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Inquiry, Making & Passion Projects October 26, 2017 \| When Students Are Freed Up To Create, Innovate and Lead How can we as educators unleash the initiative and creativity inherent in all children? How can we harness middle school students’ desire for independence while supporting them in learning what it takes to reach a goal? How do we create an environment in which students can explore their ideas as well as the critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, systems thinking and other 21st century skills they will need to succeed in life? For middle school students, Acera’s answer to these questions is an approach we call Inquiry, Making and Passion (IMP) projects. Developed and refined over several years, our IMP program provides students with the freedom to generate their own projects and experiment (and sometimes fail and iterate) with different essential skills while also providing the scaffolding it takes for students to not get lost in possibility, stay productive, engaged and increasingly able to actualize their goals. How It Works Every week, middle school students have two separate 2-hour blocks of unstructured time during which all of their specialist mentors are available to advise on independent projects. Specialist mentors can be both, the specialist teachers we have at our school, covering expertise in fields such as biotech, architecture, computer science and electrical engineering, civic engineering, the Arts, music, Theatre, Performance, Dance, and more — or practitioners who come on board to support a specific project, from fields such as journalism, robotics, medicine, the sciences or economics. Students can propose any project they are passionate about, such as researching and writing a literature review, putting on a theater production, organizing a service project or a concert, building in our wood shop and innovation lab, conducting a lab experiment, developing a virtual reality app or creating a piece of electronic art. The IMP Process: View the Process Flowchart Once they have settled on an idea, students start with a pre-proposal, describing their project, why it matters to them, what they hope to learn, and what they think it will take to make it happen. Teachers and mentors provide feedback, and when ready, students move into a deeper collaboration with their mentors to develop a Project Design/Prospectus that organizes next steps via a timeline and a project plan. With the help of their mentors, students also begin to document their work, to record obstacles, observations and milestones, and to provide the backbone of a final reflection they will write, draw or film at the end of the specific IMP project. Check out these snapshots from our May, 2018 IMPosium! Sample Project: Students Design a Virtual Reality Training Program Many teenagers are interested in Virtual Reality. In a remarkable example of how schools can harness such interests and allow students to discover their own abilities and move from consumers to creators, two Acera students have build from scratch a Virtual Reality Training Program aimed at desensitizing people to the fear of public speaking. Working just like research assistants in a lab, Raphael Yamamoto and Nick Colvin started with a literature review on the fear of public speaking. They learned that many people struggle when asked to speak in public, while few interventions are available to mitigate such fears. Could one create Virtual Reality training that would help, they wondered? It’s not a small question to ask. How do you get from this idea to a product, without technical skills in VR, a background in psychology or even prior experience in approaching such a project? Working with Acera MS mentor and director of research Gus Halwani, the students developed their Project Design plan and started working. Here are some early sketches of how they envisioned the VR room in which users would give their speech: As is intended with IMP projects, working on content questions always went along with learning about organization and process. Here’s the students’ work table, which includes a visual of their note-taking and system for setting an agenda for the work of the day: Driven by their strong interest in and ownership of the project, the students were able to access and become familiar with professional tools used in the scientific and VR development industry. Each bringing their unique skills and learning styles to the project, they collaborated on some tasks and divvied up others. Given the complexity of the project and their deep interest, Nick and Raphael worked both during and after school, and decided to continue their work over the summer. They have presented their work inside and outside of our community, and are in the process of submitting proposals to share their work at educational conferences. Here is the poster they presented at Acera’s Innovator Symposium on Oct. 19, 2017:
Digital Audio By 1937, British scientist Alec Reeves invented and patented the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). The digital revolution has also been pushed forward by the advent of cheap and powerful computational devices. We must also keep in mind the immense contribution of the military in any great leap in technology. The First World War brought in electricity and vacuum tubes. By the Second World War, solid state electronics were invented and this is the first impetus in bringing in the era of miniaturization and power. By 1950s and 1960s, computers were developed and used by the military to build the World Wide Web, which later on in the 1990s were made available to the average consumer. In 1957, Max Matthews of The Bell Laboratory demonstrated how to record sound digitally using computer. The digital recording process consists essentially of an Analogue to Digital conversion. This is achieved by chopping up the signal into small intervals at a rate at least twice the highest perceivable frequency. Each part of the sample is then coded using binary numbering system and recorded as pulses. The earlier experiments were done using tape as a storage medium but later discs replaced them. They had a higher density. In chopping up the signal at the rate of 44.1 KHz (in case of ACDs), the amplitude of each part of the waveform sampled is expressed as a binary number containing the equivalent of a combination of 16- zeroes and ones (if 16 Bit quantization is used as in ACDs) or any lower number depending upon the system. This means that the amplitude of this small part of the signal sampled can be expressed in as many as 16 to the power 16 or 65,536 increments. Such a high number of increments to describe a small part of the signal required fast recording density and speed. Therefore video tape recorders were used to record digitally converted audio signal. Discs carrying video frequencies were made to rotate up to 1800 rpm and between 150 and 400 rpm for audio programs. To record a full album digitally, we had to wait until 1976. The first ever 16 bit digital recording was made by Dr. Stockham of Soundstream using a Soundstream Recorder in the U.S. Santa Fe Opera. Sony introduced its flagship D/A converter the PCM 1 in the same year. Now digital recording was in the hands of anyone who can afford the machine and hook it up with an existing VHS VCR to convert it into a digital recorder. In 1979, the first fully digital album was released by Ry Cooder: Bop till you Drop. It was recorded using a 32 track digital multi-track recorder built by 3M. In 1980, Sony and Philips announced the arrival of Audio Compact Disc. The possibility of easy and lossless distribution of high quality digital audio content finally brought in the first waves of the digital boom. In the sphere of studio systems, during 1985, there were only three models of Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) available and only two of them were disk based systems. Audio File from AMS and Direct to Disc by NED, were the only two options the third by Denon was the DN 052 ED. But in the years immediately after this, the Digital Audio Workstations were the order of the day for any studios. 3M, Sony, Mitsubishi and Studer introduced their own versions of the DAW. By 1986, the digital consoles started coming in and RDAT was introduced in Japan, making it possible to make digital replicas of recordings easily. If CD was to replace the LP, RDAT was supposed to replace
Impact Lab Subscribe Now to Our Free Email Newsletter December 2nd, 2019 at 1:05 pm New virtual reality interface enables “touch” across long distances Lightweight, flexible patch conveys a tactile sensation directly to the skin Adding a sense of touch can make virtual reality experiences feel more real. A woman sits at a computer, video chatting with her young son while she gently pats an interface on a separate screen. In response, a wireless patch on the child’s back vibrates in a pattern that matches his mother’s fingers, allowing him to “feel” her physical touch. The new patch is a type of haptic device, a technology that remotely conveys tactile signals. A common example is video game controllers that vibrate when the player’s avatar takes a hit. Some researchers think more advanced, wearable versions of such interfaces will become a vital part of making virtual and augmented reality experiences feel like they are actually happening. “If you take a look at what exists today in VR and AR, it consists primarily of auditory and visual channels as the main basis for the sensory experience,” says John A. Rogers, a physical chemist and material scientist at Northwestern University, whose team helped develop the new haptic patch. “But we think that the skin itself—the sense of touch—could qualitatively add to your experience that you could achieve with VR, beyond anything that’s possible with audio and video.” Scientists, technology companies and do-it-yourself-ers have experimented with wearable haptic devices, often vests or gloves equipped with vibrating motors. But many of these require heavy battery packs connected by a mess of wires. Because of their weight, most have to be attached loosely to the body instead of adhering securely to the skin. So, Rogers and his colleagues developed a vibrating disk, only a couple millimeters thick, that can run with very little energy. These actuators (a term for devices that give a system physical motion) need so little energy that they can be powered by near-field communication—a wireless method of transferring small amounts of power, typically used for applications like unlocking a door with an ID card. “The power required for mechanical actuators has oftentimes been a limiting factor to making really massive and scalable use of these technologies in mobile applications,” says Jürgen Steimle, a computer scientist at Saarland University in Germany, who was not involved in the new patch project. The researchers “state that the individual actuators require less than two milliwatts of power, which is more than an order of magnitude less than what is typically used in prior work…. And this is a step change in my opinion, because it allows us to create new types of mobile devices that could be both effectively driven with a battery or they could even, like in this case, use wireless powering.” The resulting product looks like a lightweight, soft patch of fabric-like material that can flex and twist like a wet suit, maintaining direct contact with the wearer’s skin as their body moves. It consists of thin layers of electronics sandwiched between protective silicone sheets. One layer contains the near-field communication technology that powers the device. This can activate another layer: an array of actuators, each of which can be activated individually and tuned to different vibration frequencies to convey a stronger or weaker sensation. This stack of electronics, slightly thinner than a mouse pad, culminates in a tacky surface that sticks to the skin. The device is described in a Nature paper published Wednesday. Rogers notes that aspects of this technology already exist in other devices, but he says his group’s patch combines them in a new way. “The miniaturized actuators; the wireless control strategies; the thin, flexible, soft construction; the soft, gentle interface with the skin; the battery-free operation—this is a collection of technology features that we don’t think have been reported in the past,” he says. “When you put them all together, you end up with a completely different type of platform that I think will serve as a really powerful starting point for what could ultimately be a full-body suit where you have maybe 1,000 actuators and they’re all controlled simultaneously, with a form factor that people are actually going to want to use.” Steimle points out that other teams have developed thinner actuators, but those used different methods of stimulating the skin. Modules that physically vibrate “tend to be heavy, rigid, bulky, and power-hungry, because you need to have this mechanical movement that is that is realized,” he says. “Within the constraints of mechanical movement, this is outstanding work.” So far, the researchers have tested prototype patches of different shapes and sizes to fit on various parts of the body—a circular one for the back of the hand and an X-shaped one for the upper back, for example. In one demonstration a family video-chatted while using the patch to touch remotely. In another, a lower-arm amputee gripped a beer koozie with his prosthetic hand. Each fingertip was equipped with sensors that communicated with a patch on his upper arm, providing tactile information about the object his robotic arm was holding. Finally, a test subject wore multiple haptic patches while playing a combat video game, so virtual strikes on his avatar’s limbs could be transmitted to the corresponding parts of his real body. Although Rogers and his colleagues have established a start-up business to potentially commercialize their device, they say this is not the focus of their continuing research. In the near future, Rogers says, they hope to make the patch lighter, thinner and more flexible. They are also experimenting with its sensitivity: because the actuators can be tuned to vibrate at frequencies to which the skin is more or less perceptive, they could theoretically convey a stronger or weaker touch (although that would require a more refined system for inputting the signal, one that could distinguish a gentle stroke from a rougher push). Rogers also thinks future versions of the haptic patch could produce more types of sensations. In addition to a perpendicular touch on the skin, it might be able to convey a twisting motion or a temperature change. “I think the application space is quite versatile, and it’s also quite obvious that we need this type of tactile output,” Steimle says. He notes that the most common commercially available haptic devices are smartphones, which just have two modes: vibrating or not vibrating. “And of course, this is not very expressive; it is not really doing justice to us human beings and how we touch, how we feel, how we perceive the world around us,” he says. “Anything that helps us improve the expressivity of the tactile channel, the haptic channel, will help us realize more advanced computing interfaces in the future.” Comments are closed. 33 Dramatic predictions for 2030
Big Red False Morel Gyromitra caroliniana The big red false morel belongs to a group of poisonous mushrooms. It grows singly or in groups in mixed woods. Not recommended/not edible The big red false morel is reddish brown, with a convoluted, brainlike cap and a whitish stalk that is chambered inside. It grows singly or in groups in mixed woods. Late March–May. The cap is convoluted, brainlike, reddish brown outside, buffy tan inside; the cap margin is fused to the stalk; the interior is chambered. The stalk enlarges toward the base and is whitish, the texture grooved to smooth; it is chambered inside (not hollow). The spore print is clear to white. Spores magnified are elliptical, smooth. Photo of a false morel cut in half, showing chambered, not hollow stalk False Morel Cut in Half When you slice a false morel down the middle, the stalk is chambered, not hollow. True morels are completely hollow. Image of a false morel False Morel People debate whether the big red false morel (Gyromitra caroliniana) is safe to eat. We cannot recommend eating it. Habitat and conservation image of Big Red False Morel Distribution Map Distribution in Missouri Potentially toxic mushroom. Mushroom aficionados debate whether it's safe to eat. While many Missourians have eaten this particular species of false morel with no ill effects, some people do have a bad reaction to it. There are also several other closely related and similar-looking species in this genus that contain the potentially deadly toxin gyromitrin. The gyromitrin content of this species is poorly understood, but because it is so similar to known poisonous species, and because studies are ongoing, we cannot recommend eating this mushroom. Life cycle Human connections “There are old mushroom hunters, and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters!” The edibility and toxicity of this Gyromitra species is hotly debated among mycologists and mushroom hunters. A lookalike species in states north of Missouri is certainly poisonous and has caused deaths. If you're considering eating any mushroom, learn all you can about it, and make sure your ID is absolutely certain. Ecosystem connections
Interplay of pollinators and pests influences plant evolution April 12, 2019 , University of Zurich Brassica rapa pollinated by bumblebees has more attractive flowers. Credit: Florian Schiestl, UZH Brassica rapa plants pollinated by bumblebees evolve more attractive flowers. But this evolution is compromised if caterpillars attack the plant at the same time. As bees pollinate them less effectively, the plants increasingly self-pollinate. In a greenhouse evolution experiment, scientists at the University of Zurich have shown just how much the effects of pollinators and pests influence each other. In nature, interact with a whole range of organisms, driving the of their specific characteristics. While pollinators influence floral traits and reproduction, herbivorous insects enhance the plant's defense mechanisms. Now botanists at the University of Zurich have investigated the way these different interactions influence each other, and how rapidly plants adapt when the combination of selective agents with which they interact changes. Experimental evolution in real time In a two-year greenhouse experiment, Florian Schiestl, professor at UZH's Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, and doctoral candidate Sergio Ramos have demonstrated a powerful interplay between the effects of pollinating insects and those of herbivores. For their experiment they used Brassica rapa, a plant closely related to , interacting with bumblebees and caterpillars as selective agents. Over six generations they subjected four groups of plants to different treatments: with bee pollination only, with herbivory (caterpillars), hand pollination without herbivory, and hand pollination with herbivory. Caterpillar infestation impairs the evolution of more attractive flowers in Brassica rapa. Credit: Florian Schiestl, UZH Balance between attraction and defense After this study, the plants pollinated by bumblebees without herbivory were most attractive to the pollinators: they evolved more fragrant flowers, which tended to be larger. "These plants had adapted to the bees' preferences during the experiment," explains Sergio Ramos. By contrast, bee-pollinated plants with herbivory were less attractive, with higher concentrations of defensive toxic metabolites and less fragrant flowers that tended to be smaller. "The caterpillars compromise the evolution of attractive flowers, as plants assign more resources to defense," says Ramos. These photos show experimental plants during pollination treatments. Plants A never experienced herbivores, plants B were treated since 5 generations with herbivores. Credit: Sergio Ramos Combined impact on reproduction The powerful interplay between the effects of bees and caterpillars was also evident in the plants' reproductive characteristics: In the course of their evolution, for example, the bee-pollinated plants developed a tendency to spontaneously self-pollinate when they were simultaneously damaged by caterpillars. Plants attacked by developed less attractive flowers, which affected the behavior of the bees so that they pollinated these flowers less well. Better understanding of the mechanisms of evolution The study shows the importance of interactive effects in the evolution of diversity. If the combination of selective agents changes, for example through loss of habitat, , or a decline in pollinators, it can trigger rapid evolutionary change in plants. "The caused by humans affect the evolutionary fate of many organisms. This has implications in terms of ecosystem stability, loss of biodiversity, and food safety," says Florian Schiestl. He believes that an understanding of these mechanisms has never been more important than it is now. The study is published in Science. More information: S.E. Ramos el al., "Rapid plant evolution driven by the interaction of pollination and herbivory," Science (2019). … 1126/science.aav6962 "Pollinators, herbivores, and the evolution of floral traits," Science (2019). … 1126/science.aax1656 Journal information: Science Provided by University of Zurich
What is an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and how to invest in one Initial public offerings (IPOs) are milestones in the stock market calendar. An IPO is where a company gives the public an opportunity to buy shares in the company for the first time. This article will introduce you to initial public offerings and explain how to invest in an IPO. Also, we will highlight some common pitfalls for IPO investors. What is an IPO? An IPO is the initial issuance of shares to the public, who ‘subscribe’ to the sale weeks in advance. It is a necessary step which enables a private company to become a listed public company with a quoted share price and thousands of shareholders. IPOs are the offering of shares to public investors for the first time. In an IPO, a company either: • Offers new shares to the public, raising new funds to help the company expand. Therefore after the listing, the company will have more assets and more shareholders; or • Allows existing shareholders to sell their stakes to the public. The funds from these sales go directly to the original owners of the shares. The company itself does not receive any financing and therefore remains the same size. Once the initial offering or ‘primary sale’ occurs, the IPO subscribers can immediately sell these on the stock market just like any other listed shares. Why do companies want to become listed? 1. They need to raise funds As a company grows, it will usually need more money to fund their expansion, for example hiring new employees and purchasing equipment. Companies have four main fundraising routes: • Obtaining a loan from a bank • Borrowing from the debt markets by issuing corporate bonds to investors • Inviting private investors to contribute funds and receive some new shares • Raise funds via an initial public offering of new shares on a stock exchange Selling shares is preferable for larger companies which have already taken on an optimal level of debt. Debt is a useful way for companies to increase their return to shareholders, but the share price will begin to suffer if the debt burden becomes significant. 2. Public companies obtain cheaper funding than their private counterparts As we explained in the Science of Diversification, investors demand a higher return from a riskier investment. In practice, this means they are prepared to pay a higher price now to receive a stream of dividends in the future if they will be exposed to less risk. Quoted shares are less risky than their private counterparts. This is because: • Quoted shares are liquid – an investor can sell their shareholdings on the same day. • Executive managers tend to exercise better oversight over public companies. This is because regulations force them to comply with more stringent corporate governance requirements. This increases the focus on identifying business risks and monitoring conflicts of interest on the Board of Directors. • Public companies have higher quality financial reporting. Regulations require them to develop robust internal controls to detect fraud and error. External and Internal audits subject the financial statements to a rigorous series of checks, which increases the trust that shareholders place on them. As a result of this reduced risk, a public company is able to raise funds by selling fewer shares at a higher price per share, compared to an identical private company. 2. Listing creates an exit opportunity A common motivation to go public is to provide an easy way for founders and early investors to sell their shareholdings at the best price. What is an IPO - IPOs provide an early opportunity for early investors to sell out It usually takes five years or more for a company to meet all the conditions for a successful IPO. By this point, many different shareholders will sit on the shareholder register. Some of these parties will be eager to find a way to convert their successful investment into cash. Early investors could include: • The founders • Seed or angel investors (early-stage investors which help start-ups get off the ground) • Venture capital funds (later stage investors which can provide large cash injections while a start-up is loss-making). • Employees who have received shares • Banks which may have converted their loans into shares How does an IPO work? Step 1: Building a team The company brings several external experts on board. This is usually a selection of investment banks and an audit firm. Because IPOs are such rare events, a company will never have the expertise in-house to go it alone. In addition, Investment banks offer a service called ‘underwriting’. This is where, for a fee, they promise to step in and purchase any remaining unsold shares if there is insufficient demand on the day of the IPO. Step 2: Creating a Prospectus With the assistance of the investment bank, the company produces a ‘Prospectus’. This document is subject to many rules and requirements. It provides insights into the operations, strategy and future plans of the company. The prospectus includes three years of audited historical financial information. This allows potential investors to gain a broad understanding of the business to help them decide whether they want to invest, and at what price. If you’d like to see an example of an IPO prospectus, check out Aston Martin’s prospectus from 2018. Step 3: Setting a price Through dialogue with potential investors together with their own analyst research, the investment banks help the company decide on a fixed price or a price range for their shares. Setting the right IPO price is crucial. A company won’t sell its shares if the market believes they are overpriced. Any subscriber that pays a premium over the true value will suffer an immediate loss when the shares begin trading at their lower, fairer value in secondary trading when markets open the following day. IPOs are frequently priced at a discount to ensure their success Therefore, companies deliberately underprice their IPO to ensure their success. Sometimes the discount is as high as 25%. An underpriced share is likely to ‘pop’ or rise on the first trading day as it aligns with its fair value. This price surge is a gift to all IPO subscribers. The prospect of a large ‘pop’ in the share price on day one drivers much of the excitement around IPOs. Step 4: Creating demand Behind the scenes and in the press, the investment banks use their network of contacts to drum up interest in the company ahead of the IPO date. The hype machine enters into full swing, while financial journalists begin speculating about whether the IPO will be oversubscribed. If the bankers have chosen an appropriate price point, investors should not need too much convincing. However, if the stock market conditions become gloomy, or some negative press emerges during the IPO process, it can become a real struggle to keep the market consensus within the original price range announced. Stockbrokers will contact their clients in the period leading up to the IPO, to offer them the opportunity to participate. Some stockbrokers email their client base about upcoming IPOs, but others will simply list them on the IPO section of their website. Beyond a stockbroker trading fee, no other fees are charged for an IPO. Step 5: Going Public The IPO itself – the primary sale – occurs the evening before the stock market allows secondary trading in the shares. An IPO that is successfully marketed, will be heavily oversubscribed. With too few shares to satisfy demand, shares are allocated to subscribers using one of two allocation methods. Which method is used will depend on how the final IPO price was decided. • Fixed price – Shares are allocated across all subscribers proportionately to the order size. • Price range – The book building method sees shares allocated first to the subscribers who placed orders at the top-end of the price range. Depending on the allocation method, investors either have an incentive to over-order, or increase their subscription price, if they want to increase their chances of receiving the desired number of shares. Recent IPO examples We have compiled the following table to show the first-day share price performance of some recent high profile IPOs, compared to their IPO price. CompanyDateIPO PriceDay One Closing PriceGain / (loss) Uber Technologies10 May 2019$45$41.57(7.6%) Lyft29 March 2019$72$78.298.7% Fiverr12 June 2019$21$39.9090% Avantor16 May 2019$14$14.503.6% Aston Martin2 October 2018£19£18.1(4.7%) Beyond Meat2 May 2019$25$65.75163% As you can see, some IPOs have delivered monumental returns on their first day. It also shows that some IPOs are ‘duds’, and lose their subscribers money. It isn’t necessarily rosier when we zoom out; the shares of Aston Martin lost 75% of their value in the year following its IPO. Is investing in all IPOs a winning strategy? One method to take advantage of IPO pops would be to invest £1,000 in each IPO opportunity and sell the shares one day later to realize any profits. Unfortunately, this idea might not work in practise – even if it was used on the IPOs in the table above. How could this be? Well, the missing link you need to appreciate is the issue of supply and demand. When an upcoming IPO is widely understood to be deeply underpriced, it can become oversubscribed hundreds of times over. This shouldn’t surprise anyone – free lunches are very rare in the world of investing! Many investors who hear about it will also want to take part. This will include professional investors and wealthy private investors with millions of pounds at their disposal. With so much money chasing a relatively small number of shares, small investors get crowded out during the allocation process. Of your £1,000 subscription order, you may only receive £20 of shares! Conversely, when an IPO has a lukewarm reception, its IPO might be undersubscribed. In these cases, your order will be fully allocated. The lack of enthusiasm in the IPO will bode poorly for the performance of the shares on their first day of trading. What is an IPO? IPOs create winner and losers You will feel the effect of being crowded out of the best opportunities, and left to saddle the full weight of underperforming IPOs. Therefore, this means that returns from this basic strategy are likely to be poor. A more sensible approach It logically follows that you should be selective when investing in IPOs. If a deeply discounted opportunity comes along, your stockbroker may give you the chance to participate. However, to avoid disappointment at being ‘allocated’ down, you may need to use additional cash to ‘over-subscribe’ to the IPO. However, this strategy carries some risk. Because in the event of the IPO being unexpectedly unpopular, you may be left with a significant holding of unpopular shares! Some opportunities remain A notable exception to the trend of small investors being ‘crowded out’ was the listing of Royal Mail in the UK in 2016. The government-led allocation process protected small investors by giving their requests priority over any orders over £10,000. This allowed 350,000 small investors to make a £300 profit from the 44% pop in the share price on the first day of trading. Course Progress Learning Summary What is an IPO and How to Invest in one An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is where a company sells some shares directly to the public. This is know as the primary sale. The day after the primary trade, the shares can be traded with other investors on a designated stock exchange. This is known as secondary trading. A company may choose to become public to sell new shares to raise money to fund an expansion. Alternatively it may become public to allow existing shareholders to sell their stakes. Public companies are subjected to more regulation and scrutiny. However for this reason, and increased liquidity, public companies are less risky investments. Therefore a public company can raise more cash whilst giving away fewer shares. Companies enlist a group of investment banks and an auditor to assist them in preparing a prospectus document for investors. This will include three years of audited financial performance data. Your stockbroker will feature a list of upcoming IPOs on their website. You can register your interest online, and await further instructions on how to place an order for the IPO. The company sets a fixed price or a price range for their listing. They tend to underprice the shares to ensure high demand for the sale. If demand exceeds the number of shares available, shares will be allocated in a fair way. If the IPO has a fixed price, this will be proportionate to the size of orders. Where a price range is given, priority will be given to the highest priced orders first. A discounted IPO usually results in a 'pop' or sharp rise in the price of shares when they begin secondary trading on the stock exchange. This means that original subscribers to the IPO may enjoy a quick profit. However, some IPOs fail to attract enough buyers, either due to poor market conditions or premium pricing. Investors who subscribe to these IPOs may suffer a loss on the first day of secondary trading instead. Take Action • If you'd like to invest in an IPO, search online for 'upcoming IPOs in [your country] in [your year]' to size up any opportunities in the near future. • Research recent IPOs and understand whether their prices 'popped' on day one, and how the share price has performed since. Search for news and opinion pieces which were published before the IPO. With the benefit of hindsight, compare whether the reality of the IPO matched their written predictions. If accurate, make a note of the source and be sure to check back when the same source writers about an IPO you are interested in. • Contact your broker to enquire whether they can assist you in the IPO process. Often, interest must be registered with a broker well in advance to receive access to the investment opportunity. Next Article in the Course Visit this article Before you move on, please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Are there any IPOs on the horizon which you're tempted to participate in? Keep reading Leave a Reply
Spring Fever: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Spring fever solutions Spring fever is a non-specific condition denominating a collection of mental and sometimes physical changes that accompany the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is thought to be a reaction to warmer weather and can be explained as an adapting mechanism to temperature changes. The condition can be experienced either as a sudden and significant increase in vitality and energy accompanied by a feeling of restlessness and a wanting to spend time outdoors, or as unexplained fatigue, apathy, joint or muscle pain, sleepiness or bad mood. What is spring fever? Spring fever is the name given to a specific set of mental and sometimes physical changes that arise as a response to warmer weather. It is not recognized as a medical condition proper, nor it is a disease. The phenomenon debuts in early spring and symptoms may install during the first warm days. Despite the intensity of the symptoms reported by some, spring fever is not dangerous. It is, in some conceptions, considered a natural and thus normal response to seasonal changes such as warmer temperatures, longer days and, consequently, prolonged sunlight exposure, changes in eating or sleeping habits and so on. Spring fever Since I can remember, spring has always been difficult for me. And not because of pollen allergies, hay fever or because I would somehow love winter. Starting with the first warmer days of spring, I have always felt unusually tired, exhausted even and simply unmotivated, lethargic. But I noticed this was not the case for others who would experience a boost in energy and a visibly improved mood. As I researched the subject I found out that both my unexplained apathy and others’ surprising good mood were symptoms of spring fever. Because, despite its unambiguous name, there are two types of spring fever, each with its own set of symptoms: 1) Spring fever characterized by unusual vitality and energy, complimented by a matching good disposition. 2) Spring fever, springtime fatigue or spring lethargy, characterized by fatigue, apathy and even sadness. Signs and symptoms The symptoms of spring fever include: 1) Restlessness and a wanting to be active. 2) Increase in energy. 3) Vitality. 4) Improved mood. 5) Positive attitude. 6) Desire to spend more time outside. 7) Happiness. The symptoms of spring fatigue include: 1) A drop in vitality. 2) Apathy, lethargy. 3) Lack of motivation. 4) Fatigue, exhaustion. 5) Bad mood. 6) Irritability, brain fog. 7) Feeling sleepier. 8) Sadness, anxiety feelings or depression. 9) Headaches, lightheadedness, dizziness. 10) Muscle and joint aches. 11) Possibly runny nose or other cold-like symptoms. Spring fever symptoms are temporary. For most people, symptoms debut in April or May and may last up to June. As to what causes the condition, little is known with certainty. Out of all the factors that could possibly contribute to the onset of such a set of symptoms, the following theories are advanced: Spring fever solutions Potential causes 1) Allergies. Pollen allergies are very similar to springtime fever and share symptoms such as headaches, lightheadedness, low energy levels, tiredness or feeling sleepier than you normally are. Considering the ambiguity of the condition, it is possible that pollen allergies are a cause of spring fever just as it is possible for pollen allergies and spring fever to just share symptoms. 2) Changes in melatonin production. Spring means longer days and more daylight. This automatically engenders changes in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, causing us to sleep less since nights are getting shorter. It is this change that can put stress on our body and possibly cause spring fever-symptoms as our body balances its production of melatonin to suit shorther nights. As we adjust to longer days and more daylight, we should normally start feeling better, more energized and positive. In some people, these other symptoms of spring fever occur instantly as a result of the seasonal changes, whereas in others they take time and effort. 3) Other hormonal changes. Our endocrine system is influenced by numerous factors, from season and temperatures to dietary habits, sleeping patterns, medication or nutritional deficiencies. Since springtime comes with so many changes not only warmer temperatures and longer days, but also changes in eating and sleeping habits, activity levels and so on, it has been suggested that our endocrine system adjusting to these changes may result in any of the various symptoms of spring fever. 4) Changes in blood pressure parameters. In some years, spring debuts with suprisingly warm days. When temperatures are higher, blood vessels dilate which lead to lower than normal blood pressure levels. If our blood pressure is lower than usual, we may experience symptoms like a drop in vitality, lethargy, lightheadedness, sleepiness etc. (read more about low blood pressure). It may take some people a few days or a few weeks to adjust to warmer temperatures, while other welcome the warmer weather happily. 5) Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is a known fact that many people come out of winter with rather pronounced vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Because of the cold, in winter we tend to eat heavier foods, especially more meat, to get more calories. Moreover, we might not have access to fresh fruit or a wide variety of vegetables like in other seasons, so we eat less of them and thus get less of certain vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C or A. When spring sets in with its warmer and happier days, wanting to go outside or exposure to flu viruses, our body might feel the stress of adjustment a little too much because it requires more nutrients to function optimally, hence the spring fever or spring fatigue symptoms. 6) Seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of seasonal depression that occurs mostly in winter, but has been found to occur in spring or summer as well. The condition is thought to be a result of poor exposure to sunlight due to shorter days and believed to negatively impact the endocrine system, causing changes in the production of serotonin, melatonin and other hormones, changes that negatively impact mood and energy levels. Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by lethargy, sleepiness, feeling tired or fatigued, having overall low energy levels, lack of motivation, bad mood, sadness, negative thoughts or anxiety, many of which are also experienced by those with spring fever. Tips and solutions How to remedy spring fever? If you’re experiencing an increase in energy levels and improved mood, then there is little to remedy and you probably don’t even want to change anything. But if what you are experiencing is springtime fatigue, then the following solutions can help improve symptoms and get you through spring: 1) Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and help expel irritant pollen particles. Since allergies may be a reason why we are feeling particularly tired, sleepy and lethargic in spring and dehydration may contribute to worsening the symptoms we may be experiencing, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking sufficient water. 2) Avoid allergens. If you know you are allergic to pollen, it is important to wash your hair after being out, especially on particularly windy days, shower and change your clothes and avoid bringing shoes inside in case they might have gathered allergens while you were out. Change sheets at least once a week and remember that pets can also bring plenty of pollen and other allergens inside. 3) Stick to a sleeping schedule. Although spring fever might come with insomnia or excessive sleepiness, it is important to find a balance by resting sufficiently and keeping to a schedule by sleeping and waking up at the same hours every day (say going to bed at 10 in the evening and waking up at 7 in the morning). Having a sleeping schedule is what helps me feel more rested and reduces my fatigue significantly when I deal with spring fever. 4) Enjoy sunlight exposure to replenish vitamin D reserves. Since we do get more sunlight in spring, it’s good for us to get some vitamin D to boost immunity and strengthen health. Also, exposure to natural light is, in itself, a great therapy for mood problems. 5) Take a multivitamin to make sure you start spring right. Although I take vitamins all year round, I find that starting on a good multivitamin a couple of weeks before spring sets helps reduce the severity of my spring fever symptoms and improves my mood, energy levels and productivity significantly. I also include more fresh fruits and vegetables into my diet. 6) Be active. Doing outdoor activities especially can help reduce stress, stimulate appetite, improve mood in general and encourage better physical and mental health. In my experience, the most difficult part is getting out of the house. After this, it gets easier. I have suffered from spring fever for many years and struggled greatly with the mental changes it brings as well as the physical ones like lethargy, lack of motivation, excessive sleepiness, feeling tired, exhausted even all the time and always low on energy and sad. Not knowing what these symptoms meant was the most difficult for me because I didn’t know where to start making things better. Fortunately, even though my spring fever is not the happy type that comes with a boost in energy and a love for life greater than me, I can now manage my symptoms easily with simple solutions and remedies.
How Conservative Hollywood Became a Liberal Town Los Angeles, sun behind clouds over Hollywood sign Eric Schnakenberg/Getty Images While it may seem as though Hollywood has always been liberal, it hasn’t. Very few people today realize that at one point in the development of American cinema, conservatives ruled the movie-making industry. Even today, conservative celebrities make successful movies for their millions of fans. Santa Monica College Professor Larry Ceplair, co-author of "The Inquisition in Hollywood," wrote that during the ‘20s and ‘30s, most studio heads were conservative Republicans who spent millions of dollars to block union and guild organizing. Likewise, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Moving Picture Machine Operators, and the Screen Actors Guild were all headed by conservatives, as well. Scandals and Censorship In the early 1920s, a series of scandals rocked Hollywood. According to authors Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, silent film star Mary Pickford divorced her first husband in 1921 so that she could marry the attractive Douglas Fairbanks. Later that year, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was accused (but later acquitted) of raping and murdering a young actress during a wild party. In 1922, after director William Desmond Taylor was found murdered, the public learned of his lurid love affairs with some of Hollywood’s best-known actresses. The final straw came in 1923, when Wallace Reid, a ruggedly handsome actor, died of a morphine overdose. In themselves, these incidents were a cause for sensation but taken together, studio bosses worried they would be accused of promoting immorality and self-indulgence. As it was, a number of protest groups had successfully lobbied Washington and the federal government was looking to impose censorship guidelines on the studios. Rather than losing control of their product and face the involvement of the government, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of American (MPPDA) hired Warren Harding’s Republican postmaster general, Will Hays, to address the problem. The Hays Code In their book, Thompson and Bordwell say Hays appealed to the studios to remove objectionable content from their films and in 1927, he gave them a list of material to avoid, called the “Don’ts and Be Carefuls” list. It covered most sexual immorality and the depiction of criminal activity. Nevertheless, by the early 1930s, many of the items on Hays’ list were being ignored and with Democrats controlling Washington, it seemed more likely than ever that a censorship law would be implemented. In 1933, Hays pushed the film industry to adopt the Production Code, which explicitly forbids depictions of crime methodology, sexual perversion. Films that abide by the code received a seal of approval. Although the “Hays Code,” as it came to be known helped the industry avoid stiffer censorship at the national level, it began to erode in the late 40s and early ‘50s. The House Un-American Activities Committee Although it was not considered un-American to sympathize with the Soviets during the 1930s or during World War II, when they were American allies, it was considered un-American when the war was over. In 1947, Hollywood intellectuals who had been sympathetic to the communist cause during those early years found themselves being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and questioned about their “communist activities.” Ceplair points out that the conservative Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals provided the committee with names of so-called "subversives." Members of the alliance testified before the committee as "friendly” witnesses. Other “friendlies,” such as Jack Warner of Warner Bros. and actors Gary Cooper, Ronald Reagan, and Robert Taylor either fingered others as “communists” or expressed concern over liberal content in their scripts. After a four-year suspension of the committee ended in 1952, former communists and Soviet sympathizers such as actors Sterling Hayden and Edward G. Robinson kept themselves out of trouble by naming others. Most of the people named were script-writers. Ten of them, who testified as “unfriendly” witnesses became known as the “Hollywood Ten” and were blacklisted – effectively ending their careers. Ceplair notes that following the hearings, guilds, and unions purged liberals, radicals, and leftists from their ranks, and over the next 10 years, the outrage slowly began to dissipate. Liberalism Seeps Into Hollywood Due in part to a backlash against abuses perpetrated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and in part to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1952 declaring films to be a form of free speech, Hollywood began to slowly liberalize. By 1962, the Production Code was virtually toothless. The newly formed Motion Picture Association of America implemented a rating system, which still stands today. In 1969, following the release of Easy Rider, directed by liberal-turned-conservative Dennis Hopper, counter-culture films began to appear in significant numbers. By the mid-1970s, older directors were retiring, and a new generation of filmmakers was emerging. By the late 1970s, Hollywood was very openly and specifically liberal. After making his last film in 1965, Hollywood director John Ford saw the writing on the wall. “Hollywood now is run by Wall St. and Madison Ave., who demand ‘Sex and Violence,’” author Tag Gallagher quotes him as writing in his book, “This is against my conscience and religion.” Hollywood Today Things are not much different today. In a 1992 letter to the New York Times, screenwriter and playwright Jonathan R. Reynolds lament that “… Hollywood today is as fascistic toward conservatives as the 1940s and '50s were liberals … And that goes for the movies and television shows produced.” It goes beyond Hollywood, too, Reynolds argues. Even the New York theater community is rampant with liberalism. “Any play that suggests that racism is a two-way street or that socialism is degrading simply won't be produced,” Reynolds writes. “I defy you to name any plays produced in the last 10 years that intelligently espouse conservative ideas. Make that 20 years.” The lesson Hollywood still has not learned, he says, is that repression of ideas, regardless of political persuasion, “should not be rampant in the arts.” The enemy is repression itself.
Pro Se Legal Representation in the United States Pro se legal representation comes from Latin pro se, meaning "for oneself" or "on behalf of themselves", which in modern law means to argue on one's own behalf in a legal proceeding as a defendant or plaintiff in civil cases or a defendant in criminal cases. A legal proceeding is an activity that seeks to invoke the power of a tribunal in order to enforce a law. A plaintiff is the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court. Introduction (Representing Yourself in Court) by Indiana Courts This status is sometimes known as propria persona. Children and Divorce (Representing Yourself in Court) by Indiana Courts In England and Wales, a litigant in person is an individual, company or organisation that has rights of audience and is not represented in a court of England and Wales by a solicitor or barrister. the Boardwalk at Hersheypark Account Managers Lawrence Kudlow the Colombian Peace Process Chief of Police the State Attorney General Eye Color
Legend of Somnath Temple Legend Of Somnath Temple The Skanda Purana, in a chapter on Prabhasa Khanda, describes Somnath. Legend has it that Shiva in the previous aeons was referred to as Mrityunjaya, Kaalagnirudra, Amritesa, Anamaya, Kritivasa and Bhairavanatha at Somnath. Legend has it that the Kalabhairava Shivalinga (Bhairavanatha) at Prabhasa was worshipped by the moon, and hence Shiva here is referred to as Somnatha. The Skanda Purana describes the Sparsa Linga of Somnath as one bright as the sun, the size of an egg, lodged underground. The Mahabharata also refers to the Prabhasa Kshetra and the legend of the moon worshipping Shiva.
AstroTurf At The Astro Dome - Sep 03, 2018- AstroTurf at the Astro Dome synthetic lawn for playground Many consumers refer to all artificial grass products as astro turf but this is actually a brand name to which we have no association. This page explains the history of AstroTurf. Artificial grass was first used at the end of the 1960s in the Houston Astrodome, the first covered sports stadium in the USA. This type of artificial grass was named Astroturf, after the stadium. The objective was to create a sports playing field that was as functional as possible; functionality and not the look and feel of the turf was the key factor. Apart from being green, the playing field did not resemble natural grass in any way at all. It was made from nylon PA (polyamide) and was in fact basically a thick layer of carpeting. Nylon had the unpleasant tendency to cause ‘burns’ when it came into skin contact, for example, when baseball players had to slide into base. Furthermore, nylon was also a relatively costly material, which meant, at that time, an artificial grass playing field represented a sizeable investment
Positive Ion Positive Ion vs Negative Ion Positive Ion vs Negative Ion A positive ion and a negative ion are a part of an atom or a molecule. The key difference between the two ions is their net electrical charge of the ion, wherein a positive ion has a net negative charge and a... Most Searched in Food and Drink Most Searched in Cars and Transportation Most Searched in Entertainment and Music Most Searched in Environment Harry Potter vs Lord of the Rings Internet vs Ethernet
Select Page Hallmark Builds in Wells County Wells County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,636. Wells County was formed in 1837. It was named for Capt. William A. Wells, who was captured by Native Americans as a young boy and adopted by the Miami chief Little Turtle. He eventually became a scout for Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne. Capt. Wells was killed by Potawatomi allied with the British at the Battle of Fort Dearborn at the outbreak of the War of 1812.
Mostly the same as English, but… Soft (like in ‘lace’) if followed by an ‘e’ or ‘i’, otherwise hard (as in ‘cold’). The only exception is where a cedilla is used (‘ç’) – which forces it to be pronounced softly even though the letter following is not ‘e’ or ‘i’ (note, the cedilla must not be used if the following letter is ‘e’ or ‘i’). nação criança cuidar Soft if followed by an ‘e’ or an ‘i’ (the same as a soft ‘j’ – like the ‘s’ in ‘measure’), otherwise hard (as in ‘gold’). If the ‘g’ is followed by the letters ‘ui’ or ‘ue’, the ‘u’ is only there to ‘harden’ what would otherwise be a soft ‘g’ – the ‘u’ is therefore silent (or rather, it joins with the ‘e’ or ‘i’ to form a diphthong). Occasionally (in Brazilian Portuguese), you might still find a ‘u’ with a diaeresis (ü) following a ‘g’ (or a ‘q’). This signifies that the ‘u’ is not silent. A natural consequence of placing a vowel after a pronounced ‘u’ is that the ‘gu’ sounds like ‘gw’. Please note, however, that under the new Portuguese spelling agreement the diaeresis (ü) must not be used anymore. agir água lingüística guerra fugir gato ganyar geeyandu gwardar azhir ahgwa lingwishtica gairra foozhir gahtu Silent if at the start of a word; pronounced like a ‘y’ if it comes after an ‘l’ or ‘n’. Can be used with ‘c’ to form ‘ch’ which is pronounced ‘sh’. Never pronounced like the typical English usage! chuva houve te[ay]nyu oneshtu shoova a ohve fal-ya Always soft – like the ‘s’ in ‘measure’. jogar jantar lojas julgar queijo zhogar zhantar lozhash zhoolgar kay-zhoo) When at the end of a word, ‘m’ is pronounced nasally, almost like ‘ng’ or ‘ny’. Rather than close the lips (like you would in English), try to kind of swallow the ending. When words that end with ‘m’ are made plural, the ‘m’ is replaced with an ‘n’ (eg. ‘jovem’ becomes ‘jovens’) – but still with the same nasal quality. sim[ng] taym[ng] fazaym[ng] bom[ng] zhovayn[g]sh bayn[g]sh algun[g]sh uns trabalham vantagem un[g]sh trabalyam[ng] vantazhaym[ng] fim[ng] matar mora veeyahzhen[g]sh Like in English, ‘q’ is always followed by ‘u’ in Portuguese. If an unaccented ‘e’ or ‘i’ follows the ‘u’ (which is quite common), pronounce like ‘k’, otherwise ‘kw’. If the ‘u’ has a diaeresis accent (ü), the ‘q’ should be pronounced ‘kw’ despite the following ‘e’ or ‘i’. This rule is not always followed by European Portuguese (as they never use a diaeresis, whereas Brazilians sometimes do, even though it is no longer officially part of the language). quer qual porque que conseqüências (br) quem kair kwal porke keh or ke konsekwensiash kaym[ng] ‘Rolled’, or flicked off the tongue(except at the end of a word) – more vigorously for a double ‘r’. This is particularly difficult to achieve when in full flow, but for most people will come with practice. Brazilians tend to pronounce it like a guttural ‘h’, which is a lot easier and an acceptable alternative if you really can’t manage to rrrrrrrrrrr. When a word ends with ‘r’, some European Portuguese speakers add an ‘e’ sound to the end. respeito terra grupo parar engarrafamento rreshpaytu terrrrrrra grroopu parrar engarrrrrrafamentu Pronounced ‘sh’ or like a soft ‘j’ if it immediately precedes a consonant (even if the consonant is the start of the next word) or if used at the very end of a sentence (Brazilian pronunciation however, is just like an English ‘s’ in these circumstances). When situated between 2 vowels (even if the following vowel is at the start of the next word), it is pronounced like a ‘z’. At all other times, it is a simple ‘s’ sound. casa Cascais senhor kahza Kashkaish senyor dezhde eshperra rrrezhmungar meus esposa lembrar-se as outras pessoas reveses mayoosh eshpoza laym[ng]brarse az ohtrash pess-oh-ash revesezh Should be pronounced like in English, but often mutates to a ‘b’ especially by the northern Portuguese. This is due to lazy articulation – much the same as many English will mutate ‘th’ to ‘f’ or ‘v’. There aren’t really any rules governing the pronunciation of ‘x’! Some of its forms: j; sh; ks; s; z. If in doubt, pronounce it like a slushy mixture of a soft ‘j’ and ‘sh’. For the most part, you just have to learn by exposure. It normally takes the form that is easiest to articulate for the given word, so you can usually take a fairly good guess. táxi baixo excelente exemplo conexão próximo taxi by-shu eshelente ezemplu koneksow[ng] prossimu If at the end of a word (with no vowel following at the start of the next word), pronounce like a soft ‘j’. Otherwise, like the English ‘z’. trazair fazh eficazj limpe[ay]za People from certain parts of Brazil have a habit of pronouncing the letters ‘de’ and ‘di’as a hard ‘j’ (like the English ‘j’), so they say things like ‘Bom Jia’. Similarly, they often pronounce the letters ‘te’ and ‘ti’ like the ‘ch’ in ‘chair’. Buy the Book! Available in paperback or as an eBook cover4 tiny • Entire pronunciation and grammar guide of this website included • Expanded and updated • Extra content on subjects not covered on the site • Over 500 exercises with translations and solutions • Verb tables for regular and the most common irregular verbs • Extra reference and vocabulary More Information
3. Meister Eckhart and the Knowledge of the Absolute Analogies with advaitavāda By discriminating between the Self and the non-Self, he who seeks the Truth discovers under all manifestations the Absolute Subject, the Witness. However, making correct discrimination does not mean separating what is Self from what is not; there is nothing besides the Self-Ātman. Rather, it means rejecting – as they are not real – all the multiple forms covering the One without-second Reality. Knowing the Absolute, the Reality, does not involve adding a new object of knowledge to one’s own erudition. Rather, it means ceasing to identify with what is different from it: thus, as Eckhart also said, it means “to be” the Absolute; an experience that transforms, removing the veils that cover reality and revealing the absolute identity with it. The two masters affirm it with one voice. Therefore, being satisfied with the realisation of the absolute Bliss, live happily in the identity with the true Brahman, the One without a second.1 Eckhart echoed it on different occasions: This knowledge is out of time and space, without a here and a now. In this life all things are one, all common, all in all and all united.2 […] So I say that in this sense there is no similarity or difference; rather, we are the same being, without any difference, the same substance or nature that he is.3 However, “Similar to Him” implies a certain distinction and distance, whereas between God and man there is neither distinction nor distance. Therefore, man is not “similar” to God, but absolutely one and the same.4 Consequently, knowing the Absolute means eliminating any distinction between “I” and “He”, in a transcendental and impersonal dimension: […] God must5 necessarily become me, and I God, so completely one that this “He” and this “I” become and are an “is” […].6 Eckhart affirms that this dimension, although inaccessible to objectifying thought, is still a form knowing; which, we repeat, is at the same time the being and knowing of God. God makes us know Himself; knowing, he makes us know Himself, and his being is his knowing. That He makes me know or that I know, is the same thing. This is why His knowledge is mine, one and the same […] And, since His knowledge is mine and it constitutes His substance, His nature and His being, it follows that His being, His substance and nature are mine.7 Indeed, it is not enough to be united with God, because being and knowing are not yet One. If the eternal light envelops us, You and I we are one, and this two-one is an ardent spirit, which sits above all things but below God, in the circle of eternity. It is two because it does not see God without mediation. Its knowing and being, or its knowing and its representation of knowing, never become one.8 Eckhart describes “the circle of eternity” as an impermanent state, in which man is elevated to the presence of the Absolute, beyond his understanding and by grace of a divine gift, in a fashion similar to that in which Arjuna received the divine eye to contemplate Īśvara in his cosmic form, otherwise inconceivable9. Such awareness of being One with the Absolute is not yet fully achieved and Godhood is still seen through the filter of duality, not in its “nudity”. The road to God is one that takes man further from his usual boundaries. A road that is no longer a distance to travel, but a dwelling in the bosom of the Absolute, in perfect and indistinguishable unity with it, in a silent awareness that expresses itself in wonder and bliss: […] it is called road, but it is actually a dwelling, or contemplating God without mediation, in His own being. […] being led on this path in God with the light of his Word, surrounded by the love of the Spirit that comes from both, all this surpasses what can be expressed in words. Look how wonderful! How wonderful it is: being outside as well as inside, embracing and being embraced, contemplating and being the same thing contemplated, holding and being kept: this is the aim in which the spirit dwells in peace, united with dear eternity.10 Is evident here the difficulty of understanding this state for those who do not “become equal to this truth”. As a result, numerous misunderstandings have always accompanied the thought of the Dominican preacher. Being One with the Absolute has nothing to do with the lack of humility on the part of he who compares himself to God. Both God and Man are no longer perceived in the same way that a gaze captive of duality sees them. The Man free from the identification with his body-mind and its egoic-subjective component, through which is commonly derived the distinction from other objects, is no longer the same “man” that this term usually refers to. As Eckhart would say: “in unity there is neither Conrad nor Henry”11. God, on the other hand, is no longer an entity that resides in the heavens, more or less merciful. What remains of both is the silent and unfathomable bottom of the Godhood, which unites man and God and on which no creature can lay its gaze without getting lost in this same bottom. For this reason, the One can only be experienced, transcending every possible explanation and conjecture. The message of the two masters in question is clear: all distinctions and oppositions belong to imperfection and, therefore, must be overcome in a further unity. […] this number (without number) is in the time of the imperfection. […] This spirit must go beyond every number and leave behind every multiplicity […].12 Only then, in the One, is it possible to comprehend the Wisdom that derives from its listening: He who understands the eternal Wisdom of the Father, must be in the inner self, with himself, must be one; […] Three things prevent us from hearing the eternal word. The first is corporeality, the second multiplicity, the third temporality. If man had overcome these three things, he would live in eternity, he would live in the Spirit, he would live in unity […].13 Reaching the One is described as breaking into freedom, above all will, beyond the usual knowing: a rediscovering of what we have always been, even though we were unaware of it. But in my breaking in, in which I am free of my will and of that of God, of all his works and of God himself, I am above all creatures and I am neither God nor creature; rather, I am what I was, what I am, and what I will be in eternity. […] in breaking in I get to be one with God. Then I am what I was […].14 The Upaniṣad convey the same concept in a similar way. Once the inference of the One is drawn, nothing has the same meaning anymore, nothing is the same anymore. Therefore, a father is no father, a mother is not mother, the worlds are no worlds, the Gods are no Gods, the Vedas are no Vedas. Therefore, a thief is no thief, the killer of a brāhmaṇa is no killer, an untouchable is no untouchable, a tribal is no tribal, a monk is no monk, an ascetic is no ascetic.15 Only where there is identification with a body is it possible to speak of the agent, the action and the fruits of it. We repeat the important upaniṣadic quote in harmony also with the present context: Again, to indicate the end of knowledge that separates subject and object, but not true Knowledge: That it does know in that state is because, though knowing then, it does not know; for the knower’s function of knowing can never be lost, because it is imperishable. But there is not that second thing separate from it which it can know.17 All means of knowledge and the very path that leads to the One are instantly burned the moment this liberating understanding is reached: “the Vedas are no longer the Vedas” says the aforementioned passage from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. Both the Scriptures and the ritual and behavioural prescriptions are intended only for those who have not yet reached such Knowledge, with the aim of bringing them closer to the correct understanding of Reality. The wise, recognizing themselves as not different from the One, know that limitation (bandha) and liberation (mokṣa) do not belong to the Self but are always the result of a wrong understanding, of a superimposition. Therefore, they no longer need any path or guide, having recognized their illusory appearance. For this […] we do admit the uselessness of the Śruti when Knowledge is realized […].18 Eckhart expresses the same concept with an eloquent metaphor: If I want to cross the sea and I want a boat just to sail, when I made the crossing, I no longer need the boat.19 It is not conceivable for the advaitins to follow a path to reach the supreme Brahman, the One-without-second, as it cannot be associated with a place. Rather, it is all-pervading and the very Self of everything, even of those who apparently proceed along a path. It is truly impossible to reach what is always present! Therefore, Brahman is not the achievement that derives from the completion of a path of perfection. On the contrary, it can only be realized as a liberating awareness, which takes place in an eternal ere” and “now” are That”. Only with respect to the Brahman saguṇa is it in fact “logically”20 possible to speak of a gradual path. Where tradition speaks of correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm, between divine and human plan, between universal and individual being, it always refers to the Brahman saguṇa, which is defined as One-with-second precisely because of its relationship with the universe. But the unity with the qualified Being, the indefinite synthesis and epitome of the entire possibilities of the finite, despite being the highest point one can reach at the level of multiplicity, still remains at the qualification level, the playground of māyā. The One-without-second, on the other hand, transcends every possible qualification, including the universal unity21. It is, therefore, free from any relationship with anything else. It is the non-dual Reality, achievable only in the attainment of the Knowing-Being, where the distinction between the knower, the known and the knowledge is overcome, that is in the Consciousness devoid of second. It is evident here the affinity of this view with the distinction made by Eckhart between what he calls “being united to God” and being the One in the immutable background that transcends everything. From this point of view, it no longer makes any sense to wonder whether the he who is free is united with God or is One with him. Only the One really exists. I am indeed Brahman, the One without a second, matchless, the Reality that has no beginning, beyond such imagination as ‘thou’ or ‘I’, or ‘this’ or ‘That’, the Essence of Eternal Bliss, the Truth.22 For this reason, every vision that separates man and God, however devout it may seem, is always the result of ignorance: While he who worships another God thinking: “He is one, and I am another”, does not know, he is like an animal to the Gods.23 As a demonstration of how Eckhart is in harmony with the Advaita on this point, we find in his sermons similar expressions, in which, in a perhaps more compassionate but no less decisive way, he calls “simple people” (but also “asses”) those who continue to think of God as something other than themselves: Many simple people imagine that they have to consider God up there, and themselves down here. It is not so. God and I are one.24 By removing of the veil of individuality man discovers the absolute fullness that he really is. This does not happen in an ecstatic vision of God seen as other, who embraces him and with whom he reunites. The One that man discovers does not represent a unity but, rather, a oneness that transcends every form of multiplicity and synthesis. […] here is the fullness of the entire Godhood; here is oneness. As long as the soul recognises a distinction, it is not how it should be; as long as something looks inside or outside there is still no true unity.25 The infinite is that where one does not see anything else, does not hear anything else, and does not understand anything else. Hence, the finite is that where one sees something else, hears something else and understands something else.26 In both the Advaita and Eckhartian views, the achievement of this state is the ultimate goal of human being: the only condition that can set him free him from suffering, always tied to what is finite, to what is determined, and that can eventually make him whole by recovering his real nature. Although this dimension is surrounded by an impenetrable silence, it is not foreign to knowing. Indeed, only this is true Knowledge; and not the distinctive one we are used to. The communication of this Wisdom is the transparency of Silence. Pointing out the differences in the ways the Dominican and the Indian masters express this last step – the dwelling in the deserted and silent background of the Godhood and in the identity with Brahman without attributes – defeats the purpose of the conveyed message. Here there is no room for interpretation. One can only be this Truth. Only by being Reality can one truly communicate it and let it speak for itself. The dimension of the usual knowing and distinguishing does not concern this state; nothing is worth inquiring and breaking down. He who knows the Absolute become the Absolute itself and can only let it emanate. It is then up to every human being in silence to recognize, in silence, what he truly is. One with the One, one from the One, one in the One and, in the One, eternally One.27 Oṃ. That (Tad) is full28, and this (idam) is full. The full proceeds from the full. Taking the full of the full it remains as full alone.29 1. VCM 523. 2. SE, 76, p. 519. 3. Ibid., p.520. 4. SE, 77, p. 527. 5. Another theme very dear to Eckhart. When man strips himself of his “I”, in that detachment God “is forced” into that space, in an indiscernible and mutual co-belonging that removes any duality. See for example, SE, 6, p. 133, SE, 73, p. 506. As mentioned, there are many sermons that deal with the theme of “forcing God” or “God must”. 6. SE, 83, p. 554. 7. SE, 76, pp. 520-521. 8. SE, 86, p. 564. 9. Bhagavad Gītā (BhG),XI.8. 10. SE, 86, p. 566. 11. SE, 64, p. 453. 12. SE, 12, p. 168. 13. Ibid., p. 169. 14. SE, 52, p. 395. 15. BU IV.3.22. 16. BU IV.5.15. 17. BU IV.3.30. 18. BUŚBh 4.1.3. An analogous concept is expressed by Śaṃkara in is commentary to Bhagavad Gītā, XIII.2. 19. SE, 57, p. 422. 20. BSŚBh 4.3.7. 21. BhG VIII, 20-21. 22. VCM, 493. 23. BU I.4.10. 24. SE, 6, p. 135. 25. SE, 29, p. 271. 26. ChU VII.14.1. 27. Dell’uomo nobile, in Opere tedesche, a cura di M.Vannini, Firenze, La nuova Italia, 1982, p. 55. 28. In sskrt. pūrṇa, which has the meaning of accomplished, total, complete, perfect. Fullness is expressed by the term Ānanda. 29. BU V.1.1.
