Archive for May, 2012

May 28, 2012

Japanese art and Yuzo Saeki: the “outsider” who died in a distant land in an insane asylum

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The artist Yuzo Saeki gave much to the Japanese art world despite dying at the age of 30. Yuzo Saeki was born in 1898 and passed away in 1928. However, despite his time on this earth being brief he did much and left an intriguing legacy which also applies to areas outside of art. This applies to the way he was “thrown to the wolves” while feeling entrapped by health problems, cultural factors, and being abandoned by a culture which did not love him back.

In many ways, Yuzo Saeki represents the “outsider” which resides in all nations throughout the world, and within nations where the marginalized are unloved. Also, he highlights the complexity of culture and how individuals may adore aspects of a new culture – but this “new culture” isn’t able to respond in kind. Therefore, the society that abandoned him was the French culture that he admired and desired to belong. However, he always remained to be the “outsider” in a country which inspired him and pulled away at his tormented soul.

Yuzo Saeki provides a genuine glimpse into the “real separation” of “a love affair” which refused to acknowledge his deep love of Paris and France. This applies to many art pieces whereby the distance from his vantage point is noticeable by the confused lettering of certain places he depicted. Also, the manic and confused lines within some of his art may denote all the inner-confusions and utter desperation that he felt at times. Despite this, and being in extremely poor health, he could not pull himself away from a culture which inspired him to create stunning pieces of art.

Yuzo Saeki was born in the vibrant city of Osaka and from a very early age he fell in love with art. The Buddhist faith ran through his veins when a child because his father was a Buddhist priest. On top of this was the changing nature of Japanese society which also swept away many traditions and depleted many rich trades. In this sense, modernization in both France and Japan was ripping many lives apart. Yet, on the other hand both societies were providing new opportunities.

The Meiji and Taisho periods in Japan were full of mass contradictions because on the one hand a new modern dynamic was part and parcel of the “new” Japan. Opposite to this, was a new nationalist period whereby Japan would join “the Western club” and “Islamic club” of colonialism. Amidst all these contradictions was a very talented artist called Yuzo Saeki who meant no negative things towards anyone. Instead, he just wanted to focus on the vocation that he adored. Sadly, life is never that simple for some individuals and ultimately his vocation also created great suffering for Yuzo Saeki.

Western art in Japan was provided with a small “window” in Nagasaki by the Dutch during the Edo period. However, in the period of Yuzo Saeki no other city was more vibrant than Paris when it came to new art movements. The old world of influence from China and Korea was on the wane for many artists and the same applies to the rich traditions of Japanese art. Therefore, the pull of Western art was extremely strong for Yuzo Saeki and in time Paris and France would become “a love affair” with “a poison chalice.”

It must be stated that many other Japanese artists didn’t suffer the same fate in France. Given this, it is clear that the deep passion within Yuzo Saeki was extremely unique but what tipped everything in the wrong direction near the end, applies to the tragic circumstances of his life. This notably applies to poor health; poverty; alienation in a country he adored; mental exhaustion because he could feel “the gates of death beckoning;” isolation; and trapped by his own “love affair” with a culture which was alien to him despite being familiar with France.

In an earlier article I state that all “…these negatives conspired together because at the age of 30 Yuzo Saeki died in destitution in a mental hospital in France. The culmination of tuberculosis, a nervous breakdown brought on by overwork, limited means to survive, still painting outside despite worsening health conditions and other factors; all led to a very sad ending of what should have been a bright future.”

It is easy to imagine Yuzo Saeki eating inadequately based on poverty while at the same time coughing up blood because of tuberculosis. Near the end he manically painted new pieces of art because he felt “the gates of death.” Therefore, even when the weather was negative he continued to paint while bringing up blood would have interrupted him from time to time.

This meant that the reality of different thought-patterns, diverse movements within the respective art scenes of both France and Japan, and other complex factors, could easily “swallow up” individuals who were beset by various issues. Given this, when Yuzo Saeki needed guidance and support he had nobody to help him in a distant land. His “moment in time” was very different to the norms of the art scene in Paris and different cultural factors meant that he was isolated internally.

The final year alone in France was a far cry from 1924 when he moved to this nation with his wife and young daughter. Then he at least had the home comforts to placate the other “love affair” which didn’t love him back.

The comments made by Michael Brenson are extremely illuminating because it paints a picture of an artist who is trapped by the cultural realities of both nations. At the same time, he appears to notice his isolation and withdraws from a distance whereby the signs are often illegible. However, it is not only the signs which sometimes become illegible because also the human form enters a dark and sinister world where the scars of life are all too real.

Yuzo Saeki also highlights the “outsider” who never can belong despite his love of the host nation. This shared experience can be felt by individuals throughout the world who often feel the same pressure and isolation. Often, it may not always be the host nation because much can depend on cultural differences and certain “norms” which clash strongly in some cultures.

However, with the visible signs of tuberculosis, the mental strains of creating more art pieces because of the knowledge that death was getting nearer, and the grind of daily poverty pulling away at him; it is clear that nobody stepped in . Therefore, not one single individual in Paris cared enough to help Yuzo Saeki to the full. This culminated in the sad reality that his passionate “love affair” was one way because in his “time of need” he was abandoned to the ravages that befell him.

In the end Yuzo Saeki sacrificed his life and his family because he died based on the factors that entrapped him and took away his life. This applies to tuberculosis, poverty, and suffering from a mental breakdown. Michael Brenson also hints that he may have committed suicide in the end. However, the fact that this is debatable highlights the reality that Yuzo Saeki had been “thrown to the wolves.” Therefore, near the end he was just “another number” who was unloved and who died in an insane asylum in a distant land.–a228566/yuzo-saeki-posters.htm

May 24, 2012

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

May 20, 2012

Sarah Deschamps, Michel Lebon and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

May 12, 2012

Claude Monet was smitten by Japanese art: Impressionism and ukiyo-e

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Claude Monet was very important within French Impressionism and despite new artistic movements like Cubism and Fauvism altering the artistic landscape, he remained firmly committed to Impressionist art. Another major art theme which would shape Claude Monet was Japanese ukiyo-e because he was smitten by this art form when he witnessed it with his own eyes. Therefore, Claude Monet utilized these two powerful art movements and the upshot of this was stunning fresh art pieces which remain etched within the memory.

The Impressionist art movement altered the artistic world dramatically and created a new energy to art. However, for Claude Monet, and others, Impressionism was a philosophy which remained with him until parting from this world.

He was born in 1840 in Paris and died in 1926. Throughout his long life he created extremely stunning art which is internationally admired. From an early age Claude Monet adored art and in the early period he took lessons from Jacques-Francois Ochard. However, his early mentor who taught him about using oil paints was Eugene Boudin, a fellow artist, whom he met when still a teenager. Claude Monet and Eugene Boudin also benefitted from the influence of Johan Barthold Jongkind.

Claude Monet in 1862 could once more fully concentrate on art but he wasn’t interested in following traditional art. He now became a student under Charles Gleyre in the dynamic city of Paris. In time he would meet powerful artists like Alfred Sisley, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Frederic Bazille. These artists were focused on new approaches to art and in time the Impressionist movement would radically alter the artistic landscape. Therefore, because of these individuals and others who were dedicated to new artistic concepts, a rich flow of art would galvanize the art world which remains vibrant today.

The 1870s was a very dramatic period for Claude Monet because the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 and the revolutionary fervor which gripped Paris, led to many upheavals. During the same period he was touched by Japanese print making called ukiyo-e. This love affair would stay with him for the rest of his life. However, the death of his wife from tuberculosis in 1879 after several years of illness shattered Claude Monet because he doted on Camille Doncieux.

Art historians can either play up or play down the influence of ukiyo-e within the art of Claude Monet. However, he was clearly charmed by the ukiyo-e of individuals like Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro. This isn’t open to debate because not only did Claude Monet buy vast amount of ukiyo-e art prints but he also created a Japanese garden in his cherished home. He, and many other important Impressionists, was clearly inspired by many aspects of ukiyo-e.

Don Morrison comments that Perhaps the greatest gift Japan gave Monet, and Impressionism, was an incandescent obsession with getting the play of light and shadow, the balance of colors and the curve of a line, just right — not the way it is in reality, but the way it looks in the artist’s imagination. “I have slowly learned about the pattern of the grass, the trees, the structure of birds and other animals like insects and fish, so that when I am 80, I hope to be better,” Hokusai wrote 16 years before his death at age 89. “At 90, I hope to have caught the very essence of things, so that at 100 I will have reached heavenly mysteries. At 110, every point and line will be living.” Monet spent the last decades of his life painting his water lilies, and then painting them again, until he lost his sight in quest of an elusive, transcendent perfection that might best be called Japanese.”

The love affair that Claude Monet found with Japan in his lifetime remains powerful in modern Japan. After all, without a shadow of a doubt Claude Monet is one of the most popular artists in this country. Therefore, the “love affair” worked both ways and this “spark” remains extremely bright today in Japan amongst art lovers.,9171,1573943,00.html#ixzz1uXJiJOmX

May 5, 2012

Fukushima fashion in Koriyama: stunning boutiques in this trendy part of Japan

Sarah Deschamps and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Koriyama is a buzzing city in Fukushima where the fashion sector is extremely vibrant. Images of Fukushima are often portrayed negatively because of the nuclear crisis that followed the devastating tsunami on March 11, 2011. However, the vast majority of Fukushima is awash with stunning nature and is open for business. Indeed, the fashion angle to Koriyama is extremely stylish and elegant and clearly the younger generation is well served because you have so many stunning boutiques to visit.

