{"content": "Barcoded spores technology could improve emergency response to biological attack\n\nBarcoded spores technology furthers emergency response efforts by expanding testing opportunities across research communities and optimizing data gathering efforts.\n\nABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – It looks like anthrax. It resembles most of the physical properties of the Bacillus anthracis bacteria. It even has a genetic make-up similar to that of the deadly pathogen, and most importantly, it makes hardy, durable spores like its virulent cousin. But it is not anthrax. It is an imposter that is being used as a simulant in a groundbreaking effort at the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) to improve emergency preparedness in the event of a biological attack.\n\nThe simulant, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (Btk), is safe, found in nature and is available to the public at garden supply stores as a gypsy moth caterpillar control agent in organic farming. For Henry S. Gibbons, Ph.D., research microbiologist at ECBC, it is the cornerstone of his group’s work with a barcoded spore technology that uses small genetic signatures to track and identify the simulant spores during large-scale outdoor testing. Monitoring the transportation patterns of simulant strains that mimic the behavior of actual anthrax spores increases the quality of data gathered by researchers, which could eventually be used to help mitigate the costs of clean-up and the extent of social disruption in the event of a real world biological attack.\n\n“The barcoded spore technology helps us prepare for the eventuality of an attack. If we get hit again with something, we will have a better sense of where to clean it up, where it is likely to go, where to focus our emergency response efforts and determine what areas are at greatest risk,” explained Gibbons.\n\nEach genetic signature, or barcode, contains common and specific tags that are integrated into neutral regions of the DNA of the simulant Btk for tracking. ECBC researchers are able to detect and discriminate the barcoded strains from wild-type strains as well as from each other, which enables large-scale testing that could sample more than a dozen pieces of information and dramatically optimize data gathering.\n\nPrevious data gathering methods used by ECBC at the Edgewood Area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. were expensive, labor intensive and involved more than 50 people to set up the outdoor detectors, which collected a limited amount of information in a single test. According to Gibbons, the barcoded spore technology simplifies collection efforts, reduces testing costs and improves the control of previous uncontrollable variables that affect how bacterial spores behave when discharged in an open environment. Large-scale testing could now give researchers the opportunity to trace the simulant in more populous locations such as city subways or residential suburbs.\n\nThe simulant Btk strains used in the barcoded spore testing were selected by ECBC because of the Center’s commitment to safely conducting projects in an environmentally sound manner. The simulant is an ingredient registered with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and found in common commercial products such as Dipel or Thuricide pest control, which is sold online and across the country at garden supply stores. The kind of large-scale testing in various conditions that Gibbons is striving for is a direct result of the heightened safety measures his team uses on a daily basis, with the EPA-registered Btk strain living at the core of the work.\n\n“Better testing methods under multiple conditions can help improve our predictive models for different potential biothreat scenarios,” said Gibbons. “We’re hoping that we have a technology in these barcoded spores that can actually allow some testing on either mock structures or various test beds where people can do some of these modeling studies with an organism that is relatively representative of what they would find in actual virulent Bacillus anthracis.”\n\nThis new technology could be a tremendous asset to clean-up efforts in the wake of a future biological attack, he said, recalling how swabbing representative areas of various locations during the 2001 anthrax attack was the only effective way to track the pathogen during its outbreak through the U.S. Postal Service more than a decade ago. It marked the country’s first case of bioterrorism when contaminated letters were mailed to congressional leaders and members of the news media. Gibbons called the Amerithrax events, as it was classified by the FBI, “one of the major catalysts for the expansion of the biodefense industry as we know it today.”\n\n“One of the problems that came out of the aftermath of the anthrax attacks was we didn’t have a good sense of where to look for these spores and how to track them. We still don’t have a very good sense for how long they’ll last in a given environment,” said Gibbons. “Anthrax has stunningly long term viability and that’s one of the problems of the anthrax clean-up. The current standards for clean is there are no spores in a given location, but how do you certify that? Do you swab every centimeter of every surface?”\n\nThe work being done by Gibbons and his team furthers emergency response efforts with a barcoded spore technology that expands testing opportunities across research communities. The vast amount of information collected and data gathered could have a monumental impact on how first responders, medical personnel and decontamination teams operate during a potential crisis and future attack.\n\nAs a premier Center that specializes in solutions to counter chemical biological threats to U.S. forces and the nation, ECBC’s best offense is a good defense. In order to prepare for the worst-case scenario, the Center is continuing extensive research and engineering innovative technologies that unite and inform the national defense community.\n\n\n\n\n\nMore »\nNote Article\nSee more »", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6690052151679993}
{"content": "email a friend iconprinter friendly icon\nPage [ 3 ] of 4\nResearcher Kira Westaway uses a drill to remove a core sample from a stalagmite taken from a cave near Liang Bua. Stalagmites form when rain seeps through rock crevices above a cave and drips onto the floor, where minerals in the water pile up to form calcified mounds. By dating the stalagmite and analyzing its oxygen and carbon composition, Westaway and other scientists working on Flores hope to find clues to the climate and vegetation of the site when Homo floresiensis lived there.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCould this be the face—shown life-size—of a lost human species that stood three feet tall and inhabited an isolated island world?\n\nSynthetic skin and hair bring to life the cast of an 18,000-year-old skull of a female. Her remains were found with those of six other tiny beings on Flores, where they hunted creatures from giant rats to Komodo dragons and made stone tools—all with brains smaller than a chimp's.\n\nMiniature beings with skulls far smaller than our own sprang from an ancient line of human ancestors. How did they reach—and survive on—a remote Indonesian island?\n\nThomas Sutikna of the Indonesian Centre for Archaeology holds a skull that he and fellow scientists believe represents a new human species, Homo floresiensis. Found in a cave on Flores (map), the species existed alongside modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago, yet may descend from Homo erectus, which arose some two million years ago.\n\nNo ancient humans could have reached flores before big-brained modern people—or so it seemed.\n\nPage [ 3 ] of 4", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5506611466407776}
{"content": "Security Quiz\n\nQuiz: IPsec vs. SSL VPNs\n\nVPNs made headlines this week with a report of a severe flaw in a protocol that IPsec VPNs rely on. Test your knowledge of IPsec and SSL VPNs with this quiz, and\n\n    Requires Free Membership to View\n\nclick through to our additional resources to help you determine which technology best suits your organization's needs.\n\n1.) Which type of VPN encryption sets up a secure, encrypted link between two points, but does not encrypt the headers of the data packets?\na. Transport encryption\nb. Tunneling encryption\n\n2.) Which of the following is a basic requirement of an SSL VPN?\na. Proxy access and protocol conversion\nb. Remote-access orientation\nc. Extranet support\nd. Highly granular access controls\ne. All of the above\n\n3.) In which scenario is an IPsec VPN generally considered a better solution than an SSL VPN for remote access?\na. Telecommuters coming from fixed sites, using managed corporate devices and terminating in a secure, private network on either side.\nb. Telecommuters without fixed access who want to come in from a variety of sites.\n\n4.) Which layer of the network does an IPsec VPN operate on?\na. Layer 3\nb. Layer 4\nc. Layers 4 though 7\nd. None of the above\n\n5.) Which of the following operational modes is the simplest and most usable, as well as the most supported by SSL VPNs?\na. Application translation\nb. Port forwarding\nc. Proxy\nd. Network extension\n\n6.) Which of the following describes an IPsec VPN?\na. Requires host-based clients and hardware at a central location. Users have full office functionality, but there's very little granularity in access control.\nb. Does not require a client download. Remote connections made via a Web browser or a downloadable Java or ActiveX agent. Role-based access can be assigned for each user, and application and client administration is eliminated.\n\n7.) True or False: SSL VPNs are inherently less secure than IPsec VPNs.\na. True\nb. False\n\n8.) Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) allows for...\na. Authentication of the sender of data\nb. Encryption of the data\nc. Both authentication of the sender and encryption of the data\nd. None of the above\n\n9.) Which of the following features of SSL VPNs help avoid the risk of leaving sensitive information on public PCs used to access a corporate network?\na. Secure logout\nb. Credential scrubbing\nc. Auto forms completion disabling\nd. All of the above\n\n10.) What is the transmission of data through a public network in such a way that the routing nodes in the public network are unaware that the transmission is part of a private network?\na. Tunneling\nb. Virtual private network\nc. Output feedback\nd. Promiscuous mode\n\nHow'd you score?\n9-10 correct: VPN virtuoso\n6-8 correct: VPN savvy\n3-5 correct: VPN novice\n0-2 correct: Unversed in VPNs\n\nThis was first published in November 2005\n\nThere are Comments. Add yours.\n\n\nREGISTER or login:\n\nForgot Password?\nSort by: OldestNewest\n\nForgot Password?\n\n\nYour password has been sent to:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6454563140869141}
{"content": "Jackson Under Fire - The Chief on the Clock\n\nBy Keli McAlister\n\nJACKSON, Tenn. - Gill Kendrick took the oath of office, becoming the police chief of the City of Jackson on November 16, 2009. After almost three years in office as Jackson's number one police officer, a small, random polling of the citizens of the city was conducted by 7 Eyewitness News. Despite crime being a common topic of conversation, of the 20 Jacksonian asked, none knew Chief Kendrick's name or face. \"That's interesting,\" he said. \"Yeah, it bothers me. I'd like for everyone to know who their chief is.\"\n\nThe reason why more people do not know who the chief is could be based on the amount of time he does or does not spend in town. Kendrick still calls Brownsville home. \"The issue is I can't sell my home in Brownsville,\" he explained. \"I've told the mayor and the mayor says he understands.\"\n\nMayor Jerry Gist echoed those words saying he would probably do the same thing in the same situation. \"He's 30 minutes from the police department,\" Gist said. \"I live in north Jackson and it takes me 25 minutes on a good day to get to City Hall.\"\n\nKendrick says as soon as he sells his home in Brownsville, he and his wife will move into the house they purchased soon after his hiring in Three Way. It currently sits empty.\n\nHowever, it is not just his time off the clock that takes him out of Jackson. In our search of his travel expense reports, we found, in 2011, Chief Kendrick was reimbursed for things like hotels, food and airfare for 28 full or partial travel days while on the clock. That equals five and a half weeks of work days. \"I would say most of them had to do with the Tennessee Associations of Chiefs of Police in Nashville,\" he recalled.\n\nIn fact, six of his nine trips, in which he submitted expense reports, were for meetings of the TACP, an organization where he served as president in the past. \"I intend to continue my relationship with the Tennessee Associations of Chiefs of Police,\" Kendrick said. \"I feel it's imperative because as chief I need to be trained in the area of my responsibility.\"\n\nChief Kendrick is quick to defend his 28 days of paid work days he spends away from the city. \"I don't think it's extravagant,\" he said. \"I think it's important and would just ask you trust the fact that it's not a vacation.\"\n\nKendrick maintains attending TACP meetings provides him with the necessary 40 hours of training every commissioned officer is required to complete every year. Outside of state requirements of weapons and domestic violence training, there are no departmental guidelines of what type of training officers must receive. Most Jackson officers participate in in-house training.\n\nThough technically Chief Kendrick could complete his training with his officers, he says the classes offered locally do not meet the level of training he needs. When asked if he believed it was worth the time away from the department, he answered, \"Yes, it is.\"\n\nKendrick maintains what he gets while at these two-day to week-long conferences is more than just training. He believes the face-to-face conversations with other department leaders about crime fighting in their area is invaluable. Though Mayor Gist agrees, he says he urges all of his employees to use caution in how many days they're away.\n\nOverall, Mayor Gist believes the city benefits from Chief Kendrick's association with the TACP. \"It casts an image of our city to the membership that a good person with leadership characteristics comes from Jackson,\" he explained. \"It can only benefit the city and that's why I've encouraged it over the years.\"\n\nWe wanted to know the exact benefits the citizens of Jackson have received from Chief Kendrick's association with the TACP. Hear his answers as \"Jackson Under Fire\" continues on 7 Eyewitness News at 10.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6077193021774292}
{"content": "Markus Gangl\nEducation and Labour Market Entry across Europe : The Impact of Institutional Arrangements in Training Systems and Labour Markets\n\nMannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung: Arbeitspapiere; 25\nISSN: 1437-8574\n\nEducation is the main resource of young people entering the labour market for securing employment, in competing for adequate employment contracts and to fulfill their occupational aspirations. As European countries differ widely in the institutional structure of their education and training systems and labour markets, different resources are provided to school-leavers entering into working life in different countries, who additionally face varying institutional and economic contexts in labour markets. The paper empirically addresses the crucial role of educational qualifications for successful labour market entry in twelve European countries in the mid-1990s, drawing on the 1992-1997 European Community Labour Force Survey. The main aim of the analyses is to gauge the extent to which cross-national differences in labour market outcomes for market entrants can be related to institutional differences between countries in terms of differences in qualification profiles of school leavers and differences in terms of the relationship between qualifications and early labour market outcomes. The analyses cover unemployment and occupational allocation as two major dimensions of early labour market outcomes, applying multilevel modelling to a database of repeated comparative cross-sectional surveys. The results indicate that institutional differences in both education and training systems and labour markets play a major role in explaining cross-national differences in the experiences of young people entering the labour market in EU countries, even allowing for the effects of variation in economic conditions and other unmeasured heterogeneity between countries and types of qualifications.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997663497924805}
{"content": "Shopping Day\n\nToday is shopping day at our house.  And, it's Thursday so our weekly delivery from Shiloh Hills Hens arrived too.  It was a pleasure to take produce out of plastic bags, wash it well and place it in bowls and platters.  On the counter I keep everything that does not absolutely require refrigeration.   By having ingredients out, in plain view, looking so pretty and fresh, it urges me on to cook and consume them, to honor them some how.  My refrigerator is small by modern standards, which I like, because any larger and it would be filled with un-necessaries.  The kitchen stays cool with a heavy fan blowing a good breeze constantly. Seldom does something go bad on the counter.  More often something goes bad in the fridge because it was forgotten.\n\nI keep one refrigerated drawer just for greens and ingredients I set aside specifically for juicing.\n\nAn English trifle bowl is perfect for holding oranges or apples.  How often to I make trifle?  Not very, but I love the shape of the bowl.  It's large and fruit looks lovely in it.\n\n Fresh ground cashew butter takes a place inside  the pantry.  My husband spreads it on sprouted grain toast every single morning,  And for a hurried lunch I will occasionally make a cashew butter and honey sandwich - a step up indeed from PBJ.  There are many ways to use cashew butter including in some amazing raw desserts.  And when the container is down to nothing, Callie, our Lab eagerly takes the empty to the yard and licks it spit spot clean.\n\n What ingredient is always plentiful in the SimplyCooking® kitchen?  Lemons.  \n\nBesides being useful, a big bowlful also makes an elegant centerpiece, especially in a silver bowl.  Do you have a silver bowl, maybe handed down from the family, you are not quite sure what to do with?\n\nI just re stained the top of my farm table.  I didn't realize how much prettier the produce would look.\n\nAs always, I used the\n\nSimplyCooking® Pantry Checklist\n\nas my guide for shopping and restocking.  \n\nHere is the list\n\n, if you would like to use it too.\n\nGinger and Lime Lemonade\n\nA Ginger and Lime Lemonade :: Gatsby Style\n\n\"Make us a cold drink,\"  cried Daisy.  :: The Great Gatsby\n\nIt's not likely Daisy was sending off Tom to whip up a round of ginger and lime lemonades, but rather a boozy, fizzy, icy, limey gin rickey.  The Great Gatsby movie,  dripping in sweat and alcohol, makes even tea totalers crave a cocktail clicking with ice.\n\n\"Gatsby took up his drink.  'They certainly look cool', he said with visible tension.  We drank in long greedy swallows. \" \n\nIf it doesn't officially feel like summer to you yet, see The Great Gatsby;  read the book; better yet, do both and enjoy a modern-day ginger and lime lemonade on the lawn.  \n\nginger and lime lemonade\n\n1 lime\n1 lemon\n1/2 \" piece of fresh ginger root\n1/4 cup agave nectar\n6 cups water\nstevia, to taste\n\nRun the lime, lemon and ginger through the juicer.  Stir in agave nectar until well combined.  Add water and sweeten additionally, if desired, with a little stevia.  Pour into a glass or ceramic pitcher and chill for several hours, up to several days.  Stir, again, before pouring over ice.\n\nCucumber Crush\n\nCucumber Crush in a sugar-rimmed wine glass.  \n\nA perfect 85° F and sunny day in April means a requisite summery something to sip while clearing out the flower beds and baring pale arms in the sunshine.  This Cucumber Crush is just the drink.  It's basically water infused with cucumber and apple and sweetened delicately with agave nectar.\n\nCucumber Crush makes a non-alcohol drink for guests.  \nSince I bought a Breville Fountain Juicer over a year ago, I've been juicing the small remnants of fruits and vegetables and infusing water with these concentrated liquids.  If you use your juicer regularly, as I do, juicing a half an apple that someone left behind, or a small bit of unused cucumber is such a simple thing to do.  I try different combinations, some sweetened creating a twist on lemonade.   I place a small amount of juice in a pitcher, fill with water and chill.\n\nCucumber Crush is actually a cocktail with cucumber, vodka and lime.  But I love cucumber in water and much prefer my own version of Cucumber Crush to its alcohol-laced sister.  I served a pitcher of Cucumber Crush the other evening for a wine and dessert pairing event as a festive offering for those not drinking alcohol.\n\ncucumber crush\n\n1/2 cucumber, juiced\n1/2 apple, juiced\n2 Tbsp. agave nectar\n6 - 8 cups water\n\nIn a large pitcher, stir together the juices and agave nectar.  Add water and chill.\n\nIf you do not own a juicer, slice the cucumber and apple thinly and infuse in a pitcher of water.  Sweeten with agave nectar and chill.\n\nFor a sugar rimmed cup, as pictured above, rub a thin slice of cucumber around the rim and dip the rim in  a small amount of sugar; it doesn't take much and adds an extra touch.\n\nAsian noodle bowl\n\nCan't live without my julienne peeler.  In just a few strokes it made these long tube-shaped ribbons of carrots and zucchini which I tossed with spaghetti for a simple asian noodle bowl.  A well-designed julienne peeler is an essential tool in the SimplyCooking® kitchen.  The Kinpira  fits compactly in a drawer, rinses clean easily, has a sturdy handle and with years of daily use, the blade is sharp as new.   This is an easy way to make raw \"spaghetti\" out of zucchini or squash, a picnic carrot salad, slaws or a veggie noodle bowl, like this, where julienned vegetables create a tri-color spaghetti look - so pretty, equally good.\n\nKinpira Julienne Peeler ; $20 from Sur la table\nThis veggie laden \"bowl\" is based on a recipe from Ana Zaharia, a health coach with delicious but still approachable raw recipes on her website,  Even if you're not on the raw foods track, her site is inspiring and worth a visit.   I modified a few ingredients per the SimplyCooking® pantry; most people don't keep kelp noodles on hand but most everyone has some form of favorite noodle somewhere in the pantry.  I indicate spaghetti which is broadly kid friendly.   I replaced the cremini mushrooms with a can of water chestnuts.  Add what you like; add what you have for a super easy asian noodle bowl.\n\nasian noodle bowl (adapted from \"raw asian noodle bowl\" ,\n\nPut water on to boil for the spaghetti.  As the spaghetti cooks prepare the sauce and vegetables.\n\n2 Tbsp. cashew butter\n3 Tbsp. soy sauce\n1 tsp. sesame oil\n1/3 cup water\n1 tsp. cumin\n1 clove garlic\n1 tsp. minced ginger\n\nPlace sauce ingredients in a deep bowl and combine with an immersion blender.  (A regular blender can also be used.)\n\n1 package spaghetti noodles\n2 carrots, julienned\n1 zucchini, julienned\n2 stalks celery, finely sliced\n1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped\n\nCook the noodles, drain.  Place warm spaghetti in a serving bowl.  Add sliced vegetables and toss with sauce. Serve.\n\nAlmond Sauce\n\nSpaghetti with Almond Sauce\n\nIn Spain, ground almonds are used to thicken and flavor sauces.  This per Penelope Casas in her book Tapas:  The Little Dishes of Spain.  Years ago I took a class on tapas in which several of her expert recipes were used for reference.  A favorite dish from the class was  tiny meatballs in a Saffron Almond Sauce.  Tiny meatballs aside, the sauce was pure genius and fun to make.  The recipe's creator, Ann Clark, used paprika and saffron threads for flavoring.  A blog post on spices by Serious Eats puts the cost for saffron between $2,000 and $10,000 per pound; definitely not for the SimplyCooking® pantry.\n\nBut the saffron's not the story here, it's the almonds and how Spain's almond sauce is a such clever twist on a simple everyday recipe.    Use a mortar and pestle to grind a clove of garlic, a little parsley, ground almonds and a little salt to a paste.  The paste is then stirred into a pot of simmering broth and sautéed  onions rounding it out to a sauce with character.  The SimplyCooking® recipe for Almond Sauce, which I adapted from the one taught by Ann Clark, can be used on steamed vegetables or plain pasta, Chicken Parmesan, grilled pork and, of course,  tiny meatballs.  With no cream or butter, it's a vegan delight.  No matter how you use it or who you serve it to, it's sure to be enjoyed.\n\nalmond sauce\n\n2 Tbsp. grape seed oil\n2 Tbsp. minced onion\n1 tsp. AP flour\n1/4 tsp. tumeric (or paprika)\n1/4 cup brandy (or white wine)\n1 cup vegetable broth (or homemade chicken stock)\n1 clove garlic, peeled\n1 Tbsp. minced parsley\n1/3 cup ground almonds or almond meal\npinch of salt, Celtic Sea Salt preferred\n\nWarm the oil in a saucepan.  Add the onion and sauté 3 minutes, until soft.  Add the flour and tumeric and stir one minute.  Stir in the brandy and broth, bring to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes.\n\nUsing a mortar and pestle, or a fork on a cutting board to mash the garlic, minced parsley, ground almonds and salt to a smooth paste. A food processor can also be used (If grinding whole almonds first, this would be easier anyway.)  Stir the paste into the simmered broth.  Serve over vegetables, pasta or with meat.\n\nRelated SimplyCooking® recipes:\n\nchicken parmesan\nmeatless meatballs\n\nVegetable Terrine\n\nI love the simplicity and rustic nature of this dish.  A layered tower of tender vegetables slide into a colorful mound on the plate.  Tear off a chunk of crusty bread and soak up the juices.  This is the perfect simple meal for early spring when you want an easy dish to prepare with a few pantry basics.  I often make this recipe on a day of cleaning out the gardens.  It's a nice afternoon break to make the dish.  It then bakes for almost two hours while I head back out.   Upon my return - dirty, tired and cold - a warm dinner welcomes me, and so good it smells.\n\nWhen I say the dish has a rustic simplicity, this is actually quite the opposite of what anything 'terrine' typically conjures. A terrine, part of classical French cooking, refers to an oblong baking dish with deep sides in which ground or finely chopped and seasoned meats, or sometimes vegetables, are layered.  It's  either baked in a bain-marie (water bath) or molded by refrigerating.  When the loaf is unmolded and sliced, the pretty layering is revealed.  Often an intricate sauce is part of the recipe.  I have great admiration for French cuisine, the Art of French Baking on my counter as I write.  One its authors is Cloutide Dusoulier.  She writes a wonderful French food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini. and has several charming and authentic French recipes for terrines, including one with zucchini, carrots, herbs, eggs and goat cheese.  Soon I will make her recipe.  For now,  I'm absorbed by the rose garden my husband and I are adding to our yard and myriad other projects.  My cooking this Spring is efficient and healthful, to the point and meant to please all of us.  \n\nThis SimplyCooking® recipe breaks the rules for terrines.   The process is far simpler, the ingredients basic; it's a broader interpretation that turns 'terrine' into a simple everyday recipe.\n\nvegetable terrine\n\n1/4 cup grape seed oil\n2 cloves peeled garlic\n2 medium potatoes, Yukon Gold can be unpeeled\n1 medium onion, peeled\n1 zucchini\n1/2 bell pepper\n3 carrots, peeled\nspinach leaves, about 1 cup\nSalt, Celtic Sea Salt preferable\n1 tsp. dried oregano (or thyme, or rosemary)\n1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes\n1 generous tsp. honey\n1/3 cup breadcrumbs\nParmesan or goat cheese, grated (optional)\n\nMeasure out the oil and place peeled garlic cloves in the cup.  Set aside while you prepare the dish.\n\nPreheat oven to 375°F.  Slice the vegetables (except spinach) very thinly, as thin as you can.  Brush he sides and bottom of a loaf pan with some of the garlic oil, reserving the remainder for later.  Layer half of the vegetables in the pan, starting with the potatoes and ending with the spinach.  Arrange them neatly, pressing down as you go.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Repeat the layering.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. dried oregano.  Empty the canned tomatoes into a bowl and stir in a generous spoonful of honey.  Drizzle the liquid over the vegetables and arrange the tomatoes over the top.  The pan will be mounded.  Cover tightly with heavy duty foil.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Bake for 1 hour.\n\nRemove the foil and sprinkle  with breadcrumbs and the reserved garlic infused oil.  Bake an additional 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving.  Slice and top with a little grated Parmesan or goat cheese.\n\nNote:  The leftovers are even better, I think.  Let the baking dish cool, cover with wrap and refrigerate, storing the leftovers in the original baking dish.  \n\nVegan Chocolate Pudding\n\nDo you have a dessert for tonight's dinner?  A creamy dark chocolate little something to finish off the meal?  A small dish of rich pudding sounds nice.  The vegan chocolate pudding at the nearby Foundation Grounds cafe is my all-time favorite chocolate pudding and is better than versions made with eggs, butter and milk.   Those ingredients, as it turns out, are not necessary for a luscious chocolate creation.  Nor is time.  This simple everyday recipe can be made in 10 minutes.\n\nI've always made my own pudding just by whisking cornstarch, sugar (cocoa for chocolate) and a little salt in a pan, adding milk and finishing it off with vanilla extract and butter.  The fat from the butter is what gives pudding, and mousse, their lovely silky texture.  So in making a vegan pudding, I substituted coconut oil and almond milk which work beautifully. Coconut oil is a funny ingredient as it's a solid at cooler air temperatures and a liquid at warmer air temperatures.  It will not give a \"coconutty\" taste.\n\nUse whimsy when putting the pudding in serving dishes;  tea cups, little juice glasses.  I served this pudding last night in my grandmother's cordial glasses with pink plastic spoons that had been floating around in a drawer.  Yum!\n\nvegan chocolate pudding\n\n3 Tbsp. cornstarch\n1/3 cup sugar\n1/4 cup cocoa\npinch of salt, Celtic Sea Salt preferable\n2 cups almond milk\n1 oz. 70% dark chocolate (optional*)\n1/2 tsp. brandy or vanilla extract\n1 heaping tsp. coconut oil\n\nIn a medium pan whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa and salt.  Over medium/low heat slowly whisk in the almond milk.  DO NOT let it boil.  Continue to whisk until it thickens, but is not as thick as you want the end product for the pudding will continue to thicken when removed from the heat.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and brandy.  Let the chocolate melt and then stir.  Finish by stirring in the coconut oil.  Transfer to four or six serving bowls or one large bowl.  Cool.  Refrigerate until serving.\n\n*Dark chocolate is considered vegan by many people and some brands of dark chocolate are labeled vegan. Omit if you do not wish to use it.  \n\nChicken Enchiladas With Creamy Spinach Sauce\n\nI'm talking about Chicken Enchiladas that are realistic to make on a busy night; not a recipe that becomes a Saturday afternoon project.  These are comfort food enchiladas; warm and soft with a creamy, cheesy edge.   They're extraordinary given how simple they are and can be ready to eat in 20 minutes IF you have some leftover cooked chicken.   (Please see the previous post on Roast Chicken. )  I'm a fan of roasting a chicken, maybe on the weekend, and having the meat on hand for quick meals, like this,  later in the week.  This recipe makes four melt - in- your - mouth enchiladas.\n\nFor anyone avoiding dairy, the sauce is equally good made with almond milk.  I make my sauce this way and top the enchiladas with cheddar style raw goat's cheese.  If you or someone you're serving is vegetarian, simply make their enchilada with steamed vegetables rather than chicken.\n\nchicken enchiladas with creamy spinach sauce\n\n2 Tbsp. butter\n1/4 cup chopped onion\n1/2 10oz. container fresh spinach\n3 Tbsp. all purpose flour\n1 cup whole or almond milk\n1/2 tsp. salt (Celtic Sea Salt preferable)\npinch cayenne\n4 10\" tortillas\n2 cups diced cooked chicken\n1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese\n\nPreheat oven to 300°F.  In a large sauté pan, melt the butter.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until soft.  Add the spinach leaves and cover with a lid.  Let the spinach wilt.  It will take just a few minutes.  Add the flour and stir for a minute.  Slowly add the milk while stirring constantly.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper.  Remove from heat.\n\nAssemble by spooning a little sauce on each tortilla, placing 1/2 cup chicken down the center and rolling the enchiladas up.  Place them close together in a baking dish.  Spread the sauce over the top and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes, until warmed through and the top looks gooey - the sauce bubbly and the cheese melted.\n\nRoast Chicken\n\nRoast Chicken:  Here's one of those examples of what's old-fashioned becoming new again.  For Roast Chicken, the quality of the bird has everything to do with the goodness of the taste.  And, if you want to be particular about the chicken you eat- how it was fed, where it was raised, how it was raised and whether it was exposed to hormones or antibiotics, an old- fashioned DIY roast chicken is a simple solution.  I use a chicken twice -  first to roast and then to make stock from the bones.  Here is where I really can tell a difference; the higher quality of chicken, the tastier and more gelatin in the stock.  I'm looking forward to Spring chickens from Shiloh Hill Hens.  This jewel of a local farm delivers  amazing eggs and produce that has been grown with the utmost care of the land and critters.\n\nI often roast a chicken at the start of the week so there's fresh meat for sandwiches, cooked chicken and  stock to use in simple recipes for days and days following.  It's a lot of output from one little chick and a few simple steps.\n\nroast chicken\n\n2 Tbsp. butter\n1 large onion, peeled and sliced thin\n3 cloves garlic, peeled\n1 small chicken (4 lbs. about) without giblets\nSalt (Celtic Sea Salt preferable)\ndried herb of choice (oregano, rosemary, thyme)\n\nPreheat oven to 375°F.   Melt the butter in a little pan.  Strew the onion slices and garlic  on the bottom of a roasting pan or a jelly roll pan lined with foil.    Rinse the chicken and dry it well. Set the chicken on a rack over the onions and garlic.  Brush with half the butter and sprinkle generously with salt and dried herbs.  Bake for one hour.  Remove from the oven, turn the chicken over and brush with the remaining butter.  Sprinkle again with salt and dried herbs.  Bake one hour longer.  Remove from the oven  and let stand 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.  Use the carcass and bones for stock.\n\nGinger Tea\n\nThere's nothing more delicious - or better -  for a cold than Ginger Tea.  A beautiful snow falls, a fire's crackling in the living room, the dog and a cup of fresh ginger tea are right by my side today as I sniffle my way back to health.  I guess toodling around New York City in the rain and snow earlier in the week has caught up with me.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Laduree for macarons, Dean & DeLuca, Times Square, a show, and many charming restaurants now seem a foggy memory.\n\nI've made my pot of tea using a small piece of fresh ginger from the SimplyCooking® Pantry.  I'm leaving the other ingredients, honey and fresh lemon, on the counter all day for easy access.   This warming and delicious tea can be simply made.  The sipping experience and benefits are much improved from from ginger tea in a bag.\n\nEven if you don't  have a cold, ginger tea is a nice sipping drink.\n\nginger tea\n\n1\" piece of fresh ginger\n\nPeel the ginger and slice into coins.  Fill a small saucepan with water - about 2 cups or so - and add the ginger.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and cover the pot with a lid.  Let the tea steep 20 minutes.  Strain into a tea pot or pitcher for serving.  Squeeze in fresh lemon and add honey to taste.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6913601160049438}
{"content": "Homemade Frames for Canvas Paintings\n\nBy Wade Shaddy\n\nHandmade frames for painting must be strong, and look good. They will represent your painting. If it is ornate, it can be used for portraits. For landscapes or animals, rustic frames work better. Almost anyone can make his own frames. By making it yourself, you can craft it to match the ambiance of the painting, and you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself.\n\nInternal Frame\n\nThere are two types of frames for canvas paintings. The typical painting uses them together at the same time. One frame is the actual framework of the painting itself. The interior frame needs to be very strong and is usually joined together with staples or corrugated nails. It is square or rectangular with 45-degree miter cuts on the ends. The canvas is stretched tight over it and then stapled to the back of the frame. This frame supports the tension of the canvas and should be built with strength in mind. It can be built from almost any kind of wood. It is never seen unless the frame is turned over backwards.\n\nOrnate External\n\nThe external frame is what everyone sees when they look at a painting. Some artists prefer highly profiled broad gold leaf frames. For ornate frames like these, it's best to buy the frame material and then use a miter saw to cut the mitered corners. You can then use standard pin nailers to fasten the frames together with plenty of glue. Wipe the glue off the corners while it is still wet.\n\n\nFor most external frames, old wood works great. Older, rough-textured gray wood imparts an old-world quality to the painting. Get your hands on some barn wood or old wood from a razed building. Cut it into 2- or 3-inch-wide strips. Use a miter saw to cut the corners at 45 degrees. Lay the frame out on a flat worktable. Smear white glue on the mitered corners. For the best, most square frame building, use a nylon strap clamp to wrap around the frame. When you tighten this type of clamp, the frame squares itself. When the glue dries, remove the clamp and shoot pin nails into the corners.\n\n\nFinished hardwood frames can add an element of craftsmanship to any painting. Rip the hardwood into 2- or 3-inch-wide boards. For variety, run a router with a roman-ogee, cove or bullnose router bit along one edge. Cut and build the frame using a nylon strap clamp. By building it this way, the profiled edges come together forming patterns that follow the frame around on the inside, outside or both. Sand, stain and finish the frame before installing the painting.\n\n© Demand Media 2011", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5007662177085876}
{"content": "Hyperrealism meets surrealism in Jean-Pacome Dedieu’s stunning photography series. His still-life series features a beautiful amalgamation of color and centralism, which focuses on an idyllic concept.  From fantasy-hyped bedroom boudoirs to realistic luxury car advertisements, Jean-Pacome Dedieu is not afraid to commit to an idea and accentuate it with an insane amount of color.\n\nJean-Pacome Dedieu takes random objects and inflicts them into the work he is doing. He is constantly breaking boundaries and conforming molds to create a hyperrealistic idea of real life. The photography is modern in nature and focuses on the idea of beauty and populated artwork. From rainbow coloring to dismal monochromatic backdrops, the photoshoots often are comprised of a mixture of real objects and digitalized pieces.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988370537757874}
{"content": "Chamber of Regions\n\n\n8 September 2009\n\nOverindebtedness of households: the responsibility of regions\n\nCommittee on Social Cohesion\n\nRapporteur : Carmen Patrizia MURATORE, Italy (R, ILDG1)\n\nA. Draft Resolution 2\nB. Draft Recommendation 3\nC. Explanatory Memorandum 5\n\n\nThe economic and financial crisis affects the consumption patterns of many families, particularly the most vulnerable who, to meet their essential needs, are exposed to overindebtedness or to usurious practices.\n\nAs an adjunct to the necessary development of national provisions, this report proposes regional measures, especially preventive ones, to protect consumers and ensure the financial inclusion of the poorest households.\n\nIt advocates control of lending practices and puts forward the idea of devising a European model for a code of good practice under the aegis of the Council of Europe in order to make all the players in the credit chain aware of their responsibilities.\n\n\n1. A growing number of households in Europe are experiencing a deterioration in their financial situation because of the recession, a worsening in their bargaining and purchasing power, an increasing use of credit to meet basic needs and above all the situation that they are increasingly faced by loans of low quality and high cost.3 This and the increase of risks to a steady income sometimes leads them into a vicious spiral of over-indebtedness. Others, lacking access to legal sources of credit, fall prey to unlawful usurers, who, in parallel to other illegal activities that threaten public security, take advantage of their vulnerability.\n\n2. On the wave of market deregulation and in the absence of preventive measures, these phenomena extend and deepen levels of poverty and exclusion, and affect the whole of society, leaving the local and regional communities to manage the social consequences of evictions and family break-ups.\n\n3. The Congress recalls its recent work on responsible consumption and solidarity-based finance,4 emphasising that all the stakeholders in society share responsibility for this matter, and considers that it is urgent in the current context to deal with the issue of over-indebtedness and usury, whether legal or not, and to guarantee the financial inclusion of the poorest households.\n\n4. Considering that it is for the local and regional authorities to come to the assistance of groups in difficulty and to promote action at the local level, the Congress calls on regional governments to adopt measures to supplement the national provisions, lobby for credit regulations which address problems like credit card flipping, usurious linked products, kick-back provisions and so on, possibly by legislative means within the framework of their powers, in order to combat these phenomena. More attention should be given to lending practices, control and social consequences.\n\n5 To this end, the Congress invites the regions to create favourable conditions for networking competences, sharing know-how and concluding partnerships with the institutional and economic stakeholders in their areas in order to implement the following activities:\n\na. make lenders and credit intermediaries aware of their responsibilities by laying down rules and alerting their employees;\n\nb. create, where they do not already exist, and financially support effective debt advice services and link this provision to other municipal and local services; monitor local demand for these services, provide technical assistance for them and training for their staff;\n\nc. on a preventive basis, develop :\n\ni. budgetary support for all population groups, as well as reception facilities and social, economic and legal aid for over-indebted persons;\n\nii. an introduction to the banking and budgetary environment for the general public, individuals, recently recruited employees and vulnerable groups;\n\nd. support organisations working to prevent over-indebtedness which inform and support over-indebted persons and promote responsible access to specially-adapted bank accounts and small credit for persons in insecure situations;\n\ne. encourage access to responsible credit products, socially provided where this is required, in order to support people on low incomes to obtain or retain employment, secure mobility or occupational reintegration, or to facilitate access to housing;\n\nf. combat usury on the ground by encouraging victims to report cases of illegal lending via confidential telephone hotlines, and set up specialised teams with the necessary powers to identify and prosecute perpetrators;\n\ng. collect and evaluate data from credit and debt counselling, provide an annual report on overindebtedness, its causes and social effects in their region and effectively facilitate the reporting of cases of usury;\n\nh. support conferences and meetings between the consumer, money advice activists and the banking industry in order to raise public awareness and inform professionals.\n\n6. The Congress invites regional governments to draw inspiration from the Multipartite Social Contract designed by the European Committee on Social Cohesion (CDCS) when setting up mecanisms to support overindebted people; these contracts bring together public authorities and different civil society organisations to offer various joint services thereby avoiding a dispersal of efforts and promoting the responsibility of the beneficiaries and their commitment to initiatives of solidarity.\n\n7. The Congress recalls Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)8 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on legal solutions to debt problems, and encourages regional governments to use their influence to ensure that their national authorities implement this text.\n\n8. Lastly, the Congress requests its Committee on Social Cohesion to co-operate with its opposite number in the Committee of the Regions on the issue of responsible consumption and credit, as well as on the consequences of the economic and financial crisis.\n\n\n1. Credit has greatly expanded in a number of European countries over the last few decades, sometimes without sufficient monitoring and regulation to the detriment of consumers’ rights. Certain improper commercial practices are used to entice families to misuse consumer credit and some of these families who live on the fringes of a system inappropriately distributing credit have recourse to such illegal practices as usury.\n\n2. Specialised public agencies and credit and debt observatories have noted a resurgence of predatory lending practices driven by the current economic and financial crisis. Furthermore, the procedures for dealing with over-indebtedness which a number of member states have introduced are often complex and tend to penalise debtors by isolating them and their families, thus making them dependent on the community.\n\n3. The local and regional authorities are directly confronted with the social consequences of these developments, such as ever-longer waiting lists for social housing, increasing numbers of persons with no fixed abode, and deteriorating health. The Congress welcomes the efforts of some local and regional authorities to adjust their social policies in this field.\n\n4. With reference to its previous work on responsible consumption and solidarity-based finance,6 the Congress appeals to the responsibility of the public authorities at all levels with a view to adopting a coherent set of measures to reinforce borrower protection and facilitate the financial integration of the most vulnerable households.\n\n5. To this end, the Congress invites the Committee of Ministers to request member states to:\n\na. revise all their mechanisms for dealing with insolvency in consultation with consumers’ associations, concentrating on the preventive aspect;\n\nb. link up the maximum credit rates to reference rates rather than to those used by the credit institutions;\n\nc. make all the players in the credit chain aware of their responsibilities by:\n\ni. setting up a national databank recording all financial commitments entered into by individuals7 and requiring lenders and credit intermediaries to consult this data facility, to secure all the requisite information from loan applicants in order to evaluate their financial situation and refunding capacity, and to pinpoint the most suitable type and amount of credit to grant them. Such databanks should be supervised so that the requirements of data protection and privacy are met, to prevent their misuse (eg for scorings that would allow higher interest rates to be extracted from poor consumers);\n\nii. establishing rules on the promotion, administration and implementation of credit contracts, accompanied by civil and criminal law sanctions against banks and credit organisations such as forfeiture of interests, and mandating national bodies to verify their practices;\n\nd. set up, as an alternative to judicial proceedings, a nationwide network of debt mediation services (public or private) responsible for informing over-indebted persons of their legal rights and obligations and helping them propose debt clearance plans to their creditors or identify other legitimate strategies for dealing with their over-indebtedness;\n\ne. promote education in financial matters for consumers and education on social matters for suppliers in a process of mutual learning;\n\nf. encourage development and provision of responsible credit products in the private, co-operative, and public sectors which can meet the credit needs of those individuals hitherto excluded from the traditional economic and financial system;\n\ng. co-operate with local and regional authorities to launch action on the ground against usury by establishing clear legal definitions of usury and providing human and budgetary resources for the setting up of teams with specific powers to conduct investigations and prosecute illegal lenders;\n\nh. evaluate periodically activities geared to preventing and tackling household over-indebtedness and promoting financial inclusion.\n\n6. The Congress invites member states to disseminate the approach developed by the European Committee on Social Cohesion (CDCS) in the Multipartite Social Contract, encouraging local and regional authorities and civil society organisations to coordinate their efforts to assist and provide services to overindebted people, setting up a dialogue with them and allowing them in particular to exercise their solidarity and civic responsibility; moreover the Congress asks the Committee of Ministers to reinforce the CDCS' activities on shared social responsibility involving citizens in the fight against exclusion.\n\n7. Furthermore, the Congress recalls Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)8 to member states on legal solutions to debt problems, which recommends alleviating the effects of the recovery of debt and respecting the human dignity of over-indebted persons and families. In order to ensure its effective implementation, it requests that the Committee of Ministers:\n\na. ensure the promotion of the recommendation in member states vis-à-vis all the stakeholders;\n\nb. take practical action to assess its implementation, including gathering information from member states and exchanging good practices at national and regional level;\n\nc. work on introducing the concepts of ethics and social responsibility into credit practices by mandating the appropriate Council of Europe bodies to devise a European model of good conduct and model responsible lending policy for banks and credit institutions, in close co-operation with the relevant professionals and consumer non-governmental organisations, and associate the Congress with its drafting and dissemination.\n\n8. Lastly, the Congress requests the Committee of Ministers to invite the member states which are also members of the European Union to take account of Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)8 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on legal solutions to debt problems when implementing EU Directive 2008/48/EC on credit agreements for consumers, which centres on information for the future borrower.\n\n\n1. Context\n\n1.1 Definitions and definition attempts\n\n\n1. Usury has always been taboo in Europe, essentially on religious grounds. Before the Reformation, however, Christian doctrine used the term \"usury\" to designate interest-bearing loans themselves, which it prohibited, as did the Jewish and Muslim religions (between believers belonging to the same community). From the Reformation onwards, usury was considered to refer to the practice of abusive interest rates, and to not the loans themselves.\n\n\n2. According to a study published in June 2008 by the Observatoire de l'Epargne Européenne, the Bristol University Personal Finance Research Centre and the Centre for European Policy Studies,9 an over-indebted household may be defined as “a household whose income is insufficient to meet all its financial commitments both currently and in the foreseeable future without reducing its standard of living below the minimum accepted in the country concerned”.\n\n3. This definition implies that over-indebtedness is structural (the financial difficulties must be persistent, not just the result of oversight, and must be impossible to resolve through the sale of financial or other assets), that it is assessed in relation to the capacity to meet current outgoings and all financial commitments (excluding informal commitments), and that it jeopardises the possibility of living in dignity.\n\n4. The definition takes account of the household and not the individual, a household being a small group of people sharing the same home and pooling all or part of their income and assets.\n\n1.2 Data\n\nHousehold arrears and indebtedness\n\n5. Taking into consideration all types of household commitments, the above European study estimates that, on average, 9.5 % of European households are in arrears, with Greek and Cypriot households and those in central European countries being the hardest hit. On the other hand, only 3.6 % and 3 % of European households, respectively, seem to be in arrears with mortgages or rent and the reimbursement of consumer credit.\n\n6. The countries with the highest household borrowing rates are Greece, Cyprus, certain central and eastern European countries (the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the case of housing loans, Poland and Latvia in the case of credit for consumer goods and services), the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and certain Scandinavian countries. The authors of the study do not consider that there is necessarily a link between the proportion of the population having difficulty in making ends meet and the size or number of such loans per household.\n\n\n7. In a number of European countries there are no records of over-indebtedness, but various indicators suggest that it has been increasing over the last decade. Where judicial procedures exist, the number of cases in which they are used to deal with situations of individual insolvency is increasing steadily.10 Non-judicial procedures are also being used more often.11\n\n1.3 Possible causes\n\n8. It is difficult to find identical causes of over-indebtedness throughout Europe, but the above-mentioned European study pinpoints risk factors which correspond to the features most commonly found in the over-indebted section of the population. These features concern the status and family situation of over-indebted people (being young and having children) and their socio-economic situation (being unemployed or, over the long term, having a low income and being in rented accommodation). No one, however, is born or inevitably becomes or remains indebted. A situation of over-indebtedness or one conducive to over-indebtedness changes with time and depends on the micro- and macro-economic climate and social habits. Latent over-indebtedness may, for instance, surface on the occasion of a sudden increase in outgoings or reduction in income. Minor payment arrears can become more serious or no longer be made good because of excessive prior financial commitments. These commitments, combined with a change affecting the household's financial or family situation, may lead to over-indebtedness if those concerned fail to manage their budget properly or are incapable of doing so. These observations belie peremptory assertions to the effect that over-indebtedness is due to personal imprudence or to life events\n\n2. Preventing over-indebtedness and usury: regulation of credit\n\n2.1 Information about credit and regulation of advertising\n\n9. To ensure that borrowers are properly informed of the cost of consumer credit, the European Union requires member states to oblige lenders to provide clear comparative information or objective figures in their advertising and requires credit agreements to contain the main financial information concerning the credit provided. The European Union's consumer protection policy, which is based on the provision of information to prospective borrowers, cannot, however, help to prevent usury and over-indebtedness unless it is accompanied by measures to educate people about financial services: the information gets through only to consumers who are interested and able to understand it.\n\n10. In Belgium and other countries, consumer credit agreements must also contain statements warning consumers against certain abuses or reminding them of their right to receive a detailed amortisation schedule. Under Belgian law, the advertising of credit is subject to strict rules with regard to types of advertising which may lead to impulsive acceptance,12 and some forms of misleading or unfair advertising, such as that addressed to the most vulnerable consumers or those already unable to honour their debts, are prohibited.13\n\n2.2 Lender and credit intermediary’s obligation to provide information and advice (responsible lending)\n\n11. In Belgium, before lenders make a consumer credit offer, the law requires them to consult the Central Individual Credit Register managed by the National Bank of Belgium. The Centre's database has a record of all consumer credit and housing loans already granted to prospective borrowers and any notable instances of repayment default. The lender and credit intermediary must also obtain from the prospective borrower all the information they consider necessary to assess his or her financial situation and ability to repay the loan. Lenders may grant credit only if, in the light of this information, they consider it reasonable to assume that the consumer will be in a position to honour his or her commitments.\n\n12. In addition, the lender and credit intermediary must, amongst the contracts they offer or in which they regularly intervene, seek the type and amount of credit best suited to the financial situation of the consumer at the time when the contract is concluded and to the purpose of the funding requested.\n\n2.3 Prohibition of the obligation to buy products associated with the credit\n\n13. Lenders should not be allowed to make, directly or indirectly, the offer of a loan conditional upon the purchase of another product, such as insurance, from the lender, the credit intermediary or a company related to them (in which case the real cost of the credit would be higher), with the exception of insurance guaranteeing reimbursement of the loan in the event of death, illness or disability on the part of the borrower.\n\n2.4 Methods of establishing annual percentage rates and maximum debit charges\n\n14. The essential mechanism in the fight against usury consists in determining a maximum total cost of the credit, encompassing all interest and charges relating to the credit agreement, expressed as an annual percentage rate. This can vary according to the type of credit and the amount borrowed, and should be adjusted several times a year by a proportion identical to the change in a reference rate independent of the rates applied by credit institutions14.\n\n15. This method would seem to provide more protection for borrowers than penalties imposed on those granting loans at a rate considered tantamount to usury, as in France. A rate that qualifies as usurious is one that is more than a third higher than the average rate applied during the quarter preceding the grant of credit for operations of the same type carrying similar risks. The level therefore depends directly on the rate applied by lenders, and this arrangement may prove ineffective in a climate where an uncompetitive market causes rates to spiral upwards, or where lenders come to an agreement among themselves.\n\n2.5 Credit agreements: restriction of duration, obligation to repay capital after a certain period, minimum capital repayments, regulation of loans exceeding the authorised credit amount\n\n16. In France, credit agreements are limited to one year, but the credit may be renewed provided the lender informs the borrower of the conditions of renewal. The question then arises of limiting the duration of agreements, without there being any possibility of tacit renewal, in order to prevent interest and charges from accumulating without any significant repayment of the capital borrowed, and ensure that improvident borrowers are not obliged to pay back a very large sum when they are notified of the end of the credit agreement.\n\n17. One reply to this problem consists in restricting the duration of consumer credit. Another consists in introducing, for any credit granted for an indefinite period or a longer or shorter period where there is no compulsory periodic reimbursement of capital, the principle of \"zérotage\", whereby, after a certain period, the borrower must reimburse the capital borrowed before drawing further on his or her credit reserve.\n\n2.6 Determination of the amounts due in the event of default, and settlement conditions\n\n18. In Belgium, the law sets a ceiling on default interest for consumer credit15 and restricts the amount that may be claimed from the borrower when the latter defaults on the agreed payments and when the loan has to be reimbursed prematurely16 (in the latter case, subsequent payments must, moreover, go as a priority to pay off the outstanding capital balance and repayment instalments due before being used to pay default interest.17)\n\n19. It is also possible for borrowers who can no longer repay one or more consumer loans to ask the court for payment facilities if they can show that their financial situation has deteriorated since the credit was granted. This procedure is less complicated and cheaper and entails fewer constraints than those for dealing with over-indebtedness but is useful only if the borrower is not completely insolvent, which is quite unusual in practice.\n\n3. Handling over-indebtedness\n\n3.1 Debt mediation services: nature, organisation, tasks and funding\n\n20. Advice concerning financial and consumer services and help with managing a budget are sometimes not enough for an indebted person. Thus, public authorities should support the establishment of a network of debt mediation services responsible for helping over-indebted people to propose a plan for settling their debts, as a useful alternative to legal proceedings.\n\n21. The service is to be chosen by the person concerned. The aim should be to analyse the individual's situation, determine his or her income, monthly outgoings, assets and liabilities, check the lawfulness of the sums being demanded and attempt to negotiate a plan for settling the debts with creditors or prepare other solutions, such as a judicial procedure18, which must be agreed on by the creditors. The service also provides information about the individual's rights and obligations and offers help with budgeting.\n\n22. The debt mediation services may be public bodies often operating in municipal social welfare centres or private bodies in the form of not-for-profit organisations approved by the public (generally regional) authorities. They may ask the individual for a contribution in return for their work or require reimbursement of certain expenses, which are capped at very low levels. Public bodies (regions) can make a grant to such services. Subsidies from public funds can be financed with contributions from every client of the electricity and gas boards.\n\n23. These services can receive help from experts with solving legal problems, obtaining legal documentation and specialised literature and dealing with difficult cases.\n\n3.2 Other types of social assistance\n\n24. Financial aid can be made available for problematic debt situations, in the form of help with electricity and gas bills, payment of all or a proportion of debts and the financing of energy-saving facilities.\n\n3.3 Offer of supervised re-financing\n\n25. In Finland, a public foundation guarantees loans made to over-indebted people to enable them to repay outstanding debts and honour their financial commitments under certain conditions (the over-indebtedness must not be due to personal negligence; it must be under control; the people concerned must be in a position to repay the loan; and there must be no other way for them to settle their debts). The foundation also offers other services: advice, debt mediation and help with household budgeting.\n\n3.4 Judicial procedures for handling over-indebtedness\n\n26. Most European countries have introduced judicial procedures for dealing with over-indebtedness, which vary in type and as regards conditions of access and the nature of the debts concerned. They all allow the court to impose a debt settlement plan on over-indebted persons and their creditors. The decision is generally preceded by a \"friendly\" stage, during which an effort is made to obtain agreement among the various parties on a plan and, if this is achieved, the plan is then approved by the court. It may be incorporated into the actual procedure and be based on the court decision authorising the procedure (France, Belgium) or it may be a compulsory preliminary, without forming part of the decision (Netherlands).\n\n27. Alongside the intervention of the court, these procedures lead to the appointment of a law officer (the debt ombudsperson in Belgium, the administrator in the Netherlands) to receive and check debt statements, investigate the living conditions and assets of over-indebted persons19, determine, where necessary, the income needed to enable them to meet current outgoings, retain the surplus income to pay creditors, arrange for some of the property of the persons concerned to be sold, draw up a debt settlement plan and supervise its implementation and monitor the good faith of the over-indebted persons20. Sometimes this supervisory role is not provided for but a number of the tasks listed above are carried out by a government department or other government body (département commission in France).\n\n28. Usually, the institution of such procedures makes it impossible for creditors to bring individual prosecutions in order lay their hands on the assets or income of the persons concerned21. Naturally, those persons are not allowed to get further into debt; otherwise they forfeit the benefits of the procedure.\n\n4. Complementary national and regional strategies: the example of Liguria (Italy)\n\n29. Provision to prevent and handle over-indebtedness and usury should be diverse and be both designed and implemented over the same territory by the various levels of government after prior consultation. Local and regional authorities should also work in concert with associations active in the field.\n\n30. In Italy, the regions may grant forms of assistance which complement those prescribed by (national) Act No. 108/1996 for preventing and combating over-indebtedness and usury. This statute determines, in particular, what constitutes a usurious rate and sets up machinery for assisting victims who break the law of silence.\n\n31. The originators of a bill to enact a regional law in Liguria consider that society bears a certain responsibility towards over-indebted persons, whom it should support by helping them to put their financial situation in order through suitable procedures. When persons beset with financial difficulties no longer have access to the banking system and are insolvent, they may be prompted to seek credit through unofficial channels. These practices are nonetheless verifiable, often being preceded by a long period of indebtedness.\n\n32. The legislative initiative before the Assembly of Liguria envisages the provision of financial assistance (loans) complementing those of the National Anti-Usury Fund, whose measures can no longer cope with the extent of these phenomena.\n\n33. It provides for the creation of a regional observatory on usury and access to credit, capable of apprehending the regional circumstances and peculiarities. This institution would form an integral part of a regional project founded on the collaboration of various players, local authorities included, in order to:\n\n- gather data and deliver analyses to the bodies involved in combating extortion and usury (provincial authorities, courts, police, chambers of commerce, voluntary associations),\n\n- conduct awareness and information campaigns on the instruments of assistance (anti-usury services, loans on the borrower’s honour),\n\n- give the citizens financial education to increase their power of negotiation with credit brokers (professional or otherwise).\n\n1 L: Chamber of Local Authorities / R: Chamber of Regions\n\nILDG: Independent and Liberal Democrat Group of the Congress\n\nEPP/CD: European People’s Party – Christian Democrats of the Congress\n\nSOC: Socialist Group of the Congress\n\nNR: Members not belonging to a Political Group of the Congress\n\n2 Preliminary draft resolution and preliminary draft recommendation approved by the Committee on Social Cohesion of the Chamber of Regions on 28 April 2009.\n\nMembers of the Committee :\n\nE. Haider (Chair), M. Khan (Vice-Chair) (alternate: J. Edney), C. Aksoy, M. Aliev, S. Altobello, S. Berger (alternate : P. Schowtka), J.-M. Bourjac, M. Castro Almeida, A. Clemente Olivert, A. Colucci, Z. Dragunkina, M. Gerasumenko, M. Gojkovic (alternate: D. Davidovic), U. Hiller (alternate: G. Krug), T. Karol, F. Lastra Valdes (alternate: P. Bosch I Codola), D. Lloyd-Williams, D. Ronga, E. Simonetti (alternate: P. Muratore), R. Tirle, P. Wies.\n\nN.B.: The names of members who took part in the vote are in italics.\n\nSecretariat of the Committee : D. Rios and M. Grimmeissen\n\n3 Especially revolving loans at extremely high rates of interest which, together with other costs act to prevent the borrower from paying off the original capital sum.\n\n4 Resolution 263 (2008) on responsible consumption and solidarity-based finance.\n\n5 See footnote 2.\n\n6 Recommendation 244 (2008) on responsible consumption and solidarity-based finance.\n\n7 Such as the Centrale des Crédits aux Particuliers managed by the Belgian National Bank.\n\n8 Prepared with the contribution of Mr Didier Noël, expert, Observatoire du Crédit et de l’Endettement A.S.B.L.\n\n9 Towards a common operational European definition of over-indebtedness, http://www.oee.fr. Study carried out with the help of 19 national experts and part-financed by the European Commission.\n\n10 In Belgium, 64,493 judicial procedures of this kind were instituted in 2007, compared with 57,328 in 2006 and 49,655 in 2005.\n\n11 The number of debt mediation cases processed with financial support from the regional government (in southern Belgium) was 17,668 in 2006, compared with 12,614 in 2003.\n\n12 Excursion organised by or on behalf of a seller of goods or services, door-to-door selling, credit advertisements accompanied by the dispatch of a credit card.\n\n13 For example, when an advertisement states \"free credit\", \"even in the event of litigation\" or \"even to those on the National Bank register\", when it encourages customers to \"regroup\", under abusive conditions, loans taken out previously, or stresses the ease or speed with which credit can be granted.\n\n14 For example, the \"three-month EURIBOR\", the reference rate for three-month treasury bonds and the reference rate for two- or three-year \" linear bonds (OLOs). The maximum rates would be adjusted if the reference rate rises or falls to a certain extent.\n\n15 The rate may not exceed the agreed annual percentage rate, increased by a coefficient of 10%. If the agreed annual percentage rate is 0 %, the default interest rate may not exceed the reference rate provided for in the Civil Code.\n\n16 Outstanding capital balance, repayment instalments due, default interest on the outstanding capital balance, cost of issuing reminders or notice to pay, agreed penalty.\n\n17 To avoid a \"snowball effect\".\n\n18 Excluding refinancing of the debts (at a cost).\n\n19 In Belgium the debt ombudsperson must consult the Central Individual Credit Register and the register of attachment orders, instructions by debtors to third persons and transfers of earnings.\n\n20 In the Netherlands, the administrator - who operates under the supervision of a bankruptcy judge - inspects mail sent to the over-indebted person doing the first 13 months of the procedure.\n\n21 The Netherlands procedure may be preceded by a moratorium for a maximum of six months, which the court may impose on the creditors, at the over-indebted person's request, in certain circumstances (eviction, deprivation of fundamental services and lack of health insurance cover).\n\n\n\n  Related Documents\n   Other documents", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9523673057556152}
{"content": "Popular content\n\nAmerican Eagles and American Dreams\n\nOver the last week tens of millions of people (my two-year-old son, husband and myself among them) have logged on to watch a pair of Iowan eagles and their three babies perched high above the earth in a nest of sticks. This, at first glance, is an easy story about our national bird, which until 2007 was on the endangered species list, living its simple life of survival against the Darwinian odds. But there’s something more here and it’s less about the eagles themselves, actually, it’s about why we want to watch them and who we are.\n\nLook at where we are as a nation: In the mornings we turn on the radio or the TV, check our blackberry’s and iPhones, and hear the same story: the recession is over; unemployment is going down; the Dow is creeping up. Everything’s getting better.\n\nIt may be. But what, I wonder, if we live in towns that have been ravaged by the recession, like Bend, Oregon or Millinocket, Maine; Bakersfield, California or Youngstown, Ohio? What if we’re still unemployed, as my own husband, Dan, was, for almost a year, before he decided to go back to school? What if we have to choose between rent and food?  What if we’ve become so disgusted by our on-going wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, so disheartened by the lack of concern for our planet which is screaming with tsunamis and earthquakes, so depressed by the media’s message to consume more in order to save ourselves, that we no longer know where to turn?\n\nWhat’s interesting is that many of us find ourselves watching a real story in real time of a family, not unlike ours, which is just trying to survive. Theirs is a story of the vulnerability of babies who sometimes dangle close to the precipice of death; it’s a story of the courage of creatures and it’s a story of the perfect harmony of a partnership--in this case a male and a female--who are taking care of each other while below them we see cars go by, we hear airplanes overhead, we know that the world with all its Facebook and Twitter and reality TV and just plain artifice is going on and yet these eagles, blessedly, are just focused on their own survival and the survival of their children. And it’s a story of the American Dream, because the eagle is, in the end, a symbol of our country.\n\nBut what is the American Dream, anyway? Do any of us know anymore? Is it Fitzgerald’s vision of a “green light” and an “orgiastic future” that forever eludes us? Is it our founding fathers’ notion that all men are created equal to pursue happiness? Is it the workers’ rights the brave people in Wisconsin have been fighting for? Is it the idea of a house with a perfect lawn, an SUV out front, and all the material things we could want?\n\nWhat’s hard about where we now find ourselves as a nation is that many of us in the working middle class grew up believing in the promise of “fruited plains,” ours to harvest if we worked hard enough, and that America was “made for you and me.” But how do we reconcile our beliefs with this interminable slog through joblessness and poverty? How do we believe in the American Dream when we see the injustice of an illegal war in Iraq and such a fundamental lack of concern for the earth that we know our own children we will inherit plagues of disaster?\n\nHow do we continue to believe in anything when we’re told the recession is over and yet close to 14 million Americans the government considers unemployed, men and women who are still willing ready and able, cannot get jobs? And this number does not reflect those whose unemployment has run out or people who are self employed and out of work or the people who have lost the heart to keep looking for a job are no longer counted.\n\nWe need to understand that somewhere along the line, the basic tenets of the American Dream got hijacked by a “get rich quick” greediness that has nothing to do with hard work and thriftiness, nothing to do with the pillars of justice and democracy we cherish as our birthright. And, in the meantime, the things that could sustain the American Dream through tough times, like a reliance on our communities, neighbors, and extended families, has been bred out of what we imagined for our lives. Young families like mine think we should be toughing it out alone as if we were pioneers with nary a neighbor in sight; instead we should be asking for help and reaching out to help others.\n\nFitzgerald famously wrote that, “There are no second acts in American lives.” I know from personal experience that’s not true. In 2008, Dan and I went west from Maine to start new lives in California. Just one year later, we found ourselves with a new baby and an empty bank account. The recession hit our family so hard that we were forced to drive back across the country to move in with my mother, in Maine. There, at home with Mom, we simplified our lives to only what we needed, not what we wanted. Then we reconfigured our dreams so they were no longer about material things or images of a house with a perfect lawn and two cars out front, and we began building them back, brick by brick. We got lucky, eventually. When I sold my memoir about our experience with the recession, we had $16 in the bank. The advance didn’t make us rich or even make a significant dent in the towering pile of bills that we towed across the country behind us, but it gave us some breathing room.\n\nWhen I sold my book, people said to me, “Only in America!” and “That’s the American Dream!” Perhaps. But I’d add this: As I found out, the American Dream can no longer survive on the idea that if you persevere you will succeed. It needs to become something deeper, something simpler, something we are learning as we watch that family of the eagles in Iowa: We need each other. It’s that uncomplicated. As we watch the male eagle fly back to the nest with a gasping fish and pull it apart, giving pieces to the mother who is shielding her tiny babies under her belly, which she, in turn, feeds them bit by bit, we are moved by this beauty of needing each other to make it. Because it is only in coming together, with guts and determination, that we will build back the communities and families which will preserve what we know innately: that we can get through anything as long as we do it together.\n\nComments are closed\n\n16 Comments so far\n\nShow All\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6752280592918396}
{"content": "Black and White Tumblr Themes\n\n\n\n\nYour body language effects how you think and shapes who you are. Take a minute to examine your posture right now and note what you’re doing. Often times, our posture releases physical cues that intend to make ourselves smaller. Your knees are curled up to your chest. Your arms…", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990423321723938}
{"content": "Windsor Coat of Arms / Windsor Family Crest\n\nThe surname of WINDSOR was a locational name 'of Windsor' a parish, a small borough and market town in County Berkshire, anciently Windleshora, said to have arisen from the winding course of the River Thames. Other spellings of the name include WINSOR, WINSER, WINZOR, WINZER, WINTZ and WINZAR. This surname of the present British royal family, was adopted in place of Wettin in 1917, as a response to anti-German feeling during the Ist World War. The surname of Edward VII (and hence of George V. up to 1917) was Wettin, his father, Prince Albert, being Prince Wettin of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The name Windsor was taken from the town in Berkshire where Windsor Castle is a Royal Residence. It had been an ordinary English habitation name for centuries before these events. Early records of the name mention Hugh de Windelsor, 1273, London. Miles Wyndsor registered at Corp Christi College, Oxford University in the year 1564. Windsor (Christian name omitted) and Elizabeth Perkins, were married at St. George's, Hanover Square, London in the year 1734. The small villages of Europe, or royal and noble households, even large religious dwellings and monasteries, gave rise to many family names, which reflected the occupation or profession of the original bearer of the name. Following the Crusades in Europe in the 11th 12th and 13th centuries a need was felt for an additional name. This was recognized by those of gentle birth, who realised that it added prestige and practical advantage to their status. At first the coat of arms was a practical matter which served a function on the battlefield and in tournaments. With his helmet covering his face, and armour encasing the knight from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield, and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped and flowing garment worn over the armour. The associated arms are recorded in Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. Most of the European surnames were formed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The process had started somewhat earlier and had continued in some places into the 19th century, but the norm is that in the tenth and eleventh centuries people did not have surnames, whereas by the fifteenth century most of the population had acquired a second name.\n\n\n\nlast updated on: January 7th, 2014\n\nfamily shield, code of arms, genealogy", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7227805256843567}
{"content": "- Access Genealogy - http://www.accessgenealogy.com -\n\nA- Alabama Indian Villages, Towns and Settlements\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAtagi. One of the 4 Alibamu towns formerly situated in what is now Autauga co., Ala., extending 2 m. along the w. bank of Alabama r., a short distance w. of the present Montgomery. Autaugaville, Autauga cr., and Autauga co. are named after it. Hawkins (1798) speaks of it as a small village 4 m. below Pawokti, and says that the people have little inter course with the whites but are hospitable. Schooler (Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, iv, 578, 1854) states that it contained 54 families in 1832. (A. S. G.)\n\nAtasi (Creek: ă′tăssa, ‘warclub’. Gatschet) . An ancient Upper Creek town on the s. side of Tallapoosa r., in Macon co., Ala., adjoining Calibee cr., 5 in. above Huthliwathli town. In 1766 it contained about 43 warriors, and when seen by Hawkins, about 1799, it was a poor, miserable-looking place. On Nov. 29, 1813, a battle was fought there between the Creeks and Jackson’s troops. The name was later applied to a town in the Creek Nation, Indian Ter., the people of which are called Atasálgi. See Jefferys, French Dom. Am., 135, map, 1761; Bartram, Trav., 454, 1791; Gatschet, Creek Migr. Leg., I, 128, 1884; II, 185, 1888.\n\nAtchinaalgi (cedar grove people). A former small village of the Upper Creeks, on a tributary of Tallapoosa r. , probably in Tallapoosa co., Ala. It was their northernmost settlement in the 18th century, and was destroyed by Gen. White, Nov. 13, 1813. (A. S. G.)\n\nAtchinahatchi (cedar creek) . A former branch settlement of the Upper Creek village of Kailaidshi, on a small stream of the same name, a tributary of the Tallapoosa, probably in Coosa co., Ala. ( A. S. G. )\n\nAucheucaula. A former Creek town situated on the E. bank of Coosa r., in the extreme N. w. corner of Coosa co., Ala. Royce in 18th Rep. B. A. E., Ala. map, 1900.\n\nArticle printed from Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com\n\nURL to article: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/a-alabama-indian-villages-towns-and-settlements.htm\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5867481231689453}
{"content": "Richard W. Hanson, Ph.D.\n\nMany persons who enter our program actually suffer from two types of chronic pain - chronic physical pain and chronic emotional pain. Emotional pain typically begins with painful life experiences. The emotional pain can take the form of depression, guilt, anxiety, and fear. Anger is another common reaction to painful life experiences; however, the function of anger is often to shield you from the real underlying emotional hurt. Emotional pain becomes chronic when you continue to re-live and dwell upon painful life events that occurred in the past. Distressing or traumatic events that happened years ago may continue to affect your day-to-day mood, attitudes, and relationships with other people. One of the most extreme forms of chronic emotional pain is found among those who suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Veterans who suffered significant emotional trauma as a result of their experiences in combat may continue to be haunted by those experiences even though they occurred many years ago. One can also suffer chronic emotional pain from distressing events that occurred during childhood (e.g., abuse, neglect, or abandonment by one's parents). Chronic emotional pain can result from events which occurred later in life such as divorce, loss of loved ones, or loss of employment. Finally, chronic emotional pain may stem from the losses and disappointments associated with your chronic pain condition.\n\nUnderstanding the perpetuation of emotional pain.\n\nIn order to break free from chronic emotional pain, it is important to understand how and why the pain keeps persisting. There are many possible reasons why emotional pain can continue. In some instances, the person continues to experience intrusive recollections of previous traumatic events. These emotionally-charged memories can take the form of recurrent nightmares or distressing daytime memory images. The memories may either be triggered by something in your immediate environmental (which reminds you of the trauma) or they may seem to \"pop out of nowhere.\" Some even experience \"flashbacks\" in which they relive the traumatic events as though they were actually re-occurring. While some people experience painful memories as intrusive and entirely uninvited, others seem to excessively dwell on these events. Past hurts, disappointments, and injustices are played over and over again in their minds. Often these scenes are elaborated upon and expanded. The person may fantasize what they might do to change or correct past hurts and wrongs. When anger is used as means of coping with these painful experiences, one's fantasies typically turn to revenge. Recurrent images and fantasies related to previous upsetting events serve to perpetuate and add more fuel to the emotional pain. In fact, it has been pointed out that the process of replaying painful scenes in the mind is one of the most popular forms of self-torture.\n\nAn interesting question is, why do some people who have experienced significant trauma in their lives seem to eventually get over it and go on with their lives in a healthy manner, whereas others who have experienced similar trauma seem to be stuck in the past? Some even appear to wear their past traumas like a badge of honor to the extent that it becomes their primary identity. They become stuck in their victim role, and use their previous traumas as a major excuse for not doing more with their life. They go around telling themselves or others that, \"if it weren't for ...(my past trauma or PTSD), I would be ...(more successful, happy, etc.).\" In other words, it seems as though some don't want to let go of their painful past, whereas others want to but have difficulty doing so. One suggestion is that people continue to experience emotional pain to the extent that they try to avoid or escape the real emotional pain connected with the original traumas. It is as though the person has been wounded, but the wounds have not been allowed to properly heal. Rather they have been covered up with drug and alcohol abuse, misplaced rage and aggression, various forms of self-destructive behavior, or denial and repression. All of these mechanisms can be used as maladaptive attempts to avoid facing the original fear, hurt, shame, guilt, or feelings of worthlessness.\n\nLetting go of the emotions associated with past traumas or painful life experiences.\n\nKeep in mind that a realistic goal is not to simply \"forget\" the past. That may not be possible. Rather, the goal is to get over and get beyond the emotional pain that is linked to these distressing past events. Although you may be able to do this on your own, professional counseling is often required. Sometimes counseling is required to help you sort out your true feelings to the painful events. When faced honestly, many discover that they have mixed feelings associated with certain traumatic life events. For example, there may be both sadness and anger over the loss of a loved one. Facing and sorting out the true feelings may be a first step. The best form of counseling makes use of what has sometimes been called cognitive reprocessing therapy. This type of therapy requires you to go back and reconsider the painful life experiences from a different point of view. Typically, highly distorted and irrational beliefs surround the traumatic events. You may need to learn how to think about these events from a different perspective, a perspective that does not automatically call forth intense feelings of depression, guilt, rage, or fear. In some cases, learning to forgive may also be necessary to get beyond the emotional pain. Forgiveness may pertain to the actions of other people, or it may pertain to your own misdeeds and failures to act when you could have. Of course, in order for all of this to work, it has to be more than an intellectual exercise, it has to come from the heart.\n\nAnother approach is to work on letting go of the past by actively refocusing on something more enjoyable or meaningful in the present. Remember, misery loves a vacuum. However, those who have something better to do, don't suffer as much. Meaningful and rewarding work, hobbies, recreational activities, and relationships with other people can become the primary focus of attention rather than distressing events which occurred in the distant past. In order to do this, one must mentally redefine the past trauma as being a unique and specific event or set of events that occurred at a particular time and place in one's life. One must guard then against the distortion of overgeneralization which assumes that bad experiences in specific situations or with specific individuals must generalize to all similar situations or all similar individuals. Overgeneralization is associated with sweeping judgements such as \"no one can be trusted,\" \"no one really cares,\" or \"no one can possibly understand me.\"\n\nIt also becomes necessary to consciously work at redirecting attention away from memories of unpleasant events in the past using techniques such as stopping negative thoughts and images and substituting more positive thoughts and images. Although it may not be possible to keep painful memories out of awareness, you can keep from dwelling on them and allowing them to fester inside. Each time you catch yourself thinking about the painful events or experiences, you must deliberately redirect your attention to something else. All of this requires considerable practice and effort.\n\nReturn to Pain Handbook Index", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8864173889160156}
{"content": "Other books\n\nOther books in this category\nShowing items 1 to 11 of 11\n\n\nFull description | Reviews | Bibliographic data\n\nFull description for A History of the Roman People\n\n  • A History of the Roman People continues to provide a comprehensive analytical survey of Roman history from its prehistoric roots in Italy and the wider Mediterranean world to the dissolution of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity ca. A.D. 600. Clearly organized and highly readable, the text's narrative of major political and military events provides a chronological and conceptual framework for chapters on social, economic, and cultural developments of the periods covered. Major topics are treated separately so that students can easily grasp key concepts and ideas. * New research and scholarship has been incorporated throughout. * The chapters on the Etruscans and on Rome before the Republic have taken into account new archaeological material and research. * New research on the Roman family and the role of women is included. * New research on military history is included.Chapters on the Julio-Claudian, Flavian, and Antonine periods have been updated. * The chapters on Diocletian, Constantine, and the Christian Empire have received a clearer presentation of dynastic complexities. * Sections on religious changes and divisive theological issues have been updated and clarified. * Chapter summaries and overviews have been expanded or added.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7304446697235107}
{"content": "\n\nAbrupt Climate Change\n\n\n\n\nWeather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate\n\nAn assessment in the state of knowledge concerning changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. territories. Changes in extreme weather and climate events have significant impacts and are among the most serious challenges to society in coping with a changing climate.\n\nClimate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis\n\nA comprehensive and up-to-date scientific assessment of past, present, and future global climate change. The assessment confirms that the scientific understanding of the climate system and its sensitivity to greenhouse gas emissions is now richer and deeper than ever before. The chapters forming the bulk of this report describe scientists assessment of the state-of-knowledge in their respective fields.\n\nExcessive Heat Events Guidebook\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8811367154121399}
{"content": "We’re only human? Maybe not\n\nSequencing of ancient DNA shows Neanderthal as well as previously unknown ancestors \n\nNew York TimesApril 29, 2012 \n\n\n\n\nTheir DNA lives on in us even though they are extinct. “In a sense, we are a hybrid species,” said Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist who is the research leader in human origins at the Natural History Museum in London.\n\nThe Denisovans were first described a year ago in a groundbreaking paper in the journal Nature made possible by the genetic sequencing of the girl’s pinky bone and of an oddly shaped molar from a young adult. Those findings have unleashed a spate of new analyses.\n\nScientists are trying to envision the ancient couplings and their consequences: when and where they took place, how they happened, how many produced offspring, and what effect the archaic genes have on humans today.\n\nOther scientists are trying to learn more about the Denisovans: who they were, where they lived, and how they became extinct.\n\nA revolutionary increase in the speed and a decline in the cost of gene-sequencing technology have enabled scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, to map the genomes of both the Neanderthals and the Denisovans.\n\n\nA third group of extinct humans, Homo floresiensis, nicknamed “the hobbits” because they were so small, also lived until about 17,000 years ago. It is not known whether modern humans bred with them because the hot, humid climate of the Indonesian island of Flores, where their remains were found, impairs the preservation of DNA.\n\nThis means that our modern era, since H. floresiensis died out, is the only time in the 4 million-year human history that just one type of human has been alive, said David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School who was the lead author of the Nature paper on the Denisovans.\n\nInside the cave\n\nFor many scientists, the epicenter of the emerging story on human origins is the Denisova cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia, where the girl’s finger bone was discovered. It is the only known place on the planet where three types of humans – Denisovan, Neanderthal and modern – lived, probably not all at once.\n\nJohn Hawks, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose lab is examining the archaic genomes, visited the cave in July. It has a high arched roof like a Gothic cathedral and a chimney to the sky, he said, adding that being there was like walking in the footsteps of our ancestors.\n\nThe cave has been open to the elements for a quarter of a million years and is rich with layers of sediments that may contain other surprises. Some of its chambers are unexplored, and excavators are still finding human remains that are not yet identified. The average temperature for a year, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, bodes well for the preservation of archaic DNA.\n\nCould this cave have been one of the spots where the ancient mating took place? Hawks said it was possible.\n\nBut Reich and his team have determined through the patterns of archaic DNA replications that a small number of half-Neanderthal, half-modern human hybrids walked the earth 46,000 to 67,000 years ago, he said. The half-Denisovan, half-modern humans that contributed to our DNA were more recent.\n\nPeter Parham, an immunologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has used an analysis of modern and ancient alleles – immune-system genetic components – to figure out that one of the Denisovan-modern couplings most likely took place in what is now southeastern China. He also has found some evidence that a Neanderthal-modern pair mated in west Asia.\n\nParham stressed, however, that his study was just the first step in trying to reconstruct where the mating took place. His analysis, which shows that some archaic immune alleles are widespread among modern humans, concludes that as few as six couplings all those tens of thousands of years ago might have led to the current level of ancient immune alleles.\n\nDenisovan mystery\n\nThe value of the interbreeding shows up in the immune system, Parham’s analysis suggests. The Neanderthals and Denisovans had lived in Europe and Asia for many thousands of years before modern humans showed up, and they had developed ways to fight the diseases there, he said in an interview.\n\nWhen modern humans mated with them, they got an injection of helpful genetic immune material so useful that it remains in the genome today. This suggests that modern humans needed the archaic DNA to survive.\n\nThe downside of archaic immune material is that it may be responsible for autoimmune diseases like diabetes, arthritis and multiple sclerosis, Parham said, stressing that these are preliminary results.\n\nAlthough little is known about the Denisovans – the only remains so far are the pinky bone and the tooth, and there are no artifacts like tools – Reich and others suggest that they were once scattered widely across Asia, from the cold northern cave to the tropical south. The evidence is that modern populations in Oceania, including aboriginal Australians, carry Denisovan genes.\n\nReich and others suggest that the interbreeding that led to this phenomenon probably occurred in the south, rather than in Siberia. If so, the Denisovans were more widely dispersed than Neanderthals, and possibly more successful.\n\nBut the questions of how many Denisovans there were and how they became extinct have yet to be answered. Right now, as Reich put it, they are “a genome in search of an archaeology.”\n\n\nCommenting FAQs | Terms of Service", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9750254154205322}
