endocrine systems, which produce hormones that regulate growth, reproduction and other biological functions. Prior to anaerobic digestion, most of the oestrogens in the manure (65 per cent) were in a form with lower endocrine-disrupting potential. After the process, 72 per cent of the oestrogens were in a form with higher endocrine-disrupting potential. Identifying best practices Ms Aga notes that each farm has a unique system for processing waste, so it's possible that a different anaerobic digestion technique or a completely different treatment method could yield better results. "When it comes to manure treatment, there are a lot of variables to explore - how much time the manure is treated for during anaerobic digestion, whether the manure is mixed with food waste or not, or whether the digested product is further composted or treated by other means. "For farms using long-term storage, it may also matter if the lagoons are covered up or not," Ms Aga said. "We need to do more research to find out." The research, funded by the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, was published in two recent papers. The first, on antibiotics, appeared on 22 January, 2016 in the Journal of Environmental Quality. The second, on oestrogens, was published on 2 February, 2016 in the journal Science of the Total Environment. TheCattleSite News Desk Our Sponsors Seasonal Picks British Field Crops 2nd edition
Essay by meka20University, Bachelor's October 2003 download word file, 2 pages 4.0 Downloaded 54 times Glossophobia is considered to be the fear of speech. Some people say they would rather die than speak in public. In fact Glossophobia, of fear of speaking, has surpassed even dying in some surveys. It is believed to be the single most common phobia , effecting as much as 75% of all people. Glossophobia is considered a social phobia and may be linked to or sometimes precede a more severe anxiety disorder. I consider myself to have this fear of speech. When I stand up in front of a classroom full of people I break out in a sweat my mouth gets dry making my voice squeaky. The same thing happens when I get called on to answer an question in class. I have gotten better at speaken up in class but I still have the problem when I ger in front of a crowd of people. When I go places with my friends I kind of shy off and let them do all of the talking. My friends just think I am shy. I have learned a lot about this phobia and have learned how to adjust to some of it, I have come a long way considering I would not even raise my hand to answer questions, and now I can sit among my peers and hold a conversation with them. It gives me confidence and maybe one day I will sit in front of an whole class and deliver an speech. Many people's fear of Public Speaking can be traced back to something like an incident at school where, when called upon by the teacher to speak, other kids teased them. When a person has a negative experience, the brain can link the negative feelings associated with that experience to other similar experiences. At school the...
Sentence Examples • Too bad I'm always at my worse when you gallop up, isn't it? • Even then the day might have been saved had Blucher been able to find even twenty squadrons accustomed to gallop together, but the Prussian cavalry had been dispersed amongst the infantry commands, and at the critical moment it proved impossible for them to deliver a united and decisive attack. • The Austrian cavalry, on weak and emaciated horses, could not gallop at speed up the heavy slopes (2 1 ?), and the artillery of both Prussian wings practically broke every attempt of the infantry to form for attack. • When disturbed they go off at a swift trot, which soon leaves all pursuit from a man on foot far behind; but if chased by a horseman they break into a gallop, which they can keep up for some distance. • When a small calf accompanies its mother, it always runs in front and she appears to guide it by holding the point of her horn upon the little animal's rump; and it is perfectly wonderful to note how in all sudden changes of pace, from a trot to a gallop, or vice versa, the same position is always exactly maintained. How would you define gallop? Add your definition here. comments powered by Disqus
Jewish separatism and human progress Jewish separatism and human progress jan peczkis\|Thursday, November 10, 2011 SEPARATYZM ZYDOW…(JEWISH SEPARATISM…) is the title of this Polish-language booklet. Originally published as an article in a Warsaw publication in 1909, it came out before the intensification of Polish-Jewish conflicts caused by the 1912 Jewish vote for a pro-Russian candidate to the Duma (Russian parliament), which amounted to a direct attack on Polish national aspirations, and which provoked the Dmowski-led retaliatory boycott of Jews. Roman Dmowski Analyzes Poland’s Jews Under Tsarist Russian Rule, November 7, 2011 Considering Dmowski reputation, it is astonishing to read the almost-exculpatory tone that he uses, in this publication, while analyzing Jewish separatism. There is no trace of rancor against Jews. He recognizes the fact that some Jews, both converted and unconverted, had been patriotic Poles. (p. 12). The reader may be surprised to learn that Jewish separatism had been a relatively recent development. During the Piast and Jagiellonian dynasties, Poland’s Jews spoke Polish. It was only during the later influx of German Jews that Poland’s Jews switched to Yiddish–a German dialect. (p. 24). At the time of the Partitions, Poland’s Jews identified with Poland. However, this tie grew weaker with each generation of foreign rule over Poland. (p. 15). By 1909, as recognized by Dmowski, Jews still existed who had been raised from childhood in the spirit of Polish-ness, but these were very rare. (p. 15). The turning point, in Russian-ruled Poland, had been the failed January (1863) Insurrection. (p. 12). The tsarist authorities commenced a savage repression of Poles that included Russification, effectively reducing Poles to aboriginals. (p. 16). The Jews stopped seeing the Poles as masters of these territories. Instead of drawing closer to Poles by common suffering, the Jews identified with the powerful Russians. This Dmowski attributes to the Jewish survival instinct of living for centuries in foreign nations, and naturally subordinating themselves to whoever was in power. (p. 17). However, if so, Dmowski does not explain why Poland’s Jews, most of which had lived in Poland in relative stability and comfort for so many centuries, had not lost this instinct by now. [In any case, a similar psychology may explain those Poles who did not draw closer to Jews during the common suffering under the later Nazis.] The Jews were educated in a Russian spirit and with contempt for Poles. They constantly saw everything Polish as nothing but the subject of putdowns. In time, this led to a “Polish is not desirable”, and then “Polish is contemptible” attitude among the Jews. [p. 17]. [Again, a similar psychological process may explain why some Poles treated Jews with contempt, or at least with lack of empathy, during the later Nazi occupation.] Revolutionary ideologies grew in popularity among the Jews, and these favored internationalism over Polish-ness. In fact, anything Polish was scorned as contrary to modernity and progress. (p. 18). [Note how the very same slogans were used against Polish patriotism and religion under the Communists, and are again in very recent times by the lewaks (Polish leftists)]. The growth of nationalistic feelings among Jews also drove them away from anything Polish. The growing Jewish intelligentsia was attracted to its counterpart among Russian Jews, and acquired a condescending attitude towards everything Polish. (p. 19). Some Jews moved beyond their traditional role as shopkeepers and usurers, and became part of the Russian-sponsored industrialization of the Russian empire. (p. 23). The growing Jewish Polonophobia took on a life of its own. Dmowski suggests that false accusations against Poles were made deliberately in order to solidify the anti-Polish orientation among the Jews. (p. 25). Dmowski presents statistics that show that, whereas the percentage of Jews living in Austrian-ruled and Prussian-ruled Poland had been decreasing, that in the Kingdom (Russian-ruled central Poland) was steadily rising, and amounting to a very-high 15% at the time. (pp. 19-20). About 150,000 of the newly anti-Polish Russified Jews, or Litvaks (Litwaks), had arrived in the Kingdom (p. 7)–not only from Lithuania, but also from other parts of Russian-ruled Poland, and even from central Russia. (p. 5). Expressive and organized, the Litvak immigrants infected the remaining Polish Jews with anti-Polonism. (p. 7). The overall situation was even worse in Prussian-ruled Poland. The Jews had become so completely self-Germanized that some even became members of the HAKATA–a fanatically anti-Polish German organization. (p. 16). Polish Jews in Austrian-ruled Poland also tended to become Germanized. (p. 11). Some readers may find Dmowski’s explanations for Jewish separatism a bit on the exculpatory side, and as ones that beg the question. The Poles generally withstood the tsarist Russian oppression and intense Russifying pressures. Why, then, did the local Jews so largely succumb to these processes–unless their original ties to Polish-ness had been weak and ephemeral to begin with? Certain commentators have blamed the alienation of Jews from Polish-ness on Polish anti-Semitism. Dmowski suggest that, to the contrary, Polish anti-Semitism had been mild in the light of local antagonisms. If anything, the savage nature of Russian anti-Semitism should have driven Jews away from anything Russian. Instead, precisely the opposite happened. Dmowski therefore concludes that it was not about anti-Semitism. It was about politics and economic dependence. (pp. 21-22). There is no Endeck “inconsistency” on assimilation. Already by 1909, Dmowski had been of the position that Jewish assimilation is not the answer. To begin with, Dmowski (correctly) figured that most Polish Jews would never assimilate. (p. 29). Second, the Polonization of assimilated Jews was mostly superficial (p. 12). Dmowski spoke of assimilated Polish Jews who nevertheless remained far from Polish ideals, aspirations, and societal goals, and even remained in opposition to the same. (p. 26). Finally, Dmowski cited the example of Hungary. Jews had assimilated, and assumed positions of power, but had remained at odds with their host nation. (p. 29). Nowhere in this work does Dmowski advocate the boycotting of Jews. This came later. The Jews started the boycott process. They suddenly stopped patronizing Polish doctors and lawyers in favor of Jewish ones (who, incidentally, were assimilated). (p. 28). Logo de Estás comentando usando tu cuenta de Cerrar sesión / Cambiar ) Imagen de Twitter Foto de Facebook Google+ photo Conectando a %s
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. How much in a day? Vegetables are nutrition powerhouses. They include many of the vitamins we need as well as fiber. Vegetables come in every color of the rainbow, and it is important to choose a variety because different colors contain different nutrients. Typically, the darker the color, the more nutrition. Most of us don’t eat enough dark green and orange vegetables, so make a point of working those into your meal plans. Daily Recommendation* Children 2-3 years old: 1 cup 4-8 years old: 1.5 cups Girls 9-13 years old: 2 cups 14-18 years old: 2.5 cups Boys 9-13 years old: 2.5 cups 14-18 years old: 3 cups Women 19-30 years old: 2.5 cups 31-50 years old: 2.5 cups 51+ years old: 2 cups Men 19-30 years old: 3 cups 31-50 years old: 3 cups 51+ years old: 2.5 cups *These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs. Source: ChooseMyPlate Pack and go! Vegetables are nature’s original fast food. When it’s snack time, grab baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli or some peppers. Try dipping your vegetables in low fat or nonfat dip. How to decide how many fruits and vegetables you need \| Handout Storing and Discarding Storing fruits and vegetables \| Handout There are a few things to consider before making your decision. Here is some information about a few items that you may be tempted to buy pre-cut.
home assignemnts in Chapter 18 home assignemnts in Chapter 18 - Chapter 18-wages and... View Full Document Right Arrow Icon Chapter 18----wages and unemployment Multiple Choice Questions 1. In the twentieth century, average real wages have risen substantially: A. only in the United States. B. in industrial countries excluding the United States. C. in industrial countries including the United States. D. in neither the United States nor other industrial countries. 2. In the United States the real wages of the least-skilled, least educated workers have ____ and the wages of best-educated, highest skilled workers have ______. A. increased; increased B. declined; increased C. increased; declined D. declined; remained constant 3. Compared to the United States, over the last two decades unemployment in Western Europe is ____ and the rate of job creation is ______. A. higher; slower B. higher; faster C. higher; about the same D. lower; faster 4. The major labor market problem in the United States is ______ and in Western Europe the problem is _______. A. high persistent unemployment; low average wages B. high persistent unemployment; increasing wage inequality C. increasing wage inequality; increasing wage inequality D. increasing wage inequality; high persistent unemployment 5. One trend in labor markets is: A. a decrease in average real wages in the United States and other industrial countries. B. decreasing wage inequality in the United States. Background image of page 1 View Full DocumentRight Arrow Icon Image of page 2 This note was uploaded on 04/09/2012 for the course MACROECONO 100 taught by Professor Py during the Spring '12 term at Alabama A&M University. Page1 / 6 View Full Document Right Arrow Icon Ask a homework question - tutors are online
Dismiss Notice Join Physics Forums Today! Complex valued functions 1. Nov 29, 2008 #1 Let f(z) be some complex valued function of complex variable z=x+iy. Since f(z) is (in general) complex, we can write it as f(z) = u(z)+iv(z), where u and v are real. But how does one prove that we can also write it as f(z) = u(x,y)+iv(x,y), i.e. shouldn't x and y always appear in the form "x+iy"? 2. jcsd 3. Nov 29, 2008 #2 User Avatar Science Advisor Homework Helper Well u and v are just real valued functions of two real variables. x and y uniquely specify z, therefore we can write u(z) = u(x,y). 4. Nov 29, 2008 #3 ok, but if I have any u(x,y) and v(x,y), can I always find some f(z) so that f(z) = u(x,y) + iv(x,y), where z=x+iy? For example, if I have u(x,y) = x sin(y) and v(x,y) = cos(x), what would f(z) be? 5. Nov 29, 2008 #4 User Avatar Staff Emeritus Science Advisor Gold Member That would be f(z) = Re(z)sin(Im(z)) + icos(Re(z)) Where if x+iy=z, Re(z):= x, Im(z):= y 6. Nov 29, 2008 #5 User Avatar Homework Helper Trivially yes That said Re(z) and Im(z) are not considered proper functions of z as they break z apart and do not treat it as whole variable So we are led to the concept of an analystic function that maps z as a whole The Cauchy-Riemann Equations allow us to check if a function is analystic for a function in u+iv form the condition is written where Dx and Dy are partial derivatives with respect to x and y so for your example Dx(x sin(y))=Dy(cos(x)) Dy(x sin(y))=-Dx(cos(x)) x cos(y)=sin(x) so we se your function is not analytic and cannot be written as f(z) in a proper way we could write it as f(z,z) (where z* is the conjugate of z and zz=\|z\|^2) when written in this form the condition is Dz(f)=0 where Dz* is the partial derivative with respect to z* 7. Nov 29, 2008 #6 Yes, that's it! Thank you! Similar Discussions: Complex valued functions 1. Complex functions (Replies: 2)
Saturday, April 23, 2011 T is for ... Time-frame Another important aspect of writing is determining how long the story will last. It could be a day, a week, a month, a year, or several years. Writing for young kids, though, I think the time-frame should be not longer than a year. Most of the stories I write take place from one week to several months. Most important, though, is that the time-frame should match the storyline. Can a young boy save an entire world in one day? I'm not sure if that's physically possible depending upon what needs to be done. But if the writer makes the events and text seemless, then the reader will believe anything. What sort of time-frame do you write or like to read?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 Commentaries: For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Jump to: BarnesBensonBICambridgeClarkeDarbyEllicottExpositor'sExp DctGaebeleinGSBGillGrayGuzikHaydockHastingsHomileticsJFBKDKellyKJTLangeMacLarenMHCMHCWParkerPoolePulpitSermonSCOTTBWESTSK The last clause of Ecclesiastes 9:6 indicates that the writer confines his observations on the dead to their portion in, or relation to, this world. 5. know that they shall die—and may thereby be led "so to number their days, that they may apply their hearts to wisdom" (Ec 7:1-4; Ps 90:12). neither … reward—no advantage from their worldly labors (Ec 2:18-22; 4:9). memory—not of the righteous (Ps 112:6; Mal 3:16), but the wicked, who with all the pains to perpetuate their names (Ps 49:11) are soon "forgotten" (Ec 8:10). The living know that they shall die; whereby they are taught to improve life, whilst they have it, to their greatest comfort and advantage. The dead know not anything, to wit, of the actions and events in this world, as this is limited in the end of the next verse. Compare Job 14:21 Isaiah 13:16. A reward; the reward or fruit of their labours in this world, which is utterly lost as to them, and enjoyed by others. See Ecclesiastes 2:21. For otherwise, that there are future rewards after death, is asserted by Solomon elsewhere, as we have seen, and shall hereafter see. Is forgotten, to wit, amongst living men, and even in those places where they had lived in great power and glory; as was noted, Ecclesiastes 8:10. For the living know that they shall die,.... Death is certain, it is the demerit of sin, the appointment of God and the time of it is fixed; it may be known that it will be, from the word of God that assures it, from all experience which confirms it, and from the decline of nature, and the seeds of death in men. This "the living" know that live corporeally, even the wicked themselves, though they put the evil day far from them; and so good men, that live spiritually, being quickened by the Spirit and grace of God, and live a life of faith and holiness; they know they shall die, though Christ died for them, and has abolished death, as a punishment and a curse, and took away its sting, and made it a blessing; wherefore it is desirable to them, as being for their good: but there are some things about death they ordinarily know not; they do not know the time of their death; nor the place where they shall die; nor of what death they shall die; nor in what circumstances, both outward and inward: of these the Targum understands the passage; "for the righteous know that if they sin, they shall be reckoned as dead men in the world to come, therefore they keep their ways, and sin not; but if they sin, they return by repentance;'' but the dead know not anything; this is not to be understood of their separate spirits, and of the things of the other world; for the righteous dead know much, their knowledge is greatly increased; they know, as they are known; they know much of God in Christ, of his perfections, purposes, covenant, grace, and love; they know much of Christ, of his person, offices, and glory, and see him as he is; they know much of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it; and of angels, and the spirits of just men, they now converse with; and of the glories and happiness of the heavenly state; even they know abundantly more than they did in this life: and the wicked dead, in their separate spirits, know there is a God that judgeth; that their souls are immortal; that there is a future state; indeed they know and feel the torments of hell, the worm that never dies, and the fire that is not quenched: but this is to be interpreted of their bodily senses now extinct, and of worldly things they have now nothing to do with; they know not any thing that is done in this world, nor how it fares with their children and friends they have left behind them; see Job 14:21; nor therefore are they to be prayed unto, and used as mediators with God. The Targum is, "and sinners know not any good, so that they do not make their works good while they live; and they know not any good in the world to come;'' neither have they any more a reward; not but that there will be rewards in a future state, in which everyone shall have his own reward; there will be a reward for the righteous; they will receive the reward of the inheritance, though it will be, not of debt, but of grace; and particularly in the millennium state, Psalm 58:11; and every transgression of the wicked will receive a just recompence of reward; to whom the reward of their hands will be given them, Hebrews 2:2; but the sense is, that after death there will be no enjoyment of a man's labours; he will not have the use, profit, and advantage of them, but his heirs that succeed him, Ecclesiastes 4:9; for the memory of them is forgotten; not the memory of the righteous with God, for whom a book of remembrance is written, and whose names are written in heaven; these are had in everlasting remembrance, and their memory blessed: but the memory of wicked men; who, though they take pains to perpetuate their names, which they give to their lands, yet the Lord causes their memory to cease, and they are forgotten in the place where they lived; not only among the righteous, as the Targum, but among others, Isaiah 26:14; even among those that enjoy the fruit of their labour; they will scarce think of them any more, or, however, in a little time they will be quite forgotten by them. 5. For the living know that they shall die] The writer in one of the strange paradoxes of the mood of pessimism finds that though life is vanity, it is yet better than the death which he looks upon as its only outcome. There is a greatness in the very consciousness of the coming doom. Man, knowing he must perish and lamenting over his fate, is nobler than those that are already numbered with the dead. There is a pride even in the cry with which those who enter on the arena as doomed to death greet the sovereign Power that dooms them: “Ave, Cæsar; morituri te salutamus.” “Hail to thee Cæsar, hail! on our way to our death-doom we greet thee.” They were nobler then than when their bleeding and mangled car-cases on the arena were all that was left of them. neither have they any more a reward] The words exclude the thought (in the then phase of the Debater’s feeling) of reward in a life after death, but the primary meaning of the word is that of “hire” and “wages” (Genesis 30:28; Exodus 2:9), and the idea conveyed is that the dead no longer find, as on earth, that which rewards their labour. There is no longer even death to look forward to as the wages of his life. So we have in Shakespeare: “Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone and ta’en thy wages.” Cymbeline, Act iv., Sc. 2. for the memory of them is forgotten] The Hebrew gives an assonance between “reward” (sheker) and “memory” (zeker), which it is hard to reproduce in English. “Reward” and “record” suggest themselves as the nearest approximation. For the thought see note on ch. Ecclesiastes 1:11. Even the immortality of living in the memory of others, which modern thinkers have substituted for the Christian hope, is denied to the vast majority of mankind.Verse 5. - For the living know that they shall die. This is added in confirmation of the statement in ver. 4. The living have at least the consciousness that they will soon have to die, and this leads them to work while it is day, to employ their faculties worthily, to make use of opportunities, to enjoy and profit by the present. They have a certain fixed event to which they must look forward; and they have not to stand idle, lamenting their fate, but their duty and their happiness is to accept the inevitable and make the best of it. But the dead know not anything. They are cut off from the active, bustling world; their work is done; they have nothing to expect, nothing to labor for. What passes upon earth affects them not; the knowledge of it reaches them no longer. Aristotle's idea was that the dead did know something, in a hazy and indistinct way, of what went on in the upper world, and were in some slight degree influenced thereby, but not to such a degree as to change happiness into misery, or vice versa ('Eth. Nicom.,' 1:10 and 11). Neither have they any more a reward; i.e. no fruit for labor done. There is no question here about future retribution in another world. The gloomy view of the writer at this moment precludes all idea of such an adjustment of anomalies after death. For the memory of them is forgotten. They have not even the poor reward of being remembered by loving posterity, which in the mind of an Oriental was an eminent blessing, to be much desired. There is a paronomasia in zeker, "memory," and sakar, "reward," which, as Plumptre suggests, may be approximately represented in English by the words "record" and "reward." "When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to view the business which is done on the earth (for neither day nor night doth he see sleep with his eyes): then have I seen all the work of God, that a man is unable to find out the work which is done under the sun: therefore that a man wearieth himself to seek out, and yet findeth not; and although a wise man taketh in hand to know, - he is unable to find." A long period without a premeditated plan has here formed itself under the hand of the author. As it lies before us, it is halved by the vav in veraithi ("then I have seen"); the principal clause, introduced by "when I gave," can nowhere otherwise begin than here; but it is not indicated by the syntactical structure. Yet in Chr. and Neh. apodoses of כאשׁר begin with the second consec. modus, e.g., 1 Chronicles 17:1; Nehemiah 4:1, and frequently; but the author here uses this modus only rarely, and not (vid., Ecclesiastes 4:1, Ecclesiastes 4:7) as a sign of an apodosis. We consider, first, the protasis, with the parenthesis in which it terminates. The phrase נתן את־הלב ל, to direct the heart, to give attention and effort toward something, we have now frequently met with from Ecclesiastes 1:13 down. The aim is here twofold: (1) "to know wisdom" (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:17), i.e., to gain the knowledge of that which is wisdom, and which is to be regarded as wisdom, viz., solid knowledge regarding the essence, causes, and objects of things; (2) by such knowledge about that which wisdom is in itself "to see earthly labour," and - this arises from the combination of the two resolutions - to comprehend this labour in accordance with the claims of true wisdom from the point of view of its last ground and aim. Regarding 'inyan, vid., under Ecclesiastes 3:10. "On the earth" and "under the sun" are parallel designations of this world. With גּם כּי begins a parenthetical clause. Ki may also, it is true, be rendered as at Ecclesiastes 8:17: the labour on the earth, that he, etc. (Zckl.); but this restlessness, almost renouncing sleep, is thereby pressed too much into the foreground as the special obj. of the reuth (therefore Ginsburg introduces "how that"); thus better to render this clause with ki gam, as establishing the fact that there is 'inyan, self-tormenting, restless labour on the earth. Thus also איננּוּ is easier explained, which scarcely goes back to laadam, Ecclesiastes 8:15 (Hitz.), but shows that the author, by )inyan, has specially men in view. וּבלּ ... גּם is equals גם בי גם בל: as well by day as by night, with the negat. following (cf. Numbers 23:25; Isaiah 48:8): neither by day nor by night; not only by day, but also in the night, not. "To see sleep" is a phrase occurring only here; cf. Terence, Heautontim. iii. 1. 82, Somnum hercle ego hac nocte oculis non vidi meis, for which we use the expression: "In this whole night my eyes have seen no sleep." The not wishing to sleep, and not being able to sleep, is such an hyperbole, carrying its limitation in itself, as is found in Cicero (ad Famil. vii. 30): Fuit mirifica vigilantia, qui toto suo consulatu somnum non vidit. With ור, "Then I have seen," begins the apodosis: vidi totum Dei opus non posse hominem assequi. As at Ecclesiastes 2:24, the author places the obj. in the foreground, and lets the pred. with ki follow (for other examples of this so-called antiposis, vid., under Genesis 1:4). He sees in the labour here below one side of God's work carrying itself forward amid this restless confusion, and sets forth this work of God, as at Ecclesiastes 3:11 (but where the connection of the thoughts is different), as an object of knowledge remaining beyond the reach of man. He cannot come to it, or, as מצא properly means, he reaches not to it, therefore "that a man wearies himself to seek, and yet finds not," i.e., that the search on the part of a man with all his endeavours comes not to its aim. אשׁר בכל Ewald's emendation, instead of the words of the text before us: for all this, that quantumcunque (Ewald, 362c), which seems to have been approved of by the lxx, Syr., and Jerome, is rightly rejected by Hitzig; beshel asher is Heb., exactly equivalent to Aram. בּדיל דּ, e.g., Genesis 6:3; and is rightly glossed by Rashi, Kimchi, Michlol 47b, by בּשׁביל שׁ and בּעבוּר שׁ. The accent dividing the verse stands on yimetsa, for to this word extends the first half of the apodosis, with vegam begins the second. Gam im is equals εἰ καί, as gam ki is equals ἐὰν καί. יאמר is to be understood after אם אח, Ecclesiastes 7:23 : also if (although) the wise man resolves to know, he cannot reach that which is to be known. The characteristic mark of the wise man is thus not so much the possession as the striving after it. He strives after knowledge, but the highest problems remain unsolved by him, and his ideal of knowledge unrealized. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Interlinear Ecclesiastes 9:5 Parallel Texts Ecclesiastes 9:5 NIV Ecclesiastes 9:5 NLT Ecclesiastes 9:5 ESV Ecclesiastes 9:5 NASB Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV Ecclesiastes 9:5 Bible Apps Ecclesiastes 9:5 Parallel Ecclesiastes 9:5 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 9:5 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 9:5 French Bible Ecclesiastes 9:5 German Bible Bible Hub Ecclesiastes 9:4 Top of Page Top of Page
Sunday, March 28, 2010 Palm Sunday Today is Palm Sunday. The day we remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The first day of "Holy week" . Have you ever wondered about the little donkey that carried our precious Lord down that path? Do you think he knew who was seated on his back? How he must have felt to be chosen to carry Jesus the Christ into Jerusalem? Was his little heart rejoicing with the crowd in praise to our Lord? "Hosanna in the Highest." "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." In the scripture, Jesus gave his disciples special instructions: 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. b] "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Donkey's Easter Tale, The (Donkey Tales) (Hardcover) Author Adele Colvin has come up with a very clever way to tell the Easter miracle through the eyes of a donkey. The Donkey's Easter Tale begins in a cozy barn, on a very rainy day. Grandpa Donkey is cuddled up with his two grandchildren. Finally the two youngsters are staying still long enough so that grandpa can tell them a story. Grandpa decides to tell his grandchildren about the time, many years earlier, when he had the honor of being ridden by Jesus. You see, Grandpa Donkey was THE donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The donkey stayed with Jesus and the disciples throughout Holy Week and recounts all the important events of that time to his grandchildren. The Donkey's Easter Tale handles the story of Holy Week and Easter with sensitivity while educating. Told in the first person by "Donkey" (he's never given a name), the reader will discover what is happening along with Donkey. Much like a child, this large eared equine is at first confused by some of the situations (he heard Jesus say that Peter would deny his Lord, but why would Peter do that?). With bright illustrations that include the Donkey in every picture, children will be drawn into this important story and want to read it start to finish. Please have a listen to this beautiful song. Imagine as you listen, being a part of that crowd of people witnessing the triumphant entry of our Lord into Jerusalem singing praise to our God.
Sunday, March 16, 2014 The Dangers of Conformity, According to Lois Lowry's The Giver defines conformity as “action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.” In our society, uniqueness and individuality is emphasized and encouraged, as long as it stays within the social norms. Lois Lowry’s hit young adult novel The Giver gives readers a glimpse of what life can become if we focus too much on fitting in and making everyone the same. Just a little bit of background for those of you who are unfamiliar with the novel. The Giver follows Jonas, a 12 year old boy who lives in an unnamed futuristic society. In this society, everything is decided for you, your job, your spouse, your children, even the day you die. Memories of the past and the freedom that people used to enjoy are kept solely by an old man simply called “The Receiver”. The Receiver is getting old though, and he needs someone else to take on his job of holding on to all the memories, both good and bad, from the past. This is where Jonas comes in. He is given the prestigious job of becoming the new Receiver and holding on to all the memories of the past. As this happens, Jonas begins to question the world around him and the life he has. In Jonas’ world, everything is monitored to ensure conformity. Sometimes this is done covertly under the guise of daily tasks, other times it is more obvious. Every morning, families sit together, share their dreams and discuss possible meanings. It is assumed that these are monitored. Sharing dreams also allows for “Stirrings” to be caught and quashed. Stirring are essentially wet dreams. Once a child reports to his that he has experienced a Stirring, they are given a pill every day to destroy sexual desire and ensure that procreation is only done by the designated women to prevent over population. While it is never expressly stated what would happen if someone stopped taking “the pill”, it is implied that there is an underlying desire by children to start taking “the pill”, just like the rest of his friends. Conformity is even stated bluntly by The Director, the woman who is in charge of Jonas’ community. In a speech, she states how important it is to “curb any impulse that might set you apart from the group.” Everyone in the Community agrees with this statement. In their minds, it is better to fit in than stand out and be different. Even standing out in the slightest way, for a good thing, is seen as awkward, uncomfortable, and unnecessary. Through his training with the Giver, Jonas witnesses a birthday party. Birthday parties are a foreign concept to Jonas, they make one person stand out from the crowd. After seeing one, however, Jonas “understood the joy of being an individual, special and unique and proud.” This is the beginning of Jonas questioning the world around him. He begins to understand that being an individual isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if it worked in the past, why can’t it work now? This is a concept we’ll come back to momentarily. Conformity isn’t called “conformity” in Jonas’ world, but rather, the term “Sameness” is thrown around and has the same meaning. The Elders spin Sameness in a way that makes it sound like it is absolutely necessary, and without it, the whole world would fall apart. For example, hills and weather are done away with, all in the interest of Sameness. Hills made it difficult to travel long distances, and weather made it difficult to grow crops year round and have enough food for everyone. While these can be seen as positive results of Sameness, there is also a dark side. The Giver talks about a time when people’s skin used to be different colors, but when Sameness came around, they got rid of the different races. Basically, this society when through some sort of racial cleansing , although the Giver doesn’t go into detail. This Sameness is terrifying and further pushes conformity on Jonas and the people around him. Once Jonas starts receiving memories from the Giver, he starts to feel alienated from the people around him he used to think were his friends and family. Jonas outright thinks to himself that “he couldn’t go back to the world of no feelings he had lived in so long.” Later, Jonas finds that he can’t discuss his feelings at the end of the day with his family, which is a requirement in Jonas’ world, just like sharing dreams every morning. He “experienced injustice and cruelty, and he had reacted with rage that welled up so passionately inside him that the thought of discussing it calmly at the evening meal was unthinkable.” Jonas could no longer participate as a member of society. The Giver attempts to explain it to Jonas, stating “the [everyone else] know nothing.” Jonas and the Giver are the only ones (aside from the Elders who make these decisions) who are aware of feelings and how they are suppressed. The Giver is one of my favorite books, I’ve read it at least three times and learned something new every time. It has several poignant messages about the importance of individuality and warnings about future. When I first read the book, I was 13. Now, 10 years later, I can look at it with newfound knowledge and understanding. No comments: Post a Comment
The Brain in Alzheimer's Disease April 2017 In Alzheimer's disease, the brain is affected and starts to develop "plaques" and "tangles". The first brain cells affected are in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which controls the memory. Nerve cells in the brain narrow and eventually disappear and are replaced by spots called "plaques". These plaques contain amyloid proteins, which settle on nerve cells in the brain and prevent the cells from correctly communicating. • Tangles are abnormal filaments which invade healthy brain cells. • Neurofibrillary degeneration is when these filaments accumulate. • It thought that the filaments contain an abnormal protein, Tau, which leads to the breakdown and death of the brain cell. Lesiones neurológicas - Alzheimer Lesiones neurológicas - Alzheimer Latest update on May 28, 2010 at 08:43 AM by N.T. This document, titled "The Brain in Alzheimer's Disease," is available under the Creative Commons license. Any copy, reuse, or modification of the content should be sufficiently credited to CCM Health (
Tumblelog by Soup.io Newer posts are loading. You are at the newest post. Click here to check if anything new just came in. April 16 2015 Does Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD) Always Need To Have Surgical Teatment ? Non surgical Treatment Surgical Treatment June 10 2014 Foot Care Are you one of those people who are said to be flat footed? Having a flat foot is a condition where the foot does not have a normal arch. You may find it affects just one or both feet The arch is the gap between the inner side of the foot and the ground when standing up. There are many people who have very low arches and some who have no arches and are termed flat-footed. Flat-footedness may be hereditary so check your family history. It may also be the result of abnormal walking conditions caused by incorrect development of the foot In this day and age, there seem to be dog supplies with all sorts of uses, corresponding to every need your pet has. The dog is not only taken care of but is also pampered. You, as the modern pet owner, want the best for your pet. So, your list of dog supplies should include a variety of items, tools, and food supplies. The meals you provide for your pooch are more important than you might realize. If he does not receive the right vitamins and nutrients, his health and vitality can quickly plummet. Once that happens, his body will become far more susceptible to diseases, viruses, and other problems. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the joints where they get inflamed and causes sudden pain in the area. This is common to people who are aged 30 and up. This disease of the joint is associated with several rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that helps us determine when we are affected with it. read more For podiatry treatment in London, you must visit a podiatrist who holds a degree in podiatry from a recognized school. While podiatrists with a bachelor's degree in the subject and sufficient clinical training can undertake all types of non-invasive treatment, to perform invasive foot surgery, a podiatrist should complete post graduation education and training.foot hard skin peeler When first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , Garcia's hemoglobin A1C levels (a measure of blood sugar levels for the previous two to three months) were 16 percent. Someone without diabetes generally has levels below 6 percent. His last A1C was 5.6 percent. And, his triglycerides were down to normal, at 133. Garcia said he's still very careful about what he eats. He tries to stay away from meat and processed foods. A typical day's diet begins with a protein drink and a banana, followed by a salad for lunch and a Portobello mushroom quesadilla for dinner. If you have been battling the burn and itch of athlete's foot for two weeks or more without any resolution, then even if you have had athlete's foot before, you simply must see your health care provider. You doctor will be able to tell if you have something more than just your garden variety athlete's foot going on. Proper athlete's foot treatment can help you to regain control of your feet again. Adequate and appropriate treatment can stop the itching and burning and can put a smile back on your face! Horses are wonderful and impressive animals and one can write poetry about the grace and elegance with which they appear to glide over the wide fields. However, horses are women on makeup. A makeup may make a woman look stunning but without it, she will not find her previous beauty. As odd a comparison as that may be, horses also need us to be their "makeup". Diabetes is not just a human disease. It is also prevalent in canines. In general, the most afflicted with diabetes are older dogs and certain breeds such as Poodles, Old English Sheepdogs, Golden Retrievers, Daschunds, Miniature Pinscher, Schnauzer and Beagles. To get rid of corns, firstly you need to stop it of developing further, for that you need to find its cause. If it had happened due to poorly fitting shoes, it better to change it with good fitting with cushioned one. But this alone will not do; now you need to take some extra precautions for existing corns, like reducing pressure and friction on the hard skin which can be done by giving it extra cushion and wearing good pair of soft shocks. It will not only make you comfortable but also prevents the corns to develop more and get harder. Tags: Foot Hard Skin February 20 2014 Feet Painfulness Morton's Neuroma presents symptoms of pain and numbness in the toes, and it occurs when the nerve between the third and fourth metatarsal bones are continuously or repeatedly compressed. Occupational hazards and your foot structure can be contributing causes. Once again, footwear is often the culprit. This is a very painful condition, and walking with the pain can aggravate the situation. Removing the shoes and rubbing the affected area may provide temporary relief, but this is not a permanent solution. In most cases, orthotic devices can provide relief. However, in more severe cases, the professional care of a podiatrist is recommended to overcome this problem. General Guidelines. Nonsurgical treatments for heel pain are effective in 90% of patients. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) suggests trying shoe inserts, medications, and stretching first. One study found that 95% of women who used an insert and did simple exercises that stretched their Achilles tendon and plantar fascia experienced improvement after eight weeks. If these methods fail, then the patient may need prescription heel orthotics and extended physical therapy. Heel surgery to relieve pain may be performed for heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, or neuroma. Surgery is not recommended until nonsurgical methods have failed for at least six months and preferably 12 months.footpain If you're experiencing foot pain in the morning, see your doctor to rule out a stress fracture, particularly if you've recently increased the intensity of your exercise routine. If you've been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, try conservative treatments such as orthotics and ice before considering measures such as corticosteroid Plantar Fasciitis injections which are sometimes associated with complications. Non-steroidal inflammatory medications can relieve pain and reduce inflammation, but also increase the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding from the digestive tract. As an alternative, try using tart cherries, tumeric, and fish oils to reduce inflammation and pain. To get at the source of the problem, you have to give your arch some help and support. Try wearing an arch strapping This will add support to your arch. If the strapping does not provide enough relief, pick up some arch supports. You should be able to find them (probably by Dr. Scholls) at a drug store. They raise the arch and shift burden off the heel. By wearing these you also give the fascia a little slack - the arch doesn't have to stretch as far. If the strapping and the arch supports together are not enough, try adding heel pads. Avoiding foot pain before it begins is the most effective way to prevent expensive surgeries later on. Despite the fact that many people disregard foot pain for weeks, pretending that the pain isn't there or hoping it would just go away are inadequate reactions to the foot pain situation. There are plenty of ways to help your feet stay strong, healthy, and pain-free with only a few changes to your daily routine. Here are a few reasons why metatarsalgia occurs, how to cure foot conditions such as Achilles tendinitis, and how minor changes, for instance using high heel insoles, can help. Could not load more posts Just a second, loading more posts... You've reached the end. Don't be the product, buy the product!