Project Description Acupuncture and Moxibustion Beijing Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic has been serving greater Atlanta GA area since 2000. Acupuncture and moxibustion are two of most important branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Their therapies are made up of two procedures: zhen (acupuncture) and jiu (moxibustion), which prevent and treat diseases by puncturing certain points of the channel in the body with needles or applying heat with ignited moxa wool to regulate the function of Qi (vital energy) and blood of the zang and fu organs (solid and hollow organs) so as to strengthen the resistance of the body against diseases. The science of acupuncture and moxibustion was developed by Chinese people of many generations in combating diseases. They have a long history. In the Neolthic age, people were able to administer a piece of sharp stone, called bian shi to treat diseases. That was beginning of the needle. Thanks to the advent of metallurgy, needles were fashioned from metal later. Moxibustion can trace back to the days when people begin to know cooking by fire. With development of civilization and society, and needling and moxibustion instruments have been improved constantly, providing conditions for further refinement, enhancing effects and promoting academic development of acupuncture. In the past century, acupuncture and moxibustion have been developing at an unprecedented rate in China. A variety of new techniques have been developed, such as acupuncture analgesia, electrical acupuncture, ear acupuncture, head acupuncture, face acupuncture, hand acupuncture and microwave acupuncture, all based on the theory of acupuncture and moxibustion. In the clinic practice, acupuncture and moxibustion also have made substantial advances. More and more diseases can be treated by the use of acupuncture and moxibustion. It has been found that over 300 kinds of diseases in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology can get different curative effects through acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, of which about 100 can achieve better results. As to the therapeutic principle and function of acupuncture and moxibustion, medical experts both at home and abroad, on the basis of the experience summed up by the predecessors and by the means of modern theory and techniques or related sciences, made a lot of observations and researchers in every aspect on humans as well as animals. The initial result about their therapeutic function falls into two aspects : 1) analgesic function: a good example is acupuncture anesthesia which is developed in the light of analgesia of acupuncture. Its principle is considered to be related in following factors: jingluo (channels and collaterals) system, nervous system and body fluid. 2) regulative function: clinical practices and experimental researchers indicate that acupuncture and moxibustion can regulate and renovate the functional activities of the systems throughout the body. They can not only control clinical symptoms but also normalize pathologic changes, so as to treat diseases of every system in the body. Such as: respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, blood system, endocrine system, female genital system, nervous system and immune system.
Free Books Transposed Direct-Forms The remaining two direct forms are obtained by formally transposing direct-forms I and II [60, p. 155]. Filter transposition may also be called flow graph reversal, and transposing a Single-Input, Single-Output (SISO) filter does not alter its transfer function. This fact can be derived as a consequence of Mason's gain formula for signal flow graphs [49,50] or Tellegen's theorem (which implies that an LTI signal flow graph is interreciprocal with its transpose) [60, pp. 176-177]. Transposition of filters in state-space form is discussed in §G.5. The transpose of a SISO digital filter is quite straightforward to find: Reverse the direction of all signal paths, and make obviously necessary accommodations. ``Obviously necessary accommodations'' include changing signal branch-points to summers, and summers to branch-points. Also, after this operation, the input signal, normally drawn on the left of the signal flow graph, will be on the right, and the output on the left. To renormalize the layout, the whole diagram is usually left-right flipped. Figure 9.3 shows the Transposed-Direct-Form-I (TDF-I) structure for the general second-order IIR digital filter, and Fig.9.4 shows the Transposed-Direct-Form-II (TDF-II) structure. To facilitate comparison of the transposed with the original, the inputs and output signals remain ``switched'', so that signals generally flow right-to-left instead of the usual left-to-right. (Exercise: Derive forms TDF-I/II by transposing the DF-I/II structures shown in Figures 9.1 and 9.2.) Figure: Transposed-Direct-Form-I implementation of a second-order IIR digital filter. Note that the input signal comes in from the right, and the output is on the left. Compare to Fig.9.1. The four ``state variable'' signals are labeled arbitrarily as $ s_1(n)$ through $ s_4(n)$. \begin{figure}\input fig/tdfi.pstex_t Figure: Transposed-Direct-Form-II implementation of a second-order IIR digital filter (input on the right, output on the left). Compare to Fig.9.2. \begin{figure}\input fig/tdfii.pstex_t Next Section: Numerical Robustness of TDF-II Previous Section: Direct Form II
Friday 14 August, 2020 Hurricane Douglas bears down on Hawaii as pandemic flares This GOES-17 taken at 3.30 pm EDT, Thursday, July 23, 2020, shows Hurricane Douglas, right, churning in the Pacific Ocean heading towards Hawaii, left. (NOAA via AP) For example, how do you secure enough shelter space when people have to stay at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart from one another? What happens when someone shows up at a shelter with a fever? Late Thursday, Hurricane Douglas was 1,025 miles (1,810 kilometres) southeast of Hilo and packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kilometres per hour). It's expected to weaken as it passes over cooler water but meteorologists warn strong winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf could afflict the entire state beginning on Sunday. The storm approaches as Hawaii grapples with increasing COVID-19 numbers. On Thursday, the state reported 55 newly confirmed cases, its highest single-day increase since the pandemic began. "I never thought in 30 years of doing this I'd be answering medical questions," said John Cummings, the public information office for Honolulu Emergency Management, underscoring the odd position authorities have found themselves in. Related Article Unlike other hurricane-prone states like Florida where residents pile into cars to evacuate when storms approach, it's impractical to leave Hawaii to get away from a storm. Shelter space is also limited. So, as is typical, local authorities are urging most people to shelter at home if they can. Those living in homes built according to code after 1995 should be "pretty good to go," Cummings said. He recommended staying with friends and family if home isn't safe. Seek refuge in an interior room, he said. Going to a city-run shelter should be a last resort, he said. At shelters, evacuees will have their temperatures checked for signs they may be infected with the coronavirus. People who have been quarantining themselves, either because they recently travelled to Hawaii from out of state or because they have been exposed to someone with the virus, may go to a shelter if their housing situation is unsafe. Those with high temperatures or a travel history will either be isolated at that shelter or taken to a different site, Cummings said. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that in "non-pandemic world" the city prepares 10 square feet (1 square meter) per person at shelters. But in order to have 6 feet (1.8 meters) of physical distancing between people, it must allow 60 square feet (6 square meters) per person or family. "We need more shelter space. And with more shelter space, we need more people to staff those shelters. And we're working on that right now," Caldwell said. The city plans to announce a list of shelters on Friday. Hawaii leaders have been talking to the Federal Emergency Management Agency about potentially housing evacuees in hotels but nothing concrete has been decided yet. Caldwell said such an arrangement may not come together in time for Douglas' arrival but might be in place for the next storm. Many of Hawaii's hotels have empty rooms or are completely closed because the pandemic has shut off most travel to the islands. State officials have been urging residents for months to incorporate hand sanitizer and face masks into their usual emergency kits containing two weeks worth of food, water, batteries and other supplies. Caldwell urged people to get groceries for those who can't afford to go shopping for 14 days of food at once when so many residents are out of work because of the pandemic. "It's the time to look at ourselves as one big ohana working with each other," Caldwell said, using the Hawaiian word for family. In Hilo Thursday, Ace Hardware supervisor Adrian Sales reported a "significant uptick" in people seeking lanterns, propane and other supplies. "We're out of the butane stoves already, and sandbags have been going too," Sales said. "It's a little hard to keep things on the shelves." Food shoppers have been slower to materialize at The Locavore Store in Hilo. Owner Catarina Zaragoza predicted people will start buying up toilet paper and water if the storm looks threatening and gets closer. "So many of our storms dissipate before they get here, so I think if we're going to see that kind of uptick it probably won't be till later in the weekend," she said. People stocked up on supplies early on in the pandemic, but Zaragoza doubts that's the reason people weren't buying.
You’ve probably heard that running will wreck your knees, but new research shows it won’t actually increase your risk of knee osteoarthritis and may even help protect you from developing the disease. Researchers performed a study with patients either at high risk for developing knee osteoarthritis (caused by a cartilage breakdown in the knee joint) or who already had the condition. “We found that runners were less likely to have frequent knee pain, radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (ROA), and the combination of knee pain and ROA in the same knee,” says study author Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, M.D. M.Sc., assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Once the researchers adjusted for differences in BMI, the prevalence of ROA was similar in runners versus nonrunners. The difference in weight may also explain why runners generally have less osteoarthritis than nonrunners.
How Many Bicycles Are There in the World? By Staff WriterLast Updated Mar 25, 2020 12:17:46 AM ET Buena Vista Images/Taxi/Getty Images As of 2014, there are more than a billion bicycles currently in the world. China accounts for nearly half that amount, with 450 million. In 1995, the United States had 100 million.
West German Social Democrats, 1969-1982 Profile Of A Party In Power Gerard Braunthal ca. 33,96 * Affiliatelinks/Werbelinks Hinweis: Affiliatelinks/Werbelinks Taylor and Francis img Link Publisher Geisteswissenschaften, Kunst, Musik / Geschichte The fall of the West German government in 1982 ended the 13-year rule of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as the senior coalition partner under Chancellors Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt. In perpetual opposition from 1949 to 1966, the Social Democrats finally entered the government as the junior coalition party in 1966; three years later they assumed primary responsibility for guiding the nation. The central theme of this detailed examination of the SPD during its years of governance is that social and economic forces in the nation had a major effect, often unsettling, on the party at a time when it had achieved the pinnacle of political power. Significant changes in the party's organization, membership, leadership, factionalism, ideology, and voter support limited its role within the political system (in the executive and legislative branches) and its influence on domestic and foreign policies. Yet, its ability to remain in power for a comparatively long period attests to its strength and respectability among the voting public. Dr. Gerard Braunthal draws on a wealth of documentation, some unpublished, located primarily in German archives and libraries. In addition, he interviewed more than 120 persons, ranging from the top SPD leaders to staff officials, members, and other specialists, to gain a greater understanding of a party that is one of the most powerful in Western Europe and in the social democratic world, and whose organization has been a model of the twentieth-century mass party. Weitere Titel zum gleichen Preis
There was once a small close-knit community of friends and family living in the part of the world we’ve come to call the Middle East. They lived in the highlands, where the air was clean and pure, every kind of fruit and vegetable one could imagine grew, and the water that trickled down from the tops of the mountains which surrounded them was fresh and invigorating. They wanted of nothing. They had it all. These people stumbled upon the brilliant idea that they could grow their food themselves, harvest it whenever it was ripe, and enjoy whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. The fertile soil that stretched as far as the eye could see ensured their idea would be a total and complete success. And it was good. One of the mountains, however, was only pretending to sleep. One day, about 5,700 years ago, the volcano woke up with a giant tummy ache. It rolled put of bed and the Earth shook. There was nothing to hold on to. There was nothing to protect these people from the sickly fury of the volcano right at their doorstep. When the ground wasn’t shaking and moaning, flames and fire shot from the top of the mountain hundreds of meters high. Snakes of fire slithered their way down the mountain and scalded everything in their path. The Earth split in places, and poisonous gases spewed from the apertures. The loss was great. Many of these people perished, and many more of the animals they had learned to cultivate died as well. They could not explain how their gods let something like this happen. They were desolate. But the volcano wasn’t done. While the ground continued to shake and moan, and the mouth of the volcano continued to shoot fiery arrow into the sky, a different kind of snake rose upward instead of crawling downhill. We call this phenomenon a “lava spine” nowadays, an unusual but regular occurrence on volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens (2005) and Martinique (1902). Those primitive peoples, however, had never seen anything like it, and as the lava spine grew to an immense height in a very short time, two things happened to a portion of the survivors: 1), They realized they were forsaken. If they weren’t dead, they might as well have been. It wasn’t so bad that their homes, their families, their animals, and many of their own family members were destroyed, but their gods had deserted them. They were lost. And 2), one small portion of the community, perhaps it was only one person, looked at the lava spine rising from the volcano, felt how utterly alone he was now that he was without gods, felt the power of the Earth’s core surging all around him, grew his first widdle hard-on he had had in a long time, and began having the first inklings of a very special, new story in his mind. The volcano roared for a while afterwards. The lava flow from the crater ran down to the West, where the streams cascading down the mountains of that one-time Paradise met the sources of two mighty rivers. A lava dam was built, and the mountain streams began to back up. The community had up until the eruption lived in a bowl between high mountaintops, and now that the stream outlets were bottled up, the bowl began to fill. All of the houses, all of the livestock, and all of the injured or aging people still in the scorched valley drowned. The survivors straggled down from the highlands with lifeless eyes. Most of them. With a clear and piercing 1000-yard stare, one did not waste his time to look back. One had already forgotten what had been. One had just invented the word “destiny”. They entered the area known as Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As the land fell away, and these people could see for the first time hundreds of kilometers in every direction, one in their number thought, “it’s all mine.” It’s kind of a funny story, what happened between that first glimpse of the Mesopotamian plains and today. However, after millions of years of providing a home and food for all of its creatures who all did their best to live in harmony with Nature, the Earth now discovered one small group of humans amongst its many guests who had decided they had their own story to tell, a better one. And whatever kinds of story you might like to read, this one will not have a happy ending. Two Days, Two Worlds When Turner woke up he felt strange, but quickly attributed it to the strange Oriental meal he had eaten the night before. He felt light headed, but strangely focussed. He felt weak, but energized. He decided a shower was a good idea, and moved off to the bathroom, trying not to wake his girlfriend. After the shower he brushed his teeth, mind empty, until he happened to raise his eyes and look in the mirror. His toothbrush-laden hand stopped brushing. He saw himself. Turner could not remember feeling like that. Sure, he had seen himself in the morror lots of times, but never really seen himself. He looked past his eyes and his fine-looking features, and the hair he wouldn’t brag about but was definitely proud of, past the well-built shoulders and muscular torso and into the person he really was underneath all the layers. For the very first time in his life, he understood who he was inside, and it was good. He started brushing his teeth again, looking down, and couldn’t help smiling. He had the feeling it was going to be a great day. Outside the world was spinning, encumbered by its own morning routine. As Turner walked through it, he felt no longer a part of the disorder, frustration, and anger that draped the city as the night had only a few hours prior. He almost did not want to admit it to himself-it was kind of cheesy-but Turner was a being of light and love, there was no getting around it, and, really, what was wrong with that? So as the horns sounded, brakes squealed, and voices from people afraid to be shortchanged screeched, Turner passed it all, aloof, and headed towards his office. It was a short walk, but it was long enough to see that others, also, were noticing the change. “Good morning,” he said warmly, smiling at people. Heads started to turn. “How’s it going, man?” a young man stopped him. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “It sure is,” Turner agreed, for once in no rush. He stopped and scanned the sky. “It sure is. Anything can happen. What do you have planned for today?” “Weeeell,” the young man began, apparently satisfied he had stopped the stranger. “I have to work now, but later I’m going to take my girlfriend down towards the water.” “That sounds magnificent!” Turner couldn’t help saying. “You make sure that girl gets the best of you while you’re with her. She deserves it, doesn’t she? But I guess I don’t have to tell you that, do I?” Turner smiled, intensely happy for the young man. “No, sir, you do not!” the young man answered, moving off. “You have a good one.” Turner watched him bounce off, admiring his youthful vigor. At work people all but stared at Turner. He passed the time listening to his colleagues, being generous with his time and smiles, offering a good word whenever he could. The meeting he had-they had all seemed so important-no longer had an aggressive, urgent edge. There was something about his presence in the room that made it easier for everyone else to listen, to appreciate, and even to let their guards down. No one seemed to need to prove anything. Upon leaving, someone mentioned that the meeting was the best one they had had in a long time, and everyone agreed. Turner smiled. When he got home later that day he took his girlfriend in his arms and squeezed her tight. Leaning back, he said: “You are easily the most magnificent thing that has happened to me today, which says a lot. You are the best thing that has happened to me in my life, and I can’t thank you enough for it. There is nothing else I could want from this day, or this life, than to be with you here and now.” He shushed her before she could answer, and pressed a passionate, warm kiss to her lips. The next morning the alarm went off and Turner hammered at it, bleary-eyed. He stumbled groggily to the bathroom and began brushing his teeth in a daze. He found himself looking in the mirror but could not say how long he had been doing it. Maybe he was done brushing his teeth? Leaving the bathroom, he stubbed his toe on the door frame, and it took all of his energy not to scream. It was going to be a long day… I looked across the valley where a long row of camel-backed hills stood blanketed in living stubble, painted in vibrant spring greens its beard pine, and maple, cedar, elm and birch clustered in irregular blemishes that did nothing to the disturb the beauty of the whole face and I stared at each of those monoliths at each leaf on each tree of the forest and I understood that each was a masterpiece created by an artist at the top of his or her game a masterpiece seemingly penned with a yawn and I looked down at my hands and I thought of all of my works so at odds with the world that created me and understood that the best of them cast in the best light and polished to the nines presented in frames of solid gold would only warrant one scoffing titter in comparison to the drafts cast into Nature’s trash bin I try never to compare If I did, I would have to ask myself what am I doing here? First Blood I am older than most, old enough to reach that age where many of my memories blend together, become less defined, and loose the intensities they once had. Faces lose names, names lose places, and the meanings of certain memories meander their way out some back door of my consciousness. It is easy, now, to lump the people I have known and know now into the soup of my consciousness; mere ingredients that lose their ability to impress as my taste buds go as well. Words of wisdom or of levity, experiences that once might have made some sort of difference in my life have also lost their weight. All has become bland, colorless, without joy and life. But I have an excuse. All of these people, and all of the words that make up their lives are but lesser creatures, things that exist far below the realms I inhabit. I have neither the energy nor the desire to waste my time with things inconsequential-for all of these things are of little use to me now. One does not inquire, parading down the street, how well the ants being trampled underfoot are getting along. Somehow, the people and memories in my soup have left a void deep within, as they out of necessity disappeared, loaded with all of the meanings and importance of their lives. They have taken, as well, the meaning and importance of my life. I wander these streets, alone, forgotten, with only this emptiness inside as vast as the space between stars. The emptiness has a weight mortal men will never understand, one that sucks all other concerns, all other thoughts inwards into its nothingness. At last I’ve become the most brittle shell of someone long gone, unrecognizable to all but myself. There are moments when the emptiness can be held at bay, but they are few and far between. In reality, I’ve long since become a slave to my omnipotent hunger. There are moments when I’m sure it will swallow all that I am and all I was as well, as it has done with everything else in my realm. These moments are impossible to bear, especially since I know there is a cure. I remember the first time I tasted blood that was not my own. It was the blood of a young woman, lithe and full of energy, bursting at the seams with the dreams of life. I succeeded in convincing her to lower her defenses, working on primal instinct alone, and she succumbed to my will, exposing her most sensitive regions. Like a tiger I leapt to the attack and tore her apart. The sensation of having animal strength and prowess overcame me for a moment, until I tasted the first drop of her vital fluid. There was nothing more to think or say, really. It’s warmth was that of the sun, it was pregnant with all I lacked, and filled me more completely-that one first drop-that I could ever remember being filled. What should one do with arguments of morality, of right and wrong, when one has felt life’s total abundance, and all its mysteries, in but the smallest of drops of a young girl’s blood? What is there left to say or think, really, when one has felt…that? What other uplifting memories could one rationally expect to hold onto besides this one? It is the ultimate irony and the most despicable of curses that whatever positive, rejuvenating effects youthful blood might have on me is but short lived. For my lifeless life outlasts all-everything, that is, except my hunger. Stable Genius Name: Pumpkin Ed Appearance: see above Personality: Because of being kicked in the head by a mule when he was four, the only words P.E. can hear are “You’re so great, Ed!” Also, he spends lots of time in front of mirrors, placid lakes, toilet bowls (without peeing), etc. History: Ed was raised by an absentee father and was always given raw meat instead of love or encouragement. Athletically, Ed was always good at cheating and telling amazing stories about himself that were almost too good to be true and definitely were. He got his first job as a professional backstabber on the school playground in fourth grade, which he was very successful at. His father quickly pounced on his son’s potential and invested in the boy’s future with anything but love and encouragement. Because of this, Ed was able to lie and cheat and steal his way through every aspect of his life-like high school, college, and marriage. He went on to become a successful businessman in the sense that he told everyone he was an immensely successful businessman-no one checked his facts because he was loud and looked rich. He spawned several children that are like growths in his life but are thankfully not attached to his person. Likes and Dislikes: Ed loves cheating and lying more than he loves breathing: just by listening to him breathe you can tell that this is no great accomplishment, though. He also enjoyes being very intelligent, a fact he convinces himself of on a daily basis, and reading, as long as he doesn’t have to do it himself, or listen to someone else’s description of a book, or have anything to do with books at all. He loves fast food and all of it’s healthy benefits, which have led him to proclaim, in the words of his doctor: “He is the healthiest person who has ever lived and doesn’t weigh a gram over 240 or strike me down where I stand plus also he is the greatest lover who ever lived and definitely not a homosexual.” He hates smart people and people who pretend that his lies are untrue. He loves boobs and grabbing boobs, but hates listening to the things that have them. He is considerate, generous, kind, loving, and gentle to everyone in this whole universe as long as they are named Pumkin Ed are standing in his mirror. Pumkin Ed says just what is on his mind, which lesser humans consider to be a virtue, but this has led him into trouble with “smart guys” which is why he hates them. Like when he asked “Why can’t we just nuke the hurricanes?”, or “You can just grab ’em by their p_ssy”. Pumpkin Ed is an adventurous spirit, as long as the adventures don’t mean he has to get up and do anything. His true passion lay in his desire to drive the world to its everlasting ruin, but with a dumb-ass smile on his face. A Life Unfit To Live Boring is a lifeless, dull, complete absence of surprises. Boring is monotony stretched like a piano wire through time. Boring is all smoothed corners and no jags. Boring is unscarred knees, music without passion, art without love. Boring is a face at sale. Boring seeks what boring is. Boring is a seethed sigh that somehow goes on for minutes…hours…days. Boring is words with Latin roots. Boring is taxes, the government, and death. Boring is the repitition of a repitition that wasn’t interesting to begin with. Boring is imagination tied up, beaten, drugged, gagged, and stuffed in a trunk. Boring is a drowned boy, face down, lulled in the waves. Boring is brainwashed minions. Boring is the diarrhea on the tube, on social media, on the radio, in the movie theaters. Boring is a mouth with nothing to say. Who among us has the capacity to surprise, to love without compromise, and to revel in the pulse of life, in the redness of blood, in the supernova of youth? Boredom is truth, boredom is innate, boredom is the spin of the universe out of your reach. Open your ears, open your eyes and windows-boring is the tide, and the water has risen. Donald is a Dunce that has become the substitute teacher whose presence feels like a charley horse your brother gave you with a protruding knuckle. We are the parents and school board awaiting the end of the period, the term, the school year, like parents awaiting the birth of their first child, but the labors go on and on, and mother feels like an ultra runner at Badwater-the 135 mile race where temps can reach 130F. The real teacher of the class stands in the hall with a WTF look on her face, like a shopper during the Corona pandemic looking at the empty shelves where toilet paper used to be, while soothing music comes from the speakers and the store manager tells her or him that it’s only temporary, and that the shelves will be fuller than Santa’s Christmas sack before she can say “Jack Robinson” (in Sanskrit. Backwards. Through a straw…etc…). The lessons these days are like exercises in substitute teacher-worship. Even when teacher is eating the chalk, or trying to spell his own name, or trying to drink from a bottle of water with his tiny, tiny hands, or telling the class how great the substitute teacher is for making rain fall down, it’s best to humor him, since by not doing so you run the risk of lengthening Badwater, and no one wants that. The situation is not unlike the one England faced during the reign of George the Three, who ruled during the Revolutionary War but then had…mental issues. He would write sentences of 400 words or more, spoke for hours without pause while foaming at the mouth, and once shook hands with a tree, believing it was the King of Prussia. [On a side note, the King, even when healthy, also did not want to abolish slavery.] England went on, after George the Three’s death, to become the greatest empire the world had ever seen, so perhaps there is hope for us yet. The Dunce impresses us with, like…words that are similar to intelligent thought the way the Titanic is similar to a swordfish-they are both found in the ocean. His skin is just like regular skin but just by saying that I’ve shown the opposite is true. Our substitute teacher also impresses us with great peudo-feats of athletic skill like cheating at golf and wearing white while trying to cheat at tennis, looking like an etiolated eggplant, swaddled in white diaperish garments Indian yogi style-an image somehow nowhere near as ridiculous as the original. In truth his greatest skill is to set the bar, at the Olympics of Humanity, so ridiculously low that even ants would rather go over than under it, which allows him to capture first prize. He competes against no one and considers his success to be unparalleled, and as proof offers his sworn statements that everything he does is true and perfect and should be celebrated in the most bigliest fashion. Our substitute teacher is so desperate for acknowledgement and love he will turn his mouth into a Machine of Perpetual Motion, the first of its kind to ever work. As long as there is fuel for the machine-specifically: the lack of love and acknowledgement he never got and never will from his long dead father-the class is chained to their desks, like Odysseus, forced to listen to his humility as long as their teacher doesn’t get hungry (also a possibility). In a cruel twist of fate, these Odysseuses can’t stuff their ears with wax, and are forced to sail with O! Captain! My captain! to the brink of ruin, AKA Mar-a-Lago. There will come a time when we can all look back at this and laugh, but to get there it is possible that we may have to burn down the school, an eventuality that will surely leave us scarred, the way our ears and brains have been scarred after our substitute teacher told us he was a very stable genius. Valiant Cowards I’ve broken so many hearts and misused so many words and burned so many tarts and clipped so many birds As a boy I tore off crab claws and hurt and killed with zeal and zest and broke promises as well as laws but stood there proudly with puffed out chest I’ve used up all my chances and sowed both woe and pain and made ill-advised advances and watched my life swirl down the drain I’ve broken so many hearts drank too much whiskey and wine I’m a wizard of truly wicked arts that distract from all the problems mine To learn from my mistakes would be addressing me and mine the prospect makes my kneecaps quake and my mouth to wheeze and whine I would rather forego change and pay whatever it may cost to never have to rearrange the fact that I am all but lost What To Weave I am made of heartbeats, lungsful of air and tissues I take care to train and repair I am made of muscles and bones and guilt no apology ever atones I am made of possibilities and what the dying planet’s will decrees I am all things good and bad and all the memories I have had I am made of thoughts stampeding and many mistakes ever-repeating I am made of my own free will but find ways to be imprisoned still I am made to laugh at gloom and flash the moon upon my doom I weave electrons upon my loom for I was made to spite my doom I Wish I Weren’t So OCD I wish this title title wouldn’t be so off, like when my daughter wore purple penguin leggings with a rainbow striped Frotté sweater and red patent leather shoes with giant sunflowers on them that day to school (it’s no wonder my eyes are failing seventeen years later) I wish the kitchen cabinets would be properly mounted, and all the tile grout would be parallel and evenly spaced, and all of the handles on those cabinets would be the same size, and that last comment had come before the tile grout one (because it fits way better) and I would never see anyone mix up ‘there’ or ‘their’ again or ‘your’ and ‘you’re’, or ‘delusion’ with ‘dillusion’ (that one hurt) and I would see no more hairs that have fallen from heads and stuck themselves to people’s clothing and are just hanging there, like a dangling modifier, as in the sentence: “sleeping in the orchard, a serpent stung me”, which causes my insides to shrivel (the dangling modifier, not the serpent sting) much like when I hear the words “the serpent’s sting” for when does a serpent sting and not bite, unless their’s a type of scorpion snake out their which can definitely fly if it has a ticket and, not least but definitely not last, I wish no one would use run on sentences that never seem to end they just go on forever and ever and ever until the futile act of its reading, is surceased I wish this poem would end so I don’t have to notice that I messed up ‘theirs’ and forgot the last period. I wish I weren’t so OCD
Environmental Challenges Solutions and Recommendations Major Issues and Challenges in the Environmental Portfolio All around Australia, different states are experiencing problems regarding the management of the environment. This section will analyze the environmental challenges and their impact on the country. Water pollutionThe most common environmental problem in Australia is the issue of water pollution (Reisser amp. Pattiaratchi, 2013). There is widespread pollution in rivers, water bodies and in the oceanic waters surrounding the country. Water pollution is especially widespread in cities neighbouring the sea. The Australian coastline is polluted by wastes such as plastics and wastes from industries. It is estimated that every square kilometer of the country’s sea area contains over 4,000 pieces of plastic waste (Reisser amp. Pattiaratchi, 2013). The plastics drain into the sea from inland waters that flow through residential areas and flow into the sea. Industries have contributed to water pollution by dumping industrial waste into the sea or rivers. Stormwater contributes to pollution by draining harmful substances from the land and into the sea (OEH, 2015). Spillages from sewage drainage systems and waste treatment plants end up in water bodies resulting in further pollution. Oil spillages may be infrequent but they still contribute to water pollution. Water pollution has led to a deterioration of the marine ecosystem leading to the reduction in the population of aquatic organisms (Forstner amp. Wittmann, 2012, pp.91-93).
Scrapbook Photo 05/24/20 - Senate, House Republicans Anticipate Action On FY 2020-21 Budget: Feature - Snow Geese Are Harbinger of Spring at Middle Creek by Joe Kosack, Pennsylvania Game Commission Spring draws closer with each setting sun. Its approach creates a stir in wintering snow goose populations that erupts into migration, sending them north by the tens of thousands to the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Although their name connotes winter, and the possibility of snow still accompanies most weekly weather forecasts, snow geese soon will be converging on Middle Creek - on the Lebanon/Lancaster county line - in their annual spring migration to their northern nesting grounds. Many other species will be doing the same thing, but they just don't have the compelling presence that thousands upon thousands of bright-white snow geese create while crossing a sunny sky or yakking it up in an agricultural field. Their arrival confirms spring's imminence, although it doesn't assure an end to snow. However, it does provide one comforting thought: there is less to winter than there was. This winter has been an odd one. Enjoyably - and sometimes even uncomfortably - warmer than Pennsylvanians are accustomed to, winter has been almost anything but, for much of December and January in the state's eastern counties. Some trees and plants had been coaxed into sprouting prematurely for spring. A few bears roused out of winter dens to prowl. Winter birds are working the fields, instead of birdfeeders. Schools haven't been canceling - hardly even delaying - for snow. Few eastern Pennsylvanians have held - much less used - a snow-shovel since last winter. That mildness compelled some snow geese to head northward. Then winter reclaimed Pennsylvania's portion of the Piedmont and Appalachians. The snow geese didn't stay. "During an early January warm spell, we had about 15,000 snow geese at Middle Creek and a flock of about 5,000 at Muddy Run in southern Lancaster County," said John Dunn, Game Commission waterfowl biologist. "Then winter rolled back in and the 'early birds' went south. When warmer weather moves in again, the birds will start pushing north. "If there's a few inches of snow on the ground, or the surface of Middle Creek's main impoundment is frozen, it's a good day to stay home, because when snow geese labor to find food or open water, they generally head south, often back across the Mason-Dixon Line. Despite their name, snow geese really don't seem to have much tolerance for snow and cold weather. On the other hand, tundra swans, another spring migrant that frequents Middle Creek, seem more willing to tough it out and wait for the snow to melt." Although they sometimes head north prematurely, Dunn said snow geese usually have their migration timing down. "Their movements north are generally triggered by photoperiod - or the length of daylight in a day - the availability of open water for resting, and snow-free fields for feeding," Dunn said. "Access to open water and food is vital to these birds. Coming north before they have it almost always leads to a southern retreat." At the height of migration, 100,000 to 150,000 snows may converge on Middle Creek creating a surreal, pulsating panorama that allows observers time to take in and comprehend. So if you're interested in experiencing the biggest show, timing is everything. To help visitors sort out when to come, the Game Commission regularly posts updates on Middle Creek's snow goose and tundra swan numbers on its website. When migration is on and snow geese are dropping anchor at Middle Creek on their trek north, they usually number in the tens of thousands. Of course, there's no guarantee snow goose numbers will build to six figures here, or that they'll even stay within viewing distance from the roads that wind through Middle Creek's tapestry of rolling hills, forested areas, croplands and wetland-dominated lowlands. Waterfowl lives intuitively, and its daily movements between sunrise and sunset are largely random; they go where they will. That's why the Game Commission's Middle Creek updates are subject to rapid and dramatic change. "What is here in the morning may start leaving in the afternoon or the next day," said Jim Binder, Middle Creek's resident manager. "But they also may stay for several days, or even weeks. Bird migrations - triggered by photoperiod - are fluid and strongly influenced by weather conditions, such as a strong southern wind. One thing's for sure, though, they're on the clock after they pull out of their wintering grounds and you can figure that Middle Creek's biggest flocks will have passed through by mid-March." Periodic updates about Middle Creek's snow goose and tundra swan numbers can be found on the Game Commission's website ( by clicking on the "Watchable Wildlife" link in the right-hand column and then, under the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area menu, selecting "Waterfowl Migration." Middle Creek is one of the southernmost staging areas that snow geese use. They typically stay two or more weeks before heading further north. Snows start migrating northward from their wintering grounds in February. But it's not a fast trip back to their nesting grounds in the Canadian arctic. En route, the large birds hit key staging areas where they rest and eat as heartily as possible to build energy reserves that will fuel their journey - often at an elevation of about 2,000 feet - and greatly influence their reproductive potential upon arrival at their nesting grounds. When they leave Middle Creek, snow geese head for the St. Lawrence River estuary, their last major staging area before pushing through to the arctic region. The estuary, more than 300 miles long, is one of North America's most important marine ecosystems and an exceptional stopover for migrating snow geese. After this, snow geese will move with purpose toward their nesting grounds. There the birds will scuffle with the elements and arctic foxes to fulfill their migratory mission to nest and raise young. When they occupy Middle Creek, snow geese often can be observed working the fields for food and resting on the large impoundment. They're usually pretty vocal and aren't necessarily flighty. Wildlife watchers who keep their distance and use spotting scopes or binoculars, generally get quite a show. If something spooks the sprawling accumulation of geese, they take flight, often en masse, in an uplifting event that will please even the most ardent curmudgeon. In the early 1990s, snow geese came to Middle Creek in relatively limited numbers. Then, in 1997, a phenomenal 150,000 snows blanketed the management area's fields and large impoundment, and the birds have been visiting in large numbers pretty much ever since then. The Atlantic Flyway population of snow geese currently numbers about one million. The growth in the greater snow goose population has been phenomenal. In the 1930s, there were only a few thousand. Now, the population is twice as large as the goal of 500,000 set by Canadian and United States waterfowl managers. The tundra swan's occupation of Middle Creek parallels that of snow geese. Traditionally, swans leaving their wintering grounds further south used to stage on the Susquehanna River and, when they were ready, headed north. Now, Middle Creek - along with the Susquehanna River - has become a migratory staging area that is used each spring by several thousand tundra swans. Since its creation in the 1970s, Middle Creek, which is part of the larger State Game Land 46, has become a critically important migratory bird stopover and staging area. The 6,254-acre property also contains a 400-acre lake and a wide variety of waterfowl-friendly potholes, ponds and wetlands. "Middle Creek's habitat diversity and intensive management are responsible for making it so appealing to migratory waterfowl," Binder said. "Through its restricted areas, wildlife plantings, habitat enhancements, and wetland creation and manipulation, Middle Creek has been molded into an area that now rivals the Susquehanna River in waterfowl appeal. It has become a waterfowl oasis in a portion of the Atlantic Flyway dominated by intensive farming and development." Snow geese weigh six to eight pounds and have a four- to five-foot wingspan. Tundra swans weigh 14 to 18 pounds and have a six- to-seven-foot wingspan. Both species feed on waste grain, winter wheat shoots and grasses, and aquatic vegetation. "Toward sunset, and as long as there's open water, waterfowl converges on the main impoundment," said Binder. "Nightly returns and sunrise liftoffs are about the only snow goose movements we can forecast. When they may arrive, where they go to feed and how long they stay at Middle Creek is strictly up to the birds and closely related to weather conditions." On weekends, Middle Creek draws a considerable number of spectators who come to see waterfowl. Weekdays are typically much slower paced. There are driving routes to follow with plenty of roadside pull-offs, as well as trails to hike. There also are restricted areas where public access is denied. Pending weather and road conditions, the driving routes may be closed. "One of the reasons we're able to attract and hold large numbers of waterfowl is because we have large restricted areas that are off limits to human activities," Binder said. "These areas are well-marked and monitored regularly. Individuals who enter these areas will be fined." Middle Creek's visitor center, which houses a large wildlife exhibit, is a good first-stop for newcomers. This visitor's center is two miles south of Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County, just off Hopeland Road, near the lake's western shore. It is staffed and open to the public six days a week. Its schedule is: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. The center is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area webpage. 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Caspian Sea Get Caspian Sea essential facts below. View Videos or join the Caspian Sea discussion. Add Caspian Sea to your PopFlock.com topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media. Caspian Sea Caspian Sea Mazandaran sea Caspian Sea from orbit.jpg The Caspian Sea as taken by the MODIS on the orbiting Terra satellite, June 2003 Coordinates41°40?N 50°40?E / 41.667°N 50.667°E / 41.667; 50.667Coordinates: 41°40?N 50°40?E / 41.667°N 50.667°E / 41.667; 50.667 TypeAncient lake, Endorheic, saline, permanent, natural Primary inflowsVolga River, Ural River, Kura River, Terek River Primary outflowsEvaporation, Kara-Bogaz-Gol Catchment area3,626,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi)[1] Basin countriesAzerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan Max. length1,030 km (640 mi) Max. width435 km (270 mi) Surface area371,000 km2 (143,200 sq mi) Average depth211 m (690 ft) Max. depth1,025 m (3,360 ft) Water volume78,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi) Residence time250 years Shore length17,000 km (4,300 mi) Surface elevation-28 m (-92 ft) SettlementsBaku (Azerbaijan), Nowshahr Rasht (Iran), Aktaw (Kazakhstan), Makhachkala (Russia), Türkmenba?y (Turkmenistan) (see article) 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It is an endorheic basin (a basin without outflows) located between Europe and Asia, to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the broad steppe of Central Asia. The sea has a surface area of 371,000 km2 (143,200 sq mi) (excluding the detached lagoon of Garabogazköl) and a volume of 78,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi). It has a salinity of approximately 1.2% (12 g/l), about a third of the salinity of most seawater. It is bounded by Kazakhstan to the northeast, Russia to the northwest, Azerbaijan to the west, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southeast. The Caspian Sea is home to a wide range of species and may be best known for its caviar and oil industries. Pollution from the oil industry and dams on rivers draining into the Caspian Sea have had negative effects on the organisms living in the sea. The wide and endorheic Caspian Sea has a north-south orientation and its main freshwater inflow, the Volga River, enters at the shallow north end. Two deep basins occupy its central and southern areas. These lead to horizontal differences in temperature, salinity, and ecology. The Caspian Sea spreads out over nearly 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from north to south, with an average width of 320 km (200 mi). It covers a region of around 386,400 km2 (149,200 sq mi) and its surface is about 27 m (89 ft) below sea level. The sea bed in the southern part reaches as low as 1,023 m (3,356 ft) below sea level, which is the second lowest natural depression on Earth after Lake Baikal (-1,180 m or -3,870 ft). The ancient inhabitants of its coast perceived the Caspian Sea as an ocean, probably because of its saltiness and large size. The word Caspian is derived from the name of the Caspi, an ancient people who lived to the southwest of the sea in Transcaucasia.[2]Strabo wrote that "to the country of the Albanians belongs also the territory called Caspiane, which was named after the Caspian tribe, as was also the sea; but the tribe has now disappeared".[3] Moreover, the Caspian Gates, which is the name of a region in Iran's Tehran province, possibly indicates that they migrated to the south of the sea. The Iranian city of Qazvin shares the root of its name with that of the sea. In fact, the traditional Arabic name for the sea itself is Ba?r Qazwin (Sea of Qazvin).[4] In classical antiquity among Greeks and Persians it was called the Hyrcanian Ocean.[5] In Persian middle age, as well as in modern Iran, it is known as , Dary?-e Khazar, which was named after Khazars an ancient nomadic tribe in the region. it is also sometimes referred to as Mazandaran Sea (Persian: ‎) in Iran.[6] Some Turkic peoples refer to the lake as Khazar Sea. In Turkmen, the name is Hazar de?izi, in Azeri, it is X?z?r d?nizi, and in modern Turkish, it is Hazar denizi. In all these cases, the second word simply means "sea", and the first word refers to the historical Khazars who had a large empire based to the north of the Caspian Sea between the 7th and 10th centuries. Some other Turkic ethnic groups refer to the lake as Caspian Sea. In Kazakh, where it is called , Kaspiy teñizi, in Kyrgyz: (Kaspiy deñizi), in Uzbek: Kaspiy dengizi. Renaissance European maps labelled it as Abbacuch Sea (Oronce Fine's 1531 world map), Mar de Bachu (Ortellius' 1570 map), or Mar de Sala (Mercator's 1569 map). Old Russian sources call it the Khvalyn or Khvalis Sea (? ? / ? ?) after the name of Khwarezmia.[7] In modern Russian, it is called , Kaspiyskoye more. Physical characteristics The Caspian Sea, like the Black Sea, is a remnant of the ancient Paratethys Sea. Its seafloor is, therefore, a standard oceanic basalt and not a continental granite body. It became landlocked about 5.5 million years ago due to tectonic uplift and a fall in sea level. During warm and dry climatic periods, the landlocked sea almost dried up, depositing evaporitic sediments like halite that were covered by wind-blown deposits and were sealed off as an evaporite sink when cool, wet climates refilled the basin. (Comparable evaporite beds underlie the Mediterranean.) Due to the current inflow of fresh water in the north, the Caspian Sea water is almost fresh in its northern portions, getting more brackish toward the south. It is most saline on the Iranian shore, where the catchment basin contributes little flow.[8] Currently, the mean salinity of the Caspian is one third that of Earth's oceans. The Garabogazköl embayment, which dried up when water flow from the main body of the Caspian was blocked in the 1980s but has since been restored, routinely exceeds oceanic salinity by a factor of 10.[9] Area around the Caspian Sea. Yellow area indicates the (approximate) drainage area. The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world and accounts for 40 to 44% of the total lacustrine waters of the world.[10] The coastlines of the Caspian are shared by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. The Caspian is divided into three distinct physical regions: the Northern, Middle, and Southern Caspian.[11] The Northern-Middle boundary is the Mangyshlak Threshold, which runs through Chechen Island and Cape Tiub-Karagan. The Middle-Southern boundary is the Apsheron Threshold, a sill of tectonic origin between the Eurasian continent and an oceanic remnant,[12] that runs through Zhiloi Island and Cape Kuuli.[13] The Garabogazköl Bay is the saline eastern inlet of the Caspian, which is part of Turkmenistan and at times has been a lake in its own right due to the isthmus that cuts it off from the Caspian. Differences between the three regions are dramatic. The Northern Caspian only includes the Caspian shelf,[14] and is very shallow; it accounts for less than 1% of the total water volume with an average depth of only 5-6 metres (16-20 ft). The sea noticeably drops off towards the Middle Caspian, where the average depth is 190 metres (620 ft).[13] The Southern Caspian is the deepest, with oceanic depths of over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), greatly exceeding the depth of other regional seas, such as the Persian Gulf. The Middle and Southern Caspian account for 33% and 66% of the total water volume, respectively.[11] The northern portion of the Caspian Sea typically freezes in the winter, and in the coldest winters ice forms in the south as well.[15] Caspian Sea near Aktau, Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan Over the centuries, Caspian Sea levels have changed in synchrony with the estimated discharge of the Volga, which in turn depends on rainfall levels in its vast catchment basin. Precipitation is related to variations in the amount of North Atlantic depressions that reach the interior, and they in turn are affected by cycles of the North Atlantic oscillation. Thus levels in the Caspian Sea relate to atmospheric conditions in the North Atlantic, thousands of kilometres to the northwest.[] A study by the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences estimated that the level of the sea was dropping by more than six centimetres per year due to increased evaporation due to rising temperatures caused by climate change.[17] Environmental degradation The Volga River, the largest in Europe, drains 20% of the European land area and is the source of 80% of the Caspian's inflow. Its lower reaches are heavily developed with numerous unregulated releases of chemical and biological pollutants. The UN Environment Programme warns that the Caspian "suffers from an enormous burden of pollution from oil extraction and refining, offshore oil fields, radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants and huge volumes of untreated sewage and industrial waste introduced mainly by the Volga River".[17] The rising level of the Caspian Sea between 1994 and 1996 reduced the number of habitats for rare species of aquatic vegetation. This has been attributed to a general lack of seeding material in newly formed coastal lagoons and water bodies.[] Most tadpole gobies (Benthophilus) are only found in the Caspian Sea basin.[19] The Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica), although found in neighboring areas, is a wholly freshwater species. The zebra mussel is native to the Caspian and Black Sea basins, but has become an invasive species elsewhere, when introduced. The area has given its name to several species, including the Caspian gull and the Caspian tern. The Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) is the only aquatic mammal and is endemic to the Caspian Sea, being one of very few seal species that live in inland waters, but it is different from the those inhabiting freshwaters due to the hydrological environment of the sea. A century ago the Caspian was home to more than one million seals. Today, fewer than 10% remain.[17] Archeological studies of Gobustan Rock Art have identified what may be dolphins[20] and porpoises,[21][22] or a certain species of beaked whales[23] and what may be a whaling scene indicates large baleen whales[24] likely being present in Caspian Sea at least until when the Caspian Sea ceased being a part of the ocean system or until the Quaternary or much more recent periods such as until the last glacial period or antiquity.[25] Although the rock art on Kichikdash Mountain is assumed to be of a dolphin[26] or of a beaked whale,[23] it might instead represent the famous beluga sturgeon due to its size (430 cm in length), but fossil records suggest certain ancestors of modern dolphins and whales, such as Macrokentriodon morani (bottlenose dolphins) and Balaenoptera sibbaldina (blue whales) were presumably larger than their present descendants. From the same artworks, auks, like Brunnich's Guillemot could also have been in the sea as well, and these petroglyphs suggest marine inflow between the current Caspian Sea and the Arctic Ocean or North Sea, or the Black Sea.[26] This is supported by the existences of current endemic, oceanic species such as lagoon cockles which was genetically identified to originate in Caspian/Black Seas regions.[24] The sea's basin (including associated waters such as rivers) has 160 native species and subspecies of fish in more than 60 genera.[19] About 62% of the species and subspecies are endemic, as are 4-6 genera (depending on taxonomic treatment). The lake proper has 115 natives, including 73 endemics (63.5%).[19] Among the more than 50 genera in the lake proper, 3-4 are endemic: Anatirostrum, Caspiomyzon, Chasar (often included in Ponticola) and Hyrcanogobius.[19] By far the most numerous families in the lake proper are gobies (35 species and subspecies), cyprinids (32) and clupeids (22). Two particularly rich genera are Alosa with 18 endemic species/subspecies and Benthophilus with 16 endemic species.[19] Other examples of endemics are four species of Clupeonella, Gobio volgensis, two Rutilus, three Sabanejewia, Stenodus leucichthys, two Salmo, two Mesogobius and three Neogobius.[19] Most non-endemic natives are either shared with the Black Sea basin or widespread Palearctic species such as crucian carp, Prussian carp, common carp, common bream, common bleak, asp, white bream, sunbleak, common dace, common roach, common rudd, European chub, sichel, tench, European weatherfish, wels catfish, northern pike, burbot, European perch and zander.[19] Almost 30 non-indigenous, introduced fish species have been reported from the Caspian Sea, but only a few have become established.[19] Six sturgeon species, the Russian, bastard, Persian, sterlet, starry and beluga, are native to the Caspian Sea.[19] The last of these is arguably the largest freshwater fish in the world. The sturgeon yield roe (eggs) that are processed into caviar. Overfishing has depleted a number of the historic fisheries.[27] In recent years, overfishing has threatened the sturgeon population to the point that environmentalists advocate banning sturgeon fishing completely until the population recovers. The high price of sturgeon caviar--more than 1,500 Azerbaijani manats[17] (US$880 as of April 2019) per kilo--allows fishermen to afford bribes to ensure the authorities look the other way, making regulations in many locations ineffective.[28] Caviar harvesting further endangers the fish stocks, since it targets reproductive females. Illustration of two Caspian tigers, extinct in the region since the 1970s. Reptiles native to the region include spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca buxtoni) and Horsfield's tortoise. A map of the Caspian Sea in the mid 1700s A New and Accurate Map of the Caspian Sea by the Soskam Sabbus & Emanuel Bowen, 1747. The history of the Caspian sea is divided into two parts: a Miocene stage, determined by tectonic events that correlate with the closing of the Tethys Sea, and a Pleistocene stage, that includes glaciation cycles and the creation of the present Volga River. During the first stage, the Tethys Sea had evolved into the Sarmatian Lake, that was created from the modern Black Sea and south Caspian, when the collision of the Arabian peninsula with Western Asia pushed up the Kopet Dag and Caucasus Mountains, setting definitive south and west boundaries to the Caspian basin. This orogeneic movement was continuous throughout the years, while Caspian was regularly disconnecting from the Black Sea. In the late Pontian, a mountain arch rose across the south basin and divided it in the Khachmaz and Lankaran Lakes (or early Balaxani). The period of restriction to the south basin was reversed during the Akchagylian, when the lake expanded to more than three times its present area and established the first of a series of contacts with the Black Sea and with Lake Aral. A recession of the Lake Akchagyl [ru] completed stage one.[31] The Caspian area is rich in energy resources. Oil wells were being dug in the region as early as the 10th century to reach oil "for use in everyday life, both for medicinal purposes and for heating and lighting in homes".[34][full ] By the 16th century, Europeans were aware of the rich oil and gas deposits around the area. English traders Thomas Bannister and Jeffrey Duckett described the area around Baku as "a strange thing to behold, for there issueth out of the ground a marvelous quantity of oil, which serveth all the country to burn in their houses. This oil is black and is called nefte. There is also by the town of Baku, another kind of oil which is white and very precious [i.e., petroleum]."