{"content": "USGA, The R&A Add Clarity to New Definition of “Addressing the Ball”\n\nThe United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A today issued a clarification of the new definition of “Addressing the Ball” with respect to the revised edition of the Rules of Golf, which took effect worldwide on January 1, 2012.\n\nThe clarification to the new definition of “Addressing the Ball,” referenced on page 22 of the Rules of Golf, deals specifically with the phrase “immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball.” In its continued review of the Rules, the USGA and The R&A have provided the following explanation to further clarify the new definition:\n\n  • If the golf club is grounded “closely” behind the ball in a position where it would be customary for a player to ground the club prior to making a particular stroke, then the club is considered to have been grounded “immediately behind the ball.”\n  • The same interpretation of the definition would apply if a player grounds his or her golf club “closely” in front of the ball prior to making a stroke.\n\nCommenting on the clarification, USGA Senior Director of Rules of Golf Thomas Pagel said: “We remain committed to ensuring that the Rules are clear, easy to understand and relevant to today’s game. In our regular review of the Rules to ensure these goals are met, we determined that the definition of addressing the ball could be interpreted in various ways and that further explanation was necessary.”\n\nR&A Executive Director of Rules and Equipment Standards David Rickman said an additional explanation to the definition of “Addressing the Ball” was necessary given the changes made to Rule 18-2b. “We recognise that even after an extensive review of the Rules there can be specific areas that benefit from greater clarity and understanding, and we hope that this explanation will assist players and referees.”\n\nIn January, the USGA and The R&A released the new Rules of Golf for 2012-2015 following an exhaustive, four-year review of golf’s 34 playing Rules in which nine principal Rules were amended to improve clarity and ensure penalties are proportionate to rules breaches. One significant change was made to Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). The addition of a new exception exonerates a player from penalty if his or her ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that the player did not cause the ball to move. For example, if a gust of wind moves the ball after it has been addressed, there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9592557549476624}
{"content": "The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is a joining together of many different organizations and people worldwide who have come together to actively promote the concept of a Space Elevator.\n\nOur Mission Statement: “ISEC promotes the development, construction and operation of a space elevator as a revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity”\n\n\nEach of the pillars is headed by a pillar lead, who functions much like a university’s department head. Their job is to start initiatives (projects), pursue collaborations, guide project leads and prospective project leads in pursuing their individual projects, and generally increase the activity level of their pillar.\n\nISEC is a California-based, non-profit corporation.  If you are interested in helping us actively promote this magnificent concept, please visit the ISEC website and JOIN.  You can also sign up for a free e-Newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on all the goings-on at ISEC.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996547102928162}
{"content": "Dreams Have Psychological Meaning and Cultural Uses, but No Known Adaptive Function\n\nby G. William Domhoff\n\nDreams are so compelling, and they often seem so weird and strange -- surely they must have a \"purpose\"; that is, an \"adaptive role\" in the maintenance of our bodily or psychological health. Furthermore, all the famous theorists who talk about dreams claim that dreams do have one or another purpose (although the famous theorists disagree on just what those functions are), but the best current evidence suggests otherwise. Dreams probably have no purpose!\n\nSo let's review the arguments and the evidence. We'll start with the claims made by psychoanalysts and clinical psychologists in the first 50 years of the century based on their work with patients, then turn to more recent claims, some of which are based on work in sleep and dream laboratories that flourished in the 1950's and 1960's. The views presented here are those of research psychologists who have studied dreams inside and outside the laboratory, especially David Foulkes and Calvin Hall. References to Foulkes' work are provided at the end of this document.\n\nThe first and most famous dream theorist of the modern era, Sigmund Freud, said that the function of dreams was to preserve sleep, but that theory from the year 1900 is contradicted by the fact that dreams happen very regularly at least five or six times per night in an active stage of sleep called REM sleep (after the rapid eye movements that are part of it, along with many other neurological and physiological changes). In other words, dreams don't just happen as we are about to wake up due to hunger pangs, sexual urges, or the need to go to the bathroom, as Freud thought way back when, before REM sleep was discovered in 1953.\n\nThe other famous dream theorist of the modern era, Carl Jung, an early follower of Freud who broke away to develop a very different theory, claimed that the function of dreams is to compensate for those parts of the psyche (total personality) that are underdeveloped in waking life, but Calvin Hall's studies of two-week dream series from students and longer dream journals from adults of all ages strongly suggest that dream content is continuous with waking thought and behavior. That is, if we are outgoing and active in our waking life, and not very introspective and reflective, then so too in our dream life, which contradicts Jung's view.\n\nStill other dream theorists say that dreams have a problem-solving function. Dreams supposedly deal with problems we can't solve in waking life and offer solutions. But a variety of systematic studies find precious little support for this view. However, this is one of those places where we have developed \"uses\" for our dreams as part of our cultural lore. Looking at them in the light of waking day, and believing that they may be full of insight, we may sometimes come up with new ideas or insights while studying them. That is, we have invented a \"use\" for dreams, but that doesn't mean that problem solving is a psychological function of dreams built into us over evolutionary time.\n\nSo much for the claims by clinical theorists. Now we look at claims that have emerged in recent years, but are tied to no particular theory or famous theorist. They are the new \"common sense\" of our day, based on a reverence for physiological findings and the awesome capabilities of computers.\n\nWhen REM sleep was first discovered, it was thought that dreams only occurred during that stage of sleep. This led to many functional theories about dreaming that were based on alleged functions for REM sleep. But we now have reason to believe that plenty of dreams happen in non-REM (NREM) sleep, especially late in the sleep period.\n\nFurthermore, awakenings of children under age 5 in the sleep laboratory reveal that they only report dreams from REM sleep awakenings 20-25% of the time, so REM sleep does not automatically equate to dreaming. In addition, REM sleep can be found in all mammals, and it is unlikely that they are dreaming, i.e., imagining a world or story in which they are taking part and interacting with others. Dreams, as the pre-eminent American psychologist on dreams, David Foulkes, likes to say, are a \"cognitive achievement.\" We only gradually develop the ability to dream. What all this adds up to is that REM sleep and dreaming are not the same thing, so whatever functions REM sleep may have cannot be taken as functions for dreaming and dreams.\n\nThe fact that we remember so few of our dreams -- a few percent at best -- also argues against any function for dreams. If they are so important, why don't we remember more of them? Furthermore, the people who remember a great many dreams don't seem to be any different from those who remember few or none, at least on the standard personality tests that have been used in many studies to date. If dreams are important, why aren't the recallers of them better off in some way?\n\nWith the advent of computers, it became fashionable to say that dreams are \"clearing out the software\" from a busy day, or that they are a form of \"off-line\" processing to save the good stuff and get rid of the useless. Aside from the fact that such theories show how susceptible our supposedly highest thinking is to the dominant technology of any given era, the problem with this theory of dream function is that very, very little in dreams deals with the events of the day. Often there is some little leftover from the day, first noticed by Freud and named \"day residue,\" but the rest of the dream is a story that does not deal with actual events. The story is usually plausible and even mundane, and it often contains the most important people and concerns of our lives, but it is nonetheless a story.\n\nWe are thinking creatures because thinking is a valuable adaptation, but that doesn't mean that all forms of thinking have a function. Dreams at this moment in the collective findings of dream researchers seem to be a \"throw-away\" production, an off-hand story to while the night away. That judgment could be changed tomorrow by new and original studies by a new generation of young dream researchers, but right now the preponderance of the evidence weights against any physiological or psychological function for dreaming and dreams.\n\n(Click here for a detailed refutation of the \"problem-solving\" theory of dreams.)\n\nBut Dreams Have Meaning\n\n\n\nAnd, Yes, Dreams Have Their \"Uses\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDon't Like Your Dreams? Feel Free To Ignore Them\n\nMost dream researchers think it is worthwhile to remember your dreams, and they have tips for improving your recall. But the evidence we have presented here suggests something else: they are not important, so perhaps not worth remembering. So, unless you find your dreams entertaining, intellectually interesting, or artistically inpiring, then feel free to forget your dreams. If they just upset you or leave you puzzled, then why bother with them?\n\n\n\nSuggested Reading\n\n  • David Foulkes (1985). Dreaming: A cognitive-psychological analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.\n\n  • Corrado Cavallero and David Foulkes (1993). Dreaming as Cognition. New York: Harvester/Weatsheaf. [Especially chapters 1, 2, 6, and 7]\n\n  • Allan Moffitt, Milton Kramer, and Robert Hoffman (1993). The Functions of Dreaming. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. [Especially the chapters by Foulkes and Antrobus.]\n\nGo back to the Dream Library index.\ndreamresearch.net home page dreamresearch.net contact info", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9738984107971191}
{"content": "\n\nThe decoration of vehicles is a common practice in a number of countries in addition to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Similar techniques and materials are employed in truck and (more frequently) bus decoration in the Philippines, Indonesia, and several countries in Central and South America; in South Asia itself, Indian trucks are painted, as are the scooter rickshaws, called \"Baby Taxis\", of Bangladesh. What makes the case of Pakistan (and Afghanistan) unique, however, is the pervasiveness of vehicle decoration, since decoration is heavily utilized on virtually all privately and fleet-owned commercial vehicles, from the well known trucks and buses, to vans, share taxis, animal carts and even juice vendors' push carts. I am engaged in a major research topic on the decoration of trucks in Pakistan out of which I plan to produce a book and several articles. This site is intended as a very brief introduction to the importance of symbolism in Pakistani truck decoration.\n\nIt is worth noting that vehicle decoration is an expensive undertaking. On average, it costs US$5000 to do the bodywork on a truck, although in some cases people spend much more. The majority of Pakistani trucks are not owner-operated but belong to fleets, it is the norm for fleet owners to authorize the driver to take the vehicle to a coachwork shop at company expense and have it decorated according to his own taste (although in the case of many fleets all trucks have similar lettering and colors on the side panels). Given the lack of direct economic benefit in decorating a truck to the owner or operator, and the absolute pervasiveness of this form of art (it is safe to say that every intercity privately owned truck in Pakistan is decorated), it becomes obvious that the motivation to decorate lies somewhere else. The motifs represented on trucks display not just aesthetic considerations, but attempts to depict aspects of the religious, sentimental and emotional worldviews of the individuals employed in the truck industry. And since trucks represent the major means of transporting cargo throughout Pakistan, truck decoration might very well be this society's major form of representational art.\n\nMy data has been collected in northern and southern Pakistan; I've focused my attention on the Karakorum Highway, the main commercial artery which connects Pakistan to China; on Rawalpindi, where the routes to China split from the east-west route to Afghanistan, and on the commercial center of Karachi. In addition to photographing trucks to analyze their designs, I've interviewed truckers on the road, at rest stops and while they are having their trucks built up. I've visited truck design workshops, interviewed artists at their homes and places of work, interviewed artisans who manufacture the smaller pieces of art which are attached to the truck after the main designing is done. Through this research, I have identified a number of design schools, although they tend to be extremely dynamic in modifying styles and motifs, as well as unselfconscious, so that motifs are added and removed with great rapidity. Nevertheless, there are at least four basic schools of truck design. The commonest is the Rawalpindi school, which accounts for most trucks built up in the northern Punjab (Rawalpindi, Hasanabdal, Haripur, and the Gujranwala area). These trucks have ornate metal cowling above the windshield and rely heavily on plastic applique in their decoration. The trucks of Swat (a wide valley in the northwest of the country) are distinctive for their carved wooden doors and limited use of plastic and hammered metalwork. The trucks of Peshawar (a city close to the Khyber Pass on one of the two main routes connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan) fall somewhere in between the Rawalpindi and Swat schools. They often have carved wooden doors (although, unlike the trucks of Swat, their doors are likely to be painted) and they use a metal cowling, only the cowling tends to be simpler than that of a Rawalpindi truck. The Karachi school is difficult to define, and I am inclined to see it not as one school at all but an amalgamation. Karachi, as Pakistan's major sea and land port as well as primary metropolitan area, has more trucks than any other place in the country. It also has truckers and trucks from every other region, many of whom chose to decorate their trucks in the tradition of the up country region to which they belong. The only distinctive Karachi design I have been able to identify has wooden relief work colored with iridescent paints over the windshield. This design is most common in water tankers, a kind of truck ubiquitous in Karachi and not at all common in other areas.\n\nThe motifs on the trucks can be categorized in five groups:\n\n2. Elements from modern life, such as pictures of political figures or patriotic symbols.\n4. Talismanically or religiously loaded symbols, such as eyes and fish.\n5. .Obvious religious symbols and images such as Buraq (a celestial horse that is believed to have carried the Prophet Muhammad on a spiritual journey to heaven).\n\nHowever, by far the commonest religious symbols appearing on a truck are the Ka'ba and Prophets mosque, appearing on the left and right of the front of the truck somewhere towards the top.\n\nPakistani trucks transform the landscape into a check work of moving religious and cultural tableaus, mobile talismans through which the truckers protect themselves and their livelihood, and itinerant homes which bear visual testimony to the truckers' sense of place and belonging. It is not clearly established that either the truckers or the truck designers are entirely clear on what the symbolism of the motifs used in truck design actually is. In fact, many truckers I've talked to plead ignorance of all the symbols and claim that they are either purely aesthetic choices, or else were put there at the sole discretion of the truck designer. However, I would argue that religious images, even at their least denotative, or most abstract, are images nonetheless; they are perceived and – to paraphrase Paul Ricoeur – perception gives rise to symbols, and symbols give rise to thought and response.\n\nI would argue that one can make sense of the Pakistan truck which, at first glance, appears to be an explosive expression of popular or folk art. The side panels are used to depict the imagined home, thereby situating the driver, who by definition is never at home, in a social geography. The nomadic nature of the driver is critical to his self-conception, consciously articulated by him in conversation as well as in the music he listens to. The truck functions not only as his home away from home, but also his means of livelihood as well as his partner. The last concern explains the general motivation to decorate the truck as well as to feminize it and endow it with bridal symbols. The symbolism connected with safety of person and livelihood dominates the truck and also the truckers behavior (visits to shrines, the interior of the truck).\n\nBuilt into the symbol, as a perceptual metaphor, is the capacity to pattern responses concerning how the individual relates to the world or to the divine. Thus the symbols used in truck decoration in particular (and vehicle decoration in general), even when they are not consciously representative of a particular religious message in the iconic sense, are still shaped by a notion of the religious place of the individual, by a religious worldview, and they still elicit responses which are framed within the parameters of that particular worldview. That these religious symbols are pictorial, and that the religious responses are elicited by pictorial representation, raises many questions about the role of religious art in a society that views itself as resolutely aniconic, that discussion is for another time.\n\n© Jamal Elias, 2001", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7041977047920227}
{"content": "Weekend snow chances? Would NWS cuts harm Minnesota?\n\nAs arctic air slides into the region, the forecast models for the weekend bear watching.\n\nA split flow in the upper atmosphere and an active southern branch of the jet stream is spawning potential snow system. The flow is chaotic, something the forecast models don’t handle very well. The big question is how far north these southern disturbances will project snow.\n\nMajor model differences:\n\nThere are some pretty remarkable differences and “divergent solutions” between the models regarding the weekend forecast at this point. Depending on which model turns out to be right, Saturday could either be sunny and cold, or cloudy with steady light snow adding up to 1″ to 3″ for much of southern Minnesota.\n\n\nSunday into Monday could either feature a storm sliding south and producing significant snowfall for Wisconsin or Chicago, or veer north and sideswipe southeast Minnesota (and possibly even the metro) with a shot of snow.\n\n\nRight now I’m leaning toward a solution which features just a chance of light snow Saturday, with the bulk of a southern branch storm sliding southeast of Minnesota Sunday into Monday.\n\nBut stay tuned for updates as the modles (hopefully) sort things out Friday….\n\nCould NWS funding cuts affect forecast accuracy in Minnesota?\n\n\nSuggested impacts of such cuts could include closing NWS offices (there was already consolidation years ago which closed the NWS office in International Falls) reducing maintenance on the doppler radar and NOAA weather radio networks and even reducing the number of upper air soundings from every 12 hours to once daily or even once every two days.\n\n\nWhile I don’t always jump on the NWS bandwagon, it is clear to me this is not the place to start cutting budgets. Studies have shown that accurate weather forecasts save the U.S. economy as much as 4-billion dollars annually! Most of this data comes directly in one form or another from NOAA & NWS.\n\nOne area where we might see an immediate catastrophic forecast impact would be if either the number or frequency of upper air soundings is reduced. These twice daily soundings are used as initial input into numerical forecast models that we use every day to make our weather forecasts.\n\n\nIf the geographic coverage or frequency of upper air data input feeding into the models is reduced, it would likely drastically affect model performance.\n\n\nTwin Cities upper air sounding today.\n\nOne area that could wreak havoc for Minnesota is on model performance for winter storms.\n\nMany of our major winter storms cross the Pacific before moving into the upper air weather balloon “grid” over North America. Once the systems get “sampled” by the upper air grid, the models have much better data on storm strength, movement and thermal profile…all of which are critical in determining how much rain or snow will fall in Minnesota, and where.\n\nThis is why you’ve heard me talk about the futility of trying to predict snowfall totals more than 24 to 48 hours in advance. The forecast models just don’t have enough accurate data on the storm until the system moves over the west coast!\n\nIf we had to wait even longer to sample storms coming off the Pacific it could be a disaster on model accuracy with winter storms. Forecasting winter storms is already one of the most difficult forecasts a meteorologist in Minnesota has to make. I can’t imagine how much worse the projections would be without accurate and timely upper air data feeding into the models every 12 hours!\n\n\n  • Cody\n\n    While limited upper air soundings would cause a major annoyance when it comes to winter weather, it could cause disastrous forecast errors when it comes to severe weather and hurricane forecasting, which have gotten very good over the past 20 years and without a doubt save dozens if not hundreds of American lives every year.\n\n    The thought of NHC not knowing what the upper air pattern is over the united states makes it almost impossible to know when or if a hurricane in the Atlantic will curve towards or away from the US.\n\n  • Paul Huttner\n\n\n    You are so right.\n\n    I guess I’m focused on winter storms at this point, but central plains severe weather outbreaks in summer could be affected also. Satellites and Hurricane Hunter Aircraft may help more with hurricanes before landfall in the upper air network…but any data is good data!\n\n\n  • Cody\n\n    Then of course, imagine the Twin Cities office having to cover for La Crosse during a major severe weather outbreak or the other way around if one of those offices where closed for 4 weeks.\n\n    Hopefully the word gets out that the NWS does a lot more then telling you if its going to rain today. I have little doubts that the $125m saved in cuts would end up costing more in the long run.\n\n    Economic impacts of poorer flood, aviation, and agricultural forecasts. Increased cost of evacuated more people because of uncertain hurricane forecasts. Increased insurance costs. I would almost guarantee it would cost more then it saves.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6802695989608765}
{"content": "\nCopyright © 1990 by . All rights reserved\n\nNext Contents Previous\n\n3.2 Continuum Emission\n\nContinuum radiation from dust arises from two mechanisms: (a) fluorescence, giving rise to a red continuum; and (b) thermal radiation. The latter is observed either in the 1-60 µm range following the transient heating of a small grain by a single UV photon; or for lambda > 100 µm, where the energy is reprocessed by steady-state emission of larger grains; or in the intermediate-wavelength range, where the effects compete.\n\n3.2.1. RED CONTINUUM Grains in the ``reflection'' nebula NGC 2023 were found to produce a red continuum that peaks at about 6800 Å (178). Subsequent studies of many such nebulae confirm that there is an extended red emission in many of them (175 and ref. therein), typically contributing 30-50% of the flux in the I band (0.88 µm). In NGC 2023, the red emission is found in filamentary structures that spatially coincide with patches of H2 infrared fluorescence and the 3.3-µm UIB emission (56) but not necessarily with the intensity of reflected light, which is determined by total dust density. IC 435, in the same molecular cloud, shows no red luminescence (174), nor does the Merope reflection nebula. A small patch of red fluorescent emission near the star gamma Cas also shows a strong H2 fluorescence in the UV (179). The ``Red Rectangle'' (HD 44179), a bipolar outflow excited by a central star, shows both strong UIBs and the red emission (140, 146).\n\nThe simplest interpretation of the red fluorescent emission is that it is excited by a strong UV flux incident upon hydrogenated carbon particles, either amorphous (46) or PAHs (32), thereby producing both the fluorescent red emission and the H2 fluorescence. A strong enough radiation field will alter the carbon particles and dissociate the H2, as might be the case in the Merope nebula.\n\n3.2.2. 3-30 µm CONTINUUM In addition to the UIBs, there is a continuous emission in the NIR/MIR range that accounts for a large part of the radiation from reflection nebulae (151) and, presumably, from the Galaxy as a whole. A survey at 11 and 20 µm (132) found unexpectedly high diffuse galactic emission. IRAS mapped almost the entire sky at 12, 25, 60, and 100 µm and found the 12- and 25-µm intensities vary considerably relative to the 100-µm intensity (90, 91), which is roughly proportional to N(H I). The NIR/MIR emission arises from warm grains; simple considerations of the peak wavelength of the Planck function (and hence the emissivity of a grain) as a function of temperature show that this radiation must come from grains with temperatures of hundreds of Kelvins. By contrast, the mean local interstellar radiation field and optical constants for likely grain materials (carbon, silicates, organic refractory mantles) all suggest equilibrium temperatures of ~ 20 K for the grains having the sizes (> 0.01 µm) needed to account for the optical extinction (133). Grains of this size have large enough heat capacities so that their temperatures do not fluctuate appreciably after absorbing a single UV photon.\n\nThe NIR/MIR emission must be produced by grains in the size range 5-50 Å; such grains are large enough to have an almost continuous density of energy states. In this case they radiate a continuum rather than emission bands. A single UV photon heats the grain to a high peak temperature that depends upon the size of the grain and the energy of the photon (150). The grain emits the NIR/MIR radiation and cools to very low temperatures between photon absorptions. Calculations of thermal fluctuations (34, 41) have shown that very small grains can account for the spectrum of the emission. For clear discussions of the properties of small grains, see (4, 133).\n\n3.2.3. FIR EMISSION Grains with sizes of 0.01 µm or more are cold (~ 20 K) and reradiate most of the energy they absorb into the FIR part of the spectrum. Hildebrand (70) has clearly explained the process of determining grain properties and cloud masses from FIR observations. Cox and Mezger (30), in a recent review of the galactic FIR/submillimeter radiation from dust, estimate that about 1010 Lsmsun, or 30% of the total luminosity of the Galaxy, is radiated in the FIR, mostly from dust heated in H I regions by the interstellar radiation field of early-type stars (12).\n\nThe FIR provides important information regarding the spatial variations of the interstellar radiation field throughout the Galaxy and on how molecular clouds form stars and evolve into H II regions, but is of limited use as a diagnostic of dust because each line of sight samples grains with temperatures which depend upon their local radiation fields. However, for wavelengths much longer than about 150 µm (the peak of the emitted radiation), the FIR can be used to determine the relative opacities of the emitting grains. The Galaxy is optically thin at submillimeter wavelengths, in which case the intensity of emission, Ilambda, is proportional to the opacity, klambda times the Planck function, Blambda(T). For long wavelengths, Blambda(T) varies linearly with the temperature, and thus the wavelength dependence of Ilambda provides relative values of klambda. The results for diffuse radiation from the Galaxy (115) and from other galaxies (22) show that for lambda > 100 µm, klambda is proportional to lambda-2, which is predicted by theory (e.g., DL84). The constant in the proportionality is difficult to determine because it depends on an estimation of the column density of grains, or of hydrogen, along the line of sight of the observation. The theoretical opacities of DL84, based on a graphite-silicate model for grains, are approximately half of Hildebrand's estimate (70) based on a calibration in local dense globules (cf. 124). The uncertainties are probably at least a factor of two, if not more. Table 1 uses the Hildebrand value.\n\nThe mass of interstellar dust, and thereby an estimate for the mass of the ISM, is often determined from the FIR intensity, together with the opacity of grains per mass and an estimated grain temperature. It is important to realize (40) that this procedure is reasonably safe only if the observations are all on the long-wavelength side of the Planck function of the coldest grains -normally, in the submillimeter range. For instance, ``the temperature'' obtained from the ratio of the 60- and 100-µm intensities from IRAS is biased by a few warm grains that can provide almost all of the 60-µm emission. One can easily be off a substantial factor (>3) in the resulting mass estimate!\n\nIn dust surrounding very young objects, bipolar outflows, or the cores of giant molecular clouds, the flux suggets that the opacity even in the submillimeter range (400-1300 µm) might vary as lambda-1 or lambda-1.5 (145, 162, 181) instead of lambda-2. The nebulae might be so optically thick that radiative transfer effects are important at submillimeter wavelengths. However, the grains in these extremely dense objects might not extremely small in comparison to 1 mm. Cometary grains also extend up to this size range. The growth of fractal grains (182; see Section 8) would explain the observations.\n\nNext Contents Previous", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.979710042476654}
{"content": "Ask MOO About: /\n\nDesign overview\n\nThis FAQ should give you some quick answers to the most common design questions people ask of MOO. If you're looking for more detailed instructions, or templates for any of our products, then you'll need our artwork guidelines\n\nGeneral FAQs\n\nCan I use my own logo, designs and photos?\n\nOf course! The easiest way is to upload your images or artwork direct to MOO, and use our online templates and tools to crop, position and rotate them.\n\nIf you'd like to design your cards before you upload, you might find it easier to read our artwork guidelines, or download one of our templates.\n\nWhat file types do you accept?\n\nTo help as many people as possible, MOO accepts a range of different formats. These are: GIF, PNG, JPEG, PDF (PDF uploads are currently not available on Stickers)\n\nThese are the formats we would recommend:\n\n  • For photography: high resolution JPEGs (preferably un-compressed)\n  • For Graphics or Text: print-ready, vector based PDFs*\n  • For a mix of graphics and photography: print-ready PDFs*\n  • *(only available on Business Cards, MiniCards and Postcards)\n\nFind out more about how uploading your photos.\n\nFind out more about how uploading your designs and artwork.\n\nWhat are bleed, trim and safe area?\n\n\n\n\nIf you're designing cards before you upload, you'll need to make your artwork 'Full Bleed' size to account for this. You'll find a list of 'Full Bleed' recommended sizes at the bottom of this page, or we have a range of templates available for every product.\n\n\n\nSafe area\n\n\n\nI have a design already, but it doesn't seem to fit! What's going on?\n\n\n\n\nIf you find you need to alter the design of your card, our artwork guidelines, or templates should help.\n\nWhat is the difference between vector and bitmap images?\n\nA bitmap (e.g. JPEG, PNG, GIF) is made up of a thousands of tiny squares or 'pixels'. These pixels are all the same size, but can be in a huge range of colours. The amount of pixels shown in an image is called 'resolution'. When there are lots of pixels and an image looks smooth or photographic, that's 'high resolution'. When there are less pixels an image might look blocky or 'pixellated'.\n\nDue to the fact that there are a set number of pixels in a bitmap image, they don't hold up well when zoomed in or enlarged. (You can test this yourself, by zooming right into one of your own images on screen, it will look blocky the more you zoom in and less pixels are available.)\n\nFor this reason, we ask for 'high resolution JPEGS' - these have a large number of pixels available and will look smoother when printed.\n\nA vector image is more sophisticated: it uses X and Y coordinates to plot each point on a line or curve. This means that vector images are scalable and can be enlarged to billboard size while maintaining smooth edges.\n\nWhere possible, we recommend saving graphic designs, text and line art as 'vector based' PDFs. This is possible in applications like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and more recent version of Adobe Photoshop. You can download templates for each of these applications.\n\nI am having trouble uploading my PDF, help!\n\nTo ensure the best possible results we test each PDF as it's uploaded, making sure it's compatible with our printers. If we do find any possible problems, we might reject your PDF, but we'll do our best to explain why.\n\nIn most cases, making sure text is outlined or converted to vector shapes and flattening any transparencies should fix the problem.\n\nIf the error messages persist, please follow the instructions here\n\nI am having trouble uploading my JPEG, help!\n\nWe do have maximum and minimum size uploads, so make sure you're not over 25MB or under 96dpi. You'll find a list of recommended file sizes below.\n\nWhat are your recommended file sizes for images?\n\nBelow is a list of 'minimum' and 'recommended' file sizes for each product. These are all 'full bleed' size, which means they are the correct size for preparing your images or artwork. We also have templates available for each product, in a variety of different formats.\n\nProduct Minimum (96dpi) Recommended (300dpi)\nMiniCards 280 x 121 pixels 874 x 378 pixels\nBusiness Cards 333 x 223 pixels 1039 x 697 pixels\nPostcards and Greeting Cards 575 x 412 pixels 1795 x 1287 pixels\nStickers 138 x 138 pixels 343 x 343 pixels\n\nArtwork Specifications\n\nEmail Support\n\n\n\nContact MOO\n\nLive Chat Support\n\n\n\nLive help: chat now", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7975162863731384}
{"content": "Holly Wilmeth’s Divine Nature\n\nThis project is a series of images that represents the crossroad where woman meets the divine spirit of nature in the form of animals, and where she embraces it. There’s a long history in shamanic traditions and ancient cultures where humans have imbued themselves with the special qualities that animals have and their relationship to the world. Eating a part of the animal, or wearing a part of the animal, or using the animal as a totem deeply permeates us with their special powers. We want to come back to that state of grace where we are aligned with nature as animals are in the right relationship with their environment.”—Holly Wilmeth\n\n(Continue Reading)\n\nHolly Wilmeth", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997512102127075}
{"content": "Barbara Mathes Gallery Home Künstler Ausstellungen Kunstmessen Inventarkatalog Galerieprofil\n\n Zurück zu Vergangene Ausstellungen   \n\nFrameworks    1. Mrz - 28. Apr 2012\n\n\"Framing always sustains and contains that which, by itself, collapses forthwith.\" Jacques Derrida\n\n\"[T]he frame is the reward of the artist.\" Edgar Degas\n\nBarbara Mathes Gallery is pleased to present Frameworks, an innovative group exhibition that examines the role of the frame in modern and contemporary art.\n\nFor centuries, the frame had been considered external to the work of art—a structuring device that mediated the boundary between the space of the viewer and the painted world of illusion. A number of modern and contemporary artists, however, have turned this tradition on its head, taking the frame as raw material for a variety of formal investigations. This exhibition will feature work by artists that play with notions of framing, either by creating their own frames, subsuming the frame into the work, or incorporating framing elements into the content of their compositions. For example, Robert Mangold's Frame/Ellipse paintings make use of a diptych format, in which one element features a dynamically shaped aperture that frames the literal space of the wall. Yayoi Kusama has frequently painted the frames of her works with her signature dots or nets, enveloping the entirety of her objects with her psychologically charged inner vision. Neil Jenney has a long history of making his paintings' frames, as he recognizes the key role they play in staging pictorial illusion. He always inscribes his titles on the lower framing bar, creating tension between text and image. Arthur Segal's painted frames extend his signature cosmic abstraction to the picture's outermost limits—a gesture he considered to be an expression of art's unity with elemental, universal forces. Stephen Antonakos often creates fractured framing motifs that give his work a playful instability. Other artists in the exhibition will include Richard Artschwager, Matthew Barney, Varujan Bohosian, Joseph Cornell, and Roy Lichtenstein among others.\n\nContact information:\n\nDarstellung :    Aktuelle Ausstellungen   Vergangene Ausstellungen      \n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7778334617614746}
{"content": "ACLU Fights to Give American Taliban Group Prayer Rights in Prison\n\nJohn Walker Lindh\n\n(AP) — Two more Muslim inmates are trying to join American-born Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh and another prisoner in a federal lawsuit asking for them to be allowed to hold daily group prayers in their highly restricted cell block.\n\nA federal judge on Monday gave the American Civil Liberties Union until Jan. 17 to respond to objections from the Bureau of Prisons.\n\nThe push to add individual plaintiffs comes after U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson denied the case class action status last month.\n\nLindh, 29, and Brian Carr, 43, claim the prison’s policy restricting group prayer in the Communications Management Unit at the federal prison in Terre Haute violates their religious rights. The government contends that restrictions at the CMU are necessary for security and don’t violate inmates’ rights. Both sides hope Magnus-Stinson will rule the facts are in their favor, avoiding a trial.\n\nCarr, who is serving a 20-year sentence for a bank robbery in Washington, joined the lawsuit in September after another inmate involved in it was released from prison, ACLU attorney Ken Falk said.\n\nEarlier this month, the ACLU filed a motion in federal court in Indianapolis seeking to add two other inmates — Ali Asad Chandia, 34, and Rafil Dhafir, 62 — to the prayer suit. The Bureau of Prisons, however, opposed Dhafir joining the suit, saying he has not exhausted administrative remedies.\n\n“The allegations are identical, they’re all raising the same issue,” Falk said.\n\nLindh and the others argue that their religion requires them to pray five times a day, preferably in a group. But group prayers at the prison are generally limited to once a week except during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, court documents said.\n\nTerre Haute associate warden Harvey Church testified in a deposition given in January that 24 of the 41 CMU inmates were Muslim. The government says in court documents that there is no evidence that Muslims were confined to the CMU because of their religion and that most Muslims don’t adhere to the requirement of five daily prayers.\n\nChandia, a former Maryland teacher, was one of roughly a dozen men from the Washington area convicted as part what prosecutors called a “Virginia jihad network” that used paintball games in 2000 and 2001 to train for holy war around the globe. He was sentenced in 2006 to 15 years in prison.\n\nDhafir, a Muslim doctor from Syracuse, N.Y., is serving a 22-year prison sentence after his conviction in February 2005 on 59 criminal counts, including money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions against Iraq. He was found guilty of misusing $2 million that donors gave to his unlicensed charity, Help the Needy, and spending $544,000 for his own purposes.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6792116761207581}
{"content": "The cost of driving from Tacoma, Washington to Sacramento, California is:\n\n$107.73 one-way / $215.45 round trip\n\nRooms:     Travelers:\nFrom: reverse locations\n  U.S. International\nDistance: miles km\nGas mileage: mpg L/100 km\nFuel grade:\nGas consumption: gallons litres\n\nRoute to drive from Tacoma, WA to Sacramento, CA\n\n\nRoad trip planner\n\nThe total cost of driving from Tacoma, WA to Sacramento, CA (one-way) is $107.73 at current gas prices.\n\nThe round trip cost would be $215.45 to go from Tacoma, WA to Sacramento, CA and back to Tacoma, WA again.\n\nRegular fuel costs are around $3.73 per gallon for your trip. This calculation assumes that your vehicle gets an average gas mileage of 25 mpg for a mix of city and highway driving.\n\nAll currency units are U.S. Dollars. If you prefer international units, the equivalent petrol pump price is 98.4 cents/litre. This assumes a typical fuel economy of 9.4 L/100 km.\n\nYou'll go through 28.9 gallons of gas during this trip. This is equal to 109.5 litres.\n\nIf you fill your tank with unleaded gasoline, the carbon emissions will be around 566 lbs CO2. This is equivalent to 257 kg CO2e or 0.26 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. These numbers may change depending on the exact make and model of your car. If your vehicle uses diesel instead, the CO2 emissions will be around 663 lbs CO2, which is equivalent to 301 kg CO2e or 0.30 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.\n\nThese results are based on the actual driving distance from Tacoma, WA to Sacramento, CA, which is 723 miles or 1 164 kilometers.\n\nYour trip begins in Tacoma, Washington. The price of regular gas is currently averaging $3.54 in Washington.\n\nYour trip ends in Sacramento, California. The price of regular gas is around $3.91 in California.\n\n\nfuel costs\n\nThe following chart displays the difference in total cost of driving given varying fuel grades. If your car requires higher octane gas, you can find out how much more it will cost you to drive between Tacoma, WA and Sacramento, CA.\n\nFuel grade   Avg Price   Trip Cost\nRegular $3.73 $107.73\nMid-Grade $3.83 $110.71\nPremium $3.93 $113.70\nDiesel $4.08 $117.91\n\nrent a car for a road trip\n\nTacoma, Washington\n\nCity: Tacoma\nState: Washington\nCountry: United States\nCategory: cities\nAverage gas price in Washington: $3.54\n\nSacramento, California\n\nCity: Sacramento\nState: California\nCountry: United States\nCategory: cities\nAverage gas price in California: $3.91\n\nCalculate the cost of your next road trip\n\n\nCost of Driving from to  \n\nCost of driving\n\n\nThis page was loaded in 0.0076 seconds.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7682430148124695}
{"content": "Engineering Undergraduate Research Theses and Honors Research Theses 2014-03-10T04:32:06Z Development and Validation of Control Moment Gyroscopic Stabilization Development and Validation of Control Moment Gyroscopic Stabilization Colvin, Gregory Two wheeled vehicles offer many advantages over other configurations such as greater maneuverability, smaller size, and greater efficiency. These advantages come at the sacrifice of stability and safety. The goal of this work is to improve the stability and safety of a two wheeled vehicle by the development of Control Moment Gyroscopic Stabilization. This technology integrated into a vehicle can deliver unparalleled maneuverability and stability for users compared to any vehicle in use today. The goal of my work was to develop and validate the system of gyroscopic stabilization to be implemented into a vehicle. To validate the concept, a MATLAB/Simulink program was created, modeling the behavior and response of an unstable body with gyroscopic stabilization applied. After completing multiple simulations on this model, a physical structure, similar to an inverted pendulum, was constructed and CMG stabilization has been tested on this setup. Gyroscopic stabilization has been validated in this configuration and has led to further study in multiple degree of freedom situations. The implementation of a vehicle which utilizes this technology can generate safer and more maneuverable vehicles for the public, military, and recreational users. 2014-05-01T00:00:00Z Colvin, Gregory Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management Systems Using Flexible Graphite Heat Dissipators Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management Systems Using Flexible Graphite Heat Dissipators Myers, Matthew Lithium-Ion batteries are used in a wide variety of devices over a broad range of powers. All batteries generate heat due to the internal resistance of the battery and entropic effects which is roughly proportional to amount of power being drawn from the cells. This heat can cause many problems in the operation of the battery including shortening the lifetime of the cells, reducing their power output, electrical imbalance between the cells due to non-uniform heating within a pack, and even the possibility of fire and explosion in extreme cases. Thermal management of the cells then becomes an important study. As technology progresses, higher power demands are put onto the battery packs. In addition, cells are routinely packed together as tightly as possible to conserve space. This increasing power density demands that heat be shared evenly between individual cells and ultimately removed from the battery pack. This research investigates the application of flexible graphite material in managing the heat production of lithium ion battery packs. The pack chosen for this study is a 10 cell, 36 volt pack consistent with the type found in modern hand-held rechargeable power tools. Three packs were designed including a control and two packs with different heat spreader geometries. The packs were constructed and instrumented with voltage leads on the individual cells and thermocouples. The packs were then subjected to a series of high-current charge/discharge cycles. Deviations in the voltages of the cells and the temperatures at several points within each pack were monitored as the batteries were cycled. When a iii predetermined exit condition based on a maximum limit on voltage and temperature spread within a pack, the experiment was concluded. While there was not enough data as of yet to detect a significant slowdown in voltage imbalance increase, there did appear to be a reduction in the rate of increase in temperature imbalance by using the graphite heat spreaders that should lead to an improvement in endurance as the experiment progresses. 2012-06-01T00:00:00Z Myers, Matthew Time-to-Contact Demonstrates Modulations of Postural Control During a Dynamic Lower Extremity Task Time-to-Contact Demonstrates Modulations of Postural Control During a Dynamic Lower Extremity Task Schloemer, Sarah Postural control deficits are associated with increased risk of loss of balance and potential injury. To assess for balance deficits and increased injury risk, there is a need to evaluate postural control during dynamic activities. Analysis during dynamic activities could assess if an individual’s ability to control their posture is a fixed condition or if it is dependent on the demands of a task. Time to contact (TtC) detects instantaneous modifications in postural control during dynamic tasks by estimating the time for the center of pressure, given its instantaneous trajectory, to move outside the base of support. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in postural control during a dynamic lower extremity task using TtC analysis. 3D motion capture with a force plate was used to evaluate 47 athletes performing the Star Excursion Balance Test. TtC was calculated for 27 valid trials per stance leg. For each trial, the time from the toe leaving the force plate to the toe touching the floor at the maximum reach distance was divided into five epochs of equal duration. TtC was averaged over each epoch. Differences in TtC were evaluated with an unbalanced mixed effects ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey’s HSD comparisons. Epoch was a significant main effect (p<0.001), with significantly different TtC between all epochs (p=0.001). Increasing TtC in later epochs suggests a higher demand for postural control when the task becomes more challenging as the subject’s reaching foot extends further from the body. No significant differences in TtC were present for either stance leg or reach direction. Average normalized reach distances were compared to average TtC during Epoch 5 by direction using a Pearson’s correlation analysis. A very weak correlation was found in the anterior direction (ρ = -0.317, p = 0.032), suggesting individuals modulate their postural control based on the demands of a task. Future work is necessary to evaluate how TtC relates to other facets of postural control, such as flexibility and strength. 2012-06-01T00:00:00Z Schloemer, Sarah Exploration of Reduction Catalysis for the Elimination of Nitrogen Oxides from Engine Exhaust Exploration of Reduction Catalysis for the Elimination of Nitrogen Oxides from Engine Exhaust Clark, Ryan In recent years there has been a push for more efficient lean-burn engines that operate with higher air-to-fuel ratios. In order to support this demand, the need has arisen for an effective catalytic system to control the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from such engines. In this work, a study was performed on reduction catalysts prepared with 0.3% Pd by mass supported on sulfated zirconia (0.3% Pd/SZ) through a single-pot sol-gel process. The catalysts were prepared with varying alkoxide concentrations and Zr:SO4^2- ratios. Surface area and pore volume characterizations were performed on the samples and it was found that increasing the Zr:SO4^2- ratio decreased the surface area and pore volume of the catalysts. Catalyst activity testing was performed on the catalysts in a simulated exhaust stream and the catalyst prepared with the highest alkoxide concentration (1.3 M) and the highest Zr:SO4^2- (3:1) ratio was found to have the highest activity per surface area. This catalyst was found to be highly resistant to increases in gas hourly space velocity. Pd supported on sulfated ceria and zirconia mixtures were prepared through incipient wetness impregnation. The addition of 10% Co/Ceria in varying ratios to 0.3% Pd/SZ (1.3/3) was found to significantly increase NOx conversion and fully oxidize CO species. The optimum ratio of 0.3% Pd/SZ (1.3/3) to 10% Co/Ceria was found to be 8:1 by mass. 2012-03-01T00:00:00Z Clark, Ryan Quantification of Brake Disc Runout Due to Assembly and Manufacturing Variations Quantification of Brake Disc Runout Due to Assembly and Manufacturing Variations Samodelov, Valentina Brake disc runout, which is defined as a variation in the distance of a brake surface to a reference plane, is a key contributor to torque variations. Runout also leads to disk thickness variation by inducing uneven wear of the disc and is affected by assembly and manufacturing inconsistencies. Dynamic frictional torques, as induced by disk thickness variation and runout, could then lead to vibrations in the seat track, steering wheel, chassis and brake pedal under high speed braking events in ground vehicles. This low frequency vibration phenomenon is often known as brake judder, and it poses customer satisfaction and warranty issues. The purpose of this undergraduate thesis is to identify and comparatively evaluate key parameters which cause or affect runout of the brake disc. Controlled static experiments are conducted to investigate several assembly variations. Statistical analyses, including a compensation for the wide variability in the control of the bolt tightening torque, show that the bolt tightening pattern has a significant effect on runout magnitude, while indexing of the rotor with respect to the hub has an effect on the maximum and minimum runout angles. The assembly variations are also studied using a computational finite element model. The model is further utilized to investigate thermal effects of the inherent manufacturing variation of casting core shift. Qualitative analysis of the cumulative effect of core shift and heating due to friction from a braking event illustrates the significance of this manufacturing variation in its effect on both disk thickness variation and runout. The key contribution of this thesis is a comparative evaluation of the parameters that affect runout. In particular, this work should lead to a better understanding of the assembly and manufacturing variation on brake judder and system dynamics. Outstanding Research and Leadership Award 2010-06-01T00:00:00Z Samodelov, Valentina ANALYSIS OF AN EXISTING BUILDING FOR PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE BY COLUMN REMOVAL ANALYSIS OF AN EXISTING BUILDING FOR PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE BY COLUMN REMOVAL Wade, John Progressive collapse, also called disproportionate collapse, is a structural engineering phenomenon defined as the failure of a building or other large structure with the sudden removal or failure of a major vertical load carrying component of the structure (such as a first floor column). Although numerous high-profile structures have failed due to progressive collapse (such as the World Trade Center Towers), and structural engineers have developed theories to account for progressive collapse in design, little experimental data exists to validate the theory. Large-scale structures can rarely, if ever, be test in a laboratory setting. The existing theory and design practices tend to produce overdesigned and expensive buildings, where more accurate or refined theory could economize design. This research involves analyzing models of progressive collapse scenarios and comparing the results of the model to experimental data from a recently demolished building on The Ohio State University Columbus Campus. In this experiment, the column of a steel frame building on the campus was removed with demolition equipment, and the response of nearby columns and beams was measured with strain gauges and displacement sensors. One perimeter frame of the building including the removed column was modeled in the structural analysis software SAP2000 and ASI Extreme Loading for Structures. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Wade, John Characteristics of a Linear Actuator for an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) Characteristics of a Linear Actuator for an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) Krishnarai, Gaurav The scope of this research is to design a suitable experiment that will allow to accurately find the parameters of the actuators that control the transmission. The purpose is to find these parameters in order to develop the dynamic model to enable model based control (mbc). An automated manual transmission (AMT) is an innovative type of transmission that combines the advantages of both a manual transmission (MT) and an automatic transmission (AT). The end goal of this research is to use existing actuators that are made by SKF and understand their behavior under extreme operating conditions to ensure their success as part of the AMT. The project also involved designing test stands such that actuators could be tested under identical conditions for each iteration of extension and retraction of the actuating end. These tests are carried out to find the parameters as well as the internal efficiency of the actuator system. The idea is to study the behavior of the actuator over a large number of tests and see the variance in the parameters with respect to changing voltage and load inputs. The efficiency is calculated based on these parameters. Finding the system efficiency helps in calculating internal losses as there is no accurate method for modeling the interaction between the different parts. These findings will be used by The Ohio State University EcoCAR 2 team for designing the control algorithm for the AMT that will be used in the development of a prototype plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) that is based on a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. This thesis also deals with the black box model of the electro-mechanical clutch actuator. Further work on this project will include the possibility of replacing the existing actuators with quicker and more efficient ones. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Krishnarai, Gaurav Development of a Carbon Fiber Wheel Rim Development of a Carbon Fiber Wheel Rim Ressa, Aaron In order to improve The Ohio States FSAE student project vehicle performance and improve fuel efficiency, the mass of the vehicle must be reduced. An effective way to do this is to construct the wheels out of a woven carbon fiber composite. In doing so, not only is the overall weight of the vehicle reduced, but rotation inertia and unsprung mass are reduced as well. To do this, physical testing was used to create and validate an FEA model that was then in turn used to develop and analyze a laminated carbon fiber composite rim design. Several designs were evaluated and one was selected for refinement. The final refined design reduced the weight of the wheel by nearly 50%. The wheel was then fabricated and future plans were made to validate and test the wheel so that it may be used on The Ohio States FSAE vehicle during collegiate competitions in 2014 competition year. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Ressa, Aaron Evaluating Radio Frequency Interference Detection Algorithms for SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) Evaluating Radio Frequency Interference Detection Algorithms for SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) Salama, Omar SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) is a mission to be launched by NASA to measure soil moisture of the Earth’s land surface. The SMAP radiometer operates in the L-band protected spectrum (1400-1427 MHz) that is known to be vulnerable to radio frequency interference (RFI). Radiometric observations show substantial evidence of out-of-band emissions from neighboring transmitters and possibly illegally operating emitters. SMAP faces large levels of RFI and also significant amounts of low-level RFI equivalent to 0.1 K to 10 K of brightness temperature. Such low-level interference would be enough to jeopardize mission success without an aggressive mitigation solution. A decision has been made to employ an advanced digital microwave radiometer, the first of its kind for spaceflight, for use on SMAP. The mission takes a multi-domain approach to RFI mitigation utilizing an innovative on-board digital detector backend with DSP algorithms to detect and filter out harmful interference. Four different baseline RFI detectors are run on the ground and their outputs combined for a maximum probability of detection to remove RFI within a footprint. The SMAP radiometer outputs the first four raw moments of the receiver system noise voltage in 16 frequency channels for measurement of noise temperature and kurtosis as well as complex cross-correlation products for measuring the third and fourth Stokes parameters. Evaluating each of the four individual RFI detection algorithms is essential to ensure the highest efficiency produced by the maximum probability of detection. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are generated for each of the different detectors to evaluate performance. ROC curves plot the probability of detection versus false alarm rate. The optimum case would correspond to the highest probability of detection (PD) and lowest false alarm rate (FAR). A given threshold for the RFI algorithms would produce a corresponding (PD, FAR). The rest of the line curve is graphed by varying threshold from a minimal value to a maximal value. The ROC curves are performed on all different RFI algorithm detectors which include time-domain, cross-frequency, kurtosis, and polarization detectors. Each detector operates differently and behaves differently under different injected RFI. Different injected RFI include pulsed and sinusoidal at different frequencies, amplitudes, and power. The focus of the study is to optimize each of the given RFI detectors given any RFI signal. For example, since the cross-frequency algorithm uses only frequency resolution and no time resolution, its performance should be best for RFI that is localized in frequency. Since continuous wave (CW) RFI are localized in frequency by definition, as expected, the cross- frequency detector performed very well against CW RFI relative to other detectors. The RFI detection performance that is ultimately achieved will be a function of the threshold (that returns the highest PD versus lowest FAR), the nature of the RFI encountered, and radiometer system parameters such as the number of frequency channels and the integration period. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Salama, Omar SWAN vs. DG-WAVE: A Comparison of Numerical Wave Prediction Models SWAN vs. DG-WAVE: A Comparison of Numerical Wave Prediction Models Sebian, Rachel A. Established wave models are frequently used by government organizations such as NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center. The Simulating Waves Near-shore (SWAN) model is a widely used spectral wave model, using the two-dimensional variance density spectrum to solve the action balance equation in five dimensions . SWAN solves its governing equation, the action balance equation, iteratively at discrete frequency and direction bins until some break-off criteria are met. This method performs well in application, but is computationally expensive and thus inefficient. This noted inefficiency leads to an interest in exploring the potential of a simpler wave model, the GLERL-Donelan wave model. This model utilizes a parametric approach to simplify the problem and reduce the number of dimensions, solving the momentum balance equation. A discontinuous-Galerkin method was selected as the approach to implementation and was then developed into a computer interface for the model, a Discontinious Galerkin-based Wave Prediction Model (DG-WAVE). The study presented herein is motivated by a desire to investigate a fair comparison of the accuracy and computational efficiency of both SWAN and DG-WAVE. We run the models in hind cast for several months of 2011 and present results for significant wave height shown in time series comparison with recorded buoy data for each month as well as average computational time for each model. Our results show that DG-WAVE and SWAN perform well when validating significant wave height against actual buoy data. Computational time results show that DG-WAVE is highly efficient. The DG-WAVE model is thus shown to be a robust and accurate wave model with the potential to be developed into a high powered and efficient computational tool for coastal water studies. With the development of a comprehensive model, domains such as the Great Lakes could be more efficiently studied with great accuracy and largely decreased cost. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Sebian, Rachel A. USE OF A PHASE CONJUGATE MIRROR TO INCREASE SIGNAL FOR RAYLEIGH SCATTERING MEASUREMENTS WITHOUT DEGRADATION OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION USE OF A PHASE CONJUGATE MIRROR TO INCREASE SIGNAL FOR RAYLEIGH SCATTERING MEASUREMENTS WITHOUT DEGRADATION OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION Marrinan, Daniel Rayleigh and Raman scattering describe the elastic and inelastic scattering of light, respectively, from molecules. Rayleigh scattering is proportional to the number density of the flow and can be used to measure concentrations or temperatures of mixing fluids. Raman scattering is species specific and can be used to measure major species concentration and mixture fraction in combustion systems. However, the signal collected from both Rayleigh and Raman scattering is weak. A retro-reflector is an optic that reflects an incident light beam back along its incoming direction. Thus, in principal, a retro-reflector can increase the collected Rayleigh and Raman signals by \"N\" times, where \"N\" is the number of retro-reflections. Typical retro-reflectors used to make high power multipass laser systems degrade the spatial resolution of Rayleigh and Raman measurements because it is not possible to reflect the laser beam back upon itself in environments with strong index of refraction gradients such as those found in combustion systems. A phase conjugate mirror (PCM) can reverse both the propagation direction and phase of an incoming light wave, thus providing the opportunity for \"perfect\" retro-reflection. This research will be used as a proof of concept showing that the unique characteristics of a PCM can be used to increase the signal for one dimensional Rayleigh scattering imaging without degrading the spatial resolution. Single pass Rayleigh scattering measurements will be compared to double pass Rayleigh scattering measurements using a conventional mirror and double pass Rayleigh scattering measurements using a PCM. Turbulent combustion flow fields will be used to study the effects of flows with index of refraction gradients. Initial Rayleigh scattering measurements using the PCM will serve as a proof of concept for Raman scattering experiments which are signal limited. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Marrinan, Daniel Stress Relaxation in Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) At Large Strains During The Process Of Hot Embossing Stress Relaxation in Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) At Large Strains During The Process Of Hot Embossing Kakumani, Akul Poly(methyl methacrylate) is a strong and lightweight polymer which has a number of applications, hot embossing being one of them. The output of an embossing process, a surface profile, involves monitoring a number of factors such as strain rate, total strain, embossing temperature and spring back. Due to its glass transition of around 107˚C, PMMA is an ideal candidate for this process and is used in multiple manufacturing techniques. Previous experimental work in this area had led to the development of a mechanical model which inaccurately predicted stress relaxation in the polymer at higher temperatures. The purpose of this project was to improve this model by performing experiments incorporating certain factors that were not included before, such as cooling the sample and spring back. For this, a number of samples were tested at temperatures above their glass transition temperature using an Instron testing machine. The samples were compressed between two compression plates, and held at a constant strain level for a specific period of time. During this period, the stress in the material was recorded by measuring the force exerted by the sample on the compression plate. Similar tests were carried out by varying the test parameters and the differences in stress relaxation behavior were observed. At the end of a test, spring back in the sample was recorded after a period of one hour. Percent spring back was calculated based on these values, and along with data obtained from the experiments, was incorporated in the mechanical model. Simulations from this mechanical model were compared with the experimental data and it was found that this model fits the new stress relaxation with cooling data reasonably well. By further improving this mechanical model, PMMA’s behavior under complex loading conditions can be determined which will ultimately reduce trial and error in the mold design procedure, and benefit the industry by saving time and money. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Kakumani, Akul Muscle Activation Patterns during Linemen Movements in NCAA Football Players Muscle Activation Patterns during Linemen Movements in NCAA Football Players Woodling, Katelyn Damage to articular cartilage in the knee can lead to pain and prevent knee functionality. Once damaged, cartilage has limited ability to self-repair, presenting significant danger for progression into severe conditions such as osteoarthritis. Some types of cartilage injuries are known as cartilage defects and are common in athletes, particularly in linemen participating in American football. It is known that excessive forces in the knee can cause cartilage defects; these forces may arise from excessive and repetitive torsional loading of the joint or single external traumas to the knee. However, it is unknown why linemen in particular are so commonly diagnosed with defects. It is possible that activation of certain muscles surrounding the knee could be an important factor in causing high forces in the knee. In this project, NCAA linemen were asked to walk, jog, and perform rush trials. During these movements, 3-D motion data of linemen were collected with the use of a motion capture system and electromyography (EMG) data was collected with surface electrodes. Each movement was broken down into multiple stages and EMG data were then used to calculate a co-contraction index for each stage. Additionally, these motion data were entered into an open-source software, OpenSim, which can be utilized to create subject-specific musculoskeletal simulations of movements. A statistical analysis was run on the results for co-contraction, and it was determined that antagonistic muscles surrounding the knee activate more and for a longer period of time in certain stages of rush and jog as compared to walking. In addition, it was found that, due to model simplifications of the lumbar spine, simulations of motion could not be performed. Engineering Experiment Station Honors Undergraduate Research Internship 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Woodling, Katelyn Remotely Operated Reflectometer Remotely Operated Reflectometer Nagy, Jonathan In the field of electromagnetics, one of the most fundamental parameters that describe a system is the reflection coefficient. This is the ratio of the reflected fields to the incident field and is inherently a complex number describing both magnitude and phase. The reflection coefficient is typically measured by instruments called vector network analyzers (VNA). Although VNAs are very useful and necessary tools in a laboratory, their extensive capabilities are commonly underutilized by a single application. In addition, their size, weight and cost make them impractical in situations requiring mobility. Therefore, this research is being conducted with the goal of creating a wireless, portable and cost effective reflectometer. The device has been constructed from commercial-off-the-self (COTS) components to keep costs at a minimum. The core measurement component of the reflectometer is a magnitude and phase detector by Analog Devices. Other critical components are two directional couplers used to sample the incident and reflected signals and feed the detector. Also, a wideband stepped-frequency source is used to generate the incident signal. Finally, a microcontroller with a Bluetooth module is used to control the system as well as collect and send data to a smartphone for the user’s analysis. In the end, a portable reflectometer was developed that can measure the complex reflection coefficient over a wide bandwidth and wirelessly graph the data on an Android smartphone. Through data processing and calibration algorithms the measurements are fairly accurate, but suffer the most from a phase ambiguity in the magnitude and phase detector. Ultimately, this device is able to significantly reduce the cost and size of systems in need of reflection coefficient measurements while providing a convenient smartphone user interface. 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z Nagy, Jonathan Rapid Synthesis in a Microcombustion Environment and Transfer Process Development for Few Layer Graphene Rapid Synthesis in a Microcombustion Environment and Transfer Process Development for Few Layer Graphene Silleck, Alexander Graphene is a nanomaterial that consists of a carbon monolayer (one atom thick) arranged in the graphitic structure. Since the 2004 discovery of graphene as a material useful for applications using nanotechnology, there has been significant interest in the synthesis and applications of graphene. Possible applications focus on areas that utilize the excellent properties of graphene for high electrical conductivity, stronger composite materials, and increased rate of fluid flow through graphene. However, current methods for synthesis are either not easily scalable for industrial production or require complex, slow, and expensive methods. Recent work has shown that microcombustion presents a novel, rapid, and efficient method for targeted graphene synthesis. The objective of this undergraduate honors project is to deposit few layer graphene (FLG) on Cu (copper) wires and then transfer these to a silicon substrate for application in a biosensor towards prostate cancer cell detection. Several experimental methods for transferring FLG layers from Cu wires were compared and evaluated. After each test, Si samples were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy to check for chemical integrity and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to identify size and structure. Each method had pros and cons. For instance, chemical etching of Cu wires adhered to Si substrates with adhesive led to Si fouled by etched particles and adhesive residue. Attempts to dissolve the adhesive by solvent treatment led to encapsulation of FLG layers with the adhesive. Sonicating Cu wires to release FLG followed by filter collection has shown ability to collect small flakes with size yet to be determined. Unfortunately, filter capture requires a high degree of precision and an elaborate set-up to achieve successful transfer. Due to these obstacles, successful transfer and implementation of FLG into an application was not achieved. Additional work is required to further the work and results seen in the project and create a robust transfer process for the FLG flakes. 2013-08-01T00:00:00Z Silleck, Alexander CO2 Assisted Impregnation of Electrospun Polymer Blends for Biomedical Applications CO2 Assisted Impregnation of Electrospun Polymer Blends for Biomedical Applications Karandikar, Prathamesh Nanoscale polymer composites have revolutionized regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. The key challenge is to make scaffolds that mimic the extra-cellular matrix. In this study we wish to analyze the efficacy of blends of polymers that provide both structural and biological compatibility for the above applications. Polycaprolactone(PCL)-Gelatin scaffolds have proven to be successful for the purpose of Supercritical CO2 infusion, which is a “green” and benign alternative to organic solvent processing. We hypothesize that incorporation of Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) to the scaffold allows alteration of mechanical properties and degradation rate. Using electrospinning we have developed nanoscale scaffolds from various blends of PMMA, PCL and Gelatin. Characterization of these blends was done using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mechanical testing. The blends were infused with Rhodamine – B dye using supercritical and subcritical carbon dioxide for controlled release applications. Mechanical testing indicates that pure PMMA and Gelatin scaffolds were brittle as compared to PMMA-PCL-Gel tri-blends. The ultimate tensile strength increased significantly with incorporation of PCL. XRD reveals amorphous nature in all scaffolds except the PCL doped tri-blend. This indicates that the PCL phase is being constrained by the PMMA and Gelatin phases. DSC shows similar results with no distinct melting point of PCL detected. This indicates an amorphous nature of the blend and is advantageous for infusion applications. In the initial release study the tri-blend scaffolds show extended release and higher dye loading for both subcritical and supercritical infusion conditions. This study will optimize the blend composition of biocompatible polymers for diverse tissue engineering applications like wound healing, bone regeneration and drug delivery devices. Honors Research Distinction 2013-08-01T00:00:00Z Karandikar, Prathamesh IMPROVEMENT OF A CONSTITUTIVE MODEL FOR PREDICTING FLOW BEHAVIOR OF NANOCOMPOSITES IMPROVEMENT OF A CONSTITUTIVE MODEL FOR PREDICTING FLOW BEHAVIOR OF NANOCOMPOSITES Kremer, Timothy This research project focuses on the development of a constitutive model to predict the flow properties of polymer/nanoparticle composites (nanocomposites). Nanocomposites have gained much interest due to the ability of the nanoparticle to improve properties of the pure polymer such as electrical and thermal conductivities and mechanical strength. The high surface area/volume ratio of the nanosize particles gives these improved properties at small loading levels compared to larger conventional particles. Predicting the flow behavior is important when using the nanocomposite in processes such as spraying, extruding and molding. Two types of experiments were performed. Shear flows at a constant shear rate and small amplitude oscillatory shear flows. These flows were induced on the pure polymer or nanocomposite and the stress recorded as a function of time. Steady shear flows were studied both in the forward and reverse directions with varying rest periods between flow reversals. A constitutive model is used for predicting nanoparticle orientation and flow behavior. There are several parameters in the model that need to be fit to experimental data to accurately predict flow properties of the nanocomposite. Two model parameters were fit to experimental data to give the most accurate prediction of flow behavior. These optimized parameters allow the model to give more accurate predictions of shear viscosity. The model was also expanded to be able to make stress predictions for small amplitude oscillatory shear flows. The predictions from this model can be used to develop and optimize large scale nanocomposite manufacturing processes. 2013-08-01T00:00:00Z Kremer, Timothy PHOTOCLEAVABLE QUANTUM DOT-GOLD NANOPARTICLE SYSTEMS FOR SUPER-RESOLUTION IMAGING PHOTOCLEAVABLE QUANTUM DOT-GOLD NANOPARTICLE SYSTEMS FOR SUPER-RESOLUTION IMAGING Kevlich, Nikita The ability to directly see structures and observe biological processes below the 200 nm resolution limit of traditional optical imaging methods would enable substantial advances in biology. Super-resolution imaging techniques use the bright/dark states of fluorescent probes and computer algorithms to image beyond that barrier by imaging probes in small groups rather than all at once. Quantum dots (QDs) have advantages over the florescent dyes and proteins currently used because of their increased brightness, stability, and resistance to photobleaching. However, they cannot be turned on and off stochastically. Here, we describe a QD-gold nanoparticle (AuNP) system that uses Förster (fluorescence) nonradiative energy transfer (FRET) for potential application in super-resolution imaging. When the composite is formed using a linker, it is dark, but when the linker is cleaved by light energy, QD fluorescence is restored. The initial conjugation was not successful because of instability of the AuNP. The AuNP was stabilized by using triethylene glycol mono-11-mercaptoundecyl ether, but no FRET was detected. Analysis with a transmission electron microscope demonstrated very few conjugated samples. FRET was tested using high concentrations of AuNPs and QDs, but without clear quenching. Future work would include using a shorter, reversible linker, such as molecules that change conformation upon UV light or shrinkable/stretchable polymers. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Kevlich, Nikita Remote Debugging of Embedded Systems Remote Debugging of Embedded Systems Zhao, Xiaoxi Microcontrollers (MCUs) conventionally are programmed by connecting the MCU to a debugger then to the computer where a graphical user interface (IDE) is installed. The necessity of wired connection limits the easiness in programming the MCU after it has been installed in a product that may be used at remote or hard to reach locations, like a patient’s body or deep inside a volcano. The goal of our research is to address the shortcomings of wired programming and debugging of microcontrollers by designing and implementing a remote debugging framework using WiFi technology so that scientists and engineers can manage, monitor, modify and debug embedded systems (at the register level) from remote locations. In our research, the feasibility of this idea is tested and proven by using the MSP430FR5739 microcontroller (later in this document we will refer to it as FR5739 for short) with CC3000 wireless module and a Graphical User Interface implemented in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) using the C# programming language. We were able to communicate register level information between the GUI and FR5739 for debugging purposes which is key to microcontroller debugging. We also developed a method to modify executable memory locations inside the microcontroller to enable programing at the level of machine language. A prototype of a framework for debugging within Local Area Networks will be proposed and discussed in this thesis. As future work we will extend the framework with web services using Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) to enable remote debugging across cities or continents. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Zhao, Xiaoxi Progressive Collapse Testing and Analysis of a Steel Building Progressive Collapse Testing and Analysis of a Steel Building Akah, Ebiji This research investigates the progressive collapse vulnerability of an existing steel building, Haskett Hall, on the Ohio State University (OSU) campus. The building was tested by removing one of the first-story columns to observe its collapse resistance and to evaluate the effectiveness of current modeling and analysis guidelines. Progressive collapse is a partial or complete collapse of a structure due to the loss of a supporting element, a column in this case. Few researchers have been able to conduct full-scale experiments to understand the progressive collapse mechanism. One previous OSU study tested the vulnerability for progressive collapse of a steel building in Northbrook, Illinois, and another building on the OSU campus. It was concluded that more detailed models are needed to account for nonlinearity, three-dimensional and dynamic effects in analysis of a building frame including beams and columns surrounding the removed column. To address these issues, in this research deflections and deformations within the neighboring beams and columns were measured during column removal. A structural analysis program, SAP2000, is used to predict building response which is then compared to the experimental data. The goal of this study is to develop recommendations for improved procedures for static progressive collapse analysis of buildings. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Akah, Ebiji Energy and Feasibility Analysis of Gasoline Engine Start/Stop Technology Energy and Feasibility Analysis of Gasoline Engine Start/Stop Technology DeBruin, Luke The national mandate set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5% each year for all new model mid-size cars, medium-duty cars, and light-duty trucks is pushing automobile makers to convert their fleets to hybrid-electric and micro-hybrid vehicles. Implementing automated start/stop (SS) technology in a passenger vehicle is a cost effective way to improve fuel economy (FE) and reduce emissions without affecting consumer acceptance. In urban areas, where much of the vehicle driving time is spent idling at stop lights or in traffic, the engine can be shut down when the vehicle is stopped to save fuel. Then, the engine is quickly and quietly restarted as the driver demands torque for acceleration. This operating strategy is often utilized in full hybrid-electric vehicles that have powerful electric systems, but is becoming more popular in micro-hybrid vehicles that use traditional starter/battery configurations. It is challenging to maintain drivability and achieve efficient startups using a micro-hybrid configuration. This research investigated the feasibility of using a micro-hybrid configuration to achieve efficient start transients for SS technology. The energy consumption of the starter/battery was analyzed by creating a model of the engine SS dynamics. The model was calibrated and validated through experimental testing on a vehicle and engine that had been provided. The model was used to simulate start transients for different component packages. Preliminary simulation results suggest that traditional starter/battery combinations may be appropriate and a fuel savings of over 5% may be expected in regulatory urban driving cycles. The model and selected component package will be used for development and control of a SS system in a test vehicle. Subject matter won 1st Prize at Denman Undergraduate Research Forum 2013 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z DeBruin, Luke The Development and Effect of Serious Games The Development and Effect of Serious Games Burl, David Serious games - games that are intended to educate in addition to simply entertain - can be a valuable asset in an effort to educate teenagers and young adults, who prefer learning through programs that they can control, such as video games (Corriveau, Shi, 2010). In this thesis we present the development of this mobile multi-platform serious game intended to teach the basic information about asthma to teenagers and young adults. We review the design of the game and the mobile technologies used to create the game. We present conclusions based on observations made while interviewees played the game, and detail the changes made to the game based on these observations. Each interviewee also provided feedback on the game, and completed several assessments to measure their knowledge of asthma before and after playing the game. We review the knowledge each interviewee gained from the interaction with the game, and draw and present conclusions based on the background each subject comes from. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Burl, David Arsenic Release Batch Test for Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Arsenic Release Batch Test for Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Zheng, Zhihao The United States Environmental Protection Agency revised regulations related to the drinking water content of arsenic (As) in 2006 lowering the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) from 50 μg/L to10 μg/L. The concentration of arsenic in ground water is associated with iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. In highly reducing systems, the dominant pathway for arsenic release is poorly understood, but reflects contributions from sulfide minerals (e.g., pyrite) and acid-volatile monosulfides (AVS). This research will evaluate arsenic release and sequestration processes under highly-reducing conditions, with the goal of identifying mechanisms and pathways responsible for arsenic release from aquifer solids under such conditions using a single culture of sulfate-reducing organisms (insert name). During the 4 week anaerobic incubation, sampling was conducted over 20 days. Samples were analyzed to determine dissolved concentrations of inorganic elements (e.g. As, S,), and concentration of anion such as acetate. Based on the first 20 days data, the result shows that the iron started being reduced, but sulfate reduction still cannot be clearly observed due to the slow rate of anaerobic bacteria growth. This suggests, more time of sampling and analytical experiments are still needed to be conducted in the following two months. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Zheng, Zhihao Nitric Oxide and Mitochondria Regulate Cytosolic Ca2+ Signaling in Sheared Vascular Endothelial Cells Nitric Oxide and Mitochondria Regulate Cytosolic Ca2+ Signaling in Sheared Vascular Endothelial Cells Lloyd, Colton Vascular endothelial cell (EC) exposure to arterial-level fluid mechanical shear stress is known to cause an increase in cytosolic calcium levels ([Ca2+]c). The [Ca2+]c increase is mediated by both extracellular Ca2+ influx and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stored Ca2+ release. ECs are exposed to shear stress under physiological conditions and shear stress, via the [Ca2+]c increase, activates the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that produces nitric oxide (NO). Despite progress in understanding Ca2+ signaling, the exact intracellular pathways that determine Ca2+ homeostasis during mechanotransduction still need to be determined. In particular, it is not known whether NO has an effect on Ca2+ signaling and whether the mitochondria play a role in shaping the Ca2+ signal. The close proximity of mitochondria to the ER is thought to cause the mitochondria to experience higher local Ca2+ levels than the cytosol, which suggests that they could be involved in [Ca2+]c signaling possibly by helping to refill the ER. To answer some of these questions, we preincubated cultured human ECs with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorophore fluo-4 and discovered that shear-induced [Ca2+]c shows a different spatiotemporal profile in the presence of the eNOS inhibitor L-NAME, compared to its absence. Under control conditions, 30% of ECs transiently increase their [Ca2+]c within the first min of shear exposure followed by oscillations at a frequency of ~1.55/min. In the presence of L-NAME, 90% of ECs transiently increase their [Ca2+]c within the first min of shear exposure, but the oscillatory response is dampened to ~1.45/min. The NO-dependent [Ca2+]c response may be due to effects of NO on the cGMP-PKG-IP3R and may involve changes in the mitochondrial buffering capacity. Understanding endothelial Ca2+ homeostasis is important, since deregulation of Ca2+ signaling is the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. OSU Honors and Scholars Summer Research Fellowship; OSU Engineering Undergraduate Honors Scholarship for Research 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Lloyd, Colton Complex Behavior from a Simple Rule: Demonstration with Lego Mindstorms NXT Kit Complex Behavior from a Simple Rule: Demonstration with Lego Mindstorms NXT Kit Yang, Ruochen This report describes the successful implementation of two robots, built using Lego Mindstorms, that demonstrate how complex animal behaviors can be replicated using a simple algorithm to replicate a two neuron nervous system. The process of cognition and decision making inside the mammalian brain occurs subtly but near instantaneously and in a way that makes it hard to replicate synthetically. However, the understanding of its behavior is valuable in multiple disciplines and it may be applied to future technologies. In order to explore some behavior that relates to sensing and cognition, the Lego Mindstorms NXT robot kit has been used. It is a sophisticated kit that includes a programmable embedded computer, known as ‘the Brick’. This brick controls the mechanical system made up from a set of modular Lego sensors and motors as well as Lego parts. The base set of equipment and the customized add-ons provide an open-ended platform that makes it possible to test a number of complex theories. The main objective of the proposed project is to demonstrate how a complex behavior can be simulated just based on some simple rule that represents the operation of neurons. After investigating the capability and limitation of critical sensor used for the robot and the motor specifications, the female cricket’s behavior of locating her mate in dark with sound signals only, has been mechanically mimicked on Lego using two sound sensors and two motors. Subsequently the echo location process of a bat using echoic flow theory has been studied for collision avoidance. Preliminary results have had successful and constant performance showing the potential of using Echoic Flow for steering control on vehicles. This approach offers scientific researchers with an alternative to test and experiment their hypothesis before applying it to large scale or real-life test subjects, especially in cognitive sensing or intelligent control. 2013 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum Winner. Second Place. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Yang, Ruochen An Examination of Active Drag Reduction Methods for Ground Vehicles An Examination of Active Drag Reduction Methods for Ground Vehicles Metka, Matthew Aerodynamic drag accounts for a sizable portion of transportation energy consumption. Transportation of goods and people always involves moving objects through air, which leads to a force opposing motion. This force can account for more than 60% of power consumed by a ground vehicle, such as a car or truck, at highway speeds. There is a wide range of drag coefficient seen on ground vehicles with a strong correlation to vehicle shape. The shape of the vehicle is often determined by functional necessity, which places a limit on vehicle aerodynamic improvements. It is desirable to increase the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle with little penalty in functionality, which leads to the investigation of active flow control methods. Active flow control methods can involve a type of air jet at critical locations on the vehicle shell and require little to no shape modification. The focus of this experimental study is drag reduction on an Ahmed body vehicle analogue using a variety of configurations involving fluidic oscillators to promote attachment and reduce wake size. A fluidic oscillator is a simple device that converts a steady pressure input into a spatially oscillating jet. This type of actuator may be more efficient at influencing the surrounding flow than a steady jet. The model is tested in the OSU subsonic wind tunnel. Changes in drag are measured using a load cell mounted within the vehicle model. Different flow visualization methods are used to characterize the flow structure changes behind the model. A 7% drag decrease is realized with the 25 degree spanwise oscillator array configuration, attributed to the reduction of the closed recirculation bubble size. Testing shows that attachment is promoted on high angle configurations with a Coanda surface and steady blowing however this leads to a drag increase, possibly due to the formation of longitudinal vortices. This indicates that future methods must include vortex control in conjunction with separation control to achieve a net base pressure increase on the high angle slant configurations. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Metka, Matthew Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Bulk Characteristics Determination and Analysis Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Bulk Characteristics Determination and Analysis Spellacy, Matt The goal of this research is to begin to characterize the chemical composition of residual fracturing and flowback fluids being produced by hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale in our region. During the summer of 2012, fracturing and flowback fluid samples were collected from three wells in Pennsylvania. Samples were shipped to OSU for determination of conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Further chemical analysis was conducted to determine concentrations of select anions, cations, carbon, and nitrogen species. Most analyte species increased in concentration dramatically in the days immediately following fracturing and gradually plateaued during the subsequent 82 days of flowback. Data was compared to that published in recent years and to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCLs). Every constituent measured for which the EPA has set an MCL or SMCL—including the actinide uranium and the trace metals strontium and arsenic—was present at concentrations significantly higher than that constituent’s respective MCL or SMCL. Furthermore, total dissolved solids, barium, calcium, chloride, iron, magnesium, sodium, and strontium concentration magnitudes and trends were consistent with the limited existing data available, providing confidence that our data accurately represents the chemical characteristics of fluids produced from hydraulically fracturing Marcellus Shale. Better characterization of fracturing and flowback fluids will help shed light on appropriate treatment technologies and impacts these fluids might have if accidentally released to the environment. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Spellacy, Matt Encapsulation of Stem Cells in Core-Shell Hydrogel Microcapsules of Various Stiffness using Microfluidics Encapsulation of Stem Cells in Core-Shell Hydrogel Microcapsules of Various Stiffness using Microfluidics Bielecki, Peter Stem cell based therapies serve as a potential option to treat a variety of organ dysfunctions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal diseases because stem cells can be coaxed to differentiate into many types of more specialized cells. However, it is challenging to control the niches including bio-chemical and mechanical factors that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. One potential way to resolve this challenge is to encapsulate stem cells in 3D biocompatible matrices of various core compositions. In this project, we successfully encapsulated human embryonic palatal (HEPM) stem cells in microcapsules with a 3D collagen core matrix and alginate shell using a novel multilayer microfluidic chip. This was done by creating a device that shears cell suspension and alginate flow using mineral oil flow infused with calcium ion to solidify alginate. Studies were conducted to illustrate how stiffness and fiber geometry of the collagen core matrix affect cell viability and proliferation in the core-shell hydrogel microcapsules. These stem cell laden microcapsules could be very useful for cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine applications. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Bielecki, Peter Development of Fast One-Dimensional Model for Prediction of Coupled Electrochemical-Thermal Behavior of Lithium-Ion Batteries Development of Fast One-Dimensional Model for Prediction of Coupled Electrochemical-Thermal Behavior of Lithium-Ion Batteries Lu, Jiheng Spatially and temporally resolved one-dimensional transient models for the prediction of performance of lithium-ion batteries have been prevalent in the literature for over a decade. It is generally believed that such models that take into account the detailed mass transfer and electrochemistry within the battery are unsuitable for real-time control of batteries. As a result, several attempts have also been made to develop reduced-order approximate models that are suitable for real-time control. While these reduced models are efficient, they fail in non-linear regimes of operation. In this thesis, it will be shown that full spatial and temporal resolution of the battery with the inclusion of detailed transport phenomena and electrochemistry is possible with faster-than-real-time computing times provided appropriate numerical techniques are employed. The model presented here employs the same governing conservation equations of mass, energy, and charge as employed in previous studies. Only, the numerical procedure and solution algorithms are different. These are presented in some detail. The model was first successfully validated against experimental data for both charge and discharge processes in a — battery. Finally, it was demonstrated for an arbitrary load typical of a hybrid electric vehicle drive cycle. The model was able to predict the cell voltage of a 15-minute drive cycle in less than 9 minutes of compute time on a laptop with a 2.3 GHz Intel i7 processor. