- a good playground surface absorbs the energy of a child ’ s fall. - bark mulch that is less than 20cm deep won ’ t do this well and inferior rubber surfaces can make injuries worse. - playground safety standards should be made mandatory in schools and councils just as it is in some childcare facilities. the last thing anyone wants is for playgrounds to be boring. children need to learn to test themselves and take risks, but they need to do so within an environment that is free from hazards they can ’ t see. having an appropriate landing surface that is well maintained significantly lowers the risk of injury should children fall. fractures on the rise thanks to improved safety standards ( particularly the removal of unsafe playground equipment and reducing the height of structures ) playgrounds today are safer and injury rates for the most catastrophic head - injuries have significantly declined. the bad news is, fractures, particularly to the shoulder, wrist, forearm and elbow are up and have increased by 20 % over the last decade, with those aged 5 – 9 years most affected. playground surfaces partly to blame while overcrowding, lack of adult supervision and more ‘ boring ’ equipment that children misuse have been blamed, the biggest culprit remains playground design. for starters, random checks have shown as little as 5 % of playgrounds comply with the ( voluntary ) safety standards for playground surfacing. but the surprise is that it ’ s not just about what children are falling from — mostly monkey bars — but what they ’ re falling onto. that is, children are mostly injured when they fall from play equipment onto a hard surface. protect your kids if you ’ re putting a playground in at home : - take care getting the foundation right. - select a material you can and will maintain. - ensure you lay the material deep enough. if you ’ re taking your child to the local playground : - be aware of how deep softfall materials need to be for safety. - if the surface is rubber, be prepared to call your school or council and ask some hard questions about its tested safety.


five things wikipedia ' s founder has learned about online collaboration jimmy wales explains his views on effective collaboration, organization and what ' world of warcraft ' wiki writers can teach us about shared ideals. thu, june 28, 2007 1 ) you need mechanisms in place for effective collaboration. certainly, people can post bad things onto a wiki, a message board, or a mailing list. the real question is, what systems are in place to deal with this? the mechanisms of a wiki have proven highly effective and have to do with the ability of the community to revise the content or revert to a prior state, and the ability to block communication by people who are causing trouble. 2 ) online identity is important. but requiring people to use real names online seems to be a solution to a problem that doesn ’ t exist. when people decide to interact anonymously with no stable identity, then bad behavior is the usual result. the safeguard mechanisms mentioned above can address such a situation. meanwhile, contributors who use a steady pseudonym can and do gain reputation capital in a way that establishes credibility just as a real name would offline. 3 ) a successful collaboration requires a shared vision. a good example of this is a successful wiki called wowwiki. com, a wiki about the online computer game world of warcraft. there, participants work together successfully because they have a shared vision of the kind of work they are trying to complete : a comprehensive guide to all things world of warcraft. we see the same pattern over and over : a charitable goal like that of wikipedia is not necessary. neutrality is not necessary. but a shared vision is. 4 ) organizations are becoming flatter. flat hierarchies are incredibly powerful and, due to technologies like wikis that allow peer - to - peer communication without a lot of barriers, flat hierarchies are taking hold across the business world. maybe some people are hesitant, but there is an overwhelming adoption of collaborative technologies going on right now. if old - fashioned cios are not seeing this, they should be replaced. 5 ) speed is incredibly important. a fast and flexible system will always beat a paranoid system that wants to get everything right before publication.


earliest canadian - made chanukiyah discovered montreal — what is believed to be the earliest known canadian - made ceremonial chanukiyah has been identified by eiran harris, archivist emeritus of montreal ’ s jewish public library archives. it was discovered in the collection of congregation shaar hashomayim, canada ’ s oldest existing ashkenazi congregation, founded in 1858. the chanukiyah is now prominently displayed in the synagogue ’ s edward bronfman museum. in 1904, during his presidency of the congregation, lyon cohen donated the brass chanukiyah to the synagogue on the occasion of his son ’ s bar mitzvah. the 40 - by - 32 - centimetre candelabra was cast at the w. r. cuthbert brass foundry, which was owned by the cohen family. in his youth, prior to achieving international renown as a poet and singer, lyon cohen ’ s grandson, leonard, worked at the foundry, harris said. on the base is engraved the following, “ presented to shaar hashomayim congregation by lyon cohen, president, on the occasion of the bar mitzvah of his eldest son, chanukah 5665, december 3, 1904. ” the eldest son was nathan “ natty ” bernard cohen, leonard ’ s father. lyon cohen would become the first president of canadian jewish congress in 1919. harris is confident of his claim. “ no other older canadian - made chanukiyah in canada or anywhere else has been identified, ” he said. “ hundreds of chanukah lamps are displayed in museums throughout the world as examples of ornate jewish art produced in various countries. now a canadian example is also proudly displayed, ” harris said.


“ what ’ s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ” — romeo to juliet, in reply to her complaint that his name is all that keeps him from her ( a play by william shakespeare ) while browsing in the library two weeks ago, i happened to pick up a book published in 2002 by diana laurillard entitled, “ rethinking university teaching — a framework for the effective use of learning technologies ”. was quite excited when i learnt about laurillard ’ s five media forms for supporting active learning. they overlap almost neatly with nichani ’ s four interactive visual explainers ( 2003 ). ‘ narrative ’ is the same in both, ‘ interactive ’ is equivalent to ‘ explorative ’ and ‘ adaptive ’ to ‘ simulative ’. laurillard ’ s ‘ communicative ’ and ‘ productive ’ are not in nichani ’ s classification, but they coincide with the ‘ collaborative ’ and ‘ constructive ’ in my extrapolation last year ( see ‘ industry ’ vs. ‘ academia ’ iii ). just now, during a lunchtime talk, when the manager of the elearning competency centre mentioned dr ruth clark ’ s four learning architectures, my curiosity was piqued. other than the different names, ‘ receptive ’, ‘ directive ’, ‘ explorative ’ and ‘ guided discovery ’ seem to be identical to nichani ’ s ‘ narrative ’, ‘ instructive ’, ‘ explorative ’ and ‘ simulative ’! just whose classification came first? did one know about the other ’ s work? or is this a case of great minds think alike? i began to search for information on clark and her work. found a number of interesting things, among them : clark ’ s learning architectures have been adopted by cisco in its learning objects model. clark also has a book entitled e - learning and the science of instruction : proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. must borrow this book soon. these days, as i continued working on the infographics design projects for my part - time studies, different theories are beginning to fall into place as in a jigsaw puzzle. gagne ’ s nine instructional events ( 1985 ), keller ’ s arcs model ( 1987 ), lave & wenger ’ s situated learning ( 1991 ), clark ’ s architectures ( 2000 ), nichani ’ s explainers ( 2003 ), laurillard ’ s media forms (


following the line of the article posted by a. riazi, solving engineering problem using matlab c api, i will show in this small example how to use m functions inside our vc + + 6 project. the project calculates the convolution of two vectors, and shows the resulting vector in the mschart control. the function that performs the convolution is written in matlab and then through the matlab add - in converted to c code ready to be used inside our app. you need visual studio 6 and matlab release 12 installed with the matlab c library and matlab compiler. installing the matlab add - in the add - in automates the integration of m - files into visual c + + projects. the add - in for visual studio is automatically installed on your system when you run either mbuild - setup or mex - setup and select microsoft visual c / c + + version 6. in order to use the add - in you must follow these steps : - start matlab, in the prompt type mbuild - setup - follow the menus and choose ms visual c + + 6. 0. - type the following commands in the matlab prompt : these commands save the matlab path to a file called mccpath in your user preferences directory ( prefdir ), ussually inside your documents and settings file. the path is used by the add - in because it runs outside matlab and there is no other way for it to determine your matlab path. if you add new directories to your matlab path you will have to rerun this command if you want the add - in to see them. - configure the matlab add - in for visual studio 6 to work within msvisual c + +. - open msvisualc + +. - select tools - > customize from the msvc menu. - click on the add - ins and macro files tab. - check matlab for visual studio on the add - ins and macro files list and click close. the floating matlab add - in for visual studio toolbar appears. the checkmark directs msvc to automatically load the add - in when you start msvc again. calculating the convolution in matlab we will write a simple function in matlab that will perform the convolution of two vectors : in2 and store the result in we actually can use any matlab built - in function or toolbox function inside our function here we use only the function con


a simple function in matlab that will perform the convolution of two vectors : in2 and store the result in we actually can use any matlab built - in function or toolbox function inside our function here we use only the function conv for simplicity. % returns the convolution of vector in1 and in2 save the function with the name myfunc. m writing the application use the mfc appwizard ( exe ) option to generate a dialog based application and call it conv. create a button which will calculate the convolution of two given vectors. add the code below to the button ' s message handler. copy myfunc. m into your vc + + project directory. now go to the matlab add - in and click the. m + + ( add m - files to current project ) button : select windows console exe from the combo box and check generate main file and debug mode. press ok. then select the myfunc. m file and click open. after a while you will see new files added to your project. under matlab m - files you will see our myfunc. m, you can even edit it from inside visual c + +. under matlab c / c + + are myfunc. c and myfunc _ main. c, generated by the matlab compiler. and all the headers needed by the compiler. we can ' t build the app yet, we must add the following lines to convdlg. cpp : now the project should be built without any problem. points of interest the steps described here don ' t include the mschart part, you can see it from the source code, but you can see that the calculation is done by placing a breakpoint inside the button message handler and checking the value of the res vector after the line : well i hope this simple article be interesting for matlab lovers, this is the first article i wrote, so i apologize if it is not clear enough. i will be glad to explain anything if you ask me. greetings. daniel cespedes is now working on his final project to get the electrical engineering degree at the national university of technology in cordoba argentina. he is developing a computerized system for the study of human echolocation, the ability to detect obstacles with the echoes of self generated sounds. ( yes like bats!! ) at the cintra ( centro de investigacion y transferencia acustica ). he


