as a response to the us bishops ’ fortnight for freedom, i ’ ve invited a few friends to supply appropriate essays on women who have exemplified the faith in the face of persecution, even at the hands of religious authorities. today, my friend john donaghy offers a contribution from the latin american church, where he has served in the mission apostolate for the past five years. religious life for women in the middle ages and the early modern period was not always what we might think of as the cloistered life. that ’ s why there were reformers like st. teresa of avila for the carmelites. often families would send their daughters to a convent with a nice dowry. there they would have a chance to learn but also, in some cases, to entertain their friends, male and female, in the convent parlors. yet the convent was almost the only place where women would have a chance to use their talents. one very interesting woman who joined the convent in seventeenth century mexico is sor juana ines de la cruz, because “ given the total antipathy i felt for marriage, i deemed convent life the least unsuitable and most honorable i could elect. ” born out of wedlock, and raised by her maternal grandmother, she was a precocious child. at three she followed her sister to school and persuaded the instructor to teach her to read. she soon started to devour her grandfather ’ s library. at sixteen she became a lady - in - waiting for the wife of the spanish viceroy. she at first joined the reformed carmelites but left, probably because it was too strict. she subsequently joined a convent of the order of st. jerome. ( jerome was assisted in his work, including his translation of the bible, by several learned aristocratic women. ) in the monastery, by no means austere, she, like some other nuns, had a servant. over the years she amassed a library of more than 4, 000 volumes. she wrote letters as well as plays and love poems. she met with her friends for discussions. she had her duties in the convent but that did not stop her from her literary and musical works. these “ secular ” works disturbed the archbishop of mexico, who according to octavio paz was “ fiercely misogynistic and strongly opposed to secular drama. ” but it was her ventures into theological reflection that caused problems. she shared with the bishop of puebla, a long - time “ friend, ” her critique of a famous sermon. he asked her to put it in writing and


opposed to secular drama. ” but it was her ventures into theological reflection that caused problems. she shared with the bishop of puebla, a long - time “ friend, ” her critique of a famous sermon. he asked her to put it in writing and then, without her permission, published this missive worthy of athena. but he included, under the pseudonym of sor filotea de la cruz, a preface admonishing sor juana for her being too concerned with worldly affairs. some friend! in her 1691 reply to sor filotea, sor juana defended the right of women to education and the need to have older women as teachers. using scripture, philosophy, and the fathers of the church, she defended the right of women to be educated. her pen was acerbic : “ you foolish men, accusing women for lacking reason when you yourselves are the reason for the lack. ” the reaction came swiftly. as octavio paz wrote : a “ very saintly and ingenuous abbess, who believed that study was a thing of the inquisition, ” ordered her not to study. her confessor denied her spiritual help for two years. in 1693 after so much pressure she stopped writing, though not before composing songs in honor of saint catherine of alexandria, the patroness of philosophers. in 1694 she signed several documents and seems to have turned her back on her intellectual endeavors. but did she? she wrote no more and died a year later, taking care of the sick, during a pestilence that ravaged mexico city. some suggest that she had a conversion experience which included distributing all the books in her library as well as her musical and scientific instruments. but it seems as if she gave in, under pressure from church authorities. i venture that sor juana is not the model for many sisters today, especially in terms of her life style. she was hardly the example of poverty. yet her use of her intellect, her brilliant critique, and her defense of the education of women are worthy of respect. i see her as a victim of a culture and of church authorities who were threatened by women who are intelligent and are not afraid to speak boldly. she follows in the tradition of the women followers of st. jerome like st. paula. she is, in some ways, the precursor of some modern catholic women theologians. all too long the wisdom of women has been neglected in the world and in the church. the people of god need to hear all the voices, especially those who have been marginal


because is only 0. 7 percent of naturally occurring uranium, its supply is fairly limited and could well only last for about 50 years of full - scale use. the other 99 percent of the uranium can also be utilized if it is first converted into plutonium by neutron bombardment : the production of plutonium can be carried out in a breeder reactora nuclear reactor designed to produce nuclear fuel as it produces energy. which not only produces energya system ' s capacity to do work. like other reactors but is designed to allow some of the fast neutrons to bombard the, producing plutonium at the same time. more fuel is then produced than is consumed. breeder reactors present additional safety hazards to those already outlined. they operate at higher temperatures and use very reactive liquida state of matter in which the atomic - scale particles remain close together but are able to change their positions so that the matter takes the shape of its container metals such as sodium in their cooling systems, and so the possibility of a serious accident is higher. in addition the large quantities of plutonium which would be produced in a breeder economy would have to be carefully safeguarded. plutonium is an α emitter and is very dangerous if taken internally. its half - lifein chemical kinetics, the time it takes for one half of the limiting reactant to be consumed. in nuclear chemistry, the time for half of a sample to undergo radioactive decay. is 24 000 years, and so it will remain in the environment for a long time if dispersed. moreover, can be separated chemically ( not by the much more expensive gaseous diffusionthe spreading of one substance into another ( usually involves gases or liquids ). used to concentrate ) from fission products and used to make bombs. such a material will obviously be attractive to terrorist groups, as well as to countries which are not currently capable of producing their own atomic weapons.


detection of human cytomegalovirus in the saliva ( fcrechmv ) direct dna amplification, viral isolation and specific antibody measurement in saliva - from children in day care centers ( samples collection will take place during a single week ) - from children coming at the emergency department of our hospital during a three months period. sample collection will be done by the pediatrician the nurse, or one of the authorized investigators of the study. | study design : | | observational model : cohort time perspective : prospective | official title : | | detection of human cytomegalovirus in the saliva of 3 month to 6 year - old children in day care centers : a pilot study. | - one week trial of saliva sampling for cytomegalovirus detection in day - care centers. [ designated as safety issue : no ] - percentage of chidrens with cmv excretion among those coming at the emergency department of limoges teacher hospital ( chu ). validation of the process from samples collection to interpretation of results [ designated as safety issue : no ] | study start date : | | july 2007 | salivary collection kit. collection of salivary at the internal face of the mooth. 3 swab for dna research, 1 for antibodies research and 1 for virus isolation by cell growth.


an appendectomy is the surgical procedure to remove the vermiform appendix. an appendectomy procedure is normally performed as an emergency procedure, when the patient is suffering from acute appendicitis nursing goal for an appendectomy - prevent complications. - promote comfort. - provide information about surgical procedure / prognosis, treatment needs, and potential complications nursing diagnosis an appendectomy - acute pain r / t surigcal incision - risk for infection r / t perforation / rupture of appendix, surgical incision, peritonitis - activity intolerance r / t pain, surgical procedure - anxiety r / t change in health status, hospital environment - imbalanced nutrition : less than body requirements r / t anorexia, nausea, vomiting, decreased peristalsis nursing intervention an appendectomy - inspect incision and dressings. - wound / drains care per shift - check skin regidy - monitor vital signs. - give antibiotics as per order primarily for prophylaxis of wound infection ( pre - op and postoperatively ) - check pain level - administer analgesics as indicated - keep at rest in semi - fowler ’ s position nursing care an appendectomy, nursing diagnosis an appendectomy, nursing intervention an appendectomy


washington, july 19 : the united states is facing " worst drought " in 25 years which could fuel food price inflation in the country, a top obama administration official said here. as many as 61 per cent of the land mass of the united states is currently being characterised as being impacted by this drought, the agriculture secretary, tom vilsack, told reporters yesterday at a white house news conference, noting that this drought is having an impact in crops. " 78 per cent of the corn crop is now in an area designated as drought impacted ; 77 per cent of the soybeans that are being grown in this country also impacted. " it also obviously involves other commodities as well - - 38 per cent of our corn crop as of today is rated poor to very poor ; 30 per cent of our soybeans poor to very poor, " he said, adding that there are indication of reduced yields this year. " this will result in significant increases in prices. for corn, we ' ve seen a 38 per cent increase since june 1st, and the price of a bushel of corn is now at usd 7. 88. a bushel of beans have risen 24 percent, " he said. to help farmers, the federal government has decided to open up areas under the conservation reserve program for emergency haying and grazing, he added. " because livestock producers will begin the process of potentially reducing their herds in light of higher feed costs, we would anticipate in the short term actually food prices for beef, poultry, pork may go down a bit, but over time they will rise. " we will probably see those higher prices later this year, first part of next year. processed foods obviously impacted by crop yields, and we will likely see the increase of that also in 2013, " vilsack said. as a result of the drought, the agriculture secretary said he expects a decline in us agriculture exports. " on exports, we would anticipate and expect they would be reduced. but again, the area and the amount of reduction depends on what the yields are, and i won ' t know what those are until we, in fact, harvest the crop, " he said. responding to a question, vilsack said that it ' s conceivable in the short term that as herds are liquidated, it could provide opportunities with lower costs for the us to be even more competitive than they already are in that export market. " frankly we are looking at record exports, not withstanding the difficulties we ' re facing here. we