Fashion in Koriyama caters for individuals of all ages and you will find many sophisticated boutiques selling luxury items. The choices available are extremely varied and this applies to high-end fashion, new trendy vibes, elegant styles which suit people of all age groups, alternative fashion, and famous international brands. Therefore, for tourists who plan to visit Fukushima because of the abundance of adorable nature, then clearly the fashion angle to Koriyama will take people by surprise.

If you close your eyes you could easily be in trendy Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and other buzzing districts in Tokyo. However, this is the strong fashion vibes of Koriyama in Fukushima whereby the following images highlight the trendy nature of fashion in this highly developed city.

In the S-PAL Department Store you will notice how trendy and stylish the local ladies are because the dress styles are elegant. Throughout this store you have so many fabulous boutiques to visit and for young ladies it is a paradise for shopping. Adorable boutiques include Forest Heart, Index, The Emporium, VIS, E hyphen World Gallery, Earth Music & Ecology, Lowrys Farm, EMSEXCITE, Luccica, East Boy, and so many other stunning fashion companies. Therefore, for ladies who adore fashion a visit to S-PAL is highly recommended.

The S-PAL Department Store is located within the train station and within easy walking distance you have the exquisite Usui Department Store. This high-end department store would grace the most sophisticated parts of Tokyo, Paris, Milan, New York, Seattle, London, and other major fashion cities throughout the world. Therefore, for the people of Fukushima who desire luxury and extravagance then clearly the Usui Department Store provides this in abundance. In saying that, you will also find extremely stylish companies where the prices are very competitive and alluring for people who shop in this lovely department store.

In Usui Department Store you will find exquisite boutiques, jewelry companies, the crème de la crème of cosmetic companies, and so much more. A partial list includes Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Peyton Place, Indivi, Itariya, Kanebo cosmetics, Pride and Unspeck, Swarovski, Lesouk Prix, Ined, ef-de, Coach, Reliant, Powder Palette, Franco Ferrer (b), and a host of other sublime companies. The Usui Department Store is a real gem of a company which highlights the elegance of fashion in Koriyama.

Another lovely fashion store catering for different styles is Molti Department Store which is extremely near to S-PAL. In Molti Department Store you will find many fashion companies catering for both sexes but clearly this store is extremely popular for young ladies. This is because of the stylish nature of the fashion on show and both department stores within the train station area enhance the fashion vibes of both companies.

Adorable boutiques in Molti Department Store include Clef De Sol, Raugefeel, MIX-O, a.v.v., Faunny Luv, Amare MYLEPR, Aspri Classe, Mighty Circle, Love & Peace, Benetton, Amo’s Style, and many others. Also, the international flavor can be found in other areas and this applies to the Body Shop or relaxing over coffee at Starbucks. This store certainly attracts the fashion conscious and the ambience is really nice.

It is also worth checking out the streets near the train station because you also have independent boutiques catering for various tastes. Therefore, Koriyama is certainly a fantastic city to visit from the fashion point of view.

Overall, it is clear that Fukushima needs internal tourists and international tourists to visit the many beautiful parts of this prefecture. The purpose of highlighting fashion in Koriyama is to show a different image to all the negative news about Fukushima. Therefore, by highlighting the fashion sector in this commercial city it shows that business and life is not only ticking but it is also vibrant.

Koriyama is only 55km from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. However, the atmosphere is 2012 is vibrant, energetic, and the fashion scene is extremely elegant. The photos in this article show the “real Koriyama” which is being neglected in the international media. Therefore, the best way to support the recovery of the Tohoku region is by visiting when possible in order to help the local economy.

The Koriyama fashion scene is buzzing and from this modern city you can visit many beautiful parts of Fukushima. This applies to the stunning mountain ranges, the many beautiful ponds which dot the landscape of the Ura-Bandai area, Abukuma Cave, a stunning castle, sophisticated museums, and so much more. Fukushima provides the lot, from adorable fashion in the main commercial city of Koriyama to stunning nature – and because of the Shinkansen train system, it means that it takes only around 80 minutes from Tokyo.

Department stores

All fashion images belong to Modern Tokyo Times but please feel free to use providing you mention our website.  Thanks!

May 5, 2012

Japanese art and Asai Chu: the eclipse of ukiyo-e by western style art

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 led to many social convulsions and like all revolutionary periods you had many winners and losers. This applies to individuals who could adapt to the rapid changes in society and the art world was no exception in Japan. Asai Chu (1856-1907) belonged to this changing world. However, in some ways he was lucky because he was young enough to understand these momentous events in Japanese history.

The old world of ukiyo-e would become eclipsed in the lifetime of Asai Chu despite some amazing Meiji ukiyo-e artists. Not surprisingly, Asai Chu became involved in the new wave of Japanese art which was heavily influenced by Western style artists. Of course, it wasn’t all one way because many Western artists like Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Edgar Devas, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and many others, adored ukiyo-e and Japanese style paintings.

However, the technological developments of photography and other areas meant that ukiyo-e could not compete on a level playing field based on modernization alone. Also, different cultural influences and Japanese artists living abroad meant that new dynamics were at work. This implies that while technological change speeded up the artistic transition, the old order would have been usurped anyway because of cultural interaction and changing thought patterns. Therefore, for individuals like Asai Chu these were exciting times.

Ironically, the Meiji period did witness many fantastic ukiyo-e artists and it is because of these individuals that it managed to cling on for so long. Notable Meiji ukiyo-e artists include Yoshitoshi, Chikanobu, Kobayashi Kiyochika, Ogata Gekko, Kawanabe Kyosai, Toyohara Kunichika, Utagawa Yoshifuji, Mizuno Toshikata, Ginko Adachi, and several others. However, they were swimming “against the tide” despite their collective skills blessing the art world and enriching Japanese art.

Traces of the old world survived in modern Japan through new movements like shin-hanga but this area was limited when compared with the days of Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro, and many other amazing artists, who belonged to the world of ukiyo-e. However, this isn’t to underestimate the shin-hanga movement because it produced many stunning artists like Ito Shinsui, Hiroshi Yoshida, and Kawase Hasui (to name just a few). Also, the bridge of the shin-hanga movement meant that “the shadow” of the old world was ticking but fused with new changes and thinking within this intriguing art form.

Asai Chu blossomed under Kunisawa Shinkuro and he was lucky enough to study under Antonio Fontanesi. The reason why he had this opportunity was because of the Meiji elites who wanted to transport the best of the Western world and fuse this with the best of Japan. Therefore, in the area of science, the arts, law, industrialization, military thinking, commerce, political systems, and so forth, the power of the West became embodied within the psyche of the new Japan. Of course, while new thought patterns emerged, the power of Japanese culture and different thought patterns meant that you had a lot of fusions. Therefore, in certain areas “a new way” emerged based on Japanization.

In an earlier article I stated that “The Meiji government hired Antonio Fontanesi in order that he would introduce oil painting from Europe and clearly Asai Chu learnt much because his passion and sophistication grew. When Asai Chu was in his forties he resigned from being a professor in Tokyo and moved to France for two years. This decision was wise because by studying at an impressionist art school he managed to enhance his artistic skill and techniques.”

“Also, the cultural aspect of studying in France meant that new styles of thinking and artistic creativity would further enrich his rich talents. This decision also shows that Asai Chu was still searching and despite the relative comfort of being a professor in Tokyo he was willing to take risks in order to pursue his love of art.”

The inquisitive nature of Asai Chu and his love of art meant that France would enhance him personally, and in turn he would influence many important Japanese artists when he returned home. This must have pleased the Meiji leaders who were involved in the arts because the younger generation of aspiring artists had an individual to look up. This is based on his stunning art and the rich knowledge that he had obtained in Japan and France.

Therefore, artists like Yasui Sotaro, Suda Kunitaro, Umehara Ryuzaburo, and many others, learnt many things from Asai Chu. On returning to Japan he became a professor at Kyoto College of Arts and Crafts and because of his enthusiasm for art, he was involved in many clubs related to this field. Therefore, just like the dynamic Meiji period it is abundantly clear that Asai Chu was equally creative and vigorous.

In my earlier article about Asai Chu and the role of the Meiji political leadership, I comment that “Meiji political leaders impacted on art in this period and introduced new art forms from outside of Japan. However, at the same time political leaders were concerned about preserving the richness of Japanese art and culture. This minefield wasn’t easy and conservatives and liberals understood what was at stake but for individuals like Asai Chu the issue was “art” and not politics or cultural engineering.”

Ukiyo-e was clearly on “borrowed time” because of the prevailing conditions and artists like Asai Chu re-invigorated Japanese art. The shin-hanga movement meant that the power of ukiyo-e was kept alive for many decades throughout the twentieth century. It matters not that the thought patterns, concepts, and art, were very different because the link is evidently clear for all to see.

However, the world of Asai Chu would impact greatly on Japanese art because so many other fellow nationals were inspired by Western art. However, in truth, each new movement will one day be eclipsed by new concepts, styles, and thinking. Therefore, the diversity of Japanese art is blessed by each special art movement irrespective if the roots began in Japan, China, France, Holland, or wherever.