[35][full ] Greeks also called it Hyrcanian/Hyrkanian Sea (Ancient Greek: ? ?[36] and ? ?[37]). In the 18th century, during the rule of Peter I the Great, Fedor I. Soimonov, hydrographer and pioneering explorer of the Caspian Sea charted the until then little known body of water. Soimonov drew a set of four maps and wrote Pilot of the Caspian Sea, the first report and modern maps of the Caspian, that were published in 1720 by the Russian Academy of Sciences.[38] Today, oil and gas platforms abound along the edges of the sea.[39] Oil pipelines in the Caspian region. September 2002 Countries on the Caspian region, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, illustrate the examples of natural-resource-based economies. A resource-based economy is defined as one where the natural resources, oil and gas, compose more than 10 percent of the particular country's GDP and 40 percent of exports.[40] All the Caspian region economies are highly dependent on the mineral wealth. The world energy markets were influenced by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as they became strategically crucial in this sphere, thus attracting the largest share of FDI (foreign direct investment). Iran has an enormous energy potential based on several specific factors. It has reserves containing 137.5 billion bbl of crude oil, the second largest in the world, producing around four million bbl/day. Additionally, Iran has an estimated 988.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, around 16 percent of total world reserves, which makes it to play a key role in the global energy security equation.[41] Russia's economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015.[42] Russia's extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world,[43] making it the second leading producer of oil and natural gas globally.[44] Caspian littoral states join efforts to develop infrastructure, tourism and trade in the region. The first Caspian Economic Forum was convened on August 12, 2019 in Turkmenistan and brought together representatives of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. The forum included several meetings of Caspian littoral countries' ministers of economy and transport ministers.[45] Oil and gas Oil production using drilling platform, on the offshore of Turkmenistan Drilling platform "Iran Khazar" in use at a Dragon Oil production platform in the Cheleken field (Turkmenistan). The Caspian Sea region presently is a significant, but not major, supplier of crude oil to world markets, based upon estimates by BP Amoco and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. The Caspian region produced an estimated 1.4-1.5 million barrels per day (bbls/day) including natural gas liquids in 2001, or 1.9% of total world output (table 1).3 More than a dozen non-Caspian countries each produce more than 1.5 million bbls/day. Caspian region production has been higher, but suffered during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the years following. Kazakhstan accounts for 55% and Azerbaijan for about 20% of current regional oil output.[46] Caspian region oil and natural gas infrastructure. August 2013. The world's first offshore wells and machine-drilled wells were made in Bibi-Heybat Bay, near Baku, Azerbaijan. In 1873, exploration and development of oil began in some of the largest fields known to exist in the world at that time on the Absheron Peninsula near the villages of Balakhanli, Sabunchi, Ramana, and Bibi Heybat. Total recoverable reserves were more than 500 million tons. By 1900, Baku had more than 3,000 oil wells, 2,000 of which were producing at industrial levels. By the end of the 19th century, Baku became known as the "black gold capital", and many skilled workers and specialists flocked to the city. By the beginning of the 20th century, Baku was the centre of international oil industry. In 1920, when the Bolsheviks captured Azerbaijan, all private property - including oil wells and factories - was confiscated. Afterwards, the republic's entire oil industry came under the control of the Soviet Union. By 1941, Azerbaijan was producing a record 23.5 million tons of oil per year, and the Baku region supplied nearly 72 percent of all oil extracted in the entire Soviet Union.[34] In 1994, the "Contract of the Century" was signed, signalling the start of major international development of the Baku oil fields. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, a major pipeline allowing Azerbaijan oil to flow straight to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, opened in 2006. The Vladimir Filanovsky field in the Russian section of the body of water was discovered for its wealth of oil in 2005. It is reportedly the largest discovery of oil in 25 years. It was announced in October 2016 that Lukoil would start production in this region.[47] Baku, which is the starting point of all sea routes of Azerbaijan, is the largest port of the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan has access to the oceans along the Caspian Sea-Volga-Volga-Don Canal, and the Don-Sea of Azov. Along with the Volga-Don Canal, the Azerbaijani vessels have the opportunity to enter the world ocean through the Volga-Baltic and White Sea-Baltic canals. Moreover, oil tankers are being transported through the Caspian Sea. Baku Sea Trade Port and Caspian Shipping Company CJSC, have a big role in the sea transportation of Azerbaijan. The Caspian Sea Shipping Company CJSC, along with the transport fleet, also includes a specialized fleet and shipyards. The transport fleet consists of 51 vessels, including 20 tankers, 13 ferries, 15 universal dry cargo vessels, 2 Ro-Ro vessels, as well as 1 technical vessel and 1 floating workshop. The specialized fleet includes 210 vessels, including 20 cranes, 25 towing and supplying vehicles, 26 passenger, two pipe-laying, six fire-fighting, seven engineering-geological, two diving and 88 auxiliary vessels.[48] The Caspian Sea Shipping Company of Azerbaijan, which acts as a liaison in the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), simultaneously with the transportation of cargo and passengers in the Trans-Caspian direction, also performs work to fully ensure the processes of oil and gas production at sea. This activity has a rich history. The development of the shipping industry in Azerbaijan is closely connected with the formation and progress of the oil industry. In the 19th century, the sharp increase in oil production in Baku gave a huge impetus to the development of shipping in the Caspian Sea, and as a result, there was a need to create fundamentally new floating facilities for the transportation of oil and oil products.[49] Political issues Many of the islands along the Azerbaijani coast continue to hold significant geopolitical and economic importance because of the potential oil reserves found nearby. Bulla Island, Pirallah? Island, and Nargin, which is still used as a former Soviet base and is the largest island in the Baku bay, all hold oil reserves. The collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent opening of the region has led to an intense investment and development scramble by international oil companies. In 1998, Dick Cheney commented that "I can't think of a time when we've had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian."[50] A key problem to further development in the region is the status of the Caspian Sea and the establishment of the water boundaries among the five littoral states. The current disputes along Azerbaijan's maritime borders with Turkmenistan and Iran could potentially affect future development plans. Much controversy currently exists over the proposed Trans-Caspian oil and gas pipelines. These projects would allow Western markets easier access to Kazakh oil and, potentially, Uzbek and Turkmen gas as well. Russia officially opposes the project on environmental grounds.[51] However, analysts note that the pipelines would bypass Russia completely, thereby denying the country valuable transit fees, as well as destroying its current monopoly on westward-bound hydrocarbon exports from the region.[51] Recently, both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have expressed their support for the Trans-Caspian Pipeline.[52] U.S. diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks revealed that BP covered up a gas leak and blowout incident in September 2008 at an operating gas field in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshi area of the Azerbaijan Caspian Sea.[53][54] Territorial status Southern Caspian Energy Prospects (portion of Iran). Country Profile 2004. Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan Five states are located along about 4800 km of Caspian coastline. The length of the coastline of these countries:[55] 1. Kazakhstan - 1422 km 2. Turkmenistan - 1035 km 3. Azerbaijan - 813 km 4. Russia - 747 km 5. Iran - 728 km Five states are located along about 6380 km of Caspian coastline. The length of the coastline of these countries:[56] 1. Kazakhstan - 2320 km 2. Turkmenistan - 1200 km 3. Azerbaijan - 955 km 4. Iran - 900 km 5. Russia - 695 km Five states are located along about 6500 km of Caspian coastline. The length of the coastline of these countries:[57] 1. Kazakhstan - 1900 km 2. Turkmenistan - 1768 km 3. Azerbaijan - 1355 km 4. Russia - 820 km 5. Iran - 657 km Facts and figures 1. Surface area: 143,244 square miles (371,000 square kilometers) 2. Maximum depth: 3,363 feet (1,025 meters) 3. Average depth: 692 feet (211 m) 4. Length: 640 miles (1,030 km) 5. Maximum width: 270 miles (435 km) 6. Minimum width: 124 miles (200 km) 7. Coastline area: 4,237 miles (6,820 km) 8. Water volume: 18,761 cubic miles (78,200 cubic km) 9. Altitude: 72 feet below sea level (22 m below sea level). The Caspian Depression, a flat, lowland region encompassing the northern area of the Caspian Sea, is one of the lowest points on Earth.[58] The Caspian Sea is the world's largest salt lake. Its length from north to south is 1,174 km, average width is 326 km, and total area is 375,000 km2. Water depth in the middle of the Caspian Sea ranges up to 788 m and in the southern part, up to 1,025 m. It has no outlet, and although the surface level of water fluctuates, it averages about 25 m below sea level according to recent measurements. Total area of the FSU portion of the Caspian Sea is 322,000 km2, including the shelf zone. To a depth of 200 m, the area is 240,000 km2.[59] As of 2000, negotiations related to the demarcation of the Caspian Sea had been going on for nearly a decade among the states bordering the Caspian - Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. The status of the Caspian Sea[60] is the key problem. Access to mineral resources (oil and natural gas), access for fishing, and access to international waters (through Russia's Volga river and the canals connecting it to the Black Sea and Baltic Sea) all depend upon the outcomes of negotiations. Access to the Volga River is particularly important for the landlocked states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. This concerns Russia, because the potential traffic would use its inland waterways. If a body of water is labelled as a sea, then there would be some precedents and international treaties obliging the granting of access permits to foreign vessels. If a body of water is labelled merely as a lake, then there are no such obligations. Environmental issues are also somewhat connected to the status and borders issue. All five Caspian littoral states maintain naval forces on the sea.[61] According to a treaty signed between Iran and the Soviet Union, the Caspian Sea is technically a lake and was divided into two sectors (Iranian and Soviet), but the resources (then mainly fish) were commonly shared. The line between the two sectors was considered an international border in a common lake, like Lake Albert. The Soviet sector was sub-divided into the four littoral republics' administrative sectors. Negotiations among the five littoral states have been ongoing, amidst ebbs and flows, for the past 20 years, with some degree of progress being made at the fourth Caspian Summit held in Astrakhan in 2014.[63] Caspian Summit The Caspian Summit is a head of state-level meeting of the five littoral states.[64] The fifth Caspian Summit took place on August 12, 2018 in the Kazakh port city of Aktau .[64] The five leaders signed the 'Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea'.[65] Representatives of the Caspian littoral states held a meeting in the capital of Kazakhstan on September 28, 2018 as a follow-up to the Aktau Summit. The conference was hosted by the Kazakh Ministry of Investment and Development. The participants in the meeting agreed to host an investment forum for the Caspian region every two years.[66] Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea The five littoral states build consensus on legally binding governance of the Caspian Sea through Special Working Groups of a Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.[67] In advance of a Caspian Summit, 51st Special Working Group took place in Astana in May 2018 and found consensus on multiple agreements: Agreements on cooperation in the field of transport; trade and economic cooperation; prevention of incidents on the sea; combating terrorism; fighting against organized crime; and border security cooperation.[68] The convention grants jurisdiction over 24 km (15 mi) of territorial waters to each neighboring country, plus an additional 16 km (10 mi) of exclusive fishing rights on the surface, while the rest is international waters. The seabed, on the other hand, remains undefined, subject to bilateral agreements between countries. Thus, the Caspian Sea is legally neither fully a sea nor a lake.[69] While the convention addresses caviar production, oil and gas extraction, and military uses, it does not touch on environmental issues.[17] Crossborder inflow UNECE recognizes several rivers that cross international borders which flow into the Caspian Sea.[70] These are: River Countries Atrek River Iran, Turkmenistan Kura River Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey Ural River Kazakhstan, Russia Samur River Azerbaijan, Russia Sulak River Georgia, Russia Terek River Georgia, Russia The ferries are mostly used for cargo; only the Baku-Aktau and Baku-Türkmenba?y routes accept passengers. As an endorheic basin, the Caspian Sea basin has no natural connection with the ocean. Since the medieval period, traders reached the Caspian via a number of portages that connected the Volga and its tributaries with the Don River (which flows into the Sea of Azov) and various rivers that flow into the Baltic Sea. Primitive canals connecting the Volga Basin with the Baltic were constructed as early as the early 18th century. Since then, a number of canal projects have been completed. The two modern canal systems that connect the Volga Basin, and hence the Caspian Sea, with the ocean are the Volga-Baltic Waterway and the Volga-Don Canal. The proposed Pechora-Kama Canal was a project that was widely discussed between the 1930s and 1980s. Shipping was a secondary consideration. Its main goal was to redirect some of the water of the Pechora River (which flows into the Arctic Ocean) via the Kama River into the Volga. The goals were both irrigation and the stabilization of the water level in the Caspian, which was thought to be falling dangerously fast at the time. During 1971, some peaceful nuclear construction experiments were carried out in the region by the U.S.S.R. In June 2007, in order to boost his oil-rich country's access to markets, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed a 700-kilometre (435-mile) link between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. It is hoped that the "Eurasia Canal" (Manych Ship Canal) would transform landlocked Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries into maritime states, enabling them to significantly increase trade volume. Although the canal would traverse Russian territory, it would benefit Kazakhstan through its Caspian Sea ports. The most likely route for the canal, the officials at the Committee on Water Resources at Kazakhstan's Agriculture Ministry say, would follow the Kuma-Manych Depression, where currently a chain of rivers and lakes is already connected by an irrigation canal (the Kuma-Manych Canal). 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R.B. (Biff) Matthews is chairman and Doug McCutcheon is president of Longview Asset Management Ltd., a Toronto-based investment management firm. Studies have shown that, when it comes to investing, most people make decisions based on intuition rather than reasoning. They focus primarily on the possibility of a loss (rather than the probability of a gain), and tend to contemplate the immediate future rather than taking a long-term view. Together, these behavioural biases drive people to invest a disproportionate share of their capital in an asset class that makes absolutely no sense for long-term investors – particularly in today’s environment. That asset class is bonds. At this point, you may be thinking that bonds are far less risky than stocks and, therefore, they have a place in every portfolio. It is true that, in the short-run, the market price of bonds tends to be less volatile than the market price of stocks. Thus, the idea of a “balanced” portfolio, consisting of both stocks and bonds, sounds wonderfully comforting. The more you think about it, however, the less comforting it becomes. stocks vs bonds Let’s go back to basics. Investing is laying out money now in the expectation of receiving more money, in real terms, well into the future. The phrase “in real terms” refers to the inevitable decline in the purchasing power of a dollar, because of inflation. In Canada, it takes about $1.46 today to buy what $1 did 20 years ago. The inflation rate over this time period was about 1.9 per cent per annum. If, over the past 20 years, you owned a portfolio of 10-year Government of Canada bonds, you received an average yield of 3.6 per cent a year. If you paid tax at a 50-per-cent marginal rate, your bonds would, after tax, have produced an annual return of 1.8 per cent – less than the rate of inflation. So, after both tax and inflation, you would have lost money. In addition, any increase in longer-term interest rates will result in a fall in the market value of bonds. The longer the remaining term to maturity of the bonds, the greater the sensitivity of market price to changes in interest rates. One cynic has said that instead of providing risk-free returns, bonds actually provide return-free risk. For most people, the obvious alternative investment to bonds is stocks. While a bond is simply an interest-bearing IOU from the issuer of the bond to the investor, a stock is a piece of ownership in a business. An investment in a productive asset such as a business should, unlike a bond, be able to deliver profits that will keep up with or exceed inflation. Stocks should, therefore, over time, represent a better investment than bonds. If we are right about this, it should show up when we examine the total long-term returns on stocks and bonds. The U.S. numbers (provided by the Federal Reserve database) are more complete than the Canadian equivalents and include a broader range of sectors. We looked at three portfolios over the past 40 years, each valued on Jan. 1, 1979 at US$100,000. The first contained the stocks in the S&P 500 Index, the second consisted of the return on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds and the third was a balanced portfolio with a typical weighting of 60-per-cent stocks and 40-per-cent bonds, rebalanced annually. While stocks were more volatile, the stock portfolio finished well ahead. By Dec. 31, 2018, the value of the bond portfolio reached US$1.59-million. The balanced portfolio rose to US$4.84-million. And the stock portfolio finished at US$7.54-million (more than four times the value of the bonds). The same would be true over almost any long-term period. Looking at a long time period such as 40 years is important. It provides statistically relevant data, which enables you to more accurately estimate the likely outcome of any action you might take. Also, your ability to live comfortably will depend on the return provided by your investments for the rest of your life. This includes your retirement, which is likely to last more than 20 years. Cash flow obtained from a combination of dividends and realized capital gains is taxed at a far lower rate than interest from bonds. So, what is the argument for owning bonds? Primarily, peace of mind. While experienced investors know that short-term fluctuations in the price of stocks are to be expected and tolerated, those fluctuations cause angst for most of us. How should we minimize this angst? In our view, not by investing in a so-called balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds. Rather, we suggest you invest an amount equal to, say, three years of estimated living expenses in a “buffer” account that holds short-term cash equivalents such as one-year guaranteed investment certificates. Unlike a portfolio of bonds, the value of your GICs will not fluctuate with interest rates. If you are taking funds from your investment account to cover living expenses, withdrawals can be made from this buffer account. The buffer account can be topped up from the stock portfolio each January, so long as your stocks have performed well the previous year. After a down year in the stock market (which happens about one in four years), you can delay the top-up until things improve. Maintaining the buffer account will, of course, reduce the long-term return on your assets. But the peace of mind it provides may make it worthwhile. Choosing the right asset class is your most significant investment decision. Those who get it right will be rewarded with a far more comfortable retirement. This Globe and Mail article was legally licensed by AdvisorStream. Sandi Sethi profile photo Sandi Sethi Insurance and Investment Advisor KNS Insurance Group Office : 416-235-1317
Heat Engines Part IV - Further Considerations Concerning External Combustion Engines In the preceding tutorial I dealt with legacy external combustion engines, steam turbines and steam powered reciprocating engines, as well as with the perennial also-ran and favorite of environmentalists, the Stirling cycle engine. Here I will move on to more exotic types including Kalina cycle engines, organic Rankine engines, Ericsson cycle engines, alkali metal thermoelectric devices, solid state thermoelectric power sources, and magnetohydrodynamic systems. First let me note an omission, a fact which should have been included in the last piece. Dean Kamen, the much celebrated inventor of the Segway personal transportion vehicle, has also done extensive research on Stirlings, and has a number of patents on improvements in the technology. Rumor had it that Kamen wanted to power the Segway with a Stirling but could not complete a unit that met with his own requirements. Ericsson Cycle Engines John Ericsson, sometimes known as the Swedish Edison, was an internationally renowned nineteenth century inventor best known for his patent on the screw propeller and his design of the Union Monitor, the forerunner of the modern battleship. Ericsson made numerous other inventions, however, and among the most interesting was his “caloric engine”, as he called it, which went through several iterations and upon which he was still hard at work at the time of his death. Like the Stirling, the Ericsson caloric runs on heated air, but the principle of operation is somewhat different. The Ericsson is not necessarily a closed cycle system, and does not require a displacer to move air from the hot to the cold side of the engines. Rather, the operation is more akin to that of the internal combustion Brayton turbines used in all modern turbojet and turboprop aircraft and in fast turbine powered watercraft as well. In the Ericsson engine’s first stage, air is simultaneously compressed and cooled by means of a heat exchanger, cooling making the compression process easier and reducing the amount of work required to achieve a given compression ratio. The air is then allowed to expand while being simultaneously heated to maintain a constant pressure. As the air leaves the expansion section at an elevated temperature heat is transferred back to the second stage via a heat exchanger so that little thermal energy is lost. A high proportion of the thermal energy produced by combustion ends up performing mechanical work. Ericsson engines represent a very interesting and sophisticated exercise in maximizing thermodynamic efficiency but they have seen little commercialization to date. Ericsson himself achieved little success with design until just before the end of his life when factory production models finally reached the market, mainly being used to operate water pumps on farms. Ericsson also built one very large engine of thousands of horsepower that was used to power a merchant ship. Currently, one small California startup calling itself PROE is attempting to re-introduce Ericssons into the marketplace. The PROE uses a jet engine type turbine compressor and an afterburner to control emissions. The expansion section uses a fairly conventional piston and crankshaft. The engine will operate on gas, diesel, kerosene, and biofuel. Richard Proeschel, the inventor, is a retired aerospace engineer who spent most of his career developing fuel cells for satellites and spacecraft. His experience with the latter convinced him that that technology is unlikely to succeed in the stationary power and transportation markets which the fuel cell industry is attempting to penetrate. Incidentally, Proeschel is not the only fuel cell design engineer we have met who has grown skeptical as to the market potential of these devices. The popular press, whose members generally confine themselves to interviewing spokepersons for fuel cell companies and avoid advocates of competing technologies, generally present a very favorable view of fuel cell prospects, a view which we regard as largely unwarranted at present. Kalina Cycle Turbines Named after Alexei Kalina, a Russian American who holds a patent on the design, these engines represent some very fresh thinking. In terms of its mechanical design the Kalina turbine is quite similar to the conventional Rankine turbine used in coal fired electrical power plants thoughout the world. The difference between the Kalina and Rankine has to do with the working fluid, which in the Kalina normally consists of a combination of ammonia and water. The proportions of ammonia and water vapor are made to vary during the compression and expansion cycles in order to maximize thermodynamic efficiency. The basic principle of operation has been borrowed from the refrigeration industry. Kalina turbines have been built by Siemens and by an Australian firm called Geodynamics, but to date they have won little market acceptance. The Kalina is capable of yielding double digit increases in efficiency over Rankine turbines but only at low operating temperatures not exceeding a few hundred degrees. At higher operating temperatures Kalinas are only slightly more efficient than conventional Rankine turbines. Most of the Kalina turbines built to date have been designed to run on factory waste heat or used in geothermal power plants where ordinarily the steam emanating from the underground heat source is at a fairly low temperature. The aforementioned Geodynamics has undertaken a project in Australia in which water will be injected into deep “heat mines” located more than 10,000 feet beneath the surface of the ground and the resulting steam will then be recovered to operate Kalina turbines. Geodynamics principals calculate that in one small geothermally active region of Australia enough thermal energy can be extracted to provide sufficient electrical power for the entire nation. The type of geothermal plant that Geodynamics is attempting to build has been constructed on an experimental basis in the U.S. by Los Alamos National Laboratory while a similar pilot project is underway in France. The plants are expensive to build, but they offer one singular advantage over any of the more commonplace renewable energy sources with the exception of large scale hydroelectric installation. These deep “hot dry rock” geothermal generation facilities achieve extremely high energy density relative to other renewable sources and readily scale to enormous size. There’s no need to cover the landscape with wind turbines or solar collectors. Plants having equivalent outputs to those of large coal or nuclear facilities are entirely possible. Moreover, the size of the resource appears to be very vast, at least in certain parts of the world, among them the western United States. To be sure, questions remain as to the feasibility of hot dry rock geothermal done on a large scale. We have interviewed geologists on the subject who believe that contractors attempting to build such plants might encounter a high failure rate. That’s because hot dry rock geothermal involves a good deal more than just drilling a hole in the ground and pumping in water. Before the heat resource can be effectively utilized, the contractor must perform a process known as water fracturing where high pressure jets of water are used to fracture rock at the bottom of the well and thus create a large reservoir that may be flooded with water and will serve as a sort a natural boiler for the turbine. At present “water fraccing” as it’s called is an uncertain, hit or miss business, and a miss means that the hole has to be abandoned and a new excavation begun. We believe that the combination of hot dry rock geothermal and Kalina turbines could provide at least some countries with a renewable resource that would require far less construction than the wind and solar plays which most Greens advocate, and would also result in much less environmental degradation because the plants would be far more localized. Our expectation, however, is that no company would undertake the risk of building such plants until the energy situation became desperate, and of course by that time the difficulty in amassing funding could be intensified due to a decline in overall national wealth. Organic Rankine Turbines Organic Rankine turbines substitute various organic working fluids for water, hence the name. Among those fluids are terphenyl, pyridine, and biphenyl ether. Such fluids provide greater energy efficiency than steam at low operating temperatures, and like Kalina turbines, the organics find application in geothermal installations where they are generally indirectly heated by low temperature steam. Most cannot be operated at high temperatures due to the corrosive effects of the working fluids, and, incidentally, those fluids themselves present toxicity problems. Organic Rankines have never achieved wide acceptance in the marketplace. Magnetohydrodynamic Systems This is an interesting technology that has chiefly been used in powering satellites. The principle of operation is based on the fact that plasmas are highly conductive and at the same time highly fluid. By causing plasma to flow at right angles to a magnetic field one induces electrical current in the plasma which can then be utilized to do work via magnetic coupling. Essentially one is substituting plasma for the ordinary copper wires used in a conventional generator. The plasma itself is derived by heating hydrogen or water vapor mixed with cesium. Magnetohydrodynamic Systems are highly efficient but necessitate extremely high operating temperatures and are best suited for concentrating solar plants or high temperature nuclear reactors. Much work has been done in Israel toward developing solar magnetohydrodynamic generators, but so far no commercial products. Thermoelectric Systems Commercial thermoelectric devices convert heat directly into electricity by means of the Seebeck effect whereby two dissimilar metal plates impinging on one another produce an electrical charge in the presence of a temperature differential between them. Unfortunately, conventional Seebeck generators are only a few percent efficient because the metals themselves are highly thermally conductive and thus heat differentials are difficult to maintain. DARPA has sponsored quite a few research projects in recent years where various crystalline compounds were substituted for metals with higher conversion efficiencies as a result but practical generators remain an elusive goal. A couple of other technologies show promise as well. Alkali metal thermoelectric devices, which may use hydrogen as well as alkaline materials, use a heat source and a catalytic membrane to strip electrons from the working fluid. These devices are somewhat analogous to fuel cells. Johnson Electromechanical Systems appears to be the sole manufacturer active in this field today, and these devices have yet to find real markets outside of remote power for satellites—the market of first and last resort for exotic energy technologies. These devices require a motor in order to do mechanical work. CoolChips, LLC, a British firm, has an interesting thermoelectric technology where electron flow takes place across a hard vacuum via quantum tunneling effects within a wafer construction resembling a semiconductor. Dissimilar metals are used, and the insulating effects of the vacuum conspire to raise thermal efficiency. CoolChips claims efficiency of over 50% and has a patent on a propulsion system for vehicles where fuel is burned in a combustion chamber and the thermal energy is used to drive the coolchips. The electricity is then used to power an interesting multi-pole motor developed by a sister company called Chorus Motors. CoolChips has received extensive funding from Rolls Royce and has received favorable attention in the scientific press. But whether the technology will ultimately achieve commercialization remains to be seen. We think CoolChips is most likely to succeed in the field of refrigeration, not in power generation. What’s in the Future? We think more of the same. Rankine turbines will continue to predominate in large scale electrical generation which will increasingly favor coal. In competitive markets clean coal technologies will fail on the basis of cost, and the world’s air will grow dirtier yet and more laden with carbon dioxide. Eventually, coal gasification may be mandated in industrial societies, but the time is not yet. Although certain external combustion engines, including Stirlings, Ericssons, Kalina turbines, alkali metal thermoelectric devices, and magnetohydrodynamic systems may provide efficiencies rivaling those of fuel cells and superior to those diesel engines, we see the diesel predominating in small scale power generation for the indefinite future. Indeed, for a number of reasons, we think diesel engines are poised to replace spark ignition engines eventually in the key market of transportation with the United States probably being the last holdout for traditional gasoline engines.
Karamzin, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, Nikolai Mikhailovich (nyĭkəlī` mēkhī`ləvĭch kərəmzēn`), 1766–1826, Russian historian and writer. His Letters of a Russian Traveler, 1789–90 (1792, abr. tr. 1957), dealing with a journey to Western Europe, brought a cosmopolitan awareness into Russian writing. Karamzin made the Russian literary language more polished, elegant, and rhythmic. These reforms were important for later writers, especially PushkinPushkin, Aleksandr Sergeyevich ..... Click the link for more information. . Karamzin's sentimental story of a betrayed peasant girl, "Poor Lisa" (1792), forecast the novel of social protest. His greatest work, an 11-volume History of the Russian State (1818–24), was a widely read dramatic account of the political actions of the Russian princes up to 1613. He believed in a strong monarchic state, but criticized 18th-century rulers in his vigorous Memoir on Ancient and Modern Russia, written in 1810–11 (1914, tr. 1959). Karamzin, Nikolai Mikhailovich Born Dec. 1 (12), 1766, in the village of Mikhailovka, in present-day Buzuluk Raion, Orenburg Oblast; died May 22 (June 3), 1826, in St. Petersburg. Russian writer, publicist, and historian. Son of a landowner in Simbirsk Province. Karamzin received his education at home and then at a boarding school in Moscow (until 1783); he also attended lectures at Moscow University. He came into contact with Freemasons through N. I. Novikov’s circle. Karamzin’s interest in the philosophy of the Enlightenment and the works of English and German sentimentalists helped form his philosophy and literary views. He published numerous translations, as well as his original tale Eugene and Julia (1789), in Novikov’s journal Detskoe chtenie dlia serdtsa i razuma (Children’s Reading for Heart and Mind). Karamzin broke with the Masons in 1789. He traveled throughout Western Europe and upon his return to Russia published Moskovskii zhurnal (Moscow Journal; 1791–92), in which he printed his own works as well: the main part of Letters of a Russian Traveler; the short novels Liodor, Poor Liza, and Natalia, the Boyar’s Daughter; and the verses “Poetry” and “To Grace.” The journal also published Karamzin’s critical essays and reviews on literature and theater and helped propagate the aesthetic principles of sentimentalism. Karamzin was intensely involved with the Great French Revolution. He was disenchanted with the Jacobin dictatorship of 1793–94, but later reacted positively on the whole to bourgeois law and order, which was preserved and consolidated under Napoleon I. After an almost complete silence imposed during the reign of Pavel I, Karamzin resumed his work as a publicist and used his journal Vestnik Evropy (The Messenger of Europe) as the platform for a program of moderate conservatism. His historical novella, Marfa Posadnitsa, or The Conquest of Novgorod (1803), was published in his journal and affirmed the inevitable victory of autocracy over the free city. Karamzin was the acknowledged leader of Russian sentimentalism, and his literary activity played an enormous part in deepening Russian literature’s interest in the individual, perfected the literary means used in depicting man’s inner life, and contributed to the development of the Russian literary language. Karamzin’s early prose influenced the work of V. A. Zhukovskii, K. N. Batiushkov, and the young Pushkin. From the mid-1790’s, Karamzin’s interest focused on historical problems. He abandoned literature and worked chiefly on his History of the Russian State (vols. 1–8, 1816–17; vol. 9, 1821; vols. 10–11, 1824; vol. 12, 1829; reprinted repeatedly), which became not only an important historical work but also an outstanding Russian prose work and served as the principal source for Pushkin’s Boris Godunov and Russian historical drama of the 1830’s. Karamzin’s historical views stemmed from the rationalistic conception of political development: the history of mankind is the history of worldwide progress, at the heart of which lies the struggle between reason and delusion and enlightenment and ignorance. According to Karamzin, great men play a decisive role in history, and he endeavored in every way possible to show the ideological and moral motivations behind the actions of historical figures. For him psychological analysis was the principal device to explain historical events. To Karamzin history was a science that exhorted people to social activity. He defended the inviolability of the autocracy and the necessity of preserving serfdom. He condemned the uprising of the Decembrists and approved of their punishment. His A Note on Ancient and Modern Russia (1811) sharply criticized M. M. Speranskii’s program of government reforms. Karamzin was an advocate of the Norman theory in explaining the origins of the Russian state. His division of Russian history into periods corresponded closely to that of V. N. Tatishchev and M. M. Shcherbatov. All three identified the history of the country with the history of the state, and the history of the state with that of the aristocracy. Karamzin, however, introduced much that was new, both in terms of understanding the course of Russian history and in his evaluation of specific historical events. Unlike Tatishchev and Shcherbatov, who saw the appanage system as a regression and the result of inept politics on the part of the great princes who divided the state among their sons, Karamzin saw it as a feudal system “in conformity with the conditions and spirit of the time” and common to all Western European countries. He viewed the formation of a single state under Ivan III as a process analogous to and simultaneous with the formation of large centralized states in Western Europe. Karamzin was not satisfied with a purely rationalistic explanation of historical events and in a number of cases used what is known as the pragmatic view of history and the comparative historical method, thus putting himself on a level with the most advanced historical methods of that time. He was the first to use a vast number of historical documents, including the Trinity, Laurentian, and Hypatian chronicles, the Dvina Statutes, the Sudebniki (Muscovy Law Codes), and accounts by foreigners. Karamzin gave excerpts from these documents in his extensive notes to the History, which long remained a unique archive. However, in the text Karamzin frequently deviated from his sources or showed a preference for a less accurate source in order to satisfy his political aims and monarchistic conceptions or to enliven or embroider the events. Karamzin’s History promoted the growth of interest in Russian history among various sectors of Russian society. It heralded a new stage in the development of Russian noble historiography. Karamzin’s view of history was officially endorsed and supported by the government, and the Slavophiles considered Karamzin their spiritual father. The representatives of the progressive camp (the Decembrists, V. G. Belinskii, and N. G. Chernyshevskii) reacted negatively to Karamzin’s History. It also was received critically by members of the newly formed school of Russian bourgeois historiography (M. T. Kachenovskii, N. A. Polevoi, and S. M. Soloviev). I. A. Kudriavtsev Soch., vols. 1–9, 3rd ed. Moscow, 1820. Izbr. soch., vols. 1–2. Introduction by P. N. Berkov and G. P. Makogonenko. Moscow, 1964. Poln. sobr. stikhotvorenii. Introduction, editing, and notes by Iu. M. Lotman. Moscow-Leningrad, 1966. Pogodin, M. P. N. M. Karamzin po ego sochineniiam, pis’mam i otzyvam sovremennikov, parts 1–2. Moscow, 1866. Bestuzhev-Riumin, K. Biografii i kharakteristiki. St. Petersburg, 1882. Gukovskii, G. A. “Karamzin.” Istoriia russkoi literatury, vol. 5. Moscow-Leningrad, 1941. Rubinshtein, N. L. Russkaia istoriografiia. Moscow, 1941. Istoriografiia istorii SSSR s drevneishikh vremen do Velikoi Oktiabr’skoi sotsialisticheskoi revoliutsii. Moscow, 1961. Kupreianova, E. N. “Russkii roman pervoi chetverti XIX v.: Ot sentimental’noi povesti k romanu.” In Istoriia russkogo romana, vol. 1. Moscow-Leningrad, 1962. Vatsuro, V. “Podvig chestnogo cheloveka.” Prometei, vol. 5. Moscow, 1968. Kisliagina, L. G. “K voprosu o razvitii sotsial’no-politicheskikh vzgliadov N. M. Karamzina v 90-x godakh XVIII stoletiia.” Vestnik MGU, series 12: Istoriia, 1968, no. 5. Kulakova, L. I. “Esteticheskie vzgliady Karamzina.” In her book Ocherki istorii russkoi esteticheskoi mysli XVIII v. Leningrad, 1968. Derzhavin i Karamzin v literaturnom dvizhenii XVIII-nachala XIX vv. Leningrad, 1969. (Collection.)
Thus Spoke Zarathustra Actions du livre Commencer à écouter Informations sur le livre Thus Spoke Zarathustra Écrit par Friedrich Nietzsche Raconté par Alex Jennings Note : 3 sur 5 étoiles3/5 (1,484 évaluations) Longueur: 5 heures Thus Spoke Zarathustra was conceived and written by Friedrich Nietzsche during the years 1881–1885; the first three parts were published in 1883 and 1884. The book formed part of his ‘campaign against morality’, in which Nietzsche explored the ethical consequences of the ‘death of God’. Heavily critical not only of Christian values but also of their modern replacements, Thus Spoke Zarathustra argues for a new value-system based around the prophecy of the Übermensch or Superman. Its appropriation by the National Socialist movement in Germany early in the twentieth century has tainted its reputation unjustly; but there are signs that the rehabilitation of Nietzsche, and of this his most incendiary work, is almost complete. Read by Alex Jennings, there are helpful introductions to every chapter. Lire plus
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This kind of massive amount of bank failures caused individuals to have a distrust in banks, also after the FDIC was established to guard the people in case this happened again. This kind of caused a stifling with the economy and made it in order that it took for a longer time for the economy to recover. The Great Depression was undoubtedly the most detrimental economic devastation the US offers ever had. It had been caused by a myriad of things, but the overproduction, the stock market crash, and traditional bank failures were the biggest concerns. People was required to go through an extremely hard time inside the great depression, and it was one the greatest tragedies the US has ever had to undergo. It took years for businesses to recuperate from this, if they did recover. Many organisations went out of business in the lack of customers. Millions of people shed their jobs, and this got to the stage where 1 from every 4 people didn’t have work. 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Technology Impacting Consumer Lifecycle Part – 1 Artificial Intelligence technology is a red hot topic in every industry at present, but AI is generally a broad term incorporating an extensive array of diverse technologies. This article is the first part of the two and will be focusing on the uses of AI tools around the customer lifecycle. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that highlights the invention of intelligent applications and machines that operate and respond like humans, which embraces a massive variety of aptitudes such as speech and vision recognition, machine learning procedures, and grammatical searches. ONPASSIVE is a smart business solution and soon to launch platform is leveraging the AI technology along with machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and business marketing techniques to develop futuristic tools that can help any business for growth. The approach entails utilizing techniques before-mentioned as content marketing, SEO, content creation, mass mailing, and other ‘earned media’ to deliver more numbers of visitors to your business site and start their customer lifecycle. AI & implemented competence prototypes can be utilized at this step to pull more visitors and present those with a more engaging experience who reach your website using these AI-powered tools of ONPASSIVE: • AI-generated content: This is the most exciting part of how technology has evolved, where a decade back, businesses had to hire a content writer who had an immense amount of experience to write the content for the company. Now, AI, with the help of machine learning has reached the heights that they can now write content for you by performing all the research on your behalf and write a blog, review, press releases, marketing campaigns, ad content, etc. AI writers are beneficial for reporting on a daily basis, information-focused events like quarter revenue reports, sports events, and market information. If you prefer to write on a particular topic like finance, or marketing AI writers can prove to be a fantastic tool that will drive more traffic towards your business. • Smart Content Curation: The content curation powered with AI technology enables a business to engage the visitor in a better way by suggesting them or showing them the appropriate and relevant content. The technique generally is found in those customers who bought a particular product will also buy another product, which usually is a go-along product. Additionally, this technique can also be applied to blog content suggestions and personalizing site notification more extensively. It is even an excellent idea for the businesses which work based on subscription plans. Where if someone is utilizing it more, device or application will have more data to feed on, and along with machine learning, your business can suggest the users with quality content and growing better every day. In this part of the article, we have covered what Artificial Intelligence is and how ONPASSIVE- a smart business solution utilizing the abilities of AI to develop the tools that are business intelligence-driven and how these tools can help a business to grow. In the second part of this article, we will mainly focus on tools like chatbots, predictive analysis, automated marketing, dynamic email, intelligent customer service, app personalization, and lead sourcing. • 184 1 All Comments • Avatar Allen Thompson This is definitely going to be a game changer for businesses large or small. This will be AI taken to another level when it is incorporated into everyday activities for business owners and entrepreneurs. Thanks Ash for introducing such advanced technology. 3 months ago \| 24 February, 2020 3:13 pm Reply • Eva Farbas Eva Farbas The Super Intelligent ONPASSIVE AI Technology will have a HUGE IMPACT on businesses small and big as well as on humanity. Thank you Ash & the Team once again. This whole system will be a MONSTER in a good way 3 months ago \| 19 February, 2020 2:27 pm Reply Leave a Reply
Custom «Questions» Essay Paper Sample Briefly Explain Following Questions 1. Briefly Explain the Idea of Nexus. Why it is an important concept in State and International Taxation? In what way it is similar to Jurisdiction? Nexus means the degree of contact between a taxpayer and a state necessary to establish Jurisdiction. Engaging in an activity or a business transaction for financial gain qualifies as doing and results in nexus in many states. Property ownership, derivation of income from sources within the state, or presence of an office may also produce nexus. The US Constitution restricts states jurisdictional powers with the commerce clause that states to the effect that the Congress shall have power to regulate commerce among several states. This effectively limits taxation by a state authority to activities with a substantial nexus to that state (Foth, 2007). The nexus rule indicates preference for a particular jurisdiction, thereby solving positive conflicts of jurisdiction. Moreover, the nexus rule can be employed to resolve a negative conflict of jurisdiction as well. Most often, the nexus rule relates to the right of states to exercise their jurisdiction (Inazumi, 2005). Buy Questions essay paper online Title of your paper Type of assignment Academic level Total price: 2. Briefly explain the difference between subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction. Subject-matter jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear specific type of cases or cases that relate to a particular subject matter, on the other hand, personal jurisdiction is the authority of a court to deliver ruling against a particular defendant. For example, bankruptcy court only can only render judgment to bankruptcy cases. Personal jurisdiction will be established if the persons implicated in the litigation are legal residents of the state or are currently in the state in which the lawsuit has been filed, or in condition that the transaction in subject has a substantial link to the state. 3. Describe the difference between Desktop PC and a computer that is suitable as a Web Server. Servers are oriented to carrying large workloads, which may consist of either single complex application or handling many small jobs. These applications are based on software from another source, but are often modified or customized for a particular function. Servers are built from the same technology as desktop computers, but provide for greater expandability of both computing and input/output capacity. In general, servers place great emphasis on dependability because a crush is usually more costly than it would be on a single user desktop computer. Servers span the widest range in cost and capability. At the low end, a server may be a little more than a desktop computer. These low end servers are typially used for simple web serving. At the other extreme are supercomputers, which at the present consist of hundreds or thousands of micro processors and usually terabytes of memory and pet bytes of storage. 4. Describe and discuss the two important measures of a website's performance Website's performance can be measured by the number of visitors. Traffic is one of the key measures of a website's success. The level of visitors your website gets is synonym to the efficiency of your web marketing efforts. The more visitors, the higher the popularity of the website as well as the greater the probability of building profitable customer relationships. Website's performance can also be measured by the duration Spent on the website - The duration the visitors spend on key pages? Why they leave? The duration spent on the website can indicate whether the visitors are accessing the needed information. 5. Discuss at least four differences between basic electronic commerce software and midrange electronic commerce software. The midrange packages permit merchants have total control over the choices of products, location plan, remote and local management options and, internal architecture. The midrange and basic commerce packages also have different database connectivity, prices, ability, software customization tools, software portability and, computer expertise that the merchant requires. Want an expert write a paper for you? Talk to an operator now! 6. What is middleware? Middleware is a software of any kind that enhances communication between two or more software systems. Middleware is a layer that acts as 'glue' and is found between the network operating systems and the application components. This layer allows applications to various operating systems. This mechanism or technology permits an entity (database or application) to communicate with a different entity, or entities (Sherlock et al. (2000). 7. What is steganography and its concept to the topic of online security? Steganography is the science of hiding messages in a medium known as carrier in such a way that the existence of the message is unknown. The object under cover may be an audio file, video, or image file, while the message being hidden could be plain text, audio, video or an image. Stenography disguises the message to be hidden thus rendering it invisible. Steganography therefore enables online users to make invisible communications by hiding secret information in innocuous cover objects. 8. Describe the security threats that company will face when it implements a wireless network. Wireless networking has many security issues. There number of security risks linked with the preseent wireless protocols and encryption methods is very high, and in the ignorance and negligence that exists. Wireless networks, are relatively simple to be broken into by hackers, and they have gone to the extent of cracking wire networks using wireless technology. With wireless, methods used for cracking networks have become much more innovative and sophisticated. In addition, the accessibility of easy-to-use Windows or Linux-based tools on the web for free, cracking has become much easier and more accessible. In the wireless security setting, the heart of problems with security is that networks are at heart of independent processing units that are fused together and the architecture itself is resistant to controls. The ease in accessibility, flexibility of growth and development that makes the wireless world to become successful also makes it to be highly vulnerable from a security point of view. 9. Explain what the electronic wallets are and how they can be useful to consumers. An electronic wallet holds the numbers of the credit card, electronic cash, holder identification, and the contact information of the holder. It gives this data at an electronic commerce site's check out counter. The electronic wallet provides consumers the advantage of entering their information only once, rather than entering their information each time they have to conduct a transaction or business, thus making shopping more efficient. When customers choose the goods they want to purchase, they just click their electronic wallet to quickly order the goods. 10. Outline the advantage and disadvantages of smart cards for online merchants. Flexibility in adding applications giving extra value to consumers Secure with use of passwords/pin numbers Over the counter as well as Internet transactions are possible; can be used for online and offline transactions Hurry up! Limited time offer Use discount code Order now Risk is limited to the value of the cash sent on the network Immediate transfer of funds Hardware specifications pose a problem Does not allow micro-merchants Uses proprietary currencies thus depend on issuing companies to honor their Internet cash 12. Explain why late outsourcing is seldom used in electronic commerce projects. In most of the e-commerce projects, often companies would outsources the initial site design and development to quickly begin the project. The company's information system professionals are then trained by the outsourcing team on the new technology before handing-over to them. This gives the company the advantage of running its own information systems in which people work closely to develop and improve ideas in the early stages, within the tenure of the project Most popular orders Testimonials We provide excellent custom writing service Place your order now Get 15%OFF your first custom essay order Order now Prices from $12.99/page Online - please click here to chat
Illustration by @monachalabi The COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of the world’s inequalities Hannah Robathan and Isabella Pearce in conversation with International Rescue Committee I think when they’re done right, illustrations can make something that feels too complicated and impenetrable all of a sudden seem close to home and easy to understand.” – Mona Chalabi The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. With COVID-19 spreading globally, and now confirmed in crisis-affected countries with International Rescue Committee (IRC) operations, like Afghanistan, Iraq, Burkina Faso and Venezuela, the IRC is ramping up its response to the outbreak with a focus on crisis zones with especially weak health systems. The IRC have teamed up with brilliant data journalist Mona Chalabi to illustrate the impact of COVID-19 on people whose lives have been affected by global conflict. shado sat down with the team to find out a bit more about the work being done by IRC and the unique double-challenge faced by those left most vulnerable to COVID-19, as illustrated by Mona. Illustration by @monachalabi What are the biggest challenges being faced on the ground? Refugees, families displaced from their homes, and those living in crisis will be hit the hardest by this pandemic. COVID-19 will thrive in active war zones like Yemen and Syria, putting the lives of thousands of civilians in even more danger, and is another reason for ceasefires to be implemented. COVID-19 continues to spread globally and has reached countries with weak health systems which are less prepared to combat the disease as there is a lack of staff, beds, oxygen and other equipment. 80% of people in need of humanitarian aid live in countries with large population displacement and overcrowding, and poor water and sanitation, making it difficult to protect themselves. Displaced and vulnerable families are often confined to overcrowded camps or cities where a disease like this can spread rapidly through the close-knit population. In addition, people have many other underlying illnesses or conditions that could exacerbate COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of the world’s inequalities, and how we are only as strong as our weakest health system. People living in crisis and conflict do not have access to strong health systems and are more vulnerable and at risk to this disease as a result. War and armed conflict devastate countries and their health care systems. In Yemen, more than half the country’s health facilities are closed and 80 percent of the Yemeni population is in need of humanitarian assistance. In countries experiencing active conflict like Yemen, Syria, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeast Nigeria and Burkina Faso, it will be much more difficult to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, putting the lives of thousands of civilians at increased risk. Why is a visual campaign so important in raising awareness around this? People are being bombarded with information about COVID-19 – it’s the main story on every news outlet and dominates everyones social media newsfeeds – so we need to make sure our content is presented in an innovative and engaging way to stand out from the crowd. It’s easy to be sensationalist around this topic, but that’s not our style, so it means we need to be even more creative to get people’s attention. When you’re looking at pure data, it’s difficult to quickly comprehend the profound impact of those figures. By visualising what those numbers mean, you are able to understand the potential impact this virus can have in a crowded place like a refugee camp. Do you have updated figures of how quickly COVID-19 seems to be spreading through camps? As it stands, governments around the world are unable to meet the demand for coronavirus testing, and this extends to places where the IRC work. It is impossible to say how quickly the virus will spread, but from our analysis about the population densities of some of the most overcrowded camps in the world we can predict that once it reaches them it will spread rapidly. Illustration by Mona Chalabi @monachalabi See more of Mona’s work here. The IRC is providing life-saving programs in countries threatened by the disease. They are working across three key areas: to mitigate and respond to the spread of COVID-19 within vulnerable communities; protect IRC staff; and ensure the continuation of their life-saving programming as much as possible across more than 40 countries worldwide. More Stories ‘For Sama’ is a love letter to my daughter; to my country, to my city, and to the dream of freedom.