smoking is and has been a staple of free cultures throughout history. it has been a long established element of what was once thought of as the art of being a well - rounded gentleman, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. in the 1800 ' s, it was not uncommon for a young gentleman to hire a smoking tutor of sorts to teach him the art of smoking, with the course considered a success when the student was able to blow smoke rings. most gentlemens ' clubs were a haven for smokers of all ranks, be it pipes, cigars, or cigarettes. many clubs featured their own humidours, as well as a nice variety of smoking jackets to choose from. as to ill health effects, one must keep in mind that the tobaccos of the 1800 ' s and earlier 1900 ' s were not sprayed with the poisonous toxins more modern tobaccos are. nor were cigarette tobaccos doused in dangerous chemicals as they are now, in order to give the leaf a longer shelf life ( not to mention the fillers which have also come into play ). the modern anti - smoking studies were more political than they were factual, with the methods and models being geared to achieve results which had already been decided upon. many factors were blatantly ignored. for example, the addition of chemicals i just mentioned were not considered in analysing the effects of tobacco. nor were unseen ( non - tobacco related ) airborn particulates and toxins. the occupational hazards of many test subjects ( such as those working in construction or plants where heavy pollutants and chemicals were present ) were not taken into consideration nor differentiated from those who were not exposed to such things. and the fact that, regardless of the cavalier approach to these studies, pipe smokers were found - - statistically - - to outlive non - smokers by two to three years was ignored, if not suppressed. many studies showed so - called " secondhand smoke " to be of a negligible threat, and far less a health risk than the pollution and particulates one breathes on a daily trek through a city, or even when mowing the lawn or firing up charcoal in a grill. i ' m not saying smoking is the healthiest choice in the world, nor am i saying it ' s without some risk to one ' s health, depending on the choice of pipes, cigars, or cigarettes and the frequency with which one partakes of their tobacco. but as one who works in the field of healthcare, i can say it is


s without some risk to one ' s health, depending on the choice of pipes, cigars, or cigarettes and the frequency with which one partakes of their tobacco. but as one who works in the field of healthcare, i can say it is not the " evil " ogre the anti - tobacco forces would have us believe. one must keep in mind smoking is an easy target and a perfect control for behaviour modification efforts. i ' ve actually known several lady pipe smokers. one of the most famous historically was rachel jackson, andrew jackson ' s wife. according to the story, she found one of his pipes lying around one day when he was off to war and decided to try it. i think a lot of it is simply a matter of preference and perception. smoking a pipe or really enjoying a quality cigar requires patience, time, and an ability to relax. cigarettes are far easier to pop in one ' s mouth and light up on the go, and they ' re a lot faster than the alternative. then there ' s the notion that pipes and cigars are more of a masculine element. even in today ' s " progressive " society, most folks don ' t think of pipe and cigar smoking as something women would prefer, yet the few women who are independently minded enough to give them a try find they ' re just as good at it as we men are. and bear in mind it wasn ' t that long ago that cigarettes were also thought of as decidedly masculine, and few women dared light one up in public. i think, had it not been for the radical anti - tobacco pogrom our government decided to undertake, we might now see a lot more women joining the ranks of the more traditional pipe / cigar smoker, which ironically is a far healthier choice than cigarettes. my supervisor is every bit the feminine lady, yet she regularly enjoys a good cigar and a glass of bourbon. in time we may see more women moving away from cigarettes and into the ranks of pipe and cigar afficionados, but with all the hype and misinformation ( as well as the manufactured stigma associated with smoking in general ) about tobacco, who knows what the future holds?


mutazilah theology was distinguished chiefly by asserting the authority of human reason over tradition and general superstition. for example, the mutazilah theologians asserted that the quran was a book that was created, written by men, rather than uncreated, the living word of god passed verbatim through the mouths of men. mutazilah theology accepted the central truths of islam ; the five pillars of faith, the quran as divine, and the sunnah as an apropriate frame of reference for daily life. however the mutazilah ' s interpolation of hellenic - latinate logic made more traditional scholars uncomfortable. there are five central principles in mutazilah theology. god is one and unified, god is a perfect judge who enacts perfect universal divine justice, god promises as well as punishes, a true believer shall not sin actively, in addition to advocating religious and social duties while opposing and condemning the opposite. the mihna ordeal was one of the earliest expressions of both heretical behavior and the formation of state funded religious inquisitions. the caliph al - ma ' mun attempted to consolidate the authority of the caliph by asserting one state religion, he chose the mutazilah theology, which was then current at the bayt al hikma in baghdad. muslims at the time were fully aware of this naked attempt for the state to assert authority over the theologian jurists. the minha ordeal refers to the period of al - ma - ' mun ' s reign when he actively persecuted those jurists who did not give lipservice to the state religion. the period of persecution was slight, beginning in 833 and concluding by 845, however the attitude of al - ma - mun was continued by al - mu ' tasim ( his name being derived from mutazilah ) and al wathiq.


the commission on security and cooperation in europe, also known as the helsinki commission, is an independent u. s. government agency created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the helsinki final act and other osce commitments. the commission consists of nine members from the united states senate, nine members from the u. s. house of representatives, and one member each from the departments of state, defense, and commerce. the positions of chair and co - chair are shared by the house and senate and rotate every two years, when a new congress convenes. a professional staff assists the commissioners in their work. the commission contributes to the formulation of u. s. policy on the osce and takes part in its execution, including through member and staff participation on u. s. delegations to osce meetings and in certain osce bodies. members of the commission have regular contact with parliamentarians, government officials, ngos, and private individuals from other osce participating states. the commission convenes public hearings and briefings with expert witnesses on osce - related issues ; issues public reports concerning implementation of osce commitments in participating states ; and organizes official delegations to participating states and osce meetings to address and assess democratic, economic, security and human rights developments firsthand. * by clicking on the staff members ' name an employee biography will appear * csce : : about the commission when the helsinki final act ( hfa ) was signed in helsinki, finland in 1975, it enshrined among its ten principles guiding relations between participating states ( the decalogue ), a commitment to " respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience religion or belief, for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion " ( principle vii ). in addition, the hfa included a section on cooperation regarding humanitarian concerns, including transnational human contacts, information, culture and education. the hfa and subsequently adopted osce agreements are not treaties and are therefore viewed as political commitments, not legal obligations. the role of the helsinki commission : the commission on security and cooperation in europe ( the helsinki commission ) is a u. s. government agency, established in 1976 pursuant to public law 94 - 304. it is mandated to " monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the final act of the conference on security and cooperation in europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to cooperation in humanitarian fields [ i. e., the human dimension ]. " ( emphasis added


which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the final act of the conference on security and cooperation in europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to cooperation in humanitarian fields [ i. e., the human dimension ]. " ( emphasis added. ) since 1990, the helsinki commission has particularly focused on restrictions on the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly ; the treatment of persons belonging to ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including roma ; human rights violations in conflict settings and the prevention of torture. in addition, the commission has monitored aspects of the transition to democracy, including challenges to the rule of law, free and fair elections, and the impact of corruption on the human and other dimensions of the osce. what is the " human dimension "? " the human dimension " was a term coined during the drafting of the 1989 vienna concluding document. this term was designed as a short - hand phrase to describe the human rights and humanitarian provisions of the agreements concluded within the framework of the helsinki process. in addition, since 1989, this term has embraced the more recently adopted " democratization " commitments of the osce, summarized below. consensus : all of the agreements of the helsinki process have been adopted on the basis of consensus ; i. e., each participating state has agreed to every provision in each osce document. universality : each participating state is equally bound by each document. all countries which joined the helsinki process after 1975 have pledged, as a condition for membership, to " accept in their entirety all commitments and responsibilities contained in these documents and [... ] to act in accordance with their provisions. " establishing common standards on human rights : through the negotiation of successive agreements, the osce participating states gradually expanded the body of shared commitments. it was often the case, however, that soviet - bloc countries might concede to a provision in principle, only to undermine it through the operation of national laws, rules, or regulations. the 1989 vienna concluding document stated, " in this context, [ the participating states ] confirm that they will respect each other ' s right freely to choose and develop their political, social, economic and cultural systems as well as their right to determine their laws, regulations, practices and policies. in exercising these rights, they will ensure that their laws, regulations, practices and policies conform with their obligations under international law and are brought into harmony with the provisions of the declaration on principles and other csce commitments. " ( emphasis added. ) by 1990, as the iron curtain began to fall, the osce