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Lu, Jiheng Characterization of Nonlinear Material Damage Behavior Using Vibration Response Functions Characterization of Nonlinear Material Damage Behavior Using Vibration Response Functions Bialek, Andrew The presence of cracks and other forms of material damage in structures can alter mode shapes and cause reductions in natural frequencies depending on their orientation. Previous research has examined high density microscopic dislocation behavior in the cohesive region of a crack. This behavior has been characterized by quadratic nonlinearities and hysteresis on a microscopic level. Current studies are limited to small amounts of this nonlinear behavior. This thesis presents a time domain analysis of the nonlinear longitudinal forced vibration of an elastic bar using the Finite Element Method. This study extends the types of solutions in previous research to include stronger nonlinearities previously limited by frequency domain methods. This formulation can also be later extended to include more general and complex nonlinear mechanisms than possible when using frequency domain approaches. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Bialek, Andrew Method for Reducing Engine Cold Start Emissions from Transient Fueling in an Alternative Fueled Engine Method for Reducing Engine Cold Start Emissions from Transient Fueling in an Alternative Fueled Engine Spiegel, Andrew EcoCAR 2 is a three year competition among 15 North American Universities dedicated to reduce the negative environmental impact of a 2013 Chevy Malibu while maintaining standard vehicle operation. The planned E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) internal combustion engine for the vehicle produces harmful emissions during its cold startup. Previous research has shown that the majority of unwanted emissions from modern vehicles occur during engine cold starts. The inability to control the stoichiometric air fuel ratio from transient fuel dynamics as the engine warms is a major cause of these emissions. The purpose of this study was to create an engine control algorithm that compensates for the transient fuel dynamics during a cold start. The algorithm will be developed by determining fuel dynamic parameters describing the fuel evaporation time constant (τ) and fraction of liquid fuel entering the engine intake manifold (X). The fuel dynamic parameters are determined from comparing the exhaust air fuel ratio traces with step input perturbations of injected fuel. Because the fueling dynamics depend on temperature, engine speed, and manifold air pressure, the data from perturbation testing was collected over several engine speeds and manifold pressures during the engine’s cold start. Lookup tables of τ and X parameters for different engine operating conditions were created and will be implemented into the engine control unit (ECU) to compensate the transient fueling. The research will help achieve the goals of the EcoCAR 2 competition to reduce the vehicle’s environmental impact while maintaining standard operation. The procedure to create the algorithm can be implemented to control emissions of production E85 vehicles. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Spiegel, Andrew The Representation and Analysis of Dynamic Networks The Representation and Analysis of Dynamic Networks Griscom, Michael Many real-world phenomena, such as article citations and social interactions, can be viewed in terms of a set of entities connected by relationships. Utilizing this abstraction, the system can be represented as a network. This universal nature of networks, combined with the rapid growth in scope of data collection, has caused significant focus to be placed on techniques for mining these networks of high-level information. However, despite the strong temporal dependencies present in many of these systems, such as social networks, substantially less is understood about the evolution of their structures. A dynamic network representation captures this additional dimension by containing a series of static network “snapshots.” The complexity and scale of such a representation poses several challenges regarding storage and analysis. This research explores a novel bit-vector representation of node interactions, which offers advantages in its ability to be compressed and manipulated through established methods from the fields of digital signal processing and information theory. The results have demonstrated high-level similarity between the considered datasets, giving insights into efficient representations. By way of the discrete Fourier transform, this research has also revealed underlying behavioral patterns, particularly in the social network realm. These approaches offer improved characterization and predictive capacity over that gained from analyzing the network as a static system, and the extent of this descriptive power obtainable through the bit-vector representation is a question which this research aims to address. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Griscom, Michael Steering by Wire System Development, Modeling, and Characterization for Lightweight Vehicles Steering by Wire System Development, Modeling, and Characterization for Lightweight Vehicles Sun, Allen This experiment was to study the characteristics of a steering – by – wire (SBW) system for a lightweight vehicle (LWV). Specifically, the relationship between the Hand Wheel Steering Angle (HWSA) and the Road Wheel Steering Angle (RWSA) was examined. The SBW system was first developed and tested on a lightweight electric ground vehicle (EGV)—an experimental platform developed at the Vehicle Systems and Control Laboratory (VSCL) led by Dr. Junmin Wang. The SBW was installed near the existing steering column of the EGV. A newly fabricated mounting system was also designed to allow for quick connection or disconnection of the SBW system and the steering column. The control of the HWSA was developed through programming in MATLAB and Simulink, using the measurements from an angle encoder for feedback. Based on a previous work of Xiaoyu Huang, a two degree of freedom bicycle model incorporating a simple linear lateral tire model was developed for the estimation of the RWSA, utilizing only signals related to vehicle motions. With the measured HWSA and the estimated RWSA, the steering system hysteresis model that takes HWSA as an input and RWSA as an output was derived using the recursive general identification algorithm (RGIA) developed by Dong. This model was validated through dynamic tests using the EGV. The developed model for the advanced SWB system will be applied towards refining the LWV dynamic model for the purpose of subsequent control systems designs. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Sun, Allen Measurement of SMN protein in Blood samples Biomarker test for SMA Measurement of SMN protein in Blood samples Biomarker test for SMA Pi, Hongyang Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe motor neuron disease that is the leading genetic cause for infant mortality. This disease arises from mutations in the Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN) gene that are implicated in reducing the overall expression of SMN. Drug development in the SMA field has focused on discovering therapeutic agents that counter these mutations by increasing the expression of SMN. Valproic acid (VPA), a Histone Deacetylase inhibitor, was identified to increase SMN expression in cell culture. However, a recent clinical trial suggested that VPA has no effect on motor function in ambulant adult SMA patients. The interpretation of this result depends upon proof that VPA had the desired effect within cellular nuclei in these patients. In this study, blood samples collected during the course of the clinical trial were analyzed to determine the effect of VPA on molecular biomarkers. Using mass spectrometry, ELISA and immunoassay, we measured histone acetylation and the expression of both SMN protein and mRNA. Systematic analyses showed that while the administration of VPA increased histone acetylation and mRNA, it did not increase the expression of SMN protein. Hence we conclude VPA would not be an efficient drug against SMA and the increase in histone acetylation level does not improve motor functions in SMN patients. VPA fails to improve SMN proteins in vivo. However, due to the potential for SMA biomarker tests, the systematic methods used for the study of SMN protein expressions may still be used for future SMA clinical trial design and biological analysis. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Pi, Hongyang Design of a Scaled Down Acoustic Experiment with Anechoic and Reverberation Chambers Design of a Scaled Down Acoustic Experiment with Anechoic and Reverberation Chambers Ricciardi, Eric D. The focus on this research is to design and evaluate a split chamber that can be used for measuring random incidence properties of acoustic materials and achieve reliable results for frequencies larger than 500 Hz. A split chamber consists of an anechoic section and a reverberant section; therefore the sound field in each portion must be designed to simulate direct and diffuse field conditions in the far field. The challenge in this test chamber design is adhering to small scale dimension constraints of 2.4m x1.2m x 1.2m and a maximum cost of \\$1000, while maintaining a certain level of performance in terms of lowest frequency that can be characterized. By analyzing both acoustical field theory and absorption characteristics this chamber is found to have a cutoff frequency of approximately 570 Hz. The far field sound pressure distribution in the reverberant chamber was determined to be sufficiently uniform, both in the room and across the panel. Sound pressure measurements in the anechoic chamber correlated well to the inverse square law, given by ideal direct field conditions. The noise reduction of the room to the outside ranged from 27 dB to 40 dB across the designed frequency range, which indicates that the chamber is sufficiently sealed from the ambient sound. The chamber was built to be within the sizing constraints and met a final construction cost under \\$1000. This split chamber will be used to assist in student projects and as a teaching tool for mechanical engineering courses. Future work on this project will consider the addition of diffusers in the reverberant chamber; this study will be done using boundary element modeling software and experimental measurements. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Ricciardi, Eric D. Developing Methodology to Prepare a Nanoparticle Coated Crystal for Infrared Analyses in Order to Specifically Identify Changes to Molecules that Coat the Surface Developing Methodology to Prepare a Nanoparticle Coated Crystal for Infrared Analyses in Order to Specifically Identify Changes to Molecules that Coat the Surface Ayres, Craig The widespread use of nanomaterials demonstrates a tremendous benefit to society; however, as nanomaterials are inevitably introduced to the environment, it is unknown how their compositions and coating agents alter in different settings and over a prolonged period of time. Coating agents are applied either during or post synthesis to prevent aggregation. Tracking changes to the molecules that coat the surface of nanomaterials is imperative to understanding the inherent risk when nanomaterials are released to the environment. The purpose of my research is to develop a method to prepare a nanoparticle coated crystal for infrared (IR) analyses in order to specifically identify changes to molecules that coat the surface. The two nanomaterials analyzed in this study were hematite and nanosilver. Citrate was the primary coating agent used on both materials. The particles were coated to IR crystals and the coating layers were evaluated under static and dynamic conditions. Variables included coating agent (water, citrate, phthalic acid) and pH. Previously collected data from batch adsorption experiments of citrate and phthalic acid on hematite were used to validate the static system method for hematite. The static experiments successfully detected the adsorption of citrate on the surface of both hematite and nanosilver. The largest issue involved resolving the spectra; specifically, removing the IR absorption of water. This presence of water proved to be an even greater obstacle in the flow-through cell; however, the most successful method involved subtracting water spectra from each component before resolving. No spectra were obtained from silver perhaps due to the silver not adhering to the flow-through cell surface. Significant progress has been made and once the influence of water is removed, these processes should have a vast potential for further research to determine specific changes to nanoparticle surfaces, particularly with the flow-through cell for greater control over variability. 2013 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum Winner, Second Place 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Ayres, Craig The Frequency Response of Porous Polymer/Ceramic Pressure-Sensitive Paint The Frequency Response of Porous Polymer/Ceramic Pressure-Sensitive Paint McMullen, Ryan There are two relevant timescales in Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) dynamic response. The first is the luminescent lifetime of the chosen luminophore, and the second is the time required for oxygen molecules to diffuse through the paint layer. In order to evaluate the relative importance of these two mechanisms for Polymer/Ceramic PSP, its frequency response characteristics were studied using an acoustic resonance tube. Treating the paint system as a black box, the typical paint structure was altered in several ways, and the observed changes in response characteristics were used to infer information about the roles of the luminescence and diffusion processes in the dynamic response. These alterations include surface roughness, luminophore application method, and basecoat optical density. The experiments suggest that although luminescence is the more important of the two mechanisms, diffusion effects are still present. To verify this, the experimental data were compared with existing theoretical models. One model accounts for only the luminescence process, and the other accounts for both luminescence and diffusion. It was then shown that the luminescence and diffusion model agrees well with the data, while the luminescence only model does not, thereby demonstrating that diffusion effects need to be included for accurate determination of the Polymer/Ceramic PSP transfer function. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z McMullen, Ryan Voltage Control of FPGA and CPLD Devices Voltage Control of FPGA and CPLD Devices Engelken, Corey Power consumption of components is of high importance to circuit designers. Lowering the power consumption of the components in the circuit can help the circuit be more energy efficient and lower the heat dissipated to the rest of the circuit. FPGAs and CPLDs are devices found in circuits. Depending on the digital circuit programmed onto them, the recommended supply voltage may be too large. The devices may be able to use a lower supply voltage while maintaining a high degree of accuracy. If this is the case, then an opportunity exists to save power and become more energy efficient while simultaneously decreasing the heat dissipated to the rest of the circuit. This paper aims to answer that question. The initial approach was to isolate the device and test it directly. This method had problems however, as we were not able to program the devices purchased with the materials at hand. Another approach was tried using an Altera DE2 Board which contains a Cyclone II FPGA. However, no change could be seen in the current consumed by the FPGA for various circuits because the DE2 consumed much more current than the FPGA and more precise measuring instruments would be needed. To fully test this idea, the FPGA or CPLD would need to be isolated. Even though our attempts were unsuccessful, a large amount of design work was put into the circuit and is included in this paper. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Engelken, Corey Design of a Solar Thermoelectric Generator Design of a Solar Thermoelectric Generator Watzman, Sarah In a world where fossil fuels dominate as energy sources, the need for an economically and commercially viable renewable energy source is dire. The processes through which fossil fuels are formed do not occur fast enough to replenish their sources to meet society’s demands, and combustion of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. Solar energy has proven itself to be a promising alternative, with the field dominated by photovoltaics on the consumer-scale and solar thermal power on the plant-scale. Yet solar thermal systems have an innate advantage in their use of all wavelengths of incident radiation as opposed to just light. In this research, thermoelectrics are being explored as a viable option for small-scale solar thermal applications. Thermoelectrics are based on the Seebeck effect, stating that a voltage is induced when a temperature gradient is applied to the junctions of two differing materials; in the case of a solar thermoelectric generator (STEG), the hot side is the solar absorber and the cold side is the heat sink. This research proposes to design, build, and test a prototype STEG to contribute to the further development of STEGs as reasonable solar thermal energy sources for the consumer market. The design process involved calculating and optimizing the energy balance across the absorber, minimizing heat losses, analyzing heat transfer through the thermoelectric elements, and analyzing the electrical power system. The testing process involved assembling the system, measuring the balance of heat and heat losses, and measuring the electrical power generated by the thermoelectric module connected to varying resistive loads in order to ultimately measure the STEG’s efficiency. Literature suggests that STEGs can reach 5.2% efficiency when operating in a vacuum and 0.03% in air, both without optical concentration, although this STEG only reached a peak efficiency of approximately 0.03%. 3rd Place in Engineering at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, 2013 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Watzman, Sarah Examination of Tuning Concepts Using Rubber Mounts Examination of Tuning Concepts Using Rubber Mounts Joodi, Benjamin Rubber mounts are common components within automotive vehicle powertrains and suspensions. They provide compliance at joints between substructures as well as provide vibration isolation between structures. These mounts are often designed to certain stiffness and damping values within a given frequency range. Narrow band tuning with regards to dynamic stiffness is difficult to achieve using mechanical force transmission elements without the incorporation of internal hydraulic elements. This project analytically and experimentally investigates the feasibility of rubber mount designs without hydraulic elements that have a notch-type behavior in its dynamic stiffness near 100-125 Hz over a frequency range of 0 to 500 Hz, with a dynamic stiffness range between 50 and 500 N/mm, and with a maximum mass of 5 kg. Based on these constraints, multiple dynamic stiffness component-level models (with displacement input and force output) are examined analytically. A prototype is designed, fabricated, and evaluated using finite element analysis and experimental testing. The prototype evaluation shows notch-type behavior in its transmitted force through the mount in a bench experiment; however, future evaluation is still required to evaluate the load capacity of the component and determine its effect within a system-level environment. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Joodi, Benjamin Effect of Early Weight-Bearing Training on Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Function in Mice Effect of Early Weight-Bearing Training on Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Function in Mice Black, Nicholas Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a breakdown of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) that permits a robust inflammatory response responsible for further damage to neural tissue. Neurotoxicity is thought to result from movement of inflammatory cells into the spinal cord through the damaged and permeable blood vessels. Activities such as treadmill training attempt to utilize spinal plasticity to promote recovery, but recent animal studies have shown increased BSCB permeability with early swim training. Exercise-regulated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a potent regulator of vascular permeability known to increase acutely following SCI, degrading endothelial tight-junctions. Bloodborne leukocytes may then extravasate into spinal cord tissue. Therefore, the goal of this study was to elucidate whether acute weight-bearing exercise contributes to greater BSCB permeability after SCI through MMP-9 activity. Vascular permeability after moderate/severe (75 kilodynes) contusive SCI at T9 was evaluated in both C57BL/6 wild type (WT) and MMP-9 null (KO) mice. Groups include treadmill-trained and untrained WT and untrained KO mice that survived 1 or 7 days post-injury (dpi). BSCB permeability at injury epicenter was identified using vascular delivery of Evans Blue Dye (EBD) and quantified via fluorescent stereology. Functional recovery was determined using the Basso Mouse Scale for Locomotion (BMS). We demonstrated markedly lower permeability at the lesion with treadmill training than without at 7 dpi in WT mice. In KO mice, we saw much less permeability, as expected. Similar differences remote to the epicenter were not observed. However, functional recovery was much lower following training at 7 dpi. Our results help establish potential cellular effects of activity-based interventions after SCI. Such findings may lead to the development of a more effective timecourse of treatment for human SCI patients to maximize functional recovery. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Black, Nicholas Torsional Wave Dispersion in a Composite Cylinder with a Functionally Graded Core and an Imperfect Interface Torsional Wave Dispersion in a Composite Cylinder with a Functionally Graded Core and an Imperfect Interface Dean, Michael A functionally graded material (FGM) is a kind of composite in which material properties vary continuously as a function of position. FGMs were first proposed in 1984 and have been in use ever since due to advances in manufacturing to suit specific applications in structural mechanics and materials science. The case of a composite cylinder with a radially graded core imperfectly bonded to a homogeneous cladding is the subject of the present work. The goal of this project is to calculate the dispersion relations of this type of composite cylinder subject to guided time-harmonic torsional waves. The methods include determination of proper equation forms for the circumferential displacements in both the core and cladding. Relevant shear stresses are then calculated from these displacements. Boundary conditions are applied so that the stresses in the core and cladding are continuous across the interface. It is also assumed that the outer surface of the cladding is stress free. Imperfect interface conditions are modeled by setting the circumferential displacement jump at the interface radius proportional to the shear stress through a parameter which represents the compliance of the interface. Placing the resulting expressions in matrix form leads to a dimensionless frequency equation that is solved numerically using Maple. Dispersion relations for three cases are plotted in MATLAB and discussed. The effect of interface damage is most easily distinguished in cases of high radial grading of the core, at low wavenumbers with frequencies associated with the third torsional mode. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Dean, Michael From Electrode Materials to Dynamic Models of Li-Ion Cells From Electrode Materials to Dynamic Models of Li-Ion Cells Jiang, Bo Batteries play a fundamental role in electric vehicles, and help to reduce the environmental impact associated with fossil fuels. Li-ion battery is a promising candidate for vehicles due to its specific energy. This project is focused on experimental characterization and modeling of Li-ion batteries, and the objectives are to analyze battery aging at an electrode level and to better predict battery performance.The project consists of fabricating half cells of Lithium Iron Phosphate coin cells from unaged and batteries aged under different conditions, and measuring relevant parameters including capacity, state of charge, impedance, and open-circuit voltage. An equivalent circuit was developed from charging and discharging profile and impedance measurements with parameters calibrated to model the cell behavior. The governing equation of the non-linear system can be approximated by a Pade-function with second-order numerator and denominator. The disadvantage of Pade-function is that coefficients in the function do not have a physical meaning. The simple equivalent circuit and the linear Pade-function will allow fast calculations during design and prediction, and improve the efficiency of predictive maintenance. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Jiang, Bo Effects of Eye-Rubbing on Corneal Biomechanical Properties Effects of Eye-Rubbing on Corneal Biomechanical Properties Liu, Mengyu Keratoconus is a disorder characterized by progressive non-inflammatory corneal degeneration that leads to abnormal shape of the cornea which impairs vision. The disease affects about one per two thousand people worldwide. A potential cause of keratoconus is believed to be abnormal eye-rubbing. Previous clinical studies have shown a significant mechanical trauma to the corneal epithelium after rubbing on the eyes in normal human subjects. However, the mechanism by which eye-rubbing could contribute to the development and progression of keratoconus is not well understood. This project aims to study the effects of eye-rubbing on the mechanical properties of the cornea in a canine eye model. Six pairs of dog eyes were collected from a local animal shelter and the simulated eye-rubbing were induced in one eye per pair while the intraocular pressure (IOP) is monitored. Cornea samples were collected after eye-rubbing and tested using a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and ramp test protocols by a Rheometrics System Analyzer (RSA) to compare mechanical responses between rubbed eyes and control eyes. The complex modulus and dynamic viscosity showed a decreased trend in the samples that experienced eye-rubbing as compared to the control samples. These results suggested that the cornea’s ability to resist dynamic loading may be altered after eye-rubbing. The results of this research provided insight into whether corneal biomechanical properties are altered by eye-rubbing which contributes to keratoconus risk. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Liu, Mengyu Magnetic Characterization of Ferritin Magnetic Characterization of Ferritin Zeng, Yuzhi Many diseases including hemochromatosis, chronic anemia, and cirrhosis result in abnormal levels of iron stores. Due to its correspondence with different physiological conditions, iron content is often used as a disease marker. 30%-50% of iron storage within the body is performed by the protein ferritin. Currently, there are indirect methods of measuring iron content using immuno-detection of iron binding proteins. The objective of this project is to develop a highly sensitive technique that can directly measure iron content based upon the magnetic character of iron; the first step is to understand the magnetic characterization of ferritin. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM), a mode of the atomic force microscope (AFM), has been shown by other research groups and our own group to be a promising method of characterizing magnetic particles. Our research uses this method to characterize ferritin in its iron bound and unbound states (termed apoferritin). MFM uses a magnetized probe to record topographical and magnetic information from samples. We compare the widely used medium moment probe to the less widely used high moment probe for our project; high moment probes were found to detect ferritin proteins with greater sensitivity than medium moment probes. Our work also reveals that MFM can characterize and differentiate between ferritin and apoferritin. MFM phase data is used to measure the iron content of our ferritin samples. The high resolution and sensitivity of MFM makes it a promising method for measuring iron content in blood samples. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Zeng, Yuzhi Real-Time Hardware Implementation of Telephone Speech Enhancement Algorithm Real-Time Hardware Implementation of Telephone Speech Enhancement Algorithm Obnamia, Forrest Hearing impairment detrimentally affects communication over the telephone. Since phone lines reduce bandwidth and dynamic range, the poor quality speech signal can cause hard of hearing (HoH) listeners to experience extreme frustration and inefficient communication. One possible solution has been developed at the Ohio State University to help combat this problem. The Telephone Speech Enhancement Algorithm (TSEA) has been created to improve telephone signals so that speech is more intelligible for HoH listeners. Tests for TSEA have been run on human subjects and proven the algorithm effective. However, a hardware implementation of TSEA has yet to be designed. In this thesis, the BeagleBoard-xM development board is used to run TSEA. The software for TSEA is modified so that it can be implemented on the BeagleBoard-xM and tested in a real-time environment. This hardware model runs TSEA but introduces noise into the system due to its analog nature. The model accepts analog audio signals, processes them using TSEA, and outputs the processed signal for transmission. A device such as this has the potential to improve communication in scenarios such as telemedicine clinics where a failure to communicate properly with their HoH customers could have potentially devastating consequences. Ideally if a commercial model was developed, TSEA could be implemented everywhere to help improve communications for the HoH community. This project is the next step in making it a reality. 2013 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum Winner. Third Place 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Obnamia, Forrest Effect of Prostaglandin on Corneal Stiffness and Intraocular Pressure Measurement Effect of Prostaglandin on Corneal Stiffness and Intraocular Pressure Measurement Liew, Yi Juin Glaucoma is a critical eye condition that would eventually cause vision loss and irreversible blindness due to the damage of optic nerves. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is frequently associated with this disease and hence often used as a diagnostic parameter for screening and management of glaucoma. Topical anti-glaucoma drug, Prostaglandin, has been shown to be effective in lowering IOP with few side effects. However, it was also found that Prostaglandin could alter the structural properties of ocular tissue such as the cornea. Goldmann Applanation Tonometry (GAT), which has been the clinical standard in measuring intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, is used with assumptions that the structural and biomechanical properties of cornea are negligible. The change in corneal properties due to drug effect may thus directly interfere the IOP measurements, resulting in artificially low IOP readings. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the potential influence of prostaglandin drugs on cornea stiffness and the IOP measurement. This is accomplished by treating canine eyes with Prostaglandin analog, Bimatoprost at two different concentration; 200nM and 500nM, and vehicle solution was applied to the contralateral eyes as controls. GAT was used to measure the IOP of both the treated and control eyes. Mechanical testing was then performed on dissected corneal strips to determine the treatment effect of the drug on the corneal stiffness. The experimental results (n=12) showed that there was a significant reduction in corneal stiffness in lower concentration group but not in the higher concentration group. There was no significant difference found in the GAT readings relative to reference IOPs and the change of thickness before and after testing was minimal. This suggested that the IOP measurement was not significantly altered after a one-day administration of Bimatoprost. However, the drug effect was significant only in the lower concentration group proposed that there was some confounding factors in the higher concentration group. This result could also suggest that the drug effect was more effective at low concentration. One of the limitations of this study was the small sample size. Therefore, a larger sample size and also a longer drug exposure time would be required to verify the drug effect on corneal stiffness and its influence on IOP measurement. Although current study did not demonstrate a strong evidence of the drug effect on corneal stiffness and IOP measurement, it provided some preliminary data for research direction as well as a good framework for future work. Undergraduate Research Scholarship 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Liew, Yi Juin Design, Modeling, and Fabrication of a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Design, Modeling, and Fabrication of a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Kohler, Jeffrey The purpose of this research is to design and fabricate a flapping wing micro air vehicle (MAV) using compliant mechanisms and shape deposition manufacturing (SDM). A compliant mechanism is a device that transfers motion, force, or energy and gains at least some of its mobility through the elastic deformation of flexible members. This allows for a reduction of parts and weight, low friction and maintenance, and high precision. Shape deposition manufacturing is a rapid prototyping technology for building up material layers to form complex-shaped, multi-material, embedded-component structures. It allows for lower-cost, near net shape fabrication. A preliminary design was created and analyzed using kinematic software to determine the mechanism’s functionality and the overall structure’s ability to maintain flight. The prototype was fabricated using shape deposition manufacturing, but was not functional due to an error in the design calculations. Changes were made to the design and a second prototype was fabricated. The second prototype is currently not functional due to a problem with the motor. Design iterations will continue to improve the design and once a functioning prototype is produced, the MAV will be tested to determine how much lift it can produce. Experiments will be conducted with different wing designs to find optimal lift performance. If successful, this could lead to a new approach used by designers around the world. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Kohler, Jeffrey Study of Novel High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Traveling Wave System Study of Novel High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Traveling Wave System Li, Yue The main challenge of high field strength conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as a means of high quality medical imaging without ionizing radiation, is to maintain a homogeneous field excitation. Recently, a new mode of operation based on traveling electromagnetic (EM) waves has been introduced. A patch antenna instead of the usual RF coil has been utilized to transmit radio-frequency signals. This technique applies the theory of waveguides and travelling waves at RF frequencies. The first step to optimize this new imaging scheme will be to determine the optimal waveguide modes based on the imaging application. Once these modes are determined, they have to be strongly excited in the cylindrical structure of the MRI with an appropriately designed waveguide exciters. An exciter, similar to the well-known microstrip antenna was recently built and tested on a Philips 7 Tesla MRI scanner at OSU; however, the images obtained had unsatisfactory signal-to noise ratios. In this study, a complete computer model of a traveling wave MRI has been built and used to understand the key mechanisms of this novel imaging method. Preliminary calculations of the propagation and evanescent modes can be used in the future optimum design of the waveguide exciter. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Li, Yue Automating Music Production with Music Information Retrieval Automating Music Production with Music Information Retrieval Hawkins, Jordan Prior research in the field of Music Information Retrieval has yielded techniques for extracting musical information from digital audio, and made it possible to analyze human music production computationally. I hypothesize that a computer can be programmed to produce output similar to that of a musical artist on two production tasks performed by disk jockeys. The first, “mixing,” aims to create seamless transitions between songs in a playlist. The second, “mashup” creation, aims to overlay multiple similar tracks to create a new combined song. To automate these tasks, I first created example sets of my own mixes and mashups, and looked for patterns and relationships in the audio analysis data from the public music analysis API provided by The Echo Nest, Inc. I used my findings to write Python scripts that automatically perform the mixing or mashing tasks on any input audio files. The software was udged by a sample of individuals for its ability to produce output similar to that of a human DJ. Preliminary results support the claim that automatic music production processes can be convincing, but also show how programs perform poorly when processing unexpected input, suggesting that tasks are most easily replicated within specific, predefined artistic styles. 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z Hawkins, Jordan", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9905012845993042}
{"content": "Dark Souls' online play is similar to that of its spiritual predecessor, Demon's Souls, in many ways. The game may be played and completed offline, although these unique features can be used to help or create more challenge for a player. While maintaining the overall format of a single-player game, multiplayer activity is seamlessly integrated into the world. Players can choose to help others by assisting them through an area to defeat a boss, or they can choose to invade and attempt to kill other players in their world. Interactive bloodstains will reveal the last moments of another player before they died, and players can also leave messages on the ground for others to see. A community website to seek or post for Dark Souls online play is DksFind.\n\n\n\n\nPlayers are able to write messages on the ground, so that other players may read them in their own worlds. Many of these messages will inform you of nearby dangers and items, while others may be deceiving or irrelevant. An Orange Guidance Soapstone is required to write messages. To rate messages, the player can press the [Select] or [Back] button while reading a message, or use the Orange Guidance Soapstone after reading it. The miracle Seek Guidance reveals the separate +/- ratings on messages you find, helping you determine if the message is truly recommended by others or not.\n\nGhostlike Apparitions\n\n\nSoul Signs\n\nSoul Signs are used to summon or invade other players for cooperative play or PvP\n\nImage Type Created By Conditions for Seeing Purpose\nPlayer must have a Dragon Scale in their inventory.\nCannot have another player summoned.\nSummons others for PvP.\n\nCooperative Play (Summoning)\n\nPlayers may summon other players into their world as phantoms to help them in their journey. To summon other players for help, the host must be in human form and in an area where the boss has not yet been defeated. With those conditions met, a player will be able to see summon signs left by other players on the same network.\n\nTo help another player, the White Sign Soapstone is used to leave a sign for a host to use. Because the network being used is information that's hidden from the player, summoning a friend can be made tricky by not knowing if you're connected to different networks. Reusing the White Sign Soapstone periodically will cause it to cycle through networks, usually making your sign appear for a friend after several tries if it doesn't appear right away.\n\nUpon defeating a boss, a summoned player will return to their own world with more humanity and souls.\n\n\nPlayer versus Player\n\n\n\n\nVarious conditions exist for PvP to occur. For a host to be invaded, they must be in human form (reverse-hollowed by using a humanity at a bonfire), and the area boss must still be alive. For a player to successfully invade, the conditions are specific to the type of invasion.\n\nThere's several signs when the host's world is getting invaded, before the invasion message shows up: Bonfires will temporarily lose their flame and become unusable; fog gates will appear, blocking the exits; and several items becomes greyed-out (mostly Multiplayer Items and Homeward Bone).\n\n\n\nPlayers in the Gravelord covenant may use an Eye of Death to infect three other players at random, with Gravelord Black Phantoms. This infection will last until the Gravelord Servant is defeated or quits the game. The infected and others with a level range similar to the Gravelord Servant have an opportunity to invade the Gravelord if they find their Gravelord Soul Sign, to remove the infection by killing them.\n\n\nVagrants are very rare enemies that spawn when a player loses a large amount of humanity or has dropped and abandoned certain items. These lost humanity or items are sent to another player's world and transformed into a vagrant.\n\nKindling Bonfires\n\nWhen playing online, kindling a bonfire will also give a free single Estus charge to other players who previously rested at the same bonfire. If this happens, the recieving player will see a \"soul-sucking\" animation but colored orange.\n\n\nWhen the player explores the world and plays the game, there will be opportunities which allow the player to make an oath to a person or on a specific subject, known as a Covenant. When an oath is made, it determines the players position on that topic, and will impact the interaction with other players online. This could mean that taking an oath for something could make you allies with another player, or deadly enemies. The Oath system is not an all encompassing fixed alliance like a MMO guild; instead it should be thought of as a system which serves as a guide for active roleplaying.\n\nSee the Covenants page for more information.\n\nMiracle Synergy\n\nCertain Miracles, one of the three classes of spells in Dark Souls, have a \"resonance\" property. When used, miracle resonance signs can appear in other players' worlds. Miracle resonance signs appear as white rings of light that float on the ground. Standing near a miracle resonance sign will then boost the strength of these miracles, a buff known as Miracle Synergy.\n\nPvE Covenants\n\nThe covenants Way of White, Warrior of Sunlight, and Princess's Guard is for helping out other players online. Players who are in these covenants will automatically be drawn closer to each other on the network. This makes the above mentioned Miracle Resonance easier to perform, as well as helps block people from antagonistic covenants from coming closer on the network.\n\nswitch language to: français\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9019867181777954}
{"content": "Intelligence based on 'fabrication'\n\nVital intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq 10 years ago was based on \"fabrication\" and \"wishful thinking\", a new documentary claims.\n\nA BBC Panorama investigation, broadcast to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, suggests that US and UK security services relied on several pieces of questionable information, while dismissing others that were contradictory.\n\n\n\nPanorama - The Spies Who Fooled The World - documents the chain of secret information that contributed to the decision to invade, including new testimonies from intelligence sources.\n\nIt tells how claims from a few sources that Iraq was manufacturing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) spiralled into apparently sound intelligence used to justify the war.\n\nThe programme alleges that certain intelligence was relied on out of wishful thinking, with one source telling the programme the Iraq War was borne out of \"choice\" rather than \"necessity\".\n\nIn his first TV interview on the subject August Hanning, former head of German Intelligence, said Iraqi spy Rafed Al Janabi - codenamed Curveball - told German secret services he had witnessed the manufacture of chemical and biological weapons, including mobile facilities to produce them.\n\n\nFormer CIA Europe Division chief Tyler Drumheller also claimed he passed warnings about Curveball's claims up the chain of command, while Mr Hanning said he also sent a personal cable to then CIA director George Tenet. Mr Tenet denies receiving the warnings, the programme says.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8974284529685974}
{"content": "The Poisoning of Arafat: Polonium Suspected in Palestinian Leader's Death\n\nWhat Killed Yasser Arafat? Tests Hint at Possible Arafat Poisoning\n\n\n\n\nNine-month investigation by Al Jazeera discovers rare, radioactive polonium on ex-Palestinian leader's final belongings.\n\n\nUnsupported polonium\n\nThe institute studied Arafat’s personal effects, which his widow provided to Al Jazeera, the first time they had been examined by a laboratory. Doctors did not find any traces of common heavy metals or conventional poisons, so they turned their attention to more obscure elements, including polonium.\n\nIt is a highly radioactive element used, among other things, to power spacecraft. Marie Curie discovered it in 1898, and her daughter Irene was among the first people it killed: She died of leukemia several years after an accidental polonium exposure in her laboratory.\n\nAt least two people connected with Israel’s nuclear program also reportedly died after exposure to the element, according to the limited literature on the subject.\n\nBut polonium’s most famous victim was Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian spy-turned-dissident who died in London in 2006 after a lingering illness. A British inquiry found that he was poisoned with polonium slipped into his tea at a sushi restaurant.\n\n\nAnimal studies have found similar symptoms, which lingered for weeks - depending on the dosage – until the subject died. “The primary radiation target… is the gastrointestinal tract,” said an American study conducted in 1991, “activating the ‘vomiting centre’ in the brainstem.”\n\nScientists in Lausanne found elevated levels of the element on Arafat’s belongings - in some cases, they were ten times higher than those on control subjects, random samples which were tested for comparison.\n\nThe lab’s results were reported in millibecquerels (mBq), a scientific unit used to measure radioactivity.\n\nPolonium is present in the atmosphere, but the natural levels that accumulate on surfaces barely register, and the element disappears quickly. Polonium-210, the isotope found on Arafat's belongings, has a half-life of 138 days, meaning that half of the substance decays roughly every four-and-a-half months. “Even in case of a poisoning similar to the Litvinenko case, only traces of the order of a few [millibecquerels] were expected to be found in [the] year 2012,” the institute noted in its report to Al Jazeera.\n\nBut Arafat’s personal effects, particularly those with bodily fluids on them, registered much higher levels of the element. His toothbrushes had polonium levels of 54mBq; the urine stain on his underwear, 180mBq. (Another man’s pair of underwear, used as a control, measured just 6.7mBq.)\n\nFurther tests, conducted over a three-month period from March until June, concluded that most of that polonium – between 60 and 80 per cent, depending on the sample – was “unsupported,” meaning that it did not come from natural sources.\n\nvertaling engels nederlands copywriting transcreator", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9669427275657654}
{"content": "Are you a negaholic? A negaholic is someone who, consciously or not, consistently chooses to be negative. Negativity can become a habit that is difficult—but not impossible—to break.\n\nAnd what if it's not your intention to be pessimistic? Being contrary, doubtful and wary might be ingrained in your character or you could be suffering from a neurological chemical imbalance.\nbrain strain. \n\nIn a 2002 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a condition called \"negative affect\" was defined as a \"predisposition to anxiety, irrationality, anger, and a range of other unpleasant moods.\" Negative affect was said to be identified physiologically by increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex. It's purported to be a permanent condition, but one that can be controlled.\n\nWhen negativity is the direct consequence of the loss of a job, a failed relationship or the death of a loved one, it is considered a reactive mood disturbance and is generally a temporary condition.\n\nWhether your negative thinking pattern is ingrained in your personality or stems from a specific event, it's characterized by physiological changes in your brain. The brain is composed of millions of neurons—nerve cells that send and receive messages from the body using neurotransmitter chemicals. Such messages can be disrupted by a chemical imbalance.\n\nThere's no shame in seeking counseling or medical treatment to remedy a chemical imbalance and improve your quality of life. If pervasive feelings of hopelessness, a lack of energy and an inability to function well persist for more than two weeks, they are considered to be symptomatic of clinical depression. Medication can help the brain regain control.\n\nIf your negative thinking patterns are the result of habit rather than a diagnosable medical condition, there are ways to counter them. Here are some tips on how to adopt a positive attitude.\n\nIdentify your triggers\nBecome aware of when negative thoughts occur. Your thinking may become distorted when you're tired or hungry or when work pressures pile up. Monitoring your negative thinking patterns will help you identify what triggers them, enabling you to regain control.\n\nDon't sabotage yourself\nExpect and accept bumps in the road. Eliminate negative thoughts, recriminations and self-criticism. Don't dwell on past incidents, learn from them and move on. Changing the way you view your world will allow you to see opportunities in obstacles.\n\nAdopt coping strategies\n\n\nMore From AskMen:\n\nExercise and Depression\n\nDealing With Depression \n\nAnxiety Disorders \n\nBalance Self-Expectations & Reality \n\n4 Steps: Stop Worrying \n\n\nThink before you speak\n\nSeek out support\n\nGet some perspective\n\nBuddy up\n\nDitch the whiners\n\nRefocus your mind\n\nTake stock\n\n\nControl your negativity", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8330086469650269}
{"content": "Product Releases\n\nInnovations Series Presents: Manufacturing in Orthopedics\n\nWed, 03/08/2006 - 6:30am\nThe demands of the medical device marketplace require companies to deliver products to market faster while reducing expenses. This article discusses cellular manufacturing, one technique that helps orthopedic device manufacturers ensure high quality and increased profits while reducing waste and manufacturing time.\n\nBy Tom Barrett\n\n    Trained operators program machining centers to create orthopedic implants that accommodate various patient profiles such as height, weight, and load-bearing ability.\n  • Increased flexibility\n  • Reduced lead time\n  • Production of high product mix\n  • Reduced operating costs\n  • Increased work-force utilization\n  • Reduced manufacturing space needs\nOrthopedic device manufacturers are under intense pressures to reduce costs while accelerating time to market. Additionally, the nature of the orthopedic business requires a large number of smaller volume components, as devices must be matched to a wide variety of patient needs. How can orthopedic device manufacturers hasten time to market and reduce costs with low volumes of numerous components?\n\nOne method is through cellular manufacturing, which enhances the flexibility to produce an increasingly high mix of products. It allows smaller quantities of components to be manufactured while simultaneously reducing costs, improving quality, reducing lead times, and ultimately, increasing flexibility.\n\nCombined with lean manufacturing principles, companies have implemented cellular manufacturing to streamline processes and reduce the time to market in response to customer demand and an increasingly competitive global market.\nA Factory Within a Factory\nCellular manufacturing can be considered a factory within a factory. It features \"cells\" that contain a group of dedicated equipment, machines, or workstations located in close proximity and based on similar products or processes. The cell is configured for speed, with products manufactured by cross-trained personnel and predisposed to work as a unit or team.\n\nThe use of state-of-the-art CNC machining centers in a cellular manufacturing environment greatly reduced cycle times and manufacturing costs in the production of an orthopedic implantable device.\nOne of the key features of cellular manufacturing is the flexibility to quickly accommodate changes in the manufacturing demand. It is not uncommon in the orthopedic industry for an implantable device family to have hundreds of part numbers associated with it to accommodate varying patient profiles such as height and weight. Stocking these parts in quantity can result in very high inventory carrying costs.\n\nThe cost of manufacturing too much of the wrong product is a harsh reality impacting bottom line performance. An equally hard lesson, however, is having too few parts to satisfy a market requirement. In a competitive arena, doctors can and will go to alternative sources for medical devices.\n\nWith cellular manufacturing, companies can increase flexibility to accommodate the large number of component parts. The goal is to optimize workflow so as to dramatically reduce lead-time. With shortened lead times, manufacturers can quickly respond to customer requirements and produce the parts needed, as well as manage their inventory more effectively.\n\nA cellular manufacturing process can have cycle times of days rather than the weeks necessary for the traditional batch process. In an industry of tight cost controls on medical devices, these shorter cycle times translate to reduced costs and accelerated time to market.\nReducing Cycle Time\nCellular manufacturing principles were recently applied in the production of a component for a prosthetic joint with more than 300 part numbers that required flexible production to meet customer demands. The prosthetic joint system component had previously been manufactured in a batch environment.\n\nA team of engineers, including experts in manufacturing, six sigma, and lean manufacturing methods, first evaluated various state-of-the-art equipment to manufacture this component. A dedicated manufacturing cell was created incorporating new CNC machining centers. The goal was to complete the production of the part, from raw material through manufacturing and inspection, in one cell. In addition, lean manufacturing methods and six-sigma principles were incorporated to optimize the processes required and to eliminate waste.\n\nCombining lean manufacturing principles with six-sigma quality creates powerful systems to eliminate waste and better manage work flows leading to increased speed to market and enhanced quality.\nCycle time was further reduced in the various machining steps. Quality control was incorporated into the process itself rather than only at the end of the manufacturing operation. New fixturing was introduced utilizing the quick-change fixturing methodology known as single minute exchange of dies or SMED, further eliminating waste and reducing the time required for changeovers.\n\nThe result was a reduction in cycle time from the previous manufacturing process by over 75%, providing significant cost savings and improving the ability to respond to changing customer needs.\nEvaluating a Manufacturing Process\nCellular manufacturing, combined with lean manufacturing and six-sigma principles, can optimize manufacturing processes, saving significant time and money, while enhancing the quality of the final product.\n\nThis diagram illustrates a simplified value stream map for the production of an implantable device used in knee surgery. At each stage in the process, the map identifies equipment/personnel needed, records changeovers, and notes parts produced as well as defects and waste.\n\nThere are five basic steps to follow when evaluating a manufacturing process to seek improvement. First, the program goals must be defined. Whether working internally or with an outsourcing partner, it is important to assemble a dedicated project team early in the manufacturing process. These teams usually include manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, machine operators, and lean manufacturing specialists. This team should create a project charter, defining the project, the team, the criteria for program success, measurable metrics, and milestones.\n\nAs a second step in evaluating a manufacturing process, each of the processes involved in the current manufacturing operation must be outlined and understood. What machines are needed to manufacture the product? What are the cycle times involved? A value stream map is one way to identify all flows in the manufacturing process, including machining times, production output, and equipment set up and changeovers. Once the complete manufacturing process is illustrated, ideas to improve work flow and eliminate waste are easier to identify.\n\nThe third step requires analyzing current processes including performing root cause analysis and working to balance cycle times, combine or eliminate processes, increase flexibility, and improve quality.\n\nIncorporating cellular manufacturing techniques in a lean manufacturing environment dramatically reduced cycle time for this orthopedic device, while increasing capacity.\n\nOnce problem areas have been identified, the project team can brainstorm solutions for improvement. Cellular manufacturing, lean manufacturing techniques, six-sigma principles, rate based planning, and alternative sequencing are a few of the many possible methodologies to help meet project goals. Each idea should be assessed and validated before proceeding.\n\nIn preparation of transitioning to a new process, a validation document must be completed and executed. As a final step, all new processes should be documented and all persons should be trained to the new process requirements to ensure a quality product is produced. After the process validation is executed and approved, the new process can be implemented. The process must then be continually monitored to measure its performance against the predetermined objectives, always looking for further refinement and improvement opportunities.\nImplementing Change\nThe process for an existing product was analyzed with an objective of reducing cycle time and costs for an implantable component used in knee surgery. Long lead times previously had hindered the ability to quickly respond to changing customer requirements.\n\nInnovations Series Technology Spotlight\nFeed-Thrus for Internal Bone Growth Stimulators\n\nThe Alberox Products Division of Morgan Advanced Ceramics (MAC) offers ceramic feed-thrus used in internal bone growth stimulators. The ceramic-to-metal seal assemblies offer a more robust bond and higher reliablility than traditional glass seals. The superior reliability and durability of these feed-thrus aids the bone healing process by reducing the probability of revision surgery. Offering 100% leak inspection, the hermetic feed-thrus are comprised of biocompatible, corrosion-resistant materials, making them ideal for use in internal bone growth stimulators.\n\nAs internal bone growth stimulators are typically implanted in a soft pocket of tissue under the skin, a small sized implant is essential. The electrical properties of the alumina ceramic and the company's application engineering expertise allow for the development of smaller feed-thrus. Alberox Products custom manufactures these feed-thrus to meet the specifications of medical implant designers. Information: www.alberox.com.\n\nThe full value stream map included machining time on each device, changeovers required, efficiency rates, inspection time, total minutes elapsed, and number of pieces completed at each step in the process. The top illustration offers a simplified version. The value stream map identified the five basic machining operations in the manufacturing process for this device.\n\nOnce the current manufacturing processes were documented, each and every step was analyzed. In its evaluation of the implantable device used in knee surgery, the team's analysis of the initial manufacturing process revealed:\n\n•The original production line was created for a low volume of devices. When demand increased, the production line was not changed.\n\n•Machining operations were unbalanced. One machine had a 24-minute cycle time while another had a six-minute completion time. Inventory bottlenecks were very visible in this process.\n\n•Changeovers were long, taking approximately one hour every time a new size was manufactured.\n\n•The manufacturing processes did not have to be sequenced in their current order. There was flexibility to modify the order of machining operations.\n\n•It was ultimately determined that improved processes could dramatically reduce machining time on certain operations.\n\nAs a next step, the team identified possible changes to facilitate production. The team's goal was to balance machining time, reduce changeover times, increase capacity, and create a more flexible process that was responsive to customer demands. The proposed changes were discussed in detail with the customer. After significant process development and prototyping, a validation protocol was written for the new process.\n\nEvolution in Fracture Treatment: Splinting to Internal Fixation\nJohn Minier, Internal Fixation Marketing Manager, Small Bone Innovations\nThe field of orthopedics and study of treating musculoskeletal injuries witnessed a renaissance in the 20th century that continues today as surgeons rely on space-age materials to treat—and in some cases, cure—injuries and diseased joints and bones. However, the origins of the field pre-date recorded history; archaeologists and anthropologists have found evidence that point to the use of splints by primitive man to stabilize fractured bones.\nOne man's work in the first century BC is arguably the last truly enlightened study of orthopedics prior to the modern era. Hippocrates' analyses of fractures and principles of traction and counter-traction, coupled with the creation of primitive external fixation devices was the foundation of all things orthopedics for more than 20 centuries. The next major milestone in fracture treatment came in the 1800s when Carl Hansmann pioneered the use of plate internal fixation systems. Hansmann's innovations spawned the first period of enlightenment for orthopedics since Hippocrates' studies in ancient Greece.\n\nDuring the last decade, orthopedic surgeons have focused on tailoring these technologies to treat more complex injuries, adapting implants long used to treat large bones such as arms and legs to fix smaller, more fragile bones. New implants are now replacing bulkier designs, easing procedures for surgeons, and optimizing patient recovery and comfort. In late 2005, Small Bone Innovations (SBI) released its multi-purpose hand fracture kit, the Universal Hand System. The set—a variety of specially multi-sized plates, screws, and instruments—is designed to allow surgeons to treat nearly all possible fractures of the hand, even when bone quality is compromised. The anatomically contoured plates and screws are made of cold worked stainless steel for optimal strength given the high-impact use of the hands.\n\nSBI took additional steps to adapt the system to best fit the needs of the surgeon and OR staff. Color-coded K-Wires and modules allow for easy identification and tray organization, speeding up procedure time and preventing confusion. The special instrument set is even ergonomically designed to reduce hand fatigue and improve effectiveness and feel.\n\nSBI's Universal Hand System is one example of the level that orthopedics has reached in the ability to treat complicated fractures, while preserving anatomical integrity. So where will fracture treatment be at the end of the 21st century and beyond? They may be closer than you think. Just look around the orthopedic industry for clues—Artelon, a biodegradable material used to treat arthritic joints, (see Medical Design Technology October 2005 cover story) designed to act as scaffold, allowing the body's own tissue to regenerate where it had been damaged by trauma or disease. But only time will tell where the revolution will take us. Information: www.totalsmallbone.com.\n\nAfter the new process validation was executed and approved by the customer, the team implemented the changes on the manufacturing floor. Similar to the prosthetic joint system example, the team chose a cellular manufacturing approach and a unique quick change fixturing approach to increase production flexibility and decrease costs and cycle times.\n\nThe results were dramatic: a reduction in cycle time from 44 to eight days, an increase in capacity from 40 units/day to 80 units/day, and significantly less manufacturing floor space needed. By reducing cycle time, a significant cost reduction was achieved in addition to cutting the scrap rate in half. Inventory levels were lowered and manufacturing was able to respond faster to customer requests.\nContinuous Improvement\nDedicating the internal or external team and resources needed to analyze and identify improvement opportunities early in the design and manufacturing process will reap great rewards in customer satisfaction and increased profits. The application of cellular manufacturing principles can add increased flexibility, reduced cycle times, and lowered costs to orthopedic device manufacturing. In addition, with large product families needed to accommodate the variations in patient profiles, orthopedic device manufacturers can incorporate the principles of cellular manufacturing to better respond to customer requests while managing their inventory.\nWorking With External Teams\nIn the past, relationships between orthopedic device companies and outsourcing companies were based on transactions. Instead of being customer-driven, orthopedic device outsourcing companies were job-driven, working from purchase order to purchase order. Little time was invested up front to analyze manufacturing flows, identify potential process improvements that could simplify component production, or devise inventory management programs.\n\nAs long-term partnerships develop, manufacturers can look to their orthopedic device outsourcing companies to help analyze their production and optimize their manufacturing processes. When choosing an outsourcing partner, orthopedic device companies should look for well resourced partners that can provide engineering and manufacturing expertise who are willing to customize their services to meet the needs of the device company. As a threshold, the outsourcing partner must have excellent quality systems and employ lean manufacturing and six-sigma principles to reduce costs and cycle times. A full range of services, from design and rapid prototyping through component manufacturing and assembly, is also essential.\nLooking Ahead\nStrategic partnerships between orthopedic device companies and leading outsourcing suppliers can provide the time, resources, and incentives to analyze manufacturing processes and identify improvement opportunities. Though not the panacea for process improvement, the application of cellular manufacturing principles can add increased flexibility, reduced cycle times, and lowered costs to orthopedic device manufacturing. In addition, with the high numbers of parts in each product family due to the large variations in patient profiles, orthopedic device manufacturers can incorporate the principles of cellular manufacturing to better respond to customer requests without costly stockpiling of inventory.\nFor additional information on the technologies and products discussed in this article, visit Accellent Inc. at www.accellent.com.\n\nTom Barrett is the vice president of operations for Accellent Orthopedics. Prior to joining Accellent, Barrett had spent 13 years in the orthopedic market with Stryker, where he held various management positions in manufacturing and business unit leadership. Most recently, he was vice president of operations for biopharmaceutical manufacturing at Stryker Biotech. Barrett can be reached at 866-899-1392 or tom.barrett@accellent.com.\n\nShare this Story\n\nThe password field is case sensitive.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8996409177780151}
{"content": "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“ Born 2008 destroyed 2011.”\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Fraser Island Dingo.\n\n                                                                        CONTACT SFID:  mkrail@bigpond.net.au\n\n                                                                                              Ph: 07 4124 1979\n\nFraser Island (K’gari) lies off the coast of Queensland, Australia, approx. 200k (120miles) north of Brisbane. It is the largest sand Island in the world.\n\nIn 1992 Fraser Island was inscribed on the World Heritage list by UNESCO because of its natural beauty and unique flora and fauna. The apex predator on the Island is the dingo (canis lupus dingo) and may well be one of the last pure strains of dingo remaining on the east coast of Australia.. The conservation of this gene pool is of National and International significance.\n\nThe dingo arrived in Australia between 4,000 and 18,000 years ago (Dr. Alan Wilton, Geneticist.) and under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 was declared indigenous and classed as native wildlife. The Act also provides for the legal protection of the dingo as a “natural resource” in protected areas, such as Fraser Island.\n\nAccording to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the dingo is listed as “vulnerable” and is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. In the State of Victoria it is listed as “threatened” under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Despite this, it is the only native species to be declared a pest throughout much of Australia, only protected in certain areas, such as National Parks.\n\nOn Fraser Island evidence suggests that  the population has come under pressure due to the continued expansion of tourism.\n\nVehicle strikes are increasing.\n\nIncidents with visitors are increasing, this often leads to the destruction of the dingo.\n\nInterference of the dingoes in their natural habitat is detrimental to their well-being, this includes the practice of ear tagging, which  can permanently damage the animals ear.\n\nThe fate of the Fraser Island Dingo depends on public support, by “working together”  we intend to ensure the survival of this iconic species and re-establish the natural balance of their Island home..\n\n\n\ndingo4 dingo5\n\nHow you can Help?\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999366402626038}
{"content": "An amount owed to a person or organization for borrowed funds. Loans, notes, bonds, and mortgages are forms of debt. These different forms all call for borrowers to pay back the amount they owe, typically with interest, by a specific date, which is set forth in the repayment terms.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999830722808838}
{"content": "monks and merchants\n\nAsia Society\nsilk road treasures\n\n\nheavenly horses\n\nnomad rulers\n\nbuddhism and china\n\nbuddhist cave temples\n\n\n\nmerchants and currencies\n\nthe tang dynasty\n\nthe silk road\n\nbuddhism and china image\n\nminiature limestone scripture pillar\n\nfive-stone sandstone pagoda\n\nsection of dhammapada sutra handscroll\n\nset of nested gilt-bronze, silver, gold, and glass reliquaries\n\nbuddhism and china text\n\nbuddhism and china\n\n\"As rain pours through poorly thatched roofs, so does desire overwhelm the undeveloped mind.\"\n— Words of the Buddha from the Dhammapada\n\nAccording to tradition, the historical Buddha was born around 563 B.C.E. into an eminent family of the Sakya clan located among the foothills of the Himalayas between present-day Nepal and India. His personal name was Siddhartha, but he later became known as Sakyamuni (Sage of the Sakyas). At the age of twenty-nine he rejected the life of luxury in which he had been raised, leaving his home and family to seek understanding of the suffering and mortality inherent in all life. After years of searching, at the age of thirty-five, he found spiritual enlightenment during a night of meditation. Thereafter, he devoted the rest of his life to teaching the insights he had attained.\n\nThe essence of the Buddha's teachings is embodied in \"The Four Noble Truths\": First, all life is suffering, second, suffering stems from desire, third, suffering can only end with the elimination of desire, fourth, this is achieved by following the Eightfold Path, focused on meditation, moral training, and discipline. Only by following these teachings can the individual reach enlightenment, or salvation, and, after death, the transcendent state known as nirvana.\n\nDuring the centuries following Sakyamuni's death, Buddhism evolved into an institutional religion. Monastic orders were formed and worship of the relics of the Buddha, and indeed the Buddha himself, became popular. Originally, the Buddha was represented only by the lotus or the stupa, but by the first century B.C.E. images of the Buddha began to appear.\n\nAlthough Buddhism was known in China during the Han dynasty, it was only after fall of the Han that it began to gain widespread popularity. A continuous stream of Buddhist missionaries from India and Central Asia found eager converts at every level of society and powerful patrons among the new nomad rulers of North China. The practice of Buddhism proved a potent stimulant to trade, with a growing demand for precious objects from afar, including incense from Central Asia, jewels and precious metals, coral, pearls, and lapis lazuli, all destined to adorn Buddhist temples, images, and reliquaries.\n\nThe form of Buddhism that became dominant in China was Mahayana (\"The Greater Vehicle\"). Mahayana Buddhism emphasized the potential salvation of all living beings and the concept of compassion. The embodiment of this ideal of universal compassion was the bodhisattva, beings who have attained enlightenment but who defer their entry into nirvana to aid others. A popular Mahayana scripture, the Lotus Sutra, taught that making holy images was an act of the highest merit on the road to enlightenment. Mahayana converts became China's greatest art patrons, supporting the building of cave temples and pagodas, the carving of statues and stelae (stone tablets), and the translation and copying of Buddhist sutras.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9356481432914734}
{"content": "Home >  Student Life >  Multicultural Programs >  About  \n\n\nThe Office of Multicultural Programs strives to create an educational enterprise that values multiculturalism, where the value of diversity is not only acknowledged but also actively pursued and celebrated through every fiber of the University community. We foster a campus-wide climate that moves beyond the basic concept of being civil toward those who are different to being engaged with those differences.\n\nWe aim to create a campus culture that recognizes, appreciates and values the different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, economic statuses, abilities (both physical and mental), political beliefs and ideologies of those who comprise the campus and surrounding communities.\n\nDiversity Statement\n\nThe Office of Multicultural Programs recognizes that diversity is more than a demographic measurement - it is also an essential source of experiences that enrich learning through a series of engaging and in-depth interactions. All members of the University community have something to teach and something to learn from one another. We aim to emphasize Salve Regina's commitment to integrate the learning potential of a diverse campus with the core educational mission of the institution.\n\nThis commitment compels us to foster an environment that encourages all members of the University community to develop and practice intercultural skills in their personal, professional and academic pursuits. Beyond creating a welcoming environment, it is our responsibility to provide students, faculty and staff with the opportunity to explore and contribute to our diverse community, built on the principles of respecting and valuing differences.\n\nWe will be successful when the Salve Regina community views diversity not as a way to differentiate between us, but as the way in which we collaborate and interact to pursue the highest ideals of the human experience in the spirit of the mercy tradition - creating a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.\n\n\nEnhance individual growth and community integration\n\n\n  • Objective: Serve as an advocate and a support for Salve Regina's minority student population.\nProvide ongoing support to our minority student population", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9918200969696045}
{"content": "To read previous issues, please see the summary page.\nTo unsubscribe, follow the link at the bottom of this message. Thanks!\n\nAre Vegans Closed-Minded Hypocrites?\n\nHow can Vegans use electricity since animals (fish) are killed at dams that generate electricity? Seems a bit hypocritical to use electricity at the same time you eschew products that have come in contact with surfaces that have been used to cook beef?!? Just curious.\n\nI've also seen a lot of reference to Vegans being \"open minded.\" I can't for the life of me see any open mindedness in such an extreme World View. Thanks for any enlightenment you can pass my way.\n\n\nThese are really great questions, which, as you point out, go a long way towards exposing the hypocrisy of vegans who present themselves as somehow \"pure.\" Other examples are listed here and here.\n\nAt Vegan Outreach, however, our view is that being vegan isn't about being pure, but about doing our best to avoid supporting cruelty towards animals. I'm sure that you agree that the suffering of factory farms and industrial slaughterhouses today is morally repellent; you can see some of the typical practices here and here. As summarized by animal scientist Bernard E. Rollin, PhD, in his textbook Farm Animal Welfare (Iowa St U. Press, 1995), \"U.S. society is extremely naive about the nature of agricultural production. [I]f the public knew more about the way in which agricultural and animal production infringes on animal welfare, the outcry would be louder.\"\n\nGiven the reality of today's animal agriculture, we believe that anyone who is open-minded will choose not to support these practices. In this sense, we define \"open-minded\" as, in part, being willing to face the reality of food production today -- e.g., \"It is all very well to say that individuals must wrestle with their consciences -- but only if their consciences are awake and informed. Industrial society, alas, hides animals' suffering. Few people would themselves keep a hen in a shoebox for her egg-laying life; but practically everyone will eat smartly packaged, 'farm fresh' eggs from battery hens.\" The Economist, \"What Humans Owe to Animals,\" 8/19/95.\n\nAs important as that is, being open-minded means more than having open eyes. Truly open-minded people question the status quo and, instead of making decisions based on habit or convenience or convention, make decisions from ethical first principles. (You can read a first-principle theory here.)\n\nOf course, relative to the current status of humanity's ethical evolution, giving consideration to the suffering of non-human animals leads to \"extreme\" conclusions -- that causing unnecessary suffering to any creature is ethically indefensible. But what seems extreme relative to today's consensus view always changes over time. As pointed out by The Economist (also 8/19/95):\n\n\nOr, as put in Practical Ethics:\n\n\nI hope this explains why we pursue veganism as part of a consistent ethical world view, in order to lessen the amount of suffering in the world. You can see some other relevant quotes and learn more about Vegan Outreach here.\n\nThanks so much for writing and taking the time to read this.\n\nAll the best!\n\nMatt Ball\nVegan Outreach", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5331801176071167}
{"content": "Global Studies Home at The University of West Georgia\n\nLog On\n\nGlobal Studies\n\nGlobal Studies is an interdisciplinary enquiry into the developments which have in the past and will continue to shape the interconnectedness of people and places around the world. It employs critical analyses of the processes which have contributed to both the complexity and variety of our world societies and to the common features of the changing human and natural environments. It begins with basic questions, such as how does people's struggle to survive connect them across time and space, or what common features are there in the dynamics of conflict for people in different regions with similar experiences, and, how do apparently local issues or developments in one region of the world have profound impacts on people across the globe? Global studies is much more than just the tracking of elements of \"globalization,\" a process which has been going on since human communities first began migrating beyond the confines of their geographic origins. It is about the ways we both see and affect each other, and how people, states, societies, and the global community struggle to reconcile common individual and local interests with broader world-wide interests. Global Studies is, therefore, the study of us, and the world we share from a variety of perspectives.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9954922199249268}
{"content": "Pay Range 10 Breakdown\n\nHourly (40 hrs.)$13.9722$20.9583\nHourly (42 hrs.)$13.3068$19.9602\nHourly (56 hrs.)$9.9801$14.9702\n\nMeter Service Technician II\n\nRange: $29,062.11 - $43,593.16 (10)\nPosition Number: 1368\n\nJOB TITLE:  METER SERVICE TECHNICIAN II                                                               \nJOB SUMMARY:  This position is responsible for performing technical duties in support of the meter service functions of the department.\nReads electric, gas, and water meters.\nLoads and unloads data to hand held computer.\nReports defects in metering equipment.\nReports meter tampering.\nReceives complaint orders.\nAssists Billing Clerk with billing problems.\nTrains new personnel; schedules personnel vacations.\nPerforms other related duties as assigned.\nKnowledge of meter reading routes and local geography.\nKnowledge of the function and operation of utility meters.\nSkill in the operation of hand held computers used in the recording of meter data.\nSkill in oral and written communication.\nSUPERVISORY CONTROLS:  The Lead Meter Service Technician assigns work in terms of general instructions.  The supervisor spot-checks completed work for compliance with procedures, accuracy, and the nature and propriety of the final results.\nCOMPLEXITY:  The work consists of related technical duties.  Inclement weather conditions and field obstacles contribute to the complexity of the position.\nSCOPE AND EFFECT:  The purpose of this position is to read utility meters.  Successful performance facilitates and promotes accurate utility billing.\nPURPOSE OF CONTACTS:  Contacts are typically to give or exchange information, resolve problems and provide services.\nPHYSICAL DEMANDS:  The work is typically performed while intermittently standing, bending, crouching, stooping, or walking.  The employee frequently lifts light objects.\nWORK ENVIRONMENT:  The work is typically performed outdoors, occasionally in cold or inclement weather.  The employee is exposed to dust, dirt, grease, and machinery with moving parts. Work requires the use of protective devices such as goggles and gloves.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999748468399048}
{"content": "About formulas\n\nFormulas are equations that perform calculations on values in a list. A formula starts with an equal sign (=). For example, the following formula multiplies 2 by 3 and then adds 5 to the result.\n\n\nYou can use a formula in a calculated column and to calculate default values for a column.\n\nA formula can also contain any or all of the following: functions, column references, operators, and constants.\n\nParts of a formula\n\n\nFunctions     The PI() function returns the value of pi: 3.142...\n\nReferences (or column names)     [Result] represents the value in the Result column for the current row.\n\nConstants     Numbers or text values entered directly into a formula, such as 2.\n\nOperators     The ^ (caret) operator raises a number to a power, and the * (asterisk) operator multiplies.\n\nA formulas might use one or more of the above elements. Here are some examples of formulas (in order of complexity).\n\nShowSimple formulas (such as =128+345)\n\nThe following formulas contain literal values and operators.\n\nExample Description\n=128+345 Adds 128 and 345\n=5^2 Squares 5\n\nShowFormulas that contain column references (such as =[Revenue] - [Cost])\n\nThe following formulas refer to other columns in the same list.\n\nExample Description\n=[Revenue] Use the value in the Revenue column\n=[Revenue]*10/100 10% of the value in the Revenue column\n=[Revenue] > [Cost] Returns Yes if the value in the Revenue column is greater than the value in the Cost column\n\nShowFormulas that call functions (such as =AVG(1, 2, 3, 4, 5))\n\nThe following formulas call built-in functions.\n\nExample Description\n=MAX(Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) Returns the largest value in a set of values\n=IF(Cost>Revenue, \"Not OK\", \"OK\") Returns Not OK if cost is greater than revenue. Else, returns OK.\n=DAY(\"15-Apr-2008\") Returns a day part of a date. This formula returns the number 15.\n\nShowFormulas with nested functions (such as =SUM(ROUND([Cost],2),[Profit])\n\nThe following formulas specify one or more functions as function arguments.\n\nExample Description\n=SUM(IF(A>B, A-B, 10), C)\n\nThe IF function returns the difference between the values in columns A and B, or 10.\n\nThe SUM function adds the return value of the IF function and the value in column C.\n\n\nThe PI function returns the number 3.14159265358979.\n\nThe DEGREES function converts a value specified in radians to degrees. This formula returns the value 180.\n\n\nThe FIND function searches for the string BD in Column1 and returns the starting position of the string. It returns an error value if the string is not found.\n\nThe ISNUMBER function returns Yes if the FIND function returned a numeric value. Else, it returns No.\n\nApplies to:\nWindows Sharepoint Services 2.0", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.999464750289917}
{"content": "Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy\n\nChemotherapy uses drugs that either kill cancer cells or prevent them from dividing. Chemotherapy is given intravenously or in a pill form. It’s a systemic treatment meaning it enters your bloodstream and reaches all areas of the body. Chemotherapy is useful for cancers that have spread to other areas of your body.\n\nToday, almost all chemotherapy is given as outpatient, meaning you do not have to be in the hospital. Nausea associated with chemotherapy is minimal now due to new anti-nausea medications available. Within the last three years, several new chemotherapy drugs for colon cancer that have become available.\n\nAdjuvant Treatment\n\nAfter surgery, the tissue that has been removed is looked at under the microscope. This will help determine the cancer’s stage. If the cancer is large or has spread to lymph nodes, even though no remaining cancer can be seen, it’s possible that some remaining cancer cells may be left behind or may have already spread to other areas. When this is the case, doctors may recommend additional treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.\n\nNeoadjuvant Treatment\n\nNeoadjuvant treatment is given before surgery to shrink the tumor and improve the results of surgery and to help prevent the tumor from coming back in that area. For some rectal tumors, chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy before surgery.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5596977472305298}
{"content": "The expression defining moment is often used in terms of athletics to describe a person or a team who, when faced with a crucial moment in a game or an event, triumphed.  Moments like these are rarely forgotten, they are recorded into the minds, lore and DVDs to be relived over and over again.\n\nWe have seen reruns and reenactments of the United States Hockey Team's upset of the highly favored and experienced Russians in the 1980 Winter Olympics.  We remember Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey after scoring the game winning penalty kick in sudden death to win the 1999 Women's World Cup Finals over China.  We relive Michael Phelps' incredible successful attempt to tie the record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics by 1/100th of a second in the 100-meter butterfly.\n\nMoments like these are etched into our minds and, over time, become bigger than life.  They often change a person's life and future, dramatically and forever.  However, defining moments aren't just limited to athletes.  They are obtainable by each of us, if we choose to accept them.\n\nSome of you may be thinking, \"I want to, but I've never had the opportunity\", \"I tried to once, but it didn't work out\" or \"No thanks, I'm fine where I'm at.\" \n\nDefining means to be \"decisive\" or of \"critical importance.\"  When an opportunity like this arises, there is no question, discussion or group decision to determine the consensus \"best\" route to take.  They are times when you just know in your gut, through much prayer and through the Spirit, the decision or path you need to take. \n\nIt is very possible the action would involve a dramatic and significant change in everything you know to be \"rational.\"  It may alter the way you live your life.  It may mean doing something that makes no worldly sense whatsoever. \n\nPeter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus (Matthew 14:29).\n\nPeter walked on water!  This is not something most of us have done or would consider doing.  Granted, Jesus himself summoned Peter to do it, but there were eleven other disciples in the boat who did nothing but cower from the heavy waves.  Every one of them had the opportunity to take that same step Peter did, but they missed their moment.\n\nLooking back, there have been times where I have failed to make a decision because I was trying to think through each option too much, wanting to see down both roads, not wanting to make a mistake, even though I \"knew\" the direction I should take.  Other times, I was afraid to act, worrying about \"what others would think\" or what \"might\" happen if I did.\n\nPeter's moment was short lived because he reacted in the same way many of us would have.\n\nWhen he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink (Matthew 14:30).\n\nPeter saw his surroundings, thought about it too much and was scared to go on.  His opportunity ended.\n\nHow many of us have had chances in our life to meet someone, go somewhere, do something and looked around, thought about it and were afraid to act or afraid to take that chance?  How would our lives have been different \"if\" only….?\n\nNo one would have blamed Abraham had he not offered his son Isaac as a burnt offering to God (Genesis 22).  However, as a product of Abraham's faith and fear of the Lord, he was blessed.\n\nI will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.  Our descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies (Genesis 22:17).\n\nMoses could have lived comfortably in the desert with his family and not have confronted Pharaoh for the release of the Israelites (Exodus 5), but as a result of his obedience, Moses led his people to the \"promised land.\"\n\nThe Lord said to him (Moses), \"This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, \"I will give it to your descendants.\"  I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.  Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone (Deuteronomy 34:4-7).\n\nDavid had all of the reasons in the world to sit back with the Israelite warriors instead of stepping up to face the Philistine Goliath alone (1 Samuel 17), yet, the young David was fearless and he triumphed.\n\nThe Lord said to you (David), \"You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler\" (2 Samuel 5:2).\n\nRuth could have easily gone back to her home country following the death of her husband rather than join her mother-in-law in a foreign one (Ruth 1).  Instead, she chose to follow and care for Naomi and God used her in a great way.\n\nSo Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.  Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. They named him Obed.  He was the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 3:13-17).\n\nWhat would have happened had any of these people chose not to walk in faith, not to listen to the Lord, allowed fear to overtake them or remained in their \"comfort zone\"?  All of their decisions changed the course of life as they knew it and for many others.  As a consequence of stepping out in such a defining way, God was able to use each of them mightily because of their faith and trust in the Lord. \n\nI recently read an article written by Jonathan Larson, a self-proclaimed atheist and University of Hawaii student.  He says, \"I practice faith in a very different way than any religious person would.  I don't see the value in belief without any evidence.  I see a lot of potential for harm in that, actually.\"\n\nMr. Larson does practice faith in a very different way—not believing without evidence is not faith!  Yet many of us \"Christians\" live in that way every day.  We want to see before we believe and we want to believe before we act.\n\n\nYou don't have to be an athlete on an international stage.  You don't need to train your whole life for that one moment in time.  The event doesn't have to be something where others will even notice or want to write about.  We are presented with opportunities throughout our life to change, grow and impact others.\n\nOftentimes, the opportunity may seem to be impossible or unimaginable.  The offer may seem ridiculous and absurd from a worldly perspective. Sometimes it will be accompanied by nervousness or fear.  However, its timing will be amazingly perfect and come with little effort on your part. \n\nBefore the \"Miracle on Ice\" hockey game in 1980, U.S. Olympic Hockey Head Coach Herb Brooks told his players, \"You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.\"  What he told his players is not very different from what God tells us—we were created in His image (Genesis 1:27), given a number of gifts to be used for a specific purpose (Romans 12:6-8), and our time is now (1 Corinthians 7:29).\n\nIf we always wait to react based upon our own understanding, we may never take a step of faith, especially one of such importance.  Don't allow your moments pass you by.  Make all of your opportunities a defining moment.\n\n\n\n**This article first published on March 25, 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7887082695960999}
{"content": "A Clockwork Insect: Garden bug sports mechanical gears\n\nBY Zachary Green  September 14, 2013 at 12:55 PM EDT\n\nMany mechanical devices have been inspired by examples in nature, but it’s not often that nature replicates something only known to be made by human beings.\n\nMeet Issus coeleoptratus, more commonly referred to as a “planthopper”.\n\nPhoto by Malcolm Burrows\n\nThough common throughout gardens in Great Britain, young planthoppers possess a physical trait that is spectacularly uncommon in nature: two honest-to-goodness gears on their hind legs, the only known functioning gear system of any organism. In a paper published Sept. 13 in the UK journal, Science, zoologist, Malcolm Burrows, and mechanical engineer, Greg Sutton, revealed their findings about this singular insect.\n\nThe two spent 10 years studying the movements of jumping insects at the University of Cambridge in the UK. By flipping the insects on their backs and tickling them with a paintbrush, they were able to make them kick while taking pictures of them with a high-speed camera.\n\nWhen it came to planthopper nymphs, the two scientists noted something fairly extraordinary: their hind legs could synchronize their movements in 30 millionths of a second. That’s faster than a neuron can be fired off to the brain, meaning the planthopper’s legs actually start jumping before its nervous system tells it to.\n\nPhoto by Malcolm Burrows\n\nCloser examination of the insect revealed a small system of shark fin-like gears on the first segment of its hind legs (the equivalent of the top of a human thigh bone).\n\nAs one leg prepares to leap, the interlocking gear system causes the other leg to move in almost perfect concert with the other. This synchronicity allows the planthopper to propel itself faster and farther and in a straighter path. Burrows and Sutton believe that young planthoppers evolved this trait in order to escape dangerous situations with as much speed and force as possible. At such speeds, synchronizing leg movements is absolutely vital, as one wrong move could send the insect springing to the side instead of forward.\n\nPlanthoppers actually lose their gears by the time they have fully matured, replacing them with a friction-based system of feelers. In fact, even without these gears, adult planthoppers are better jumpers than their younger counterparts. Burrows and Sutton theorize that the loss of these gears is due to them being unnecessary, as the insect is now bigger and stronger, and also because it removes the danger of damaged gears throwing the legs completely out of sync (a phenomenon the two witnessed several times).\n\nSutton adds that the planthopper’s unique gear system also holds potential for the way we design machines today– particularly tiny ones. Their curved and hooked gears cut down on the friction created by most gear systems found in modern devices.\n\n“Modern machinery often doesn’t work at very small scales,” Sutton said. “Friction doesn’t matter so much when you have two big gears next to each other but when you get small, friction starts killing you.”\n\nNew methods of fabrication–such as 3D printing–make it possible to create tiny gears such as those found on planthopper nymphs.\n\n“What we have is a prototype for incredibly small, high-speed, high-precision gears,” Sutton said. “And that prototype is given to us by nature.”", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5514954328536987}
