Ferromagnets are simple but fascinating systems and spontaneous magnetization represents a situation analogous to Higgs mechanism. In the following I will discuss the hysteresis phenomenon for ferromagnets on basis of thermodynamical description: hysteresis model applies also to phenomenon of mass hysteria in sociology. This all is standard but the understanding of ferromagnets in many-sheeted space-time involves some new elements: in particular the possibility that the magnetic fluxes of permanent magnets consist of monopole fluxes.
Let us begin with basic definitions. The magnetic field H is defined in terms of magnetization M and magnetic induction B (often called just magnetic field) via he formula H= B/μ0-M quite generally. For historical reasons different units are used for B and H but in vacuum they are essentially one and the same thing. In the case of magnets the situation changes.
Paramagnets and diamagnets are linear: M= χm H in good approximation. The sign of χm determines whether the behavior is diamagnetic (induced magnetization reduces the external field inside magnet) or whether its paramagnetic (induce magnetization increases the external field inside magnet). For the ferromagnets the behavior
is non-linear and M is non-vanishing for vanishing H.
The behavior at the boundary between magnet and external world is important for understanding magnets. If the exterior of the magnet is vacuum, one has H=μ0M and the fields H and B are one and the same thing. Inside magnet magnetization implies that the two fields are not same. By the absence of magnetic charges the normal component of magnetic field is continuous. Therefore the normal component satisfies Bn(in)= μ0Hin+M= Bn(out)=μ0Hout.
Hysteresis for ferromagnets
For ferromagnets the relationship between H M is non-linear and many-valued, and one has hysteris so that the effects of increasing and decreasing the magnetic field are different in saturation. The hysteresis cycle characterizes this behavior quite nicely.
- The plot can be understood easily when one realizes that magnetization M corresponds microscopically to the density of magnetic dipoles typically realized as electrons spins. The field H corresponds essentially to the difference between external magnetic field and that caused by magnetization. As one starts from H=0 to increase the magnitude of H, M gradually increases as for paramagnets but above some critical value M starts to increase and reaches the saturation value. The interpretation is that electron spins change they direction in phase transitions producing magnetized regions. This behavior can be understood only quantum mechanically and can be seen as an outcome of exchange interaction for spins relating to fermion statistics. Essentially collective behavior is in question: when the number of spins in direction of external field is large enough all other spins "follow the fashion".
- One can also gradually decrease the value of H in saturation. Now M decreases smoothly as some spins here and there change their direction but no phase transition like reduction of M occurs since "follow the fashion" behavior is possible only when the number of reversed spins is high enough. Therefore one proceeds along the lower part of the hysteresis cycle: inside the cycle the behavior is reversible for small enough changes of H and irreversibily occurs only near the ends.
- At some point one has a situation in which the added external field vanishines: H=0. There is a net magnetization and the normal component of external field is essentially this magnetization at the surface of the magnet. This field is known as remanescence. This corresponds to a magnetization without any added external field H.
- As H is reduced further so that its sign changes, eventually "follow the fashion" behavior sets in and most spins change their direction to opposite and the direction of magnetization changes. The magnitude of the magnetic field at which this occurs is known as coercivity. Coercivity and remanescence characterize the magnetic in the first approximation.
- The mathematical description of Higgs mechanism is very similar to the idealized description of spontaneous magnetization. In spontaneous magnetization one has however large number of magnetized regions which means that the direction of magnetization does not change instantaneously since the analog of overheating and overcooling are possible for all these regions.
Hysteresis (and hysteria) in sociology
The hysteresis model applies also in sociology. Superstring fashion represents an excellent example about hysteresis phenomenon in the sociology of science. There are two kinds of people involved: those who really understand (H) and those who just follow the fashion (M). Some fraction p of those who understand, believes in superstrings. The remaining fraction 1-p does not. H dould correspond mathematically to the difference (p-p0)/p0, where p0 is a critical propability analogous to remanesence in ferromagnetism. As p increases a sudden phase transition occurs at critical fraction satisfying p-p0=Δ pcr, and everyone suddenly believes that super strings are not only a promising theory but even the only possible one. Δ pcr is analogous to coercivity.
The return along upper part of hysteris curve means that the per cent of the believers who really understand starts to decrease as people who have not suffered the fate of becoming a string guru are learning about the deep problems of the theory and start to worry about them publicly. Eventually the number of the non-gurus who understand and do not believe becomes so high that the followers of fashion make the decision to not believe anymore on superstrings, and everyone suddenly "knows" that super strings are pseudoscience. Except certain billionaire who decides to make super string theorists millionaires;-) . This billionaire does not follow the fashion, which is nice. He does not even follow those who understand, which is not so nice. To my humble opinion, it would be more rational to build an institute supporting the study of alternatives for super string models than drowning theoreticians to money which is not even
their primary interest.
Hysteresis in magnets cannot be understood microscopically without introducing quantum effects. One can of course ask, whether also hysteresis involves quantum mechanics but now in macroscopic length and time scales applying in sociology.
Ferromagnetism, catastrophe theory, and Higgs mechanism
The model for magnetism can be also understood in terms of catastrophe theory using cusp catastrophe. This applies to Higgs mechanism (not the manner in which particle massivation is described in TGD) too. Catastrophe theory brings in also the temperature as external parameter besides H. This is the simplest interesting catastrophe and involves two parameters/control variables: (temperature T and added external field H) plus one behavior variable (magnetization M). Above certain critical temperature (Curie temperature) there is no magnetization. Below Curie temperature there is a magnetization in certain range for field H. As the magnitude of H is increased, one reaches at critical magnitude of H (coercivity) a situation when the only possible manner to continue is to jump from the boundary of the cusp to the sheet below or above it. A sudden phase transition like change changing the sign of magnetization takes place.
Above we have assumed that the external contribution H to the field is in the same direction as magnetization. What happens if this is not the case? And what happens when the external field H changes the direction of magnetization: is it enough apply the basic criterion to the vector sum H= B/μ0-M. Presumably this is the case. If it were not, it would be mentioned in Wikipedia!
Catastrophe theory provides a rough description and does not say anything about the microscopic mechanism of
hysteresis. In the case of Higgs mechanism one can expect the same to be true: there should exist a microscopic thermodynamical description replacing Higgs mechanism, which is only capable of reproducing the particle masses but not predicting them and suffers from un-naturality. In TGD framework p-adic thermodynamics provides this microscopic thermodynamical description.
Since QFT is in rough sense square root of thermodynamics, one can argue that also p-adic thermodynamics must have also square root and characterizes single particle states rather than ensembles. This is the case. In zero energy one can say that quantum theory is square root of thermodynamics. U-matrix characterizes the physics. I call the rows Mi of unitary U-matrix M-matrices, which are products of mutually orthogonal hermitian square roots Pi1/2 of density matrices Pi with a unitary S-matrix S. One has MiMj†= Piδij and Tr(MiMj†)=δij. U defines negentropic entanglement in time direction. In p-adic thermodynamics the Hermitian matrix Pi1/2 corresponds to a diagonal matrix defined by the square roots of eigenvalues of mass squared operator expressible as vibrational part of scaling generator L0 of conformal algebra. The unitary matrix S is the counterpart of the ordinary S-matrix.
Permanent magnet in many-sheeted space-time
How could one understand permanent magnet in the framework of many-sheeted space-time?
- It seems that one must consider two space-time sheets. That of magnet at which magnetization M alone defines the magnetic field B1=μ0M and that of external world at which external added field defines the magnetic field B2=μ0 Hin. Test particle has topological sum contacts on both space-time sheets and effectively experiences the sum B1+B2: the fields do not however sum at same space-time sheet - only their effects on spins are additive so that '+' is replaced with a set theoretic union inTGD. This applies quite generally and saves TGD from the catastrophe caused otherwise by the fact that linear superposition of fields is not possible at given space-time sheet even approximately.
- The spins inside the space-time sheet of magnet also experience B2 and when B2 is above critical value (coercivity), a phase transition changing the direction of spins occurs and magnetization is generated. It seems that TGD does not add much to the model of how spontaneous magnetization takes place and what is behind the hysteresis.
- The notion of magnetic field in TGD differs from that in Maxwell's theory. In TGD Universe it is quite possible that the flux tubes have closed cross section (sphere) instead of disk and that they carry a monopole flux. One would have magnetic flux tube without a circulating current at its boundary generating the magnetic field inside it as in the case of electromagnets, which are typically flux tubes with current carrying helical wire. Could the static magnetic field of permanent magnet consist of monopole flux tubes with a closed rather than disk-like cross section requiring no circular currents at their boundaries?
If this kind of flux tubes are possible, one could understand why cosmos is populated by magnetic fields in all scales. In Maxwell's theory this is not possible since coherent currents defining flux tubes are not possible in primordial cosmology. In superconductors the flux quanta associated with this monopole like fields would become visible as they penerated the super-conductor.