, practices and policies conform with their obligations under international law and are brought into harmony with the provisions of the declaration on principles and other csce commitments. " ( emphasis added. ) by 1990, as the iron curtain began to fall, the osce heads of state and government declared in the charter of paris for a new europe : " we undertake to build, consolidate and strengthen democracy as the only system of government of our nations. " ( emphasis added. ) two osce documents enshrined the practice of raising human rights concerns. first, the 1989 vienna concluding document committed each participating state ( 1 ) to respond to requests for information and to representations from any other participating state on specific cases or broad situations relating to commitments in the human dimension ; ( 2 ) to meet bilaterally with participating states requesting such a meeting to examine these cases or situations ; ( 3 ) to bring these cases and situations to the attention of the other participating states ; and ( 4 ) to provide, if it deems necessary, information on what has transpired under the first two points at osce meetings. further establishing the osce commitments as the basis for bilateral and multilateral dialogue, the 1991 moscow concluding document stated : " the participating states emphasize that issues relating to human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law are of international concern, as respect for these rights and freedoms constitutes one of the foundations of international order. they categorically and irrevocably declare that the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension of the csce are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating states and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the state concerned. " ( emphasis added. ) summary of osce commitments to build, consolidate and strengthen democracy democracy and the rule of law the osce participating states have identified the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms as one of the basic purposes of government and reaffirmed that recognition of these rights and freedoms constitutes the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. they have acknowledged that democracy is an inherent element of the rule of law. they have declared that the elements of justice which are essential to the full expression of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all human beings include ( in addition to protections of civil and political rights ) : a form of government that is representative in character, in which the executive is accountable to the elected legislature or the electorate ; the duty of the government and public authorities, which are not above the law, to comply with their constitution ; a clear separation between


a form of government that is representative in character, in which the executive is accountable to the elected legislature or the electorate ; the duty of the government and public authorities, which are not above the law, to comply with their constitution ; a clear separation between the state and political parties ; in particular, political parties may not be merged with the state ( the " no establishment clause " for political parties ) ; military forces and police under the control of, and accountable to, the civil authorities ; independent judges and impartial operation of the public judicial service. free and fair elections the participating states have declared that the will of the people, expressed through periodic and genuine elections, is the basis of the authority and legitimacy of government. to that end, they will respect the right of individuals and groups to establish freely political parties and organizations and enable them to compete with each other on a basis of equal treatment before the law and the authorities ; recognizing that the presence of observers, both foreign and domestic, can enhance the electoral process, they agreed to invite governmental and non - governmental observers for national elections. csce : : about the commission from its inception in the early 1970s, the helsinki process – which includes the original conference on security and cooperation in europe ( csce ), follow - up activities after 1975 and, since 1995, the organization for security and cooperation in europe ( osce ) – has been a multilateral, politically binding security arrangement. having addressed successfully the challenges of the cold war, this arrangement has maintained its relevance in the present era of regional conflict, arms proliferation, terrorism and other emerging threats by combining a uniquely comprehensive definition of security with flexibility and innovation of response. defining security comprehensively the first of three chapters of the 1975 helsinki final act, commonly known as basket i, deals with “ questions relating to security in europe. ” this chapter first sets forth 10 principles guiding relations between participating states : sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty ; refraining from the threat or use of force ; inviolability of frontiers ; territorial integrity of states ; peaceful settlement of disputes ; non - intervention in internal affairs ; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief ; equal rights and self - determination of peoples ; cooperation among states ; and fulfillment in good faith of obligations under international law. some of the principles can be found in earlier international agreements, including the un charter, but the “ primary significance ” which the final act gave them all provided a uniquely comprehensive, political - military definition of security, particularly


faith of obligations under international law. some of the principles can be found in earlier international agreements, including the un charter, but the “ primary significance ” which the final act gave them all provided a uniquely comprehensive, political - military definition of security, particularly by making respect for human rights and the building of democratic institutions in one participating state a legitimate concern of all others. by committing to apply them “ equally and unreservedly, ” the osce also recognized a linkage between progress in one of these areas and progress in the others, a concrete and significant conceptual contribution to european security. the justification for balancing progress was most explicitly stated in the 1990 charter of paris for a new europe, where the participating states expressed their conviction that “ in order to strengthen peace and security among [ them ], the advancement of democracy, and respect for and effective exercise of human rights are indispensable. ” early soviet proposals for a pan - european conference were designed to manipulate the military balance in europe, divide the united states from its allies and confirm soviet hegemony over east - central europe. the osce ’ s new and unifying definition of security, however, instead formed a basis for ending the cold war ’ s division of europe and for recognizing that severe and continual violations of human rights are often the source of a conflict. democratic development, therefore, was subsequently made a prerequisite for building a stable peace. participating states today seek to ensure its realization “ from vancouver to vladivostok ” and to give this definition wider application around the globe. building confidence and security through transparency the final act ’ s first chapter also contains specific military commitments which, as developed in subsequent documents, enhance european security in modest but very concrete ways. confidence - and security - building measures ( csbms ) – such as prior notification of troop maneuvers and observation of military exercises – that form the core of this work on military aspects of security overcame barriers of secrecy and diminished the threat of surprise attack or misunderstanding of military activity. for a few tense years in the early 1980s, osce negotiations were the only place where east and west sat at the same table to discuss security matters. the 1986 stockholm document not only achieved progress through measures for greater transparency but ushered in a new era of effective, mutually beneficial east - west arms control encompassing both nuclear and conventional forces. the osce capitalized on this success in the 1990s by expanding military openness and encouraging further reductions in force levels. a web of interlocking and mutually reinforcing arms control obligations and commitments links the


control encompassing both nuclear and conventional forces. the osce capitalized on this success in the 1990s by expanding military openness and encouraging further reductions in force levels. a web of interlocking and mutually reinforcing arms control obligations and commitments links the politically binding vienna document of 1999 on csbms with the related 1990 treaty on conventional forces in europe ( cfe ) and the 1992 treaty on open skies, both legally binding and negotiated on an east - west basis, to form a framework for arms control. reinforcing the regime of new measures in the vienna document 1999 is an updated mechanism for consultation and cooperation regarding unusual military activities. an agreement on adaptation of the cfe treaty was also signed in 1999, taking into account realities associated with the break - up of the warsaw pact and the demise of the soviet union. nato countries, however, have linked ratification of the agreement to russia ’ s implementation of commitments made in parallel with the 1999 istanbul osce summit to the withdrawal treaty - limited equipment and military forces from moldova, and the withdrawal or destruction of excess equipment, the closure of two bases and negotiations on remaining russian bases and facilities in georgia. to date, these commitments remain unfulfilled, making it impossible for the agreement on adaptation to come into force and for additional osce states, including some nato allies, to become parties. maintaining a security dialogue the forum for security cooperation ( fsc ) was established in 1992 to provide constant attention to implementation of existing arms control agreements, including through regular information exchanges, and to strengthen them when possible. the forum also encourages a dialogue among the participating states on topics of common concern, such as non - proliferation measures, the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law and civil - military emergency preparedness. the adoption of the 1994 code of conduct on political - military aspects of security, which broke new ground by formulating norms on the role of armed forces in democratic societies, was among the fsc ’ s first notable achievements. the adoption in 2000 of the document on small arms and light weapons was a later but even more significant achievement, providing a basis for developing guidelines on dealing with threats such weapons can pose, as well as for providing assistance upon request in securing stockpiles, disposing of small arms and enhancing border controls to reduce illicit arms trafficking. security issues are also discussed during the annual security review conference, the first of which was held in 2003. these conferences provide impetus for bringing new ideas for activity relating to european security into the osce framework. meetings of osce foreign ministers and


trafficking. security issues are also discussed during the annual security review conference, the first of which was held in 2003. these conferences provide impetus for bringing new ideas for activity relating to european security into the osce framework. meetings of osce foreign ministers and summits of heads of state / government have addressed security issues of paramount concern such as the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. addressing regional conflicts regional conflicts erupting in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s have been responsible for the most egregious violations of helsinki principles since their adoption. in response, considerable effort has been devoted by the participating states to developing early warning of potential conflict, offering “ good offices ” for bringing conflicting parties together, monitoring borders vulnerable to sources of instability and ensuring that sub - regional arms control and security - enhancing measures are adopted and implemented. a good example of the latter were the article ii, article iv and article v agreements originally mandated by the annex 1 - b of 1995 dayton general framework agreement for peace in bosnia and herzegovina. in addition, the osce has contributed to the training of civilian police in several post - conflict situations. the need to respond to regional conflicts also required the osce to become more than a negotiating forum. osce field operations, taking many forms, including efforts by osce institutions and designated representatives, began in the early 1990s. significant among them, especially given the ethnic character of regional tensions, was the establishment of the high commissioner for national minorities with a specific task to provide early - warning of potential conflict. field activities, however, take their most visible form as field missions of various sizes deployed at one time or another in places like albania, bosnia and herzegovina, croatia, chechnya, georgia, kosovo, macedonia, moldova, kosovo and serbia and montenegro. since 1992, the osce has had the capability to organize unarmed peacekeeping forces, although the need for more robust operations in conflict areas has precluded serious activity in this regard. the events of september 11, 2001, galvanized osce efforts to combat terrorism. an osce charter on preventing and combating terrorism, adopted in 2002, targeted four strategic areas for specific action : policing, border control, trafficking and money laundering. the action against terrorism unit established in the osce secretariat provides assistance to participating states, often in field activities along with the office for democratic institutions and human rights, in strengthening the legal framework for combating terrorism. osce efforts have sought to strengthen personal travel and document security as well as transport container