{"content": "Friday Feb 10, 2012\n\nEliminating Batch Windows Using Real-Time Data Integration\n\nWhen we invest in technology solutions we expect improvement in productivity, agility, performance and more. We don’t want to be limited by the technology we select. While data warehouses are designed to give us the freedom to access complete and reliable information, the underlying data integration architecture and the type of solution used can lead to significant constraints on how we manage our critical production systems.\n\nWith data warehousing solutions, one of the most common constraints is the time window available for batch extract processing on the source systems. The resource intensive extract process typically has to be done in off-business hours and restricts access to critical source systems.\n\nA low-impact, real-time data integration solution can liberate your systems from batch windows. When the extract component uses a non-intrusive method, such as reading database transaction logs to capture only the changed data, it does not burden source systems. Hence, data extract can happen at any time of the day, and throughout the day, while all users are online.\n\nSunGard is a great example for achieving a major transformation in data warehousing solutions by using log-based real-time data integration. The company removed batch processing timeline related constraint by using Oracle GoldenGate to capture all of the intraday changes that take place on the selected tables. As a result they reduced the nightly extract process from the Oracle E-Business Suite application by 9 hours. In addition, Oracle GoldenGate enables to feed EBusiness Suite data to the Oracle BI Application for Finance throughout the day. Hence, end users have access to up-to-date information on the Oracle Business Intelligence dashboards as changes occur.\n\nTo read more about how real-time data integration can free your critical systems from batch window constraints and how SunGard leveraged Oracle GoldenGate in their data warehousing implementation, I invite you to check out the SunGard case study and the article “Freedom from Batch Windows Using Real-Time Data Integration we wrote for TDWI's What Works in Emerging Technologies publication. As always, you can find more resources on Oracle GoldenGate on our recently redesigned website.\n\nMonday Nov 09, 2009\n\nThe Benefits of ODI Knowledge Modules: a Template Approach for Better Data Integration\n\nThis post assumes that you have some level of familiarity with ODI. The concepts of Knowledge Module are used here assuming that you understand them in the context of ODI. If you need more details on these elements, please refer to the ODI Tutorial for a quick introduction, or to the complete ODI documentation for detailed information..\n\nAt the core, ODI knowledge modules are templates of code that will be leveraged for data integration tasks: they pre-define data integration steps that are required to extract, load, stage - if needed - and integrate data.\n\nSeveral types of Knowledge Modules are available, and are grouped in families for Loading operations (LKMs), Integration operations (IKMs), Data Control operations (CKMs), and more.\n\nFor a more detailed description of what a knowledge module is, simply picture the multiple steps required to load data from a flat file into a database. You can connect to the file using JDBC, or leverage the database native loading utility (sqlldr for Oracle, bcp for SQL Server or Sybase, load for db2, etc.). External tables are another alternative for databases that support this feature.\nAs you use one or the other technique, you may first want to stage the data before loading your actual target table; in other cases, staging will only slow down your data load.\n\nAs far as the integration in the target system is concerned, again multiple strategies are available: simple inserts, inserts and updates, upserts, slowly changing dimension... these techniques may be as simple as one step, or be a complex series of commands that must be issued to your database for proper execution.\n\nThe Knowledge Modules will basically list these steps so that a developer who needs to repeat the same integration pattern only has to select the appropriate templates, versus re-developing the same logic over and over again.\n\nThe immediate benefits of this approach are well known and well documented:\n- All developers use the same approach, and code development is consistent across the company, hence guarantying the quality of the code\n- Productivity is greatly improved, as proven path are re-used versus being re-developed\n- Code improvement and modification can be centralized and has a much broader impact: optimization and regulatory changes are done once and inherited by all processes\n- Maintenance is greatly simplified\n\nTo fully appreciate all the benefits of using knowledge Modules, there is a lot more that needs to be exposed and understood about the technology. This post is a modest attempt at addressing this need.\n\n\nMost tools today will offer the ability to generate SQL code (or some other type of code, such as scripts) on your source or target system. As most products come with a transformation engine, they will also generate proprietary code for this engine where data is staged (I'll skip the debate here as to whether a transformation engine is a staging area or not - the point being that code can be generated on either source, \"middle-tier\" or target).\n\nHowever, real life requirements are rarely either/or. Often times, it makes sense to leverage all systems to optimize the processing: spread out the load for the transformations, reduce the amount of data to be transferred over the network, process the data where it is versus moving the data around solely for the purpose of transformations.\n\nTo achieve this, Data Integration tools must be able to distribute the transformation logic across the different systems.\n\n\nOnly ODI will effectively generate code and transformations on all systems. This feature is only possible thanks to the KM technology.\n\nBeyond the ability to generate code, you have to make sure that the generated code is the best possible code for the selected technology. Too often, tools first generate code that is then translated for the appropriate database. With the KMs technology, no translation is required: the generated code was initially conceived explicitly for a given technology, hence taking advantage of all the specifics of this technology.\n\nAnd since the KMs are technology specific, there is no limit to what can be leveraged on the databases, including user defined functions or stored procedures.\n\n\n\nWhenever a tool generates code, the most common complaint is that there is very little (if any) control over the generated result. What if a simple modification of the code could provide dramatic performance improvements? Basic examples would include index management, statistics generation, joins management, and a lot more.\n\nThe KM technology is open and expansible so that developers have complete control over the code generation process. Beyond the ability to optimize the code, they can extend their solution to define and enforce in house best practices, and comply with corporate, industry or regulatory requirements. KMs Modifications are done directly from the developers graphical interface.\n\nOne point that can easily be adapted is whether data have to be materialized throughout the integration process. Some out-of-the-box KMs will explicitly land data in a physical file or tables. Others will avoid I/Os by leveraging pipes instead of files, views and synonyms instead of tables. Again, developers can adapt the behavior to their actual requirements.\n\n\nHow much time does it take to adapt your code to a new release of your database? How much time does it take to add a new technology altogether? In both cases, KMs will provide a quick and easy answer.\n\nLet us start with the case of a new version of the database. While our engineering teams will release new KMs as quickly as possible to take advantage of the latest releases of any new database, you do not have to wait for them. A new release typically means new parameters for your DDL and DML, as well as new functions for your existing transformations. Adapt the existing KMs with the features you need, and in minutes your code is ready to leverage the latest and greatest of your database.\n\nLikewise, if you ever need to define a new technology that would not be listed by ODI (in spite of the already extensive list we provide), simply define the behavior of this technology in the Topology interface, and design technology specific KMs to take advantage of the specific features of this database. I can guaranty you that 80% of the code you need (at least!) is already available in an existing KM... Thus dramatically reducing the amount of effort required to generate code for your own technology.\n\n\nI am a strong advocate of the customization of KMs: I like to get the best I can out of what I am given. But often times, good enough is more than enough. I will always remember trying to optimize performance for a customer: we did not know initially what our processing window would be - other than \"give us your best possible performance\". The first out-of-the-box KM we tried processed the required 30,000,000 records in 20 minutes. Due to IT limitations, we could only leverage lesser systems for faster KMs... but still reduced performance to 6 minutes for the same volume of data. We started modifying KMs to get even better results, when the customer admitted that we actually had 3 hour for the process to complete... At this point, spending time in KM modifications was clearly not needed anymore.\n\nKMs are meant to give the best possible performance out of the box. But every environment is unique, and assuming that we can have the best possible code for you before knowing your own specific challenges would be an illusion - hence the ability to push the product and the code to the limit\n\nAnother common question is: do you have to leverage both source and target systems as part of your transformations? Clearly, the answer is no. But in most cases, it is crucial to have the flexibility to leverage all systems, versus being cornered in using only one of them. Over time, you will want to reduce the volume of data transferred over the network; you will want to distribute some of your processing... all more reasons to leverage all available engines in your environment.\n\nDo not hesitate and share with us how you extend your KMs!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n« March 2014", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8306930661201477}
{"content": "This page is part of the book SQL-99 Complete, Really, by Peter Gulutzan & Trudy Pelzer. The authors have graciously allowed us to reproduce the contents of the book here. Because the book is about the SQL-99 standard, the contents of this and other pages in the book may not directly apply to MariaDB. Use the navigation bar to navigate the book.\n\nIn SQL, a binary string, or BLOB, is any arbitrary sequence of zero or more octets that isn't associated with either a Character set or a Collation. A BLOB value may be a <literal>, the value of a parameter or a host language variable or the result of any expression or argument (including a possibly qualified <Column name>) that evaluates to a binary string. BLOBs represent an unknown lump of binary data: the typical use of a BLOB <data type> is to store an image.\n\nOctets in a BLOB are numbered (from left to right) beginning with 1 (the most significant octet). BLOBs are stored in the binary string <data type> BLOB.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9905287623405457}
{"content": "Motion graphics documentary video of Deaf artists of the 21st century\n\nShow full item record\n\nTitle: Motion graphics documentary video of Deaf artists of the 21st century\nAuthor: Smith, Heather L.\nAbstract: Deaf art reflects a unique culture where Deaf people express their life experiences, which are different from those of hearing people. Deaf art also shows the joy and community among Deaf people with their shared language and experiences, expressed through art that includes painting, sculpturing, acting, and writing. In other words, Deaf culture is a celebration where we as Deaf people can bond and share our similar experiences with life struggle in this majority world of hearing people. We often seek out other Deaf artists to connect with and get the sense of “home.” That “sense of home” includes not just gathering in person, but also interacting through communications technologies, such as email, websites, blogs, videos, and chat rooms. However, even though there are many examples of videos of Deaf people expressing their deaf experiences in ASL, these were strictly two-dimensional, very flat because they had limited or no motion graphics. Motion graphics allows for more lifelike, three-dimensional representation of visual images, an appropriate medium to use in representing two Deaf artists who use a three-dimensional means of communication: American Sign Language (ASL). Creating this 30-minutes three-dimensional motion graphics video documentary about two Deaf artists, Jengy Geller and Carl Lil Bear, and their backgrounds and inspirations has brought the language of ASL to where the audience could appreciate the three-dimensional visual images along with special effects that includes a flythrough into virtual worlds of rich contrast colors that portray knowledge.\nRecord URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1850/8043\nDate: 2008-11\n\nFiles in this item\n\nFiles Size Format View\nHSmithThesis11-2008.pdf 2.650Mb PDF View/Open\n\nThe following license files are associated with this item:\n\nThis item appears in the following Collection(s)\n\nShow full item record\n\nSearch RIT DML\n\nAdvanced Search", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991647601127625}
{"content": "Celestial Brain\n\n\"As above, so below.\"\n- Hermes Trismegistus\n\nNature rears her typically secretive multidimensional, holofractal infinite Self within plain sight as one the latest scientific discoveries revealed that the universe grows in the same way as a giant brain.\n\nA team of scientists from University of California San Diego recently published a study in Nature Scientific Reports suggesting that the bioelectrical firings between brain cells mirror the shape of expanding galaxies. By developing a model simulation of the universe shortly after the big bang, the team was able to observe how quanta of space-time, units tinier than subatomic particles, networked with one another as the universe expanded. They found that the simulation curiously echoed the growth dynamics of a number of other systems found in life, both natural and artificial, signifying that different types of systems might evolve in the very same fashion.\n\nFrom the interconnection of neurons within the brain, mycelial networks in the forest, the mapping of human social webs, a bird’s eye view of a major city layout, or a graphic representation of the Internet, the same outward expanding, intertwining filamental structures can be found throughout. John Stamet, a mycologist, has dubbed this reoccuring phenomenon as various manifesations of the mycelial archetype inherent within the cosmos.\n\nDmitri Kroukov, co-author of the study, says that the uncanny parallels between networks great and small cannot simply be chalked up to coincidence, further stating that, “for a physicist, it's an immediate signal that there is some missing understanding of how nature works.” As hinted by the study, scientists are now eager to find if there may lie a single fundamental law that accurately describes and predicts the behavior of these natural systems.\n\nWith such exciting implications, this hidden law might just be the invisible binding force driving the illusive dance of order and disorder. Resonating with the enigmatic words of Carl Jung, “in all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order,” perhaps one day we’ll ultimately verify, via science, that everything’s truly imperfectly perfect after all.\n\n\nImage by Rebecca-Lee, courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9166927933692932}
{"content": "Keep the Dividends Flowing: Screening for DRPs\n\n    by Wayne A. Thorp\n\n    Dividend-paying stocks are usually classified as “conservative” stocks, at least compared to highly volatile growth stocks. Dividend income provides a steady source of return, and no longer suffers from a tax rate disadvantage.\n\n    Also, investing in companies with dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs) offers a conservative low-cost approach, since dividend payments are put to work immediately with little or no transaction costs involved. [For more on the basics of DRPs, see our annual guide.]\n\n    However, selecting stocks from a universe that consists only of conservative stocks—firms offering dividend reinvestment plans—is not a “conservative” approach, and can quickly land you into trouble.\n\n\n    JOIN TODAY for just $29.\n    Register for FREE\n    to read this article and receive access to future AAII.com articles.\n\n    Log in\n    → Wayne A. Thorp", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9190154671669006}
{"content": "Highlights near Berkeley\n\nStep Towards Enlightenment in Australia\n\nJust over an hour south of Australia’s largest city is a more tranquil “largest”, the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere, Nan Tien Temple. This spiritual, educational and cultural refuge brings a bit of the east to the western world.\n\nClassic Chinese architecture accents this “Paradise of the South” with symmetrical structures like the tiered seven-level pagoda and ski-slope-roofed shrines including the Great Compassion Hall that features an intricate 16-handed Bodhisattva statue. Stroll the serene landscape to discover the lotus pond, tea garden, vegetarian dining hall and playful statue studded hillsides, and to learn more about the Fo Guang Shan sect of Mahayana Buddhism that is practiced on site.\n\nTo end, meditate at the main Great Hero Hall under the powerful yet peaceful presence of five grand Buddha statues set in front of 10,000 miniature ones. Make the most of this moment to reflect and walk out the red doors into the world a more enlightened person.\n\nTip: For those with time, spend a day or weekend with one of the temple’s offered retreats for a fully serene experience.\n\n\nNan Tien Temple\n\n180 Berkeley Rd\nBerkeley NSW, Australia\nStaticmap?key=aizasycfr-xpzmln9k22jlspjbt0xbwg3gq2qi0&center=-34.466355, 150.84840099999997&size=312x200&sensor=false&markers=size: small|color:red|-34.466355, 150", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000009536743164}
{"content": "Great idea. Downloaded it.\n\nI think that the column that says \"N+.5\", \"N+1\", etc. should be labeled \"reciprocity correction\" rather than \"contrast,\" since that's what it seems to refer to in this context. I'd also specify for clarity that the tables for \"Tri-X Pan\" are for \"Tri-X 320,\" since some people may want to use this for Tri-X 400 as well, though I suspect the correction is for all intents and purposes the same.\n\nMaybe a later version you could add in bellows factor, calculable by various methods, and filter factor, to produce a result with all the relevant components: base exposure + filter factor + bellows factor + reciprocity factor based on the sum of the first three elements.\n\nThen the real bees knees would be a light meter with Zone system calculations plus all of the above.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8292192220687866}
{"content": "Creativity likely isn't in one side of your brain\n\nResearchers into creativity are finding that the idea that a person may be \"right brained\" or \"left brained\" is based on some outdated '70's science. In this interview, think jar collective talks to author William Duggan about what neuroscience is currently saying about creativity and how we can use this new knowledge to inform our creative practice.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996063709259033}
{"content": "You can’t take medians and add, subtract, or divide them\n\nYou have a report that gives for each industry the median number of litigation cases per law department in the industry.  Let’s say 45 cases.  A later table in the report gives medians for subsets of that total number, such as medians of employment cases (perhaps 12), of patent cases (3), and of all other cases (28).\n\n\nWhat you should not do is add up the individual case-type medians (12+3+28 = 43) and expect the sum to be the same as the median number of total litigation cases (45).  The reason is that each median stands on its own and was created on its own.  The software sorts each one high to low and picks the middle value.  It would be merely a coincidence if the sorted list of total number of cases arrived at the same number.\n\n\nOne reason is that if the sorted list has an even number of items, the software averages the middle two – a figure that the other lists, if they have odd integers of items, will never produce.  A second reason is that one or more of the component lists (employment, patent and other in the example) might have some missing data, which would throw off a potential match of medians.\n\nWe welcome comments\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.97696852684021}
{"content": "Get Ripped Fast With These Amazing Bodybuilding Tips\n\nBeing healthy is a lifestyle choice, and building muscles also requires major lifestyle changes. Where do you begin, though? Here are some excellent tips for building muscle that can improve your life. They will teach you some great ways to build the muscles you desire.\n\nIt is important to incorporate a sufficient amount of vegetables into your diet. Vegetables are sometimes lost in the push for complex carbs and high quality protein to fuel bodybuilding. Vegetables give you important nutrients which aren’t in foods that usually have a lot of protein or carbs. Of course, vegetables contain a ton of fiber, as well. Fiber helps your body to better process protein.\n\nMany people who work out make the mistake of emphasizing speed over technique. Focusing on technique while doing your repetitions more slowly will significantly improve your results, regardless of the exercise you are working on. Take all the time you need and make sure you perform the exercises like you should.\n\nMake sure you understand the best exercises to increase muscle mass. Each set of muscles can be exercised differently, so don’t assume that one size fits all. Therefore, your exercise plan should include a variety of exercises in order to work different parts of the body.\n\nIf you are trying to build muscle, you are going to have to start eating more over all. Eat an additional 3500 calories per week, which will be enough to put on about a pound. Find healthy ways to get anywhere from 250 to 500 more calories daily. If you don’t see any weight change, consider altering your eating habits.\n\n\nCreatine supplements are popular in the muscle development community. However, they must be treated with caution. If you have any kidney problems, do not use this supplement. Other negative reactions could include muscle compartment syndrome, cramps and arrhythmia. Adolescents using this supplement are at the highest risk. Be sure that you are using these supplements exactly as they are recommended.\n\nIf you are trying to build large muscles, do not attempt it while doing any form of intense cardio training. Cardio is essential for good fitness, but too much cardio may cancel out your attempts at bulking up through strength training. If increasing muscle mass and strength is your primary goal, stick with resistance training.\n\nMake sure that workouts never exceed one hour in length. Your body will begin to produce some cortisol, after the first hour of working out. Cortisol may block testosterone, which hurts all your efforts that you have been putting in towards achieving more muscle mass. Shorter workouts will help you to get greater results in a smaller timeline.\n\nTry to create a body that looks bigger than your body may actually be. You can do this by focusing on the higher chest, your upper back and your shoulders. Train these specific areas. This causes your waist to look smaller and makes you look bigger.\n\n\nMake sure that your caloric intake, overall, is as high as it needs to be. Plenty of health sites offer free calorie calculators to help you decide how many calories you need to be consuming. Utilize one of them, and then change your diet around to include enough protein, carbohydrates, and various other nutrients that your body needs to increase muscle mass.\n\nWork your muscles to exhaustion to get the best results from your exercises. Leave nothing on the table. Push yourself during each set until you are literally physically unable to complete another rep. When necessary, shorten your sets if you get too fatigued.\n\nCaloric intake is an important component in any weight training plan. Keep in mind that some calories will benefit you more than others, and nutrition is very important if you want to develop a body that is strong and lean. At an extreme, a bad diet will lead to more fat instead of muscle.\n\nIn order to build muscle, you must be dedicated to the cause. If you do both of those, the rest just happens because you are doing the things needed. If you use the tips you just read, you’ll start looking forward to looking at the lean, muscular person you see in the mirror.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9216573238372803}
{"content": "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)\n\nWhat are the dimensions of the Purse Perfector?\nThe Medium Purse Perfector is 8” (20.3 cm) long and 3 ½” (8.9 cm) deep: the short section is 4 ¼” (10.8 cm) tall and the tall section is 5 ¼” (13.3 cm) tall.\nThe Large Purse Perfector is 9” (22.8 cm) long and 4 ¼” (10.8 cm) deep with the short section 4 ¼” (10.8 cm) tall and the tall section 5 ¼” (13.3 cm) tall.\n\nHow much does a Purse Perfector weigh?              \nThe Medium Purse Perfector weighs 4 oz and the Large Purse Perfector weighs 5 oz.\n\nWhat is the fabric used?\nThe Purse Perfector is made of a high-grade 100% nylon that is both durable and lightweight.\n\nIs the Purse Perfector washable?\nYes, it is machine washable and then let air dry.\n\nWhat size should I get? I have a checkbook or French wallet.\nThe Large Purse Perfector will accommodate a checkbook wallet horizontally in the pocket between sections. If you have a traditional or small wallet, then the Medium size should work nicely for you.\n\nWhere are Purse Perfectors made?\nPurse Perfectors are hand tailored in San Francisco, California.\n\nHow are they packaged for shipping?\nPurse Perfectors have minimal packaging to reduce waste and are packaged by the developmentally disabled of Easter Seals Work Resource Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.\n\nIs the Purse Perfector patented?\nYes, under the title Interchangeable Organizer for Carrying Bags, inventor Lyn Marsteller received utility patent number 6823909, which was issued on November 30, 2004.\n\nWhere can I buy Purse Perfectors?\nPurse Perfectors are available online at and a few stores in the USA.\n\nWhat’s the price?\nThe Medium Purse Perfector is $54.95 and the Large Purse Perfector is $59.95.\n\nWhere is the Purse Perfector office?\nPurse Perfector is a division of Steller Accessories, LLC, which is a woman-owned business incorporated and located at 3458 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45208.\n\nSecured by RapidSSL", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6134058237075806}
{"content": "Human mission to Mars is no longer just a sci-fi dream\n\nThe notion of landing astronauts on Mars has long been more fantasy than reality: The planet is, on average, 140 million miles from Earth, and its atmosphere isn’t hospitable to human life.\n\n\n\nMore health and science news\n\nHave you used the new health insurance exchanges?\n\nHave you used the new health insurance exchanges?\n\nWhat has been your experience with the online insurance exchanges?\n\nUnraveling the mystery of the flying snake\n\nUnraveling the mystery of the flying snake\n\nStudies show that they transform their cross-sectional shape to help them become more aerodynamic.\n\nScientists say megafires in West will grow bigger, hotter\n\n\nTimeline of major changes to the Affordable Care Act\n\nSome modifications were prompted by significant problems with launching\n\n\nNASA says it hopes to land astronauts on the planet within the next two decades, and the agency is developing a heavy-lift rocket and a new space capsule to achieve this goal. It has even established an optimal time frame for this event — in the early 2030s, when the very different orbits of the two planets brings them closest to each other.\n\nThe challenges of space technology — including how to keep astronauts alive en route and on the planet — as well as government support and funding remain daunting, but the goal of landing humans on Mars is seeming less and less like a pipe dream.\n\n“A human mission to Mars is a priority, and our entire exploration program is aligned to support this goal,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.\n\nNASA has “overcome the technical challenges of landing and operating spacecraft on Mars” robotically, Bolden said. “We’re developing today the technologies needed to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.”\n\n‘Human destiny’\n\n\nIt is “human destiny” to explore space and settle on other planets, he writes in “Mission to Mars,” which is being released this week. He has his own step-by-step plans on how to accomplish a Mars campaign, but he makes room for others as well.\n\n“Our world isn’t just Earth anymore, and we need to get much more serious about that,” Aldrin said in an interview, adding that the leaders who take us to Mars and the pioneers who inhabit it “will go down in human history as heroes and be honored for thousands and thousands of years.”\n\n\n\n\nMusk got into the space business with the ambition of sending many people to Mars. The first of these missions is “further off than I would like,” he said, “but far closer than many expect.”\n\nThe successful landing of Curiosity — at one ton, by far the largest vehicle ever flown to Mars — is put forward as one reason a human mission is increasingly conceivable. There’s still a long way to go in terms of landing technology, said Michael Gazarik, associate administrator of the NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, because a Mars descent with humans would require a capsule weighing something like 40 tons. Nonetheless, Gazarik said the technology is being developed, and having a Mars lander by the 2030s is “plausible.”\n\n\nThe problem of radiation\n\nRadiation measurements made by an instrument on Curiosity have found high — but not prohibitively high — levels of high-energy cosmic and solar rays both en route to Mars and on the surface of the planet. Extensive shielding of astronauts would be needed, scientists have found, but the risk of later illness due to radiation would not be significantly higher going to Mars than after a long-term stay on the space station, according to Bent Ehresmann, a member of the Curiosity radiation monitoring team.\n\n\nThe biggest impediment, though, may be money. President Obama has challenged NASA to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s, but NASA’s budget is now a small fraction of what it was in the years after President John F. Kennedy set a precise timetable for landing on the moon. The agency gets less than 0.5 percent of the federal budget; at the peak of the Apollo program, it was 4 percent. Also, Obama will have left office long before the big decisions about a 2030s mission are made, and his successors might have different priorities.\n\n\n\nJohn Grunsfeld, NASA’s director of the Science Mission Directorate, said that sending humans to Mars would be the ultimate expression of the agency’s long-term goal of more intimately combining exploration and science. Having flown on the space shuttle to the Hubble Space Telescope three times to fix and upgrade it, Grunsfeld has firsthand experience with the capabilities that only astronauts can bring.\n\nThe same would be true on Mars, he said. “In a matter of a week, astronauts could probably complete the entire [two-year] Curiosity mission.”\n\nThe upcoming Mars conference — co-sponsored by the nonprofit group Explore Mars and the GWU’s Space Policy Institute — is designed to examine the feasibility and rationale for a human mission to Mars and to highlight the public’s seeming embrace of the idea.\n\nA recent poll commissioned by Explore Mars and Boeing questioned 1,101 people about sending humans to Mars; the public’s views were overwhelmingly positive.\n\nAbout 75 percent of respondents either “agreed “or “strongly agreed” with the statement that it was worthwhile to increase NASA funding to 1 percent of the federal budget (in other words, to double NASA’s share) in order to fund a mission to Mars. More than 84 percent said that if the rover Curiosity found evidence of past or current life on Mars, NASA should send a human crew to try to verify the finding.\n\nNonetheless, getting past the question of why the United States should some day send astronauts to Mars won’t be easy.\n\n\n\n\n“It will be done, regardless of U.S. leadership,” Aldrin said of an eventual manned Mars landing. “The real question is: How long does the exceptionalism of the United States last?”\n\nKaufman, a former Washington Post editor and the author of “First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth,” is writing a book about the first months of the rover Curiosity’s exploration of Mars.\n\nRead what others are saying\n\n    Conservative leader Bill Gothard resigns following abuse allegations", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9954244494438171}
{"content": "The Right Hand of Vecna\n\nFour powerful beings have been brought together to serve the evil and powerful god Vecna. He plans to control the universe using secrets and trickery, and enslave all of the other races and force other gods to bow to him.\n\nThese adventurers have each agreed for their own nefarious reasons and seek to control the god themselves. Little to their knowledge, other powers are at work that seek to destroy them…and the universe.\n\nRight hand of Vecna\n\nSeveGomez Vecna title 2 PirateOpossum KatherineGomez nerdwulf", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.999940037727356}
{"content": "View H.J.Res. 24 report\n\nWhat’s your position on\nThe Business Cycle Balanced Budget Amendment\n\nH.J.Res. 24: Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.\n\n(More Info on Congress.Gov)\n\nWhat do you think?\n\nThe next vote on this bill will occur in the House of Representatives. How should your representative vote?\n\nWhat POPVOX Users Say\n\nPOPVOX Nation:\n83% Support\n17% Oppose\n(163 users)\n\nView Report & Comments\n\n135 users\n28 users\norder determined by social media popularity\n\nEndorsing Organizations\n\nNational Taxpayers Union 16,654 Facebook fans 472 Twitter followers\n\nFebruary 7, 2013\n\nDear Representative Amash:\n\nOn behalf of the 362,000 members of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I write in support of H.J. Res. 24, your “Business Cycle Balanced Budget Amendment” (BCBBA). This creative proposal would amend the U.S. Constitution to incorporate a mechanism providing for long-term balance of the federal budget. It would provide Congress with budgeting flexibility while still maintaining real protections from the out-of-control spending that threatens our solvency.\n\nInstead of requiring annual balance, the BCBBA establishes an expenditure level based on a three-year average of prior revenues plus adjustments for inflation and population growth. Unlike restrictions that are based on measurements of the size of the economy, the BCBBA’s main aspect is tied to previous revenue. This has the benefit of being a “knowable” number rather than an estimate, while utilizing a three-year average ensures that temporary fluctuations do not translate into wild swings in federal spending.\n\nThe BCBBA combines this common-sense spending rule with a simple provision allowing for a robust supermajority of Congress to waive the amendment’s restrictions in the case of an emergency. This failsafe would allow Congress the ability to budget for true national security or economic emergencies without opening a large loophole through which massive amounts of non-urgent spending could be driven.\n\nIt should be noted that NTU continues to support several paths toward constitutional fiscal discipline, including amendments to prevent spending and taxation from growing beyond their historical shares as a percentage of our economy. However, we believe that the BCBBA would also achieve many of the same goals that other measures can by properly aligning incentives in budgetary policy. Because its structure provides for long-term balance while allowing for short-term fluctuations, there would be no justification for rushing to enact tax hikes in order to meet any annual requirements. The result would be a federal budget that is much more stable and predictable in its growth while still encouraging fiscal responsibility and affordability for taxpayers.\n\nNTU has approached the current legislative evolution of the BBA not merely as an interested observer or even as a concerned stakeholder. Instead, we view this process through a 44-year organizational history, in which constitutional reforms to help guide deliberation on the size of government have occupied the central part of our mission. The federal budget has only been balanced five times since NTU’s founding in 1969. This dismal record proves that neither “political will” nor statutory measures are up to the challenge of protecting taxpayers and providing for a sustainable fiscal future.\n\nThrough its innovative structure, the BCBBA would properly enshrine long-term balance in our Constitution while facilitating substantial flexibility. The BCBBA is a worthy approach to long-term fiscal discipline. We urge Representatives to co-sponsor H.J. Res. 24 and to work toward its enactment.\n\n* This organization’s position on this resolution was entered by POPVOX.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8496419787406921}
{"content": "Make Canoe my Homepage\n\nConnor Jessup asks: Who’s more difficult, the aliens or the humans, in Falling Skies?\n\n- June 14th, 2013\n\n\nAs if the surviving humans in Falling Skies didn’t have enough to worry about, another race of aliens shows up for season three.\n\nThree’s a crowd,” said 18-year-old Canadian Connor Jessup, who plays Ben Mason. “So it’s a crowded season.\n\nAs if it wasn’t complicated enough for these people. Alien threat grows, it’s sort of redundant.\n\nBut even if the aliens disappeared, you still have to deal with humans, and we’re not easy.”\n\nTruer words never were spoken. As the third season of Falling Skies debuts across Canada with back-to-back episodes on Super Channel on Sunday, June 16 (one week after its debut on TNT in the United States), it’s hard to tell who’s more bothersome and problematic, the aliens or the humans.\n\nExecutive produced by Steven Spielberg, Falling Skies follows the human fight against an occupying alien force that is plaguing the Earth. Noah Wyle stars as Tom Mason, father of Jessup’s character Ben.\n\nIt really has grown in scale,” Jessup said. “If you go back and look at the first season, it really was just a story about a small group of people, very insular, fighting against a faceless, nameless enemy that we didn’t understand.\n\nBut by the third season it has expanded, more people have joined up, we founded a society, new technology, new aliens, there are faces to villains, names to villains, there’s weird phraseology. It has become deeper in terms of the genre element and the sci-fi element.\n\nThe show started out strongly attached to the American Revolution. And in many ways it still is. It’s following the path of, say, Tom as a George Washington figure, whose first concern is purely military, how do we win this? But as victory becomes in sight, the political questions arise. After victory, what kind of world do we build? That theme is entering the show, especially in the third season.”\n\nJessup’s character Ben, a former captive of the aliens, has become a translator for a group of rebel “skitters,” which is the term used to describe the invaders.\n\nSeason two was all about walking this tightrope between alien and human for Ben,” Jessup explained. “There’s a transformation happening. It’s not resolved. He’s changing.\n\nEven though at the end of season two Ben fell more on the human side, it’s an ongoing thing. It’s a hard world for Ben to live in, because now that he’s not alone any more in having these abilities and people are starting to appreciate the contribution we can make, it’s still by no means easy.\n\nAgain, it begs the question: After the war, will these things be so easily forgotten? The youthfulness we have now, that people appreciate us for now, when that’s gone what will be left? How will we recover?”\n\nTrying to win the war leads to trying to win the peace. It’s a pattern that has been repeated over and over in human history, and the theme continues in Falling Skies, with aliens thrown into the mix.\n\nThe war is not over by any means, but it has entered a different phase,” Jessup said.\n\nWars unite disparate factions. People who would not normally be allies, it forces them to be friends. But after wars, those things are a lot more difficult.”\n\n\n\n- February 13th, 2013\n\n\nAbraham Lincoln is the comeback president of the year.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nComebacks aside, some things are better left uninvented.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5202252268791199}
{"content": "Vaada film Sundar C and Sheryl Brindo in lead. Sundar C is essaying the role of a person who avenges the person who has spoilt his life. Sheryl Pinto acts as an ardent fan of MGR and she feels her husband Sundar C should also be like him. Both of them dance for the song Enakku Needhan MGR Unakku Naan Dhan Saroja Devi.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6368851065635681}
{"content": "Chemistry in Everyday Life\n\nWe know that chemistry is a big part of our everyday life in various fields such as food, air, metabolic system of body, and medicines etc.\nIt is an important part of our life and this is because everything we are using is composed of different chemicals. \n\nAny change in our surrounding is also related to either chemical or physical change in the substances. \nThe chemical changes are associated with change in the chemical composition or change in colour or odour of the substances. \nChemical changes or chemical reactions are also associated with the formation of precipitate or colour solution.  \n\nPhysical changes involve with the change in the physical state of matter from solid to liquid or liquid to gas etc. \nThe change in colour of leafs or cooking of food are also examples of chemical changes. \nThe household chemicals such as mosquito repellents, drugs, and plastic materials are also chemical substances. \nAll types of plastics are polymers which are chemical compounds composed of similar or different monomer units. \nThese monomer units are either bonded through condensation reaction or by addition reactions. \nOn the basis of these reactions, polymers can be classified as additional and condensation polymers. \nThe properties of polymers depend upon the structural units of monomer and the chemical reactions which are involved in the formation of polymer molecules.\nPolymers can be both synthetic and natural such as PVC, nylon-6,6, nylon-6 are synthetic polymer but cellulose, starch, cotton are natural polymers. \n\nBiological molecules  such as DNA, RNA, and proteins are polymeric in nature. \nAnother example of chemical which we are using in our everyday life is cleaners such as soaps, detergents etc.  \nUsually soaps are Sodium or Potassium salts of fatty acids which can divide in two parts; tail part is a long hydrocarbon chain while head part is Carboxylate group which is hydrophilic in nature. \nThe tail or hydrocarbon part of soap molecule is hydrophobic in nature and cannot dissolve in water but can be in dirt or oil. \nThe micelles formation by soap molecules results the detachment of dirt part from the cloth surface and show the soap action. \n\nLet’s discuss about another chemical that is drug. They are chemical compounds which could show both positive and negative types of effect on  human beings. \nThese drugs could be subdivided into various categories and one of such is the amphetamine which is basically a stimulant. \nThese chemicals are found to be good for health and they help in recovery in several diseases but if taken within the safe limit or certain concentration only. \nThe drug abuse is a very common issue in almost all the countries. \nAlcohol is one of best example of drug and yet another example is the tobacco abuse which is very common in India. \nIt is basically the dried tendu leaves which contain the drug nicotine. \nIt acts as an stimulant or relaxant after ingestion either through smoke, snuff, dipped or chewed. \n\nThe ingestion of it can lower the blood pressure and heart rate as well. \nUp to a certain level, it can act as an stimulant but if taken at higher doses, it could imbalance the O2 level of the body and act as a relaxant or sedative. \nThe longer abuse of this could cause chronic lung disease, heart diseases like stroke, addiction and many different types of cancerous growth. \nThe presence of nicotine activates the brain of a living body and produces sensations of pleasure and euphoria. \nIt shows instant effect on human body; therefore it could be mistaken for tons of “hits” a day and become habitual of it. \nUsually it is inhaled through smoking or even oral ingestion. Other examples of drugs are Sulphonamide, histamines etc.\n\nBest Results From Wikipedia Yahoo Answers Youtube\n\nFrom Wikipedia\n\nAdvanced Chemistry\n\nAdvanced Chemistry is a German hip hop group from Heidelberg, a scenic city in Baden-Württemberg, South Germany. Advanced Chemistry was founded in 1987 by Toni L, Linguist, Gee-One, DJ Mike MD (Mike Dippon) and MC Torch. Each member of the group holds German citizenshhip, and Toni L, Linguist, and Torch are of Italian, Ghanaian, and Haitian backgrounds, respectively.\n\nInfluenced by North American socially conscious rap and the Native tongues movement, Advanced Chemistry is regarded as one of the main pioneers in German hip hop. They were one of the first groups to rap in German (although their name is in English). Furthermore, their songs tackled controversial social and political issues, distinguishing them from early German hip hop group \"Die Fantastischen Vier\" (The Fantastic Four), which had a more light-hearted, playful, party image.\n\nThe rivalry between Advanced Chemistry and Die Fantastischen Vier has served to highlight a dichotomy in the routes that hip hop has taken in becoming a part of the German soundscape. While Die Fantastischen Vier may be said to view hip hop primarily as an esthetic art form, Advanced Chemistry understand hip hop as being inextricably linked to the social and political circumstances under which it is created. For Advanced Chemistry, hip hop is a “vehicle of general human emancipation,â€�. In their undertaking of social and political issues, the band introduced the term \"Afro-German\" in to the context of German hip hop, and the theme of race is highlighted in much of their music.\n\nWith the release of the single “Fremd im eigenen Landâ€�, Advanced Chemistry separated itself from the rest of the rap being produced in Germany. This single was the first of its kind to go beyond simply imitating US rap and addressed the current issues of the time. Fremd im eigenen Land which translates to “foreign in my own countryâ€� dealt with the widespread racism that non-white German citizens faced. This change from simple imitation to political commentary was the start of German identification with rap. The sound of “Fremd im eigenen Landâ€� was influenced by the 'wall of noise' created by Public Enemy's producers, The Bomb Squad.\n\nAfter the reunification of Germany, an abundance of anti-immigrant sentiment emerged, as well as attacks on the homes of refugees in the early 90's. Advanced Chemistry came to prominence in the wake of these actions because of their pro-multicultural society stance in their music. Advanced Chemistry's attitudes revolve around their attempts to create a distinct \"Germanness\" in hip hop, as opposed to imitating American hip hop as other groups had done. Torch has said, \"What the Americans do is exotic for us because we don't live like they do. What they do seems to be more interesting and newer. But not for me. For me it's more exciting to experience my fellow Germans in new contexts...For me, it's interesting to see what the kids try to do that's different from what I know.\" Advanced Chemistry were the first to use the term \"Afro-German\" in a hip hop context. This was part of the pro-immigrant political message they sent via their music.\n\nWhile Advanced Chemistry's use of the German language in their rap allows them to make claims to authenticity and true German heritage, bolstering pro-immigration sentiment, their style can also be problematic for immigrant notions of any real ethnic roots. Indeed, part of the Turkish ethnic minority of Frankfurt views Advanced Chemistry's appeal to the German image as a \"symbolic betrayal of the right of ethnic minorities to 'roots' or to any expression of cultural heritage.\" In this sense, their rap represents a complex social discourse internal to the German soundscape in which they attempt to negotiate immigrant assimilation into a xenophobic German culture with the maintenance of their own separate cultural traditions. It is quite possibly the feelings of alienation from the pure-blooded German demographic that drive Advanced Chemistry to attack nationalistic ideologies by asserting their \"Germanness\" as a group composed primarily of ethnic others. The response to this pseudo-German authenticity can be seen in what Andy Bennett refers to as \"alternative forms of local hip hop culture which actively seek to rediscover and, in many cases, reconstruct notions of identity tied to cultural roots.\" These alternative local hip hop cultures include Oriental hip hop, the members of which cling to their Turkish heritage and are confused by Advanced Chemistry's elicitation of a German identity politics to which they technically do not belong. This cultural binary illustrates that rap has taken different routes in Germany and that, even among an already isolated immigrant population, there is still disunity and, especially, disagreement on the relative importance of assimilation versus cultural defiance. According to German hip hop enthusiast 9@home, Advanced Chemistry is part of a \"hip-hop movement [which] took a clear stance for the minorities and against the [marginalization] of immigrants who...might be German on paper, but not in real life,\" which speaks to the group's hope of actually being recognized as German citizens and not foreigners, despite their various other ethnic and cultural ties.\n\nMarket conditions for rap\n\nOne of the first issues that confronts us when we move outside the English-speaking market for recorded music is to establish whether or not the discrete musical genres we know from that market are fully congruent with similar divisions in other pop worlds. This is important in two ways. First, although no single country comes close to matching the amounts spent on recorded music in the United States, these markets are nonetheless economically significant. Germany, for instance, is the largest single market in western Europe, with estimated annual sales of U.S. $3.74 billion in 1996. This represents around 30 percent of reported U.S. sales and makes Germany the third biggest music market in the world.\n\nAdvanced Chemistry frequently rapped about their lives and experiences as children of immigrants, exposing the marginalization experienced by most ethnic minorities in Germany, and the feelings of frustration and resentment that being denied a German identity can cause. The song \"Fremd im eigenem Land\" (Foreign in your own nation) was released by Advanced Chemistry in November 1992. The single became a staple in the German hip hop scene. It made a strong statement about the status of immigrants throughout Germany, as the group was composed of multi-national and multi-racial members. The video shows several members brandishing their German passports as a demonstration of their German citizenship to skeptical and unaccepting 'ethnic' Germans.\n\nThis idea of national identity is important, as many rap artists in Germany have been of foreign origin. These so-called Gastarbeiter (guest workers) children saw breakdance\n\nLife skills\n\nLife skills are a set of human skills acquired via teaching or direct experience that are used to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.\n\n\nThe World Health Organization defines life skills as \"abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.\" In primary and secondary education, life skills may refer to a skill set that accommodates more specific needs of modern industrialized life; examples include money management, food preparation, hygiene, basic literacy and numeracy, and organizational skills. Life skills are sometimes, but not always, distinguished from occupational skills.\n\n\nThe United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) divide life skills into subsets of categories:\n\nLearning to know: Cognitive abilities\n\nDecision making / problem solving skills\n\n  • Information gathering skills\n  • Evaluating future consequences of present actions for self and others\n  • Determining alternative solutions to problems\n  • Analysis skills regarding the influence of values and attitudes of self and others on motivation\n\nCritical thinking skills\n\n  • Analyzing peer and media influences\n  • Analyzing attitudes, values, social norms and beliefs and factors affecting these\n  • Identifying relevant information and information sources\n\nLearning to be: Personal abilities\n\nSkills for increasing internal locus of control\n\nSkills for managing feelings\n\nSkills for managing stress\n\nLearning to live together: Interpersonal abilities\n\nInterpersonal communication skills\n\nNegotiation and refusal skills\n\n\n  • Ability to listen to and understand another's needs and circumstances and express that understanding\n\nCooperation and teamwork\n\n  • Expressing respect for others' contributions and different styles\n  • Assessing one's own abilities and contributing to the group\n\nAdvocacy skills\n\nStill life\n\n\n\nAncient antecedents\n\nStill life paintings often adorn the interior of ancient Egyptian tombs. It was believed that food objects and other items depicted there would, in the afterlife, become real and available for use by the deceased. Ancient Greek vase paintings also demonstrate great skill in depicting everyday objects and animals. Similar still life, more simply decorative in intent, but with realistic perspective, have also been found in the Roman wall paintings and floor mosaics unearthed at Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Villa Boscoreale, including the later familiar motif of a glass bowl of fruit. Decorative mosaics termed “emblemaâ€�, found in the homes of rich Romans, demonstrated the range of food enjoyed by the upper classes, and also functioned as signs of hospitality and as celebrations of the seasons and of life. By the 16th century, food and flowers would again appear as symbols of the seasons and of the five senses. Also starting in Roman times is the tradition of the use of the skull in paintings as a symbol of mortality and earthly remains, often with the accompanying phrase Omnia mors aequat (Death makes all equal). These vanitas images have been re-interpreted through the last 400 years of art history, starting with Dutch painters around 1600.\n\nThe popular appreciation of the realism of still life painting is related in the ancient Greek legend of Zeuxis and Parrhasius, who are said to have once competed to create the most life-like objects, history’s earliest descriptions of trompe-l'Å“il painting. As Pliny the Elder recorded in ancient Roman times, Greek artists centuries earlier were already advanced in the arts of portrait painting and still life. He singled out Peiraikos, “whose artistry is surpassed by only a very few...He painted barbershops and shoemakers’ stalls, donkeys, vegetables, and such, and for that reason came to be called the ‘painter of vulgar subjects’; yet these works are altogether delightful, and they were sold at higher prices than the greatest [paintings] of many other artists.â€�\n\nMiddle Ages and Renaissance\n\nBy 1300, starting with Giotto and his pupils, still life painting was revived in the form of fictional niches on religious wall paintings which depicted everyday objects. Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, still life in Western art remained primarily an adjunct to Christian religious subjects, and convened religious and allegorical meaning. This was particularly true in the work of Northern European artists, whose fascination with highly detailed optical realism and symbolism led them to lavish great attention on their paintings' overall message. Painters like Jan van Eyck often used still life elements as part of an iconographic program.\n\nThe development of oil painting technique by Jan van Eyck and other Northern European artists made it possible to paint everyday objects in this hyper-realistic fashion, owing to the slow drying, mixing, and layering qualities of oil colors. Among the first to break free of religious meaning were Leonardo da Vinci, who created watercolor studies of fruit (around 1495) as part of his restless examination of nature, and Albrecht Dürer who also made precise drawings of flora and fauna.\n\nPetrus Christus’ portrait of a bride and groom visiting a goldsmith is a typical example of a transitional still life depicting both religious and secular content. Though mostly allegorical in message, the figures of the couple are realistic and the objects shown (coins, vessels, etc.) are accurately painted but the goldsmith is actually a depiction of St. Eligius and the objects heavily symbolic. Another similar type of painting is the family portrait combining figures with a well-set table of food, which symbolizes both the piety of the human subjects and their thanks for God’s abundance. Around this time, simple still life depictions divorced of figures (but not allegorical meaning) were beginning to be painted on the outside of shutters of private devotional paintings. Another step toward the autonomous still life was the painting of symbolic flowers in vases on the back of secular portraits around 1475. Jacopo de’ Barbari went a step further with his Still Life with Partridge, Iron Gloves, and Crossbow Arrows (1504), among the earliest signed and dated trompe-l'Å“il still life paintings, which contains minimal religious content.\n\nSixteenth century\n\nThe 16th century witnessed an explosion of interest in the natural world and the creation of lavish botanical encyclopædias recording the discoveries of the New World and Asia. It also prompted the beginning of scientific illustration and the classification of specimens. Natural objects began to be appreciated as individual objects of study apart from any religious or mythological associations. The early science of herbal remedies began at this time as well, a practical extension of this new knowledge. In addition, wealthy patrons began to underwrite the collection of animal and mineral specimens, creating extensive “curio cabinetsâ€�. These specimens served as models for painters who sought realism and novelty. Shells, insects, exotic fruits and flowers began to be collected and traded, and new plants such as the Semisonic, released on March 13, 2001. With this release, the band failed, at least in America, to capitalize on the momentum it had generated with the song \"Closing Time\" from their previous album, Feeling Strangely Fine. This had a softer edge than Feeling Strangely Fine and was not as popular with the fans. Its poor sales led to the band going on an unofficial hiatus. The title track was featured on the soundtrack for 40 Days and 40 Nights.\n\nThe song \"One True Love\" was co-written by the band's singer/guitarist, Dan Wilson, and music legend Carole King. The song \"Get a Grip\" is an ode to masturbation.\n\nThe special edition of the album features cover art with orange fluid in the vials instead of the blue fluid of the original. It includes two bonus tracks, \"Girlfriend\" and \"Ordinary Life\"; instead of being tacked onto the end, they appear between \"Get a Grip\" and \"Surprise.\"\n\nAs of 2011, All About Chemistry remains the band's last studio album.\n\nTrack listing\n\nAll songs written by Dan Wilson, except where noted.\n\n  1. \"Chemistry\" – (Wilson, Harris, Lewis) 4:08\n  2. \"Bed\" – 4:05\n  3. \"Act Naturally\" – 3:42\n  4. \"She's Got My Number\" – 5:02\n  5. \"Follow\" – 3:44\n  6. \"Sunshine & Chocolate\" – 3:35\n  7. \"Who's Stopping You?\" (John Munson, Wilson) – 3:06\n  8. \"I Wish\" – 7:56\n  9. \"One True Love\" (Wilson, Carole King) – 3:51\n  10. \"Get a Grip\" – 3:35\n  11. \"Surprise\" – 3:48\n  12. \"El Matador\" (Jacob Slichter) – 5:08\n\n\n\n  • Ken Chastain– Congas on \"Act Naturally\", Darbuca on \"Sunshine & Chocolate\", Korg WaveDrum on \"I Wish\", Tabla on \"El Matador\"\n  • Carole King– Vocals, Electric piano on \"One True Love\"\n  • Matt Wilson – Additional vocals, Synth on \"Bed\"\n  • John Fields– Synths, Loops, Bass on \"Sunshine & Chocolate\"\n  • Gary Louris– Guitar solo on \"I Wish\"\n  • Shane Washington – French horn on \"Surprise\"\n\nFrom Yahoo Answers\n\nQuestion:Ok so I have to write a paper about an area of everyday life that involves chemistry. The teacher said that good examples of this would be pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, clothes, food chemistry, agriculture (fertilizers, pesticides etc), cosmetics, etc etc etc additional info: There must be at least one relevant balanced equation. There must be pictures of at least 2 relevant molecules. So what would be some ideas on writing this kind of paper? it must be at the very least 1000 word I need major help this is for my final\n\nAnswers:xD nadie te contesto la pregunta lero lero xD ntc menso hasla de nuex xD FOOD CHEMISTRY ROCKS! tengo un libro de eso si decides hacerla de eso tiene ingos de info y yo te puedo ayudar :P\n\nQuestion:i need help! i have chemistry homework that calls for 3 chemical changes in your daily life. i dont really care if its in your body or not, but i need 3 everyday life chemical changes! please help! thanks :)\n\nAnswers:H20(l) <---> H2O(g) NaCl(s) <---> Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) O(g) + O2(g) <---> O3(g)\n\nQuestion:need help with a chemistry project and one thing we gotta talk about is how mgcl is used relevant to our lives, like iron is used in nails or aluminium in coke cans - they are like used in everyday life so by any chance does anyone know what we use frequently that contains mgcl? thanks! xxx\n\nAnswers:Culinary use ------------------- Magnesium chloride is an important coagulant used in the preparation of tofu from soy milk. In Japan it is sold as nigari ( , derived from the Japanese word for \"bitter\"), a white powder produced from seawater after the sodium chloride has been removed, and the water evaporated. In China it is called \"lushui\" ( in Chinese). Nigari or Lushui consists mostly of magnesium chloride, with some magnesium sulfate and other trace elements. It is also an ingredient in baby formula milk. Use as an anti-icer ----------------------------- A number of state highway departments throughout the United States have decreased the use of rock salt and sand on roadways and have increased the use of liquid magnesium chloride as a de-icer or anti-icer. Magnesium chloride is much less toxic to plant life surrounding highways and airports, and is less corrosive to concrete and steel (and other iron alloys) than sodium chloride. The liquid magnesium chloride is sprayed on dry pavement (tarmac) prior to precipitation or wet pavement prior to freezing temperatures in the winter months to prevent snow and ice from adhering and bonding to the roadway. The application of anti-icers is utilized in an effort to improve highway safety. Magnesium chloride is also sold in crystal form for household and business use to de-ice sidewalks and driveways. In these applications, the compound is applied after precipitation has fallen or ice has formed, instead of previously. The use of this compound seems to show an improvement in driving conditions during and after freezing precipitation yet it seems to be negatively affecting electric utilities. Two main issues have been raised regarding the anti-icer magnesium chloride as it relates to electric utilities: contamination of insulators causing tracking and arcing across them, and corrosion of steel and aluminium poles and pole hardware.\n\n\nAnswers:Chemical reactions are all around us. Combustion reactions help release energy to heat our homes and move our vehicles. Oxidation-reduction reactions keep the batteries in our cell phones and laptops functioning. Acid-base reactions take place when cleaning your oven or removing a clog from a drain. Acid-base reactions are also the basis for the Titrations experiment where you will measure the acidity of fruit juices. Understanding and identifying what takes place when two substances interact with one another is a vital aspect of chemistry. Chemists are able to identify unknown substances by observing how they react with a known substance. For example, we can bubble an unknown gas through a solution of limewater (Ca(OH)2 dissolved in water). If the limewater becomes cloudy (that is, a precipitate forms), we can say that the gas is probably carbon dioxide based on our knowledge that the calcium ion (Ca2+) forms an insoluble carbonate salt (CaCO3); if the limewater does not become cloudy, we can t identify the gas without further tests, but we can say that the gas is not carbon dioxide. It is through testing and deductive reasoning that the chemist operates. Evidence of a chemical reaction or change can often be observed when two different solutions are mixed together. Chemical reactions may often be detected visually by the following manifestations: the formation of a precipitate (insoluble substance), effervescence (gas bubbles), or color changes. Sometimes the precipitate does not immediately settle out, thereby causing a \"cloudiness\" to appear in the solution. Interpret \"cloudiness\" as the formation of a precipitate. Chemical reactions may occur even if there is not apparent change in the color of solution and if all products formed during the reaction are soluble. In general, the reactions in this experiment will follow this chemical equation: C1A1 + C2A2 ----> C1A2 + C2A1 where C represents the cations (ions with a positive charge) and A represents the anions (ions with a negative charge). When acids and bases are mixed, a salt and water are formed. For those reactions where a precipitate or cloudiness is observed, refer to \"Empirical Rules for the Solubilities of Common Ionic Compounds\" to aid you in determining which cation and anion form a precipitate when you observe this behavior in a reaction. The only reactions for which the above equation will not hold are those that generate gases.\n\nFrom Youtube\n\nChemistry everyday life - CS :video about acid rain and plastics\n\nBetty White - Life With Elizabeth - The Chemistry Set :In this episode from 1954 Alvin is trying to make hand lotion with a children's chemistry set... This is of course bound to go wrong... ________________ From Wikipedia: Life With Elizabeth was a sitcom which aired from 1953 to 1955. The show starred Betty White and Del Moore and announcer Jack Narz. The most unusual feature of Life with Elizabeth is that it was divided into three 8 to 10 minute comic shorts referred to as \"incidents\". Sometimes an entire incident might just consist of the two main characters talking to each other. Also unusual was the minimal theme music, which was played by a solo harpist who was partially visible on the opening title screen. Elizabeth and Alvin are a married couple who live an ordinary suburban life, but inevitably managed to get into predicaments. At the end of most predicaments, Alvin, in variable degrees of frustration, would say, \"I shall leave you now, Elizabeth\" and would walk out of sight. The announcer would say, \"Elizabeth, aren't you ashamed?\" She would slowly nod, but then, with a slightly devilish grin, would vigorously shake her head to indicate she wasn't.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5197535753250122}
{"content": "New Research Finds How Genes Shape Faces\n\nBy IndiaTimes | October 26, 2013, 1:00 pm IST\n\nWASHINGTON: Scientists have identified thousands of enhancers in the human genome that influence the way facial features develop.\n\n\n\nScientists set out to determine what makes facial morphology so distinct.\n\n\nGenetics play a major role as evident in the similarities between parents and their children, but researchers have puzzled over what is it in our DNA that fine-tunes the genetics so that siblings - especially identical twins - resemble one another but look different from unrelated individuals.\n\n\nResearchers at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that gene enhancers - regulatory sequences of DNA that act to turn-on or amplify the expression of a specific gene - are major players in craniofacial development.\n\n\n\n\n\n\"Our results suggest it is likely there are thousands of enhancers in the human genome that are somehow involved in craniofacial development,\" said Axel Visel, a geneticist with Berkeley Lab's Genomics Division who led the study.\n\n\nPrevious work by Visel and his collaborators, in which they mapped gene enhancers in the heart, the brain and other organ systems demonstrated that gene enhancers can regulate their targets from across distances of hundreds of thousands of base pairs.\n\n\nTo learn whether gene enhancers can also have the same long-distance impact on craniofacial development, Visel and a multinational team of collaborators studied transgenic mice.\n\n\nResearchers identified more than 4,000 candidate enhancer sequences predicted to be active in fine-tuning the expression of genes involved in craniofacial development, and created genome-wide maps of these enhancers by pin-pointing their location in the mouse genome.\n\n\nThe researchers also characterised in detail the activity of some 200 of these gene enhancers and deleted three of them.\n\n\nMajority of the enhancer sequences identified and mapped are at least partially conserved between humans and mice, and many are located in human chromosomal regions associated with normal facial morphology or craniofacial birth defects.\n\n\n\n\n\"Our results also offer an opportunity for human geneticists to look for mutations specifically in enhancers that may play a role in birth defects, which in turn may help to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches,\" Visel said.\n\n\nThe study was published in the journal Science.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5991183519363403}
{"content": "Hotline Tip: What If An Older Signer Lacks ID?\n\nI was contacted by an 84-year-old signer who doesn't have a valid form of ID. She is signing a document giving her daughter authority to make decisions regarding the signer’s medical needs. Since the signer doesn’t have an identification document, I’m not sure if I can notarize this. What should I do?J.T., Inglewood, California\n\nYou can notarize the document for the signer provided she can provide satisfactory proof of her identity as defined in state law. In California, if the signer doesn’t have any acceptable form of identification documents (driver’s license, passport, etc.) then you would have to use one or two credible identifying witnesses to identify the woman. If she cannot provide credible identifying witnesses or another acceptable form of identification, then you cannot proceed with the notarization.\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9008193612098694}
{"content": "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating lots of animal protein appears to increase women's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new study from France.\n\n\"Our results may help better understand the role of diet in IBD risk,\" Dr. Franck Carbonnel of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bicetre in Paris and his team write in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. \"If confirmed, they can lead to protective strategies, especially in families at risk of IBD, and possibly to advice for preventing relapse.\"\n\nInflammatory bowel disease is a collective term for diseases characterized by severe inflammation in the digestive system such as ulcerative colitis, which typically only affects the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can attack the entire digestive tract. IBD, which affects about one in 500 people, has become much more common since World War II, Carbonnel and his colleagues note. The reasons behind the increase are still unclear.\n\nTo investigate whether diet might be a factor, the researchers followed more than 67,000 women participating in a long-term study of risk factors for cancer and other common illnesses. The women were 40 to 65 years old when they enrolled in the study.\n\nDuring follow-up, which averaged about 10 years, just 77 of the women developed inflammatory bowel disease. Ninety percent of women in the current study were eating more than the recommended dietary allowance of protein.\n\nWomen who consumed the most protein were at more than triple the risk of being diagnosed with IBD, the researchers found; animal protein accounted for most of the risk. Risk was specifically associated with high intake of meat and fish, but not with dairy products or eggs.\n\nWhile experts have long suspected that diet might play a role in inflammatory bowel disease, Carbonnel and his colleagues note, the only links identified previously were with eating a lot of fats and certain kinds of sugars. Those studies were more prone to error than forward-looking or prospective studies like the current investigation. There have also been several studies linking vitamin D deficiency to IBD.\n\nAnother recent prospective study found that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids decreased inflammatory bowel disease risk, while eating lots of omega-6 fatty acids increased it, Carbonnel noted in an interview with Reuters Health. Omega-3s are found in fish oil, flax seed oil, and a few other sources; omega-6s, which Westerners tend to eat much more of, are found in several types of vegetable and nut oils.\n\nMeat could contribute to inflammatory bowel disease risk because digestion of animal protein produces many potentially toxic \"end products,\" such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, the researchers note. Also, Carbonnel pointed out, a high-protein diet could alter the mix of bacteria that live in the colon.\n\n\"These findings have to be confirmed in other populations, particularly in men and younger subjects,\" the researcher said, adding that if they are confirmed, the next step would be to conduct a trial comparing the effects of restricted versus unrestricted animal protein on inflammatory bowel disease risk.\n\nGiven the large amount of protein women in the study were eating, he added, a restricted diet wouldn't involve radically reducing protein intake, but instead sticking to the recommended amount.\n\nSOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, online May 11, 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.631548285484314}
{"content": "More exploration of abstract lines and the ways they can relate to one another. This is a continuation of what started out from the idea of ‘zentangles’ a few days ago and has turned into something all its own. Depending on how the page is oriented, feel free to tilt your head or your monitor ;-), different perspectives pop out and create different structures.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989289045333862}
{"content": "help a gamer\n\nExperience and Levelling Up\n\nBakery Story Walkthrough and Guide\n\nExperience and Levelling Up\n\nExperience is gained from doing a variety of things. Mainly, it comes from producing food. Each batch of food gives you a certain amount of XP, which is then used to level up. The more you level up, the more difficult (and pricey) the cakes you can make.\n\nYou can also buy new items and expand your bakery to a greater degree.\n\nLevelling up allows you to have more appliances in your bakery, giving access to more recipes too!\n\nExperience is indicated by the yellow bar in the middle at the top. You will see a star, showing exactly what level it is that you are currently on. You should always be aiming to increase your present level. The bar itself will turn yellower as you come closer to the next level. You will then gain access to all new recipes and items with your newfound expertise.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9875389933586121}
{"content": "5th Wave\n\nstudio Sony Pictures\nwriter Rick Yancy\n\n\nA young adult sci-fi suspense thriller with a love story at its center. In the film, when the human race is on the verge of extinction, one of the last survivors on earth, an extraordinary young woman, goes on a mission to track down her younger brother who was abducted by the extra-terrestial creatures colonizing earth. She is forced to align herself with a young man who holds a secret. Together they are they only ones to save mankind.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9806520342826843}
{"content": "SYDNEY — Bush fires raging across some of the most populous parts of Australia — feeding off widespread drought conditions and high winds — pushed firefighters to their limits and residents to their wits' end on Wednesday as meteorologists tracked the country's hottest spring and summer on record into uncharted territory.\n\nFour months of record-breaking temperatures, stretching back to September, have produced what the government says are \"catastrophic\" fire conditions along the eastern and southeastern coasts of the country, where the majority of Australians live.\n\nData analyzed on Wednesday by the government Bureau of Meteorology indicated that national heat records had again been set. The average temperature across the country on Tuesday was the highest since statistics began being kept in 1911, at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, exceeding a mark set only the day before. Meteorologists have had to add two new color bands to their forecast maps, extending their range up to 129 degrees.\n\n\"From this national perspective, one might say this is the largest heat event in the country's recorded history,\" said David Jones, manager of climate monitoring prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology. Firefighters were struggling to contain huge bush fires in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, which have scorched around 500 square miles of forest and farmland since Tuesday. Fires on the island state of Tasmania have destroyed more than 300 square miles since Friday.\n\nNo confirmed deaths have been reported in connection with the fires, but about 100 people have been unaccounted for since a fire destroyed around 90 homes in Dunalley, Tasmania, last week. State agricultural officials say that tens of thousands of cattle and sheep are believed to have been killed in the fires, which have torn through some of the country's most productive agricultural and farming regions.\n\nThe government warned that the very hot air mass that blistered Sydney earlier in the week was moving up the eastern seaboard and would soon affect Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city.\n\nThe fires have grown so large that they are plainly visible in photographs taken from the international space station Tuesday and published by NASA.\n\n\"This event is turning out to be hotter, more spatially expansive, and the duration is quite remarkable,\" Jones said. \"And that suggests climate change.\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7382684350013733}
{"content": "Problems with persimmons; how to capture the fruits at the right time\n\nGlobe amaranth Gomphrena “Pink Zazzle.”\nModesto ash (Fraxinus velutina Modesto).\n\n\nIf you have recently noticed a tree with and brilliant gold foliage, a round canopy and furrowed bark, it was most likely a ‘Modesto’ ash (Fraxinus velutina ‘Modesto’). \n\nModestos are valued for their fall color although, over the years, they have proven to be so disease-prone that they are seldom planted. \n\nGinkgo biloba, on the other hand, has gold, fan-shaped autumn foliage and is disease resistant. Ginkgos also have a vertical growth habit so they are appropriate for use in colonnades and as sentry plants near entrances. \n\nAs a bonus, ginkgos are not bothered by smog and other pollutants and require little, if any, pruning.\n\nMake sure you acquire a male ginkgo since the females produce malodorous fruit.\n\nQ: I have a persimmon tree purchased nine years ago. In the past three years, the fruit hasn’t grown larger than a grape, changing color but not expanding in size. The tree receives sun all day long.  Will I ever again see any full-size fruit from this tree? What am I doing wrong?\n\n— Mrs. Marty Mayer, Northridge\n\nA: Persimmon is one of the most sensible fruit trees for Valley gardens. A persimmon tree is relatively easy to maintain. Once the tree has established its main branching structure after a few years of growth, pruning is no longer necessary. \n\nA persimmon tree’s mature size is a manageable 30 feet. The tree is also reasonably drought tolerant and should not require more than a single weekly soaking.\n\nThe top of your tree may be getting lots of sun but, from your photo of the entire tree, it seems that the base of the trunk is in the shade. In addition, it appears that your tree is in a low spot, at the foot of a slope, and that the bottom of the trunk, where it meets the soil, is below grade. Thus, there could be a problem of constantly moist soil.\n\nSoil beneath persimmon trees needs to dry out between waterings. In fact, as a general rule, you should not water any plant until its soil is dry at a two-inch depth. I also don’t think the brick circle around your tree is a good idea since it could encourage water to collect inside it.  \n\nHere’s a good rule of thumb regarding plant health: unless you see clear signs of disease or insect damage, plant problems are nearly always associated with what is happening below. Typically, the soil is too wet or, on fewer occasions, too dry. Also, if the base of a trunk is always moist — a consequence of excessive irrigation, too much shade, circling plants or ground cover that touch the tree, or mulch that covers the trunk base — you are almost sure to have problems, including root and wood rot that can cause death of the tree.\n\nAn alternative explanation for your tree’s travails is that it was planted in a root-bound condition. This means that you planted a tree that had been growing in a container too small for it, whose roots were growing in a circular pattern inside the container.\n\nSuch trees perform well for the first few years until, eventually, the tree suffers since its increased top growth is not compensated by increased root growth. It is as though your tree, due to its circling and strangled roots, is still growing in its original nursery container.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe most popular persimmon variety is ‘Fuyu,’ whose fruit often drops when it develops parthenocarpically. To ensure a crop, plant a pollinator variety such as ‘Gailey’ next to your ‘Fuyu.’\n\n\nBut be careful: excessive fertilization with nitrogen can also lead to early fruit drop since there will be a tendency toward explosive vegetative or foliar growth at the expense of fruit development. \n\nFinally, lack of bee activity and, therefore, limited pollination and seed formation, will also contribute to premature fruit drop.\n\nThe curious Amaranth\n\nThe amaranths are a curious and rewarding family of plants. The name amaranth means everlasting (a = not, maranth = dying), which alludes to the lasting quality of their blooms. Just the other day, on Van Nuys Boulevard in front of a car lot, I saw a rich planting of cockscomb or woolflower (Celosia argenteus var. plumosa). The car lot cultivar had red flowers and maroon foliage. \n\nOther garden-worthy amaranths include love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) and globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). Amaranths are considered pseudo-cereals since, while not belonging to the grass family like wheat, oats, corn or barley, the seeds of certain amaranth species can be used in making flour, as in the notable example of quinoa, whose flowers resemble those of cockscomb.\n\nTo learn more about area plants and gardens, visit Joshua Siskin’s website at  Send your questions with full name and location to \n\nJoin the Conversation", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7980417013168335}
{"content": "Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 2 (PRYAX)\n\nHelping investors pursue monthly income in retirement\n\nFund price\n\nYesterday's close 52-week high 52-week low\nNet asset value $10.69\n-0.09% ( $-0.01 )\n\nManagement team\n\nHelping investors pursue monthly income in retirement\n\n  • Retirement income: Designed for investors who are in or near the \"drawdown\" phase of retirement, in which they seek to withdraw assets for income.\n  • Moderate approach: Seeks income consistent with prudent risk.\n  • Absolute return strategies: Invests in a combination of funds and securities, including absolute return funds that seek reduced volatility: Putnam Absolute Return 100, 300, 500, and 700 Funds; domestic and international stocks; convertible securities and bonds.\n\n\n\n\nSeeks current income consistent with what Putnam believes to be prudent risk.\n\nFund facts as of 02/28/14\n\nFiscal year end August\nAsset Class Asset Allocation\nInception date 06/13/11\nTotal net assets $13.44M\nDividend frequency Monthly\nView distribution rate  \nNumber of holdings 521\nOpen to new investors  \nCUSIP 74676P821\nFund code 0077\nTurnover (fiscal year end) 29%\nTicker PRYAX\n\nBarclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index of U.S. investment-grade fixed-income securities. S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of common stock performance. Securities in the fund do not match those in the indexes and performance of the fund will differ. You cannot invest directly in an index.\n\nConsider these risks before investing: International investing involves currency, economic, and political risks. Emerging-market securities carry illiquidity and volatility risks. Investments in small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. Lower-rated bonds may offer higher yields in return for more risk. Funds that invest in government securities are not guaranteed. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk and the risk that they may increase in value less when interest rates decline and decline in value more when interest rates rise. Our allocation of assets among permitted asset categories may hurt performance. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and value stocks may fail to rebound. Bond investments are subject to interest-rate risk (the risk of bond prices falling if interest rates rise) and credit risk (the risk of an issuer defaulting on interest or principal payments). Interest-rate risk is greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is greater for below-investment-grade bonds. Risks associated with derivatives include increased investment exposure (which may be considered leverage) and, in the case of over-the-counter instruments, the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations. Unlike bonds, funds that invest in bonds have fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the fund will provide adequate income at and through an investor's retirement. Stock and bond prices may fall or fail to rise over time for several reasons, including general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. You can lose money by investing in the fund.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9441810250282288}
{"content": "Keeping Nepal's Waters Flowing\n\nADB is helping Nepal’s remote mountain communities manage their water resources in the face of climate change challenges.\n\nInfographic: Energy Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2010-2035 - Meeting Asia's Power Demand\n\nWith Asia and the Pacific’s energy demand set to sharply outpace the rest of the world’s over the next two decades, cross-border power exchanges can play a central role in helping the region meet this growing demand.\n\nInfographic: Energy Demand in South Asia by 2020\n\nThere is a wide variation in commercial energy resource endowments and commercial energy demand among the South Asian Countries. However, large countries in terms of area and population means that their high resource bases does not necessarily indicate sufficiency to meet energy needs.\n\nRice in Asia: Climate Change and Resilient Crops\n\n\nInfographic: 12 Pillars for the Transformation of Asia and the Pacific Region\n\nAsia and the Pacific has made good progress towards the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), though the region will still need to make greater efforts if it is to meet some important targets.\n\nNepal Hydropower: Kali Gandaki “A” Hydroelectric Project\n\n\nNepal Cities: Clean and Healthy Urban Development\n\nBharatpur, one of Nepal’s fastest-growing municipalities, is taking steps to improve the urban environment, making the city more climate-resilient in the process.\n\nNepal Water and Sanitation: Local Action Shows Results\n\nCommunities in towns that line Nepal’s main highways are better able to deal with the severe water and sanitation issues that result from sudden and massive urbanization.\n\nNepal Farming and Agriculture\n\nRural farm workers who might otherwise have joined Nepal’s wave of urbanization band together to raise incomes, by double cropping and branding their produce.\n\nInfographic: Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific\n\nScientists warn that the world's climate is changing because of rising greenhouse gas emissions that might end up warming the planet by well over 2 degrees. Here are some glaring numbers that show the impacts of climate change in Asia and the Pacific.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8650532960891724}
{"content": "NASA video debunks 'Armageddon'\n\n\n\n\n\"It's just the end of the cycle and the beginning of the new one. It's just like on December 31, our calendar comes to an end, but a new calendar for the next year begins on Jan. 1,\" Don Yeomans, head of NASA's Near-Earth Object programme at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a separate YouTube video.\n\n\n\nStill, thousands of mystics and New Age dreamers have descended on ancient Maya temples across Mexico and Central America hoping to witness the birth of a new era when the day dubbed \"end of the world\" dawns on Friday.\n\nSo is NASA covering up to prevent panic?\n\n\"Can you imagine thousands of astronomers keeping the same secret from the public for several years?\" Yeomans said.\n\nInitially, Niburu, also known as Planet X, was to impact in May 2003, but when that didn't happen the doomsday date was moved to coincide with the end of one of the cycles of the ancient calendar at winter solstice -- December 21, 2012.\n\nOther celestial events that will not be happening: a planetary alignment causing a massive tidal surge or a total blackout of Earth; a reversal in Earth's rotation; an impact by a giant asteroid; a giant solar storm.\n\n\"Since the beginning of recorded time, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of predictions for the end of the world,\" Yeomans said. \"We're still here.\"\n\n\nODT/directory - Local Businesses\n\nCompanyLocationBusiness Type\nIntegrity Automatics 2003 LtdDunedinServicing & Mechanics\nMusselburgh SchoolDunedinSchools\nHowat Auto Services LtdMiltonServicing & Mechanics\nVilla Rose Backpackers & StudiosRoxburgh", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8916541934013367}
{"content": "Harry&#8217;s POV:\nI watched as her father  held the guitar close to him singing and running around as she danced in circles singing along with him and her mother clapping next to me with a huge smile formed on her face.And her dress raising slightly with every circle she made,hair let down loose as she danced freely.Giggling sounds coming from her kissable cherry lips lightening up my universe as I watched her every move with a grin,laughing as her father sang stupid lines he came up with but still I was lost in the sight in front of me.A sight of a father and a daughter and importantly the sight of my lover.My girl.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8092246055603027}
{"content": "Lymphoma - Non-Hodgkin: Diagnosis\n\n\n\nDoctors use many tests to diagnose cancer and determine if it has spread. Some tests may also determine which treatments may be the most effective. A biopsy is the only way to make a definitive diagnosis of lymphoma. Imaging tests may be used to find out whether the lymphoma has spread. This list describes options for diagnosing this type of cancer, and not all tests listed will be used for every person. Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test:\n\n  • Age and medical condition\n  • Type of lymphoma suspected\n  • Signs and symptoms\n  • Previous test results\n\nTo determine if a person has NHL, the doctor will first take a complete medical history and do a physical examination, paying special attention to the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. The doctor will also look for signs of infection that may cause the lymph nodes to swell and may prescribe an antibiotic. If the swelling in the lymph nodes still does not go down after antibiotic treatment, the swelling may be caused by something other than an infection. If the doctor suspects lymphoma, he or she will recommend a biopsy, as well as laboratory and imaging tests.\n\nThe following tests may be used to diagnose and manage NHL:\n\nBiopsy. A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope. This tissue may be removed using a fine needle, a cutting needle, or surgery. To diagnose lymphoma, the most common places tissue is removed from during a biopsy are the lymph nodes in the neck, under an arm, or in the groin. A biopsy may also be taken from the chest or abdomen using a fine needle during a computed tomography (CT) scan (see below) or from the stomach or intestine during an endoscopy (a test that allows the doctor to see inside the body with a thin, lighted, flexible tube). A biopsy of the skin may also be needed depending on the suspected subtype of lymphoma.\n\nA biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis of lymphoma and find out the subtype. Having enough tissue is very important to make a diagnosis. Very rarely, needle biopsy samples are sufficient to make a definite diagnosis of lymphoma. In most cases, a core biopsy or surgical biopsy is needed to remove enough tissue to diagnose and classify the lymphoma correctly. The tissue sample removed during the biopsy should be analyzed by a pathologist (a doctor who specializes in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease) or a hematopathologist (a pathologist who has extra training in the diagnosis of blood cancers) who is experienced in the diagnosis of lymphoma. Because there are so many subtypes of lymphoma and because some of these subtypes are very uncommon or rare, getting a second opinion may be helpful.\n\nMolecular testing. Your doctor may recommend running laboratory tests on the lymphoma cells to identify specific genes, proteins, chromosome changes, and other factors unique to the disease. Results of these tests will help decide on your treatment options. There are different types of molecular and genetic testing, including cytogenetics (a study of normal and abnormal chromosomes in dividing cancer cells), fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH, using fluorescent probes under a special microscope to detect chromosomal abnormalities), flow cytometry (looking at proteins that are on the surface or inside a cancer cell), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR, used to detect specific DNA sequences that occur in some cancers).\n\nComputed tomography (CT or CAT) scan. A CT scan creates a three-dimensional picture of the inside of the body with an x-ray machine. A computer then combines these images into a detailed, cross-sectional view that shows any abnormalities or tumors. A CT scan can also be used to measure the size of a tumor. Sometimes, a contrast medium (a special dye) is injected into a patient’s vein or given orally (by mouth) to provide better detail and find the exact position of a tumor. A radiologist (a doctor who specializes in performing imaging tests to diagnose disease) interprets CT scans. CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis can help find cancer that has spread to the lungs, lymph nodes, and liver.\n\nMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. An MRI uses magnetic fields, not x-rays, to produce detailed images of the body. A contrast medium may be injected into a patient’s vein or given orally to create a clearer picture. A radiologist interprets the scan. \n\nPositron emission tomography (PET) scan. A PET scan is another imaging test that can help find cancer in the body. A small amount of a radioactive substance (called radioactive glucose) is injected into a patient’s body. This substance is absorbed mainly by organs and tissues that use the most energy. Because cancer tends to use energy actively, it absorbs more of the substance. A scanner then detects this substance to produce images of the inside of the body. A nuclear medicine physician interprets the scan.\n\nIntegrated PET-CT scan. This scanning method collects images from both a CT and PET scan at the same time, and then combines the images. This technique can be used to look at both the structure and how much energy is used by the tumor and healthy tissues.\n\nIf after having one or more imaging tests the doctor decides the lymphoma might be affecting the bone marrow, he or she would recommend having a bone marrow biopsy.\n\nBone marrow biopsy and aspiration. These two procedures are often done at the same time. Bone marrow has both a solid and a liquid part. A bone marrow biopsy is the removal of a small amount of solid tissue using a needle. An aspiration removes a sample of fluid with a needle. The sample(s) are then analyzed by a pathologist. The most common site for a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration is the iliac crest of the pelvic bone, located in the lower back of the hip. The skin and bone in that area are numbed with medication beforehand, and other types of anesthesia (medication to block the awareness of pain) may be used.\n\nLymphoma often spreads to the bone marrow, so looking at a sample of the bone marrow can be important for doctors to diagnose lymphoma and determine the stage. The sample removed during the aspiration is also used to find any chromosome changes.\n\n\nThe next section helps explain the different types and subtypes of NHL that may be diagnosed. Use the menu on the side of your screen to select Subtypes, or you can select another section, to continue reading this guide.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9947109818458557}
{"content": "Justice Alito: Words v. Actions [VIDEO]\n\nThe media spent much of last week obsessing over Justice Samuel Alito's injudicious show of disapproval during the State of the Union. They went a bit overboard to be sure, but were it not for that, millions of Americans may have missed the Citizens United ruling entirely.\n\nCitizens United, as you probably know, opened up elections to unlimited corporate spending. The 5-4 decision overturned a century of precedent and was made possible by Justice Alito -- President Bush's nominee to replace moderate Sandra Day O'Connor.\n\nSorely absent from last week's coverage was how far Alito's actions on the bench have departed from his words as a nominee. With that in mind I've pulled some relevant clips from the confirmation hearing.\n\nAlito praised the principle of stare decisis (respect for precedent) throughout his hearing but hasn't let it prevent him back brashly overruling longstanding decisions. Here, in conversaton with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), he argued that the court should take limited actions and use its ability to overrule precedent sparingly:\n\nHATCH: Does that mean that the Supreme Court should perhaps be even more cautious, even more self-restrained, since there is no appeal from any errors that they might make?\n\nALITO: I think that's a solemn responsibility that they have. When you know that you are the court of last resort, you have to make sure that you get it right. It is not true, in my judgment, that the Supreme Court is free to do anything that it wants. It has to follow the Constitution and it has to follow the laws. Stare decisis, which I was talking about earlier, is an important limitation on what the Supreme Court does. And although the Supreme Court has the power to overrule a prior precedent, it uses that power sparingly, and rightfully so. It should be limited in what it does.\n\nAlito frequently said that his judicial philosophy discourages him from reaching overly broad decisions when a narrower ruling is possible. Yet he and the other conservatives went far out of their way in order to strike down as many restrictions on corporate influence in elections as possible. Here, still speaking to Senator Hatch, Alito praised narrow rulings and noted that court rulings on consitutional grounds often cannot be undone by Congress (indeed, we are coming up against that limitation now with Citizens United):\n\nALITO: Because a constitutional decision of the Supreme Court has a permanency that a decision on an issue of statutory interpretation doesn't have. So if a case is decided on statutory grounds, there's a possibility of Congress amending the statute to correct the decision if it's perceived that the decision is incorrect or it's producing undesirable results. I think that my philosophy of the way I approached issues is to try to make sure that I get right what I decide. And that counsels in favor of not trying to do too much, not trying to decide questions that are too broad, not trying to decide questions that don't have to be decided, and not going to broader grounds for a decision when a narrower ground is available.\n\nAlito also made a good show of deference to the elected branches of government, arguing that the role of a judge is to interpret the law, not make public policy. He clearly disregarded these remarks to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) when he joined with four other judges to strike down decades of legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President:\n\nSESSIONS: But we really want the court to be more modest and to draw back from some of its intervention and policy issues that are causing much angst around the country. You want to comment on that? Otherwise, Mr. Chairman, I would yield my time.\n\nALITO: Well, Senator, I think your policy views are much more legitimate than the policy views of the judiciary because members of Congress are elected for the purpose of formulating and implementing public policy and members of the judiciary are appointed for the purpose of interpreting and applying the law.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9028610587120056}