boreal tree growth slows as climate warms it appears that climatic warming in boreal forests has pushed many trees beyond the limits of their optimal growing conditions. in recent decades, the growth rates of northern conifers often slowed down when temperatures got abnormally high. american scientists examined widths of tree growth rings laid down between 1902 and 2002 at 269 northern sites distributed across north america and eurasia. they then matched the tree growth data with local historical temperatures and precipitation. the ten major species of boreal conifers analyzed all showed instances during the 20th century of slower tree growth under higher temperatures. this phenomenon, which the study ' s authors term " browning ", appeared in nearly all areas of canada, alaska, europe and asia that they sampled. notably, browning occurred much more frequently after 1942. browning has been particularly prevalent in jack pine and four species of spruce : norway, siberian, black and white spruces. scots pine and siberian spruce had stalled growth during hot years more frequently on some drier sites with relatively low precipitation compared with moister locations. they, along with white spruce and siberian larch also experienced browning most often in the warmer portions of their range. for instance, sites where growth rates slowed in siberian larch were on average 2 °c warmer in summer than sites that never exhibited browning. one other factor showed up in the intercontinental tree - ring analysis, that of pollution. tree browning occurred more frequently in eastern europe and northwestern russia, regions prone to heavy air pollution, than in undeveloped areas. the effect of temperature was widespread, though, as even unpolluted forests showed browning. the study ' s authors conclude that warmer temperatures have dampened tree growth in two ways. both the direct effect of rising growing - season temperatures and the indirect effect of water stress induced by greater evapotranspiration under warm conditions have hindered boreal tree growth. andrea h. lloyd and andrew g. bunn. 2007. responses of the circumpolar boreal forest to 20th century climate variability. environmental research letters. 2 : 045013.


information contained on this page is provided by newsusa, an independent third - party content provider. worldnow and this station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. / national pest management association ) - bats, bees and spiders, oh my! while it ' s certainly normal to see these creatures invade your front doorstep on halloween in the form of candy treat seekers, the real ones are generally unwelcome pests no one wants in or around their homes. as we prepare to bid farewell to summer and welcome the fall, it ' s a good time to remind homeowners that trick - or - treaters aren ' t the only ones who will be looking for something special in our homes. as the temperatures drop outdoors, many pests attempt to come indoors in search of food, water, and shelter. the national pest management association ( npma ) offers the following tips for pest - proofing your home against unwelcome pests this fall : * seal all cracks and crevices around the foundation of the home. mice, often in search of warmth, can fit through holes as small as the size of a dime. * check for gaps under exterior doors, and install door sweeps to close them. spiders can fit through openings as thin as a piece of paper. * trim branches or bushes that touch the home. these wooden pathways can provide direct pest highways right into the house. * store firewood several feet away from the house. wood that is next to the foundation of a home offers a welcoming environment for rodents, termites and other pests. * place a chimney cap on a fireplace, and keep the flue closed when not in use. certain types of nuisance wildlife tend to see chimneys as home sweet home. * check eaves and overhangs for nests or hives that may indicate the presence of stinging insects. * if you see evidence of an infestation, consult with a pest professional who can safely remove the offending pests for you. pests are more than just a nuisance. some, like termites and carpenter ants, can cause significant structural damage, and others, like stinging insects, rodents and cockroaches, are vectors of disease pathogens. to learn more on how to protect your family from the diseases and dangers of pests, visit www. pestworld. org


under the general direction of the grand chief, the circumpolar relations department has been established to monitor and address international and circumpolar issues that may affect the interests of yukon first nations peoples. the circumpolar relations office also hosts the permanent secretariat for the arctic athabaskan council ( aac ) as well as managing the northern contaminants program, the northern ecosystem initiative ( nei ) and climate change initiatives. the northern contaminants program was established in 1991 in response to concerns that contaminants were reaching the canadian arctic. during the first six years, research was focused on gathering the data required to determine the levels, geographic extent, and source of contaminants in the northern atmosphere, environment and its peoples. monitoring in the yukon has continued to show that our traditional foods are very safe to eat and highly nutritious. today, the circumpolar relations unit continues to communicate results and monitor for new types of contaminants in the yukon. for more information go to www. northerncontaminants. ca. the northern ecosystem initiative ( nei ) is a partnership based national program of environment canada that supports action on shared priorities important to the conservation, protection and restoration of northern ecosystems and sustainability of northern communities. it has established four partner - issue tables for four of the program priorities, climate change, contaminants, resource use and monitoring as well as an advisory committee for the fifth program priority, capacity building. the circumpolar relations unit took the comments given at the cyfn general assembly in 1999 - 2000 and began work in the area of climate change. specific work includes climate change impacts and adaptations as it relates to community health, human - environments and ecosystems, and the promotion of energy efficient technologies and the reduction green house gas emissions. the arctic athabaskan council continues to serve the cyfn as their aboriginal representative organization for circumpolar and international affairs. the cyfn circumpolar relations ' mandate is to ensure yukon first nations interests are effectively represented in the arctic council and other international environmental fora. for more information go to www. arcticathabaskancouncil. com. for more information please contact :


click on the broken link graphic and fill in the form recording cemeteries with digital photography from the cemetery column. reproducing brasses and incised slabs from the monumental brass society. researching and recording civil war veterans burials in michigan cemeteries standards for transcribing cemetery headstones stones and bones a genealogical guide to researching cemeteries. the cemetery column - a tombstone in your palm article by steve paul johnson about using your palm pilot to record tombstone details in a database. the claire witch project a technique for locating unmarked graves using a process commonly referred to as divining or witching graves. the gravestone gallery : cemetery curiosities and tombstone tributes - - then, today and tomorrow an article for new and experienced roots - seekers, accompanied by a photo tour that is being expanded regularly, on the role of cemeteries in genealogical research and in our culture. the mystique of death & mourning in the 19th century describes mourning customs, jewelry & photography in the 19th century. things gone by - mourning jewelry during the georgian and victorian periods, works of art and jewelry were created out of hair and other materials to commemorate the loss of loved ones. these mourning pieces served as an eternal memorial and reminder of the lost loved one. tips for photographing gravestones tiptoeing through the graveyard - guide to discovering your ancestors in cemeteries from the about. com genealogy section. tombstone images and articles by michael john neill rootdig. com articles on tombstone rubbing and links to several pictures showing rubbing stone techniques. transcribing monumental inscriptions united states cemeteries | learn | familysearch. org cemetery record types, locating cemeteries, address books, and other sources of cemetery records. article on locating cemeteries and graves. your cemetery equipment copyright © 1996 - 2013. all rights reserved. cyndislist. com designed and developed by fusionspan


wake up and smell the coffee! the taste of a freshly brewer cup will never taste as good as it smells the smell of freshly brewed coffee can be hard to resist. unfortunately, the taste doesn ’ t always live up to expectations. scientists think they know why – and it is all to do with us having two senses of smell. when we smell coffee as it is brewing, the aroma goes up through the nose and blows across a sheet of cells that send the information to the brain. then, when the coffee is sipped and swallowed, the scent is pushed up from the throat towards the same sheet of cells at the top of the nose. scientists have discovered information about the taste of a food or drink is sent to a different part of the brain than smell, meaning the first sip of coffee is always bound to disappoint but, crucially, it wafts across them in the opposite direction. this second, ‘ retronasal ’, sense of smell leads to the information being sent to a different part of the brain and interpreted differently, the british science festival in aberdeen heard. as most of the taste of a food or drink actually comes from its smell, this, combined with many of the flavoursome chemicals in coffee being stripped out by saliva, leaves it bound to disappoint. professor barry smith, founder of the centre for the study of the senses at the university of london, said : ‘ the smell of freshly - brewed coffee is absolutely wonderful. it ’ s intoxicating. ‘ but aren ’ t you always just a little disappointed when you taste it? ‘ people waste a lot of money trying to get better machines, the right pressure, sourcing the beans but it will never happen. when you put it in your mouth it mixes with saliva and that strips off about 300 of these volatile chemicals and they are never going to reach the nose again. ' what does reach the nose is going to have a different character to it because the brain actually cares about the direction the air is flowing across sheet of receptors across the top of the nose. dieters who fall down on a collection of memory traits are more likely to give in to temptation ‘ and of course, the companies that sell you it know that. it ’ s wake up and smell the coffee. it ’ s not wake up and taste it. ’ professor smith said the reverse is true with whiffy cheeses which taste better than expected. ‘ think of a smelly cheese, it smells like a teenager ’ s training shoe, ’ he