energy, new technologies, computer technology ). with respect to the environment, participating states have committed to study bilateral and multilateral environmental problems and ways to increase the effectiveness of national and international protection measures. areas of specific interest include trans - boundary air and water pollution, marine protection, and protection of the mediterranean environment. the 1999 istanbul charter for european security broke new ground in the economic commitments as it was the first time that the participating states collectively recognized that corruption poses a great threat to the osce ’ s shared values. the countries, at istanbul, committed themselves to combat corruption and the conditions that foster it. the 2003 maastricht ministerial council updated the bonn economic strategy document by adopting concrete measures designed to foster sustainable development, improve corporate governance, promote regional integration and overall to address the uneven economic development among osce states and to address the emergence of new threats to security and stability. the osce economic forum with the collapse of communism, states in central and eastern europe as well as those of the former soviet union embarked on a difficult process of economic transition. this transition has been threatened by high unemployment, corruption and weak rule of law, factors that hinder investment, impede economic growth and fuel illegal economic activities. environmental degradation, mismanagement and uneven distribution of natural resources have also caused tension in communities and between countries. in the early 1990s, the united states attempted to give political stimulus to the dialogue on the transition to free market economies and to suggest practical efforts to assist in their development. thus, in 1992 the osce economic forum was created as an annual conference designed to enhance dialogue on the transition to free - market economies ; suggest practical means of developing free - market systems and economic cooperation ; provide an annual focus for activities by targeting major issues of economic or environmental concern ; contribute to the elaboration of specific recommendation and follow - up activities ; and review the implementation of the participating states ' commitments described in key documents. the osce economic and environmental commitments, and activities of the osce in this area, reflect the desire of participating states for economic development that contributes to stability and treats citizens fairly. the office of the coordinator of osce economic and environmental activities under the osce secretariat, was created in 1997 to strengthen the ability of the permanent council and the osce institutions to address economic, social and environmental aspects of security. for example, labor migration within the osce region allows for an important source of income for residents of less - developed countries who are able to find work in more economically vibrant countries. with this opportunity also comes the


, social and environmental aspects of security. for example, labor migration within the osce region allows for an important source of income for residents of less - developed countries who are able to find work in more economically vibrant countries. with this opportunity also comes the risk of trafficking or exploitation. the osce has developed a “ handbook on establishing effective labour migration policies in countries of origin and destination ” in conjunction with the international organization for migration ( iom ) and the international labour organization ( ilo ). this handbook serves as a discussion point and best practices guide for participating states seeking to develop effective regional labor migration management. part of the osce ’ s effort to combat human trafficking is also encompassed in this work. lack of economic opportunities, unemployment and loss of social cohesion are the main factors that contribute to women ' s and children ' s, but also men ' s vulnerability to trafficking. the economic coordinator ’ s office has developed an anti - trafficking programme on public - private co - operation in the prevention of trafficking in human beings ( atp ). the atp aims at addressing both the demand and supply side of trafficking in human beings by promoting self - regulation of the private sector ; awareness - raising in countries of destination, in particular in western countries ; and creating economic empowerment opportunities for potential victims of trafficking in countries of origin. the environment is also recognized as a key factor in not only economic development, but security as well. environmental degradation, resource scarcity, the uneven distribution of natural resources or resource abundance are emerging as potential triggers or accelerating factors of tensions within and among states. one of the ways the osce is addressing environmental issues is through the environment and security initiative ( envsec ) that provides a framework for cooperation on environmental issues across borders and promoting peace and stability through environmental cooperation and sustainable development. to read about other specific projects the osce field missions are working on in this area, click here. the helsinki commission ’ s role the commission on security and cooperation in europe ( the helsinki commission ) is a u. s. government agency, established in 1976 pursuant to public law 94 - 304, mandated to “ monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the final act of the conference on security and cooperation in europe … ” while particular emphasis was given to “ provisions relating to cooperation in humanitarian fields, ” today known as the human dimension, the commission has also focused attention on the economic and environmental dimension of the osce, including related commitments and decisions. activities in recent years have included hearings stressing the


“ provisions relating to cooperation in humanitarian fields, ” today known as the human dimension, the commission has also focused attention on the economic and environmental dimension of the osce, including related commitments and decisions. activities in recent years have included hearings stressing the importance of democratic governance, transparency and the role of civil society as well as a hearing specifically focused on the lingering consequences of the chornobyl disaster. initiatives have also been undertaken on topics ranging from ethics standards and parliamentary immunity to combating corruption and international crime. csce : : about the commission title : act of june 3, 1976, public law no. 94 - 304, 90 stat. 661 ( codified as amended at 22 u. s. c. 3001 - 3009 ) sec. 3001. commission on security and cooperation in europe ; establishment there is established the commission on security and cooperation in europe ( hereafter in this chapter referred to as the ' ' commission ' ' ). sec. 3002. function and duties of commission the commission is authorized and directed to monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the final act of the conference on security and cooperation in europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to human rights and cooperation in humanitarian fields. the commission is further authorized and directed to monitor and encourage the development of programs and activities of the united states government and private organizations with a view toward taking advantage of the provisions of the final act to expand east - west economic cooperation and a greater interchange of people and ideas between east and west. sec. 3003. commission membership ( a ) selection and appointment of members the commission shall be composed of twenty - one members as follows : ( 1 ) nine members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. five members shall be selected from the majority party and four members shall be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the house, from the minority party. ( 2 ) nine members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate. five members shall be selected from the majority party of the senate, after consultation with the majority leader, and four members shall be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the senate, from the minority party. ( 3 ) one member of the department of state appointed by the president of the united states. ( 4 ) one member of the department of defense appointed by the president of the united states. ( 5 ) one member of the department of commerce appointed by the president of the united states. ( b


state appointed by the president of the united states. ( 4 ) one member of the department of defense appointed by the president of the united states. ( 5 ) one member of the department of commerce appointed by the president of the united states. ( b ) commission chairman and cochairman there shall be a chairman and a cochairman of the commission. ( c ) designation of chairman at the beginning of each odd - numbered congress, the president of the senate, on the recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of the senate members as chairman of the commission. at the beginning of each even - numbered congress, the speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of the house members as chairman of the commission. ( d ) designation of cochairman at the beginning of each odd - numbered congress, the speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of the house members as cochairman of the commission. at the beginning of each even - numbered congress, the president of the senate, on the recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of the senate members as cochairman of the commission. sec. 3004. testimony of witnesses, production of evidence ; issuance of subpena ; administration of oaths in carrying out this chapter, the commission may require, by subpena or otherwise, the attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books, records, correspondence, memorandums, papers, and documents as it deems necessary. subpenas may be issued over the signature of the chairman of the commission or any member designated by him, and may be served by any person designated by the chairman or such member. the chairman of the commission, or any member designated by him, may administer oaths to any witness. sec. 3005. presidential report to congress ; annual submission ; contents in order to assist the commission in carrying out its duties, the secretary of state shall submit to the commission an annual report discussing the overall united states policy objectives that are advanced through meetings of decision - making bodies of the organization on security and cooperation in europe ( osce ), the osce implementation review process, and other activities of the osce. the report shall also include a summary of specific u. s. policy objectives with respect to participating states where there is a particular concern relating to the implementation of osce commitments or where an osce presence exists. this summary shall address the role played by osce institutions, mechanisms, or field activities in achieving u. s. policy objectives. the report, covering the period