{"content": "Science and Hispanic Heritage Month\n\nThe History of Science in Latin America and the Caribbean (HOSLAC) is an NSF Funded project under the supervision of Prof. Julia E. Rodriguez at the University of New Hampshire. Its goal is to introduce scholarly and public audiences to the global phenomenon of science in its distinct Latin American contexts.\n\nThe heart of HOSLAC is an archive that contains a wealth of original source materials, with explication, organized around a robust set of topics. The archive has created a menu in which the topics are organized in a mostly chronological order, but each topic can stand alone and form the basis of a rich unit of study for high school students and college undergraduates.  The resources can be used with younger students as part of classroom discussions or teacher presentations, and many of the individual resources, such as the maps and the illustrations and photographs of artifacts, can be used by middle schoolers to gain experience with original sources.\n\nAlthough it is intended as an archive of the history of science, teachers should find the resources relevant to the social studies curriculum as well.\n\nThe archive could be a useful tool to discuss the history of science in the context of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is being celebrated this year from September 15 through October 15th. Of particular interest is the section on Nobel Prize winners, which includes sections on the following Nobel laureates:\n\n  • Mario Molina (1943- ), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work concerning the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere. He shared the prize with F. Sherwood Rowland, his mentor, who is also a past president of AAAS.  \n  • Baruj Benacerraf (1920- ), who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1980 for his discovery of immune response (Ir) genes that determine structures on the cell surface that allow the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self\n  • Argentinean chemist and medical doctor Luis Federico Leloir (1906-1987) won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1970 for discovering sugar nucleotides that synthesize carbohydrates in mammals.\n  • Bernardo Alberto Houssay (1887-1971) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the role of the anterior hypophysis (or, pituitary gland) in the metabolism of sugar.\n  • Cesar Milstein (1927-2002), from Argentina, who won the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine in 1984 for his theories about specificity in the immune system and discovering methods for the unlimited production of monoclonal antibodies.\n\nYou can obtain more information and resources about these, and other Nobel Prize winners at Nobelprize.org\n\nFor other relevant lessons and activities to use during Hispanic Heritage Month, see this collection of resources from Thinkfinity partners. You can also visit the Thinkfinity Community and join Recursos para docentes del castellano, a group that offers materials for teachers of Spanish as well as Hispanic culture and literature.\n\nImage credit: HOSLAC\n\n\n\nAAAS Thinkfinity", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8916233777999878}
{"content": "Daily Israel Report\nShow More\n\n\nJordanians Protest, Demand Security\n\nBy Elad Benari\nFirst Publish: 12/8/2013, 5:43 AM\n\nJordanian police\nJordanian police\nAFP photo\n\nProtest marches and sit-ins took place across Jordan on Friday, with demonstrators calling for security and safety in light of a recent wave of crime to hit the country, reports Al Arabiya.\n\nThe protesters highlighted the need for social reform, urging the government to fight against corruption in all its forms and to reject the surge in the price of commodities, the report said.\n\nHundreds of citizens protested in the city of Karak, south of the capital, and called on the government to revoke official decisions to raise the price of electricity and water, and the consequent increase in the prices of many goods and services.\n\nThe protesters warned that if the government does not backtrack on its policies, the demonstrations would lead to further aggravation on the economic and social level, according to Al Arabiya.\n\nThey called for the resignation of the government and the formation of a national salvation government with the participation of all political forces, one local newspaper reported.\n\nThey rejected any decision related to raising the price of electricity, water and bread, stressing on the need to verify the procedures for determining the fuel prices.\n\nRadwan al-Nawaiseh, spokesman for the Arab People's Committees, told the newspaper that these scenes of protest in Jordan confirm that the Jordanians do not trust their government. He highlighted the significant decline in public freedoms which can lead to the deterioration of the citizens’ economic conditions.\n\nThe protests are nothing new, as Jordan has seen regular protests as a result of the Arab Spring that has toppled four regimes across the region. A combination of youths and Islamists have been demanding sweeping reforms, but King Abdullah has mostly been able to curtail the demonstrations, partially by curtailing his absolute powers.\n\nThe king has indicated that being in power was never for the sake of control and brings “no gain” for his ruling Hashemite family.\n\n\nBefore the last election in January, Jordanians said they were skeptical that a new parliament would bring about the desired reforms. Those elections were boycotted by Islamists, the main opposition force, who ignored a call by the king to take part in them.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9670958518981934}
{"content": "1. Preamble\n\nOver the past few years, a number of world-class scientists have reported the discovery of numerical patterns in the universal genetic code. Thus, from France (Boulay), Russia (Gusev and Petroukhov), Kazakhstan (shCherbak), Serbia (Rakocevic) and Algeria (Negadi) - none of whom can be assumed to espouse the Judeo-Christian cause - we hear of the reality of what must be widely regarded as interesting news. However, such news, when interpreted in the light of what has already been established in the pages of this site as hard fact, threatens to lead to some uninvited and serious consequences - not least, in man's understanding of who and what he is.\n\nThis page focuses attention exclusively on the work of Vladimir shCherbak, as documented in his paper Arithmetic inside the universal genetic code*. However, before these significant findings can be offered to the eye of the general reader, it is necessary that certain relevant and generally accepted technicalities be briefly introduced and explained. Following this, all that remains is to allow the numbers to speak for themselves.\n\n*Biosystems Vol.70, Issue 3, August 2003, pp187-209\n\n2. Introduction\n\n2.1 - The Amino Acids\n\nCentral to the chemical processes that occur to maintain the life of living organisms are the 20 amino acids (Table 1). They are the basic raw materials from which proteins are synthesised - these being substances that perform the essential structural and functional roles required in all living things. The amino acids, in turn, derive from the coded instructions contained in the organism's DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Each of these instructions (known as a codon) takes the form of an ordered string of 3 letters drawn from a genetic alphabet of just 4 characters, viz T, C, A and G (for DNA) and U, C, A and G (for RNA). Clearly, there exists only 64 unique arrangements of each of these (Table 2).\n\n2.2 - Their Composition\n\nThe chemical elements involved in the structure of amino acids are tabulated below together with the numbers of protons and neutrons in their nuclei - the latter relating specifically to the most common isotope of each (Table 3). Of course, these elements, as they occur naturally, will be mixtures of isotopes, and it is important that we realise what the term 'common isotope' implies in this context (Table 4).\n\nClearly, the whole-number totals of nucleons recorded in Table 3 appear well-justified and, based upon these figures, the masses of the amino acid molecules may now be computed. However, before proceeding to do that, it is necessary that we consider an important structural feature of amino acids.\n\n2.3 - Standard Block and Side Chain\n\nIt transpires that 19 of the amino acids comply with the generic formula:\n\nHere, the lower component represents the so-called standard block - designated B. The variety in amino acid characteristics derives entirely from R - the unique side chain. The one exception to this general rule is Proline which has one less hydrogen bonded to the nitrogen of its standard block. Thus, applying the data of Table 3 to the elements of the standard block, we deduce the molecular masses to be\n\n2 + 14 + 12 + 1 + 12 + 32 + 1 = 74 (for all amino acids excluding Proline), and 73 for Proline.\n\n2.4 - The Portent\n\nLet us immediately observe that these are interesting figures - and for the following reasons:\n\n2.4.1 - The juxtaposition of 19, 74 (=2x37) and 73 will already be familiar to those acquainted with the pages of this site. Genesis 1:1 - as originally delivered in Hebrew - has the numerical value 2701, or 37x73; and the sum of its two final words, translated \"and the earth\", has the value 703, or 19x37. Further, both 2701 and 703 are coordinated triangular numbers. [Further details here]\n\n2.4.2 - But the factors themselves are also related figurate numbers (Figure 1).\n\n2.4.3 - 74 and 73 are each the penultimate term of a decimal sequence specified by the rule: S(r) - the rth term - is formed as the sum of the cubes of the digits of S(r-1) - the term immediately preceding. The ultimate term in respect of 74 is 407 (value of the 6th word of the Bible's first verse); and of 73, 370 (a cyclic rotation of 703 - the sum of words 6 and 7).* It should not pass unnoticed that 74, 407 and 370 are multiples of the unique trifigurate number 37; and that 73 is its decimal digit reflection. One further observation: the sum of 407 and 370 is 777, or 3x7x37.\n\n* There are just 4 natural numbers, base 10, that equal the sum of the cubes of their respective digits. Along with 407 and 370, we have 371 (duration, in days, of the Noahic Flood) and 153 (the miraculous catch of fishes described in John 21:11). Remarkably, the last is the terminal value of any sequence (as described) that begins with a multiple of 3.\n\nSince shCherbak's findings take us further along this route in which the prime number 37 dominates - but only when Proline is harmonised with the other 19 amino acids by transferring one hydrogen from R to B - in the circumstances, we believe this adjustment to be fully justified.\n\n2.5 - The Molecular Masses - We are now in a position to evaluate the molecular masses (or nucleon counts) of the 20 amino acids. Here are the details:\n\nThe separation of the B and R nucleons completes the picture, thus:\n\n\n3. The Genetic Code\n\nThe genetic code can be expressed in terms of either DNA codons or RNA codons. Here are the details, as they may be found in any standard textbook on the subject:\n\nObserve that the only difference between these tables is that the thymidine (T) of DNA is replaced by the uridine (U) of RNA. Both incorporate 'Stop' instructions (which contribute nothing to the nucleon count); 'Start' is represented by the codons ATG and AUG, respectively, and is associated with the production of the amino acid Methionine. Our chief interest in these matters concerns the amino acids and their related codons. Consequently, the order in which the (codon)-(amino acid) relationships are presented may vary, at the discretion of those who work in this area. For reasons which will become obvious, shCherbak has chosen to use an RNA arrangement of his own.\n\n4. shCherbak's Patterns\n\n4.1 - The First Pattern - Here we see the 16 x 4-codon cells divided into two identical interlocking areas based on the observation that 8 (coloured orange) contain codons, all of which code for same amino acid, and the remainder (coloured blue) that do not.\n\nThe respective counts of nucleons for orange and blue areas are summarised below.\n\nObserve that (a) yields the {R,B,(R+B} sequence {333,592,925}, or {9x37,16x37,25x37} in which the mulipliers of 37 are the squares associated with the classical pythagorean example. Of course, if all 4 codons producing the same amino acid are taken into account, these figures are quadrupled to produce {1332,2368,3700). Remarkably, these same figures are found together on the breastplate of the high priest (the details may be found here).\n\nWith respect to (b): we observe an even division of the total of nucleons between R and B. It is remarkable that there should be this exact balance between the contributions from standard blocks and side-chains, and that the balance should again be a multiple of 37.\n\n4.2 - The Second Pattern - It has been established that the 64 RNA codons (the 3-letter codes) divide into 2 groups - those that begin with A or G, and those that begin with C or U. These groups are referred to as the Purines (coloured blue in the following table) and the Pyrimidines (coloured orange), respectively.\n\nObserve that for the pyrimidines we again have a perfect balance between R and B. Both groups yield further multiples of 37.\n\n\n4.3 - The Third Pattern - Here we examine two symmetrical divisions of the genetic code. The first, involving the amalgamation of the two central columns; the second, the amalgamation of the two central rows.\n\nDivision 1\n\nObserve that for the blue group, the total number of nucleons in the radical (R) component of the amino acids is 789; and for the orange group, 654. The total represented in this category is therefore 1443, or 39x37.\n\nDivision 2\n\nHere, we see the results of the earlier analysis duplicated. Once more a perfect symmetry is displayed - again involving multiples of 37.\n\n4.4 - The Fourth Pattern - Here we identify and colour code those codons whose triplets include two identical letters. Thus, those codons highlighted in blue each incorporate a pair of Us; those in yellow, a pair of Gs... and so on.\n\nObserve the following:\n\n\nThe repunits 666 and 999 are a significant feature; again, each a multiple of 37 and directly involved in the Genesis 1:1 geometries.\n\n\n4.5 - The Fifth Pattern - Switching here from an RNA to a DNA context, shCherbak focuses attention, (i) on the amino acids that arise from codons with 3 identical bases, viz TTT, AAA, GGG and CCC - appropriately, pairing T with A and G with C; and again, (ii) on all those that arise from codons with 3 unique bases. Here are the details:\n\nAgain, a perfect balance is observed, together with significant multiples of 37.\n\n\n5. Conclusions\n\nA reading of the Abstract to Vladimir shCherbak's paper Arithmetic inside the universal genetic code (it may be found here) reveals that he believes these numerical patterns - based on what he refers to as 'the criterion of divisibility by 037' - created themselves - along with 'a primordial version of the genetic code and genetic texts'. Further, he detects a 'base 10' number system underpinning all this; and even suggests that 'possibly a zero was invented and used by this mechanism'.\n\nSuch highly imaginative thinking is quickly brought to earth when it is realised that there are more points of contact between the genetic code, the Hebrew of the Bible's first verse, the breastplate of the High Priest (Ex.28:15-21) and the Name and Title of our Creator - the Lord Jesus Christ - than can fairly be accounted for by chance.\n\nThe facts presented on this site, when combined with those now revealed to us by shCherbak, constitute invincible evidence of the truth of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, and of the Being and Sovereignty of their Divine Author.\n\nCraig Paardekooper BSc\n\nVernon Jenkins MSc", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9987665414810181}
{"content": "Various species in the genus Crataegus\nRosaceae (roses)\n\nShrubs or small trees, often with two or more trunks, spreading, rounded crowns, and woody spines.\n\nLeaves alternate, simple, toothed, some species having lobes and others not, the leaf shape varying widely (oval, spatula-shaped, triangular, rounded, sharply pointed, etc).\n\nBark dark and scaled on the trunk, variously grooved, sometimes smooth, flaking.\n\nTwigs usually gray, often hairy when young, often bearing sharp thorns that are about 1½ inches long, often straight or slightly curved.\n\nFlowers April–June, borne in clusters, each flower with 5 white petals; stamens 10–20 or more. Flowers resemble small apple blossoms.\n\nFruits September–October, clusters often persisting into winter; like small crabapples; usually rounded and less than ½ inch long; usually red or orange-red, but sometimes yellowish or greenish; fleshy or sometimes dry or mealy; with small seeds within.\n\nSome species reach 35 feet in height, while others reach only about 15 or 18 feet.\nHabitat and conservation: \nCommon in pastures. Occurs in rocky open woodlands and bluffs, stream borders, thickets, edges of woods, often in rocky places. Some species occur on hillsides, others in bottomlands. The clusters of flowers, often colorful fruits, and manageable size endear hawthorns to landscapers, and many varieties appear in cultivation, including some specially bred for landscape use. In nature, often associated with persimmon, eastern red cedar, Osage orange, red mulberry, and sumac.\nDistribution in Missouri: \nHawthorns—members of the genus Crataegus—are found throughout the state; some species are more widespread than others.\nSome hawthorns are common, while others are more rare. Littlehip hawthorn, Crataegus spathulata, is at the northern limit of its range in Missouri and is in danger of extinction within our state.\nHuman connections: \nHawthorns are valuable ornamental trees, and many cultivars have been derived. In 1923, downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) was approved as Missouri’s official state flower. Hawthorns have been and are used as a source of medicine. The fruits of some species can be made into jams or tea.\nEcosystem connections: \nThe fleshy berries are relished by many kinds of birds, small mammals, and other wildlife. Deer browse on the leaves and twigs. The thorniness, dense branching, and heavy foliage provide important cover for wildlife and nesting sites for birds.\nShortened URL", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8558709025382996}
{"content": "From the Ground Up - The Importance of Soil Testing\n\nMost ranchers and farmers know that to maximize yields, their hay fields or row crops have to be able to utilize nutrients from the soil, and the only way to be sure of what’s in the soil is to have it tested.\n\nThe same is true for home owners and their lawns and ornamental plants. Tony Provin is a Texas A&M Agrilife Extension professor and soil chemist.\n\n“Whether it’s a homeowner, or a farmer, understanding what the nutrient levels are in a given area of a field or a front yard is key. From a homeowner’s perspective, we often manage our front yard differently than we manage our back yard, and collecting a good sample from the front yard would involve taking ten to fifteen individual sub samples blending them together, and submitting that to a laboratory for lab analysis.”\n\nProvin says the soil analysis process is the same for an urban sample as it is for one from an agricultural environment.\n\n“On a ranch or a row crop setting, we’re looking at it from the standpoint, whether it’s a soil series or an area within a field that can be managed separately, taking a similar ten to fifteen sub samples, and blending them together for a single sample going to a laboratory. It’s going to say these are the nutrient levels that you have currently. This is what is needed, or not needed to get the level up to an optimal production.”\n\nIn agriculture, optimal production takes into account the return on the investment of the nutrients being applied.\n\n“The modern farmer is using soil testing and modern methods to know where to collect those soil samples, whether it be yield monitors, GPS date assessed to determine where the soil samples should be collected, and then takes the laboratory analysis and applied the prescription rates of nutrients.\n\nThe homeowner can do the same thing, just not necessarily with a GPS unit, but they can collect soil samples from the front yard, the side yards, backyards, and follow the recommendations the laboratory has for those soil samples.”\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.982099711894989}
{"content": "Over the years, I have chronicled all of the unique projects I have had the opportunity to work on. From smallest to largest, I have seen and done them all. I’ve never actually had the opportunity to work on any properties that were on the designated list of Historic Places. Until recently that is.\n\nI was approached by a friend of my brothers, who had recently acquired one the most unique properties located in the Denver Metro area. This iconic symbol of a home has been around since the early 1960s and has been seen by pretty much anyone who has driven the corridor of Interstate 70 between Denver and the western side of the Continental Divide. The home sits high above the highway, and has been called numerous names, including the Jetsons’ House, The Space Ship House, and thanks to the famous film writer and actor Woody Allen, The Sleeper House.\n\nIts technical name is The Sculptured House. It was designed and conceived by world-famous architect Charles Deaton. And it is on the designated list of Historic Places that is maintained by The Department of the Interior. That basically means that the owners can pretty much do anything they want to on the inside of the home, but the exterior must remain unchanged esthetically speaking.\n\nThe home has had an interesting history. Per the architect developer, “On Genesee Mountain I found a high point of land where I could stand and feel the great reaches of the Earth. I wanted the shape of it to sing an unencumbered song.”\n\nThe views from the upper portion of the home are astonishing, to say the least. Unfortunately Deaton did not complete the project, and it sat empty for many years, serving as a party house for children of other homeowners in the area.\n\nThe building actually came close to being torn down due to its degraded condition. It was salvaged by a prominent developer in 1999. This developer completed the home, including an addition that the original architect had conceived, but was unable to complete due to numerous conditions. The addition was finally completed four years later. At that point in time, the developer applied for and was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places, and the home was now safe from the locals who wanted it torn down as an eye sore.\n\nThis original developer sold it to another developer, in 2006, who used the building primarily as a party haven for local non-profit organizations. He held the property until 2010, when he became delinquent on the house payments, and subsequently, the home came up in a foreclosure auction. This last owner, unfortunately, had run into hard economic times, and could not afford to pay the utility bills on the property. In an effort to conserve money, he turned the thermostats way down, and subsequently, caused numerous freeze breaks in the hydronic heating system serving the home.\n\nThe original architect is said to have been quite “different” and had a habit of not allowing anyone to work for him on this project for an extended period of time. His contention was that the trade secrets he was developing could not be stolen by anyone if they didn’t have knowledge from the beginning to the end of the project, hence a regular turnover of employees working on the project. Although I have tried to reconstruct how this building was heated, I have been able to see certain components still left in place from previous operations, and have spoken to people who have had the opportunity to work on the home from time to time during its long history. To the best of my knowledge, the original space ship consists of a base stem with two floors within that stem, topped by the clam shell/taco shell sitting atop the stem. The stem served as the circular stairway, a chase for the elevator, known as the Orgasmatron in “Sleeper,” by Woody Allen, as well as a mechanical chase for heating and domestic plumbing lines.\n\nOther than a high-efficiency window replacement program done during the first remodel in 1999, no attention has been paid to energy conservation. In fact, the upper portions of the space ship had bare finned tube elements placed in the crawl space of the floor to heat the house. I’ve also seen traces of what appears to have been a pneumatic temperature control system in the mechanical chases of the home. No one I’ve spoken with knows for sure where the original boilers that served the home were located, but it is assumed that they were located near the ground floor, in an exterior shelter.\n\nDuring the addition, started in 1999, the building and the addition were retrofitted with a panel style of hydronic based radiator, two fan coil units, and four zones of in floor hydronic radiant heat. I am told that there were two boilers used to power the system. These copper fin tube boilers were considered state of the art at the time of their installation. Unfortunately, these boilers were extremely problematic. So much so that the person charged with installing the home’s security/energy management system set up a remote telephone reset system that would allow the mechanical contractor the ability to call the home up and reset the boilers remotely to keep the system running.\n\nTune in next month as we continue our journey in time through this architectural wonder. Until then, belated Happy New Year hydronicing.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8526827692985535}
{"content": "Home    Booklet    History   Resources   Research  The HIV Elite   Contact  \n\nQuestioning the status quo, and RAISING the standard of HIV prevention in America.\nCongratulations for proving \"the HIV experts\" wrong.\nHow did we stop HIV?\n\nSince the mid 1990's we were actively engaged in conversation to communicate our ideas, thoughts and desires. We communicated with words, gestures, symbols and body language.\n\nBut, before we took this action we engaged constructively with each other as a community; we understood that we have the DESIRE and are MOTIVATED to continue the process of physically breaking the cycle of new HIV transmissions, thereby successfully stopping new transmissions of HIV - regardless of our HIV status and regardless if we \nuse condoms or not. Published HIV research dating back to 2002 proves this.\n\nCommunication, Respect, Understanding = Unity.\n\nWelcome to POZ4POZ.com, the future of HIV prevention worldwide. HIV-negative? CLICK HERE\n\nRespectfully Yours;\nRobert Brandon Sandor\nHIV+ '83\nUS Air Force vet\n\n(Site still under construction, check back tomorrow for NEW updates.)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992685914039612}
{"content": "\n\n1. How do you define racism?\n\nAs with other “isms” (like capitalism, communism, etc.), racism is both an ideology and a system. As such, I define it in two ways.\n\nAs an ideology, racism is the belief that population groups, defined as distinct “races,” generally possess traits, characteristics or abilities, which distinguish them as either superior or inferior to other groups in certain ways. In short, racism is the belief that a particular race is (or certain races are) superior or inferior to another race or races.\n\nAs a system, racism is an institutional arrangement, maintained by policies, practices and procedures — both formal and informal — in which some persons typically have more or less opportunity than others, and in which such persons receive better or worse treatment than others, because of their respective racial identities. Additionally, institutional racism involves denying persons opportunities, rewards, or various benefits on the basis of race, to which those individuals are otherwise entitled. In short, racism is a system of inequality, based on race.\n\n2. How is racism different from white supremacy?\n\nWhite supremacy is the operationalized form of racism in the United States and throughout the Western world. Racism is like the generic product name, while white supremacy is the leading brand, with far and away the greatest market share.\n\n3. Do you think all whites are racist?\n\nI believe that all people (white or of color) raised in a society where racism has been (and still is) so prevalent, will have internalized various elements of racist thinking: certain beliefs, stereotypes, assumptions, and judgments about others and themselves. So in countries where beliefs in European/white superiority and domination have been historically embedded, it is likely that everyone in such places will have ingested some of that conditioning. I think all whites — as the dominant group in the U.S. — have been conditioned to accept white predominance in the social, political and economic system, and to believe that white predominance is a preferable arrangement for the society in which they live, the neighborhoods in which they live, the places where they work, etc.\n\nHowever, this doesn’t mean that all whites, having been conditioned in that way, are committed to the maintenance of white supremacy. One can challenge one’s conditioning. One can be counter-conditioned and taught to believe in equality, and to commit oneself to its achievement. These things take work — and they can never completely eradicate all of the conditioning to which one has been subjected — but they are possible.\n\nIn other words, we can be racist by conditioning, antiracist by choice. That racism is part of who we are does not mean that it’s all of who we are, or that it must be the controlling or dominant part of who we are. By the same token, just because we choose to be antiracist, does not mean that we no longer carry around some of the racism with which we were raised, or to which we were and are exposed.\n\n4. Do you think people of color can be racist against whites?\n\nAt the ideological level, anyone can be racist because anyone can endorse the kinds of thinking that qualifies as racism, as defined above. At the systemic level, people of color can be racist in theory, but typically not in practice, and certainly not very effectively. Although a person of color in an authority position can discriminate against a white person, this kind of thing rarely happens because, a) such persons are still statistically rare relative to whites in authority, b) in virtually all cases, there are authorities above those people of color who are white, and who would not stand for such actions, and c) even in cases where a person of color sits atop a power structure (as with President Obama), he is not truly free to do anything to oppress or marginalize white people (even were he so inclined), given his own need to attract white support in order to win election or pass any of his policy agenda. Ultimately, there are no institutional structures in the U.S. in which people of color exercise final and controlling authority: not in the school systems, labor market, justice system, housing markets, financial markets, or media. As such, the ability of black and brown folks to oppress white people simply does not exist.\n\nHaving said that, it is certainly true that in other countries, people of color could have power sufficient to discriminate against others, including whites. Although even anti-white bias in those places is somewhat limited by the reality of global economics and the desire for good relations with the West, it is possible for persons of color in those places to mistreat whites individually and, occasionally, collectively. But it is absurd to believe that anti-white racism, practiced by people of color, remotely equates as a social problem to white racism against people of color. While all racism is equally objectionable morally and ethically, they are not practically equivalent by a long shot.\n5. What do you mean by white privilege?\n\nWhite privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection from negative societal mistreatment, which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy. These benefits can be material (such as greater opportunity in the labor market, or greater net worth, due to a history in which whites had the ability to accumulate wealth to a greater extent than persons of color), social (such as presumptions of competence, creditworthiness, law-abidingness, intelligence, etc.) or psychological (such as not having to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, rarely having to feel out of place, not having to worry about racial profiling, etc.).\n\nOperationally, white privilege is simply the flipside of discrimination against people of color. The concept is rooted in the common-sense observation that there can be no down without an up, so that if people of color are the targets of discrimination, in housing, employment, the justice system, or elsewhere, then whites, by definition, are being elevated above those persons of color. Whites are receiving a benefit, vis-a-vis those persons of color: more opportunity because those persons of color are receiving less. Although I believe all persons are harmed in the long run by racism and racial inequity — and thus, white privilege comes at an immense social cost — it still exists as a daily reality throughout the social, political and economic structure of the United States.\n\nThe fact that white privilege exists and that all whites have access to various aspects of it, does not, however, mean that all whites are wealthy, or that in competitions for jobs and other opportunities, whites will always win. The fact of general advantage doesn’t require unanimity of outcomes favoring whites. In certain situations, other factors will effect the distribution of opportunities: among these, socioeconomic status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religious identity, age, or physical disability. There are, after all, also such things as class privilege, male privilege, straight privilege, Christian privilege, and able-bodied privilege. And these other forms of privilege exist — and generally provide greater opportunity to their respective group members — even though there are rich people who lead miserable lives despite their money, and there are men, heterosexuals, Christians, and able bodied folks who are poor. On balance, it pays to be a member of any of those dominant groups. And the same is true with whiteness.\n\n6. What is the connection between racism and the class system/capitalism?\n\nThe connections are substantial. To begin with, the development of modern white supremacy was very much connected to the way in which the class system developed, especially in the West. In the U.S., for instance, planter elites during the colonial period used the notion of whiteness as a way to split class-based coalitions that often developed between enslaved Africans and indentured Europeans (who were only slightly above slaves themselves). Afraid of rebellions that would threaten their power and their material domination of the poor, elites carved out special legal protections for all Europeans, which placed them above persons of color, and gave them a stake in the system. The landowners and political elites also utilized poor whites on slave patrols, to give them a sense that they were a vital bulwark against black uprisings, and regularly stressed the superiority of Europeans. By convincing white working people that their interests were rooted in skin color, rather than economic need, wealthy Europeans helped link the development of the class system to the development of white supremacy.\n\nAs capitalism developed, nationally, internationally, and then globally, elites often used racism and notions of white supremacy to maintain and extend their power. In rallying the masses to support militarism and imperialism for the benefit of the wealthy — as with the war with Mexico, the conquest of Hawaii, the invasion of the Philippines, or several military adventures throughout the twentieth century — notions of racial superiority were regularly deployed to justify those actions undertaken for the benefit of international investment and the growth of capital.\n\n7. Well if racism and capitalism are linked in this way, isn’t the real issue economics? Doesn’t this mean that racism is just an extension of class oppression, and that only by ending class oppression or capitalism can we really hope to address racism?\n\nThe issue is race and class. Even people of color who are not poor or working class face racism in housing, schools, the justice system, and the labor market.\n\nMore importantly, although modern racism’s roots may be located largely in the development of the class structure, this doesn’t mean that capitalism is the only source of racism, nor that ending class inequity is the only way to effectively conquer white supremacy. To begin, the class system is not the only source of white supremacy. Such notions have also been inculcated by the Christian tradition in the West, and the racialized way in which Christianity developed as a force in Europe, for instance. And today, with hundreds of years of racist conditioning behind us, notions of white superiority have become ingrained in millions of people, with or without active manipulation by elites, and even when those whites are not in direct competition with people of color for “stuff” (as they are often not, within a racially bifurcated class system).\n\nAs W.E.B. DuBois noted, over time, white supremacy invested white folks with a “psychological wage,” which allows them to feel superior to people of color, even if they ultimately pay a price for their indulgence of white privilege and advantage. In other words, white racism can now take on an auto-pilot effect, even if elites do not, as they once did, actively manipulate working class emotions. That is not to say that such manipulation no longer occurs, merely that it is no longer a necessary condition to keep white working class folks in line.\n\nFor those who come out of a Marxist tradition, and who insist that the working class has false consciousness, which leads them to ignore or misunderstand their true interests — and that this consciousness has been instilled in them largely by capitalists — what is often ignored is the way that white privilege, relative to people of color, has served as the transmission belt of false consciousness. By investing white workers with a sense of their whiteness as property — albeit an inadequate form of property, relative to real material well-being — white privilege and racism provide to whites an alternative sense of their own self-interest. As such, the ability of working people to form effective cross-racial coalitions (which would be needed in order to fundamentally challenge or alter the current class arrangements in the U.S.) is itself made less likely precisely because of white racism and institutional racial inequity and privilege. To the extent whiteness confers certain relative advantages to whites, it makes it less likely that those whites will join with people of color to alter the class system or even push for reforms that would benefit all working people (universal health care, more equitable distribution of wealth, greater investment in education, job creation, etc). So if anything, the equation put forward by those who say “the real issue is class, and we need to end capitalism before we can end racism,” may be exactly the inverse of reality. It may be, instead, that before any substantial alteration in the class system can become possible, we will have to attack white racism and substantially diminish it.\n\n8. Why don’t you discuss other forms of oppression, like sexism, heterosexism, etc?\n\nI do. Several of my essays address these critical matters, and I often discuss them in my speeches as well: especially the way in which these systems of oppression interact and interrelate. That said, I do focus mostly on racism and white supremacy. Likewise, others focus mostly on sexism/patriarchy, straight supremacy, ableism, etc. And all of this work is important in order to replace systems of oppression with systems of justice.\n\n9. I read somewhere that you had admitted to being a white supremacist. What did you mean?\n\nMy “admission” of white supremacy is far less interesting than some have made it seem. A year or so ago I was asked during a radio show whether I was a racist/white supremacist, and I answered yes, because — as I note above — all of us have internalized aspects of racist thinking thanks to years of conditioning in that regard. I felt it would be dishonest to deny this conditioning, which is something liberal and left whites often do, by denying that we have “a racist bone in our bodies.” So I told the truth. Unfortunately, because of the way we sometimes hear and interpret the terms, “racism” and “white supremacy,” some who learn of this “confession” assume I am admitting to being a closet skinhead, or that I don’t really oppose the system of white supremacy, as I claim. This assumption is false.\n\nI admit that AS IS TRUE WITH ANY WHITE PERSON raised in a racist/white supremacist society, I have internalized certain racist and white supremacist thoughts/beliefs/norms, etc. But the fact that I have been conditioned to do thing x, or believe thing y, doesn’t mean that I can’t challenge that conditioning and choose to do thing z, or believe thing q. I also insist, for myself and others, that although we have internalized white supremacy, this does not mean that all we are capable of is white supremacy. People are not one-dimensional. Just as we are all conditioned in this society to be consumers, and tend to engage in consumerism to one degree or another, it is also the case that we can choose to fight consumerism and materialism, and minimize the extent to which we practice it. Or as men, we’re conditioned to be sexist towards women under a patriarchal system, but we can choose to fight for gender equity and to challenge male domination. People have moral agency and are not mere robots, unable to turn against that which we are taught.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9475085735321045}
{"content": "Electronic Liquid Crystalline Phases of Highly Correlated Electronic Systems\n\nIn one extreme, where the interactions\nare sufficiently weak compared to the interactions, electrons form a “Fermi\nliquid” – the state that accounts for the properties of simple metals.  In the other extreme, where the interactions\nare dominant, the electrons form various “Mott” insulating or “Wigner\ncrystalline” phases, often characterized by broken spatial and/or magnetic symmetries.  Corresponding charge and/or magnetically\nordered insulating phases are common in nature. \nBetween these two extremes lie highly correlated electronic fluids, and\ncorrespondingly a host of interesting and perplexing materials, including such\nthe failed metamagnet Sr3Ru2O7, and a variety\nof quantum Hall fluids.  Some insight\ninto electron fluids in this rich intermediate coupling regime can be obtained\nfrom viewing them as partially melted electron solids, rather than as strongly\ninteracting gases.  Here, analogies with\nthe liquid crystalline phases of complex classical fluids provide useful\n\nEvent Type: \nScientific Area(s): \nEvent Date: \nMercredi, Avril 24, 2013 - 14:00 to 15:30\nLazaridis Theatre", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9972414374351501}
{"content": "Huge fossil in Argentina could be biggest dinosaur yet\n\nHuge fossil in Argentina could be biggest dinosaur yet\nSpanish paleontologist Jose Ignacio Canudo lies alongside a sauropod dinosaur femur, believed to be the largest in the world, in Trelew, Argentina.\nBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Scientists have uncovered huge bones in Argentina that could be from the largest dinosaur yet found, a kind of titanosaur that munched tree tops more than 90 million years ago.\n\n\n\n\nCarballido said a volumetric estimate based on the femur and humerus they've uncovered suggests the animal weighed around 176,000 pounds (80,000 kilograms).\n\n\"Based on what is known of the animal, it was certainly very, very large,\" said paleontologist John Whitlock of Mount Aloysius College in Pennsylvania.\n\n\"Just how large may have to wait for more fossils and will probably depend on the method used to estimate its total size - we've seen how much estimates of mass can change for fragmentary animals like Argentinosaurus - but right now it would certainly seem to be a strong contender for largest known sauropod,\" Whitlock said.\n\n\n\"Whether or not the new animal really will be the largest sauropod we know, remains to be seen,\" said Upchurch, who wasn't involved in this discovery but has seen the bones firsthand.\n\n\nThe bones were spotted years ago by a worker at a ranch outside the town of Las Plumas, in Patagonia's Rio Chubut valley, and Carballido's team from the Egidio Feruglio dinosaur museum in Trelew began digging in January 2013.\n\n\"What they discovered is a cemetery of dinosaurs the likes of which we had never seen in the history of Argentine paleontology,\" said the museum's director, Ruben Cuneo. Along with this titanosaur, they have already found the fossils of seven other dinosaurs, and have only uncovered an estimated 20 percent of the find. For now, the rest have been covered with plaster to protect them from the southern winter, and excavations will resume in the spring.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8886770606040955}
{"content": "Thursday, October 23, 2014\n\nIs There a European Identity, Is there a Europe?\n\n\n\n\n\nConscious Europeanism has little tradition, so I welcome the fact that European awareness is rising from the indistinct mass of the self-evident. By inquiring about it; thinking about it; by trying to grasp its essence, we contribute to our own self-awareness. This is immensely important – especially because we find ourselves in a multi-cultural, multipolar world in which recognizing one's identity is a prerequisite for co-existence with other identities.\n\nIf Europe, until recently, paid so little attention to its own identity it was because it incorrectly saw itself as the entire world; or, at least, considered itself to be so much superior to the rest of the globe that it felt no need to define itself in relation to others. Inevitably, this had deleterious consequences on its practical behavior.\n\nReflecting on Europeanism means inquiring into the set of values, ideals and principles that characterize Europe. It entails, by definition, a critical examination of that set of thoughts, followed by the realization that many European traditions, principles, or values may be double-edged. Some of them – if carried too far or abused in certain ways – can lead us to hell.\n\nIn this effort of reflection, emphasis must be placed on the spiritual dimension and the underlying values of European integration. Until now, European unification, and its meaning in the wider context of civilization, has been hidden behind technical, economic, financial and administrative issues.\n\nWhen unification began after WWII, democratic Western Europe was faced with the memory of the horrors of two world wars, and with the threat of Communist totalitarian rule. Back then, it was unnecessary to speak about the values to be defended, because these were self-evident. It was necessary to unite the West in order to prevent the spread of dictatorship, as well as the danger of a relapse into old national conflicts.\n\nSo, in its infancy, the European Union held much the same attitude that I held toward my European background. Europe's moral justification was self-evident; it did not need to be professed. Because Western Europe was defending something equally self-evident, there was no need to describe or analyze it. It was not until the physical threat to Europe disappeared a decade ago that Europe was prompted to engage in profound reflections upon the moral and spiritual foundations of its unification, and what should be the objectives of a united Europe.\n\nThe basic set of European values formed by the spiritual and political history of the continent is, to my mind, clear. It consists of respect for the unique human being and humanity's freedoms, rights and dignity; the principle of solidarity; the rule of law and equality before the law; protection of minorities; democratic institutions; separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers; political pluralism; respect for private ownership and private enterprise, and a market economy; and the furtherance of civil society. These values mirror countless modern European experiences, including the fact that our continent is now a multi-cultural crossroads.\n\nIn defining what it means to be ‘European', a crucial task is to reflect upon the double-edged nature of what we have gavin the world, to realize that Europe not only taught the world about human rights, but also introduced the Holocaust; that we generated spiritual impulses not only for the industrial and information revolutions, but also to plunder and contaminate nature; that we incited the advance of science and technology, but also ruthlessly ousted essential human experiences forged over several millenniums.\n\nThe worst events of the 20th century – World Wars, Fascism, and Communist totalitarianism – were mostly Europe's doing. During the last century, however, Europe also experienced three auspicious events, though all were not exclusively European accomplishments: the end of colonial rule; the fall of the Iron Curtain; the beginning of European integration.\n\nA fourth great task lies ahead. Through the manner of its being, a unifying Europe must demonstrate that the dangers generated by its contradictory civilization can be combated. I would be happy if the people of my country, who are Europeans, could participate in this process of reflection, of defining a European identity, as Europeans fully recognized by Europe.\n\nRead more from our \"Havel Lives\" Focal Point.\n\nHide Comments Hide Comments Read Comments (2)\n\nPlease login or register to post a comment\n\n  1. CommentedFrancisco Menendez Vidal\n\n    Universal values yes, but Europe has been the first zone (ok north America is the other one) where there are countries and societies where these values have been landed in the best way (with fewer imperfections and flaws).\n    The main concern I have is that there is a lack of commitment of main street with politicians conducting the European tryp to a common future and a lack of democracy in European institutions (governance is being conducted at country level).\n    The economic arena is the clear example: we need to get a basic agreement and we can't achieve that. If economy is basically global and we are not able to agree the economic governance. How can we achieve the rest ones?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.609727144241333}
{"content": "The Magus of Magnetism: An Interview With Dr. Percy Seymour\n\nAn Astronomer's Magnetic Theory of Astrology and\n\nHow Planetary Motion Orchestrates Solar Activity and Geomagnetism\n\nby Bronwyn Elko\n\n[This article first appeared in issue #80 August/September 1998 of The Mountain Astrologer. Thanks to The Mountain Astrologer for allowing us to post this article from their magazine!]\n\nSince the dawn of human history, stargazers have sought to discover the forces by which the planets influence life on Earth. Now, as we enter the 21st century, the long search for a physical mechanism that explains how astrology works may at last be nearing an end. Apropos to these times, which many astrologers believe to be a Neo-Renaissance period for astrology, an English astronomer named Percy Seymour has formulated a scientific theory of astral influences that describes the solar system as an intricate web of planetary fields and resonances. The Sun, Moon, and planets telegraph their effects to us via magnetic signals, says Seymour, an astrophysicist and respected authority in the field of cosmic magnetism. Omnipresent throughout the universe, magnetism is known to affect the biological cycles of numerous creatures here on Earth, including humans. In sum, Seymour's multi-link theory proposes that the planets raise tides in the gases of the Sun, creating sunspots and their particle emissions, which then travel across interplanetary space to strike Earth's magnetosphere, ringing it like a bell.[1] (See Fig. 1) These planetary magnetic signals are then perceived by the neural network of the fetus inside the mother's womb, heralding the child's birth.\n\nSeymour's \"magnetoastrology\" theory[2] expands themes from French statistician and scientist Michel Gauquelin's work, in which human biological clocks keep time withthe planets.[3] Gauquelin's studies, which showed striking planetary similarities in the birth charts of parents and their children, comprise the strongest scientific evidence in support of astrology to date. But, whereas Gauquelin's studies showed planetary influences for Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon, Seymour proposes that Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune also play a role in orchestrating the sunspot cycle and violent solar activity.\n\nLike Michel Gauquelin before him, Seymour's alignment with astrology predictably raised a storm of protest from several members of the scientific community when his book, Astrology: The Evidence of Science, appeared in April 1989. In an Omni interview later that same year, Seymour commented, \"Of course, I expected people to take objection to my theory. But I didn't expect the reaction to be so vehement or so irrational.\"[4]\n\nSeymour brings to the astrology-science debate a rich body of experience and credentials. His grandfather taught him to identify Orion's belt and other southern constellations. Growing up as the son of an interracial couple in apartheid South Africa, Seymour also learned what it meant to be labelled \"Cape colored,\" a racist colloquialism applied in that country to non-whites. It was an experience that has left him intolerant of bigotry of any kind, including the prejudicial arguments against astrology employed by some scientists. Holding doctorates in astronomy and astrophysics, Seymour's expertise in the study of the magnetic fields that thread our galaxy, and his book, Cosmic Magnetism, have won him academic acclaim.[5] Director of the William Day Planetarium and principal lecturer in astronomy at the University of Plymouth, Seymour teaches gifted undergraduate students and conducts research in astronomy. In addition to Cosmic Magnetism, he is the author of five books: Halley's Comet, The Scientific Basis of Astrology, Astrology: The Evidence of Science, The Paranormal: Beyond Sensory Science, and Adventures in Astronomy, a hands-on approach to building simple astrolabes, star clocks, and sundials.\n\nA chartered member of the Institute of Physics and Fellow member of the Royal Astronomical Society, Seymour's fascination with navigational instruments and the history of science has inspired him to organize and hold a pioneering conference at Plymouth University entitled, \"Navigation in Astronomy.\" Scheduled to run simultaneously with the \"Astrology in the 21st Century\" conference, which is being organized by the Astrological Association of Great Britain, these two events will bring hundreds of astrologers and astronomers together under the full shadow of the much-discussed eclipse of August 11, 1999. Conference\n\nSeymour lives in southwest England with his wife, Dianna, and his 16-year-old son, Bruce. He enjoys walking the moors in the company of family pets, a beagle and a spaniel. A Sun-sign Capricorn and self-described \"inventive fixer-upper\" with Uranus in Taurus on the IC, Seymour restores old family furniture in his spare time and reads extensively. Our first transcontinental conversation occurred during an exact Sun-Jupiter conjunction.\n[Editor's Note: A Glossary of terms is presented following the article.]\n\nTMA: How did you first become interested in astrology?\nPercy Seymour: In the summer of 1984 a BBC film training crew came to Plymouth to do a film about astrology. The film crew interviewed people on the streets and byways, asking their views on the subject. They sought out my opinion due to my reputation here in Plymouth as the reigning authority on astronomy. Of course, as a trained astronomer and physicist, I trotted out all the normal objections. I told them that I knew there was some evidence in support of astrology, but that I couldn't think of a mechanism that might explain how the planets affect human life. It was actually the first time I'd been put on the line, so to speak, with no other astronomers there to back me up. (laughs) Suddenly these arguments didn't sound right to me. They ruled out the idea that any progress could be made in this area. They were totally dogmatic. And that got me thinking.\n\nThen one of the BBC interviewers asked me whether I'd read a book, Astrology: Science or Superstition?, in which authors Eysenck and Nias suggest that solar disturbances and their particle emissions are the most probable link between biological and extraterrestrial events.[6] Also mentioned by the BBC people was the work of a radio engineer named Nelson, who had apparently noted heliocentric planetary alignments corresponding with bad radio conditions.[7] At the time, I hadn't heard of either of these works. After the film crew left I found myself delving deeper into the scientific objections to astrology, and it became quite clear to me that the arguments being put forth were based on single-link theories, simple models that are easy to disprove. A well-known example of this is using gravity to explain how a planet might directly influence the fetus, and then showing how this can't possibly work because of the weak tidal tug of the planets. This type of approach completely ignores the possibility of multi-link theories.\n\n\nI know you've been influenced by Gauquelin's research. Have you been following the controversy that still surrounds\nhis results?\nIn The Journal of Scientific Exploration, Gauquelin's Mars effect[8] has again come under attack, most recently by the Committee PARA of Belgium.[9] One of its members decided to defend their earlier arguments, claiming that, although the Mars effect showed interesting correlations between planetary positions at birth and eminence in certain professions, Gauquelin's controls weren't rigorous enough because he failed to consider all of the sociodemographic factors involved, leaving his results inconclusive. On the other hand, there are those who, over the last three years, have reassessed their original objections, largely, I think, as the result of Suitbert Ertel's and Ken Irving's book, The Tenacious Mars Effect.[10]\n\nWhat do you think? \nI've always known about this argument regarding the Mars effect. Basically, the difficulty lies in defining in objective terms what constitutes eminence in professions. I found Gauquelin's work on planetary heredity links[11] much more interesting, as it dealt exclusively with hard data-time, place of birth, and the planetary positions for both parents and child. In those studies, it was shown that, if a certain planet in a parent's birth chart was placed in a Gauquelin planetary zone of influence (see Fig. 2), the child showed a tendency to be born with a similar planetary placement. So these new objections to Gauquelin's work are limited, in my view, because they totally ignore the planetary heredity effect. \n\nGauquelin's studies also showed that on days when the geomagnetic index was high, the planetary heredity effects of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and, to some extent, the Moon, were enhanced (see Fig. 3). This seemed very significant to me because geomagnetism is known to rise during periods of heightened solar activity. The level and intensity of solar activity waxes and wanes within the eleven-year solar cycle, also called the sunspot cycle. My theory proposes that certain planetary alignments affect solar activity. Thus, the build-up of sunspots within the solar cycle can be accounted for by the complex interactions of planetary forces acting upon the Sun's magnetic field, which in turn affects Earth's magnetosphere. (A sunspot is a dark area in the Sun's photosphere, or visible surface layers, that is associated with strong magnetic fields.) \n\nThis brings us to another intriguing aspect of Gauquelin's planetary heredity work that his critics often ignore, and which fueled my interest in astrology-the fact that the four-pronged pattern, involving two large peaks and two small peaks, that emerges for Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon, is very similar to the shape of the average lunar daily magnetic variation for one month. Earth's magnetosphere (see Fig. 4) contains a wide range of frequencies, one of which we know is connected to the Moon, and is well known to geophysicists. This lunar daily magnetic variation is caused by the Moon tugging at the layers of plasma, or charged particles, trapped in Earth's magnetosphere. When this plasma is dragged around by the Moon's tidal forces, it causes variations in the atmospheric pressure at ground level, and these we can measure. So, this resemblance between Gauquelin's four-pronged pattern for Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon and the pattern for the monthly average of the lunar daily magnetic variation suggested to me that the tidal tugs of the planets were in some way disturbing Earth's magnetosphere, just as the Moon and Sun are known to do. I began to suspect the existence of a daily planetary magnetic variation, different for each planet, which might account for Gauquelin's planetary maximums all falling into this same four-pronged pattern. \n\n\nYour theory posits that the planets play a role in disturbing both Earth's and Sun's magnetic fields. First, tell us how the planets affect solar activity.\nAccording to my theory, the tidal effects of the planets on the geometry of the Sun's field disrupt that field, causing violent solar activity. We're saying that it doesn't matter that the tidal forces of the planets are weak; they can be amplified via what I call magneto tidal resonance. I'll try to explain this as simply as possible.\n\n\n\nThe Sun's magnetic field can be pictured as a series of meridian lines that, roughly speaking, come in at the south pole and go out at the north pole (see Fig. 5A). \n\nBecause the Sun's equator rotates faster than its polar regions, these lines of force become stretched and distorted over time (see Fig. 5B). \n\nThe indication is that, as the solar cycle progresses, just below the surface of the Sun the magnetic lines or tubes of force are getting twisted, dragged sideways. The field is getting \"wound up\" by the differential rotation of the Sun. As the sunspot cycle builds toward maximum, because the equatorial regions of the Sun rotate faster than the polar regions, the north-south lines are distorted, forming a series of magnetic canals parallel to the surface on \neither side of the solar equator (see Fig. 5C). \n\n\nNow, what's important about the Sun's magnetic canals is their capacity to greatly amplify the weak tidal forces of the planets. Such canals can amplify planetary tidal effects because they are able to channel the Sun's very hot gases parallel with the equator. If you could pluck one of these canals with your finger, it would vibrate like a violin string. Thus, the magnetic lines of force actually behave like the strings of a musical instrument. And what we've shown is how the weak tidal effects of the planets on the gases trapped in these lines of force could give rise to resonance late in the solar cycle.\n\nWhat we've basically done is apply George Biddell Airy's canal theory of ocean tides to the magnetic canals beneath the surface of the Sun.[12] Airy worked out a rigorous mathematical theory which showed that if you constructed a specially designed water canal around Earth's equator, a wave traveling around the canal could become amplified. Amplification of this kind is called resonance, and it means that you can get much bigger ocean tides than normal. How you get tidal resonance in the case of the Sun works like this. Say you take the subplanetary point of Jupiter and plot its course across the surface of the Sun. As the Sun spins on its axis, Jupiter's subplanetary point moves across the Sun's surface at a specific speed.\n\nNow, the braided lines of force vibrate with their own frequency as they travel around the Sun's magnetic canals. The speed of the wave as it goes around the magnetic canals is called the Alfven speed, which varies within the solar cycle. The Alfven speed of the free wave moving along the canal travels faster and faster as the solar cycle progresses toward  maximum. When the speed of Jupiter's subplanetary point matches the speed with which the free wave propagates along the Sun's canals, you'll get resonance. In other words, the free wave that keeps step with the subplanetary point grows as it travels around the Sun, and will gain amplitude. I call this phenomenon magneto tidal resonance. When the tidal tug of a planet sits on a given wave crest traveling around the magnetic canals, it causes the wave to grow in size, until eventually it erupts on the Sunís surface in the form of a bridge, or prominence. The \"feet\" of the bridge, or prominence, are called sunspots. The loops or prominence of sunspots that arch high above the visible surface are still anchored in the active sunspot region of the Sun (see Figs. 6 and 7).\n\n\n\nThey will be stretched out into interplanetary space by a stream of energetic particles, called the solar wind, which gusts against Earth's magnetosphere, causing it to fluctuate.\n\nWhich planetary alignments disrupt the Sun's magnetic field?\nJane Blizard's work for NASA showed evidence for heliocentric planetary conjunctions, oppositions, and certain 90\" alignments giving rise to violent solar disturbances.[13] No one could explain the squares until we put forward this theory. Since each planet possesses its own orbital speed around the Sun, the speed of each subplanetary point differs as it moves across the surface of the Sun. Say, for example, that the speed of the Alfven free wave within magnetic canals of different depths lies between the speed of Jupiter and the speed of Saturn. Then you can actually get a Jupiter-Saturn heliocentric square configuration that gives rise to strong events on the Sun. So our theory is able to explain this aspect of Blizard's work.\n\nThe theory also goes further in proposing that the regular magnetic reversal of the Sun's field, which occurs roughly every eleven years, is due to the tidal effects of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The Sun itself actually moves about the common center of mass of the solar system with a period of just over ten years, and this is mainly due to the pull of Jupiter and Saturn. By violently tugging on the common center of the mass of the solar system, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune cause the little eddy currents that generate the Sun's magnetic field to reverse or flip over from being in one direction to being in another direction. (See Fig. 8)\n\nAs these four planets cause the flipping over of the Sun's magnetic field, and the Sun's equator rotates faster than the poles, the lines of force are dragged into the form of canals. Then all the planets in turn can play a part in disrupting the Sun's magnetic canals.\n\nSo, we've clarified how the planets can affect the magnetism of the Sun by amplifying tidal resonance. We've also generalized the theory by extending the application of magneto tidal resonance to Earth's magnetosphere. We're saying that some of the planets can have a direct influence on Earth's magnetic field.\n\nCertain planets directly affect Earth's magnetosphere, not just via the solar wind?\nYes, I think so. Earth's magnetic field shows myriad bands of frequencies, ranging from a few minutes to several years. We know one such frequency is associated with the Moon-the lunar daily magnetic variation. Not all of these frequencies will have a coherence about them. When they start and end will be random. But, say you have a spectral line or frequency in Earth's magnetic field that is very close to the synodic period of Mars. If placed on a graph, you would see a peak that closely coincides with the synodic period of Mars. Just as resonance occurs when the subplanetary point of Mars moving across the surface of the Sun matches the speed of the free wave, resonance can also happen when the frequency of Mars closely matches a frequency already present within Earth's magnetic field. It then becomes phase-locked. In other words, those frequencies in Earth's magnetosphere that are close to the tidal frequencies of the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will remain in step with those planets. Youíll have one magnetic frequency associated with Mars, another with Jupiter, and so on.\n\nYour theory draws upon research into the biological consequences of fluctuations in Earth's magnetosphere. How did this\nresearch impact the formulation of your theory?\nIn the process of trying to formulate a mechanism to explain Gauquelin's results, I was led to consider magnetobiology, a vast body of knowledge that links planetary alignments with magnetic events on the Sun and the biological consequences of fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field. That's what actually gave me the idea that there is a mechanism, magneto tidal resonance, which can not only explain the Sun's magnetism, but also why specific fluctuations in Earth's magnetosphere can get phase-locked with the tidal effects of the planets.\n\nResearch in magnetobiology shows that a wide variety of organisms respond to changes in Earth's magnetic field.[14] For\ninstance, Professor Franck Brown of Northwestern University, who has done much work in this area, showed how mudsnails and turtles followed the lunar daily magnetic variation even when these creatures were removed from the sea and lodged inside laboratory tanks.[15] The experiments of Dr. Robin Baker of Manchester University suggest that humans are also sensitive to changes in Earth's magnetic field.[16] Baker first placed people inside a darkened room and asked them to locate North. Most of the time people got it right. But when Baker then fitted these same subjects with a little magnetic skullcap, they lost their ability to find North. This strongly suggests the presence of an internal compass or biological clock.\n\nWhat I think might be happening is that the fetus's neural network acts as a sort of antenna that tunes into fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field. The imprinting of the neural antennae depends on genetic heredity, which gives us our basic congenital personality. Thus, the fetus is genetically predisposed to hear specific planetary signals, much as a radio is resonantly tuned to receive a particular station. So it's not that the planets make the person. Rather, the planets label a person's genetic predisposition to respond to specific magnetic signals.\n\nTake the Moon in the case of the lunar personality. We already know that the lunar daily magnetic variation has two peaks and two troughs that roughly correspond to Gauquelin's four-pronged pattern of the child born with a lunar personality. This suggests that the fetus is responding when the lunar daily magnetic variation is at either maximum or minimum, but nowhere between these two extremes. It doesn't matter whether it's a peak or a trough because it is acting on something in the body that is responding to the lunar daily magnetic variation. The neural network of the fetus thus tunes into very low frequency fluctuations in Earth's field that are connected with where the Moon is, and ignores all others.\n\nLooking at the lunar daily magnetic variation around the globe, however, shows that the peak of the lunar daily magnetic variation doesn't always occur when the Moon is about to rise. There can be a phase lag, which is a function of the longitude and latitude on the surface of Earth, that is actually telling you something about the geometry of the field in that particular locale. This can be caused by geological deposits of magnetic materials. The Moon rises at a given observatory, and the lunar daily magnetic variation peaks, but at another observatory where the geometry of the field is different, it might peak up to 40 minutes later. The peak won't exactly coincide with the Moon rising on the horizon. There's a time delay vis-à-vis the Moon's position due to the phase lag. So the fetus doesn't really respond to where the Moon is in the sky per se, but to the actual physical agency that the Moon is affecting, in this case the lunar daily magnetic variation.\n\n\nI think this might be so. It might well be that the human neural network has a threshold above which the magnetic fluctuations of given planets must be in order for it to respond to these signals. So it's likely that certain planetary alignments will cause the geomagnetic tide of specific planets to be above this level.\n\n\nWe've expanded the theory since 1992, but we still can't explain everything about Gauquelin's results. We know that high sunspot activity causes Earth's magnetosphere to grow in size, amplifying solar-terrestrial effects. Gauquelin himself noted that periods of violent solar activity corresponded with enhanced planetary heredity results.[18]\n\nYou mention in your books that, while there's strong evidence supporting the effect of planetary alignments as seen from the Sun, only some evidence exists to support geocentric aspects. What does this mean in terms of your theory?\nIf you have, say, a Sun-Jupiter conjunction opposite Saturn, the planets are actually all in a straight line. It doesn't matter whether the view is heliocentric or geocentric, but, with the square, it depends on which planets are involved. An exact heliocentric square of Jupiter and Saturn, as seen from Earth, would be about 98\" instead of 90\". Tight squares involving Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are possibly influential. But the theory thus far rules out geocentric squares involving inner planets with outer planets because, heliocentrically, the orb would be too wide. Smaller aspects, such as semi-squares, also do not appear to be influential.\n\nWhere does Pluto fit into this scheme?\nWe haven't actually plotted Pluto because its orbit is too elliptical and the planet too lightweight to have much of an effect in terms of my theory. However, we're not ruling out the possibility that it may play a role later on in the solar cycle.\n\nWe've found out that the strength of the field that we've calculated is in keeping with the strength of the field measured by other methods, such as the Zeeman effect, which is how the magnetic field affects the light of the Sun. The theory gives us an independent method of calculating what the strength of the magnetic field of the Sun ought to be in sunspots in order to make this mechanism work. It also explains quite naturally why there is a migration of sunspots from higher to lower latitudes as the solar cycle progresses toward maximum (see Fig. 10). According to our theory, sunspots should migrate toward the Sun's equator in a way that is consistent with a solar cycle of roughly eleven years. This just sprang out of the equations once we began dealing with the more detailed calculations, and we didnít realize it until 1993. In other words, the theory explains sunspot migration in a way that suggests the theory itself is correct in some respects. Interestingly, our critics often ignore these facts. We're not saying our theory is right, but at least it doesn't run into certain problems presented by other theories that say the solar cycle should only be a few months long.\n\n\nYou've organized a conference to be held at Plymouth University during the August 11, 1999 eclipse. \"Navigation in Astronomy\" is scheduled to run parallel with another conference, \"Astrology in the 21st Century,\" organized by the Astrological Association of Great Britain. What hopes do you have for astrologers and astronomers rubbing shoulders at these event?\nThe Astrological Association of Great Britain is holding their conference in conjunction with ours at my suggestion. The conference I'm organizing is on the impact of navigation on the history of science. Nautical instruments are another keen interest of mine, so in a way it's an opportunity for me to combine several areas of interest under one umbrella. But I also hope the conference will inspire scientists to realize that astronomy wouldn't exist without the two main stimuli of navigation and astrology. Greenwich Observatory, for example, wasnít founded solely in the interests of science, but to solve the longitude problem. Then Greenwich broadened its work to include all extraterrestrial events affecting navigation. And when it was found that the compass needle had a deviation that depended on the sunspot cycle, a solar observatory was also set up. Some astronomers are snooty in that they dismiss all astrology as superstition, which is wrong. The Greek and Babylonian astrology that arose 200 years before the birth of Christ was different from earlier star lore, which was more the result of an associative process. From Greco-Babylonian astrology emerged the first systematic attempt to form a theory that could explain life and the universe, a Theory of Everything, which is basically what physicists strive to formulate today. The great historian of science, Otto Neugebauer, pointed out that it is wrong to dismiss the astrology of the ancient world, because it heralded the beginning of an orderly methodology as a means of formulating a theory within which all phenomena could be explained.[21] So I hope conference attendees will mix their diet with both astrology and astronomy.\n\nAny comments on the eclipse itself?\nAs far as my theory is concerned, an eclipse is not any different from a conjunction because the Moon doesn't have a magnetic field that stretches way beyond it. So I don't think it's going to be dramatic from an astrological point of view. The solar cycle will be approaching, but not near, maximum. I do think we're going to see some spectacular solar flares, which would enhance direct planetary effects on the magnetosphere, but not dramatically so. From the point of view of solar activity, May 2000 is the time to watch.\n\nThe language describing these solar-terrestrial events evokes images of a living system. Particles eject from beneath the surface of the Sun and energize the plasma of Earth's magnetosphere, which resembles a sort of womb. It's similar to how living bodies operate.\nYes. The way sunspots are born out of the Sun is very much like the way a baby is born out of the womb. Changes in the Sun's magnetic field can be likened to a gestation period for sunspots. The \"flipping\" over of the eddy currents, due to the movement of the Sun about the common center of mass of the solar system, determines the total length of time that the field will have one direction of polarity rather than another (see Fig. 8 on page 24). This process and the differential rotation of the Sun are the astrophysical processes that \"prepare\" the solar magnetic field to respond to the resonant tidal tug of the planets. In this sense, the formation of a sunspot pair plus a loop prominence is somewhat akin to the birth process. And so you have the biological process taking place inside the womb ó preparing the nervous system to respond to the magneto tides of the planets-causing an ejection from the womb.\n\nModern physicists' viewpoint of the subatomic, deepest level of reality is not dissimilar from that of the mystics of old. I think concepts presented by Fritjof Capra in his book, The Tao of Physics, are essentially correct.[22] And I see my theory in a similar light. We're actually attempting to quantify and rephrase in scientific terms ideas that have been around for a long time.\nI think there may very well be other ways that Earth's magnetosphere can affect the developing fetus. Right through the entire nine-month gestation period, the neural network of the fetus may be synchronizing and tuning its biological clock into Earth's magnetic fluctuations. Thus, our own resonances may be evolving along with changes in Earth's magnetic field. Perhaps at different stages of development we pick up different magnetic tunes from out of the solar symphony, which later become part of our earliest memories. These preprogrammed magnetic memories may be evoked later in life when similar magnetic tunes are repeated. And this may even help us through certain exciting or challenging phases in life.\n\n\nOddly enough, explanation in science isn't about certainty. People who believe that are fooling themselves. What we do is grope toward a better understanding of how the universe hangs together. To believe that weíve found all the answers simply isn't true. I think there's a grudging respect from critics of my theory because I'm not dogmatic about being right. I'm not saying, \"This is the Truth.\" In trying to clarify basic principles to explain the salient features of Gauquelin's work and the solar cycle, we've developed the principles of resonant coupling between the tides of the planets and the evolving magnetic field of the Sun.[23] We're still working out details of a theory that may provide a fundamental underpinning for astrology. Meanwhile, I'm using the debate to highlight the very real need for science students to be taught the philosophy of science.\n\nPaving the way for open-mindedness in future scientists -- that's exciting news. We look forward to hearing the results of your student's thesis on planetary dominance in the solar cycle. Thank you very much, Dr. Seymour.\nYou're welcome. It was nice talking to you.\n\nReferences and Notes\n1. The ringing bell analogy was taken from Doug Margel's article, \"Ringing the Bell: Storms on the Sun,\" The Mountain Astrologer, Aug./Sept. 1997. Margel examines the astrology of solar flares affecting Earth's magnetosphere.\n2. Percy Seymour, The Scientific Basis of Astrology, W. Foulsham, Slough, U.K.: Quantum, November 1997.\n3. Michel Gauquelin, The Cosmic Clocks, San Diego, CA: ACS Publications, 1982.\n4. Dava Sobel, \"Dr. Zodiac,\" Omni, December 1989, p. 62.\n5. Percy Seymour, Cosmic Magnetism, Bristol, U.K.: Adam Hilger, 1986.\n6. H. Eysenck & D. Nias, Astrology: Science or Superstition?, London, England: Maurice Temple Smith, 1982.\n7. J. H. Nelson, \"Shortwave Radio Propagation Correlation with Planetary Position,\" RCA Review, March 1951.\n8. Michel Gauquelin, Neo-Astrology: A Copernican Revolution, Chapter 3, London: Arkana, Penguin Group, 1991. Gauquelin examines the controversy surrounding his studies, in which the birth charts of outstanding athletes were shown to have Mars positioned in one of the four \"Gauquelin plus zones\" of the diurnal circle (see Fig. 2). This planetary effect later became known as \"the Mars effect.\"\n9. J. Dommanget, \"The 'Mars Effect' as Seen by the Committee PARA,\" Journal of Scientific Exploration, Volume 11: Number 3:\nArticle 2, 1997, pp. 275-295; Jan Willem Nienhuys, \"The Mars Effect in Retrospect,\" Skeptical Inquirer, Nov./Dec. 1997, pp. 24-29; Suitbert Ertel and Kenneth Irving, \"Mars Effect -Dead or Alive? Dissenting from J. W. Nienhuys' 'Retrospect,'\" Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 22, No. 4, July/Aug. 1998, p. 59; and J. W. Nienhuys, \"Responding to Ertel: Mars Flukes,\" Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 22, No. 4, July/Aug. 1998, p. 60.\n10. Suitbert Ertel & Kenneth Irving, The Tenacious Mars Effect, Urania Trust, England, 1996. This book may be obtained by telephoning The Astrology Center of America at 1-800-475-2272.\n11. Michel Gauquelin, Planetary Heredity, San Diego: ACS Publications, 1988.\n12. George Biddell Airy, \"Tides and Waves,\" London, England: Encyclopedia Metropolitan, 1845.\n13. J. B. Blizard, \"Long Range Solar Flare Prediction,\" NASA Contractor Report, CR 61316, 1969.\n14. P. A. H. Seymour, Astrology: The Evidence of Science (revised and extended paperback version), Great Britain: Arkana-Penguin, 1990. Diverse research and references provided by Dr. Seymour on the biological consequences of fluctuations in the geomagnetic field.\n15. F. A. Brown, Jr. et al., \"Comparison of Fluctuations in Cosmic Radiation and Organismic Activity during 1954, 1955, and 1956,\" Amer. J. Physiolo., Vol. 195, 1958, pp. 237-243. Brown has several published works detailing his research in this vast field of study.\n16. R. Robin Baker, \"Human Navigation and Magnetoreception in Animal Behavior,\" Phys., Technol., Vol. 35, 1987, pp. 691-704.\n17. Michel Gauquelin, Neo-Astrology: A Copernican Revolution, pp. 171-173. Gauquelin discusses possibilities as to why subsequent studies of the planetary heredity effects failed to replicate earlier, positive results.\n18. Michel Gauquelin, The Cosmic Clocks, pp. 127-129.\n19. Dava Sobel, \"Dr. Zodiac,\" Omni, p. 68.\n20. For more details on the strong planetary aspects of May 2000, see Tem Tarriktar,\"Millennial Alignments: 1999-2000,\" The Mountain Astrologer, June/July 1998, p. 67.\n21. Otto Neugebauer, The Exact Sciences in Antiquity, New York: Dover, 1969.\n22. Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics, Berkeley, CA: Shambhala, 1975.\n23. P. A. H. Seymour, \"Magneto-Tidal Coupling Between the Components of the Solar System,\" in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Geocosmic Relations, Pudoc (Wageningen), 1990.Bibliography R. B. Culver and P. A. Ianna, The Gemini Syndrome: A Scientific Evaluation of Astrology, Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1982.\n\n\nMagnetosphere -- A magnetic cavity surrounding Earth formed by the interaction of the planetary magnetic field with the solar wind as it flows past. Earth's magnetosphere fluctuates between 20 to 30 times the size of the diameter of the planet, and contains\nlayers of multi-frequencies, some of which make shortwave and satellite communications possible. High sunspot activity causes Earth's magnetosphere to grow in size (see Fig. 4).\n\nTidal forces/tidal tug -- The gravitational pull of the Sun, Moon, and planets on each other. The Moon, for instance, is known to \"tug\" on the Earth's oceans, causing the changing tides. Likewise, the planets constantly pull on each other.\nIn Seymourís theory, a key effect of tidal tugs is how the outer planets tugging on the common center of mass of the solar system cause the reversal of the Sun's magnetic field.\n\nGeomagnetic index -- A general term for a measurement of magnetic variations in Earth's field. Several indices using various methods are employed for this purpose. \"A-index,\" for example, measures solar particle radiation by its magnetic effects. Gauquelin noted in The Cosmic Clocks, \" . . . if a child is born on a [magnetically] disturbed day, the number of heredity similarities is twice as high as on quiet days. This suggests that the Moon and planets do affect life, through the solar field,\" p. 127.\n\nLunar daily magnetic variation -- A phenomenon in which the Moon's tidal tug on Earth's ionized regions of plasma registers variations in the atmospheric pressure at ground level. The lunar daily magnetic variation varies according to latitude on the surface of the planet, the geometry of the land mass, and the presence or lack of iron ore deposits. Seymour asserts the possibility that even buildings constructed with reinforced steel may affect the local geometry of the field, thus distorting magnetic signals picked up by the fetus.\n\nPlasma -- A highly ionized gas cloud comprised of electrically-charged particles. Earth's ionosphere has various layers differing in intensity and frequency. These layers exist in the Earth's upper atmosphere due to solar radiation, which strips atoms of some of their electrons, thus creating an electrically- conducting medium. Four major factors seem to influence the Earth's ionosphere. Daily changes in the various layers are caused by the rotation of the Earth about its axis. Seasonal changes occur due to the constantly changing positions of the Earth and Sun relative to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Geographical variations in the ionosphere depend on latitude; in equatorial regions where the Sun is more directly overhead, greater intensity is noted. Cyclical variations caused by the eleven-year sunspot cycle are perhaps the most influential in altering the intensity of plasma regions, which are the regions employed by radio short- wave communications. This happens as a result of the solar wind transporting charged particles from the Sun's magnetic field to the Earthís magnetosphere, thus disrupting the field.\n\nMagneto tidal resonance -- Seymour's new term to describe resonance phenomena connected with the tidal effects of the planets. An example of resonance is when an opera singer shatters a wine glass by matching the frequency in her voice with the natural frequency of the glass. A more dramatic display of resonance occurred in Washington state some years ago when high winds produced resonance phenomena that caused the Tacoma Narrows bridge to collapse. Seymour's theory applies magneto tidal resonance to planetary tides affecting solar activity beneath the surface of the Sun, and to planets affecting the Earth's magnetosphere.\n\nSolar cycle  --  Cyclical variation in solar activity measured by the number of sunspots, with a period of roughly eleven years.  A new solar or sunspot cycle begins when new spots first appear 30 to 40 degrees north and south of the solar equator.   The Sun's equatorial regions are relatively \"spot-free\" during this phase.  As the solar cycle progresses, sunspots increase in size and number, gradually appearing closer and closer to the Sun's equator.  In other words, newly emerging sunspots \"flee\" the Sun's poles, clustering around the solar equator.  This migration of sunspots from higher to lower latitudes as the solar cycle progresses creates the butterfly diagram (see Fig. 10).\n\nAs the cycle nears its end, old-cycle spots at higher latitudes begin to vanish. It should be noted that sunspots are associated with strong magnetic fields.  The magnetic fields of sunspots and their migratory movements appear interrelated with other aspects of solar activity.  For instance, astronomers have discovered that at the beginning of each new sunspot cycle, the Sun's north and south magnetic poles switch polarity.  This reversal of the Sun's magnetic field is called the Sun's magnetic cycle, which is approximately 22 years long, twice the duration of the eleven-year solar/sunspot cycle.\n\nEddy currents -- Convective currents that circulate and transfer heat/energy in the form of hot gases. Heated gases from the Sun's interior expand and rise. As they rise to the Sun's surface regions, the gases cool and fall. The Sun's magnetic field is generated by the complex churning motions of these gases. As the gases move, the lines of magnetic force follow, thus producing what Seymour calls the \"braiding of the field.\"\n\nSubplanetary point -- Draw a line from the center of a planet to the center of the Sun. Where that line intersects the surface of the Sun is the subplanetary point of that planet.  As the Sun rotates, the subplanetary point moves across the surface of the Sun, which corresponds with a gravitational pull of that planet on the Sun.\n\nAlfven speed -- The speed at which the free wave naturally propagates along a canal. A wave motion occurring in a magnetized plasma.\n\nSpectral line -- A graphic representation of a well-defined frequency, denoted by a peak or vertical \"spike.\" Atoms broadcast a number of light waves of various frequencies. These narrowly defined frequencies correspond to specific lines in the spectrum.\n\nZeeman effect -- A measurement used to determine the strength of magnetic fields in the Sun and other stars. All atoms give off a set of colors characteristic of their chemical elements. The Dutchman Zeeman showed how atoms placed in a magnetic field change the colors they emit. Astronomer George Hale first used the Zeeman effect to measure the strength of the magnetic fields in sunspots. Percy Seymour, Astrology: The Evidence of Science, p.132.\n\nPercy Seymour\n\n© 1998 The Mountain Astrologer - all rights reserved", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.545900285243988}
{"content": "Projects in Africa\n\nFast-growing Fish Can Contribute to Poverty Reduction in the Volta Basin As urban populations continue to expand rapidly in Africa, the continent’s demand for fish grows accordingly. Unfortunately, existing stocks of fish cannot keep pace with this growth. Fish accounts for over 30% of total animal protein consumption in the diets of Africa’s poor. In some countries, it is even higher. In Ghana, that value is about 60%. Although Ghana and many other African countries import fish at a loss in an attempt to meet some of the demand for low-cost protein, they still face shortfalls. This dire situation provides African fish farmers with an opportunity to increase...\nTaking an ecosystem approach to small scale fishing in the tropics From beach-side communities dotted across the Solomon Islands archipelago, to coastal villages lining Tanzania’s Indian Ocean shoreline, thousands of communities rely on coastal fisheries.\nDried Chisense\nBoosting nutrition and livelihoods in Zambia through the chisense fishery For the people of Zambia, especially the poor, fish is the most important and sometimes only source of animal protein and other essential nutrients. However, the per capita supply of fish today is only half of what it was 30 years ago, due to stagnating production, growing populations and increasingly competitive trade. Projections for future supplies are that fish will become increasingly expensive also in Zambia. Currently Zambian households in most parts of the country spend more money on fish than on any other food item, including staple foods and other animal products. If this trend...\nDevelopment of African aquaculture needs a whole-industry approach.\nAfrican aquaculture: development beyond the fish farm Despite global hunger declining, the number of people going hungry in Africa remains high with 30% of people reported to be undernourished in 2010. Fish are an important source of food for many African people, providing around 18% of their animal protein, but with a growing and rapidly urbanizing population and capture fisheries largely reaching their limit, many African countries are now looking towards aquaculture to supply an increasing demand for fish.  \nBuilding Livelihood Security and Reducing Conflict in Freshwater Ecoregions The freshwater ecoregions of Lake Victoria, Lake Kariba and the Tonle Sap Lake are characterized by persistent poverty, high dependence on aquatic resources to provide food security and livelihoods, and intense resource competition. Moreover, significant new pressures have the potential to lead to broader social conflict if not addressed adequately, such as a further increase in the number of local resource users (through population growth, migration and displacement); commercial exploitation of limited resources; competition over water for agriculture and hydropower; and climate change.\nCoastal Planning and Management Program for Western Ghana The six districts of Ghana's coastal zone represent less than seven percent of the land area of the country, yet they are home to 25 percent of the nation's total population. The combination of increasing food and livelihoods insecurity, population growth, and environmental degradation continues to impact negatively on the quality of human life in this coastal zone. In addition, rapidly evolving extractive industries in the region, including fisheries, plantation crops, hard minerals and petroleum, present challenges that regional governments are not equipped to handle.\nSustainable Water Usage in the Chinyanja Triangle In sub-Saharan Africa, the integration of pond aquaculture into rainfall-based agriculture systems, using practices such as Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture (IAA), has been largely successful. In some cases, fishponds have doubled household income, and increased household food production by 150%. Farms using IAA are proving to be 8% more productive during droughts, with women becoming more actively involved. Adoption of the approach has been growing at 25% per annum in Malawi since 2000, and is fast expanding. This is especially noted in the Chinyanja Triangle in the lower Zambezi River...\n\n\nSubscribe to Project Asia", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5528421401977539}
{"content": "28C3 - Version 2.3.5\n\n28th Chaos Communication Congress\nBehind Enemy Lines\n\nArtur Janc\nDay Day 2 - 2011-12-28\nRoom Saal 2\nStart time 20:30\nDuration 01:00\nID 4811\nEvent type Lecture\nTrack Hacking\nLanguage used for presentation English\n\nRootkits in your Web application\n\nAchieving a permanent stealthy compromise of user accounts with XSS and JS injection attacks.\n\nXSS bugs are the most widely known and commonly occurring Web vulnerability, but their impact has often been limited to cookie theft and/or simple actions, such as setting malicious email filters, stealing some data, or self-propagation via an XSS worm. In this work, I discuss practical approaches for exploiting XSS and other client-side script injection attacks, and introduce novel techniques for maintaining and escalating access within the victim's browser. In particular, I introduce the concept of resident XSS where attacker-supplied code is running in the context of an affected user's main application window and describe its consequences. I also draw analogies between such persistent Web threats and the traditional rootkit model, including similarities in the areas of embedding malicious code, maintaining access, stealthy communication with a C&C server, and the difficulty of detecting and removing attacker-supplied code.\n\nDespite a few high profile cases of XSS worms, most XSS exploitation attempts have so far been limited to cookie-stealing and executing simple malicious actions. However, as a consequence of the same-origin policy and a combination of other browser mechanisms, a single XSS vulnerability can often lead to a long-term compromise all of a user's interactions with an affected webapp in the same browser profile, long after the original bug has been fixed. In particular, an attacker can maintain access across window/browser closures, survive cookie and cache deletions, and compromise other user accounts accessed from the same browser. Yet more troubling is the fact that Web application authors currently have no means to detect or mitigate such threats once an attack has taken place.\n\nIn the talk I provide an overview of techniques to escalate an XSS into long-term account compromise, and explore the similarities between such persistent Web bugs and traditional rootkits. In particular, I:\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI will present the above with concrete examples of vulnerable applications and a demo.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5233564376831055}