february 9, 2004 words - - " never again " - - sum up the most important lesson that civilized men and women were supposed to have learned from the 20th century. it is forbidden to keep silent, forbidden to look the way, when tyrants embark on genocide and slaughter - - if auschwitz and kolyma and the cambodian killing fields taught us nothing else, they taught us that. or so, at any rate, we like to tell ourselves. as samantha power discovered upon returning to the united states after two years as a war correspondent in bosnia, the lesson of " never again " is invoked far more often than it is applied. " everywhere i went, " power recalled in a speech at swarthmore college in 2002, " i heard ' never again. ' steven spielberg ' s ' schindler ' s list ' had been a smash hit. the holocaust museum had opened on the mall in washington. college seminars were taught on the ' lessons ' of the singular crime of the 20th century. but why, i wondered, had nobody applied those lessons to the atrocities of the 1990s : the systematic murder of 200, 000 bosnian civilians in europe between 1992 and 1995 and the extermination of some 800, 000 rwandan tutsi in 1994. " did ' never again ' simply mean ' never again will germans kill jews in europe between 1939 and 1945? ' " power went on to write a problem from hell, her pulitzer prize - winning account of america ' s failure to intervene in the genocides of the 20th century. the book was hugely and deservedly praised. it made clear, as no previous book ever had, just how much americans knew about some of the most horrific massacres of the last century even as they were happening, and how little we did to stop them - - or even, in most cases, condemn them. which brings us to north korea. it is not exactly news that the communist regime of kim jong il has sent millions of north koreans to early graves. estimates back in 1998 were that as many as 800, 000 people were dying in north korea each year from starvation and malnutrition caused by kim ' s ruthless and irrational policies. world vision, a christian relief organization, calculated that 1 million to 2 million north koreans had been killed by " a full - scale famine " largely of pyongyang ' s creation. nor is it breaking news that north korea operates a vicious prison gulag - - " not unlike the worst labor camps built by mao and stalin in the last century, "


a full - scale famine " largely of pyongyang ' s creation. nor is it breaking news that north korea operates a vicious prison gulag - - " not unlike the worst labor camps built by mao and stalin in the last century, " as nbc news reported more than a year ago. some 200, 000 men, women, and children are held in these slave - labor camps ; hundreds of thousands of others have perished in them over the years. some of the camps are so hellish that 20 percent or more of their prisoners die from torture and abuse each year. the dead can be of any age : north korea ' s longstanding policy is to imprison not only those accused of such " crimes " as practicing christianity or complaining about north korean life, but their entire families, grandparents and grandchildren included. and of course it is widely known that kim is openly pursuing nuclear weapons, has fired missiles capable of reaching japan, and controls one of the largest military forces on earth. all of this is hideous enough, and more than sufficient reason for making kim ' s ouster - - and his prosecution for crimes against humanity - - an explicit goal of the united states. but now comes something new. " i witnessed a whole family being tested on suffocating gas and dying in the gas chamber. the parents, a son, and a daughter. " the speaker is kwon hyuk, a former north korean intelligence agent and a one - time administrator at camp 22, the country ' s largest concentration camp. his testimony was heard on a television documentary that aired last week on the bbc. " the parents were vomiting and dying, but till the very last moment they tried to save the kids by doing mouth - to - mouth breathing. " like other communist officials, kwon was not bothered by what he saw. " i felt that they throroughly deserved such a death. because all of us were led to believe that all the bad things that were happening to north korea were their fault.... under the society and the regime i was in at the time, i only felt that they were the enemies. so i felt no sympathy or pity for them at all. " another eyewitness was soon ok - lee, who was imprisoned for seven years in a different north korean camp. she described the use of prisoners as guinea pigs for biochemical weapons. " an officer ordered me to select 50 healthy female prisoners, " she testified. " one of the guards handed me a basket full of soaked cabbage, told me


poultney - 16 green mountain college students had an oral final exam last week, but their vocabulary was limited to the words " gee, " " haw, " " whoa, " and " back. " the students took dr. kenneth mulder ' s history and application of oxen in agriculture course, which includes learning how to drive draft animals. at gmc, that would mean issuing commands to lou and bill, the college ' s oxen team. " driving oxen is more of an art than a science, " said mulder, gmc ' s farm manager. " the relationship developed between the student and the animals is key to directing a good working team. " mulder ' s course combines classroom lecture and on - farm experience to teach students how to train, care for, and drive oxen, and how to accomplish specific farm tasks using oxen. in spring, summer and fall, bill and lou perform all the plowing, mowing, and haying activities commonly performed with tractors and combines. in the winter, the oxen are harnessed up for various heavy lifting jobs around the farm. the class also looks at the economics of draft animals and identify under what conditions draft animals are economically efficient. mulder, who completed his dissertation at the university of vermont ' s gund institute for ecological economics, tells students that modern agriculture is extremely inefficient. " with over 20 calories required to produce and deliver one food calorie to a consumer ' s plate, capacity to maintain current food production levels while reducing fossil inputs simply doesn ' t exist, " he said. his students at green mountain college have launched an experiment aimed at running a farm on a scale at which a family farmer could make a livable wage, without sacrificing sustainability. an associated goal is to run green mountain college ' s cerridwen farm with as few fossil - derived resources as possible with the ultimate target of using no fossil fuels at all. one component is using draft animals.


the geologic origin of the sonoran desert geology challenges the human imagination. first of all, there is the notion of geologic time. we humans think in terms of lifetimes or of centuries. what can 10, 000 years possibly mean to us, let alone 65, 000 or 70 million? space, in geologic terms, is an equally difficult notion, though we don ' t often recognize the difficulty. we often wonder what the land we stand on was like in times past. what was here, we ask, when dinosaurs roamed, or when mountains were new? though we may imagine different landforms, different vegetation, we probably still imagine " here " as a definite, and permanent, spot on the globe, a place with constant longitude and latitude, a place whose changes we could trace through time, perhaps by reading the record in the strata beneath our feet. but geology mocks our notion of permanence. geology deals with continents that drift, collide and re - form, with rivers and oceans that appear and disappear, with mountain ranges whose battered remnants have been carried away and now lie buried on some other continent. geology warns us not to be too literal as we imagine the history of our planet. geologic interactions with the living community geology, the interpretation of earth and life history, encompasses much more than the study of sterile rock masses. continents, oceans, the climate, our atmosphere, and all life have co - evolved on this planet in a complex, interwoven web. inorganic environmental changes occur, and all life forms must adapt quickly, in terms of geologic time. there are many ways the earth may influence a local ecosystem. the least obvious is slow continental drifting across lines of latitude or longitude, which affects circulation patterns in the oceans, storm tracks, mean temperatures, and the timing and duration of seasons. mountain chains appear near coastlines for various geologic reasons, setting up orographic ( mountain - induced ) cooling of rising moist air masses to form coastal fog deserts and rain shadow deserts on the protected sides, such as coastal baja california and the hyper - dry mohave desert, respectively. upland canyons, piedmonts, and mountaintops create new ecological niches, sites of adaptations and evolutionary change. the sonoran desert and nearby mountain islands exhibit nearly two miles of vertical relief, from sea - level deserts to mountaintops at 9500 feet ( 2900 m ) that harbor sub alpine spruce - fir forests, cool enough to have supported semi - permanent ice masses on shady north slopes during the pleistocene ( the past two million years )


from sea - level deserts to mountaintops at 9500 feet ( 2900 m ) that harbor sub alpine spruce - fir forests, cool enough to have supported semi - permanent ice masses on shady north slopes during the pleistocene ( the past two million years ). then as mountains slowly erode to flatlands, the climate pattern changes. as climates and habitats change, plant and animal species either adapt, migrate to more favorable ground, or become extinct. migratory routes are often determined by geologic processes. for example, climate dictates that a river be perennial or intermittent, and that a lake expand or dry up. new mountains produce new rivers. these changes may block or expedite migration for a terrestrial animal while serving as barriers or corridors for an aquatic one. ancient life affects later geologic and climatic conditions. biologically - produced gases ( oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide ) maintain a chemically reactive atmosphere that in turn influences rates of rock weathering, the nature of sedimentary deposits, and the content of gases in the atmosphere. desert soils, highly variable in their water - holding capability, salinity, and alkalinity determine the kinds of plants that will survive on them. some desert plants, for example, are well - adapted to soils that would be toxic to other plants. ( see the chapter " desert soils. " ) the topography of the sonoran desert and adjacent lands the sonoran desert lies in a region of the west called the basin and range geologic province. this curious country consists of broad, low - elevation valleys rimmed by long, thin, parallel mountain ranges, which extend from northern mexico across much of arizona, california, utah, and nevada, northward to the southern plains of idaho. ( see the map below. ) normally dry streams in each valley either connect to a major through - flowing river, such as the gila or salt rivers, or else drain into a valley ' s internal low spot where a salt - encrusted playa forms. california ' s imperial valley, and several other valleys within the american southwest, exhibit this internal drainage. topography is an important influence upon the unique climate of the sonoran desert, since topographic barriers direct, confine, or block moist air masses. we can see such a confinement for the sonoran desert on the map below, which resembles a shallow bathtub, breached at its south end where it receives pacific moisture, and at its north end where it joins the rain - starved mohave desert. let us consider the topography of the areas on