Skip to main content By Rajiv Shah As against the officially stipulated minimum wages in Gujarat, Rs 298, NREGA workers in the state are paid, on an average, Rs 192 per day, suggesting that the difference between what they should be paid and what they are actually paid is a whopping Rs 106 for a day’s work, which is the highest in the country. While there are two major states – Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu – where the MREGA workers are paid “more” than their minimum wages, all other Indian states end up paying up less-than-minimum wages under the rural guarantee scheme. The scheme -- acclaimed by the World Bank in 2013 as “innovative practice” to promote financial inclusion, a U-turn from its earlier view that it was “barrier to economic development” – provides a legal guarantee for 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household, willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work. Ironically, the two states “paying” more under NREGA, have kept their minimum stipulated wages extremely low. Maharashtra’s officially declared minimum wage is Rs 194 as against the payment of Rs 201 for a day’s work under NREGA. Same is the case with Tamil Nadu, where the minimum wage is Rs 195, while the NREGA wage is Rs 205. The difference between the stipulated minimum wage and NREGA wage is Rs 105 in the case of Andhra Pradesh, where the officially declared minimum wage is 302, while payment under NREGA is Rs 197, followed by Bihar (Rs 69), Assam (Rs 67), Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand (both Rs 62), Punjab (Rs 61), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 58), West Bengal (Rs 54), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 53), and so on. Bringing this to light, in a letter to Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Rural Development, Government of India, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has regretted that the Centre is “yet to notify the revised wage rates” for NREGA, yet muster rolls for the “next financial year are being issued at the 2017-18 wage rates”. Pointing out that, currently, NREGA wage rates of all the 29 states and Union Territories are “less than the corresponding minimum wage rates for agricultural work”, and the difference is “greatest in Tripura, where the MGNREGA wage rate is only 58 per cent of the state minimum wage for agriculture”, the letter tells the minister, “This ratio is 59 per cent for Sikkim, 64 per cent for Gujarat and 65 per cent for Andhra Pradesh” (click HERE for table). The civil rights organization says, “The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld minimum wages as a fundamental right and equated payment of anything less as ‘forced labour’. Unremunerative NREGA wages, coupled with long delays in wage payments – even non-payment of wages in many cases – has turned many rural workers away from the employment guarantee programme.” Asking the Government of India to immediately come up with a “notification of revised NREGA wage rates for 2018-19”, the letter demands “payment of compensation” calculating the difference between the minimum wages and NREGA wages paid till now, underlining, the NREGA wages should obligatorily be not below minimum wages in 2018-19. The letter wants "NREGA wage rate to be at least Rs 600 a day, as the Seventh Pay Commission recommends a minimum monthly salary of Rs 18,000”, adding, for this, adequate allocation should be made in the “budget to meet the work demand of all rural households.” Dhiren said… Sad but true Uma Sheth said… How did Modi succeed in hoodwinking EVERYBODY about the Gujarat model???????? Anonymous said… According to MGNRGA provision in NREGA the agriculture MW or NREGA MW which one would be higher will allied. Agri MW is still 150 in Model gujarat. By Our Representative Counterview Desk By Shamsul Islam* Counterview Desk Withdraw sedition charges against three young women activists: 1100 feminists Counterview Desk By Asmita Verma, Surabhi Agarwal, Bobby Ramakant* By Biswanath Sinha, Kuntal Mukherjee* Tablighis or Namaste Trump? Rupani must 'clarify' on origin of Covid-19 in Gujarat By Mujahid Nafees* In his video communication on April 24, 2020, chief minister Vijay Rupani informed us that in the month of March the Gujarat government had quarantined 6,000 people returning from abroad in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. He further asserted that the spread of Covid-19 was caused by the tablighis returning from Nizamuddin in Delhi. His statements were widely publicized and given front page coverage by some local dailies. By Our Representative
The "Woman Organizer" December 19, 2019 While the Great Depression of the 1930’s had a huge impact on pretty much everyone the workers in the U.S. were particularly affected by the devastating loss of jobs and economic deterioration. The women of their period were particularly hard hit. In 1933 there were almost two million women who were unemployed. Married women were discriminated against more than other women and wages plummeted. Some women who were lucky enough to still hold jobs made less than five dollars a week and workplace conditions were inhumane in many cases. In the garment industry it became particularly horrific and sweatshops became the norm. There were a few women during this era who stepped up and became activists to fight for the women, better wages, the elimination of sweatshops and the formation of unions. One of those brave women was Rosa Perotta. Rosa Pesotta was born on November 10th, 1896, in the Russian Ukraine. When she was seventeen, she followed her older sister, Esther, to America to avoid an arranged marriage. Once in New York, she soon found work in a Manhattan shirtwaist factory and joined the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU), Local 25. It was one of the most powerful Unions of the era. The Union soon recognized Rose’s organizational abilities and enlisted her to organize the women garment workers. In 1915 she helped to set up an education department within the Union and was soon elected to Local 25’s Executive Board. In 1933 she traveled to Los Angeles to organize for the Union. Los Angeles was a traditionally anti-union city. She was persuasive though and met with great success which ultimately resulted in election as vice president of the ILGWU. This young anarchist was often sent to many fierce, anti-union factories and was the only paid woman organizer in the male dominated Union. She had to fight to get her voice heard within her Union as well as outside. She was deeply committed to women in the workplace and that made her an outsider or sorts which was something she had to deal with constantly during her career. Questioning male authority within the Union also eventuated in her being labeled as a “troublemaker.” It was completely socially unacceptable for women to be outspoken, leaders, or hold positions of leadership. Yet, Rosa did all three. She was the only "woman organizer" helping at the United Auto Workers strike in Flint, Michigan, and at the Akron rubber workers strike in the late 1930s. It was her job to raise the morale of the strikers by working with the wives, daughters, and sisters. She often spoke at meetings of the strikers and led them in union songs. She also filmed the strikes with her movie camera, and the workers were eager to pose for her, thus increasing her familiarity with the strikers. Rosa played an important role in the Flint sit-down strike. She was involved in the negotiations and diligently supported the strikers. During this strike thugs attacked and beat her, causing a lifelong hearing impairment. When the strike was finally settled, she was one of the CIO and UAW leaders who led the workers out. In many cases women had subservient and powerless roles in the 1930s. Pesotta dared to step out of the role society gave her. She is one of the few women who made it past the bastions of male power in the 1930s and tried to instill her own brand of feminism into the labor movement. In 1944, she made the decision not to run for a fourth term as Union vice president and returned to her old shop as a sewing machine operator. She also wrote and published two memoirs, Bread Upon the Waters, and Days of Our Lives. Please reload Recent Posts May 24, 2020 May 24, 2020 Please reload Please reload Please reload 40500 Road H, Mancos, CO 81328
\| 19.1°C Dublin Getting active ACCORDING to Get Ireland Active, which promotes physical activity in Ireland, being physically active is one of the most important steps people of all ages can take to improve their health. However, it says much of the Irish population is not sufficiently active to reap the health gain of physical activity. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Ireland state that all children and young people should be active, at a moderate to vigorous level, for at least 60 minutes every day, and muscle-strengthening, flexibility and bone-strengthening exercises should be included three times a week. Moderate to vigorous activity includes everything from sport, physical education ( PE) and formal exercise to active play and other physically demanding activities such as dancing, swimming or skateboarding. It also includes everyday activities such as walking and cycling. But a word of warning - children who are not active should start off slowly before building up an extra 15-30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity one to two days a week. Once they reach this, they should aim for 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week, for example progressing from 30 minutes on two to three days a week to 30 minutes on three to four days a week. In order to become more active for longer they should include some days with 60 minutes or more and choose more vigorous activity. As they progress, they will get closer to the goal of 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Mother & Babies
Search NNSD In This Hub: An Intro to Self-Defense Anger and Self-Defense Assertive or Aggressive? Are Martial Arts Self Defense? Attack Range Best Self-Defense Weapon Crime ISN'T a Fight Economy & Stress Violence Finding Good SD Training Five Stages of Crime How NOT To Get Shot How To Get Attacked Kinds of Violence Legalities of SD Mental Preparation Nature of Violence Normal, Abnormal, or Dangerous?* Personal Safety Pyramid* Physical Training* Pride, Self-Defense & Fighting Problem Neighbors Repercussions of Violence SD and You SD ISN'T Cut and Dried Self-Esteem and SD What's Wrong w/SD Violence Geeks Blog What's With the ? NNSD Home Page Donate to NNSD New Pages on NNSD Marc MacYoung? Dianna Gordon MacYoung? Animal E-list Crime Avoidance Lectures Colorado Classes Contact Us Hosting A Seminar Crime Prevention Expert Witness Knife Defense Martial Arts Movie Consulting Our Linking Policy Train with MacYoung Terms of Use Self-defense expert witness Masters of Mayhem Legal Aid/Training for self-defense & firearm use Terry Trahan Alain Burrese Firearms Academy Seattle Pacific Northwest Carry On Colorado Firearms Training Rory Miller RESOURCES at THE ZERO : The Official Website of Andrew Vachss Go to RESOURCE section! Campfire Tales from Hell Et al (Collection of first hand experiences) Beyond the Picket Fence MacYoung, et al (Social skills for survival) What's your definition of self-defense? Seriously, how do you define that term? (Reading from the State's penal code) If your personal definition doesn't match what I just read, then you're going to be arrested and convicted for "defending yourself." That's because what you did wasn't self-defense. Maybe you weren't hurt, but it wasn't self-defense. Marc MacYoung Self Defense On this page: Self-Defense pool \| Pyramid of Personal Safety (If you're new to the idea of self-defense)* \|What's wrong with most SD training\| Are martial arts self-defense? \| An intro to self-defense \| Why 'self-defense' isn't cut & dried \| A violent crime is NOT a fight \| Attack range \| Five Stages of Violent Crime* \| Anger putting you in danger? \| Assertiveness vs. aggressiveness \| Economy & stress violence \| Fighting is NOT self-defense \| Home invasion\| How NOT to get shot * \| How to get attacked * \| Knowing and protecting your boundaries \| Legal * \| Mental preparation \| Normal, Abnormal, or Dangerous?* \| Pride, self-defense & fighting* \| Problem neighbors Repercussions \| SD training is NOT about fixing your self-esteem\| Thoughts on the nature of violence \| Training for self-defense * \| Violence comes in different flavors \| Violence Geeks Violence NEVER solved anything ... \| What does self-defense mean to you? \| What needs to be in self-defense training? Let's start with what we're not going to do. We're not here to sell you our <begin thunderous and resounding tone> <end thunderous and resounding tone>. That's because we don't have one. The reason we don't have one is there is no such thing. We're here to introduce you to the factors you need to consider to ensure your personal safety. With that in mind, we need to start with an important paradigm shift: Self-defense is about what you do. That is a simple, but profound concept. One of the few worthy of being called a "paradigm shift." It's not what some system does for you. It's not some item that does everything for you. It's not a carte blanche to rain hell on someone. It's not about your fear, pride or anger. It's especially not about what you think self-defense is. Self-defense is proportional actions you do to prevent physical harm from happening to you -- even if it means physically injuring someone else. That's it. As you'll soon see, that word 'proportional' is the tricky part. Real tricky. If we want to expand the subject (as many people want to) we can include the many things you can do to ensure your safety that are not physically injurious to someone else -- including not putting yourself into such circumstances and even running fiercely. That's it. That's the maximum range and nothing more. But even with those limited standards self-defense is a massively complex subject Why? Remember the word 'proportional'? It's got a legal concept of "reasonably believes" attached to it. To use an old clich?about Mafia murders, 'reasonably believes' is like your feet in a bucket of cement before being dropped into the ocean. When, instead of the law's definition people act to their personal definition of self-defense, they buy a bag of cement, mix it up, put their feet in, let it dry and hop to the river and jump in. All on their very own. Oh wait, I'm sorry they do have help. Often their self-defense instructor sells them the cement, helps them mix it and carries them to the river. Yes, it's that bad. And that's assuming that the training works. Which is an awfully big assumption. While we're on the subject, self-defense training isn't therapy. Nor is it some psychological aid to build your self-esteem. We're not here to help you empower your dysfunction by using violence. If a situation has gotten to the point of where it is becoming physical, then it's spiraled way out of control ... usually because of emotions. You don't put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it. Which is what programs telling you to 'tap into your anger' for self-defense or promising to make you 'a warrior' are doing. (Those two approaches are very common in women's self-defense and combatives training.) Nor are we going to give you a bunch of half baked, simplistic advice (like carrying your keys between your fingers). We're not going to tell you to carry specific self-defense equipment -- which we conveniently sell at inflated prices. We're not going to show you martial arts techniques you can use to fight off a mugger (most of those will get you killed anyway). We definitely aren't going to tell you that you have the right to go berserk on someone because you feel threatened and call the resulting carnage 'self-defense.' If you're looking for these things, you've come to the wrong place. This site is for thinking people. It's to help you assess your danger and figure out what kind of training you need to address your situation. Self-Defense As A Pool So how are you going to tell if a type of training is what you need? Let me give you a visual to help you determine your self-defense needs. Imagine a public pool. It's big. Bigger than even an Olympic sized pool. Now you that you know about such pools is they are shallow on one end and deep in the other. Someone who hasn't ever seen one, wouldn't know this. All that person would see is the surface. A surface that looks the same whether it's two feet deep or twelve. Working this pool analogy, the shallow end is pretty simple and doesn't require any great skill. With just some basics you'll be fine. The deep end? Well that's a lot more complicated. A lot of fear management issues can be handled at the shallow end. The deep end requires a whole lot more knowledge, skills, and stress inoculation (the ability to think, act and not panic under pressure). Otherwise you're going to drown. Your circumstances dictate how deep your needs are. That's to say where you are in the pool determines what you're going to do to be safe. That means if you're looking for some general personal safety information because of what might happen, you don't really need that much training. If you're in a high risk profession or something bad is happening, you're heading into deeper water and need to up your game. This brings us to the problem on the other end of the spectrum. That's someone who really is in a situation that's in the deep end of the pool, but they want a simplistic, kiddie wading-pool, "you just do this and it will all go away" answer. What's worse is how many people when they hear there's no push button answer, get pissed off. Worse they don't want to pay or invest the time and effort it's going to take to clean this mess up. This to the point of choosing courses of action that increase their danger -- because they're mad there's no simple answer. Now that you know that, know this. The intent of this hub is to acquaint you with the factors and issues involved in personal defense. The truth is self-defense is a very complex and fluid situation. The reason for this is 'self-defense' extends beyond the physical. What you do before, during and after all determine whether or not it was self-defense. You can get in as much trouble over-defending yourself as you can ineffectively defending yourself. Your best defense is to look at your lifestyle, figure out what kind of threats you are most likely to face, and implement strategies that reduce the chances of them happening. But before you can make informed decisions, you have to know the risk factors and complications. This hub will introduce you to these issues. We provide this information so you can make informed decisions about the risks you are most likely to face and tailor your actions to be effective against those threats. You are the one who must first assess the degree of threat you face and then decide what are the appropriate tools that work with your comfort level. Physical self-defense is -- at best -- damage control. By taking a multi-layered approach to personal safety you greatly decrease your chances of having to engage in physical violence. We've come up with the Pyramid of Personal Safety to help you. What's Wrong With Most SD Training? If knowledge of the law and how our court system works were water, then what most people (including so-called 'self-defense' instructors) know could be flicked in you eye and you'd barely blink. However, with what they don't know you could drown a thunderin' herd of buffalo. Kind of scary when you realize that 'self-defense' is a legal standard, not a personal one. As such, if you over-react with 'defending yourself' you're going to be facing charges. This especially applies to if you were taught to fight instead of defend yourself. But that's not the worst of what's going on with training. There's a lot of dysfunction, emotional baggage, ego, pride, fantasy, bullying and even cruelty going on under what's being called SD training An Intro To Self-Defense What IS self-defense? More importantly, what ISN'T self-defense? Where do you cross the line from self-defense into assault? And why is the subject so complicated? On this page, we give a layman's explanation -- not only about what self-defense is, but why it is so easy to cross the line out of self-defense and get yourself arrested. Why 'Self-Defense' Isn't Cut and Dried First, do you know the difference between crime and violence? Second do you realize that what is self-defense in one situation, isn't in another? These are examples of why self-defense isn't a simple issue. What Does Self-Defense Mean to You? Self-defense can mean a lot of different things. To make it even worse, it can mean a lot of different things to different people Before you read any further, let's take a look at what you think self-defense is. A Violent Crime is NOT a Fight! While there are many reasons why a situation may escalate to physical violence, someone intent on committing a crime is NOT there to fight you. Therefore attempting to 'fight' him is extremely dangerous. Attack Range Do you know how to tell when you're about to be attacked? How about being set up for one? Let's talk about recognizing attack range Thoughts on the Nature of Violence What is violence? The answers may surprise you -- especially about you being violent. Economy and Stress Violence Whether it is a depression or a recession, crime goes up in economic hard times. but not just how you might think it does. There is a direct link between the economy and stress violence. Are Martial Arts Self-Defense? While that is what the school owner will try and tell you, before you sign the contract you might want to consider this. Fighting is NOT Self-Defense! There are many reasons to fight. And usually they boil down to either to gain or to preserve something. Often these goals are both subjective and non-physical (you can't put self-esteem into a wheelbarrow). Self-defense is only about the protection of your physical body, not your emotional well being. Many people not realizing this, think they are 'defending' themselves when they are in fact, fighting. Is Your Anger Putting You in Danger? Strong emotions are normal during conflict. Unfortunately anger, is the fastest way to provoke an attack from a violent person. Also, it's the easiest way for you to cross the line from self-defense to attacking. Assertive vs. Aggressive Like anger, being aggressive can often escalate a situation to physical violence. Whereas being assertive can prevent it. Learn the functional difference between the two and why one will cause and the other will defuse violence. Before you can enforce your boundaries, you have to know what they are. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment it is easy to cross the line from being the defender into being an aggressor. Five Stages of Violent Crime Crime is a process. It takes time to develop. And once you know what a developing crime looks like you can take steps to prevent it (or articulate in court why what you did was necessary). The Five Stages will show you what to look for. Home Invasion The newest page is Home Invasion. Whether it's a robbery, break in rapist, serial killer or you surprised a burglar, strangers in your home are not good. How NOT to get Shot There are all kinds of half baked theories about gun disarms, but what is seriously lacking is good solid information on how NOT to get shot when the bullets are flying. How To Get Attacked Speaking as a professional who's job it was to tell nasty people "no," we noticed there were people just seemed to be wearing a sign that said "ATTACK ME!" While many will think we're talking about people who project 'victim,' we aren't. The people we're talking about have an innate talent to just piss off violent people. It almost seems like these folks have a checklist of ways to provoke an attack. Believe it or not, there really is a checklist. There are certain behaviors that will get you attacked! This page will help you prevent from running down that list. Mental Preparation Believe it or not, stopping an attacker isn't the hardest part of self-defense. Far more insidious is how what you think can interfere with you being able to protect yourself. Self-defense is a legally defined term. While in different lifestyles the concept of self-defense varies widely, it is this legal standard that your actions will be judged by. Therefore, unless you're not afraid of doing time in prison, it is incumbent on you to meet this legal criteria. Normal, Abnormal, and Dangerous A sad reality of self-defense is odds are you're going to end up on the witness stand facing hostile counsel. One of the ways attorneys operate is, like computer hackers pinging for computers without firewalls, the lawyer is going to ping for weaknesses in what you say and know. After you say "He was..." a common strategy is "How do you know he wasn't...?" (For example, you say, "I saw him do a witness check before approaching." The attorney responds with "Is is not possible he was looking for a friend?") Do you know how to answer such a question? The Normal, Abnormal, Dangerous model gives you a way to answer such questions. Pride, Fighting, Self-Defense & Self-control The sad truth is many people are willing to do anything for self-defense -- except exercise emotional self-control. This is a categorically bad idea that will put you into violence faster than anything else. IF you don't get mauled, it will have also ruined your claim that it was self-defense Problem Neighbors Having problems with an irrational, hateful and seemingly insane neighbor? In such cases you'll find yourself wondering, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PERSON? Is he insane?" The answer is no, not really. Odds are what is happening is you've run across someone who 'lives by the feud.' The problem neighbor page will help you understand what motivates these people, why being 'reasonable' doesn't work and why they won't just go away ... until you handle them correctly. In essence this hub isn't about the physical aspects of self defense. it about showing you the issues involved in self-defense, This is where you can get information on training for the physical aspects of self-defense. Repercussions of 'Winning' Contrary to what you may think a fight doesn't end with a body hitting the floor. That's usually only the beginning of the repercussions your victory will bring you. Don't Expect SD Training to Fix Your Self-Esteem Realize that SD training is designed to protect your body, NOT your pride or bolster your sense of self-worth. While it can be an important part of psychological healing, self-defense training alone is not enough. Unfortunately, many people who have been traumatized, instead of seeking professional help attempt to self-medicate with this kind of training. Violence Comes in Different Flavors Many people don't know what 'self-defense' is because they don't understand there are different kinds of violence. Not only do different kinds of violence have different goals, but your actions have significant influence on whether or not the situation goes physical. If you blindly react to any threat as though it demands you to unleash your self-defense training you are seriously increasing the chances of the situation escalating into the most dangerous kind of violence -- an event you may not survive. Violence Geeks There are people who are terrified of violence. There are also people who go into self-defense training with the intent of getting even. I refer to these people -- people who are itchin' to unleash their training on someone -- as Violence Geeks. Violence NEVER Solved Anything ... oh yeah? Politically correct thinking would have us believe that any kind of violence is wrong (first off they need to read the section as to what violence really is). Often these people use their pacifism as a self-righteous weapon, especially against those whose job it is to use force to protect others and keep the peace. Anyone who has had to use justifiable force (or currently uses it professionally) has dealt with the scorn and contempt of those who contemptuously proclaim " violence never solves anything," as a put down. Marc wrote a blog to rebut this long standing clich?and how to answer when it is being used as an insult instead of wisdom. What Needs To Be In Self-Defense Training? Many organizations offer "self-defense" training. But what they are selling is anything but 'self-defense.' Most of these programs teach either over-the-top responses (which is illegal), a blend of ineffective techniques and bad advice (which is dangerous) or are a sales pitch to get you to join their martial arts program. Before you pay your money for such training you might want to know what needs to be in an effective self-defense program. Return to top What You Don't Know Can Kill You (How your SD training will put you into prison or the ground) Anger Management For Dummies A Time To Kill Greg Hopkins (Christian Self-Defense) Concealed Carry for Women Gila Hayes (Carry issues for women) FTW Self- Defense Clint Jahn (Street culture, self-defense) Marc MacYoung (Crime recognition/avoidance) Deep Survival Lawrence Gonzales (Crisis mental preparedness) Rory Miller (Close quarter violence) Emotional Vampires Albert Bernstein (Boundaries with dysfunctional/ manipulative people) Writing Violence Vol: IV Defense Marc MacYoung (Defensive action and failure) Law of Self-Defense Anthony Branca (Legal issues of SD) Calling the Shots Jenna Meek (WSD, pistols, concealed carry) In the Name of Self-Defense Marc MacYoung (Violence, crime & aftermath) Read AFTER "What You Don'tKnow..." ,, , ,
Insights into Improving Forecast Accuracy through Data Science! Insights into Improving Forecast Accuracy through Data Science! What is demand forecasting? Demand Forecasting is estimating the volume of the future demand with sales being a proxy of the demand. The demand planner uses a statistical model to get statistical forecasts based on sales history and overrides/modifies the statistical forecasts with consensus forecasts which are based from business knowledge of the demand planner. In the sales and operations planning meeting with the demand planners and managers/executives from different departments, a final decision is made regarding the use of a statistical or consensus forecast. What are the benefits of accurate and concise forecasting? • If the forecast is higher than the actual sales, then there would be an excess of inventory thereby increasing the cost to store the products. • If the forecast is lower than the actual sales, then the company may have difficulty to fill the order and not be able to provide the necessary quantity requested by the customer. The company will miss opportunities to sell more products and increase revenue. What is Data Science? Data Science is the practice of formulating a hypothesis that will drive business value; defining the data and tools needed to collect and store the volume and variety of the data needed; identifying the type of analysis and performing analysis based on various statistical based algorithms like correlation analysis, statistical analysis, logistic regression and decision trees; and sharing insights from the analysis in the form of dashboard or a visualization tool. What were the business challenges our client faced? Our client faced the following challenges that needed to be addressed in the forecasting process. First, demand planners were spending a lot of time on forecasts for all products instead of allocating time to focus on the products that generate the highest sales. There was a need to identify products that the demand planner should focus on to improve the forecast performance/accuracy. Secondly, there was a need to identify when in the process forecast adjustments made by the demand planner add value and finally feedback on their forecasting performance will allow planners to make better decisions. What solution did TekLink offer? Using data science techniques, TekLink provided a Forecast Accuracy Value Add application composed of two dashboards i.e., Product Segmentation and Consensus vs Statistical forecasts. These dashboards allowed the demand planner to view forecasts using Tableau by compiling data from various sources and then computing forecast performance and measures via use of various analysis methods (see samples below). Product Segmentation Tool Consensus vs. statistical forecasts What were the outcomes and benefits? The Product Segmentation Tool drove better and quicker business decisions by helping identify the product where input from demand planners will have the most impact on improving the forecast performance. This tool avoided adding bias on products that can be easily forecasted by the statistical model. It also increased process efficiency by optimizing the time allocated by demand planners on the most valuable products. The new process created a more accurate forecast which required less intervention by demand planners. Demand planners using consensus vs statistical forecasts made better decisions by getting feedback on their forecasting performance. Through the dashboard, demand planners identified for which products, period and region, their adjustments added value to the forecasting process. They also were able to evaluate chronic conditions of under or over-forecasting which led to discussions and decisions around forward-looking forecasting. What are the client’s next steps? Our client is considering the following next steps for future insight: • Look at the impact of variables such as promotions, pricing, quality of products to see if those can explain the difference in forecast accuracy between statistic and consensus forecasts • Look at event analysis (promotions/advertisement on special events) to see how they impact the demand and the forecast performance • Analyse how much the customer service level and the write-off inventory/ inventory level have been impacted by a poor forecast performance. Click here to find more information on Big Data and Data Science at TekLink. Contact us to learn more, schedule a demo or proof of concept. We can build a pilot using your own data so you can see how forecasting accuracy can be improved with data science techniques. Contact Us Contact Us
VnutZ Domain Featured Article Immoral War Is Necessary [index] [8,908 page views] Tagged As: Military, Philosophy, and War Jus in bello, a fancy term for the means by which wars are fought, is often the subject of philosophy circles. This component addresses the morality of how soldiers engage one another. Before spending time on the morality of how soldiers fight the war, the issue of moral warfighting itself needs to be explored. To address the issue of promoting soldiers to use immoral means of fighting, it is necessary to look at a few scenarios. The first case investigates why conflicts cannot be settled by a game of chess. Following this situation, the second case examines what happens if all opponents engage in completely moral means of combat. The final case will explore the feasibility of using immoral techniques as a means to an end. It may be impossible to prove that immoral methods are the de facto means for all situations, but it is important to open up such a tool as a viable alternative. Perhaps nothing could be more civilized and painless then a game of chess to settle international crises. Utilizing strategy, ploy, and intellect, a simple match offers a bloodless solution in a fair forum. The critical problem to the chess game is that it has no lasting effects. A society will not allow itself to be repressed over of the loss of a board game. A society's unrest cannot be stifled by the loss of a board game. Furthermore, there are no limiting factors to prevent a society from demanding rematch after rematch. This argument is susceptible to attack as a slippery slope, however, it is necessary to examine extreme cases to understand why they are impossible. Any conflict that stirs passions to engage in war cannot be settled bloodlessly because there is no loss to prevent further fighting. Therefore, a critical aspect to ending and preventing war is the loss of a society's ability to fight and the loss of a society's will to fight. If a war is fought morally under the restriction of jus in bello, it can only be won by attrition. For soldiers to fight a moral war, they must fight on a battleground that does not endanger innocents. Arguments have been made that declare only vacant expanses of ocean and desert qualify as morally acceptable battlegrounds. The restrictions on who may be killed restrict soldiers to engage legitimate combatants. If war is being fought morally by all parties, than the only combatants on the field are other soldiers who voluntarily joined their respective armies. Therefore, all these combatants have willingly placed their lives at risk for the execution of their society's policy. It is considered wrong to waste soldiers needlessly, however, by definition, their loss is not a sufficient cause for ending war because the combat in which they fight is moral and they are volunteers. Finally, society itself will endure no hardship upon its citizenry or infrastructure. With all opponents engaging each other on designated battlefields, there will never be attacks upon the homes of innocents or the structural integrity of their nation. Attacking such targets is never justifiable by reprisal or deterrent because they were never in danger to begin with. While it is possible to engage in this sort of 100% moral war, only total attrition of manpower or a complete exhaustion of resources can end the combat. Since the loss of the soldiers is justified, under most doctrines, surrender is not an option until the last man has perished. The only taxing effect of war upon the non-combatants is the economic burden of supporting the war effort. If the popular support for the war is strong, it is likely that the citizenry will be willing to endure the resource rationing. The problem with fighting a total moral war is, like the chess game, the decision making body is not suffering any loss. Society is still functioning healthy and productivity is not hampered. Although soldiers are dying, there are no deterring effects to end the people's will to continue. On the opposite extreme, war fought in the vilest, cruelest, and most grisly fashion imaginable can either lead to imminent victory or agonizing trials of retaliation. At this end of the spectrum, a soldier has no regard for the target; whether they are legitimate combatants or innocents, they are killed indiscriminately. Continuing the idea of indiscriminate killing, there are no limits on the engagement of infrastructure. There are no repercussions for destroying agriculture, transportation, business, etc. The idea behind immoral fighting is to seize the battlefield initiative and exploit shock action. This form of combat allows one force to drastically crush an opponent's ability to fight through unconventional means. Weapons of mass destruction that can eradicate the opposition and reduce the ability to continue fighting swing the balance of war steeply in favor of the force with the initiative. The devastating shock effect caused by slaughtering innocents, destroying food, and obliterating a society's standard can demotivate a population enough to force surrender. Under these premises, it would seem evident that immoral warfare is the end all force. Although it provides a means to quick and decisive victory, immoral fighting opens the door for reprisals and states of emergency among other things. The principle of double effect actually justifies the attack of many such targets and the collateral damage incurred. Double effect seems to be more of a makeshift justification to appease a moral conscious society that would not allow missions against targets within the boundaries where innocents work and reside. Having this abstraction [double effect] allows a society to use it as a shield to perform the very acts they would otherwise condemn as immoral. The aggressors are subject to endure the same pains they inflict, if those acts were immoral. The sheer destruction may in fact rally the victim's will to seek revenge. Immoral fighting seeks decisive victory in swift blows. If it fails to meet its objective, this method only extends the bounds of moral war into a bloodier conflict. War cannot be fought on the abstract basis of a simple game whereupon nobody endures loss. Nor can it be fought entirely by moral means where once again, there are no significant losses to deter fighting. Pure immoral tactics themselves are impossible for they lead to such utter destruction that mankind cannot recover from the aftermath. It can therefore be concluded that somewhere between these extremes lies a level of morality that must be observed to sustain the human race. On the same note, it is apparent that a certain degree of immorality is necessary to shake society's enough to force the end of war. Therefore, some soldiers will be called upon, to commit ghastly acts of immorality. However, the majority of soldiers will never endure the need to engage in atrocious styles of combat. Immorality is a tool that must not be overlooked as an option merely because it is controversial. It cannot be shunned because certain individuals could not consciously execute the task themselves. Immoral warfare is simply another aspect of war that all soldiers must be prepared to deal with physically and emotionally. More site content that might interest you: The demo of this product ... is pretty damn amazing.
• Proposed • 2Under Assessment • 3Preliminary Assessed • 4Assessed • 5Published Bacidia schweinitzii (Fr. ex Tuck.) A. Schneid. Go to another Suggested Species... Scientific name Bacidia schweinitzii (Fr. ex Tuck.) A. Schneid. Common names Surprise Lichen Champion Crust IUCN Specialist Group Assessment status Proposed by James Lendemer Comments etc. James Lendemer Assessment Notes Taxonomic notes This species was described over a century ago and has been treated taxonomically in multiple detailed treatments (e.g., Ekman 1996, Lendemer et al. 2016). It is a highly distinctive crustose lichen that can easily be recognized in the field and laboratory. Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment? Geographic range Endemic to eastern North America, this species is widely distributed from southern Canada to central Florida in the United States (Brodo et al. 2001, Ekman 1996, Lendemer et al. 2016). Population and Trends Comprehensive detailed population data are unavailable for this taxon. The status of the population is suspected to be stable given that it is common and widespread in many habitats and there is no indication the species is restricted to a narrow range of habitats or substrates (Ekman 1996, Lendemer et al. 2016). ASSESSMENT: Least Concern Given the large number sites where it is extant, large geographic range, large population size, and absence of documented or suspected declines, the species does not meet the thresholds for any threat criteria. Population Trend: Stable Habitat and Ecology Bacidia schweinitzii primarily occurs on the bases and boles of trees, especially in humid habitats. It is most often found on the bark of hardwood trees, but frequently also occurs on the bark of certain conifers such as cypress (Taxodium). It is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical areas of eastern North America. Boreal ForestTemperate ForestSubtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland ForestSubtropical/Tropical Swamp ForestPermanent Rivers, Streams, Creeks [includes waterfalls]Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands [generally over 8 ha] Threats to this species are primarily habitat loss, air pollution and urbanization as it does not typically occur in urban areas, highly polluted sites, or areas that have been recently strongly disturbed. Housing & urban areasSmogHabitat shifting & alteration Conservation Actions Many sites where this species occurs are located on public lands and in protected areas where it is incidentally protected. It would benefit from broader awareness and training as to the impacts of broad scale disturbance, urbanization and air pollution on lichens. Formal educationTrainingAwareness & communications Research needed This species would benefit from demographic studies and long-term monitoring of population trends. Population size, distribution & trendsPopulation trends Use and Trade Known distribution - countries Regional Population and Trends Country Trend Redlisted
We have all heard that if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door. The lesson to be learned here is that if you can take something simple and make it better, you could have a wonderful innovation. Take a simple idea such as a garbage can. It is even simpler than a mousetrap. It is just a receptacle where we put unwanted items. Eventually, someone comes along and empties it. Could you make an innovation with a product that simple? Someone aleady has. The video below explains how one company took the simple outdoor garbage can and created an innovation. With the additions of a solar powered trash compactor and some wireless technology, they have created something truly innovative. If they can do this with what was at one point a simple container, what can you do? Look around. Some simple item nearby may be ripe for an innovation. This Blog was originally published September 25, 2013
Sleeping Disorders Sleeping Disorders Written by kiran Sleeping Disorders: Obstructive apnea may be a condition where there’s a blockage within the upper airways. This leads to pauses in breathing throughout the night which will cause you to abruptly awaken, often with a choking sound. Snoring commonly occurs during this disorder. Restless legs syndrome can also trigger sleeping disorders. This condition causes uncomfortable sensations in your legs, like tingling or aching. These sensations offer you the urge to form your legs move frequently, including while resting, which may interrupt your sleep. Delayed sleep phase disorder is another condition which will affect sleep. This condition causes a delay within the 24-hour cycle of sleep and wakefulness. you’ll not feel sleepy or nod off until the center of the night. This sleep cycle makes it harder for you to awaken within the early morning and results in daytime fatigue. In adults There are many possible reasons for sleeplessness, including your sleeping habits, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions. Some causes are minor and should improve with self-care, while others may require you to hunt medical attention. Causes of sleeplessness may include aging, an excessive amount of stimulation before bedtime (such as watching television, playing video games, or exercising), consuming an excessive amount of caffeine, noise disturbances, an uncomfortable bedroom, or a sense of pleasure. Sleeping is an excessive amount of during the day, lack of exposure to sunlight, frequent urination, physical pain, jet lag, and a few prescription medications can also cause difficulty sleeping. For many people, stress, worry, depression, or work schedules can also affect their sleep. For others, sleep issues are thanks to a disorder like insomnia, apnea, and restless legs syndrome syndrome syndrome. In infants Sleeplessness can also occur in infants. It’s normal for newborns to awaken several times throughout the night. However, most infants will start to sleep through the night after they’re 6 months old. If an older infant is showing signs of sleeplessness, it’s going to be a symbol that they’re teething, sick, hungry, or bothered by gas or digestive problems. How are sleeping disorders diagnosed? You should see a doctor if your sleeping difficulties are ongoing and affecting your quality of life. They’ll plan to find the underlying explanation for your sleeplessness by conducting a physical examination and asking questions on your sleep patterns. During your appointment, make certain to inform your doctor about any prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and herbal supplements that you simply take. Some medications and supplements cause overstimulation and may disrupt your sleep if taken too on the brink of bedtime. You should also mention if you’re experiencing other problems, like depression, anxiety, or chronic pain. These factors can also affect your ability to sleep. To determine the explanation for sleeplessness, your doctor may recommend that you simply keep a sleep diary. You should record your entire day’s activities and sleep habits, like the time you visited bed, the time you awakened, the quantity of food and therefore the drinks you consumed, your mood, any medications you took, your activity level, and your quality of sleep. Keeping a sleep record helps your doctor pinpoint habits which will trigger sleep issues. If your doctor suspects you’ve got apnea, restless legs syndrome, or another disorder, they’ll schedule a sleep study test. For this test, you’ll spend the night during a hospital or sleep center. The sleep specialist will observe you throughout the night. Your vital sign, pulse, breathing, oxygen level, and brain waves are going to be monitored for any signs of a disorder. Treatment options for sleeping disorders? Lifestyle changes Treatment for your sleeplessness depends on its cause. In some cases, at-home remedies or simple lifestyle changes can improve the standard of your sleep. you’ll want to avoid caffeine and alcohol for a minimum of a couple of or more hours before bed. Limit any daytime napping to a half-hour or none in the least if possible. Keep your bedroom dark and funky. Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime, and permit seven to eight hours for sleep each night. taking note of soothing music and taking a hot bath before bedtime can also help. Keep a daily sleep schedule. Sleeping aids You may also purchase some sleep aids without a prescription. However, sleep aids can cause daytime drowsiness if you don’t get a full seven or eight hours of sleep. Also, don’t use these products on a day to day, because it may cause dependency. Treating the underlying condition If a medical condition or disorder is causing your problems, you’ll need treatment for the underlying condition. For example, if your sleep is suffering from a mental disorder or depression, your doctor may prescribe an anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication to assist you to deal with worry, stress, and feelings of hopelessness. Outlook for people with sleeping difficulties If left untreated, chronic sleep problems can greatly affect your qualify of life. Your response time when driving may decrease, which increases your risk of an accident. Poor sleep quality can also reduce your performance levels in the work or at college. it’s going to also weaken your system, leading to more colds and illnesses. About the author Leave a Comment Cardio vs Weight Lifting: Many people who’ve decided to reduce…
Skip to main contentSkip to main content Smelling things that aren't there (phantosmia) Causes of phantosmia Phantosmia is usually caused by an infection such as: Less common causes include: Cleaning inside your nose can help You can make a salt water solution at home. How to clean your nose with a salt water solution 1. Boil a pint of water then leave it to cool. 3. Wash your hands. 4. Stand over a sink, cup the palm of one hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it. 5. Sniff some of the solution up one nostril at a time and let it run out of your nose. It might help to hold your other nostril closed with your finger as you sniff. 6. Repeat these steps a few times to see if it helps. You don't need to use all of the solution. Make a fresh solution each day, don't re-use any left over from the day before. Non-urgent advice: See a GP if the strange smell doesn't go away in a few weeks Treatment for phantosmia depends on the cause
Fashion History of the High and Late Middle Ages—Medieval Clothing Updated on April 26, 2020 Dolores Monet profile image Clothing of the Middle Ages—Hennin (Coned Hat) Clothing of the Middle Ages—Hennin (Coned Hat) \| Source • An emergence of changing fashion • Cultural influences from outside Europe • The spinning wheel was introduced • Clothing revealed social status • Women always wore head coverings The Evolution of Fashion In the High and Late Middle Ages, European clothing began to evolve into what we think of today as fashion. The cut, shape, style, and decoration of clothing changed at a much faster pace than in the Early Middle Ages (sometimes known as the Dark Ages) when styles varied little over time. While we think of fashion changes occurring from year to year, the clothing designs of the Late Middle Ages changed from generation to generation. The spinning wheel replaced the distaff (a hand held spindle), and the horizontal loom with foot treadles and shuttle simplified the production of textiles and clothing. Increased production encouraged increased consumption of textile products and clothing resulting in the beautiful costumes we associate with medieval Europe. Trade improved. Attractive clothing became more available and affordable and the emerging middle class began to emulate the styles of the elite. 1200 - Costumes of the Middle Ages - Much Like Costumes of the Early Middle Ages 1200 - Costumes of the Middle Ages - Much Like Costumes of the Early Middle Ages \| Source Clothing as Status Our knowledge of the costumes of the High and Late Middle Ages comes to us from the artwork of the era. People dressed in various clothing styles appear in stained glass, statues, drawings, and oil paintings. While there was (as is today) class stratification in clothing, and a garment displayed the social status of the wearer, the differences became less rigid. And while the Church still dictated the types of clothing worn especially by women, clever designers found ways to embellish clothing and add interesting touches. Berthold of Regensburg, in 1220, played with the contrast of high fashion and women's vanity and the ideals of the Church when he said: "It is not enough for you to show your pride in your very buttonholes; you must also send your feet to hell by special torments." Obviously, the wearing of clothing now meant more than comfort in this early comment ridiculing fashionable footwear. Medieval Picnic Circa 1300 Women's Clothing of the High Middle Ages The goal of the Crusades was to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims who had taken control of the region. Men joined for religious reasons, to seek adventure, and opportunity. They brought back new fabrics like velvet as well as new clothing styles and designs. Civilians incorporated the new foreign styles as well as military elements into the manufacture of garments. The shape and fit of garments changed. Where tunics previously hung lose and undefined, both men's tunics and women's gowns fit more closely to the body, increasing both warmth and style. Gowns closely followed the lines of the body from shoulder to below the waist with a separate and fuller skirt sewn to the bodice. Sleeves widened toward a bell shape. The longer sleeve of the under tunic elongated with such exaggeration that the hems of the bottom part of the sleeve sometimes reached the ground. The under tunic, now called a chemise, was a long garment made of linen. A pelisson was worn over the chemise. Over the pelisson went a bliaut or loose blouse that could be tightly laced for outings or for welcoming guests. Jeweled girdles were worn by the elite. A woman carried a small purse that hung from her belt. Women wore gloves and wove flowers in their hair. The veil became more ornate and evolved into elaborate headdresses. And while the Church still insisted that women wear veils for modesty, the veils became sheer, made of fine muslin or silk. Veils were trimmed with decorative borders or were interwoven with metallic thread. Costumes of the Middle Ages—Women in the 1300s Classic Styles and Clothing Terms of the Middle Ages As the types of clothing styles increased, so did the names of these designs. The following are terms and names of fashionable medieval garments. • Cote—The under tunic came to be called a cote. Dyed in bright colors that were attractively revealed by slashing the fabric of the outer tunic, or surcote, to create an interesting contrast. • Garnache—a long cloak with cape like sleeves • Hergaut or gardecorps—a style of cloak that featured long, full sleeves • Chaperon—a hood that was sewn onto a cape • Houppelande—The houppelande of 1380 was a beautiful, full length robe like garment featuring a high collar and wide sleeves. Later, the full sleeves tightened at the wrist. The houppelande fell in folds into a bell shape. Women wore this style in the late 1300's and men adapted the look in the 1400's. The houppelande would often feature fur trim. • Cote Hardie—a 14th century style that buttoned in the front. The low waist and fitted bodice had tight sleeves that ended at the elbow and long extensions draped at the back of the sleeve. The bodice was sewn to a skirt. Clothing of the Late Middle Ages—The Houppelande Costumes of the Middle Ages 1250 Costumes of the Middle Ages 1250 \| Source A Change From the Early Middle Ages (Dark Ages) The High and Late Middle Ages saw the increased use of buttons. Previous buttons had been for adornment only, but now they became functional. Trousers wrapped with leather or cloth strips below the knee in the Early Middle Ages gave way to the wearing of hose. While men still wore tunics and over tunics, i the way they wore them changed. Men wore either a loose belted tunic or a tighter, more form fitting one. A form fitting tunic featured slits in the skirt to allow ease of leg movement. The 1200's saw a rise in what we might call fashion, or even fads. Where once clothing had been entirely functional, designs featuring gimmicky or quirky elements grew in popularity. The 13th century saw shoes grow long, pointy toes. The toes were soft, though later stuffed with moss for firmness. Toe length achieved such exaggeration, that the government set out rules describing how long the toe of the shoe could be depending on a person's station in life. Hoods grew extra fabric and were slightly longer than necessary. Veils and other fabrics made of fine silk imported from the Far East were interwoven with golden thread for a shimmering effect. Headgear of the Middle Ages—Note the Horn Shaped Head Dress Wimple - circa 1430 Wimple - circa 1430 \| Source Medieval Men's Hats - Many Styles Medieval Men's Hats - Many Styles \| Source Hats, Veils, and Head Coverings The wimple, a style brought back from the Middle East during the Crusades caught on. A wimple is a piece of cloth worn over the head and around the face and neck. A wimple would be worn under a veil called a couverchef. The style can still bee seen today on some Muslim women and on a few Catholic nuns, though not as ornate as the stylish wimples of the Late Middle Ages. Although a wimple was a garment used for modesty, women in the upper classes decorated their wimples and added padded rolls of fabric to create interest. Women began to take a great interest in head gear, and the fashions of the High and Late Middle Ages became ornate and wildly ostentatious. The wimple and padded roll could be topped with elaborate structures supported by wire frames. A horn like style created with hair and supports became wildly popular. The early 1400's saw the appearance of the hennin- a classic look of the Middle Ages. A tall, conical hat worn tilted at the back of the head, the hennin was often worn with a veil. (Pictured at the top of the article) The more ornate head gear was worn by the aristocracy of the Middle Ages who sometimes shaved their hairlines to create the illusion of a high forehead. Eyebrows were plucked or partially shaved as well. Men wore many types of hates and head gear. The sugar loaf hat was a tallish, conical hat that resembled an inverted flower pot. The flat,mortar board type hat we associate with graduation emerged in the 14th century, a style that evolved from the biretta, a similar type of hat worn by the clergy. In the mid 1200's, Jews were forced to wear a pointed hat to distinguish them from the Christian populace. Previously, the style had been traditional garb but had fallen out of fashion in the community. Horn Headdress Late Middle Ages - Queen Isabella of Portugal in a Burgundian Style Costume Late Middle Ages - Queen Isabella of Portugal in a Burgundian Style Costume \| Source The Birth of Fashion The High Middle Ages began with a population explosion in Europe that took people back into the cities that had emptied out during the Dark Ages. But the Great Famine (brought on by cool temperatures and too much rain) of 1315 - 1317 decimated the population. The loss of feed, seeds, grains, and livestock led to mass starvation and it was not until 1325 that Europe began to recover. Various rounds of bubonic plague or the Black Death between 1338 - 1375 further reduced the population of Europe. The recovery was slow, but out of this difficult time came new changes in the economy, society, and in clothing. Waistlines rose and fell. Sleeve fullness shrank and grew. Patterns and designs appeared on textiles both woven in, embroidered, or printed on the fabric. Elaborately printed gowns in brocade or damask, silk or velvet featuring flowers, Oriental designs, artichokes, and pomegranates greatly enhanced women's gowns creating the beautiful costumes associated with medieval times. Head coverings changed frequently for both men and women and the tony set could be subject to ridicule if they appeared in something out of date. As society healed after the ordeals of the 14th Century, Europe became more prosperous. The fabulous clothing once restricted to royalty now became available and affordable for the merchant class and a new upwardly mobile urban middle class. Women's gowns became high waisted with a low cut V neck that showed a piece of contrasting fabric underneath. The V neck would be folded back to reveal an attractive lining. Long fitted sleeves developed cuffs in what was called Burgundian fashion. The over tunic men wore evolved into a doublet or a short skirted tunic. Slashings in the sleeves showed the under tunic which could be pulled through to create puffs of contrasting fabric and color. Trousers shortened with attached hose with leather soles. Middle Ages - Parti-colored Cotehardie Middle Ages - Parti-colored Cotehardie \| Source Gothic Fashion of the Middle Ages Fashions of the Late Middle Ages were influenced by the Gothic style, a look that accentuated slenderness and an elongated form for both men and women. The display of a coat of arms became popular as did parti-colored garments. In an unusual design, garments were made of two colors. Today, we mix colors horizontally, as in different colors in a shirt and pants or skirt. Parti-colored garments created a vertical color difference with a split vertical dividing line in the center of the body. The hennin and houppelande were Gothic styles emphasising the elongated form. In the 1450's, edges of outer garments were often decorated with dagging, edged with loose pieces of fabric that resembled leaves. The End of the Middle Ages As technology and trade advanced and the cities repopulated, nations grew. Gone were the warlords of feudal society. Kings grew more powerful and governments covered large areas. The time known as the Middle ages, the period after the Fall of Rome, ended as Western Europe moved into the period of artistic and cultural awakening that we call the Renaissance. (All pictures are from wikimedia commons) Costumes of the Middle Ages circa 1447 Costumes of the Middle Ages—1450 For Further Reading Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion; edited by Valerie Steele; Scribner Library (a compilation of fashion topics including history) Daily Life in Medieval Times by Gies and Gies Costume and Styles: The Evolution of Fashion From Early Egypt to the Present by Henny Harald Hansen: E.P. Dutton & Co. Medieval Dress and Fashion by Margaret Scott The Medieval Tailor's Assistant by Sara Thursfield (this one is great if you want to learn how to make medieval costumes. Dress in the Middle Ages by Francoise Piponnier and Perrine Maine Medieval Costume in England and France - the 13th, 14th, and 15th Centuries by Mary G. Houston Questions & Answers • What did peasants wear in the Middle Ages? Peasant clothing was similar to the clothing of the elite but made of cheaper materials with less dye or ornamentation. Clothing needed to ensure the peasant's ability to work. People owned few garments in those days, and a tunic could last a lifetime. Men and women wore tunics. Men wore them over stockings or tight breeches, women over long dresses. Tunics were made of hemp or coarse wool or linen. A tunic could be worn over a light linen shift. Linen could be coarse woven, purchased used, or handed down from an employer. Light linen shifts would be worn for field work in warm months. Belts worn by men and women could be used to hoist up the hems of their garments, or to hold purses and utility bags. They did not have pockets. Colors were dull as dye was expensive. Cheaper woad blue dye and some other red/orange dyes faded. Shoes and boots were made of leather or felt. Women wore simple veils held in place by a band worn across the forehead. A coif was alinen or hemp close-fitting cap. A Capuchin was a hood attached to a cape. Straw hats protected peasants from the sun in warm weather. Many books on historic fashion also include information on the garments worn by peasants and the lower classes. You may want to look at: Fashion in the Middle Ages by Margaret Scott Medieval Costume in England & France - the 13th, 14th, and 15th Centuries by Mary J. Houston What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society by Melissa Levinson. • What did upper-class women wear during the Gothic period 1200-1450? The elite class dressed in a similar manner to the lower classes. The big difference was in the materials used in clothing construction - luxurious fabrics like velvet, damask, and silk. Beautiful prints and vibrant colors as well as luxurious trim would make the difference between classes. The elite wore newer styles and textiles as well. Sumptuary laws often restricted what the newly wealthy could wear so the highest quality garments were restricted to royalty and nobility. • What impact did the 15th century fashion have on fashion now? Before the 15th century, people wore clothing that followed tradition, not fashion. Certain garment styles were worn for hundreds of years with little change. Luxury was restricted by economic and social dictates to royalty and the noble class. But newly wealthy merchants were, during this time, able to spend more money on clothing. Dressing well reflected a person's status. Where before status was conveyed by birth, it began to reflect wealth. Sumptuary laws reflect the fear of the ruling class - commoners now claimed an elite status that the nobility saw as a birthright. People became wealthy by producing and trading in textiles and wore those fine fabrics as proof of their success. New changes in styles became popular as people vied for novel new looks. What we think of as fashion fads sent people on spending sprees for new duds. In fact, some of the sumptuary laws reflected a concern that people would financially ruin themselves by spending all their money on clothing. The changes in fashion, the concept of new styles, and the idea that status came from wealth instead of birthright changed how people viewed their wardrobes forever. • Who are some important figures who had an influence on the fashion of this time (royalty, monarchs, etc.)? While royalty had a big impact on what the elite wore, the style was also influenced by tailors and tailors guilds. The type of clothing that became popular with royalty and the nobility also depended on the availability of fabrics and dyes. So fabric merchants also influenced style when new trade routes opened and beautiful new materials were imported. The Church had a huge influence on what people wore in the Middle Ages as did the government, both who established rules on who could wear what and when they could wear it. Traditional values demanded that people wore head coverings in public, dressed modestly according to their station. What you wore depended on status, class, gender, and occupation. The rise of the individual designer did not come until centuries later. • What shoes did the working class men wear in the 14th century? Peasant and working class men of the Middle Ages wore simple shoes and boots made of cow or goat hide. Turn shoes were sown on the inside then flipped so the seams were hidden. They also wore boots (called botes) held on with straps. Pattens or clogs with wood soles were strapped on to the boots like overshoes. These came in handy to protect the foot from moisture, mud, cold floors and ground. A shoe called a carbatine was made by using one piece of leather. Poor people wore basts which were made of woven tree bark. Rope soled shoes were worn in southern Europe. 0 of 8192 characters used Post Comment • Dolores Monet profile imageAUTHOR Dolores Monet 12 months ago from East Coast, United States During the Middle Ages clothing followed traditional designs based on a person's status, profession, and region. The elite suggested details to tailors and seamstresses. Styles showed slight changes due to the availability of textiles and input from master tailors who often had a signiture style. Laws mandated who wore what when. Priests delivered sermons on clothing and critiques of garment designs decrying pride and vanity. There are records kept by tailoring guilds. Look for lists of master tailors in the records kept by guilds such as the Fraternity of John the Baptist. You can find this information by checking out British History Online. • profile image 12 months ago Hi. Has there ever been an names of people who created and designed the clothes? Or even the occupation and who was allowed to design clothing? • Dolores Monet profile imageAUTHOR Dolores Monet 2 years ago from East Coast, United States Hi Moxie - I've been researching historic costume and writing these simple overviews to help people imagine how people (mostly women) dressed when they are reading historic novels. If you are actually writing one, you should plunge into some deeper research. Locate some books on the subject. There are many used books on historic costume available for purchase online, often used for bargain prices. There are many out there but I would recommend one with lots of pictures so that you can create a mental image of how people dressed at that time. Good luck! • profile image 2 years ago These articles on Middle Ages fashion have been SO SO helpful as I've been working on my novel! It goes through a lot of time periods, so I'll definitely be checking back here for more! I absolutely love the reference images, because they make description so much easier! Keep up the great work, thank you so much! • Dolores Monet profile imageAUTHOR Dolores Monet 3 years ago from East Coast, United States Hi Maria - this article is a general overview. For more detailed information, there are many books available on Amazon, including "Medieval Clothing and Textiles" Edited by Robin Netherton and "Textiles and Clothing c 1150 - 1450 (Medieval Finds From Excavations in London)" by Elizabeth Crowfoot and Frances Pritchard • profile image Maria Nabih 3 years ago I know you posted this a while ago, but do you have any details on 1300's fashion? • Dolores Monet profile imageAUTHOR Dolores Monet 9 years ago from East Coast, United States Amy - well the people who wore the most outrageous of these fashions of the Middle Ages would not have been doing a lot of work. Common folk who worked wore simple clothing. Just like today - how many field hands wear high heels, haha! Thanks! • amybradley77 profile image 9 years ago I just adore the ways they used to dress, not very practical for working or even just being outdoors much. If you live out in the country like me ya know what I mean. Still, I do love any chance I can get to dress up like a Lady. Thanks for sharing this. A.B. This website uses cookies Show Details LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service. AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy) Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Immagini della pagina in language adorned in accordance with the requirements Of the different parts, its exposition to be by action and not by narration, and using pity or terror as means to free or purify us from these same passions; * he gives minute details as to the six parts of which it is composed, especially the plot and the tragic character. It has been Often said, ever since the days of Vincenzo Maggio in the sixteenth century, that Aristotle treated of the nature of poetry, or particular forms of poetry, without claiming to give precepts. But Piccolomini answered that “all these things and other similar ones are shown or asserted with no other purpose but that we may see in what way their precepts and laws must be obeyed and carried out,” just as, to make a hammer or saw, one begins by describing the parts of which they are composed.” The error of which we take Aristotle as representative lies in transmuting abstractions and empirical partitions into rational concepts: this was almost inevitable at the beginnings of aesthetic reflexion, and the Sanskrit theory of poetry employed the same method independently when, for example, it defines and legislates for ten principal and eighteen secondary styles of drama; forty-eight varieties of hero ; and we know not how many kinds of heroines.” After Aristotle, the theory of poetic kinds does not seem to have been completely or elaborately developed in antiquity. The Middle Ages may be said to have expressed the doctrine in treatises of the kind known as “rhythmic arts” or “methods of composition.” When the Aristotelian fragment was first noticed, it is curious to see the way in which the paraphrase of Averroes distorted the theory of kinds. Averroes conceives tragedy as the art of praise, comedy as that of blame, which amounts to identifying the former with panegyric, the latter with satire ; and he believes the peripeteia to be the same thing as antithesis, or the artifice of beginning the description of a thing by describing its opposite.” This distortion demonstrates afresh the merely historical character of these kinds and their unintelligibility by the methods of pure logic to a thinker living in times and under customs different from those of the Hellenic world. The Renaissance seized upon Aristotle's text, partly expounded it, partly distorted it and partly thought it out afresh, and thus succeeded in establishing a long list of kinds and sub-kinds rigidly defined and subjected to inexorable laws. Controversy now began over the correct understanding of the unities of epic or dramatic poetry; over the moral quality and social standing proper to the characters in this kind of poem and in that ; over the nature of the plot, and whether it includes passions and thoughts, and whether lyrics should or should not be received as true poetry; whether the material of tragedy should be historical ; whether the dialogue of comedy may be in prose ; whether a happy ending may be allowed in tragedy; whether the tragic character may be a perfect gentleman ; what kind and number of episodes is admissible in the poem, and how they should be incorporated in the main plot; and so on. Great anguish, was caused by the mysterious rule of catharsis found in black and white in Aristotle's text, and Segni naïvely predicted that tragic poetry would be revived in its perfect spectacular entirety for the sake of experiencing the effect spoken of by Aristotle, that “purgation ” which causes “the birth of tranquillity in the soul and of freedom of all perturbation.” " The doctrine Amongst the many undertakings brought to a glorious . end by the critics and treatise-writers of the sixteenth century, the best known is the establishment of the three unities of time, place and action. One cannot indeed see why they are called unities, for in strictness they could at most be spoken of as shortness of time, straitness of space and limitation of tragic subjects to a certain class of action. It is well known that Aristotle prescribed unity of action only, and reminded his hearers that theatrical custom alone imposed on the action a time 1 Poet. ch. 6. * Annotazioni, introd. * Cf. for Sanskrit poetry S. Levi, Le Théâtre indien, pp. 11-152. * Cf. Menendez y Pelayo, op. cit. I., i. pp. 126-154, 2nd ed. In the Middle Ages and * Introd. to his tr. of the Poetics. limit of one day. On this last point the critics of the sixteenth century accorded six, eight, or twelve hours according to individual taste or humour: some of them (amongst them Segni) allowed twenty-four hours, including the night as particularly propitious to assassinations and the other acts of violence which usually form the plot of tragedies; others extended the limit to thirtysix or forty-eight hours. The last, and most curious, unity, that of place, was slowly developed by Castelvetro, Riccoboni and Scaliger until the Frenchman Jean de la Taille joined it as a third to the existing two in 1572, and in 1598 Angelo Ingegneri finally formulated it more explicitly. The Italian treatises were widely read and regarded as authoritative all over Europe, and awakened the first effort towards a learned theory of poetry in France, Spain. England and Germany. A good representative of his class is Julius Caesar Scaliger, who has been considered, with some exaggeration, as the true founder of French pseudo-classicism or neo-classicism ; as one who (it has been said) “laid the first stone of the classical Bastille.” But if he was neither the first nor the only one, he certainly helped greatly to reduce “to a system of doctrines the principal consequences of the sovranty of Reason in works of literature,” with his minute distinctions and classifications of kinds, the insurmountable barriers he erected between them, and his distrust of free inspiration and imagination." Scaliger numbers among his descendants (beside Daniel Heinsius) d'Aubignac, Rapin, Dacier and other tyrants of French literature and drama : Boileau turned the rules of neo-classicism into neat verses. It has been noticed that Lessing entered the same field ; his opposition to the French rules (which was an opposition of rule to rule, in which he had been forestalled by Italian writers, for example by Calepio in 1732) is anything but radical. Lessing maintained that Corneille and other authors had misinterpreted Aristotle, to whose laws even the Shakespearian drama could be shown to conform ; * but on the other hand he strongly opposed the abolition of all rules and those who shouted “genius, genius,” placing genius above the law and saying that genius makes the law. For the very reason that genius is law, replied Lessing, laws have their value and can be determined : negation of them would entail the confinement of genius to its first trial flights, making example or practice useless.” But the “kinds " and their “limits '' could be maintained for centuries solely by means of infinitely subtle interpretations, analogical extensions and more or less concealed compromises. The Italian Renaissance critics, while working at their Poetics in the style of Aristotle, found themselves confronted with chivalric poetry, and had to make the best of it; this they did by assigning it to a kind of poem not foreseen by antiquity (Giraldi Cintio).” Here and there indeed a rigorist was heard protesting that romances were in no way different from heroic poetry, and were only “badly written heroics" (Salviati). And since it was impossible to deny a place in Italian literature to Dante's poem, Iacopo Mazzoni, in his Defence of Dante, overhauled once more the categories of Poetics in order to find a niche for the sacred poem.* Farces made their appearance at this time, and Cecchi (1585) declares “Farce is a third novelty, occupying a place between tragedy and comedy . . .” ". The Pastor fido of Guarini was published, neither tragedy nor comedy, but tragicomedy; and discovering no heading among the kinds deduced from moral or civil philosophy suitable for the intruder, Jason de Nores proceeded to rule it out of existence; Guarini made a valiant defence and claimed special protection for his beloved Pastor under a third, or mixed, style, representative of real life." Another * Lintilhac, Un Coup d'État, etc., p. 543. Poetics of the kinds and rules. Scaliger. Compromises and extensions. * Hamburg. Dramat. Nos. 81, IoI-104. * Op. cit. Nos. 96, IoI-Ioq. * G. B. Giraldi Cintio, De' romanzi, delle comedie e delle tragedie, 1554 (ed. Daelli, 1864). * Iacopo Mazzoni, Difesa della commedia di Dante, Cesena, 1587. * G. M. Cecchi, prologue to Romanesca, 1585. * Cf. besides the two Veratti, the Compendio della poesia tragicomica, Venice, I601. rigorist, Fioretti (Udeno Nisieli) proclaimed the poem “a poetic monster, so huge and deformed that centaurs, hippogriffs and chimaeras are comparatively graceful and charming . . ., fit to bring a blush to the cheek of the muse, a disgrace to poetry, a mixture of ingredients in themselves discordant, inimical and incompatible "; * but will this bluster drive the delicious Pastor fido from the hands of lovers of poetry P. The same thing occurred in the case of Marino's Adone, described by Chapelain as “a poem of peace ’’ for want of a better definition, though other supporters called it “a new form of epic poem ’’; * and the same thing happened again in the case of the comedy of art and musical drama. Corneille, who had called down a furious tempest from Scudéry and the Academicians on the head of his Cid, remarked in his discourse on Tragedy, though basing his position on that of Aristotle, that there was necessity for “quelque modération, quelque favorable interprétation, . . . pour n'étre pas oblige's de condammer beaucoup de poèmes, que nous avons vu réussir sur nos theatres.” “Il est aise de mous accommoder avec Aristote . . .” ” he says in another place : a piece of literary hypocrisy which startles by its verbal resemblance to “les accommodements avec le Ciel’’ of the Tartuffian ethics. The following century saw the accepted kinds augmented by “bourgeois tragedy" and pathetic comedy, nicknamed “lachrymose ’’ by its enemies; de Chassiron * attacked, and Diderot, Gellert and Lessing" defended the new arrival. In this way the schematism of the kinds continued to suffer violence and to cut a very poor figure ; nevertheless, in spite of adversity, it made every effort to retain power even at the sacrifice of dignity: just as an absolute king turns constitutional by force of * Proginn. poet., Florence, 1627, iii. p. 130. * Cf. A. Belloni, Il seicento, Milan, 1898, pp. 162-164. * Examens, and Discours du poème dramatique, de la tragédie, des trois unités, etc. * Réflexions sur le comique larmoyant, 1749 (trans. by Lessing, Werke, vol. cit.). * Gellert, De comaedia commovente, 1751 ; Lessing, Abhandlungen von den weinerlichen oder riihrenden Lustspiele, 1754 (in Werke, vol. vii.). « IndietroContinua »
What Is Big Data? Doug Bannister January 7, 2015 Fueling the move to leverage data to improve business processes is the wide spread interest and discussion around the term “Big Data”. This popular term is often used to describe the huge growth and availability of both structured and unstructured data. Generally, there are 5 V's highlighted when talking about big data – Volume, Variety, Veracity, Velocity and Value. What Is Big Data 1There has been an exponential growth in the availability and volume of data. Virtually all devices are now generating data, in some way, shape, or form. Think of the volume of data being generated by your mobile phone today versus your home phone 5-10 years ago. Back then your phone led to a simple entry of name, address, and phone number in a printed phone book. Now the device, the apps on it and the technology in it like the GPS and Bluetooth all generate data. Other more unexpected things like rail cars and jet engines also generate huge volumes of data. Rail cars can have upwards of 200 sensors on them that analyse things such as speed, velocity, temperature, pressure across a whole trip. Jet engines are packed with sensors and one engine can generate half a terabyte of data an hour. So what do you do with all of this data? How do you leverage this in your organization? Of the 5 Vs, Value is perhaps the most important. If you can use your data to drive action, improve behaviour, enhance culture, breakdown silos, and increase sales you will be able gain competitive edge and leap frog your competition by innovating with information. What Is Big Data 2
When it comes to dental implants, titanium has long been the preferred material to use. In fact, titanium implants have been in use for decades and have been extensively studied during that time. It’s estimated that around 3 million people in the United States have a dental implant, and that number continues to increase each year, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. A dental implant is generally made up of three pieces: a screw that acts as the root of the tooth, the replacement tooth (called a crown), and the abutment piece that connects the two pieces. Typically both the screw and abutment are made of titanium while the crown can be made of different materials that look more like your natural teeth. While some other materials have been tried for dental implants, titanium is still the most common for three significant reasons. Titanium is a common choice for dental implants because of its biocompatibility. This means that it works well with the body, generally poses no harmful effects, and the body doesn’t attack it as a foreign object. Over time, the jaw bone will actually grow into the titanium dental implant through a process called osseointegration. Strong but lightweight Titanium is extremely strong but also lightweight. Because of this, surgeons also use this type of material for hip and knee replacements. The mouth is not someplace you want to add excess weight to the body, so the lightweight nature of titanium makes it a great choice for dental implants. Titanium implants can last for a long time—even up to 30 years or more. And the success rate for titanium implants is around 95%, which means very few patients require a replacement implant unless they somehow damage the implant. Have questions about dental implants? Contact our office to schedule a consultation.