{"content": "bird louse\n\nbird louse (suborder Amblycera and Ischnocera), any of two groups of chewing lice (order Phthiraptera) that live on birds and feed on feathers, skin, and sometimes blood. Probably all bird species have these chewing lice. Although they are not harmful, if they become too numerous, their irritation may cause the bird to damage itself by scratching and may even interfere with egg production and the fattening of poultry.\n\nBirds with damaged bills are often heavily infested because they cannot preen themselves properly. Two important species of chewing lice are the chicken louse, Menopon pallidum, and the pigeon louse, Lipeurus baculus.\n\nSome authorities consider the two suborders as a single group called Mallophaga.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5252515077590942}
{"content": "District administration urged to provide infrastructure\n\nLeaders, cutting across party lines, a cross-section of people and rubber growers want the Kanyakumari district administration to provide infrastructure facilities in the western parts on par with the eastern parts of the district.\n\nThe number of vehicles being registered at the Regional Transport Offices at Nagercoil and Marthandam has touched a daily average of 300. The flow of vehicles to the district from other places in Tamil Nadu and other States has also increased considerably in the past years. The rapidly developing places in Kanyakumari are the western parts such as Marthandam, Kulasekaram, Thuckalay and Azhagiyamandapam which reel under traffic congestion frequently.\n\nAccidents, many fatal, have become order of the day. But the officials concerned and leaders of all political parties are keen to improve only well-known areas such as Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Marthandam. They fail to provide basic amenities to lesser known but rapidly developing areas such as Arumanai, Kuzhithurai, Vettuvenni, Azhagiyamandapam, Kulasekaram and Thuckalay.\n\n\nThe western parts of the district, with its rubber plantations, government and private schools, engineering colleges, medical and other facilities, are developing on a fast pace. Added to this, this region is bestowed with scenic beauty in addition to manmade tourist spots such as Mathur Flume (known as Mathur Thottipalam), Thirparappu falls with boating facilities, Pechipparai and other dams, and historic temples at Thiruvattar, Kuzhithurai etc. Consequently many areas in Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks of the district face acute traffic problems. Such problems could be redressed by initiating effective steps to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Re-arrangement of bus stops and demarcation of parking areas would be of great help.\n\nSpeaking to The Hindu, the secretary of Consumers Protection And Vigilant Association, Alamattil D.Gopalakrishnan said that at Kulasekaram market junction, buses going towards convent junction and Pechipparai could be stopped in front of the Canara Bank. Buses bound for Thirparappu and beyond could be stopped in front of Rasi Textiles and all the buses proceeding towards Thiruvattar could be halted in the existing bus stand.\n\nIn Nagacode junction in Kulasekaram, buses going towards Pechipparai and Kulasekaram could be stopped in front of Swiss Bakery, whereas buses bound for Thirparappu and beyond could be halted in front of Santhi Vessels. The traffic police should make arrangements of stopping the buses to Thiruvarambu in front of Sukumar Hospital and buses towards Thiruvattar in front of Sharon Medicals.\n\nIn connection with Kavalstalam junction (check-post), buses bound for Thirparappu and beyond could be halted just 100 metres away from Convent junction. Other buses could be stopped as usual.\n\nHeavy traffic\n\nSimilarly, the district administration in cooperation with the local people and other consumer as well as voluntary organisations could explore the ways and means to decongest traffic and to provide other infrastructure facilities in Arasamood junction, Convent, Arumanai, Kuzhithurai, Thuckalay, Azhagiyamandapam and other important junctions in the western region of the district. By improving road facilities, basic amenities and de-congesting traffic, more foreign and domestic visitors could be attracted to the lesser known tourist spots in western parts of the district.\n\nNo safety\n\nBesides, call taxis, vans and autorickshaws occupy a large space near bus stops in many places, thus making it a Herculean task for pedestrians and two wheeler to move about safely.\n\nThe traffic committee with participation of non-governmental organisations and civic body representatives should be constituted in every police sub-divisions and circle divisions in the western parts to elicit their views to improve the overall development of the district, said the MLA of Padmanabhapuram Assembly Segment, Pushpaleela Alben.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8068109750747681}
{"content": "Home>About Us>Railway Operations\n\nAbout Us\n\nRailway Operations\n\nOperation Area Network\n\nThe JR-West railway network extends over a total distance of 5,015.7 km, covering 18 prefectures. With the objective of enhancing safety, the JR-West Group is united in action to implement its Safety Think-and-Act Plan 2017. Meanwhile, to ensure that our railway inspires trust and a sense of reliability in the customer, we work to instill an ethos of customer satisfaction, to deliver convenient and user-friendly facilities, and to improve the quality of our customer-facing operations.\n\nTransportation Revenues\n\nMap of Rail Lines in Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe Area\n\nTravel Times for Major Routes of the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen\n\n(As of March 15, 2014)\nShin-Ōsaka - Okayama 44min\nShin-Ōsaka - Hiroshima 1h19min\nShin-Ōsaka - Hakata 2h22min\nShin-Ōsaka - Kumamoto 2h58min\nShin-Ōsaka - Kagoshima-chūō 3h42min\nOkayama - Tōkyō 3h12min\nHiroshima - Tōkyō 3h47min\nHakata - Tōkyō 4h50min\n\n* Fastest travel times are shown.\n\nHokuriku Shinkansen\n\nThe Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kanazawa is scheduled to commence operation at the end of FY 2015. JR-West will provide service with the following trains.\n\nKagayaki Trains operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa (Express)\nHakutaka Trains operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa (Local)\nTsurugi Trains operating between Toyama and Kanazawa (Shuttle)\n\nFY2015, etc. refer to the fiscal years ending March 2015, etc.\n\nTicket Information\n\n\nEnglish Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Korean", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000001192092896}
{"content": "Chemicals Policy\n\nCategory archives for Chemicals Policy\n\n\n\nChildren breathe more air, drink more water and eat more food per unit of body weight than adults. Therefore, if a child’s air, water or food is contaminated with chemicals, children receive a larger dose per unit of body weight than would an adult in the same situation. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has been unable to regulate chemicals effectively, and new chemical legislation must consider these key physiological differences.\n\n\n\nExplosion, chemical hazards persist at Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants\n\nPilgrim’s Pride is the world’s second largest poultry producer. The firm’s repeat violations of chemical process safety management should earn them OSHA’s severe violator label.\n\n\nUS Chemical Safety Board to hit hard on OSHA’s inaction on chemical hazards\n\nThe US Chemical Safety Board has been criticized for not doing more to press recipients of its recommendations to implement them. At a public meeting later this month, the Board will consider classifying OSHA’s response to several recommendations as “Open-Unacceptable.”\n\n\nWhen Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) passed away Monday at the age of 89, the Senate lost one of its longest-serving members and the US lost a public-health champion.\n\nColorado community demanded health impact review of 200 proposed natural gas wells\n\n\nDeath on the Job report: US workers deserve better protections\n\nThe AFL-CIO’s “Death on the Job” report shows why U.S. workers deserve much better protections than they are getting.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6974111795425415}
{"content": "B Vitamins for Bariatric Surgery Patients\n\nafter Weight\n\nAfter gastric bypass surgery, malabsorption symptoms are common because vitamins are mostly absorbed in the digestive tract. High quality bariatric vitamins are necessary to prevent nutritional deficiencies.\n\nMalabsorption problems will vary in severity depending on how your nutrition was before surgery and how radical your form of surgery was. In general, gastric band and gastric sleeve surgeries allow for better absorption. But every kind of weight loss surgery results in some loss of your ability to absorb vitamins. This is why it's vitally important that you take a good supplement.\n\nVitamin B1 after Weight Loss Surgery\n\nEvery living thing on the planet needs Vitamin B1, but animals are the life form that most take it in by food. The richest source of this vitamin in food is in the form of yeast and pork.\n\nGiven the limitations in carbohydrates after weight loss surgery, supplementation is necessary to ensure intake of adequate levels of this vitamin. Increases over the USDA recommended daily allowance may even lead to perceived increases in mental clarity.\n\nVitamin B2 for Weight Loss Patients\n\nVitamin B2, in the form of Riboflavin, can be found in foods like milk, eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and meat.\n\nIt may help prevent cervical cancer, prevent cataracts, reduce age related memory loss, boost the immune system, may help improve the health of hair and skin, reduce canker sores, reduce muscle cramping, and even help athletic performance.\n\nIt can also be used for treating migraines. Vitamin B12 is also known for increasing energy levels, boosting the immune system, and increasing an overall sense of well-being.\n\nRead User's Comments(0)\n\nBariatric Surgery - Drastic Measures for Drastic Measurements\n\nexcess weight\n\nIt used to be that bariatric surgery or stomach stapling was a rare and extreme response to dangerous cases of obesity.\n\n\nWith most of us normally so reluctant to go under the knife, what's driving the popularity of bariatric procedures? Quite simply, as an investment in health, they offer a very high return.\n\n\n\n\nAccording to the Journal of the American Medical Association, bariatric surgery offers the best treatment to produce sustained weight loss in patients who are morbidly obese.\n\n\nRead User's Comments(0)\n\nBalancing Hormones For Permanent Weight Loss\n\nhormone that\n\nI found that lifestyle choices can lead to an imbalance in hormones, and this imbalance in hormones can lead to weight gain or make it difficult to maintain a desired weight, even if you are following a healthy diet and exercising. So let's look at what hormones affect your weight, and what you can do to balance these hormones and permanently lose weight and/or maintain your ideal weight.\n\nGhrelin is a hormone that increases your appetite, decreases your satiety and increases the amount of fat you store. It also stimulates the reward center in your brain for unhealthy foods such as sugary and fatty foods. When you have high levels of ghrelin, it is extremely difficult to lose weight or maintain a desired weight. Thinking that you can eat sugary, fatty, processed and refined foods and continue to maintain your ideal weight is a lie! Research has shown that you can suppress ghrelin production by eating natural, wholesome foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, chicken, eggs, turkey and lamb. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation will lead to an increase in ghrelin levels, appetite and hunger and that the supplement, 5-HTP, will help promote sleep and decrease sugar cravings.\n\nLeptin is a hormone that suppresses your appetite and let's your brain know when you have stored enough fat in your body. When you gain weight, the leptin in your body stops working properly, and you become resistant to the signals that leptin sends. This resistance leads to additional weight gain and makes weight loss nearly impossible. Research has shown that the best way to increase levels of this natural appetite suppressant is to eat anti inflammatory foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, cold water fish, nuts, beans and seeds.\n\nhormone that\n\nRead User's Comments(0)\n\nBalanced Diet For Children\n\nvitamins minerals\n\nWhile developing a balanced diet for children is not hard, you do have to keep in mind that what works for adults does not work for kids. Children in general are much more active than adults and since they are still growing, they need to eat foods that are highly nutritious. Children develop life long eating habits when they are young as well, so presenting the correct food groups is very important. If a child learns how to eat correctly when they are young, they are twice as likely to eat healthy as they become an adult.\n\nHow Nutrition Can Affect Growth\n\nProtein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals contribute to different aspects of development including proper bone and teeth growth. It is estimated that approximately 96% of children do not consume the correct amount of these foods as recommended by the food pyramid. This can lead to a host of health problems that could range from dental problems such as cavities and gum disease to bones that are weak and brittle. Iron is also absorbed from these foods and is needed for proper cell transportation of oxygen. For children to develop properly and be healthy, foods from all food groups should be included every day.\n\nHow Nutrition Affects Education\n\nRecent studies have shown that children who lack the proper diet often have lower test scores. Improper nutrition is also directly linked to aggressive behavior and problem with attention in class. In order to provide your child with the tools needed to obtain a proper education, you must include a healthy diet.\n\nfood groups\n\nRead User's Comments(0)\n\nBalanced Diet For Body Building\n\nbody building\n\nBody building and diet are like two faces of the same coin. Without one thing the other cannot exist. It is important for you to know the value of diet if you are very serious of building your body. Probably a million dollar is spent in a year throughout the world by many private companies to come up with commercials for their products. However the fact is you do not need to shell out a dollar to eat a good diet.\n\nBefore we go into detail of diet and body building we need to understand the concept of balanced diet. As the name itself indicated balanced diet is one which has all the components in a balanced quantity. The components of a normal diet can be divided into carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Minor components includes vitamins, minerals, antioxidant etc. so a balanced diet is one which has all these things in proper quantities which helps the body to produces extra muscle mass which is needed for body building.\n\nKnow coming to the question as to why a good diet is required by body builders. The answer is without a proper balanced diet the body will not be able to handle the amount of stress and strain put on the body while exercising. It is very vital that the body is supplied with proper amount of nutrients which will allow the body to function normally and also handle the extra amount of work.\n\nThe concept of balanced diet Is not a new one.It has been there for several decades now. However the significance of this was not discovered very recently. If a body builder consumes a balance diet he or she does not needs to consume any extra supplements to help him or her achieve their goal. Balanced diet contains sufficient proteins that is required to repair and rebuild the muscle fibers. It also contains fats which can take care of the skin and assist is absorption of vitamins. The beauty of balanced diet is that even with the presence of fats and carbohydrates one does not put on extra weight. The reason being that the carbohydrates and fats are present in just the right quantity that is necessary for the proper functioning of the body.\n\nRead User's Comments(1)\n\nBaldness and Hair Loss Affect Men and Women - Fight Back, Regrow Hair Naturally Today\n\nhave side effects\n\nAre you the victim of the most common form of hair loss found in both men and women known as androgenic alopecia. In males, this condition is male-pattern baldness because there is a well-defined pattern of loss of hair which overtime the hairline recedes. Hair becomes thinner gradually causing baldness. Male-pattern baldness is caused by the increased level of the hormone dihyfrotestosterone (DHT). Researchers don't completely understand how DHT affects the scalp but it is known if a person is genetically prone to baldness, DHT may initiate the process of follicular miniaturization. This process can start as early as the end of puberty. Follicular miniaturization progressively leads to thinner and thinner hair until it is completely lost. When there is to much DHT in the scalp, it binds itself to hair follicles blocking the blood supply and preventing hair from growing. As time goes on, the follicles are being starved from nutrients, causing shrinkage, and hair shaft to decrease. Your hair gets thinner. When hair shaft becomes too small, new hair cannot grow from the follicle.\n\nDo You Know What You Can Do To Prevent Hair Loss?\n\nIt is possible to prevent and reverse baldness that is the good news! Because baldness is primarily caused by the excess amounts of DHT, the best solution is to decrease the level of DHT. You can do this by using synthetic chemical drugs or natural remedies.\n\nthey have side effects\n\nThe effectiveness of drugs such as Propecia or Rogaine is not universally accepted. Since, these are synthetic chemicals, they have side effects, gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, chest pains, blurred vision etc.\n\nRead User's Comments(1)\n\nBalanced Diet - Find Out What is a Nutritional Based Diet\n\nbalanced diet\n\nA balanced diet is something we are constantly reminded of in magazines and by the government as ways of leading a healthy and longer life. Not always that easy with so many temptations along the way offering fast food, sugary and fatty foods. Smoking and alcohol don't help and missed meals are taken because of the pace in which we live. It is a discipline to not deviate of course. The benefits do far out way the negatives. A well balanced diet provides you with energy, clear skin, healthy body and organs, a sharp mind and protects you from diseases and infections.\n\nA balanced diet is the adequate amount of nutrients required for living and growth.\n\nWe can talk of food in five groups for a healthy balanced diet-\n\n1) Cereals, wheat and rice are need for starch, carbohydrates, Vitamin B and of course fibre. We should have 6 -8 servings daily.\n\n2) Dairy products like milk and cheese provide us with protein, calcium and vitamins like A, B2, B12 and D. Daily intake 2 -4\n\n3) Vegetable and fruit for minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and fibre. Daily servings 2 -3\n\nbalanced diet\n\n4) Meat , fish and poultry for protein, vitamin B12 , zinc and iron. Daily servings 2 -3\n\n5) Oils, fats and sugars are the major source of energy for our bodies.\n\nI know it is easy for health chiefs to dictate their ideas on what we should be eating and it is not always easy to fit these recommended servings into our busy lifestyles. How ever a useful tip is if you should miss out on your daily intake alway carry some fruit around with you or nutrition bar.\n\nRead User's Comments(1)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6914269328117371}
{"content": "How does Judicial Review Work?\n\n\nGenerally speaking, judicial review works when a judge looks for a previous case in order to determine the outcome of a current case at hand. If there was no previous case, or if the outcome of that case was not relevant, then the judge makes a new decision or law.\n1 Additional Answer\nJudicial review works by allowing a court to decide whether or not a law is constitutional. If they decide the law is not constitutional, the law is automatically null and void.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9112513065338135}
{"content": "This essay examines existing sociological explanations of the development of the central surveillance of citizens in the light of the English experience, and finds them wanting. Sociologists see the state using surveillance for the benefit of capitalist elites, to reimpose social control over the “society of strangers” created by industrialisation. But surveillance pre-dated industrialisation, and the development of information gathering by state elites had more to do with their own need to preserve their position both within the English polity, and international geo-politics.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9974154829978943}
{"content": "Out Wit Deer\n\n          Nav Blank\nOutwit Deer\nHow to Outwit Other Critters\nWhat Other Experts Say\nThe Encyclopedia of Deer by Dr.Leonard Lee Rue III\n\nDeer - Diet\n\nDeer diet, as with most wild animals is quite varied. They are more often than not browsers, meaning they prefer foods that are 12 inches are taller above ground, but they will graze if needed. They prefer grasses, vines, shrubs, fruits eating all parts of the plant including woody stems. They enjoy plants over animal foods and have quite the appetite. How does this translate to your yard? Deer will eat just about any vegetable in your garden, save for the pungent ones such as garlic and onions, but a truly hungry animal will eat any food. They will eat the leaves off your fruit trees and in the winter the twigs from them, too!\n\nNutritional value of the foods deer eat is very important to the survival and viability of the species. Deer who do not get the proper nutritional balance will fall prey to diseases quickly.\n\nDeer Diet-Food\n\nAs an herbivore, these large mammals eat only plants. In the wild they prefer Osage orange, oaks, sumacs in the south. In the Northeast white cedar, white pine, maples, yellow birch, dogwoods and vibirnum, sumac, aspen, jack pine, oaks, ash, white birch, witch hazel. The best grain crops and grasses include oats, wheat and rye and bluegrass, brome grass and cheat grass. On the smaller side they will partake quite joyfully in alfalfa, bluebells, burnet, cloves, dandelion and wild lettuce, sweet clover and onions.\n\nThe leaves and twigs of shrubs preferred by deer include bitterbrush, buckwheat, dogwood, serviceberries’, sagebrush and willows.\n\nTrees including crabapple, apple and chokecherry have leaves and fruits much appreciated by deer, too. Mushrooms are eaten, as well.\n\nIn your vegetable garden they enjoy beans, peas, pansies, impatiens, geraniums, and just about everything you can grow.\n\nDeer Diet-Physical Attributes\n\nDeer diet is comprised of a lot of low nutrient foods. To help them make the most of this menu the deer are equipped with a four (4) chambered stomach. Deer are considered ruminant animals or animals that chew their food twice. Basically the process involves the food entering the first stomach where it is softened. The food than is regurgitated up and back into the mouth where it is chewed again. This second generation food is call “cud”. The deer then will swallow its food again which will then enter the second part of the stomach, then the third, followed by forth each of which perform more digested.\n\nWith over 40 percent of a deer’s energy coming from food absorbed in its first stomach it is not difficult to correlate overall health of the animals based on the available food supply.\n\nDeer Diet-Seasonal Variances\n\nFood sources available in the fall, winter, and early spring are most critical to deer because they affect body condition, winter survival, and reproduction. During these seasons, deer browse on the leaves, needles, buds, and twig ends of trees and shrubs. During these periods nuts and tree buds become a very important part of the deer diet.\n\nOverall these mammals will enjoy eating acorns, nuts, fruits and green plants in the summer, evergreens and grasses in the fall, and switching over to woody plants in the winter.\n\nWhether or not they visit your yard may actually depend on the seasonal variations of your location. You may find deer more frequent in your landscape if you live in mountainous areas for their normal food supply is buried beneath a deep layer of snow. If you have a regular dry season, deer will be more apt to venture into yards during the dry seasons versus the rainy seasons.\n\nDeer Diet-Benefits and Detriments to Humans and the Ecosystem\nThe deer diet has many detriments to humans, due for the most part to their ability to eat most any plant in sight. This type of diet can cause harm to backyard gardens and farmers crops.\n\nAds by Outwit-Critters\nDeer Repellent!\nProtection from Deer Damage. Simply sprinkle around your Yard. 100% safe & natural", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5403687953948975}
{"content": "If it had happened today, Ayrton's Senna's crash might not have been fatal. Channel 4 News looks back at a moment that changed F1 forever, as a film about the star - Senna - arrives in UK cinemas.\n\n\n\n\nBefore the race Senna had expressed his upset at the death of his fellow driver in the qualifying session. When nurses removed the Brazilian's overalls after the fatal crash, an Austrian flag was found tucked under Senna's sleeve presumably intended to be waved from his cockpit in tribute to Ratzenberger after his expected victory.\n\nAyrton Senna for McLaren. (Reuters)\n\n\nThe circumstances of his death, and the mystery surrounding his car's malfunction, have been the subject of legal battles, trials and finger-pointing.\n\nThe specific cause of the crash has never been determined, yet the effect that the death of arguably Formula One's greatest talent created an unprecedented investigation and reform of F1 safety.\n\nWe lifted him from the cockpit and laid him on the ground. As we did... I felt his soul depart at that moment. Sid Watkins, friend and F1 chief medical officer\n\n\n\n\nWheel bracket\nThe wheel brackets buckled and penetrated Senna's visor on impact causing an injury above his eye that would again have been enough to kill him. The two safety measures explained above indicate how the possibility of this happening again have been reduced. A comparison of the Massa crash in 2009, Michael Schumacher's head-on collision in 1999 which broke his leg, and Senna's fatal accident in 1994 highlights the achievements of 17 years progress in safety measures.\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5080270767211914}
{"content": "SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online\n\nvol.15 issue3Quality of life and cognitive level of elderly members of conviviality groupsInfluence of religious orientation in the quality of life of active elderly author indexsubject indexarticles search\nHome Pagealphabetic serial listing  \n\nRevista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia\n\nPrint version ISSN 1809-9823\n\n\nMARTIN, Fabíola Giannattasio; NEBULONI, Clarice Cavalero  and  NAJAS, Myrian Spínola. Correlation between nutritional status and hand grip strength in elderly. Rev. bras. geriatr. gerontol. [online]. 2012, vol.15, n.3, pp. 493-504. ISSN 1809-9823.\n\nIn the aging process, body changes occur, such as reduction of lean mass with impaired muscle strength, affecting the functional capacity. Currently, the Hand Grip Strength Test (HGST) is being used to evaluate the overall muscle strength as an aid in nutritional assessment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the HGST and nutritional status in the elderly. METHODS: Cross sectional study on elderly people attending outpatient of a Federal Public University. To evaluate the nutritional status, were used: body mass index (BMI), nutritional evaluation by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), calf circumference and HGST performed with the aid of a hydraulic hand dynamometer. It was used as reference for the GSTP and the BMI, cutoff points divided by gender (SABE / OPAS Project). RESULTS: The sample was mostly formed (n = 42) by women (66.7%), with an average of 26.82 points in the MNA and BMI, most seniors were eutrophic - 46.4% women and 57.1% men. Men and women were averaged over 31 cm of calf circumference. The average strength for men was higher than women. There was no statistically significant difference between nutritional status classified by BMI and HGST for men and women, there was a statistically significant correlation (p 0.008) between the nutritional status classified by MNA and hand grip strength in the total sample. CONCLUSIONS: Among the methods to assess nutritional status, only MNA correlated positively with the HGST, which is a measure associated with the functionality in the elderly.\n\nKeywords : Aging; Nutrition Assessment; Dynamometer Muscle Strength; Muscle strength.\n\n        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · pdf in Portuguese", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7351112365722656}
{"content": "Saturday, May 12, 2012\n\nA Healthy Society - Chapter 9 Discussion\n\nIn his conclusion to A Healthy Society, Ryan Meili sums up his overall message about how health can serve as the central theme for political organization, and notes that the message holds plenty of public appeal already (with further room to grow as people learn about the impact of policy on the broad definition of health):\nThe core idea of this book is not just that health should guide our policy decisions; it should also be the language of our politics. Because people care about health, they are more likely to respond to political messages that reflect that concern. This is about framing, not in a manipulative way, but in a way that connects diverse and complex issues to a core concern. It’s not an approach to advance the marketing success of one party, it’s a means of rehabilitating a sick political system. A focus on health, demanded by an increasingly aware population, can force every party to reconsider its decisions and positions in relation to the determinants. It can establish an environment in which, rather than bombarded shoppers in the marketplace of clashing ideas and conflicting priorities, people can see themselves as part of a common project, as working together toward the goal of a healthier society.\n(P)eople 1) understand to a degree the role of the social determinants of health, 2) believe that large inequalities in health outcomes are unacceptable, and 3) think that something can and should be done about it. Despite this understanding and concern, for some reason the determinants of health and health inequality are not visible in much of the discourse of public policy.\nIf people want a healthy society they must identify that as their goal, and take the steps needed to make it happen. This means connecting with those who are engaged in civil society and social movements. It means jumping off from the starting point of this book to deeper learning and understanding. It means joining — or forming! — a political party and advocating from within that structure for greater accountability and democracy. It also means the difficult task of talking to those who don’t agree with you, of raising the uncomfortable issues of poverty and inequality and seeking common ground to address them. The idea of a healthy society, particularly one with greater equality, will certainly run up against many detractors. People will come up with all kinds of reasons why change is not possible, why we must only react to the economically inevitable, why citizens can’t be trusted to make wise decisions, why we’re stuck.\n\nWe’re not stuck. There is a lot that can be done, and successful examples abound. We need to first see that we are all in this together.\nFollowing up on the quoted passage, though, I'll raise a few questions as to whether health is indeed the right core principle to define what we want to achieve in building a political future.\n\nWe certainly don't have a lack of competing alternatives: from the nurturing/empathetic model for progressive discourse favoured by George Lakoff to themes like equality, sustainability, security, liberty, collectivism and inclusion which regularly form the basis for political arguments against conservative counterparts. So I'll encourage readers to consider a few points for the above as well as other available central themes:\n  • How consistent is the theme with both our innate understanding of the world, and our current cultural background?\n  • Is the theme seen positively enough serve as a broadly unifying principle and focus for organization - both within a single party and in the general political scene?\n  • Conversely, is the theme well enough defined that it gives rise to a coherent certain course of action? (Put another way, is it meaningful enough to pass Susan Delacourt's platitude test?)\nMy initial thought is that the \"healthy\" theme compares well to the other options on the first two points for the reasons pointed out by Meili.\n\nThat said, it may carry some weaknesses on the third. We'd rightly see it as absurd for any politician to argue against a healthier society - but that very lack of controversy also makes the term vulnerable to being co-opted (I presume the Healthy Oil Institute is being incorporated as you read this), rather than serving as a stable frame for organization and discussion. And there may be more work to be done in defining what we mean by a broad conception of \"health\", how we can measure it and how to contrast it against competing values before we can consider it a clearly superior organizing theme.\n\nI'll close by thanking Ryan for allowing me the opportunity to review and discuss his book. And while I've found a few points to quibble with in my chapter reviews, there's plenty within A Healthy Society that should serve as a focus for progressive discussion in Saskatchewan and beyond.\n\nSaturday Morning Links\n\nAssorted content for your weekend reading.\n\n- Dr. Dawg responds to Andrew Coyne's suggestion about cracking down on advocacy by charities with an entirely reasonable suggestion as to how to allocate our resources:\nGiven that charities do essential work that the government does not fund—feeding and clothing the poor, defending the environment, offering training to new immigrants, etc., etc.—let the government take over those functions directly rather than indirectly, as arguably it should.\n\nAdvocacy, which as already noted enhances the democratic process, could be moved onto the national stage by subsidizing representative advisory groups, such as the recently-disbanded National Council of Welfare and the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy.\nThere is only one taxpayer. How my money gets to those in need is not my concern. But the latter do require, and must have, the assistance of the more fortunate: that, too, is part of our social contract. Proposing measures that would in practice simply reduce charitable revenues is inimical to the Canada that most of us believe in.\n- Susan Delacourt frames her latest column in terms of frustration with an outbreak of \"going forward\" as a substitute for meaningful political conversation. But the more important takeaway for anybody interested in actually influencing our ultimate direction looks to be a general principle rather than a single example:\nLong ago, someone gave me a simple trick to understanding political rhetoric.\n\nListen to what a politician is promising to do, and then put a “not” in front of the words. If the opposite is preposterous — ridiculous, even — then you’re not hearing a promise, you’re hearing a platitude. It’s greeting-card politics.\n\n“Focusing on the economy” is one such phrase, for instance, which is just as rampant as “going forward.” If there is anyone in elected office in Canada who is not focusing on the economy, the citizens might well be concerned. Isn’t it part of the job description for politicians?\nA real focus on the economy would involve a discussion of choices: raising or cutting taxes, where to cut the budget, which kind of jobs are going to disappear, and which need to be created. Focusing on the economy isn’t a policy or a choice. It’s a platitude unless it’s accompanied by substantial talk of the options.\n - And once one digs past the bare facade of \"focus on the economy\" which has served as the Cons' leading set of talking points for ages, it's virtually impossible to defend any of their actual choices - such as endangering refugees' health (and potentially public health as well) for the sole purpose of being seen as less welcoming.\n\n- Finally, Terry Milewski reports on the challenge to the 2011 election result in Eglinton Lawrence - where the Cons once again seem to have used their list of outrage-generating hobby horses (in this case voting without proper verification) as an operating manual.\n\nFriday, May 11, 2012\n\nMusical interlude\n\nMike Shiver & Aruna - Everywhere You Are (Catching Sun Mix)\n\nOn tectonic shifts\n\nI haven't spent much time discussing the spate of recent polls showing the NDP with a modest lead on the Cons, as those top-line results can easily enough be considered an expected consequence of a tired government trying to force through controversial legislation against a popular new leader. But CARP's latest member polling demands some comment - as it reflects that the NDP isn't merely holding roughly the level and type of support it had around the time of the 2011 election, but instead adding a potentially decisive new set of voters to its camp.\n\nBy way of comparison, even at the height of its campaign support in 2011, the NDP faced a double-digit deficit compared to the Cons among older voters. In effect, the election came down to a clash of younger and change-oriented voters on the side of the NDP against older, stability-oriented voters on the side of the Cons - and a turnout advantage among the latter group allowed the Cons to emerge with a majority.\n\nBut now, CARP's poll shows the NDP with a lead approaching double digits among its members (who were substantially more aligned with the Cons as of 2011 than older voters in general). And if the NDP can add that group to its 2011 edge among younger and newer voters, then there may be rather little support left for the Cons to pursue.\n\nAnd what's more, a strong majority of CARP respondents are outright expecting a change in government in 2015. Which means that even leaving aside the doubts respondents have about the Cons' choice of policies and tactics, the case for \"more of the same\" looks likely to fall flat among the voters who accepted it just a year ago.\n\nOf course, I'm sure the Cons will come up with some new strategy to scare voters back into their corner. But the fact that the senior base is even in play looks to be awfully dangerous for the Cons - and may serve as the first particularly strong signal that the NDP is in fact well ahead of where it was a year ago.\n\nFriday Morning Links\n\nAssorted content to end your week.\n\n- Erin points out that there's a relatively simple cure for Dutch disease - just as long as provincial governments are willing to put citizens ahead of resource extractors:\n(S)ince resources are priced in American dollars, the higher exchange rate further reduces provincial resource revenues in Canadian dollars. Saskatchewan’s recent budget estimates that each U.S. cent of appreciation in the loonie reduces non-renewable resource revenue by $34 million.\n\nThe solution is to increase royalty rates, which would moderate the flow of foreign funds into our resource industries and collect the public revenue needed for the provincial savings funds that MacPherson advocates.\n\nOf course, if Saskatchewan did so alone, it would have relatively little impact on the national exchange rate. That is why Mulcair’s comments were directed at the unbalanced development of Alberta’s oilsands – a larger-scale giveaway of public resources.\n\nBut Wall is defensive because he has mimicked and even undercut Alberta by guaranteeing ultra-low royalties to the private corporations that extract Saskatchewan’s non-renewable resources. This policy would be short-sighted even if it had no effect on the exchange rate. Dutch disease, including a proportionally larger loss of manufacturing jobs in Saskatchewan than in the rest of Canada, is just another negative consequence.\n\nMulcair has articulated a balanced approach to resource development that would generate more public revenue, a more competitive exchange rate, and more manufacturing jobs. Saskatchewan is well positioned to help implement and benefit from this approach by raising provincial resource royalties.\n\n- Chris Selley suspects that the Cons will really be in trouble when Canadians start laughing at them - and suggests there's ample reason to do so. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't also work on building outrage where it's justified - such as where the Cons hand million-dollar giveaways to their cronies for projects which have been soundly rejected on their merits.\n\n- Meanwhile, there are also serious issues in play as the Cons work on dismantling any semblance of environmental protection in the name of resource-sector profits. And Thomas Walkom highlights the citizen-driven opposition to the Gateway pipeline as one type of dissent the Cons may have trouble silencing.\n\n- Fortunately, it may simply be enough for everybody who's under gag orders from the Cons to decline to comply. Which may make the Cons' partial climbdown on F-35s interesting in light of the news that the aerospace sector was ordered not to comment on the subject.\n\nThursday, May 10, 2012\n\nA Healthy Society - Chapter 8 Discussion\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThursday Morning Links\n\nThis and that for your Thursday reading.\n\n- Jim Stanford sets the record straight as to how Canada's manufacturing sector has eroded over the past couple of decades:\n(T)echnology can explain some of the job loss, but not most of it. It certainly cannot explain the disproportionate carnage in Canadian manufacturing, nor the all-out industrial warfare which now characterizes much of the sector (like the management lockouts at Caterpillar and Rio Tinto). The loss of 500,000 manufacturing jobs in Canada over the last decade was far more dramatic than most jurisdictions. Many factors contributed to this miserable record, including lopsided trading relationships, the volatile trajectory of Canada’s currency, and the unprecedented aggression with which business executives now do anything that boosts profit margins, without regard to community welfare.\nTechnological change applies to all manufacturing jurisdictions, so there should be no secular trend in Canada’s share of total manufacturing production. However, contrary to Moffatt’s assertion, our relative share of global manufacturing has indeed declined dramatically. As recently as 2001, Canada was broadly self-sufficient in manufacturing. Huge volumes of two-way trade entered and left, but at the bottom line we exported as much as we imported (about $300 billion each way). By 2011, however, this balanced position disintegrated into a massive manufacturing deficit of almost $100 billion, which explains 300,000 of the jobs lost since 2001.\nMoffatt’s faith that technological growth makes everyone better off is unjustified by recent history. Lopsided globalization, and the aggressive actions of business leaders, have severed the traditional link between productivity and mass prosperity. That’s why real wages in Canada are no higher today than a quarter-century ago, despite a 35-per-cent increase in labour productivity in the same time. And that’s why Caterpillar executives (who receive salaries worth tens of millions of dollars) feel entitled to demand enormous rollbacks from highly skilled Canadian workers, on pain of total disinvestment.\n And Stanford also points out the issue is hardly a new one.\n\n- Pat Atkinson wonders why the concept of \"family values\" doesn't extend to immigrants - who are now being told by federal and provincial governments alike to choose between Canadian work and their families.\n\n- Jim Hightower discusses how big-money pharmaceutical ad campaigns have turned U.S. health care into a profit driver rather than a system to actually improve health outcomes.\n\n- Finally, Alison and Saskboy offer updates on Robocon. And Jonathan Montpetit opens up public reporting on a brand new Con scandal - with the party's top Quebec organizer openly musing about how corporate interests might be able to buy off political inasiders.\n\nNew column day\n\nHere, on how Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party wants to turn back the clock on workers' rights which have rightly gone unquestioned for near a century.\n\nFor further reading...\n- The actual labour consultation paper can be found here. And I'll encourage readers to make a submission in advance of the July 31 deadline - even if only to point out the absurdity of an exercise in eliminating hours of work limits and other fundamental rights.\n- And for more about the paper, see Murray Mandryk (X2), Erin Weir and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.\n\nWednesday, May 09, 2012\n\nParliament in Review - April 3, 2012\n\nTuesday, April 3, 2012 saw the final day of debate at second reading of the Cons' budget - and once again featured plenty of work by Peter Julian to introduce the types of perspectives the Cons would never tolerate if they could avoid it.\n\nThe Big Issue\n\nOnce again, Julian focused largely on bringing forward comments and concerns from Canadians on the Cons' budget, featuring such apt observations as this:\nI particularly agree with your opposition to raising the retirement age to 67. I am 39 and really hadn't given this issue much thought until I heard you present your case. I've worked in the distribution side of the flooring industry for 17 years. I am not an installer, but many of my customers and friends are. Many flooring installers walk with limps at 45 years old, let alone 67.\nThey literally spend their workdays on their knees and it takes a toll on their bodies. Most of them are too busy working to get involved in politics. I'll definitely take the time to bring this to their attention. Believe me, just because flooring industry workers look at the floor when we walk into a room doesn't mean we're shy. I always love to hear a compliment on a job well done and always try to thank others for one well done today. The NDP's chances of forming government are greatly bolstered with members like your caucus who all work together with experienced members working as mentors to the younger members of your caucus.\nThat encouragement for the NDP's effort to ensure that different voices be heard was echoed by plenty more comments. Meanwhile, other citizens noted that he hadn't had a chance to save enough for retirement to make up for the Cons' OAS slashing (in part due to the economic failings of provincial Conservative governments), and worried about how the OAS changes would drive seniors into poverty. Other correspondents emphasized that the Cons don't speak for all Albertans in pushing unregulated oil development as their sole economic priority while criticizing their refusal to listen to constituents; slammed the anti-democratic instinct to have the most important decisions about Canada's future made behind closed doors with no public input, as well as the cuts to Elections Canada in the wake of Robocon; spoke to the value of Katimavik (including the disappointment of students who had planned to participate this year until the Cons pulled the plug); lambasted the Cons' combined attacks on the environmental movement and complete lack of climate change funding or action, while also noting that First Nations and other affected citizens were being left out of their rubber-stamping process; pointed out that we'd be better off eliminating Deficit Jim Flaherty's sea of red ink by encouraging economic growth rather than throwing civil servants out of work;\n\nMeanwhile, Jinny Sims sought consent to table the correspondence the NDP had received and read into the record; needless to say, that was shot down as the Cons tried to hide from Canadians and their concerns as much as possible. Robert Chisholm cheekily suggested that since the budget didn't actually address jobs and development, those concerns probably shouldn't be part of the budget debate. And Julian highlighted the regional job impacts of the Cons' civil service cuts, as well as the dangers of attacking food inspection.\n\nFinally, Julian finished by discussing the CCF/NDP's proud record of pushing for positive social change long before any other party would countenance it, then moving the NDP's budget amendment. And it's surely a sign that the NDP covered all of the important bases that Scott Brison's subamendment was limited to criticizing a lack of cuts to Stephen Harper's pension and office, rather than any policy actually affecting Canadians directly.\n\nNot My Jurisdiction\n\nAndrew Scheer delivered his ruling on Helene Laverdiere's point of privilege on the Cons' refusal to answer written questions (accompanied by a questionable promise to answer at some point in the future). And while he predictably refused to actually do anything about the problem, at least a couple of his observations look like rather compelling indictments of his party's failure to answer the question as it's ostensibly required to:\nIn the case before us, I can appreciate the member’s frustration with the reply provided. That said, the authorities are clear: the Speaker's role in such matters is extremely limited.\n(T)he hon. member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie clearly feels aggrieved by the insufficiency of the response she received. I would therefore invite her to raise her concerns about our practice with regard to written questions with the Standing Committee and Procedure and House Affairs as that committee continues with its study of the Standing Orders. Indeed, as your Speaker, in light of the various complaints that have been voiced in the chamber with regard to written questions, from both sides of the House, I would encourage the committee to look closely at our current rules and to assess whether improvements can be made to our current practice to better serve the needs of the House and its members.\nIn Brief\n\nNDP MPs introduced four private members' bills: Carol Hughes to create a registry of accidents and occupational disease incidents; Jinny Sims to meet Canada's longstanding commitment to foreign aid funding of 0.7% of GNI; and Joe Comartin to reintroduce judicial discretion in the face of mandatory minimums and to modernize our laws against cruelty to animals.\n\nMeanwhile, Scott Simms spoke to his bill to allow bi-weekly payment of CPP and OAS benefits. Alain Giguere noted that the absence of an increase in benefits would limit what the bill would do for seniors, but Wayne Marston indicated the NDP's support for choice as to how benefits would be delivered - even if that was largely moot given the Cons' refusal to countenance any benefit to seniors which might involve public service jobs.\n\nRosane Dore Lefebvre highlighted Invisible Work Day as a much-needed opportunity to recognize how much important work doesn't count in GDP figures. Dan Harris discussed the links between the Cons, their sketchy American election contractors and their lack of interest in questioning corporate think tank funding gathered by those exact same operators. Olivia Chow questioned cuts to airline safety, while Irene Mathyssen pointed out that the elimination of the National Council on Welfare figures to cover up the consequences of the Cons' attack on OAS and Laverdiere asked why Rights and Democracy had been trashed rather than being restored to its pre-Con level of respect and prestige. And finally in adjournment proceedings Mathyssen pointed out the Cons' sad track record of gender disparity in judicial appointment committees (and subsequent appointments), while Andrew Cash highlighted that \"why don't they just buy a house of their own?\" isn't a valid answer to Canadians who can't find or afford rental housing?\n\nWednesday Morning Links\n\nMiscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.\n\n- Martin Papillon offers up some lessons for the NDP in Francois Hollande's French presidential victory:\nBeing ideological does not have to mean being radical. It means anchoring your platform in a clear, coherent set of ideas that will resonate with the electorate, including more centrist voters who could lean your way. Under the current political climate in Canada, there is little risk for the NDP in campaigning on a progressive platform, as long as it is perceived as the main, credible, alternative to the Conservatives.\n\nThe socialists under Hollande used this approach with great success. Listening to some of his key speeches, it was striking to note the prominence of classic progressive themes such as equality, social justice, and solidarity. The key, of course, is how one deploys these foundational ideas. Hollande’s progressive discourse was tied to concrete themes that resonated with the French electorate. When socialists spoke about social justice, it was in reference to the growing gap between the well-heeled elite and the middle class. This was a gap that Sarkozy, nicknamed “president bling-bling,” embodied for many French.\n\nHollande was not afraid to ruffle some feathers, either. He demonized the greed of a “faceless” financial sector and challenged his future European allies to privilege economic recovery over austerity measures. Hollande campaigned on themes that made sense to the middle class. This is why Mulcair is on the right track with his approach to the environment and the oil sands. Development may be good, he has suggested, but it comes with a cost. Let’s be honest and make sure we don’t simply pass on this cost to future generations.\n- Meanwhile, Tim Harper rightly notes that despite some highly-coordinated faux outrage from the Cons and their fellow corporate shills, it's Mulcair who occupies the reasonable ground as the NDP and Cons debate whether to make all other Canadian interests subordinate to the whims of the oil patch.\n\n- Jim Stanford points out out that the Cons are proudly taking credit for pushing jobs toward disposable temporary foreign workers rather than developing sustainable industries in Canada.\n\n- All of which goes a long way toward explaining the Cons' war on brains. But fortunately, they haven't been able to shut down intelligent discussion just yet - as exemplified by Charmaine Borg's effort to take the lead in studying the privacy implications of social media.\n\nTuesday, May 08, 2012\n\nTuesday Night Cat Blogging\n\nHeat-seeking cats.\n\nTuesday Morning Links\n\nThis and that for your Tuesday reading.\n\n- Linda McQuaig is hopeful that Quebec's student protests against tuition hikes might remind many Canadians that we can do more than just meekly accept austerity and inequality:\nWhat seems to particularly gall some English Canadian commentators is the fact that the Quebec students — who reached a tentative deal with the province on the weekend after a three-month strike — have been protesting tuition hikes that would still leave them with the lowest tuition in the country. Why can’t these spoiled brats be grateful, and go back games and keeping up with the Kardashians like normal, well-adjusted North American youth?\nIt’s that old problem about Quebec. Somehow people there manage to shake a bit loose from the rigid corporate-imposed mindset that has gripped North America in recent decades, convincing us that we as a society must cut back on things — like university education and old age pensions — that were somehow affordable in days when our society was a lot less rich.\nIt’s an odd form of self-indulgence. Tens of thousands of students have marched hundreds of hours in the cold, potentially jeopardizing their academic (and financial) futures, in order to champion accessible education for all as the cornerstone of a democratic society.\nIf only they could be less self indulgent, and stick to drinking, partying and finding themselves a comfortable niche in the corporate world.\n- Drew Anderson wonders whether the Cons have lost their touch in attacking opposition leaders based on their tepid initial swipes at Thomas Mulcair:\nThe long waiting game is over. Finally, the ruthless attack machine of the Conservative Party has roared to life and taken aim at Tom Mulcair. A little later than expected, to be sure, but with the deepest warchest in Canadian politics and a mean streak the size of Lake Superior, surely worth the wait.\n\nExcept it’s not. It’s just a website. And a really bad one at that.\nHarper’s Conservatives are worried that negative attacks might actually help the NDP unite the non-Conservative vote, something they are desperate to avoid.\n\nNothing would highlight that the NDP is now the main threat to the Conservatives like unleashing a negative barrage. Nothing would serve as a better rallying point for non-Conservatives. Certainly nothing would bring in more money to the NDP coffers.\n\nThe Harper Conservatives know this, and so while surely not happy to be looking up at their main opponent, they took a pass on defining their main opponent in favour of riding out the honeymoon. For now they seem resigned to snipe around the edges on amateurish websites and keep their powder dry for another day.\n\nAt least until someone pokes the dragon in the eye.\nBut I'll add a third distinguishing factor between now and the timing of the Cons' previous campaigns against Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff: instead of having to frame an opposition leader immediately based on the prospect of a snap election, they can count on holding power for three and a half more years no matter how ineffective their attacks are. And we shouldn't be entirely surprised if the Cons use that extra time to allow messages to build up over a period of years - rather than seeing a need to launch their strongest slams at the outset.\n\n- Meanwhile, Dave Cournoyer muses about what Thomas Mulcair's brazen recognition of Dutch disease might do to federal politics in Western Canada. But it's well worth keeping in mind that the interests of Suncor aren't necessary the same as those of actual citizens - and as much as Brad Wall has been allowed to write his own headlines about Mulcair's comments, the message that the supposed benefits of a petro-state aren't all they're cracked up to be will find a receptive argument in a good chunk of the West as well.\n- Finally, kudos to Tu Thanh Ha for not only reporting on the latest example of the Federal Court of Appeal finding a breach of natural justice in Vic Toews' treatment of Canadian citizens abroad, but also putting it in context within a longstanding Con pattern of neglect.\n\nMonday, May 07, 2012\n\nMonday Morning Links\n\nMiscellaneous material to start your week.\n\n- The Cons' attacks on the environment and its defenders are starting to attract plenty of unwanted attention, with the Globe and Mail editorial board weighing in as the NDP, the other opposition parties and the environmental movement join forces to reject the utter demolition of environmental legislation.\n\n- Meanwhile, the Mound of Sound comments on the Cons' complete lack of preparation for the inevitable consequences of pushing through a pipeline project without listening to the people concerned about their land and water.\n\n- And Nathan Vanderklippe discusses the Cons' plan to suppress wages for Canadians by importing disposable immigrant workers.\n\n- Finally, Carol Goar notes that the Cons are getting sloppy even on their own terms - which should offer reason for hope that we'll see some real change starting no later than 2015. And John Ibbitson recognizes that a contrast in interests and values between a government focused entirely on greasing the skids for the oil industry and a central Canadian electorate seeing its economy stagnate as a result figures to pose a great opportunity for the NDP.\n\nA Healthy Society - Chapter 7 Discussion\n\nChapter 7 of Ryan Meili's A Healthy Society focuses on health care - with a heavy emphasis on ideas such as improved rural access and a Crown pharmaceutical manufacturer which should sound familiar to those who have followed Meili's previous political involvement. But I'll highlight Meili's link between health care and the general policy themes of redistribution and compassion:\nMedicare is an active and effective form of redistributing wealth. Those who have benefited most from our nation’s wealth, and who in general have the good health to show for it, contribute to improving the health of those who have not. This is why Medicare is such a cornerstone of public policy in Canada, and a perennially popular one among the general public. It’s also why it faced such virulent resistance upon introduction and continues to be under persistent, recurrent attack in the face of the overwhelming evidence for its success.\n\nThose pressures and attacks will only continue to mount as income equality grows. The poor and disadvantaged use a disproportionately higher amount of hospitals, medications, and physician services. In Saskatoon, residents of the low-income neighbourhoods use thirty-five per cent more health care resources than middle and high-income residents, amounting to $179 million more per year in costs. This makes it clear that health care is not the only way in which we should redistribute wealth. Not only does failing to address this issue raise moral questions, such as how to explain our willingness to help people when they’re sick and dying but not to mobilize the resources to keep them healthy, but it also poses a risk to the political feasibility of Medicare. When we don’t cover pharmaceutical costs or dental services, we increase costs not only for individuals, but for the system...\n\nA system as fair and compassionate as Medicare needs to reflect a society that is also compassionate and fair. If all the weight of dealing with the fallout of growing social inequality falls on the health care system, the cries of crisis will rise, and the commitment of those who are being asked to contribute more than they gain will continue to erode. Before long we will find ourselves in a situation where patients like Mrs. Peters or Brandon would be asked first not, “How can I help?” but “How will you pay?”\nWhile Meili focuses largely on the practical point, I'd think his moral observation is the one which probably deserves additional emphasis. In effect, our health care system depends on the idea of basic health security: that a lack of money will never stand in the way of one's access to the treatment needed to deal with an immediate illness. But the same principle would seem to apply equally well to housing security, or income security, or all kinds of other basic prerequisites to individual and community health.\n\nOf course, as Meili notes, the fact that we're investing less and less in those priorities (as the price of massive upper-end tax cuts) has been used by far too many commentators as an excuse to attack health care as well. But our commitment to Medicare serves to reflect how much we cherish exactly the type of compassionate values needed to support other steps beyond the health care system we have now. And we should be looking for additional opportunities to enhance individual security - rather than accepting the spin that all we can do is hope that any given social support will escape a budgetary axe for a few more years before making way for corporate interests.\n\nSunday, May 06, 2012\n\nParliament in Review - April 2, 2012\n\nMonday, April 2 saw the second day of Peter Julian's extended budget speech. And perhaps the point most worth noting is how many Canadians outside of Parliament took the opportunity have their voices heard in the budget debate.\n\nThe Big Issue\n\nSo let's focus this review on some of the input Julian received from across the country about the Cons' budget, including this on the demolition of the National Council on Welfare:\n\nAnother, from Sault Ste. Marie, wrote, “Very sad, as a statement at home and in the world. They also shut down the National Council of Welfare because they do not want anyone reporting on how much poverty there really is. This is amazing, to think they will actually get away with this. First, the dissolution of Stats Canada, then an attack on organizations, both at home and internationally, that actually advocate on behalf of those at risk. Now substantial cuts to aid and the demise of the National Council on Welfare.”\n\nMr. Speaker, if you are wondering why we are spending hours criticizing the mean-spirited decisions by the government, I think that particular Facebook posting shows to what extent Canadians feel the same way. The decisions are ideologically based. They are not based on the character and values that Canadians share.\nThat commentary in turn led into Julian's own entirely justified criticism of the Cons' attacks on research organizations.\n\nAnother comment focused on the different standard being applied to the oil sector compared to most other parts of Canada's economy:\nA person from Ontario says: “Why do believers in free market continue to feel that oil companies need subsidies from their own government? Somehow, I don't think that environmental assessments are going to stop the oil companies from taking their equipment and going home. Let them work on their own dimes and make sure that they are responsible to the environment and there are adequate environmental assessments”.\nA couple of correspondents from the Cons' Alberta home base criticized the Harper government, one for its impending cuts to Old Age Security and the other for its poor economic management:\nA constituent in Calgary said, “At its worst, this new policy really is a massive insult to seniors. A cynic might even say that the statisticians have crunched the numbers and realized that a few hundred, or even a thousand, people may die between 65 and 67 while waiting for their pension, and they like that idea. Then Canada would not have to pay them pensions at all. It's like saying 'cross my heart and hope you die'. Nobody knows how long they will live, but it is odd to have a government betting on you delaying reaping benefits for all those years of your earnings to the point that maybe you won't be able to reap any benefits at all”.\n\nThe actuarial tables show, tragically, the rate of passing on between the ages of 65 and 67 does go up. It is true that as a result of the government's decision for future seniors, seniors who have worked all their lives to retire at 65 will either live in poverty from ages 65 to 67 because they have no other source of funding and cannot get their pension, or they may pass on. That is just the sad reality.\nA constituent in Lacombe, Alberta said, “The budget points to the Prime Minister's great fear of anything that looks like work. I can agree with the Prime Minister that Canada may be financially better off than Greece; however, I would temper that joy with the reminder of how far behind we are of countries like Finland, Norway and other involved Nordic countries. We have fallen far behind. Those who voted for the Prime Minister with expectations of the good fiscal management he suggested he possessed must be very disappointed when cutting spending rather than growing the Canadian economy is his answer for the Conservatives to continue to hold power”.\nA paramedic expressed disbelief at the expectation that citizens engaged in difficult physical labour could be expected to keep working until age 67:\nA paramedic in Ontario, wrote, “I am a paramedic. I serve the public. That's my life, for the good and the bad. I carry sick people down multiple flights of stairs. I get their respiratory illnesses. I put my life in harm's way for Canadians so they may live longer and with less pain and agony. Do you have any idea what I do in an average day of work? I've been in the business for 21 years now. At the present age of 45, I dream of retirement and hopefully may be able to do so with my health still intact. Prime Minister, you have just made that dream slip further into the future, raising the retirement age to 67. So at the ripe age of 66 and 11 months, I will carry many people younger than I down several flights of stairs. I will get ill from them, with less ability to recuperate at that age, and will still put myself in harm's way. Many other public-based occupations of the same nature and some with less adverse outcomes, the police and fire and even prison guards, are the workers who can retire, but I'll work 42 years in my occupation, thanks to you. Before this last budget it was only 40 years. How can I express my gratitude with you?”\n\nHe says that ironically. This paramedic knows now that as a result of the government's actions he will be forced to work two years longer. This is the point we have been making all along. The government is forcing those in manual occupations to work longer. Whether they are paramedics, carpenters or manual labourers, they have given for years and years and years. They have given all they can and they are looking to that date when they can finally put their body into retirement and heal from years of manual work.\nA Conservative constituent in Nepean-Carlton expressed equal concern about the increased retirement age:\nI would like to go to Nepean-Carleton since we are staying in the Ottawa region. A constituent in this Conservative-held riding say this: “OAS will leave me pretty much in the same boat. Not been working and contributing to CPP due to raising children and then due to a disability, I am a person that will need the OAS. My long-term disability through a private insurer will come to an end at age 65. I don't qualify for Ontario disability benefits. I just heard on CBC that I said to contact the nearest NDP MP. My MP is a Conservative. My question is about the delay of CPP. Currently I am receiving long-term disability benefits until I reach 65 but I didn't qualify for CPP disability. Now I won't be eligible for CPP until 67. How am I supposed to live two years with very little income? How many others will be in my situation? Thanks to the NDP for allowing me to reach out to someone other than my own MP”.\nAnother citizen noted that while the Cons point to increased retirement ages elsewhere, they conveniently omit the fact that Canada's retirement age is set to be pushed far higher than in comparable countries around the globe. Plenty wrote in with their own stories, experiences and discussions as to the impact of Katimavik (which the Cons of course plan to trash). And perhaps the most succinct question about the Cons' overall philosophy can be found here...\nAnother (person) writes, “Since when do we accommodate poverty as opposed to try to prevent it?”\nSo what was the point of Julian's extended address, featuring in particular plenty of concerns from constituents of Con MPs who may not see any hope that the government will listen to them? Well, here's his own explanation:\nIt is no secret that what we are trying to do is to make the case against this budget step by step, brick by brick, by raising constituents' concerns in ridings that are represented by Conservative MPs. I do not think anything could be clearer than to have all of these letters, tweets and Facebook comments flooding in, all of which address Conservative members of Parliament. In all cases, they are saying, “My Conservative MP is not representing me if he or she votes for this budget”. I think that is a very important thing to underscore, that what we are doing through the course of this debate is establishing the case that, effectively, Canadians living in Conservative ridings are making their voices known.\n\nIf I were a Conservative MP, with a bad budget like this that will guarantee fewer jobs, less growth, less prosperity, I would think twice and say, “Hold on. My constituents are reacting. They are reacting to all of the various components of this agenda. Maybe I have to think twice”. Perhaps we will see, over the course of the debate, Conservative MPs standing and saying, “I'm going to represent my constituents. I'm going to vote against this budget because this budget is not good for families in my riding and not good for the country”.\n\nMaybe we will see that. As we read out these letters coming from across the country from Conservative-held ridings, maybe we will see Conservative MPs standing and saying, “We're going to vote for what's good for the country. We're voting against this budget. We're going to vote for a budget that actually creates jobs”.\n\nOne might say that is absurd and that a Conservative MP would never do that. However, when we think back, a few years ago no one would have said there would be 102 strong NDP MPs representing constituents right across this country from coast to coast to coast. It was not impossible because we believed that we could get things done and represent our constituents strongly.\nIn Brief\n\nIn the other main debate of the day, Elaine Michaud moved a motion on TCE groundwater contamination caused on the Valcartier military base and the municipality of Shannon. Chris Alexander agreed in principle as to the problem while claiming that talking about it made for sufficient action, while Francis Scarpaleggia tied the motion into wider water issues. And Alexandrine Latendresse discussed the history of TCE use - which should serve as a reminder as to why dumping chemicals into the environment without knowing about their potential effects is a dangerous path.\n\nMeanwhile, Thomas Mulcair asked for a yes-or-no answer as to whether the Cons would use what they had said were sufficient tools to save jobs at Aveos; Peter Van Loan wasn't willing to admit that \"no\" is the Cons' response. Libby Davies criticized cuts to Health Canada, while Helene LeBlanc questioned why the National Research Canada was being turned into a Business Depot. Marc Garneau was incredulous at the Cons' attacks on Elections Canada. Megan Leslie asked the Cons to admit that they have no interest in a real hearing into the Gateway pipeline, while Romeo Saganash pointed out that the anticipated refusal to deal with concerns about development would only create years of litigation to come. Peggy Nash wondered why the Cons lost interest in a non-partisan Public Appointments Commission after having funded it for years, while Alexandre Boulerice noted that the move eases the way for yet more patronage from the Cons themselves. Glenn Thibeault and Pierre Dionne Labelle slammed an anticipated increase in pay phone rates at the behest of Bell. Carol Hughes followed up on Julian's budget speech by questioning why the Cons are determined to hide the findings of the National Council on Welfare showing that investment to reduce poverty would more than pay for itself.\n\nFinally, in response to Peter Kent's claim that we don't need groups like the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy due to other groups providing similar services over the Internet, Kirsty Duncan helpfully queried whether Kent could name just one. Needless to say, Kent could not.\n\nA Healthy Society - Chapter 6 Discussion\n\nChapter 6 of Ryan Meili's A Healthy Society addresses education. But in addition to discussing familiar themes about funding and access to existing educational systems, Meili also makes some important points about what we should include as part of a basic education if we want our students to be able to fully participate in a healthy society:\nEducation is about more than simply obtaining the skills to succeed financially and live comfortably. There are facts to learn, of course, key concepts and information to digest and understand. More important, however, is learning literacy, the ability to apply critical thinking and skills in knowledge acquisition to adapt to a changing world. This requires literacy in household management, personal development, environmental stewardship, and in how to find and create employment.\n\nIt also applies directly to making choices in personal health. An important element of making wise choices is health literacy, the ability to access, understand, and act on information for health. This ranges from simple things like understanding immunizations or medications to making wise decisions in diet, exercise, and addictions, and being able to manage psychologically difficult periods of life, turning the anxiety and depression of tumultuous times into opportunities for personal growth.\n\nPeople who have higher levels of education are more likely, on average, to get stable, well-paying jobs or to be successful in business. More and more jobs require higher levels of education. These facts cause confusion, as people conflate the results with the underlying purpose. People start to think that, because education leads to employment and material success, that’s what education is for. As human beings, we are far more than our jobs and our bank accounts, and the goals of our learning must reflect a deeper sense of purpose.\n\nPerhaps the greatest goal of education is not a set of skills, but the development of values. Our democracy is only as healthy as the next generation of youth and their ability to engage creatively with the world around them. Civic literacy means teaching youth not to be future subjects, observers of the news, but actors in the lives of their communities.\nWhat's interesting about the above is that it partially echoes the language of one of the Cons' favourite alternatives to direct citizen protection. When it comes time to discuss the glaring disconnect between the interests of the financial sector and the general public, financial literacy is all too often presented as a substitute for regulation and transparency. And as a result, a selective type of economic education is normally considered the lone general subject which right-wing parties want to see added into the educational mix (which they otherwise want to push as much as possible toward both the standardized-testing model later criticized by Meili, and narrow training for a particular trade or job).\n\nBut then, a combination of improved financial education and the type of critical thinking skills emphasized by Meili might well be exactly the preconditions we need to start questioning the degree to which our economy can be controlled by a few self-interested actors. And it's well worth taking a closer look at whether our school curricula - which on their face do include some training in the areas mentioned by Meili - are actually equipping students with both the base of knowledge and the set of values they need to become productive citizens.\n\n[Edit: added labels.]\n\nSunday Morning Links\n\nAssorted content for your weekend reading.\n\n- There's still plenty more emerging on the Robocon election fraud scandal. The reporting combinations of McGregor/Maher and Chase/Leblanc/Mills have both discussed Elections Canada's latest court filing showing that Con campaign officials openly discussed implementing U.S.-style vote suppression efforts - including exactly the forms of fraud that materialized last year. Meanwhile, Sixth Estate wonders just how far the rot spread within the Cons' organization, while Alison has been providing a history lesson on the party's efforts to manipulate voters.\n\n- And speaking of history lessons, Amy MacPherson serves up a dose of reality which the Cons will surely ignore. \n\n- But for all the criticisms of the Cons, let's never say they don't get noticed in the world. Just look at how they've managed to earn our science writers an award for press courage in the face of repression normally directed toward reporters dealing with dictators - and how they're standing out in obstructing the work of the U.N.'s Right to Food initiative as Canada becomes the first developed country to face an investigation.\n\n- Finally, there hasn't been much reason to accuse Andrew Coyne of being too light on the Cons in recent years. But given that the Cons' crackdown on charities has taken place entirely in conjunction with their attempt to demonize anybody who's ever spoken positively of the environment, I'd defy anybody to suggest they've earned the benefit of the doubt on this rather crucial point:\nIt's a safe bet that a good many of the more well-known advocacy groups in the country, including the various think-tanks of the left and right, are operating in excess of this standard, and have been for years. As long as it's even-handed, I see nothing wrong with simply enforcing the law, as the government proposes.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.599077582359314}
{"content": "Lower Your Home Water Bill\n\nFor similar articles, visit the Your Home section.\n\nyour home listical graphic Lower Your Home Water Bill\n\nHere are some tips from EcoMedia for saving water, which in turn could help you lower your water bill.\n\nInstall a low-flow shower head - On average, showers account for 32 percent of home water use. U.S. federal law now requires that all shower heads sold be low-flow models. Low-flow shower heads deliver no more than 2.5 gallons per minute compared to standard shower heads that release 4.5 gallons per minute. A typical family of four using low-flow shower heads can save about 20,000 gallons of water per year. Also remember, cutting down your time in the shower saves money on your water and energy bills. For every minute the typical American spends in the shower each day, 204 pounds of heat-trapping pollutants are emitted annually for an electric-powered water heater and 94 pounds for a natural gas-fueled water heater.\n\nInstall flow restrictor aerators - Placing these inside faucets saves three to four gallons per minute when you turn on the tap. Of course, you can also help out by doing simple things, such as not running water in the sink while soaping your face or brushing your teeth.\n\nInstall an ultra-low-flush toilet or a toilet displacement device - Toilets are water hogs. About 40 percent of the water you use in your home gets flushed down the toilet. That amounts to more than four billion gallons of water in the U.S. each day. That’s why federal law now mandates that all new toilets installed for residential use be low-flush toilets. Conventional toilets generally use three and a half to five gallons (sometimes more) of water per flush, while low-flush toilets use 1.6 gallons of water or less. If you’re not building a new home, you can still benefit by installing one of these toilets. Still have an old toilet? You can save more than one gallon of water per flush with a displacement device. Place a brick or plastic milk jug filled with water or pebbles in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.\n\nUse water wisely in everyday activities - Run the clothes washer only when full. Take a shorter shower and turn off the water while soaping and shaving to also save a lot of water. Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them down. Washing a sidewalk or driveway with a hose uses about 50 gallons of water every five minutes.\n\n\n\nThe content above was provided by EcoMedia – A CBS Company.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5733292102813721}
{"content": "His word is our guide\n\nDear Editor:\n\n“But in early democracies, like America at the time of its inception, all human rights were granted because man is God’s creature…What has occurred is a total liberation from the moral heritage of Christian centuries, with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice…The West has succeeded in truly enforcing human rights, but our sense of responsibility to God and society has grown dimmer and dimmer.”\n\nAlexander Solzhenitsyn\nExcerpt from Harvard Commencement Address\nJune 8, 1978\n\nHow is it that a man from a Communist country can look into ours and place his hand directly on its pulse? Our country is at a crossroad. Are we growing in wisdom and maturity or selfishness and hard heartedness? It is time to look deep inside and return to our first love, the values of God and His Son Jesus Christ, the perfection of sacrifice and mercy. His Word is our guide.\n\nDenise Bacon\n\nup arrow", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8211492300033569}
{"content": "\n\nPrime Minister Antonis Samaras, who visited the tightly-guarded site Tuesday, said the discovery “is clearly extremely important” and dates between 325-300 B.C.\n\nAlexander, who started from the northern Greek region of Macedonia to build an empire stretching as far as India, died in 323 B.C. and was buried in Egypt. His fellow royals were traditionally interred in a cemetery near Vergina, far to the west, where the lavishly-furnished tomb of Alexander’s father, Philip II, was discovered in the 1970s.\n\n\nExcavator Katerina Peristeri has argued that the mound was originally topped by a large stone lion that was unearthed a century ago some 5 kilometres from the site. In the past, the lion has been associated with Laomedon of Mytilene, one of Alexander’s military commanders who became governor of Syria after the king’s death.\n\n\n\nSo far, workers have unveiled a flight of 13 steps that lead to a broad path, flanked by masonry walls, which end in a built-up arch covering two headless, wingless sphinxes — mythical creatures that blend human, bird and lion characteristics.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6061872839927673}
{"content": "\n\nSelby itself was something of an anti-climax. Its heyday seems to have passed with the decline of the coal and rail industries. The town left me feeling a bit sad. Oh well, was a nice walk! Feet are tired and am a little sun burnt.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6954036951065063}
{"content": "NUCLEAR aims small\n\n\nPublished In: EnergyBiz Magazine September / October 2012\n\n\nTHE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY will soon award matching grants totaling $452 million over a five-year period to help guide two small modular nuclear reactor designs through the licensing process to actual operation by the year 2022. Several firms are competing for the grants, and as important as the grants will be to the winners, the DOE has a much more ambitious goal. It hopes to spur a nuclear industry that will supply domestic needs and restore the United States to supremacy in a burgeoning world market for nuclear plants. This, of course, is hardly the first time a U.S. nuclear renaissance has been predicted, but this time three details suggest it could be real.\n\nFirst, the DOE decided to focus on small and modular. Small means plants that generate less than 300 megawatts; modular can mean either that they are modularly built or that they can be deployed sequentially, starting with as little as 45 megawatts for a single unit and expanding over time to as many as 12 units at a single site.\n\nSecond, the DOE intends to choose the two winning designs based, in part, on actual teams of designer/manufacturers and utility operators. Because licensing is by far the most time-consuming part of building a nuclear plant, the DOE wants to make sure the process includes an end-user from the very beginning.\n\nThird, while several fundamentally different forms of SMRs are in development here and abroad, including high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, molten salt reactors and molten metal reactors, the likelihood is that the DOE will focus on light-water reactors, because that's the technology the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is most familiar with, having already licensed large light-water reactors. \"Light-water reactors are most likely to meet NRC licensing requirements within our time frame,\" says John E. Kelly, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear reactor technologies at the DOE. \"We're open to other technologies, but how quickly they can go through the regulatory system is a concern.\"\n\nThe enormous up-front capital investment and the long construction time have been the greatest hurdles to the wider adoption of nuclear plants. SMRs address both issues. Large reactors have, traditionally, been built on-site. Precisely because they are smaller, SMRs are being designed to be built in factories and delivered in finished pieces for on-site installation. A large nuclear plant may take anywhere from eight to 10 years from first spade to first electron. Kathryn J. Jackson, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Westinghouse Electric, estimates construction of the company's factory-built SMRs could take just 24 months. She notes that time frame is competitive with the 18 to 24 months it takes to construct a combined-cycle gas turbine.\n\nThe Westinghouse design is modular in the sense that it will be built in pieces and assembled on-site. \"The goal is to be as modular as possible, perhaps 90 percent modular,\" says Jackson. \"Parts will be built in factories and shipped to the site by rail or truck. Building everything in a consistent way saves enormous time. Studies have shown that building this way, every hour spent in a factory equates to about three hours at an assembly facility on-site, and that one hour is equivalent to about eight hours of stick-built construction in the hole, the traditional way of building large nuclear plants.\" Because construction time is perhaps the largest factor in up-front nuclear costs, cutting that time by as much as 80 percent suddenly brings nuclear into the budgetary range of many more utilities.\n\nWarner Baxter, president and CEO of Ameren Missouri, the utility that is partnering with Westinghouse in the DOE application, agrees. \"The SMR, with its smaller footprint, shorter construction period, and factory-based concept mitigates, if it doesn't eliminate, the large up-front capital risk. It makes it more attractive to us and, I believe, will make nuclear more attractive to many more utilities,\" he says.\n\nNuScale Power, which is also competing for the DOE grant, will manufacture its entire SMR in American factories and ship the finished parts for on-site installation. But unlike the Westinghouse design, NuScale's is modular in the sense that a utility can begin with one or two 45-megawatt units and add units as needed and as financing becomes available. Additional units would be controlled from the same control station as was originally installed. This modular approach, according to Paul G. Lorenzini, NuScale's CEO, greatly enlarges the potential market for nuclear. \"Assuming our \nunit costs, dollars per kilowatt, are approximately the same as for a large plant, we would put in an infrastructure and add modules one at a time,\" he says. \"We're working through ways we can maximize the advantage of scaling up. At the very least, if the unit costs are comparable, as we think they are, and the construction schedules are shorter, you might be looking at less than a third to a half the total capital demand of a conventional, large nuclear plant. If you look at it from a national policy standpoint, it expands the ability of nuclear power to provide noncarbon solutions, which is part of what the energy policy people want to achieve.\"\n\nThe NuScale approach offers important flexibility. Because each module operates independently, one can be taken down for service or refueling while the others continue to operate. NuScale is partnering with SCANA and NuHub, an economic development consortium focusing on developing the nuclear industry in South Carolina, to build the first commercial NuScale plant at the DOE's Savannah River Site. NuScale already demonstrated its design in a one-third scale test facility in 2003 at Oregon State University.\n\nWhile it would appear that SMRs are economically viable, not everyone is convinced. Even John Kelly of the DOE admits the department wonders about the economics. \"You think it's going to be favorable, but we don't have enough information to say that for certain,\" he says. \"By going forward with this program, we'll get more information about the design, reduce the uncertainty about the licensing and therefore be better able to quantify what the actual costs are going to be.\"\n\nJohn Gilleland, CEO and nuclear program manager for TerraPower, calls himself agnostic about the up-front economics of SMRs. TerraPower is moving in a different direction, designing a 300- to 400-megawatt plant cooled not by light-water technology but by liquid metal sodium. Sodium-cooled reactors are already operating in Russia, France and Japan, among other places. Gilleland believes their greater energy density - they operate at much higher temperatures than water-cooled plants - and the fact that they can go much longer between refueling will ultimately prove more cost effective. Furthermore, so-called fast reactors, such as the design being pursued by TerraPower, can burn what other plants consider waste products or spent fuel, which reduces the volume of eventual nuclear waste. That's one reason Gilleland estimates that fuel costs are between $2 billion and $6 billion lower over the life of the plant than for a light-water plant. But because the DOE is at this point much better prepared to license light-water plants, Gilleland sees his primary market as overseas, at least for the next decade.\n\nThe other major concern, of course, is safety. What virtually all proposed SMR designs have in common is their reliance on passive safety systems. Rather than depending on pipes, valves, batteries, diesel generators and other active ways to circulate coolant, SMRs rely on gravity and convection. In the event of a total disaster, such as the tsunami that struck Fukushima, these systems require no power whatsoever to effect a safe shutdown of the plant. In this, Westinghouse has been a leader with its passive safety design for the large AP1000 reactor, which it is adapting to its proposed SMR. That design has already won NRC approval, but other companies use essentially the same system, so approval should be relatively routine.\n\nWhichever designs the DOE decides to reward, there's no question that SMRs offer attractive options to utilities here and abroad. They allow smaller utilities, with less capital, to diversify their fuel portfolio with nuclear as a hedge against future carbon regulation and the inevitable volatility of natural gas prices. The ability to start small and add capacity as demand grows and as coal-fired plants are retired makes them that much more attractive. But the lead time remains a concern, at least for now, and no matter how safe passive systems are, there remains a large segment of the public that needs to be convinced that nuclear, along with renewable sources, is a safe, viable option to replace environmentally harmful carbon-fueled baseload generation. On the surface, SMRs look extremely attractive from an economic, safety and environmental perspective. As the DOE moves forward in helping at least two designs move through the long approval process, it remains to be seen whether the promise they offer will to be fulfilled.\n\n\n\nRelated Topics", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6914047002792358}
{"content": "MAXIMILIANO HERRERA HUMAN RIGHTS LINKS\n\nMaximiliano Herrera's Human Rights Site\nThe Home Page\nElectoral Calendar\nIt is an electoral calendar that includes general, presidential, legislative, gubernatorial, regional, municipal, local council  elections, referenda and party conventions dates. Updated weekly.\nElectoral Democracies\nIt ranks all the independent countries in three categories: Electoral Democracy, Pseudo Democracy and Dictatorship according to their electoral system. It also includes a list of the countries without elections.\nFreedom in the World\nIt ranks all the independent countries according to their political freedoms and civil rights.\n\nIt also includes the website Freedom in the Territories which shows the same ranking for the related territories and non-independent regions.\n\nA World in Trouble\nThis site shows the perception of the risk of a coup or a new conflict for every independent country. This perception is ranked in: HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, VERY LOW and NONE.\nNew Countries\nThis site shows the possibilities of some territories becoming independent. The statistics includes the short term chances and the long term chances of achieving independence.\n\nIt also includes another list which shows the statistics of some independent countries to be annexed into another country in the future.\n\nReturn to World Rank\nExtreme Temperatures Around the World\nThis site has also been created by Maximiliano Herrera. It contains the extreme temperatures recorded in hundreds of different localities around the world.\n\n\nThis site ranks all the dependent territories according to their living standard.\nBesides these territories, the list includes those self-proclaimed\ncountries in which the main government currently has not any control.\nThe rank considers standard data such as political, economical, health and social\nsituation, incomes,life expectancy, number of doctors, nurses, records of crime,etc\nThere is a special note for the territories under an authoritarian rule, civil war\nor facing guerrilla activity.\nThe site World Rank has been created with my personal opinion about the living standard\nof the dependent territories. \nThe site is updated every time there is a situation which changes the living standard\nof a particular territory, making it better or worse to live in than others. \nThe situation can be: a civil war,a coup, a heavy flood, a strong drought, a strong\neconomical crisis due to a bad economical situation, or the opposite: \na strong growth, etc \nThe update will be made as soon as the situation will change the standard of life\nof the population.\nThe site includes the dependences, oversea territories and commonwealths.\nThe + and the - indicate an improvement or a worsening in the living standard.\n\n\nLast update: 15/02/14\n\n\n1-Ceuta and Melilla (Spain)\n2-Reunion (France)\n3-Saint Helena,Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK) \n4-Mayotte (France)\n5-Somaliland (Somalia)      \n6-Western Sahara (Morocco)  \n\n\n1-Bermuda (UK) -        \n2-Cayman Islands (UK)\n3-Aruba (Netherlands) \n4-Falkland Islands (UK)             \n5-US Virgin Islands (USA)\n6-Curacao (Netherlands)\n7-Bonaire (Netherlands)\n8-UK Virgin Islands (UK)\n9-Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)\n10-Sint Maarten (Netherlands)\n11-Sint Eustatius (Netherlands)\n12-Saint Martin (France)\n13-Saint Barthelemy (France)\n14-Saba (Netherlands)\n15-Puerto Rico (USA) -\n16-Turks and Caicos (UK)\n17-Anguilla (UK) -\n18-Martinique (France) \n19-Guadeloupe (France) \n20-Montserrat (UK) \n21-French Guiana (France) \n22-Greenland (Denmark)\n\n\n1-Hong Kong (China)\n2-Macau (China)  \n3-Norfolk Island (Australia)\n4-French Polynesia (France)\n5-Guam (USA) -\n6-New Caledonia (France) -\n7-Northern Marianas (USA) -\n8-Christmas Island (Australia)\n9-American Samoa (USA) -\n10-Cocos Islands (Australia)\n11-Cook Islands (New Zealand) -\n12-Niue (New Zealand) -\n13-Wallis and Futuna (France)\n14-Tokelau (New Zealand)\n15-Pitcairn (UK) \n16-Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)\n\n\n1-Channel Islands (UK)\n2-Isle of Man (UK)\n3-Gibraltar (UK)\n4-Aland (Finland)\n5-Madeira (Portugal)    \n6-Azores (Portugal)\n7-Faroe Islands (Denmark)             \n8-Northern Cyprus (Cyprus) \n9-Svalbard (Norway)\n10-Kosovo (Serbia)         \n11-Transnistria (Moldova)  \n12-Nagorno Karabakh (Azerbaijan) \n13-Abkhazia (Georgia)      \n14-South Ossetia (Georgia) \n15-Palestine (Israel)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.994635283946991}