particular concern relating to the implementation of osce commitments or where an osce presence exists. this summary shall address the role played by osce institutions, mechanisms, or field activities in achieving u. s. policy objectives. the report, covering the period from january 1 to december 31, shall be submitted within 90 days after the end of the reporting period. the report shall be posted on the website of the department of state. sec. 3006. commission report to congress ; periodic reports ; expenditure of appropriations the commission is authorized and directed to report to the house of representatives and the senate with respect to the matters covered by this chapter on a periodic basis and to provide information to members of the house and senate as requested. for each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made the commission shall submit to congress a report on its expenditures under such appropriation. sec. 3007. appropriations for commission ( a ) authorization ; disbursements ( 1 ) there are authorized to be appropriated to the commission for each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to enable it to carry out its duties and functions. appropriations to the commission are authorized to remain available until expended. ( 2 ) appropriations to the commission shall be disbursed on vouchers approved - ( a ) jointly by the chairman and the cochairman, or ( b ) by a majority of the members of the personnel and administration committee established pursuant to section 3008 ( a ) of this title. ( b ) use of foreign currencies for purposes of section 1754 ( b ) of this title, the commission shall be deemed to be a standing committee of the congress and shall be entitled to use funds in accordance with such sections. ( c ) official reception and representational expenses not to exceed $ 6, 000 of the funds appropriated to the commission for each fiscal year may be used for official reception and representational expenses. ( d ) foreign travel for official purposes foreign travel for official purposes by commission members and staff may be authorized by either the chairman or the cochairman. sec. 3008. commission staff ( a ) personnel and administration committee the commission shall have a personnel and administration committee composed of the chairman, the cochairman, the senior commission member from the minority party in the house of representatives, and the senior commission member from the minority party in the senate. ( b ) committee functions all decisions pertaining to the hiring, firing, and fixing of pay of commission staff personnel shall be by a majority vote of the personnel and administration committee, except that - ( 1


commission member from the minority party in the senate. ( b ) committee functions all decisions pertaining to the hiring, firing, and fixing of pay of commission staff personnel shall be by a majority vote of the personnel and administration committee, except that - ( 1 ) the chairman shall be entitled to appoint and fix the pay of the staff director, and the cochairman shall be entitled to appoint and fix the pay of his senior staff person ; and ( 2 ) the chairman and cochairman each shall have the authority to appoint, with the approval of the personnel and administration committee, at least four professional staff members who shall be responsible to the chairman or the cochairman ( as the case may be ) who appointed them. the personnel and administration committee may appoint and fix the pay of such other staff personnel as it deems desirable. ( c ) staff appointments all staff appointments shall be made without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter iii of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and general schedule pay rates. ( d ) commission employees as congressional employees ( 1 ) for purposes of pay and other employment benefits, rights, and privileges and for all other purposes, any employee of the commission shall be considered to be a congressional employee as defined in section 2107 of title 5. ( 2 ) for purposes of section 3304 ( c ) ( 1 ) of title 5, staff personnel of the commission shall be considered as if they are in positions in which they are paid by the secretary of the senate or the chief administrative officer of the house of representatives. see references in text note below. ( 3 ) the provisions of paragraphs ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) of this subsection shall be effective as of june 3, 1976. sec. 3009. printing and binding costs for purposes of costs relating to printing and binding, including the costs of personnel detailed from the government printing office, the commission shall be deemed to be a committee of the congress. 234 ford house office building | 3rd and d streets sw | washington, dc 20515 tel : 202 - 225 - 1901 | fax : 202 - 226 - 4199 | email : email @ example. com | privacy statement rep. alcee l. hastings accepts the 2009 defenders of freedom award in the russell senate office building, july 29, 2009


our knowledge concerning the surface of venus comes from a limited amount of information obtained by the series of russian venera landers, and primarily from extensive radar imaging of the planet. the radar imaging of the planet has been performed both from earth - based facilities and from space probes. the most extensive radar imaging was obtained from the magellan orbiter in a 4 - year period in the early 1990s. as a consequence, we now have a detailed radar picture of the surface of venus. the adjacent animation shows the topography of the surface as determined using the magellan synthetic aperture radar ( black areas are regions not examined by magellan ). an mpeg movie ( 303 kb ) of this animation is also available. much of the surface of venus appears to be rather young. the global data set from radar imaging reveals a number of craters consistent with an average venus surface age of 300 million to 500 million years. there are two " continents ", which are large regions several kilometers above the average elevation. these are called istar terra and aphrodite terra. they can be seen in the preceding animation as the large green, yellow, and red regions indicating higher elevation near the equator ( aphrodite terra ) and near the top ( ishtar terra ). | hemispheres of venus ( ref ) | the center image ( a ) is centered at the north pole. the other four images are centered around the equator of venus at ( b ) 0 degrees longitude, ( c ) 90 degrees east longitude, ( d ) 180 degrees and ( d ) 270 degrees east longitude. the simulated hues are based on color images recorded by the soviet venera 13 and 14 spacecraft. ( here is a more extensive discussion of these hemispheric views. ) | a volcano ( ref ) | | apparent lava flows ( ref ) | in all of these radar images you should bear in mind that bright spots correspond to regions that reflect more radar waves than other regions. thus, if you could actually see these regions with your eyes the patterns of brightness and darkness would probably not be the same as in these images. however, the basic features would still be the same. there are rift valleys as large as the east african rift ( the largest on earth ). the image shown below illustrates a rift valley in the west eistla region, near gula mons and sif mons. | rift valley on venus | the perspective in cases like this is synthesized from radar data taken from different positions in orbit. african rift on earth is a consequence of te


the nfl ld resolution for january / february 2011 offers all kinds of interesting possibilities, since it considers potential distinctions between adults and juveniles in the u. s. criminal justice system. below is a list to get you started in your analysis. in the comments, suggest your own, or critique these offerings. remember two things : that the resolution concerns those charged with violent felonies, and that we ' re dealing with serious crimes, not minor offenses, which may affect arguments about the ability of juveniles to be rehabilitated. v : justice ( defined as " to each their due, " or a similar concept ) trending aff. if the aim of the criminal justice system is to punish the guilty, then we must determine the proper punishment for guilty parties. retribution ( or its philosophy, retributivism ) offers a moral justification for punishment, as well as a limit : proportionality, based on the principle that the punishment must fit the crime. the aff argument, in a nutshell, is that adult crimes ( violent felonies ) deserve adult punishments. for one view of retributivism, see here. v : societal welfare or justice trending neg. if the purpose of the justice system is to rehabilitate criminals, then perhaps the juvenile justice system offers better prospects for young offenders. this, of course, presumes that the juvenile justice system is founded on the principles of rehabilitation - - which, historically, it is. v : societal welfare utilitarianism is quite possibly the closest allied moral framework with democracy. after all, if the goal is the greatest good for the greatest number, what better way, societally, to achieve this than through democratic means? if the ultimate aim of a democratic society is its own well - being, then utilitarianism offers a way to determine whether treating juveniles as adults in the criminal justice system either adds to or detracts from overall happiness. more specifically, the utilitarian theory of criminal justice is based on the beneficial outcomes of punishment : preventing future crimes through deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. however, in the wider context of utilitarianism, punishment is counterproductive if its costs outweigh the benefits. any statistical argument about rehabilitative outcomes or deterrence is most likely utilitarian in nature. the weakness of utilitarianism, of course, is that it offers no internal constraints on punishment. c : rawls ' first principle of justice ( or, more generally, the rawlsian


respect, no : juveniles aren ' t to be given life without parole or a death sentence. but what about otherwise? is it cruel and unusual punishment to throw a juvenile in adult prison? or, on the other side, do juveniles deserve a " speedy and public trial, " which isn ' t guaranteed in the juvenile justice system? c : virtue ethics trending neg. why not? by the doctrine of parens patriae, the state may intervene when juveniles run afoul of the law, and their parents are nowhere in sight, morally speaking. what if the role of juvenile justice is not to punish, or even rehabilitate, so much as to educate in virtuous conduct? c : moral responsibility / mens rea trending neg. to be punished for a crime, a criminal must be morally responsible for it. are juveniles charged with violent felonies as morally responsible as adults? v : the future trending neg. juvenile justice preserves optimism in two ways : one, it retains hope that juveniles can be reformed, preserving their potential future ( with the possibility that past crimes can be " wiped out " when the offender is old enough, with no permanent criminal record dogging the offender for the rest of his or her life. two, it prevents juveniles merely charged with violent felonies from having their reputation destroyed by a sensationalistic media. v : societal welfare c : communitarianism / education trending neg. " it takes a village to raise a child. " the community has an interest in ensuring that children grow up well and whole. the juvenile justice system seems predicated on this concept, which requires a decidedly more active approach by the state in educating and enculturating youth. seen in this way, the juvenile justice system is an extension of the education system ( or a parody of it, in a more cynical view, or indistinguishable from it, in the most cynical view ). c : jury trials trending aff. the jury is a foundation of criminal justice in a democratic republic. by denying juveniles jury trials, we not only fail to educate them about the values of the community ( since criminals are punished not only by officials of the state, but by the people themselves ), but prohibit the community from having its proper role in weighing the facts and determining guilt. community standards evolve over time, and there is no more efficient way to adjust to evolving standards than direct community input in the application of justice.