The speed and processing power of modern day computers is astonishing. High Performance Computing (HPC) technologies are developing at an astronomical rate. The United States and China are locked in a computer processing race much like the 1960s race to the moon. According to the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), China is winning. The amazing race TaihuLight, currently the fastest supercomputer in the world The Sunway TaihuLight – YouTube Today, the competition for HPC superiority is equally as important as the 1960s race for space dominance. China’s Sunway TaihuLight System is a High Speed computing system that is capable of 93 PetaFLOPS. That is 93 quadrillion Floating Point Operations per second. The Sunway TaihuLight is ranked #1 on the TOP500 list of supercomputers. What is a Floating Point Operation FLOP? For the purposes of this discussion, we can agree that a Floating Point Operation is a calculation performed by a High Performance Computer. Note that it is not a bit, but a complicated mathematical computation out to multiple decimal points. HPC processing power is described in terms of FLOPS, MegaFLOPS, GigiFLOPS, PetaFLOPs and so on. A PetaFLOP is one thousand million million FLOPS. So, now we understand the power of HPC. The calculating speed and power is mind boggling. Supercomputing dominance provides an enormous economic engine. It provides the firepower for modern achievement: performing cutting edge research, developing new medicine, building better products, improving infrastructure, and designing innovative weapons systems. Regardless of which country is number one, all countries in the race reap benefits. Yet supercomputers are only one avenue towards profiting from HPC. If clusters of smaller computers are networked to provide massive computing power, the price tag is much more attractive than for a single monolithic supercomputer. According to Market Research Future, the global HPC market is forecast to grow to £25 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 5 percent. The two architectures for HPC, the supercomputer and clusters of smaller computers, both share the same Achilles’ heel: network security. Centralized supercomputers are expensive resources, and so computer clusters are used instead. However, clusters are networks and therefore vulnerable to internal and external threats. As such, network security is vital to HPC advancement. This is where intelligent TAPs and Packet Brokers come in handy. TAPS and Packet Brokers monitor and map network traffic through connected appliances, ensuring complete network visibility. Valuable computing assets are sure to be a prime target for hackers. Simultaneously, HPC and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are being used to protect computing resources. As security appliances are designed to learn the normal traffic patterns of an organization, and then to quickly detect and block anomalies, high speed networks will become less vulnerable to and will recover more quickly from attacks. Such security advancements brought about by HPC and AI will benefit all networks. China has the #1 supercomputer (for now), while the United States and Europe are currently the largest HPC markets. The awesome computational power HPC technology will certainly bring forth many advances in science, social services, medicine and business. In order to provide an environment where this supercomputing can thrive, network security is imperative. Computer clusters are now being connected by TAPs and Packet Brokers to provide robust protection without impacting network reliability or availability. Alastair Hartrup is global CEO of Network Critical
images (2) In this very concise article I will argue that involving our learners in Indirect Error Correction on its own is an absolute waste of valuable teacher and learner time. By Indirect Error Correction (henceforth IEC), I mean highlighting or underlining the errors in our students’ written pieces (with or without error coding), pass the essay back to our students who will make the corrections and pass it back to us for any necessary amendments to be made. In addition, some of us will ask the students to rewrite the whole essay incorporating the corrections. It sounds like a very time-consuming activity! The pedagogic rationale behind this approach seems pretty clear: the students get cognitively involved in the correction process. They are not just the passive recipients of the teacher’s correction but they are actually doing something about it. Moreover, by working on their mistakes they will become more aware of their problems and in the long term they will stop making them. Unfortunately, in actual fact, the learning our students get out of this corrective technique in terms of language acquisition and error reduction do not justify the above effort at all. Several studies, (e.g. Semke, 1984; Robb, Ross and Shortreed, 1986; Ashwell, 2000; Chandler, 2003) have shown that it is not significantly more effective than direct correction or even than no correction at all. Why? The first reason why it does not significantly enhance acquisition, relates to the distinction between Errors (mistakes due to lack of declarative knowledge) and Mistakes ( inaccuracies due to processing inefficiency, i.e. Working Memory’s failure to cope with the demands of the task – see previous blog post “why our learners make mistakes with preposition, articles….”). Errors (lack of declarative knowledge) are caused by not knowing the rule which governs the language item we got wrong. So, for instance, if I write ‘Ayer voy al cine’ (intended meaning: yesterday I went to the cinema) because I do not know the Preterite in Spanish, I used the present ‘voy’ simply because I do not master (declaratively) the Preterite tense – as my teacher has not taught it to me yet, for instance. However, there might be another reason: I know the preterite tense, but because my brain (my Working Memory) was busy simultaneously trying ‘to sort out’ vocabulary choice, word order, agreement as well planning the content, I chose the wrong tense – but if someone asks me to translate ‘I went’ into Spanish, in isolation, I can do it correctly. As it is clear, if the teacher highlights the mistake in the first scenario (i.e. the learner does not know the rule) the student will not be able to correct it – unless prompted to find out about the Preterite by the instructor. In the second scenario, the learner might be able to. What am I getting at is that, unless the teacher goes through the essay thoroughly with the students, s/he will never find out what the real reason for the mistake is, which may lead to underlining a mistake the learner will never be able to correct. Another important implication of the dichotomy Errors vs Mistakes for the ineffectiveness of IEC refers to the surrender value of this corrective practice. If the student has the knowledge to correct the errors pointed out by teacher, s/he is not really learning anything new, right? Someone might argue that s/he will learn not to make that error again, that s/he will pay more attention in the future. Chances are s/he will not because, as it is obvious, self-correcting when you are cued to a mistake is totally different to self-correcting whilst you are proofreading without anyone telling you ‘hey there is a mistake right there’. Especially for beginners whose Working Memory, when they are proof-reading, is loaded with so much information to attend to, that they will not have enough cognitive space to spot every single mistake they made. Especially if under pressure. In my research, Conti (2001, 2004) I found that students’ ability to self-correct effectively when they are told that a given sentence contains errors, is very low. In my experiments they managed to get less than 30 % right. However, when cued to the word where the errors was, they managed to self-correct more than double that. To make things worse, past studies have found out that IEC can have a negative impact on students’ motivation in that it causes learner’s anxiety and frustration. Imagine being a weak learner and being given your essay back with lots of errors to self-correct and not having the slightest clue of how to correct half of them… Another issue with IEC that I identified during my study as well as in my teaching practice refers to what I call the ‘if not X then Y’ correction strategy. This refers to a common scenario where, when cued to the presence of an error the students can self-correct NOT because s/he knows or understand the rule or the context that caused the mistake, but rather because there is only ONE possible change that can be made. Example: If a student writes ‘la chien’ (‘dog’ in French) and the teacher underlines the definite article ‘la’ because the noun ‘chien’ is masculine and should therefore be preceded by the masculine definite article ‘le’, the student will correct because there is no other option, not because he has an internalized mastery of that context. Nor can we assume that by self-correcting this way he will never make the same mistake again, as, in the absence of follow-up (recycling of that information) and depth of processing, this information is likely to be lost after a few hours. On the other hand, if IEC is only the prelude, the first step in a more complex and, most importantly, long-term approach like the one of Lalande’s (1982) study, the impact of the corrective process can be more beneficial. Lalande (1982) compared the effects of two different types of feedback on the writing of FL German learners: Direct and Indirect error correction. Upon reception of the marked essays the learners were asked to correct their mistakes and re-write the entire essay. For the experimental group, this involved interpreting the codes. As the course progressed, the experimental group learners monitored the frequency and recurrence of error types by referring to Error Awareness Sheets (error charts in which students logged their mistakes). Lalande found that “the combination of error awareness and problem solving techniques had a significant beneficial effect on the development of writing skills” and “effectively prevented students from making more grammatical and orthographic errors.” (Lalande, 1982: 78). The simple addition to the traditional IEC approach of the extra steps of having to interpret the code and log errors in the Error Awareness Sheets makes the process more valuable from a learning point of view, in that it enhances the learners’ metacognition (self-knowledge) and, consistently keeping a log of their errors causes them to be more sensitized to the issue of accuracy and, possibly, more motivated to eradicate those errors in order to see their error-chart stop growing. In my view, though, even Lalande’s approach is way too laborious and time-consuming for the result obtained. Please note that I am not advocatinng doing away with error correction altogether. Not at all – I do believe negative feedback can indeed be useful. I do believe, however, that traditional forms of corrective intervention such as Direct and Indirect Error Correction are too consuming for the very modest results they yield in terms of enhanced proficiency and acquisition. 11 thoughts on “Why asking our students to self-correct the errors in their essays is a waste of time… 1. Another interesting blog. I agree that teachers spend too much time on all forms of error correction. I wonder if the pupil’s KNOWLEDGE that the teacher will correct carefully (directly or indirectly) affects the time and care a student takes over the work. I suspect it does. This may reduce lapses and mistakes and encourage checking up in grammar notes and dictionaries. Better acquisition may ensue. I often felt I was correcting to ensure that students knew I was interested in their work and taking some care over marking it. Do you think this is significant? 2. I agree with your ideas as they have been mine too for a long time. Moreover, thank you for mentioning the resources supporting the claims, it would give more depth to critically evaluate our teaching practices. As an approach, I use colour coding with the key given to the students. This helps the students to go through the relevant parts of their notes for example many greys could mean looking at the related vocabulary – spelling, gender, number; pinks would mean that the literal translation needs to be replaced by a more appropriate expression; many yellows could lead them to re-look at the time and aspect of the actions; greens would lead them to look at spelling mistake with the conjugation while the tense being correct; blue would make them look at both tense as well as conjugation; and the list changes with every task, the colours remain more or less constant. Also, I feel that pointing all sorts of errors confuses the students and deviates them from keeping their focus on the objectives of a task; therefore, I point out the errors that are relevant to the context. Yes, I also agree that being aware of the rationale behind the student writing in a particular way is very important; and the reasons are not only linked to their lack of ‘knowledge’, but it is the confusion created by us which unfortunately influences their inability to look for answers in the right places and categories. Thank you for the entry that makes one question and reflect on established practices. 3. Depending on the length and level, I typically work with content and organization first. Then I use proofreading codes and gave students log errors in a “Corrections Journal” which breaks errors down into verb erfors, noun errors, sentence errors, and other errors. It’s my hope and goal that students investigate errors, monitor their journals and notice patterns. I set aside this journal time in class for students to ask me questions. Also, I typically get students to write one paragraph at a time (when writing multi paragraph essays) in order to really focus on the process of writing. Liked by 1 person 4. Thank you very much for the article and the comments. I would like to mention that both codes and colours seem to demand the same activity from lerners: recalling declarative knowledge to reduce errors. The origin of errors and mistakes and their interaction on the result product is and has always been too dificult to claim since it would need our students’s thinking aloud. By the way, I used “learners” on purpose since lerning is not the same as acquisition (Krashen), is it?. One of the things I usually do during writing and before a writing exercise is to be handed in is to ask students to revise their production checking a short lis of most frequent errors. Do you think it is possible to act on mistakes and errors at the same time?. 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This was the European Witch Craze that Fueled the Salem Witch Trials Witchcraft at Salem Village. c 1876. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain The Plague, the End, and the Start of The Salem Witch Trials After the end of the Dark Ages, Witchcraft was put on a back burner, never to be brought up or spoken of until the early 1690s in British North America. In New England in the colony of Massachusetts, the most famous trials of all witchcraft history were conducted next to the burning of Joan of Arc. The Salem Witchcraft Trials didn’t stay in Salem itself. Salem was broken into two places, one being Salem Town and the other as Salem Village (now known today as Danvers). Other areas affected by the trials and also held trials were Ipswich, Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts. The correct account of these trials differs from society, history, and Witchcraft history. The supposed start of the trials began in February 1692, in Salem Village. The first accusations of witchcraft were among the “social disrespect” of society. Whole families that had their name “drug over the coals” or were disrespected in society were accused of witchcraft. Women who were independent and owned land were also a target for the accused. Anyone who tried defending or helping the accused was also accused of witchcraft. The trials consisted of over 150 people being accused of Witchcraft, 19 being hung to death, and 1 crushed to death by stones. Five more accused died in prison. Of the 19 hanged, 14 were women and 5 were men. Giles Corey was crushed to death after not entering a plea. Samuel Parris, the minister of Salem Village, was directly involved within the Trials. Betty Parris was Samuel Parris’ daughter, and Abigail Williams his niece. These two girls started the entire Witchcraft Trials, by having fits of epileptic proportions and then the girls would blame their “conditions” on the work of Witchcraft in the Village. Anyone who the girls would accuse would be convicted and sentenced to be hanged or in prison. Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey stood up against the accusations and believed the girls’ accusations to be a lie and false. They were both tried and hanged, which deeply upset the Village for Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse were full covenanted members of the Church. This lets the community believe that if Witchcraft was at play within Salem Village, then no one was safe from witches and even the Reverend himself could have been a Warlock. Depiction of a woman hanged for being a witch – Time Magazine Today, the Salem Witch Trials are seen in different ways. Some believe that these women were killed or sent into prison because they were midwives. Doctors were only men during this time, and the doctors wanted to take away the midwives job of childbirth so they could charge high prices for delivery of the baby. Women pregnant during this period preferred midwives over doctors. Midwives were accused of Witchcraft because of the herbs they used during childbirth and other ways to cure maladies. Another belief is the controversy over religion in Salem Town and Salem Village. Salem Town was a highly Christian (Catholic) town, while Salem Village was Protestant. The more wealthy landowners of Salem Town wanted to cut ties altogether with Salem Village, because of their dominant Protestant faith. Salem Village wanted to keep the connection to Salem Town for the wealth, supplies, and regal “connections” to well-known people in Salem Town. This led to the accusations of witchcraft to further along the process and have Salem Town receive their wish of cutting off Salem Village.
Religion and Philosophy Article By Julian Scott posted by UK, October 13, 2019 Download PDF Download Pdf Today, there is a deep divide between these two fields and, for most people, they are seen as antagonistic. Religion is about faith, or blind belief (in the popular imagination), while philosophy is about reason. Faith seems to be in contradiction with reason. Can this opposition ever be resolved? At its root, however, religion is not about faith, but about union with “God”, by which is meant the ultimate source of everything, whatever that may be, the ultimate mystery. If a philosopher is defined as a lover of wisdom, a seeker of truth, a person in pursuit of knowledge, will he or she not also be interested in the ultimate cause of all things? The question is not so much whether the philosopher will be interested in that question, but whether philosophy can lead to the discovery of that Causeless Cause. Most of the philosophers of antiquity, notably Plato and his successors, maintained that this is indeed the ultimate goal of philosophy: to lead to the discovery of Reality. Plato presents this view in his “Allegory of the Cave” in the Seventh Book of the Republic. In this allegory, the philosopher treads the path from the darkness of ignorance, through the deceptive shadows of opinion, to the final light of Truth, symbolised by the world outside the cave, illuminated by the brilliant light of the Sun. Like the philosophers of India, Plato describes how, by pacifying the senses and training the mind in discernment and stability, a philosopher can reach a state of inner serenity where he or she will be able to see clearly. In that condition, Truth will dawn on the mind, like the sun rising over the mountains and illuminating the glittering surface of a calm lake. Philosophy is the means to reach this state of vision, which could be likened to a divine illumination, which is also the goal of religion. However, one would not think of Plato as a religious person, although he believed in some form of “God” and even “Gods”. At the same time, he was very critical of the religion of his time, its view of the Gods as venal, unpredictable beings with passions and flaws very similar to our own, as if they had been made in our image and not the other way around. What, then, is religion, and how does it differ from philosophy? Although in essence religion can be said to be a path towards re-union (possibly deriving from the Latin religare = to bind together again), that is to say, a path towards becoming reunited with one’s true self, with all beings, and with God as the transcendent cause of all; in practice, religions offer a specific way of life, with rituals, prayers, meditational techniques, designed to lead towards that goal. They will often be divided into two or more levels: a more intense practice, such as monasticism, where the whole life of the individual is dedicated to that end; or a less intense way where the follower of the religion is enjoined to adhere to a code of morality and perform a series of actions or rituals, such as pilgrimage, almsgiving, or attending religious services in church, mosque or temple. For many believers, this is a way of securing happiness in the afterlife, although this is not, I would suggest, the essence of religion, in the same way that mere discursive reasoning and the discussion of ideas is not the essence of philosophy. Both religion and philosophy are, I would suggest, at their highest levels, mystical activities, in the sense that they both aspire to attain contact with the highest Truth, which dwells in the region of the “Sacred”. How, then, did the division between religion and philosophy come about? I would suggest that it arose as a reaction to the tyrannical sway that religion held over everything in the Middle Ages, when people could be burned at the stake for holding views considered to be “heretical”, or contrary to the tenets of religious faith. So, when philosophy became free of the shackles imposed on it by a narrow-minded form of religion, it moved further and further away from religion, and in many cases rejected it entirely, as if it had become “allergic” to it. In the twentieth century, a number of scholars such as Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade began to rebuild bridges between religion and philosophy. One day, I am sure, the unity will be restored: religion will become more philosophical and philosophy will become more mystical. Reason and faith will cease to war with one another and will realise that they are brother and sister, that they can walk together harmoniously on the arduous path towards Truth. Image References By Alex Bakharev \| Wikimedia Commons \| CC BY PD Permissions required for the publishing of this article have been obtained What do you think? Leave a Reply
It’s great that so many students and teachers I know, and many whom I do not know (but am aware of via Twitter) are checking out code.org or other hour of code sites next week. There are so many great resources that always result in a fantastically exciting hour for students. Coding has become the current term of choice to describe computer programming and/or computational thinking in education. My hope and suggestion is to let your hour of code experience represent the lighting of a flame that continues to burn for the entire year. Allow more (and regular) time for students to continue to explore coding. Design learning projects and activities that help them use coding to explore concepts and express ideas. Coding is a highly effective method by which students can organize complex ideas and processes into visible, movable, discussable, shareable chunks of thought on a screen. In so doing, problems can be solved, games can be designed, concepts can be explored, art can be created, stories can be told, movements can be modeled, and most of all, excitement about an idea that is born in a child’s mind can be immediately put into action in their project. Learning to code might be a cool goal but learning through coding is an incredibly powerful learning pathway which has been around for decades and has been, and continues to be, tried, tested, and proven effective. I’ve started in a small way to contribute some examples of ways in which learning through coding can take place. I curate a Scratch Studio called Mathland Challenges and currently have 14 example projects with embedded challenges with direct connections to Ontario curricula: Why do you want kids to code? I made this because I think there is an important distinction between learning to code and coding to learn. I think the focus with students doing coding in schools should be coding to learn. Bill Ferriter’s graphic called what do you want kids to do with technology was the inspiration for my graphic. I created this for the same reasons he created his. Coding affords a means through which some incredibly powerful thinking, making and learning can take place. I am of two minds regarding the current fascination with the use of coding in education worldwide. I like the attention programming is once again getting in schools and I like that teachers and students are exploring it in a serious way. However, much of that attention is preoccupied with efforts to help students to learn to code. I think the focus in education should be the coding to learn goals listed in the green-blocks, not learning to code blue-blocks ones. Of course, just because the educational focus is on the green-block goals, that doesn’t mean concepts in the blue-blocks won’t be learned. The difference lies in the intention and emphasis behind students coding in schools. I’ve blogged about it before and I am still troubled by the hype surrounding coding right now. If the goal is let’s get students learning code then my question is why? What is the purpose of those coding activities? There is large body of research, conducted over many decades, exploring powerful learning processes through coding and designing (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4). That’s nothing new. But if we are getting kids coding because code.org says they should, or we need to fill a future skills gap, then I think the most powerful aspect of children coding gets lost. Why play? Why inquiry? constructionism-in-pracI’m reading this book. It’s hard, but it’s fun. I’m playing around with the ideas and it’s making me think a lot about teaching, learning, playing, and knowledge. Play, making, exploring, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, project-based learning, maker spaces, and so on… these are all justifiable reactions against the arbitrary segregation of various subject matter in our curriculum. As teachers and learners, we know real knowledge is practical and personal and situated the very experiences that created the knowledge in the first place. Disconnected knowledge is quickly forgotten. You probably remember the rooms you wrote your exams in better than what you wrote, right? Good teachers know that “learning by doing and making and playing” is not just a cliché; it is the essence of real, useful, practical, sticky knowledge. MIT has a graduate work group called the “Lifelong Kindergarten Group.” They’re on to something with that name. Our precious early years of play should not give way to more and more so called “formal learning” or whatever euphemism you want to use. Sure, 7-year-olds will play with different things in a different way for different reasons than a 3-year-old, and a 9 or 12-year-old will play differently still. I think the very essence of play is the process by which we, at any age, root our knowledge in experiences, and then connect new experience to our knowledge. I am playing right now as I write this. It’s fun; I am learning; I am sharing something I think is valuable; I am hoping to talk to people about these ideas; my new understandings will inform and guide my future interactions with students. It’s all interconnected and has value to me and is important to what I feel my purpose as an educator is. This isn’t an earth shattering idea but it is essential I think that we, as educators, embrace what play really is. Play still has a negative connotation when applied, it would seem, to anyone other than a child. But play is a viable, defendable, powerful learning strategy useful at every age. I think educators are expanding our concept of play to include all things that we do that involve creating, making, designing, expressing, connecting, and growing. I think all of the wonderful terms for strategies we are currently using – making, exploring, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, project-based learning, maker spaces, etc. – are just other ways of saying play and we are using them because we are expanding what play means and the role it has in powerful learning. Teaching as a creative act I think children learn best within a social environment in which the group of people genuinely know and care about each other. I strongly feel that this forms the foundation for the most successful classrooms. To me, Rita Pierson in her 2013 TED talk described the need for relationships in education most clearly and passionately: “Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them,” she said and teachers have the opportunity every day to do just that. I see relationships and learning as very closely related; both are creative acts. They are creative because every day they need to be nurtured, utilized, examined, improved, and remade. The heart of constructivism is that knowledge, skills and values are built over time in socially safe and growth-focused environments. Knowledge building is never done. Very new knowledge is often very wrong; take for example a young child’s explanation of wind: “wind is made by trees as they wave back and forth.” As we experience more, play more, talk with others, and as we make things and share things, knowledge gets improved; it becomes more accurate or sophisticated. Highly effective teaching involves creating the conditions for learning and exploring that are not only developmentally appropriate but also are respectful of children’s personalities, passions, and dreams. Sir Ken Robinson said in his 2010 TED talk: “And every day, everywhere, our children spread their dreams beneath our feet. And we should tread softly.” I can’t think of a better reminder of the awesome responsibility of parents and teachers than this statement. Thanks to @MatthewOldridge for this blog challenge! Can expertise cause bias? Can expertise cause bias in such a way that it prevents an expert from looking at new ideas with an authentically open mind? I was inspired after reading this blog post about “calling BS” on educational bandwagons, trends and fads. It struck me after reading Dean’s post that, while I highly value the usefulness of skepticism, I wondered if I have put enough mental energy into exploring, in an authentic way, new creative ideas and innovations in education. Don’t misunderstand; I think creativity and criticism are equally important in a highly complex professional endeavor such as education. My point is that I want to highlight two traps I have fallen into at times. First, I often jump quickly to questioning the validity and efficacy of new ideas in education, or even established ideas. Second, I often do not spend enough time and effort exploring new ideas in education, or even established ideas. My guess is that both of these problems are not that uncommon in other educators as well. Not trying to sound clever, but I wonder if jumping quickly to skepticism is a sort of bandwagon, too. It can become fairly natural to develop and maintain a strong, questioning stance in the face of the continuous stream of educational ideas in blogs, books, papers, courses, and talks. Additionally, I wonder how well anyone can maintain a comprehensive knowledge of new (and old) ideas, theories, and other innovations in education. I think I am quite well-versed in a dozen or so big ideas/theories but I freely admit that I have limited knowledge of many hundreds of others. Simple awareness or superficial understanding is not difficult. But true, in-depth knowledge takes time and effort. I don’t think anyone can have total depth or breadth but I think depth and breadth can, and should, be pushed. Could the same be said of education? Herein lays one of my key professional growth areas for this new school year. My theory is that my set of core beliefs and values, knowledge and skills is causing bias. I’m not talking about the normal epistemological bias that comes from professional practice, reflection, and developing competence. Rather, I am wondering if that core is making me jump to skepticism too quickly when facing new educational ideas and innovations. I am guessing that this is the case, probably more often than not. So, I want to start this year with the goal of letting more ideas pass through the critical filter so they can be examined with more of an open mind. I’m not saying that my core beliefs need to change; I am saying that I think I need to be more open to allowing for change. Spiraling cycle of design in Scratch (#peel21st April 2016 blog hop) This blog hop topic of ‘design’ could not have come at a better time. Students and I are in the midst of designing a game called ‘Peela’ or ‘The Yellow Bug’ game in Scratch (click to try it). This project serves as an example, challenge and provocation for students. There are so many decisions that go into designing a fun game: the user interface, the goal(s) of the game, how does the game require player skill, difficulty-based levels, balancing success and failure in user attempts to seek a high score, sense of fun and excitement, appealing graphics, sounds, music, rewards, and so on! I think game design is an outstanding opportunity for students to engage in and be engaged by a spiraling cycle of design / critical-creative thinking process. I fully subscribe to the ‘Kindergarten learning approach’ espoused by Mitch Resnick (concisely outlined in his 2007 paper). To me, game design affords students the opportunity to engage in a goal-directed project that is fun but hard, invites feedback and collaboration, involves continuous problem solving, and embraces a highly creative process. The learning is rewarding and brimming over with the development of quality knowledge building and skill development. Scratch is an ideal programming environment because it has been designed from the start to support a spiraling design thinking process while remaining very accessible and functional to young children. This post is one of many in the April 2016 #peel21st blog hop. Check out the other posts: What does global citizenship mean to you? Recently, the Ontario Ministry of Education released “21st Century Competencies: Foundation Document for Discussion.” I think that the outlined skills on page 56 in the 6th box called ‘global citizenship’ are excellent: I also really like the way the Asia Society discusses global competence. Essentially, their central idea is that knowledge and skills that are explored and learned need to be explored and learned from a variety of cultural perspectives in order for students to be globally literate. I am not entirely certain that the 6th box pictured above really captures that idea. (An excellent reference document called Educating for Global Competence is available on the Asia Society web site.) That is, in order to gain a more balanced, inclusive global perspective, developmentally appropriate strategies should be employed to help students to weigh perspectives, to understand and communicate to different cultural audiences, to confidently take actions to improve people and the environment, and to remain a lifelong learner who can continuously adapt and empathize with an always changing and evolving global society. I’ve just finished reading an excellent book, called Four-Dimensional Education, that embraces this view and also proposes a workable, four-part framework for curriculum redesign. If you are ready for an in-depth examination, check it out! 4dimed - Copy This post is part of the #peel21st March blog hop! Please check out the other great blog posts in this hop: Five useful tools to support music education Explain Everything (iOS & Android) This versatile, open-ended app has no limit to the way it can be used in educational settings. It has all of the features of a slideshow app, a screencasting app, and a whiteboard app. For music, it could be used to record sounds of instruments and/or voice, ear train, annotate performances, create graphic scores, etc. Example use: http://www.constructivisttoolkit.com/home/explain-everything-ear-training GarageBand (iOS) This Apple app succeeds at making the creation of music accessible to people who may have little musical training, or even none at all. The app can be used in different modes and can support various levels of competence in musical composition. In the video below, the actual GarageBand tutorial starts at about the 4:00 mark. Noteflight (online tool) This free, online tool for writing standard musical notation is one of the easiest to use. Users can create scrores and have the ability to produce publication quality scores. Or, students can have fun freely exploring their music ideas; it’s easy to experiment with notes, rests, clefs, signatures, mordents, tempos, and so on. The tool has a built in playback mode so that users can listen to how their composition sounds. MadPad (iOS) This app lets you “remix your life.” That is, you can make recordings of various sounds you make or hear to create a custom percussive pad. You can create rhythms and beats from the sounds of your life. Users can also record specific performances and export the video to the camera roll. NAXOS Music Library (online resource) If you are a PDSB student or teacher, you can access this resource at school quite easily by clicking on this link: http://peel.naxosmusiclibrary.com/ If you are at home, you can access this resource for free by using this link: http://naxosmusiclibrary.com/ and then entering the correct username and password. The login information is available at your school. This resource contains over 1.7 million music tracks in every musical genre! Bonus App: VidRhythm is not free but it is enormous fun. Once in the app, you choose a song from the list and then you choose a style of video (the way it will look and be put together). At this point, the app guides you through the words, sounds, notes, and so on that you need to record to have the building blocks of the song. Finally, the app creates the video and autotunes your pitch (if necessary) so it that sounds great. Students won’t learn a ton of music theory using this app but it is fun to play with. Your kids will be highly involved and laughing. #peel21st Blog Hop This post was part of a blog hop organized for #peel21st in December, 2015. Please check out the other blogs in this hop by clicking on one of the links below: Memorable learning moment (#peel21st Nov 2015 blog hop) A grade six teacher and I had co-planned a series of sessions with her students around coding with Scratch. In one of the later sessions, I was working with a boy who was frustrated with the game he was making and told me he wanted to start over again. In age appropriate words, I reassured him that programming involved working in a continuous state of problem solving. In fact, fixing coding errors in programming has a special word: debugging. Scratch "Game challenge" An example maze game in Scratch. I pointed out that it appeared to me that his code was progressing quite well. He accepted my offer to help him. I modeled the problem solving process of isolating chunks of code that might be causing the error. Akin to breaking a complex problem into more manageable parts, this strategy helped him fix his code because he was able to test his code bit by bit rather than all at once. Because he could now pinpoint where each problem was, it became far easier to see what the problem was. At the time, I felt he was operating with a fixed mindset, at least initially. Without doing the actual work of solving his problems for him, my goal was to talk out loud, using growth mindset language, and model some strategies that might work. There were three bugs in his code and he fixed each one by isolating the problem and stepping through his instructions one by one. I wasn’t surprised that he became very enthusiastic and confident about his program. What did surprise me, though, was how effective it was to simply alter my language so that it consistently reflected growth mindset thinking. Check out these other blog posts in our first #peel21st blog hop of 2015-2016: Kids and coding: What might Seymour Papert say? (Updated August 2016, May 2017) I am very pleased that there is a growing sense in the education world of the connection between coding and cognition and learning. There is a mountain of research examining the various beneficial cognitive effects of learning computer programming. Great! But, I believe Seymour Papert would say that students learning computer programming is only part of the vision for higher quality learning today. I believe he would emphasize that when children learn computer programming, it should be used a vehicle for exploring, expressing and sharing personal ideas and passions. Used as such, programming is a versatile, personalizable approach… and chunks of code are created as constructable, interlocking objects which can be used to build things that can be shared and remixed. In his 1980 book, Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas, he does not say that coding or programming per se is the answer to higher quality thinking and learning. But he does outline an environment, called a microworld, as the place where powerful ideas and strategic thinking can be developed. I see his microworld learning environment as the marriage of three key ideas (more detail here): • the concept of ‘objects to think with • the discipline of computer programming • the theory of genetic epistemology Papert believed that learning about concepts within a microworld learning environment would result in much higher quality learning, that is, a deeper understanding of concepts would result, more so than traditional learning environments. All microworlds must contain a ‘object to think with’ that serves as a focal point of thinking. Decades ago, Papert designed a robot, called a Turtle, that students could relate to both physically and emotionally. Students wanted to teach the Turtle new words in the microworld, such as SQUARE or CIRCLE, and, in so doing, the Turtle could move in more and more complex ways. Usually, students ‘played Turtle‘ first by moving their bodies in the way they wanted the Turtle to move. Then, they tried to cause the Turtle to move in the same way that their bodies moved. As they broke down the steps in their own physical movements, this knowledge was captured and translated into code (in a programming language called LOGO) which was typed into the computer that controlled the Turtle. Initially, the Turtle did not move they way they wanted. They altered their code and the Turtle started to move more and more in the desired way. This cyclic process of continuous improvements in the code resulted in continuous improvements in the Turtle’s movements. Eventually, their initial movement goal was realized. In this example, the Turtle is the physical object to think with, programming with LOGO functions as the cognitive tool, and the whole rationale for the activity is based in Piaget’s theory of how new knowledge is created in the mind (which he called genetic epistemology). In this case, the knowledge being built is knowledge about geometry. In a microworld, there is always a meaningful context for learning. Another aspect that must be pointed out is that Papert is clearly making the case that as children are constructing their programs in the real world, cognitive structures are being constructed in their minds. And, in a way, vice versa. Additionally, children share and discuss their ideas which makes them more exciting and multi-dimensional. This kind of approach to teaching & learning is called constructionism. (For more about Papert’s enduring contributions to education, take a look at Mitch Resnick‘s tribute in his keynote from Scratch@MIT 2016 or this excellent TEDx talk by Gary Stager.) Now that “coding” is once again popular, I am once again worried: My constant worry is that the educational world will fixate on purely coding and programming. Papert’s ideas are neither inaccessible nor out-of-date; they are worth learning about; they can be a powerful influence on the way we teach and the way we think about how children learn. There are already modern versions of the Turtle, such as LEGO Mindstorms, and modern versions of the geometry microworld, such as Scratch that students and teachers can successfully use in schools. One of my primary goals in educational technology is to promote the notion that if you want powerful, high quality learning, then technology must always be used in the service of learning or making or creating or designing. Coding for coding’s sake does have cognitive benefits but those benefits can be multiplied if coding tasks are contextualized, within a purposeful educational design, and within an effective learning environment. Over the last few years, I have been trying to put together some example challenges that are directly connected to the Ontario curriculum. In this way, teachers might see how using the Scratch coding to learn environment can be directly, and deeply, connected to the real mathematical concepts underlying the intent of the curriculum. Example Mathland Challenges: Studio link: https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/3456807/ Screen Shot 2017-05-15 at 9.56.12 PM A final thought: Further Reading:
Case Tractors of agriculture is certainly something we’d never consider out of the ordinary. I’m certain you’ve never noticed anyone discussing farm chores. Farming, however, can be a very successful company, so long as you learn how to correctly deal with it. There are a few things that you need to know before you get started, so here are a couple good agriculture tips to allow you to get started. Agricultural endeavors require specific abilities with regards to information technology. If you don’t have computer knowledge or even have got a working personal computer, you will have to hire someone to assist you to after that, or learn to program your own program. There are several good free resources that can get you moving in this direction, and they’re easy to learn. Coffee is among the most popular crop all over the world. However, not all coffee is created equal. Farming Guidelines - SO WHAT CAN You Learn From Agriculture? are better fitted to certain regions, while others can only just grow using environments. You should find out which of these factors are important to you, and if you find the right farmer, question him concerning the best regions to grow his item. Before you start, make sure you have the right information. Make sure you understand what the various forms of vegetables and fruits are, in addition to which crops prosper in certain climatic conditions. Having an excellent knowing of this sort of info can certainly help you out. For How To Increase Productivity With Agriculture Tips of people, getting a job as being a farmer requires one to have some sort of special expertise that you just don’t have at this time in time. For example, there are lots of university degrees that could allow you to become a farm manager, but this is not always necessary for those without a strong history in college. You might like to think about getting a education in another industry, and getting a job like a farmer because of this specific reason. This can save a lot of money and will offer you more time to focus on your studies. One of the very most common mistakes of several aspiring farmers is not planting enough vegetation. While it’s real that too many crops may have disastrous results, few can be downright dangerous as well. Be sure to cover every square inch of one’s property with crops. If you have a large plot, think about producing an artificial forest to function as a significant food source. You can use the natural waste materials to fertilize the plant life also. Some older technology could have worked perfectly for years, however they are pretty ineffective with regards to farming now. Ultimately, Problems With Farm Subsidies? need to substitute your equipment. Learn about the best brand-new technology which you can use. Patience is usually another essential to farming success. While it’s correct that modern tools has evolved a whole lot, technology will usually about be. The simplest farm equipment is still going to be a tractor. Like individuals who reside in the country Just, the need for land will be a constant. There are a lot of solutions to control your farm environment. You should use physical work like tugging up weeds, digging or mowing, etc. Or you should use devices to accomplish the on-going do the job. Plenty of farms have automated machinery that does the task for them, but plenty of farmers still prefer to manually work on their farms. To enhance the yield of your crops, you will have to spend money on irrigation. Watering your land before planting can help tremendously in boosting the crops’ yield. And because the fertilizers are ready to water currently, it’s simple enough to use as required. In large farms, it isn’t uncommon for folks to manage different facets of their farm, including hiring different workers, dealing with pests, or even maintaining their animals. If you can handle all of these responsibilities, you will have a very profitable agricultural venture on your own hands. Share This Story Get our newsletter
Site Loader Children play and are lazy to learn. Problems like this are also experienced by many other mothers. Don’t be discouraged by this condition. Children who are lazy to learn do not always mean stupid. They also have the potential to have good grades, provided they are schooled at St. St. Andrews International School, why should St. Andrews International School? because St Andrews School Thailand is an international school that has been awarded the consecutive ‘Gold’ rating from the Education Trust as one of the exceptionally good schools in Thailand. It doesn’t take long, what is important is precisely in understanding new knowledge. Avoid forcing children to learn, so they don’t feel pressured. Children tend to reject things they don’t like. So, the learning agenda at home can be considered as a threat by them. As a parent, it has become a necessity to help children learn at home. That is, you are not in a position to order them to learn, but to accompany and oversee the learning process. If you just ask, it’s not surprising that the child finally feels lazy to learn. The most common reason, because they feel they do not get support from their parents. Without realizing it, this is what makes them reluctant to learn. Seeing this, you must have a strategy so that the lazy nature of children’s learning is not getting worse. You should spend to see the learning process. Look at their strengths and needs in learning. Then, determine learning patterns that make them easy to understand. Next, motivate them to feel happy doing it. Motivating children to stay motivated to learn is very important. This is to anticipate, their reduced interest in learning something in the long run. the boredom of children who are not immediately addressed can have fatal consequences you know. When they see the learning process as a boring activity, it will be frustrating. Motivation and involvement in schools on average decreased when they moved from primary school to secondary school. What can be done? There are simple actions such as motivating students to have positive effects on children. So that turns them into students who are not interested, become eager learners. Parent motivation is an important thing that needs to be done. Motivation from Dad and you can be the igniter of their enthusiasm to always be enthusiastic about learning. Not only that but they also no longer make the school agenda a burdensome burden, after receiving support from people around them. Now, after knowing what are the strengths and needs of children in learning, make the following efforts to get rid of their laziness. Get involved Faced with this situation, you should take the time to get involved with their education. Being involved in a child’s academic affairs is one of the important steps parents need to take. Ask questions Always ask the child what he is learning. Set a target to make you a parent who always follows the children’s lessons at school. Talk about it in casual chat. This is an effective way to make the atmosphere more interesting and dynamic. Positive Guidance Make learning and school a positive experience for children. That is, share the positive experiences you have. Tell me that while accompanying him with homework. Don’t forget to always emphasize the power of learning and don’t be stingy giving praise when they are successful at school or completing their homework. This will make them feel comfortable to always do homework and talk about problems they might face at school. • Partner links
The Germ of an Idea Contagionism, Religion, and Society in Britain, 1660–1730 • Authors • Margaret DeLacy Table of contents 1. Front Matter Pages i-xxi 2. Margaret DeLacy Pages 17-35 3. Margaret DeLacy Pages 67-83 4. Margaret DeLacy Pages 147-169 5. Margaret DeLacy Pages 171-175 6. Back Matter Pages 177-305 About this book Germ of an Idea shows how a belief in contagion began to spread among a group of medical reformers who had been forced by nationality and religious nonconformity to follow alternative pathways to medical education and professional status in early eighteenth century Britain. It explains how contagionism shaped their ideas about the nature and behavior of diseases such as smallpox, plague, syphilis, and consumption and how it interacted with the belief that diseases were not imbalances, but specific entities. Britain eighteenth century English Europe event Great Britain history idea medicine modern history religion seventeenth century society understanding writing Bibliographic information • DOI • Publisher Name Palgrave Macmillan, New York • eBook Packages History • Print ISBN 978-1-349-57558-9 • Online ISBN 978-1-137-57529-6 • Buy this book on publisher's site
Tag Archives: funeral rituals Funeral Traditions in Tana Toraja Death is something that is unavoidable. Whether you have experienced the death of a close one or have yet to do so, it is a universal experience. However, it is not experienced in the same way all over the world. In Tana Toraja, located in the Sulewesi highlands of Eastern Indonesia, cultural anthropologist, Kelly Swazey, explores how death is not a singular event in her TedTalk, “Life that doesn’t end with death.” The physical cessation of life is not considered the same thing as death. Instead, the deceased are referred to as “to Makala” (a sick person) or “to mama” (a person who is asleep). These people continue to live with and be members of the household, where they are “symbolically fed and cared for.” It is during this time, that families will begin a series of ritual orders that informs the community that a member of their family is transitioning into the Puya (the afterlife). The deceased member is considered truly dead only when the extended family reaches an agreement and when the family has enough resources to hold a funeral ceremony that is deemed appropriate for the status of the deceased. These funeral ceremonies are lively affairs that can last from a few days to weeks. They are considered the most important social moment in someone’s life, outweighing births and weddings. Through these ceremonies, a reciprocal debt society exists within the community that depends on the number of animals, such as water buffalo, pigs, and chickens, that are given and sacrificed in honor of the deceased. In a way, the sacrifice of the water buffalo and the ritual display of wealth is a way for the family to exhibit the status of the deceased member and by default, the family. These funeral ceremonies are required to take place in front of the entire community and involves everyone’s participation. Once a person is deemed physically dead, their body is placed in a special room in the tongkonan (a traditional residence). The tongkonan represents both the family’s identity and the life cycle. The shape of the tongkonan that you are born into is the same structure that brings you to your ancestral resting place. A Torajan family with a deceased relative shown in Kelly Swazey's TedTalk A Torajan family with a deceased relative shown in Kelly Swazey’s TedTalk While the Torajans practice ways to live long, healthy lives, they do not put as much effort in prolonging life if they have reached an old age or have a terminal illness. They believe that everyone has a predetermined amount of time to live that is like a thread, and that it should be “allowed to unspool to its natural end” without artificial interruptions. While this funeral practice may be something that is foreign to us, it is familiar in that it is a way for people to come to terms with the death of a loved one. The Torajans recognize that their relationships with other people do not end with the physical death of someone close. They are able to extend their relationship with the deceased by transitioning from a relationship to a living person to a relationship with the deceased as an ancestor. State Investigates Hospital Incident: Body Removed Without Consent The Emory Wheel for Tuesday, September 24, 2013 reported an incident at our very own Emory University Hospital. The body of Leon Anderton, 68, was removed to be embalmed at Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes reportedly without the consent of the hospital or family. This is an example in everyday life that involves the problematic nature of a corpse. Can someone own a corpse? Who has the authority to handle this corpse? Why would something like this happen and why is so problematic that it did happen? Something that also came up in this article is that the embalming process does not adhere to Orthodox Christian beliefs, which the family of the deceased is. But the process was already done by the funeral home when the body was returned. How does one rectify this situation when rituals so personal to a family are overlooked? Are there measures set up for this in their culture? Should there be? Why is it that embalming is the go-to ritual in American funeral homes? Since we have such diversity in our country, shouldn’t funeral directors cater to the diversity that exists in funeral rituals?