May 5, 2012

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Art image – MARC CHAGALL  - currently on show at The Morohashi Museum of Modern Art

May 5, 2012

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Japanese ukiyo-e

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Japanese ukiyo-e

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) adored Japanese ukiyo-e and many famous international artists also fell in love with this art form. Toulouse-Lautrec and his lifestyle would certainly have fit in well with the environment of Yoshiwara in Tokyo, which is famous for prostitution. Indeed, several ukiyo-e artists depicted scenes in this famous district including Hiroshige and Utamaro. Therefore, Toulouse-Lautrec would have felt like being “home from home” because Yoshiwara and Montmartre shared many common features in the past.

Rene Princeteau gave art lessons to Toulouse-Lautrec when he was young and the background of his family is one of wealth. Indeed, he was born into an aristocratic family but tragedy impinged on Toulouse-Lautrec when he was a teenager because he broke both legs. The severity of the accidents meant that his legs stopped growing and this created “many internal demons.” This is based on the fact that his body continued to develop like normal therefore throughout his short life he could never fully come to terms with this situation.

The artistic turning point for Toulouse-Lautrec came in 1882 because he went to Paris in order to study conventional art. He soon met important artists like Vincent Van Gogh and the art of Edgar Degas inspired him greatly in this period. Therefore, the lore of Impressionist art enticed him greatly and because of this he gave up his studies in conventional art.

Toulouse-Lautrec who was born in the south of France now found himself in Montmartre in Paris. The environment was completely different because this area had a buzzing nightlife across the whole spectrum. This applies to cabarets, restaurants, dancing clubs with sexual connotations, cafes, brothels, and other areas of life.

The trappings of this new environment enticed Toulouse-Lautrec because he soon joined the bohemian community. During the evening period he would drink and natter with friends. However, despite enjoying himself Toulouse-Lautrec would also draw sketches and then work on altering these by turning them into lithographs and paintings. This became most rewarding for Toulouse-Lautrec because the environment created passion, innovation, and ideas, which were then expressed through his artwork.

Dieter Wanczura, www.artelino.comcomments that “The lithographs of Lautrec show the famous personalities of the French Belle Epoque. Lautrec knew them all personally- singers and dancers like Yvette Guilbert, May Belfort, Jane Avril or the poet Aristide Bruant. Many of these lithographs were commissioned by these artists for posters or theater billboards or as illustrations for magazines.”

Dieter Wanczura further comments that “The impressionists saw Ukiyo-e art (Japanese woodblock prints) and were impressed. And like so many other artists of the late nineteenth century, Lautrec had started collecting Japanese art. At that time, everything Japanese was en vogue – very fashionable.”

“Japanese printmaking had a very pervasive influence on his style. For Toulouse Lautrec movement and forms were important. His compositions, unusual perspectives and the use of large areas of flat color are undoubtedly inspired by Japanese woodblock prints.”

Western art impacted on Japanese art in the same period and likewise the Paris scene was awash with ukiyo-e prints. Therefore, new ideas were going in both directions but cultural differences meant that aspects of the cultural settings were very different. Also, individual artists, irrespective of nationality, had unique aspects which applied to their respective thought patterns and upbringings.

Artists like Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, and many others, were influenced by Japonisme (Japonism). However, Japonisme was based on the eye and not the concept or rich traditions which had evolved in Japan. Also, ukiyo-e is extremely broad when it comes to subjects that were covered and individual artists had their own unique styles and ways. Yet despite this, Japonisme certainly inspired many artists and for Toulouse-Lautrec ukiyo-e was like Montmartre. This applies to opening-up a new world of art and thought patterns, which would enhance his creativity and style.

If you visit that Van Gogh ( Gallery website it is stated that “Japanese art, especially Japanese woodcuts, became a great influence on Van Gogh. When Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886 he was introduced to impressionism and also explored Japonism. Van Gogh admired the bold designs, intense colors, and flat areas of pure color and he also appreciated the elegant and simple lines.”

It is abundantly clear that Toulouse-Lautrec would fully understand the words of Van Gogh because he was also transformed in Paris. In another article I wrote about Japanese art I comment that Ukiyo-e and western art went in both directions but the initial contact period will have been based on a mirror which can’t fully show the complexion of the individual because of all the steam. Irrespective of this, it is clear that both traditions led to new creativity.”

Sadly, for Toulouse-Lautrec, the lifestyle that altered his artistic path in Paris also became self destructive. Therefore, alcohol abuse and other negative areas all climaxed in his early death at the age of 36. In many ways Toulouse-Lautrec always had “two worlds which were pulling in opposite directions.” The first world applies to coming from a wealthy family but having poor health for the majority of his life. While the second world applies to being extremely creative because of the environment of Paris but the same environment led to his early death based on alcohol abuse and other factors.

Irrespective of everything, Toulouse-Lautrec leaves a lasting legacy because of the richness of his art and he also opens up the world of Montmartre.

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Preschool Program

A language-rich environment

Our language-rich environment, where teachers use a wide vocabulary in frequent conversations with the children, is crucial to the development of both language, reading readiness and communication skills. In addition, daily storytelling introduces new words, and the children are always encouraged to verbalize their opinions and experiences.

Small group activities that help develop social skills

In addition to individual attention and activities, All Aboard engages the children in a variety of small group activities which encourage interaction and further enhance their social development. Our center based learning philosophy designed to promote kindergarten readiness skills, library and listening, computer, sensory, dramatic play, art and writing, table toys and discovery.

Curriculum that encourages motivation to learn persistence, flexibility, inventiveness, tolerance to frustration and problem solving

These traits are absolutely critical, and form the foundation for many other positive character skills. During each activity, we use a positive redirection style of interaction and focus on providing warm, positive instruction and praise. By keeping the focus on the positive rather than the negative, we can build a child’s self-esteem and encourage them to try new things.

Activities that encourage children to think, reason, question and problem solve

Activities where preschoolers are encouraged to think about pretend worlds where anything is possible, foster reasoning about those possibilities and ultimately the solving of logic problems. Such pastimes promote the kind of thinking that will be crucial in the child’s future when he / she must imagine possible events and consider potential outcomes.

Consistant CaregivingChoices for daily activities

At various times in the day, preschoolers are provided with the opportunity to choose for themselves what it is they would like to do. Not only does this empower them and build their confidence, but also allows further exploration of areas that are of particular interest.

Experiences that nurture self-esteem

Preschoolers are provided with a wide variety of activities in which they can excel. With each successful outcome, the child gains more self confidence and self esteem.

Play activitiesDramatic play activities that help children make sense of the world

“Dress up” and “Pretend” play provides our preschoolers with the opportunity to act out and mimic the things that they see adults doing every. In this way they gain a better understanding of how things work. Additionally, this type of play empowers them and helps in differientiating fantasy from reality..

Storytelling that fosters the love of reading

Successfully instilling a love of reading in a child begins at an early age. Storytelling stimulates a child’s imagination, and reading aloud ultimately leads to a lifelong love affair with books. Our teachers further engage our preschoolers through interactivity and creative usage of voice and gesture.

Consistant CaregivingPhysical activities that encourage gross motor development and movement

From song & dance to martial arts to playground games, preschoolers participate in a wide variety of activities where they can jump, climb, balance, dance and skip. These gross motor activities stimulate muscle coordination, balance, rhythm and understanding of personal space.

Low student/staff ratio

A low ratio of preschoolers to teachers and teacher assistants is vital to young children. Not only do they receive more individual attention and benefit from a higher level of safety, but their overall development is enhanced when they experience a closer, positive and nurturing relationship with their teachers and teacher assistants.


The Queen

The queens are bigger than the workers and the drones. The queens produce particular pheromones, (which are special secreted substances with special smells), that makes the whole colony work and keep together. Each colony has its distinct smell, and all the members of the same colony smell similar.

The other main function of a queen is to lay the fertilized eggs, millions of eggs. We could say that the queen is the mother of all the ants in the colony.

She can live up to 15 years and needs to mate only once. The mating takes place in the air shortly after the queen breaks free from her cocoon. After the mating takes place, she rips off her wings and looks for an appropriate place to start the new colony. She does not need the wings in her nest underground. She may pass many weeks, and even months, without food. She has to take care of the first batch of eggs and larvae. Once the first ants come out of their cocoons, they start gathering food and doing all the chores around the nest.  From there on, the queen is taken care of, and becomes a prisoner of her duty.

Anthony AntAnthony Ant

| Anthony Ant | Anthony's Story | Ants | Adults | Queens | Workers |
| Drones | Eggs | Larvae | Pupae | Reproduction | Social Behavior | Curious facts |
| Enemies | Wood Ants | Leaf-cutter Ants | Honey-pot Ants | Weaver Ants |

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Web Customer Support - Spain+English Fluent (closed)

Lisbon, Portugal
Very attractive package compensation
Recruiter Comment: OPEN JOB: WEB CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPANISH + ENGLISH Fluent Based in PORTUGAL Send your CV to Jean@approachpeople.com
Job Description

Responsibilities include:
•    Identify opportunities to make every customer successful. This involves recommending and explaining product and service features that are best suited to the customer’s needs.
•    Successfully resolve complex customer e-mail and telephone inquiries through the use of multiple customer support tools (online self-help, FAQ’s, email, chat, telephone).
•    Address and escalate technical concerns; recreate site and tool issues as necessary; file bug reports, monitor abuse and inappropriate utilization of our service.
•    Work with engineering teams to identify, specify, develop, and deploy operational changes to improve the customer experience and/or prevent or resolve issues.
•    Support customers with tasks related with billing and payments and work with the finance team to ensure a fast and accurate response to customers´ demands.
•    Identify and develop opportunities to expand self-help in the application and on your mother language; review translations of website content in your mother language.
•    Work on projects to enhance team operations and improve productivity.