a link from one of readers ( thanks ashley! ) pointed us to a story on msnbc about a very large lion ’ s mane jellyfish ( cyanea capillata ) that broke apart and stung up to 100 people on a new hampshire beach last wednesday. lion ’ s manes can get very big, their bell can be over 3 feet. their tentacles though are another story and quite intimidating! a small lion ’ s mane can have a tentacle trail 10 feet long. a much larger one may have over 150 tentacles trailing over 30 feet behind it! so how can jellyfish sting if they break apart or are dead and washed up on the beach? the tiny stinging cells, called nematocysts, can be thought of like a mouse trap. one you set the mouse trap it only needs a trigger to do its damage. it doesn ’ t need any outside help to be maintain. it just has purpose, to sit and wait for an unfortunate victim to trigger the hard - wired response that millions of years of evolution have refined into a potent venom delivery system. much the like the mouse trap, once set it does not let go easily. from msnbc / livescience writer jeanna bryner : though not a common occurrence, marine biologist sean colin says with such a large jellyfish, and so many trailing tentacles ( not to mention those that break off in the water ), the occurrence is feasible. “ it ’ s certainly not common, but it ’ s certainly in the realm of possibility, because they do have so many tentacles if they ’ re that large. if they ’ re broken up they could be all over the place, ” said colin who is at roger williams university in bristol, r. i. profile of a giant this species is typically found in the cooler regions of the pacific ocean, atlantic ocean, north sea and baltic sea. and they rarely show up on this beach. “ i haven ’ t seen anything like this in my life, said brian warburton, who has been with the new hampshire state parks department for six years. all the action transpired in about 20 minutes, when warburton and his colleagues administered first aid ( vinegar treatment ). “ there wasn ’ t time to sit and measure this thing. we just got rid of it, ” warburton told livescience. “ think about a glob of jell - o you ’ re trying to pick up with two hands, ” he said, explaining the need for a pitchfork to pick it up.


of it, ” warburton told livescience. “ think about a glob of jell - o you ’ re trying to pick up with two hands, ” he said, explaining the need for a pitchfork to pick it up. nematocysts are proteinaceous substances and are not living cells or organelles. they discharge extremely rapidly and work by building an immense amount of pressure inside the cell ( up to 15 mpa or 2176 lbs / in2 ) by storing oodles of calcium ions. when discharged ( see above ), the ions are rapidly ejected into the surrounding cytoplasm, setting off the chain of events resulting in a painful sting. research by nuchter and colleagues measured the escape velocity and kinetics of nematocyst discharge in the freshwater hydrozoan, hydra. the steps above took place during 700 nanoseconds, creating an acceleration of 5, 410, 000 g! not all nematocysts are filled with venom though, but it is not a chance you should be willing to take. since the stinging cells matter not whether its creator is alive ( at least over the shorter term, the protein does degrade rapidly ), it still does a lot of damage on its own its always a good idea to approach a beach jellyfish with caution and your flippy - floppies on. very important to make sure your kids know never to touch a jellyfish unless with a stick from a safe distance. as i tell my 3 children, jellyfish are pretty from a distance! nuchter, t., benoit, m., engel, u., ozbek, s., & holstein, t. ( 2006 ). nanosecond - scale kinetics of nematocyst discharge current biology, 16 ( 9 ) doi : 10. 1016 / j. cub. 2006. 03. 089


dr zalloua says in lebanon the phoenician signature is distributed equally among different groups and that the overall genetic make - up of the lebanese is proving to be similar across various backgrounds. " whether you take a christian village in the north of lebanon or a muslim village in the south, the dna make - up of its residents is likely to be identical, " says dr zalloua. but, from another older bbc story referring to the actual study : the team analysed the y chromosomes of 926 lebanese males and found that patterns of male genetic variation in lebanon fell more along religious lines than along geographical lines. and from the study itself : in the present study, 926 lebanese men were typed with y - chromosomal snp and str markers, and unusually, male genetic variation within lebanon was found to be more strongly structured by religious affiliation than by geography. we therefore tested the hypothesis that migrations within historical times could have contributed to this situation. y - haplogroup j * ( xj2 ) was more frequent in the putative muslim source region ( the arabian peninsula ) than in lebanon, and it was also more frequent in lebanese muslims than in lebanese non - muslims. conversely, haplogroup r1b was more frequent in the putative christian source region ( western europe ) than in lebanon and was also more frequent in lebanese christians than in lebanese non - if a christian village and a muslim village are likely to have " identical " dna makeup, then why is genetic variation strongly structured by religious affiliation and not by geography? since contradictions don ' t exist in nature, the explanation is simple : in the published scientific article, which had to go through peer - review, someone could not claim that there are no differences between christian and muslim lebanese. but, to the polloi of lebanon, it is apparently alright to sell a vision of national unity and identity. i don ' t know what % of modern lebanese are descended from phoenicians, but i detest the idea of mixing science with politics. more on the topic of " lebanese phoenicians " :


in kalambaka, the most ancient technical project the most ancient technical project of greece, probably in the world, is found in the theopetra cave of kalambaka and is 23, 000 years old. it is a stone wall that had been constructed in the entrance of the cave, blocking its entrance by 2 / 3. this construction - stone pile to be precise - was studied and dated by the " democritus " center, which presented yesterday the results. the age coincides precisely with the coldest period of the last glacial age, suggesting that the paleolithic inhabitants of the cave had constructed this wall at its entrance to protect themselves from the harsh cold of the times. remnants of fire, tools made of pyritolithus (? ) and quartz, early jewellery from deerteeth, stone implements and ceramics have come to light in the prehistoric cave of theopetra during the excavations conducted by dr. nina kyparissi - apostolika for 25 years, ephor of palaeoanthropology and speleology of southern greece of the ministry of culture. human skeletons have been rarely discovered. on the contrary, there are many animal bones from all periods during which the cave was in use. of interest are finds from the mesolithic age related to ceramic production and cultivation. there is barley, wheat, and lentil in wild ( paleolithic age ) form, but also as cultivars, which suggests that these people had discovered cultivation as the result of millennia - long efforts and not as the result of population movements from the near east. march 28, 2010 world ' s oldest technical project in kalambaka my translation of parts of the article in the vima which appears to be the most informative source for the new discoveries :


published in proceedings of the 44th international symposium on microelectronics : long beach, ca, october 9, 2011. copyright © 2011 international microelectronics and packaging society. one of the challenges in an experimental study of solder joint reliability is to determine when cracks occur in a solder joint or when a solder joint fails. cracks in a real solder joint are difficult to identify using an x - ray system. cross - sectioning and scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) is a destructive method. a common non - destructive test method is to monitor resistance increase in a solder joint or a daisy - chain. however, no scientific research has been done in establishing the relationship between the crack area of an interconnection and the change in resistance of the interconnection. this paper proposes a method of defining failure criteria as the resistance increase in a solder joint exceeding a threshold. the threshold is determined by k times the range over the natural variation in resistance measured by a measurement system. the natural variation by random cause is judged using x - bar and r charts. the principles of defining failure criteria are to be able to detect failure of solder joints as early as possible with minimum false detection due of measurement system error / variation. an experimental study confirmed that a full crack of an interconnection occurs when the increase of resistance in the interconnection is 10 times the natural variation of resistance change. the results of this study could be used to narrow the definition of failure in consensus standards ipc 9701a, jesd22 - b111, and ipc / jedec - 9702. industrial engineering | manufacturing


date of this version rwanda is a landlocked country located in africa ' s central - east great lakes region. it has a population of 7. 5 million which occupies 26, 338 km '. its population density ( 285 / km ' ) is one of the highest in the world and has prompted fear of a rapid degradation of the ecosystem. there are no central sewer systems in rwanda. the use of pit latrines and septic tanks is common in urban and rural areas. people still defecate in the fields ( world bank, 1989 ). less than half of the urban population is served by a central water supply. the majority of people get their water untreated from rivers that have been polluted by chemicals and human excreta. in and around the capital city of kigali, there is a concentration of people, farms, and industries which discharge wastewater into the nyabarongo river and its tributaries. the nyabarongo river, a tributary of the nile, empties into the akagera river which flows into lake victoria. nyabarongo river water is used for drinking water, cooking, bathing, and agriculture in the kigali area. there has been very little monitoring of the water quality of the nyabarongo river and of industrial outfalls located on tributaries of the nyabarongo river. as a first step in understanding the water quality of the nyabarongo river, wastewater samples were collected in 1993 from industrial outfalls located on tributaries of the nyabarongo river. most of the facilities sampled had no wastewater treatment. the impact of these discharges on the water quality of the nyabarongo river was evaluated. gasana, janvier, " industrial discharges of metals in kigali, rwanda, and the impact on drinking water quality " ( 1997 ). environmental & occupational health. paper 2.