{"content": "Former British Formula One world champion, John Surtees has criticised Lewis Hamilton for the way he handled himself at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.\n\nHamilton questioned the actions of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after the German locked up after setting his qualifying time in Q3 and prevented Hamilton from recording a time of his own. Rosberg secured the all important pole position on the streets of Monte Carlo where it is so notoriously difficult to overtake and went on to win the race comfortably, retaking control of the drivers' championship in the battle between the pair.\n\nSurtees, 80, said in Motor Sport Magazine: \"I have no doubt about Lewis Hamilton's driving ability, but I didn't like what I saw and heard from Monaco.\"\n\nHamilton's presentation of himself on the podium at Monaco, where he finished second to Rosberg, was extremely negative and his body language displayed clear antagonism towards not only his team-mate but the podium interviewer and those around.\n\n\n\nIt is not the first time that Hamilton has been seen to be unable to control his emotions, though it had been suggested that he had matured a lot more from the earlier days of his career. But what is clear is that the Englishman is a driver who is always going to wear his heart firmly on his sleeve and you can't take that out of his personality.\n\nIt is turning into a feisty situation between Hamilton and Rosberg and there seems to be a lot of confusion as to whether or not the two are friends. What is certain is that they have known each other for a long time and their relationship, at whatever level it was, has certainly decreased to some extent.\n\nWe are only six races into the season but already there are clear problems developing. It will be down to the management team at Mercedes to keep that under control and create a fair opportunity for both drivers to have an equal chance at the world championship without it boiling over.\n\nIt will be fascinating to see how it plays out in the remaining two thirds of the season. Rosberg now leads Hamilton by four points after ending his four-race win streak. The Mercedes men will head to Canada next week where Hamilton took his first race victory in Formula One and is very strong. Mercedes have themselves a 141 point advantage at the top of the constructors' championship.\n\n\n\nFormula 1", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6094639301300049}
{"content": "\n\nBusiness Structure And Management Style Commerce Essay\n\n“An example of a decentralised structure is Tesco the supermarket chain. Each store of Tesco has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager.”\n\nAdvantages of Centralised Structure For Organisations\n\nAdvantages of Decentralised Structure For Organisations\n\nSenior managers enjoy greater control over the organisation.\n\nSenior managers have time to concentrate on the most important decisions (as the other decisions can be undertaken by other people down the organisation structure.\n\nThe use of standardised procedures can results in cost savings.\n\nDecision making is a form of empowerment. Empowerment can increase motivation and therefore mean that staff output increases.\n\nDecisions can be made to benefit the organisations as a whole. Whereas a decision made by a department manager may benefit their department, but disadvantage other departments.\n\n\nThe organisation can benefit from the decision making of experienced senior managers.\n\n\nIn uncertain times the organisation will need strong leadership and pull in the same direction. It is believed that strong leadership is often best given from above.\n\nEmpowerment makes it easier for people to accept and make a success of more responsibility.\n\nTall and Flat structures\n\nFlat structure\n\nAdvantages of flat structures\n\nDisadvantages of flat structures\n\nMore/Greater communication between management and workers.\n\nWorkers may have more than one manager/boss.\n\nBetter team sprit.\n\nMay limit/hinder the growth of the organisation.\n\nLess bureaucracy and easier decision making.\n\n\n\n\nTall Structure\n\nAdvantages of tall structures\n\nDisadvantages of tall structures\n\nThere is a narrow span of control i.e. each manager has a small number of employees under their control. This means that employees can be closely supervised.\n\nThe freedom and responsibility of employees (subordinates) is restricted.\n\nThere is a clear management structure.\n\n\n\nCommunication has to take place through many layers of management.\n\nClear progression and promotion ladder.\n\nHigh management costs because managers are generally paid more than subordinates. Each layer will tend to pay its managers more money than the layer below it.\n\nDemocratic Management Style\n\nA democratic manager delegates authority to his/her staff, giving them responsibility to complete the task given to them (also known as empowerment). Staff will complete the tasks using their own work methods. However, the task must be completed on time. Employees are involved in decision making giving them a sense of belonging and motivating individuals. Because staffs feel a sense of belonging and are motivated the quality of decision making and work also improves. Although popular in business today, a democratic management style can slow decision making down because staffs need to be consulted. Also some employees may take advantage of the fact that their manager is democratic by not working to their full potential and allowing other group members to 'carry' them.\n\nAutocratic Management Style\n\nIn contrast to the above an autocratic manager dictates orders to their staff and makes decisions without any consultation. The leader likes to control the situation they are in. Decision is quick because staffs are not consulted and work is usually completed on time. However this type of management style can decrease motivation and increase staff turnover because staff are not consulted and do not feel valued.\n\nConsultative Management style\n\nA consultative management style can be viewed as a combination of the above two. The manager will ask views and opinions from their staff, allowing them to feel involved but will ultimately make the final decision.\n\nLaissez Faire Management style\n\nA laisses faire manager sets the tasks and gives staff complete freedom to complete the task as they see fit. There is minimal involvement from the manager. The manager however does not sit idle and watch them work! He or she is there to coach or answer questions, supply information if required. There are benefits; staffs again are developed to take responsibility which may lead to improved motivation. However with little direct guidance from the manager staff may begin to feel lost and not reach the goals originally set within the time frame.\n\n\n\nIt will matter a lot on how long it will takes to make a decision in a leadership style.\n\nCertain task will also result to emergencies because you will need immediate response from the authority.\n\nThe tradition of the organisation\n\nThe business can also put together its own culture to sort out different members of their staff which are working in different levels.\n\nIt occurs mostly when the leadership styles are developed within the organisation.\n\nType of labour force\n\nThe democratic leadership style will be appropriate because they will get more options.\n\nHighly skilled workforces will have to be more dynamic when the are wanted for their opinions.\n\nDemocratic leadership styles may be more appropriate in this case.\n\nGroup personality\n\nEmployees will be redirected either because of their previous experience or the lack of interest.\n\n\nTime is also another issue because the leadership styles with in the project will have to be done within the autocratic style leadership.\n\n\nThe type of business I would work in would certainly be a matrix structure organization. I would also work under a democratic manager because for autocratic the manager will be setting me objectives where as in democratic I get support by the manager for my ideas. Also I will get encouraged in making good decisions and also will be motivated to create new ideas.\n\nRequest Removal\n\n\nRequest the removal of this essay\n\nMore from UK Essays", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7383424639701843}
{"content": "The Environment\n\nSave the World !\n\nAwareness is growing about things we can do to reduce our impact on the environment; from flying and driving less, to recycling and using energy-efficient appliances. One of the most effective ways we can reduce our carbon footprint is to be energy-efficient eaters. If we change our diets we can change the world!\n\nFarmed animals\n\nFarmed animals (including dairy cattle and laying hens) consume land, water and resources. They eat pesticide-soaked fodder, produce polluting slurry, consume chemicals and drugs produced at environmental cost and generate greenhouse gases.\n\nEat well, save the world:\n\n  1. Cut down on meat and dairy\n  2. Eat locally grown foods\n  3. Reduce food waste\n  4. Recycle any leftovers\n\nRainforest destruction\n\nBy going meat free for at least one day a week, you distance yourself from rainforest destruction, desertification, water pollution and billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, as well as helping to preserve ecosystems, habitats and millions of wild animals who are displaced as a result of slash and burn policies.\n\n\nCutting down on dairy is a great step towards energy efficient eating. Not only will it reduce the CO2 produced by cows and the industrial milk production process, but drinking milk substitutes can actually have a positive effect.\n\nLoss of biodiversity\n\nIt is estimated that at least half of the world’s species live in the rainforests. The vast scale of deforestation means that thousands of species, possibly millions, are losing their habitat at an accelerating rate. The richly abundant and often unique flora and fauna of forests all over the world are disappearing. Every hour, a further three plant or animal species become extinct.\n\nMany rainforest plants have valuable medicinal properties and contain cures for diseases. They are used to treat cancer, strokes, heart disease and many other illnesses. By wiping out the rainforests we are potentially destroying an abundant supply of yet undiscovered drugs; many of the species being destroyed are unknown to humankind.\n\nFood inequality\n\nThe population of the world is rising, and despite the rich diversity of foods found all over the globe many people starve to death every day. Incredibly, 80% of the world’s hungry children live in countries with food surpluses which are fed to animals for consumption by more affluent societies around the world.\n\n\nFor a full list of sources and further information, visit our environment reference section.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5584460496902466}
{"content": "University of Aberdeen scientists discover how life flourishes in previously unexplored deep sea trench\n\nTHE experts used remotely-operated equipment to probe the depths of the New Hebrides Trench in the South Pacific and discovered large red prawns and cusk eels.\n\nOceanlab/University of Aberdeen/PA Wire\nScientists discovered large red prawns living at the bottom of the New Hebrides trench\n\nTHE marine life of a previously unexplored deep ocean trench has been captured on camera for the first time.\n\nScientists studying the New Hebrides Trench in the South Pacific used remotely-operated equipment to film the swarms of large bright red prawns and cusk eels that dominate the area.\n\nBut the biologists, from the University of Aberdeen and a research institute in New Zealand, said they were surprised at the lack of diversity in the marine life inhabiting the 4.5-mile deep trench.\n\nIts location in tropical waters east of the isle of New Caledonia could help explain the contrast with the biodiversity found in other deep trenches in the Pacific Rim, they said.\n\nThe expedition was the 11th undertaken by Dr Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab, to the area.\n\n\n\"As well as the difference in biodiversity we also stumbled across another surprise - the area in and around the New Hebrides Trench was swarming with large bright red prawns which are typically seen in very low numbers in other areas.\"\n\nFellow Oceanlab marine biologist Thom Linley said: \"The big difference between this trench and others that we have studied is that the New Hebrides Trench lies underneath tropical, and therefore less productive, waters.            \n\n\n\nDr Jamieson said the findings highlight the potential impact of climate change on life in the deepest parts of the ocean.\n\nHe said: \"These new finds are a stark reminder that even the deepest parts of the world are intrinsically linked to the productivity of the surface waters.\n\n\"Should the current system change, it is highly likely to have significant cascading effects on the deep sea community. The deep sea is potentially a kind of silent victim in the era of a changing climate.\"\n\nThe expedition, carried out with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand, obtained rare samples of cusk eels and crustaceans as well as camera footage and images.\n\nIt was the last voyage of a seven-year series of projects titled The Hadal Environmental and Education Partnership (Hadeep).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9103811979293823}
{"content": "Gene Therapy Research Proposal Nets CAREER Award for Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor\n\n\n\nGene therapy, or the delivery of treatment to cells using a gene vector, is a promising area of medical treatment for numerous serious diseases such as cancer.  Current vectors, however, are easily degraded in the body, and their effectiveness in delivering the genes to target cells in the body remains low.\n\nKwon works with non-viral, synthetic vectors, which have a lower transfer rate of the desired gene information to the body’s cells.  His challenge is to find a way to deliver the genes that counteract the cells’ tendency to fight foreign DNA and release the genetic materials instead of it being “digested” in the cells.\n\nKwon starts with a semi-synthetic polypeptide, and using the same principle that allows soap to remove dirt from clothes, is developing a gene delivery mechanism that will transfer the nucleic acid into the intracellular target of diseased cells while the polypeptide gene carriers break off and are absorbed into the body.\n\nKwon’s CAREER Award will support research that takes this principle one step further to create hybrid gene therapy delivery molecules.  By starting with the semi-synthetic polypeptide and incorporating different pieces from other polypeptides, each with its own role, Kwon believes it will be possible to molecularly control traffic to the cells to obtain the maximum therapy delivery effects.  For example, cancer cells can be efficiently eradicated by expressing a gene stimulating programmed cell death, called apoptosis.  By thinking about the gene therapy delivery molecules like Legos that can be built upon to create new vectors, Kwon hopes to build biocompatible, biodegradable, effective delivery systems.\n\nAs part of the educational component of the CAREER award, Kwon will incorporate undergraduate research programs into this research, including chemical engineering, materials science, biomedical engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences students.  He will also continue his summer outreach program, which brings 10 underprivileged students from high schools in Santa Ana to campus for a week to conduct experiments in his research lab.\n\nKwon earned a B.S. degree in biological engineering from Inha University, South Korea, in 1998, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2000 and 2003, respectively.  He started his faculty career at Case Western Reserve University in 2005, before joining UCI on his current position in 2007.  He has received a Faculty Career Development Award from UC Irvine (2008) and the M. Frank and Margaret Domiter Rudy chaired Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in Cancer Research, Case Western Reserve University (2006-2007).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6052160263061523}
{"content": "How much does 4 yards of sand weigh?\n\n\nIt depends on how wide and how high you are spreading the sand.\n\nMore Info:\n\nSand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz. The second most common type of sand is calcium carbonate, for example aragonite, which has mostly been created, over the past half billion years, by various forms of life, like coral and shellfish. It is, for example, the primary form of sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of years like the Caribbean. In terms of particle size as used by geologists, sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or  mm) to 2 mm. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain. Sand grains are between gravel (with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm) and silt (particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm). The size specification between sand and gravel has remained constant for more than a century, but particle diameters as small as 0.02 mm were considered sand under the Albert Atterberg standard in use during the early 20th century. A 1953 engineering standard published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials set the minimum sand size at 0.074 mm. A 1938 specification of the United States Department of Agriculture was 0.05 mm. Sand feels gritty when rubbed between the fingers (silt, by comparison, feels like flour). ISO 14688 grades sands as fine, medium and coarse with ranges 0.063 mm to 0.2 mm to 0.63 mm to 2.0 mm. In the United States, sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on size: very fine sand ( –  mm diameter), fine sand ( mm –  mm), medium sand ( mm –  mm), coarse sand ( mm – 1 mm), and very coarse sand (1 mm – 2 mm). These sizes are based on the Krumbein phi scale, where size in Φ = -log2D; D being the particle size in mm. On this scale, for sand the value of Φ varies from −1 to +4, with the divisions between sub-categories at whole numbers. The most common constituent of sand, in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings, is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz, which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness, is the most common mineral resistant to weathering. The composition of mineral sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material, suggesting sand formation depends on living organisms, too. The gypsum sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Arkose is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content, derived from weathering and erosion of a (usually nearby) granitic rock outcrop. Some sands contain magnetite, chlorite, glauconite or gypsum. Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian. Chlorite-glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from basaltic (lava) with a high olivine content. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe, have iron impurities within the quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones. Sand is transported by wind and water and deposited in the form of beaches, dunes, sand spits, sand bars and related features. In environments such as gravel-bed rivers and glacial moraines it often occurs as one of the many grain sizes that are represented. Sand-bed rivers, such as the Platte River in Nebraska, USA, have sandy beds largely because there is no larger source material that they can transport. Dunes, a distinctive geographical feature of desert environments, are on the other hand sandy because larger material is generally immobile in wind. Sand is a component of soil. The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called grus in geology or sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert sand is typically rounded. People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles. Organisms that thrive in sandy environments are psammophiles. While sand is generally non-toxic, sand-using activities such as sandblasting require precautions. Bags of silica sand used for sandblasting now carry labels warning the user to wear respiratory protection to avoid breathing the resulting fine silica dust. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for silica sand state that \"excessive inhalation of crystalline silica is a serious health concern\". In areas of high pore water pressure sand and salt water can form quicksand, which is a colloid hydrogel that behaves like a liquid. Quicksand produces a considerable barrier to escape for creatures caught within, who often die from exposure (not from submersion) as a result. Sand's many uses require a significant dredging industry, raising environmental concerns over fish depletion, landslides, and flooding. Countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia ban sand exports, citing these issues as a major factor.\nSand mining is a practice that is used to extract sand, mainly through an open pit. However, sand is also mined from beaches, inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to make concrete. As communities grow, construction requires less wood and more concrete, leading to a demand for low-cost sand. Sand is also used to replace eroded coastline. Another reason for sand mining is for the extraction of minerals such as rutile, ilmenite and zircon, which contain the industrially useful elements titanium and zirconium. These minerals typically occur combined with ordinary sand, which is dug up, the valuable minerals being separated in water by virtue of their different densities, and the remaining ordinary sand re-deposited. Sand mining is a direct cause of erosion, and also impacts the local wildlife. For example, sea turtles depend on sandy beaches for their nesting, and sand mining has led to the near extinction of gharials (a species of crocodiles) in India. Disturbance of underwater and coastal sand causes turbidity in the water, which is harmful for such organisms as corals that need sunlight. It also destroys fisheries, causing problems for people who rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Removal of physical coastal barriers such as dunes leads to flooding of beachside communities, and the destruction of picturesque beaches causes tourism to dissipate. Sand mining is regulated by law in many places, but is still often done illegally. In the 1930s mining operations began on the Kurnell Peninsula (Captain Cook's landing place in Australia) to supply the expanding Sydney building market. It continued until 1990 with an estimate of over 70 million tonnes of sand having been removed. The sand has been valued for many decades by the building industry, mainly because of its high crushed shell content and lack of organic matter, it has provided a cheap source of sand for most of Sydney since sand mining operations began. The site has now been reduced to a few remnant dunes and deep water-filled pits which are now being filled with demolition waste from Sydney's building sites. Removal of the sand has significantly weakened the peninsula's capacity to resist storms. Ocean waves pounding against the reduced Kurnell dune system have threatened to break through to Botany Bay, especially during the storms of May and June back in 1974 and of August 1998. Sand Mining also takes place in the Stockton sand dunes north of Newcastle and in the Broken Hill region in the far west of the state. A large and long running sand mine in Queensland, Australia (on North Stradbroke Island) provides a case study in the (disastrous) environmental consequences on a fragile sandy-soil based ecosystem, justified by the provision of low wage casual labor on an island with few other work options. Sand mining contributes to the construction of buildings and development. However, the negative effects of sand mining include the permanent loss of sand in areas, as well as major habitat destruction. Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue in India. Environmentalists have raised public awareness of illegal sand mining in the state of Maharashtra and Goa of India. Conservation and environmental NGO Awaaz Foundation filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court seeking a ban on mining activities along the Konkan coast. Awaaz Foundation, in partnership with the Bombay Natural History Society also presented the issue of sand mining as a major international threat to coastal biodiversity at the Conference of Parties 11, Convention on Biological Diversity, Hyderabad in October 2012. Sand mining occurs in the Kaipara Harbour, off the coast at Pakiri and offshore from Little Barrier Island. A sand mine had operated at Whiritoa on the east coast of the North Island for 50 years extracting 180,000m3 of sand. Coastal sand mines currently operate at Maioro and Taharoa to recover iron sand. When an application was lodged in 2005 to mine iron sands on the seabed of the coast of Raglan local residents organised in opposition to the scheme. The application for the mining was turned down by Crown Minerals due to a lack of technical detail. Recently, activists and local villagers have protested against sand mining on Sierra Leone's Western Area Peninsular. The activity is providing informal work for people who would otherwise be unemployed, but is also destroying the natural beauty of the area, driving away tourists, business owners and residents, and contributing to Sierra Leone's coastal erosion, which is proceeding at up to 6 meters a year. The current size of the sand mining market in the United States is slightly over a billion dollars per year. The industry has been growing by nearly 10% annually since 2005. The majority of the market size for mining is held by Texas and Illinois. Silica sand mining business has more than doubled since 2009 because of the need for this particular type of sand, which is used in a process known as hydraulic fracturing. Wisconsin is one of the five states that produce nearly 2/3 of the nation’s silica. As of 2009, Wisconsin, along with other northern states, is facing an industrial mining boom, being dubbed the \"sand rush\" because of the new demand from large oil companies for silica sand. According to Minnesota Public Radio, \"One of the industry's major players, U.S. Silica, says its fracking sand sales nearly doubled from 2009 to 2010, from $36 million to $70 million in 2010 and brought in nearly $70 million in just the first nine months of 2011.\" According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), there are currently 34 active mines and 25 mines in development in Wisconsin. In 2012, the WDNR released a final report on the silica sand mining in Wisconsin titled Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin. The recent boom in silica sand mining has caused concern from residents in Wisconsin that include quality of life issues and the threat of silicosis. However, these are issues that the state has no authority to regulate. According to the WDNR (2012) these issues include noise, lights, hours of operation, damage and excessive wear to roads from trucking traffic, public safety concerns from the volume of truck traffic, possible damage and annoyance resulting from blasting, and concerns regarding aesthetics and land use changes. As of 2013, industrial frack sand mining has become a cause for activism, especially in the [Area] of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.\nAn open faced club, sand wedge, or sand iron, is a wedge primarily designed for use out of sand bunkers. It has the widest sole of any wedge, which provides the greatest amount of bounce, allowing the club head to glide through sand and avoid digging in. Gene Sarazen began to win tournaments in 1935 with a new club he had invented that was specialized for sand play. He is hailed as the inventor of the sand wedge. However, history goes about 3 years further back than that. Spoon clubs offered varying degrees of loft and allowed players to scoop their ball out of sand traps and deep rough. As manufacturers became more and more innovative with club design, new types of wedges appeared. Some had concave faces, others featured deeply grooved faces, but not all of these designs conformed to USGA and R&A regulations, and many were banned. With the concave-faced wedge having been outlawed in 1931, Sarazen designed his sand wedge with a straight face. Another modification that he made was to add extra lead to the front edge of the club face, allowing it to cut through the sand more smoothly. After he won the 1932 British and U.S. Opens with the help of his new club, its popularity quickly grew. The modern sand wedge is often the heaviest iron in a player's bag, with most weighing nearly 40 ounces (1.1 kg). Traditionally it also had the highest loft at 56 degrees (55–56 being most common), although that distinction now goes to the lob wedge, which often has a loft of 60 degrees or more. It usually has one of the shortest shafts, between 33 inches (84 cm) and 36 inches (91 cm), though in some sets the sand wedge has a longer shaft than the pitching wedge. The main distinguishing difference of the club from most others, however, is a feature called bounce. On most other irons, the sole of the club is perpendicular to the shaft, meaning it is roughly parallel to the ground when the club is at rest allowing the leading edge to get between the ball and the ground more easily. A sand wedge however is designed with the sole of the club at an angle to the ground in the same position, lifting the leading edge of the club off the ground. This accomplishes three things; first, this design generally requires more material, which increases the weight of the club head for more momentum and places that weight low and forward in the club head for higher launches. Second, the angled sole lifts the leading edge off the ground at the bottom of the swing, preventing the club from digging in to softer lies such as muddy ground, thick grass and of course sand, instead tending to skim over the surface. This in turn allows players more flexibility when addressing the ball; the player can line the ball up in the centre of their stance and take a normal swing in which the club will skim over the turf before contact with the ball, or alternatively they can move the ball rearward in their stance (towards the right foot for a right-handed player) and strike the ball earlier in the swing. The natural consequence of such a shot, executed correctly, is that the club face has less loft at contact, so the ball is launched at a lower angle for more distance. Without bounce, such a shot even if executed correctly will generally cause the club to dig into the ground after it contacts the ball which, with such a high-lofted club, prevents the player from following through on their swing and can cause injury. Lastly, when playing from a bunker, the ball may have buried itself deeply into the sand (depending on the sand's consistency and the degree of impact, the ball may be completely submerged). To lift it out, the club head must contact the ball from underneath, meaning the leading edge of the club must sometimes be an inch or two (2-4 cm) under the surface of the sand at contact. The angle of the sole counteracts the natural downward pressure of the club face digging itself ever deeper into the sand, making it easier to swing the club down under the surface of the sand and then lift the club, and the ball, back out again. Other clubs, especially short irons and other wedges, now incorporate a small degree of bounce to assist in plays from the rough or other soft lies, but the sand wedge will typically have the highest amount of bounce of any club in a player's bag. There are however exceptions; Callaway Golf for instance markets a \"Big Bertha\" line of irons in which the lob wedge has significantly higher bounce than the sand wedge. As its name suggests, a sand wedge is used most often to extract the ball from a sand bunker. However, the features which make it useful for this purpose are advantageous in other soft lies such as thick rough, soggy ground or mud. It's also used from firmer grass lies for lobs or chips, generally onto the green. It can also be used as any other short iron would; with a full swing, a skilled golfer can typically hit a sand wedge between 80–100 yards (70–90 m). Tour players often use a lob wedge (60° wedge) to get out of bunkers with controlled trajectory and lots of spin.\nParticle size, also called grain size, refers to the diameter of individual grains of sediment, or the lithified particles in clastic rocks. The term may also be applied to other granular materials. This is different from the crystallite size, which is the size of a single crystal inside the particles or grains. A single grain can be composed of several crystals. Granular material can range from very small colloidal particles, through clay, silt, sand, and gravel, to boulders. Size ranges define limits of classes that are given names in the Wentworth scale (or Udden-Wentworth) used in the United States. The Krumbein phi (φ) scale, a modification of the Wentworth scale created by W. C. Krumbein in 1937, is a logarithmic scale computed by the equation where This equation can be rearranged to find diameter using φ: In some schemes, gravel is anything larger than sand (comprising granule, pebble, cobble, and boulder in the table above). ISO 14688-1, establishes the basic principles for the identification and classification of soils on the basis of those material and mass characteristics most commonly used for soils for engineering purposes. ISO 14688-1 is applicable to natural soils in situ, similar man-made materials in situ and soils redeposited by man.\nA cubic yard is an Imperial / U.S. customary (non-SI non-metric) unit of volume, used in the United States, Canada, and the UK. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sides of 1 yard (3 feet, 36 inches, 0.9144 metres) in length. There is no universally agreed symbol but the following are used: 1 cubic yard is equivalent to:\nSand-based athletic fields are sporting grounds constructed on sand. They can have certain advantages over those built on native soils. Highly maintained areas of turf, such as those on an athletic field or on golf greens and tees, can be grown in native soil or sand-based systems. There are advantages and disadvantages to both that need to be considered before deciding what type of soil to grow turf in. Native soils offer many positive qualities, such as high nutrient holding capacity, water holding capacity, and sure footing. However, native soil fields are typically very poorly drained. This causes problems with growing turf and maintaining a safe surface for players. Sand-based systems provide all of the above qualities, and also improved drainage. They allow the turf manager better control over moisture management and resist soil compaction. Sand-based systems are composed of a sand-based root zone, a gravel layer, and a drainage system. Although the root zone of a sand-based system is mostly sand, amendments are often added to increase the organic matter content and add stability to the root zone. Peat moss is the most common root zone amendment used, but other inorganic amendments can also be used. Peat moss is used because it increases water and nutrient holding capacity and decreases bulk density. The most common ratio of sand to peat moss is 8:2. This ratio will allow a water holding capacity of 15 to 26% and increase nutrient holding capacity greatly. 100% sand root zones are used often and are more cost effective. Selection of the type of sand is very crucial. Sand suitable for a root zone should be a medium to coarse (0.15-1.0 mm) particle size and should have sub-angular or sub-rounded shape. If sub-angular sand is chosen, it can deter some insects from making their homes in the soil. The shape makes it harder for them to move around in the soil. Rounded sands are not suitable because they do not pack and cannot provide a firm enough seedbed. Angular sands are not suitable because they become too firm and can potentially cut into roots. Once a sand is selected and it is determined if an amendment will be used, the layout of the root zone profile must be determined. In the United States, the most common specifications for constructing a sand-based system are laid out by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The specifications for a sand-based athletic field are the same as what is typically used for USGA golf greens. These specifications consist of a 12 to 16 inch sand root zone. The choice of sand type and the addition of an amendment depend on the designer. When an amendment is used, it must be thoroughly incorporated with the sand. The sand overlays a 4-inch gravel layer. This creates a perched water table above the gravel that helps keep the root zone moist during dry conditions. A drainage system should be installed below the gravel to carry excess water away from the field. Aeration on a sand-based system is used more to control the thickness of the thatch layer than to relieve compaction. A thick thatch layer on a sand-based athletic field can be detrimental. These layers prevent essential nutrients and water from reaching the plant. Further, fertilizers, fungicides, and insecticides can not penetrate the surface and reach the soil. This can obviously be devastating if a field is consumed by a soil borne disease or insect. Water penetration can also be deterred by a thick thatch layer. When there is a thick mat of organic matter near the surface of a field a second perched water table will form. This will cause roots to stay in the top couple of inches of soil because they do not need to search for water at greater depths. Without a deep root system, a field can become unsafe due to footing issues. Core aerification is the most conventional way to control thatch. Taking up plugs and removing them from the surface eliminates much of the organic matter that is in the soil. The most common aerificaiton tines used are usually a half inch in diameter, normally penetrate about four inches, and are hollow. If the holes are on 2 inch center, 36 holes will be punch per square foot. After a field is aerified, the cores can either be raked up and removed, or left on the surface to break down. Solid tines will punch holes into surface but are only a temporary solution. This is because they do not reduce the organic layer, but merely displace it. Another common method of reducing thatch is vertical mowing. This consists of vertical blades tearing into the soil and pulling out organic matter. It is very effective at reducing thatch, but is also very disruptive. This can lead to a long recovery time for the turf. Reducing the amount of thatch at the surface allows nutrients and pesticides to penetrate into the soil more effectively. Collecting grass clippings will not reduce the formation of a thatch layer. Thatch layers are made up of decomposed vegetative parts of grass plants like stolons and rhizomes. Once a field is aerified, and there are holes in the surface, a field should be topdressed with the same sand that was used in the construction of the field. Refilling the aerification holes with sand improves the macroporosity of the soil and allows better penetration of water. This will allow the turf manager to water deeper and therefore improve the root system. Introducing sand into the thatch layer allows the growth media to be suitable for play. Without sand mixed with the thatch layer, divots would readily kick out and the field would not be safe for any type of sport. Nutrient management is essential in maintaining a healthy stand of turfgrass, and is much more difficult to achieve effectively in a sand-based system. Unlike with native soil fields, leaching of nutrients is a major concern when managing a sand-based turf system. Nutrient leaching occurs more readily in a sand-based system because sand has a relatively low cation exchange capacity (CEC). This refers to the sand's ability to retain nutrient particles. Soil particle \"hold on\" to positively charged nutrient particles because they are negatively charged. The opposite charges cause the nutrients to adhere to soil particles which can then be taken up by plants. Sand has virtually no CEC, whereas clay and organic matter have relatively high CEC. This means that the higher the clay and organic matter of a soil, the more nutrients it will hold. Low CEC is a major concern when an athletic field is constructed with 100% sand because substantial amounts of nutrients will be unavailable to the turf. The pure sand base will not hold on to nutrients until there is substantial organic matter incorporated into the soil to keep nutrients from leaching. Eventually, organic matter levels will rise as the plants begin to mature and dead vegetative matter decomposes. The best way to avoid this problem is to incorporate some type of organic matter into the root zone mix during construction. The most common, as noted above, is peat moss. Mixing peat moss into the root zone mixture greatly increases nutrient holding capacity. This will greatly increase the chances of establishing a healthy stand of turfgrass because the soil will be able to retain both nutrients and water. Because the nutrient holding capacity is low, soil tests are crucial for sand-based athletic fields. Soil tests should be taken frequently to measure what nutrients are lacking. Fertility programs should then be based on the soil tests. Unlike a native soil field, where most nutrients that are applied stay in the soil, sand-based fields nutrient status fluctuates. That is why a yearly fertilizer program can not be followed. It is more important to obtain soil tests during the establishment of a new field because organic matter will be low and amounts of nutrients will fluctuate even more. One of the many advantages of sand-based systems is extremely good drainage. A well constructed sand-based system can drain excessive amounts of rainfall very quickly. The good drainage that sand-based systems exhibit also offer the turf manager better control over soil water content. The large size of sand particles allow water to flow freely which, in turn, allows sand-based system to drain extremely well. This is beneficial because it allows fields to be used during inclement weather. Sand-based systems will drain multiple inches of water within a short period of time. This allows a sporting event to be played through a rain or after a short delay. Native soil fields, on the other hand, do not drain well and many games have to be cancelled or postponed due to puddling on the field. The good drainage of a sand-based system allows turf managers better control over their irrigation. Once the turf manager learns how his/her field drains, they will know, fairly accurately, when the field will need water. This allows them to make an irrigation plan that provides the turf with just enough water to maintain its health. Localized dry spots, more commonly known as hot spots, are a common occurrence on sand-based turf systems. Hot spots are small areas of turf that are dry and often become hydrophobic. They can be first seen when the grass plants in the area begin to wilt. If the hot spot is not taken care of, the turf in that area will eventually die. Once the soil becomes hydrophobic, it is very hard to get water to penetrate. The best way to alleviate a hot spot is through long, light irrigation or rainfall. It may also help to use a pitchfork to poke holes into the soil to increase percolation.\n\nRelated Websites:\n\nTerms of service | About", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9349462985992432}
{"content": "Calculate Road Distances in US\nhow to calculate distance between cities in US:\n\nTo find the distances between cities in US and other useful information such as average speed, driving time, the recommended breaks, fuel consumption, fuel price, type in the above fields the names of localities - FROM Denver,CO TO Alamogordo,NM and then press ENTER key or click on DISTANCE button.\n\n\nChange the route for US\nAfter generating the route Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM could be changed by simply dragging the line with the mouse. The change can be applied to any intermediate points of that route as well as the points of departure and arrival.\naverage speed Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM\ndriving time Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM\nrecommended break Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM\nfuel consumption Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM\nfuel price Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM.\n\nAdjustment of fuel consumption and fuel price for Denver,CO - Alamogordo,NM\n\n\n\nterms of using distancesonline.com\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.928807258605957}
{"content": "\n\n\n\nPatients' Capacity\n\nWSJ: What is minimally disruptive medicine?\n\nVictor Montori says care for chronic diseases is often so complex that it overwhelms patients. Mayo Clinic\n\n\nWSJ: How is medicine practiced in a disruptive way now?\n\nDR. MONTORI: The pressure is on to make sure patients receive all the tests and treatments they need. That means going to the doctor's office, the lab and the pharmacy, completing paperwork and phone calls, dealing with staff at these facilities and with insurance and approvals.\n\nIf you have only one chronic condition, that is work you can probably fit into your life. But if you have multiple chronic conditions and a complex life, it is hard to fit all of this work into your day.\n\nWSJ: How much is the current system of measuring quality of care to blame?\n\nDR. MONTORI: Health-care systems and doctors are not being recognized for simplifying the schedule or reducing the number of visits and tests. We don't have any guidelines or quality-of-care measures for that. So, doctors are placed in a conflicted position: to focus on what matters to patients and fits [the specific situation], or to satisfy these quality-of-care measures? We have to give clinicians permission to refocus on what is important for patients and deliver it in ways that fit their context.\n\nWSJ: Can practicing minimally disruptive medicine help reduce health-care costs?\n\nDR. MONTORI:Care that fails to deliver better health, greater ability of patients to fulfill their duties and pursue their dreams, is wasteful and should be eliminated. Care requiring patient work that patients cannot implement will be wasted.\n\nPatients with multiple chronic conditions are particularly at risk for overwhelming care. For these patients, who represent about 5% of all patients and yet account for about 40% of all health-care costs and service consumption, getting less care, but getting care they need, want and can implement, would offer better value. The opposite, of course, is true for people who get less care than they need.\n\nQuality of Life\n\nWSJ: How are you putting these ideas into practice at the Mayo Clinic?\n\nDR. MONTORI: For now, it is a four-pronged approach to the care of patients with many chronic conditions.\n\nLike everyone else, we are working actively on care coordination.\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9861039519309998}
{"content": "The Garden Landscape Guide\n\nEridu - a Sumerian city in Iraq\n\nThe king-list of the Sumerians gives Eridu as the world’s first city. Eridu (or Eridug or Urudug, from Sumerian Er.i.dug, \"House in Faraway Built\")  was built before The Flood: ‘When kingship from heaven was lowered, the kingship was in Eridu.’   Eridu means ‘Good City’ and it became a temple city. According to Leick, it was built at the meeting point of three ecosystems and supported three lifestyles: farming, nomadic pastoralism and fishing.  The brick temple complex at Eridu was surrounded by fresh water and therefore by vegetation. In the cosmic geography of Mesopotamia the Earth was an island surrounded by bitter waters, with depths below and ‘On High’ (heaven) supported by great mountains.  As a composition of sky, buildings, landform, water and vegetation, Eridu symbolised the creation.\n\n\"When kingship from heaven was lowered,\nthe kingship was in Eridu.\"\n\nEridu was said to be one of the five cities built before the flood. It appears to be the earliest Sumerian settlement (c4000 BC) near the mouth of the Euphrates River and near the shore of the Persian Gulf.  It was a sacred city and had a ‘temple garden’ in the sense of a temple surrounded by water and vegetation. This region is one of the possible locations for the Garden of Eden. Eridu is close to Ur.\n\n\nNearby gardens\n\nNearby hotels\n\nNearby nurseries\n\n\n\nEridu - a Sumerian city in Iraq Cush", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8693674206733704}
{"content": "National Center of Competence in Research - NCCR Molecular Oncology\n\npublications | newsletter | contact | sitemap |\nsearch :\n\nTumor Immunity and Cancer Immunotherapy\n\nDespite the fact that tumors originate from normal cells, the immune system often reacts relatively strongly against tumoral components. However, because these tumors closely resemble the original transformed cells, the immune system tolerates most tumor types to a variable degree. Thus, the very nature of tumor immunity poses enormous challenges to the endeavour of harnessing the immune system for the therapy of cancers. The aims of the NCCR module on “Tumor immunity and immunotherapy” are:\n\n  • to identify suitable antigens in various tumor types that may be targeted for innovative therapies based on mobilizing the resources of the immune system against growing tumors\n  • to understand in great details the immune responses to tumors in cancer patients,\n  • to perform clinical trials of vaccination,\n  • to invent and/or refine laboratory methods that allow to measure the immune responses elicited by experimental cancer vaccines,\n  • to devise novel approaches for the treatment of tumors by combining established chemotherapy compounds currently used in the clinical oncology practice with our experimental cancer vaccines, with the aim of enhancing the anti-tumor effects of both therapeutic modalities\n  • and to develop more potent and innovative therapeutic vaccination approaches by exploiting the latest insights into the inner workings of the immune system.\n\nThe “tumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy” module is organized in six autonomous research projects led by independent scientists established at various institutes located in the Lausanne area (ISREC, Multidisciplinary Oncology Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Vaud –CHUV, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, UNIL). A unique aspect of this module is the dense network of interactions between these research projects and, more importantly, the fluid exchanges between oncologists, clinicians at the Gyneco-obstetrics department, applied immunologists working at the interface between research laboratories and the clinics and basic scientists in pure research laboratories. Moreover, the network has contacts with several start-up companies, big pharma and laboratories both in Europe and the United States.\n\nThe outcomes of this research program have important implications for both our understanding of the immune system and for the conquest of cancer. Indeed, novel therapies based on exploiting signaling pathways and knowledge of the immune system physiology would be more specific and far less toxic than current chemo or radiotherapy which cannot discriminate transformed cells from normal proliferating cells and therefore carry a high burden of collateral effects for cancer patients.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8455620408058167}
{"content": "Use Songs To Mix Various Paint Palettes\n\nAmerican paint company Dutch Boy’s new app lets customers paint a room in their favorite song.\n\nPaintlist is a new mobile app from American paint company Dutch Boy that gives users a new way to make those tough color decisions when painting a room. Users either select songs already on their smartphone or prompt the app to ‘listen’ to a song, Shazam-style, and receive three suggested palettes based on the song. The palettes can be shared with friends and family, and users are directed to the nearest retailer selling those particular colors. Incorporating music into the color selection process is a smart way for the 106-year-old paint brand to reach future homeowners, a generation which is accustomed to personalized services and for whom music is an integral form of self-expression.\n\nThe app was designed by Ohio-based integrated agency Marcus Thomas and incorporates technology from Music DNA. The song-identification service recognizes over ten million songs and classifies them into one of approximately 750 categories based on the tones, tempo and genre. Color experts at Dutch Boy have translated these categories into distinct color palettes, so the tonality of the palette is a visual representation of the music tonality. For example, an upbeat pop tune will result in a more vibrant palette than a slower classical piece. The free mobile app was released on October 15th and is available for iOS and Android.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9445717334747314}
{"content": "From the countryside to the city, we provide our region with natural places that nourish and support vibrant and prosperous communities by identifying, preserving, restoring and maintaining essential assets like clean water, working farms, wildlife areas, and parks.\n\n\nThere is nothing more beautiful than a crisp fall day in northern Ohio.\n\n\nThe sun shimmering on our great Lake Erie; the red and yellow leaves of a beech maple forest; the long views of crop and pasture land framed by towering forests; and the gentle murmuring rivers that run through our glacial landscape. We love the Western Reserve. It is where we rear our children and where our hearts reside.\n\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9985822439193726}
{"content": "Tue May 15, 2012\nArts & Culture\n\nBay Area Beats: LoCura\n\nCredit Courtesy of LoCura\n\nThe San Francisco band LoCura reflects the Bay's diverse mix of cultures, histories and people through music that surfs genres and shuns labels. Members of the band come from as far away as Spain, and as close as the Mission district. They blend flamenco, Cuban son, reggae, cumbia, ska and more to make their own border-crossing brand of revolutionary party music. With the release of their new album, Semilla Caminante, the band deepens this mixture of musical and political cultures. KALW’s Jen Chien spoke to lead singer Kata Miletich and guitarist Bob Sanders for this edition of Bay Area Beats.\n\nBOB SANDERS: Almost every member of the band has a cultural heritage that is from somewhere else: Nicaragua, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, El Salvador.\n\nKATA MILETICH: I was born and raised in Spain. My father was a Californian who came there and met my mother, and ended up staying 20 years, then we moved to Italy. And at some point after I graduated high school, I came to the US. For me, I think the LoCura sound evolved parallel to both Bob’s and my own personal musicianship.\n\nSANDERS: It has evolved through a pretty organic process. The only genre that we intentionally set out to do was rumba flamenca.\n\nMILETICH: And when we came to the Bay is when it really exploded. That’s when we met the other original band member of LoCura, Rachael Bouch. She was trained in Cuban traditions.\n\nSANDERS: That opened the doors to allowing other styles to come in.\n\nMILETICH: That is how LoCura was born really, with the sound of rumba flamenca and son cubano. We were already playing some reggae... And then as we met musicians that were coming from Afrobeat traditions and salsa and cumbia, and being in the Bay, surrounded by so much diversity. For me, coming form my father’s background, my mother’s background, and then being raised speaking Spanglish... and then coming here and just meeting people from so many different places – I feel connection to so many different traditions, that it’s helping me learn more about myself, tapping into these different styles of music.\n\nCon El Viento was a song that was inspired by thinking about how I had arrived here in California, and how I was connected to California, and then this kind of resurgence of my Spanish identity here in California, because I’d been away from Spain for so many years. So that song is a song for honoring my coming here and all the people who have come through here, and all the stories we carry within us.\n\n\nSANDERS: The idea that we have flamenco now as this pure art form that stands by itself is false, because the only reason it exists is because it has mixed over so many years, of so many styles. You’ve got the Gypsies who came over from India, taking all kinds of styles of music with them, along with their own original style. And for flamenco you have a lot of Jews who mixed their own music inside of it, and just the music that was already happening in southern Spain, heavy influences from North Africa … The music only arrived to that point because it had mixed with so many other styles along the way.\n\nThe song Que Falta was born sitting in the rehearsal studio with our bass player Izzy, who is heavily influenced by Afrobeat and funk. He had an idea for this riff that opens the song, and then we just kept coming up with all these different musical variations, and we taught that music to the rest of the band, and Kata put her lyrics to it. So that’s a great example of a song that’s funk-influenced, you get into the verse and you’ve got a salsa groove, you get into the chorus and it goes into a timba swing, and then it goes back to funk for the bridge section, then some drum breaks … that’s quintessential LoCura.\n\nMILETICH: We and I do feel pressure to categorize LoCura. What style of music do you play? Do you fit into this nice neat box of flamenco, or timba, or reggae? Are you a rock band or an indie band? What kind of style do you fit in? It’s always a hard one to answer because we don’t really fit into any of those categories. We take little bits of everything. We’ve come up with different little names to describe the style, fusing different words together, or playing on words like flamenkito, or Califas mestizo music.\n\nSANDERS: From what I see, being in the music scene here, it’s very apparent that that’s what bands do here in the Bay Area. We have a hugely diverse population of people from all over the world.\n\nMILETICH: I can’t just get into one style, just as I can’t just sing lyrics in English or just sing lyrics in Spanish. When I came here I really felt validated by the Chicano culture, and validated in certain aspects of my cultural identity. And so in one way I don’t want to fit into any box – I want to continue to cultivate this style of music that finds a common ground between different styles. Whether it’s the African roots, the indigenous roots of here, of different places, and find how different styles of music can really fit in with each other, and groove.\n\n\nRelated program:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6184924840927124}
{"content": "carnivore, also called PredatorA lion (Panthera leo) eating its prey.© Peter Betts/Shutterstock.comanimal whose diet consists of other animals. Adaptations for a carnivorous diet include a variety of hunting behaviours and the development of methods for grasping or otherwise immobilizing the prey. Wolves use their teeth for grasping, owls their claws, and bullfrogs their tongues. Some snakes (e.g., rattlesnakes) use venom to immobilize their prey, and many spiders wrap their victims in thread. Most carnivores are larger than their prey species, although some of the largest carnivores prey on even larger species, for example, tigers on water buffalo and orcas on baleen whales.\n\nMany well-known predators (e.g., lions, weasels, dogs) belong to the mammalian order Carnivora. However, carnivorous mammals are also found in many other orders, including the Insectivora, Cetacea, Marsupialia, and Chiroptera. Likewise, not all mammals in the classification Carnivora are exclusively carnivores.\n\nCertain plants are also carnivorous. The Venus’s-flytrap has leaves modified to act as snap traps. Other plants are equipped with passive devices that work like flypaper or lobster pots.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9952540993690491}
{"content": "Prison - Monitoring\n\nDocument Sample\nPrison - Monitoring Powered By Docstoc\n\t\t\t\t\tPrison - Monitoring\nWeb Copywriter: Pu-ice\n   ?Advisory Tel :029-81870056 029-81870069 029-88850267\n   ?Address: 216 South Road, Xi&amp;#39;an Jia Tianguo Taibai International\nBuilding 1, Room 1903, 19th floor\nDetention and prison reform criminals is a place where detainees are not easy to\nmanage, security is the first protection; to protect the safety of the community, but\nalso to protect the safety of prison staff and detainees of the security and stability. By\ninstalling the monitoring alarm equipment, can effectively strengthen the management\nto serving personnel, intuitive 及时 key locations reflect the site conditions, boost\nsecurity 措施, modern prison management is a powerful tool. With the computer\ntechnology widely used in all walks of life, the rapid development of computer\nhardware and software equipment to digital video surveillance equipment have\nreached the practical application of the prison monitoring system requirements, and\nare gradually put into practical in. Cable Transmission through the new co Monitor\nSystem effective integration of computer technology can effectively enhance the\nsentence personnel management, reducing unforeseen circumstances occur, digital\nvideo surveillance equipment can be directly timely reaction of the key locations\nscene situation, 增 强 security measures , is an important means of modern\nmanagement the prison.\nCell control\nFor those with high risk of prisoners, their activities need to monitor in real time and\ncompletely; Yifang accidents, to protect himself and prison in the safety of others; use\nof monitoring alarm systems, Tong Guo installed cameras inside the cell, All of the\ncell can be real-time video, audio video, prisoners in the cell can record all activities,\nincluding; also on the cell through a remote control center to monitor, to achieve\nreal-time video when unattended.\nPublic places\nIn the prison-house, canteen, hall, playground, workplace and other public places are\nrelatively concentrated in the areas of prisoners, because prisoners were in mixed,\noften prone to various exceptions, relatively small in the prison context, to ensure that\nall public places within the staff, facilities security, there must be some measure of\nsecurity alarm monitoring, through the monitoring system can effectively monitor\nthese situations and near real-time video, through the alarm system that can arise\nwhen non-normal, in time to the prison management section of the alarm signal to a\ntimely manner to deal with various non-normal.\nPrisons around the door\nAround the prison and the door is connected with the outside part of the prison,\nescaped detainees are often the place, through monitoring, alarm system, can\neffectively ensure that these areas and re-engage in care of the safety of personnel,\nand can effectively cope with the prison guard staff interaction, to prevent detainees\nescape acts, and can prevent outsiders from entering.\nCare personnel working and living area\nTo ensure the security and stability within the prison is responsible for the\nmanagement of detainees is responsible for prison security guards and police officers,\ncharged with important tasks, their security is to ensure prison security and stability of\nthe overall top priority, by monitoring the alarm system, care staff work area set up\ncontrol room, less in the case of guards, all prison effectively have complete control\nof the situation in order to respond in a timely manner; by working and living area in\nthe custody of officers set up surveillance alarm devices, can effectively care\npersonnel to ensure the safety of the whole prison security and stability in future.\nSecond, the system design principles\n1, nature, economy: the selection of the monitoring and alarm system equipment\nexcellent, fully functional, stable performance, the entire system in a long time will\nremain within the advanced level; the same time, in line with economic and practical,\nstable and reliable principle, give full play to the maximum effectiveness of the\n2, Stability: a complex surveillance system, its stability is essential to avoid crashes,\noffline, can not control or recurrent abnormal phenomenon.\n3, Security: For a system, its internal and external security is also very important,\nshould have the password, multi-level control level, withdrawal of fortification level;\noperator privileges can be divided into system settings, super users, Attendant, etc. a\nvariety of system control, alarm time should be recorded and sharing.\n4, for convenience: The operation should be simple and flexible, easy to learn the\ncharacteristics of the operator can easily carry out the use and maintenance.\n5, expansion, upgrade and integration to facilitate: the system leaves ample room for\neasy future expansion, upgrades and integration.\nThird, the basic form the system\nThe system includes monitor, monitor and broadcast three subsystems. Of which:\nVideo surveillance subsystem:\nManagers at all levels can be achieved under the network of all or part of the prisons,\nthe production area, outside the control region, and the external perimeter of the\nprison environment in the region live video monitor and digital video systems, and\nlong-term preservation.\nMonitor Subsystem:\nManagement staff to achieve real-time monitoring of prisoners, and monitor the\ncontent can be recorded, and long-term preservation.\nRadio Subsystem:\nManagers at all levels can achieve the network under the supervision of all or part of\nthe broadcast area, and the broadcasting system is not affected during the monitor and\nthe monitor functions.\nThe system network architecture has three major layers: the network main control\ncenter, various management point of sub-control center, monitoring and management\n\nMonitoring and management point:\nSet up surveillance cameras at various points, listeners and broadcasting equipment,\ncable transmission system equipment with a total transmission of all signals.\nSub-Control Center: internal and external control, production department, alarm\nprocessing center and guard towers and other management\nIn the dormitories / duty room production areas, inside and outside the tube,\nwatchtowers, alarm processing center set points control points, all regions of the\nmanagement control system equipment by the scope of the jurisdiction of the prison\nofficer and, internal network Diaokan historical record .\nNetwork control center:\nDVR system set up in the main control center, TV monitor wall system, broadcasting\nsystem management equipment, administrators can monitor the network for all\ncontrol points and all points in the sub-system control, to achieve all the functionality\nof the system design. Set in the monitoring command center, connect and control all\nhosts on the network under the same master rub less flexibility to expand the master\nlevel; another over control of the host as configured, the network can also be\nconnected between the host computer.\nConcrete design systems\n\n1 point for each monitoring a specific implementation plan\nRoom surveillance monitor surveillance\nEach room in the prison setting a camera on the monitor to conduct a comprehensive\nindoor surveillance monitoring in each room to set up a listener first, on the\ninter-room to listen in order to keep abreast of the activities of detainees; installation\nof radio equipment that can staff to achieve their education, propaganda and\nbroadcasting function; can be installed in each monitoring indoor smoke detectors to\nprevent the prisoners who took the opportunity to create chaos in the prison room.\nHousing surrounding monitoring alarm monitoring\nMonitoring room in the entrance stairs, etc. to install a full head cameras used to\nmonitor the situation of all access persons; the same time place in a corridor, the\ncorridor ends of the installation of a fixed camera is used to monitor the situation\nwithin the corridor . In some of the more important parts of the design button alarm\nMonitoring alarm in public places\nIn the prison cafeteria, auditorium, playground, work space, the closed room, the\nspace under the occasion, set a certain number of cameras, these non-normal prone to\nconstantly monitor the occasion; and in these occasions, set the number of key areas\nThe push-button alarm point to an accident happen on these occasions, to send out\nwarning signals in time.\nPrison, the prison door and around the monitoring and alarming\nPrison is a prison door with the outside world where, in this setting for several\ncameras, and out of prison officers on the monitor from time to time; and sentry point\nguard in the prison gate to set up a push-button alarm point; in prisons around the wall\nand the corner area set a number of major focal point of camera surveillance, and with\ninfrared light, all-weather 24-hour surveillance on these points; and around the prison\nwalls, set up radio active infrared alarm, guard against through here and out of prison\nstaff activities.\nCare personnel office and living premises alarm monitoring\nIn the prison guards, armed police office, living all around the entrances to install a\nfixed camera; in a corridor where both ends of the installation of a fixed camera; the\nsame time according to user requirements in the designated office on each floor were\ninstalled full- PTZ cameras or three Kam detector (for example, warden&amp;#39;s\noffice, the financial room to set foot pick-type alarm button in the personnel file room,\narms room to install a passive infrared detection devices), this setting can guarantee\nthe room key monitor key , deployment, monitoring, deployment of the system after\nthe invasion, if people are reported to the police.\nOther places\nAccording to customer demand, the more important place in the monitor alarm set\n2, sub-system handles the specific design\nA total of cable signal reduction equipment, system for system restore audio and video\nsignal output to the Quad, through 16 under the jurisdiction of the screen on the\nmonitor area;\nA sub-controller to realize the area of each point for large-screen switch, the controller\non the front of the mirror control points to control and electric cloud radio address.\n3, the specific design of the network control center system\nEstablishment of a digital video disk system, the control point for all digital audio and\nvideo signal recording and long-term preservation;\nSet up TV monitor wall system, with a large audio and video matrix 24 and a large\nscreen monitor for system control and switch back and forth to achieve any of the\nscreen to any one monitor to monitor;\nThe establishment of the master radio and the electric mirror control system goes\nthrough the controller on the front of the radio broadcast monitoring point cloud\nmirror rotation control and electric control\nFourth, the characteristics of cable transmission control system\nCurrently, most of the TV monitor using video-based band still point to point\ntransmission, each camera points to the control room needs to layout a set of video\ncables, power lines and control lines, dozens of television monitors on the camera\npoints will form a large bundle of cables. Moreover, the video baseband signal is\n50Hz to 6MHz low-frequency signal, will be 50HZ AC power line electromagnetic\ninterference, therefore, point to point video transmission, power lines and video cables\ncan not be laid with the pipe with the tank, which the between the need to add steel or\nsteel tank isolation shield. In addition, the coaxial cable transmission of baseband\nvideo signals increasing transmission distance with the clarity of an image is\ndecreased, the general transmission over 300 m, the image sharpness will be reduced\nto intolerable levels.\n\nCommon Cable TV monitor for monitoring transport network, and Beijing Zhongtian\nTechnology Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. products use many years of experience\nand maturity of RF carrier frequency modulation and demodulation technology,\ncomputers and control technology, carrier frequency network technology, R\n&amp;amp; D a &amp;quot;total control cable&amp;quot; transmission network\nproducts. Total cable television transmission control technology (hereinafter referred\nto as total control cable) transmission technology in the traditional control based on a\ntechnological innovation, representing a period of monitoring transmission\ntechnology for future development direction, there are many traditional techniques\ncan not monitor the transmission of new features However, traditional monitoring\ntechnology is still dominant in certain areas, will and common cable monitoring exist\nfor a longer period, the following discussion of a total of five cables from the scope of\nFirst, the number of monitoring points\nThe number of monitoring points on the transmission technology or conventional\nmonitor cables with a total control plays a decisive role, the traditional monitoring\ntransmission technology is in the back of each camera to connect up to four cables,\none video cable (transmission of video signals), a control cable (transmission Zoom\nPTZ control signals and signals), an audio cable (transmission monitor signal), a\npower cable. In addition to power, the other three cables must enter the host computer\nrooms, with 20 monitoring points, 800 meters distance transmission project as an\nexample, the traditional monitoring technology up to 60 cable laying, cable total\nlength of 4.8 km, the high cost of acquisition of cable ; laying cables number and size\nof large amount of heavy construction difficult; laying costs; unsightly; difficult to\nrepair, overhaul. If the use of cable monitoring technology, need to add the\ncorresponding modulation equipment, modem equipment, signal amplification\nequipment and control equipment, need for additional equipment. Because of a\ncoaxial cable inside the monitor to allow simultaneous transmission of video signals\n20, control signals and audio signals, so just lay a cable, the total cable length of 2 km,\nthe purchase of cable cost is very low, significantly lower levels of acquisition cable\ncosts; laying cables is simple, construction difficulty; laying low cost; the system\nappearance; easy maintenance, repair. If the control points are few, the price of\nconventional monitoring techniques have obvious advantages, is not difficult to\nconstruct a total control of the program need to configure the cable-related equipment,\nhigh cost, traditional monitoring technology for such an occasion. To three monitoring\npoints is 300 meters distance transmission project as an example, the traditional\nmonitoring technology up to nine cable laying, cable length up to 2.7 kilometers, the\npurchase of cable cost is not high, the laying of cables in small quantities, is not\ndifficult to construct, maintenance, repair more convenient. If the use of cable\nmonitoring technology, to lay a 300-meter cable, but need to add the appropriate\nequipment, increasing equipment costs greater than savings in cable costs. As can be\nseen from the above cases, the traditional point monitoring techniques applied to\nmonitor the transmission bit less total control cable monitoring point and apply more\ntransmission. Based on our accumulated experience in construction, the proposed\nmonitoring points or more in 30 projects, with a total cable construction monitoring\nprogram; on 6 of 30 monitoring points, it should be a concrete analysis of specific\nissues, monitoring of 1 ~ 6 points project, proposed by traditional monitoring\nSecond, transmission distance\nTraditional control methods suitable for transmission distance is 300 meters, the limit\ndistance of 500 meters can be transferred, installed after the amplifier can transmit\n800 meters, but because of the added amplifier noise amplification, while the system,\nand very high frequency attenuation, resulting in the image spectrum distortion, can\nnot guarantee image quality. Appropriate monitoring of cable transmission distance is\n2000 meters, to meet the needs of most users, the ultra long-distance monitoring, can\nbe used the way cable + cable together to build a total of HFC distance transmission\nsystems to address control signals within 100 km of two-way transmission problem.\nTherefore, more than 500 meters transmission distance is less than 3,000 meters of the\ndemand, for a total cable monitoring technology. Within 500 meters of transmission\ncan be monitored by conventional techniques, can also be used to monitor common\nmode cable.\nThird, anti-jamming\nWith the continuous development of modern civilization, the increasing variety of\nhigh-power electrical equipment, electromagnetic interference more and more, so\nmuch of bad electromagnetic environment, the interference frequencies are 45MHz or\nless, the traditional use of video-based surveillance with Li Yong Tong Axis 0 ~\n6MHz cable to transmit the image signal bandwidth is fully used within the\ninterference band, poor anti-interference ability, therefore, prone to interference image\ntwill, textured, snow and ghosting, seriously affect the image quality. Of the image\nmove by cable to the monitoring of more than 49MHz high-frequency carrier\ntransmission, completely avoid the common interference frequency, so\nanti-interference ability. Therefore, in the electromagnetic environment of harsh\nenvironments for cable monitoring system.\n4, system expansion\nExpansion of conventional monitoring techniques need to re-wiring, construction\nworkload of the larger construction difficult, long construction period, construction on\nthe surrounding environment easily affected Wei Jie Jue construction impact on the\nsurrounding environment, often require a number of Zhunbeigongzuo Zuo, often\nDaozhi Party starts on time or even abolish the delay in expansion plans. If the use of\ncable monitoring technology, will produce different results. 30 monitoring points is\nstill 1000 meters distance transmission projects, for example, because of cable\nmonitoring technology to allow simultaneous transmission in a 20-way coaxial cable\nrequired within the signal, the system installed two coaxial cable, 30 Way in the\ntransmission of existing Based on the required signal can be increased by 10 signals\nthat the addition of 10 control points, in addition to increasing front-end equipment\nand, as appropriate, increase the engine room of the demodulation equipment, without\nadding other devices, expansion does not require re-wiring. Total cable monitoring\nsystem expansion construction workload is small, construction difficulty, short\nconstruction period, construction had no effect on the surrounding environment.\n5, wiring difficulty\nIn high-rise buildings, cable will enter the shaft, fixed on the bridge, often laying shaft\nother various uses cable, the electromagnetic environment has become more complex,\neasy to control technology transfer of traditional base-band signal interference, heavy\nmonitor bales of signal transmission difficult for long cable bridge and the\nconstruction is firmly fixed; has completed renovation of office buildings, research\ninstitutions, warehouses, residential and other places if the laying of large bundles of\nheavy damage control signal transmission cable is bound to have good fitting,\nconstruction difficult and not beautiful; to overhead or fixed in the wall of the\noccasion, heavy bales difficult to set up control signal transmission cable, fixed,\nright-angle turn, buckle PVC slot board. Not suitable for these occasions, the\ntraditional monitoring techniques, monitoring programs should be a total cable. In\naddition, the lack of power or hard power cable laid under the circumstances, can take\ncontrol of cable feed means within the camera and modulator for the front-end to\nprovide power.\nIn short, the total cable control for large systems, long distance transmission of\nvarious control signals, the system has strong anti-interference, wiring simple, easy\nexpansion; traditional monitoring techniques applied to monitoring points less, the\ntransmission distance is short, less peripheral interference, interference signal is not\nstrong and does not require expansion (or a small amount of expansion) of occasions.\nFrom: Network", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8915217518806458}
{"content": "Not a Member?  Become One Today!\n\nTaking Up Slack \nVol. 55     No. 12 \nMost slackers can be turned into better performers by removing organizational conditions that create or enable loafing behavior. \n\n12/1/2010  By Adrienne Fox \n\nImagine young Billy in the fourth grade bringing his report card home from school. Written among the straight A’s is a glowing note from his teacher: \"Billy is a smart child who is a naturally gifted student. He grasps concepts easily and quickly, and is a delight in my classroom.\"\n\nFast-forward two decades. Billy is now Bill occupying a cubicle at your headquarters. You hired him because of his natural intelligence and solid experience. So far, Bill has been an adequate performer, doing what his manager tells him to complete projects. Yet he fails to contribute extra effort to reach the next level of performance, preferring to slack off when possible.\n\nBecause Bill does just enough to meet his goals, it is hard for managers and HR systems to catch and address his slacker behavior. Bill and other slackers, loafers, time bandits—whatever you call them—are stealing opportunity from your organization and may be demoralizing co-workers who go the extra mile.\n\n\"Slackers\" are people who know they could be much more productive but make a conscious decision not to be. According to Sibson Consulting’s 2009 Rewards of Work Study released in August, 44 percent of 2,000 employees surveyed are not committed to perform even though they know \"what to do.\" That number is down from the last Sibson study in 2006, but it’s still troubling: \"A workforce where almost half of employees have low commitment likely falls short of what employers desire,\" says David Insler, senior vice president at Sibson in Los Angeles, and co-author of the survey.\n\n\"When commitment to the organization decreases, individuals tend to engage in more counterproductive work behaviors,\" explains Meagan Brock, HR specialist at the Office of Personnel Management at the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.\n\nResearchers and psychologists say most people want to be productive. Yet something might be holding them back, whether it’s procrastination, poor sleep habits, depression, some other illness or disability, or something in the workplace culture or organization.\n\nWhy an employee’s commitment to the organization decreases depends on various factors—and HR professionals can address many of them. Well-intentioned workers may become slackers because \"they don’t understand their jobs clearly, are frustrated by the lack of resources or support to do their jobs, feel demoralized because co-workers slack off without consequences, or because their intrinsic motivations are not matched by the rewards offered,\" says Roland E. Kidwell, associate professor of management at the University of Wyoming’s College of Business in Laramie.\n\nThese types of slackers can be reformed through intervention by HR managers. \"Clear leadership direction, improved communications, support and feedback to employees, setting a high performance bar, and rewarding top performers accordingly can mitigate the behavior,\" Insler says.\n\nOther slackers \"are just lazy,\" Kidwell notes. HR professionals \"can weed out chronic slackers in the selection process or through progressive discipline.\"\n\nThe worst course of action is to do nothing and allow slackers to fly under the radar, Brock warns.\n\nPsychology of Slacking\n\nSlackers are made, not born, which should give HR managers hope, says Carol Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.\n\nDweck’s decades of research on why certain people succeed and others don’t reveal a societal bias toward natural ability vs. hard work. \"Our society, from school to the workplace, rewards smarts rather than hard work,\" says Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Ballantine Books, 2007). In Bill’s case, \"he was rewarded for good grades with little effort. He never learned the value of hard work.\"\n\nPeople who grow up being rewarded solely for natural intelligence are more susceptible to slacker behavior because they give up when things get hard, Dweck’s research has found. And organizations that reward smarts and natural talent more than commitment breed \"slackism.\"\n\nPsychologically, Dweck explains, many people equate speed with ability. In addition, they believe that \"you shouldn’t need to work hard if you truly excel at something,\" she says. \"Managers feed this notion by praising people for achieving effortlessly.\" In turn, workers give the impression work is easy so they can appear talented.\n\nAt Stanford, professors call it \"duck syndrome,\" where people appear to be calm and serene on top but underneath they’re working like mad. \"It’s the façade of slacking,\" Dweck says. \"It’s demoralizing to other students who think, ‘I’m working so hard. And they’re getting A’s without even trying.’ And the truth is, they are working hard but don’t want to admit it.\"\n\nEveryone Slacks\nTypical workers waste about two hours a day at work, not counting lunch, according to Salary.com. In a survey, 2,000 workers identified surfing the Internet for personal use and socializing as their primary time-wasters.\n\nSalary.com estimates the financial loss of potentially productive time to be $759 billion a year nationwide.\n\n“More than hours wasted, the fact is if someone is withholding effort—effort that could lead to innovations—that should be of deep concern to companies,” notes Roland E. Kidwell, associate professor of management at the University of Wyoming’s College of Business in Laramie.\n\nPerhaps more disturbingly, Dweck conducted a study that found that children whose intelligence was praised were more likely to exaggerate their achievements to peers.\n\n\"When you communicate that talent is what you value most, it makes even the talented person feel vulnerable,\" she explains. \"It forces the talented person to go to desperate measures to keep looking good. It prevents them from taking on more challenging tasks that may expose their weaknesses. It also leads them to lie about performance and to hide their mistakes.\"\n\nAfter the collapse of Enron, author Malcolm Gladwell wrote in a 2002 New Yorker article that the company’s environment of \"talent worship\" led to its downfall by forcing employees to look and act invincible by any means necessary. Executives, celebrated for perfection, resorted to lying about their mistakes and covering up problems instead of finding ways to fix them.\n\nTo combat this culture, Dweck advises HR professionals to \"reward behaviors that convey passion and dedication over natural talent. Reward people who improve performance, come up with creative solutions to problems, take risks and work hard. Don’t praise the ‘ace’ worker who keeps doing the same thing well over and over again.\"\n\nTo Catch a Time Thief\n\nTime banditry is a silent behavior that is easy to mask—and hard to prove. \"Think about it,\" Kidwell says. \"If you are able to generate acceptable performance at a low level of effort, why wouldn’t you do it?\"\n\nBrock says slackers engage in \"expectation management\" where \"they learn to manage what the supervisor is expecting. Slackers become really good at manipulating their bosses or team members to keep up the impression that something takes longer than it should or invent barriers where none exist.\"\n\nKidwell cites the example of an employee who writes an e-mail and sets the delivery time for the middle of the night to make it look like he worked all night. Or, the employee who slacks off and then buys time blaming computer glitches.\n\n\"Slacker behavior has been around since the dawn of organized work. But knowledge-based work, and especially technology, make it much easier to mask,\" says Kidwell, whose research has focused on technology’s impact on loafing behavior. \"Technology has enhanced our ability to get work done without a high level of effort.\"\n\nWhen technology makes workers more efficient and managers’ expectations don’t adapt, it creates a recipe for slackism.\n\nA new web-based system in Brock’s department simplified work processes and made employees more efficient. But, she says, her manager kept the same expectations of project completion time.\n\n\"Co-workers abused that system and used the extra time to slack off,\" Brock says. \"Employees are happy to let managers believe that it takes longer to accomplish a task than it really does.\"\n\nWhen employers integrate a new piece of software or technology system, managers should assess how much it improves efficiency and recalculate deadlines. \"Managers need to be more knowledgeable about how long a project takes and break down each step with the help of employees,\" Kidwell says. \"When it takes longer or falls below expectations, ask why. Doing so will unearth problems in the system, such as unnecessary red tape or employees who hold up the process.\"\n\nAnother way to prevent expectation management or manipulation of time, Kidwell advises, is to connect effort and performance to a valued reward such as time off, incentive pay or stretch assignments. Google, for instance, allows high-performing employees to come up with new projects or work on other projects of their choosing. This practice encourages innovation and collaboration, and it reaches those people at risk of checking out because they feel that their skills are underutilized.\n\nIt also contributes to employees’ sense of job security, which was the No. 1 aspect of job satisfaction for the third year in a row in the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2010 Employee Job Satisfaction survey report. Sixty-three percent of 600 respondents ranked job security a \"very important\" aspect of job satisfaction.\n\nEmployees reported that having the opportunity to use their professional abilities and skills increased their sense of job security. \"Employees frequently have skills and abilities beyond the position that they have been hired for,\" the report stated.\n\nPoor job fit, often manifested in boredom and frustration, can cause people to withdraw and give up. SHRM’s 2005 Workplace Productivity Poll Findings found that the top two factors that negatively impact employee productivity are poor management, reported by 58 percent of employees and 61 percent of HR professionals, and no longer being motivated by the work, reported by 38 percent of employees and 63 percent of HR professionals.\n\n\"Employees who are bored, don’t have clarity in their job or lack the resources to accomplish the job engage in time banditry,\" Brock says. \"Individuals logically seek to avoid frustration and replace frustrating tasks with counterproductive tasks that are more rewarding to them but not to the organization.\"\n\nHiding in Plain Sight\n\nKnowledge work, which is increasingly performed in teams, allows slackers to hide unchecked within the group dynamic. In the 1880s, researcher Max Ringlemann proved that individuals don’t try as hard when working in a team. Ringlemann attached a rope to a dynamometer and measured volunteers’ hardest pull. The average force for one man was 85.3 kilograms. As Ringlemann increased the number of men pulling on the rope, the average force of each individual decreased.\n\nWhat he discovered more than a century ago remains true today. Later variations of his study also demonstrate that, as individual effort becomes invisible in a team, slacking off also becomes invisible. Without clear identification of an individual’s role and responsibility, social loafing is more likely to occur.\n\nPeople will work harder when they believe their particular tasks or efforts are indispensable to the group’s success and when they are rewarded for those efforts, Kidwell says. The problem is \"designing performance appraisal systems that truly capture individuals’ contributions toward the team’s accomplishments.\"\n\nKidwell suggests identifying employee actions \"that truly constitute helping behavior vs. actions that reflect impression or expectation management.\" Reward relevant organizational community behaviors—such as participating on task forces, responding to customer queries or helping colleagues in need—as a performance measure when effort cannot be easily observed and when such behaviors are of value.\n\nWhen individuals withhold effort—and get away with it—even high-performing employees can become slackers. Brock found herself in this predicament at her previous job. \"I saw my co-workers doing half as much work for the same salaries,\" she recalls. \"A high performer sees that and says, ‘I’m not going to work as hard, then.’ You will still get your work done, but you don’t work to your full potential.\"\n\nSibson’s Insler works with managers to explain that top performers are always going to be good performers, but frustration about managers who don’t confront slackers will erode their discretionary effort and morale.\n\nIn workgroups where slacker behavior goes unchecked, conflict increases and communication and information sharing shut down.\n\n\"In this environment, co-workers start to protect each other and help hide the loafing behavior,\" Kidwell notes. Create mechanisms to flesh out and address team conflict, he advises.\n\n\"HR professionals also enable slackers and demoralize high performers through this spirit of egalitarianism that persists in organizations,\" Insler says. \"Faced with smaller merit increase budgets, HR will give the same percentage increase to everyone, justifying that it’s too small to motivate or ‘de-motivate’ anyone. But the fact is, if you differentiate and reward only the top portion of your employee population, the message is more important than the amount.\"\n\n\nThe next time a manager or co-worker complains about someone not pulling his weight, determine if the person is \"just lazy\" or has a justifiable reason to slack. \"You have to ask yourself, ‘Could this person succeed in another environment either within your organization or in another place? And if the answer is yes, then you need to determine what organizational conditions are contributing to the person’s loafing behavior and correct them,\" Kidwell says.\n\n\"True slackers cannot be reformed,\" Insler adds. \"You will know because the idea of rewarding high performers and praising high performers differently won’t matter to the true slackers. But these people won’t last in companies that use progressive discipline performance management properly.\"\n\nTop performers want to perform at their peak. When they feel they can’t, they will be vocal about it. \"It is beneficial to employees to feel like a contributor,\" Brock says. \"This is not about organizations squeezing every ounce of productivity out of each employee until they die an early death. I feel much more satisfied and happier when I can be my most productive.\"\n\n\nDo you have slackers in your workforce? What do you do about their behavior or lack of productivity? What do your line managers do about them? What do their peers say about them? Do have have some successes to share?\n\nWeb Extras\n\n\nCopyright Image Obtain reuse/copying permission", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7222346067428589}
{"content": "January 6, 2011\n\nCanes make top 2 for DT\n\nThis defensive tackle has whittled things down to a two-team battle, and UM made the cut. So where exactly does Miami stand and when will he be on campus? What coach visited him on Wednesday and what did they talk about? Read on.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8877044916152954}
{"content": "What Does Mah Mean?\n\n\nMah is a measure of a battery's total capacity or rating. This means the higher the number, the more charge a battery can hold and usually, the longer a battery will last under a certain load. A battery that provides a current of 1000mAh for one hour is rated at 1000mAh.\nQ&A Related to \"What Does Mah Mean\"\nmAh means milliamp hour. In other words its how much juice a battery can hold. The higher the mAh the longer you should be able to use the battery without having to recharge it.\n1. Connect a voltmeter to the circuit to measure the voltage acting on it. For example, a circuit might have a voltage of 12 volts. 2. Divide the number of watt-hours by the circuit's\n1 Buy a Mah Jongg set . The game cards are used to find hands. 2 Make a four wall structure out of the four tile holders, with 18 tiles on each wall . 3 Deal each player 13 tiles\nShe is a famous botanist.\nExplore this Topic\nMah jongg means to win the game of mahjongg. It is a Chinese game that looks similar to dominoes. It is played with 4 people and 144 tiles. The object it to ...\nThe word Mah jong was coined by the Chinese people who speaks Cantonese and Min Nan as 'pinyin' which means sparrow, a small bird who belongs to the Passeridae ...\nMAh written as (mAh) which is milliampere-hour, is a unit of electric charge. One ampere-hour is equal to 3600 ampere-seconds. The ampere-hour is frequently used ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5483657121658325}
{"content": "8 Weeks To Your First 5-K\n\n\nMarch 27, 2002\n\nEach week of the training program follows the same pattern: 3 days of workouts at varying speeds, alternating with 3 days of walking at a brisk but comfortable pace for up to 1 hour (called \"Easy\" in our training chart). One day a week, preferably the one following your hardest workout, is for resting. Adequate rest reduces your risk of injury, which would likely disrupt your training. If you want, you can use your day off for activities other than walking, such as bicycling and swimming.\n\nEvery week, your workouts get a bit more intense as your speed, strength, and endurance improve. Then in the week leading up to race day, your workouts taper off. This gives you an opportunity to rest, so that you're feeling fresh and strong for the big event.\n\nThe training program is outlined in \"Your 5-K Training Plan\" above. It consists of three basic building blocks (speed workouts).\n\nThe 20s: Warm up by walking at a moderate pace for about 10 minutes. For the next 20 minutes, walk a bit faster than you normally do. You should feel a little winded but be able to carry on a conversation fairly comfortably. Then cool down by walking slowly for 5 to 10 minutes, or until you feel your breathing has slowed to normal.\n\nAs you progress through the training program, you'll add another 20-minute segment (set) to this workout, with a short rest period in between. (\"Rest\" means slowing down so that you can breathe easily and evenly, not stopping or sitting.) You'll cool down after completing both 20-minute segments.\n\nThe 10s: Walk at a moderate pace for 5 minutes to warm up. Stretch gently, then walk for 10 minutes at a faster pace than in the 20s workout. You should be breathing fairly hard but still be able to get out a few words in conversation. After 10 minutes, slow down and catch your breath. Rest for at least 5 minutes. You'll repeat this cycle up to three times per workout, but don't go for more than that. Remember to cool down afterward.\n\nThe 5s: This is the speed-demon workout. Don't panic if you get red-faced, sweaty, and out of breath. That's the idea.\n\nBegin by warming up for 10 minutes, walking at a moderate pace. For the next 5 minutes, walk as though there's molten lava flowing behind you, right on your heels. At this speed, you shouldn't be able to utter a word -- if you can, you're not pushing hard enough. After 5 minutes, slow down and catch your breath. As soon as you're breathing comfortably, pick up your pace again. You'll repeat this cycle as many as four times per workout. Always cool down afterward.\n\nIf you're not walking on a 1/4-mile track, try heading out for the first half of your workout, then turning around and heading back for the second half. As the weeks go by, you'll find that the halfway mark is getting farther and farther from your starting point. That means you're walking faster.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9692630767822266}
{"content": "Scandal Recap: \"Say Hello to My Little Friend\"\n\nThis week’s Scandal used recent headlines to inspire their new client’s case.  A sexting-happy senator was on trial for murder after one of his girlfriends ended up dead. \nHis wife, Shelly, dutifully stood by his side, until she found out he had sexted with a bunch of other women.  He’d lied and said it was a lone mistake. \n\nDavid Rosen (Joshua Malina) tried the case, and was pretty grossed out Pope & Associates would defend such a scummy client.  Olivia (Kerry Washington) seemed skeeved too, but her firm needed the money. \nOlivia was ultimately able to convince her client’s wife to testify, thereby providing his alibi for the time of the crime.  David tried to make it seem like it was obvious a wife would lie for her husband.  However, the woman was believed because she made it clear she thought her husband was a pervert, and revealed she now hated him. The disgraced senator was acquitted. \nAfterwards, Olivia realized  Shelly had lied on the stand about her husband’s alibi. The couple hadn’t been home together. The wife had been out killing the mistress.  Since Shelly thought it was only one \"other woman,\" she believed the murder could save her marriage and her husband's career.  \n“The wife did it!” twist is one we’ve seen dozens of times before on legal soaps. I like when Scandal goes the unexpected route.  I’d rather the show start to focus on the Operation Remington storyline. The sudsy drama works better when it focuses on its serial elements.  Fortunately, there was some movement on the Rowan/Remington front. \nOlivia told Jake (Scott Foley) to leave her alone. She wanted to forget all about B6-13 and play the role of dutiful daughter. Jake and Huck (Guillermo Diaz) teamed up to seek revenge on Command (Joe Morton). Eventually, they brought their info to Olivia.\n\nThe man Huck murdered in the previous episode knew something about a shady mission Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) conducted during the first Gulf War.  Fitz had made preparations for the man to be buried in Arlington Cemetery.  Fitz told the man’s sister that although they hadn’t known one another, they’d served in the Navy at the same time.  \n\nIt was odd seeing Fitz do something so selfless and decent.  At the end of the hour, Fitz walked right into Eli’s office and demanded a meeting.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8827024102210999}