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As performed in the real lab
A battery (12 V), a variable resistance (or a rheostat), an ammeter (0–5 A), a plug key, and a long straight thick copper wire.
- Fix the cardboard and insert the wire through the centre of cardboard such that it is normal to its plane.
- Connect the wire with rheostat, ammeter, battery and plug key in series.
- Sprinkle the iron filings uniformly on the cardboard.
- Keep the variable of the rheostat at a fixed position and note the current through the ammeter.
- Close the key and gently tap the cardboard.
- Observe the pattern of the iron filings over the cardboard.
As performed in the simulator
- Adjust the current flowing from the conductor and distance of the object from the conductor using the sliders from the Controls section.
- Note the direction of the magnetic field and also the direction of current flowing through the conductor.
- Also, note the magnetic field (B) acting on the object O.
- Click on "Change Current Direction" checkbox, to change the direction of current.
- Click on "Observations " tab below to view the observation.
- You will observe that the magnetic field lines are formed in concentric circles around the current carrying conductor. These lines do not intersect each other and are equidistant from each other.
- The direction of the field is perpendicular to the conductor.
- The magnetic field (B) acting on the object O increases as the current flowing through it increases.
- The field increases as object O is closer to the conductor and decreases as it moves away from the conductor.
- The direction of magnetic field lines gets reversed if the direction of current is reversed.


The government’s Energy Bill is meant to encourage the transition to a low carbon economy but in its current state there are growing fears that much needed investment will stall before the bill is passed next April.
The primary concern for industry and investors is whether the government will give their investment the support it needs. This fact is made even more critical when all are agreed that some £200bn is needed to update the UK’s electricity grid and support low carbon and renewable energy projects.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) hopes to alter its existing feed-in tariff model, which is used to subsidise payments to generators.
It wants to offer large scale low carbon energy generators a guarantee of earnings - a concept that is deemed vital to this sector, which requires massive up-front investment because low carbon and renewable electricity is considerably more expensive per gigawatt generated than that produced from fossil fuel.
The idea being proposed by Decc is similar to the scheme that currently operates for small scale renewable energy generators.
In future the feed-in tariff would offer a subsidy to top up wholesale prices and prevent higher costs associated with low carbon energy production being passed on to consumers.
This would be facilitated via the proposed contract for difference - a long-term agreement between the generator and purchaser of the electricity that defines the amount of subsidy.
The perceived benefit of this system is that generators would not receive a subsidy windfall if the wholesale electricity price rises. Instead, consumers would benefit from fixed prices.
However, there is little clarity about how these complicated arrangements will work in practice - in particular about who pays the shortfall between electricity prices and production costs.
When Decc was in the early stages of developing the scheme, the government intimated that it would bear a large amount of the price risk burden.
Its July 2011 consultation document Impact Assessment, Electricity Market Reform - options for ensuring electricity security of supply and promoting investment in low carbon generation states: “Changes in wholesale prices only affect the amount of support paid out by government; hence the price risk is born by government balance sheets.”
However, in the draft Energy Bill published in June the plan was changed to a multi-party counterparty model where price risk would instead by borne collectively by all energy suppliers - the firms that sell on electricity to the end users - rather than the government.
Many point out that the scheme’s raison d’être - providing certainty for investors - is now being undermined.
“Industry does not know what the strike price will be”
Isobel Boira, EC Harris
Last month MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee demanded that the government provide investors with more certainty about exactly how much subsidy would be available.
The ICE added its voice to the committee’s calls, emphasising that there must be more certainty and transparency, especially with regard to price risk sharing, to make the new arrangements “effective and enforceable”.
According to the select committee, the Treasury had “apparently intervened” to prevent the contracts going onto on the government’s balance sheet.
EC Harris energy analyst Isobel Boira says she can understand why the government is reluctant to stand behind the contracts amid current economic woes but restates the case for it giving more certainty.
“Industry does not know what the strike price will be,” she says. “And that is making it nervous.”
Boira warns that, until this is cleared up, investment will remain stalled, with major investment decisions, particularly in the supply chain, being put off.
For instance, investment decisions by wind turbine manufacturer Siemens could be among the first to be hit by delays. The company is due to make a decision on whether to build a new manufacturing hub at Hull docks by the end of the year. Without clearer indications about government energy policy, a decision to go ahead is in jeopardy.
Energy secretary Ed Davey is convinced that all these issues will be ironed out before the Bill has its second reading in Parliament in the autumn. Responding to the committee’s calls, Davey last month stressed that all options were still being looked at and still “need to be resolved”.
It’s clear that Decc has an awful lot of work to do to turn this Bill into something that will release the cash to enable construction of many vital low carbon energy projects.


This document presents information on telecommunications transmission systems.
- Radio Communications
- Cable Communications
Radio wave transmission was traditionally the cornerstone of long-haul communications in the United States. It has been replaced by Fiber Optic cable, which offers greater data rates.
As a general rule of thumb, the higher the RF frequency, the greater the amount of bandwidth that can be carried. Therefore, the GHz bands offer the greatest “bang for the buck”. Unfortunately, the GHz bands are:
- shared with satellite and terrestial microwave frequencies.
- directional (e.g. “line-of-sight”).
- are affected by atmospheric conditions (rain and moisture) and oxygen absorption.
|RF Transmission||Click here for more information on Radio and RF Transmission|
Line Of Site (LOS) Microwave radios are frequently deployed in Community Antenna TV (CATV) systems:
There are two types of cable transmission systems:
BroadbandThe term “Broadband” originated in the Cable TV industry. Broadband transmission involves the transmission of multiple channels over a cable system using RF-based modulation principles (Frequency Division Multiplexing).
- Cable Television
- DMT-Based DSL Services
The term “Baseband” is used to indicate a single channel, digital transmission over the cable facility.
- DSL Services
- Basic Rate ISDN (BRI)