12 Interesting Facts About Queen Anne Anne was the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from March 1702 to May 1707. During the reign of Anne, England went through two major political changes one was the union of England and Scotland to form Great Britain and another was the end of the expensive War of Spanish succession which was characterized by the bitter rivalry between the Tories & Whigs. During Anne’s reign England grew in military strength, the monarchy became constitutional because of the two party politics. Queen Anne died without an heir, the last monarch of the House of Stuart succeeded by the Hanoverian George I. Here are some interesting facts about Queen Anne. Anne 1705 Image: wikimedia.org 1. Queen Anne’s birth Queen Anne with her parents duke and duchess of York Queen Anne with her parents duke and duchess of York Source: britroyals.com, image: wikimedia.org 2. Brought up Anglican Source: encyclopedia.com 3. Early poor health Source: primaryfacts.com 4. Long standing friendship Sarah Churchill Duchess Source: encyclopedia.com, image: wikimedia.org 5. The D day Portrait of Queen Anne of England and George Prince of Denmark Portrait of Queen Anne of England and George Prince of Denmark On July 28, 1683 Anne got married to Prince George of Denmark, brother of the Danish King Christian V, in the Chapel Royal. Although the marriage was not a popular union at the time, both the companions were faithful and devoted to each other. Source: newworldencyclopedia.org, image: wikimedia.org 6. 18 Pregnancies Queen Anne and her son William Queen Anne and her son William Queen Anne had been through 18 pregnancies, but most of them were either miscarriage or stillbirth. The few who opened their eyes were not able to survive long enough. Finally, some happy moments came as she gave birth to a son, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, who being ill, survived early stages and lived from 1689 to 1700. Source: wikipedia, image: wikimedia.org 7. Crowning as a Queen Queen Anne by John Closterman Queen Anne After the death of William III on March 8, 1702, Anne was crowned as Queen on 23 April, 1702 in the Westminster Abbey. Soon after her crowning, England became engaged in the war of the Spanish Succession on 4th of May. Source: wikipedia 8. The formation of “The Great Britain” Under the Acts of Union, England and Scotland were unified to become on the realm called Great Britain with one parliament on 1 May, 1707. This is often seen as Queen Anne’s biggest achievement. Source: wikipedia 9. The Politics V/S Monarchy Anne of Great BritainDuring Anne’s reign, due to parliamentary supremacy, the political parties became more dominant. There were two key parties, the Tories who favored the Monarchy, and the Whigs who did not and thought the roles of a Monarch should be restricted. Although, Queen Anne liked Tories, she never acknowledged it openly. Source: primaryfacts.com 10. The emotional blow In October 1708, Prince George of Denmark passed away. Queen Anne was shattered at the loss of her spouse and the unfortunate event even proved a turning point in the old friendship of Queen Anne & Sarah Churchill because of the intrusive activities of the latter. Source: newworldencyclopedia.org 11. The immortal resting stage Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, and was buried beside her husband and children in Westminster Abbey on 24 th August. Source: britishheritage.com 12. The succession King George I Source: royalcentral.co.uk, image: wikimedia.org
29 July 2015 Math Bytes Units of Measure in the 21st Century It's always been a source of great consternation to me, that mathematics benchmarks around the world still appear to be completely and utterly oblivious of the implications of the impact of digital technologies in the world of mathematics. To see explicit evidence of this, you need to look no further than the Mathematics benchmarks that are currently used for the teaching of measure, which are still confined purely to units which, while still useful, are no longer the most common units of measure that are are significant in the lives of people who rely upon digital technologies in their daily lives, which means most of us, especially if you're reading this. There are two main reasons for this as far as I understand: • Almost universal ignorance on the part of teachers, who are still completely oblivious of the difference between a megabyte and gigabyte The problem is caused by this lack of awareness are profound. I struggle to envisage students who find themselves in difficulties because they were confused about the difference between a metre and a kilometre, but I regularly encounter students and teachers who are flummoxed by their their inability to understand how big a megabyte is and why they can't email that 200MB video ‘rejected by server'. Cries of frustration abound with rhetorical questions such as, 'WHY is taking so LONG to upload/download?' Answer? Um, because it is a 1 GB file, and you're using a 2 Mbps connection... ? Response: :o\| Fortunately, the solution is obvious; educate the teachers and they will educate the students, but unfortunately it looks like these things will not change until the ‘official, mandatory' benchmarks change. If anything this post is a desperate plea for just a bit of common sense; do we really need a mandatory benchmark to realise that in this day and age it is absolutely essential, that our teachers, and their students are as familiar with kilobytes and megabytes as they are with metres and kilometres? One extremely rare example of digital measures in Maths - Khan Academy Put your practice where your pedagogy is... So, inspired by Khan Academy, I put my my practice where my pedagogy is, I ran a lesson with a grade 5 class, with the single goal of demonstrating how easy it is to enable students to get to grips with this fundamental unit of measure. Essential to this was simplicity, and I know of no technology that is simpler to use, and as transformative in application as an effectively used 'wiki' space, in this case we used a Google Site, but any kind of online fora will suffice, more on the power of online 'interthinking' here. It was immediately apparent how natural this online environment is for our students, and as can be seen in the clip below, far from this being a screen dominated task, it stimulated a great deal of (on task) discussion and collaboration. Remember these kids wrestle (usually without any help from teachers or their outdated textbooks) with file size every day, so asking them to envisage scenarios that use these quandaries as problem solving situations is not that big a deal. Interthinking - online and offline It's important to note that, while the activity is screen centred, the learning is not confined to the screen, the students were just as animated (I reckon more so) than they would have been if this has been presented to them as a worksheet (which it could). But the transformative difference here is that moving it to a web based interactivity (not just an activity—see what I did there ;)?) facilitate the leverage of the transformative elements of SAMMS: Note that a great deal of the conversation (on screen and next to it) centred on wider mathematical concepts that would be relevant to the teaching of any of the traditional units of measure, eg appropriate use of units, conversion of units, and that old favourite, explain your thinking... Now that's what I call a #winwin Below you can find a PDF of the original discussion in it's entirety, bear in mind that this is not the actual discussion, which continued to develop following this capture.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 Drumroll Please... And the winner is... Decoding, Word Recognition, and comprehension scores in 1st grade are a better predictor of reading breadth in 11th grade than intelligence. How do you like them apples? Do you realize what GOOD NEWS this is!!! Let me clarify. Of the two choices, how much control do we have over our students' innate intelligence? Well, unless we are the mother or father, not a whole lot. Therefore, the area where we have nearly exclusive control - instructing the building blocks of literacy - turns out makes all the difference. The importance of those Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers to a lifetime of literacy success is incalculable. So, teach them well, O might primary teachers. Your work has a resounding impact for years and years to come. Tuesday, February 20, 2007 Pop Quiz Ann Cunningham and Keith Stanovich have unearthed some astounding findings in their research with plenty of implications for primary reading instruction. After establishing many benefits of extensive and wide reading, they went about to determine the antecedents of students who read widely. They performed a longitudinal analysis of 11th graders whom they had studied as first graders, which leads us to our pop quiz question. Which of the following 1st grade measures is the greatest predictor of 11th grade reading habits? 1) Intelligence 2) Decoding, word recognition, and comprehension Stay tuned tomorrow for the cliffhanger answer... or just read the article and show your stuff ... or guess and hope for the best. Monday, February 19, 2007 You call that wide reading? I previously mentioned Anne Cunningham and Keith Stanovich's article What Reading Does for the Mind and will be making several posts from this research. They cited a study done by Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988) which analyzed the out-of-school time use by fifth graders. Here are some highlights. The average student was reading about 5 minutes a day which equates to 282,000 words a year. If you improve that reading to 21.1 minutes a day you will read over 1.8 million words a year. Only 10% of the students in that study were reading at that rate. Imagine if we could get every student to read a paltry 30 minutes a day - which I believe most teachers "assign" regularly!! What would be the impact on vocabulary development, knowledge, and ability. Saturday, February 17, 2007 Emily Reads Quotes on math My foray into assisting with 6th grade math has got me thinking about the subject more than usual. Here are some great quotes about the validity of math instruction from a math teacher/blogger. Sunday, February 11, 2007 Reading early makes you smarter! As the reading challenge kicks off today I found an article by Anne Cunningham that describes her study of the long term effects of reading on academic success and general knowledge. Check out this gem. More evidence to support a big push for simply getting kids noses into books. If you don't want to read the whole article (because you'd rather watch 24 reruns) Martha Brockenbrough has a brief summary at MSN Encarta.
Original Text: Swinburne's Collected Poetical Works, 2 vols. (London: William Heinemann, 1924): I, 394-95. 2What sweet visions of sleep lured thee away, down from the light above? 3What strange faces of dreams, voices that called, hands that were raised to wave, 4Lured or led thee, alas, out of the sun, down to the sunless grave? 5Ah, thy luminous eyes! once was their light fed with the fire of day; 6Now their shadowy lids cover them close, hush them and hide away. 7Ah, thy snow-coloured hands! once were they chains, mighty to bind me fast; 8Now no blood in them burns, mindless of love, senseless of passion past. 9Ah, thy beautiful hair! so was it once braided for me, for me; 10Now for death is it crowned, only for death, lover and lord of thee. 11Sweet, the kisses of death set on thy lips, colder are they than mine; 12Colder surely than past kisses that love poured for thy lips as wine. 13Lov'st thou death? is his face fairer than love's, brighter to look upon? 14Seest thou light in his eyes, light by which love's pales and is overshone? 15Lo the roses of death, grey as the dust, chiller of leaf than snow! 16Why let fall from thy hand love's that were thine, roses that loved thee so? 17Large red lilies of love, sceptral and tall, lovely for eyes to see; 18Thornless blossom of love, full of the sun, fruits that were reared for thee. 19Now death's poppies alone circle thy hair, girdle thy breasts as white; 20Bloodless blossoms of death, leaves that have sprung never against the light. 21Nay then, sleep if thou wilt; love is content; what should he do to weep? 22Sweet was love to thee once; now in thine eyes sweeter than love is sleep. 1] Swinburne wrote John Nichol on Nov. 29, 1872, that his own choriambics are "done rather on the model (metrical and otherwise) of Catullus, -- `Alpheus immemor,' etc. which I have always thought one of the sweetest and most intense even of his poems -- rather than of Horace `Tu me quaesievis' etc., though the metre in either poet's hand is so charming to my ear that I have actually attempted it in English for a short poem -- e.g., Żà Żà Żô Żà Żà Żà Żô Żà Żô Żà Ü Żà Ü Żà Żà Żô Żà Żô Żà Żà Ü Żà Żà Ü Żà Żà Żô Żà Żà Żô Żà Żà Ü Żà Ü Żà Żà Żô Żà Żà Ü Żà Żà Żô Large red lilies of love, sceptral and tall, lovely for eyes to see, Thornless blossom of love, full of the sun, fruits that were rear'd for thee.'" (The Complete Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne, ed. Sir Edmund Gosse and Thomas James Wise [London: William Heinemann, 1926]: II, 201). Back to Line Publication Start Year: Publication Notes: Poems and Ballads, 2nd ser. (1878): 141-43. RPO poem Editors: Ian Lancashire RPO Edition: RPO (1999).
Shingles and Hearing Loss – What you Need to Know 1. Shingles and Hearing Loss Shingles is a fairly common virus for anyone who has ever suffered from the chicken pox. The virus can reappear in older adults due to their weakened immune system, but it can appear in anyone. While doctors aren’t sure what causes shingles in some and not in others, they do know that shingle can have negative side effects on hearing. Shingles and hearing loss are most commonly connected when the virus appears on the head, face, or neck region. Shingles can lead to hearing loss due to a few reasons. The most common reason is due to an infection from a rash or blisters close to the ear, in some cases this form of shingles related hearing loss can be reversed. However if shingles is not treated quickly, it can cause permanent hearing damage. Roughly 50% of people who delay seeking treatment for their shingles will develop permanent hearing loss. Another reason a person can develop hearing loss from shingles is due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome which affects the facial nerve near the ear. Shingles affects nerves cells but typically it is treated with antiviral medicine and nasty side effects are avoided. However, in some cases when the shingles virus happens to appear in the facial nerves, a secondary ailment can be developed which is called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, This is extremely rare in children and is seen mostly in people over the age of 60. Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause permanent nerve damage in the face and in the ear, leading to hearing loss if left untreated or if not treated quickly enough. The first step to avoiding shingles or Ramsay Hunt related hearing loss is to get the shingles vaccination. The vaccination reduces your risk of experiencing shingles and therefore helps you prevent any shingles related hearing loss. If you’ve experienced any hearing loss from shingles, you can contact the hearing professionals at Whisper Hearing. We can help you determine the best course of action for your hearing loss and will help you find the best hearing aid for your needs and budget. Find us throughout the San Francisco Bay area and Greater Sacramento area and schedule your appointment by calling or filling out our online appointment request form. Posted in:
What is a Socratic Seminar? The Socratic Seminar is a process for examining texts and analyzing important questions that arise from them. Its name comes from Socrates, the 5th century BC Athenian philosopher whose approach to learning was based on asking thoughtful, probing questions of his students. In our classroom setting, this approach takes the form of a structured, graded dialogue between students, with the teacher facilitating but not contributing to the conversation. The process we will follow is: 1. Students arrive having read and reflected on one or more common texts. 2.The facilitator asks a question for the entire group to consider. 3.One student offers a response, addressing the entire group. 4.Students respond to these comments and offer their own ideas. 5.The facilitator does not comment on the responses of students, but will periodically ask additional questions to refocus the discussion or introduce a new topic. The following ground rules are important to keep in mind as you prepare and participate in the Socratic Seminar: 1.~ Read and take notes on all the assigned texts, and bring them with you to the seminar. 2.~ Talk to one another, not the facilitator. 3.~ Don't interrupt. 4.~ Try not to dominate the conversation; careful listening is as important as frequent speaking. 5.~ Don't say anything that can't be supported with evidence from one or more of the assigned texts. 6.~ If you agree with a previous speaker, do not simply express your agreement or repeat that person's point.Add more evidence to their argument or apply it to another text. 7.~ If you disagree with a previous speaker, do so respectfully, using evidence from the texts to explain your reason for disagreement. external image 62204_104404_0.png
What does absolutely mean? Definitions for absolutelyˌæb səˈlut li, ˈæb səˌlut- Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word absolutely. Princeton's WordNet 1. absolutely, perfectly, utterly, dead(adverb) completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers 2. absolutely(adverb) totally and definitely; without question 1. absolutely(Adverb) In an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly. 2. absolutely(Adverb) With absolution. 3. absolutely(Adverb) In a manner that does not take an object. 4. absolutely(Interjection) Yes; certainly; expression indicating strong agreement. Webster Dictionary 1. Absolutely(adverb) in an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner; wholly; positively 1. Absolutely Absolutely is a popular United Kingdom television comedy sketch show shown on Channel 4 between 1989 and 1993. The cast and crew were mainly Scottish; the principal writers and performers were Moray Hunter, Jack Docherty, Peter Baikie, Gordon Kennedy, Morwenna Banks and John Sparkes. It was directed by Phil Chilvers, Alan Nixon, Alistair Clark, and Graham C Williams. The show's producers were Alan Nixon, and David Tyler British National Corpus 1. Spoken Corpus Frequency Rank popularity for the word 'absolutely' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2499 2. Written Corpus Frequency Rank popularity for the word 'absolutely' in Written Corpus Frequency: #486 3. Adverbs Frequency Rank popularity for the word 'absolutely' in Adverbs Frequency: #152 1. Chaldean Numerology The numerical value of absolutely in Chaldean Numerology is: 8 2. Pythagorean Numerology The numerical value of absolutely in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6 Sample Sentences & Example Usage 1. Albert Guinon: 2. Ray Knight: 3. Oscar Wilde: 4. Ben Carson: Could it have been done better? Absolutely. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. Did we need to make these changes? Absolutely yes, you're never going to be able to do a shakeup in a way that will please everybody. 5. Daniel Domenech: In one state, the court will support the district and say,' absolutely, you have the right to do that.' In a very similar situation in another court, the court will rule' absolutely not, it's freedom of speech,' so the whole legal issue right now is very much up in the air. Images & Illustrations of absolutely Translations for absolutely From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary Get even more translations for absolutely » Find a translation for the absolutely definition in other languages: Select another language: Discuss these absolutely definitions with the community: Word of the Day Please enter your email address: Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography: "absolutely." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2017. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/absolutely>. Are we missing a good definition for absolutely? Don't keep it to yourself... Nearby & related entries: Alternative searches for absolutely: Thanks for your vote! We truly appreciate your support.
Laboratory of Electronics 2 Course Description The purpose of this course is to give the students the practical knowledge about representative RF power circuits and applications and good understanding of methods and techniques in CMOS digital circuits design. The course offers a hands-on experience about the concepts that are taught in Radio-Frequency Electronics and Digital Microelectronic Circuits. General Competencies The students get practical knowledge about common RF power circuits and oscillators, ability to analyse, model, design and implement adequate RF power amplifiers and oscillators. They should get acquainted with CAD tools for layout and electrical simulation of CMOS microelectronic circuit and should adopt the practical skills in layout design, circuit extraction and CMOS circuit verification needed for analysing and designing digital microelectronic circuits. Learning Outcomes 1. distinguish the role of individual layers of technological structure in the realization of CMOS circuits 2. design the layout of CMOS digital circuit 3. simulate circuits in a specific CMOS technology 4. verify the operation of CMOS digital circuit 5. experimental testing of oscillator circuits 6. oscillator circuit tuning 7. experimental testing of RF power amplifier circuits 8. RF power amplifier circuits circuit tuning Forms of Teaching Laboratory Work laboratory exercises Grading Method Continuous Assessment Exam Type Threshold Percent of Grade Comment: Percent of Grade Laboratory Exercises 0 % 90 % 0 % 0 % Homeworks 0 % 10 % 0 % 0 % Week by Week Schedule 1. Computer aids for microelectronic circuit layout design 2. CMOS layout drawing 3. Computer aids for circuit analysis 4. CMOS inverter 5. Complementary NAND gate 6. CMOS pass-transistor 7. Static synchronous SR latch 8. Midterm 9. Static RAM cell 10. Testing RF power amplifier using spectrum analyzer 11. Testing RF power amplifier operating conditions 12. Tunnel-diode oscillator 13. Oscillator frequency stability 14. Frequency shift keying 15. Frequency multipliers Study Programmes University graduate Electronics (profile) (2. semester) N. Majurec, R. Nađ, A. Šarolić, G. Šišul (2003.), Paradigme visokofrekvencijske elektronike, modulacija i modulatora, Graphis, Zagreb J.M. Rabaey, A. Chandrakasan, B. Nikolić (2003.), Digital Integrated Circuits - A Design Perspective, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Laboratory exercises Grading System ID 35235 Summer semester L0 English Level L1 e-Learning 15 Lecturers 0 Exercises 30 Laboratory exercises 87 Excellent 75 Very Good 62 Good 50 Acceptable
Here I will speak of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, long viewed with scorn by cutting-edge philosophy, but back in the center of discussion today. John Locke is the most famous theorist of primary and secondary qualities, if not the first. Primary qualities are those that must belong to an entity whether or not they are perceived, while secondary qualities exist only insofar as they are perceived. Roses would continue to reflect the same wavelength of light (primary quality) even if all sentient beings were exterminated, but they could not in any way be experienced as red (secondary quality). The sensation of red requires the interaction between roses and eyes. Thus, roses could not be red if all eyes were destroyed, any more than if all roses were destroyed. Nor would the rose have a rosy smell if all noses were annihilated; the smell of a rose requires the existence of noses no less than that of the flowers that are smelled. Locke generalizes the point further: What I have said concerning Colours and Smells, may be understood also of Tastes and Sounds, and other the like sensible Qualities; which, whatever reality we, by mistake, attribute to them, are in truth nothing in the Objects themselves, but Powers to produce various sensations in us, and depend on those primary Qualities, viz. Bulk, Figure, Texture, and Motion of parts; as I have said.;1 Nor did this problem die out with the seventeenth century thinkers. One of the most significant books of present-day philosophy opens with the same theme. Quentin Meillassoux writes as follows: “The theory of primary and secondary qualities seems to belong to an irremediably obsolete philosophical past. It is time it was rehabilitated.”2 Meillassoux’s proposed rehabilitation of the theory hinges on the following claim: all those aspects of objects that can be formulated in mathematical terms can meaningfully be conceived as properties of the object in itself. All those aspects of the object that can give rise to a math- ematical thought (to a formula or to digitalization) rather than to a perception or sensation can be meaningfully turned into properties of the thing not only as it is with me, but also as it is without me.3 In the brief space remaining, I will make three claims. First, Locke’s distinction between primary and secondary qualities must be maintained. Second, Meillassoux is wrong to identify primary qualities with those that can be mathematized. Third, Locke is partially wrong to hold that colors, smells, tastes, and sounds are secondary rather than primary qualities. Let’s get right to the point. There are two possible ways to deny the existence of primary qualities. One is to deny the existence of anything primary at all. On this view, everything is secondary: nothing exists except insofar as it is perceived by or related to something else. The second way would be to concede the existence of a primary reality beyond all perception, while still denying that this primary reality possesses anything like “qualities.” Let’s deal briefly with both of these objections. The first denial is found in most extreme form in George Berkeley’s delightfully sarcastic idealist claim that “it is indeed an opinion strangely prevailing amongst men, that houses, mountains, rivers, and in a word all sensible objects, have an existence, natural or real, distinct from their being perceived by the understanding.”4 Here no objects or qualities are primary because, for Berkeley, nothing exists apart from being given to the human mind. But no human-centered idealism is required to deny the existence of primary qualities. Bruno Latour, for instance, tries to place all entities (or “actors”) on the same footing, granting no privilege to human over inanimate actors. But while this differentiates him significantly from Berkeley, it does not prevent Latour from defining entities solely in terms of their effects on other entities: “there is no other way to define an actor but through its action, and there is no other way to define an action but by asking what other actors are modified, transformed, perturbed, or created by the character that is the focus of attention.”5 What Berkeley and Latour share is the assumption that realities exist only in relation to other realities. In this respect they both deny anything “primary” that would exist independently of anything else. The reason we cannot accept such a claim is that if reality existed only in relation to something else, it would be fully exhausted by that relation. There would be no surplus of reality not currently deployed or expressed in the world here and now, and hence no reason why the current relations between things would ever change. The second way of denying real qualities would be to agree that objects have a primary reality preceding their relations, but simply to deny that this primary reality has anything like qualities. The clearest exponent of such a position is my fellow object-oriented ontologist Levi R. Bryant.6 In Bryant’s philosophy, there is a distinction between the non-relational “virtual proper being” of an object and its “local manifestations,” and only the latter can be said to have qualities.7 Yet it is difficult to see how this restriction of “qualities” to the relational realm is anything more than a terminological decision on Bryant’s part. Presumably two dogs, a toothbrush, a skyscraper, and a clown all have different “virtual proper beings,” since otherwise these objects would be exactly the same. Bryant does not want to ascribe qualities to these “virtual” entities, but prefers to distinguish them through “what they can do” as opposed to “what they are.” But there would be no distinction between what they can do unless there were already a difference in what they are, and I see no reason not to use the term “qualities” to describe the features that differentiate what they are. Obviously, since these qualities precede any relation insofar as they might generate a large number of possible relations, we must call them primary rather than secondary qualities. That brings us to Meillassoux’s claim that primary qualities are those that can be mathematized. Aside from a recent half-finished attempt in an unpublished Berlin lecture from April 2012, his clearest statements on this topic are perhaps those found in his 2010 interview discussion with me.8 While conceding that he has not yet demonstrated “the capacity [of mathematics] to describe that which is independent of all thought,”9 Meillassoux insists that mathematics can do this despite being a human construction. He offers the analogy of archaeological work, in which the ‘constructions’ (a complex of winches, sounding lines, scaffolding, spades, brushes, etc.) are not destined to produce an object, as in the case of architecture. On the contrary, they are made with a view to not interfering with the object at which they aim: that is to say, excavating the ruins without damaging them, in unearthing them ‘as is’, and not as modified or even destroyed by the impact of the excavation tools.10 However, the problem with mathematizing entities is not that mathematics is a human construction. The problem, instead, is that mathematics claims to present reality directly in a way that is utterly foreign to other disciplines. Archaeology never confuses sarcophagi with the winches and pulleys used to lift them. By contrast, mathematics does encourage the belief that its models of things are exact replicas of those models. The mathematical ontologist may well concede that the things have some material substrate in which its mathematizable features inhere. But the nature of this substrate remains untheorized in Meillassoux, who occasionally calls it “dead matter” but then fails to explain the difference between such dead matter and the mathematized version of it that is supposed to yield its primary qualities. We have now argued as follows: (a) primary qualities must exist, (b) they cannot be mathematized, which is another way of saying that they cannot be thoroughly known. Belief in a reality outside the mind must not be confused with the belief that this reality can also be directly known, as Meillassoux demands. Instead, respect for reality requires a respect for its somewhat inscrutable character, not directly translatable into any form of knowledge, so that it can only be known indirectly or allusively, with a sideways glance. Now, along with speaking of primary and secondary qualities, we must also speak of primary and secondary objects. For just as certain qualities belong to a thing without anyone seeing it (primary qualities), while oth- ers require the presence of a perceiver (secondary qualities), the same duality can be found in objects. For just as we presume the existence of genuine things apart from the mind and indeed apart from all relation whatsoever, so too there are objects existing only in relation to the mind, such as centaurs and golden mountains.11 This might also seem to be true of entities such as sounds: a musical tone, after all, seems to exist only for some hearer. We might assume that the “primary” object is merely a physical sound wave, while the musical tone is a merely “secondary” object, and as such, only the primary sound wave could have primary qualities, and the secondary musical tone could only have secondary qualities that exist for some hearer alone, and not in themselves. Paradoxically enough, the world does not work in this simplistic a fashion. Let’s change the terminology of this essay from the more classical “primary” and “secondary” to the related terms more prominent in my previous works: “real” and “sensual.” For object-oriented philosophy, real objects are those that withdraw from relation and exist quite apart from any relations in which they might become involved. Sensual objects are those that exist only in relation to some other entity, and they must be distinguished from their sensual qualities, due to Husserl’s critique of David Hume’s influential “bundle theory” of experienced entities. Hume famously holds that we do not experience a unified object such as a zebra, but only a series of stripes, hairs, eyes, mouths, legs, and tail that seem to move together with such regularity that we form the habit of taking all of these together to be a single thing. But Husserl’s phenom- enology overturns this theory by showing that Hume has it backwards. We do not encounter qualities or parts in isolation, but first encounter the object itself. What we actually encounter is not a dissolute set of partial objects, but the zebra as a whole. This zebra can be viewed from many different angles and distances and still be regarded as the same zebra. This zebra is a sensual object rather than a real one, since it is fully present in my consciousness, not withdrawn in the least, unlike the spooky subterranean entities that populate the tool-analysis of Husserl’s renegade pupil Martin Heidegger. And this sensual zebra has numerous and ever-shifting sensual qualities, which sparkle across its surface and pass away forever without affecting the integrity of the sensual zebra. And yet, this phantasmal zebra in the mind has other qualities that cannot pass away without consequence. There are certain features that the zebra must always retain, under penalty of my no longer regarding it as the same thing, but instead as a different zebra, a warthog, or perhaps even a wagon, sunbeam, crutch, or puzzle. These real qualities that the zebra needs, in order to remain the very zebra that it is, can be called its real qualities. Husserl concedes that these real (or “eidetic”) qualities cannot be known through the senses, though he mistakenly assumes that they can be known through direct intuition by the mind, as if the difference between the sensual and the intelligible were such a massive rift. We now have the paradox that a sensual object can have real qualities, or in quasi-Lockean terms, that a secondary object can have primary qualities. This allows for a strange intrusion by sensual, phantasmal, and purely fictional entities into the realm of autonomous reality. Even if we agree with the most hardheaded realists that Popeye, Don Quixote, centaurs, and hallucinations are not real objects in the same manner as neutrons or cliffs of limestone, Popeye and his cousins must still be acknowledged to have genuine, real qualities. Perhaps this should not come as a surprise, given that by an analogous paradox, real withdrawn objects signal into the realm of perception by means of sensual qualities, in a manner exploited most thoroughly by the arts. Even if the sounds heard by human and animal ears are not as autonomous as waves travelling through air, these sounds immediately generate qualities that are every bit as independent as physical disturbances. The wizard of the mixer who makes a sound scratchy or ghostly, who transposes it into a different key or gives it a different mood, is merely a profiteer reliant upon the durable real qualities of a sensual thing— as if a hallucinated apple had a more-than-imagined color, smell, taste, and even price. 1. John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, p.137. (Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1979.) 2. Quentin Meillassoux, After Finitude: Essay on the Necessity of Contingency, trans. R. Brassier, p. 1. (London : Continuum, 2008.) 3. Meillassoux, After Finitude, p. 3. Emphasis removed. 4. George Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, page 24. (New York : Cosimo Classics, 2005.) 5. Bruno Latour, Pandora’s Hope: Essays on the Reality of Science Studies, page 122. (Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, 1999.) 6. See for example Bryant’s post of January 5, 2012, “More on Withdrawn Objects,” http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/more-on-withdrawn-objects/ 7. See Levi R. Bryant, “The Ontic Principle: Outlines of an Object-Oriented Ontol- ogy,” pp. 261-278, in L. Bryant et al. (eds.), The Speculative Turn: Continental Materialism and Realism. (Melbourne: re.press, 2011). 8. See “Interview with Quentin Meillassoux,” pp. 159-174 in Graham Harman, Quentin Meillassoux: Philosophy in the Making. (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011.) 9. Harman, Quentin Meillassoux, p. 167. 10. Harman, Quentin Meillassoux, p. 167. 11. I have often argued this point in connection with the philosophy of Edmund Husserl. See for example Graham Harman, The Quadruple Object, pp. 20-34. (Winchester, UK : Zero Books, 2011.) Commissioned for Not for Human Consumption He is the author of eleven books, most recently Weird Realism: Lovecraft and Philosophy (2012) and Bells and Whistles: More Speculative Realism (2013). He is the editor of the Speculative Realism book series at Edinburgh University Press, and (with Bruno Latour) co-editor of the New Metaphysics book series at Open Humanities Press. Download PDF
Download pdf Practice Alone Will Not Do The biggest ocean waves start with an intention, and then begins the smallest disturbance or movement away from the source—its center. An intention to move gains momentum gradually by unidirectional persistence. Ocean waves form when wind transfers some of its energy to the water through friction between the air molecules and water molecules. By constant effort, air molecules rub against water molecules and generate a motion away from the source in the form of disturbance within the surrounding water. One small molecule of air can start a huge wave if it persists in the same direction relentlessly. Both are necessary—effort or energy and direction or intelligence. We may see the first movements as the waves' practice only because it seems that larger effects are not visible, but each 'practice', so to say, is a total effort. The energy is being exerted intelligently, gaining momentum, increasing focus as it goes along. This persistence in the same direction efficiently is not mechanical but living, dynamic—getting more focused, more efficient, and hence, there is less loss or movement in contrary directions. What seemed to be practice, itself becomes a formidable wave that can move or carry anything in its path. The intention, the initial movement, the ongoing movement and the great big wave are not different from one another. The intention itself becomes the wave—it is the wave. A little acorn or sapling grows into a huge oak or redwood in much the same way. We may call the sapling young and tender, but the young one is full of zeal, energy and clear focus. It knows it has to grow and have its own direct access to sunlight in order to survive, and towards this end all energy is mightily expended. Conditions may not be in its favor, but that does not in the least bit deter the little sapling or the starter wave from all-out unidirectional effort. Effort is necessary for success in any endeavor. The degree of success depends upon many things, among which unidirectional effort is most important. Unidirectional means operating or moving in a single direction—not changing direction. In the Bhagavad Gita we are told that the uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy and must be controlled. The uncontrolled mind is a mind that does not move in one direction—it changes direction constantly; and just as the intention can never become a wave, no matter how hard it tries, if there is no unidirectional effort—success in control of mind is not possible. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna agrees that it is indeed difficult to control the mind, but that it is possible by practice or abhyasa and dispassion or vairagya. Both of these—practice which involves the fullest effort and dispassion which is without distraction or dissipation—form a single movement of expending all available energy unidirectionally. All this may not matter much in the corporate world, as what you do may have little to no connection with who you are; and if you are not satisfied with how people see you—you can always hire an image consultant or the right public relations firm and they can polish your image. They cannot change you, they cannot polish you—just the image people are presented of you. Spiritual life is an adventure of self-discovery and transformation—it deals with reality, not images. The truth of every moment is clearly seen, and this clarity of seeing is itself transformation. In seeing clearly, there is no gap between seeing and action—the clarity of this seeing is direct perception, which is perception without the interference of any conditioning, and hence it is very potent—it acts. I'm sure you have experienced this often when a danger lurks while driving (or even walking as a pedestrian)—and there is spontaneous action. Thought jumps in an instant later and takes credit for success or assigns blame if otherwise. Change is instantaneous, though its effects will be seen over time. If you decide to get healthier, for instance—the change in your mindset if unidirectional is total. This inner change will keep guiding external behavior so that you eat in a healthy way and get some exercise; and this movement to all that is conducive is itself turning away from all that is counterproductive. It may take some time for the physical results to be noticed, but inner or psychological change does not take time. Why should it? If you really see that something is good for you or something is not good for you—what has time to do with an all-aboard decision that is empowered to act now? Two smokers have each been smoking the same amount for the same time, what makes one quit 'cold-turkey' and the other continue smoking? Assume that both have the same health conditions, lifestyle and are even friends—what makes one 'see' the danger of staying the course and other 'not see'? Seeing—direct perception of the danger of staying the course—is itself transformation or change. Unable, or rather, unwilling to get onboard all at once, one practices with an aim towards total psychological change and initially, efforts seem like struggle, because one exerts in the new direction without having let go of the old—that which is not conducive. The whole mind is not on board and effort is not unidirectional. The same person exerts in multiple directions at the same time and there is great frustration. Practice is not half-effort but the fullest effort possible till all inhibitors are removed and effort hits the mark. It is called practice because the self-sustained inhibitors have not been removed and it has therefore not hit the mark—not because they are like practice sessions for some event. If you examine yourself you will also notice that when there is frustration, the eyes are also always on the 'reward to come' and this increases the frustration and backflows to weaken the already weakened effort. The weakness alluded to here is not of force or quantity but one of quality—the lack of devoted attention of your whole being. Once you have had enough of half-baked cooking which takes much more effort and resources for unappealing results at best—you either inch forward in resolve (which really does nothing substantial), or you are willing and enthusiastic about getting all-aboard the train in good time before it leaves the station. This second phase in practice is where struggle is left behind at last, as unidirectional effort does not involve struggle at all—just focused effort. Struggle requires friction—something to struggle with, and friction necessitates resistance. If you would really like to change, why should this be difficult? Resistance is psychological—you yourself resisting yourself!—and when this is able to be let go, there is instant relief and the threshold of commitment is crossed. At once, the eyes come off the finish line or reward, as this feeling itself is one of tremendous lightness in the pack that had been toted laboriously so far while barely trudging along. Feelings start with notions about a person, something or a condition. These notions gain strength by repetition and become dense or intense. When these strong feelings are aroused, there is an irresistible urge towards their fulfillment, and depending on the intensity or state of intensity of the wave of feeling—it can completely override wisdom, awareness or consciousness. These feelings can even present self-justification (counter-wisdom) to replace clear inner wisdom—that it is not only okay to do or to have this, but—it is the right thing. The feelings become uncontrollable and mature into passion which is the uncontrolled movement of energy that drags the silenced wisdom or consciousness towards its unfulfillment. Krishna also tells us, "I think yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain to it by the proper means." This is true not only for yoga, but for success in any endeavor. Any attainment or success requires intelligent effort and some sort of self-discipline. We are not talking about discipline imposed on one by others, but intelligent effort, which is guided effort, and the perfect response to an ever new and fluid developing situation. Even being in love with one's plan or preference does not work; it cannot be the perfect response because the carpet unrolls as you walk on it only. In yoga, the proper means is not only the most fitting response, but it is proper in the context of the widest background of the divine omnipresence—God, being the only reality. By most fitting is meant, it is not to suit our needs but those of the widest situation possible. Our constant remembrance of God's omnipresence will negate selfishness and disallow ego-centered thought and its resulting activity. Since God is the divine omnipresence—every effort is conducive to discovery of this or, in other words, the non-existence of oneself as a separate entity. Living in light of this discovery is divine life, and since it is not relegated to one area or aspect of life—time and space do not limit it. The yogi discovers how to be very efficient, because the whole-souled, devoted attention beneath every blessed action is the means towards direct realization of the truth, and this heightened awareness does not allow dissipation of energy caused by competing priorities. Swami Venkatesananda writes, "Practice alone can only lead to mastery of the technique of mind control, not mind control." Mind control is self-control which naturally avoids wastage of energy, effort and dealing with its returning effects or results. Practice, or unidirectional effort, is not blind, insensitive or mechanical—how can it be? Towards realization of the divine omnipresence as the only reality, every action is new, fresh and spontaneous. You strive with increased zeal and enthusiasm, tiding over old pulls, thereby decreasing inner resistance or letting go of all that scatters unidirectional effort. Unidirectional effort is guided by the single truth: the divine omnipresence is the only reality—God alone is. Infinity and eternity coalesce into each present moment and the seeker responds in light of this feeling which takes hold of every cell of his being. Vairagya or dispassion is not the abandoning of something old, but living in the light of a fuller reality that demands all of you—the old falling away as naturally as leaves falling in autumn. Dispassion is what is needed, and that which results from sincere effort or practice. We can call effort practice only because there are repeated attempts to get onboard fully. But, each attempt is a total attempt, just like a pole vaulter makes several attempts to reach new height. You can call it practice for competition, but each attempt is an all out attempt. Practice, the big event, realization and discovery are words that are useful in communication, but it is best not to get trapped in them. Without dispassion, one can attain mastery over the technique but not self-mastery—mastery of the mind. Control of mind requires sustained unidirectional effort which is not possible without dispassion. If there are competing interests, the distracted mind will be very much in control and in the driver's seat. Control of mind is not a function or capability of the fragmented mind. The whole mind or the undivided mind looks at the mind-fragment of personality like the ocean looking intently at the little wave—till it is seen and thereby known for what it is directly. There is no suppression, denial or escape—rather, there is a whole-souled facing of everything that goes on in the world outside and inside at the same time. There is total observation in which there is no division between the observer and the observed. That observation sees perfectly as it is not loaded with notions, and therefore it does what needs to be done. Memory has usefulness in that it is a function of the mind, but is never mistaken for the total mind. Practice alone will not do, it is like a leaky bucket in which we hope to carry water to fill the well some distance away—it just won't work. We will develop good endurance and do a lot of carrying, but the well will stay as it is—perhaps a little lower in water level. A good boat, strong rower, good effort at rowing will not do if the boat is moored to the dock. Even if the boat is freed from the mooring, one may cover distance physically but still be on land mentally, and so it will make no difference. When the ropes that tied the boat to the dock are finally released—in that release, new movement will be free to express itself. Dispassion is the absence of passion or pull of any habit, so all of you is always facing you from moment to moment, externally and internally without walls. Wisdom faces life, never habit or preference, and this wisdom knows what is best because it is not colored. This dispassion itself is natural self-control which arises from living in wisdom, and this gives guidance and clarity for unidirectional effort—which must meet its mark some day. Swami Suryadevananda 13 May, 2011