Do you want a pond that is free from waste? Then there have several things to follow up. But the first thing you have to do for getting a waste-free pool is installing pond safety nets on your pond. The leaves and dirt fall in the pond look nasty, which pollutes the water. We know that plastic materials are the most harmful products for water. Falling those products in the pool may cause the death of fish. Therefore, to keep your pond safe, read out the following article. Things should follow for getting a clean pond Getting a nice and clean pool becomes easy if you follow the given tips here. Install pond safety nets At first, install a safety net on your pond, which is crucial for any pool. It keeps the plastic out of the water and saves the water from being polluted. Overall, the safety nets not only keep the pool neat and clean but also protect the pool’s fish from external attack. Trim branches If your pond is within a garden, that means there have growing trees around the pool. So, there is the possibility of polluting the pool with the leaves and branches of those trees. To keep the pond's water clean, you have to trim the trees branches regularly hanging over the pool. Plant grass If your pond is surrounded by empty ground, then the dirt and mud might get into the water. To avoid the dirt and mud, plant the grass around your pond. It will not only save your pool free from clay but also enhance the beauty of the pool. Setting up the taller edge Installing a taller edge can keep the surface of pond dust-free. Use the concrete and stones to set up the taller side around your pond. The solidity of edge construction detains the flood from going to the pool and keeps the pool's water clean. Therefore, getting a neat and clean pond is quite easy by taking the following measures. But the crucial action you have to take for getting waste-free water is setting pond safety nets. Author's Bio: Check out my other blog posts in here & share with others if you like them.....
I'm trying to plot the following function: ymin = 0, width=17cm, height=19cm, grid = major, use units, x unit=mm, y unit=j.u, xlabel=x, ylabel=I] { (sin(120x)/(120x)cos(100x))^2}; What I get is this: enter image description here and what should I gest is that: enter image description here They look pretty simmilar but the wrong figure y values ranges from 0 to 3x10^(-4) when they sould range form 0 to 1. I already solved the readian - degrees problem. But this one is something above my skilz :p. • I dont think that's the problem. At x=0 sin(120x)/(120x) tends to unity so there is no singularity at this point. – Arthur Dec 29 '13 at 18:27 • I tried tweaking "samples". I got the same figure only smoother. "samples at" wont help either. – Arthur Dec 29 '13 at 18:31 • Are you sure that's the correct function? I get this Wolfram Alpha plot – percusse Dec 29 '13 at 18:48 • Your input is incorrect. It should be: Wolfram Alpha. I wonder If anyone tried my code and got the same result as mine. Anyone ? – Arthur Dec 29 '13 at 19:36 Ok I solved the propblem. The units in trigonometric functions must be converted to degrees. But the denominator must be kept in radians since it is not an argument of trigonometric fuction. Here is correct function. I my opinion this degrees - radians units change causes lots of problems. Why they don't fix it and use radians? \| improve this answer \| \| • the deg/rad problem is huge, I agree. But how would you change it? Changing the default is impossible; it would break existing pictures. Adding a further option of sorts "trig unit=deg\|rad" would be possible, but since it would not become a default, nobody would use it. Probably. Which way to "fix it" would you accept/expect as end-user? Something like \pgfplotsset{compat=1.9, trig unit=rad} in your preamble? that would be feasible... [this key does not exist currently!] – Christian Feuersänger Dec 30 '13 at 7:59 • You are right. Setting radians as default will effect the existing files and will cuse yet more confussion. I think that adding an option to a plot is a good solution since you can choose units for every single plot. Pretty useful and I think that people will learn to use it like they learn to use 'deg()'. The solution with preambule is also good, much more elegant (less typing) and quick. Downside is that you have to use rad/deg in the entire document. One way or another those solutions are much better than 'deg()' which is verry uncomfortable. – Arthur Dec 30 '13 at 16:31 • You welcome. I hope that will help. – Arthur Dec 30 '13 at 17:43 Your Answer
zoroastrian symbol Zoroastrianism 101 Maneck Bhujwala, a Zoroastrian priest and Advisor to The Guibord Center, introduces the audience to Zarathushti, the name by which Zoroastrians refer to their religion. One of the oldest religions still practiced today, Zarathushti traces its roots back 4000 years to Persia. How does an ancient religion fit into modern-day society? And how did followers of Zarathushti keep it alive throughout the millennia of struggles with other emerging religions? Maneck Bhujwala, born in India, has an MSEE, an MBA, and an MA in interfaith action. Co-founder of Zoroastrian Associations in Southern and Northern California, he represents the Zoroastrian community at interfaith events. Maneck is a board member of the South Coast Interfaith Council, North American Interfaith Network, and World Zoroastrian Organization. He serves as Co-Chair of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America’s Interfaith Activities and Research/Preservation Committee. Previously he was president of the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council and a Stanford University Associated Religions board member. He writes articles for the news media, speaks at schools and conferences, and serves Parsi and Iranian communities as a volunteer priest.
Follow This Nutrition Advice For Great Health Although it may seem difficult to eat healthily, doing so can make your life a better one. If you lack information, you might eat too much, too little, or allow yourself to become malnourished. Fear not, the advice that follows will teach you ways to get better nutrition in a safe manner. Many people do not consume enough protein, and it is an essential part of a healthy diet. Protein is found in peanut butter, chicken and turkey. Other good sources of protein are found in chicken and pork. Protein adds to fullness and contributes to muscle growth, which is why it is very important to consume this nutrition each day. You should eat foods that have a lot of calcium often. High-calcium foods include cheese, sardines, dried beans and nuts. Incorporating sources of calcium into your diet is crucial if you want to maintain healthy bones and strong teeth. Calcium deficiency is quite common, especially in women, and can cause osteoporosis. The disorder is not only a slow process that is very painful, but also causes your bones to turn brittle and soft. Although salad is a healthy dish, the salad dressing can ruin the nutritional value. Creamy dressings are high in fat and low in beneficial nutrients. A light vinaigrette is healthier option, as is making your own fresh dressing out of olive oil and vinegar. Adding cranberries and walnuts to your salad are a healthy treat. If you suffer from motion sickness while traveling, consider using ginger. You can also take ginger in capsule form. Beginning approximately an hour prior to the tip, you should consume approximately 1,000 milligrams of it. Repeat this approximately every three hours. Ginger helps prevent upset stomach and nausea, which is often associated with travel. In addition, you may find ginger teas and ginger candies helpful. Start with small steps when trying to improve your diet. Quick and dramatic changes rarely last. You want to avoid shocking your body by eating items you may not like. Do this by adding healthy alternatives over several weeks to help develop a healthy lifestyle. Many dieters have a hard time developing good eating habits. Many people are likely to choose foods they find comforting, regardless of nutritional content. However, once you get in the habit of eating healthy food, comfort food cravings will begin to cease. This can help you eat better for the nutrition instead of the emotional response. To eat better without even knowing it, add healthy ingredients to traditionally unhealthy foods. This tactic is useful when trying to get kids to eat healthier and also if you have a picky eater in the the house. It also can trick you into eating healthier, because the food is mixed into other foods that you enjoy. An example would be to add some vitamins and minerals into a product that normally has little nutritional value. When you make an unhealthy blender drink, add a little fortified milk powder, or put a few white beans in your next cake recipe. Your family’s nutrition will improve without them even knowing it. Don’t eat anything with microwave directions on the package. These meals usually have lots of preservatives that are best avoided. Be sure to take your time eating. Often times people eat quickly because they are in a rush. Slow down and take your time when you are eating instead of racing through your meal. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. Doing this will tell your body you are full quicker. You will be less prone to overeat if you slow down and enjoy your meal. The protein content in Quinoa is 14 grams for each 100 gram serving. In addition to its nutritional benefits, it can also be served in many different dishes. Quinoa can be used in breakfast dishes with brown sugar and apples or in a pilaf. Vitamin B-12 is crucial for the body to create red blood cells. This will improve your red blood cell count. Vitamin B-12 is great for the elderly and those suffering from anemia. Supplements work, as do fortified cereals. A lot of nutritionists recommend fish in place of pork, beef or poultry. Containing lots of Omega-3, fish has been shown to be good for your heart and circulatory system. There are a lot of fish choices and every one has a different taste and texture. When implementing a healthy, nutritious diet program, make sure to include a high-protein breakfast every day. Breakfast is perhaps the most important dish of the day as it boosts your metabolism and restores your body’s nutrient stores. Seaweed can be a great addition to any meal. Seaweed like nori and kombu have a lot of nutrients in them. These plants have been eaten for thousands of years in cultures living near the sea. People knowledgeable about nutritional eating avoid highly-milled grains. Highly-milled grains are missing the hull and husk that contains most of the fiber and nutrients. Is it sensible to use supplements like fiber pills or wheat germ to make up for the nutrients thrown away in the milling process? No, it does not. Wholegrain Bread Use wholegrain bread with seeds, rather than white bread, when making a sandwich. The glycemic index of wholegrain bread is much lower than it is in white bread. This helps keep weight in control, prevent heart disease, and keep you full. Also, whole grain bread has a lot of fiber and healthy fat. Let your children help you select foods when you grocery shop. Let them choose which fruits and vegetables they want to eat. Kids can also try some new items this way, particularly if they’re very colorful. Are you with child? If so, be sure you have enough iron. The average adult female requires 18 milligrams of iron each day, but a pregnant woman needs up to 27 milligrams per day. Your baby should have enough iron to properly develop. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, you can improve your nutritional profile by having a vegetarian meal 2-3 times per week. It lowers animal fat consumption, it costs less, and it is good for you and the planet. Stock your freezer with crisp, frozen veggies to have on hand at a moment’s notice. You can pop some frozen veggies into a variety of meals, without even tasting them. Also, the freezer will help to maintain the freshness in these foods. Heart-healthy diets need high-protein and low-fat food. Poultry like turkey or chicken can help you to have these requirements, but this is if you take them in without them having skin. You can bake, broil or roast them, but not fry. Dark meat is a less healthy than the white meat, though. Choose whole-grain products carefully. You can’t depend on the color of a food to determine its grain content. For instance, items labeled as being “multi-grain” products do not necessarily contain whole grains. You will only be eating better if you read the labels and know exactly what you are really buying. New recipes are a great way to make proper nutrition fun and educational. This can keep your diet from becoming routine and make it easier to follow. It will also keep your food from boring you to tears when it becomes too familiar. Though it may appear to be unusual, check out the option of putting seaweed in your recipes. The most popular variations–dulse, kombu and nori–are loaded with a bevy of minerals and vitamins. These plants are common, and have been consumed for a very long time. It is not difficult to provide your body with proper nutrition. It is involved in terms of research, asking questions and working at it, but it is worth it in the end to live healthier. With these helpful hints now in your mind, you will certainly be more mindful of your eating choices. Don’t think that taking tons of vitamin supplements makes you healthier. The supplements are just insurance for a healthy diet. A single, high quality multivitamin consumed daily along with a truly balanced and healthful diet should produce optimum results.
7 Health Benefits of Direct Sunlight to Newborn Babies While too much time in the sun can be bad for your skin and may lead to serious health problems, small doses can be good for your baby in several ways. 7 Health Benefits of Direct Sunlight to Newborn Babies Benefits of Sunlight for Newborn Babies The touchy skin of another conceived child should be shielded from the destructive impacts of the sun, including warmth and dampness. Warding off your child from direct daylight is a smart thought, however uncovering your little one to gentle daylight – particularly toward the beginning of the day – is helpful from numerous points of view. UV beams accompany incredible medical advantages when appropriately utilized for the infant. Medical advantages of Sunlight for a Newborn 1. More Vitamin D: This is perhaps the greatest advantage your infant will jump on presentation to daylight. Our body needs nutrient D; and to make it, the body requires at least 15 minutes of UV beams each day. This basic nutrient guides in engrossing calcium, which thus reinforces bones and teeth. The invulnerable framework works proficiently, and the body is shielded from infections. 2. Better Serotonin Levels: Daylight is known to expand the generation of serotonin when children get it in the essential amount. Serotonin, frequently called the 'cheerful hormone', helps the sentiment of joy and security. Lower serotonin levels can offer ascent to outrage issues, gloom and advancement issues. Serotonin manages rest and assimilation and controls sadness. 3. Upgraded Insulin Levels: Getting daylight since the beginning can help counteract conditions like diabetes to a limited degree. Despite the fact that it isn't the main facilitator of good insulin levels, it is unquestionably an additional bit of leeway as the nutrient D in the body oversees insulin levels. A solid eating regimen and exercise during the tyke's developing years can be incredibly valuable in holding diabetes within proper limits. 4. Sound Nervous System: Our body needs nutrient D to keep up a strong sensory system, and introduction to daylight can help accomplish that. Nutrient D improves one's personal satisfaction by building up the sensory system totally, This can help anticipate genuine ailment and constant agony later on. 5. Improves Blood Clotting: When we get harmed, wounds lead to some loss of blood. The degrees of nutrients D and K in the body help in halting the progression of blood by thickening it. Much the same as every other person, your child's body needs coagulating capacities to keep it from mischief's way – direct daylight enables the body to create nutrient D, which adjusts thickening by keeping up the correct weight and guaranteeing that the blood coagulation are only enough for the body. Also Read - Massage Tips for your New Born Baby 6. Oversees Jaundice or Yellowing of the Skin: The unchecked development of bilirubin and the wasteful working of the liver are the essential drivers of yellowing of skin in an infant. Presenting your youngster to daylight consistently can contain jaundice easily. The blue light range is helpful in diminishing the bilirubin levels in the infant's body and keeping further complexities from emerging. 7. Higher Energy Levels: At the point when an infant is presented to regular daylight, it directs the creation of melatonin. Melatonin levels in the infant can affect his rest design which is of most extreme significance in the infant's initial years. The expansion of melatonin levels can prompt lower vitality levels. Presentation to the sun enables the body to deliver a greater amount of this hormone, particularly during the early hours of the day.
Wouldn’t reducing inequality also reduce the creativeness, invention and innovation on which progress depends? Rather than stimulating innovation and progress, great inequality wastes the talents of a large proportion of the population. The evidence shows that it reduces children’s educational performance as well as reducing social mobility. Economic studies of the relationship between the extent of inequality and economic growth rates have mixed results: most suggest that greater equality is beneficial to growth but a few suggest the opposite. As a check on how inequality might affect creativeness and innovation, we have now looked at the relationship between inequality and the number of patents granted per head of population. There is no tendency whatsoever for more unequal societies to gain more patent's per head than more equal ones. (N.B. This is a correction. Using published patents data that turned out to be inaccurate, we had previously stated that more equal societies actually had significantly higher patents per head).
Nutritional yeast is a popular food product often used in vegan cooking. It gets its name from the protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants it contains. Studies have shown it has a wide range of potential health benefits, ranging from lowering cholesterol to protecting the body from free radical damage. This article explains what nutritional yeast is, reviews its health benefits and suggests creative ways to use it. Nutritional yeast is a species of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is the same type of yeast that’s used to bake bread and brew beer. While brewer’s, baker’s and nutritional yeasts are technically made from the same species of yeast, they are very different products (1). • Baker’s yeast: Baker’s yeast is purchased alive and used to leaven bread. The yeast is killed during cooking but adds an earthy, yeasty flavor to bread. • Brewer’s yeast: Brewer’s yeast can be purchased alive and is used to brew beer. The dead yeast cells leftover from the brewing process can be consumed as a nutritional supplement but have a very bitter taste. • Nutritional yeast: This yeast is grown specifically to be used as a food product. The yeast cells are killed during manufacturing and not alive in the final product. It is used in cooking and has a cheesy, nutty or savory flavor. To produce nutritional yeast, S. cerevisiae cells are grown for several days on a sugar-rich medium like molasses. The yeast is then deactivated with heat, harvested, washed, dried, crumbled and packaged for distribution. There are two types of nutritional yeast — unfortified and fortified. Fortified nutritional yeast is the most common type available for purchase. Nutritional yeast is sold as flakes, granules or powder and can be found in the spice section or bulk bins of health food stores. Nutritional yeast is a versatile food that works with nearly any type of diet or eating style. It is naturally low in sodium and calories, as well as fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan. Summary Nutritional yeast is a vegan food product with a cheesy, nutty or savory flavor. It comes in both fortified and unfortified varieties and can be found in most health food stores. Nutritional yeast is a great source of protein, B vitamins and trace minerals. Fortified nutritional yeast contains more B vitamins than unfortified varieties, as extra amounts are added during manufacturing. However, unfortified varieties still contain a moderate amount of B vitamins, which form naturally as the yeast grows. Some of the main nutritional benefits of nutritional yeast include: • It is a complete protein: Nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids that humans must get from food. One tablespoon contains 2 grams of protein, making it an easy way for vegans to add high-quality protein to meals (2). • It contains many B vitamins: One tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 30–180% of the RDI for B vitamins. When fortified, it is especially rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. • It contains trace minerals: One tablespoon contains 2–30% of the RDI for trace minerals, such as zinc, selenium, manganese and molybdenum. Trace minerals are involved in gene regulation, metabolism, growth and immunity (3, 4). Exact nutritional values vary between brands, so always read labels to find the variety that meets your needs. If you are using nutritional yeast to add extra vitamins and minerals to your diet, look for fortified varieties with higher amounts of added nutrients. If you are using nutritional yeast simply for its flavor, you may be less concerned about whether it is fortified or not. Summary Fortified nutritional yeast is a vegan-friendly source of complete protein, B vitamins and trace minerals required for optimal health. Vitamin B12 is needed for a healthy nervous system, DNA production, energy metabolism and the creation of red blood cells (5, 6). Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal products, so vegans must supplement their diet to avoid becoming deficient (7, 8). Consuming nutritional yeast can be an effective way to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency while on a vegan diet. One study including 49 vegans found that consuming 1 tablespoon of fortified nutritional yeast daily restored vitamin B12 levels in those who were deficient (9). In this study, the nutritional yeast contained 5 mcg of vitamin B12 per tablespoon, which is slightly more than double the daily recommended amount for adults. Vegans should look for fortified varieties of nutritional yeast to ensure that adequate amounts of B12 are in the product. Summary Fortified nutritional yeast contains high amounts of vitamin B12 and can be used to help prevent deficiency in vegans. Every day your body is faced with potential cell damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants from the diet help fight this damage by binding to free radicals, ultimately disarming them. Nutritional yeast contains the powerful antioxidants glutathione and selenomethionine (10, 11). These particular antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals and heavy metals and help your body eliminate environmental toxins (12, 13). Consuming antioxidant-rich foods, such as nutritional yeast, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can help boost antioxidant levels and defend against chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer and macular degeneration (14, 15). Summary: Nutritional yeast contains the antioxidants glutathione and selenomethionine, both of which can help protect your body from chronic diseases caused by oxidative stress. Nutritional yeast contains two main carbohydrates — alpha-mannan and beta-glucan. Studies show that adding alpha-mannan and beta-glucan to animal feed can reduce the frequency of infections from pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella in pigs, as well as reduce tumor formation in mice (16, 17). Beta-glucan and alpha-mannan help protect against infection in several ways (16): • They stop pathogenic bacteria from attaching to the lining of the intestines. • They stimulate immune cells, making them more effective at fighting infection. • They attach to certain types of toxins that yeast can produce in food crops and reduce their harmful effects. While animal studies are promising, further research is needed to determine whether alpha-mannan and beta-glucan have these effects in humans. Summary Nutritional yeast contains the carbohydrates alpha-mannan and beta-glucan, which animal studies suggest may boost immunity. The beta-glucan found in nutritional yeast may also lower cholesterol. In one study, men with high cholesterol who consumed 15 grams of beta-glucan derived from yeast daily for eight weeks lowered their total cholesterol levels by 6% (18). Another study found that mice fed beta-glucan from yeast had significantly lower cholesterol levels after only 10 days (19). Beta-glucan is also found in other foods, such as oats and seaweed (20). Extensive research shows that the beta-glucan from oats can significantly lower cholesterol levels (21, 22, 23, 24, 25). Although the chemical structure of beta-glucan in oats is slightly different than the structure of beta-glucan in yeast, data suggests that they have similar cholesterol-lowering effects (26). However, no study to date has investigated whether consuming nutritional yeast in its whole form has the same effects. Further research is needed. Summary The beta-glucan in nutritional yeast may help lower cholesterol levels. Nutritional yeast should be stored in a cool, dark place to preserve its vitamins. It should also be kept tightly sealed to keep moisture out. When properly stored, it can last up to two years. Nutritional yeast is used in the following ways: • Sprinkled over popcorn or pasta • Stirred into soups for an umami flavor • As a “cheese” flavoring in vegan sauces • As a thickener for soups and sauces • Added to pet food for extra nutrients Serving sizes are determined by each manufacturer but typically 1 or 2 tablespoons. It is safe to use nutritional yeast in moderation, typically up to several tablespoons per day. It would require relatively large amounts of nutritional yeast to exceed the tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for the various vitamins and minerals it contains. Specifics vary between brands, so always read labels to be sure. While nutritional yeast is safe to consume for most people, anyone who is allergic to yeast should not consume it (27, 28). Those who have trouble metabolizing folic acid (synthetic vitamin B9) should read labels carefully and may want to choose unfortified nutritional yeast whenever possible. Summary Nutritional yeast is shelf-stable for up to two years and can be added to many foods for a nutty, cheesy or savory flavor and extra vitamins and minerals. Nutritional yeast is a highly nutritious vegan food product with various potential health benefits. It can be used to add extra protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to meals. Studies suggest that nutritional yeast may help protect against oxidative damage, lower cholesterol and boost immunity. Nutritional yeast can be safely enjoyed by most people and purchased at your local health food store.
Developed in the 1960s, the twin turbo-propeller OV-10 Bronco was ahead of its time in terms of its maneuverability, utility and ruggedness. Having served under the US Marine Corps, the US Navy and the US Air Force, something truly great can be said about the usefulness and the power of this plane. As stated in the OV-10 Bronco Association’s United States Air Force Bronco page, the United States Air Force received its first delivery of OV-10 Broncos in February 23, 1968. The aircraft’s primary role was as a forward air controller, carrying out different reconnaissance and support sorties. Forward air controllers are to heavier-duty military aircrafts much like how scouts are to the cavalry. They work reconnaissance, and “check” to figure out the conditions in a certain area. Different respected online aerospace and military publications give us a historical perspective into the developments that the OV-10 Bronco underwent. The “Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report” by Joseph V. Potter made in the year 1969 details two vital operations during the OV-10’s early years: Operations “Combat Bronco” and “Misty Bronco.” Operation “Combat Bronco” In July 31, 1968, when the first OV-10s under the USAF reached South Vietnam, began Operation “Combat Bronco,” which was an active operational evaluation and testing for the OV-10A. The planes were assigned to the 19th TASS (Tactical Air Support Squadron) and the 504th TASG (Tactical Air Support Group) at Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam. During this time, the planes conducted different types of combat-related sorties such as gunship direction, visual reconnaissance, aircraft escort, day/night strike direction, bomb damage assessment and aerial artillery direction. Operation “Misty Bronco” In April to June of 1969, the USAF conducted Operation “Misty Bronco” which was designed to evaluate the performance of the OV-10 as a light strike aircraft. Results were generally positive and come October of the same year, all of the USAF’s OV-10s were armed with 7.62mm M60C machine guns and 2.75in rockets as can be seen in Military Factory. Project “Pave Nail” In the article “PAVE NAIL: There at the Beginning of the Precision Weapons Revolutions”, expert Darrel Whitcomb studies the modernization and advancements in military technology; more specifically, the integration of the LORAN and the Pave Spot system into the OV-10 aircraft: In 1971, the 23rd TASS in Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom Air Base received a couple of modifications to their OV-10 airplanes courtesy of the Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) Corporation in Dallas, TX. These modifications included the addition of a laser designation system by the name of Pave Spot. This incorporated a low light level and magnification capability for more effective day-night targeting. One can imagine the Pave Spot system as a sort of laser tracking device that precisely “paints” targets for heavier guns to rain down on. LORAN (Long range navigation) equipment was also armed on the planes for better navigation, and innovatively, aircraft engineers devised a way for the LORAN and the Pave Spot system to communicate with each other and determine the coordinates of the target being designated. The assignment of the OV-10s to the Nakhon Phanom Air Base was called Project Pave Nail, and it was these OV-10s that eventually joined the effort to intercept enemy patrols and logistic chains on the Ho Chi Minh trail. Working closely with McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs, these OV-10s from the 23rd TASS were the “point” to their “shoot.” USAF Capt. Steven Bennett USAF Major Donald K. Schneider’s “Air Force Heroes in Vietnam” recounts the stories of the brave souls who gave more to their country than it could truly repay. One of those brave soldiers was USAF Captain Steven Bennett. US Air Force Captain Steven Bennett died bravely in 1972 in the Gulf of Tonkin in South Vietnam. In an OV-10A Bronco, Capt. Bennett was flying operations for three hours providing combat support and carrying out artillery adjustment missions near the city of Quang Tri, when he received a call for assistance from a small South Vietnamese detachment. They were being stalked by a large Viet Cong force and faced being overrun. With no nearby friendly fighters, and the high risk of heavy collateral damage from supporting naval gunfire, Capt. Bennett decided to quickly fly over and provide support by strafing the enemy. These Viet Cong were battle-hardened, and equipped with heat-seeking SAM 7 missiles—one of the few dangers faced by low-flying aircraft such as the OV-10. Capt. Bennett managed to pump in five strafing runs before his left wing was hit by an enemy projectile. Seeking an emergency landing, he opted to ditch in the Gulf of Tonkin, knowing full-well that the cockpit would suffer greatly from such an impact. No OV-10 pilot ever survived from a ditching. His plane dived nose first into the water. His Marine companion/gunfire spotter managed to escape from the wreckage but Capt. Bennett, trapped in the pilot’s cockpit, did not have such a fortune. His body was recovered the next day. Capt. Bennett was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his sacrifice on Aug. 8, 1974. The USAF received a total of 157 OV-10A’s at this time. A reported 64 was lost in conflict. The USAF retired its use of the OV-10 in September 1991, although there are recent developments such as the two experimental OV-10s deployed to support the Syria and Iraq-based military campaign: Operation Inherent Resolve last summer of 2015. Indeed, interesting things await the OV-10 in its near future with different groups seeking to revive the Vietnam-era aircraft and suit it for more modern operations. OV-10 Squadron is an organization dedicated to the restoration of this venerable piece of aviation history. Read more about us on our website!
Works for Business™ “My business doesn’t need the internet. It’s a bookstore.” – Anonymous, 1994 Don’t miss out on the next tech revolution. We can help you prepare for 5G-enabled IoT. A detailed note on litigation An action brought in court to enforce the legal rights of parties is termed as litigation. Litigation is usually settled by agreement between two parties in case of any dispute; unless a deeper intervention is required to take it to the court and let a jury or judge decide on the hearing. There are several actions that need to be taken during the entire process of litigation to enforce a legal right. The litigation process includes or can be broadly classified as the lawsuit, pre-suit negotiations, arbitrations, facilitations, and appeals. Legal rights or litigation can be enforced before the following: • Litigation may begin before the lawsuit if someone wants to enforce or protect their legal rights. A party can hire an attorney who can put forward their interests. An attorney knows exactly what needs to be done as a part of litigation activities. From writing a letter to the legislative body to filing a notice of eviction with a local court and seeking compensation for a victim injured, an attorney can handle almost anything. However, none of the cases are decided without a proper investigation. The process of investigation can be extremely reckless and unfair as they go deep into the fact to arrive at a fair conclusion. When they deal with the raw facts both the party the victim and the condemned put forward nothing but the truth. • Pre-suit litigation includes a negotiation between the parties involved in the case. This is designed to avoid the inconvenience that may arise from a formal lawsuit. The attorney sends a demand letter to the convicted based on the claims and available proof to settle the issues. This demand letter gives a chance to the convicted to settle the matter with suitable compensation. Failing to do so proper litigation can be issued that may hit strongly on their pocket. The plaintiff usually seeks more than the ability or willingness of the defendant to pay. The defendant in most cases responds with the intention of paying the less amount than demanded from them. • Alternative dispute resolution comprises of facilitation, mediation, and arbitration. The process sometimes takes place as a substitute for a formal lawsuit. Facilitation and mediation are mainly informal processes, where the facilitator or the mediator makes attempt to negotiate for out-of-court settlement between the parties. For the case to resolve or settle, both the parties either accept or reject depending on their willingness. On the other hand, arbitration is extremely formal and is based on a contractual process. Here either of the party signs an agreement that states that they would accept arbitration in case of any dispute. It is a court case that occurs in front of a panel of attorneys to arrive at a solution. Court litigation is a strict process and arbitration in certain cases may happen later during the on-going process of litigation in the court of law. The rules are bit liberal and the expenses can be less compared to formal litigation. • When a plaintiff files a formal complaint in an appropriate court, this is the beginning of a lawsuit. As a notice, a formal draft is sent to the defendant to appear before the court. A lawsuit has three stages of litigation, namely discovery, trial, and post-trial. 1. Discovery is a formal investigation conducted to find out the facts and present them the way it is. Both the plaintiff and the defendant are asked to produce proof or evidence. The facts are validated with information and document presented by both parties. The discovery process includes interrogation, request to produce the documents and evidence and request for admission and finally being available on the day when the case will commence in the court. During the session, an attorney can raise motion practice, which is a method that either party can use to sign a petition requesting the court for a decision on a disputed aspect of the case. 2. Discovery is followed by a trial. When all the pre-trial motions are heard and the court feels that ADR is no longer required, they move the case to trial. The trial is a tedious and expensive process as each party makes a consistent effort to produce the case to the jury member. The plaintiff first makes his point clear and provides the reason for the allegation that he has brought against the defendant. The defendant then takes the lead to defend himself from the allegation that the plaintiff had raised against him. When all complaint has been raised and put forward both the parties may rest the case in the court of law. The judge is finally left with his decision or judgment to let both the party know about the findings of the case. 3. Even if the verdict is given by the jury, the litigation still moves on. This kind of litigation is known as post-trial litigation. This is subjected to negotiation if the losing party is unsatisfied with the judgment in the court. They may appeal to the higher court for validating the verdict given by the court of law. There will still be a serious of motions, orders, and hearings that may be essential to arrive at a rightful decision. Based on the complexities of the case, the litigation may be either quickly resolved or may run for years. An attorney should be always there to guide you all throughout the litigation process. Sharing is caring!
World Library Flag as Inappropriate Email this Article Conference of Berlin Conference of Berlin "Berlin Conference" redirects here. For other uses, see Berlin Conference (disambiguation). Early history of the Berlin Conference Prior to the conference, European diplomacy treated African indigenous people in the same manner as the New World natives. By the mid-19th century, Africa was considered disputed territory ripe for exploration, trade, and settlement. With the exception of trading posts along the coasts, the continent was essentially ignored. This changed as a result of King Leopold of Belgium's desire for glory. In 1878, King Léopold II of Belgium, who had previously founded the International African Society in 1876, invited Henry Morton Stanley to join him in researching and "civilizing" the continent. In 1878, the International Congo Society was also formed, with more economic goals, but still closely related to the former society. Léopold secretly bought off the foreign investors in the Congo Society, which was turned to imperialistic goals, with the African Society serving primarily as a philanthropic front. From 1878 to 1885, Stanley returned to the Congo, this time not as a reporter, but as an envoy from Léopold with the secret mission to organize what would become known as the Congo Free State. French intelligence had discovered Leopold's plans, and France was quickly engaging in its own colonial exploration. French naval officer Pierre de Brazza was dispatched to central Africa, traveled into the western Congo basin, and raised the French flag over the newly founded Brazzaville in 1881, in what is currently the Republic of Congo. Finally, Portugal, which already had a long, but essentially abandoned colonial Empire in the area through the mostly defunct proxy state Kongo Empire, also claimed the area due to old treaties with its old proxy, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Roman Catholic Church. It quickly made a treaty with its old ally, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 26 February 1884 to block off the Congo Society's access to the Atlantic. By the early 1880s, due to diplomatic maneuvers, subsequent colonial exploration, and recognition of Africa's abundance of valuable resources such as gold, timber, land, markets and labour power, European interest in Africa had increased dramatically. Stanley's charting of the Congo River Basin (1874–77) removed the last bit of terra incognita from European maps of the continent, thereby delineating the rough areas of British, Portuguese, French, and Belgian control. The powers raced to push these rough boundaries to their furthest limits and eliminating any potential local minor powers which might prove troublesome to European competitive diplomacy. France moved to occupy Tunisia, one of the last of the Barbary Pirate states under the pretext of another Islamic terror and piracy incident. French claims by Pierre de Brazza were quickly solidified with French taking control of today's Republic of the Congo in 1881 and also Guinea in 1884. This, in turn, partly convinced Italy to become part of the Triple Alliance, thereby upsetting Bismarck's carefully laid plans with Italy and forcing Germany to become involved. In 1882, realizing the geopolitical extent of Portuguese control on the coasts, but seeing penetration by France eastward across Central Africa toward Ethiopia, the Nile, and the Suez Canal, Britain saw its vital trade route through Egypt and its Indian Empire threatened. Under the pretext of the collapsed Egyptian financing and a subsequent riot which saw hundreds of Europeans and British subjects murdered or injured, the United Kingdom intervened in nominally Ottoman Egypt, which, in turn, ruled over the Sudan and what would later become British Somaliland. Owing to the upsetting of Bismarck's carefully laid balance of power in European politics caused by Leopold's gamble and subsequent European race for colonies, Germany felt compelled to act and started launching expeditions of its own which frightened both British and French statesmen. Hoping to quickly soothe this brewing conflict, King Leopold II was able to convince France and Germany that common trade in Africa was in the best interests of all three countries. Under support from the British and the initiative of Portugal, Otto von Bismarck, German Chancellor, called on representatives of Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (union until 1905), the Ottoman Empire, and the United States to take part in the Berlin Conference to work out policy. However, the United States did not actually participate in the conference both because it had an inability to take part in territorial expeditions as well as a sense of not giving the conference further legitimacy. General Act The General Act fixed the following points: • To gain public acceptance a primary point of the conference was the ending of slavery by Black and Islamic powers. Thus, an international prohibition of the slave trade throughout their respected spheres was signed by the European members. It was primarily because of this point that Joseph Conrad sarcastically referred to the conference as "the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs" in his novella Heart of Darkness.[2] • The Congo Free State was confirmed as private property of the Congo Society thereby ensuring that Leopold's promises to keep the country open to all European investment was retained. Thus the territory of today's Democratic Republic of the Congo, some two million square kilometers, was made essentially the property of Léopold II (but later would eventually become a Belgian colony). • The 14 signatory powers would have free trade throughout the Congo Basin as well as Lake Niassa and east of this in an area south of 5° N. • A Principle of Effectivity (see below) was introduced to stop powers setting up colonies in name only. • Which regions each European power had an exclusive right to "pursue" the legal ownership of land (legal in the eyes of the other European powers).[3]:44 Principle of Effective Occupation The principle of effective occupation stated that powers could acquire rights over colonial lands only if they actually possessed them: in other words, if they had treaties with local leaders, if they flew their flag there, and if they established an administration in the territory to govern it with a police force to keep order. The colonial power could also make use of the colony economically. This principle became important not only as a basis for the European powers to acquire territorial sovereignty in Africa, but also for determining the limits of their respective overseas possessions, as effective occupation served in some instances as a criterion for settling disputes over the boundaries between colonies. However, as the Berlin Act was limited in its scope to the lands on the African coast, there were numerous instances where European powers claimed rights over lands in the interior without demonstrating the requirement of effective occupation articulated in Article 35 of the Final Act. • Majeerteen Sultanate, The Sultanate was founded in the early 18th century, it was annexed by Italy in the 20th century. • Sultanate of Hobyo, the Sultanate was carved out of the former Majeerteen Sultanate and ruled northern Somalia until the 20th century, when it was conquered by Italy. • Mike Lennon, Erald Yomisi (2013)The Demise Of Germany • Chamberlain, Muriel E. (1999). The Scramble for Africa. London: Longman, 1974, 2nd ed. ISBN 0-582-36881-2. • Crowe, Sybil E. (1942). The Berlin West African Conference, 1884–1885. New York: Longmans, Green. ISBN 0-8371-3287-8 (1981, New ed. edition). • Förster, Stig, Wolfgang J. Mommsen, and Ronald Edward Robinson (1989). Bismarck, Europe, and Africa: The Berlin Africa Conference 1884–1885 and the Onset of Partition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-920500-0. • Hochschild, Adam (1999). King Leopold's Ghost. ISBN 0-395-75924-2. • Nuzzo, Luigi: , European History Online, Mainz: Institute of European History, 2010, retrieved: December 17, 2012. • Petringa, Maria (2006). Brazza, A Life for Africa. ISBN 978-1-4259-1198-0. External links • - Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 to Divide Africa. • [BBC In our time:The Berlin Conference]
Advanced Search Learn About The Holocaust Special Collections My Saved Research Skip to main content Oral history interview with Jane Laufer Oral History \| Accession Number: 1984.1.1.13 \| RG Number: RG-50.157.0013 Jane Laufer (née Rosenblum), born in Poland on July 25, 1922, describes growing up with a younger brother; being aware of the war because so many people were coming from Austria; her memory of September 1, 1939 as a big propaganda day and being told to leave; walking with their luggage; hiding in the woods; Germans making them move to the ghetto starting in in May 1941; remaining in the ghetto until September 1942; the deportations of people to work camps; being helped by some nuns; a priest preparing a passport for her so that she could work in a restaurant, where she worked until 1944 when the restaurant closed; being liberated by the Russians on January 21, 1945; going home and finding that the Russians had taken all the food so there was literally nothing to eat; living in the Black Forest to hide from the Russians and eventually moving to Munich, Germany for a few years; going to the United States in September 1956; the effects of the Holocaust on her; experiencing nightmares, sleeplessness, and stress; and her reasons for never returning to her home town. Jane Laufer Cecille Steinberg interview: 1984 September 18 1 sound cassette (60 min.). Credit Line United States Holocaust Memorial Council Record last modified: 2020-03-26 09:50:54 This page:
How To Make Your Fishing Experience More Sustainable According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, 1 in 5 fish sold is caught illegally, which means that illegal fishing is a global problem with severe repercussions on the ecosystem. It is estimated that around a third of the total seafood imported in the United States is caught illegally, counting for a market that is worth over $23 billion per year. Combined with the highly polluted waters and global warming, illegal fishing has already caused the extinction of several sea creatures. If the fate of our Earth were in your hands, what would you do to protect this planet and its waters? Here are some easy ways to become more conscious about nature, starting with your fishing habits. Know and respect fishing regulations Even catching one pound more fish than you are allowed to can have negative consequences, so, the first thing you should take into account is the local fishing rules and regulations. Every state and country has its set of regulations for both inland and marine fish species. You should also know the species of fish you are most likely to encounter, as otherwise, you cannot properly identify them and compare your catch to the size and bag limits imposed by laws. Don’t forget about the fishing season either. Most regular fish species can be caught anywhere from early spring to late fall but some others will only leave you a small window of opportunity for planning your fishing trip. Practice catch and release There is nothing wrong with catching a few fish to fry on the grill for lunch or dinner as long as you don’t do it regularly. Even though fishing is your one true passion, you should learn to be more responsible and practice catch and release. Some competitions even allow you to catch the big game, weigh it immediately and then throw it back in the water so it has a chance to live another day. By throwing back your catch you allow fish to mate and reproduce more, keeping the waters populated so you’ll have a better fishing season next year. However, practicing catch and release involves the use of special fishing gear that won’t harm or kill the fish when trying to pull it out of the water. Learn about the methods practiced by other anglers such as using barbless hooks for less damage or non-stainless hooks to diminish mortality rates. Consider fishing for invasive species Although we advocate for releasing the fish each time you catch it, there are certain situations when keeping it outside the waters is, in fact, the right thing to do. Many lakes and rivers are now populated with invasive fish species that spread diseases and displace native fish from their original habitat. In the United States, you can find various species that don’t belong to the local ecosystem, endangering the existing species. The lionfish, snakehead fish, the Asian carp or the flathead catfish are only a few of the species that can prey on the local fish or fight for the same food resources. If you happen to catch one of these fish, avoid sending them back into the waters. Use organic lures and baits A wide variety of the baits used by newbies and professional anglers alike are made of plastic or other dangerous materials. They are lightweight and come in flashy colors which can attract fish from afar but can also pollute the waters if you lose them. Lead sinkers and jigs are also dangerous because they poison the fish and all the other natural resources found in the waters. Instead, you could opt for alternative methods to find fish and this report on Lowrance will help you find convenient and harmless devices to track fish.