Cough is a protective reflex action to clear your airways and lungs of mucus, phlegm, bacteria, viruses, pollutants and irritants. It is a common medical complaint usually initiated to clear a buildup of phlegm in the trachea, by forceful expulsion of air at high speed away from the body.
Cough is of two types - acute and chronic. An acute cough begins all of a sudden and is present for less than three weeks. These can be infectious (cold, pneumonia, sinus), or non-infectious (asthma, bronchitis). Chronic coughs are present for more than three weeks.
Some patients found their symptoms aggravated during winter season when dry cold winds blow. Some suffer during rainy season when the wind contains moisture. Some suffer in summer days when the dust-raising winds blow. Such cases develop acute symptoms and when the weather changes, they improve but if the disease persists beyond 10-15 days or even after the congenial weather conditions have set, then the disease assumes a chronic form.
1. Onion (pyaz) helps in removing phlegm. Chop raw onions into fine pieces and extract the juice. Mix one tsp of honey with one tsp of onion juice and keep for 4-5 hours. Take this mixture twice daily. It is an excellent homemade cough syrup.
2. Take three peppercorns (kali mirch), and add a pinch of black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) and rock salt and consume it twice a day along with warm water. This is a good natural remedy to relieve cough.
3. Drink hot milk with honey at bedtime. The warm and soothing effect of this drink will give you relief from cough.
4. Make a decoction by boiling 50 grams fresh ginger (adrak) with five tablespoons sugar in two glasses water for half an hour. Drink hot, twice a day for cough relief.
5. Mix powdered cinnamon (dalchini), lemon juice and honey. Take two teaspoon two times a day. This is an effective home remedy for cough.
6. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi) in a cup of warm milk and drink twice a day. This is an excellent home remedy for cough and nasal congestion.
7. Mix half a teaspoon of ginger juice (adrak) with equal quantity of holy basil (tulsi) juice. Add one teaspoon of honey. Take this mixture two or three times a day. This is a popular home remedy for cough.
8. Mix equal quantities (half a teaspoon) of honey and lemon juice. Take this mixture twice a day. Honey has a soothing effect and relieves the itchiness by moistening the throat passage.
9. Add a tablespoon of powdered poppy seeds (khus-khus) and a tablespoon of honey in ten tablespoon of coconut milk. Take this mixture every night before going to bed. This is another effective home remedy for cough.
10. Garlic-onion chicken soup is one of the oldest and traditional natural cough remedies. Take it steaming hot, to give relief from throat irritation.
11. Prepare a paste of betel (pan) leaves by crushing the leaves and adding water. Apply the paste on the chest. This is an effective herbal remedy for chest congestion.
12. Peppermint is beneficial in treating coughs, colds, and fever. It has decongestant and astringent actions that relieve congestion and stuffiness. It is available in the form of oils, tea and lozenges.
13. Crush a medium sized onion (pyaz). Add one tsp of honey, juice of one lemon and a cup of boiling water to it. Take this mixture two or three times a day for good relief.
14. Soak six kernels of almonds (badam) overnight and peel the skin. Make a fine paste and add 20gms of butter and sugar. Take this mixture twice a day for good relief from dry cough.
15. Drink plenty of water and fluids. This will help keep your body hydrated, which will in turn help lessen chest congestion that can cause an irritating cough.
16. Eat grapes, as it acts as an expectorant that will help relieve cough or cold. You can also drink a cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey for good results.
17. To get relief from dry cough, roast and then powder the roots of turmeric (haldi). Three grams of this powder should be taken twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
18. Use vodka or brandy as a chest rub before going to bed. This helps relieve cough and chest congestion.
19. Aniseed (valaiti saunf) is a valuable home remedy for dry cough. It helps in breaking up mucus. Make a tea using aniseed and drink it several times daily for relief.
20. Pound black pepper (kali mirch) and jiggery (gur) together and make into small balls. Take one or two of these in the mouth during bouts of coughing and slowly suck them.
21. Chew few leaves of holy basil (tulsi), two or three times a day. It is very effective in relieving cough and other respiratory problems.
22. Pound two cardamoms (elaichi) to make powder. Add equal quantities of freshly ground pepper (kali mirch), dried ginger (adrak) powder and a tablespoon of honey. Take half tsp two or three times a day.
23. Suck a piece of dried roots of liquorice (mulethi). Alternatively, take half tsp powdered liquorice with a spoonful of honey twice as a cough remedy.
24. Lubricate your throat by taking a glassful of warm milk mixed with half tsp ghee or half tsp almond oil for dry cough relief.
25. Boil tamarind (imli) along with black pepper (kali mirch) in water and filter it. Add a little clarified butter (ghee) in this tamarind water. Drink this mixture.


Measures of inflation and its impact on Indian Economy
1Dr. RAMESH T POTE, Dr. MEDHAVINI S KATTI
Inflation is one of the economic parameter to be associated with the hike of price, it has its long and far reaching effects on the society and social concerns. Inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, Inflation reflects a reaction in one purchasing power per unit of money. Fluctuations in prices create an atmosphere of uncertainty which is not conducive to development activity. So inflations mean paying more for goods than paying earlier. Not only essential goods see a hike, non-essential items like cigarettes etc. would also cost more. The price of everything goes up over time. The present article made an attempt to study the impact of inflation on the economy, and measures of inflation in India. So in respect of obtaining a better view of the effects and influence of inflation on the society we need to take mainly the experience of poor and developing nations. This paper analyses the effects of inflation on our country’s economy that emerged in the recent past.
Inflation, Causes, Trends, Measures, Purchasing Power


From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Speaker and Dy Speaker
Mains level : Appointment of Constitutional posts
With the Delhi High Court asking the Central government to explain its stand on a petition that claimed to keep the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha vacant is a violation of Article 93 of the Constitution, the issue is once again in the spotlight.
Article 93: The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of the People The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be …
Speaker and Dy Speaker of the Lok Sabha
- The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer and the highest authority of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of the Parliament.
- Newly elected Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha elect the Speaker among themselves.
- The Speaker should be someone who understands Lok Sabha functions and it should be someone accepted among the ruling and opposition parties.
- MPs propose a name to the Pro tem speaker. These names are notified to the President of India. The President through their aide Secretary-General notifies the election date.
- If only one name is proposed, the Speaker is elected without any formal vote. However, if more than one nomination is received, a division (vote) is called.
- MPs vote for their candidate on such date notified by President. The successful candidate is elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha until the next general election
Power and Functions
On the order of precedence, the Speaker of Lok Sabha ranks sixth, along with the Chief Justice of India.
- Conduct of Business: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha conducts the business in house. They maintain discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for unruly behavior by suspending them. Further, all comments and speeches made by members of the House are addressed to the Speaker.
- Decisions on Money Bill: He/she decides whether a bill is a money bill or not.
- Various motions: They also permit the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions such as a motion of no confidence, the motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules.
- Decision of agenda: The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting. The date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President.
- Joint sitting: The Speaker also presides over the joint sitting of both houses of the Parliament of India. The Speaker also has a casting vote in the event of a tie.
[B] Deputy Speaker
- The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is not subordinate to the speaker of Lok Sabha; is responsible for the Lok Sabha and is the second-highest-ranking legislative officer of the Lok Sabha.
- He/ She acts as the presiding officer in case of leave of absence caused by death or illness of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
- It is by convention that the position of Deputy Speaker is offered to the opposition party in India.
Try answering this PYQ:
Regarding the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker, consider the following statements:
- He/she holds the office during the pleasure of the President.
- He/she need not be a member of the house at the time of his/her election but has to become a member of the house within six months from the date of his/her election.
- if he/she intends to resign, the letter of his/her resignation has to be addressed to the Deputy speaker.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) Only 3
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None of these
Post your answers here.


From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : IPCC
Mains level : Climate Change and the background for its negotiation
The Geneva-based Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release the first part of its Sixth Assessment Report, the periodic status check that has now become the most widely accepted scientific view of the state of the Earth’s climate.
What is IPCC?
- The IPCC, an intergovernmental body was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- It was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly. Membership is open to all members of the WMO and UN.
- The IPCC produces reports that contribute to the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the main international treaty on climate change.
- The objective of the UNFCCC is to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system.”
- The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report was a critical scientific input into the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement in 2015.
What are IPCC reports?
- IPCC reports cover the scientific, technical and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
- The IPCC does not carry out original research, nor does it monitor climate or related phenomena itself.
- Rather, it assesses published literature, including peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources.
- However, the IPCC can be said to stimulate research in climate science.
The Assessment Reports
- The five previous assessment reports that have come out since the IPCC was established in 1988 have formed the basis of international climate change negotiations, and the actions of the governments.
- Their value has been globally acknowledged, and the fourth assessment report, which came out in 2007, won the IPCC the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Each of these voluminous reports, the last couple of them running into thousands of pages, have built upon the previous ones with updated knowledge and understanding of the climate system.
- The reports have presented projections for temperature rise till 2100 under different scenarios and the kind of impacts that can be expected under each of these pathways.
Key projections of the 6th Report
Apart from incorporating the latest available scientific evidence, the Sixth Assessment Report is also attempting to provide more actionable information to help governments take policy decisions.
- REGIONAL FOCUS: It is expected that this report would likely state what the scenarios for sea-level rise in the Bay of Bengal region is, not just what the average sea-level rise across the world is likely to be.
- EXTREME EVENTS: There is expected to be bigger focus on extreme weather events, like the ones we have seen in the last few weeks.
- CITIES: Densely populated mega-cities are supposed to be among the most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. The report is expected to present specific scenarios the climate change impacts on cities and large urban populations, and also implications for key infrastructure.
- SYNERGIES: IPCC is expected to present a more integrated understanding of the situation, cross-link evidence and discuss trade-offs between different options or pathways, and also likely to cover social implications of climate change action by countries.
Why it matters?
- The IPCC assessment reports have been extremely influential in directing the dialogue and action on climate change.
- The First Assessment Report led to the setting up of the UNFCCC, the umbrella agreement under which international negotiations on climate change take place every year.
- The Second Assessment Report was the basis for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that ran till last year, and the Fifth Assessment Report, which came out in 2014, guided the Paris Agreement.
- The global climate architecture is now governed by the Paris Agreement, which replaced the Kyoto Protocol from this year.
- There have been enough indications to suggest that global action was far below what was needed to keep the temperatures below 2°C, as mandated under the Paris Agreement.
- In the immediate future, the IPCC report could serve as the most important warning towards the rapidly closing window of opportunity.
Try this PYQ now:
Q.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty drawn at:
(a) United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm,1972
(b) UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992
(c) World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002
(d) UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, 2009Post your answers here:
- The UNFCCC established an international environmental treaty to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system”, in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
- It was signed by 154 states at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.