desert on the map below, which resembles a shallow bathtub, breached at its south end where it receives pacific moisture, and at its north end where it joins the rain - starved mohave desert. let us consider the topography of the areas on the periphery of the sonoran desert, since these lands both help define and affect the desert itself. | this map shows the basin and range geologic province, the highlands that confine the sonoran desert, and the largest canyon systems of the region. also shown is an unusual series of mountains in the region called ' metamorphic core complexes. ' | considerable high country exists west of the sonoran desert in baja california ' s sierra san pedro martir and in southern california ' s coastal laguna mountains, loosely joined to the imposing sierra nevada farther north through the palm springs region. the backbone rock of this country is vast masses of cretaceous - aged granites, 140 to 80 million years old. the sonoran desert is bounded to the northeast by a mile - high escarpment called the mogollon rim, which forms the distinctive southern edge of the colorado plateau province. the colorado plateau extends north across utah and western colorado and consists of a grand " pancake " pile of sedimentary rocks of diverse age ( from 30 million to 1200 years old ), exposed over a wide area, but most famously in the walls of arizona ' s grand canyon national park. the eastern edge of the sonoran desert in southeastern arizona consists of a honeycomb series of high valleys and mountain ranges, including the pinaleno and chiricahua mountains. mountaintops range from 3000 feet ( 915 m ) in the west to 10, 000 feet ( 3050 m ) in the east. the elevations of valley bottoms rise from sea level near yuma to 5000 feet ( 1525 m ) in southeast arizona, where deserts are replaced by grassland valleys. since rising air cools, annual precipitation and wintertime cold extremes intensify to the east, causing the desert, with its frost - sensitive plants, to gradually give way to grassland. the sonoran desert ' s southeastern edge is defined by mexico ' s sierra madre occidental, a tall, mountainous accumulation of 30 - million - year - old volcanic rocks, which stand exposed in the cliffs of the pine - covered country of barranca del cobre ( copper canyon ) of sonora - chihuahua. how strange that many isolated springs of the sonoran desert contain several varieties of small cyprinid fish, the desert pupfish. these little, unlikely desert


covered country of barranca del cobre ( copper canyon ) of sonora - chihuahua. how strange that many isolated springs of the sonoran desert contain several varieties of small cyprinid fish, the desert pupfish. these little, unlikely desert survivors can tolerate mildly saline and very warm waters. their dispersal across much of basin and range country, even into totally isolated valleys, must have occurred during the pleistocene when the colorado river system flowed more vigorously, allowing them to explore all the back alleys of this aquatic kingdom. then when drier times came, their habitats shrank back to only the perennial springs they inhabit today. at least one variety of pupfish has gone extinct with the introduction of game fish. this survival story, like so many others, continues to unfold as the sonoran desert evolves. formation of basin and range the recent geologic history of the sonoran desert includes an event unique in all the world, one that tore the country apart. this " basin and range disturbance " was the culmination of several events that have taken place over the last 40 million years. before this geologic onslaught there is good evidence the region stood as an extensive upland, devoid of today ' s mountains and smoothly connected to all the surrounding highlands ( see map above ). starting with this flatter land, several interconnected geologic actions produced the modern sonoran desert landscape. volcanism and regional arching a visitor to basin and range country 40 to 20 million years ago might have been alerted to one of the deep - seated geologic events by noting numerous active volcanic centers in the region. these volcanic areas occasionally produced tremendous explosions, and left behind extensive volcanic flows. some of these volcanoes then collapsed, forming large circular basins called calderas, as seen in the chiricahua and superstition mountains. other centers, such as the ajo, kofa, galiuro, and gila mountains, ejected ash - flow materials from long, thin fissure vents. exciting as this surface activity was, far more impressive events were occurring below. intense heat rising into the crust was hot enough to entirely melt and soften portions of the lower continental crust into a viscous fluid, similar in consistency to molasses taken out of a refrigerator. this heating became important when the pacific coast became somehow attached or glued to the edge of the pacific ocean tectonic plate, which was at the time beginning to move northwest relative to the main continent. this movement applied a stretching force to the region. basin and range crust, being hot and fluid, could not


glued to the edge of the pacific ocean tectonic plate, which was at the time beginning to move northwest relative to the main continent. this movement applied a stretching force to the region. basin and range crust, being hot and fluid, could not resist this force and so began to stretch apart in a giant geo - taffy pull. think of what happens as you bite into a caramel candy coated with hard chocolate : the fluid caramel stretches while the brittle coating shatters. in this way basin and range crust began breaking up, resulting in tremendous disruptions. early pull - apart action 25 to 20 million years ago was localized along the line of mountains ( shown as metamorphic core complexes on the map, above ), where tremendous heat from beneath was concentrated. ( see illustration a. ) this heated zone across arizona responded to the pull - apart force by forming a huge fault zone, along which all the land west to the pacific coast was pulled away. several nearly flat faults, such as the catalina detachment fault shown in illustration b, accommodated this motion. once uncovered by the faulting, the fluid granite rocks of these " metamorphic core complex " mountains rose or arched up further into an aligned series of " pimples, " due to their heat and buoyancy. rocks above the detachment faults moved a considerable distance to the west, perhaps ten miles or farther, from the arched terrain. these spectacular processes probably lasted for a few million years. the origin of modern valleys following this activity, the stretching action quickly spread across most of the entire region, which would eventually become the modern basin and range country. by about 12 million years ago, the entire substrata of basin and range country was involved with the expanded taffy - pull, stretching out some thirty to eighty percent more than its original width, while the brittle crust above shattered into hundreds of long, thin segments. narrower alternating segments tended to sink into the taffy, while alternating wider slices maintained more of their old heights. ( see illustration c. ) virtually all mountains of the region were simultaneously born in this way ; this also explains the semi - parallel trend of the region ' s mountains and valleys ' they are perpendicular to the direction of stretching. by about 8 million years ago, the pull - apart action stopped, the thinned crust cooled, and basin and range mountains and valleys stabilized. since that time the chief geologic activity has been the movement of rock debris off mountains and into adjacent valleys through stream action, as seen in illustration d. most basin and range valleys are filled


xavier del bac near tucson, and stopping large pendulum clocks in phoenix. tucson residents reported large clouds composed of dust and forest fire smoke rising above the crest of the santa catalina mountains and first thought it to be an erupting volcano. apparently the fires were ignited by falling boulders crashing together and causing sparks on the dry hillsides. tohono o ' odham residents at the village of pan tak below kitt peak reported a massive rock fall. geysers of water shot up from the flood plain of the san pedro river, while other streams and springs throughout the region either dried up or initiated flow. an estimated 50, 000 cattle died that year in the san pedro river valley as a direct result of wildfires or later starvation. a line of recent small earthquakes from that fault zone appears on the seismicity map above. there have been two contrasting styles of volcanism in the sonoran desert in recent geologic time. the intense volcanic episode mentioned above produced rhyolites ( light - colored volcanic rocks, relatively rich in silica, aluminum, potassium and sodium ), created as the western edge of the north american continent moved over the pacific ocean floor. the main mass of the tucson mountains is composed of rhyolite produced during an earlier rhyolite volcanic episode some 70 million years ago. ( see illustration above. ) in contrast, younger volcanic rocks formed during basin and range time ( the last 10 million years ) are called basalt ( dark - colored volcanic rock, rich in iron, magnesium and calcium ) ; basalt formed beneath the continent during pull - apart actions and rose along deep cracks. rhyolite volcanoes tend to explode violently, like mount st. helens or krakatoa. basaltic eruptions are non - explosive ; they produce lavas with a consistency of fifty - weight motor oil, which spread quickly across valley floors. there are three basalt volcanic fields in the sonoran desert, all formed within the past four million years. one of these, the pinacate field, lies just north of rocky point, sonora, and has rightfully become an international showcase of natural history. the field contains a central 4000 - foot tall ( 1220 m ) stratified volcano composed of multiple lava flows and ash layers, surrounded by approximately 400 outlying single - eruption basalt cinder cones and flows, and ten unusual steam - blast explosion craters, called diatremes, some with diameters in excess of a mile. these unusual craters owe their explosive origin to an encounter of the rising magma with water - saturated sediments,


basalt cinder cones and flows, and ten unusual steam - blast explosion craters, called diatremes, some with diameters in excess of a mile. these unusual craters owe their explosive origin to an encounter of the rising magma with water - saturated sediments, which adds the force of steam blasts to the normal volcanic fountain. sonoran desert ' s fossil legacy life ' s drama is abundantly preserved in the rock record of the region. arizona ' s oldest rocks ' 1800 to 1400 million years of age ' have not been adequately searched for remains of microscopic life. the oldest stratified rocks of the sonoran desert date from about 1200 million years ago, and contain horizons where mats and small mushroom - shaped colonies of algae once grew in protected aquatic habitats. the main threats to the survival of these organisms were the enormous precambrian ocean tides. paleozoic shales and limestones ( 570 to 240 mya ) contain occasional remains of trilobites, shark and fish teeth, crinoids and corals, bryozoans, conodonts, clams, brachiopods, oysters and a variety of cephlapods ( a class of mollusks, which includes the octopus and squid ). we envision these creatures ' homes as shallow tropical ocean waters with coral reefs, lagoons and inlets, reminiscent of the bahamas - florida - mississippi delta region. mesozoic fossil beds ( 150 to 90 mya ) represent a regional trend toward terrestrial conditions as the land rose and drained. river floodplain deposits of jurassic or cretaceous age in the tucson mountains contain tracks of lizards found with rare fossils of horsetails ( equisitum spp. ) and petrified wood. cretaceous beds contain clams, sharks, marine reptiles like the mosasaur ( an aquatic monitor lizard ), and turtles. cretaceous low - elevation coniferous forests were resplendent with cycad and ginkgo trees, through which glided flying reptiles. late cretaceous strata of the northern santa rita mountains contain a remarkable fossil record including the titanic long - necked sauropods, horned and duckbill dinosaurs, and some of arizona ' s oldest fossil mammals. all these lived along large river floodplains and shores of ancient inland lakes, sharing territories with crocodiles and lizards. cenozoic deposits contain a mammal - dominated fauna that inhabited a land reminiscent of a lush east african savanna. earlier forms included ancestral horses, giant rhino - like titanotheres, and oreodonts ( ancestors to peccaries and camels