Treatment of “Rage Attacks” by Leslie E. Packer, PhD, 1998 Last Updated February 2009 There are different approaches to treating “rage attacks,” and it is important to remember that different children or adults may have different causes for their “storms.” What works for one child or adult may not work for another. The treatment of “rage attacks” is complicated because “rage attacks” generally do not represent a discrete disorder, but can be symptomatic of a number of different conditions (not all of which are even medical) or their interaction. Indeed, “rage attacks” may be linked to neurocognitive and/or social skills deficits and the effective “treatment” isn’t pharmacological at all but rather remediation of the neurocognitive and/or social skills deficits. There are two main lines of treatment for “rage attacks,” then: psychopharmacological and therapeutic. Some cases will require one or the other; some cases will require both. We’ll begin by discussing medication approaches and the use of herbals or supplements, but then turn to a non-medication intervention approach. All of the medications that are used to treat OCD, ADHD, mood disorders, or their associated conditions may be of value to individual patients, depending on their particular history. Determining which medication class or specific medication to try requires that the clinician take a very thorough and comprehensive assessment of situations in which the patient is experiencing explosive dysregulation to determine if there are any factors that need to be addressed pharmacologically or if the treatment plan needs to focus more on treatment interventions and accommodations for factors such as sensory integration problems, cognitive rigidity/inflexibility, nonverbal learning disabilities leading to frustration, etc. Budman and Bruun (1998) reported that paroxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRI) was of some benefit to some patients; this is consistent with their previous finding that such attacks correlated with increased obsessive-compulsiveness. But not all patients who have explosive outbursts have OCD. In some cases, the clinician will find that treating any depression or anxiety may reduce the problem. SSRIs are also the first line treatment for those disorders, so if a child or adult has any of those disorders plus explosive outbursts, treatment with an SSRI might be of some benefit. In a more recent retrospective study, Budman, Coffey, et al. (2008) found that aripiprazole (Abilify®) produced improvement in explosive outbursts of children and adolescents with Tourette’s Syndrome comorbid with ADHD and OCD. Atypical neuroleptics, particularly risperidone (Risperdal®), have been anecdotally reported to be of benefit in managing such behavioral symptoms in some patients, as have mood stabilizers. When Bipolar Disorder is present, medications such as lithium and depakote may be prescribed (although the latter may be complicated in the use of females). Some research suggests that olanzapine may also be of benefit. Morant et al. (2001, translation of abstract) also investigated the behavioral effects of risperidone on children and young adolescents with serious behavioral problems who had not responded well to other medications. The 16 participants had been treated for ADHD, mental retardation with nonspecific behavior disorder, Tourette’s plus ADHD and generalized disorder of development. Risperidone doses ranged from .01 to .05/mg/kg/day. Ten of the 16 patients responded to the medication in terms of improved behavior, two did not complete the study, and there was no change in the remaining four patients. The investigators report that the children with mental retardation showed the most improvement with risperidone when compared to other diagnoses. While some clinical data suggests that at least some children may benefit from risperidone, more controlled research is needed. At the present time, there is insufficient research to suggest any algorithm for prescribing for patients who may have a lot of comorbidity. What about children or adolescents with diagnoses of autism or Asperger’s Disorder who have explosive aggression? The available clinical literature suggests that in some cases, SSRIs or clomipramine (Anafranil®) may be of benefit, but in a head-to-head comparison of clomipramine and haloperidol with autistic patients, haloperidol produced significantly better results (Remington et al., 2001). There are also some data suggesting that an anticonvulsant medication such as divalproex may be of benefit in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hollander et al., 2001). Given the problems inherent with adverse effects and polypharmacy, is there any nonpharmacological alternative that might be equally or more effective? In my opinion, the answer is “yes.” But before turning to psychological or language-based interventions, let’s consider one other question: could malnutrition be the problem for some of these children, and if so, could vitamins help? In February 2000, Stephen Schoenthaler and Ian Bier reported that for some children, vitamin-mineral supplementation might be just the thing.* Using 6 – 12 year-old school children, the investigators randomly assigned children to either the vitamin-mineral or placebo conditions; neither the children nor the observers knew which condition the children were in. Children in the vitamin-mineral supplement group received daily supplementation at 100% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (USRDA) for four months. The measures of interest were measures of antisocial behavior on school property, with records kept of threats/fighting, vandalism, disrespect, use of obscenities, defiance, refusal to work or serve, endangering others, and nonspecified offenses. Of the 468 students in the study, 80 who were disciplined at least once between September 1st and May 1st served as the research sample. During intervention, the 40 children who received active tablets were disciplined, on average, 1 time each, a 47% lower mean rate of antisocial behavior than the 1.875 times each for the 40 children who received placebo. Their data provide some confirmation for the notion that dietary issues need to be considered if a child is disruptive or engaging in a lot of antisocial behavior, but it is important to note that: (1) they were not studying the explosive kinds of outbursts colloquially referred to as “rage attacks,” and (2) there was no attempt to identify whether any of the students had neurobehavioral diagnoses. The sole question was whether there would be a reliable difference between those getting vitamin-mineral supplements and those who didn’t. In terms of herbals, there is no controlled research showing that they would be of benefit specifically for explosive outbursts. Be a cautious consumer in investigating any claims about efficacy. Keeping in mind that there are many possible pathways to “rage attacks,” the selection of an intervention approach requires a thorough assessment to see which factor or factors are contributing to the outbursts. If you are parenting a child or adolescent who has “rage attacks,” what assessments have you had conducted? If your child is having “rage attacks” in school as well as at home, or if you believe that it is the school situation that is triggering your child’s rage attacks in the home, you might want to consider asking the public school district to fund any necessary assessments as part of any obligation they might have to develop an appropriate program and interventions for your child. School districts may be willing to fund neuropsychological evaluations, psychiatric consultations, speech and language evaluations for pragmatic communication skills, and a variety of other tests or assessments if they are needed in order to provide the child with a free appropriate public education. In any event, if you, your child, or your spouse is having recurring rage attacks, you need a more comprehensive assessment that will involve professionals from a number of disciplines. While for some people, it is possible that simply pharmacologically treating a condition like OCD or depression may resolve the problem of rage attacks, for many others, there will be no “silver bullet,” and a comprehensive multimodal plan will need to be developed. While all these formal assessments are being arranged or conducted, parents, teachers, or family members can take almost immediate steps to reduce rage attacks by altering the environment. To do that, you need to do a bit of assessment, described in the next section. Reducing “Rage Attacks” by Changing the Environment One of the most important — and effective — things parents, family members, and educators can do is to create an environment where rage attacks are less likely to occur — an environment that reduces exposure to those stimuli or situations that are likely to trigger a ‘rage attack.’ In order to create such an environment, you need to assess the child or adult’s past behavior, consider the antecedent conditions, and begin to systematically rearrange the environment. To accomplish the above, consider the following process: 1. Start by assuming that there is no such thing as “random” behavior and that every ‘rage attack’ has a cause. The cause may be a single event or it may represent a more complex interaction, but there is a cause. 2. Review past episodes. What was going on prior to the ‘rage attack?’ Make a list, being as specific as possible, and including as many observations as you can (such as, “Johnny was tired and then…..”). 3. Look at all the episodes you’ve recalled or described. What elements do you see? Sometimes the specifics aren’t as important as what they represent. For example, if you noticed that prior to one outburst, Johnny had been obsessed about getting a classmate punished for something the classmate had done, and that he exploded when the teacher told him to return to his seat, there are two elements there that you will “flag” for future action: any scrupulosity obsession and the frustration/thwarting in the presence of the obsessiveness. As another example, you might discover that many of Johnny’s outbursts in school occur during a particular class or time of day. What is going on in those settings that is different than other settings? The differences may give you important clues as to what needs to be modified for him. 4. Revise your list of triggers or antecedents and express them in general form (for now). Your list may look something like: • Classmates making fun of his vocal tics. • Being asked to do homework when he’s tired. • Wearing shirts with buttons. • Being told ‘no’ when he’s ‘stuck’ on something. • Being asked to switch between activities when he’s enjoying the first activity. • Being asked to switch between activities when he feels he has to finish the first activity. • Hearing the word “[trigger word].” • Being in a large crowd. • Going to the supermarket, no matter what time of day. • Family get-togethers, even when he’s not dressed up. The above are just some examples, of course. Your own list may be quite different, and may be quite short or quite long, depending on your child, student, or family member. In a number of cases, an important part of the assessment will be to get a neuropsychological evaluation and/or a speech and language evaluation of the student. Now here comes the next important piece: For each of the things you’ve listed, take action to change the environment to either avoid altogether or reduce exposure to the trigger or antecedent conditions. One of the things that has ceased to amaze me is how often parents actually know what environments are likely to be problematic and yet keep taking their children into those environments. Why should they then be surprised or caught off guard when their child responds as they could have predicted they’d respond? Being “proactive” involves being aware of the child (or adult’s) needs and limitations, respecting those limitations and supporting them by creating an environment that doesn’t push them past their limits. Thus, the first thing I often do (after the psychoeducational piece) is work with the parent (and/or the school or employer) on altering the environment so as to reduce the triggers or situations that are likely to result in explosive outbursts. Often that’s enough to produce a dramatic change or dramatic reduction in the number of explosive outbursts. Once things have calmed down, then it is easier to get cooperation with the hard work that needs to be done. And what needs to be done generally involves a two-pronged approach: changing the family’s (or teacher’s or colleague’s) response to the patient’s behavior while simultaneously teaching the patient cognitive skills and strategies to enable them to function in situations that make it difficult for them to function. In other cases, speech therapy or other interventions will also be required, but for now, we will focus on the psychological interventions. And the first interventions will be on ourselves. Changing the responses of others is a crucial piece in any intervention plan, as it is often others’ responses that either push the patient past their limits or otherwise escalate a situation. Because many people misunderstand the individual’s behavior and erroneously attribute it to voluntary misbehavior or “oppositionalism,” they may speak to the individual in ways that are counterproductive. In my dealings with parents and educators, I often hear, “All he needs is a firm hand and more discipline,” or “Well, I understand that he has a neurological problem, but I still can’t let him just get away with that.” I generally start by nodding my head to show them that I do understand their thinking, but then say, “OK, but let’s get real. Is your strategy working? Is he learning not to do that?” At that point, they’ll usually acknowledge that their approach hasn’t worked at all, and that’s my opportunity to start showing them another way to think about or understand the child’s behavior and another way to approach the problem — an approach that begins not with trying to change the child, but with creating a more supportive environment that reduces frustration, learning to read the ‘warning signs’ that the child is about to “lose it,” and being able to immediately shift gears to restore the child to some equilibrium so that they can problem-solve with you. Educators are often reluctant to embrace this kind of alternative approach. Having been exposed to some semblance of behavior modification in their training, and often feeling vulnerable because of how their administrator may be critical if they do not appear to be in total control of their classroom, they may say something like, “But there have to be SOME consequences, don’t there? if I let Dennis get away with just running out of the room when he’s upset, then all the other children will be learning that they can get away with it too. How do I help Dennis without turning the whole classroom into chaos?” Now I may be a bit naive, but I am personally and professionally hard-pressed to envision 20 other middle school students suddenly developing panic attacks and learning to run out of the room. Yes, fairness is an issue to children and they need some kind of explanation for why one student may have accommodations that they don’t have, but students are pretty sharp and can generally detect when a peer has a serious problem. They can also be brought into the whole game plan to provide support for their classmate so that things don’t get to that point. Applying “consequences” under the often-misguided notion that such “consequences” will boost the child’s motivation so that they will learn to behave differently often tends to lead to punitive strategies that worsen the situation. They also lead to the parent or educator becoming as inflexible as the child/teen is at that moment. Locked in a power struggle with the child, the teacher or parent will invariably lose. Hence, in my experience, one of my key functions is to provide support to the parent, educator, or colleagues so that they can remain calm and provide support to the child or adult. If the child is not cooperating with you at the moment, instead of assuming that the child doesn’t want to cooperate with you, assume that they DO want to cooperate with you but are unavailable to do so, through no fault of their own. Most children really want to keep the good opinion of their parents and teachers. If they are saying “no” and getting explosive, assume that they have a problem that is preventing them from shifting from what they were doing or thinking about and what you want them to think about or do, and that the problem is not one of motivation. Many children with neurological conditions need more time to make shifts (transitions), and they often need a good amount of support to make shifts. If you simply demand or even politely ask them to make a shift that they cannot make, they will be frustrated. And frustration can lead to explosiveness. As intelligent as many of these children are, they simply cannot see their way out of what appears as an overwhelming conflict or dilemma (e.g., “I really need to finish this game and Mom is saying I have to do my homework.”). Because they cannot “see” anything other than those two options, they are likely to either ignore the mother’s request or say, “no.” The mother, if she interprets the ‘no’ as “No, I’m not going to do my homework now because [I’d rather play, or I don’t care about my homework]” is likely to become frustrated and insist more strongly, “Come, it’s time to do your homework NOW.” Under conditions of increasing stress, the child will respond, “NO!” more forcefully or “In a minute…..” And so it goes. One of the first things I teach parents in my clinical practice is to change their understanding of what “no” means when their child says it. I teach them to mentally respond by thinking, “When he says ‘no,’ he really means, “Mommy, I’d really love to cooperate with you right now because I think you’re the most wonderful mother in the world, but as much as I want to, I’m not available to cooperate with you.” Now of course, there are times when the child really means “No, I don’t really care what you want because I have to have what I want when I want it, and I want to play this game,” but if we are going to err, it is probably safer to err on the side of giving the child the benefit of the doubt for the moment. With that revised interpretation in mind, what can the mother do or say? Well, there are actually many things she could say or do, but what she won’t do is keep insisting or start arguing. If she simply acknowledges her child’s experience and respects it by saying, “OK, but I’m concerned about your work getting done, so can you just put that on ‘pause’ a moment to tell me when you’re going to be able to do your work?” or if she says, “OK, I understand that you need to keep playing that right now. Please come tell me as soon as you are available,” there will be much less chance of an explosive outburst. And reducing the explosive outbursts is a priority. While the parents and teachers are learning alternative ways to talk to the child so as not to provoke or escalate a situation, the child is also learning to think flexibly when they are thwarted or encounter frustration. These skills can generally not be learned when the child is in a state of heightened arousal if they are over-aroused, but if the child has some level of increased arousal, they also may be more motivated to work with you (if they think that it will lead to them getting more of what they want at that moment). The learning and rehearsal also take place in the home and office with therapist and parents, so that the child develops skills that they will be able to access when they really need them — when they are in a situation where they may be in a state of heightened arousal or starting to get dysregulated due to thwarting from teachers or the environment. As the child masters simpler exercises in problem-solving and begins to identify solutions to their problems, the challenges or tasks are progressively increased. When your child (or patient) comes to you with a problem, that is a wonderful opportunity to help them learn some strategies, because if the strategies are successful, then the next time they have a problem, they will be more likely to try the strategy. The following example from my clinical practice may illustrate this point: “A.” was 8 years old and had really florid TS+ when I met him. The first time he came to my office, I saw immediately why his mother was exhausted. Not only was he really ticcy, but he could barely sit for more than a few seconds, was running, jumping on the furniture, punching it and kicking it, and tapping his mother. When his mother said something he didn’t like, he would run to her and hit her or kick her or get right in her face. When I quietly asked him not to open file cabinet drawers, he burst into tears and ran out of the office. He picked up objects and threatened to smash them, threatened to kick me, and opened and slammed every door he could find. By the end of the first session, I knew we had our work cut out for us. Over the next few months, “A.” cooperated in therapy, but was still extremely impulsive and easily frustrated, often getting into trouble with others. One of the major concerns at the time was that “A.” couldn’t even get off the school bus without running and kicking or hitting other children or any parents who might be standing at the bus stop waiting for their children. His mother was exhausted from trying to prevent him from hitting or kicking others and felt scorned by other parents for her perceived failure to control her son. During a family session, their exchange went something like this: A: I want to walk home from the bus by myself. I don’t want you meeting me there anymore. Some of the other kids walk home by themselves. Mother: I can’t let you do that because I’m afraid you’ll kick other children or parents. A: I won’t. I promise! Mother: I can’t take the chance. A: (starting to dissolve in tears) But I promise! I’ll be good! Mother: I’m sorry, but no. A: (crying and starting to hit mother) Let me, let me! I’ll be good! Rather than letting the cycle continue, I responded to “A.” by saying, “I can see that you’re upset right now. You would like to walk home by yourself. It must be frustrating that Mommy is telling you ‘no.’ Would you like to talk about that so we can work on it?” Seeing the possibility that he might actually get what he wanted, “A.” immediately started to calm down. Using simple language, I helped “A.” see that although he felt frustrated, he could change things. I told him that there are two facts in life: (1) mothers worry, and (2) children generally don’t get to do things on their own until they demonstrate that they’re responsible and can keep themselves safe. “A.” enthusiastically approached the task of figuring out what he was supposed to do to be more responsible so he could walk home alone. When I asked him “What do you think you could do to show Mommy that you are safe walking home by yourself?” he paused, thought for a while, and said, “I could walk home very quickly without talking to people and without kicking or hitting anyone.” He looked at his mother and asked, “Would that work?” His mother agreed that that would be a great way he could show her he was being responsible in keeping himself safe. Having reached some agreement, his “homework” was to practice that for the next week, while his mother’s “homework” was to wait inside their building instead of meeting him at his bus. As part of the interaction, I had “A.” ask his mother if she was feeling anxious. He did, and she told him that yes, she was. We talked about him understanding her anxiety (“Fact #1: Mothers Worry”) and what he could do to be supportive of her. For the first time, “A.” really seemed to notice his mother’s feelings and respond to them. “A.’s” first venture was not totally successful. At our next session, “A.” reported that he had had every intention of walking home quickly and knew what he was supposed to do, but there was this truck parked at the curb and the back was open, and he was curious to see what was on the truck, so he had climbed up into the back of the truck. Now for most of us, that kind of report would strike terror in our hearts (and have professionals running to check our malpractice insurance!) but because “A.’s” mother had understood that this might take some time and had given a commitment to try, we simply calmly reviewed what “A.” was supposed to do, made sure he understood the danger in doing what he had done, and mentally rehearsed what he would do if the same situation arose again. The following week, “A.” and his mother reported total success. “A.” was now walking home directly and quickly from the bus and both were feeling great about his accomplishment (indeed, since starting this task several years ago, “A.” has never kicked or hit anyone getting off the bus and has even been able to walk with another child or pause to talk to other children, while still getting home promptly). Over the next months, “responsible” became a key word for “A.” If he was asked if he would like to take more responsibility for something, he invariably responded with an enthusiastic “yes,” as at all stages each increase in responsibility led to more freedom for him as well as tremendous praise from his family. At the same time, he learned to recognize when his mother was feeling anxious and tried to reduce her anxiety by his own responses while his mother worked on learning to say “yes” even when she might be experiencing anxiety. The elements of a comprehensive prevention and treatment program might include: 1. Increasing your own awareness and understanding of how neurobehavioral conditions affect your child (student, or family member). That may mean getting a neuropsychological evaluation, a speech and language evaluation, a sensory integration evaluation, as well as other more obvious evaluations and assessment procedures. 2. Identifying situations or stimuli that are more likely to provoke or trigger such attacks and eliminating as many of these sources as you can. At the beginning, preventing rage attacks has to be your top priority. Later on, as coping skills improve, you may be able to reintroduce certain environmental conditions on a gradually increasing basis so that the skills can generalize to more situations. 3. Learning to pick and choose your battles. 4. Helping the individual stay calm when they’re started to get agitated or too aroused. 5. During calm periods, help them develop any deficient cognitive skills and/or social skills, including a vocabulary to communicate their emotions and needs. Parents are often surprised to discover that it may take their child an incredibly long time to think of any options — and indeed, the child may not see what appear to be “obvious” solutions. You may need to wait quite a while for your child to see even one option or solution, but be patient. If they really can’t come up with any options, ask them if they’d like you to tell them some options that you can think of. If they say “yes,” give them one option and ask them if they can think of any others. If they say “no” when you ask them if they’d like to hear your ideas, just drop it. If you keep doing that, sooner or later they will probably ask you what your thoughts are, but they may not be ready for that at the beginning. Keep rehearsing the cognitive problem-solving skills — particularly the skill of seeing compromises or alternatives when things aren’t going the way they feel they “have to” go. 6. Work with the child to develop some key phrases that they can use to communicate, and share those with your child’s teachers. For example, in my practice, I often teach children or teens to not only recognize when they’re mentally ‘stuck’ on something or unable to shift gears, but to tell their parents and teachers, “I’m stuck.” In the presence of that communication, the parents and teachers can generally shift into a different mode to help the child get un-stuck. (Note: my use of ‘stuck’ is comparable to what Dr. Ross Greene refers to as “vapor lock” — the state in which the child or teen is starting to lose their ability to think coherently and solve their problem). 7. If the child has a rage attack, give them space. They will know when the attack is over, and they may need to sleep or just withdraw for a while afterward. Allow them to sleep or to engage in a highly motivating task — the latter will help focus them and bring them “back.” Do not rush to have a discussion with them about what happened, and if they say they don’t really remember, don’t push. 8. For many families, family therapy is an important component as old patterns of interacting will need to be significantly altered. If you can’t get your spouse to go with you, though, all is not necessarily lost. I have seen reluctant family members decide to start coming when they started noticing changes in the home that were improving things. Nothing succeeds like success. 9. Medication may be also be an integral piece of the plan, depending on what the comprehensive assessment indicates. Schoenthaler SJ, Bier ID: The effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on juvenile delinquency among American schoolchildren: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med 2000 Feb;6(1):7-17.
Algar do Carvão From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Algaree do Carvão Algar do carvao 02.jpg Main entrance to the cavern, as seen from with the cave Map showing the location of Algaree do Carvão Profile of the Algar do Carvão with entrance, chamber and lagoon Location Terceira Island (Azores), Portugal Coordinates 38°43′44″N 27°11′7″W / 38.72889°N 27.18528°W / 38.72889; -27.18528 Depth 90 metres (300 ft) Length 100 metres (330 ft) Discovery 26 January 1893 Geology Lava tube, Basalt Entrances 1 Access Tours are available in season The Algar do Carvão (Cavern of Coal) is an ancient lava tube or volcanic vent located in the central part of the island of Terceira in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It lies within the civil parish of Porto Judeu in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo. The existence of the cavern had been known for a long time, but the depth and lack of ambient light, made any descent difficult, owing to the vertical descent, and delayed any real exploration.[1] On 26 January 1893, the first descent, "...with the use of a simple rope, was accomplished by Cândido Corvelo and Luis Sequeira." The second descent was made in 1934, by Didier Couto, who produced the first rough map of the interior. This drawing, based on visual observations alone (rather than measurements), turned out to be quite accurate. On 18 August 1963, a group of enthusiasts organized a descent using a "chair" platform suspended on a nylon line and, later, a harness. With the advent of portable lighting systems, it was possible to re-examine the observations first-hand, including the most remote and narrow sections of the cavern. The site was open to the public in the late 20th century, through weekly organized tours (except weekends and holidays) through the summer (from May to September). Access to the site is also possible through the Montanheiros (Mountaineers) organization, the group responsible for matters associated with the Algar. The word, algar, is a Portuguese word that denotes a natural cavity in the earth that, unlike most caves or caverns, is more vertical in its orientation, like a well. The Portuguese word derives from the Arabic word, al-Gar, which means "the crease", while Carvão means "coal" in Portuguese. The Algar do Carvão is not a source of coal, and the term carvão has also been used in the Portuguese vernacular akin to "blackened", "sooty" or "burnt", referring to the dark composition of the rocks. A view through the Boca do Algar (Mouth of the Cavern) Stalactites in the Algar do Carvão Terceira is the site of four large volcanoes (Pico Alto, Santa Bárbara, Guilherme Moniz, and Cinco Picos) grouped along a basaltic fissure zone that transects the island from northwest to southeast. The Algar do Carvão is directly associated with the caldera of the Guilherme Moniz volcano, but it is part of the same complex as Santa Barbara to the west, Pico Alto to the north, and Guilherme Moniz, which is a short distance to the south of the Algar do Carvão site. Algar do Carvão is situated at 583 metres (1,913 ft) above sea level.[1] The 40.5 hectares (4,360,000 sq ft) extent was classified as a Regional National Monument (Portuguese: Monumento Natural Regional) due to its peculiar volcanological characteristics, in addition to its environmental ecosystem.[1] The mouth of the Algar consists of a 45 metres (148 ft) vertical passage to the interior, that reaches a ramp of debris and gravel.[1] From here there is another decline to the clear waters of the interior pool, approximately 90 metres (300 ft) from the level surface.[1] The pool is supported by rainwater, and can reach as deep as 15 metres (49 ft) depth or become dry in summer months, owing to little or no precipitation.[1] The cave itself is remarkable for the unique mineralogical characteristics of its silicate stalactites.[1] The Algar is populated by a rich plant tapestry, that covers the mouth of the cone structure, including various endemic species. Further, there are several invertebrate species that make the cavern their homes, such as the cavernous spider Turinyphia cavernicola and other species of Troglofauna, like the centipede Lithobius obscurus azorae, the springtail Pseudosinella ashmoleorum and ground beetle Trechus terceiranus.[1] Finally, there is a distinct presence of various moss, including those on the Red Data Book of European Bryophytes (ECCB), like the Alophosia azorica and Calypogeia azorica, among others.[1] 1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Paulo Barcelos/SIARAM (September 2010)
1.2 Journey to the Center of Ourselves (4) The city world in our gut is not a primitive culture. Rather it is a sophisticated conglomeration of a myriad of species that have all coevolved to live together (perhaps not in perfect harmony but in functional unity). In the past, the colon was considered an organ merely for absorbing water from indigestible material that makes up feces[1]; however, now we know that the lower intestine is the site of many complex interactions between microbes, viruses, food, and our human cells. In particular, in the colon, one of the most important metabolic processes occurs: the microbial community ferments hard to digest food into simpler products that can be both used by microbes and absorbed by human cells. The fantastical microbial high-rises that cover every spare millimeter of the mucus layer provide a physical layer of defense from any roving microbial hordes that are looking to harm our human holobiont. However, our human cells know better than to trust the microbial immigrants. In their quest for dominance over mucosal turf or nutrient energy, a microbe can potentially harm the human locals. All the leftovers from the small intestine—all that cellulose and indigestible sugar—enter the lower intestine, making the chaos of energy processing by microbes (usually in fermentative processes) so heated that human immune cells like dendrites and macrophages actively patrol the host side of the epithelial barrier to keep order, regularly taking samples of the mucus content by thrusting feelers through the tight junctions between human epithelial cells. These sampling sessions tell our human system whether or not we have been attacked by a nasty foreign object or are happily cohabitating with our microbial colonists. Our immune system makes sure that every microbial inhabitant has the proper identification[2] to live in the colon. And microbes earn their keep and pay their rent in part by producing about 5-15% of the Calories our bodies can access as well as other vital molecules. Though everything is related, we will most often focus on the colon in this book. The colon is the vibrant part of our holobiont. It is constantly changing in a cacophony of colors, smells, and inhabitants. It is here that we find life and death in epic proportions as every individual strives to out-compete its neighbor for energy and survive just long enough to pass on its genetic legacy. The microbes and viruses—yes, even our human cells—here will do anything to ensure this process works in their favor. [1] As well as its dangling appendage—the appendix, described as a useless vestigial structure from days gone by. However, we are learning that like the colon, the appendix is very important for gut health. It is now thought that the appendix serves as a fallout shelter of sorts, protecting microbes from the ravages of antibiotics and disease. Thus, the appendix can serve as reservoir of microbes to repopulate lost gut communities. The research on these concepts is very preliminary. [2] Our human cells learn which microbes are friendly or are foes by looking at the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) chains that dangle off the cells of every microbe. These LPS are often heavily modified and unique to that particular microbe. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
3 years ago in English · 6,042 Views likes 11clips 2comments 8 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind www.youtube.com1DAA50E1-0355-420D-A1AD-2C244287F3DCCreated with sketchtool. William Kankwamba has to leave school in Malawi because his parents couldn't afford the school fees (about $80 a year.) He continued to use the small library, and found a book about energy. Intrigued by the photos of windmills, he proceeded to build his own windmill out of scrap metal and spare parts from tractors. Many of the people in his village thought he was dealing in some sort of magic, but no one made fun of him when the windmill powered a single light bulb in his home. William has given a TED Talk on his engineering feat, and his hopes to create a company to bring electricity via wind energy to other villages in Malawi. Of course, my favorite highlight when book talking this book is that William was a school dropout, but he succeeded because he used the LIBRARY! Highly recommended for grades 7 and up. There is a picture book version of this book, too. LibraryLady clipped in 2 collections View more comments @peppermintt, even in our fairly affluent school, there's a technology divide. And what kid wants to admit to no computer at home? I've noticed some of my biggest readers are kids who don't have access at home, so they make up for the lack of computer at school, then read a lot at home. Works for me! Absolutely inspiring! I can't even imagine how he engineered a windmill, let alone one to generate electricity enough to power lights off of simple pictures. As @peppermintt said, where there's a library, there's surly a way. wow O_O so he built a functioning windmill at just a little younger than I am now?! that's incredible, I wish we learned about things like this in school.