From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Microwave weapons
Mains level : Not Much
The Indian Army has rejected a report in the British daily newspaper which claimed that the Chinese army had used “microwave weapons” to drive Indian soldiers away from their positions in eastern Ladakh.
The use of non-lethal weapons for violence and mob control is a contested issue. Can you suggest some alternatives to it apart from the use of water cannon and teargas?
What are “Microwave Weapons”?
- Microwave weapons are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons, which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target.
- It uses a focussed beam of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort.
- In a microwave oven, an electron tube called a magnetron produces electromagnetic waves (microwaves) that bounce around the metal interior of the appliance, and are absorbed by the food.
- The microwaves agitate the water molecules in the food, and their vibration produces heat that cooks the food.
- Food with high water content cooks faster in a microwave often than drier foods.
Which countries have these “microwave weapons”?
- A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems.
- According to a report, China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014.
- The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”.
How dangerous are these weapons?
- Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term.
- It is not clear yet how China intends to use such a weapon, and whether it can kill or cause lasting damage to human targets.


Remove blisters by scraping, sanding or pressure-washing down to underlying coats of paint or primer. Repaint the surface with a high-quality interior/exterior paint (make sure the surface temperature is below 90º f).
How to Remove Bubbles from Paint?
Bubbles in paint can be a real nuisance, but with a few simple steps you can get rid of them. Removing bubbles from paint is an important part of a successful paint job. This guide will show you how to remove bubbles from paint and get a smooth, even finish.
The first step in removing bubbles from paint is to identify the source. If the paint has been recently applied, the bubbles are likely due to air that has been trapped in the paint. If the bubbles have been present for a while, they may be caused by a reaction between the paint and the surface it is adhered to.
Once the source of the bubbles has been identified, the next step is to remove the bubbles. If the bubbles are caused by air trapped in the paint, gently scrape the paint with a razor blade. The blade should be held at a 45-degree angle, and scraped lightly across the surface of the paint. This will help to release the air trapped in the paint and remove the bubbles.
If the bubbles are caused by a reaction between the paint and the surface, the only option may be to remove the paint and start over. This will ensure that the bubbles are gone for good.
Once the bubbles have been


University of Strathclyde / Veritas Universidad
The workshop was part of the ADU 2020 Programme and looked at city identity – the brand globally and the perception locally. Unit 5 identified existing barriers within the city, particularly those which prevented tourists fully accessing the city.
Unit 5 discussed the way in which citizens of San Jose navigate their city: not through street names and maps, rather through landmarks and distances. This method becomes complicated when one realizes that many of the ‘landmarks’ no longer exist physically, only as memories.
As such, Unit 5 developed a network of Ghosts and built temporary installations as physical manifestations of these lost landmarks to aid with way finding and city accessibility.
Tutors: Derek Hill, Jose-Ali Porras, Adrian Aguilar
Students: Unit 5
Research Question: Global Projection v Citizen Perception


THE STORM OF THE CENTURY COULD SOON HAPPEN EVERY YEAR: “The timescale [for major storms] is changing dramatically, and may become irrelevant in categorizing storms,” says Mandy Ikert, Director, Water and Adaptation Initiative – C40
Note to Reader:
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean and cryosphere.
The IPCC approved and accepted Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate at its 51st Session held on 20 – 23 September 2019. The approved Summary for Policymakers (SPM) was presented at a press conference on 25 September 2019.
The report reveals the benefits of ambitious and effective adaptation for sustainable development and, conversely, the escalating costs and risks of delayed action.
Global warming has already reached 1°C above the pre-industrial level, due to past and current greenhouse gas emissions. There is overwhelming evidence that this is resulting in profound consequences for ecosystems and people. The ocean is warmer, more acidic and less productive. Melting glaciers and ice sheets are causing sea level rise, and coastal extreme events are becoming more severe.
The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
The ocean and the cryosphere – the frozen parts of the planet – play a critical role for life on Earth. A total of 670 million people in high mountain regions and 680 million people in low-lying coastal zones depend directly on these systems. Four million people live permanently in the Arctic region, and small island developing states are home to 65 million people.
“The open sea, the Arctic, the Antarctic and the high mountains may seem far away to many people,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “But we depend on them and are influenced by them directly and indirectly in many ways – for weather and climate, for food and water, for energy, trade, transport, recreation and tourism, for health and wellbeing, for culture and identity.”
“If we reduce emissions sharply, consequences for people and their livelihoods will still be challenging, but potentially more manageable for those who are most vulnerable,” Lee said. “We increase our ability to build resilience and there will be more benefits for sustainable development.”
Knowledge assessed in the report outlines climate-related risks and challenges that people around the world are exposed to today and that future generations will face. It presents options to adapt to changes that can no longer be avoided, manage related risks and build resilience for a sustainable future. The assessment shows that adaptation depends on the capacity of individuals and Tcommunities and the resources available to them.
To Learn More:
Download a copy of the IPCC press release: Choices made now are critical for the future of our ocean and cryosphere.
The Storm of the Century Could Soon Happen Every Year
“In a rapidly warming world, extreme storms that typically occur once per century could hit the world’s coastal cities at least once per year by 2050. By that time, more than 1 billion people are projected to live in the low-lying areas that will be in the path of those storms,” wrote Linda Poon in an article published by CityLab.
“The timescale [for major storms] is changing dramatically, and may become irrelevant in categorizing storms,” says Mandy Ikert, who heads the adaptation initiative at C40, a coalition of 94 cities tackling climate change. “Copenhagen … has experienced, over a four-year period, a 1-in-1,000 year storm, followed by a 1-in-200 year storm, followed by a 1-in-500 year storm.”
“This is a wake-up call that we still need to do more to mitigate as much [climate impact] as possible. We’re not going back to normal—whatever normal once was.”
Around the world, C40 Cities connects 94 of the world’s greatest cities to take bold climate action. Representing 700+ million citizens and one quarter of the global economy, mayors of the C40 cities are committed to delivering on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement at the local level, as well as to cleaning the air we breathe.
To Learn More:
To read the complete article by Linda Poon, download a copy of UN Climate Report’s Dire Warning to Coastal Cities


Topics for Today’s questions:
GS-1 Salient features of world’s physical geography
GS-2 Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
GS-3 Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.
GS-4 Case Studies
Q.2 What are the provisions for punishing the Rajya Sabha member for misconduct inside and outside the House? Is there a need for improvement in the provisions? (10 Marks)
Q.3 Why the bond market in India is nowhere near equities in breadth, depth or innovation. What are the factors responsible for this? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)
Q. 4 A fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole bread-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice. (a) What arguments can you advance to show her that keeping quiet is not morally right? (b) What course of action would you advice her to adopt and why? (20 Marks)
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 1st August is uploaded on 1st August then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
If you are writing answers late, for example, 1st August is uploaded on 3rd August, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.
*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment:


Wildlife enforcement officers obtained a search warrant, and biologists from the Commission's Wildlife Management Division used immobilization drugs to remove the captive deer safely from the property.
According to North Carolina law, it is illegal to hold or confine deer, elk or other cervid animals in the state without a permit or license, with strict requirements necessary to safeguard the health and safety of wildlife resources, livestock and humans.
Further, since 2002, except for fawns taken to licensed rehabilitators, it has been illegal to transfer deer between facilities. These measures have been in place to prevent introduction and spread of wildlife diseases including chronic wasting disease.
CWD is a contagious and progressive disease that typically induces chronic weight loss leading to death in the infected animal. The majority of infected animals also experience behavioral changes. Currently, the only way to diagnose is through a post-mortem examination.