Rat-Brained Idea: Petri Dish Brain Has 12-Second Memory If you have ever told your children/significant other/cubical mate something important only to discover that they forgot it ten seconds later, this tiny artificial brain might be an improvement. It has a memory span of up to 12 seconds. Although not technically a fully-formed brain, the collection of 60 rat neurons was grown by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh as a precursor to more complex studies of synaptic mechanisms. The “brain” consists of a silicon disc covered in a layer of proteins and peppered with some embryonic rat hippocampus cells. As the cells grew together, they formed their own neural network that could transmit and receive electrical signals. When the neurons were excited with an electrical pulse, the pulse continued to travel around the network for up to 12 seconds – an extraordinarily long time considering that without that organic network the pulse would have stopped traveling after about .25 seconds. All of this talk of neurons and electrical excitement is just fancy-talk for “this artificial brain exhibits short-term memory.” And because the researchers have unhampered access to the functions of the micro-brain, their future research may give them an unprecedented insight into how the neural pathways of our own brains work to transmit information. submit to reddit Become a Fan on Facebook
Give Now » wfiu logo WFIU Public Radio wtiu logo WTIU Public Television Choose which station to support! Indiana Public Media \| WFIU - NPR \| WTIU - PBS Noon Edition Why Does Rubbing Alcohol Make A Good Antiseptic? rubbing alcohol Alcohol is such a good germ killer because it has the ability to coagulate a germ's protein. The coagulation of the protein is somewhat like your blood coagulating on a cut. More Is Not Better You can see how if all your blood became hard like that you would not be a very effective living specimen. Alcohol has the same effect on germ cells, and the cells die, too. Oddly enough, a solution of seventy-percent alcohol, that is, rubbing alcohol, is a more effective antiseptic than one-hundred percent alcohol. Another case of where more is not better. Protective Shell Around The Cell Pure alcohol doesn't work as well because when it contacts a germ cell it coagulates the cell's outer wall immediately. This forms a protective shell around the cell, which keeps the alcohol from getting through to the protein inside. So, even though the bacteria becomes ineffective, it's not dead, and under the right circumstances it can function again. Rubbing alcohol is not as concentrated as pure alcohol, so even though it coagulates protein just as well, it acts more slowly. This slower action gives the alcohol time to soak into the complete bacterial cell before coagulation takes place. Consequently all of the cell's protein is coagulated, and the bacteria dies. Grab The Rubbing Alcohol So when you want to disinfect something, reach for the rubbing alcohol, because by taking just a little more time to work, it does the job better. Support For Indiana Public Media Comes From About A Moment of Science
Musketeers made up about two thirds of the infantry and, unlike the pikemen, they wore no armour. The musket was used by infantry and dragoons. Most muskets used by the infantry were four feet long matchlocks (the main weapon of Blackwell’s today). The muskets used by dragoons were usually more expensive flintlocks because of the dangers of riding a horse with burning slow match. It took about half a minute to load a musket and its effective range was less than a hundred meters. To fire the musket one end of the burning match was placed in the jaws of the serpent, the pan was opened and the trigger pulled. This would lower the match into the pan, ignite the priming powder and then the main charge and ball that had already been loaded down barrel. In battle when rain made firing impossible muskets were reversed and used as clubs which is why all the musket butts were steel shod. Mel, our Lieutenant of Shotte says: When filming a documentary at Kelmarsh, David Dimbleby asked me why I enjoy reenactment? I said "I like to go bang". It didn't make the final cut. Joking aside, having the knowledge and ability to fire a musket, is one of the highlights of this hobby for me. I came into the regiment via a query on a website much like this. I had no real idea of what was in store, but rest aside I came back from my first event buzzing, and couldn't wait to go again. At first I never really thought I would be in the middle of a battle, handling gunpowder, and setting off quite spectacular charges. Of course it feels chaotic in the middle of hundreds of others, but there are plenty of experienced musketeers there to help you, and to make sure you have a safe but fun time. Don't think it's all pointing and firing. Musketeers go in for close combat too. We often turn the weapons around and use them as clubs. So, we get the best of both worlds! Plus we also practise detailed drill manoeuvres each morning so everyone is comfortable with what they are expected to do in the battle. Home About Us History What We Do Gallery Contact Us © 2020 by Sir Thomas Blackwell's Regiment of Foote and K Tudor. - Created with This site was designed with the website builder. Create your website today. Start Now
Skip to main content Genes in the Leukocyte Antigen 6 (Ly-6) superfamily encode glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored glycoproteins (gp) with conserved domains of 70 to 100 amino acids and 8 to 10 cysteine residues. Murine Ly-6 genes encode important lymphocyte and hematopoietic stem cell antigens. Recently, a new member of the human Ly-6 gene superfamily has been described, CD177. CD177 is polymorphic and has at least two alleles, PRV-1 and NB1. CD177 was first described as PRV-1, a gene that is overexpressed in neutrophils from approximately 95% of patients with polycythemia vera and from about half of patients with essential thrombocythemia. CD177 encodes NB1 gp, a 58–64 kD GPI gp that is expressed by neutrophils and neutrophil precursors. NB1 gp carries Human Neutrophil Antigen (HNA)-2a. Investigators working to identify the gene encoding NB1 gp called the CD177 allele they described NB1. NB1 gp is unusual in that neutrophils from some healthy people lack the NB1 gp completely and in most people NB1 gp is expressed by a subpopulation of neutrophils. The function of NB1 gp and the role of CD177 in the pathogenesis and clinical course of polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia are not yet known. However, measuring neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels has become an important marker for diagnosing the myeloproliferative disorders polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. CD177 is an important neutrophil gene that encodes the neutrophil membrane glycoprotein (gp) NB1. NB1 gp has been studied for more than 20 years and during that time several different names have been used to describe this gp, its antigens, and the gene that encodes this molecule. NB1 was first described by Lalezari and colleagues while investigating a case of neonatal alloimmune neutropenia [1]. Occasionally, during pregnancy, a mother produces alloantibodies to neutrophil antigens than cross the placenta, react with neutrophils in the fetus, and cause the neonate to become neutropenic. One antigen recognized by such antibodies was described as "NB1" by Lalezari in 1971 [1]. Later, this antigen was renamed as Human Neutrophil Antigen-2a (HNA-2a) and the gp carrying this antigen was called NB1 gp [2]. Monoclonal antibodies specific for NB1 gp have been produced and clustered as CD177 [3]. In 2001 Kissel and colleagues sequenced the gene encoding NB1 gp and called the gene NB1 [4]. However, this gene was highly homologous to a gene called PRV-1 that had been sequenced the year before. Temerinac and colleagues identified and sequenced PRV-1 in 2000 while searching for genes overexpressed in neutrophils from patients with polycythemia vera [5]. The coding regions of NB1 and PRV-1 differ at only 4 nucleotides that result in amino acid changes and Caruccio, Bettinotti, and colleagues have shown that PRV-1 and NB1 are alleles of a single gene which in this review is referred to as CD177 [68] (Table 1). Table 1 Characteristics of CD177 and the NB1 glycoprotein it encodes CD177, NB1 glycoprotein, and neutrophils from healthy subjects NB1 glycoprotein NB1 gp has been studied for many years since it carries the neutrophil alloantigen HNA-2a. Investigations with alloantibodies and monoclonal antibodies revealed that NB1 gp has a mass of 58 to 64 kD on analysis by SDS-PAGE and 50.5 kDa as determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry [4] (Table 1). It is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored gp that is found on neutrophil plasma membranes and secondary granules [9, 10]. NB1 gp containes N-linked carbohydrate side chains but not O-linked carbohydrates. NB1 gp is a neutrophil-specific protein in that it is expressed by neutrophils, neutrophilic metamyelocytes, and myelocytes, but not by any other blood cells [11]. Structure of CD177 CD177 belongs to the Leukocyte Antigen 6 (Ly-6) supergene family and is located on chromosome 19q13.2 [46]. It has 9 exons and an open reading frame of 1311 bp and encodes 437 amino acids with an N-terminal signal sequence of 21 amino acids [46]. The predicted structure of the encoded protein is consistent with NB1 gp. The predicted protein has 3 N-glycosylation sites and a hydrophobic C terminus with a GPI attachment (ω). The predicted molecular mass of the protein is 44.2 kDa [4]. The predicted protein has two highly homologous cysteine-rich domains of 188 amino acids. Each domain has 6 cysteine residues. Immediately adjacent to CD177 is a pseudogene that is highly homologous to exons 4 through 9 of CD177 in tail to head orientation [6]. Heterogenous neutrophil expression of NB1 gp NB1 gp is unusual in that it is expressed on subpopulations of neutrophils. The mean size of the NB1 gp-positive subpopulation of neutrophils is 45% to 65% [12, 13] and it ranges from 0% to 100%. Estrogen and possibly progesterone seem to affect the expression of NB1 gp. The expression of NB1 gp is greater on neutrophils from women than men [13]. The size of the NB1 gp-positive subpopulation of neutrophils from women is approximately 49% to 59% compared to approximately 42% to 43% for men. The expression of NB1 gp falls with age in women, but remains constant in men [13]. Neutrophil expression of NB1 gp is even greater in pregnant women than in healthy female blood donors. Approximately 67% to 70% of neutrophils from pregnant women express NB1 gp [14]. Interestingly, neutrophil counts are also greater during pregnancy. The administration of G-CSF to healthy subjects for several days increases the proportion of neutrophils expressing NB1 gp to nearly 90% by an unknown mechanism [15]. The absence of NB1 gp expression by subpopulations of neutrophils is due to the lack of CD177 mRNA transcription. A comparison of CD177 mRNA between NB1 gp expressing and non-expressing neutrophils from the same people revealed that CD177 mRNA was absent from neutrophils that did not express NB1 gp [16]. In addition, one day after the administration of 5 μg/kg of body weight of G-CSF to healthy subjects the size of the NB1 gp positive neutrophil population did not change and CD177 mRNA remained absent from NB1 gp negative neutrophils, however CD177 mRNA levels increased 1000-fold in NB1 gp expressing neutrophils. NB1 gp deficient neutrophils NB1 gp is absent from all neutrophils in some healthy people. Analysis of neutrophils from these NB1 gp deficient people with several different monoclonal and alloantibodies specific to NB1 gp have found that their membranes lack the entire NB1 gp. Approximately 3% of Caucasians, 5% of African Americans, and 1% to 11% of Japanese have NB1 gp deficient neutrophils [13, 17, 18]. One of the causes of NB1 gp deficient neutrophil phenotype is a CD177 mRNA splicing defect [19]. CD177 mRNA was analyzed from two NB1 gp deficient people, and although CD177 mRNA was present in both, frame shift mutations in CD177 mRNA were detected [19]. Insertions of intron sequences that created stop codons were found. The deduced protein in both people lacked transmembrane segments and GPI linkage sites. No NB1 gp or protein fragments were detected on neutrophils or in their plasma [19]. People with NB1 gp deficient neutrophils are healthy, but too few have been studied to determine if the absence of this protein has a subtle effect on neutrophil counts, neutrophil function, host defense, or host response to inflammation. The expression of NB1 gp is also absent from neutrophils from people with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and in many people with CML [10, 11]. NB1 gp is absent on neutrophils from people with PNH since it is a GPI-anchored protein and GPI anchored proteins are absent from blood cells of people with PNH. It is not known why some patients with CML do not express NB1 gp. It is not known if the lack of expression of NB1 gp on neutrophils from patients with PNH or CML has any clinical significance. CD177 polymorphisms Several polymorphisms of CD177 have been described. The most common allele of CD177 is the allele that Temerniac et al described as PRV-1 [5]. Kissel and colleagues described a second allele, NB1 [4]. The PRV-1 and NB1 alleles differ at only 4 bp that result in amino acid changes [4]. These single nucleotide polymorphisms are a G to C change of bp 42, a C to T change at bp 390, a G to A change at bp 1003, and a T to C change at 1171. Initially it was not appreciated that PRV-1 and NB1 were alleles of the same gene. Bettinotti and colleagues used Human Genomic Project databases to characterize the structure of the PRV-1 and NB1 genes [6]. They described the intron and exon structure of PRV-1, but they found only one gene homologous to both PRV-1 and NB1 suggesting that they are alleles of the same gene that is now called CD177. In addition, they found a pseudogene homologous to exons 4 through 9 of CD177 [6]. The most common polymorphism in CD177 is a single nucleotide G to C change at bp 42 that results in an amino acid substitution in the protein signal sequence. This polymorphism is present in approximately 40% of healthy subjects [7]. It appears that this polymorphism is associated with an increase in size of the neutrophil population that expresses NB1 gp. Caruccio and colleagues found that the size of the NB1 gp expressing neutrophil population in 42 G homozygous individuals was 41% compared to 66% in 42 C homozygous individuals [7]. They also identified additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predicted to result in amino acid substitutions including A to T at bp 123, G to A at bp 145, G to A at bp 1077 and A to T at bp 1099 [7]. However, since these SNPs were present in only about 10% of subjects it could not be determined if they affected NB1 gp expression. Wolff and colleagues also found that G42C was associated with the size of the neutrophil population expressing NB1 gp [16]. In addition, they found that SNPs at 786 and 1077 were associated with changes in the size of the neutrophil population expressing NB1 gp. Wolff and colleagues sequenced the CD177 promoter region from the beginning of exon 1 and prior to 162 bp upstream, but no polymorphisms were found [16]. While SNPs likely contribute to the variable expression of NB1 gp, other mechanisms that have not yet been identified are also likely involved with the heterogenous expression of NB1 gp. Increased neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels in infection and inflammation Increases in neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels are seen in clinical conditions associated with increased neutrophil production such as people with severe infections or burns and in healthy subjects given G-CSF [16, 20]. In patients given 10 μg/kg of G-CSF twice daily over 4 days CD177 mRNA levels increased markedly [5]. Neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels are not increased in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia or acute myelogenous leukemia [5]. Function of CD177 People with a NB1 gp null phenotype are healthy and the function of their neutrophils is normal. These results suggest the function of NB1 gp may be duplicated by another protein. One study suggests that NB1 gp has a role in the adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial cells [21]. The neutrophil protein that is most similar in structure to NB1 gp is urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR or CD87). uPAR has a number of roles in cell function. Interestingly, it is involved in leukocyte adhesion and adhesion to marrow stroma [22]. It is not known if NB1 gp affects adhesion to marrow stroma. CD177 and polycythemia vera Polycythemia vera Polycythemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder. In addition to polycythemia vera, traditional classifications of myeloproliferative disorders include essential thrombocythemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and idiopathic myelofibrosis. All four disorders are clonal hematopoietic progenitor disorders involving erythropoiesis, myelopoiesis, and thromobpoiesis. The predominant characteristic of polycythemia vera is the overproduction of red blood cells. Essential thrombocythemia is characterized best by the overproduction of platelets. In CML granulocytes are overproduced. In idiopathic myelofibrosis marked fibrosis of the bone marrow is present. The molecular abnormalities in CML are well characterized. CML is characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome which is due to a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, t(9;22)(q34;q11.2). In contrast, until recently little was known of the molecular basis of the other myeloproliferative disorders [2325]. The incidence of polycythemia vera in North America is approximately 2 per 100,000. Polycythemia vera is most common in patients greater than 40 years of age and the median age at diagnosis is 60 years. Polycythemia vera is slightly more common in men than women [25]. The predominant clinical feature of polycythemia vera is the overproduction of red blood cells and increased red blood cell mass. Other clinical features of polycythemia vera include increased platelet counts, increased neutrophil counts and splenomegaly. Neutrophil counts are not, however, increased to the same degree as the red cell mass and platelet counts. The growth of hematopoietic progenitors from patients with polycythemia vera is abnormal. In healthy subjects the growth of erythroid colonies from the blood or bone marrow requires the addition of growth factors including erythropoietin. Erthyroid colonies from patients with polycythemia vera are hypersentive to erythropoietin and a number of other hematopoietic growth factors. Erythroid colonies from patients with polycythemia vera form in culture in the absence of the addition of exogenous erythropoietin. These seemingly growth factor independent colonies are known as erythropoietin independent erythroid colonies. Polycythemia vera and neutrophil overexpression of CD177 Several chromosomal abnormalities have been described in patients with polycythemia vera, but most are found in 30% or less of patients. No one chromosomal abnormality has been found in all patients, but recently a molecular abnormality has been found in nearly all patients with polycythemia vera. Several studies have found that 95% to 100% of patients with polycythemia vera have markedly elevated levels of neutrophil CD177 mRNA [5, 2630]. Temerinac and colleagues compared genes expressed by neutrophils from patients with polycythemia vera with those expressed by neutrophils from healthy subjects [5]. They used subtractive hydridization to clone complementary DNA (cDNA) of genes that were overexpressed or underexpressed by neutrophils from patients with polycythemia vera in comparison to healthy individuals. They found that only one gene was strongly overexpressed in the polycythemia neutrophils, CD177. They tested 19 patients with polycythemia vera and found high numbers of neutrophil CD177 mRNA in all 19, but neutrophil CD177 mRNA was nearly absent from neutrophils from all 21 healthy subjects tested. Temerinac also studied neutrophils from a small number of patients with essential thrombocythemia and idiopathic myelofibrosis and some were also found to have increased neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels [5]. Several other studies have confirmed the overexpression of neutrophil CD177 mRNA in polycythemia vera, and two other myleoproliferative disorders, essential thrombocythemia and idiopathic myelofibrosis [5, 2631] (Table 2). The number of patients expressing increased quantities of CD177 mRNA varies among the disease type and among studies. The proportion of patients with elevated CD177 mRNA levels is greatest in those with polycythemia vera and least in those with idiopathic myelofibrosis. Elevated CD177 mRNA levels have been found in 90% to 100% of patients with polycythemia vera, 30% to 50% of patients with essential thrombocythemia, and 10% to 30% of patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis. Patients with essential thrombocythemia and increased levels of neutrophil CD177 mRNA are at increased risk of thromboembolic and major bleeding complications compared to essential thrombocythemia patients with normal CD177 mRNA levels [32]. It is not known if increased expression of CD177 mRNA levels are directly responsible for the increased risk of vascular complications or if increased CD177 mRNA levels are simply a marker of a subset of patients with more severe disease. Table 2 Proportion of patients with myeloproliferative disorders who have elevated neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels Some of the differences in the proportion of polycythemia vera patients with elevated CD177 mRNA levels may be due to variations in treatment. The treatment of polycythemia vera by phlebotomy or hydroxyurea has no effect on neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels, however, CD177 mRNA levels are reduced by interferon-α treatment. Fruehauf and colleagues monitored four patients with polycythemia vera who had elevated CD177 mRNA levels during interon-α treatment and found that CD177 mRNA levels fell to normal within six months in all four patients [28]. Patients with secondary erythrocytosis have increased hemoglobin levels but they do not have hematopoietic stem cell abnormalities. Neutrophils from patients with secondary erythrocytosis do not have increased levels of neutrophil CD177 mRNA [5, 27]. As a result the measurement of CD177 mRNA levels has become a useful diagnostic tool for distinguishing polycythemia vera from secondary erythrocytosis. While CD177 is almost universally overexpressed in polycythemia vera, the mechanisms of overexpression are not known. No abnormalities in CD177 have been found in polycythemia vera. Analysis of the structure of CD177 in patients with polycythemia vera by Southern blotting and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) did not reveal any abnormalities in the CD177 gene. FISH analysis of CD177 from bone marrow cells from 26 patients with polycythemia vera did not reveal any deletions, translocations, or insertions of CD177 [33]. Southern blotting analysis of neutrophil DNA from eight patients with polycythemia vera did not reveal any gross abnormalities [34]. It is not known if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CD177 are more common in patients with polycythemia vera. NB1 glycoprotein expression in polycythemia vera NB1 gp is the neutrophil protein encoded by CD177. Although the expression of CD177 mRNA is markedly elevated in neutrophils from patients with polycythemia vera, the quality of NB1 gp expressed by neutrophils from polycythemia vera patients is similar to healthy subjects [34]. Ly6/uPAR gene family The Ly-6 gene superfamily is also known as the uPAR or snake toxin family. This superfamily is characterized by conserved cysteine rich domains. Typically these domains contain 70 to 100 amino acids including eigth to ten cysteine residues spaced at conserved distances. The Ly-6 superfamily includes two subfamilies. One subfamily encodes GPI-anchored glycoproteins and the other subfamily encodes secretory proteins without a GPI anchor. In general, the GPI-anchored Ly-6 proteins have domains with ten cysteines and the secretory proteins have eight. The protein encoded by CD177, NB1 gp is an exception in that it is GPI anchored, but it has only six cysteine residues in its cysteine rich domains. Most Ly-6 proteins have one cysteine rich domain. Two exceptions are uPAR which has three cysteine rich domains and NB1 gp which has two [22]. Members of this family tend to have little homology. At most, 20% to 30% of amino acids are conserved among members. The functions of these proteins are diverse, but not well understood. Ly-6 genes were first described in mice. They were found to be expressed by subpopulations of murine lymphoid and myeloid cells and are now widely used as markers of murine T cell differentiation and hematopoietic stem cells [3538]. Ly-6A/E (Stem cell antigen 1 or Sca-1) is used as a marker of hematopoietic precursor cells. All murine hematopietic stem cells express Sca-1. In addition, Sca-1 may be important in murine T cell activation. Ly-6B is a marker of immature thymocytes and myeloid cells and may play a role in T cell costimulation. Ly-6C is a marker of peripheral blood T cell activation. Although the exact functions of these molecules are not known, they likely play roles in signal transduction and cell adhesion. Several Ly-6 superfamily genes in addition to CD177 have been found in humans (Table 3). Human Ly-6 genes that encode GPI-anchored proteins with a single cysteine rich domain include CD59, Sperm Acrosomal Membrane-Associated Protein 14 (SAMP14), prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), RIG-E, GML, LYGH, E-48, LY-6K, Secreted Ly-6/uPAR- Related Protein 1 (SLUPR-1), SLUPR-2 and SP-10. Two human LY6 genes are secreted proteins, SLURP-1 and SLURP-2. CD177 is most similar to uPAR, but these two proteins are only 23% homologous. Most Ly-6 genes are found in one of three regions of the human genome: 19q13.3, 8q24, and 6p21.3. Table 3 Human genes belonging to Leukocyte Antigen 6 (Ly-6) gene super family Among the LY-6 genes found in humans, CD59 and uPAR are best described. CD59 or membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis is an important red blood cell membrane molecule that inhibits complement mediated hemolysis. It inhibits the terminal step of complement activation cascade by preventing the binding of C9 to C5b-8. As a result CD59 prevents the formation of the polymeric membrane attack complex (MAC) and protects cells from MAC induced lysis. CD59 is expressed by erythrocytes and leukocytes. CD59 is an 18-kDa GPI-anchored cell membrane glycoprotein [39]. CD59 gene has been localized to chromosome 11p13 [40]. uPAR is a high affinity receptor for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). uPAR is located on chromosome 19q13.3 near CD177. The uPAR gene encodes 335 amino acids including a signal sequence of 33 amino acids [22]. It is an approximately 55 kDa GPI-anchored membrane glycoprotein and its protein backbone is approximately 35 kDa. uPAR is expressed by neutrophils, monocytes and their precursors. Antibodies specific for uPAR cluster as CD87. uPAR is an important activator of the proteolytic enzyme plasmin [22]. When uPAR binds pro-uPA trace amounts of plasmin convert pro-uPA to uPA. The membrane associated uPA bound to uPAR then converts large quantities of plaminogen to plasmin, a proteolytic enzyme with degrades fibrin. uPAR effects cell function in several ways. It plays a role in cell-cell and cell-extracelluar matrix adhesion [22]. uPAR affects cell adhesion by binding the extracellular matrix molecule vitronectin or cell membrane adhesion molecules β1 and β2 integrins. uPAR plays a role in cell migration. In migrating monocytes and neutrophils, membrane bound uPAR is redistributed to the cell's leading edge. Antibodies to uPAR inhibit monocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis. uPAR may play an indirect role in myelopoiesis by activating uPA and plasmin which may release or activate cytokines or cytokine precursors sequestered in the extracellular matrix or bound to cell membranes [22]. SAMP14 is a Ly-6 gene that is expressed only in testis [41]. It has been localized to the outer and inner acrosomal membranes and acrosome maxtrix of sperm. SAMP14 may have a role in sperm-egg interactions. The gene is located on chromosome 19q13.33 and the protein is predicted to have a cysteine rich domain, be GPI-anchored and about 14 kDa. PSCA is expressed by normal prostate tissue and its expression is localized to basal cell epithelium in an area that contains the stem cell compartment of the prostate [42, 43]. PSCA is upregulated in prostate cancer. It encodes a GPI-anchored cell surface protein of 123 amino acids and has four N-glycosylation sites [43]. PSCA is located on chromosome 8q24.2. RIG-E was first described as a gene expressed by all-trans-retinoic acid differentiated acute promyelocytic leukemia and HLA-60 cell lines [44]. It is also highly expressed by ovary and malignant thymocytes in T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and at lower levels by liver, spleen, lung, uterus, fetal brain, and fetal thymus. RIG-E is located on chromosome 8q24 and encodes a protein with 131 amino acids of which 20 amino acids are a signal peptide sequence. RIG-E is GPI anchored [44]. GML expression is induced by tumor suppressor gene p53 [45]. GML is located on chromosome 8q24.3 and it encodes a GPI-anchored protein. LYGH is expressed by brain and acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells [46]. It also has a single cysteine rich domain and a GPI-anchor and is located on chromosome 8q24.3. E48 or Ly-6D and Ly-6K are expressed by normal squamous epithelial cells and are overexpressed in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma [47, 48]. Ly-6D is located on chromosome 8q24.3 and encodes a 15 to 20 kDa GPI-anchored protein with one cysteine rich domain [47]. The ARS B gene encodes SLURP-1, a 9 kDa protein [49, 50]. It contains no GPI-anchor, is not glycosylated, and is secreted. ARS B is located on chromosome 8q24.3 and mutations in ARS B are associated with Mal de Meleda syndrome which is also know keratosis palmoplantaris transgrediens of Seimens. Mal de Meleda syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive hyperkeratotic skin disorder involving the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. SLURP-2 is expressed by a number of tissues, but it is expressed most prominently in skin and keratinocytes [51]. It is also expressed on the cervix, esophagus, brain, lung, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, uterus and thymus. SLURP-2 is overexpressed in skin keratinocytes in people with psoriasis vulgarsis. SLURP-2 encodes a protein predicted to have 97 amino acids and one domain with eight conserved cysteine residues. SLURP-2 lacks a GPI-anchor and a transmembrane domain and as a result is secreted. It is located on chromosome 8q24.3. Some Ly-6 genes are associated with abnormal RNA splicing. A cluster of Ly-6 genes is also located in the Class III region of the major histocompatiblity complex (MHC) on chromosome 6p21.3. Five genes are located in this area: LY6G6C, LY6G6D, LY6G6E, LY6G5B, and LY6G5C. The function of these genes is not known, but they are characterized by frequent transcription misssplicing [52]. Abnormal splicing of another Ly-6, gene SP-10, is also common. Sperm-specific antigen SP-10 is expressed in the testis. It is located on chromosome 11q23-q24. This protein differs from other Ly-6 members in that it is not GPI-anchored. It encodes a glycosylated polypeptide of between 18 and 34 kDa due to post-translational proteolytic events and alternative splicing of RNA transcripts [53, 54]. Role of CD177 in myeloproliferation Neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels are elevated in several conditions associated with increased neutrophil counts. Neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels are elevated in patients with severe sepsis or burns, in healthy subjects given G-CSF, and in patients with myeloproliferative disorders [5, 16, 21, 27, 3032]. Elevated levels of neutrophil CD177 mRNA are clearly associated with increased neutrophil production and quantitating neutrophil CD177 mRNA has become a useful diagnostic tool for polycythemia vera. However, there are several other neutrophil protein markers of increased myelopoesis that have been used to diagnosis polycythemia vera including vitamin B12 serum levels, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase, and lactoferrin plasma levels [55]. It is not yet certain if CD177 mRNA levels are more useful for diagnosing polycythemia vera than B12, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase or lactoferrin. The more important question concerning CD177 is what role if any do elevated CD177 mRNA levels play in the pathogenesis or complications of polycythemia vera? While this question is still being investigated it is likely that CD177 plays an important role in the pathogenesis and clinical course of polycythemia vera. Another neutrophil granule protein has been found to play an important role in myelopoiesis. The molecular defect in most patients with severe congenital neutropenia and in all patients with cyclic neutropenia involves a well-described neutrophil protein that previously was not thought to be involved with myelopoiesis, neutrophil elastase [5658]. Neutrophil elastase is a serine protease found in neutrophil primary or azurophilic granules. Recently, mutations in the gene encoding neutrophil elastase, ELA-2, have been found to be associated with cyclic neutropenia and congenital neutropenia. This suggests that CD177, an abundant neutrophil membrane secondary granule protein could also be important in hematopoiesis. The fact that several mouse Ly-6 genes play an important role in proliferation, differentiation, and homing of hematopoietic cells and lymphocytes and that several human Ly-6 genes are overexpressed in rapidly proliferating and/or malignant cells suggests that CD177 is not just a marker of increased neutrophil production, but it may play an important role in the overproduction of neutrophils in polycythemia vera. Polycythemia vera is a clonal disorder that may involve several molecular abnormalities. The abnormal expression of CD177 may not be the initiating or the most important event, but its overexpression likely contributes to the pathogenesis of the disorder. Neutrophil CD177 is upregulated when myeloproliferation is increased. An elevation in neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels has become an important marker of myeloproliferative disorders. Further studies are needed to determine if elevated neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels are simply a marker of increased production of neutrophils or if it plays a role in the pathogenisis or clinical course of polycythemia vera. 1. 1. Lalezari P, Murphy GB, Allen FH: NB1, a new neutrophil-specific antigen involved in the pathogenesis of neonatal neutropenia. J Clin Invest. 1971, 50: 1108-1115. 2. 2. Bux J, Bierling P, von dem Borne AEG: ISBT Granulocyte Antigen Working Party. Nomenclature of Granulocyte Alloantigens. Vox Sang. 1999, 77: 251-10.1159/000031136. 3. 3. Mason D, Andre P, Bensussan A, Buckley C, Civin C, Clark E, de Haas M, Goyert S, Hadam M, Hart D, Horejsi V, Meuer S, Morrissey J, Schwartz-Albiez R, Shaw S, Simmons D, Uguccioni M, van der Schoot E, Vivier E, Zola H: CD antigens 2002. Blood. 2002, 99: 3877-3880. 10.1182/blood.V99.10.3877. 4. 4. 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Download references Author information Corresponding author Correspondence to David F Stroncek. Rights and permissions Reprints and Permissions About this article Cite this article Stroncek, D.F., Caruccio, L. & Bettinotti, M. CD177: A member of the Ly-6 gene superfamily involved with neutrophil proliferation and polycythemia vera. J Transl Med 2, 8 (2004). Download citation • CD177 • PRV-1 • NB1 • neutrophils • polycythemia vera • myelopoiesis
Can you have an allergic reaction to a vaccine? Can you have an allergic reaction to a vaccine? With everything that is currently going on with the coronavirus, a potential vaccine is on everyone’s lips. It would be the next big step in stopping the virus that is ravaging the world. When it comes, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It’s a long way away, but it’s still at the forefront of our minds. But for some, they might be worried about an allergic reaction. It begs the question: can you have an allergic reaction to a vaccine? Why vaccines are safe The short answer is yes, you can have an allergic reaction to a vaccine. But the chances of having an anaphylactic shock in response to a vaccine is about 1 in 760,000. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning this year (1 in 700,000). A doctor would never recommend you forgo a vaccine just on this random chance. To add to that, were you to have an extremely unlikely reaction, they tend to happen within minutes of the injection. This means your doctor can respond immediately and keep you safe. The chances of having a reaction hours after the injection are even slimmer. Basically, you’ve never been in safer hands. Am I having a reaction? Sometimes, people can interpret symptoms after the injection as an allergic reaction. A fever, pain, chills, swelling, and headaches are just some of the ailments people report having. And they can happen days after the immunisation. But these aren’t allergic reactions. This is your body responding to the vaccine. They work by giving you a little bit of the virus, allowing you to build up an immunity to it. By activating your immune system, it will create the white blood cells you need to fight off the actual virus. If you do have a reaction to something, the likelihood is it’s from something else in the injection process. The latex in the rubber stoppers used in vials might end up on your skin, causing a reaction. While actual latex isn’t used so much today for these stoppers, it might still be an answer worth exploring. Talk to your doctor about it. There’s a lot of false information about vaccines on the internet. What’s important is you trust your doctors and take their advice on the issue. If we want to beat coronavirus – or any virus, period – we need to use vaccines to make us a healthier society. If you have any allergy concerns, talk them through with an allergist who can give you the best advice. We are allergy experts who can answer any burning questions you may have. It’s a scary time and we want you to feel comfortable about your allergies. Feel free to get in touch with us on 02031 433 449 or visit our website. Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved
Azteca gnava Every Ant Tells a Story - And Scientists Explain Their Stories Here Jump to navigation Jump to search Azteca gnava Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Dolichoderinae Tribe: Leptomyrmecini Genus: Azteca Species: A. gnava Binomial name Azteca gnava Forel, 1906 Azteca gnava casent0619156 p 1 high.jpg Azteca gnava casent0619156 d 1 high.jpg Specimen Labels A wet and moist forest ant that can be relatively common in some areas albeit in the canopy ant gardens that constitute its nests. Each colony typically has one or more large central gardens and numerous smaller satellite gardens. Longino (2007) - The queens of A. gnava are most similar in size and shape to queens of Azteca instabilis and Azteca sericeasur. They differ from A. instabilis by the small ocelli (OCW < 0.15 for A. gnava, > 0.20 for A. instabilis), and from A. sericeasur by the uniformly brown face (with extensive yellow coloration on A. sericeasur). Azteca gnava differs from both species in the deep posteroventral petiolar lobe, with vertical to concave posterior face. Workers of A. gnava are difficult to distinguish from A. velox and Azteca nigra. They tend to be somewhat larger than both. The ventral petiolar lobe is more strongly developed than A. velox, and the scapes tend to be relatively shorter than A. nigra. Azteca gnava may be close to or the same as Azteca ulei, the ants from Ule's classic studies of Amazonian ant gardens (Ule 1901). Keys including this Species Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (type locality), Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama. Distribution based on AntMaps Distribution based on AntWeb specimens Check data from AntWeb Longino (2007) - Azteca gnava occurs in the canopy of wet to moist forest habitats, where it forms ant gardens. Ant gardens are moderately abundant in Costa Rica, usually in the canopy of wet to moist forest, and often in trees overhanging streams or river margins. Costa Rican ant gardens are formed by a number of species, including Odontomachus panamensis (in parabiotic association with Crematogaster carinata), Crematogaster jardinero, Crematogaster longispina, Pheidole violacea, Azteca gnava, and A. nigra. Azteca gnava ant gardens are large and their associated epiphytes usually appear dense and well established (e.g. robust Aechmea (Bromeliaceae) plants, dense mats of Peperomia (Piperaceae), hemiepiphytic Coussapoa). In Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica, A. gnava ant gardens often have abundant growth of Peperomia macrostachya and Aechmea tillandsioides var. kienastii. Colonies usually occur as one or more large central nests and numerous smaller satellite nests, forming an “archipelago” of ant gardens. Larger nests may be over 50cm diameter. Invariably, large populations of coccoid Hemiptera are sheltered beneath the ant gardens, attached to the supporting branch of the host tree and sometimes on the epiphytes on the nest. Ant brood can be found dispersed throughout the gardens. Queens were unknown prior to this study and they are very rarely encountered. In the one case in which I observed a colony queen, it inhabited the central and largest ant garden. Very occasionally alate queens are taken in Malaise traps. On Barro Colorado Island, Panama, I collected an alate queen flying in the forest at 1700hrs. • gnava. Azteca paraensis r. gnava Forel, 1906d: 241 (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Raised to species: Forel, 1912h: 49. Senior synonym of rossi, surubrensis: Longino, 2007: 34. Current subspecies: nominal plus cayennensis. • rossi. Azteca ulei subsp. rossi Forel, 1909a: 251 (w.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of gnava: Longino, 2007: 34. • surubrensis. Azteca gnava var. surubrensis Forel, 1912h: 49 (w.) PANAMA. [First available use of Azteca paraensis subsp. gnava var. surubrensis Forel, 1908b: 62; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of gnava: Longino, 2007: 34. Longino (2007) - (n=14): HLA 1.24 (1.00–1.44), HW 1.29 (1.01–1.47), SL 0.94 (0.81–1.01), CI 105 (101–109), SI 77 (70–85). Palpal formula 6,4; middle and hind tibia with prominent pectinate apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible smooth and shining near masticatory margin, grading to microareolate and dull at base, with moderately abundant small piligerous puncta, setae in puncta short, erect, larger puncta with long setae near masticatory margin; medial and lateral clypeal lobes at about same level; head with strongly convex sides, strongly cordate posterior margin; in lateral profile pronotum evenly sloping, slightly convex, mesonotum more strongly convex, forming separate convexity; posteroventral lobe of petiole well developed, deep; scape with abundant erect setae, length of setae about one half to equal to maximum width of scape; mid and hind tibia with abundant erect setae, longest setae about one half to two thirds maximum width of tibia; side of head with 2–5 erect setae irregularly distributed along side; posterior margin of head with abundant long erect setae; pronotum, mesonotum, and dorsal face of propodeum with abundant long setae, those on dorsal face of propodeum sometimes shorter, sparser, less erect than those on pronotum and mesonotum; most of body light to dark brown. Longino (2007) - (n=5): HLA 2.19 (2.18–2.20), HW 2.37 (2.33–2.47), SL 1.14 (1.11–1.20), CI 108 (107–113), SI 52 (50–55). Palpal formula 6,4; ocelli small; middle and hind tibia with prominent pectinate apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible with abundant piligerous puncta, setae in puncta a combination of longer erect setae and shorter subdecumbent setae, interspaces between puncta faintly microareolate with varying development of roughened, acicular sculpture; medial and lateral clypeal lobes at about same level; head with convex sides, posterior margin strongly cordate; petiolar node in lateral view varying from triangular to flattened and scale-like at apex; posteroventral lobe of petiole deep, with posterior margin forming a concave or vertical surface, meeting tergum anterior to posterior limit of posterior tergal lobe (Fig. 1D, 5); scape with abundant erect setae, about as long as one half to two thirds maximum width of scape; middle and hind tibia with abundant erect setae, longest of these about as long as one half maximum width of tibia (MTSC 20–40); side of head with 0–1 erect setae near mandibular insertion, lacking elsewhere; posterior margin of head with abundant long erect setae; pronotum with erect setae on anterior margin and posterior margin, leaving bare space medially; mesoscutum, scutellum, and propodeum with abundant erect setae; petiolar node rimmed with erect pubescence and irregular longer erect setae, 2–3 pairs of erect setae usually extending above apex in profile, posterior border of sternal lobe of petiole with dense layer of erect setae of irregular lengths; gastral terga with moderately abundant long erect setae; almost entire body uniform dark red brown, lighter orange brown around antennal fossa. Type Material Longino (2007) - Syntype workers: Costa Rica (Biolley) (in an abandoned termite nest); and “Surubrés, touffe d'orchidée, dans un nid de termites”; and “San Mateo, racines de goyavier (le meme)” Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève (examined, one Costa Rica (Biolley) worker here designated LECTOTYPE).
How to Prevent Aortic Aneurysms October 4, 2019 Clinical Contributors to this Story Arthur J DeMarsico, D.O. contributes to topics such as Vascular Surgery. Like Barnegat, New Jersey, resident Amado Velez, most people who develop an aortic aneurysm don’t experience symptoms. The retiree’s abdominal aortic aneurysm (sometimes dubbed a “Triple A”) meant a dangerous ballooning had developed in the lower portion his aortic artery carrying oxygen-rich blood to his abdomen and legs. Because Amado had been monitored for other health conditions, physicians caught his Triple A before it ruptured—a scenario that leads to the deaths of about 10,000 Americans each year. In the aorta, the body’s main artery, an aneurysm can also develop in the thoracic (chest) region. Either way, signs—if they appear at all—can resemble those due to other ailments, says vascular surgeon Arthur DeMarsico, D.O. FACOS. What can you watch for? “Symptoms include back or abdominal pain, feeling full early during eating, or back or side discomfort,” Dr. DeMarsico explains. “It’s very vague, which is why so many aortic aneurysms aren’t detected until someone comes to the Emergency Department with significant abdominal pain.” Risk factors for aortic aneurysms Certain people are more prone to developing an aortic aneurysm than others. According to Dr. DeMarsico, risk factors include: • Gender: Aortic aneurysms affect four times as many men as women. • Age: Triple As like Amado’s are most likely in adults over age 65. • Genetics: Aneurysms can run in families, and 10 percent of those with a Triple A have a family history of the condition. • Lifestyle: Smoking, weight lifting or using stimulants such as cocaine can significantly raise the odds of an aortic aneurysm. • Health conditions: Other medical problems that raise the odds of aortic aneurysms include obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, some infections and trauma from car accidents or falls. Screening to reveal an aortic aneurysm includes imaging tests, and certain people, including those with a family history of Triple A, should consider being screened, Dr. DeMarsico advises. “Medicare covers a one-time screening if patients have a family history; cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol; and have smoked over 100 cigarettes in their lifetime,” he says, adding that anyone over 65 who might be eligible should talk to their doctor. Proactive measures to prevent aortic aneurysms First and foremost, if you’re a smoker, stop. “Smokers have a four-times higher risk,” Dr. DeMarsico says. Other preventive steps include controlling weight, eating a heart-healthy diet and avoiding stimulants. Managing stress levels can also help by lowering blood pressure. “Diet and exercise are the things we advocate,” Dr. DeMarsico says. “It may not prevent someone from having an aneurysm, but it certainly makes them a more fit candidate for surgery to repair it if they need to have that done.” Dr. DeMarisco practices in Manahawkin. To make an appointment, call 609-978-0778. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institutes of Health Aortic Aneurysm (NIH)
Country Size Comparison French Polynesia is about 2.9 times smaller than Vanuatu. Vanuatu is approximately 12,189 sq km, while French Polynesia is approximately 4,167 sq km, making French Polynesia 34.19% the size of Vanuatu. Meanwhile, the population of Vanuatu is ~282,814 people (5,067 more people live in French Polynesia). This to-scale map shows a size comparison of Vanuatu compared to French Polynesia. For more details, see an in-depth quality of life comparison of French Polynesia vs. Vanuatu using our country comparison tool. Other popular comparisons:
Allergy Screening for Eczema Allergy Screening for Eczema An eczema allergy is a flare up when you’re around things that cause an allergic reaction. Your body's immune system overreacts to substances, called allergens, that are usually not harmful. You might get hives, itching, swelling, sneezing, and a runny nose. This screening package includes the following test: 1. Egg White F1 2. Milk F2 3. Cat Dander E1 4. Dog Epithelium E2 5. Dog Dander E5 6. D. pteronyssinus D1 7. Peanut F13 8. Hazelnut F17 9. Soya Bean F14 10. Fish (cod) F3 11. Shrimp F24 Sample for testing: Blood
Other Kung Fu Substyles There are many other animal and non-animal Kung Fu styles, far too many to list extensively here. However, in addition to the styles listed above, several others deserve a brief mention: Bul Mu Do or Buldo Mu Sool (a Korean Buddhist temple style, supposedly derived from Shaolin fighting arts); Ch'a Ch'uan (a style from Mongolia, popular among Chinese Muslims and known for its acrobatics and flying kicks); Ch'o Chiao (a northern style featuring high kicks); Choy Mok (a combination of two southern styles, Choy Gar and Mok Gar); E-mai Shan Pai (a style supposedly created on the sacred mountain of the same name; known in Vietnam as Nga Mi Phai); Fan Tzu (a simple northern style); Fong Ngan (the "Phoenix Eye" style, which relies almost entirely on hand attacks, including a distinctive raised-middle-knuckle punch); Hop Gar (a fighting art derived from Tibet; it is a practical fighting style and is also known as Lama kung fu); Hung-Chia (a southern style which emphasizes powerful hand attacks delivered from low stances; it is said to have been created by one of the Venerable Five); Hung Fut (a 300-year-old southern style which combines two other styles, Hung Gar and Fut Gar; practitioners always use their left hands to strike and are trained to use their clothing as a weapon); Kuo-Ch'uan ("dog boxing," an unpopular northern style in which the practitioner stays low to the ground, barking and growling like a dog, hoping to antagonize and distract his opponent); Liang I (an internal northern style which uses double-fist attacks); Li-Chia Ch'uan ("short hand" boxing, a southern style involving slapping and poking attacks, close infighting, and almost no kicks; also known as Li Gar); Liu-Ho-Pa-Fa ("six harmonies, eight steps," a soft northern style); Mien Ch'uan ("cotton fist" style, a soft northern style); Mi Tsung-I (the "labyrinthine art," which uses rapid turns, changes of direction and attacks to confuse the enemy); Poc Khek (a Malaysian style); San-Hwang Pao-Ch'ui ("cannon fist" style, also known as Hsing-Kung-Ch'uan); Ta-Cheng Ch'uan ("great achievement," an internal style derived in part from Hsing-I); T'an T'ui ("Deep Legs" or "Springing Legs" Kung Fu, which uses very low kicks and legsweeps) and T'i T'ang (a fighting style which trains the student to fight while on the ground). As you can see, there is considerable overlap between the maneuvers required for the various styles. If a character wishes, he can consider himself a practitioner of multiple styles if he knows the minimum required maneuvers and Skills for each; in combat, he can describe how and when he switches between styles. This will not, however, have an impact on an enemy's KS: Analyze Style roll; to cancel the effects of such a roll, a character would have to switch to another style in which he has a separate Knowledge Skill. A character wishing to confuse an opponent with KS: Analyze Style should buy a separate Knowledge Skill with each sub-style he wishes to switch between. If the character can make his KS roll, his opponent must re-make his KS: Analyze Style roll. Of course, if the character switches back and forth between only two styles, his opponent may be given a bonus to the KS: Analyze Style roll as he gets used to the character's pattern. For more information on the main "soft" Chinese styles, refer to the descriptions of Hsing-I, Pakua, and Tai Ch'i Ch'uan. Was this article helpful? 0 0 Healing Properties Of Tai Chi Healing Properties Of Tai Chi Get My Free Ebook Post a comment
The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and olive oil. It also emphasizes lessening the consumption of alcohol. In addition to the diet possibly boosting cognitive function, it may also contribute to slowing cognitive decline. (Dreamstime/TNS) If you're looking for ways to delay potential memory loss, a study from the U.K.'s King's College London can provide some insight. Research from the public research university suggests that lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise influence brain aging through certain molecular pathways, according to Medical News Today. The results, which were published earlier this month in Communications Biology, indicate that making lifestyle changes based on your genetic makeup could assist in staving off memory loss. For the study, researchers focused on neural stem cells (NSCs), which are a group of cells located in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that plays a major role in memory. NSCs continually divide to make more cells, which makes them crucial to memory. Medical News Today reported that nutrient-sensing pathways respond to lifestyle factors, including things such as diet and exercise. They also help stimulate changes in the way cells behave. As such, these pathways give a molecular link between lifestyle and memory and maybe it can demonstrate why people's memory is differently affected by aging. Researchers used a novel back-translation approach to show that variations in the gene ABTB1 are linked to performance on a typical memory task and that variation in the gene GRB10 is an important factor in determining the link between Mediterranean diet and memory performance. Also identified in the study was a relationship between exercise levels and the SIRT1 genotype. The genotype seems to play a part in the performance of memory, according to a press release. "Our study shows that nutrient-sensing pathways play an important role in memory and suggests that the ABTB1 and GRB10 genes are likely molecular links for the association between diet, the aging of neural stem cells and our memory ability," lead author Chiara de Lucia, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London said in a statement. "Identifying these genes as the missing links between these three important variables could inform new approaches to help improve the aging process through targeted changes in diet and exercise and ultimately in developing new drugs in the future," she added. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Recommended for you
How To Raise Bees In West Virginia Lyburn 25632 Stamp painting, knitting, playing with basketball or collecting: these are the certain things that come to mind when people think of avocations. Try and think of beekeeping as a hobby. Keeping bees is an original pastime, it can be entertaining and educational; it may also be a profitable hobby. Beekeeping or apiculture is the preservation of honey bee colonies. Apiary is where the bees are kept. A beekeeper or apiarist is a person who keeps honey bees for the purpose of raising queens and bees to sell to other farmers, and fastening products like honey, beeswax, pollen. There are commercial beekeeping: sideliners, residential, hobby beekeepers or hobby beekeeping, or different kinds of beekeepers. Residential beekeeping is generally kept bees in the most busy place in urban environment. Be certain you understand the laws, regulations and requirements because some areas don’t let beekeeping before keeping bees in residential area. Most beekeepers are hobby beekeepers; they’ve another day job, and just find beekeeping gratifying although they keep bees as a hobby. Only a few hives are generally owned by these people. They have interest in ecology. A sideline beekeeper needs to make a profit but relies on an extra source of income; it usually occurs when a hobby gets out of hand or when they have decided to widen beekeeping in time that is full. Sidelines beekeeping can handle up to 300 colonies of bees. And lastly, Commercial beekeepers control thousands or hundreds of colonies of bees. Up to 50,000 colonies of bees and create can be managed by the most extensive beekeeping kind millions of pounds of honey. Beekeeping lessons are important for an aspiring beekeeper As beekeepers, you should wear protective clothing to protect skin from stings of the bees. Beekeepers must wear gloves for holding the racks and a hooded suit or hat and veil to shield your face and especially the eyes. Sometimes they don’t to use gloves because they have this experience in handling bees and in beekeeping. The face and neck are the most significant places to shield that is why most beekeepers will at least wear a veil. Rinsing glove hands and washing suits consistently will minimise appeal. Beekeeping can easily be learned over time. Hands on experience is the greatest means to learn. You may know how you can approach properly work and the hive with the bees. Beekeepers need to use all their senses and constantly keep an open mind. Begin with a superb start, look for what ask and you should learn some encounters beekeepers seek for his or her guidance. But it’s not unimportant at all times the security of the beekeeper. Bear in mind that what you may desire to accomplish, anything you want to do or what business or profession you need to enter only follow what your heart says and go for what makes you’ll joyful. Some people that are interested in honey bee farming get their training from how to raise bees classes in Lyburn West Virginia but it may be very costly. Fortunately there are affordable ways to learn the art of successful beekeeping in WV. Click Here To Get Your Copy Share This:
The Long And Sordid History Of Democrats And Immigration Reform You’re right about one thing, Zano, the immigration issue is far more involved, philosophically and historically, than our political pundits or parties tend to comment. Traditionally it was assumed and required that all legal immigrants would assimilate into our nation by truly identifying as Americans while leaving behind the racial and ethnic past. Through the assimilation of our language, traditions, laws, customs, and culture, the Irish Americans freely chose to become an American of Irish descent. That’s the difference with today’s approach to immigration, and thereby the problem. Since the mid-60s, the ideology of multiculturalism has discouraged the Americanization of legal immigrants, while encouraging newcomers to our nation to cling to their past ethnic heritage as their primary social identifier. Multiculturalism encourages these ethnic factions to protest against the process of Americanism as a privileged and racist class to be fought and overthrown. The 14th Amendment: The 14th Amendment was authored and passed for the purpose of granting citizens’ rights to children, whose parents were enslaved by the Democrats. The Democrats fought against the 14th Amendment–it passed without one Democratic vote. When examined honestly, it becomes obvious that the authors of the 14th Amendment would be appalled to learn that the Democrats were interpreting this Amendment to encourage people to break the law in order to come here by rewarding the lawbreaker’s children with citizenship. Why do the Democrats interpret the 14th Amendment in this manner? To exploit the issue of race and to gain voters. History of the Democrats And Race: Phase 1: Democrats supported slavery. Phase 2: Democrats supported White Supremacy. Phase 3: Democrats promote local ethnic political machines. Phase 4: Democrats use money from the public treasury to pay for special privileges in exchange for the votes of ethnic minorities. California was a strong Republican State prior to 1986 and the Political reality of immigration since “comprehensive immigration reform” is more concerning. Post 1986 a pathway to citizenship was granted with only lip service offered to future border security. Now it would be impossible for even Ronald Reagan to win California, the most debt-ridden state, with the highest level of poverty and homelessness. Mick Zano’s Response: I usually do a separate rebuttal for a post like this, but sometimes it just feeds into the alternate universe that is the Grand Old Party. Oh, speaking of which, funny how the caravan is a non-issue again a week after the midterms. Strange, huh? It’s really tough to pick out anything relevant in this post of yours. Last year Forbes had California ranked third best economy in the country (other side of worst). For states that depend more fully on federal handouts look no further than those squarer versions. And do you really think that Trump supporters were the progressive thinkers around the time of the civil war? You know as well as I that our political party platforms inexplicably switched in the 1860s, but the song–and the level of consciousness–remains the same. Ask yourself this simple question: is it more likely that 150 years ago Trump’s supporters were risking life and limb to create and support the underground railroad, or were they the ones cutting some eye holes into some sheets? Hmmm. And here’s my response to your historical phases of Democratic immigration missteps (DIM): Phase 1: Put the glue bottle down. Phase 2: Place the cap back on the top and tighten. Phase 3: Sit down carefully. You’ve huffed & could fall down and bang your head (& not in a cool death-metal kind of way). Phase 4: Stop doing that. If you keep huffing you could become a member of Trump’s cabinet. (Visited 35 times, 1 visits today) Pokey McDooris Pokey McDooris 4 comments for “The Long And Sordid History Of Democrats And Immigration Reform 1. pokey November 15, 2018 at 8:26 AM Since the birth of Christianity, two formerly “normal” pagan practices began to be questioned and condemned: 1) slavery 2) infanticide Since Christianity acknowledged every human life as being purposefully created in the image and likeness of God, it was obviously immoral to treat a human being as property. Our nation was founded on the Christian principle that “all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” It was from this principle that Abraham Lincoln led the Republican Party against the Democrat’s who argued that some races were of a higher breed than others and therefore had the right to “choose” to enslave the lower breeds. I believe that slavery is evil–based on the Christian principle that every human being is endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights that demand to be honored. On what principle do you define slavery as being evil. Is that simply your opinion? The Democrats argue that some humans are of a higher class than others, and these higher humans have the right to “choose” to abort the lower humans. I believe abortion is evil, based on the same principle that objectively defines slavery as evil. Who would Abraham Lincoln side with on this issue? 2. pokey November 15, 2018 at 8:30 AM “Party platforms inexplicably switched”–how convenient for Democrats that’s its “inexplicable.” I would be happy to explicate to you–political expediency and propaganda. Yeah, I’ll explicate to you in my next post. Coming soon. • Mick Zano November 15, 2018 at 4:06 PM So it’s a simple question then, who helped the blacks to freedom? A. Trump supporters B. All other creatures great and small. • pokey November 16, 2018 at 12:46 PM The Democratic Party’s history of racial politics stretches back to its foundation as Andrew Jackson rose to the power of the presidency (1830ish). Under Jackson’s leadership, thousands of Native American Indians were herded from their land and into detention camps called “reservations.” The Democratic Party also supported and fought to defend the practice of slavery until its abolition at the conclusion of the Civil War. Leave a Reply
ProgrammingMost people use their laptop with out understanding how they operate “below the hood”. As a result of Scratch is free and so properly supported, it is one of many first recommendations for child-friendly programming, and it’s easy to see the affect of Scratch in lots of other kid-pleasant programming languages listed right here, akin to Blockly. This presentation will give an overview of the potential of neural nets in sport improvement, as well as provide an in depth have a look at how you need to use neural nets combined with reinforcement studying for brand spanking new forms of game AI. Any longer, neural nets will be a powerful new software in the software engineering toolbox. One of many huge benefits of studying Java is that there is a lot of software already written ( see: Java Class Library ) which will enable you write programs with elaborate graphical user interfaces that communicate over the the Internet. I assume that you just want no rationalization on the right way to study laptop programming You must be properly qualified with a degree in laptop science and have in depth experience in programming, with mastery in wielding at the very least 3 or 4 core programming languages like C, C++ and Java, along with server and consumer aspect net based mostly programming. New languages are usually designed across the syntax of a prior language with new functionality added, (for instance C++ provides object-orientation to C, and Java adds memory administration and bytecode to C++, however as a result, loses effectivity and the flexibility for low-degree manipulation). From the extraordinarily highly effective C language, it is object-oriented descendants – C# and C++, Java, to newborns like Python, programming languages are available in all varieties and flavors, designed to resolve a range of problems in every computable domain.