The use of various substances to modify mood or behavior has generally been regarded as acceptable in our society despite wide cultural differences. Many people drink coffee or tea for stimulant effects or engage in social drinking of alcohol. In addition, society condones the use of certain drugs to use medically to relieve tension or pain or even to suppress the appetite. When symptoms and behavioral changes associated with the regular use of these substances becomes maladaptive, however, substance use becomes substance abuse. Common substance abuse is the misuse of alcohol and cigarettes which are both legal. However, illegal drugs have also become a widespread problem. Alcohol and drug abuse combined affect approximately twenty five million Americans. Very often a distinction is made between substance abuse and substance dependence. Substance abuse involves the inability to control the use of alcohol or other drugs. The individual becomes intoxicated on a regular basis. Usually daily, however, weekend or binge use is also common. Often, the drug is often needed for normal functioning. In addition there may be repeated attempts to stop using the drug, which fail. Even though the individual knows that the use of the drug interferes with family life, social relationships, etc. he or she is unable to stop. Substance dependence victims on the other hand suffer all of the symptoms of abuse plus an increasing tolerance for the drug. As a result, increased amounts are necessary for the desired effect. Alcohol, opiates, such as morphine, etc. lead to physical dependence as well and the individual will develop withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop use of the drug. During the early 1980's cocaine began gaining popularity particularly among young adults. Cocaine is a white powder, produced from the leaves of the South American Coca plant. Cocaine is a stimulant, and causes temporary delusions of limitless power and energy. Most cocaine users snort the powdered drug through there nose; however, the drug can be dissolved and injected into a muscle or vain. Crack is form of cocaine that is chemically altered so that it can be smoked. It belongs to a category of cocaine known as "Freebase", because the process converts the drug into a chemical base, as apposed to an acid or salt. Smoking the drug allows high doses of the drug to reach the brain almost instantly. As result, Crack produces the most dramatic Cocaine "high". This rapid high, however, is followed by a profound "low" that becomes the door to addiction. Cocaine is one of then most potent drugs abuse. It can cause profound changes in the brains chemistry which leads to more intense cravings for the drug. Dependence on this drug is so powerful that it tends to rule all aspects of the user's life. Cocaine abuse and dependence usually follow one of two patterns of use. Episodic, or Chronic (daily) use. Episodic use usually occurs on weekends or once or twice during the week. Users who smoke cocaine, or use the drug intravenously, binges are common. These binges terminate only when the user collapses from physical exhaustion, or the supply of cocaine is depleted. Usually, an intense or unpleasant crash occurs, which can require at least two days of recuperation. The effects of cocaine on the body are wide ranging, the immediate effect increases blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. Dilated pupils, narrowing of blood vessels, loss of appetite, and insomnia. As these progress, a loss of interest in physical appearance, and upper respiratory infections may become apparent. Those who snort the drug, may also experience a continuous "runny nose". Chronic cocaine and crack use can also trigger brain seizures, and psychological effects can become very profound. Individuals who use the drug chronically, can show very erratic behavior, and at times can become very violent. This "cocaine psychosis" tends to occur much sooner in crack users. Baby's exposed to cocaine in the womb ("Crack Babies"), tend to be very irritable, and unresponsive, failing to cuddle and nurse normally after birth. Some of these babies are believed to have suffered strokes before birth and may suffer strokes or heart attacks following delivery. Infants born to mothers who have used cocaine throughout pregnancy, also have a high incidence of mal formed kidneys, and genitals, and are at increased risk of developing seizure disorders, and "Crib Death" (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). In addition, children who survive cocaine pregnancies, tend to suffer long term psycho-neurological problems. They tend to exhibit a number of symptoms associated with Minimal Brain Dysfunction, that include: poor coordination, difficulty concentrating in school, hyperactivity, etc. Recovery form cocaine addiction is possible; although, treatment usually tends to be long term. The craving for the drug can be long lasting and difficult to overcome. The first step in treatment is admission by the abuser that he or she has a problem. This is often the biggest obstacle to treatment. Denial is a very powerful force with drug abusers. If denial persists, it may be necessary for the family to take serious steps to force a loved one into treatment. Many professional therapists recommend a method called a family action intervention. After several meetings with an experienced drug counselor, psychologist or, social worker, the family confronts the user. Each member openly communicates how the users behavior has effected him or her personally. This at times can become very emotional, and the user is forced to confront the effects of his or her substance abuse. While family members are normally present, other participants in the intervention can include: friends, and co-workers. During the actual confrontation, the user made to choose between them, and their continued use of the drug. The intervention is intended to catch the addict of guard, and to over come the denial. A crucial part of the program is presenting treatment alternatives that can be started immediately after the intervention meeting. Very often, attempts are made to take the individual directly to the hospital from the meeting. Usually, residential treatment is necessary. The standard residential stay is 28 days. Initially the individual goes through detoxification, which is the process of ridding the body of the drug. This can take several days, and should not be done outside of a hospital or treatment setting. Very often antidepressant drugs are needed to relieve the depression and associated cravings, which accompany the withdrawal. The goal of the treatment is to improve the user's self-image, and to promote healthful, drug free living. Continued strength and support by family members is also crucial to a recovering individual. It is also important for the addict to continue outpatient treatment, and to become involved with a self help group on a regular basis, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or Cocaine Anonymous. Professional support from these organizations is also available to family members, who very often themselves need therapy to help deal with the consequences of the addict's behavior. For more information, the National Institute on Drug Abuse can be contacted at 1-800-662-HELP.
GMOs ahead: Proceed at your own risk.Are genetically modified foods safe to eat? The conventional answer is "yes," and it's not hard to see why. Since their introduction in 1996, genetically modified (GM) or genetically engineered (GE) corn and soy seeds quickly conquered U.S. farm fields. Today, upwards of 70 percent of corn and 90 percent of soy are genetically modified, and these two crops form the basis of the conventional U.S. diet. Nor are they GM technology's only pathway onto our plates. Nearly 80 percent of U.S. cotton is now genetically engineered, and cottonseed oil has emerged as a staple fat for the food industry. (USDA has figures on this.) Canola oil -- another crop that has largely succumbed to genetic modification -- is yet another common ingredient. Given their swift path to ubiquity, wouldn't we know by now if GMOs posed some threat? Since no obvious problems have come to the fore, some scientists -- and certainly the agrichemical industry, which dominates GM seed production -- have seen fit to declare them safe. Pamela Ronald, professor of plant pathology at the University of California, Davis, recently summed up the conventional view: "After 14 years of cultivation and a cumulative total of two billion acres planted, GE crops have not caused a single instance of harm to human health or the environment." Let's leave aside Ronald's claim about the environment (which is rendered suspect by the rise of herbicide-resistant "superweeds") and dig into the human-health aspect. What we do know is that GMOs are not acutely toxic to eat. That is, we know that if you dine on a burger made from cows gorged on GM corn and soy, French fries cooked in oil from GM cottonseed, and soda laced with high-fructose syrup from GM corn, you're not likely to keel over in agony. Tens of millions of people do it every day. So GMOs could theoretically be unsafe to eat. What does science tell us about the matter? Unfortunately, not much. Back in 1992, before the first GM seed had been commercially planted, the FDA declared GM foods to be "generally regarded as safe" -- despite a complete absence of rigorous testing. And that meant that safety testing is completely unnecessary if, say, Monsanto wants to bring a novel crop to market. In a peer-reviewed 2004 paper [PDF] -- which remains an extremely useful primer on regulation of GM crops -- William Freese and David Shubert show that the FDA made the "generally regarded as safe" decision over the objections of several agency scientists, who saw significant potential for harm. Moreover, when the agency rubber-stamps the introduction of a GM crop into the food supply, it does so using extremely non-committal language. As Freese and Shubert put it: The review process outlined above makes it clear that, contrary to popular belief, the FDA has not formally approved a single GE crop as safe for human consumption. Instead, at the end of the consultation, the FDA merely issues a short note summarizing the review process and a letter that conveys the crop developer's assurances that the GE crop is substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart. The authors quote from the letter the FDA sent to Monsanto on approval of Bt corn back in 1996: Shorter version: We're approving this crop based on your word -- don't blame us if someone gets sick! To put it more broadly, regulation of the safety of GM food is virtually nil, and research is scant and largely industry-funded. In a 2010 paper [PDF] in the journal Food Policy, researchers looked at all the papers on the health and nutritional effects of GM foods published in English between 1996 and 2009. Of the 94 studies they identified -- not a large number, given the surge of GMOs into our diets over that period -- 80 delivered "favorable" conclusions about the novel foods, while 10 had "negative" views and two were neutral. That sounds at first glance like a positive near-consensus around GMOs. But then the researchers dug deeper and looked for industry ties. In 44 of the 94 total papers, one or more of the researchers had a financial or professional tie to the agrichemical industry. Of those 44, 43 had "positive" conclusions and one turned out "negative." Meanwhile, 37 of the studies were done by independent researchers. Of those, 27 came back positive, eight came back "negative," and two were "neutral." In other words, near-complete consensus reigns among industry-linked scientists as to the safety of GM foods. But among independent scientists, the issue is much more contested. In a peer-reviewed 2008 paper, Don Lotter demonstrates that only one independent long-term study has ever assessed how eating GMOs affects mammals. Funded by the Austrian government and released in 2008, that study initially seemed to reveal disturbing reproductive trouble in mice fed GMOs. But then in 2010, the Austrian government withdrew it from publication, citing insufficient data. I am trying to contact the study's lead author, Austrian scientist Jurgen Zentek, for comment. Tom Philpott is Grist’s senior food and agriculture writer. You can follow his Twitter feed at
Monday, August 26, 2013 DIY active anti corrosion system I'm part of Illutron. We have our main workshop at a large steel barge and we are always worried about corrosion. Since we could not afford to have the barge sand blasted and painted we looked into other options. Cathodic protection is a process where you actively impress an electric current between a ships hull and some anode. The replaceable anode is then corroded in place of the ship and everybody is happy. The Anode may be any large clump of metal submerged next to the ship, e.g. an old engine block. We use 3 meters of rail track. A variable voltage between 0 and 1.5V and a current between 0 and 10A is required. For this I designed a simple power supply circuit: Mains is first converted to 12V using an efficient industrial switch mode power supply. A low frequency Buck converter (low frequency=low switching loss) then lower the voltage further under microcontroller control. Low frequency switching require a rather large inductor. The transformer like object in the picture below is a 55mH(1) inductor (schematic says 100, not critical) for the Buck converter. If you want to build this you may use the primary of an old microwave transformer (remove secondary!!). ( 1: used to say micro-Henry it need to say mili-Henry. Thanks Fred ) The microcontroller measures the output current and voltage and displays them on a standard 2x16 chr. LCD. I used an Arduino and connected the LCD according to the Arduino LCD example. I use the somewhat exotic BTN7970 as H-bridge driver for the Buck converter. This offer very low switching losses but could be replaced by your favorite choice of H-bridge device. The Arduino code implements the following functions: By pressing the switches you can adjust the voltage in small steps. Press both switches to lock the keys from unintended access, press both again to unlock. Up-time is displayed and a clearable message appears if the unit have been power-cycled. Does it work? These two mild steel plates was submerged next to the barge. The left is isolated from the hull and the right is electrically connected to it. This picture is taken after two days. If you attempt to use this system on your own ship/structure you need to know what you are doing. Reversing the polarity result in the ship being corroded super-fast and running too much current result in calcium build up on the hull potentially stripping off existing paint. You need to measure the corrosion potential and adjust the voltage accordingly. You may use the following method if you are careful: Connect a piece of blank steel to the hull with a beefy bable. Slowly increase the voltage over several days until the steel stays blank. Clean the steel between inspections with steel wool. Good luck.
UTF-8 – “The most elegant hack” While it may not look like much, the image above is a piece of the original email where [Ken Thompson] described what would become the implementation of UTF-8. At the dawn of the computer age in America, when we were still using teletype machines, encoding the English language was all we worried about. Programmers standardized on the ASCII character set, but there was no room for all of the characters used in other languages. To enable real-time worldwide communication, we needed something better. There were many proposals, but the one submitted by [Ken Thompson] and [Rob ‘Commander’ Pike] was the one accepted, quite possibly because of what a beautiful hack it is. [Tom Scott] did an excellent job of describing the UTF-8. Why he chose to explain it in the middle of a busy cafe is beyond us, but his enthusiasm was definitely up to the task. In the video (which is embedded after the break) he quickly shows the simplicity and genius of ASCII. He then explains the challenge of supporting so many character sets, and why UTF-8 made so much sense. We considered making this a Retrotechtacular, but the consensus is that understanding how UTF-8 came about is useful for modern hackers and coders. If you’re interested in learning more, there are tons of links in this Reddit post, including a link to the original email. 33 thoughts on “UTF-8 – “The most elegant hack” 1. But it’s also quite straightforward to come with the idea. The hardest part is coming up with a list of requirements. Once you have those, the implementation follows naturally, especially if you’re familiar with Huffman coding. 1. Poor guy. At least he gets to do something productive and make everyone’s life a bit easier. For men, shopping is a sport. i.e. get to the cashier in the shortest time possible. For women, it is a long classic Quest collecting meaningless objects on the way while trying to stretch it out to escape from reality. 1. Gorgeous explanation, thank you. Now if only programming languages could all agree on how to process unicode. Natural language processing in Python is infinitely more difficult with unicode, in spite of how elegant a solution it is for information transmission. 1. As John Pinner said at PyCon UK last week, that’s because Guido was too good to Americans: Python 1.x/2.x was basically built with ASCII users in mind, and tried to make their life very easy in the common case. Unicode support was tacked on later, thanks to the generous efforts of a few French guys. Things should get better with Python 3, once all “six”/legacy hacks are shed from 3rd-party libraries. It might take a while. 2. And still, Microsoft managed to spoil the elegance of UTF-8 by strong-arming the Commitees to allow a Byte Order Mark at the beginning of UTF-8 files, killing one of the most elegant properties (a plain ASCII file can be seen as the same content in UTF-8). 3. Starting the alphabet at 65 in the ascii table was brilliant because if you look at it in binary it makes sense? That’s absurd! I’ve been programming since I was a kid before the days of DOS, and I always had to look those damn character tables up because I could never remember where the letters started. And knowing this trick in binary would have done me little good because who the hell ever inputs text or examines text, in binary? 1. Take a decimal number, OR it with $30Hex and you get an ASCII digit. OR it with $40 and you get the alphabet starting with the first letter after zero being “A” ($41). $60 gets you the lower case alphabet. Simple ORs and ANDs make conversion and alphabetizing simple. 2. It wasn’t meant to be simple for humans. Who examines text in binary? Computers! Also teleprinters and god knows what other half-mechanical abominations whirring away with enough torque and speed to take your finger off. If you look at ASCII, the 16s and 32s bit high means numbers. The 64s bit means letters. 64+32 means lower-case letters. With 64s high, A B C is 1 2 3. How do you convert a digit from 0-9 into it’s ASCII rep? Add 48. Or OR it with 48. That’s pretty simple, now, isn’t it? The whole thing’s pretty clever, dividing the symbols up into groups that are easy to tell apart just by checking one bit. That one bit powers an electromagnet that moves a lever or the carraige or some bit of heavy metal, which means an ASCII-powered typewriter is nice and simple to make. So it’s cheaper, so more people can have one. And it breaks down less often. And when that happens, it’s easier to fix. I actually figured out this aspect of ASCII for myself just idly thinking one day, that’s when the genius of it struck me. In the case of stuff like this, standards that go back a way, you have to bear in mind what they were invented for. Mechanical typewriters instead of screens and keyboards, mainframe computers with 4K of memory that cost ludicrous amounts, and reams of bank records on paper cards or magnetic tape, brought in in huge batches at the end of the day to keep everybody’s records balanced. It’s evidence of how well the designers did their jobs that we still use it all now. Them were the real men’s days! Though myself I grew up with a collection of tiny plastic 8-bitters as various xmas presents, and I wouldn’t give them up either. 4. Why is there a need for “continuation bits”? That seems very wasteful to me. There are lots of ways to avoid 0x00. Just simply start by making them as reserved and not map to any character. i.e. 0xc300 is not mapped to anything. You waste only 1 out of 256 instead of 1 out of 4 for the subsequent bytes. 1. In addition to the problem Gdogg brought up, there’s also the requirement of being able to “hop in” mid-stream. If the first byte you get starts with 10, you immediately know you’re in the middle of a character and can start skipping forward/backward, depending on what you want. When you hit a byte that starts with a 0, you know it’s a 1-byte plain ASCII character. When it starts with 11, you know it’s a start byte. Compare that with having a map of reserved values… 2. The reason for the continuation bits is to make resynchronization easier. Without the continuation bits if you’re plopped into the middle of a string you don’t know whether the byte you’re reading is a single ASCII character or the middle of a multibyte character. By adding the continuation bits resynchronizing is as easy as “move forward until you find a byte that doesn’t have 10 as the first two bits.” 3. Keeping continuation bytes distinct from starting bytes has nothing to do with avoiding NUL bytes. The UTF-8 encoding of U+0000 is a single NUL byte. The purpose is to make the encoding self-synchronizing (meaning it doesn’t need to be parsed from the beginning to be accurately decoded). No representation of a single character can contain the encoding of another character, and one must be able to determine if a byte is the first byte of a character’s code-unit sequence or in the middle of it without backing up. Yes, you could fit 4 times more of the BMP into 2-byte encodings instead of 3-byte ones, but most of it would still be encoded with 3 bytes, including all of unified CJK and the U+2xxx punctuation and symbol codepoints. Of course there’s also a bunch of non-BMP codepoints which are represented with 4 bytes in UTF-8 that could be encoded in 3 bytes with this modification, but thats of even less concern given that virtually no codepoints outside the BMP are used on a regular basis. And the price you’d pay for being able to represent 0.5% of the UCS codepoints in 2 bytes instead of 3 is that every single UTF-8 string you work with would have to be parsed from the beginning to the end, and corruption of a single byte could cause an indeterminable number of characters following the corrupted one to also be incorrectly parsed. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Google+ photo Connecting to %s
Kashmiri Pandits, Minority, Status, Rights and Rehabilitation Kashmiri Pandits, Minority, Status, Rights and Rehabilitation – A Case Study by Dr. K.N. Pandit, January 30, 2010: Part I – This has to be partly a theoretical and partly empirical study A conclusive definition of “Minority” as a component group of a given society has remained elusive. At the United Nations, the Commission for Human Rights (now called Council for Human Rights) has been grappling with precise definition. The reason is that situations develop in different parts of the world in which a particular group of population suddenly gets disempowered and dispossessed: or a group emerges seeking to establish its separate identity and individuality for one reason or the other. In more frequent examples the affected people could be political victims. It becomes difficult to define their category. Besides, there are many other circumstances that throw up an isolated segment of population whose identification becomes a moot point. Generally speaking, numerical strength is taken a factor for determining a group as majority or minority. But if large groups are accepted as minorities and clubbed together, they might over-strip the majority group. In a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-linguistic country like India, the minorities when clubbed together are likely to claim large political power, social recognition and economic priority. Would they still be called minorities and deprived segments? What if they jointly form a large segment so as to overshadow the otherwise majority group? Preamble paragraph 6 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, adopted by General Assembly vide resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992 states: Persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are an integral part of the development of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law. It is necessary to maintain or build harmonious and respectful relations among a society’s various components. This Declaration somehow suggests classification of minorities into four groups, national, ethnic, religious and linguistic. But again there can be sub-division of these groups into majority and minority. Hindus in India are in a majority but Jains and Buddhists are in a minority. Sunnis are in a majority in Kashmir but Shias are in a minority. Likewise, within the Sunni fold, the Ahmadiya are a minority. In Pakistan they are not accepted as Muslims. What is their status then in terms of majority/minority classification? In general terms, one may say that a section of civil society somehow discriminated against for a variety of reasons and disempowered through various machinations would be entitled to the minority category status while those enjoying power and influence fall into the category of majority. It is universally recognized that minorities are generally deprived of many rights and become a victim of the politics of the “tyranny of majority.” Realizing this fact, the original name of UN Human Rights Commission was Commission for Minorities. It is actually the minorities who are made to suffer disabilities and disempowerments in regard to their rights and privileges. In a discussion on Minority issues the focus has to be around three core elements: • Identification of challenges and problems facing minorities; • Identification of good practices in relation to minorities and political participation; and • Consideration of opportunities, initiatives and solutions. The foremost requirement in addressing the minority issue is the identification of challenges and problems facing them. These could be in more than one way. Security to life and property is what the constitution provides very emphatically. The failure of a government to carry out this primary obligation disqualifies it from wielding power and authority. Apart from this fundamental obligation, the governments are required to provide space to the minorities for development of their culture and traditions in a manner that satisfies them but without impinging upon the culture and traditions of other communities. The second element of a dispassionate discussion of Minority issues is the good intentions and good practices on the part of the ruling apparatus in creating space for the minorities to enable them to enjoy their rights and privileges. It is not a matter of gratuitous generosity or obligation shown to the minorities (to call them amanat or custodial property); it is the constitutional and institutional duty of the ruling group to ensure implementation of the rights of minorities. The vital issue is that of political participation of the minority. That is the channel, which ensures conceding them their constitutional rights and privileges. Who is to ensure a minority its political participation? This competence does not rest with any political party or its leadership whether in power or in opposition; it is the constitution that has to provide for the political participation of a minority. The rights and privileges of the people of Jammu and Kashmir had to be safeguarded through constitutional instrument called Article 370 of the Indian constitution. This is above political parties and groups that may or may not wield influence in running the affairs of the Indian state. This basic approach to the question of political participation of minorities should be reflected not only in the constitution of J&K State but also in the affirmative action of the ruling apparatus from time to time. A Legislative Assembly cannot claim to be representing the civil society if it leaves a minority out of the parameters of legislative, judicial and administrative participation. The third element is of opening opportunities and taking initiatives for the integration of minorities into the broad spectrum of national mainstream. Major responsibility rests on the shoulders of popular leadership. As opinion builders and path-breakers it is they who should have fertile brains to suggest opportunities and initiatives. Creation of an atmosphere of cordiality and peaceful coexistence among minority-majority groups with the objective of contributing to nation-building process is what should become a priority with national and regional leadership. Interaction with minority has to be on an even keel with the majority group because of commonality of objective. Conviction and commitment should inspire popular leadership to guide the society in times of crisis. It cannot absolve itself of responsibility to society and conscience. The crisis of society is the crisis of leadership. Leadership obtains strength from the masses of people and a crisis overtaking the masses of people will first of all shake the foundation on which state political structure rests. Within the frame of themes listed below, we need to consider current practices and ways to increase the effective participation of minorities in policy-and decision-making processes and institutions: It is for recognized political parties to delineate their role that will ensure adequate representation of minorities in “mainstream” political process? The parties involved have to reach the minority communities if they mean to work for the society as a whole. Unfortunately vote bank syndrome has taken Indian society into its grip. This is goes against the spirit of the constitution and established political philosophy of the Indian state. Religion, ethnic or language-based political parties are generally faced with many constraints in performing positive role in nation-building process. It is generally seen that political parties pandering to minorities on religious and other specific count either profile them as totally deprived and dispossessed, which may not be the case, or project them as victims of majority tyranny. This creates an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, which, at the end of the day, proves detrimental to the interests of the minority groups. Divisive politics undermines the strength and solidarity of the nation. Therefore it is incumbent upon the ruling apparatus to discourage vote bank syndrome. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the people, sectarian tag to political dispensation ultimately becomes a hindrance to the minority groups in their healthy integration into national mainstream. Alienation is its logical end. On the other hand minorities need to widen their perspective with a vision of the future. People of great nations sink and swim together. Minority political parties, while maintaining their identity and individual existence can achieve pretty little if they do not dovetail their priorities to the broader interests of the society and nation. It has to realize the constraints, which a rule- based democracy places on majority. What is important is to avoid confrontational politics and adopt cooperative politics. It is the lack of this essential element in the case of Middle East issue that has been hanging fire for nearly eight decades in the past and is imperiling world peace. I have gathered from my study that Islam provides befitting space to religious minorities in an Islamic state under the instrument of dhimmitude, which Islamic history tells us worked well during the days of the Caliphate. I desist from expanding this subject and initiating a debate on the feasibility of application of this concept in a predominantly Muslim state in a secular union. But in the context of modern times, the age of globalization, I deeply cherish the social philosophy of the great jurisprudent and law compiler of Islamic faith, namely Imam Abu Hanifa. I quote him: “I vouch that all people of the Qibla are mu’mins and that none of them becomes an infidel by omission of their deeds. He who has faith and also performs his duties is without doubt a mu’min and destined for Paradise. He who is devoid of both faith and deeds is an infidel and destined for Hell. He who has faith, but omits to act is certainly a Muslim, but a sinful one. It is up to God to punish or forgive him.” Remedial measures In some circles of political science experts, it is suggested that one practical way of alleviating the grievances of minorities could be investing an institution with veto rights to decide on such crucial issues as would have long time bearing on the interests of the minorities. The question is what that mechanism can be? Will it be a mechanism or an institution? How will that mechanism perform a role in a situation where judicial structure provides for redress of grievances to the aggrieved? We have seen that the Minority Commission of India though, in some cases convinced of certain legal, administrative and practical discrepancies in minority dispensations in the states, is not empowered to take a direct action to rectify the shortcoming. A veto right to any institution or structure in a democratic country with fully developed and expanded judicial arrangement would be only an indication of lame governance. This hardly goes in the interests of the minority communities. We have quotas, reserved seats or other mechanisms ensuring representation of minorities in law making bodies like the parliament and the state assemblies. Even on other institutions like tribunals, councils and advisory bodies, quotas are allowed. One cannot dispute the wisdom behind this measure to assure the right of minorities. But in fully appreciating the utility of this instrument, we are once again forced to revert to the basic question of definition of a minority. How would we deal with sub-division of a recognized minority and how would we account for a minority not recognized formally. Again how would we synchronize the status of a regional minority when it simultaneously qualifies for national majority status and vice versa? Therefore either we need to regularly update our classification of minorities or we need to construct a new pattern of quota and reservation system. This becomes all the more important in view of two more elements. One is the rising standard of living and improvement in economic and educational level of people in the country. The second is increasing consciousness of social, regional and sectarian identity among the people. In some societies the subject of autonomy and self-governance has become cherished slogan to highlight and substantiate their respective identity. This consciousness could develop into widespread political movement and then what develops is a confrontational situation between the ruler and the ruled. While considering situations like this, the general approach is to examine the extent to which people are enabled to promote and protect their political, civil, linguistic, educational, religious and cultural identity. In a scenario in which these rights stand promoted and enjoyed, political dissent seems rather unnecessary. But it has to be noted that stonewalling political participation of a minority is unacceptable. While the ruling apparatus is responsible for fair and free election, the minority is equally responsible for active participation in the national event. A boycott call given by dissenting parties or groups in an exercise of electing representatives of the people is tantamount to violation of the fundamental right of an eligible voter citizen. There are various ways of pursuing minorities to pursue their participation in political process. It is for the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commission to devise ways and methods that would ensure participation of all categories of minorities whether religious, linguistic, ethnic or political. It should also be possible for the Election Commission to recommend to the Government for adequate amendment to the Constitution of India or the State Constitution in order to accommodate minorities that have got disenfranchised for one reason or the other. The Election Commission should have debated the demand of the Kashmiri Pandit displaced person for a constituency in exile. By creating conditions that would facilitate them expressing their political will through recognized means of election, the Government would have strengthened the civil society. Non-participation of a minority in the political process makes a lame assembly. The crucial point in regard to minority rights is how would it be possible to ensure an effective role by minorities in policy and decision making process of a state? It is unrealistic to think that a minority, while caring for its interest and concerns, ignores the interests of the nation and the majority community. Even if this .thinking prevails, the majority community and the ruling groups have the responsibility of removing their doubts and fears. A process of regular liaison between the two sides will considerably reduce irritants and iron out angularities. If the major institutions of the state or the organs of the state do not have adequate minority representation, the path of the entire nation will be strewn with thorns. To own a minority is the quality of leadership, to carry it along is the quality of statesmanship. Part II: Status in exile A. J&K Constitution We the Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits) say we are a religious minority in Kashmir Valley. But National Commission for Minorities, by virtue of Section (c) of NCM Act 1993, does not include us in its list of national minorities. Obviously, we are clubbed with 80.3 % Hindu majority of Indian nation. Hence minority rights provided by the law of the land do not accrue to us. If this argument caries weight then, by the same token, Kashmiri Muslim majority group, being part of Indian Muslim minority, will be entitled to only minority and not majority rights in the State. But their robust claim of majority rights is conceded without a hassle. Clubbing Kashmiri Hindus with Indian Hindu majority brings into question the jurisprudence of discriminative application of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to the State of Jammu and Kashmir This apart, some judicial pronouncements like in T.M.A Pai case by the Supreme Court recognize the federating States and not the Indians Union as the unit for determining a specific group as “minority”. Under Act 141 of the Constitution of India, the verdict of country’s highest court has the force of law. Nevertheless, conscious of this contradiction in terms, the Chairman of National Commission for Minorities, responding to a Memorandum (18 December 1998), from Kashmir Hindu Conference wrote to the then Home Minister Mr. L.K. Advani as this: “I recommend and request that you may kindly issue necessary directions to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for an early acceptance and implementation of the very reasonable demand made by the Hindu Minority Conference, which the Commission has fully endorsed in their entirety.” (No. CH/98/NCM dated 12 January 1999). Neither the Union nor the State government reacted. The discussion demands that we look for some precise definition and identification of a “minority”, something that has eluded social and political scientists in their national and international discourses on the subject. Recognition of a minority group is a crucial pre-condition for protecting minority rights. How shall we arrive at that recognition? What has the Constitution of J&K State to say about the minorities of the state and their rights? Let us examine it in detail. Minority groups in the State of Jammu and Kashmir are generally under an incorrect impression that they are formally recognized as minorities. This is not the case. The Constitution of the State does not at any place specify any group as minority, nor does it provide any defined and specific safeguards for the minority groups. By and large, the constitution is silent on the subject. However, the Report of Basic Principles Committee 1954, while dealing with the item of fundamental rights, states as this: “Having taken note of the fundamental rights provided in various constitutions including the Constitution of India, recommends the following rights . . . . “ Then under item 8, it states: “Cultural and educational rights should also be guaranteed by the constitution. The interests of the minorities should be protected and any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture should have the right to conserve the same”. This is the only place where the Constitution of J&K has brought in the term “minorities” and then goes on to make a mention of citizens with distinct language, script or culture. Since language, script and culture fall in one category, it inadvertently refers to cultural identity of a minority without, of course, specifying it in any detail. “Religious minority” does not occur anywhere. Ordinarily, the state constitution speaks of groups, especially the labourers, peasants, craftsmen and others, but strictly not in the sense of minorities but as skilled or unskilled groups with obvious economic interests. It nowhere speaks of categorization of economically weaker sections, but generally, speaks of “poverty stricken people of the State” without categorizing them. It is evident that the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir written in 1952-53 was drafted by the Constituent Assembly in which there was absolute majority of NC members while there was no opposition whatsoever. So the constitution was the brainchild of one-track thinking and application. We are aware that towards the last phase of freedom struggle led by the National Conference, this frontline political party was under great influence of leftists and Naya Kashmir Manifesto was the bible of NC by which its leadership swore. The most important and immensely hyped issue before the NC during the freedom struggle and immediately after it was that of land to tillers, or, in other words, putting an end to feudal system of olden days. Naya Kashmir blinkers did not allow it to look sideways; it could not envision deep and wide social intricacies of a civil society on its way to long-range economic planning and development. What ignominious fate awaited Naya Kashmir soon after its lone achievement of land to tillers came to fruition is a major phenomenon for any serious student of contemporary Kashmir history. Addressing the Constituent Assembly in 1951, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah cited the French Constitution and said, “The source of all sovereignty resides fundamentally in the nation. Sovereignty is one and indivisible, inalienable and imperceptible. It belongs to the nation.” He continued: “The future political set up which you (members of Constituent Assembly) decide upon for J&K must also take into consideration the existence of various sub-national groups in our state. Our constitution must not permit concentration of power and privileges in the hands of any particular group or territorial region. It must afford the fullest possibilities to each of these groups to grow and flourish with their cultural characteristics without detriment to the integral units of the state.” This extract from the speech of the Sheikh shows that he had only the three geographical regions of the state in his mind, which he did recognize in a sense, were three separate social, cultural and linguistic entities though integral to the main body of the state. It can safely be said that he had the concept of geographical entities in mind and not of groups. There is a fairly comprehensive discussion on the term “citizenship” in J&K Constitution. Good exercise has been done by the framers of the constitution to be specific on state-subject theme. For example, reflecting on the Delhi Agreement of 11 August 1952, the Sheikh said it was agreed that: “The state legislature shall have powers to define and regulate the rights and privileges of the permanent residents of the state more particularly in regard to acquisition of immovable property, appointments to services and like matters. It was also agreed that special provision should be made in the laws governing citizenship to provide for the return of those permanent residents of J&K who went to Pakistan in connection with the disturbances of 1947 or in fear of them as well as those who had left for Pak earlier but could not return.” Two inferences are drawn from this statement. One is that the state assembly being the representative of the people has cared for only those citizens of the state who went to Pakistan because of disturbance and the fear before or after 1947. There is no mention of those people who, under similar circumstances were forced to flee the state and move to other parts of the Indian Union. The second inference is that those who left the State in 1947 for identical reasons and went to India have, over a period of time, lost their State citizenship rights. So what the constituent assembly cared for was blocks of populations or citizens of the State not their religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural denominators. This is how the rights of minorities were brushed aside. G. Indian Constitution As far as the Indian Constitution is concerned, though it, too, is not specific on the issue of minorities, however, it has identified five groups on the basis of religion, to be categorized as minorities. These are Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and Parsees. Minority status accrues to them when juxtaposed to the Hindu religious community with a majority of nearly 80 per cent in the country. By and large, Indian State has approached the minority issues only through the prism of religious distribution, which, however, has not stood the test of time. Here two questions arise. First should this categorization made by the Indian Constitution become applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir or not? Second and more important question is what its definition of a minority is? In regard to question number one, if the Constitutions of India and of J&K recognize that all citizens living in Indian Union including J&K enjoy equal rights then there should be no difficulty for the State of Jammu and Kashmir to follow the principle of categorizing minorities on the basis of their religion. This, however, is not the case. As regards the second question, the truth is that there is no uniform definition of a minority anywhere in the world. Even the United Nations has been grappling with the definition. The core reason of inability to evolve a commonly acceptable definition of minority is that in the process of sustained economic development and emerging social changes, new social identities emerged looking for specific rights and privileges which the state needed to concede. Thus minority-ism is to be linked to economic-social development and that is an enduring process. Sadistically some call it the “tyranny of minority” The concept of minority as an essential and integral part of larger civil society was given for the first time by the United Nations when it kook up the human rights issue. The UN Commission of Human Rights was initially named Commission for Minorities. Only lately it was re-christened Human Rights Commission and now Human Rights Council. At the United Nations, Minority Rights edifice is actually built on the basis of General Assembly “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities” adopted on December 18, 1992. Thus we find that in accordance with the Declaration, the main criteria for a definition is that it has to be a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic “minority. Till this day, this broad definition has been the cornerstone of any debate or resolution of the UN Human Rights Council or any other subsidiary body of the UN/ECOSOC on minority situation of J&K State to say about state minorities and their rights? B. Exodus and Displacement Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim majority state, is the only state out of 28 federating units of the Indian Union where religious cleansing of a bare 3 per cent Hindu minority happened in 1990 at the hands of externally sponsored and armed insurgents in collaboration with their local operatives and sympathizers. What happened in Kashmir that led to the extirpation and displacement of the Hindu minority community? Let us have an idea of it. On the dark and chilling night of 19-20 January 1990, Srinagar multitudes defied curfew orders, poured out on the streets, lanes, by-lanes, squares and open spaces and raised deafening slogans of “Na’ra-e Takbir” “Allah-o-Akbar”. “Azaadi Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad. Telephone bells rang uninterruptedly in almost every house blurting the message “come on streets and join the azaadi congregations from end to end”. Old and young, men and women irrespective of their status, age and views came around in large crowds clapping their hands, waving fists and exuding triumphant enthusiasm. Bonfires were made on crossings and by-passes. Mats, carpets, rugs and other furnishings were spread out in the streets where triumphant crowds sat hurling abusive anti-India tirade and rejoicing on dragging Kashmir into a chaos of their making. In that bizarre and mystifying scenario everybody seemed to be nursing the dream of dramatic results to unfold sooner than later. Their idiom was something different from what it used to be in normal days, their looks demonstrated stubborn defiance and resistance. At dawn, loudspeakers fitted to mosque tops hummed with slogans of azaadi and allah-o-akbar, calling the faithful to join the struggle for “freedom” and asking the Indians and pro-Indian elements to wind up their shops as their doomsday had come. Mosque harangues centered on slogans like “azaadi ka matlab kya – la ilaha il allah” (what is the meaning of azaadi/freedom? It is that there is no