cenozoic deposits contain a mammal - dominated fauna that inhabited a land reminiscent of a lush east african savanna. earlier forms included ancestral horses, giant rhino - like titanotheres, and oreodonts ( ancestors to peccaries and camels ). by late miocene and pliocene time ( 10 to 2 mya ) grasses and grazers became widespread. pleistocene fauna of the last 2 million years included camels, herds of bison and near - modern horses, mastodons, imperial mammoths, giant ground sloths, wolves, lions, giant beavers, and short - faced bears. north america ' s first people left dart points imbedded in fossil remains of some of these animals at sites near former springs. the modern sonoran desert ecosystem seems a distant cousin to the ancient environments of the region. the pleistocene climate the pleistocene period, the last two million years, is noted for its glaciations and worldwide flip - flopping climate changes. these climate shifts have left marks upon the sonoran desert. though glaciers in arizona mountains were confined to elevations above 9000 feet ( 2740 m ), vigorous stream runoff during the first million years removed much soil and debris from mountain slopes and deposited it in many large fan - like deposits below the mouths of the larger canyons. ( see photo below. ) then the streams in the larger valleys of the region began to down cut their channels to lower levels, which then side cut, causing the formation of several sets of flat - topped terraces above modern flood plains. the last permanent high - elevation ice masses were rapidly melting 14, 000 years ago, and the regional climate was becoming drier and modern ( interglacial ) by 12, 000 years ago. this last climate change marks the birth of the modern sonoran desert ecosystem. climatologists cannot predict future climate shifts. the sonoran desert contains a characteristic series of landforms, shown in the illustration below. sparse regional rainfalls tend to lack the force to move sediments very far from the mountains. however, rare heavy rains produce torrents of mud, rocks, and vegetation that cascade rapidly down steep narrow canyons in the mountains. this debris flow spreads out at the fronts of the mountains into cone - shaped masses called alluvial fans. ( see photograph below. ) when neighboring alluvial fans coalesce along a mountain front, the resulting landform is a bajada ( bah - hah - dah ). the term bajada is generally reserved for those areas where obvious allu


below. ) when neighboring alluvial fans coalesce along a mountain front, the resulting landform is a bajada ( bah - hah - dah ). the term bajada is generally reserved for those areas where obvious alluvial fans line the mountain front, while piedmont is used in situations where alluvial fan shapes are not obvious. | typical sonoran desert landforms | beneath the bajada lies an important hidden feature of desert geology : the pediment. pediments are buried shoulders of mountain rocks that extend from the edge of the exposed mountain some miles toward the valley center, where they contact the buried basin and range fault, beyond which lies thick valley alluvium ( gravel, sand, silt, and clay ). pediments form as the mountain front is worn back with time by all the streams exiting the mountain front ; then the shoulder is buried by a thin layer of gravel as the valley fills with alluvium. their presence, though invisible, is very important for human development, since the main valley aquifer - often a mile thick - is confined to the centers of the valleys ( see illustration ). water wells drilled into the pediment often do not yield sufficient water for even a single residence. isolated small hills near mountains, called inselbergs, are exposed rock masses that have not worn away ; they are a sure sign of the pediment ' s presence. major valleys contain one or more main stream channels that are normally dry. floodplains are strips of flat land adjacent to the channel that in former times were subject to flooding. but since the 1890s, river floods have tended to incise and widen the channels, so that the floodwaters do not flow out onto the floodplains, except locally. this post - 1890s channel enlargement is part of a regional trend throughout the west called " arroyo cutting, " likely caused by a combination of factors, including increased cattle grazing following development of regional railroads in 1882, de vegetation of hillsides by the mining industry for mine timbers and coke, and a possible unrecognized, subtle climate shift. local governments take a risk in stabilizing channel embankments with soil cementation. haphazard bank stabilization increases channel erosion ( bank caving ) and floodplain inundation downstream of the protected reaches. this is because cement - lined channel walls prevent infiltration and force more water down the channel. | alluvial fan. boulder debris in front of the gila ( sheep ) mountains


and floodplain inundation downstream of the protected reaches. this is because cement - lined channel walls prevent infiltration and force more water down the channel. | alluvial fan. boulder debris in front of the gila ( sheep ) mountains near yuma. large rocks like these are transported in massive debris flows down steep canyons, then spread out along the mountain front during times of rare, intense rains. | in the mountains, balanced boulders form from certain rock types, such as granite and thickly - layered sandstone or volcanic ash. the rocks weather down along cracks or joints and tend to form spires or irregular columns. rounding happens as corners weather faster than sides, just as the cube of ice in your iced tea melts into a sphere. if a flat ( horizontal ) set of joints is also present, weathering along this base eventually forms a rounded balanced boulder. boulders are eventually shaken free by earthquakes or uneven weathering and litter the nearby ground. these same kinds of rocks, when more fracture - free, may weather into large, spectacular domes that develop concentric rounded joints just like a layered onion, from which segments of layers separate, exposing a cone - shaped core. balanced boulders can be seen along the gates pass road in the tucson mountains, along the mt. lemmon highway at geology vista, in texas canyon along i - 10 east of benson, and on camelback mountain ( echo canyon ) in phoenix. spectacular conical granite domes with " onion - peel " structures may be seen along the high ridges on the west side of the santa catalina mountains above catalina state park. mountains composed of volcanic layers weather into rugged tablelands cut by sharp canyons, such as in the ajo, tumacacori, and kofa mountains. the sharp eye may spot a vertical cylinder of resistant rock weathering away from a volcanic cliff ; often this is a volcanic neck or plug, which was formed in the feeder vent for a volcanic flow. there are good examples of volcanic necks in the superstition, tucson, and ajo mountains. desert pavement is a sparsely vegetated desert flatland totally covered with a single layer of desert - varnished rocks. desert varnish is a black, shiny coating on the exposed surfaces of undisturbed rocks. ( see the chapter " desert soils " for a discussion of the causes of these phenomena as they have come to be understood in recent years. ) sand dune fields are common in the sonoran desert. dune fields occupy downwind portions of valleys where wind - dispersed sand has accumulated


desert soils " for a discussion of the causes of these phenomena as they have come to be understood in recent years. ) sand dune fields are common in the sonoran desert. dune fields occupy downwind portions of valleys where wind - dispersed sand has accumulated. sands for the gran desierto of northwestern sonora, the algodones dune field east of el centro, and the mohawk valley field east of yuma all derive large quantities of sand from the colorado river delta. the vast cactus plain dune field near parker derives its sand from the old shoreline sands of the colorado river. many other minor dune fields are found throughout the region, their sands derived from local river flood plains. the gran desierto contains examples of star dunes, with several radiating sharply - crested sand ridges coming off a high point. maybe the only way to fully comprehend the geologic processes that have shaped the sonoran desert is to immerse oneself in the study of the region ' s natural history. still, hints of profound relations are everywhere around us : storm tracks funneled by basin and range topography, which ultimately define the region ' s ecological limits ; the very different past worlds represented in the fossil record ; hard granite rocks torn apart by small lichen colonies ; the wide variety of landforms and rock types. also, we must remind ourselves that the true character of the land is much more than what ' s on the surface - the often - neglected third dimension is vital, as miners, soil engineers, and water well drillers know. all these effects of the past are interwoven into a tapestry of cause and effect on a grand and wondrous scale. chronic, halka. roadside geology of arizona. missoula, montana : mountain press publishing company, 1983. harris, stephen l. agents of chaos. missoula, montana : mountain press publishing company, 1990. nations, dale and edmund stump. geology of arizona. dubuque, iowa : kendall / hunt publishing company, 1983. mcphee, john. basin and range. new york : noonday press, 1990. sharp, robert p. geology field guide to southern california. dubuque, iowa : kendall / hunt publishing company, revised edition 1976. sheldon, john. geology illustrated. san francisco : w. h. freeman & company, 1966. sykes, godfrey. the colorado delta. american geographical society special publication no. 19, edited by w. l. g. joerg. port washington, n. y. : kennikat press, original pub. 1937