Conflict Resolution for College Students
Module 1: Introduction to conflict
- Identify conflict as an opportunity for change and growth.
- Recognize benefits of communication when in conflict.
- Determine common escalation points during interpersonal conflict.
Module 2: Conflict styles
- Distinguish personal conflict and communication styles.
- Explore various conflict styles and identify when each is constructive and destructive.
- Evaluate opposing communication styles.
Module 3: Framing the conflict
- Identify the difference between a demand and a need.
- Test expressing their perspective through interests/needs.
- Explore intent vs impact.
Module 4: Managing conflict
- Identify common constructive and destructive responses to interpersonal conflict.
- Analyze personal conflict behaviors to determine areas of strength and for growth.
Module 5: Effective communication strategies
- Acquire non-violent communication skills.
- Practice listening for underlying interests and re-framing statements.
- Identify productive request communication.
Module 6: CSU resources
- Recognize common conflict areas at CSU.
- Identify resources available to students for various issues.
- Identify common appeal procedures.
- Discover SRC’s role in helping resolve conflicts.


A new MRSA emerging in human and bovine populations
Submitting InstitutionUniversity of Cambridge
Unit of AssessmentAgriculture, Veterinary and Food Science
Summary Impact TypeHealth
Research Subject Area(s)
Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical Sciences, Medical Microbiology
Summary of the impact
Research led by Dr Holmes has identified a novel variant of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) in livestock. This represents a previously unidentified reservoir of infection which
has had impact on the epidemiology of MRSA and its management. This research also impacts on
antibiotic use in agriculture and its role in the emergence of antibiotic resistance. As a
consequence of these research findings commercial tests and testing protocols have been
developed to detect the new MRSA variant, which are now used widely in clinical settings
throughout Europe. The discovery has also been used to inform policy decisions at a governmental
level in the USA and Europe.
Staphlococcus aureus causes a wide range of diseases in humans and other animals, including
bovine mastitis, a very common and economically significant disease of dairy herds. MRSA was
first identified in 1961 and is distinguished by the fact that it contains a mecA gene, which encodes
a penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) with low affinity for β-lactam antibiotics and thus confers
resistance to these antibiotics, which include methicillin. The mecA gene is located on a mobile
staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) forming SCCmec. MRSA can be sub-classified as
hospital acquired (HA-MRSA), community acquired (CA-MRSA) or livestock associated (LA-MRSA); the last emerged in the early 2000s and provides a reservoir of infection for both farm
animals and humans.
From 2006 to 2010 Dr Mark Holmes (Senior Lecturer, Department of Veterinary Medicine from
1991 to the present) conducted a project, jointly funded by Defra and HEFCE, investigating the
epidemiology of bovine mastitis. This research identified a novel isolate of S. aureus, which was
phenotypically resistant to β-lactam antibiotics at levels that would normally identify it as MRSA
despite testing negative for mecA or PBP2a using established tests1.
Further research, led by Dr Holmes, culminated in whole genome sequencing of this isolate (in
collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute) which found that the genetic basis for the
β-lactam resistant phenotype was a novel mecA gene1, provisionally named mecALGA251 but since
reclassified as mecC. mecC was located on a novel SCCmec (type XI). The failure to detect mecC
using PCR was due to the low sequence conservation between mecA and mecC, with only 60%
identity at the DNA level and 63% similarity at the amino acid level. PCR primers were designed by
Holmes in 2010 to enable detection of this new MRSA.
Following the design of these new primers, a further 13 mecC MRSA isolates were found in a
collection of 940 S. aureus isolates from 465 UK cattle herds which had submitted mastitic milk
samples to the UK Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA)1. The AHVLA had
already identified 24 of these isolates that had high levels of antibiotic resistance consistent with
MRSA status, but were not identified as MRSA using established PCR assays (using specific
primers for mecA) and a standard slide latex agglutination test (using a monoclonal antibody
specific for the mecA-encoded PBP2a)1. These two tests were being used by the Health Protection
Agency and other MRSA testing laboratories as `gold standard' tests for MRSA at the time but they
did not identify the mecC allele.
Screening of mecA-negative MRSA isolated from humans from clinical disease and from MRSA
screening, and from Scotland, England and Denmark, undertaken in 2010-11, in collaboration with
national MRSA reference laboratories, identified a further 51 mecC isolates (still called mecALGA251
in the literature at this time)1. Strain typing of human and bovine isolates revealed an apparent
spatial clustering, where isolates from the same geographical region were likely to share the same
multi-locus sequence type (ST) or spa-type. All the isolates obtained from human samples had
animal-associated STs, or were part of a clonal complex whose founder was animal-associated
(predominantly bovine). In Denmark all MRSA isolates are submitted to the national reference
laboratory and screening of these by the Holmes group revealed a statistically significant increase
in human isolates carrying mecC between 2008 and 20111.
Research by the group into the origins and distribution of mecC has revealed additional
homologues in coagulase-negative staphylococci; including S. xylosus and S. sciuri of animal
Research has been conducted by the group in collaboration with international MRSA reference
laboratories to develop and validate MRSA testing protocols2,3,5.
Whole genome sequencing has been performed by the group to provide evidence of the direction
of transmission of MRSA carrying mecC. SNP analysis indicated that zoonotic transmission was
likely to have occurred on two farms in Denmark6.
References to the research
1. García-Álvarez, L., Holden, M. T., Lindsay, H., Webb, C. R., Brown, D. F., Curran, M. D.,
Holmes, M. A. (2011, August). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with a novel mecA
homologue in human and bovine populations in the UK and Denmark: a descriptive study. Lancet
Infect Dis, 11(8), 595-603. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70126-8
2. Stegger, M., Andersson, P.A., Kearns, A., Pichon, B., Holmes, M.A. ... (2011 November). Rapid
Detection, Differentiation and Typing of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Harbouring
either mecA or the new mecA Homologue mecALGA251. Clinical microbiology and infection 2012
Apr;18(4):395-400. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03715.x.
3. Pichon, B., Hill, R., Laurent, F., Rhod Larsen, A, Skov, R.L., Holmes, M.A. ... Kearns, A.
Development of real-time quadruplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of nuc, Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL), mecA and homologue mecALGA251 Journal of Antimicrobial
Chemotherapy 2012 Oct;67(10):2338-41. doi: 10.1093/jac/dks221.
4. Harrison EM, Paterson GK, Holden MTG, Morgan FEJ, Rhod Larsen A, Leroy S, Zadoks RN,
Peacock SJ, Parkhill J, Holmes MA. A Staphyloccocus xylosus isolate with a new mecC allotype.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2013 Mar;57(3):1524-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01882-12.
5. Becker K, Larsen AR, Skov RL, Paterson GK, Holmes MA, Sabat AJ, Friedrich AW, Köck R,
Peters G, Kriegeskorte A. Evaluation of a Modular Multiplex-PCR Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus Detection Assay Adapted for mecC Detection. J Clin Microbiol. 2013
Jun;51(6):1917-9. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00075-13.
6. Harrison EM, Paterson GK, Holden MT, Larsen J, Stegger M, Larsen AR, Petersen A, Skov RL,
Christensen JM, Bak Zeuthen A, Heltberg O, Harris SR, Zadoks RN, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ,
Holmes MA. Whole genome sequencing identifies zoonotic transmission of MRSA isolates with the
novel mecA homologue mecC. EMBO Mol Med. 2013 Apr;5(4):509-15. doi:
Selected research grant support (Holmes as PI)
• Investigation of a novel Staphylococcus aureus isolate. Defra project grant (OD3020).
• Partnership to investigate the emergence of MRSA clones in cattle and their transmission
to man. Medical Research Council Partnership Grant. (G1001787) 01/04/011-31/03/14.
Details of the impact
Publication of the discovery of mecC in 2011 raised important questions about the detection and
confirmation of MRSA in humans, and resulting decisions about patient care.
Prior to the research in this study, patients presenting with mecC-positive S. aureus were wrongly
diagnosed as carrying methicillin-susceptible S. aureus rather than MRSA, given the low sequence
conservation between mecC and mecA. The importance of Holmes' work was highlighted by its
dissemination (prior to full publication) via the EuroStaph network (an internet forum used by
European clinical microbiology labs), which led to the immediate adoption of the Holmes group's
new mecC-specific PCR primers, or use of the group's whole genome sequence data, for MRSA
mecC detection by MRSA reference laboratories in England & Wales, Scotland, Denmark, the
Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Belgium. Subsequently the European
Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines for MRSA testing have
been amended to include mecC MRSA [corroboration source 10]
In April 2011, a meeting was called by Prof Maria Zambon, Director of the Health Protection
Agency (HPA, now called Health Protection England) Microbiology section at Colindale, to explore
the potential impact of the discovery of mecC on human health and MRSA screening programmes,
and to discuss the epidemiology of the new MRSA in humans and animals. The outcomes of the
risk assessments undertaken at this meeting have since been used to inform the Department of
Health, Public Health England and other relevant bodies about the potential risks of new MRSA
strains, and how they might be mitigated [corroboration sources 7 & 8]. A recent publication
providing evidence of animal-to-human transmission has been cited in intra-governmental
correspondence in the United States [corroboration source 9].
Based on the work of the Holmes group, and in collaboration with them, UK Department of Health
and international microbiology reference laboratories have now developed a number of further
tests to distinguish mecC from mecA that are more appropriate for clinical laboratory use (i.e.
multiplex PCRs that include species confirmation and mecA, in addition to detection of mecC) for
accurate diagnosis of MRSA in infected patients [references 2,3,5 above]. For example, Reference
2 (section 3) includes the statement "The real-time quadruplex PCR was introduced into the HPA-SRU in August 2011, replacing the McDonald et al. real-time triplex PCR (nuc, lukS-PV and
mecA)". As a direct result of Holmes' research, the PCR tests used to investigate MRSA isolates
in Health Protection England (formerly the HPA) Staphylococcus Reference Unit, the Scottish
MRSA Reference Laboratory, the Staphylococcus Laboratory at the Statens Serum Institut in
Denmark, and other international MRSA reference laboratories have been changed to enable
detection of mecC MRSA [corroborating source 2].
In hospital settings, there is increasing use of automated PCR testing, and test equipment is
currently being updated to make provision for mecC screening of patients presenting with
suspected MRSA, by the main test providers (Roche and Becton Dickinson). A commercial
microarray-based MRSA test system incorporating mecC sequence data has been developed and
is now being marketed (Greiner bio-one, Genspeed MRSA Test System) [corroboration source 5].
A commercial qRT-PCR system incorporating primers for mecC is marketed by ELITech
(MRSA/SA ELITe MGB® Kit) [corroboration source 6]. The European Union Reference Laboratory
for Antibiotic Resistance has published a recommended PCR protocol for the detection of MRSA
incorporating primers for mecC [corroboration source 4].
On publication of the original discovery  considerable media interest was generated across the
world. There were reports in The Times, Telegraph, Independent, Guardian [corroborating source
1] and New Scientist in the UK. International newspaper coverage included the Los Angeles
Times and El Pais. The story was also covered by interviews with Dr Holmes aired on the BBC
Radio 4 Today programme, CBS television in the USA, and an extended interview on the BBC 1
The discovery of this novel MRSA has been discussed at numerous industry and governmental
committees including the Defra antimicrobial resistance co-ordination group [corroborating source
7] and the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare-Associated Infection
[corroborating source 8]. European MRSA recommended testing protocols and methodologies
have been changed as a result of this research [corroborating sources 4 and 10].
Publication of evidence of zoonotic transmission of mecC MRSA was reported in the Independent
and the Daily Mail. This work was also cited in a letter from a US congresswoman to the
Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration [corroborating source 9].
Sources to corroborate the impact
- International media interest was generated by the original publication of this discovery in June
2011 (reference 1 above). One example of the media coverage to corroborate this is
The Guardian (June 3rd 2011) — "New strain of MRSA superbug may have spread from cattle
to humans" http://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/jun/03/new-strain-mrsa-cattle-humans
- The Stegger and Pichon references [references 2 & 3 above] indicate how the national
Staphylococcal reference laboratories in England (HPE Colindale) and Denmark have
developed new testing regimes now used for all their MRSA testing to incorporate sequence
data generated by this research. The first author and the senior author are staff from the
reference laboratories and were responsible for drafting the paper. Holmes is included as an
author to acknowledge his discovery of the gene and contribution to the design of the assay.
Reference 2 includes the statement "The real-time quadruplex PCR was introduced into the
HPA-SRU in August 2011, replacing the McDonald et al. real-time triplex PCR (nuc, lukS-PV
- Readers of the Lancet Infectious Diseases voted that the paper that first described the
discovery (Section3, Ref 1) was the 4th most influential paper published by the journal over the
last 10 years. This is a high impact clinical journal that reflects the influence of this discovery
beyond the immediate scientific or academic interest. McConnell (2011) Readers' ten most
influential. Lancet Infect Dis,11, 726-727.
- Protocol for PCR amplification of mecA, mecC (mecALGA251), spa And PVL recommended by
the EU Reference Laboratory for antimicrobial resistance (EURL-AR). 2nd Version, September
- Genspeed MRSA Test System (marketing brochure) 2012
- Elitech press releases; July 2nd, 2012 on Real-time PCR MRSA kit that detects the
mecALGA251 gene and August 27th 2012 on nomenclature recommendation for the unique
methicillin-resistant S. aureus variant mecALGA251
- Defra antimicrobial resistance co-ordination group (DARC) minutes for 2 August 2011 & 22
- Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare-Associated Infection (ARHAI)
minutes for 22 June 2011
- Letter from Congresswoman to Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, USA (26
March 2013) concerning the implications of publication of reference 9.
- European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines for
detection of resistance mechanisms and specific resistances of clinical and/or epidemiological
importance (December 2012)