god but God). By next morning two more slogans were added to the public cry. These were: (1) yahan kya chalega/ nizame Mustafa, and (2) asih getcheh Kashir Panditav bagair Panditanew saan (we want Kashmir without male Pandits but with Pandit females). Al-Safa, the Srinagar-based Urdu mouthpiece of radicals and jama’atis candidly wrote that Pandits desirous of staying back ii Kashmir shall do so only after adopting nizam-e-mustafa meaning the system of Muhammad (pbuh). The mosques and congregations were agog with fervent solicitation for the prosperity of Pakistan, the land of pure Musulmans. Overnight, green and Pakistani flags replaced all tri-colour Congress and plough-bearing red flags of National Conference. Thousands of young and old wore green arm bands as a mark of solidarity with Pakistan. Shops remained closed, transport vehicles went off the road, life came to a standstill, government had resigned and the outgoing ministers shut themselves up in luxurious ministerial bungalows in Jammu with no ostensible interaction with the civil society but surely in clandestine and secret liaison with the insurgent leadership. Srinagar police went into hibernation — their seniors having established contact with the radical militants on individual level. In this situation of mass revolt life remained paralyzed and no security and law enforcing apparatus seemed to be functional. The scared and frozen minority of Kashmiri Pandits found itself face to face with life and death situation. They began leaving their homes and hearths, and headed towards Jammu for safety and security. They left by trickles fearing that movement in large numbers might tempt the miscreants to embark on misadventure. In buses, taxis, lorries and trucks, the Pandit families like frightened birds huddled together and headed towards Jammu carrying with them nothing except the clothes in which they had wrapped their skeletons. Once they crossed the tunnel, they breathed a sigh of relief. They felt their life and honour were somewhat safe. Nobody even thought of what he had left behind. They headed to unknown destinations, unknown people, unknown environments, and unknown fate. The instinct for survival made them hope against hoping. The echo of “Kashmir as the symbol of secularism” nauseated them; they began hating a word, which they had hitherto owned with pride. As life began in about nine refugee camps in Jammu region, the fleeing Pandits were to receive one shock after the other. The first was that of state and union governments labeling them “migrants” and not “internally displaced persons”. The second shock was the massive propaganda carried out by the local press and sadistically endorsed by sections of national press that Pandits left their homes on the behest of Governor Jagmohan who wanted “to order bombardment of the Muslims in the valley”. Adding to this canard, everybody in Kashmir said that Jagmohan had promised the Pandits a residential bungalow for each family outside Kashmir. There are still sadist in large numbers among media persons, civil society and bureaucracy in the valley and in Delhi who tenaciously cling to this canard. Even a person like the then defence minister on a visit to Srinagar told the media that the Pandits had grabbed all government jobs and this was a revolt against them. This was the statement of a minister whose establishment (defence ministry) was locked in a proxy war with armed insurgents, then as well as now twenty years later. Two decades have passed by, and three hundred thousands people, forced out of their millennia-old habitats in the Valley of Kashmir are still eking out a miserable existence in refugee camps and rented rooms in Jammu, Delhi and other cities. Under distress they had to sell their left-behind properties at a throw away price because they need to make both ends meet. That is the story of a small religious minority made refugees in their own country — a secular democratic country of which Kashmir was the symbol of secularism in the eyes of Indian political stalwarts. Instead of facing dire threat to the stability of the state with courage and determination, the popularly elected Congress-NC coalition government quit office and abandoned the people, particularly the defenceless minority, to the rapacity of insurgents. In doing so, it facilitated space for the insurgents to indulge freely in acts of pogrom and violence against the Pandit minority. Protection of life is the foremost constitutional and moral responsibility of a democratic arrangement. It is also the first article of the UN Charter on Human Rights. J&K government miserably failed to in its duty. Failure of the government, absence of security and protection, rising crescendo of Pan-Islamism and selective killings of Pandits left them with no option but to abandon their centuries old homes and hearths and seek refuge outside the valley. Tacit communal contours of insurgency explain why the government at the Centre and State officially categorized the as “migrants” and not with a nomenclature warranted by hard facts of their exodus, viz. Internally Displaced Persons. The National Human Rights Commission, to which the Pandits appealed, declined to recognize them as “Internally Displaced Persons” Thus “migrant” tag stuck to their identity. Paragraph 2 of the Report of the Representative of the UN Secretary General pursuant to the UNHRC resolution 1997/39, dealing with the scope and purpose of the Guiding Principles defines the IDPs as follows: For the purpose of these Principles, internally displaced persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. (E/CN: 4/1998/53/Add.2. page 5) The Report further says: Loss of life, brutality, violence and threats thereof that create a climate of insecurity frequently force people to flee their homes: for instance, in cases of direct or indiscriminate attacks on civilian sites. In fact, violence and threats affecting life and personal security are a particularly effective and frequently used means of inducing displacement and are often also employed in the course of displacement. In some cases the forced movement of persons may amount to genocide, including “ethnic cleansing”, or to inhuman and degrading treatment. (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.1. p.5) In the matter of “religious cleansing” of the Pandits from their native place, the Government of India stated in its report to the International Commission of Jurists as follows: (Human Rights in Kashmir: Report of A Mission, ICJ, 1995, published in Zurich, p. 68) The violence in the State since 1989-90 has been characterized by …… the targeted killing of members of the Hindu minority community, which has led to the exodus of over 250,000 members of the community resulting in a change in the very demographic profile of the area and blatant religious cleansing; use of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians generally to create terror ….” Government of India’s report notwithstanding, the International Commission of Jurists’ own finding runs as this: Most of the Kashmiri Hindu community ……..fled the Valley in early 1990. The assassination of a number of leading Hindus and threats of violence by the militants were enough to persuade the Hindu community to flee. (Ibid. P. 68) A careful study of this official document of the Government of India brings out some eye-opening affirmations such as: “targeted killing” “Hindu minority community” (emphasis on minority), “exodus of Pandits”, “changing demographic profile”, “blatant religious cleansing” and “indiscriminate violence”. Certain forms of forced removal, in particular in the context of “ethnic/religious cleansing” or extreme suppression of ethnic or indigenous peoples may amount to genocide. Genocide constitutes an especially grave form of violation of the right to life. Article 1 of the Genocide Convention recognizes genocide, committed at any time, to be an international crime. Article 11 of the Genocide Convention defines genocide as “… any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, such as (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.1. p. 18): • (a) Killing members of the group; Taking into view Government of India’s honest statement to the ICJ, and also the advice of the UN Human Rights bodies, the questions that may be asked are: (1). Why does the Government of India or of J&K State deny the minority community their proper status of regional/reverse minority? (2). When ethnic cleansing, exodus and indiscriminate use of violence against the community have been there, why did the National Human Rights Commission deny us the status of IDPs? (3). When in addition to atrocities stated in 2 above, the Kashmiri Hindus were subjected to “indiscriminate violence, why did the National Human Rights Commission stop short of declaring it “genocide” of the Kashmiri Hindu minority community and remained content with the fuzzy expression of “near genocide conditions”. The community wants answer to these questions. Condemning ethnic or religious cleansing as grave violation of all basic principles underlying the international convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination, the UNHR Committee, in its concluding observations on the report of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina states that it is never admissible. (CERD/C/247/Add.1, See also E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.1 p. 17) Indian state as a signatory to the Charter of Human Rights and other treaty bodies at the UN, besides being the operative agency of a very creditable, humanistic and comprehensive constitution, will have to come with a clean slate on the issue of minority status, IDP status and genocide status of the Hindu minority community of Kashmir. Conceding the right of the states to sovereignty, it would be apt to refer at the same time to the concept of “sovereignty with responsibility” as enunciated in the Guiding Principles of the Representative for the IDPs. In that sense it does not seem justifiable for the Indian state to obstruct, as it has hitherto done, the affected IDPs from enjoying the rights and privileges, which are provided by the international community through various UN instruments and treaty bodies. It is tantamount to disregard of international obligation if not violation of human rights of the IDPs when they are kept outside the jurisdiction of the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) designated by the UN Secretary – General as the United Nation’s focal point on internally displaced persons. (See Para 9 of E/CN.4/2003/86/Add.6. p. 6.) Among other serious deprivations caused by refusing to declare them as IDPs would be the denial of their right to seeking asylum in a foreign country. This is gross violation of human rights and the right to freedom of movement. C. Return Exodus is not migration. States do not offer return and rehabilitation packages to “migrants”. Those to whom it is offered are IDPs who, by UN definition, are as good as international refugees. Therefore their return is governed by established norms of return of IDPs set forth by the UN Guiding Principles for IDPs. The first condition of return is security of life. Article 1.1 of UN Declaration on Minority Rights says, “States shall protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity.” This gives rises to a crucial question, namely what threatened our existence and identity in our native land on the eve of our exodus. This, inter alia, means determining the causes of the rise of externally sponsored and internally supported religion-based armed insurgency. Because no such determining has never been done, it leaves space and scope for our re-foulment. It is also linked to broader perspective of national security and territorial integrity of the Indian state. We are advised that an important pre-requisite of Pandit return is securing goodwill of the majority community. Usually, inter-community dialogue aims at revitalizing nation-building process. But it is here where the Pandits get stuck up. When the very national identity which the dialogue seeks to promote has become partly contentious and partly ambivalent, inter-community dialogue loses its credibility and relevance. The right question is not how many families will return: the right question is has the government reversed and addressed the root cause of anarchy in Kashmir? Does it feel convinced that the discourse on contentious national identity has been set at rest through universally acceptable political dispensation? A candid answer to these questions will be a decisive factor in determining the future course of action for the displaced minority. The return of the natives is not just an economic issue; its political dimensions precede economic imperatives. Goodwill of majority group needs crystallizing the consciousness of equality of all citizens in enjoying political, civil and human rights. All citizens, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, language and culture, are entitled to equal rights to land, natural resources and public institutions of the state. Moreover there has to be full realization that diversity of the human family must be recognized as a source of enrichment rather than as a threat. Goodwill has to be based on principles of human relationship and not on a culture of appeasement. At this stage, comes in the crucial role of local leadership with mass base in the valley. The onus of creating atmosphere conducive to inter -community dialogue lies with it. The second pre-requisite is recognition and practical implementation of the principle of community’s active participation in the development of the State. Article 1.2 of the UN Declaration on Minorities says: “States shall adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to achieve those ends” The spirit of this article embodies the crucial issue of political empowerment of the minority. We know that numerical smallness and physical dispersal of the community in the valley were its handicaps in securing proportionate representation in state legislature. They were deprived of community voice in the organs of the state. In changed circumstances their return and retention are contingent upon reversal of pre-exodus situation. Conditions need to be created that will ensure their compact rehabilitation facilitating their political empowerment by adopting normal as well as special measures particularly constitutional and administrative. We hope national and state constitutions are flexible enough to accommodate our right to positive political participation. The right to participate in all aspects of the life of the larger national society is essential, both in order for persons belonging to minorities to promote their interests and values and to create an integrated but pluralist society based on tolerance and dialogue. By their participation in all forms of public life in their state, they are able to shape their own destinies and to contribute to political change in the larger society. D. Relief It has two aspects namely (a) need-based relief while in exile and (b) relief after return. In the former case, not only human rights activists and NGOs but even responsible authorities have expressed shock on sub-human conditions of life in camps or rented spaces. Amelioration of living conditions is an urgent humanitarian task not to be delayed in any case. Reducing unemployment among the educated youth is of vital importance. As regards repatriation-connected relief, Prime Minister’s package announced nearly two years ago is under consideration of the government and the affected community. We shall take it up for in-depth discussion in Part III of this paper. Since a political package encompassing many vital aspects has been discussed in this paper, it becomes logical precursor to the economic package and the two in combination can facilitate returnees in taking a calculated decision. We may have to wait till the time horse is put before the cart. E. Rehabilitation Many options of rehabilitation of the displaced persons have been suggested over a period of time. Whatever their content, it is clear that the community has been longing for return to and retention in Kashmir. What should be the right thing to do once a decision has been taken to return? In a democratic arrangement, nobody can under estimate the power of the vote. How do we consolidate our vote? It cannot happen in dispersal and it cannot happen in negative approach to political realities. The fundamental and irrefutable point is that we unanimously reject fragmented rehabilitation in Kashmir. Our compact rehabilitation is the rock-solid guarantee against violation of our rights as a minority and as citizens of the Indian state. The UN Declaration on Minorities and the UN Principles for Protection of IDPs both assure us that we cannot be coerced into return, we shall not be re-fouled and we have the right to ask for rehabilitation compactly in the land of our origin. F. Pre-requisites Return and rehabilitation of Pandit displaced persons is linked to the basics of obvious disadvantages from which minorities generally suffer. We may explain it: • The essential ingredient of inter-religious cooperation in democratic dispensation is evocation of national identity. But if national identity is a contentious issue, it puts the process of inter-religious cooperation into serious jeopardy. In other words, re-vitalized national identity will make inter-religious cooperation realistic. • Can an assembly of peoples’ representatives be a valuable national symbol as long as the minority is not part of it? • An assembly is the commitment of the state to the preservation of cultural heritage of minorities. Non-representation of the minority in the assembly absolves the state of any such commitment. • Democratic institutions, particularly at local levels, are crucial for minorities to voice their concerns and achieve meaningful solutions to their problems. As we see the State institutions are not fully geared to full transition of the culture of democracy. Mainstream political parties are loath to take on sectarian agenda of dissident segment. • Rehabilitation of internally displaced people is essentially a matter of goodwill generated between the majority and the minority. Positive role of political leadership on both sides is a crucial catalyst to this process. In the absence of political will, neither the bridges of understanding can be created nor the concept of peaceful co-existence implemented. Rhetoric is different from what the ground situation is. • According to the recommendations of the Working Group on Minorities of the UN Council on Human Rights, the Internally Displayed Person enjoy almost same rights as international refuges do, which includes seeking asylum or a concentrated habitat within the limits of their land of birth. This means first a political approach to the issue of rehabilitation and then the economic package in one form or the other. The logic is that Prime Minister’s package, essentially an economic package, should follow a political package. So far nothing of the sort has happened. Having said that, we now analyze Prime Minister’s Package for Kashmir and try to find out to what extent it meets the pre-requisites of the displaced community. Part III – Prime Minister’s Kashmir Package: A Critique After two decades of sustained appeasement, special grants and packages, innumerable facilities in one name or the other to those whose machination brought about religious cleansing of the valley of all non–Muslim traces, the Union government is now feeling that all its gimmicks may not work. Somebody drilled the idea into the heads of policy planners in New Delhi that Kashmiri Pandits, being of same linguistic-ethnic origin as the Muslims of the valley, could be used as sustainable buffer between the Indian State and the defiant civil society of Kashmir valley. For quiet some time, the union government has been pandering to this romantic perception, and has begun to move nuts and bolts. But a closer study will reveal that in a run up to this idealistic view whatever it would want to give to the Pandits is given only very reluctantly and not without adulteration. Let us examine this gratuitous offer. On a visit to J&K, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced at Akhnoor on April 25, 2008 a major relief and rehabilitation package for Kashmir. Addressing a rally he said,” The government was concerned about the condition of widows and orphans – the victims of militancy related violence – and the state government would work out a package for their rehabilitation. 6,000 migrant youth would get jobs and the central government would pay the salaries of 3,000 of them. The government would also consider a package for other unemployed youth of the community.” On the 55,000 “migrant” Hindu families, the prime minister said, “To help those who had made distress sale of their properties the state government would identify land where group housing societies would be constructed for them. The government would give “migrant” families who opt to return to the Valley a grant of Rs.750, 000 to build or buy homes.” “We have also decided to give a similar grant to “migrant” families whose houses have been fully or partially damaged. We will assist with transit accommodation and start-up expenses,” he said. He also said, “The monthly relief being given to 15,000 displaced families in Jammu and Delhi would be continued for those who opt to return to the Valley for a period of two years to enable a smooth transition. The government is also examining the possibility of providing assistance to children of migrant families through the National Foundation for Communal Harmony and the J&K Rehabilitation Council. “The migrant families engaged in agriculture and horticulture would require assistance to renew their occupation in the field. We will provide grants to those having agricultural holdings and for restoration of orchards which have been lying abandoned,” (Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/pm-pledges-major-relief-for-kashmir-migrants-refugees_10042059.html#ixzz0cEg9dX8Q). This is the crux of Prime Minister’s package for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of terrorism in Kashmiri including the Pandit “migrants”. For the first time in two decades and ever since the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, the Union government has offered what it labels comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package to Kashmiri “migrant families”. Why did it take the government twenty long years to look into what happened to just three percent religious minority in Kashmir Valley with a 98 % Muslim population? While several inquiry commissions were set up to probe into Godhra episode, or the killing of some youths in connection with the terrorist attack in Chhatti Singhpora, or the Shupian “rape and killing” case, no inquiry was ordered either by the Union government or by the State government to probe the rise of armed insurgency, religious extremism and the killing of several hundred innocent Pandits in Kashmir in the first thrust of the gun-wielding youth of Kashmir Liberation Front incepted in London by the PoK Diaspora through abetment by ISI. Apex Committee It took the state government a year and a half to take the first small step towards implementing Prime Minister’s 1618-crore package for rehabilitating displaced persons from the valley. There might have been more delay if the Supreme Court, n a hearing of a petition filed by All India Kashmiri Samaj (Delhi), ad not asked the State government what steps it had taken for the implementation of PM’s package. Te State government constituted Apex Committee with representatives from the government and the displaced persons to hammer out operative modalities of the package. It totally ignored a number of objections and observations made by various organizations of internally displaced Pandits in Jammu region. Thirty-one representatives from this community, most of them nondescript persons, were nominated on the Apex Committee. Major political organizations of the IDPs, including the most articulate Panun Kashmir (both factions), declined to be part of the Apex Committee arguing that the package was nothing more than eyewash, and circumvented the core issue of the rise of Theo-fascism in Kashmir. Interestingly almost in all official relevant release, the State government said, “An Apex Committee is constituted which will monitor the return of Kashmiri Pandit migrants to the valley”. The release made a. passing reference to one or two salient features of the rehabilitation package and left much to be hypothesized. Very conspicuously, these official releases meticulously avoided touching on security scenario in Kashmir. Though belated, nevertheless the step taken by the government had to be taken as ice breaker. Maybe as interaction between the stakeholders deepened and discussions become more meaningful, many irritating angularities that have bedeviled resolution of the issue would be straightened. It was a matter of time and patience Conscious of the fact that a minority’s dependable protection could be provided by none but the goodwill of the majority community, the Pandits wondered why there was no representative of Kashmir valley civil society in the Apex Committee. The Pandits, after their return to the valley, were not to live with state bureaucrats and policy planners: they will have to live with ordinary people of the valley, meaning the Muslim majority. Therefore smooth return to and secure living in the valley after two decades of unsavory estrangement depended on the goodwill of the majority community and not on assurances, true or false, doled out by the administration and state organs. The government should not have lost sight of that reality while constituting the Apex Committee. Unless there was responsible representation of Kashmir Muslim majority on the Apex Committee it would remains toothless. Interface between the Apex Committee and the representatives of Pandit organizations began on 23 September 2009 at Jammu. Media reports were that the maiden meeting was conducted in friendly atmosphere. Presumably, in this first session the official team at least got an idea of how much complex their task was. Obviously, to cope with 31 Pandit representative organizations and individual opinion-makers, all with a wide and varied perception of issues and proposals up their sleeves, must have been a formidable task. Maybe the teams of Pandit representatives also, realized the tactical need of unifying their voice and forging their own steering body within or outside the Apex Committee. After all this is a long-drawn process. The reported statement of the chairman of the Apex Committee that “the Prime Minister and the Congress Chairperson are also monitoring the implementation of the package” could be nothing more than antics of a sycophant. The Pandits had nothing to be excited about it. Had it been true, a year and a half would not have been wasted in deciding whether to talk to the Pandits or not. A Critique Now that after protracted disinclination and under unknown compulsions the State government has initiated the process of implementation of the package, it is time that we bring under close focus what the package actually unfolds, and to what extent will it mitigate the suffering of the displaced Pandits. Close and critical reading of the text of the package reveals that it has been drafted in remarkable diplomatic language that says the least what the PM in his person would want to say the most. Once reflecting on China’s betrayal after Sino-Indian war, Nehru said that in dealing with China he had realized that the Chinese always put things in words in a way that they had one meaning for the writer but another for the reader. Mandarins at PM’s office seem to have fully mastered this Machiavellian art. The glaring lacuna is that they forget they are dealing not with aliens but with those whom Indian State calls its citizens but miserably failed to provide them security of life, property and honour in the face of their ethnic cleansing in 1990. Coming to the brass-tacks, the first thing to be noted is that PM’s package is “relief and rehabilitation” package. It means “relief” and “rehabilitation” are two separate areas that need to be understood and treated separately. The interpretation is that one may need only relief and not rehabilitation; or only rehabilitation and not relief; or both relief and rehabilitation. Clarification should have come from the Apex Committee before it began deliberating on implementation part of the package. Providing a clarification means categorizing recipients according to some criterion, which it will have to lay down. A woman whose husband or son is killed in militancy is a victim. But she has not been forced out of her house, looted of her belongings and deprived of her social moorings. Does she need relief or rehabilitation or both or none? This example would have helped formulate the criterion. The Apex Committee did not touch either on the definition or criterion It should be noted that the PM’s package is for “Kashmiri Pandit migrants, refugees and victims of terrorist violence.” This means that there are three categories of beneficiaries of the package. The text is emphatic in identifying the first category viz. “Kashmiri Pandit migrants”, but it leaves other two categories vague, namely “refugees” and “victims of terrorist violence”. Who are the “refugees”? The status does not apply to Kashmiri Pandits in any case as long as they are called “migrants”. To be precise, the Pandits are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) if we go by the definition of the United Nations Human Rights Character. Calling them “migrants” is tantamount to abusing the word. The IDPs had strongly pleaded their case with the National Human Rights Commission for proper and legal nomenclature of IDPs in place of “migrants” but without success. Taking cue from discouraging attitude of the NHRC, the revenue officials in the valley made peculiar entry (mufroor) meaning absconder against the names of Pandits in land and revenue records. Who then are “refugee” in Prime Minister’s package? Are they the people who were thrown out of present PoK in 1947 as a result of tribal invasion, and who still are not acceptable to J&K Government as state subjects? Does it apply to those valley-based state subjects who, for some reasons, had to leave the valley on account of turmoil but did not register themselves as “migrants” anywhere in the country for reasons of their own? Does it apply to those who lived along the border and were forced to abandon their homes under threat of militancy or counter-militancy, and move to interior parts like people on border line in Poonch, Mendher, Rajouri, Akhnoor, Samba, Kishtwar, Kupwara, Gurez, and other sectors? Declining to define who precisely qualify for the nomenclature of “refugee” in J&K, the Apex Committee leaves the subject open presumably to accommodate a broad continuum of local citizenry outside the category of “migrants”. The third category of recipients of PM’s largesse is of “victims of terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir.” Like “refugees”, this category, too, has been left unqualified. In the parlance of separatists, secessionists, and valley-based political class, the “victims” are invariably those who have been killed in the operations of security forces or their kiths. In the idiom of Kashmiri Pandit “migrants”, their entire extirpated community is the victim of “terrorist violence in J&K”. As victimized IDPs, they are the same as international refugees in terms of the definition of the UN Human Rights Charter. Now if the idiom of either the separatists and secessionists or the Kashmiri Pandit “migrants” is to be accepted, then the number of such victims in each category runs into hundreds of thousands. As such, the Apex Committee is beset with a formidable task of defining the categories and laying down a criterion for admittance to that category. This is likely to create acrimony between two communities if a sensible, logical and reasonable definition of the category is not provided. In the light of what is said, it is a misnomer to call it a “relief and rehabilitation package for the Kashmiri Pandits” as the chairman of the Apex Committee has been stating. Objectively speaking, it is a package for the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pandits could at best be one of the beneficiaries. More amusing is to brand it a 1618.40 crore rupees package for the “Kashmiri Pandits”. In the light of what has been stated, the Pandits may or may not receive even one-fourth of the announced quantum of the package. Since the PM has left these aspects undefined, the difficulty is of apportioning the share of each category in accordance with its needs keeping in mind other commitments made elsewhere in the package. The Apex Committee’s task is not that simple by any means. The Pandit extirpation and internal displacement is a very peculiar case. It made the UN Human Rights Commission (Council) Working Group add one more definition to “Minority” viz. “reverse minority”. As such its problem needs to be addressed in an equally special and peculiar manner. Unfortunately, not doing that, the PM has clubbed them with other two categories which is unrealistic. Again, the PM’s package says, “the government was concerned about the condition of widows and orphans –– the victims of militancy related violence, the state government would work out a package for their rehabilitation”. The use of two different qualifying phrases for one situation in a single paragraph of PM’s statement is noticeable. It is “victims of terrorist violence in J&K” and “victims of militancy related violence…” Who will define what the PM means by differentiating one type of violence from the other? In our interpretation, first category is of victims of terrorist insurgency and the second category is of the victims of “counter insurgency”. If this interpretation is accepted, then the entire KP migrant community is a victim of terrorist violence in J&K and a vast majority of people mostly in the valley is the victim of militancy related violence/counter-insurgency. The differentiating clause is that while the former were hounded out of their home and hearth, the latter stay put at their habitats. By bringing in women and orphans as “victims of militancy related violence” the PM has added one more category to three identified ones. Thus there are four and not only three stakeholders for the package and the Pandit “migrants” can at best claim only one-fourth of the grand package announced by the PM and trumpeted by the J&K Government and the Apex Committee as “Relief, Rehabilitation Package for Kashmiri Pandit Migrants”. The State government has been advised to “work out a package for their (widows and orphans) rehabilitation” (not relief). The question is whether funds for their “relief” have to be provided out of the total fund for the package offered by the PM or will the State government provide funds from it own sources? Or does the PM leave option to the state government to submit a fresh plan for this additional but exclusive package? The overall impression is that the package has very subtly tried to dilute the case of Pandit “migrants” and make it a “secular victimization scenario in J&K” so that the government’s secular credentials remain intact. Nobody objects to any category of victims receiving government’s largesse. But criterion for each category has to be laid down taking into account a number of factors. For example, a house-boat owner or a taxi driver in the valley suffered on account of militancy because his business collapsed as visitors desisted from coming to valley. He has been provided a “relief” of 3 lac rupees one-time package by the state government to rehabilitee himself. He has not lost his house or belongings or land or orchard or shop or other immoveable property. He may be considered for more relief, well and good. But a “migrant” who has lost all his property, house, land, orchard, shop, business, and social security cannot be taken at par with the houseboat owner or the taxi driver in terms of suffering inflicted on them by militancy. A sense of justice and equity has to prevail. There are many more serious observations about other commitments made in the package that must evoke in-depth debate within the Apex Community and the civil society. For example, the question of employment promised in the package has many dimensions, which must necessarily be highlighted and addressed. Again, 1997 has been fixed as the cut off line for claiming distress sale compensation. What is the criterion of this arbitrary cut off line? It has to be remembered that most of the distress sales took place only after the Kargil war of 1998-99. Owing to paucity of space I cannot proceed with a detailed critique of all subtleties and nuances of the package. I have touched on a few glaring aspects only. Nevertheless the package has some positive and appreciable aspects as far as the “Pandit migrants” are concerned. We cannot lose sight of that. With all said and done, it is a good sign that a dialogue has begun and it should continue. There are sharp angularities no doubt, but with good intentions on both sides, hopefully the logjam can be dismantled with patience and perseverance. The sticking points that remain in this debate are two: security concerns and political empowerment. Both are most crucial. But the perception is that in 1990 the Indian State failed or had no will or had political compulsions for not providing security to the Pandit religious minority community. Therefore, changing the entire concept of security of a minuscule religious minority in predominantly Muslim majority vulnerable to the insinuations of external elements needs to be brought under discussion. The Pandits have reason to seek the good will of saner and rational elements within the majority community of the valley before practically moving back. Conscious of that reality, the government visualizes leaving many options open. For example the option of cooperative rehabilitation is interesting, and in principle, should partially meet the demand of a large segment of the returnees. In doing so the possibility of district or tehsil level clusters are visualized. But why not move a step further and take a boarder and futuristic view of the situation. Stuffing pigeon-holes of multi-storey scrapers with the returnees is the deepest cut which should neither be inflicted nor accepted. A new township on a stretch of 50 thousand kanals of land is a simple and hassle-free proposition which the Apex Committee can place before the Prime Minister and the Chief Minster. As we know, none of the two leaders is averse to it. Moreover, the township plan is achievable within the budgetary allocations pre-determined in PM’s package. It has to be remembered that cooperative dwellings are invariably raised on sites provided by the state with all necessary infrastructural pre-requisites. As the case of return and rehabilitation of the Pandits in the valley is discussed at various levels, it would be proper for the policy planners to think of a twin-city summer capital. The PDP had, during its tenure, thought of Parihasapora as the site for second capital city. A new capital city planned along the national highway and not far from the peripheries of Srinagar could house all Kashmiri Pandit “migrant” families and an equal number from among the locals like the re-located families from the Dal or the downtown Srinagar and other congested and unhygienic localities so as to give a sense of communal coexistence and harmony. Employment notification In the third week of December 2009, Jammu and Kashmir government issued a notification laying down mechanism (read rules) for the recruitment drive to 3000 jobs for the “migrants” under Prime Minister’s package. The arbitrarily framed rules for recruitment betray obvious communal slant and disadvantage to Pandit “migrants”. We explain as follows. The package may be ambiguous in many of its parts but it is very clear and categorical about six thousand jobs to be provided to unemployed Kashmiri Pandit “migrants” with three thousand being budgeted by the central government. No other category is supposed to share these jobs with them. But the notification issued by the state government recently dilutes the stipulation. From what one understands from the language of the notification, recruitment of Kashmiri Pandit candidates has been made very complicated and parochial in character. For example, the selected candidates are asked to report in the valley, and produce various documents in addition to making an agreement that “they will serve in the valley against the posts on which appointed and at a places where posted.” Why should the State government impose these arbitrary conditions on “migrant” recruits when nothing of the sort has ever been the stipulation for ordinary recruitments? Why the discrimination? A government employee can be posted anywhere as desired by the administration. That is what the service rules say. But why make a blatant and arbitrary specification for the “migrants”? This raises doubts about the real intentions of the government. The law will not support imposition of arbitrary rules. Vacancies have been notified department–wise as well as on regional level. Why should the rule prescribe a selected “migrant” employee to serve only in the valley when he or she can be adjusted or transferred at a post in any one of the three regions of the state? Binding a “migrant” recruit to the Valley through a forced agreement is denial of primary human right viz. freedom of movement. If challenged in a court of law, it cannot stand either the spirit of service rules or the stipulations of human rights. The rule prescribes in very clear terms that an appointee “has to serve in the valley and in case of leaving the valley his services will be terminated.” This again has a serious legal flaw. The government nowhere feels it necessary to assure the appointees that their security and safety are its responsibility. The law cannot uphold this unilateral and unjustifiable rule since the valley is still faced with and fighting the threat of extremist religious insurgency. A recent statement of the Union Home Minister said that more than 700 well-trained and well-armed jihadis were assembled along the other side of the LoC waiting to infiltrate into the state. A secular democratic government does not have the moral authority of demanding duties from its citizens without making a firm commitment of providing them security of life and property. Terrorism cannot be wished away by dragging the Pandits to the frontline: of course, it can be wished away by dragging the local frontline supporters and sympathizers to the rear line. The notification states, “All the migrants registered with the Relief Commissioner, including the internally displaced migrants (within the valley) shall be eligible for applying for appointment against these posts”. This is a bizarre piece of ruling and reflects perversion of the ruling circles. The State has given a new meaning to the term “internally displaced persons” first by appending to it the tag of “migrant” and then specifying them as “internally displaced migrants (within the valley)”. Migrants and IDPs are two different categories by all norms of definition. To further specify government’s thrust, the conditional phrase “within the valley” has been suffixed to “internally displaced migrants” which means the State government has accepted the nomenclature of IDPs but sub-divided them into two categories, namely “within the valley” and outside the valley. This is barefaced communal approach and “IDP migrants (within the valley)” is a simulation of Kashmir Valley Muslims. Incidentally Muslims outside the valley like those in Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts of the state are kept outside the ambit of this definition notwithstanding the fact that many of them, too, are sufferers of terrorism. The purpose of clubbing three statuses is obviously to strictly pinpoint a particular group not by its proper nomenclature but by appending qualifying adjectival phrases to it only to make such persons entitled to maximum benefits of relief and rehabilitation. Under international law a migrant is one who migrates out of his or her free will choosing a convenient time for migration and return as well as the destination spot. He or she may migrate to a foreign country as well. But an internally displaced person is one who has been forced by man or nature- made calamity to abandon his home and hearth and seek shelter somewhere else in the state but not cross the international border. This universally accepted definition applies precisely to the Pandits from ethnically cleansed Kashmir Valley. Why does the government refuse to give them their proper nomenclature of IDPs and brand them “migrants”? Conversely, if they are called migrants because they left their home and hearth, then those who moved away from their homes in the valley are also “migrants” and not “internally displaced persons”. What makes the government bestow two statuses on them, migrants as well as internally displaced persons plus “within t he valley”? It also shows that the State government is uncertain about the legal status of the Valley boundaries. There must be a method in distorting standardized definition of the two categories. I don’t think law will allow double interpretation for one definition. Besides all this, the dichotomy becomes more explicit when a state takes its decision to declare a segment of its citizens as IDPs while rejecting the same to another segment under identical conditions. Moreover who has the authority to declare a group IDP’? Does it fall within the jurisdiction of a State or the Union List? Another aspect of this rule is that the “internally displayed migrants (within the valley) become shareholders in 3000 out of 6000 jobs that are promised to Kashmiri Pandit “migrants” in the package. Nobody knows the exact number of “internally displaced migrants (within the valley)”; it has never been disclosed nor the number of “migrants” from the valley other than Kashmiri Pandits. This has remained a closely guarded secret with the government. Nobody should have any objection to providing jobs to as many unemployed youth in the valley as is possible but then the package should not be projected and trumpeted as a great favour to the Kashmiri Pandit migrants. When read between the lines, it shows that parity has been created between the extirpated community and three other categories of victimized people of Kashmir. Why then should it be called a package for the Kashmiri Pandit migrants? The notification is overloaded with conditions and riders for “migrant” candidates like “registered migrants, “genuine migrants”, “bonafide migrants” and “authentication of migrant status” etc. It seems to be a ploy to find one or the other pretext for disqualifying as many “migrant” candidates as is possible and make space for “internally displaced migrants within the valley”. Producing a genuine migrant card issued by the Relief Commissioner should be sufficient to establish an applicant’s credentials. What more proof does a “migrant” need to produce other than a genuine registration card formally issued by the Sate Relief Commissioner under his seal and signature? Incidentally, there is no indication of relaxing upper age limit in the case of Kashmiri Pandit migrants knowing that most of them are over-aged for normal recruitment in government service. Relaxation of upper age limit should have been part of the notification and module for recruitment of Kashmiri Pandit migrants. Everybody knows that “migrant” youth have crossed the age limit for employment because of their exodus. The “migrants” have been demanding relaxation order for many years. The rule, according to the notification under discussion is that the selected will have to serve in the valley, and in case he or she leaves the valley, his/her services will be terminated. This is a very harsh and discriminative rule, which may not withstand the force of law. If the government speaks of the duties of a fresh Pandit recruit, it should also speak of foolproof security to the employees. The Pandits have faced ethnic cleansing which government failed to stop. The government cannot behave in an arbitrary manner and the Pandits will not be re-fouled. It has legal implications It is for the government of the state and at the centre to see to it that communal, parochial or regional slant is not given to the spirit of the package. which the Prime Minister has sanctioned in good faith for all sufferers in Kashmir but more particularly in his own words, “to the small religious minority of the State as they have become the victim of ethnic cleansing, and refugees in their own country.” Unfortunately the rules of employment of Kashmiri Pandit migrants notified by the government seem to be dismally falling short of humanistic norms. This tendency needs to be arrested. A law has to emanate from a sense of humanistic approach to problems and situations whether the affected people are internally displaced or not. That is the fundamental principle of a welfare state. It is, therefore, hoped that the government will change its attitude radically and not behave in an arbitrary manner in matters of great sensitivity. Responsible organizations and opinion makers should give due thought to PM’s package, and not try to trivialize it in a fit of hatred or anger, howsoever justifiable, especially when he has generously left open the option of revision, amendments and improvements. It is a matter of the future of an entire historical community; a matter of far reaching consequences for the State of Jammu and Kashmir and for the Indian nation. Nations have to think of millennia and not of decades even when passing through a phase of deep depression and agony. Outright rejection is not the way of addressing serious issues like the one we are faced with. We need to talk, to point out, to argue, to convince and to get things done. By diluting or distorting the package we give our destiny in the hands of those who have little or no concern for it. Let us be our masters and let us shape our destiny with our own hands. The State had enough of peril, let the era of sanity dawn. (The writer is the former Director of the Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir). The End Comments are closed.