•    A very strong focus on customer satisfaction.
•    Minimum 2-3 years experience in multi-channel support, preferably for an Internet or e-Commerce company.
•    Ability to prioritize, analyze and plan actions in a fast-paced environment.
•    Native level in Spanish
•    Fluency in English required.
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate both externally (with customers) and internally (with various departments and levels within the company).
•    Outstanding problem-solving abilities and organizational skills.
•    Excellent knowledge of Internet and software applications, including Microsoft Office products.
•    Strong initiative and ability to aptly handle ambiguity, competing priorities, and multitasking.
•    A university degree is required.
An EU passport or work permit is required for this position

Please send your CV to Jean de La Fournière at jean@approachpeople.com


Demonstration planned against Ontario separate schools

Humanist Canada is supporting a Protest Rally on September 13th against Ontario's dual education system in which both Public Schools and Catholic religious schools are funded with Public School tax dollars.  The intention is to try and bring public attention to bear on what is an unfair and discriminatory practice on the part of the Province of Ontario.   The rally will take place on the first day of an Ontario Government Education Summit taking place at the Royal York Hotel, September 13th and 14th.

The rally is being held in cooperation with CFI, Secular Ontario, Civil Rights in Public Education and others. The key question is: Why should Public Tax Dollars, which should go to funding public education in Ontario, be split so as to fund two different education systems in Ontario, one Public, the other Catholic Separate?    A partial answer to this question is that it's in Canada's Constitution.  Yet, that fact did not stop Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland from opting out.  Three Canadian provinces have said no to separate schools.  Ontario can too!

mcguinty-schoolsThe issue has general public support in Ontario but Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal Government seems to want to avoid the issue - probably because of fear of alienating the Catholic vote who mostly vote Liberal.  It was not too long ago that his rival, John Tory, got beaten in a vote because he wanted to allow funding to schools of other faiths.  The political lesson?  Don't touch the subject!
In a recent letter to Humanists in Canada, Humanist Canada treasurer Bill Broderick asks that as many as possible should participate in the rally.  He offers the following list of reasons as to why Ontario should opt out.

  1. In Ontario, Roman Catholicism is the only religion that has access to funding from Public Education Taxes.  This is discriminatory.  No other religious schools can be funded from Public Education Taxes.
  2. Canada has twice been criticized by the United Nations Human Rights Commission for allowing this blatant discrimination which favours only the Roman Catholic Church.
  3. The present system is wasteful.  We're funding Public and Separate School Boards when all we really need are Public School Boards.  Our Public Schools are crying because of inadequate funding.  There are not enough Education Tax Dollars to adequately fund all schools in Ontario under the present divisive system.
  4. Maintaining four different kinds of School Boards is expensive.  We have English Public, French Public, English Catholic, French Catholic.  It's estimated that by eliminating the Catholic Boards, we can save up to $500 million a year, maybe more.  That's money that could go into our schools and into education instead of into maintaining duplicate boards.
  5. Funding religious schools is funding religious discrimination.  Catholic school boards hire only Catholic teachers.  Non-Catholic teachers are not accepted in the publicly- funded Catholic schools of Ontario.  But Catholic teachers can be and are hired everywhere in the education system.  That's rank discrimination on the basis of religion.
  6. Students in Ontario are segregated into Public and Religious schools.  Religious schools pass along their religious biases and prejudices, homophobia and other forms of intolerance, to impressionable young minds!
  7. A common misperception is that Catholics fund Catholic schools and non-Catholics fund Public schools.  This is not true.    All Education and other taxes go into a single pool out of which all the schools, public and religious, are funded
  8. When John Tory proposed to extend funding to all faith-based schools in 2007, an Ipsos-Reid poll of Ontarians found that 62 percent of respondents opposed the idea that "Government extend full funding to these faith-based schools and others of a similar nature."
  9. Modern democracy rests upon the separation of church and state.  It is unethical that any religion should have access to government and government funding.  Canadian citizens embrace many religions and a growing number embrace none at all.  Today, those claiming no religion number 25 percent.
  10. To read more about this event and also the HUMANIST PERSPECTIVES article "Canada's Dirty Little Secret" which outlines the problems of our current education system, please visit the following website:

See also this article in Humanist perspectives: Canada's dirty little secret.

The Cobourg Atheist strongly supports this initiative and has regularly featured articles on the subject.
Below are listed some of them.

Catholic Schools in Ontario

Faith based schools in U.K.

Update Sept 15, 2010

A particpant in the rally has sent this letter to several newspapers for publication:

Dear Editor:
Many Quinte-area readers probably saw some of the television news coverage on Monday or read the Globe and Mail report on Tuesday about the protest rally in Toronto against the separate school system in Ontario held on Monday, September 13th. Two of us from Belleville and Bancroft participated in this rally which was held in conjunction with an Ontario government international education summit meeting being held in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Monday and Tuesday. Over 100 persons participated in the rally, some coming from as far away as Ottawa and Niagara.

The rally was organized by the One School System Network, a coalition of some fourteen different organizations both secular and religious, which are concerned about education quality and improving education in Ontario.

Why are we protesting the separate school system in Ontario?

We are protesting because the separate school system wastes hundreds of millions of education dollars at a time when many of our schools are underfunded, programs are being cut, schools are being closed, and because Canada has twice been censured by the United Nations Human Rights Commission for violating the equality rights of its own citizens by virtue of the publicly-sanctioned religious discrimination in the Ontario school system.

Canada today is a far-different country than when it was founded in 1867. At our country's founding, only two religions were recognized: Protestant and Catholic. Today Canada is a cosmopolitan multi-cultural country with many religions. Also, fully one-quarter of Canadians have no religious beliefs at all. It is patently unfair that one religion should receive public education funding while others cannot.

It is our hope that religious discrimination in education can be eliminated in Ontario. Three provinces have said no to funding religious education: Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland.  Ontario can too.

Let's have a publicly-funded school system in Ontario that discriminates against no one on the basis of religion.

William Broderick


15 Most Incredible Plunge Waterfalls on Earth

Plunge waterfalls are waterfalls that drop vertically while losing contact with the underlying cliff face, or bedrock, behind them. They often make for great spectacles as they plummet headlong over sheer drops in breathtaking torrents – and the views from the top are sometimes dizzying to say the least! We’ve found 15 from around the world, for your wonderment.

15. Havasu Falls

One of the most visited falls in the Grand Canyon, Havasu Falls leaps spectacularly over a 120-foot (37 m) vertical cliff. The water is highly mineralized, and its erosive powers cause the occasional division of the falls into two chutes as well as having created the blue-green pools below.

14. Waireinga Falls

Waireinga Falls is the Maori name of Bridal Veil Falls, located along the Pakoka River in New Zealand. This magnificent plunge waterfall is 180 feet (55 meters) high and over time has caused a large pool to form at its base.

13. Jog Falls

Jog Falls, India's second highest plunge waterfall, is made up of four distinct, segmented falls, and is fed by the Sharavathi River. The tallest plunges 830 ft (253 m) down into a deep chasm in a continuous column of water.

12. Trou de Fer

Trou de Fer ("Iron Hole") on Reunion Island is a canyon that is home to several waterfalls, including one, created by the Bras de Caverne River, that plummets from a height of around 700 feet (210 m).

11. Cuquenan Falls

Its waters falling in a continuous leap from a height of some 2000 feet (670 m) up in the air, Cuquenan Falls is the second highest waterfall in Venezuela. It’s topped only by Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world.

10. La Fortuna Waterfall

Running through the rainforest in Costa Rica, the Tenorio River feeds this marvelous plunge waterfall. It is 230 to 246 feet (70 to 75 m) high and is found at the base of the Chato volcano.

9. Nohkalikai Falls

Nohkalikai Falls in India is an absolutely stunning example of a plunge waterfall – and one that plummets from mighty height: 1100 feet (335 m). It almost looks as though the chute is emerging from the mist to create the small pool, with its gorgeous green color, at the bottom. Not a place to go white water rafting though!

8. Shōmyō Falls

These twin plunge waterfalls have been designated one of Japan’s 100 Soundscapes – symbols to promote the rediscovery of everyday sounds. The waterfall on the left, Shōmyō-daki, is the highest in Japan, plunging 1,148 feet (350 m).

7. Madhabkunda Waterfall

8. Shōmyō Falls

Madhabkunda is the largest waterfall in Bangladesh and a popular tourist spot. Massive amounts of water plunge from a height of 200 feet (61 m)

6. Whangarei Falls

The Hatea River in New Zealand plunges 85 feet (26 m) at Whangarei Falls. It was considered such a special spot that in the 1920s the land was bought to prevent its being exploited, and in 1946 it was purchased on behalf of the local citizens.

5. Hunlen Falls

Hunlen Falls is located on Canada's west coast, in British Columbia. At 1,316 ft (401 m), it is the highest waterfall in the country, plummeting as a single, unbroken stream. There is no road to the falls, so visitors often fly in on a floatplane and then hike there.