this paper investigates whether people are equally irrational in finance and everyday decisions by examining the responses of a 20 - question survey conducted at pace university. results from our data indicated that we could not conclude that people are more irrational in one area more than the other. people appear to be equally overconfident in both. testing for frame versus substance, the second set of data ; the t - test signifies that people are more irrational in their finance decisions than they are in their everyday decisions with more than 99 % certainty. the third and final category of responses were tested for problem solving : in other words are people more rational in solving problems, such as " montay hall " questions, in finance or everyday. from the t - test results we were not able to conclude that people are more irrational in their finance decisions than they are in their everyday decisions. the test did however confirm previous research that people, given a second opportunity, usually do not choose to change their first response even if by calculating the probability it is the more rational decision. it seems reasonable to obtain different results for different decisions making traits. on the basis of these results we conclude that although people are irrational in general they may be more irrational in finance or everyday depending on the irrational behavior being examined. kats, milena, " are we equally irrational in financial and everyday decisions? " ( 2006 ). honors college theses. paper 44.


date of this version paper presented at the annual meeting of the american educational research association : san diego, ca, 2009 this study focuses on elementary teachers ' conceptions of flooding before and after inquiry - based earth science content - based professional development. several misconceptions emerged from the science content two tier pre - post test, some of which persisted throughout the institute while others led to evidence of teachers ' conceptual change. on the post - test some teachers ' ideas emerged as hybrid conceptions as they applied newly acquired academic language to prior conceptions. there was a significant increase ( n = 17, mean gain = 4. 3 ( sd = 3. 27, t ( 17 ) = 5. 69, p <. 000 ) from the pre - to post - test. the concepts most resistant to change from pre - to post - test were analyzing an overall topographic region, reading a map image, and hydrograph interpretation. the highest frequency of hybrid conceptions occurred as teachers attempted to add new academic language, such as storm surge and discharge, to their prior understandings. teachers ’ greatest conceptual change occurred in understanding the probability and role of ground conditions in flooding events. teachers demonstrated significant growth in their understanding of flooding concepts through scaffolded inquiry lessons modeled through the professional development. teachers who had greater levels of prior knowledge showed the most change to a normative view of flooding. this speaks to the importance of building teachers ' background knowledge before initiating professional development with complex science concepts.


the information from genetic testing can have a big impact on your life. genetic counselors are trained to help you understand your risk of getting a disease related to genetics or of having a child with an inherited ( genetic ) disease, such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, or hemophilia. a genetic counselor can help you make well - informed decisions. ask to have genetic counseling before making a decision about testing. genetic counseling may involve : - discussing what problems an inherited disease - teaching you and your partner about how a specific disease is inherited or passed from you to your child. - discussing whether and how to test for an inherited disease before you become pregnant or before your child is born. - discussing the likelihood that you and your partner will have a child with an inherited disease, based on test results. genetic counseling can help you and your family : - understand medical facts, including what causes diseases, how a diagnosis is made, and what you may be able to do to help yourself manage a disease. - understand how your family history contributes to the development of a disease. - understand what you can do to help prevent a disease. - learn about caring for a family member who has a genetic disease, including getting referrals to specialists or joining support groups. genetic counselors are trained to help you and your family make informed decisions that are right for you. they are sensitive to physical and emotional aspects of these decisions. your privacy and confidentiality are


treatment for general anxiety disorder ( gad ) falls into two categories : - psychotherapy — this may include cognitive behavioral therapy, and other forms of treatment like relaxation techniques and biofeedback. since psychotherapy is more effective than medication, it is usually the first treatment that is tried. most patients benefit from a combination of therapies. medications have shown to work better than placebo. researchers have found that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in treating gad. more research, though, needs to be done for the other forms of therapy. although medical care can help most people with gad, treatment success varies from person to person. some experience an improvement after only a few months of treatment, while with others it may take a year or more. treatment can be complicated by having another condition at the same time, such as substance abuse, depression, or other anxiety disorders. psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and specially trained primary care providers are trained to treat gad. if your doctor doesn ' t have special training, ask for the name of a doctor or counselor who does. treatment involves the following : medicationsother treatmentsalternative and complementary therapies currently, surgical procedures are not a treatment option for gad. - reviewer : michael woods, md - review date : 11 / 2012 - - update date : 11 / 26 / 2012 -


human resource clerk : job description, duties and requirements human resource clerks provide administrative support to a company ' s personnel department. by assisting in training, organization and records keeping, human resource clerks provide integral services to daily operations of a company. human resource clerk job description human resource clerks, also called human resource assistants, help compile and maintain employee records for a company or organization. assistants typically aid with the daily administrative operations of the human resource department and interact with employees, management and other business associates. knowledge of company and legal employment policies, office procedures and customer service standards typically is essential for those working in a human resource department. job duties of a human resource clerk the responsibilities of a human resource assistant can vary depending on the size of the organization. large corporations may have tiered human resource positions, with entry - level assistants processing paperwork or updating employee information, while more advanced workers manage job descriptions, perform accounting tasks or review benefits. in contrast, small to mid - sized companies might demand more of human resource assistants and clerks. responsibilities may include : - maintaining employee records - presenting benefits packages - interviewing new employees, checking references and organizing background checks - providing policy training education and skill requirements for human resource clerks many companies require that a human resource assistant have a high school diploma or equivalent, though some may seek college graduates with an associate or bachelor ' s degree in human resource management. employers might offer job training to those who are new to the field, though many prefer those with previous experience in business and human resources. familiarity with computers and office procedures is typically necessary, including an understanding of word processing and spreadsheet software. some organizations may request knowledge of bookkeeping, training or pre - employment screening. written and verbal communication is an essential skill since clerks are often key points of contact for employees and other companies. likewise, decision - making and conflict management abilities are often useful in a human resource position. formal training and certification adequate training and an understanding of employment laws and regulations are vital to a human resource assistant. several community colleges, universities and organizations offer professional training in the field. clerks and assistants with two or more years ' experience qualify to earn optional certification through the hr certification institute, providing an opportunity to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills in employee policies and office management. certification is valid for three years and can be maintained through continuing education classes, work experience and professional organization membership. related to human resource clerk : job description, duties and requirements - recently updated companies require human resource administrators to recruit, hire and train employees, as well as oversee benefits and..


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black history, our history, american history is a complicated matter riddled with facts that make us proud and others that make us cringe. it is a story of a nation built by men and women who sacrificed their lives to force america to live up to its promise. these men and women were also full of contradictions. frederick douglass was one of those contradictions. he is remembered as a writer, abolitionist and orator. he was a human rights activist before the label existed. yet, he also vehemently opposed the great migration of black from the south to the north to escape the crippling shackles of jim crow read douglass ’ bio. douglass was born in february 1800s in tuckahoe, md. in his autobiography, “ narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave, ” he wrote that he did not know his exact birthdate. most of references to douglass focuses on douglass ’ post - slavery life as an influential abolitionist and a human rights activist. before he became the great statesman, and the first african american to be nominated for vice - president, douglass was an educator. he secretly taught himself to read and write and then he taught fellow slaves. he was traded to several different slave owners in maryland, including a brutal farmer known as a “ slave breaker. ” douglass finally escaped to new york. it is ironic that douglass who so believed in equality and who himself escaped north lamented the black exodus from the south in the late 1800s during the early years of jim crow. he urged blacks to tough it out. below are a few quotes from douglass quotes, compiled by the gilder lehrman center of the study of slavery, resistance & abolition, regarding the black exodus north. the negro, long deemed to be too indolent and stupid to discover and adopt any rational measure to secure and defend his rights as a man …. he has, discovered and adopted a measure which may assist very materially in, the solution of some of the vital problems involved in his sudden elevation : from slavery to freedom, and from chattelhood to manhood, and citizenship... he has adopted a simple, lawful and peaceable measure. it is emigration — the quiet withdrawal of his valuable bones and muscles from a condition of things which he considers no longer tolerable. this exodus has revealed to southern men the humiliating fact that the prosperity and civilization of the south are at the mercy of the despised and hated negro.... we have the story of the emigrants themselves, and if any can reveal the true


asagi are fully scaled, nonmetallic fish with a long history, but because they closely resemble magoi ( the wild black carp ). some hobbyists see them as unrefined, dull, and not proper koi at all. certainly they are an acquired taste, far removed from the brilliantly tri colored modern showa or the flashy koi grouped in hikariutsuri. but their quiet elegance serves as a counterpart to their more exotic pond mates and they also have the potential to grow very large. asagi have a long, yet simple history. the asagi magoi, one of the three recognized types of magoi, is said to be the forerunner of all modern koi breeds. about 160 years ago, two mutants koi types arose from this proto - koi, namely the konjo and the narumi asagi. although instrumental in the development of matsuba koi, the dark konjo asagi were not seen as having any value, and were kept mostly for food stock. however, narumi asagi have gone on to become one half of a recognized judging variety - the other being their doitsu counterparts, or shusui. the bekko koi fish is usually a white fish with black markings. the bekko has also been known to be red, or yellow with black markings. the white bekko is known as the shiro bekko koi, the yellow is known as the aka bekko, and the red is known as the ki bekko. the japanese translation means “ tortoise shell. ” the bekko is commonly mistaken for the utsuri koi fish. the doitsu koi fish is a variation of the sanke koi. the doitsu is a scale less version of the fish. commonly the doitsu is red, black and white. the doitsu was created by cross breeding several types of german carp. the gin matsuba koi fish is a metallic looking fish. it is normally a silver or red hue. the gin matsuba is part of the hikary family. the japanese translation is “ pine cone. ” the ginrin kohaku koi fish is part of the kohaku family. the ginrin is normally white with red shiny scales. the japanese translation is silver ( white metallic ) and red. the goromo koi fish is very similar to the standard kohaku koi, except instead of having the standard red patches, the edges of the scales normally have a