3 ways to affect depth of field : free cheat sheet depth of field, or ability to control which parts of your pictures are sharp, is one of the main advantages of owning an slr camera. look at a scene with your own eyes, and everything from your feet to the horizon is usually in focus. but your pictures do not need to look like this. you can set up your digital camera so that only certain parts of the shot are in sharp focus, and others are artistically blurred. this allows you to create emphasis where you want it – and to hide elements that would otherwise prove distracting. your lens can only focus sharply at one distance. however, due to the optical property known as ‘ depth of field ’ a range of distances will actually appear sharp. this zone of sharpness will vary enormously. our latest photography cheat sheet examines three common ways you can affect depth of field. our infographic looks at how aperture, focus distance and focal length will affect what appears sharp in your images ( for more on this you might also find useful our guide to depth of field : what you need to know for successful images ). simply drag and drop this cheat sheet on to your desktop to save the larger version as a handy reference. and if you liked this, you might also like our infographics on understanding the color temperature scale and our portrait lighting cheat sheet. common mistakes at every shutter speed ( and the best settings to use ) metering mode cheat sheet : how they work and when to use them digital camera effects from a - z 99 common photography problems ( and how to solve them ) on thursday, may 31st, 2012 at 3 : 00 pm under photography tips. tags : depth of field, hot, photography cheat sheet


jaw crusher is a famous mining machinery machine widely used mining, road, railway, chemical industry, etc. it was mainly make up by six parts. the first part is rack and it is a walls rigid frame with the top and lower surface is open. used for supporting partiality axis and to bear the reaction of crushing materials. generally inblock cast by cast steel. small machine can also used high quality iron instead of cast steel. but the rack of large machine need cast subsection, the process is more complex. the second part is jaw plate and side guard plate, fixed jaws and dynamic jaw were all made up by jaw bed and jaw plate. jaw plate is working part, fixed in the jaw bed by bolts and wedge iron. the jaw bed of fixed jaw is the front wall of rack, the jaw bed of dynamic jaw was hanging in the axis. so the all need enough intensity and stiffness to sustain the counterforce of crushing. the thired part of jaw crusher is adjusting device, adjusting device divided into wedge block type, plate type and the hydraulic, etc. generally uses the wedge block type. the fourth part of jaw crusher is flywheel, the flywheel of jaw crusher is used for storage trip energy of dynamic jaw, then used for industrial, make mechanical work tend to equality. the fifth part is transmission parts, eccentric shaft is the principal axis of jaw crusher, it is can under great bend torsion, usually manufacturing by high carbon steel. the last main part of jaw crusher is lubrication device, eccentric shaft bearing usually adopts concentrated circulation lubrication. when jaw crusher crushing cavity things ( such as crushing in an iron ball, iron, etc. ), for the protection of the equipment is mainly parts are not damaged and use as crusher insurance after thrust board components. with cast iron plate after general thrust moulds overall, in which a trough of some holes open or to lower the cross - section intensity ; also can cast two, then use screws ( or rivets ) of connecting thrust board, combined. when not broken objects into crushing cavity, equipment overloaded and huge breakage force to thrust plate lead to thrust board broken or combination thrust board screw, machine cut to stop work, have insurance effect. these knowledge may in equipment instructions say not so detailed, so the user is in the purchase equipment, installation debugging when must learn more with crusher experts, mastering jaw crusher insurance and discharging adjustment, stable production can be better.


these knowledge may in equipment instructions say not so detailed, so the user is in the purchase equipment, installation debugging when must learn more with crusher experts, mastering jaw crusher insurance and discharging adjustment, stable production can be better. hongxing company lays much emphasis on the quality and clients. we serve clients with the quality guideline of being responsible for every working procedure, every product and every client. what we have done is for the clients and we believe that quality is the best way to develop market. all of the products have passed the authentication of iso9001. hongxing brand is the chinese famous brand. reliable and stable quality is the key to success. our products are well known at home and abroad. now we have tens of thousands of users throughout china and more than 30 world markets. as the professional manufacturer of complete sets of mining machinery, such as magnetic separator, cement mill, vibrating screen, dryer machine, classifiers, henan hongxing is always doing the best in products and service. if you ' re interested in mining machinery such as jaw crusher, impact crusher, ball mill, raymond mill, snad maker, we believe that henan hongxing machinery is your nice choice. http : / / www. hxjq - crusher. com http : / / www. hxjqchina. com http : / / www. crusher - machine. com if you ' re interested in mining machinery such as jaw crusher, impact crusher, ball mill, raymond mill, snad maker, we believe that henan hongxing machinery is your nice choice. - author articles - more from this authorstrong global demand for minerals and other commodities promises to fuel demand for mining equipment for years to come. this is positive news for domestic steel suppliers, not just because of the large... according to introducing, xinjiang tianshan metallogenic belt in xinjiang is one of the three major metallogenic belt, has found that all kinds of mineral resources. according to relevant for... rising demand for such vehicles indicates rapidly increasing activity in the mining sector. ' since early 2010, the mining sector has steadily gathered momentum and this has had a positive impact on the... from mining machinery industry 2000 ~ 2009 fixed assets steady growth can explain, mining machinery industry return on capital is higher than the average return on assets, is worth the investment of social... it is because of china machinery industry in general are still in the development stage in vulgar,


2009 fixed assets steady growth can explain, mining machinery industry return on capital is higher than the average return on assets, is worth the investment of social... it is because of china machinery industry in general are still in the development stage in vulgar, machinery industry unit product comprehensive energy consumption than to the high number of developed... - related articles - related articlesdiabetes treatment is really much better today than they have been for hundreds of years, even a few years ago. i would have hated to have diabetes back even a few years ago, when the meters where big and hard... great dining experience in relaxing and enjoyable ambiance is something that is desired by everyone. dining out is a common thing these days. today, most of families plan to dine out on weekends and spend... the traslochi ( impresa traslochi nessi ) are becoming popular for their high quality services. they ensure that their customers get the best services at the most reasonable rates. one can find many other... if you have diabetes, you can join with diabetes to eat foods after diabetes meal plan to give up all your favorite foods. you might think that your days of feasting on pizza and eat a lot of fried foods are... if you suffer from type 2 diabetes you are probably researching fast and safe to go in the opposite kind of diabetes, this article is an overview of some of the possible solutions to this disease. believe it... - latest articles - latest articlesmy career i focused on natural health, and look for simple and effective natural treatment of diabetes has been my passion for many years. i do not think i am alone in my quest and there are so many people out... during the process of iphone apps development, iphone apps developers will find tableviews a great tool for applications. it is used for almost all kinds of iphone applications. however, some developers may... when you have teeth that are misaligned or that are in need of braces, invisible braces should be looked into. with the invisible braces london offices, the braces will work to repair your teeth without the... with the growing popularity of online business, it has become necessary to build a website and put it on the virtual world. many companies have even included online marketing as their primary marketing... diabetes treatment is really much better today than they have been for hundreds of years, even a few years ago. i would have hated to have diabetes back


indications of volcanic activity on venus 8 april 2010 dlr scientists evaluate data from the virtis infrared spectrometer 3 - d radar image of the maat mons volcano on venus although some uncertainty remains, the most recent infrared data from virtis ( visible and infrared thermal imaging spectrometer ) seem to confirm it. " we are pretty sure that venus still has volcanic activity, " say jorn helbert and nils muller from the dlr institute of planetary research ( institut fur planetenforschung ) – members of the virtis team. the european space agency ' s ( esa ) venus express orbiter has been circling the planet, which is constantly obscured by thick cloud cover, since 11 april 2006. the spacecraft travels around the planet in an elliptical orbit at an altitude that varies from 300 to 66 000 kilometres. it carries virtis, the only instrument that can look through the atmospheric windows onto the surface of venus and record its infrared radiation patterns at a variety of heights. " at certain infrared ranges we can clearly see that the surface is glowing, " says planetary physicist helbert. solidified lava flows radiate heat according to the virtis data, there are nine hotspots, areas over underground magma chambers, which are very likely volcanically active. " the solidified lava flows, which radiate heat from the surface, seem hardly weathered. so we can conclude that they are younger than 2. 5 million years old – and the majority are probably younger than 250, 000 years, " added helbert. " in geological terms, this means that they are practically from the present day. " it is also possible that there are smaller volcanic vents and lava flows that cover very restricted areas. nils muller and jorn helbert are co - authors of a paper on volcanic hotspots that appears in the latest edition of science. volcanic peak idunn mons like on earth, venus ' s valleys are warmer than its mountains. but the venusian atmosphere is so dense that it completely determines the temperature of the planet ' s surface. this enabled the scientists to predict surface temperatures with computer models. data obtained from virtis last year shows that certain areas deviate from the predictions by as much as two or three degrees. " this may because there are different types of rock, which have different thermal properties. " virtis has shown that the imdr, themis and dione region are hotspots, which rise 0. 5 to 2. 5 kilometres above the plain and are the most likely


types of rock, which have different thermal properties. " virtis has shown that the imdr, themis and dione region are hotspots, which rise 0. 5 to 2. 5 kilometres above the plain and are the most likely candidates for the presence of active volcanism. but it is not easy to evaluate the data : " the cloud coverage obstructs the view of the surface, and we have to include its effect in our calculations. even then, it ’ s like looking through frosted glass. " research in the planetary emissivity laboratory the dlr planetary emissivity laboratory : measurements at 500° celsius the researchers are still unable to say which materials are responsible for the radiation emitted from venus ' s surface. the next step will be for jorn helbert to build a special laboratory – the planetary emissivity laboratory – at the dlr institute of planetary research, in which a variety of rocks will be heated to venusian temperatures of 500 to 600 degrees celsius. he will then measure their emissions at a range of wavelengths, just as virtis does from space. by comparing the results with the virtis data, the researchers will be able to answer the open question about the composition of the planet ' s surface. about 25 missions have surveyed venus before venus express, so researchers have been able to rely in part on tried - and - tested systems. for instance, they incorporated technologies from esa ' s mars express spacecraft. virtis itself was originally constructed at dlr berlin for esa ' s rosetta comet chaser. one important predecessor mission was nasa ' s magellan probe, which mapped venus with its radar, indicating the presence of hundreds of volcanoes. but it was thought that they were all extinct. along with virtis, another six instruments on venus express are studying the planet to determine the composition of its atmosphere and its temperature, among other things. learning from venus if further analysis confirms that venus is volcanically active, making it the first geologically active planet after earth itself, it would certainly affect our understanding of our own planet. while earth and venus are very similar in size and structure, they have had very different histories. so when and why did their development take such distinct paths, such that waterless venus, at 500 degrees celsius, is completely hostile to life, and earth is so suited to it? " perhaps venus can tell us why earth is so special, " added jorn helbert.