Smart Kitchen Initiative
Join the Smart Kitchen Initiative, a program that helps mid- to high-volume food service operators in Alameda County measure and prevent pre-consumer food waste. Participating kitchens receive food waste tracking equipment and customized staff training at no cost, helping them save money on food purchases and improve operations.
Why Measure Food Waste?
Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure! Food service operations typically throw away 4-10% of the food they purchase before it reaches a customer’s plate, due to overproduction, expiration, spoilage and trimmings. That’s $40,000 to $100,000 worth of food for every $1 million in food purchases! Measuring pre-consumer food waste is the first step toward reducing this number.
Who Can Participate?
Food service operators with annual food purchases of $300K or more, including:
- Contracted Food Service Providers
- Cultural and Sports Venues
- Educational Institutions
- Health Care Facilities
- Hotels and Lodging (with onsite restaurants)
How it Works
Participants receive free tools, technology and support for one year to track and measure pre-consumer food waste in order to spot opportunities to minimize and prevent wasted food. In turn, participants commit to implementing food waste tracking procedures, set food waste reduction goals and share results.
- Download a flyer about the initiative.
- Watch a 30-min webinar about the Smart Kitchen Initiative.
- Read Cal Dining’s success story.
- Read why the O.co Coliseum and the Alameda County Fairgrounds joined the Smart Kitchen Initiative.
- Watch a 2-minute video on how the food waste tracking equipment works.
- Watch a PBS feature on how the VA Medical Center in West Virginia is tracking food waste (9 min).
Contact Cassie Bartholomew at CBartholomew@stopwaste.org or (510) 891-6516.