4. Cachoeira da Fumaça

This spectacular waterfall – the name of which translates as “Smoke Falls” in English – is located in Brazil and is thought to be the country's second highest, after the recently-discovered Cachoeira do Araca in the Amazon. It was named because of the way the wind sprays the water as it plummets down, some 1,200 feet (380 m) to the bottom.

3. Kjelfossen Falls

Located in Norway, this spectacular waterfall is 2,477 feet (755 meters) high in total, though some believe it is even taller. It is considered the 18th highest waterfall in the world and its longest single drop is 489 feet (149 m).

2. Angel Falls

Feeding into the Kerep River, Angel Falls in Venezuela is not only the highest plunge waterfall in the world but the highest waterfall of any kind. It is 3,212 feet (979 m) at its tallest point, while the longest drop itself plunges 2,648 ft (807 m). In the local Pemon language, the waterfall’s name means "waterfall of the deepest place," or "the fall from the highest point."

1.Howick Falls

Known as the "Place of the Tall One" among the Zulu people of South Africa, Howick Falls drops from a height of 310 feet (95 m). It may not be the tallest plunge waterfall in the world but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. Legend says that the Inkanyamba, a mythical snake-like creature, lives in the pool below the falls.

Bonus: Sempervirens Falls

As a bonus, a stunning, if small, plunge waterfall located in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California. Here, it looks as though it is tumbling from a fallen tree.


Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 1-½ hours proving

Cooking time: 25 minutes

You’ll need:

250ml warm water

1 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

500g strong white bread flour

½ tsp salt   1 tsp dried sage (optional)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

150g plain cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot, drained and pureed

5 rashers smoked streaky bacon / or 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds (for veg version)

80g mature cheddar, grated

What to do:

1. In a jug mix the water with the yeast and sugar. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate - after 5-10 minutes there should be a layer of foam on the surface.

2. In a food mixer or large bowl tip the flour, make a well in the centre and add the salt, dried sage and olive oil.

3. Pour in the water and yeast and the pureed beetroot and knead with a dough hook for 5 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes. Set aside in a non-draughty place to rise for around an hour or until it has doubled in size.

4. Whilst the bread is rising cook the bacon until crisp. Allow to cool and cut into small pieces and set aside.

5. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the bacon and cheese over the surface and roll up into a log shape, tucking the ends under.

6. Transfer to a baking sheet and set aside for 20 minutes to rise for a second time. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7)

7. Once the bread has finished its second rise, cook in a hot oven for around 25 minutes. If it is done the bread should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the base. Serve whilst still warm cut into thick slices with plenty of butter.

Recipe by


The Flexible Platform and the Circular Economy

Many of us are familiar with the disturbing messages about the impact we as humans are having on the planet. The majority of our ecosystems are now in decline and in order to sustain human activity at our current rates, we will require the resources of three planets. When we look at our current economic system, we can see a similar, gloomy picture. Our economic system is increasingly failing to provide for current and future needs of people and the planet.

It is clear that a transformation of our current system towards a better economic system is necessary. We need an economy that is sustainable, a circular economy. In a circular economy there is an explicit focus on the investment in people, prosperity, and wellbeing as well as on the protection and restoration of our natural systems and biodiversity. This economy follows the laws of nature: it stimulates diversity and emphasizes the conversion of waste to food, therewith creating a circular system.

 CE picture

However, some crucial ingredients for a smooth transition to a circular economy are still lacking. At the moment, our society is far from being a breeding ground for sustainable economic change. For a transition to take place, we first of all need broad-based knowledge and understanding about sustainable economic development and strategies for transformation. Secondly, we will also need to create a tightly knit network of actors from all layers of society that focuses on the joint formulation of strategic plans, cooperation, and information sharing related to developing a circular economy. These actors will need to have a strong common drive to instigate and pursue economic change.

The aforementioned characteristics are a prerequisite for the economy to become and remain sustainable. It is therefore essential for these to be developed in our society. Being a network organization that aims to create links between societal actors and initiatives and to serve as a knowledge platform, this is where we as The Flexible Platform have a sense of vocation and see a very important challenge.  We have chosen that we focus an important part of our energy on the creation of a fertile breeding ground for the transition to a circular economy. The coming weeks, months and years, we will develop initiatives in order to pursue this goal. These projects and initiatives will aim to raise awareness among key actors about the necessity of a transition to a sustainable economy and provide a platform for communication and joint learning about it. We will strive to build leadership capacity among the key actors, which can instigate a self-reinforcing process of transformation within Dutch society and beyond. The unifying Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, which is at the core of all our work, provides the backbone and shared language around which we will explore, together with others, the pathways that emerge toward a circular economy.

We are very excited to get started with this new challenge!

Some first steps have already been taken during the National Sustainability Congress. During our interactive workshop there, 200 participants shared their ideas and thoughts on a transition to a sustainable economy. The report on this workshop, the ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Circular Economy’ can be found here.

Nederlands the Natural Step


Teacher — Fotopedia
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A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students (adults). The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college. These professional qualifications may include the study of pedagogy, the science of teaching. Teachers, like other professionals, may have to continue their education after they qualify, a process known as continuing professional development. Teachers may use a lesson plan to facilitate student learning, providing a course of study which is called the curriculum.

A teacher's role may vary among cultures. Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills.

A teacher who facilitates education for an individual may also be described as a personal tutor, or, largely historically, a governess.

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Research Profile -- Graduate School. Spring 2003 . Vol. 25 No.2 UWM Home

Advancing academia and industry at the AAF. By Peter Hansen

It’s a hectic early spring day at the Advanced Analysis Facility on the UWM campus. Director Andrei Skliarov is to depart the next day for a trip to his native Russia, and he and researcher Steven Hardcastle are scrambling to identify trace components in a sample brought in by an industrial client. To solve the mystery, Skliarov dashes around a large room, between a scanning electron microscope, a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer, a light microscope, and several computer monitors, all the while discussing possibilities in his thick Russian accent, talking half to the client and half to himself.

Unlike other facilities in Wisconsin, which focus on specific areas, the AAF houses a broad spectrum of analytical tools, providing the flexibility to answer a wide variety of questions in materials analysis, trace components analysis, and molecular structure analysis.

  Deb Generotzky

AAF researcher Steven Hardcastle prepares a sample at the ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis) spectrometer. Hardcastle first came to UWM in 1991 as a postdoctoral fellow for former physics professor Brian Tonner.
Due to confidentiality agreements with companies they work with, Skliarov and Hardcastle can’t discuss specific details about their industrial projects. One dealt with developing coatings to increase the durability of outdoor signage, which can be challenging.

“It’s never one-layer polymer layers,” Skliarov says. “It’s very complex structure: sometimes two, three, five layers that have different properties—optical and electrical properties.”

Another example they mention is touchscreen technology, which is seen in industrial and financial applications, as well as video games. “Very tricky technology involved,” Skliarov says. “When you hear what they do, you get amazed.”

Prominent area businesses the AAF has worked for include label and signage manufacturer Brady Corporation, engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton, automotive and facility management control designer Johnson Controls, SC Johnson, Miller Brewing, Aldridge Chemical, Benz Oil, Oshkosh Truck, and many others.

Skliarov and Hardcastle generally work in the material sciences—physics, chemistry, materials—but have found themselves exploring other areas as well.

“We do not limit ourselves,” Skliarov says. “We’re pushed by other people to use our knowledge in physics and chemistry, physical chemistry, and chemical physics.”

“A lot of times,” Hardcastle chimes in, “we ourselves aren’t sure what technique is the best to get answers. So we look at different techniques until we find out specifically how to solve the customer’s problem.”

The AAF is also a critical resource for campus researchers. In the past, the facilities have offered internship opportunities for students, and current users include materials professors Carolyn Aita, Tery Barr, Lian Li, and Pradeep Rohatgi; Associate Professor Vladislav Yakovlev and Professor Prasenjit Guptasarma in physics; and professors Dennis Bennett and Wilfred Tysoe in chemistry.

AAF materials analysis instruments

X-Ray Diffraction

Deb Generotzky

Hardcastle explains how samples are loaded into the X-ray diffraction spectrometer.
Measures the intensity of an X-ray beam diffracted from materials (mainly solids and films). This a non-destructive technique with minimum sample preparation needed. This technique yields information about the inter-planar atomic distances in the case of crystal materials and atom-atom distances for amorphous solids. The exact crystal phase of the solid can be identified from the measured diffraction peak positions. In addition, glancing angle diffraction scans can study the atomic structure of thin films less than 50 nanometers, and can measure the thickness of thin films. X-ray diffraction can be applied to many science and engineering fields including materials science, metallurgy, physics, chemistry, dentistry, geology, and biology.

Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) or X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Sample is irradiated with a mono-energetic X-ray beam, causing photoelectrons to be emitted from the sample. An energy analyzer determines the kinetic energy and thus binding energy of the emitted photoelectrons, from which the elemental identity, chemical state, and quantity of an element can be determined. Elemental and chemical information is collected from the top 0.5 to 1.0 nanometer of a surface. Information provided about surface layers or thin film structures is useful in different applications including: polymer modification, catalysis, corrosion, adhesion, semiconductors, electronics packaging, magnetic media, and thin film coatings.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Electron Probe (EP)

  Peter Hansen

Advanced Analysis Facility Director Andrei Skliarov (below) was enlisted by former Graduate School Dean George Keulks to start the AAF in the early 1990s. Keulks envisioned the facility as a cost-effective way to acquire and maintain scientific instrumentation for university-wide use and as a way to promote partnerships with local industries. Many prominent companies enlist the AAF to answer challenging technological questions, and academic researchers from other countries have made use of the facilities.
Provides a highly magnified surface image of a sample with good depth perception. Can be used to identify morphology of the samples, surface imperfections, and contaminants down to 10 nanometers or a magnification of 100,000. In addition, the electron probe attachment collects the electron-beam-induced X-rays from the sample. Thus, surface elements and contamination can be measured and identified (for carbon and higher atomic number elements). Elemental information is generally confined to the top 1 to 3 micrometers of the surface of the sample. SEM/EP can be used for such diverse fields as analysis of composite structures and failures, materials composition and uniformity, gun shot residuals, and the thickness of thin films.

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

Combines the ability of gas chromatography (GC) to separate compounds from a complex mixture with the ability of mass spectroscopy (MS) to identify those compounds, and accurately determine the amounts present. Data is recorded by a computerized system that also analyzes the information obtained and controls the instruments. GC/MS is very sensitive, and can identify samples containing femtogram quantities of compounds. It can analyze a wide range of samples and can be used by entities such as environmental agencies, medical and forensic labs, and the control boards for athletics and horse racing.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy/FTIR

Left: Electron microscopy images of aluminum composite material (grey area) strengthened with graphite fibers (black area) seen in crosssection. The fibers are coated with nickel (white rings around graphite) to increase the adhesiveness of the fibers with the aluminum matrix. From the lab of Professor Pradeep Rohatgi in the Materials Department. Right: The initial method to development new composition superconductors with ever higher transition temperatures is to grind and heat individual compounds until the single desired compound is formed. Here the desired bismuth, strontium, calcium, copper oxide superconductor has not been formed yet. There are obviously at least two distinct compounds present (smooth- and fluffy-looking areas). From the lab of Professor Prasenjit Guptasarma in Physics.
Infrared radiation can be absorbed by the molecular vibrations of a sample. This measured absorption spectrum is used as a “fingerprint” and compared with literally thousands of organic library spectra to identify the compound(s) present. Various attachments have been developed to measure very thin films (down to a few atomic layers) and with microscopic spectroscopy samples and contaminates down to 10 micrometers can be studied. FTIR is primarily used for liquid and solid organic compound identification. It can also be used for gases and, to a limited extent, inorganic compounds.

Raman Microscopic Spectroscopy

Raman Spectroscopy also measures the molecular vibrations, but uses a different physical property than FTIR. Raman uses a laser (UV to Visible to IR wavelengths are possible) to excite a sample and then measures the shift in wavelengths (very small) as a result. Water does not give a Raman signal, wet samples and suspensions in water can be studied easily. In addition, inorganic samples can be studied with better results than FTIR. The lateral resolution in the case of Laser Raman Microscopy is mainly determined by the optical lenses used and can easily be less than 2 micrometers.

Research Profile HOME UWM Home


Strategy and Technology - Harvard Business School MBA Program

Strategy and Technology

Course Number 1286

Associate Professor Andrei Hagiu
Fall; Q1Q2; 3 credits
25 Sessions
Final exam or paper

Strategy and Technology Course Snapshot
Fall 2013 and Technology Syllabus

This course explores the unique aspects of creating effective management and investment strategies for technology-intensive businesses. What are effective strategies for winning in markets with strong network effects? How should firms go about commercializing highly uncertain, science-based technologies? How can technology be leveraged to build (multi-sided) platforms? How can firms create and capture the value from intellectual property assets? How can they sustain value despite wide-spread imitation and convergence with substitute technologies?

The course provides a series of useful concepts and frameworks which students can directly apply to strategic and investment problems they may encounter post-graduation. Throughout the course, there will be a heavy emphasis on going from concepts and market analysis all the way to the formulation of concrete strategies.

Industries covered include: consumer electronics (smartphones, videogame consoles, PCs, tablets), software (operating systems, virtualization, cloud services), Internet-based businesses (e-commerce, online video, social networking, browsers, app stores), semi-conductors, intellectual property, mobile communications, biotechnology, electronic ink, and mobile payment systems.

Career Focus

The course will be particularly relevant to two types of students: 1) those who anticipate taking managing positions in businesses for which technology is likely to play an important role; 2) those who anticipate consulting or investing in technology industries and must analyze firm strategies. But it may also be valuable for students who do not necessarily plan to pursue a career related to technology. Indeed, the concepts and frameworks covered (e.g. network effects, judo strategy, multi-sided platforms) apply well beyond technology industries.

Content and organization

The course is structured into several modules:

Commercializing New Technologies: Early-stage technologies - particularly those that come out of basic science research - cannot prove their commercial viability without significant investments by venture capitalists (VCs) and/or operating companies. Conversely, VCs and operating companies are reluctant to invest if viability is too uncertain. How can start-ups overcome this problem and are there alternatives to the VC model for science-based companies?

Co-opetition: Understanding the role of complementary assets is critical in technology-intensive businesses: it is virtually impossible today for one company to produce a technology product or service all by itself. This means that a key aspect of strategy is cooperating with providers of complementary products/services, while at the same time maximizing the value extracted for oneself.

Multi-Sided Platforms: The most important competitive battles in technology are no longer between standalone products or services but between ecosystems. The most successful companies are those who build multi-sided platforms (MSPs), which spawn large ecosystems of users and suppliers of complementary products and services. Why and how are MSPs different from "normal" firms? What are the key strategies for creating successful MSPs?

The course relies on case discussions, interactive lectures, student presentations, independent reading, and a significant number of visitors. The readings are primarily drawn from the management and economics literature. The case studies provide extensive opportunities to integrate and apply these abstract tools in practical, competitive strategy contexts. The visitors provide unique opportunities to engage with leading practitioners from the companies and industries we discuss. Grades are determined by class participation (45%), participation in polls (10%), and a final paper or exam (45%). Students who choose to submit a project should do so in teams of 2-4 students. See "Course Requirements and Expectations" for details.


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Traffic Law Glossary

Accusation Felony
Administrative License Suspension Field Sobriety Tests
Alcohol and Drug Evaluation First Offender Plea
Alco Sensor FTA
Anti-Plea Bargaining Laws Georgia DNR
BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) Graduated licensing program
Bill of Rights Habeas corpus
Boating Under the Influence Implied Consent Warning
Breathalyzer Ignition Interlock Device
BUI Mandatory Suspendable Offenses
Distracted Driving Misdemeanor
Driving Record Nolo Contendere
DUI Open Container Laws
DUI Task Force Paraphernalia
DUI School Post Conviction Relief
DWI Previous Offense
Chemical Test Probation
Child Endangerment Probation Revocation
Citation Radar Gun
Controlled Substance Reckless Driving
Different Breathalyzer Tests Refusal
Dram Shop Laws Retainer
Drug Possession Risk Reduction
Drug Scheduling Sobriety Checkpoint
Elimination Standard drink
Expungment Super Speeder
Extrapolation Work Release
Fake ID Zero Tolerance

Accusation: A document containing several “counts”, or individual charges brought against a person.

Administrative License Suspension: The procedure by which a person can have his/her license suspended even before going to court on the DUI. Generally in most states, a person’s license can be administratively suspended if the person registers
above a certain BAC or refuses the State Chemical test.

Alcohol and Drug Evaluation: A process in which a qualified alcohol evaluator determines whether a person has a possible abuse problem; the
evaluation itself can take one to three hours. The results can indicate that the person needs a 17 week program. A&Ds are mandatory in Georgia on all 2nd and subsequent DUI convictions.

Alco Sensor: A type of breathalyzer used as a preliminary breath test by officers in the field to determine Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).

Anti-Plea Bargaining Laws: Laws that prevent pleas to lessen the defendant’s offense.

BAC (Blood Alcohol Content): Also called Blood Alcohol Concentration. The amount of alcohol in your blood as shown by a chemical test.

Boating Under the Influence: operating a watercraft under the influence of an amount of alcohol or other drugs outside the state’s legal limits.

Breathalyzer: A machine that determines the blood alcohol content through the amount of alcohol in the lungs. “The Breath Test”.

BUI: Boating under the influence of alcohol.

Distracted Driving: A specific inattention by a driver that diverts their focus away from the road.

Driving Record: Records that provide a history of violations, suspensions and other details about a person’s driving history including DUIs.

DUI: Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or any other drugs while operating any vehicle (car, boat, etc.)

DUI Task Force: A group of police officers with specialized training on DUI detection. These officers specifically focus on drunk drivers; many have videos in their patrol cars; many units receive money grants from State and Federal governments.

DUI School: Also known as “Risk Reduction”, it is currently a 20 hour class that is required to obtain license reinstatement due to a DUI license suspension. For more info go to the DDS web site.

DWI: Driving While Intoxicated or Driving While Impaired while under the Influence of alcohol or any other drugs while operating any vehicle (car, boat, etc.)

Chemical Test: A breath, blood, or urine test used to measure the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood in order to determine intoxication.

Child Endangerment: Whether a child under 14 was in the vehicle during an arrest. May result in enhanced
sanctions and penalties.

Citation: A legal document issued to a person charged with an offense. Usually indicates a court date and the charge placed against the person.