july 25, 2006 - recent years have seen a proliferation of commercially available genetic tests, both for identifying health - related genes and for non - health - related applications, such as paternity, forensics and genealogy. traditionally health - related genetic tests have been available only through health care providers, who decide whether a test is needed and interpret test results. however, these tests are increasingly marketed not only to health care providers but also to consumers themselves. beyond the significant gaps that exist in the general regulation of genetic tests, direct - to - consumer ( dtc ) genetic testing raises additional concerns. dtc testing encompasses two separate but related issues : claims made about the tests to induce purchase ( e. g., through advertising ) ; and the sale of genetic testing services and provision of test results directly to consumers. in regards to the former, critics argue that consumers are vulnerable to being misled by advertisements and lack the knowledge to make appropriate decisions about whether to get tested or how to interpret the results. consumers with little knowledge of genetics might have difficulty distinguishing between tests widely used and accepted by medical professionals ( such as those for mutations causing cystic fibrosis ), and those whose validity is unproven in the scientific literature ( such as those purporting to predict risk of depression or an appropriate skin care regimen ). advertisements may also underemphasize the uncertainty of genetic testing results, or exaggerate the risk and severity of a condition for which testing is available, thus increasing consumer anxiety and promoting unnecessary testing. some companies that advertise tests directly to consumers require that they see their doctors in order to have the tests performed, while others allow individuals to send samples directly to the laboratory and receive the results at home. in the first case health care providers have the opportunity to guide patients away from unneeded tests and to clarify the results when they arrive, although surveys have shown that many health care providers lack adequate knowledge and training to provide quality genetic counseling. taking tests without a provider ’ s supervision increases the likelihood of harmful outcomes to consumers, ranging from wasted money to loss of genetic privacy to basing major decisions — such as whether to have a child or take a certain medication — on faulty information. whether health care provider authorization is required to obtain a genetic test, or any laboratory test, is the province of state law. some states explicitly authorize laboratories to accept samples from and deliver test results for specific tests ( such as cholesterol or pregnancy tests ) directly to patients without authorization from a health care provider. other


any laboratory test, is the province of state law. some states explicitly authorize laboratories to accept samples from and deliver test results for specific tests ( such as cholesterol or pregnancy tests ) directly to patients without authorization from a health care provider. other states categorically prohibit all dtc testing. and still other states are silent on the issue, which leaves it up to individual laboratories to decide whether to offer dtc testing. currently, 25 states and the district of columbia permit dtc laboratory testing without restriction, whereas 13 categorically prohibit it. dtc testing for certain specified categories of tests is permitted in 12 states ; these laws would likely not extend to genetic tests. it should be noted that even when a health care provider ' s order is required, the provider may have a conflict of interest if he or she is employed by the laboratory offering the testing. the federal trade commission ( ftc ) is charged with protecting consumers against unfair or deceptive trade practices, including false or misleading advertising claims. while the ftc has asserted that it has jurisdiction over genetic testing advertising, it appears to have taken no action against any genetic test advertisements, even those that would appear clearly false and misleading on their face. in 2006 ftc issued a consumer alert warning consumers to be skeptical of claims made by dtc test providers and to discuss test results with a health care provider. the food and drug administration ( fda ) has authority to regulate claims made by products under its jurisdiction. however, currently, fda regulates only those genetic tests that are sold as “ test kits ” and used by laboratories to perform testing. fda considers test kits to be medical devices and requires that they undergo premarket review before they can be made commercially available. since the vast majority of genetic tests are instead developed by the laboratory, neither tests nor claims made about them is subject to fda oversight. it would be a mistake, and ultimately an unsuccessful endeavor, to focus efforts on remedying the potential harms from dtc tests without considering the entire regulatory context. without a system in which an upfront expert evaluation can be made with respect to the validity of genetic tests, it will be difficult if not impossible to make rational decisions about who can and should order the test and receive the results, and what claims are appropriate in advertising. the gppc issue brief “ who regulates genetic tests? ” details the current state of oversight of genetic testing. compiled by shawna williams updated 5 / 30 / 2008 by gail javitt


shared by : mellcash learning the ropes of numismatics numismatics is the study of money, medallions, banknotes, token coins, and stock certificates. it is believed to have been established in the time of julius caesar who wrote the first book on the subject. it is a very interesting topic because every medal or coin signifies a different era, culture, economy and / or politics. numismatists or the people who study the history and over all appearance of the above mentioned forms of currency are different from coin collectors. unlike numismatists, coin collectors are only interested in collecting coins and the prestige that goes along with it ; a numismatist may also be a coin collector and vise versa. over the years, coin collection has been very popular. the most common designs are famous people and animals to depict the era when the specific coin was released. numismatists are generally interested in use of money, its origin, appearance, variety and production. they aim to explore the role of the different kinds of currency in our history using mint information. mint refers to the place or facility where the coins are manufactured. they also grade or authenticate coins to determine their market value. t facilitate this, coin grading system facilities were established. at this time there are three major third party facilities that authenticate coins and / or paper money. these are : the pcgs or professional coin grading system located in newport beach, ca ; the ngc or numismatic guaranty corporation in sarasota, florida ; and paper money grading ( pmg ). pcgs is a third party institution that was established in 1986, which grades and authenticates coins primarily for commercial purposes. they are an independent body providing expert opinion in rating a coin. ngc is also a third party institution offering services solely to numismatists. it was established in 1987. on the other hand, pmg is solely for authentication of paper money and a smaller department of pcgs. when coin collecting was not as popular as it is now, there were only 3 categories into which a coin could fall : 1. good – which means that the coin has all of the details intact ; 2. fine – which means that the coin has all the details intact and still has a bit of luster visible ; and 3. uncirculated – which means that the coin was never put on the market thus maintaining its original appearance. however, today coin grading has evolved and is becoming more definite. they use a combination of letters and numbers that


| uploaded : | | may 8, 2009 | | updated : | | january 30, 2010 | pretty soon the site will be undergoing some awesome new changes with the layout. i know you all are thinking “ wait, i did see a new layout? ”. no, that was just a test run and i decided that that layout was too kiddie. anyways, enough about the new layout lets get into something that is much more interesting, drawing tutorials. my first lesson is going to be on “ how to draw a manta ray step by step ”. the manta ray is an ocean creature that lives in a variety of tropical waters around the world. the manta ray is also the biggest of all rays and they are fabulously interesting creatures. these underwater animals are more related to sharks than any other creature of the ocean. although they look incredibly intimidating, the manta ray is a harmless species that dwells on the bottom of the ocean floor. like the sting ray, they have narrow pointed tails. but unlike the sting ray, the manta has a short tail without the stinger or stinging spine. which basically means they do not sting to defend themselves. did you know that the manta ray has aerobatic skills? it ' s true, the manta ray is very skilled when it comes to swimming and even jumping. they are able to leap out of the water and jump back in. when seen doing this it is a very awesome experience. how big do you think these animals are? well, if you were to measure a manta, you would find that they are nearly thirty feet long and can weight up to three thousand pounds. pretty incredible huh? manta rays have a dark brown to black color and being all white on their underbelly. they have a tail, two pectoral fins, eyes, and two bulb like looking things called “ cephalic lobes ” which are located on or around the eye. their diets consist of microscopic plankton, small fish, and other tiny crustaceans. do manta rays attack humans? no, they are not known to attack humans and are relatively harmless, they don ' t even have a set of teeth. these big graceful sea animals are what you call the perfect specimen to look at if you were to ever go scuba diving. this tutorial will show you how to draw a manta ray step by step. there is only like five steps before you complete the lesson which means you should have problems learning how to draw this sea animal


sudden algae blooms, and other events compromise the health and beauty of your prized aquarium. perhaps a uv sterilizer is right for your aquarium. proper fish husbandry and regular routine maintenance are the keys to a healthy aquarium environment. however, from time to time, unexpected loss, when used in conjunction with proper fish - keeping practices, an ultraviolet sterilizer is a great way to help protect aquarium inhabitants from potentially harmful microorganisms. ultraviolet sterilizers use a special fluorescent lamp that emits light at a wavelength of 253. 7 nanometers. aquarium water pumped through the uv chamber is exposed to this uv light and is irradiated. free - floating microorganisms in the passing water are affected by the uv light and are no longer able to multiply. through continual use, uv sterilizers can help manage water quality issues due to microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, and parasites. if you decide to use a uv sterilizer, ask yourself the following questions : | | what kind of organisms do i want to control? bacteria, algae, or parasites? | | which style of uv sterilizer hang - on unit ) will best suit my existing aquarium system? choosing the right size unit proper flow rate through the uv chamber determines the effectiveness and use of a uv unit. set at different flow rates, a uv sterilizer can be used effectively against bacteria, algae, or parasites. different flow rates control different organisms. therefore, a flow rate suitable for controlling bacteria or free - floating algae may not be effective against parasites. larger organisms like parasites are more resistant to irradiation and require a slower flow rate to extend uv exposure time. to adjust uv exposure time, simply increase or reduce the rate water is flowing through the uv sterilizer. | gph to control bacteria and algae though manufacturers ' recommendations will vary, the above chart provides a general idea of the wattage and the corresponding flow rates required for the control of bacteria, algae, or parasites. different uv sterilizer styles tips from our techs always locate uv sterilizers after mechanical filtration to help slow buildup on the quartz sleeve, thus requiring less maintenance in the long run. the specifics of uv sterilizers differ in a number of ways. but the most basic difference is their mounting style ( either in - line or hang - on ) and the manner in which water flows through them. depending on the size and the particular aquarium setup, one mounting style may be more convenient