scales. the japanese translation is silver ( white metallic ) and red. the goromo koi fish is very similar to the standard kohaku koi, except instead of having the standard red patches, the edges of the scales normally have a black or blue hue to them. the breed of fish is a hybrid of the kohaku and the asagi koi fish. the breed came about in the 1950s. kikokuryu are the metallic version of kumonryu. where the kumonryu has muted, matte white and soft, deep black, the kikokuryu has a metallic platinum - white and a glossy, lacquer - black. kikokuryu originated from a crossing of kumonryu and platinum ogon brood stock. what to look for : similar to kumonryu, the pattern of any single kikokuryu will change completely many times throughout it \ ' s lifespan. for this reason, body conformation and the quality of the colors themselves ( but not the pattern ) should be the first things considered when choosing a kikokuryu. be aware that if you buy a kikokuryu solely for the pattern that it displays at the time of purchase, it is likely to change to a completely different pattern within a few months, if not sooner. you save : $ 300. 00 you save : $ 300. 00


inheritance describes a relationship between two ( or more ) types, or classes, of objects in which one is said to be a " subtype " or " child " of the other, as result the " child " object is said to inherit features of the parent, allowing for shared functionality, this lets programmers re - use or reduce code and simplifies the development and maintenance of software. inheritance is also commonly held to include subtyping, whereby one type of object is defined to be a more specialized version of another type ( see liskov substitution principle ), though non sub - typing inheritance is also possible. inheritance is typically expressed by describing classes of objects arranged in an inheritance hierarchy ( also referred to as inheritance chain ), a tree - like structure created by their inheritance relationships. for example, one might create a variable class " mammal " with features such as eating, reproducing, etc. ; then define a subtype " cat " that inherits those features without having to explicitly program them, while adding new features like " chasing mice ". this allows commonalities among different kinds of objects to be expressed once and reused multiple times. in c + + we can then have classes that are related to other classes ( a class can be defined by means of an older, pre - existing, class ). this leads to a situation in which a new class has all the functionality of the older class, and additionally introduces its own specific functionality. instead of composition, where a given class contains another class, we mean here derivation, where a given class is another class. this oop property will be explained further when we talk about classes ( and structures ) inheritance in the classes inheritance section of the book. if one wants to use more than one totally orthogonal hierarchy simultaneously, such as allowing " cat " to inherit from " cartoon character " and " pet " as well as " mammal " we are using multiple inheritance. last modified on 13 november 2012, at 02 : 25


| | this article needs additional citations for verification. ( february 2011 ) | airmail ( or air mail ) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of being airborne. airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. airmail may be the only option for sending mail to some destinations, such as overseas, if the mail cannot wait the time it would take to arrive by ship, sometimes weeks. the universal postal union adopted comprehensive rules for airmail at its 1929 postal union congress in london. since the official language of the universal postal union is french, airmail items world - wide are often marked par avion, literally : " by airplane ". for about the first half century of its existence, transportation of mail via aircraft was usually categorized and sold as a separate service ( airmail ) from surface mail. today it is often the case that mail service is categorized and sold according to transit time alone, with mode of transport ( land, sea, air ) being decided on the back end in dynamic intermodal combinations. thus even " regular " mail may make part of its journey on an aircraft. such " air - speeded " mail is different from nominal airmail in its branding, price, and priority of service. early airmails specific instances of a letter being delivered by air long predate the introduction of airmail as a regularly scheduled service available to the general public. although homing pigeons had long been used to send messages ( an activity known as pigeon mail ), the first mail to be carried by an air vehicle was on january 7, 1785, on a hot air balloon flight from dover to france near calais. it was carried by flown by jean - pierre blanchard and john jeffries. the letter was written by an american loyalist william franklin to his son william temple franklin who was serving in a diplomatic role in paris with his grandfather benjamin franklin. during the first aerial flight in north america by balloon on january 9, 1793, from philadelphia to deptford, new jersey, jean - pierre blanchard carried a personal letter from george washington to be delivered to the owner of whatever property blanchard happened to land on, making the flight the first delivery of air mail in the united states. the first official air mail delivery in the united states took place on august 17, 1859, when john wise piloted a balloon starting in lafayette, indiana, with a destination of new york. weather issues forced him to land in crawfordsville, indiana, and the mail reached its final destination via train. in 1959


place on august 17, 1859, when john wise piloted a balloon starting in lafayette, indiana, with a destination of new york. weather issues forced him to land in crawfordsville, indiana, and the mail reached its final destination via train. in 1959, the u. s. postal service issued a 7 cent stamp commemorating the event. balloons also carried mail out of paris and metz during the franco - prussian war ( 1870 ), drifting over the heads of the germans besieging those cities. balloon mail was also carried on an 1877 flight in nashville, tennessee. introduction of the airplane the introduction of the airplane in 1903 generated immediate interest in using them for mail transport. the first " quasi - official " airmail flight was conducted by fred wiseman, who carried three letters between petaluma and santa rosa, california, on february 17, 1911. the world ' s second airmail flight came the next day, when french pilot henri pequet carried 6, 500 letters a distance of 13 km ( 8. 1 mi ) from allahabad, to naini, united provinces of agra and oudh, india, then part of the british empire. the letters bore an official frank " first aerial post, u. p. exhibition, allahabad. 1911 ". in the aftermath of the first world war, the royal engineers ( postal section ) and the royal air force pioneered a scheduled airmail service between folkestone, kent and cologne, germany. the service operated between december 1918 and the summer of 1919, its purpose was to provide troops of the british army stationed in germany with a fast mail service ( see more at british forces post office ). throughout the 1920s the royal air force continued to develop air routes through the middle east. the first regularly scheduled airmail service in the united states was inaugurated on may 15, 1918, over a route between washington, d. c., and new york city, with an intermediate stop in philadelphia, pennsylvania. the united states in the 1920s and 1930s, the u. s. congress used legislation ( such as the kelly act and the mcnary - watres act ), and the u. s. postal service under walter folger brown used air mail contract regulations, as tools to foster private - sector aviation companies ( manufacturers, airlines, and conglomerates thereof ) in order to encourage the development of a civil aviation system that would provide passenger airline service and cargo transport by air as widespread facets of american life, on a profitable basis — an ambitious notion at the time for a nationwide infrastructure that mostly


regular mail by air, perhaps because other transportation is unavailable. it is usually impossible to know this by examining an envelope, and such items are not considered " airmail. " generally, airmail would take a guaranteed and scheduled flight and arrive first, while air - speeded mail would wait for a non - guaranteed and merely available flight and would arrive later than normal airmail. a letter sent via airmail may be called an aerogramme, aerogram, air letter or simply airmail letter. however, aerogramme and aerogram may also refer to a specific kind of airmail letter which is its own envelope ; see aerogram. some forms of airletter, such as aerogram, may forbid enclosure of other material so as to keep the weight down. the choice to send a letter by air is indicated either by a handwritten note on the envelope, by the use of special labels called airmail etiquettes, or by the use of specially - marked envelopes. special airmail stamps may also be available, or required ; the rules vary in different countries. airmail stickers are coloured blue, with the words " air mail " in french, the home language. these are used to save having to write " air mail " by hand. the study of airmail is known as aerophilately. see also references and sources - schiff p. 377 - " jean pierre blanchard : made first u. s. aerial voyage in 1793 ". historynet. com. archived from the original on 4 july 2008. retrieved 2008 - 07 - 16. - " jean pierre francois blanchard ". u. s. centennial of flight commission. archived from the original on 25 june 2008. retrieved 2008 - 07 - 16. - " ' stamps take flight ' exhibit from postmaster general ' s collection showcases world ' s rarest ' uncollectibles ' at national postal museum ". press release. usps. 2005 - 04 - 06. archived from the original on 18 june 2008. retrieved 2008 - 07 - 04. - fad to fundamental : airmail in america http : / / postalmuseum. si. edu / airmail / historicplanes / early / historicplanes _ early _ wise. html - history of air cargo and airmail from the 18th century by camille allaz, page 26. - " british notes of the week flight march 18, 1911 - baldwin, n. c. ( 1960 ), p. 5, fifty years of british air mails, francis j. field