Controlled Substance: A drug or chemical that is regulated by state and federal governments in the areas of production, custody, and usage.

Different Breathalyzer Tests:

  1. BAC Datamaster – uses infrared spectroscopy to estimate blood-alcohol level. These devices can make mistakes, especially if they are stored improperly
    or calibrated poorly.
  2. Breathalyzer – uses a breath sample to estimate blood-alcohol level. Now being phased out, the term “breathalyzer” is a common term for any
    breath-testing device.
  3. Intoxylizer – uses infrared spectroscopy to estimate blood-alcohol level.
  4. Intoximeter – may use a combination of fuel cell and infrared spectroscopy technology to determine blood-alcohol content.

Dram Shop Laws: Placing responsibility on the business that served alcohol to someone already intoxicated; if an accident or serious injury results, liability may also be placed.

Drug Possession: The crime of having illegal drugs or components of illegal drugs within your ownership for use, sale, or production of illegal substances.

Drug Scheduling: A system of classification by which the state and federal governments determine drug possession charges based on the potential for addiction, medically approved uses, and effects on the user.

Elimination: The amount of time it takes for the body to reduce the amount of alcohol in the blood. Your body’s metabolism can generally remove one drink per hour.

Expungment: A process whereby a person’s criminal arrest is deleted. In most States expungment is not available for a DUI arrest.

Extrapolation: The estimation of one’s BAC from at a specific time, taking into account age, weight, amount consumed, time spent drinking, etc.

Fake ID: An identification showing that someone under aged is actually over 21. Penalties can include suspension of driver’s license; under some circumstances, can be considered a felony.

Felony: A crime where the penalty is over a year in jail. DUIs are mostly misdemeanors, but in some States a DUI can be elevated to felony status in certain situations, like repeat or habitual offenses, or any DUI-related fatalities.

Field Sobriety Tests:

  1. Standard Field Sobriety Test – 3 tests, consisting of a horizontal gaze test, walk-and-turn test, and the one-leg stand test.
  2. Divided Attention Testing – A test where one must follow instructions and listen while performing basic physical movements; the walk-and-turn and
    one-leg stand tests are examples.
  3. Common Sobriety Tests – The following are simple tests generally used to find probable cause of a DUI: Counting, Finger-to-Nose, Reciting the Alphabet,
    Standing on One Leg, Walking a Line, Walk-and-Turn, and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus.

First Offender Plea: A plea whereby the Defendant “pleads” guilty, but the case is dismissed after the Defendant has completed certain conditions of his/her sentence. Most States do not allow first offender on DUI cases, but do allow first offender on drug
possession cases.

FTA: Failure to appear. If a person fails to appear on their scheduled court date, several things may happen. Any bond will be forfeited to the court system. The driver’s license could be suspended or revoked. A warrant may be issued.

Georgia DNR: Also known as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, this department has the authority to stop boaters when suspicious of BUI.

Graduated licensing program: State mandated laws requiring new drivers (typically teens) to acquire a certain number of practice driving hours before they receive their licenses as well as restrictions to the age and
number of passengers they’re allowed to carry initially.

Habeas corpus: action filed to challenge the legality of an individual’s incarceration.

Implied Consent Warning: The only “rights” that must be read to a DUI suspect before the State can request a State chemical test of the suspect’s blood, breath, urine, or other bodily substance. The arresting officer must read the ICW (normally from an orange colored card) at the time of arrest.

Ignition Interlock Device: A device the size of a cell phone, placed in a car; the driver must blow into the device, and if any measurable amount of alcohol is present, the car will not start. Mandatory for multiple DUI offenders in most States, and for even
first time offenders in some states.

Mandatory Suspendable Offenses: Georgia Code 40-5-54 provides that a conviction of the following traffic violations results in a mandatory license suspension: Vehicular Homicide; Serious injury by vehicle; Felony
while using a motor vehicle; Unlawful or fraudulent use of a license or ID; Driving on suspended, revoked or cancelled license; Racing; Hit and Run; Fleeing and Eluding; DUI.

Misdemeanor: Crimes where the maximum punishment is one year in jail and a $1000 fine. DUIs are generally misdemeanors. Multiple DUI convictions can be considered a “high and aggravated” misdemeanor which can result in higher fines.

Nolo Contendere: A form of plea meaning “no contest” – a person will not defend the charges placed against them. Usually unavailable in DUI cases; if available, pleading “nolo” almost always counts as a DUI charge and with it, license suspension and mandatory
minimum punishment.

Open Container Laws: This law prohibits the drinking of alcohol inside a vehicle or public area. As far as inside a vehicle is concerned, some states won’t allow anyone in the vehicle to have open containers, while others won’t allow the driver to
have an open container.

Paraphernalia: Any apparatus, invention, or object that is created or modified for manufacture, use, or disguise of illegal substances.

Post conviction relief: The process of reversing a criminal plea or pursuing expungement of a criminal record.

Previous Offense: Conviction of drug possession or DUI before the current conviction, often causes harsher punishments.

Probation: A judge can issue probation in lieu of some or all of a convicted offender’s jail time. The offender must not violate the law, must complete the sentence and must report to their probation officer as required.

Probation Revocation: If a person on probation fails to comply with his/her sentence or violates any of the terms of probation, their probation can be “revoked” by the judge, and the probationer can be sentenced to jail.

Radar Gun: Tool used by police officers to detect a driver’s speed.

Reckless Driving: Operating a motor vehicle without regard for the safety of others.

Refusal: Refusing to take either a chemical or breath test. In most states, refusing these tests results in immediate license suspension.

Retainer: This is, essentially a contract between the lawyer and the defendant, allowing the lawyer to act on the person’s behalf and represent them in legal matters. SR-22 Insurance: Insurance stating a driver has liability coverage and the insurance company will be notified if it is cancelled. This type of insurance is necessary in most states for those who have a DUI conviction.

Risk Reduction: see DUI School.

Sobriety Checkpoint: Temporary checkpoints or road blocks that police set up to check drivers for alcohol consumption and intoxicated driving.

Standard drink: Any drink that contains about 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol.

Super Speeder: In Georgia, a person convicted of speeding 85 mile per hour on more on Interstates, and 75 miles per hour or more on two lane roads. The consequences: an additional fine of $200 from Driver’s Services; if the fine is not paid within 90 days of
notice from DDS, the license is suspended.

Work Release: A form of incarceration whereby the defendant goes to work during the day, then returns to jail at night.

Zero Tolerance: Law allowing penalties for those under 21 with negligible amounts of alcohol in their system; Illegal to drive with any amount of alcohol in their system.


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Hubble Spies Edge-on Beauty
closeup of ngc 891 showing dark filaments escaping the galactic halo
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
› Larger image

Visible in the constellation of Andromeda, NGC 891 is located approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope turned its powerful wide field Advanced Camera for Surveys towards this spiral galaxy and took this close-up of its northern half. The galaxy's central bulge is just out of the image on the bottom left.

The galaxy, spanning some 100,000 light-years, is seen exactly edge-on, and reveals its thick plane of dust and interstellar gas. While initially thought to look like our own Milky Way if seen from the side, more detailed surveys revealed the existence of filaments of dust and gas escaping the plane of the galaxy into the halo over hundreds of light-years. They can be clearly seen here against the bright background of the galaxy halo, expanding into space from the disk of the galaxy.

Astronomers believe these filaments to be the result of the ejection of material due to supernovae or intense stellar formation activity. By lighting up when they are born, or exploding when they die, stars cause powerful winds that can blow dust and gas over hundreds of light-years in space.

A few foreground stars from the Milky Way shine brightly in the image, while distant elliptical galaxies can be seen in the lower right of the image.

NGC 891 is part of a small group of galaxies bound together by gravity.

A version of this image was entered into the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures Image Processing Competition by contestant Nick Rose. Hidden Treasures is an initiative to invite astronomy enthusiasts to search the Hubble archive for stunning images that have never been seen by the general public.


Polysemy ( pron.: / p ə ˈ l ɪ s ɨ m i / or / ˈ p ɒ l ɨ s iː m i / ; [ 1 ] [ 2 ] from Greek : πολυ- , poly- , "many" and σῆμα , sêma , "sign") is the capacity for a sign (e.g., a word, phrase, etc.) or signs to have multiple related meanings ( sememes ), i.e., a large semantic field . It is usually regarded as distinct from homonymy , in which the multiple meanings of a word may be unconnected or unrelated. Charles Fillmore and Beryl Atkins’ definition stipulates three elements: (i) the various senses of a polysemous word have a central origin, (ii) the links between these senses form a network, and (iii) understanding the ‘inner’ one contributes to understanding of the ‘outer’ one. [ 3 ]

A strange loop , technically called tangled hierarchy consciousness, arises when, by moving only upwards or downwards through a hierarchical system, one finds oneself back where one started. Strange loops may involve self-reference and paradox . The concept of a strange loop was proposed and extensively discussed by Douglas Hofstadter in Gödel, Escher, Bach , and is further elaborated in Hofstadter's book I Am a Strange Loop , published in 2007. A tangled hierarchy is a hierarchical consciousness system in which a strange loop appears.