number of ways. but the most basic difference is their mounting style ( either in - line or hang - on ) and the manner in which water flows through them. depending on the size and the particular aquarium setup, one mounting style may be more convenient to install than the other. just as their name suggests, in - line models are plumbed directly into the main aquarium filtration system. the uv is placed after the mechanical filtration unit and should be the last in - line device before water returns to the aquarium. generally a ball valve and bypass are used to adjust the flow rate through the uv sterilizer. most in - line uv sterilizers are designed for larger aquariums and incorporate higher wattage bulbs encased in a long, cylindrical housing. these compact sterilizers are mounted directly to the back of the aquarium. they are generally used as an independent device fed by a submerged powerhead. however, some hang - on sterilizers may also be connected to the return line from a canister filter or in - line filtration systems. hang - on models tend to be easier to install and maintain, making them ideal for smaller aquarium setups. in general, due to their relatively smaller size, a lower wattage bulb is used for hang - on sterilizers. however, to maintain efficient uv sterilization, these smaller units have a unique internal design. to maximize uv sterilization, a spiral or stepladder design is incorporated to extend the length of time the water is exposed to uv light. regardless of the difference, uv sterilizers require a water pump or circulation pump and plumbing ( sold separately ) to transport water from the aquarium, through the uv chamber, and back into the aquarium. uv sterilizers have many advantages and very few drawbacks. in addition to being easy to install, requiring low maintenance, and being affordable, they can provide huge health benefits for your fish. make sure you get one that is the correct size, operate it under the appropriate conditions, and follow the manufacturer ' s maintenance guidelines to ensure optimal performance.


for seniors : improve visibility on a windows laptop if you ' re visually challenged, using a laptop ' s smaller screen is often difficult. luckily, windows provides tools to improve usability for those with visual disabilities, such as increasing screen contrast, improving cursor visibility, and even reading onscreen text for you. choose start→control panel, then click the optimize visual display link under the ease of access tools. the make the computer easier to see dialog box appears. utilize high contrast to improve readability by selecting the turn on or off higher contrast when alt + left shift + print screen is pressed setting. high contrast is a color scheme that increases the darkness of darker elements and the lightness of lighter elements so it ' s easier for your eyes to distinguish one from the other. you can also choose to have a warning message appear when you turn this setting on, or play a sound when it ’ s turned off or on. have text read aloud by selecting the turn on narrator setting. you can also have video descriptions read aloud by selecting the turn on audio description setting. magnify part of the screen by selecting the turn on magnifier setting. magnifier displays two cursors onscreen. one cursor appears in the magnifier window, where everything is shown enlarged, and one appears in whatever is showing on your laptop ( for example, your desktop or an open application ). you can maneuver either cursor to work in your document. ( they ’ re both active, so it does take some getting used to. ) improve visibility of onscreen elements by making selections from the make things on the screen easier to see section. here you can adjust onscreen contrast to make the focus rectangle and cursor easier to see, and get rid of distracting animations and backgrounds. the focus rectangle surrounds the active area of dialog boxes and other items you can navigate with the keyboard. when you finish making your settings, click ok to apply them. you ' re returned to the control panel ; click the close button to close it. if you bought a laptop with a 12 - inch screen and find things are hard to read, don ’ t run out and buy a new laptop. it ’ s possible to connect your laptop to a standalone monitor using a vga port. if you mainly use your laptop at home, this may be a less expensive way to upgrade your screen to a larger size. internet explorer 8 – compatible add - ins that provide quick links to


your laptop to a standalone monitor using a vga port. if you mainly use your laptop at home, this may be a less expensive way to upgrade your screen to a larger size. internet explorer 8 – compatible add - ins that provide quick links to needed additional information on the spot without requiring a whole bunch more browsing. windows 7 uses the action center to keep you informed of security and maintenance issues that need attention. an account for the manager of a computer or network. an administrator account offers significantly more privileges in managing the pc compared to a standard account. a windows color scheme that changes the way windows itself looks and behaves on your screen. a combination of the aero color scheme and the glass effect that creates a transparent effect in windows a windows 7 tool that allows you to quickly view all open windows and programs in either thumbnail or full screen mode. a windows 7 feature that minimizes all windows except the one. click on the title bar of the window you want to keep open and then drag it back and forth quickly. a windows 7 feature that lets you resize a window to half size just by dragging it to a side of the screen. a test that microsoft uses to determine how quickly a computer ' s graphics card can blend colors. a kind of software used for productivity or to create things ( the software that does the work ). a file that piggybacks onto an e - mail message. appears when you plug a memory card into your pc. microsoft ' s term for large - network business clients who qualify to receive upgraded support. a wireless technology for adding devices to your computer. recording content to a cd or dvd. also known as the temporary internet files, the cache contains all web pages and their components that are downloaded when you subscribe to web sites or channels. an internet browser developed by google. a special anti - aliasing tool developed by microsoft to improve the appearance of fonts in high - resolution lcd flat - screen monitors. a small program that converts data from one form to another so that the data can be played on a media player. a traditional dos - like text interface that allows you to input instructions to the computer. a program option that allows you to trick an older program into thinking it is running in a previous version of windows. a folder containing multiple files that have been packed in such a way that all excess space is eliminated. in windows explorer, these files are shown one right after another. tiny files that are used by web sites to track your online activity and recognize you whenever you access the site.


that have been packed in such a way that all excess space is eliminated. in windows explorer, these files are shown one right after another. tiny files that are used by web sites to track your online activity and recognize you whenever you access the site. to choose a portion of an existing photo and make that portion into the entire photo, omitting the rest of the photo. a cable that allows two computers to connect to each other as a network without having to set up an actual windows network. the blinking icon on the computer screen that shows you where the characters you type appear ; also called an insertion pointer. the score that the windows experience index gives to your computer ' s ability to replicate 3d images. the primary printer that windows uses automatically. the process that your computer uses to rearrange the pieces of files and applications on your hard drive so that they are positioned next to each other on the drive, improving performance. windows 7 ’ s main screen that shows your program icons, the start button, and the taskbar. a collection of settings that control the appearance and behavior of the various appearance settings in windows. a small strip along the bottom of every folder that lists details about the item you ’ re currently viewing. a windows tool that shows you the status of all the hardware elements on your pc. windows 7 uses the device stage to gather all the information about installed devices into one central hub. digital ids are certificates that you can use to verify the identity of the person with whom you ’ re communicating. a computer that translates internet addresses you can understand, such as www. dummies. com, into addresses that the internet can understand, such as 126. 96. 36. 199. the speed at which you click your mouse button twice. this rate is set in the mouse properties dialog box. to copy data ( usually an entire file ) from a main source to a peripheral device. a windows 7 feature that can make a system - wide change to the size of fonts and icons. to click and hold a mouse button while moving the mouse. to place an item on the desktop or in a window, after dragging it, by releasing the mouse button. the standard connection method for certain types of video display, such as lcd monitors. an adapter that allows you to connect an older monitor to a newer computer or vice versa. microsoft ' s products that help assist people with physical limitations get full use of their computers. a file that is attached to an e - mail message. the translation, or scrambling, of data


connect an older monitor to a newer computer or vice versa. microsoft ' s products that help assist people with physical limitations get full use of their computers. a file that is attached to an e - mail message. the translation, or scrambling, of data into a secret code. a windows tool that can examine a hard drive and fix many common drive errors. a local - area network ( lan ) architecture developed by xerox corporation in cooperation with dec and intel in 1976. external devices such as peripheral hard drives, dvd drives, flash drives, or memory card readers. a windows 7 feature that allows you to quickly switch between users. the small icon next to a url address in an internet browser ' s address bar. a three - or four - digit suffix to a filename that tells windows 7 what program should open the file. an internet browser developed by mozilla. a software or hardware device designed to block unauthorized intruders from gaining entry to an individual computer or a network. a keychain - size storage unit that saves files on memory cards ; you can plug it into your computer and access it like any other external hard drive. when the aero color scheme is engaged, this tool allows you to visually scroll through all open applications. an operating system object that can contain multiple files and other folders. the combination of typeface and other qualities, such as size, pitch, and spacing, that can be applied to characters in a document. a state in which your pc does not respond to keyboard or mouse commands ; also called locked or locked up. a little always - on windows 7 desktop program, such as the slide show, clock, and rss feeds. a windows appearance setting that gives your folders a nearly transparent look menu options that are currently unavailable. the technical term for when two or more pieces of electronic equipment, such as a cell phone and a bluetooth adapter, first recognize each other. a windows 7 help and support center tool that runs you through the most common causes of hardware errors in a question and answer format. a windows tool that can search for and add hardware to the system. a numbering system based on 16 digits that is often used for graphics. a computer function by which it saves all the computer ’ s memory ( everything the system is doing ), then turns the computer off. a type of windows registry entry that contains a number of other registry entries. the first page you see when you open internet explorer. you should set your home page to one of your favorite web sites. windows 7