After thousands of years of concealment, one mummy is going from anonymity to Amunet, a woman with a name, a face and a past.
Ohio State faculty and a student helped discover the history of Amunet, the almost 2,000-year-old mummy that will be on display at the Ohio History Center as part of its “Transformation” exhibit opening Wednesday.
“The primary transformation we want to highlight is her transformation from an object to a person with her own identity,” Brad Lepper, curator of archeology for the Ohio Historical Society, said in an email.
According to Lepper, the mummy and coffin have been with the Society since an American ambassador to Egypt, J. Morton Howell, donated it in 1925. The mummy was named Nesykhonsupashery according to the hieroglyphics on the coffin.
But in August, a research team from the Society, with special help from an Egyptologist, learned the body inside did not match the coffin. They discovered when Howell acquired the coffin, it had been empty, so he arranged for another mummy to be placed inside and presented it as a set. It is unknown where the body of the real Nesykhonsupashery is today.
OSU was already involved with the mummy when it was found that the coffin was not meant for Amunet. A team at the Wexner Medical Center had been taking CT-scans of the mummy after the Society reached out to them in June hoping to update its records and replace lost imagery from scans done in the 1980s. Dr. Joseph Yu, professor of radiology and orthopedic surgery, said he jumped at the opportunity.
“(Mummies) give us the bridge in which we can study true humans in a time period no one can ever visit again,” he said.
After the discovery that the mummy in the coffin was not Nesykhonsupashery, the mummy was renamed Amunet, meaning “the hidden one,” and the scans done by Yu and his team became more relevant in the search for clues to Amunet’s entirely unknown history.
Yu said the scans showed her body was in good condition when she died, with little sign of injury or wear, and conclusions about her life can be drawn from this.
“She was very well-preserved, so it allowed everyone to come to the conclusion that she was either well to do or in the clergy and definitely not involved in labor work,” he said.
An analysis of her bones and remaining organs allowed the team to rule out many diseases as her cause of death, though the definitive cause remains a mystery. They also confirmed Amunet was about 40 years old.
For more information, the OHS went to Kathryn Jakes, a professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology and expert in textile sciences. Jakes said textiles can be just as important as bones in determining the history of a mummy.
“The textiles tell you more of the story,” she said. “We know more about Amunet because she had these wrappings.”
Jakes studied the scans and the samples of the wrappings under a microscope to determine the type and estimate the era of the fabric. Radiocarbon dating, the determination of an archaeological specimen’s age by measuring its carbon 14 content, of Amunet’s wrappings put her life sometime around 800 B.C. Jakes also said the type and state of the fabric indicates the type of lifestyle Amunet had.
“They weren’t using old rags to wrap her up,” Jakes said. “They were using fabric that was made on purpose for this particular person.”
All of this information gave her a story, and certified forensic facial reconstructionist Alexandra Keenan-Krilevich provided the last piece of her identity.
“People forget that something like bones were once a person, were once alive and once did the same things that we do,” Keenan-Krilevich said. The 29-year-old was recommended to the OHS by her professor last spring, while she was working toward her undergraduate degree in anthropology at OSU. Keenan-Krilevich plans on finishing her degree Spring Semester 2014, though she is currently not enrolled in classes.
In May she began the process of forensic facial reconstruction using a plastic replica of Amunet’s skull that was based on the CT-scans. This involves taking small, measured strips of clay and using calculations to place them strategically on the skull, though she said some features are also dependent on knowledge of anatomy, the time period and her own artistic skill.
Keenan-Krilevich said she believes her study of science and anatomy, as well as her artistic background in modeling, photography and illustration, give her the necessary skills to reconstruct a face.
“Even though it’s an artistic interpretation, it’s also a logical one,” she said.
Lepper said in the email the work OSU did, both by telling Amunet’s story and “putting a human face on that story,” makes Amunet easier to relate to.
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This essay will be on the History in Brief of Indoneisa, the Government
of Indoneisia, the island of Java, and the Geography of Indoneisa.
In early days, the region from India to Japan, including Indonesia, was
known to the Europeans as the Indies. Chris Colombus was looking for a westward
sea roots from Europe to the Indies when he arrived in America. During 1600’s
dutch political control began to spread Indonesia.
Indonesia declared it’s independencein 1945 and fought the Dutch until
1949 when they gave up their control.
At first, the Dutch allowed nationalist movement to delevope. In 1905,
it had introduced municipal councils to govern the towns and cities. By 1920,
there were 32 such councils, with little electorial franchise.
Other councils were also established. They included provicial councils
in Java, and group communities concils outside Java.
The government of Indonesia is based on a constitution written in 1945.
A president serves as the head of government. The president apionts a sheet of
advisers consisting of top military leaders and civillians.
In theory, the peoples console assembly is supposed to establish a
general direction of the government’s policys.
A house of peoples Representatives is the nations parlament, however, in
practice neither the assembly nor the house has real power. Instead, it is the
president who makes all of the important decisions.
The president is elected to a five year term the Peoples Consulative
assembly. Te assembly has 1,000 members. It includes the 500 members of the
peoples representives. It also includes 500 members of regional, occupational,
and other groups.
All assembly members serve five year terms. The assembly usually is only
held once every five years. The 500 members of the People’s Representatives
includes 400 who are elected through a system that insures that the government’s
potlitical organization win most of the seats. Servicmen have no vote, so the
remaining 100 are appointed by the president on the reccomendation of the
comander of the armed forces.
Indonesia is divided into twenty-seven provinces. The provinces are
divided into regioncies and municipalities. These units are further divided
Officials of all local government units exept villages are appointed by
central government from lists of people nominated by regional legislators.
Indonesian villages elect their own village officials to provide local
Java lies between Sumatra (to the west), and Bali (to the east).To
the north is the Java Sea. To the south is the Indian Ocean which Indonesians
call the Indonesian Ocean.
The greatest distance from North Java to South Java is two hundred
kilometers. From East Java to West Java is over one thousand kilometers.
The island of Java has five administrative units: the special
territory of Jakarta Raya, Java Barat , Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, the special
territory of Yogjakarta, and Jawa Timur.
A chain of volcanic mountains run along the island from west to east.
These mountains are apart of a fold in the earth’s crust which extends from
Southeast Asian mainland through Sumatra and Java to the lesser Sundra Islands.
Java itself has 112 peaks. The volcanic soil is extremely fertile and this are
supports a large population.
Tangkuban Prahu in West Java is a live volcanoe that attraccts manu
tourists. A similar mountain in the Sunda Straights, Krakatoua, is famous for
its erruption in 1883. The whole northern portion of the peak was blown away.
The explosion was heard over 700 kilometers away. The resulting sea waves caused
over thirty six thousand Indonesian deaaths in the low lying of West and South
Indonesia is a country in south east Asia that consists of more than
13,600 islands. The islands lie along the equator, and extend more than 5,000
kilometers. Many of the islands cover only a few square kilometers but about
half of New Guinea (an area called Irian Jaya), and three fourths of Borneo
(Kalimantan), also belong to Indonesia. New Guinea and Borneo are the second and
third largest islands in the world after Greenland.


Kildon Castle was built in 1899 by Fairfield S.B. and E. Co.
Glasgow, tonnage 9,692, launched the 22nd August and completed
in October. She was rushed into service with much of her accommodation
incomplete and made her maiden voyage to the cape carrying
3,000 troops to fight in the Boer War. In 1901 she returned
to Fairfields for the accommodation to be finished and emerged
with significant passenger number differences, First Class
250, Second Class 200 and Third Class 136. In the October
of 1914 she carried arms and ammunition to South Africa for
the Union's Army fight against Secessionists in the Rand which
had started in the Rand in 1913 and now threatened Johannesburg.
On the 6th of October 1915 she was commissioned as a Hospital
ship with 603 beds and was decommissioned six months later.
She was converted for use as an Armed Merchant Cruiser in
the July and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on the 21st
of August and joined the 10th Cruiser Squadron based at Glasgow.
She took Viscount Milner to Murmansk on the 17th of January
1917 who headed the British Military Mission which attempted
to stop Russia signing a non-aggression pact with Germany.
The Brest - Litovsk Treaty was signed on the 2nd of March
the same day that the mission arrived back at Scapa Flow.
In April she returned once more to convey work in the North
Atlantic and in December of 1918 paid off and commenced repatriation
duties. In 1919 the Allies became involved in the Russian
Revolution on the side of the White Russians and Kildonan
Castle was the last ship to sail from Russia carrying troops
after the Communists were victorious. After refurbishment
she returned once more to the mail run and remained as such
until being replaced by Carnarvon Castle in 1926. She was
then laid up in reserve and except for a brief spell from
January to May of 1930 remained so. She spent her remaining
days at Netley before being sold for scrap and was broken
at Stavanger in Norway in 1931.
- UNION, CASTLE AND UNION CASTLE LINES]


What is a sea butterfly?
Thecosomata are sea snails about the size of a lentil, with shells so thin that they are virtually transparent. Rather than sliding on the seabed, their foot has evolved into a pair of thin ‘wings’ that flap through the water. Sea snails mostly swim upside down because their body and shell is heavier and hangs down from the wings. They are herbivores, feeding on phytoplankton, but they catch their food in webs, like spiders. These webs are made from strands of mucus that can extend out as far as five centimetres (two inches) from the sea butterfly. They are preyed on by a kind of swimming sea slug called a sea angel.