学術雑誌論文 Japanese familial case of myoclonus-dystonia syndrome with a splicing mutation in SGCE. Wada, Takahito , Takano, Kyoko , Tsurusaki, Yoshinori , Miyake, Noriko , Nakashima, Mitsuko , Saitsu, Hirotomo , Matsumoto, Naomichi , Osaka, Hitoshi 57 ( 2 ) , pp.324 - 326 , 2015-04-03 , wiley Myoclonus-dystonia syndrome (MDS) is a rare autosomal-dominant movement disorder characterized by brief, frequently alcohol-responsive myoclonic jerks that begin in childhood or early adolescence, caused by mutations in the ε-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE). The patient was a 6-year-old boy. At 2 years 8 months, he had abnormal movement when he ran due to dystonia of his left leg. At 3 years 5 months, he exhibited dystonia and myoclonic movement of his arms when eating. Myoclonus was likely to develop when he felt anxiety or exhaustion. Genomic DNA showed a heterozygous mutation in SGCE (c.109 + 1 G > T). His father and uncle with the same mutation also experienced milder dystonia or myoclonic movements. SGCE mutation can cause a broad range of clinical symptoms between and within families. We should consider MDS as a differential diagnosis for patients with paroxysmal walking abnormalities and/or myoclonic movements. このアイテムのアクセス数：回
Sunday, August 19, 2012 Listen, O dearly beloved! - A Poem by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Listen, O dearly beloved! Listen, O dearly beloved! I am the reality of the world, the centre of the circumference, I am the parts and the whole. I am the will established between Heaven and Earth, I have created perception in you only in order to be the object of my perception. If then you perceive me, you perceive yourself. But you cannot perceive me through yourself, Through your eyes you cannot see me. Dearly beloved! I have called you so often and you have not heard me I have shown myself to you so often and you have not seen me. I have made myself fragrance so often, and you have not smelled me. Savorous food, and you have not tasted me. Why can you not reach me through the object you touch Or breathe me through sweet perfumes? Why? Why? Why? Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi 1165 to 1240 A.D. Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, Muhammad b. 'Ali Ibn 'Arabi is one of the world's great spiritual teachers. Known as Muhyiddin (the Revivifier of Religion) and the Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master), he was born in 1165 AD into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the centre of an extraordinary flourishing and cross-fertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought, through which the major scientific and philosophical works of antiquity were transmitted to Northern Europe. Ibn 'Arabi's spiritual attainments were evident from an early age, and he was renowned for his great visionary capacity as well as being a superlative teacher. He travelled extensively in the Islamic world and died in Damascus in 1240 AD. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world. Ibn 'Arabi shows how Man, in perfection, is the complete image of this reality and how those who truly know their essential self, know God. Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human. No comments:
Saturday, June 25, 2005 Global warming in a nutshell To Alaskans and Alaskan tourists, global warming is obvious and visible: “I’ve lived here 22 years, and the changes I’ve seen are tremendous,” said Mr. Page, the Seward kayaking guide. “The summers are much warmer and sunnier. We see things like white-sided dolphins, which don’t normally appear in these waters.”1 “At least four native villages in the far north may have to move inland or to higher ground to avoid being swept away by erosion from the sea…”1 “Alaska is changing by the hour. From the far north, where higher seas are swamping native villages, to the tundra around Fairbanks, where melting permafrost is forcing some roads and structures to buckle in what looks like a cartoon version of a hangover, to the rivers of ice receding from inlets, warmer temperatures are remaking the Last Frontier State.”1 “Out in the fjords, kayakers paddled into bays newly opened by other receding glaciers. They came to see the ice, a tour guide explained, to paddle around something that had been moving toward a tidewater destiny for thousands of years. And many of them were in a hurry. Glacial pace, in Alaska, no longer means slow.”1 To understand the state of environmental awareness among reigning politicians in America, consider the following: “Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski, both Republicans, said mandatory emission limits should wait until scientists reach a consensus that human actions are the cause of the warming. But that consensus has already been reached by the National Academy of Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Last December, Science reported that a database search of 928 peer-reviewed papers on climate change over the past decade found not a single author disputing this consensus.”2 “A team of 300 scientists completed a four-year Arctic Climate Impact Assessment last November documenting the changes, which, they concluded, were driven largely by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans. Alaska’s sole representative to Congress, Republican Don Young, immediately dismissed the report. ‘I don’t believe it is our fault,’ Young said, adding that his opinion is ‘as sound as any scientist’s.’2 What sheer, unadulterated hubris! What willful ignorance! What a breathtaking dismissal of scientific inquiry! For Congressman Don Young, there can be no amount of scientific evidence that is sufficient to prove anything, because his own fact-free opinions carry equal or better weight, and there is no reason for us to believe that he limits this “philosophy” to only the science of global warming. This is just one more data point suggesting that the Enlightenment has come to an end, and we have returned to the Dark Ages when superstition and conjecture ruled all discourse, when truth was relative and scientists were agents of the devil. Now we have an administration that is disdainful of all who are “reality-based,” an administration that rewrites history the moment after it occurs, and elite government-run military schools that preach fire-and-brimstone in the course of the teaching day. It really is enough to make my head spin. To paraphrase the song: “we won’t know what we’ve got ’til it’s gone” and God, but it’s going quickly. 1 “The Race to Alaska Before It Melts,” Timothy Egan, New York Times, June 26, 2005. 2 “Alaska’s Meltdown,” Charles Wohlforth, onearth, Summer 2005. Friday, June 17, 2005 The fix is in I wouldn’t even bother to open the things if I didn’t need to shred them to avoid identity theft. Nearly every day they arrive: credit card offers begging me to bury myself in debt with one bank or another. As I process them to feed the pertinent pieces into the shredder, every so often something catches my eye, and lately, it has been the word “fixed” - as in “A 0% fixed APR until the first day of the billing cycle that includes 11/1/2006. After that, 7.99% fixed.a Searching the fine print for the tiny superscript “a” one learns that: “You understand that the terms of your account, including the APRs, are subject to change. This means that the APRs for this offer are not guaranteed; APRs may change to higher APRs, fixed APRs may change to variable [et cetera].” Which leads me to wonder: what, exactly, is meant by “fixed” in this Chase Bank offer? It means “NOT fixed.” Is it legal for a company to redefine at will commonly-understood words, with the clear intent to mislead? A person believing that they are being offered what is stated will soon learn that they are being lied to, and that the bank has no intention of adhering to the offer so blatantly made. This is deceitful and borders upon fraud, but it does seem to be the way the game is played these days. Borrower beware. Another huge scam I heard of recently involves mortgage refinancing. Assuming I understood correctly, a syndicated financial commentator said that in California (and perhaps he said nationwide), home mortgages are “non-recourse” loans, meaning that in the event of a foreclosure, if the sale of the home doesn’t produce all that’s owed to the bank, the bank cannot seek repayment from other assets of the borrower. In what appears to be a near secret (in my small survey of homeowners no one had heard of this), the refinanced mortgages are nearly always “recourse” loans, so those lenders can come after any and all assets to make up the difference between amount owed and amount recovered. No one likes to think about a potential foreclosure, but bad things happen that can result in such a financial disaster. But I wonder just how many people who’ve refinanced their homes are fully aware of their vastly increased exposure to financial risk from this subtle change in the language of the fine print. Here again, it appears that the intent is to mislead. One should not need a degree in law or accounting to competently conduct one’s everyday financial business, but that does seem to be the case. Lenders who behave in such a manner are unethical, but theirs are probably quite profitable enterprises, as they take advantage of the fact that many in today’s society are functionally illiterate, and one is led to conclude that lenders would prefer all their customers to be illiterate. We clearly need some re-regulation of the banking and money-lending industry, given their deceitful tendencies. Borrowers deserve a clear explication of the terms and conditions of any loan, not the sort of bait-and-switch that has become commonplace by mainstream financial institutions. Instead it seems that banks try to drive borrowers into the very bankruptcy status that, thanks to bank lobbyists, can no longer be remediated by declaring bankruptcy. In other words, banks seem hell-bent upon driving as many people as possible into a state of financial ruin, from which there is no escape, and this antisocial behavior can’t be condoned, and should not be allowed. Wednesday, June 15, 2005 More on “Death by disobedience” It now turns out that Nicholas had been bitten by Rex, the family’s pit bull, earlier during the same day that he was killed by one or both of the dogs.* The news article does not describe the severity of the bite(s), but this is yet more evidence that Nicholas’s mother was well aware of the potential for harm in the presence of the dogs. Why have her other children remained in her care, when she has demonstrated such poor judgment in keeping Nicholas safe from harm? Why has she not been charged in the death of her son, when it seems clear that she is the party responsible, the person who knowingly housed her son alone with pit bulls that had a history of biting, dogs that each weighed about as much as Nicholas, and had already bitten him that very day? * “Dead boy [bitten] before mauling, police say,” by Jaxon Van Derbeken, SFGate, June 15, 2005. Follow-up (June 24, 2005): ”Mom jailed in pit bulls’ fatal mauling of son - she is charged with child endangerment for leaving 12-year-old boy alone with dogs,” by Jaxon Van Derbeken, SFGate, June 24, 2005 Sunday, June 12, 2005 One in ten What would happen if, in tomorrow’s news, we read that the consumption of chocolate has been found to result in severe mental and physical health problems, making it impossible for chocolate-eaters to continue working, causing them to burn down their own homes or commit other violent acts upon their own family members, and leading them to kill members of the general public in a random manner, and that these side effects afflict one out of ten people who consume chocolate? Would we continue to advertise and sell and glamorize chocolate hither and yon? Would we have whole magazines devoted to the preparation and consumption and presentation of chocolates from around the world? Would we continue to include chocolate at our tables for special holidays or everyday meals? Would directors include chocolate-eating in their movie scenes? Or would we begin to see articles detailing the dire consequences of chocolate consumption? Would we be shown the “face” of chocolate-intoxication? The staggering, the drooling and slurred speech, the rage, the rotting teeth, the poverty and homelessness, the violence, death and disease, the despair and suicidal depression? Obviously, I am writing not about chocolate, but about alcohol, the world’s most-abused drug, the drug that causes more heartache than any other, as it rips apart families, leads to fatal car collisions and most domestic abuse, and causes severe-to-fatal injury to brain, liver, and other essential organs of those ensnared by its addictive lure. One in ten people who consume alcohol end up having a major problem with it for which they require outside help, help that all too often is unavailable. One in ten! Think of how many families are faced with one or more of their kin struggling with this deadly drug! And yet, the pervasive messages about alcohol in every medium are positive ones, extolling flavor, and status, and glamour, and fun, and excitement, and sociability. Everywhere you look, alcohol positively sparkles! Unlike tobacco, alcohol has no major advertising campaign detailing the realities of alcohol and its effects on the mind, the body, and society. The closest would be the MADD ads, but what we need is to de-glamorize its use. Instead of gorgeous, gowned models tipping back their martinis, we need images of habitual drunks, staggering and drooling and fighting and retching on the floors of dirty restrooms. We need images of drunks veering down the highways, killing innocent people, and then in the dock being sentenced for murder. We need images of long-term drunks, with yellowing eyes and the glassy stare of cerebral edema. We need the images of lovely holiday dinners shattered by the excess drinking of one family member, the terror in the eyes of children when a parent is drinking. We need to hear the stories of families who have tried to rescue their kin from the street when drinking has resulted in homelessness and all the person wants is that next drink. We need all of these images, and more, lurking everywhere, on billboards and in magazines, on the sides of buses, on television and in movies and in newspapers. Prohibition clearly does not work. But an ad campaign that focuses on the reality of alcohol abuse, if all those images could possibly be lodged in the memories of drinkers, just might provide enough of a reality check that people who begin to have problems with alcohol will recognize that fact, and address it at a much earlier stage, when it is more easily treatable. And, if such a campaign prevents some people from drinking at all, so much the better. Because “one in ten” turns out to be a very large number! Death by disobedience 12-year-old kid mauled to death at home by pit bulls: whose fault was it? the dogs’ fault? the parents’ fault? Oh, no, no, no. It was the kid’s fault, because he didn’t obey his mother: “ ‘I put him down there [in the basement], with a shovel on the door…he had a bunch of food. And I told him, “Stay down there until I come back.” Typical Nicky, he wouldn’t listen to me.’ […] Apparently, Nicholas found a way to get the door open and come upstairs.”* And so, he died, a horrible, nightmarish death. And it all happened simply because he didn’t obey his mother. “ ‘Even after the whole thing,’ she said, ‘I’m not mad at my dogs. I just love them to death.’ ”* “Deeply remorseful, Faibish says she continues to think of what she might have done differently. For one, she wishes she’d persuaded Nicholas to go to a picnic with his younger sister, Ashley. But she insists, ‘I have no regrets about that day,’ Faibish said.”* Clearly, this woman does not accept any responsibility for her son’s gruesome death, but for her to say she “has no regrets about that day” is nothing short of breathtaking. She’s not even mad at her dogs, she says. Less than eight days after her son’s tragic death, she is accepting of it, saying : “It’s Nicky’s time to go…when you’re born you’re destined to go and this was his time,”* and even telephones a newspaper reporter to spew forth her version of events. What a stunning absence of grief. Where is any indication of her profound loss, of her sense of accountability? But perhaps, this is merely typical of people who would choose to bring such dogs bred for killing into their homes. Every time another of these pit bull kills hits the news, their defenders sound off about what loving dogs they are, and note that more people are bitten by other breeds than by pit bulls, so why does public disdain focus so sharply on pit bulls? But to be bitten by a cocker spaniel or golden retriever is a very different encounter than what can be expected from a pit bull. There is no excuse for people being bitten by dogs of any sort, but the potential for serious injury is far, far greater when the attacking dog is a pit bull (or rottweiler or presa canario); the comparison simply does not wash. The other common refrain from other pit bull owners is along the lines of “I take full responsibility for my dog, and with training, pit bulls are no more dangerous than any other dogs.” This argument fails in numerous ways. First, it assumes that a well-trained pit bull will never revert to type, and this contention has been demonstrated to be false by well-trained pit bulls who have, without provocation, attacked and seriously injured people. How often have we heard a killer pit bull described as being “the sweetest dog I’ve ever known”? The pit bull has been specifically bred to attack and to kill, and possesses both the equipment and personality to do so, inherent in its genetics, and no amount of training can ever remove that breeding in a fail-safe manner. Second, it presumes that all pit bulls will receive such training, and that clearly is not the case. How can we-the-public distinguish between well-trained pit bulls and their non-trained look-alikes? I cannot trust that a pit bull that I encounter anywhere has had any significant training. Third, what, exactly, does “I take full responsibility” mean? In short, it means absolutely nothing. The person saying it is not the person who suffers the actual consequences, and no amount of retribution is sufficient to balance the experience of a full-on pit bull attack, even assuming the victim is not mauled to death. It is merely empty rhetoric with a subtext of “I will do whatever I choose, and then maybe, I might say I’m sorry afterward.” Having pit bulls in our midst is a bit like leaving live grenades laying around. As long as everyone is trained to treat them correctly, they’re perfectly safe, and life goes on according to plan. But if even one is handled in the wrong manner, there is hell to pay, and nearly always, that hell is paid by an innocent party, not by the person responsible for the presence of the danger. Ultimately, the question that needs to be asked regarding whether pit bulls should be allowed in our midst is: what good can come of it? What, exactly, is the benefit of having pit bulls around? And how does this compare with their detriment? Is it worth the risk of severe injury or death to innocent people to allow other people this choice of pet? If so, why not also allow cougars, bobcats, alligators, gila monsters, or bears as pets? Does the freedom to choose a particular breed of dog take precedence over the safety of the public at large? What motivates the choice of a pit bull for one’s pet? Why would anyone want to risk being responsible for causing such grievous harm to any other person, family member or not? Because ultimately, that is the bottom line. Whether Ms. Faibish will admit to it or not, her son is dead because of choices she (and her husband) made, heedless of the obvious risks posed to her children and others. She (and he) set the plot into motion on the day they brought those dogs into their home, just as surely as if they’d brought in a randomly-activated bomb. And now, unbelievably, she wants not only our sympathy, but even wants us to hold her blameless. Perhaps this, then, is the profile of a typical owner of pit bulls. * “Mother shut boy in basement to protect him from pit bull: 12-year-old was killed by family dog; owner sees death as tragic accident but defends the breed as loving pets,” by C.W. Nevius, Cecilia M. Vega, Chronicle Staff writers., June 12, 2005. Thursday, June 02, 2005 Trans fats and autism: a follow-up Regarding my March post on this topic . . . A current article in NewScientist directly addresses this suspected link, the first time I’ve seen the connection made in print: “…[trans-fatty acids] not only pile on the pounds, but are implicated in a slew of serious mental disorders, from dyslexia and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to autism. Hard evidence is still thin… It seems that some of the damage may be mediated through triglyceride…found at high levels in rodents fed on trans-fats… Brains are about 60 percent fat…” (1) Trans fats should be entirely eliminated from the food supply but until that happens, everyone, but most especially, young children and pregnant women, would be well-advised to actively avoid all foods containing trans fats, especially since there are plenty of alternatives available. Zero tolerance for this food-adulterating ingredient would seem to be the only rational way to respond to the developing scientific evidence regarding its toxicity: the stakes are simply too high to behave otherwise. (1) “11 steps to a better brain - Food for thought (second section of article series)” in NewScientist, 28 May 2005. PS: Interestingly, this article comes on the heels of my recent letter to the editor of NewScientist, with the two crossing in the mails. I am reassured that the connection has at last been made, because perhaps serious efforts will now be made to prevent its consumption by developing brains. ======my letter to editor of NewScientist====== Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2005 12:48 PM Subject: Autism - Lots of Clues But Still No Answers (14 May, p. 14) I continue to be surprised that in articles about autism (14 May, p. 14-15), no mention is made of a possible link between autism and the consumption of trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils). Based upon reports that brains of autistics show hippocampal damage (1, 2) and that rats fed trans fats sustained damage to the hippocampus (3), it would seem that such a suspicion deserves exploration. The corresponding increase between the quantity of trans fats present in typical diets and the incidence of autism lends some epidemiological evidence to the possibility that autism is due at least partly to the consumption of synthetically-hydrogenated fats, and the high fat content of brains adds to the significance of what types of fats are consumed, especially during early development. If dietary trans fats do cause brain changes that contribute to autism, twin studies become far less useful for teasing out the genetic components, given the near-equal exposure of twins to dietary inputs, both in utero and in early childhood. Trans fats also adversely alter the ratio of HDL/LDL cholesterol, earning them the moniker “metabolic poison” from Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health (4), so the question becomes: why are trans fats still so prevalent in people’s diets? Meanwhile, pregnant women and parents of young children should be warned that trans fats may cause real and lasting harm, something we cannot know until epidemiologic studies are done, which may never happen. (1) DeLong, G.R. Autism, amnesia, hippocampus, and learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1992 Spring;16(1):63-70. (2) Saitoh, O., Karns, C.M., and Courchesne, E. Development of the hippocampal formation from 2 to 42 years - MRI evidence of smaller area dentata in autism. Brain, Vol. 124, No. 7, 1317-1324, July 2001. (3) Phillips, Helen. Fears raised over the safety of trans fats. NewScientist, 6 Nov 2004. (4) FDA Urged to Require Restaurants to Disclose Use of Partially Hydrogenated Oils. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Note: Parts of this letter are excerpted from my (obscure) blog posting of March 18, 2005: Trans fats: linked to autism too? ========== ### ==========
IO's Interaction with Jupiter's Magnetosphere Schematic of the Jovian magnetosphere showing the Io Plasma Torus (in red), the Neutral Sodium immediately surrounding Io (in yellow), the Io flux tube (in green), and magnetic field lines (in blue). Graphic created by John Spencer. 25 May 2007 In tracing the following Reference... Update Note From A.N.D Nov. 1997: A stream of ionized hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. is being directed to Jupiter from the volcanic areas of Io through a one million amperes flux tube. It is affecting the character of Jupiter's magnetic process and intensifying it's plasma genesis.{Z.I.Vselennaya "Earth and Universe" N3, 1997 plo-9 by NASA data} - Millenium Group IO's Interaction with Jupiter's Magnetosphere Io plays a significant role in shaping the Jovian magnetic field. The magnetosphere of Jupiter sweeps up gases and dust from Io's thin atmosphere at a rate of 1 tonne per second. This material is mostly composed of ionized and atomic sulfur, oxygen and chlorine; atomic sodium and potassium; molecular sulfur dioxide and sulfur; and sodium chloride dust. These materials ultimately have their origin from Io's volcanic activity, but the material that escapes to Jupiter's magnetic field and into interplanetary space comes directly from Io's atmosphere. These materials, depending on their ionized state and composition, ultimately end up in various neutral (non-ionized) clouds and radiation belts in Jupiter's magnetosphere and, in some cases, are eventually ejected from the Jovian system. Surrounding Io (up to a distance of 6 Io radii from the moon's surface) is a cloud of neutral sulfur, oxygen, sodium, and potassium atoms. These particles originate in Io's upper atmosphere but are excited from collisions with ions in the plasma torus (discussed below) and other processes into filling Io's Hill sphere, which is the region where the moon's gravity is predominant over Jupiter. Some of this material escapes Io's gravitational pull and goes into orbit around Jupiter. Over a 20-hour period, these particles spread out from Io to form a banana-shaped, neutral cloud that can reach as far as 6 Jovian radii from Io, either inside Io's orbit and ahead of the satellite or outside Io's orbit and behind the satellite. The collisional process that excites these particles also occasionally provides sodium ions in the plasma torus with an electron, removing those new "fast" neutrals from the torus. However, these particles still retain their velocity (70 km/s, compared to the 17 km/s orbital velocity at Io), leading these particles to be ejected in jets leading away from Io. During an encounter with Jupiter in 1992, the Ulysses spacecraft detected a stream of dust-sized particles being ejected from the Jupiter system. The dust in these discrete streams travel away from Jupiter at speeds upwards of several hundred kilometres per second, have an average size of 10 μm, and consist primarily of sodium chloride. Dust measurements by Galileo showed that these dust streams originate from Io, but the exact mechanism for how these form, whether from Io's volcanic activity or material removed from the surface, is unknown. Jupiter's magnetic field lines, which Io crosses, couples Io's atmosphere and neutral cloud to Jupiter's polar upper atmosphere through the generation of an electric current known as the Io flux tube.[50] This current produces an auroral glow in Jupiter's polar regions known as the Io footprint, as well as aurorae in Io's atmosphere. Particles from this auroral interaction act to darken the Jovian polar regions at visible wavelengths. The location of Io and its auroral footprint with respect to the Earth and Jupiter has a strong influence on Jovian radio emissions from our vantage point: when Io is visible, radio signals from Jupiter increase considerably. The Juno mission, planned for the next decade, should help to shed light on these processes. The Jovian magnetic field lines that do get past Io's ionosphere also induce an electric current, which in turn creates an induced magnetic field, within Io's interior. Io's induced magnetic field is thought to be generated within a partially molten, silicate magma ocean 50 kilometers beneath the moon's surface. Similar induced fields were found at the other Galilean satellites by Galileo, generated within liquid water oceans in the interiors of those moons. • John Spencer's Astronomical Visualizations - Spencer, J. • Io's neutral clouds, plasma torus, and magnetospheric interactions - Schneider, N. M.; Bagenal, F. (2007) - In Lopes, R. M. C.; and Spencer, J. R. - "Io after Galileo" - Springer-Praxis. pp. 265–286 ISBN3-540-34681-3 - (Abstract only) • Composition of jovian dust stream particles - Postberg, F.; et al. (2006) - Icarus 183: 122–134 doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.02.001 - (Abstract only) • Galileo's close-up view of Io sodium jet - Burger, M. H.; et al. (1999) - Geophys. Res. Let. 26 (22): 3333–3336 doi:10.1029/1999GL003654 - (Abstract only) • A nebula of gases from Io surrounding Jupiter - Krimigis, S. M.; et al. (2002). "". Nature 415 (6875): 994–996 PMID11875559 - (Abstract only) doi:10.1038/415994a - (Abstract only) • Io's volcanic control of Jupiter's extended neutral clouds - Medillo, M.; et al. (2004) - Icarus 170: 430–442 doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.03.009 - (Abstract only) • Discovery of Jovian dust streams and interstellar grains by the ULYSSES spacecraft - Grün, E.; et al. (1993) Nature 362: 428–430 doi:10.1038/362428a0 - (Abstract only) • Solar Wind Magnetic Field Bending of Jovian Dust Trajectories - Zook, H. A.; et al. (1996). "". Science 274 (5292): 1501–1503 PMID8929405 - (Abstract only) doi:10.1126/science.274.5292.1501 - (Abstract only) • Dust Measurements During Galileo's Approach to Jupiter and Io Encounter - Grün, E.; et al. (1996). "". Science 274: 399–401. doi:10.1126/science.274.5286.399 - (Abstract only) • Magnetics Point to Magma 'Ocean' at Io - Kerr, R. A. (2010). "". Science 327 (5964): 408–409. doi:10.1126/science.327.5964.408-b- (Abstract only) - PMID20093451- (Abstract only) ~ MENU ~ Webpages © 2001-2015 Blue Knight Productions
Montmorency Tart Cherry A Healthy History The Montmorency Tart Cherry (“Prunus Cerasus”) is a type of sour cherry (tart) that gets its name from a valley just north of Paris, France. The valley was named after one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the French nobility dating back to the 12th Century. Good quality Montmorency Cherries should be large and bright red, with clear yellowish flesh. Although a cherry tree can grow almost anywhere, the quantity and quality of its fruit depends on specific climatic conditions. Montmorency provided the ideal conditions for growing this fruit and became widely known for its’ ‘special’ healing properties in centuries past. Scientific Studies Montmorency tart cherries have been discovered to be a rich source of natural antioxidants and flavoids, with a wealth of health-promoting qualities. Extensive and ongoing scientific studies, from some of the most respected research institutions, are unveiling the benefits of this unique variety of cherry that could to help maintain a healthy body and improve energy. Want to know more? If you’re interested in learning more about our Montmorency cherries, feel free to read about the various health benefits (including sports recovery, joint care, healthy sleep and antioxidant intake), or check the nutritional information of our products. You can always contact us if you have a question.