Strange loop
The quantum mind–body problem refers to the philosophical discussions of the mind–body problem in the context of quantum mechanics . Some interpretations of quantum mechanics posit a special role for consciousness in the process of quantum measurement . [ edit ] Background and history

Quantum mind–body problem

The hard problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining how and why we have qualia or phenomenal experiences — how sensations acquire characteristics, such as colors and tastes. [ 1 ] David Chalmers , [ 2 ] who introduced the term "hard problem" of consciousness, contrasts this with the "easy problems" of explaining the ability to discriminate, integrate information, report mental states, focus attention, etc. Easy problems are easy because all that is required for their solution is to specify a mechanism that can perform the function. That is, their proposed solutions, regardless of how complex or poorly understood they may be, can be entirely consistent with the modern materialistic conception of natural phenomena. Chalmers claims that the problem of experience is distinct from this set, and he argues that the problem of experience will "persist even when the performance of all the relevant functions is explained". [ 3 ]

Hard problem of consciousness

Observer effect (physics)

In science , the term observer effect refers to changes that the act of observation will make on a phenomenon being observed. This is often the result of instruments that, by necessity, alter the state of what they measure in some manner. A commonplace example is checking the pressure in an automobile tire; this is difficult to do without letting out some of the air, thus changing the pressure. This effect can be observed in many domains of physics. The Chinese room is a thought experiment presented by John Searle . It supposes that there is a program that gives a computer the ability to carry on an intelligent conversation in written Chinese. If the program is given to someone who speaks only English to execute the instructions of the program by hand, then in theory, the English speaker would also be able to carry on a conversation in written Chinese. However, the English speaker would not be able to understand the conversation. Similarly, Searle concludes, a computer executing the program would not understand the conversation either. The experiment is the centerpiece of Searle's Chinese room argument which holds that a program cannot give a computer a " mind ", " understanding " or " consciousness ", [ a ] regardless of how intelligently it may make it behave.

Chinese room

An intuition pump is a thought experiment structured to elicit intuitive answers about a problem. [ 1 ] The term was coined by Daniel Dennett . In Consciousness Explained , he uses the term pejoratively to describe John Searle 's Chinese room thought experiment, characterizing it as designed to elicit intuitive but incorrect answers by formulating the description in such a way that important implications of the experiment would be difficult to imagine and tend to be ignored. In the case of the Chinese Room argument, Dennett argues that the intuitive notion that a person manipulating symbols seems inadequate to constitute any form of consciousness ignores the requirements of memory , recall , emotion , world knowledge and rationality that the system would actually need to pass such a test. "Searle does not deny that programs can have all this structure, of course," Dennett says. [ 2 ] "He simply discourages us from attending to it.

Intuition pump

Twin Earth thought experiment

The Twin Earth thought experiment was a thought experiment presented by philosopher Hilary Putnam in his 1973 paper "Meaning and Reference" and subsequent 1975 paper "The Meaning of 'Meaning'", as an early argument for what has subsequently come to be known as semantic externalism . Since that time, philosophers have proposed a number of variations on the experiment. [ edit ] The thought experiment

Swampman is the subject of a philosophical thought experiment introduced by Donald Davidson , in his 1987 paper "Knowing One's Own Mind". The experiment runs as follows: Suppose Davidson goes hiking in the swamp and is struck and killed by a lightning bolt. At the same time, nearby in the swamp another lightning bolt spontaneously rearranges a bunch of molecules such that, entirely by coincidence, they take on exactly the same form that Davidson's body had at the moment of his untimely death. This being, whom Davidson terms 'Swampman', has, of course, a brain which is structurally identical to that which Davidson had, and will thus, presumably, behave exactly as Davidson would have. He will walk out of the swamp, return to Davidson's office at Berkeley, and write the same essays he would have written; he will interact like an amicable person with all of Davidson's friends and family, and so forth.
A phrenological mapping [ 1 ] of the brain . Phrenology was among the first attempts to correlate mental functions with specific parts of the brain. Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind , mental events , mental functions , mental properties , consciousness , and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem , i.e. the relationship of the mind to the body, is commonly seen as one key issue in philosophy of mind, although there are other issues concerning the nature of the mind that do not involve its relation to the physical body, such as how consciousness is possible and the nature of particular mental states. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Dualism and monism are the two major schools of thought that attempt to resolve the mind-body problem.

Philosophy of mind
Neuroscience of free will refers to recent neuroscientific investigation of questions concerning free will . It is a topic of philosophy and science . One question is whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions or decisions. As it has become possible to study the living brain , researchers have begun to watch decision making processes at work. Findings could carry implications for moral responsibility in general. Moreover, some research shows that if findings seem to challenge people's belief in the idea of free will itself then this can affect their sense of agency (e.g. sense of control in their life). [ 1 ] [ 2 ]

Neuroscience of free will


Hagerman Pass

For all their ruggedness, the Sawatch Mountains were far from impervious to man's endeavors during the nineteenth century. A good example of this is the old railroad grade that crosses the Continental Divide by way of the 2,161-foot-long Hagerman Tunnel. Representing the labor of hundreds of immigrant laborers, this tunnel was the highest railroad tunnel in the world at the time of its completion in 1887.  Begun in the early 1880s, the Colorado Midland Railroad was the first standard gauge railroad to traverse the Colorado Rockies. Old ties are strewn about, some still in place and others discarded to the side. A little over a mile from the start the grade reaches the first of two ravines that were once crossed by lengthy trestles. The Hagerman Trestle is no longer standing, but it is possible to visualize the 1,100-foot-long, 84-foot-high structures if it were still in place.


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Math Program

The objective of St. Perpetua's Math program is to ensurethat all students master the basic concepts, comprehend the material, applywhat they have learned and complete all steps necessary in solving mathematicalproblems. Students will work individually, with partners, and in groups. Therewill be a variety of activities and projects such as working with hands onmanipulatives, unraveling problem-solving challenges, writing math assignments,doing presentations and completing computer-math linked projects to meet thedifferent student learning styles. Grading is based on homework, formalassessments, binder organization, class participation and projects.

The goal of the St. Perpetua Math program is to provide allstudents with the standard math curriculum in preparation for the various highschool math levels. Rather than marching students through the curriculum inlockstep, instruction is modified to meet students' varying readiness levelsand learning preferences. The different placements emphasize the students'strengths and the smaller class sizes provide more individual teacher tostudent time. Each year the students are re-assessed for their math classplacement and each year St. Perpetua's Math department determines the number ofmath sections to offer depending on the needs of the student groups.

We are very excited about the opportunity to differentiate our junior high math program and we offer the following sections for the 2012-2013 school year:

     6th Grade Standard Math - Standard 6th Grade Math and Math Skills

     7th grade pre-algebra - Introduction to Pre-Algebra and Standard Pre-Algebra

     8th Grade Algebra I - Introduction to Algebra and multiple sections of Algebra 1

The sixth grade math curriculum contains a review of thefundamental math skills that are necessary to succeed in future math classes.These include operations involving graphing, number concepts, basic geometry,fractions, percents, decimals, exponents, integers, proportions, andprobability. There is more focus on diagramming word problems and usingdifferent problem solving techniques.

The seventh grade math curriculum is a Pre-Algebra coursedesigned to prepare students for the different Algebra levels in the eighthgrade. Concepts include fractions, decimals, percents, integers, exponents,scientific notation, proportions, probability, in-depth study of geometry usingalgebra equations, introduction to graphing, and a peek at polynomials and thePythagorean theorem.

The eighth grade math curriculum comprises of differentlevels of Algebra 1 courses designed to follow the Diocesan State and NationalContent Standards. Concepts include expressions, equations, rational numbers,linear equations, graphing functions, linear inequalities, polynomials,factoring, quadratic equations, and rational expressions. Students areencouraged to apply these concepts through explorations, power-point projectsand group problem solving exercises.

Last Modified on February 26, 2013


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Construction and the built environment

Principal Learning in Construction and the Built Environment provides an introduction to the broad occupational areas in the sector, opportunities to acquire valuable skills and to learn about a wide range of different industries, such as architecture, structural steelwork, painting and decorating, glazing and surveying. The range of topics brings together these related industries and considers relevant issues such as sustainability and effects on the environment.

It includes

  • Designing the built environment - exploring how the built environment is designed and constructed, how it impacts on people and communities; and how history, politics and economics affect it.
  • Create the built environment - develops a range of skills and knowledge needed in different industries ñ for example, using tools,and understanding modern construction methods and materials.
  • Valuing and using the built environment - analyses the need for good management and continuous maintenance and understanding the importance of good design, workmanship and teamwork.:

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Terms and Conditions


Among other cellular responses, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) induces different forms of cell death and the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK). The influence of p38 MAPK activation on TNF-induced apoptosis or necrosis is controversially discussed. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK enhances TNF-induced cell death in murine fibroblast cell lines L929 and NIH3T3. Furthermore, overexpression of dominant-negative versions of p38 MAPK or its upstream kinase MKK6 led to increased cell death in L929 cells. While overexpression of the p38 isoforms alpha and beta did not protect L929 cells from TNF-induced toxicity, overexpression of constitutively active MKK6 decreased TNF-induced cell death. Although the used inhibitors of p38 MAPK decreased the phosphorylation of the survival kinase PKB/Akt, this effect could be ruled out as cause of the observed sensitization to TNF-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, we demonstrate that the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)-dependent gene expression, shown as an example for the anti-apoptotic gene cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (c-IAP2), was reduced by p38 MAPK inhibition. In consequence, we found that inhibition of p38 MAPK led to the activation of the executioner caspase-3.[1]

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