Your location is: Articles : What Causes Chronic Hyperventilation And What To Do About It - Part 2: Underlying Physiology The Stress Resilient Mind Blog What Causes Chronic Hyperventilation & What You Can Do About It PART 2: Underlying Physiology of Chronic Hyperventilation This article is the second of a series exploring the questions of what might be causing chronic and resistant over-breathing or hyperventilation (manifesting as stubbornly low carbon dioxide readings from a capnometer) and secondly what we might do to address such problems. The articles are aimed primarily at people experiencing such issues, but I hope they'll be relevant to health practitioners too. In part 1 I offered two initial hypotheses: • the first being that over-breathing is an entrenched stress response, • and the second being that over-breathing is a compensation for a problem in cellular energy production which disrupts the body's acid-alkali balance. In this article we'll explore these two narratives in greater depth. In doing so, we'll cover the basics of acid-alkali (or acid-base) physiology, which will be necessary to understand the second causal account, but actually it has a bearing on the first too. Hyperventilation and Stress Let's start by reviewing hyperventilation in relation to stress. If you're one of my clients, or following the Stress Resilient Mind programme, hopefully this will be familiar to you. Over-breathing is a problem in the short term because it causes a reduction in oxygen delivery to brain cells. The simple story we've focused on so far is that stress triggers a shift to faster, chest-based breathing and this typically means an increase in ventilation, which we can define as air exchanged per minute. The mechanism behind the reduction in oxygen delivery is that increased ventilation (over-breathing) lowers blood CO2 which in turn causes: • vasoconstriction in the brain, and • a shift in the acidity of the blood, meaning the blood holds on to its oxygen. But things get more complicated in either of the two scenarios that I've listed – that is, if over-breathing becomes an ingrained pattern to which the body adapts, or if over-breathing is not the real problem at all, but an adaptation to a deeper problem. In either case we're going to need to understand more about acid-alkali balance in the body. I'll try to keep things as simple as possible but there's no denying it's a complex topic. Acid-alkali Physiology Acidity level is measured as pH. PH ranges from 1 to 14. This range is like a spectrum of acidity: 1= strongly acidic 7= neutral strongly alkaline =14 The body doesn't have a uniform pH. Broadly speaking there are three “compartments” having distinct pHs: 1. blood, 2. intracellular fluid (just meaning the stuff inside of cells) 3. extracellular fluid (in the body but outside of and between cells). Some particular organs have their own specific pH needs but generally this three-way division applies. Then you've also got the contents of the stomach and intestines, which technically aren't inside the body, and since they're not relevant to to our purpose, I won't be talking about these further. The body regulates pH. What this means is that each compartment has an optimal pH, and if it drifts away from this point, the body takes steps to bring it back, because otherwise things don't work so well. Blood pH Blood is the most tightly regulated – in fact there is a very narrow range for blood pH and if you deviate only a small amount from pH 7.4 for arterial blood you'll die. (Venous blood is actually slightly different.) Why is blood pH so important? The main reason is that haemoglobin in your blood, which transports oxygen from the lungs to cells, requires a very tight pH range to do its job. Too acidic, and haemoglobin can't bind to oxygen in the first place. Too alkaline and it will hold on too tightly, not delivering oxygen to the cells that need it. Intracellular pH and Acid Production Inside cells generally, pH is also important because there are lots of chemical reactions going on that work optimally at a particular pH range. Away from this range, things don't work as well and there'll be health consequences, but not so dire as a shift in blood pH. Cells actually produce acids, as a natural consequence of their biochemical processes, in particular cellular energy metabolism. This is the controlled burning of fuels derived from food, to release energy. The main acid produced by energy metabolism is actually carbon dioxide. Another one is lactic acid, which I'll return to later since it's very relevant to stress and anxiety. There are other sources of acidity in the body, notably certain food components, and also the microbiome, which is the population of micro-organisms in the gut. But cellular energy production is the main source. This extra acid must be cleared out of the cell, otherwise it will build up and disturb the optimal pH. The extracellular fluid is actually slightly more alkaline, in order to aid the process of clearing acid from inside cells. The extracellular fluid is the least important in terms of acidity regulation, but even so, this extra acidity must be ultimately be removed from the body. Carbon Dioxide Again the main acid determining pH in the body is carbon dioxide, which when it dissolves in body fluid forms carbonic acid (a fairly weak acid). Carbon dioxide is produced inside cells but is moved out, and ends up in the blood stream. From there, it's breathed out through the lungs. As you'll know if you've been following the Stress Resilient Mind programme, you don't want to get rid of carbon dioxide too fast – that's because carbon dioxide when dissolved in the blood is the main factor controlling the pH of the blood. Too little carbon dioxide in the blood causes potentially serious consequences. So you need the right concentration. This is the main reason breathing needs to be well regulated: so that blood pH is balanced and the blood can do it's job of delivering up oxygen to cells. pH Regulation & The Bicarbonate Buffer System Let's take a closer look at how the body achieves this regulation of blood pH, or how it maintains blood pH at a stable point. For that we need to discuss something called the bicarbonate buffer system. A buffer is something that reduces the impact of a change, or smooths it out. Suppose you start exercising intensively – your system will suddenly create a lot of carbon dioxide (acid) which, without the bicarbonate buffer would pull your blood pH out of range – bad news. But the bicarbonate buffer smooths out the impact of that. Let's take a look at how that happens. What follows is a little technical. I'll summarise the main points at the end. I've said that CO2 is the main acid that affects blood pH, and when it dissolves it forms carbonic acid. H2O + CO2 ↔ H2CO3 water carbon dioxide carbonic acid (Some carbon dioxide also attaches to heamoglobin inside red blood cells, but we don't need concern ourselves with that.) Now there's a further step involved, which is that carbonic acid dissociates into a bicarbonate ion plus a hydrogen ion. So the full chemical formula is this: CO2 + H2O ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H+ + HCO3- H+ is a hydrogen ion, and the concentration of hydrogen ions is literally the definition of pH. So the more H+ we have in a fluid, the more acidic it is. HCO3- is called bicarbonate, and it is alkaline. (You may have heard of bicarbonate in the context of sodium bicarbonate, which is baking soda – more on this in a later article.) Now this is starting to get complex, maybe more complex than we need. The bottom line is this: • We have three related substances in the blood – carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, and bicarbonate ions. Together these determine the concentration of hydrogen ions, which is the acidity or pH. • The body needs to regulate blood pH, or keep it tightly within healthy bounds. And it can do this by adjusting the levels of these substances, that is by ejecting them out of the body. There are two body systems which take part in this regulation: • The primary regulation system is the lungs and breathing. We can get rid of carbon dioxide by breathing it out, and we can do that pretty quickly and easily. • The secondary system is the bicarbonate buffer system operating in the kidneys. The kidneys can pee out both hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions, and can control the relative proportions of each of these being peed out or retained in the blood. The kidney system is slower, making changes over a time period of hours to days. We've now covered the basics of acid-alkali physiology, at least enough to give us a better understanding of the two possible causal hypotheses for chronic over-breathing. And this is what we'll return to in the next article in the series (part 3). Articles Home Search this site: stress resilience blueprint video Get The Stress Resilience Blueprint Mind-Body Intelligence How To Manage Your Mind With Biofeedback & Mindfulness Book by Glyn Blackett mind body intelligence book cover • Underlying dynamics in stress & anxiety • Why breathing is at the heart of stress management • Practical models for framing self-control challenges & solutions Download Free Chapters Like what you read here?
Myanmar Timber Elephant Project How stressed are elephants captured from the wild compared to their captive-born workmates, and how does time spent in captivity affect this? How does taming affect stress hormone (cortisol) levels and health, and which factors help to reduce such effects? How do cortisol levels relate to workload, body condition and measures of reproductive ability, and does seasonal variation in cortisol underlay the seasonal patterns in mortality and birth rates of elephants? Can we use information about stress hormone levels and about heterophil / lymphocyte ratios to improve welfare of elephants? We collect monthly faecal samples of timber elephants with known birth origin and life-history documented in their logbooks, to investigate the factors which cause variation in faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). We also collect monthly blood samples to determine white blood cell counts. The heterophil / lypmhocyte (H/L) ratio can be used to assess how animals experience stress. Mean faecal glucocorticoid levels fluctuate across Myanmar‘s three seasons, reaching their lowest in hot season (March–May) and their highest in monsoon season (June–September), while elephants during cold season (October–February) exhibit intermediate levels (Mumby et al. 2015a, Seltmann et al. 2020). Stress is also related to reproductive ageing where calves born in the high stress season (monsoon), where females born in these months exhibit faster reproductive senescence in adulthood and have significantly reduced lifetime reproductive success than their counterparts born at other times of year (Mumby et al. 2015b). Furthermore, we found a positive and consistent link between FGMs and H/L ratios in elephants of our study population, irrespective of their sex, age, and season. Hence, the H/L ratios from blood smears on site can be a potentially cheaper and faster alternative to determining stress than measuring FGM concentrations in the laboratory. Watch this space for more exciting findings in the near future!
EARTHPRINTS-Toronto's urban debris creates haven for flora, fauna and nature-lovers by Reuters Thursday, 24 September 2015 10:00 GMT In December this year the UN Climate Conference takes place in Paris. Ahead of the summit, we will release a series of stories, titled "Earthprints," that show the ability of humans to impact change on the landscape of the planet. From sprawling urban growth to the construction of new islands, each site has profoundly changed in the last 30 years. Each story has accompanying NASA satellite images that show the scale of the change. ( By Andrea Hopkins TORONTO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Like a rooftop garden in an overcrowded financial district, Toronto's Leslie Street Spit is an unexpected urban oasis whose narrow escape from development has brought marshes, lagoons and forests to the center of Canada's largest city. Jutting into Lake Ontario just minutes from the worst of Toronto traffic, the more formally named Tommy Thompson Park was created over 60 years ago by the dumping of dredged sand, concrete chunks and earth fill, expanding what was once just a thin strip of land in the city's busy harbor. The dumping continues to this day but while development plans have threatened the spit from its beginning, the passion of the cyclists, birders, hikers and naturalists who flock to the artificial peninsula every weekend has preserved the unlikely park and left nature to prevail. For some, the spit offers the best views out to the Great Lake and towards the city's soaring skyline. For others, the auto-free roads offer safe, serene cycling, running and roller-blading in a city whose streets are often clogged with cars. For most, it offers a 5-km (3-mile) stretch of nature untamed by development: home or visiting spot to 300 species of birds and site of 500 hectares (1200 acres) of pioneer plant life, cottonwood and poplar groves, grassy marshes and gravel beaches. While trucks hauling concrete and earth from the city's construction sites ply the spit from Monday to Friday, the park is turned over to an eager public every weekend, when its main road and numerous winding paths beckon city residents. Admission is free. More than 100,000 people visit annually, according to the Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority, which owns the land and water bodies included in the park. Initially eyed for port-related facilities in the 1950s, the spit was opened to the public in the 1970s after a decrease in lake shipping made those early plans obsolete. The spit of land has a diverse ecosystem, with a rugged eastern shoreline giving way to wildflower meadows in the middle sections and marshy lagoons on the western shore, beneath the city skyline. "Nature has a remarkable way of taking over," said Karen McDonald, project manager with the conservation authority. "It's really strong in some areas and plant life started to grow here without the help of a human hand." The gradual transformation from a lifeless pile of rubble to an urban wilderness means the Leslie Spit is never finished, an ever-changing and unmanicured parcel of water and land. Cobble beaches are, upon closer examination, composed of red brick, concrete, and kitchen tile worn to colorful pebbles, with patches of rusting rebar and urban detritus piled nearby - unlovely to some, a gritty oasis to others. Colonies of gulls, terns, herons and cormorants nest along the beaches or in the groves, attracting binocular-toting enthusiasts at dawn. Late summer brings butterfly enthusiasts to the spit, while anglers fish from the park's shores and small bridges. The place has been eyed for other uses in the bustling city - the population of greater Toronto is some 6 million. From early on, an activist group who call themselves the Friends of the Spit have fought off development, including plans for a hotel, amphitheatre, government dock, yacht clubs, parking lots, water skiing school and campground. "As honey attracts bees, vacant land attracts plans," the Friends say on their website, pledging persistent vigilance to protect the park for public use forever. "No other piece of land has attracted such passionate defenders, nor has any other piece of land had such a lengthy battle waged, simply to maintain it and allow it to grow as nature intended." (Editing by Frances Kerry) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Cairo, or Al Qahera as it’s known in Arabic, means “the conquerer.” It is an ancient city where countless religions have resided. From the time of the pharaohs to modern, Islamic Cairo, a piece of every religion remains somehow in one form or another in some part of Cairo. In El-Fustat, a complex area near downtown Cairo, the three Abrahamic religions come together in rare harmony. These places of worship have been turned into museums for interested tourists. This area is called Mugamaa Al Adyan, meaning “the Complex of Religions.” Stepping behind the gates of the complex, you will find that you’re transported to another century, yet not knowing which one exactly –every structure is from a different time in history. religious monuments in cairo cameron wind Photo by Cameron Wind. Before we start our journey through the Complex of Religions, we need to understand the history of how such different symbols of different religions came to be in the same space. The area itself is ancient and was a war zone for thousands of years. The Holy Family was stayed there during their journey to Egypt, making it a religiously significant place for Christians. One of the earliest significant structures in this area is the Fort of Babylon, which was built during the Roman Empire in the second century AD. It’s said that the name “Babylon” comes from a similar phrase from the ancient Egyptian languages meaning the entrance of the region of “lono” – or at least that’s what we learned in social studies! religious monuments in egypt cameron wind Photo by Cameron Wind. When you get to the Fort of Babylon, resembling a large shield with visually noticeable cracks, you will also be crossing off another monument on your list: the Hanging Church. It’s not a church that’s hanging off the ground, but it’s still worth the visit. It’s called the Hanging Church because it was built on the Babylon Fort, and the church itself is elevated 42 feet above the ground. The “hanging” effect has degraded over the years, so when you visit it, it will not be as noticeable. However, you’ve got to give the church some credit, since it is one of the oldest surviving churches in Egypt dating back to the third century. If you’re interested in researching the Christian faith, stay in this area a little longer. First, we have the Coptic Museum just steps away from the Hanging Church. The museum was founded in the early 1900s, and the included houses are significant Coptic artifacts to this day. They are also representative of the cohesion of Christianity with Islam in modern-day Cairo. There are more than 1200 pieces of art curated in the museum. The museum consists of two wings: one for ancient artifacts curated by Morcos Samika Basha, a Coptic researcher in the early 1900s, and a newer wing created in the late 1940s. In the vicinity, you will find the Mar Girgis Church of St. George, which is a marvel of Coptic architecture. It’s massive and was also built above another Roman tower. Nearby is the Abu Serga Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, and it’s said that the church was built on the cave where Joseph, Mary and Jesus resided in their time in Egypt. It was built in the 4th century AD, making it almost as old as the Hanging Church. You might want to visit the main Jewish temple in the area: the Ben Ezra Synagogue. This place of worship is built in a similar style to the nearby churches. According to the Al-Maqrizi, an Egyptian historian from the 1400s, the temple was originally a church that was sold to the Jewish people under the Tulunid rule. It is said that the synagogue had an old copy of the Old Testament written by Ezra the Priest. Others also say that this is where Baby Moses was found after being sent adrift on the Nile religious monuments in cairo Photo by Cameron Wind. Not too far away, we have a symbol of Egypt’s most prominent religion, Islam. The mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas was the first mosque ever built in Egypt and the continent of Africa as a whole. During the First Crusade, the whole city of Fustat was set on fire and the mosque was destroyed. It was rebuilt again only a few years later. The mosque is spacious with a lot of space for worship and prayer — it’s based around Indian architecture and the temples located there. Before you end your historic, religious, and cultural journey through the ancient city of Al Fustat, make sure you also go through the Old Cairo Bazaar. It’s a narrow area with paths leading around the churches and temples. You can find a lot of interesting and rare souvenirs, and it’s an experience of its own. Cairo is a marvel of religious history and culture, and it is a major center for religious diversity. Al Fustat will have you relive that history for a day, and help you think of what could have been. Here’s how you can enjoy some of the main temples on your trip to Egypt! Share this: Noran Morsi Noran is an artist who enjoys writing in all of its forms. She's also a college student who can be spotted finishing assignments from a train in Delhi or a New York subway. She enjoys writing about the ups and downs of being a Cairene, finding boba whenever possible, and enjoying theater around the world.
17:28 GMT31 May 2020 Listen Live Get short URL Historians are more or less in agreement that upwards of a million Jews lost their lives in the infamous camp in Poland during the Second World War, but one Ku Klux Klan member in Alabama prefers another narrative, telling BBC journalists that Auschwitz was nothing more than a “summer camp,” complete with swimming and leisure activities. The documentary film "KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy," aired on BBC on Monday, revealed an up-close look at the Loyal White Knights' leaders, in preparation for what they call a race war. Never cracked a history book? Or maybe just totally devoid of common sense, one Klan member had a particularly insane contribution to make: "The so-called concentration camps like Auschwitz and so forth, they say they were death camps," the man told filmmakers. "But these death camps, they gave the so-called people that were being killed cigarettes, there was coffee, there was a movie theater, a library, even a swimming pool in Auschwitz." "It's more like a summer camp," he added. How did he think Jews spent their time during the Holocaust, that darkest of the dark epochs of human history? "Swimming," he offered. "And working," he added. "Because they didn't want to do any work, and what Hitler was trying to do was he was trying to teach them to work, trying to rehabilitate them, if you will." Asked to name his source, the man he said "It's all history." The UK television crew, on location to film America's most infamous hate group in the wake of the terrorist slaughter of nine black church goers in Charleston by white supremacist Dylann Roof in June, was predictably taken aback, particularly as the US Constitution's First Amendment protects the freedom of expression even to the unabashed racists of the KKK. The BBC journalist pointed out that Britons can be imprisoned for comparable statements. "In Britain, inciting racial hatred carries a possible sentence of seven years in prison," the narrator explains. "Here in the US, the First Amendment guarantees free speech. Even for blatant racism." You can watch the trailer for the documentary here: South Carolina Authorities Arrest 5 at White Supremacist, Black Rallies The KKK is Trying to Bribe People to Join Them … With Candy Flashpoint? New Black Panthers to Confront KKK at South Carolina Rally At Least 2 Detained at White Supremacist Rally in US South Carolina concentration camp, KKK, Auschwitz, United States, Alabama, United Kingdom Community standardsDiscussion Comment via SputnikComment via Facebook
The History of Borneo's Headhunters Some rural villages in Sabah still take care of heads collected by their ancestors Some rural villages in Sabah still take care of heads collected by their ancestors \| © Jasni / Shutterstock Throughout history, communities have warred against one another. Some, including the tribes in Borneo, severed their victim’s head and preserved it as a trophy or for ritualistic purposes. Discover the basis and motives behind the infamous and fearsome headhunters in Borneo. Headhunting in Borneo The headhunters in Borneo were active until approximately one century ago. Various tribes, including Sarawak’s Iban and Sabah’s Murut and Kadazan-Dusun brought fear to the early British colonialists. Victorian Britain nicknamed the land ‘Barbaric Borneo’ which was fitting for the nature of the indigenous tribes. Some collected an enemy warrior’s head to take home as a trophy or as proof of their victory. Others had to murder and bring the skull back to the village for permission to marry. Regardless of the motive, the practice of headhunting in Borneo has both intrigued and instilled fear in outsiders for generations. Visitors can enter the former longhouses and see skulls still dangling from the roofs. Even today, the occasional rural community still looks after a head captured by their ancestors. Sarawak’s Iban form approximately 30% of the state’s population. In the 21st-century, many adopted Christianity, but their past has a darker story. In Iban culture, headhunting during defence and expansion of their territory was widespread. Collecting a head and bringing it back to the village was a sign of masculinity and a highly sought–after trait when it came to marriage and prestige in the community. The Iban believed cutting off the head gave them possession of the spirit which in turn made the collector more powerful. A ban implemented by British Sir James Brooke in the 1800s stifled the practice. But the ancient tradition was revived during the Japanese occupation in World War II and a failed Indonesian attempt to invade Sarawak in the 1960s. Today, a small number of elderly Iban men have squiggly lines on the back of their hands. This shows they have killed and severed someone’s head before. Headhunters bring back skulls as a sign of victory or as a permission to marry someone from the village © National Museum of World Cultures/WikiCommons The Murut tribes were feared throughout Borneo for their headhunting practices. While the Iban severed heads for ‘trophies’, Murut society and culture were much more brutal and ruthless. Within the community, a young man who had failed to collect at least two heads received little respect. Before marriage, men had to sever and obtain at least one head. Those who didn’t were ostracised. Incidentally, groups of young Murut men went on regular headhunting raids to murder and sever the head of anyone they encountered. Nobody was spared men, women and children were all killed. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was collecting a head for their rite of passage into manhood. The Kadazan-Dusun headhunters in Borneo followed a more spiritual approach. Heads were collected from invading enemies and offered as proof of victory. Kadazan-Dusun victims were almost always warriors. But the practice had a more gruesome twist. The members of this tribe were spiritual and believed the body possesses several spirits which depart to Mount Kinabalu immediately after death. A young Kadazan-Dusun warrior needed to remove the head while the victim was alive to preserve its spirit. A head from a corpse whose soul had already departed was worthless in their view. The community held a special ceremony to appease the head’s spirit. They believed if they took care of the spirit, it would safeguard their village against disaster. Some Kadazan-Dusun still protect the heads collected by their ancestors. Visit the House of Skulls in Sabah's Monsopiad Cultural Village to see some of the collections © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas/WikiCommons
helping others study altruism photographs Prosocial behavior stands for everything we do for others without expecting anything in return, like helping our neighbors with groceries or someone cross the street. As with practically anything, though, people have different opinions on why we act this way. Here’s what the sociobiologists are saying • All children are born with empathetic “powers” that allow them to bond emotionally with others¹. • This is a genetic response we use to support our genes. • Wilson et al have documented prosocial behavior in animals too², so that’s cool. It would make sense to think we take these actions because of empathy, our core values, and a sense of responsibility towards others we share the planet with (hi guys). However, sometimes, engaging in prosocial behavior can be financially costly, time-consuming, emotionally draining, you get the point. According to social exchange theory, people help only when rewards (recognition, fame, etc.) surpass costs, so there’s no such thing as true altruism. Boo. I asked 80 people to find out if that’s true Do we only help if something we want isn’t at stake? Are you hooked by now? I know I was at the time, so I asked 80 people, ages from 20 to 40, both genderswere equally represented, what they would do in the following situation. The verbs in bold are the interchanging factors. Today is a very important day for you. you’re interviewing for your dream job. You just hopped in your car, when a close friend comes and asks for your help. You need to take them to the ER, now! If you take them, you can/can’t get to the interview on time. You ask them if they can return the favor in the future, they say they can/can’t. From 1 to 7, to what extent would you help your friend? Frequently Asked Questions • No, you can’t call to reschedule. • Yes, you lose the job if you don’t show up. • No, you can’t call them a cab, will you stop it with the hypothetical questions already? Participants had to pick a number from 1 to 7, 1 meaning “I wouldn’t help them at all.” and 7 meaning “I would so help them.” They were encouraged to include a reason for their choice. For the record, I know we don’t go around interrogating people who just asked us to drive them to the hospital whether they would return the favor. Anything for science and an objectively better study, am I right?! high reward, low cost If we can get to the interview, help our friend and get the hypothetical reward from our friend, everyone said they would help the most. low cost, no reward Second case scenario, 20 people said they’d greatly help, averaging a 6.4 out of 7. Some said they’d help regardless of rewards, others bluntly said they wouldn’t help because of the lack of it. Some said they’d help because friendship is more important than a job, others because a loyal friend can get you a good job. Not very selfless now, are we? high cost, high reward What about when our friend promises to return the favor, but we can’t make it to the interview? 5.6 out of 7. Someone said they’d only help if their friend was seriously sick, if not, they wouldn’t risk their dream job. Others said they believe everything happens for a reason, so if they miss the interview, something better is in store for them. I agreed with that statement and the following one someone else said. If their friend was in poor health, they were able to help and the company wouldn’t give a shit about that, that’s a company they wouldn’t want to work at. Another take was that they would take their friend to the ER and miss the interview “no doubt,” but they’d call the company to let them know why so they’d make a good impression. Hey, whatever floats your boat. high cost, low reward The part we’ve all been waiting for! How willing would we be to help if we didn’t make it to the interview, lost our dream job, and our friend was like: “I really can’t return the favor, sorry bro”? 6.5 out of 7! We’d rather help another person than get that reward or job, dream job to be exact. Now, that’s good news. People are good, after all. Isn’t that realization exciting? Go out there and make someone’s day, not for any other reason other than YOU CAN. Thanks for reading. Two people could give the same explanation, yet choose different numbers on the scale. Everyone likes to think of themself as a good person, so they answer as such, despite their reasoning indicating otherwise. I’m not saying those who wouldn’t help are bad. No way, I was just stating the facts. Plus, I dislike labeling people as good or bad. Actions on the other hand… At the time, no one identified as gender fluid/agender/genderqueer where the study was conducted, even though they’d be answering anonymously. I probably should’ve included it as an option anyway. In other news, did you know asking students to confirm their gender before a test leads to lower scores for girls? ¹ Sagi & Hoffman, 1994 ² Wilson, D. S., O’Brien, D. T., & Sesma, A. (2009). Human prosociality from an evolutionary perspective: Variation and correlations at a city-wide scale. Evolution and human behavior, 30(3), 190-200. Leave a Reply
Voces in Action EPA's Standards for Carbon Pollution Will Help Protect Public Health EPA's Standards for Carbon Pollution Will Help Protect Public Health Why is EPA Moving to Limit Industrial Carbon Pollution? Thus climate change looms as one of our most serious public health threats; yet few people are aware of the many dangers posed by a warming planet. These include: Air Pollution: Warming temperatures worsen smog pollution, which triggers asthma attacks and permanently damages and reduces the function of children’s lungs. Higher smog levels even contribute to premature deaths. Heat-related Disease and Illness: As temperatures rise, so do deaths and illnesses related to heat stress, heatstroke, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. Infectious Disease: Climate change affects patterns of diseases such as dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease. Increasing temperatures and rainfall have been associated with increased occurrence and transmission of insect-borne diseases like West Nile virus. Higher temperatures can lead to more rapid development of dangerous pathogens within insect carriers and allow these diseases to expand their range into new, once cooler, regions. Approximately 173 million Americans in at least 28 states live in counties with mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever, a painful viral illness that has increased globally 30-fold in the last 50 years. Drought: Projected temperature increases in the summer will increase the likelihood of water shortages and drought, threatening the availability of water for drinking and irrigation. Droughts harm crops, diminishing food variety, nutritional content, and availability. Floods: Warmer air holds more moisture, so when it rains it’s more likely to pour, increasing the risk of flooding. Warmer ocean temperatures have also been linked to more powerful hurricanes and other storms. It is EPA’s duty to protect public health from air and water pollution. In a landmark 2007 decision, Massachusetts v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the agency has an obligation to limit industrial carbon pollution and other global warming pollutants under the Clean Air Act—should EPA find them to be public health threats. The agency did just that, issuing an Endangerment finding that summarized and documented the serious threats to public health posed by global warming. And the Supreme Court in 2011, in a second case, American Electric Power v. Connecticut, reaffirmed its earlier decision. On March 27th, the EPA issued the first-ever national standards for industrial carbon pollution, which applies to new power plants -- those that haven’t yet been built. Want to know who are the big carbon polluters in your own backyard? Look them up using EPA’s new web tool, which identifies major carbon pollution sources throughout the country. start html0 pre page0.01 post page0 end html0 Total Time: 0.01
Gender Implications for EAS during COVID-19 Image Credit: CDC The social impacts of COVID-19 have important implications to food security and, like many other social and environmental calamities, are not gender or spatially neutral. In many regions across the world, deep-rooted gender norms that devalue women’s unpaid domestic labor burdens also marginalize the health, nutrition, and decision-making power of women and girls. In 2017, FAO reported that women account for nearly 60% of all people living in hunger, highlighting the potential to address both food security and poverty alleviation by addressing gender inequalities. Extension and advisory services (EAS) is a vehicle for addressing food security and poverty alleviation, and FAO highlights the importance of gender to that equation. Reports indicate that food security and health risks for women and children are increased during crises because women occupy nearly 70% of the healthcare workforce. Women’s roles in healthcare increase their work burdens and risks to contract and transfer COVID-19. The United Nations Population Fund suggests that crises also hinder the ability of women to access critical sexual and reproductive health services as well as support systems for domestic-based violence; this is especially true for women refugees. While research on the gender dimensions of emergencies remains limited, the effects are inevitably compounded by place-based social norms as well as individual or household access to resources and information––in addition to a person’s agency to use them. Women that are racial minorities, disabled, and/or in low-income groups will face additional intersectional challenges. In times of crisis, these already marginalized groups of women and children face increases in malnutrition and food insecurity. Lessons learned from past crises, such as the Ebola epidemic that ripped across West Africa from 2014-2016, underscore the crucial role of social capital in supporting emergency response efforts and facilitating rapid behavior change. This is particularly relevant for hard to reach rural areas that account for a large portion of communities in West Africa––communities that depend on subsistence and small-scale farming for both food security and livelihoods. In Liberia, for example, 70% of the population derives a portion of their income from agricultural activities, and 49% live in rural areas. This highlights the crucial role of governmental EAS to provide information and resource input to all farmers, including women. Unfortunately though, infrastructure, low resource capacity, and inequality in service dissemination continute to remain barriers for rural women farmers during COVID-19. Given these gender dynamics and realities, could existing EAS and the trusted local personnel that disseminate them be adapted and targeted to serve more effectively in times of crisis? Specifically, could they address the unique and intersectional challenges of women farmers? This post highlights specific gaps in the ability of EAS to address the needs of rural farmers, specifically women, that are increased during emergencies. For example, globally, women report lower access to extension services, as well as information and communication technology devices (radios, cell phones), risk-sharing networks outside of their communities (village savings and loan groups), household power to make decisions, and time to allocate to innovative and adaptive agricultural solutions. In addition, this post addresses the risks that such gender and place-based gaps present to rural food security and social stability, specifically in low- and middle-income countries. Below are specific challenges related to EAS access. • Information Access and Communication. Reliance on technology to access information reported by EAS is critical to emergency response in post-conflict settings where degraded infrastructure makes resources and information delivery to rural, remote communities extremely challenging. In low- and middle-income countries governed through male-dominated systems, it’s common to find such devices owned primarily by the male household head, increasing the difficulty for women to effectively access first-hand agricultural and emergency information. Further, market function during crises relies on information access that can be improved by leveraging existing community social capital, which is critical for women’s role in selling produce. • Household Agency and Intersectional Challenges. Women may face additional challenges stemming from household power dynamics that result in less agency due to male-dominated decision-making, land ownership, involvement in cash crops, and the devaluation of women’s education. Further, gendered-intersections with ethnicity, religion, geography, and socio-economic status impact women’s domestic labor responsibilities, power to make household decisions, and inevitably how much and how often they eat. Systemic social marginalization coupled with increased environmental stress such as climate change, deforestation, and shifts in precipitation contribute to the added challenges that rural women farmers face during crises. In light of these challenges, principally in low- and middle-income countries, there is potential for EAS to play a more central role to provide critical information, resources, and reassurance to farmers and communities during COVID-19 and future emergencies, including the unique challenges faced by women. This is especially relevant for hard to reach rural communities that have existing relationships and, therefore, trust with their local extension providers. There is an urgency for EAS to respond in this pandemic because of their trusted role in agricultural communities; doing so requires their efforts to transmit information about healthy behaviors and how farmers can stay well while maintaining their livelihoods. A more gender-aware approach is vital for EAS to generate effective and equitable solutions that holistically address the added food security, poverty, and healthcare consequences that lie ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical that EAS respond to this role during COVID-19. Here are some examples of what they can do. • Build on social capital to use existing women’s farmer groups to disseminate both agricultural and health information, regardless of the type of women’s organizations, due to time sensitives in crises as well as diminished avenues for community organizing and capacity building. Women also play a critical role in youth education related to behavior change and sanitation, which is especially important to decrease the transmission of COVID-19. • Transform systems that structurally marginalize women and hinder behavior change needed for improved health and food security may be modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate targeted messaging for both women’s roles in agriculture and household nutrition. If the need for gender-transformative approaches is recognized, the COVID-19 crisis response could serve as a catalyst for positive change by facilitating the transformation of detrimental social norms that have historically degraded women. For example, greater access for women to smart technology devices to receive alerts about appropriate health behaviors as well as access to online/mobile resources like banking and information sharing. • Communicate and share information by EAS personnel through call centers, radio, cell phones, and farmer groups can be used more effectively if transformed to serve multiple purposes for information dissemination. For example, the use of existing radio stations to disseminate agricultural extension content and information about healthcare and how to minimize spreading the virus as well as gender sensitization (i.e., the opportunity for men to ease women’s domestic burden during emergency response and women’s legal right to own land). The focus needs to be on intersectionality and behavior change to aid in both crises efforts and long-term social norm change to build community resilience. • Provide place-specific messaging to improve extension efficacy and decrease immediate and long-term impacts of food insecurity related to the pandemic. EAS occupies a unique position to communicate directly with rural communities relaying urgent safe health behaviors. Place-specific messaging requires understanding the spatially distinct challenges of farmers through disaggregated data by locally relevant social factors (i.e., gender, race, socio-economic status) and physical limitations (i.e. water access, infrastructure, soil quality). A better understanding is needed on how and where these challenges most critically undermine the role of local extension providers or where farmers are not receiving adequate support, especially true in the case of women. • Create data disaggregation and availability at the community scale, which is critical as women and men are impacted differently by disease treatment including vaccinations. As seen in previous disease outbreaks, thus far during the COVID-19 pandemic we are once again experiencing a lack of gender-disaggregated data collection and sharing and diversity with respect to drug trials. This is evident in both high- and low-income counties. Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) highlights the role of data access to empower women and achieve global food security. Moving forward, empowering local EAS and farmers with novel tools and techniques to track social and environmental components of their productivity and resilience over time should be supported, including more equitable local partnerships and monitoring and evaluation for international development programs. The long-term goals of gender-aware extension services are to increase resilience in recognition that there will be future pandemics. Former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected female head of state in Africa, highlighted in her recent reflections to the BBC that the COVID-19 response requires all hands on deck through united local and global efforts. When emergency responses to COVID-19, including EAS, don’t incorporate intersections with gender and rural landscapes, the risk of harm and exposure to women and girls will continue to increase. Building on the existing knowledge and trust infrastructure of national extension systems may serve to address global food security and poverty alleviation by confronting systemic local and national gender inequalities. EAS can increasingly be at the forefront of local efforts to curb food insecurity through gender specific approaches to emergency response. By Rebecca Witinok-Huber Find the original version of that article here. Leave a Reply Follow us
× Freshbooks App Logo Official App Free - Google Play Get it 4 Min. Read Accounting for Sales Tax: What Is Sales Tax and How to Account for It Sales tax is the tax that businesses impose on customers when they purchase goods and services. The sales tax is then remitted to the state or local government within a prescribed period. This is why it’s known as a pass-through tax. What this article covers: What Is Sales Tax? Sales tax is imposed on the price of some goods or services. It’s charged as a percentage of the selling price and is collected at the time of the sale. The amount of sales tax depends on the state, city and country your business has a physical presence in. Since the sales tax regulations vary across different states, it’s common for businesses to have separate sales tax liability accounts for each state. Do You Need to Collect Sales Tax? Maybe. Most states enforce sales tax on some goods and services. If you sell a physical product or a service that isn’t exempt from sales tax, you may need to collect sales tax on sales within your state and possibly on sales outside of your state. Each state has different rules and requirements, so it’s best to check with the state you do business in to understand their requirements. If your business has nexus or a presence in more than one location, you might need to collect and remit sales tax for other states as well. Check with the state you’re selling goods or services to, to understand how they define nexus for out of state sellers. For example, Ohio requires that out of state sellers who have at least 200 transactions or $100,000 in gross sales collect sales tax, even if they have no physical presence in the state. How to Account for Sales Tax? Since the business is collecting sales tax on behalf of tax authorities, the tax is not recorded as a part of the revenue. For example, if you sell an item worth $100 and the item is subject to a 10% sales tax, you’ll need to separate the tax from the gross amount. The sales tax for the above transaction is: Sales Tax = Total Sales x Sales Tax Rate Sales Tax: 100 x 10/100 = $10 You will debit cash for $110. You will also credit sales for $100 and sales tax payable for $10. What Is the Journal Entry for Sales Tax? The journal entry for sales tax is a debit to the accounts receivable or cash account for the entire amount of the invoice or cash received, a credit to the sales account and a credit to the sales tax payable account for the amount of sales taxes billed. The accounting entry to record the sale involving sales tax will, therefore, be as follows: Cash / Accounts Receivable Sales Tax Payable Once the sales taxes are remitted, you’ll debit the Sales Tax Payable account and credit Cash. If a business buys any items from its vendors and pays a sales tax on these items, it charges the sales tax to expense in the current period, along with the cost of the items purchased. Is Sales Tax Recorded as an Expense? The business acts as a collection agency for the government by charging the sales tax. It will need to remit the government shortly after collecting the tax. When this is done, the business will reduce its cash and its sales tax liability. In this situation, the sales tax is not an expense and it’s not part of the business income. From the business’ perspective, sales tax is a liability to the government until it is remitted. What Type of Account Is Sales Tax Payable? Once the sales tax is collected from the customers, it becomes a liability for the business. The Sales Tax Payable is a liability account in the balance sheet that keeps track of the sales tax collected from the customers on behalf of the governing tax authority. The business holds these funds and is liable for remitting them to the government on a timely basis. If your business sells products or services on which sales taxes are levied, you will need to set up a system, collect, and pay sales tax on a timely basis. Since each state has its own tax rate and list of taxable products and services, you’ll need to determine which products and services are taxable, determine the sales tax rates, check exemptions, collect the taxes and pay it to your state. Save time Billing and Get Paid 2x Faster with FreshBooks Try FreshBooks Free
Diabetes Diet: Bajre Ki Khichdi Benefits And Recipe To Regulate Blood Sugar • Bajra is a whole grain that has been used in India for ages now • Bajra contains insoluble fibre and magnesium which may help diabetics • Bajra khichdi may be included in diabetes diet Diabetes is a condition where the levels of blood sugar in the body are persistently high for either of two reasons – the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body is not able to process the insulin effectively. These are known as Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, respectively. Some common symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue etc. Diabetics need to be very careful about what they eat to as to avoid any sudden spikes in levels of blood sugar. This is why diabetics are advised to shun processed and junk foods and instead include more foods and drinks that may regulate release of glucose or sugar in the blood and whole grains are one such category of foods that are considered healthy for diabetics. Whole grains are rich in fibre and beneficial micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals and hence are ideal for a diabetes diet. A number of whole grains are already used abundantly in Indian kitchens and a popular whole grain that Indians have always used is bajra, which belongs to the family of millets. Technically speaking, millets are grass, but they have been consumed as food grains in certain parts of the world and have come to be known as such in culinary cultures. In India, bajra has been a prized part of regional cuisines since pre-historic times, on account of being energising nutritional powerhouse. Also Read: Khichdi Nutrition: Nutritionist Luke Coutinho Tells Us Why Khichdi Is A Holistic Superfood Bajra Nutrition: Why It’s A Diabetes-Friendly Food Grain Due to the presence of good quality complex carbohydrates in it, bajra is ideal for weight management and for regulating blood sugar levels. Consuming bajra may help steadily supply your body with energy and it is also gluten-free. The fibre-rich food grain contains 12 grams of protein per 100 grams of portion, as well as 42 grams of calcium (as per data by the United States of Agriculture). According to consulting nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta, bajra is also a great pre-biotic, due to the presence of insoluble fibre, which acts as nutrition for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Dr. Datta says that bajra may have a positive effect on diabetes due to the presence of slowly digestible starch, which is converted to glucose slowly. Moreover, bajra is rich in magnesium, which has also been linked with lowered risk of diabetes. Also Read: Cooking Tips 101: How to Use Bajra to Make More Than Rotis cd39cs6oDiabetes Diet Management: The whole grain contains insoluble fibre and magnesium Bajra Khichdi Recipe Khichdi is considered as a good and healthy dish for diabetics, if it’s cooked in more fibre-rich grains than white rice. Bajra khichdi may be a good addition to a diabetic’s diet, as it is rich in fibre from millets and protein from lentils. Moreover, it is easy on the digestive system, and is light and easy to prepare. Also Read: Meal For One: Best Khichdi Recipes For When You’re Craving Healthy Comfort Meal Diabetes Diet: Here’s how you can prepare bajra khichdi to regulate blood sugar levels: 1. Add bajra and dhuli moong dal in the ratio of 2 is to 1, along with water, in a pressure cooker. 2. Cook for enough time to get four whistles. 3. In a separate pan, heat ghee and cook cumin, dry coriander powder, garam masala and red chilli powder (to taste) in it. 4. Add the cooked bajra and lentils to this tadka and cook until it is mixed. For full recipe of diabetes-friendly bajra khichdi recipe, click here. Apart from eating healthy, diabetics must make sure they engage in exercise or any other form of physical activity, and regularly get their levels of glycated haemoglobin.
Find may be used to find files or directories in the file system. find is by default recursive. To avoid recursion you may specify maxdepth option. The following example list only the directories the current folder. find . -maxdepth 1 -type d When using complicated expressions in find it is important to escape special characters with backslash (\). See for instance the following "not equal to" expression. find . \! $ -name .jpg $ Sometimes you want to pass the result of find to another command like grep. To do this you can use xargs to pass the result of one command to the next. find . -name ".foo" \| xargs grep bar
South Korean ship in troubled waters This article is more than 10 years old Details are sketchy, but if the sinking of Cheonan was intentional, it creates a serious crisis for the Koreas' neighbours and the US South Korean naval ship Cheonan South Korean naval ship Cheonan patrols the sea in an unidentified location in the territorial waters of South Korea. Photograph: Yonhap/Reuters Late last night, the South Korean patrol ship Cheonan suffered an explosion and sank. As of midnight Korean time, 58 of the 104 member crew of the Cheonan had been rescued. The cause of the sinking of the Cheonan, a 1,300 ton missile corvette, is as of yet unknown. However, the South Korean cabinet has convened an emergency meeting to deal with the situation, and some reports suggest that a North Korean torpedo may have struck the Cheonan. Details remain sketchy, and at this point it is unclear whether Cheonan sank as the result of an attack, or because of an accidental explosion. Another South Korean patrol ship reportedly fired on North Korean targets in the area. The area in which Cheonan sank has recently seen several skirmishes between North and South Korean forces. In January, patrol vessels from each nation exchanged gunfire with one another. A similar exchange in November resulted in severe damage to a North Korean vessel, and the death of a North Korean sailor. The disputed area involves several islands that are claimed by both sides. South Korea recognises a UN-drawn line of demarcation, while North Korea does not. If Cheonan sank because of an accident, the incident will serve as an example of the challenges presented by high tension situations like that between North and South Korea. In such situations, a lack of information can lead to considerable danger, as both sides face pressure to react without having a grasp of the full situation. If, on the other hand, Cheonan was destroyed by a torpedo, the situation must be considered extremely grave. Forty-six crewmen at last report have yet to be accounted for, and are unlikely to survive long in cold Korean waters. South Korea cannot ignore a provocation of this magnitude, and will likely be forced to respond in some fashion. South Korea's navy substantially outmatches its North Korean counterpart, but the North Korean response to any South Korean retaliation remains uncertain. The problem of discerning North Korean intentions complicates factors. It is possible that the North Korean government ordered the attack in order to provoke the South, but the attack may instead have been launched by lower level local commanders. Even if this were the case, however, it would be impossible for South Korea to divine genuine North Korean intentions. If the sinking of Cheonan was intentional, it creates a serious crisis for the Koreas' neighbours and for the United States. None of the US, Japan, or China desire the threat of major military action on the Korean Peninsula. The US, still embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan, doesn't want another military confrontation on its plate. At the same time, it will be difficult for the US to restrain South Korea from some form of retaliation. Japan's patience with North Korea has similarly run thin, and it is unlikely that Tokyo could be relied on too heavily as a voice of caution. Beijing has only limited affection for its North Korean client, but certainly does not want war, or even the threat of war. North Korea's intentions remain mysterious; if it intended to signal its toughness and resolve to South Korea, it may have bitten off more than it can chew. At this point, I suspect that officials in Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, and perhaps even Seoul are hoping that Cheonan sank becaue of an accidental explosion. If the North Koreans sank Cheonan and killed dozens of South Korean sailors, the situation in northeast Asia may become very dangerous very quickly.
Body Language Dogs are Body Language Communicators Dogs are, first and foremost, body language communicators. While they do have a limited ability to communicate vocally, they are much more articulate with their subtle body movements, and much more intuitively able to understand ours. As Patricia McConnell says in the introduction of her excellent book, The Other End of the Leash, All dogs are brilliant at perceiving the slightest movement that we make Dogs Communicate Well Both Verbally and With Body Language You may not want to hear it, but your dog is trying to tell you something. We’ll help you figure out WHY he is barking and how to get him to stop. Who says dogs can’t talk? In less than 30 minutes, I had been treated to five audible canine communications, each with a clear and distinct meaning and purpose. While dogs are, indeed, exquisite body language communicators, they are no slouch in the vocal communication department. How to Safely Break Up a Dog Fight If you've ever been present when a dogfight broke out, you know how dangerous it can be for everyone concerned. I've lost track of how many times we've said this, but as always, prevention beats cure. It is imperative that you manage and train your own canine family to minimize the risk of serious dogfights. Identify situations that are likely to light the dogfight fuse, such as fence-fighting or resource guarding, and figure out how to avoid them and/or modify the behavior that causes them. A Dog’s Calming Signals Pups who are raised in a litter for the first eight weeks of their lives (and in the presence of older dogs) have the advantage of learning skills from their siblings and elders. They learn to accept the leadership of a just leader. They learn simple, but crucially important lessons such as bite inhibition. They come to understand when play is too rough or inappropriate. And they have the opportunity to learn the language skills that will enable them to be peaceful pack members. Telepathic Communication With Your Dog Have you ever looked up suddenly and seen your dog staring at you intensely, longingly – a look that grows no less pleading when you offer treats, a walk, or a scratch behind the ears? Or perhaps you’ve seen your dog leap up at some seemingly nonexistent noise, sniffing and whining for no reason you can imagine. Have you wished that you could know what your animal wants, understand what he’s thinking? Or have you ever wondered, when your dog mysteriously disappears at bath time, if he knows what you’re thinking? Latest Blog Lost Dogs and Questions Without Answers Why do “stray” dogs always seem to appear when you have the least amount of time to deal with them?
Edward Carpenter Edward Carpenter 1844-1929 The Grumpy Vegan gave a talk last night to the local branch of the Hastings Labour Party on Edward Carpenter. The comrades found it interesting, if the ensuing discussion is an indication. Here are the reasons why Carpenter matters today. * Charismatic “prophet” who advocated a new age of fellowship whereby social relations would be transformed by a new spiritual consciousness * Prolific socialist writer and public speaker never officially affiliated with the Labour Party but immensely influential in the early years of Britain’s Socialist movement * Framed a form of “ethical” socialism incorporating feminism, pacifism, environmentalism, animal welfare, “green” living, etc. * Lived his ideals by living modestly in a homestead growing and selling fruits and vegetables and making rope sandals to sell * Lived openly with male working class lovers and openly advocated “homogenic” love For more visit the Edward Carpenter Archive. This entry was posted in Animal Rights, The Grumpy Vegan Life, Thinking and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Reply
Kamus Online suggested words Hasil cari dari kata atau frase: Flurrying (0.01282 detik) Found 2 items, similar to Flurrying. English → English (WordNet) Definition: flurry flurry n 1: a rapid bustling commotion [syn: bustle, hustle, ado, fuss, stir] 2: a light brief snowfall and gust of wind (or something resembling that); “he had to close the window against the flurries”; “there was a flurry of chicken feathers” [syn: snow flurry] v 1: move in an agitated or confused manner 2: cause to feel embarrassment; “The constant attention of the young man confused her” [syn: confuse, disconcert, put off ] [also: flurried] English → English (gcide) Definition: Flurrying Flurry \Flur"ry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flurried; p. pr. & vb. n. Flurrying.] To put in a state of agitation; to excite or alarm. --H. Swinburne. [1913 Webster] Cari kata di: Custom Search Touch version \| Android \| Disclaimer
11 February 2019 The Paris Climate Agreement Needs a Bigger and Better Piggy Bank Sagatom Saha While money is not the only factor in combating climate change, it is a large part of the equation. According to the latest U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the world must invest a collective $2.4 trillion annually in clean energy systems until 2035—and even more after that—to hold global warming below catastrophic levels. However, current investments stand at just $1.7 trillion annually, most of which is still directed toward dirty fossil fuels. Unless countries band together to make the necessary investments, the world will suffer great human and economic costs: hundreds of millions of people reduced to poverty because of climate change, desertification of 20 percent of all land, and up to $20 trillionknocked off of global GDP. To its credit, the U.N. created the Green Climate Fund under its Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Cancun summit in 2010. The problem is that the fund is inadequate for such a monumental task. It may be the largest multilateral climate fund, but donor countries have only agreed to commit $100 billion annually. Of that sum, only $10.2 billion has been officially allocated so far. To make matters worse, the fund is better known for indecisiveness, with a poor track record of implementing projects at all, let alone any with strong support from local civil society organizations. The fund also does little to finance essential but politically unpopular policies like reforms of fossil fuel subsidies that would go a long way to reducing global emissions. The Green Climate Fund’s failures stem from a lack of participation from large donor countries. There is finally a near-global consensus on the effects of climate change but significant disagreement over which countries are responsible for financing climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Developing countries are now responsible for the majority of annual greenhouse gas emissions and contribute most to emissions growth. At the same time, they are most exposed to climate change’s devastating effects, contribute fewer emissions per capita, and are less responsible for past emissions than their developed counterparts. The bottom line is that many developing countries prepared their climate plans with the expectation of financial support from developed countries. Without aid, developing countries simply do not have the financial capacity to meaningfully slash their emissions. But if developing economies are to receive aid to reach their climate goals, they should expect conditionality, both explicit or implicit. International institutions derive their relevance, in part, by incentivizing participation from large, powerful countries. A new climate development bank could structure itself along these lines, based on quotas like the International Monetary Fund, where member countries receive voting rights and implicit influence in exchange for deposits. For example, if the United States became this climate bank’s top donor—however unlikely that may be under the current administration in Washington—it might use its position to direct funding toward advanced nuclear reactors over solar panels, a field where it outpaces Russia and China. While this approach may not be the most efficient, it incentivizes competition and brings to the table the countries most needed to finance the ambitious and pressing goals of the Paris agreement. Like the IMF, this climate bank would ideally also be able to condition project grants on specific policies like reforming fossil fuel subsidies, which are often seen as a social welfare measure in developing countries. Yet multilateral development banks get their authority from borrowers as well as lenders, and countries often choose creditors not based on needs, but on domestic politics. For example, even though the IMF is the traditional lender of last resort, the Pakistani government turned to Chinese state-owned banks for emergency loans in 2017 to avoid political fallout in an election year. This may suggest that countries will simply turn to other lenders to avoid adopting politically unpopular environmental initiatives. However, it also highlights the need to consolidate global climate aid so that competing creditors like private lenders and Chinese banks cannot undercut collective action for their own national interests. Since the Paris agreement was sealed, China has benefited from the lack of a centralized international financial institution related to climate change. To some extent, Beijing has filled the global gap in energy investments through its sweeping Belt and Road Initiative. But rather than sustainable and renewable energy, China has spent billions of dollars financing foreign coal projects that undermine its own commitments to cut emissions under the Paris agreement. The balkanized climate aid landscape favors Chinese banks, which make up the lion’s share of development finance. Nevertheless, Chinese President Xi Jinping has consistently demonstrated a willingness to join broad-based multilateral institutions even though China has been creating a parallel set of organizations to bolster its global standing. It seems Beijing believes that participation is preferable to isolation. The U.S. might be more skeptical. President Donald Trump already axed the remaining $2 billion that the U.S. had promised to contribute to the Green Climate Fund, an institution his predecessor helped create. Trump has lambasted the idea of wealthier nations financing global efforts to mitigate climate change. In announcing the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement, he called the Green Climate Fund “yet another scheme to redistribute wealth out of the United States” that “calls for developed countries to send $100 billion to developing countries.” It is still possible, though, that the State Department would participate in the creation of a new institution with the U.S. at the helm. There is some evidence: State Department officials helped craft the rulebook for the Paris agreement developed in Poland late last year, and the White House has reversed its hostile position on foreign aid with the creation of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation. The Green Climate Fund is a lesson that institutional structure is central to the viability, relevance and credibility of the commitments made under the Paris agreement. A climate development bank, with buy-in from developed and developing countries, could fill that gap and establish the coordination and ambition needed to finance the fight against climate change. Without such an institution, the world cannot avert climate change’s most disastrous effects, and the Paris agreement is close to broke. Sagatom Saha is an independent international energy policy analyst and Fulbright researcher in Ukraine. His writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Defense One, Fortune and other publications. No comments:
Childhood medication errors need to be Tackled A new report has revealed the alarming number of youngsters who are subject to medication prescribing and dispensing errors, putting their health and safety in jeopardy. The study suggests that improvements in paediatric primary care need to be made to reduce these potentially harmful medication mistakes. Some pharmacies are investing in Lin Bins sourced from sites like which enable them to put the medication in individual tubs with a label clearly stating which medicine it is. Image Credit The findings Epidemiologists and medical statisticians studied over 2,000 paediatric safety incident reports, with data taken from GP surgeries, community pharmacies, NHS 111 and out-of-hours services. The findings concluded that almost a third of errors were harmful, 41 cases resulted in severe harm and 12 fatalities occurred. According to The Pharmaceutical Journal, medication errors are the most common reason for safety incidents in children in primary care. Based on findings, 674 incidents were related to medicine mistakes. Of these, 57% involved dispensing mistakes in community pharmacies, 18% were related to incorrect medicine administration, and 10% involved prescribing errors. Frequent errors The report found that children less than 12 months old were most frequently involved in medication-related incidents, often when treated for epilepsy, infection or asthma. The wrong dose of medicine, brand or inhaler were factors that contributed to the medical incidents, often occurring as a result of confusion over medication with similar names, packaging or branding, or human error through distraction at work or being very busy. The study also showed that diagnosis and assessment of youngsters needed more attention and that communication with or about the patient was often a concern. Improved safety It’s already well documented how important safety is, with clinical trial services looking at new medications. However, it seems the same diligence needs to be employed with regards to prescribing and dispensing medication in the community. In particular, researchers concluded that very little is known about just how safe healthcare is for youngsters in the community. The research highlights the importance of improving primary care for children, including providing safer and more reliable systems for dispensing medication. The report also suggests that the NHS 111 service should be overhauled, to make it better suited for paediatric care. Researchers believe errors could be minimised if there was improved paediatric training for healthcare providers, such as trainee doctors, as well as a better understanding of triage systems. Crucially, understanding communication failures between care givers and primary and secondary care practitioners could slash the frequency of mistakes.

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