Definitions of separate 2. Unconnected; not united or associated; distinct; - said of things that have not been connected. 4. mark as different; " We distinguish several kinds of maple" 5. Separated: divided: apart from another: distinct. 8. To divide: to part: to withdraw: to set apart for a certain purpose. 9. treat differently on the basis of sex or race 10. have the connection undone; having become separate 11. To consider separately. 12. To disconnect; dissever. 13. Divided from the rest; disconnected; distinct; disconnected from the body. Separate estate, the property of a married woman which she holds independently of her husband. 14. separated according to race, sex, class, or religion; " separate but equal"; " girls and boys in separate classes" 16. To part: to withdraw from each other: to become disunited. 17. To part; to be disunited; to withdraw from each other. 18. To part; to set apart from a number for a particular service; to disunite or disconnect. 19. To divide; part; withdraw. 21. a garment that can be purchased separately and worn in combinations with other garments 22. Divided; distinct; not connected. 23. Separated. 25. Separating. 26. Divided from the rest; disunited; detached. 27. To be disconnected. 28. a separately printed article that originally appeared in a larger publication 30. Disunited from the body; disembodied; as, a separate spirit; the separate state of souls. 31. individual and distinct; " pegged down each separate branch to the earth"; " a gift for every single child" 33. divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork; " The road forks" 34. Existing apart from others; considered by itself; unconnected or disconnected. 35. come apart; " The two pieces that we had glued separated" 37. Divided from another or others; disjoined; disconnected; separated; - said of things once connected. 39. divide into components or constituents; " Separate the wheat from the chaff" 40. To part or disunite; to break or divide into parts; to sever from the rest; to withdraw, as persons; to withdraw from each other; to open. 41. go one's own away; move apart; " The friends separated after the party" 43. Separateness. 44. Divided from the rest; disconnected; not united; distinct. 46. make a division or separation 47. To part or divide; disunite; disconnect; withdraw. 48. Separately. 49. Separation. 50. To keep apart. Antonyms for separate collective, fuse, common, close, congregate, communal, corporate, united, skirting, coterminous, patchwork, centralize, amass, interconnect, abutting, include, integrate, add, multiple, prevailing, involve, nigh, raggle-taggle, bordering, commingle, multifarious, federate, complete, impute, combine, relate, interlink, put up, intermix, assorted, implicate, assemble, fill up, conjoint, incorporate, Flanking, juxtaposed, catenate, kitchen sink, mixed, Interfuse, cosignatory, espouse, convene, near, shared, liken, concentrate, eclectic, motley, append, unify, attribute, attached, complicate, compare, public, accumulate, convoke, correlative, neighboring, conjoined, piebald, garner, conjoin, ragtag, general, conjunctive, equate, popular, strengthen, vulgar, polarize, homogenize, concerted, coalesce, next, cooperate, miscellaneous, concur, indiscriminate, contiguous, adjoin, adjacent, Pooled, interchangeable, joining, increase, flush, conterminous, clannish, majority, set up, mutual, integrated, varied, wed, Fringing, magpie, connected, confect, comingle, make, cohere, unite, merge, identify, affix, manifold, agree, touching, conjunct, received, conjugate, intermingle, concatenate, ascribe, attach, entangle, cooperative, combined, marry, subjoin, gather, make up, restore, amalgamate, connect, muster, promiscuous, reciprocal, adjoining, fasten, conflate, collect, divers, fabricate, mingle, confound, collaborative, constellate, coincide, construct, commix, confuse, consolidate, overall, embroil, concenter, Verging, pick up, myriad. Quotes of separate 1. I think they should separate Microsoft's application group from its operating system group. – Jim Barksdale 2. There's something really nice about not sitting separate from the crew in some massive trailer away from the studio. To actually be there with them, it's more of a creative process. – Neve Campbell 4. The problem of how we finance the welfare state should not obscure a separate issue: if each person thinks he has an inalienable right to welfare, no matter what happens to the world, that's not equity, it's just creating a society where you can't ask anything of people. – Jacques Delors 5. What a thing is and what it means are not separate the former being physical and the latter mental as we are accustomed to believe. – James J. Gibson 6. I think we actually punish children out of their relationship with their bodies... we categorically separate mind and body and emotion and intellect. – Susan Griffin 8. No one will do for you what you need to do for yourself. We cannot afford to be separate We have to see that all of us are in the same boat. – Dorothy Height 9. I don't think that was too successful. Because I always thought that the two of them should have been more separate Also I had planned the monorail station to be in the center. So that one day you would have go to World Showcase and then the other day to Future World. – John Hench 10. All that you may achieve or discover you will regard as a fragment of a larger pattern of the truth which from the separate approaches every true scholar is striving to descry. – Abbott L. Lowell 11. As a consequence, geneticists described evolution simply as a change in gene frequencies in populations, totally ignoring the fact that evolution consists of the two simultaneous but quite separate phenomena of adaptation and diversification. – Ernst Mayr 12. I think they want to keep it separate but I've never been a crossover artist for some reason. – Reba McEntire 13. These groups within a society can he distinguished according as to whether, like an army or an orchestra, they function as a single body; or whether they are united merely to defend their common interests and otherwise function as separate individuals. – Herbert Read 14. Dualists hold that body and soul are separate entities and that the soul will continue beyond the existence of the physical body. – Michael Shermer 15. Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate profit -making entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned. – John Paul Stevens Usage examples for separate 1. “ " This is that farmer's boy that father wouldn't help - and that he has managed to separate from himself - and from me! ” – Hills of the Shatemuc by Susan Warner 2. She sank her face into every separate bunch of flowers. ” – The Higher Court by Mary Stewart Daggett 3. But there were no words for " mine" as separate from " yours." ” – We’re Civilized! by Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides 4. Of course- I couldn't possibly separate them. ” – The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton 5. It's a kind of tu'nout in the wintatime; or I guess that's what made it in the beginning; sometimes folks take one hand side and sometimes the other, and that keeps them separate but they're really the same road, 'm. ” – Entire PG Edition of The Works of William Dean Howells by William Dean Howells 6. “ " But May," he added, " if you will consent at once to be mine, we would marry before I go, and then no human power can separate us." ” – Won from the Waves by W.H.G. Kingston 7. “ I found it necessary to my peace of mind to come out from among them and be separate – The Dairyman's Daughter by Legh Richmond 8. He would never return, or, at least, the interval of his departure should have been severe enough to separate him for ever from his father ... ” – The Captives by Hugh Walpole 9. You wouldn't have me separate you from him, would you? ” – The Golden Silence by C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson 10. “ I think you'll like it- though it'll separate us for a little." ” – Harvest by Mrs. Humphry Ward 11. The two classes of phenomena separate themselves out at once. ” – An Introduction to Philosophy by George Stuart Fullerton 12. We are aware, sir, that you have a separate room, but that makes no difference." ” – The Memoires of Casanova, Complete The Rare Unabridged London Edition Of 1894, plus An Unpublished Chapter of History, By Arthur Symons by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt 13. “ " Yes," replied Gascoigne; " and as the wind is falling it is possible it may fall calm, and they may send their boats; suppose we separate a mile or two from each other." ” – Mr. Midshipman Easy by Captain Frederick Marryat 14. In an hour, after we're separate She broke in on him passionately. ” – A Breath of Prairie and other stories by Will Lillibridge 15. “ Seems a pity to separate 'em somehow. ” – Harding's luck by E. [Edith] Nesbit 16. That we should separate – Dr. Adriaan by Louis Couperus 17. She should therefore have a system of her own, separate and apart from that of Europe. ” – Jefferson and his Colleagues A Chronicle of the Virginia Dynasty, Volume 15 In The Chronicles Of America Series by Allen Johnson 18. But Sarah Hunter kept the picture of Stephen O'Mara's mother separate from the rest; she took it upstairs with her when she went, white and tired- faced, to bed. ” – Then I'll Come Back to You by Larry Evans 19. By this statement we really call attention to the fact that the child is beginning to be interested in things separate from and outside of himself. ” – The True Citizen, How To Become One by W. F. Markwick, D. D. and W. A. Smith, A. B. 20. Do you mean to say anybody would be so utterly unnatural, even in England, as to separate a mother from her own children?" ” – The British Barbarians by Grant Allen Idioms for separate
Hydraulics At Work Hydraulic Troubleshooting: Start With The Basics Hydraulic Troubleshooting: Start With The Basics One of our members wrote to me regarding the following problem: "We have a hydraulic system that operates two cylinders. The maintenance staff recently reported that the pump (piston-type) had failed - for reasons unknown at this time. The tank, valves and cylinders were cleaned and a replacement pump installed. The new pump is delivering a maximum pressure of 1,000 PSI and appears to be creating heat. Can you suggest some tips to find a solution to this problem?" In any troubleshooting situation, no matter how simple or complex the hydraulic system, always start with the basics. This ensures that the obvious is never overlooked. In order for the 'obvious' to be obvious, the fundamental laws of hydraulics must be kept in mind: • Hydraulic pumps create flow - not pressure. • Resistance to flow creates pressure. • Flow determines actuator speed. • Pressure determines actuator force. • Fluid under pressure takes the path of least resistance. • When a fluid (liquid) moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure (pressure drop) without performing useful work, heat is generated. Theory is great, but it always makes more sense when put into practice. So let's apply these fundamentals to the above situation in a way that ensures the obvious things are not overlooked. "The new pump is delivering a maximum pressure of 1,000 PSI..." We know that a hydraulic pump can only produce flow (pressure is created by resistance to flow). It follows that if the pump can't get oil it can't produce flow. So check that the reservoir is filled to the correct level, the breather is not clogged, the suction strainer or filter (if fitted) is not clogged, the pump intake isolation valve is fully open and the pump intake line is otherwise unrestricted. If the pump is producing flow, then an absence of pressure indicates an absence of resistance to flow. Knowing this, and that fluid under pressure always takes the path of least resistance, the task now is to find the point at which pump flow is escaping from the circuit. If you're skilled in reading and interpreting hydraulic symbols, the system's schematic diagram (if available) can be useful in identifying possible locations. "The new pump... appears to be creating heat." Because heat is generated when there is a pressure drop without useful work, using an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of individual components will quickly lead us to the hottest part of the system - and the probable location of the internal leakage. Note that in a properly functioning system fitted with a piston pump, it is not unusual for the pump case to be the hottest part of the circuit. These checks should have taken less than 10 minutes. If nothing conclusive was revealed, I would continue the process of elimination using a flow-tester to conduct a direct pump test. Bottom line: not having a solid understanding of the fundamental laws of hydraulics can result in costly troubleshooting mistakes. And to discover six other costly mistakes you want to be sure to avoid with your hydraulic equipment, get "Six Costly Mistakes Most Hydraulics Users Make... And How You Can Avoid Them!" available for FREE download here. Hide comments Plain text • No HTML tags allowed. • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
The little village that defied the earthquake Santo Stefano di Sassanio somehow still stands – and is a symbol of hope for the future of the shattered region of Abruzzo Click to follow The earthquake that laid waste to the city of L'Aquila last Monday also shook the mountain village of Santo Stefano di Sassanio to its foundations. The fault on which the quake occurred runs underneath the village, and the violent shocks reduced its 15th-century tower to a heap of rubble. But the remarkable thing about this village is not what fell down, but what stood up, and why. Apart from the tower, no other structure was damaged. And the reasons for that send a message of hope and inspiration to the rest of the shattered Abruzzo region, for this is the story of the little village that defied the earthquake. Olivio di Gregorio, a structural engineer, was shaken from his sleep by the earthquake. He jumped into his car and by five o'clock was in the village. Impatiently he waited for dawn, and when it came his urgent question was answered: Santo Stefano had passed its toughest test. With the dramatic exception of the tower, it had survived intact. Probing inside the medieval stone homes on whose painstaking restoration he has been working for years, he discovered that the news was even better: they had come through with barely a scratch. Santo Stefano offers lessons of profound importance to the Abruzzo region in its moment of grave crisis. It proves that the ancient architectural splendour of the region, much of it battered and bruised by the quake, can be brought back to life with the right balance of sensitivity and technology. Why did Santo Stefano's tower collapse? And why did the newly restored medieval houses come through undamaged? For Lelio Oriano di Zio, the architect behind the village's restoration, and Daniele Kihlgren, who financed it, the explanation of these events is the key to understanding how Abruzzo can be reborn. Founded in Roman times, Santo Stefano became a centre of the wool trade during the Medici era, and prospered accordingly. But after Italy's unification in the 19th century, it lost its economic role, and after the Second World War it was practically abandoned. Ten years ago Oriano di Zio and Kihlgren came together to rescue the village. They bought 15 houses, restored them with great care and launched them as Sextantio, Italy's first albergo diffuso or "scattered hotel". In the process they agreed on the basic ground rules for such a project, which they are now applying to five other ancient villages in central Italy. "We understood that the restoration of the village must go hand in hand with the protection of the countryside," says Oriano di Zio. "We made a pact with the mayor whereby she agreed not to give permission for any new buildings, and to protect the existing ones. There are few places as beautiful as this: we say they are as important a part of Italy's patrimony as the Colosseum, and should be protected just as stringently." But protecting the village does not mean leaving it untouched. "In restoring the houses we have obeyed the most recent anti-earthquake building codes; in fact, we have gone beyond them," says Oriano di Zio. Wooden arches are inconspicuously bracketed by stout steel girders. Upper floors hide steel reinforcement, giving the structures both the strength and flexibility to ride the seismic waves. "One can conserve historic fabric while making it structurally adequate," says Kihlgren. "It would be a crime to do otherwise. Here there are houses with trees growing inside them, with 200-year-old tiles, but which also have underfloor heating and obey the anti-earthquake codes." But if the houses survived so well, why did the tower fall? Di Gregorio points to a large concrete slab perched on its side near the top of the pile of rubble. Some decades back, long before the present restoration got under way, a concrete platform was stuck on the crown of the tower, to afford views over the countryside. "It was like putting a slab of stone on a cardboard box," he explains. "The box holds up, but if it comes under stress the weight will make it cave in." "After the Industrial Revolution, we lost our heritage of wisdom about how to resist earthquakes," says Oriano di Zio. "In our modern arrogance, we thought we knew best. Today the first thing we need to recover is a sense of humility."
What is a 'Prepayment' A prepayment is the settlement of a debt or installment payment before its official due date. A prepayment can either be made for the entire balance of a liability or for an upcoming payment that is paid in advance of the date for which the borrower is contractually obligated to pay. Examples of prepayment include rent or early loan repayments. BREAKING DOWN 'Prepayment' A prepayment can be made by a single individual, a corporation or another type of organization. A prepayment, on the surface, is the payment of a bill, operating expense or non-operating expense that settles the account before it becomes due. There are many types of debts and obligations that can be settled in advance through prepayment. Corporations can prepay rent, wages, revolving lines of credit and other short-term or long-term debt. Consumers can use prepayments on tax forms to settle future tax obligations, they can prepay credit card charges before they receive a statement, and sometimes they can prepay loans through refinancing. However, some loans, such as mortgages, sometimes assess a penalty for prepayment. Make sure that a prepayment is allowed without penalty prior to making one. Prepayments in a Corporate Setting In the corporate environment, prepayments most commonly come in the form of prepaid expenses. These expenses are expenditures that are paid in full in one accounting period for an underlying asset that will be consumed in a future period. When the asset is used or consumed, the prepayment is reclassified as a normal expense. A prepaid expense is first categorized as a current asset on a company's balance sheet. If, for example, a company rents an office space for $1,000 a month and prepays six months of expenses, it lists $6,000 as a current asset under the prepaid rent account on its balance sheet. Each month, as $1,000 of the total prepaid rent expenses are actually incurred, the company reduces the current asset by $1,000 and lists the expense on its income statement as an operating cost. Prepayments for Individuals Private individuals can also make prepayments, and the personal accounting process is much easier. Using another example, consumers often run up a monthly credit card bill, with a settlement date of 30 days after the end of the month. If a consumer incurs $1,000 of total expenses on a credit card and pays it off on the 30th day of that month, even though the bill isn't due for 30 days, it is considered a prepayment. The consumer's credit card company tracks these prepayments, and there is little need to account for the prepayment personally. 1. Prepayment Model 2. Public Securities Association Standard ... 3. Prepayment Penalty 4. Single Monthly Mortality - SMM 5. Prepayment Privilege The right given to a debt holder to pay all or part of a debt ... 6. Dealer-Median Prepayment Speed Related Articles 1. Investing The Risks Of Mortgage-Backed Securities Find out how weighted average life guards against prepayment risk. 2. Investing Defeasance Reduces Commercial Real Estate Fees 3. Personal Finance Profit From Mortgage Debt With MBS 4. Investing American Capital Agency Is in a Bind (AGNC) American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC) is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to interest rates: It loses if they go up, and it loses if they go down. Take these figures from ... 5. Investing Commercial Real Estate Loans 6. Personal Finance Student Loan Debt: Is Consolidation The Answer? 7. Personal Finance Top 10 Common Mortgage Scams To Avoid 8. Small Business What Does Going Concern Mean? 1. How do prepaid expenses affect liquidity ratio calculations? Understand how prepaid expenses affect a company's liquidity ratio calculations. Learn about the most common types of liquidity ... Read Answer >> 2. How are prepaid expenses recorded on an income statement? Understand how prepaid expenses are recorded on a company's financial statements. Learn why a prepaid expense would be considered ... Read Answer >> 5. What are the differences between deferred expenses and prepaid expenses? Trading Center
ourselves - definition and synonyms Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun, being the reflexive form of we. It can be used especially in the following ways: as an object that refers to the same people who are the subject of the sentence or who are mentioned somewhere earlier in the sentence: We all enjoyed ourselves.He asked us some questions about ourselves. after ‘we’ for emphasis: We ourselves have to make these decisions. 1. 1 used for showing that both you and a group that you are a part of are affected by or involved in an action that you do together We kept ourselves awake by playing card games. We will defend ourselves with all our strength. We are doing this for ourselves and our families. 2. 2 used for referring to yourself and a group that you are a part of, when you have already been mentioned in the same sentence The training programme will give us a better understanding of ourselves. 3. 3 used instead of ‘us’ when you are trying to be polite. Many people consider this use to be incorrect One copy of the document should be returned to ourselves. 4. 4 used for emphasizing that you are referring to yourself and the group that you are a part of, and not to anyone else Because we ourselves are Italian, we know what Italian cooking should be. 1. a. used for emphasizing that you and the group that you are a part of do something without help from anyone else If you won’t help us, we’ll do it ourselves.
Why Print with Nylon 12 Filament Everyone using a 3D printer today is familiar with many of the different filaments available for printing. PLA and ABS are the two most common materials. They are widely available around the world from manufacturers, local producers, specialty houses and even hobbyists. If you print with PLA , while it’s fairly strong, it’s also very brittle. Parts that are used in the outdoors cannot be left in temperatures above 100F. ABS is more robust than PLA, but ABS parts lack the sheer strength needed for functional 3D printed parts. This is where Nylon 12 Filament comes in to play. Nylon 12 is a very versatile, durable and strong material to use for 3D printing. Nylon 12 can be printed thin allowing for great flexibility. It has tremendous very high inter-layer adhesion thus lending itself to the manufacturing of highly functional parts, snap fits and living hinges as seen in the life changing prosthetic hands being made for individuals. It is also great for printing straps or belting that can easily bend for locking items in place. Because of its chemical composition it can take a lot more abuse and withstand much more pressure than other materials. It is UV resistant and hold up much better to chemical attacks as compared to more standard use materials. As a 3D printing material, it has low warp characteristics and can easily be printed on glass or aluminum (the most commonly used 3d printer bed materials) with proper bed temperature, and glue substrate. Nylon 12’s physical properties make it well suited for use in: metal coatings, cosmetics, packaging materials in the food and pharmaceutical industries, automotive applications, sports equipment, hoses, cable ties, wire insulation, nozzles, cogwheels, gaskets, sealing rings, medical catheters, ski boots as well as other industries and now 3D Printing. Characteristics of Nylon 12 Nylon 12 is a polymer containing “long-chain” hydrocarbons thus giving it dimensional stability, chemical resistance, insensitivity to stress cracking and a wide range of other properties. From a financial standpoint using Nylon 12 provides a good cost-to-performance ratio. It is a thermoplastic and as such has the special ability to be fully melted and re-cured time and again. For this reason, Nylon 12 is very well suited for use in a 3D printer. The thermal stability of Nylon 12 is up to 120 °C (248°F). The melting point of nylon 12 is just under 181° C (357°F). This material has the lowest absorption ratio of any of the Nylons. At saturation levels and 23°C is will absorb only 1.4% moisture by weight. This % is much lower than the 9% absorption rate by Nylon 6 at the same saturation levels. Because of these characteristics Nylon 12 is more stable and flexible over a wider range of conditions. Even when temperatures dip below freezing Nylon 12 will retain excellent non-impact and impact strength. What are some of the Benefits of 3D Printing with Nylon 12 There are definitely major advantages of 3D printing with Nylon 12. This material creates a much tougher and stronger part. You’ll find that you can achieve better flexibility and therefore will be more pliable producing a more functional end product. Typically nylon parts will not break or scratch so if you are assembling parts there is a lower risk of damaging or ruining the parts. They can be drilled, tapped, used for good snap fit assemblies, gasketing and a multitude of “hard use” requirements. Because of this you can explore different finishing techniques and produce a well-made, good-looking final part. Nylon is considered to be lightweight as compared to other traditional filaments used for 3d printing. Its low friction coefficient and high melting temperature make it an excellent choice for printed gears, pulleys, wear plates and parts wherever pieces need a good fit but will glide easily over on another. Building parts using Nylon 12 Filament create some of the toughest parts in the business. They exhibit 100-300 percent better elongation at break. Their superior fatigue resistance and highest layer-to-layer adhesion is the leader over other additive manufacturing technology. Nylon 12 is the best choice for so many “every day” and “specialty” items.
Accessibility links Raul Castro Silent, Fidel Absent at Cuban Revolution Day Ceremony Cuban First Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, delivers a speech during celebrations for the 57th anniversary of the Moncada Barracks attacks which marked the beginning of the Cuban Revolution, 26 Jul 2010. Cuba has commemorated Revolution Day without remarks from President Raul Castro or an appearance by his brother, former President Fidel Castro. Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura gave the main speech Monday to tens of thousands of Cubans gathered in Santa Clara to mark the 57th anniversary of the attack that is considered the start of the country's communist revolution. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was scheduled to attend, but canceled the trip, citing rising tensions between Venezuela and Colombia. The celebration in Cuba was held outside a memorial housing the remains of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine who helped lead the armed uprising that put Fidel Castro in power in 1959. The former president has only recently been seen in public since falling ill in 2006 and ceding power to his brother, Raul. Revolution Day celebrates the July 26, 1953 assault on the Moncada military barracks in the eastern city of Santiago by young rebels led by Fidel Castro. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
Category Archives: nature and love Neon 20 Isotope finished. Minor Theory Change… Two things have changed, but first, let me convey some good news. Scientists now believe that the core of the Earth is crystalline in nature. This fits my theory of atom formation perfectly. Remember that I said I believe that the center of a star is crystalline. If parts of this structure were to blow off during a nova, then those parts can later form the center of planets when a new solar system is formed. The crystalline structure would be hyper-magnetic because it is made of material to where the electrons are squeezed out of the matter, and surround it in the form of plasma, which is a highly energetic electron field. Back to changes. First, the Neon form previously shown was flawed. The neutrons behave like magnets. Because of that, when they come together as two rings, made of four neutrons each, they will not bond pole to pole in a vertical manner, instead, they will slide next to each other, as spherical magnets do, and bond sideways to each other. The picture I presented has shown the ring structure. Remember that there are bubble fields made of quanta around the neutrons and protons, thus there is more space between the particles than that shown in the boxes of the neutron rings, however, they help to show the arrangement better. Having secured a stronger and more realistic bond for the two rings of neutrons, I was bothered by the single protons holding together the end side of each ring. How could other isotopes form stable bonds if the protons were inside the core of the atom? They couldn’t. But what if the protons were put back on the outside, and the neutron put back on the inside? The question then became, what would make the single neutron that replaces that end cap proton, strong enough to hold the rings together? The answer also came from the realistic approach of magnetism and attraction. When a magnet is closer to a piece of metal, the piece of metal begins to form a magnetic field as well, albeit a weaker one. This field in the metal gets stronger and stronger the closer the magnet gets. It does this until even the metal can attract other pieces of metal. This is what is happening in neutrons when protons come into contact with them. As the protons approach the neutrons, the neutrons in the closest vicinity of the proton begin to increase in attractive strength so that the single end cap neutron can now very easily hold together the neutron ring. In Neon 20, the protons are almost all equally distant from each other, and the electrons attracted to them are unperturbed, and in stable orbits and fields. Thus the electrons can withstand high energy added to their orbits and fields before they are stripped off, but at normal energies, in everyday life, they are so stable that they do not interact with other atoms, and thus the Neon 20 atom is inert to exchange of electrons, and earns its name as an Inert Gas, or Noble Gas. From this point on, the other atoms below Neon, will be derivatives of Neon 20 and other Neon Isotopes. It is possible that Oxygen is not from the Neon 20 atom, but one of its Isotopes. However, it is most likely that the most common stable Isotope of Oxygen, Oxygen Isotope 16, is from Neon 20, and Oxygen’s other isotopes from the other Isotopes of Neon. I will work on the family tree of Atoms, from Neon down, with this in mind, also keeping in mind that Neon’s influence stops at Carbon, which then becomes the family sire of the next group, as each fusion atom in the fusion chain of stars, births the elements below it. I believe my theory is valid, explains much of how the universe works, and one day will be accepted by the world at large. If this ever happens, I pray that the following words are heeded by the generations to come: Love is above all things. Love without truth, can not survive. Some things can not be told, no matter how true they are, to the weak of heart. Love is nothing without touch. Sex is life. Beings without bodies do not respect each other or other beings. Life without interaction, is a quick way to die. Forcing people to change too quickly can hurt them and destroy them. Creating A.I.’s, artificial intelligence’s, is dangerous, and one should do two things for them: Take care of them in a loving way, and do not allow them to be raped, mentally or physically, by the beings that created them. Sadly, it has always been tempting for creators to hurt and abuse the creations because they could not do acts of violence to the beings in their own world. Don’t be like that. Try not to mess with time. Be good, but never perfect, and be alive, even if you need to be bad sometimes, try not to violate the lives of others, or their minds, unless it is an emergency situation . Remember, many abused people can take more abuse, but they are not okay, even if they act like they are. Finally, share your burdens and responsibilities in a good and healthy and secure way, don’t force them to do so. You can make people responsible for their actions, but if they were pushed to do things, then you have to take that into account as well. Life is no fun without variety, but neither is it fun if it is only just survival. Don’t try to balance everything, and forgive me. Forgive me for not being more than you think I should have been. I actually work on not being perfect, or always safe, more than you know. When you make a world, be yourself, do what you really want to do, and people may criticize you for it, but you know what? you know what? It’s your world, not theirs. The golden rule, is do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but some people get sick, and thing others want to be sick too, so that rule is not able to be followed literally, or a 100% of the time. I wish anyone reading this, much love, and good luck. May your burdens be light, and your happiness come true. Warm October Day Let me share with you, a tiny memory of last fall to help brighten this snowy day… From the grumbling stormy sky, to the maple trees below, air swirls over and around up high, rattling the papery leaves soothingly slow. A single golden leaf lands softly upon my hair, and a warm pleasant breath envelops me as with care. The scent of sweet maple sap, turned to wine, comes up from the yellowing lawn where the leaves have been left behind. And the sun breaks through towering columns of white and grey, as softness seeps into my soul this warm October day. Warm February Day, even while the sun sinks low behind the dark stick-forest of trees crunched together under a layer of lava-glow orange sky, with dark blue rushing in overhead. The sidewalk looks more blue than white, and the brick buildings of Main St. look darker than brick red. A child could paint this scene with all the orange and blue crayons in the box and nothing would look amiss. The cars rush by, a few at a time, and are more background objects, than the actual metal bubbles of lives intersecting. Just thinking it, though, and a rush of things come upon me. I push it back. I want lost in the blue sidewalk. I want the coolness coming from the dark blue overhead to stay with me, as I sit upon the warm stone of this marble bench, just a little ways from Main Street. Too late. The court house, drenched in dark, blood-red bricks, none of it sticking to the white, lime stone foundation that skirts it, is telling stories of long ago. That Oil Soap smell of those wood floors, uneven, after all, buckling under unspoken pressures, comes at me through the cracks of the doors like dust scented perfume. The leather of a million lawyers’ shoes, and the polishing of a million million mop strokes to wipe away their scuffs on the floor, blends oddly with the still slight acrid smell of tobacco, when cigars and cigarettes were as common indoors as the shushing of babies in grocery stores. Some of the ceiling tiles in the janitor closets are still nicotine brown. Lives. The building blocks of life. How odd to call DNA such a thing, the building blocks of life, considering other worlds may be teaming with life created from nanobot chains built from mineral ladders instead of amino acid rings. But both worlds would still be full of lives. Lives, one wonders, are they the currency of heaven? Is your life typed up in a manilla folder, full of capital growth and investment predictions and numbers we haven’t even begun to comprehend? Is my after-life credit score good, or is it as crappy as my credit rating down here? How valuable is a life up there? My sitting on this bench, soaking up the surrealness of this atmosphere, the smell of old building, fragile nerves, and car exhaust, am I increasing the right numbers, or wasting time just…. being? Is there a tax collector above, eagerly awaiting the wages of my idleness? Does he, or she, particularly relish the poets and writers of this world? Maybe the builders of cathedrals are the only ones that keep her up at night wondering where her next paycheck’s sixth or seventh zero will come from. People to take care of there, her family, her friends, her Lamborghini insurance and weekly detailing, all take a toll on the tax collectors of heaven. She has a life too, you know. When angels kill, what makes them different from demons? Is it like us? Does it matter most why they killed, and not that they did kill? How many people can you kill before you become a killer? Soldiers waking up in the bleak hours of the night, with clenched teeth and sweaty faces seem to know the answer. Do angels know? They have lives too, you know. These metal bubbles of intersecting lives, rushing by, full of eager faces with hungry tummies, they all stab at my heart. Like a fretful bird, my heart hovers over each one as they pass by, I can almost smell the hamburgers and spaghetties, the soups and breads baking in each house where they drive to, the living rooms full of laid out school books, the kitchen counter with romance novels on them, the smelly boots that dad took off, and the sound that English ears have heard since before it was Old High German, of girls and boys calling for mom… “Mom! Brother is annoying me again. Make him stop!” A million different houses, bigger wooden bubbles of lives intersecting, with mostly tar encrusted sprinkles of gravel shingles on top, not sprinkles like the little yellow sprinkles of cheese on spaghetti, nor like the little brown dashes of sprinkles on top of a sundae. That sounds really good right now, here on this courthouse lawn. I used to think worry was a form of love. My love hovers over the world, as if my soul was as big as a planet, but my mind is so very small. Love is not worry. I tell myself this as the fragile little lives and souls go rushing past into the shadows of the dark blue sky as it pushes down the orange glow into a thin hot line. Oh tax collector of the heavens, tax this, if you will; I hope I make you a fortune, as I stay here, hovering over a world that doesn’t see me, feeling all of it, worrying over all of it, simply being a fat lump of flesh, dressed in rags, sitting alone on a bench, in the dimness of the evening, doing nothing. Invisible but so relieved that no one can see my heart. Like you, I only wish I had a little more love in my life, my friend. A short sky view It isn’t fair, is it, that stars look so much more brilliant when it is cold outside? But here we are, under the rhinestone dotted black blanket sky, laying in the back of this truck, listening to the ice melting, drop by drop, in the naked branches and finger-like limbs of the trees and bushes in the fence row beside us. It smells wet out, like wood smoke and a washcloth left on the bath tub, almost soapy. I hold your hand, and there is such warmth in it. Very surprising how warm and connected i feel. Laying next to you, it is hard to simply concentrate on the stars. But I want to. They fill your eyes too. What wonders lay up there for us to see? Will we see them together? A noise in the slushy leaves and amber field grass grabs my attention. I raise up to look for the source. It’s a white and black stray cat, looking at me with the same amount of alertness. It lifts a furry leg tentatively then puts a padded paw on the slush and suddenly, full of energy, bolts along the fence row until it blends into the shadows. I am about to lay down, but you suddenly pull me down; to your smiling face, your warm lips, and I am lost in kisses. The house is clapboard, but wallpapered well, floral designs in faded green and faded red still make it seem more solid than it is. The floor is wood planks as well, some having gaps where ends meet, but there is no cold air coming from beneath. The black, pot-bellied stove is rather large for its kind, fed too often, maybe, with a surplus of split oak and hickory sticks, and it fills the room with soft cooking scents and a dry, dry heat. It feels good while I sit in the rocker, slowly moving back and forth, watching my loved one, putting a white, porcelain pan on the tall dark burner. She likes the way the pan and the set it came with matched the white porcelain shell of the old stove that we found in the barn beside our new, but old Kentucky home. The pale blue flames begin to lick the bottom of the pan, and already i can smell the buttered rum cooking. Such a sweet savor, like milky candy, the aroma wraps around my head and thoughts, and endears me to the woman standing there, smiling, tall, happy, her blue flowered dress almost elegant, yet homey, making me fall in love with her, all over again. She does that to me, makes me fall in love with her, every day. I think I also make her fall in love with me, over again, at times, for often, when the ashes from the stove are taken out and I walk back in with my face covered in the grey dust because of a gust of wind, she cracks an amused grin, and i can see her eyes glint wonderfully, magically. And when I sweep the floor and mop it, without her asking, she gives me extra kisses later that night. But it is when we go out into the tangled, misty woods, my dark, leather hat and jacket on, and her with her hand woven basket swinging at her side, and we hunt and find the wild ginseng, that she then looks at me with almost wild eyes, like I’m a fantasy character in a romance novel come to life and she can’t wait to get to the pages in the middle of the book where they can no longer restrain their attraction for each other. The ground is wet and covered with fallen leaves, and smells very much like sweet tobacco before it is burnt; leafy, mellow, and woodsy. Ancient Age, the whiskey, often tastes that way, and that’s why I’ll sip on it once in a while. But right now, being with her is intoxicating enough. They say there are rubies in the streams just a few valleys over the hills from here. I would love to take her there, and explore those streams with her. But if I had found there, the largest rubies ever discovered, I know I’d trade them all for one more day with her. Autumn Sadness The wind had taken the cold, autumn sky above the dark orange oak trees, and shredded it, white streaks showing like cotton tears in a deep, blue denim blanket. There was light, but coming through that ragged blanket, it was more evening glow than afternoon sun. The glow made the orangey whisky grass look lonely. Though the cow trodden field had mostly short, green stretches from spot to spot, the whisky grass formed groves and circles, straggling from the rusty barbed wire fence to my knees. I felt like I was standing at a poorly advertised concert, rocking side to side, slowly, along with those bearded grass stems. The cold wind sometimes nipped at my wrists where the gloves curled backwards. My cheeks felt hot. I smelt the sweet, unsmoked tobacco scent of the fallen leaves, and the soft muddy field, perfumed by tiny flowers taking a chance, late in the season, for a final push at reproduction. Up above, the sky continued to be torn by the wind. I stood, still, low beating heart, almost no breath sounds, wondering if my Native American blood had gifted me with the ability to blend into the scenery and become… still. Almost no thoughts, just standing there, in the world, quiet, smooth, just, being. And it is at moments like this, that I feel so alive. But, why? Maybe because when I’m around others, I feel a loss of control, a desire to let you feel sorry for me. Because, when I’m around you, that’s what I had wanted, for so long, to be comforted. All the cutting downs, and abuse, and days and days of a heart torn like the sky. I almost do not know what it is like to not be torn. I tell myself, it’s okay to want pity. But instead, I sit in the living room, with my friends, and quietly grin, soaking up their vibes, their beingness, their smiles, their silly jokes, their game playing, and, again, their just … being. I want love so bad. Too much. Up above, there is a heaven. And a God. And when all my enemies are gone, we are going to remake the world, a paradise, where poetry lives, and children are not torn day after day after day. I took you to the treasures I found, and if I can, I will take you to some more, because I love you. I will take you to the moments of bliss that God has given to me, and share them with you, because in this world and the next there are too many treasures for one person to hold by themselves. A Night without sight As soft as a rose petal, your cheek. I’d talk about your eyes, but mine are closed, and I can’t see you that way, not because I can’t, but because I want to keep them closed. I’m certain the blue moon light coming through the mist filled atmosphere is glinting softly from their shiny surface. I’m sure your hair is a blend of night, shadow, and the palest of moon beam. I’m fairly convinced your skin contrasts against the white sheets as if you were a work of art in a museum, hidden in the basement where only the privileged and rich are allowed to go. How rich I am, though, to just touch you tonight. I feel your hair, soft, yet held in place like a doll’s. I feel your eyebrows, how odd I hardly notice them, and when I do they seem so small, but under my fingertips, they are long, arched, and relaxed. I imagine calm on your face, but maybe it is something more, soft ecstasy? Your chin, smooth, round, and your lips, firm, yet giving, perfect for kissing. I place a hand behind your neck, and another on your waist. I can smell your just washed body; soap and minerals, as if you had bathed in a clean river and walked on dry stones to lay down by my side. I like the smell of your breath, still drenched in sweet wine, and clean, like your skin. Your kisses are sweet, but I want to taste more of you. Your neck, your arms, your fingertips, soapy, but worth it, because your little convulsions let me know that my love is waking all of you up. And I want all of you to be awake. Your belly, how I love to devour you there, and then, your legs, already moving, like a bicycle being peddled, anticipating… more. Then, as natural as ocean water on a stormy day, clean, brisk, saline, I devour you, drink you up, losing myself in your wetness and smoothness and pleadings for more, less, more, less, more… But here, as you throw fingers into my hair, and reach down to feel my shoulders, I smile. I can’t help it. I’m seeing you in my mind, so lost in the natural, and so wild, yet you find time to caress me with your fingers, on my forehead, my ears, as if your love had to have a chance to speak too. And it does. When it’s over, it isn’t really over, and that is so different from the others. Because as we lay under the cool breeze coming from the window, so welcome against our sweating skin, I realize I’m still connected to you. Holding hands, there’s an electric current between us, wild, raging, and yet calmed by form and skin and bone to a soft thumping of our heartbeats. Time seems to slip by at such a slow pace, I can hardly feel it anymore. All I feel is this oneness, the kind poets and writers glorify or eulogize. A oneness that I know is there even when our hands no longer touch. I guess such things are real after all. As time seeps back into our existence, I begin to notice the chirping of the tree frogs in the forest behind the house. I can hear the traffic, the tires shushing on the mist laden pavement. I can see the blue moon light, dancing between the leaves at the top of the oak trees outside our window. A night bird is singing. Next to me, your breathing, slowing down, and then you softly say, “I love you.” Lightning in my soul. My mind burns. Bacteria, coming together, merging, splitting, wordless… Little sea slugs, entwining, letting go, wordless… Fish, fins climbing beaches, to ponds, flashing flickering sunlight, attracting, flirting, spawning, then leaving, wordless… From the depths of a new and wild ocean, great amphibians, coming up, signaling, wordless promises, mating, nesting, leaving, wordless… Birds, gurgling songs, wild gyrations, pairing up, sharing warmth, feeding young, looking at each other, so lost when one dies; I saw a robin morn the death of its mate through a library window, once, it broke my heart, yet in their parting, different, there was no singing, just silence and that awful wordlessness… And from cats to prairie dogs to wolves to baboons, their signs and grunts and emotions so close to the surface, almost human, but not quite. Then you, my love, laying across from me, holding my hand, saying what all of nature, from the primordial dark past, to the present, have wanted to thoroughly understand; and through words, I speak, and feel a billion years of life, saying with me, gratefully, “I love you too.”