What’s the dominant model for behavior change?
In the 1970s, researcher and psychologist James O. Prochaska began developing a conceptual model of behavior change. By the 90s, he and colleagues published a number of papers supporting their work, and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) quickly became the prevailing model for creating healthier habits.
Prochaska’s model breaks down the process of change into discrete stages:
- precontemplation (no plans on making change)
- contemplation (intend to change within the next 6 months)
- preparation (ready to make a change)
- action (already begun taking steps to make change)
- maintenance (made the change and are trying not to fall back into old habits)
eLearning strategies for each stage
The key to influencing positive behavior change is to understand where the learner is coming from—in other words, design strategies with their stage of change in mind. Someone who has not yet decided to quit smoking won’t be moved by the same content that a person who quit three days ago finds helpful. Motivation is key in every approach to behavior change, but how that motivation is delivered to the user varies, depending on where the individual learner is at.
Pre-contemplation: Use compelling images to disrupt old ways of thinking
Learners in this first stage have no plans to make change because they have not yet been convinced that change is necessary. Think of couch potatoes who have not yet heard that a sedentary lifestyle shortens the lifespan, or citizens who aren’t aware of the benefits of recycling. These learners aren’t going to be motivated by anything but startlingly bad news. Disrupting their habitual ways of thinking by appealing to their emotions—say, an animation highlighting the health risks of inactivity or a compelling graphic of a landfill—can move these learners from apathy to curiosity.
Contemplation: Bolster motivation with behavior modeling
With learners in the second stage, instructional designers have a twofold aim: to bolster motivation and provide tools to create a plan of action. Here, the focus turns more toward the positive—what steps can I take to effect change, now that I know it’s necessary? Behavior-modeling video is an excellent tool for learners in this stage, as it provides an exemplar of what steps the learner should take, and appeals to emotion by using real-life characters and narrative.
Preparation: Help learners set achievable goals
Learners in the preparation stage are ready to get started, but they need action-oriented tools to help set achievable goals. Reinforcing the relevance of the content while keeping the learner’s attention focused is the goal, here. Suggested tools: downloadable guides and checklists, and data fields that allow learners to input their own information to develop a customized plan.
Action: Provide self-assessment tools and feedback
The action stage is where the new behavior is already being demonstrated. But learners in this stage may benefit from a check-in to ensure they are still on the right track. Self-assessments are a great way to prompt learner reflection, personalize learning, and offer feedback on progress—all of which can be done asynchronously.
Maintenance: Cultivate a sense of relationship
In the maintenance stage, individuals have already made the necessary behavior change and incorporated it into their lives. But without continued support, many may “relapse” into old ways of thinking. Social support can buttress appropriate behavior, but sometimes this is a trick to pull off in eLearning. If you’re working without a strong instructor presence, using online forums or discussion boards can cultivate a sense of community that empowers positive change.
Overall, the ideal design for behavior change needs to be flexible, with multiple approaches to a single topic, and allow learners to select the best strategy for them, based on where they are in their willingness to make change.


On April 22, 1806, the Corps of Discovery walked across the bluff where Maryhill Museum now sits.
The museum will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark at Maryhill during the weekend of April 22 and 23.
The event will feature traditional arts, music and dance presentations by Native Americans from the same communities the Corps of Discovery met in 1805-06.
At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. both days, traditional drumming and dancing will be performed and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the public can meet Native Americans as they demonstrate traditional beadwork, basketry, leatherwork, and more as they share their rich culture in a tule mat longhouse constructed especially for the museum.
"Those people received us with great kindness..we got...a few pounded roots, fish and Acorns," explorer William Clark wrote in his journal.
Members of the Mid-Columbia Bands of the Yakama Nation have constructed a traditional longhouse of specially prepared poles and handwoven tule reed mats.
"It is very much like those Lewis & Clark saw along the river during the journey through the Columbia River Gorge," said Colleen Schafroth, executive director.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., Schafroth will lead a walk through the wildflower-covered meadows surrounding the museum to explore some of the plants Lewis & Clark documented on their journey through the Columbia River Gorge.
At 1 p.m., the White Salmon Community Youth Music Project will perform Lewis & Clark era tunes on their fiddles, similar in fashion to those Private Pierre Cruzatte played for the Corps of Discovery and Native Americans. The group will be dressed in period costumes.
At noon, on both days, interpretive talks will be given by Maryhill Museum docents in conjunction with the special exhibition, "Lewis & Clark at Maryhill."
Throughout the weekend, families are invited to explore Lewis & Clark using the activity guide, "Art Discovery: Lewis & Clark at Maryhill," and by participating in Lewis & Clark art activities for children in the EyeSEE Resource Room.
On Sunday at 1 p.m., the public can enjoy a lighthearted performance of "Lewis & Clark Meet the Pirates" by Actors in Action, a professional acting troop based in Portland, Ore., that specialize in interactive presentations that include members of the audience.
Funding for the commemoration was provided by the Yakama Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation; Mid-Columbia Medical Center; Klickitat County; Mary Schlick; Francis Connolly; and the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation.


LEGO bricks build better mathematicians
27 November 2014
The study ‘Children’s construction performance and math: controlling task complexity and predicting mathematics performance’ was conducted to examine the relationships between spatial and mathematical abilities in children.
A student from the University of Derby worked with 96 children aged seven to fourteen, from Etwall Primary School, Granville Community School and John of Rolleston Primary School. The study revealed that there is a link between LEGO building skills and mathematics performance.
Dr Miles Richardson, Head of Psychology, worked with the student to conduct the study.
He added: “This is interesting as LEGO construction skills were found to be a unique predictor of maths performance, independent of factors we already know about.”
Co-author, Dr Thomas Hunt noted “Overall those who performed best on the LEGO task had a higher maths SAT score. In particular, in year six, the best performing pupils on the LEGO task scored a whole maths SAT level higher”.
Dr Richardson continued: “The study also provides a method to control and quantify the difficulty of LEGO tasks across childhood and adolescence. This provides the possibility of developing LEGO based kits to improve the mathematical ability of children.
“We hope the findings will encourage the development of play-based ways of engaging children to develop skills essential for maths.”
For further press information please contact Jenny McNicholas, University of Derby Press Officer, on 01332 592279 or email: J.McNicholas@derby.ac.uk


Srinivasa Ramanujan, a genius mathematician who sadly died way too young, is the subject of Saturday's Google doodle.
in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, Srinivasa Ramanujan was self-taught and
worked in almost complete isolation from the mathematical community of
his time. Living in India, unaware of the work being done around the
globe, he independently proved and discovered many mathematical
Around 1912 he sent samples of his work to the
University of Cambridge, where it was spotted by G.H. Hardy. Hardy
recognised the brilliance of Ramanujan's work and invited him to
Cambridge. Ramanujan went on to become a Fellow of the Royal Society and
a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
During his short lifetime
- he died of illness and malnutrition at the age of 32 - Ramanujan
independently compiled over 3900 results, most of which where later
proven correct, while some of them were proven false and others filed
under the 'already known' category.
Ramanujan often managed to leap from insight to insight without formally proving the logical steps in between.
ideas as to what constituted a mathematical proof were of the most
shadowy description," G.H. Hardy, Ramanujan's mentor and one of his few
collaborators, had once said.
Now proof has been found for a connection that he seemed to mysteriously intuit between two types of mathematical functions.
Ono of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who has previously
unearthed hidden depths in Ramanujan's work, was prompted by Ramanujan's
125th birth anniversary, to look once more at his writings.
"I wanted to go back and prove something special," Ono said.
settled on a discussion in the last known letter that Ramanujan wrote
to Hardy, concerning a type of function now called a modular form.
are equations that can be drawn as graphs on an axis, like a sine wave,
and produce an output when computed for any chosen input or value The
functions looked unlike any other modular forms, but Ramanujan wrote
that their outputs would be very similar to those of modular forms when
computed for the roots of 1 like the square root -1.
Characteristically, Ramanujan offered neither proof nor explanation for this conclusion.
was only 10 years later that mathematicians formally defined this other
set of functions, now known as mock modular forms. However, still no
one fathomed what Ramanujan meant by saying the two types of function
produced similar outputs for roots of 1.
Now Ono and colleagues
have exactly calculated one of Ramanujan's mock modular forms for values
very close to -1, and said the difference in the value of the two
functions, ignoring the functions signs, is tiny when computed for -1,
just like Ramanujan said.
The result confirms Ramanujan's incredible intuition, says Ono.
Top 10 Google doodles of 2012
For more Google doodles
, visit this page
.With inputs from PTI


International Snapshot: Ukraine
Ukraine held elections to its parliament in March 2006. It was that country's first use of a fully proportional electoral system. The 1998 and 2002 elections used a parallel system in which half of seats were elected in single-member plurality districts. This paper analyzes the proportionality of results in historical perspective as well as turnout and number of effective votes. Institutional challenges and potential remedies are described. Choices about electoral institutions have important consequences for political outcomes in a representative democracy.