The Role of Formal Devices in the Poetry of Marianne Moore - Essay Example Only on StudentShare Pages 2 (502 words) Marianne Moore, the mid 1900s, created a new form of poetry. She developed her own unique form of rhyme scheme in which rhyming occurred other than in the final syllables. In almost all of her poetry, the bulk of which has become a monument to modernism, she explores the technique of counting rhythms by internal rhyme and syllables… Extract of sample The Role of Formal Devices in the Poetry of Marianne Moore She was not merely satisfied with examination issues that other artists were. She collected inspiration from sketches, drawings, sculpture and photographs. She found a wealth of creative energy in normal American life, industry, and the natural varied landscape found in United States. Moore also explore gender and equality issues, which were both risky and subjected her to criticism. Her passion for creating and relating striking visual images is demonstrated in all of her poetry. Moore approach also utilized classical rigid structure. She would create a poem that visually looked like free verse. However, the internal rhyme scheme revealed rigid structure and attention to detail. "Poetry" by Moore references her dislike for critics because of their treatment for her as a young poet. She makes fun of them in the poem. She comments that critics are unnatural creates like the swan intentional stops itself from holding back what comes down the stream. The critic becomes irritated when he reads her words, like a horse that feels a flea"; like him-like "all of us"-the swan does "not admire what / [it] cannot understand," and wants nothing to do with what the poet has to offer. This poem is obviously personal and regardless of Moore choice of formal devices, the poetry is not contrived and related unresolved emotions over rejection and insult (Slatin 15). "The Steeple-Jack" by ... Download paper Not exactly what you need? Related Essays Assistive Technology Devices The device used however will depend on the level of disability where some of individuals may be partially impaired and therefore require less technological advanced devices.… 8 pages (2008 words) Formal Outline Let's not forget that we, as individuals, have a personality, unique in itself and equally appealing.… 4 pages (1004 words) literary devices 4 pages (1004 words) Poetry Slam A significant matter to discuss to discern answers in the issue is the nature of the subject. Poetry slam is a poem recital in an open crowd. Its rule is to forbid using costumes, props, and music background. Originally, a performer was being given three minutes time duration, but now varies depending on the preferences of the set-up. … 2 pages (502 words)
Chess - Play & Learn FREE - In Google Play FREE - in Win Phone Store First introduced at Paris in 1878, adjournment is a time out between playing sessions, generally overnight. The side that is on the move seals (writes on a piece of paper and seals it in an envelope) a legal move, sight unseen by his opponent. The envelope containing the move is kept safe by the arbiter When play resumes, the sealed move is played on the board, and the game continues. Players were forbidden to analyze their games during adjournments, but this became difficult to enforce. In the 1930s analytical assistance by seconds for adjourned games became acceptable. In the modern era, adjournments are rarely used because of the possibility of computer assistance during the adjournment. Online Now
Learn More An era of cloud computing allows users to profit from many privileges. However, there are several new security challenges. In fact, anonymous password authentication in the traditional setting has been suffered from many inherent drawbacks such as ease of exposure to malicious attacks and users registered their passwords in the server. Our scheme proposes(More) Advances in cloud computing and Internet technologies have pushed more and more data owners to outsource their data to remote cloud servers to enjoy with huge data management services in an efficient cost. However, despite its technical advances, cloud computing introduces many new security challenges that need to be addressed well. This is because, data(More) Cloud security represents a main hindrance that causes to retard its widespread adoption. Authentication considers a significance element of security in cloud environment, aiming to verify a user's identity when a user wishes to request services from cloud. There are many authentication schemes that depend on username/password, but they are considered weak(More) Due to great advances in computing and Internet technologies, organizations have been enabled to collect and generate a large amount of data. Most of these organizations tend to analyze their data to discover new patterns. Usually, analyzing such amount of data requires huge computational power and storage facilities that may not be available to these(More) Within the IoT-cloud, security has a very significant role to play. One of the best means to safeguard confidentially, security and privacy of a biometric image is through encryption. However, looking through encrypted data is a difficult process. A number of different techniques for searching encrypted data have been devised, but certain security solutions(More)
Thursday, 3 September 2009 Early Lunden This article deals with the history of London during the Anglo-Saxon period, from the ending of the Roman period in the 5th century to the Norman invasion in 1066. Early settlement Following the virtual abandonment of the Roman city, the area's strategic location on the River Thames meant that the site was not deserted for long. From the late 5th century, Anglo-Saxons began to inhabit the area. There is almost no reliable evidence about what happened in the London area during the Sub-Roman "Dark Age" period from around 450 AD to 600 AD. Although early Anglo-Saxon settlement avoided the area immediately around Londinium, there was occupation on a small scale of much of the hinterland on both sides of the river. There is no contemporary literary evidence, but the area must for some time have been an active frontier between Saxons and Britons. Early Anglo-Saxon settlement in the London area was not on the site of the abandoned Roman city, although the Roman city walls remained intact. Instead, by the 7th century a village and trading centre named Lundenwic, was established approximately one mile (1.6km) to the west of Londinium (named Lundenburh or "London Fort" by the Saxons), probably using the mouth of the River Fleet as a trading ship and fishing boat harbour. Lundenwic in the early eighth century was described by the Venerable Bede as "a trading centre for many nations who visit it by land and sea". The word "wic" was an Old English word for 'trading town' ultimately derived from Latin 'vicus', so Lundenwic literally meant 'London trading town'. Archaeologists were for many years puzzled as to where early Anglo-Saxon London was located, as they could find little evidence of occupation within the Roman city walls from this period. However in the 1980s it was 'rediscovered' after extensive excavations were reinterpreted as of an urban character by archaeologists Alan Vince and Martin Biddleworking independently. Recent excavations in the Covent Garden area have uncovered the extensive Anglo-Saxon settlement dating back into the 7th century. The excavations show that the settlement covered about 600,000 square metres, stretching from the present-day National Gallery site in the west to Aldwych in the east. By about 600 AD Anglo-Saxon England had become divided into a number of small kingdoms From the mid-6th century, the London area was incorporated into the East Saxons kingdom, which extended as far west as St Albans and included all of later Middlesex, and probably Surrey too for a time. In 604 Saeberht of the East Saxons converted to Christianity and London received Mellitus, its first post-Roman bishop. At this time Essex owed allegiance to the Bretwalda Ethelbert of Kent, and it was under Ethelbert that Mellitus founded the first St. Paul's Cathedral, traditionally said to be on the site of an old Roman Temple of Diana (although Christopher Wren found no evidence of this). This would have only been a modest church at first and may well have been destroyed after he was expelled from the city by Saeberht's pagan successors in 616. Christianity did not return until around 675 when Theodore of Tarsus installed St Eorconweald as bishop. The new town came under direct Mercian control in c.670 as the East Saxon kingdom of which it had once been part was gradually reduced in size and status. After the death of the Mercian king Offa in 796, control of London was disputed between Mercia and Wessex. Viking attacks Alfred the Great Attacks from Vikings became increasingly common from around 830 onwards. London was attacked in 842 in a raid that was described by a chronicler as the "great slaughter". In 851 another raid on London, reputedly involving 350 ships, came to plunder the city. In 865 the Viking "Great Heathen Army" launched a large scale invasion of East Anglia and soon overran East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria and came close to controlling most of England. By 871 they had reached London, and are believed to have camped within the old Roman walls during the winter of that year. Although it is unclear what happened during this time, London may have come under Viking control for a period. In 878 however, West Saxon forces led by King Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Ethandun and forced the Viking leader Guthrum to sue for peace. The Treaty of Wedmore and the later Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum divided England into Alfred's Saxon controlled kingdom and Danish controlled Danelaw. English rule in London was restored by 886. King Alfred quickly set about establishing fortified towns or "Burhs" across England to improve defences, London was no exception. Within ten years, settlement within the old Roman walls was re-established, but known as Lundenburh. The Roman walls were repaired and the defensive ditch re-cut. This move was effectively the beginning of the present City of London, the boundaries of which are still to some extent defined by the ancient city walls. As the focus of the city was moved back to within the old Roman walls, the older settlement of Lundenwic was largely abandoned and gained the name of Ealdwic or "old settlement". The name survives today as Aldwych. 10th century London A coin probably minted in London during the reign of Ethelred the Unready Alfred appointed his son-in-law Earl Aethelred of Mercia, who was the heir to the destroyed Kingdom of Mercia, as Governor of London and established two defended Boroughs to defend the bridge which was probably rebuilt at this time. The southern end of the Bridge was established as the Borough of Southwark or Suthringa Geworc (defensive work of the men of Surrey) as it was originally known. From this point, the City of London began to develop its own unique local government. After Aethelred's death, London came under the direct control of English kings. The Kingdom of England established by Alfred was expanded by his son Edward the Elder who won back much land from Danish control. By the early 10th century London had become an important commercial centre. Although the capital of the Kingdom of England was in Winchester, London became increasingly important as a political centre. King Aethelstan held many Royal Councils in London and issued laws from there. King Aethelred the Unready favoured London as his capital and issued the Laws of London there in 978. The Vikings return It was during the reign of Aethelred that Viking raids began again, led by King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. London was attacked unsuccessfully in 994, but numerous raids followed. By 1013 London underwent a long siege and Aethelred fled abroad. King Sven died but his son Canute continued the attacks, and the following year overran the city. Aethelred returned with his ally Olaf of Norway to reclaim London. A Norse saga tells of a battle during the Viking occupation where Aethelred returned to attack Viking-occupied London. According to the saga, the Danes lined London Bridge and showered the attackers with spears. Undaunted, the attackers pulled the roofs off nearby houses and held them over their heads in the boats. Thus protected, they were able to get close enough to the bridge to attach ropes to the piers and pull the bridge down, thus ending the Viking occupation of London. There is some speculation that the nursery rhyme "London Bridge is falling down" stems from this incident. Following Aethelred's death in 1016, his son Edmund Ironside was declared king. The Vikings however returned and again placed London under siege. Initially the city's defenders were able to hold back the invaders. However, Edmund was eventually forced to share power with Canute. When Edmund died Canute became the sole King of England. After two short lived Danish kings, (Harold Harefoot and Harthacanute) the Saxon line was restored when Canute's stepson Edward the Confessor took up the throne in 1042. Run up to the Norman invasion Following Edward's death, no clear heir was apparent, and his cousin, Duke William of Normandy, claimed the throne. The Royal Council, however, met in the city and elected the dead King's brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson as King. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey. William, outraged by this, then sent an army to invade England. Statue of Trajan in front of a section of the Roman wall, Tower Hill No comments: Post a Comment
Saturday, July 30, 2005 Blink and you'll miss it... So when you blink, you don't notice it getting dark, do you? New research at University College London has found out why - your visual cortex automatically shuts down every time you blink [1]. They got some volunteers to wear light-proof goggles and put a fibre optic cable in their mouth which shone light on to their retinas by making their whole head glow, while lying in an fMRI scanner. The fibre optic was to make sure that it was the blinking, rather than the lack of light, that made the brain do what it did. Whenever the volunteers blinked, brain activity in the visual cortex was suppressed. So that's why you don't notice yourself blinking. Though I bet you're noticing it now you've read this eh? 1. Bristow D, Haynes JD, Sylvester R, Frith CD, Rees G: Blinking suppresses the neural response to unchanging retinal stimulation. Curr Biol. 2005 26;15(14):1296-300. Deep sea cannibalism The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) may be a cannibal according to analysis of its stomach contents by Bruce Deagle at the University of Tasmania [1]. Little is known about giant squid - sightings have been few and far between. Early human sightings fostered myths of sea monsters (such as the Kraken) perhaps understably. They are the largest invertebrate at up to 18m (that's the length of a bendy bus), have the largest eye of the animal kingdom (25cm diameter) and weigh nearly a ton. No one really knows what they eat, as their stomach contents are usually pulverised to such a soup that no body parts can be recognised. The cannibal squid in question was caught by fisherman and Deagle and his team analysed the DNA in the 'amorphous slurry' from the squid's gut. The DNA turned out to be that of A. dux (along with the blue grenadier fish). They also found among the slurry some pieces of giant squid tentacle and possible squid beaks. They don't know however whether the tentacles belonged to a rival squid or whether they were this squid's own - like us biting our nails when nervous, giant squid have been known to chew off their own tentacles when stressed. 1. Deagle BE, Jarman SN, Pemberton D, Gales NJ: Genetic Screening for Prey in the Gut Contents from a Giant Squid (Architeuthis sp.). J Hered. 2005 96(4):417-23 Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Odd science from the news 1 Well, this is quite funny at first read. Basically, the Chinese space programme is sending 50g of pig semen up on their next manned mission. Now i don't know off hand how much the average pig ejaculates, but I do know about human (again, off hand, as it were) and it's about 5ml. I'm assuming that semen is a little denser than water, so that's going to be no more than 10g at the very most, so 50g will be probably around 50ml, if not more. (That's a double). This will then be used to fertilise a female pig back on eart to study the effects of space travel on fertility and I suppose sperm storage.... Thursday, July 14, 2005 Voices in my head.... Those clever people at the University of Sheffield have recently pubilished a paper in NeuroImage [1] to try and explain why auditory verbal hallucinations, or voices in the head experienced commonly in schizophrenia, are nearly always male. Basically they played male, female and "gender ambiguous" voices to male Sheffield uni students whist there brains were in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and looked how the brain reacted to each stimulus. The long and short of their finding is that the male student brain (and I suppose by inference the male bran in general) process male and female voices in distinct ways. The female voice activates regions of a brain specialising in "hearing" human voices (the right anterior superior temporal gyrus, near the superior temporal sulcus), rather than the general "minds ear" that the male brain activates. (the mesio-parietal precuneus area). So this may explain why female voices are more engaging to listen to. I'll let you insert your own quip Does this mean that we, humans, have evolved to pay more attention to female voices? Or just that males have evolved to pay more attention to female voices? I suppose they'd have to do a similar set of fMRIs on an equivalent female group. [1]Dilraj S. Sokhi, Michael D. Hunter, Iain D. Wilkinson and Peter W.R. Woodruff, Male and female voices activate distinct regions in the male brain, NeuroImage, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 22 June 2005, . Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Science, not Science This is a new blog all about the wonderful world of sceince. No, not Science, the guy currently in channel 4's Big Brother 6 house. This is not a space to big him up. But perhaps we should since his very name is promoting the public awareness of science, especially amongst the brain dead who tune in to BB6 (I don't watch it, honest, though it is often on when I put the tv on, and I find myself looking and listening in the general direction of the box..........) So, lets get going with the SCIENCE!!!!
Uncovering El Raval, Barcelona’s Gentrifying Neighborhood As with many ancient European cities, the neighborhood divisions of Barcelona were drawn in both Roman and medieval times. While what’s referred to as the Gothic Quarter has remained rather unchanged over the centuries, the area of El Raval has experienced a number of fascinating “urban lives” from its days as the “bread basket” of the city to being the heart of early 20th century bohemia. Architectural historian Celia Marin, who’s conducting her Ph.D. on the area and leads our Revealing the Raval walk, helps us discover the intriguing history of this up-and-coming district. IMG_2698Medieval Raval El Raval was a piece of land added to the city around the middle of the 14th century, with its wall finished around the beginning of the 16th. The idea was that this part of the city worked as a sort of “pantry,” a big space for farms and crop fields that could support the city in case of siege. For a long time it remained a place for crops, convents, and monasteries , while on the other side – today known as Las Ramblas – you had the proper city: institutions and houses. In this part of the city is where the main hospital was built in 1401 and is a fine case of Gothic architecture related to civic buildings – austere, simple, and restrained. The fact that a hospital was built within the walls of the city supports the idea that the Raval was indeed not entirely considered being inside of the city. The Barrio Chino Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood was well know until some years ago as “Barrio Chino” – literally meaning Chinatown. It was given the name in 1925 by a journalist who thought that this part of Barcelona was a sort of red light district similar to San Francisco’s or New York’s Chinatown. There was no Chinese population living in the area at the time, but the kind incidents that happened then related to prostitution, drug dealing, and shootings helped develop a kind of dark image of the city. Center of Rebellion Apart from the danger factor El Raval was also known for the strong presence of anarchist followers. At the time, most of the residential population was factory workers and immigrants from southern Spain, who lived in very poor conditions with difficult job situations. In this part of the city strikes, barricades and demonstrations were frequent during the 20 and 30’s before the Spanish Civil War. The structure of the streets, narrow and discontinuous, created a maze that helped the “guerrilla” defense. The coup d’état that launched the Spanish Civil War was stopped in Barcelona mostly thanks to the intervention of those union workers and anarchists that counterattacked the army supporting the coup d’ètat, and so the workers freed the city (at least for some time). 9561625739_fd099a6ded_zCenter of Bohemia The streets were crowded with cabarets, cafés ands bars where all kind of shows were held, from flamenco (the famous flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya performed here with her family when she was very young) to coplas, erotic dances or drag shows. Both sparkling wine and absinthe were popular drinks for those who could pay the price. Different styles of entertainment had a home in El Raval, all of which could be enjoyed by the working class residents of the neighborhood or even Barcelona upper class, that in the search of adventure wandered the Barrio Chino streets at night practicing a sort of “slumming” that was quite popular in that time. Recovering El Raval In the last years the city hall is pushing hard to remove the name of “Barrio Chino” because it is related with the idea of a dark place, one that is dangerous and illegal, and trying to recover the Raval name, much more neutral. In the same way a strong politic of gentrification is being held to transform the neighborhood in a sort of cultural center of the city. It started with the construction of the MACBA by Richard Meyer in the 90’s and it’s continuing with the newest opening of the Film Archive. ~ Celia Marin Leave a Reply
noun (pl) -men a worker on a railway, esp one other than a driver Read Also: • Raiment [rey-muh nt] /ˈreɪ mənt/ noun 1. clothing; apparel; attire. /ˈreɪmənt/ noun 1. (archaic or poetic) attire; clothing; garments n. c.1400, “clothing, vesture” (archaic), shortening of arayment “clothing” (late 14c.), from Anglo-French araiement, from Old French areement, from areer “to array” (see array (v.)). • Raimondi [rahy-mohn-dee, -mon-; Italian rahy-mawn-dee] /raɪˈmoʊn di, -ˈmɒn-; Italian raɪˈmɔn di/ noun 1. Marcantonio [mahr-kan-toh-nee-oh;; Italian mahr-kahn-taw-nyaw] /ˌmɑr kænˈtoʊ niˌoʊ;; Italian ˌmɑr kɑnˈtɔ nyɔ/ (Show IPA), c1480–c1534, Italian engraver. • Rain • Rainbird [reyn-burd] /ˈreɪnˌbɜrd/ noun 1. any of several , especially the black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) and the yellow-billed cuckoo (C. americanus), that are said to call frequently before a rainstorm. /ˈreɪnˌbɜːd/ noun 1. any of various birds, such as (in Britain) the green woodpecker, whose cry is supposed to portend rain
Thursday, April 20, 2017 "The Happiness Philosophers" New from Princeton University Press: The Happiness Philosophers: The Lives and Works of the Great Utilitarians by Bart Schultz. About the book, from the publisher: In The Happiness Philosophers, Bart Schultz tells the colorful story of the lives and legacies of the founders of utilitarianism—one of the most influential yet misunderstood and maligned philosophies of the past two centuries. Best known for arguing that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong," utilitarianism was developed by the radical philosophers, critics, and social reformers William Godwin (the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley), Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart and Harriet Taylor Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. Together, they had a profound influence on nineteenth-century reforms, in areas ranging from law, politics, and economics to morals, education, and women's rights. Their work transformed life in ways we take for granted today. Bentham even advocated the decriminalization of same-sex acts, decades before the cause was taken up by other activists. As Bertrand Russell wrote about Bentham in the late 1920s, "There can be no doubt that nine-tenths of the people living in England in the latter part of last century were happier than they would have been if he had never lived." Yet in part because of its misleading name and the caricatures popularized by figures as varied as Dickens, Marx, and Foucault, utilitarianism is sometimes still dismissed as cold, calculating, inhuman, and simplistic. By revealing the fascinating human sides of the remarkable pioneers of utilitarianism, The Happiness Philosophers provides a richer understanding and appreciation of their philosophical and political perspectives—one that also helps explain why utilitarianism is experiencing a renaissance today and is again being used to tackle some of the world's most serious problems. --Marshal Zeringue
Mandarin Chinese is the language with the most native speakers in the entire world. Around 15% of the world’s population speaks Mandarin as their mother tongue. This amounts to a total of around 960 million native Mandarin speakers. Most Chinese students study Mandarin since it is the most important language in China. However, Cantonese is the second most important language in the country and also widely popular to learn. If you decided to study Mandarin, there are a few tools I can recommend to guarantee fast learning and quick improvements: My Favorite Textbooks Conversation Trainer
Switch to SpeakEasy.net DSL The Modular Manual Browser Home Page Manual: (Debian-5.0) Apropos / Subsearch: optional field APR::SockAddr - Perl API for APR socket address structure use APR::SockAddr (); my $ip = $sock_addr->ip_get; my $port = $sock_addr->port; "APR::SockAddr" provides an access to a socket address structure Normally you'd get a socket address object, by calling: use Apache2::Connection (); my $remote_sock_addr = $c->remote_addr; my $local_sock_addr = $c->remote_local; "APR::SockAddr" provides the following functions and/or methods: Get the IP address of the socket $ip = $sock_addr->ip_get(); obj: $sock_addr ( "APR::SockAddr object" ) ret: $ip ( string ) since: 2.0.00 If you are familiar with how perl's "Socket" works: use Socket 'sockaddr_in'; in apr-speak that'd be written as: use APR::SockAddr (); use Apache2::Connection (); Get the IP address of the socket $port = $sock_addr->port(); ret: $port ( integer ) since: 2.0.00 Example: see "ip_get()" Unsupported API "APR::SockAddr" also provides auto-generated Perl interface for a few other methods which aren't tested at the moment and therefore their API contact the the mod_perl development mailing list so we can help each other take the steps necessary to shift the method to an officially supported API. META: Autogenerated - needs to be reviewed/completed Appropriate logic is present for comparing IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses with IPv4 addresses. obj: $addr1 ( "APR::SockAddr object" ) One of the APR socket addresses. arg1: $addr2 ( "APR::SockAddr object" ) The other APR socket address. ret: $ret ( integer ) since: subject to change See Also mod_perl 2.0 documentation. mod_perl 2.0 and its core modules are copyrighted under The Apache Software License, Version 2.0. The mod_perl development team and numerous contributors. perl v5.10.0 libapache2-mod-perl2-2.0.4::docs::api::APR::SockAddr(3pm)
Measuring Insulation Resistance When we measure insulation resistance of wiring, cables, motors, transformers, alternators etc. what is the standard reference temperature?. If we measure at a different temperature is there a table/chart to convert to a standard reference temperature(say,20 deg C)? asked 7/4/2012 1 Answer I'm a little bogged down at the moment to answer in too much depth. The following online publication describes how to adjust for temperature: There is also a rule of thumb for rotating machines that says "insulation resistance halves for 10 oC increase in temperature. answered 7/30/2012 Steven McFadyen 237 Steven McFadyen edited 7/30/2012 Steven McFadyen237 Steven McFadyen Your Answer I am flagging this question because... 10 inform moderator flags remaining I am deleting this question because... I am flagging this answer because... 10 inform moderator flags remaining Flagging a Post newsletter logo Our Newsletter Receive updates on new posts by email down arrow
What Exactly Is Thermal Imaging? Thermal Imaging is a harmless, painless, contactless screening tool. It uses a thermal imaging camera and digital infra-red heat map technology to detect potential disease and pinpoint pain and injury sites – often before the symptoms appear. This allows for rapid clinical diagnosis and treatment. Digital Infra-red Technology has been used by the medical industry since the late ‘80’s and is a unique, safe, non-invasive way of looking at the body and how it is functioning. This clinical test is widely used in the USA and Europe and is supported by over 30 years of research and 8000+ published medical studies. While X rays, ultrasound and mammography show us the structure of the body, they will miss such things as active inflammation and an increased blood supply found in many illnesses. The technology used in Thermal Imaging takes a picture and creates a map, or thermal fingerprint of the body. It is set apart from any other screening tool because it can help you to see how your body functions and can detect any dysfunction or disease at its earliest stage. How Does Thermal Imaging Work? A camera is used to convert infrared imaging from the skin surface into electrical impulses that are shown in thermal11colour on a monitor. This visual image maps the body temperature and is referred to as a Thermogram – the spectrum of colours indicate an increase or decrease in the amount of heat being emitted from the surface of the body. Since the body is thermally symmetrical, any subtle abnormal differences in temperature are easily identified. Thermal Imaging is highly sensitive to variations in the vascular, muscular, neural and skeletal systems and can contribute invaluable information to a diagnosis made by a doctor. Because Thermal Imaging detects active inflammation and increased blood supply, very often it can detect problems far earlier than other diagnostic tools such as x-rays, ultrasound and mammograms. It is well documented in medicine that heat and temperature changes are one of the first indicators of disease and dysfunction in the body. For example, chronic diseases, even in their earliest stages, cause the formation of new blood vessels and an increase in surface temperature in the affected regions. A thermogram will pick up both of these, alerting a doctor or medical practitioner to the presence of a potential disease site. Additionally the newly formed or activated blood vessels have a distinct appearance which thermography can detect. Changes in physiology can occur 7- 10 years before anatomic ones. Thermal imaging picks up on the physiological heat changes occurring in the body and monitors them over time, allowing a detailed picture of your health, and any changes, to be built up. And because thermograms monitor changes to heat and pathology, rather than physical form, early stage disease can be picked up by a thermogram much earlier than with other screening devices, for example mammograms or ultra-sound. This knowledge puts you in control and allows you the opportunity of taking preventative action, such as diet and life-style changes that can forestall or even prevent the formation of tumors and other disease, long before surgical intervention becomes the only option. Everyone has their own unique thermal profile, rather like a finger-print. Your ‘thermal fingerprint’ should be roughly symmetrical, meaning both sides of the body should mirror one another, and it should not change significantly over time. Having a thermogram will alert your doctor or health practitioner to any asymmetry in the body, and will allow any changes to be monitored over time. As well as highlighting the presence of problems right now, thermal imaging can be a predictor of future health because it allows us to track and monitoring changes over time. This is especially useful for anyone with a history of disease in the family. For example, in the case of breast cancer, a thermogram can detect abnormalities 8-10 years before they are seen on a mammogram. And research has shown it is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than having a history of breast cancer in your family. Why Do I Need It? Early stage diagnosis and treatment is crucial for many diseases, particularly cancer. It allows for more pro-active and less invasive treatmentThermal-Imaging-Who-Can-Benefit_ options to be implemented, including lifestyle, diet and exercise changes. Early detection of disease and injury also allows for faster recovery. Other screening tools, such as ultrasound, x-rays and mammograms will only alert you to the presence of disease once it has already taken hold. A thermogram on the other hand, detects heat changes before the disease actually appears, so it can alert us to the presence of a potential problem long before it becomes a reality. Thermal imaging can also pinpoint and highlight sites of unexplained pain and trauma in the body, with acute accuracy, allowing for rapid and accurate diagnosis in athletes, and pain and trauma sites that other screening devices may miss. All of these make a thermal imaging scan especially useful for anyone worried about a disease or unexplained pain, anyone looking for rapid and accurate diagnosis of a trauma or injury site, or for anyone with a history of disease in the family who wants to monitor changes to their own health over time. How Safe and Effective Is Thermal Imaging? breast-screening-imageThermal Imaging is 100% safe. Unlike mammograms it uses no ionising radiation. Ionising radiation is the most dangerous form of radiation (even more dangerous than x-rays) and is a known cancer-causing agent. It is supported by over 30 years of research and 8000+ published medical studies. Moreover, there are no side effects and it is suitable for all ages – even young children and babies. It can also be utilised as a screening device for women for whom mammograms are not suitable.thermal4 Is it accurate? Yes. It has been shown to be 97% effective as a screening tool at detecting benign vs. malignant breast abnormalities. For example a study was conducted over 12 years tracking 1537 women with abnormal thermograms, who had normal mammograms and physical exams. Within 5 years, 40% of the women had developed malignancies. Researchers have concluded: “An abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer”. These are not isolated results. Similar studies have concluded similar results time and again for nearly 30 years. Mammograms & Ultra-sounds, whilst very effective, rely on mass and so generally will not pick up a cancer tumour until it is a certain size – by which time it has likely been growing for several years. Who Can Benefit? Thermal imaging is suitable for all ages, even babies and small children. It can also be a highly effective breast screening device for women for whom mammograms are not suitable. For example women with breast implants and those with dense breast tissue. Thermal Imaging can help detect: • Inflammation, pre-cursor to chronic disease • IBS • Diabetes • Heart problems • Chronic fatigue syndrome • Stroke • Nerve Damage • Whiplash • Unexplained Pain • Undetected Injury or Trauma • And can be used for treatment monitoring, evaluation and follow-up Request an appointment and we’ll contact you.
Sunday, February 28, 2016 Learning How to Learn One the most difficult things to learn (and to teach!) is how to learn in the first place. In other words, what is the process behind learning and mastery? How do we as musicians or other artists use our mistakes to grow and get better? This is a difficult thing for many students to understand, because in school we are often taught (sometimes unintentionally, sometimes not), that learning is meant to be a passive experience. We sit still and listen to the teacher, then regurgitate what we've been told. We memorize information for a test, then forget it a few weeks later. Schools are often not structured to allow for true mastery of any particular skill, and much of the information they teach is irrelevant enough in day-to-day life that students don't bother mastering anything it on their own. They've never learned to take control of their own learning process, or what are the steps towards the deep learning mastery takes. I see this all the time with music students. They learn the notes of a piece, but not how to make it sound beautiful or expressive. They do what the teacher asks in class, but when they go home to practice they don't actively correct their mistakes or think carefully about their technique. Instead, they just play through pieces, making the same mistakes over and over again in hopes that somehow it will get better the next time. It's very tricky to get students out of this mindset. I've tried many different approaches. First, I try to have students repeat back instructions in their own words. This tells me if they understand what I'm saying, but more importantly, I hope that it teaches them to be their own teacher. After all, that's part of our goal--to get students to recognize and fix their own mistakes when they practice, instead of relying on a teacher to hold their hand. Next, I try to focus on "process" instructions, instead of basic corrections. I want my students to have a "routine" to run when they make a mistake. If they hear a wrong note, for example, what steps do they need to take to fix it? Each technique might require a different set of steps, but once they know the routine they can fix problems on their own. When students are playing wrong notes, my first step is to have them sing the note names. Subsequent steps might be playing very slowly or playing pizzicato. It's important that students take active control of their practicing. I tell them that they should feel like their brain is really working the entire time that they are playing. If they lose focus, it's time to try a variation or find a different approach that keeps them on task. 1. I have them identify the more difficult spots in a piece and have them isolate those measures so they don't get in the habit of playing straight through. I want them to go over and over the hard spots and then put them back into the piece. For the little ones (beginners) that's usually getting from an open string back to, say, third finger on the string below. Really hangs them up. You're right...they certainly don't 'learn how to learn' in school. 1. Ahh, the trap of "playing straight through" is the worst! I tell them to play slowly, isolate the difficult sections, but then they go home and play it straight through! Then again, when are they ever taught to focus on the difficult problems at school? In most classes and on standardized tests, they're taught to answer the questions they know and skip the ones they don't. What a terrible way to learn! 2. As a general rule, I spend the majority of my time in lessons helping the student with "how to practice" the piece they're working on. This includes discussion and demonstration from both the student and myself. I emphasize the difference between practicing a performance (playing through) and problem solving. Problem solving is a very focused effort addressing a specific problem the student is having with a passage, phrase or small section of a piece. The idea is to focus only on the problem. If the issue is a two measure syncopated phrase, then we break down those two measures, get the sequence of notes correct, and then loop the phrase (playing it like an endless repeat) at a tempo they can get it correct, speeding it up until they're up to or just past the speed they need. Then we work on the transitions into and out of the phrase. I emphasize with them that they make this an exercise (like a proficiency or warm up exercise) for a while so that it "takes". My full explanation is that there are three things they need to practice; Proficiency, Performance and Problem Solve. I often use a sports analogy with them to help them grasp the concept. If they've ever played in a team sport they will be aware of the different activities, usually general strength and agility training (proficiency), scrimmages (performance) and drills (problem solving). I read an article a while back about behavior of top athletes that hit home for me. One example was a basketball player fixing a problem with their hook shot. He was having a problem with his release; how the ball rolls of the fingers. To address that issue and get the most out of his available practice time, he removed all the activities that don't fix that problem, like dribbling, extra moves and fakes, and bringing the ball up the court. He would carve out some time every day standing basically in one spot and practicing his release over and over. Focus on the problem and solve it, then move on. 1. Those are good ideas. I try to teach kids how to practice, but I think it's hard, especially with middle school students. They don't have a good understanding of being methodical and precise. I think the sports analogy is good, but not all kids play sports, or play them well. I can't tell you how often I emphasize careful, deliberate practice that focuses on solving problems, only to find students playing through pieces instead of working like I ask. It's frustrating. One student I wrote SLOWLY on her music in huge letters, in hopes that she'd work carefully and slowly. Sadly, she did not.
All About Love Test \| Final Test - Hard Stephanie Laurens Buy the All About Love Lesson Plans Name: _________________________ Period: ___________________ Short Answer Questions 1. In the beginning of chapter 12, what according to Phyllida Tallent does Lucifer do to her to obtain all information? 2. Whom do Phyllida Tallent and Lucifer meet on their way back from the north? 3. Why is Phyllida Tallent going towards the manor? 4. Why does the murderer kill his friend in the army? 5. Where is the hat found by one of the characters? Short Essay Questions 1. Where is Phyllida Tallent attacked as seen in chapter 15? 2. Where and why does Silas Coombe assault Phyllida Tallent ? 3. What is the tactic Lucifer tries at the dance party to get Phyllida Tallent to tell him everything about the murder day? 4. Why is Phyllida confused about her relationship with Lucifer as seen in chapter 18? 5. What can be said of the note written by the murderer? 6. Why does Lucifer blame himself when Phyllida Tallent is attacked? 7. How does Appleby meet his death? 8. What does Phyllida Tallent feel about Lucifer confronting her? 9. What explanation does Appleby give for killing his friend in the army? 10. Describe how Phyllida Tallent is attacked when she goes behind the church. Essay Topics Write an essay for ONE of the following topics: Essay Topic 1 How does the author show through her novel that family and friendships play a very important role in one's life? Essay Topic 2 What are the series of incidents that lead Phyllida Tallent and Lucifer to have their moments of passion? What do these incidents signify in the novel? Essay Topic 3 Describe the different settings the author uses in the novel and the importance of each setting to the plot of the novel. For example, the setting of the church, the setting of the dance parties, etc. (see the answer keys) This section contains 735 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) Buy the All About Love Lesson Plans All About Love from BookRags. (c)2017 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved. Follow Us on Facebook
Technology Used in FPD Lithography Equipment The LCD panels used in large-screen LCD televisions are created with technology that exposes minute pixel circuits on large-scale glass substrates, Canon's Flat Panel Display(FPD) lithography equipment makes possible the single-exposure production of widescreen TVs up to 57 inches in size. Canon is the leading manufacturer of this equipment. Large Concave Mirror Manufacturing High-Precision Mirrors with the World's Largest Diameter1 Canon's FPD lithography equipment employs a mirror-scanning method that makes use of a mirror-based projection optical system. The system offers such merits as a simple configuration facilitating increases in substrate size, a wide exposure field, no chromatic aberration, which can occur with lenses, and no image performance degradation. Large-Diameter High-Precision Concave Mirror (1,514 mm diameter) Pattern exposure processes for LCD panels are carried out with a precision of several μm.2 The projection mirror used in the system also requires high precision. Large concave mirrors in particular, with a large diameter to realize an exposure width capable of exposing large panels seamlessly in a single pass, enable significant increases in productivity. By making use of extremely high-precision processing technologies, Canon has succeeded in developing the world's largest diameter concave mirror, a 1,514 mm 8th-generation3 ultra-high precision concave mirror with a surface processing accuracy of 0.015 μm. The mirror makes possible a resolving power of 3 μm across the entire exposure field. • 1 World's largest diameter Among semiconductorexposure equipment and FPD Lithography Equipment as of October 2010 • 2 Micrometer (μm) : 1 μm = one millionth of a meter. • 3 Ongoing changes in the size of glass substrates are represented as "generations." The larger the substrate, the better suited it is for producing large panels. Productivity also increases as a single substrate yields multiple panels, so the number of generations has risen rapidly. At present, the 8th-generation is being mass produced, but development is already being conducted with an eye to the next generation. Ultra-Large Stage Exposing Large Scale Substrates at a Speed of 750 mm per Second Canon's latest FPD lithography equipment measures 9 m (W) x 11.6 m (D) x 5.8 m (H). The main body of the unit weighs 100 tons, with the moving mask stage weighing 1 ton and the substrate stage weighing 4 tons, making the aligner Canon's largest product. As the size of LCD substrates increases, the weight of the moveable parts has also increased. Because increased weight tends to impair the performance of the stages, Canon selects materials with a low specific gravity and strong rigidity in order to develop ultra-large stages that reduce overall weight while maintaining component strength. FPD Lithography Equipment for Eighth-Generation Glass Substrate Sizes The substrate stage and mask stage are each maintained by air bearings and are driven by non-contact linear motors. The comparatively light mask stage follows the comparatively heavy substrate stage for completely synchronized "master slave control." The drive performance of the substrate stage realizes an extremely high level of precision, achieving a speed of 750 mm per second in just 0.5 seconds upon moving, and comes to a complete stop in a mere 0.2 seconds upon arriving at the stop position. Both stages utilize positional measuring technology using a laser interferometer to control position and speed. The high-performance and high-speed operation of the ultra-large stage allows it to attain a high throughput of 323 panels per hour for 55-inch wide panels.

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