{"content": "\n\n\n(credit: Jupiter Images)\n\n\nAmerti asked: Why do we associate red with romance? For centuries, red has meant danger, strength, courage and love. It’s always been considered a powerful color that stands out to represent things that are powerful to people. Carol Bruess, professor of family studies at the University of St. Thomas, says it all probably comes down to what’s in our veins. “The heart is the organ that pumps ‘red’ blood through our life system, the body,” Bruess said.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n(credit: Mark A. Cunningham/Getty Images)\n\nGray’s 4 TDs Lead Gophers Past New Hampshire 44-7\n\n\n\nuniversity, minnesota, logo, gophers\n\nGophers Plan To Keep Giving Gray Some Time At QB\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7079185843467712}
{"content": "or Login to see your representatives.\n\n\n\nPublic Statements\n\nIssue Position: Crime and Public Safety\n\nIssue Position\n\nLocation: Unknown\n\n\"Building safe and secure communities is one of our most important national goals. To succeed, we must create drug- and crime-free schools, support a professional, visible police force rooted in our communities, and invest critical resources in the prevention and intervention of criminal activity by at-risk youth.\" -- Congressman Adam Schiff\n\nProtecting Children from Predators:\n\nAs the father of two young children, Congressman Schiff has been a dedicated advocate for child safety and believes we should always demand the best when it comes to protecting our young people. For this reason, he introduced the Child Protection Improvements Act.\n\nThere are thousands of community based groups working around our nation to provide mentoring, tutoring and assistance to young people, and they rely on volunteers to provide those services. These groups need to be able to conduct cheap, fast and accurate background checks on prospective volunteers and employees to ensure the safety of our children.\n\nThe Child Protection Improvements Act creates just such a system by using the FBI's fingerprint-based database to ensure a volunteer's fitness to work with children. The bill builds on an existing 6-year-old pilot program, which has run more than 60,000 background checks since 2003 for less than $20 each. Under the pilot, 6 percent of applicants have been found to have serious criminal histories, including crimes against children and sexual assaults, demonstrating that the program serves a vital role in protecting kids.\n\nThe House of Representatives passed the Child Protection Improvements Act on a strong, bipartisan vote in 2010, and Schiff will be working to enact the bill in the 112th Congress.\n\nRape Kit Backlog:\n\nSchiff has also been working through the appropriations process to increase resources for local crime labs as they struggle to clear a decade-old backlog of DNA evidence collected from sexual assaults. Since 2008, Schiff has obtained millions of federal dollars for both the Los Angeles Sherriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department to close the rape kit backlog -- the evidence collected during a sexual assault investigation. Thousands of these kits had gone tragically untested; some had been shelved for more than 10 years without being tested. With his support, both the LAPD and the Sherriff's labs will eliminate the backlog during 2011, a huge step forward from the 14,000 kit backlog they collectively faced in 2009.\n\nSchiff has also obtained substantial federal support to help create a state-of-the-art crime lab in Glendale. The Glendale crime lab will ultimately provide forensic services to police departments throughout the Foothills communities.\n\nNew Innovations in DNA:\n\nSchiff tried criminal cases as a federal prosecutor in the early days of the DNA-evidence revolution and has continued to be a strong supporter of using DNA technology to its fullest potential to solve crimes. A technology called Familial DNA holds great promise for solving some of the most difficult cases and punishing the guilty. Familial DNA works by matching a sample collected at a crime scene to the database of convicted offenders in such a way that it reports instances where there is a high likelihood that the crime scene sample comes from someone very closely related to a person in the offender database. This technology was used in California to identify and convict the Grim Sleeper serial killer in Los Angeles, an individual who had killed at least 10 people over decades but had gone unapprehended. Using a familial search, which California first authorized in 2009, the police matched DNA from the crime scene to the killer's son, who had been imprisoned for robbery. Further investigation identified the killer, who was arrested and confirmed guilty through additional DNA tests.\n\nSchiff has introduced legislation to authorize the FBI to implement a familial search system for the national DNA database. The legislation includes measures to protect the privacy and civil rights of those in the database, and familial searches would be used only in cases where other leads have been exhausted and only for violent crimes such as murder and rape. Schiff introduced the Utilizing DNA Technology to Solve Cold Cases Act in 2010, and will reintroduce it in the 112th Congress.\n\nSolving Crimes Through Forensic Evidence:\n\nThe advent of DNA evidence has transformed law enforcement. As many observers have noted, DNA is really the modern fingerprint, yet even more powerful. However, to use DNA technology to its fullest potential to take criminals off the streets, we need to invest in DNA technology. Effectively utilizing DNA in law enforcement is one of Schiff's top priorities.\n\nSchiff introduced the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act to incentivize states, like California, that collect DNA samples upon arrest for certain violent felonies. The legislation is named for a young woman from New Mexico who was brutally murdered. Her assailant escaped arrest for many years despite repeated arrests because none of the arrests resulted in a conviction. It was only several years later that he was convicted and a match was found to evidence collected from the crime scene where Katie was murdered. Although he was ultimately convicted of the crime, he could have been caught far earlier if law enforcement had taken a DNA sample and run it against open cases first. Katie's Law would give states an incentive to invest in DNA collection, helping to solve crimes and prevent future ones. Schiff was a cosponsor of similar legislation in the 111th Congress, which passed the House in 2010.\n\nProtecting Against Acts of Arson:\n\nEach year, California's wilderness areas, homes and businesses are threatened by deadly fires, many of which are started by arson. Firefighters have a tough enough job managing natural forest fires, given California's climate and Santa Ana winds. As a federal prosecutor, Schiff handled many arson cases and saw the incalculable damage caused by these criminals. Intentionally set fires destroy homes, precious natural resources and take the lives of innocent victims, including our brave firefighters on the front lines of public safety. Arsons are among the most difficult crimes to investigate because the crime scene is destroyed by the ensuing fire, and as a result law enforcement agencies clear less than 20 percent of arson cases by arrest.\n\nFor this reason, Schiff co-authored the Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act of 2009, along with Congresswoman Mary Bono (R-CA), to establish a national database to track convicted arsonists. The legislation recognizes that arson is a crime with high recidivism rates, and seeks to ensure that firefighters and public safety officers are aware of criminal arsonists living in their region. The national database would only provide access to law enforcement and fire investigators, to protect the privacy of individuals that have served their sentences, however it would ensure that law enforcement has access to fingerprints and photographs of convicted arsonists should they be involved in a future arson. The MATCH Act passed the House on a voice vote, but it did not clear the Senate in time. Schiff will continue to work on this issue in 112th Congress.\n\nCriminal Justice Reform:\n\nCongressman Schiff is a leading advocate for smart, evidence-based criminal justice reforms that reduce spending on corrections and reduce recidivism among those who have spent time in prison. The size and cost of our prison system has exploded over the past three decades. Substantial research has shown that smart reform of the criminal justice system can have the three-fold effect of reducing crime, reducing spending, and reducing recidivism.\n\nSchiff sponsored the Honest Opportunities with Probation Enforcement Iniatitive Act (HOPE). The HOPE program was pioneered by Judge Steven Alm of Hawaii, a former U.S. Attorney, who developed a highly effective system of probation for offenders under his supervision. HOPE provides for swift, certain sanctions for missteps by probationers, but punishments are graduated so that they increase in severity over time. An independent study of HOPE found that it reduced recidivism by 55 percent -- an unprecedented success. Schiff's legislation would expand the HOPE model to additional sites around the country. He will continue to support HOPE through the appropriations process, and plans to reintroduce the legislation in 2011.\n\nCracking Down on Identity Theft and Spyware:\n\nSchiff has been a leading voice in Congress for cracking down on cyber crime and identity theft. In May 2007, he introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) that takes strong steps to combat cyber crime and protect data security. The Cyber-Security Enhancement Act is designed to help protect American consumers and businesses from the costly effects of identity theft and computer fraud.\n\nSchiff is concerned that as criminals use new technologies to prey upon their victims and defraud consumers, our efforts to fight them have lagged. The Cyber-Security Enhancement Act would provide better data security protections for individuals and businesses by giving law enforcement the tools they need to successfully track down and prosecute cyber criminals.\n\nMany of the reforms that Schiff introduced were ultimately enacted as part of a larger bill (H.R. 6060) in October 2008. He will be working in the 112th Congress to ensure our laws stay up to date, and are able to effectively combat cyber criminals and identity thieves.\n\nIn September 2010, Schiff introduced the Data Breach Notification Act, a companion bill to legislation introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA). The Data Breach Notification Act would lay out a national standard requiring companies and public agencies to notify consumers when their data is stolen or lost. Data breach can result in significant losses to consumers because they were never told of the loss of the data, making them vulnerable to identity theft.\n\nPreventing Gang Violence:\n\nSchiff has long fought to end gang violence, dating back to his days as a federal prosecutor and State Senator, when he saw firsthand the damage that gangs cause in our communities. In 2009, Schiff introduced the Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Act, which would create new criminal gang offenses and require harsher penalties for illegal gang members who are convicted of those crimes, while focusing on providing new resources for community-based programs that seek to prevent future gang activity.\n\nThe bill takes concrete steps in fighting gang violence by increasing federal support for law enforcement, and by cracking down on gang offenders and increasing penalties for those gang members who terrorize our communities. Of equal importance to Schiff, the legislation also takes the next step in prevention and intervention efforts to protect our children from gang violence.\n\nThis bill implements a similar prevention and intervention-based model as the landmark juvenile delinquency legislation that Schiff passed when he was in the State Legislature -- the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act of 2000. The State legislation was the first time that California invested as much in prevention of crime as in the suppression of crime.\n\n\n\nBack to top", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5692349672317505}
{"content": "There are two types of Orders of Protection (OOP) in New York, usually referred to as a Full order and Limited order. The full order prohibits all contact of any kind (subject sometimes to family court orders) while a limited order of protection prohibits specific conduct (assaults, threats, harassment, etc.) They are requested by prosecutors in all domestic violence cases, whether or not the \"victim\" requests one and almost always granted by the judge. In almost all cases, the OOP is issued at arraignment before the victim has had a chance to express their desires on the subject. If the defendant violates the OOP he can be charged with Criminal Contempt of Court for disobeying the judge's Order. This is true whether or not the prohibited conduct was with the consent of the victim. In other words, even if the victim wants to talk to or have contact with the defendant, they cannot without the defendant committing a new crime. Unless of course, the OOP is a limited order and not a full stay-away order of protection.\n\nSo what can a victim do if the judge has issued an OOP and they do not want one? While only a judge can modify or eliminate an existing OOP, I recommend a three-prong approach a victim should take if they find themselves in this situation. First, set a realistic goal. By that I mean seek to have the OOP changed to a limited order of protection instead of no OOP at all. Since the conduct that will be prohibited in a limited OOP is the type of conduct that is impermissible under the law anyway, it makes what you are asking the judge to do seem much more reasonable. Second, you need to let the defendant's attorney know that you do not want an OOP; this way they will argue to the judge on your behalf when the case is on in court. You should also let the prosecutor that is handling the case know as well, regardless of how you want the case resolved. You should be clear in expressing to them your reasons for not wanting the OOP and make sure they know that no one is threatening or forcing you into this decision. Finally, you should coordinate with the defendant's atttorney to appear in court to personally let the judge know how you feel. There is no guarantee that the judge will hear you out but this will likely be your best chance at getting the OOP changed. Remember to bring proper ID with you to court and to keep as far away from the defendant as possible in the courtroom so as not to cause any problems with the court.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9994521737098694}
{"content": "The DCT Factory HP-803 headset is not selling at Retrevo any longer. Customers who are shopping for a headset today are looking at the following popular models.\nPlantronics MX500 Series MX505 Mobile Earset (Over-the-ear)\nnullprice from $23.02\nPlantronics M210C Headset (Wired - Over-the-head - Monaural - Semi-open)\nnullprice from $8.49\nnullprice from $28.93\nnullprice from $93.75", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.804580807685852}
{"content": "The Aqua Collection by Aitali is one of the most beautiful home creations I've seen to date.\n\nThe chairs feature glossy materials with an elegant combination of a modern Louis XVI style woodwork. You can call it the “Opposite Trend” or “Newstalgia,” but regardless of the title you give it, the reality is they are a classic meets ultra modern look for your home.\n\nImplications - The chair that is featured by Aitali is called the L16 Aqua Chair. The chair was inspired by recent fashion trends and features a gorgeous, diamond-quilted pattern in leather. The chairs are featured in colors such as black, white, grey and pink. The elegant seating is fit for a princess!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999977946281433}
{"content": "The Midnight Clock is a sleek, wooden watch that has a little personalized flair; it hides a miniature book within its gears and inner gadgets. First created by Devin Montgomery as a birthday present, it has since expanded as a Kickstarter project to become manufactured and distributed throughout the world.\n\nThe watch takes its inspiration from the hidden passages featured in many children's and fantasy books. The hidden Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter, and the magical wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, are all cited by Montgomery as lending inspiration to the creation of The Midnight Clock.\n\nThe watch is a fully functioning, 24-hour time piece. It has four wooden keys inserted into its sides at each midnight, morning, and afternoon and evening. By removing the keys in a certain order, the watch's face can be removed to reveal a miniature book within.\n\nThis magical watch is perfect for reading lovers who long to inject their lives with a little mystery and intrigue. The Midnight Clock is a stunning creation that is sure to delight everyone from bookworms to magic junkies.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9122893214225769}
{"content": "Step into the world of photographer Thomas Barbéy, captured on film. The black and white pictures take inspiration from Salvador Dali, who is well known for his whimsical and surrealist art pieces. Barbéy takes voyages worldwide to capture some of the most intriguing sights of scenery, still life and portraiture that the world has to offer. He then mixes reality into a dream like state as he manipulates and alters his photos to create a world all of his own.\n\nThese captivating images blend together two different concepts and are juxtaposed into one. Using a multi-angle technique that artist M.C. Escher mastered, he seamlessly fuses such animals as elephants into tree trunks and zebras into piano keys. For Thomas Barbéy “visionary inspiration and imagination is not a technical skill learned in school.” Rather, it is something that only a creative mind can think up to take it from a dream to reality.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9923758506774902}
{"content": "Civilizations: ten thousand years of ancient history\n\nFront Cover\nBBC Worldwide, Mar 29, 2001 - History - 240 pages\n2 Reviews\nCivilizations takes the reader forward from the earliest days of human settlement to the civilizations of the New World overthrown by the Spanish Conquistadors. After a brief look at humanity's development as nomadic hunters and gatherers, the story begins with the crucial step taken around 10,000 years ago when some communities began cultivating plants. The settled villages of these early farmers were the forerunners of the complex cities and highly sophisticated cultures that were later to flourish in the emergent civilizations across the world. Following a basically chronological path, the book focuses on the world's key civilizations in each time period, beginning with the primary civilizations in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt and China, illuminating Greece, Rome and their contemporaries and culminating in the states of America, but not neglecting other, less familiar, civilizations. Illustrated with stunning photographs, artworks and maps throughout, Civilizations: Ten Thousand Years of Ancient History brings alive the ideas, events and people of earlier cultures whose achievements have laid the foundations of our present-day world.\n\nFrom inside the book\n\nWhat people are saying - Write a review\n\nReview: Civilizations\n\nUser Review - Goodreads\n\nUsing it for the excellent maps and good brief descriptions to get to know the areas.\n\nReview: Civilizations\n\nUser Review  - Michael - Goodreads\n\nTen thousand years of ancient history. I loved this book. You get to see ancient civilizations with their myths and religions. You see what foods they ate, tools used, military weapons, etc. It covers inventions over the years. It also shows medicine and surgey techiniques. Read full review\n\nRelated books\n\n\nthe central Andes were the main centres by around 12oo bc Superb craftsmanship included\n\n1 other sections not shown\n\nCommon terms and phrases\n\nBibliographic information", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8286523222923279}
{"content": "Do Vegetarians Eat Eggs?\n\n\nThere are three types of vegetarians, the lacto-ovo vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian and vegan. The lacto-vegetarian and vegan excludes eggs from his or her diet, while lacto-ovo vegetarian does not eat the flesh of animals, but eats both eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese.\nQ&A Related to \"Do Vegetarians Eat Eggs?\"\nVegetarians do not eat eggs because of the fact that its a chicken and they do not eat meat.\nOvo vegetarians eat eggs, but no dairy.\nVegetarians restrict themselves only of animal products. There are several types of vegetarians, those that choose to cut out the meat portion of their diet to those that eat no animal\n1. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. When the wok is hot, add 2 tbsp. canola oil. 2. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir-fry\nExplore this Topic\nAn egg comes out of a chicken and therefore it cannot be vegetarian. There are people on a vegetarian diet that eat eggs while others call them vegetarian for ...\nConsumption of eggs in a vegetarian's diet depends on the type of vegetarianism you practice. Some will eat eggs whereas others avoid them. However, people should ...\nLacto-ovo vegetarians eat vegetables, fruits, eggs and dairy. They do not eat meat or fish. Vegans eat only fruits, vegetables and nuts. No eggs, no dairy, no ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6998665928840637}
{"content": "When Karen Butler, of Newport, Oregon, woke up from oral surgery a year and a half ago, she looked just like her old self, albeit with some swelling in her cheeks. But when she opened her mouth to speak, it was with someone else's voice— in a thick British accent.\n\n“I sounded like I was from Transylvania,” she said to The Oregonian.\n\nOver time, Butler’s accent softened slightly, but it never returned to her native northwestern lilt.\n\nEventually, doctors diagnosed Butler with foreign accent syndrome, a rare neurological disease that has only been documented about 60 times since the 1900s.  \n\nUsually caused by a stroke, foreign accent syndrome has also been associated with multiple sclerosis, head injuries and migraines.  But according to linguists, the accents developed by people with foreign accent syndrome aren’t pure. They tend to change and flux depending on how people pronounce different sounds.\n\n\"What happens with foreign accent syndrome to the best of our understanding is that a very, very small part of the speech area is affected so that the normal intonation of speech gets altered,\" said Dr. Ted Lowenkopf, medical director of the Providence Stroke Center.\n\nThe oddest thing about Butler’s voice transformation is that she doesn’t even hear her new accent, unless she watches it on video.\n\nAlien hand syndrome is another neurological disorder in which patients lose control over the movements of one of their hands. They often feel as if their hand is being controlled by an outside source, and are unable to stop it from performing complex acts, such as unbuttoning items of clothing. Patients are also unaware of the actions taken by their ‘alien hand,’ until the movements are pointed out to them.  The condition generally emerges in the aftermath of a stroke, surgery or infection.\n\nPatients affected by Cotard’s Syndrome believe that they are dead or non-existent. They may also be under the impression that their body is decomposing or that they have lost their blood or internal organs. In some cases sufferers of Cotard’s Syndrome may experience delusions of immortality. It is thought that Cotard’s Syndrome is the result of a disconnect between the part of the brain that recognizes faces and the areas that associate emotion with visual cues.\n\nPiblokto or Arctic Hysteria is a neurological disorder that only occurs within Eskimo societies living in the Arctic Circle. Piblokto generally rears its head in winter months and sufferers exhibit a wide-range of symptoms, including hysterical screaming and uncontrolled wild behavior, depression, eating fecal matter, insensitivity to extreme cold and the nonsensical repetition of overheard words. It is thought that Piblokto may be linked to vitamin A poisoning, as similar symptoms have been observed in Westerners with vitamin A toxicity.\n\nStendhal Syndrome is a psychosomatic illness in which victims experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusions and sometimes even hallucinations after being exposed to objects of extreme beauty. The syndrome is commonly experienced when an individual is exposed to particularly beautiful or numerous works of art, and was first identified in Florence. It also sometimes manifests when people are confronted with immense natural beauty in the outdoors.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5679055452346802}
{"content": "Log in\nFree trial\n\nHard to Swallow?\n\nArticle excerpt\n\nCough medicines aimed at toddlers are about to go behind the counter. But do any of them actually work? Jeremy Laurance investigates\n\nA cough is usually a minor irritation. But when it becomes persistent and keeps you or your children awake at night it can be distressing, debilitating and drive you to desperate measures. At these times, parents turn to cough medicines to soothe their spluttering infants - and in some cases, dose them too heavily.\n\nThis is what sparked last week's decision by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to remove six cough medicines aimed at the under-twos from the open pharmacy shelves, so that parents can be advised about their proper use. But are cough medicines any use? And what is the best way to treat a cough?\n\nA cough is a vital reflex action. It clears the airway of any blockage. It often develops in response to inflammation from a viral infection. It may be a symptom of flu, a cold, asthma, bronchitis or whooping cough. It may also occur in response to certain medicines and, rarely, as a symptom of lung cancer, tuberculosis or heart failure.\n\nMost coughs clear up on their own after a couple of weeks. If you have had one for more than two weeks following a viral infection, it may be time to see your GP.\n\nCoughs are usually labelled dry or chesty. A dry cough is usually felt in the throat as a tickle and does not produce phlegm or mucus. A chesty cough occurs when phlegm is produced in response to the infection. The cough helps clear phlegm from the lungs. But it may also be unproductive, when the passageways in the lungs become inflamed.\n\nThere is no way of getting rid of a cough caused by a virus. But you can treat symptoms of the virus with paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce fever and ease aches - and the cough.\n\nThe basic ingredients of all cough medicines are demulcents - glycerine, honey and syrup that coat the throat and ease irritation. Other compounds - suppressants, expectorants and decongestants - have different actions. There is little evidence that cough medicines work, and they only contain small amounts of active ingredients. A soothing drink or boiled sweet may prove just as effective.\n\nCough suppressants suppress the cough reflex. They include pholcodine, dextromethorphan and antihistamines, and should only be used for dry coughs. Antihistamines can be helpful at night because they assist sleep. Some parents use older allergy medicines, such as Piriton, with their children for this reason (newer antihistamines don't cause drowsiness). Any medicine causing drowsiness should be used with care during the day, and avoided if driving.\n\nExpectorants include ammonium chloride, sodium citrate, guaiphenesin and ipecacuanah, which help bring phlegm up so coughing is easier. …", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.573625922203064}
{"content": "\nStandard view\nFull view\nof .\nAdd note\nSave to My Library\nSync to mobile\nLook up keyword\nLike this\n0 of .\nResults for:\nNo results containing your search query\nP. 1\nUltrasonic Study of HEC\n\nUltrasonic Study of HEC\n\nRatings: (0)|Views: 66|Likes:\nPublished by Alexander Decker\nInternational journals call for papers, http://www.iiste.org/Journals\n\nMore info:\n\nCategories:Types, Research\nPublished by: Alexander Decker on May 07, 2013\nCopyright:Attribution Non-commercial\n\n\nRead on Scribd mobile: iPhone, iPad and Android.\ndownload as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd\nSee More\nSee less\n\n\n\n\n\nAdvances in Physics Theories and Applicationswww.iiste.org ISSN 2224-719X (Paper) ISSN 2225-0638 (Online)Vol.17, 2013\nUltrasonic study of HEC/ ZnO and HEC/ TiO2 film composites prepared bycasting\nProf. Dr.Abdul-Kareem J. Al-Bermany,\n Advanced polymer laboratory/ Physics Department College of science / University of Babylon / Iraq\nThe HEC/ZnO and HEC/TiO\ncomposite membranes were prepared by a sol-gel casting method. In order to evaluatesome physical properties of HEC/TiO\nand HEC/ZnO composites the ultrasonic measurements were performed for the samples at room temperature (298.15 K.) with frequency (35KHz), these properties are ultrasonic velocity,compressibility, bulk modulus, absorption coefficient, relaxation amplitude, transmittance, relaxation time andviscosity. It was found that there is significant relationship between ultrasonic velocity and material properties alsoresults show that adding ZnO and TiO\neffect on densities which were responsible for the ultrasonic wave’sabsorption inside the composites which effected also on the transmittance and reduce velocity.\n: HEC composite; ZnO; TiO2; Ultrasound technique; physical properties\nThe sol-gel casting method is widely used in the preparation processes for inorganic/organic composites. Theadvantages of the sol-gel method are that the synthesis process is done at room temperature and organic polymer can be introduced at the initial stage in which the particles of solution kept in the homogeneous dispersed state [1].Composites have good potential for various industrial fields because of their excellent properties such as highhardness, high melting point, low density, low coefficient of thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity, goodchemical stability and improved mechanical properties such as higher specific strength, better wear resistance andspecific modulus [2]. The addition of inorganic particles into polymer matrices arises a new composite material hasunexpected properties, which greatly differ from that of conventional materials [1]. HEC is a water-soluble synthetic polymer, due to the characteristics of easy preparation, good biodegradability, excellent chemical resistance andgood mechanical properties; HEC has been used on many biomaterial applications [3]. Ultrasonic technique is goodmethod for studying the structural changes associated with the information of mixture assist in the study of molecular interaction between two species [4]. The manner in which the propagation of the ultrasonic wave is affected by thestructure of the material results in parameters that can lead to the characterization of the material. [5], the absorptionof ultrasound in polymer systems is governed by local modes of motion and cooperative because of the existence of strong intermolecular interaction within the polymer. Ultrasonic attenuation measurements are a standard methodused to assess the effects of material degradation [6]. The breakage of chemical bonds is due to cavitations into themedium. Cavitations are the formation and violent collapse of small bubbles. This leads to shearing forces of sufficient magnitude to cause the rupture of chemical bonds [7].\nTable (1) the material under study (The materials were used as received without further purification.)\nMaterial AssayM.W.(g/mol)Density(g/cm³)Company CountryHEC 99.9% ___ 1.3 Panreac SpainTiO\n99.8% 79.866 4.23 Fluke USAZnO 99.7% 81.408 5.606 Merck Germany\nPreparation of Samples\nThe HEC/ZnO and HEC/TiO\ncomposite membranes were prepared by casting method, the appropriate weight of HEC was dissolved in (25ml) of distilled water under stirring and heat (70◦C) for (30min) then the ZnO and TiO\n were added for each sample, the resulting solution was stirred continuously until the solution mixture became ahomogeneous viscous appearance at room temperature (298.15 K.) for (30 min.). The composite membranes areobtained by leaving the mixture solutions in a petre dish at room temperature (298.15 K. – 300.15 K.) for 4 weeks.The densities of the samples were measured by the weight method.* We will refer to the HEC/ZnO as S1 and HEC/TiO\nas S2 in this study.\nUltrasonic measurements were made by pulse technique of sender-receiver type (SV-DH-7A/SVX-7 velocity of sound instrument – Korea), as shown in Fig. below the measurements were made at fixed frequency (f = 35KHz), thereceiver quartz crystal mounted on a digital variable scale of slow motion, the receiver crystal could be displaced parallel to the sender and the samples were put between sender and receiver. The sender and receiver pulses (waves)were displaced as two traces of cathode ray oscilloscope, and the digital delay time (t) of receiver pulses wererecorded with respect to the thickness of the samples (x). The pulses height on oscilloscope (CH1) representsincident ultrasonic wave’s amplitude (A\n) and the pulses height on oscilloscope (CH2) represents the receiver ultrasonic wave’s amplitude (A).\nTheoretical calculation\nThe ultrasound wave velocity (V) was calculated using the following equation [8]:V= X / t …… (1)Compressibility (β) is a measure of the relative volume change of a fluid or solid as a response to a pressure (or meanstress) change, it was calculated by the following Laplace equation where (ρ) is the density [9]:β = (ρ v\n…….. (2)Bulk modulus (B) of a composite is the substance's resistance to uniform compression, it is defined as the pressureincrease needed to decrease the volume; it was calculated by [10, 11]:B = ρ v\n……. (3)The acoustic impedance of a medium (Z) was calculated by equation [12]:Z = ρ v …….. (4)Absorption coefficient (α) was calculated from Lambert – Beer law [13]:\n= e\n(- α x)\n…… (5)Attenuation is generally proportional to the square of sound frequency (f) so the relaxation amplitude (D) wascalculated from the following equation [14]:D = α/ f \n……… (6)Transmittance (T) is the fraction of incident wave at a specified wavelength that passes through a sample wascalculated from the following equation [15]:T = I / I\n…… (7)Where (Io) is the initially intensity of the sound waves and (I) is the received intensity. The wavelength (λ) is thedistance that sound (of a particular frequency) travels during one period (during one oscillation), and it changes onlywhen the speed of the wave changes inside the samples we can calculate it by the equation [16]:λ = v / f …… . (8)On the basis that all solids flow to a small extent in response to small shear stress, some researchers have contendedthat substances known as amorphous solids, such as glass and many polymers may be considered to have viscosity.This has led some to the view that solids are simply \"liquids\" with a very high viscosity; the viscosity of the sampleswas measured by knowing absorption coefficient using the equation: [5]η\n= 3 α ρ v\n/ 8 π\n…….. (9)The relaxation time (τ) was calculated from the equation: [11, 17]τ = 4 η\n/3ρ v\n…….. (10)\nResults and discussions\nThe composite membranes density were measured by the weight method at room temperature (298.15 K.), figure (1)shows that the density of the membrane increase for S1 and S2 because its molecules which are heavier than HECmolecules occupied the vacancies between polymer macromolecules displaying HEC molecules from their positionand because density is mass per unit volume so increasing the density with increasing the concentration, the S1membranes have higher densities than S2 and this is attributed to the density and molecular weight of each as listedin table (1), the density values effected in other properties under study.The ultrasonic velocity technique has several advantages over standard techniques where it can be applied; theseinclude ease of use sample size and independence of the size of the tested particles. It does depend on an initialcalibration to a direct strength measurement technique [18], as shown in figure (2) the ultrasonic velocity wascalculated for different concentrations for S1 and S2, the ultrasound velocity are decreasing with the increasing thefiller concentration; since the filler molecules filled the vacancies of the polymer chains that randomly coiled andgive composite good tensile strength that increasing the impedance against velocity so reducing the later slightly, thevelocity in S2 is higher than in S1 depending on the densities.Compressibility of S1 and S2 were calculated using Laplace equation no. (2), figure (3) shows that thecompressibility are decreasing with increasing concentration this could be attributed that ultrasonic waves propagation made polymer chains that randomly coiled to be each close together, this change confirmation andconfiguration of these molecules, so there are more compression happen of these molecules through ultrasound wave propagation [19,9] this compression fills the vacancies between polymer molecules and restricted the movement of these molecules this lead to reduce the elasticity of the composite as shown in figure (3).The bulk modules are increasing with concentration a shown in figure (4), this could be attributed to the amount of contraction is governed by the compressibility, which is dependent on the intermolecular forces and because of thecompressibility is inversely related to the bulk modulus by means of equations (2 and 3) so there are increasing in bulk modulus with increasing concentration , figure (4) also shows from (0.08-0.1 gm/ml) concentration the bulk modulus values for S1 and S2 are clear rise and descent in the modulus values this may be because of the moleculesmake entanglement interaction to the polymer chains and network formation [20].The specific acoustic impedance are decreasing with concentration increasing as shown in figure (4); this attributedwhen the concentration increasing there are rearrangements of the polymer network by breaking chains bonds [21].\n\nYou're Reading a Free Preview\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8947165608406067}
{"content": "Martin Amis\n\nMartin Amis, 2012.Maximilian Schönherr\n\nMartin Amis,  (born August 25, 1949Oxford, Oxfordshire, England), English satirist known for his virtuoso storytelling technique and his dark views of contemporary English society.\n\n\nAmis’s first novel was The Rachel Papers (1973), the tale of a young antihero preoccupied with his health, his sex life, and his efforts to get into Oxford. His first major critical success was Money (1984), a savagely comic satire of the conspicuous consumerism of the 1980s. London Fields (1989) is an ambitious work set in 1999 in which a number of small-scale interpersonal relationships take place amid a society on the verge of apocalyptic collapse. His other major work of this period is Time’s Arrow (1991), which inverts traditional narrative order to describe the life of a Nazi war criminal from death to birth. In Amis’s works, according to one critic, “morality is nudged toward bankruptcy by ‘market forces.’” Other novels of the first decades of his literary career include Dead Babies (1974), Success (1978), Other People (1981), The Information (1995), and Night Train (1997).\n\nHis short-story collection Einstein’s Monsters (1987) finds stupidity and horror in a world filled with nuclear weapons. The forced-labour camps under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin are the subject of both the nonfiction Koba the Dread (2002) and the novel House of Meetings (2006). In his novel The Pregnant Widow (2010), Amis examined the sexual revolution of the 1970s and its repercussions on a group of friends who lived through it. The pop culture indictment Lionel Asbo: State of England (2012) chronicles the vicissitudes of a fictional small-time criminal and his upstanding nephew after the former wins the lottery and becomes a fixture in the tabloid press.\n\nAmis was one of the most well-known public intellectuals of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He was a frequent guest on television programs, and his decades-long friendship with Christopher Hitchens was arguably the most prominent and productive literary relationship of his era. Among his volumes of essays are The Moronic Inferno, and Other Visits to America (1986), Visiting Mrs. Nabokov, and Other Excursions (1993), and The War Against Cliché (2001). Experience (2000), an autobiography that often focuses on his father, was acclaimed for an emotional depth and profundity that some reviewers had found lacking in his novels.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8435782194137573}
{"content": "Kerry Pettis Bookwoman\nKerry Pettis Bookwoman\n\nBookwoman recommends\n\n\"Knocking on Heaven's Door\" by Katy Butler\n\nIn the first chapter of this troubling nonfiction book there is a quote from Anton Chekhov: \"Whenever there is someone in a family who has long been ill, and hopelessly ill, there comes painful moments when all, timidly, secretly, at the bottom of their hearts long for his death.\"\n\nThis is the story of one family that reaches that reality.\n\nKaty Butler, freelance author, daughter and sister, is helping her elderly mother deal with the deteriorating health of her father. He has had a stroke and his symptoms are gradually getting worse, both physically and mentally. At a critical juncture a pacemaker is installed to regularize his heart's rhythm. It is only in retrospect the family realizes what a mistake that was. The apparatus is keeping him alive when the rest of his body is failing.\n\nYears pass with Katy flying to New England frequently from her California home. Her two brothers also live on the West Coast, but they are less responsive to their parents' needs and are seldom helpful in dealing with the harsh realities of day-to-day life that their mother and father face.\n\nDoing research Katy learns the history of pacemakers and discovers some doctors consider them life support and will not remove them once they are installed. She studies the new and growing field of hospital bioethics, and learns how much Medicare will and will not fund regarding payments for caregivers and assisted living. She discovers a new clinical approach called \"slow medicine,\" which values \"restraint, calm, and above all, time to weigh the emotional and physical costs of medical treatment; time to evaluate new methods and technologies.\"\n\nThough Katy's father had a living will and medical power of attorney in place, the family still struggled with legal issues both in the hospital and in doctors' offices. Only after her mother reaches the end of her strength, both mentally and physically, did they finally learn about palliative care, which places an emphasis on caring for all of the family rather than trying to cure an incurable patient. Her father eventually qualifies for hospice and is given the calm quiet death they all hoped for, but it had taken years of unnecessary struggle and frustration to give that to him.\n\nHaving learned from this dreadful experience, when Katy's mother's health begins to fail, she uses her new knowledge to make better decisions and gain a quality death.\n\nThe average American's lifespan is now 78½ years and the number of elderly Americans will grow rapidly as baby boomers age. The need for better answers to end-of-life care will grow as well. \"Dying is hard on the dying. Death is hard on the living.\"\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6795964241027832}
{"content": "Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has advanced to the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 54 minutes.\n\n\nHe'll play either No. 3 seed Andy Murray or No. 7 Juan Martin del Potro, who met in a later quarterfinal on Friday.\n\nDjokovic broke Tsonga four times and served out the match with his fourth 40-love game in the second set. Tsonga fell to 0-11 against Top-5 opponents since beating then-No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal in November 2011.\n\nNo. 2 seed Maria Sharapova and No. 4 Angelique Kerber were to play separate semifinals at night.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9938212633132935}
{"content": "Rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse to grace Sunday sky\n\nRare `ring of fire` solar eclipse to grace Sunday sky Washington: A partial solar eclipse, which will see the moon completely block out the sun except for a ‘ring of fire’ around the moon’s edge, is set to offer a spectacular site for observers on May 20.\n\nSkywatchers in East Asia and the western United States will be able to witness the spectacular ''Ring of fire'' in sky, CBS news reported.\n\nThe event known as an annular solar eclipse originating from the Latin \"annulus,\" meaning \"little ring” should be visible in its full glory from much of Asia, the Pacific region and some of western North America, provided the weather stays clear.\n\nAt its peak, the eclipse will block out about 94 percent of the sun's light.\n\nHowever, the other parts of the United States and Canada will be able to see only a partial solar eclipse, without being treated to the ring of fire effect.\n\nThe East Coast will miss the event since the sun will have set before the eclipse begins.\n\nThe eclipse will occur in the late afternoon or early evening of May 20 throughout the continent of North America while in Asia the date gets switched to May 21.\n\nSolar eclipses occur when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on our planet. When the moon lines up perfectly with the sun and blots out all of its light it results into a total eclipse.\n\nAnnular eclipses are similar to total eclipses in that the moon lines up with the sun.\n\nLike other types of solar eclipses, annular eclipses are spectacular but a potentially hazardous sky watching events.\n\nCare must be taken while observing them otherwise it can cause serious and permanent eye damage including blindness.\n\nTo safely observe the May 20 annular eclipse, special solar filters can be bought to fit over the equipment or No. 14 welder's glass to wear over the eyes.\n\nHowever the safest and simplest technique is perhaps to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method.\n\nThis technique uses projects a magnified image of the sun's disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.\n\nThe image on the cardboard will be thus is safe to view and photograph.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9483357071876526}
{"content": "Coalition Urges No Vote on FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization\n\nSeptember 11, 2012\n\nSupporting Documents\n\nThis is a letter to the House from a coalition supporting security and liberty urging a \"no\" vote on H.R. 5949,  the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, which would extend the FISA Amendments Act until December 31, 2017.\n\nUnless reauthorized, the the Act will sunset on December 31, 2012.\n\nThe letter urges members to impose measures to prevent abuse of the FISA Amendments Act, and to require that government officials implementing the law be more transparent about its use.\n\nThe FISA Amendments Act authorizes the government to conduct surveillance in the U.S. of individuals reasonably believed to be non-U.S. persons located outside the U.S. Even if the target communicates with people in the U.S., the surveillance is conducted without meaningful judicial authorization and without probable cause. Instead, the FISA Court evaluates only whether the procedures under which surveillance is conducted are reasonably designed to target people reasonably believed to be abroad.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9966022372245789}
{"content": "Light and Growth\n\nLynn A. Mickelsen\nIf we follow the Lord, we will receive the blessings of eternal light and life that only He can give.\n\nA few years ago I was impressed by an advertisement for a fiber-optic glass products company with the caption “Light is the controlling force.” The illustration showed a corn seed with a small leaf extending above the surface of the ground and an extensive “fiber optic” root system below the ground, filled with the light of the sun.\n\nI have a background in farming, so the ad naturally led me to ponder the role of light in a plant’s development. When the shoot of a plant breaks through the surface of the soil, it begins to conduct sunlight all the way down to the tips of the plant’s roots. This light tells a plant how high to grow, how many leaves to sprout, when to flower, when to set fruit, and when to age—a process called photomorphogenesis (not the same as the better-known photosynthesis). Without light, the plant dies. Fiber optics, which serve as the transmission lines of modern telephone communication and many other important technological applications, were patterned after this process.\n\nAs I thought about this process, I was impressed with the parallel between the role of light in a plant’s life and in our own lives. Plants always grow toward the light. A sunflower follows the sun across the sky every day until it becomes “stiff-necked”; then it withers and dies. When a potato seed sprouts and begins to grow, a clean white stem grows upward through the earth toward the light. A fungal disease called rhizoctonia may attack the tender stem. If allowed to progress, the fungus destroys the stem so that the light cannot reach the root system. Yet if the stem can reach the surface of the earth and form leaves, the light can reach the root system, and the potato plant becomes strong enough to overcome the fungal enemy.\n\nIn our spiritual lives, our growth is determined by how we follow the Son—the Son of God—and allow His light to be the controlling force. If we become stiff-necked and cease to look to His light, or if we allow sin to damage our receptors for light, we will die spiritually. But if we obey the commandments, we come closer to God and gain greater light. This increase in light stimulates the “photomorphogenesis” of our spiritual lives and governs our spiritual progress.\n\nWhat are some of the things we must do to receive of this eternal, life-giving light?\n\n\nWe must pray. The Lord’s instructions are explicit: we must ask, seek, and knock to receive the promises He has made to us (see Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9; 3 Ne. 14:7; D&C 88:63). Any great outpouring of light has always been given in answer to prayer. The Nephites experienced this when the Savior visited them: “And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof” (3 Ne. 19:25). Daily prayer keeps our eye single to His glory and facing toward the light.\n\nWe must repent of our sins. Nephi and his brother Lehi were cast into prison by the enemies of the Church because of their great success in preaching to the Lamanites. After many days their captors came into the prison to slay them, but they were protected as they were encircled about by a pillar of fire and their captors were covered by a cloud of darkness. The earth trembled, but the captors could not flee because of the cloud and because of their fear.\n\nThe voice of the Lord came to the people through the cloud and commanded them three times to repent. The people asked, “What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?” A man among them named Aminadab, who had once belonged to the Church, told them they must repent and cry unto God. As they did so, the darkness dispersed, the captors were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and the Holy Spirit entered their hearts; they were filled with light as they were baptized by fire (see Hel. 5:14–49; 3 Ne. 9:20).\n\nSin limits light. As we follow the counsel of the Lord and repent of our sins, we open the way for this same infusion of light and baptism by fire.\n\n\nWe must look to our patriarchal blessings. Our patriarchal blessings can be a significant source of light. I shall be forever grateful for a patriarchal blessing that promised me “flashes from the eternal storehouse of truth,” for indeed that promise has been repeatedly fulfilled. We must seek the light that the Lord has personally promised each of us and live up to the heritage to which we have been called. The Apostle Peter taught, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).\n\nWe must follow the prophet. When we sustained President Gordon B. Hinckley in April 1995, he reiterated the teachings of those who had gone before with a challenge to pray; read the scriptures; partake of the sacrament every week; go to the temple; be more kind, patient, and loving; and be loyal to the Lord and to each other. He taught us to love one another and to share the blessings of the gospel. His clarion call was: “The time has come for us to stand a little taller. … This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation. … [It is a time] to become more Christlike. …\n\n\n\nMay we all prepare that our eyes, hearts, and minds may serve as conduits for celestial light. I promise you that as we expose our lives to greater light, we will continue to grow spiritually, and the light within us will grow “brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (D&C 50:24). I am grateful for the light of the Restoration, which has made possible the fulness of God’s blessings for His children. Jesus is the Christ, the Light and Life of the World. He lives; I know He lives, and if we follow Him, we will receive the blessings of eternal light and life that only He can give.\n\n[photos] Photography by Robert Casey\n\n[illustration] Detail from The Second Coming, by Harry Anderson\n\nShow References\n\n\n  1.   1.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9199011325836182}
{"content": "\n\nTake a simple dresser and add bright colors to just the drawers and add some sass!\n\nDresser and separate mirror with color. Love!\n\nA must for online shopping. This one is by Smart Swipe........Easy online payments! No more entering your details.\n\nThese canisters measure the exact amount of flour, sugar, etc. by the turn of the lever. The amount you need falls into the tray below!\n\nTo not use a dryer for everything and ruin all your clothes...Retractable indoor clothesline for the laundry room. I want this, because I hang dry so much!!\n\nlaundry room organization\n\nPerfectly Warmed Bath When you are in for a long soak, the cycle of water turning from comfortably warm to tepid to cold is frustrating. Warm On pebbles look to resolve this problem innovatively. The pebbles are sensor-fitted heat-radiating artificial stones that maintain the water temperature for a set duration. So from start to finish you can have the same water temperature.\n\ninfusion pitcher\n\nmaster closet. shelves above, drawers below, hanging racks in middle.\n\nNever have to walk through the house and turn off all the lights that were left on! Just click on the room from wherever!\n\nKitchen - Baseboard vacuum- Why doesn't every home have this?\n\nBuilt in bins for non-refrigerated produce.\n\ncake stand for your sink soaps and scrubs! Love this idea!! Keeps the counter looking less cluttered!\n\ngreat idea for a couch against the wall\n\nYou can remove one without having to remove them all. Turn a vertical bakeware organizer on its end and secure it to the cabinet wall with cable clips.\n\nLove the open staircase and window seat\n\nChristmas ~~ Beautiful\n\nAccent Wall: Same color, two finishes - first, paint with matte, then paint design in (same color in glossy)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9871833324432373}
{"content": "Four Dead in Ohio: Thirty Years Later\n\nMark Weisbrot\n\n\n4 will mark thirty years since four students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent\n\nState University were murdered by Ohio National Guardsmen. It is no exaggeration\n\nto call it murder, since the students were unarmed and– given how far they were\n\nfrom the troops– could not have posed any threat. The closest of those killed,\n\nJeffrey Miller, was shot at a distance of 265 feet.\n\n\nphoto of Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling beside his body, arms outstretched and\n\nscreaming in anguish, was etched into the national consciousness as a searing\n\nimage of the war at home.\n\n\ncampuses responded with an explosion of protest, with five million students\n\ntaking part in America’s largest student strike. Kent State was a turning point\n\nin the history of the war– \"a shock wave that brought the nation and its\n\nleadership close to the point of physical exhaustion..,\" as Henry Kissinger\n\nwould later write in his memoirs.\n\n\nwar dragged on for five more years, and so we have recently been treated to a\n\nseries of ruminations on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its conclusion. But not\n\nenough space has been given to those who got it right three decades ago: the\n\nanti-war movement.\n\n\nprotesters put forth an alternative analysis of the war. It was not a war to\n\nsave the world from a \"Communist threat,\" as our leaders told us, but\n\na colonial war. We took over the war from the French, who were trying to regain\n\ncontrol of their former colony after World War II. We refused to allow elections\n\nin 1956, as provided for by the Geneva accords of 1954– because (as President\n\nEisenhower noted) we knew that our adversaries, led by Ho Chi Minh, would win\n\n\n\nwe poured in arms and money, and then troops to support a corrupt, dictatorial\n\nclient state in South Vietnam. We could never \"win\" the war, because\n\nmost Vietnamese saw the United States as a hostile invader trying to take over\n\ntheir country. And the South Vietnamese army was understandably demoralized. So\n\nour involvement escalated, and we resorted to increasingly brutal methods–\n\nincluding the bombing of civilians and defoliation of large areas of land. Two\n\nmillion Vietnamese civilians were killed, mostly in the South, in addition to\n\nmore than one million fighters. As Nixon spread the war to Cambodia– his\n\ninvasion of which brought the Kent State protesters into the streets– our\n\nbombing probably killed as many Cambodians as Pol Pot did, and helped create the\n\nconditions for the holocaust that ensued there.\n\n\nanti-war movement argued that these were heinous crimes that could never be\n\njustified. \"We have destroyed their land and their crops,\" said Martin\n\nLuther King, Jr. \"We have supported the enemies of the peasants. . . we\n\nhave corrupted their women and children and killed their men. What\n\n\n\n1990 poll by the Chicago Council on Foreign relations found that 71% of\n\nAmericans thought the Vietnam war was \"more than a mistake; it was\n\nfundamentally wrong and immoral.\"\n\n\nthe 25th anniversary has seen numerous attempts to find some middle ground, so\n\nthat we may \"put the war behind us.\" Fifty-eight thousand American\n\nsoldiers died in Vietnam, and even more committed suicide after returning home.\n\nSome say it is a disservice to the millions of veterans who fought there to talk\n\nabout the evils of the war.\n\n\nmany veterans do not feel that way. Barry Romo, national coordinator of the\n\nVietnam Veterans Against the War, reminds us that his was the only organization\n\nof Vietnam veterans that existed 30 years ago– and the only veterans who took\n\nto the streets were those protesting the war. \"It’s unfair to those who\n\nlost their lives, and their arms and legs, to pretend that the war had some\n\nvalue. We were lied to by the government and the media– we should never have\n\nbeen there. The most important thing now is for people to know the truth so that\n\nit never happens again.\"\n\n\na compelling argument. Our government’s support for the mass atrocities in\n\nCentral America in the 1980s, which included arming the killers of tens of\n\nthousands of innocents, might well have been avoided if we had owned up to the\n\ntruth after the Vietnam war. And since this more recent history, too, has been\n\nswept under the rug, we are currently going down the same road in Colombia.\n\n\nforgive is a virtue, but forgetting is an indulgence we can ill afford. Our\n\nforeign policy establishment remains addicted to empire, and is possessed by a\n\nhubris that is arguably even greater than the one that got us into Vietnam.\n\nUntil they learn the lessons that the anti-war movement tried to teach them, we\n\ncan expect more Vietnams ahead of us.\n\n\n\nWashington, D.C.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.953731894493103}
{"content": "Cristian Y.\n\nHTML Developer\n\nLa Verne, United States\n\n\n\nWhat's the difference\n\nOver the past 8 years, I have developed websites to basic static sites to fully dynamic sites using HTML, DHTML CSS etc.\n\n- 2+ years of experience in Excel database driven web pages.\n- Excellent experience with Html, Dhtml, CSS etc.\n- Able to write elegant and tight, production-ready code\n- Excellent communication and writing skills.\n- Proficient graphic design experience using PhotoShop.\n- Proficient with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Digg etc. - Using Social Media sites for Marketing.\n- Responsi…\n\nTests Taken\nName Percentile Score\n\noDesk Readiness Test for Agency Contractors", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000017881393433}
{"content": "Feliratkozás Hungarian\nKeress bármilyen szót, mint például: yeet\nThe vile act of crapping while in the ocean. Occasionally committed by those surfers who are too lazy and/or unmotivated to get out of the water to deuce like a normal person. In fact, some surfers deliberately do it to \"mark their terrirory\", or do it to mark the end their surf session, leaving it behind it as an \"I was here\" statement.\n-\"Saturday was nothing but music, beer, surfing & aqua turding.\" *lmao*\n\n-\"You'd want to avoid that spot in the water, that's where Ronny went aqua turding....and unfortunately he had a bout of diarrhea.\" *lmao*\nBeküldő: CactusHeart 2010. november 12.\n13 2", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8903003334999084}
{"content": "The 5 Harsh Truths of Being a Manager\n\nBeing a manager is hard. It’s an entirely different set of skills than what you learned as an individual contributor and good resources are few and far between.  Most companies, especially if they’re startups, have no leadership training, so you’re often on your own. Making matters worse, you often have more bad examples of management around you than good ones.\n\nSo what’s an aspiring great manager to do? It starts with understanding the harsh truths of the role and then getting the right help.\n\nThe Harsh Truths of Being a Manager\n\n1) Leadership is service to your team.\n\nWhen you become a manager, it’s no longer about you. You are judged based on how your team performs, not how you produce. The most important thing you can do is motivate your team and focus them on their most important tasks.\n\nThis is a hard mentality to set when you are used to only having to worry about yourself. However, if you shift your mindset to that of serving your team, you’ll find it a lot easier.\n\nService to your team means . . .\n\n  • . . . removing blockers for your team so they can get things done.\n  • . . . listening to problems and helping address them quickly.\n  • . . . shielding your team from distractions.\n  • . . . accepting responsibility if something goes wrong.\n  • . . . showering credit and praise on your team when something goes right.\n\nThere’s a special kind of satisfaction that you get when you see your team excited after conquering a major challenge that you rallied them to complete.\n\n2) Your best people are easiest to take for granted and most devastating if they leave.\n\nYou don’t have to work for long to recognize A players. They’re hard working, always learning and produce great results in their field. As a manager it’s easy to take these stars for granted while you’re fire fighting and dealing with struggling team members. Unfortunately, taking them for granted means that you may not realize they’re unhappy until they have another job offer and it’s too late.\n\nTo retain your team, you should never take anyone for granted or go too long without talking with them. One on ones are the most powerful tool in a manager’s arsenal to avoid this grave misstep, so start them today if you haven’t already. You can also use the Management by Walking Around approach to also accomplish some of this, although the privacy of a one on one will give deeper insights.\n\nYou need to challenge your best people regularly, create opportunities for them to grow, praise them, and give them work that excites them. These things will change over time, which is why you need to regularly talk with them and not wait for them to come to you. You also need to listen carefully as they are often your front line for detecting problems early; fixing problems while they’re small helps you avoid constantly triaging major problems that consume all your time.\n\n3) Your team members are more than just cogs in your machine.\n\nEven at a big company, 9-to-5 job your team members are still giving you one third of their current life by working for you. If you’re part of a startup, it’s often significantly more time. Appreciate this as well as the fact that there are things that happen outside their work hours that are important to them.\n\nMembers of your team are complete human beings. They have a family, hopes, dreams, hobbies and passions.  When you show you care about them as a complete person, it makes them more engaged with their work and more trusting in you. It will vary from person to person, but there is usually something personal that can lead to work “resentment” as Marissa Mayer calls it. And on the positive side, giving a small thoughtful gift based on their interests will be remembered long after an Amazon gift card or cash bonus.\n\nWhen someone is extra excited, they often want to share it. When they’re upset, they may need someone to confide in or understand what they’re dealing with. We’re all human and sometimes things outside work (cancer, death in the family, bad breakups, etc) affect us no matter how hard we try.  Being there for your team members and recognizing when they need some help (time off, extension on a project or just someone to listen) will pay massive dividends in retaining and motivating your team.\n\n4) Your example sets the tone for your team.\n\nOne of the most fascinating things I have observed in my career is how a company takes on the personality of their founders and leaders. For better and worse, you’ll see nuances in how people communicate, deal with good and bad news, and react to customers, clients and team members based on the example set by leaders.\n\nAre you excited about your mission? Are you motivated each day? Do you show patience or are you quick to judge? Are you the first one in the office each day or the first to leave? When you are a manager or leader, the spotlight is on you and everyone is watching. If you watch carefully, you will notice people picking up on your behaviors and often mirroring many of them. You will also see how even something as simple as a sigh or negative body language by you can take the wind out of the sails of an excited team member.\n\nSelf-awareness is one of the hardest, but most important, skills you can develop as a manager. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses and pay attention to how your actions impact those around you. The more your team is picking up good behaviors from you, the higher they will perform.\n\n5) A lack of consistency and follow through kills your credibility.\n\nWhen a leader says one thing and does another or is perceived as playing favorites, they lose credibility quickly. Without credibility, a team will not be inspired to follow them nor perform at a high level.\n\nSo on top of all the above challenges, you have the need to be consistent in everything you do so as not to be perceived as a hypocrite. Of course, the challenge is that with all you have going on as a manager, it’s very easy to not be consistent. You may not mean to, but when things get busy and stressful, it’s easy to be forgetful.\n\nThis is the harsh truth I struggle with the most. Even knowing so well the above lessons, reading regularly and seeking the advice of mentors, it is still very hard not to slip up and fail to follow through or be consistent. Even the best leaders I’ve spoken to have to constantly work on this one.\n\nHow are you supposed to avoid all these harsh truths without any help?\n\nThere are apps to help you ship code, track projects, analyze your customers and manage your sales process. And yet, there’s nothing to specifically help managers like you motivate, engage and support your team.\n\nBloated HR tools like Success Factors are not the answer and were not built with a manager in mind.\n\nI’ve developed a system that has helped me motivate and retain team members for my startup, Greenhorn Connect, and as product manager at KISSmetrics. I’ve learned these techniques from talking to great leaders at startups and publicly traded companies, as well as reading many books on the subject. If you’d like to learn more, sign up below:\n\n\nSpecial thanks to Justin Jackson, Alex McClafferty, Rich Rines and Thomas Schranz for helping with this post.\n\nThe 2 Most Important Skills to Start Your Career\n\nThere is nothing harder than starting out or starting over. When you are new, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door and make a good impression. It can be hard to tell the difference between incompetence and a simple lack of experience.\n\nTherefore, if you’re just starting out, there are two skills that are essential and will carry you farther than any others:\n\n1) A Fierce Attention to Detail.\n\nAny manager with a new hire has in the back of their mind the questions of, “Can they handle this?” and “How much do I need to keep an eye on their work?” If your manager knows you have an excellent eye for the details, they will be much more trusting in your abilities, knowing that you’ve taken good notes of their instructions, will triple check your work for careless mistakes and won’t do anything to make them look bad.  Building this trust can be the difference between a fast accelerating career with new responsibilities and languishing as an entry-level hire for years.\n\nThe longer I’ve been a manager and worked on product teams, the more I appreciate this trait. Over and over again we see the evidence of how the little details are what people notice and love (A great example is how Crashlytics built for Tweets which led to their viral growth). This is at the heart of great craftsmanship.\n\n2) A Hunger to Learn.\n\nUnfortunately, minding the details is not enough to succeed. You must also be eager to learn new skills. The faster you level up, the more likely you are to advance in your career whether always at the same company or at new ones. You need to learn from others and seek out sources of information on your own, which are skills in and of themselves to develop.\n\nMany people in other careers have asked me how to get into product management, which isn’t always easy. However, one of the easiest ways to change your role is to work at a growing company and show how fast you can learn and grow.  This gives a company the confidence to give you more and new responsibilities.\n\nThe Combination is the Key.\n\nWhen you combine an attention to detail with a hunger to learn, you will be unstoppable. Watching for the little details will make you more inquisitive and help you find the hidden gems and little secrets others gloss over. The little details are where life’s curiosities and greatest lessons lie.\n\nAs you grow the confidence of others and use curiosity to drive your learning, you will open new doors and build great relationships with others in your field. You are likely to attract great mentors who enjoy watching your development and love sharing stories and lessons to further your learning. They will also become your strongest advocates, either as great references, or the kinds of people that hire you again and again.\n\nWhat do you think are the most important skills for those starting out?\n\nWhy are there so many bad managers?\n\nNobody sets out to be a bad manager and yet so many fall into traps and become one; it’s counter-intuitive to realize that humans are not straight forward machines. What worked as an individual contributor will not help you as a manager.\n\nIt’s easy to focus on the mechanical elements of management like company outcomes, hours logged, and project results, but that’s only a small part of what makes a great leader.\n\nIt’s so easy to stay professional instead of getting to know your team and what matters to them, especially if you’re remote or don’t interact with them every day. When this happens, is it any surprise they not only get frustrated or burn out but they don’t come to you with problems? Is it any surprise many bottle it up until they quit or find another job, which can lead to company-wide retention problems?\n\nWhat do you do? Why do so many managers frustrate their teams?\n\nThe human element is missing.\n\nIf you help people achieve their goals, they’ll work hard for you to achieve the company’s goals as well. If you can align what you need them to do with what they want to do, the results can be great. If you make them feel important and recognize what they care about, they’ll work hard for you.\n\nBut all of this takes effort and time. Something that you don’t have unless you make time for it, which isn’t easy with all the emails, meetings and other responsibilities that come with a management role.\n\nAnd rarely do such efforts get rewarded like specific company results do. So how do you make sure you’re not forgetting these things that pay off in the long term? And are you sure you are doing everything you could be?\n\nI believe there is a way for today’s technology to help us all be better managers and caring leaders. If you’re interested in learning more, sign up below:\n\nWhy Consumer 3D Printing Companies Should Think Twice About Fundraising\n\nAs I’ve spoken to many in the Consumer 3D Printing industry, I’ve heard an increasing amount of talk about raising money from professional investors. While an angel round could bring stability and some financial certainty, raising institutional money is very big risk in such an early market. Venture Capital can bring validation, a comfortable bank account and open a few doors thanks to partner networks, but at this point, I believe the risks far outweigh the gains for Consumer 3D Printing. Here’s why:\n\nWhy consumer 3D Printing companies should not raise Venture Capital now\n\n1) We haven’t crossed the chasm yet.\n\nIf we had crossed the chasm, people wouldn’t still be asking why you would ever want a 3D Printer. Zeepro would have already well exceeded their Kickstarter funding given how nice looking and feature-rich their printer is (instead, they have sold 300 printers and barely exceeded their funding goal). We would also have a robust set of applications to leverage 3D printers, which excluding design tools (the 3D Printing era’s BASIC imho), is fledgling or non-existent today.\n\nSpreadsheets and word processing programs were largely responsible for early majority users buying computers in the early 1980s. Specifically, VisiCalc has been credited with catapulting sales of the Apple II when it came out in 1979 (2 years after the first edition of the computer). Of course, those programs weren’t even possible until early computers advanced their hardware in key areas like memory, hard drive space, and displays as well as overall product reliability.\n\nToday, we have many hardware improvements still needed for 3D printers to enable new use cases. Breakthroughs in multi-extrusion, print speed, materials and huge improvements to the kluge software experience are all needed to create a “Whole Product” as described in the classic, Crossing the ChasmUntil then, sales will continue to be measured in the hundreds or thousands, which does not align with the mass market growth investors crave.\n\n2) Fundraising is an accelerant for your business.\n\nIf you raise venture funding, you may be able to relax a bit from the stress of bootstrapping (i.e.- making payroll), but it comes at a high cost. Venture Capitalists invest with the expectation of the funds being spent aggressively and creating significant growth. If you haven’t had explosive growth, the next set of dollars will be even more expensive, if they’ll fund you at all.\n\nOnce you hire people ahead of revenue, it’s hard to stop and even more painful to do layoffs. But don’t take my word for it. Ben Horowitz put it best last week:\n\n“We should first decide how much we like laying people off, because if we love it then lets stay cash flow negative, because when we don’t generate cash, the capital markets decide when we have to lay people off. In fact, we will have to listen very carefully to investors on everything because as soon as they stop liking us, we will start dying. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to live my life that way. I do not want to have to tell all of our employees that we will do what we think is right until investors tell us we have to do otherwise. I want to control my destiny.”\n\nIf you absolutely need to raise money, sticking to Angel investment is the only way to go; prudent angels will understand the need for financial stability without aggressively outspending your revenue. You could sell them on plans to turtle up and survive the chasm crossing while placing a few intelligent bets.\n\nLarger investors will neither understand this strategy nor support it as they have funds to return over a time frame that may be shorter than the path to massive growth for your business. You should expect a volatile, painful 2 to 3 year chasm crossing period before we really hit the early majority years. If you raise capital during this time, you will require multiple, highly-dilutive rounds of capital before you can really return value as investors usually expect a round of funding to last just 12-18 months when deployed properly.\n\n3) VCs don’t just talk to you because they want to give you money.\n\nSo you’re getting repeat meetings with a VC. They seem friendly and interested in the data you’re sharing and the plans for your business. While it’s true it could be that they’re serious about investing, it’s also quite common for meetings to be free research for them on up and coming industries (Note: I’ve specifically heard from some 3D printing companies they “wasted a lot of time” doing this). Walking in their shoes, a few pitches from different 3D Printing companies would give a great view of the market to gauge when they may be ready to invest years down the road.  \n\nOf course, most VCs are also great at the “soft no”; they’re happy to continue to have you or one of your cofounders make more pitches and exchange more information without actually committing to funding or outright saying no to you. And as a worst case scenario, they can use your information to fund a competitor or steal your idea. I’m not advocating for you to completely ignore VCs, but choose wisely who you invest time in speaking with. Ask yourself if you could better spend that time growing your business.\n\n4) The early PC industry succeeded without it.\n\nIn the early days of the PC industry, Venture Capital was just emerging and largely was not involved in funding companies. Microsoft only raised $1 Million in its history and at a time when it really did not need it. While Apple did raise money, the majority of the funds came in the 1980s, long after the market was established and Apple was selling millions of computers. The rapid growth of the market as it hit the mainstream allowed profits to easily fund additional growth and made many founders and their employees very rich thanks to their non-diluted stock options.\n\nEarly markets require new marketing channels and use cases. By Clayton Christensen’s definition in the Innovator’s Dilemma, truly disruptive innovations have to find their own way beyond what the existing industry does with a technology.  As PCs were before, consumer 3D Printers are just that kind of disruption, which means there is going to be a lot of experimentation and exploring to find the best opportunities and develop new ones. There are very few venture investors that have the patience and interest in letting companies do this kind of exploring, since their capital and experience is better leveraged for scaling.\n\n5) Your best investors are your customers.\n\nNo one said it would be easy. To really meet where the market is going (because honestly, we don’t know), finding the first few people who will pay for something you’re doing is huge. They’ll help you build the product others will need, find others like them and keep your business afloat financially in the meantime. There’s a reason these businesses started in garages, motel rooms in Albuquerque, and the like; they couldn’t afford anything else.\n\nTo survive the chasm means finding a beachhead and expanding. The focus and controlled desperation of bootstrapping can be a powerful tool to develop such a market. If you’re sitting comfortably with venture capital, the hunger to find this will be less and you may even find yourself building a bunch of features that no real customer wants until it’s too late.\n\nWe’re in an exciting, but challenging time in the 3D Printing industry. There are many more players currently than there will be winners, which is the tragic, harsh truth of entrepreneurship. Raising money may seem like the obvious way to get a leg up, but it could also be a major waste of time or drive you and your business right off a cliff.\n\nWant more insights like this right in your inbox?\n\nSign up for my 3D Printing newsletter, Observations in 3D here:\n\n3 Books Every Investor Should Read\n\nAs an entrepreneur, when I consider the ideal investor I would like to have, it’s a lot more than someone with money. I want them to have characteristics like:\n\n  1. Able to make smart bets: Investments are largely made when it’s too early to tell with certainty who or what will win in a market. \n  2. Add value and insights: This is more than replaying personal war stories and biasing from your own experiences.\n  3. Asking good questions: Someone who pushes founders to take a step back and recognize the things that matter often comes more from asking questions than providing answers.\n\nBeing great at those three things is no small task. Fortunately, there’s been some great books written that can supplement the knowledge and know-how of even the most veteran entrepreneur or get a new investor off on the right foot. These are books I’ve read and re-read because they’ve providing so much value to me and I believe can specifically help investors as well.\n\nThe Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christensen\n\nDisruption is a brutally abused word in tech these days. Clayton Christensen brings it back to reality and explains how it really works in this classic written in the 90s (and has arguably gotten better with age).\n\nAs an investor this is critical so you can call BS on an entrepreneur that claims they’re disruptive, but really are hopeless. This book will help you understand not only how to recognize disruptive technology in its earliest days, but what it means to get in the market, grab a position and successfully grow and take down the incumbents. Benjamin Tseng, a Bay Area VC, has a great post also discussing the value of this book for investors here.\n\nInvestor Scenario: A founder claims they have a disruptive innovation and are telling you about their immediate mass market plans, The research in Christensen’s book will help you guide them a better approach or to pass on the deal.\n\nThe Master Switch by Tim Wu\n\nOver the past 100 years, communication platforms have dramatically changed and evolved. During this time, we’ve seen the emergence of the telephone, radio, television, email, the internet and more. Without fail, every time one of these new mediums emerged, they fought an uphill battle to eventually win the market.\n\nThis book goes perfectly hand in hand with Innovator’s Dilemma by walking you through how many technologies were slowly commercialized and changed the world. By the time you get to the end the patterns will be impossible to miss and priceless to match against what you see in new markets emerging (some of which you hopefully can invest and place strong bets on).\n\nInvestor Scenario: A founder has a transformative technology. Knowing the patterns of past innovative companies, you can help them anticipate resistance they may face both in the market and legally.\n\nTribal Leadership by Logan, King & Fischer-Wright\n\nA book on culture to go hand in hand with two on innovation cycles? Absolutely. While there are other books out there I’ve rated higher on culture, none are more powerful for an investor.\n\nYou only get a limited amount of time with a founder and their team, so knowing how to quickly tell the difference between a strong team culture and one struggling is huge. What makes Tribal Leadership special is how it helps identify the key words that you can listen for to tip off how a company is really doing. \n\nArmed with this information, you can help a founder get back on track if some of the team has issues.  It can also help you decide if you should pass on an investment that looked good otherwise; a motivated, excited team will be significantly more productive, work longer hours and help recruit the best talent. You need those for the characteristics for a company to hit deadlines and win the market.\n\nInvestor Scenario: You visit one of your investment’s offices. If you overhear employees talking about their excitement for the mission, they’re operating at a high level. If instead they’re complaining about how much their work or a project sucks, you may want to ask the founder some questions.\n\n\nUnfortunately, many business books are a complete waste of time. Luckily, gems like the 3 books above exist and help tremendously to educate us, change our perspectives and diversify our knowledge on important subjects. I’d love to hear any great book recommendations in the comments for investors or entrepreneurs.\n\nDo you really read?\n\nSpend five minutes on any social media site and you’ll see hundreds of articles shared and discussed. In our world of infinite knowledge at our fingertips, the challenge now becomes Quality, not Quantity.  As you read any article, book, answer or social media post, it’s important to take the time to digest what you consume.  Did you just waste ten minutes or was it worth the read? What did you learn? Do you really get it?\n\nIn our fervor to join the conversation or “catch up” on those thousands of articles you’ve saved in RSS, Pocket, Instapaper, or otherwise, we often miss the point.\n\nWe are all Hypocrites.\n\nToo often we read something, share it and talk about it, but fail to retain its meaning. Maybe you retweeted something about taking care of employees, but then you failed to show interest and compassion for an employee that came into work visibly upset. Maybe you just shared an article about the importance of open communication, but then disregarded comments from someone who tried to bring up a problem with you. Regardless of what it is, you’re wasting your time with all your reading if you don’t use it to drive action.\n\nI struggle every day to follow through on the things I passionately read and write about. As a habit, I re-read my own posts to remind myself what I care about so much. It’s easy to forget things like actually giving praise despite knowing how important praise is in motivating and appreciating your employees, remembering to always use the best structure for customer development interviews, or to keep applying the best takeaways from a great book I read.\n\nWhat do we do about it?\n\nI challenge myself to answer the following questions in everything I read:\n\n  1. Has this taught me anything new and valuable? (If not, move on quickly)\n  2. How can I apply insights from this article today? (Wait and I’ll forget)\n  3. When have I applied the ideas from this post? Where have I not, but could have? (What was the difference?)\n\nThe real key is Self-Awareness with Discipline.\n\nOne of the hardest things to do in life is to get outside your ego. This awesome post by the CEO & founder of Redfin captures it well:  \n\n“Most people spend nearly all their energy trying not to change. This is what the philosopher William James meant when he wrote the mind’s main function was to be a fortress for protecting your ego from reality. When the mind has to accommodate a new fact, James argued, it doesn’t settle on the change to its model of reality that is most likely to reflect reality. It protects the fortress, calculating the smallest possible modification to its bulwarks that can account for the new fact.\n\nAs I read and observe my daily life, I try to look for opportunities to apply all the great things I’m reading and everyone is sharing. And when I write or give others advice, I challenge myself to make those things not just aspirational or what I do at my best, but what I apply day in and day out. It’s not easy, and I don’t always succeed at this, but it has helped make me and those I interact with a little better every day.\n\nHow do you apply what you’re reading?\n\n\nFounders: You don’t own your employees\n\n[Ed. note: This is in response to a post by David Hauser entitled, \"The Startup Side Project Bubble\" which you can read here:]\n\nSo many founders forget something simple: You do not own your employees.\n\nThey are human beings with their own passions, interests and lives. You have a vision of a reality you want to create. After much labor and hard work to get it off the ground, either funding or your own revenue allows you to hire help. Those people are choosing to devote a significant portion of their lives to your cause to help make it possible. Take a moment to appreciate that. \n\nIn David’s post he argues that employees having side projects is bad for them and his business. This is so backwards.\n\nFirst, telling someone what they should and shouldn’t do in their free time is a tremendous insult to them and their personal judgment.  It’s also incredibly short-sighted.\n\nYou want employees with side projects.\n\nEspecially for the creators at a startup (ie- the people that design and build your product), there is tremendous benefit to them having side projects. A few of those benefits are:\n\n  • Experimentation. An outlet to experiment with new technologies before suggesting the company use them; no amount of research compares to having used a new framework and being able to provide first person accounts of the tradeoffs.\n  • Independence. A place where they can make all the decisions (for better and worse) versus the negotiations that often happen in a company. You can also call this their creative release.\n  • Mastery. The ability to further hone skills in a self-directed fashion, getting them to the 10,000 hours to mastery faster than standard work hours alone would provide.\n  • Relief. Providing some variety in their life’s work can help avoid the burnout that comes from only working on one thing for too long.\n  • Focus. Motivating them to get their work done efficiently because they don’t have every hour of the day to work on it. The saying goes, “If you want something done, ask a busy person” for a reason.\n  • Contribute. The ability to help the greater tech community through contributions to open source projects, which wouldn’t exist without many people having side projects.\n  • Network. They’ll often work with people outside their day job on these side projects, which will grow their learning and network. It might even provide the next recruit when you need more help at your startup.\n\nAnd I’m sure there are others.\n\nGreat employees are a package deal.\n\nIn the early days of a startup, you want athletes, which are often entrepreneurs themselves.  Later, you want specialists who have deep expertise in their skills. By their nature the same skills you value each day in either group’s work for you also lends itself to having these side projects: In early employees that means a breadth of knowledge, while later, the depth of knowledge that comes from side projects is what makes many great later stage startup employees.\n\nI would not be running product at KISSmetrics if I had only put my head down and worked on my past jobs (I wouldn’t even be in tech now most likely…I have a degree in Electrical Engineering). The skills that are core to my job came from side projects like Greenhorn Connect, taking the time to learn new skills in my free time and reading voraciously. Every founder wants to hire people with passion for their craft and a wide range or depth of skills.  This is a package deal.\n\n“Why don’t you quit your job already?”\n\nTaking a step back and looking at David’s argument, it seems centered around the idea that if an employee has a side project, they should quit their job immediately and start a company. While they should definitely quit their job if they’re ready to make a run at it as a business, they may not do that right away because of a few reasons:\n\n  • Funding. They lack the personal funds and see the foolishness in fundraising when they don’t even know whether an idea has legs whatsoever.  Not all side projects have clear paths to revenue/bootstrapping either.\n  • Motivation. Many side projects are for fun and passion. Sometimes those become businesses worthy of full time attention, but usually they are just an enjoyable thing to do with only part of their time.\n  • Stability. Depending on what else is happening in their life, it may not be the time to start a company. If they’re getting married, just moved to a new city or a close family member is on their deathbed, they may not want the upheaval of launching a startup on top of that.\n\nNone of these reasons prevent a person from being a valuable contributor to your startup. In fact, someone may work for your company and add tremendous value you’d otherwise never receive.\n\nThis is a seller’s market.\n\nIf you have hard to find skills like design, product management or engineering, it’s a great time to be a startup employee. Companies must compete for you. With salaries skyrocketing, it takes more than money to attract talent. Having a good culture, treating people well and supporting them as individuals become important factors as well.\n\nDavid’s views may work for him, but I caution other founders from adopting his cynical attitude towards those with side projects. The potential gains far outweigh any losses in hours David seems so concerned with and run the risk of turning off potential great team members.\n\nHow to Become a Better Leader Instantly\n\nWhether building a career at a large company or starting your own, if you want to advance and grow, soft skills like leadership are just as important to develop as hard skills like programming languages and sales tactics. Despite being a species evolved to live and work in groups, most of us struggle to effectively communicate with and motivate others. This is unfortunate, given how important and helpful a skill it is to master.\n\nI’ve been studying leadership for a while and there are many techniques for motivating and effectively working with others. Many take some practice and skill. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to very quickly develop your skills, which I was reminded of as I was recently reading the excellent book, “Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success in Work and Life One Conversation at a Time.”\n\nOne tip in particular stood out as something I’d heard many times before and I realized it’s the single easiest, yet important tactic to learn:\n\nGive specific praise regularly\n\nAnimal trainers around the world know the best way to train animals is through rewarding good behavior. Just think about the last time you were at Sea World and the seals and dolphins got fish and other treats after each trick they did.\n\nWhile humans are much more complex creatures, we still like rewards, just often in a different form: praise. Because this praise is written or verbal, the key is to be specific.  Don’t just say, “Good Job.” Instead, you’ll want to pull out exactly what was good so they know to do it again. Some simple examples could be:\n\n  • “Great work on the folder feature, Susan. I really like how you made your code clean and easy to follow with comments explaining each section of the code.”\n  • “Your report on quarterly earnings was great, Tom. Your graphics were perfect for explaining to the board how we recovered from the rough month.”\n\nAfter praise like that, I guarantee you that Susan will continue to comment her code and keep it clean and Tom is much more likely to keep investing time to make great graphics for his reports.\n\nThis type of praise is powerful for a few reasons:\n\n1) People want to feel appreciated.\n\nAssuming you like your job even a little bit, you want to do good work. There are parts where you’ll put in extra effort. People just want to be recognized for that hard work and that will motivate them to do more of it. Think back to a time someone thanked you for a great job on a project you slaved over for weeks. Give others that feeling.\n\n2) The absence of praise will be felt.\n\nWhen someone does subpar work and you give no praise, they will notice and want to work harder to seek your praise they previously enjoyed. On the other hand, if you don’t praise people regularly, they are less likely to continue to put in the extra effort on projects. We have all had those moments where we went the extra mile on something and were disappointed when no one noticed. Chances are, you didn’t do it again for that boss or coworker. Don’t be that kind of manager.\n\n3) People want to be noticed.\n\nEspecially in the startup world, it’s easy to take great work from your team for granted. Everyone just ships feature after feature, marketing content over more content and keeps grinding. This is also why celebrating wins as a team matters; it’s an opportunity to recognize both the collective efforts of the team and specifically who made major efforts to help the team get there. This is the key to making people feel like they’re “part of something bigger” that draws so many to the lower pay and longer hours of startup life.\n\nCan you remember the last time you praised each member of your team? Were you specific with them or just a vague, “Good job”?\n\nThis is just one of the awesome tactics you’ll learn in the book, Fierce Conversations. It covers many excellent topics and will help you understand how to have productive and often difficult conversations effectively with others in both your personal and professional life. I scored it a 9 out of 10 on my ratings scale and highly recommend it.\n\nGreat Chefs and Great Entrepreneurs\n\nOne of the best rated restaurants in the world serves no cocktails, no appetizers and only has 9 seats. It has no menu and only serves a variety of sushi as laid out by its 85 years old master chef and his team. Jiro Ono, who has been honing the craft of sushi for over 75 years, is the master chef featured in the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which tells the story of him and his restaurant (#ProTip: it’s free on Amazon Prime Instant).\n\nIt is truly amazing and inspiring to hear his story of dedication, attention to detail and passion to work with the best; whether it be his source of rice, the fisherman he buys from or the 10 years of training for his apprentices, Jiro strives for perfection. During the documentary, a Japanese food critic revealed what he felt separates Jiro and other great chefs:\n\n  1. They take their work very seriously and consistently perform at the highest level.\n  2. They aspire to improve their skills.\n  3. Cleanliness. If the restaurant doesn’t feel clean, the food isn’t going to taste good.\n  4. Impatience. They are better leaders than collaborators. They’re stubborn and insist on having it their way.\n  5. Passionate.\n\nWhen I look at the food critic’s list of qualities, I realize that those are the same qualities that can apply to any craftsman. Entrepreneurs that put a high value on design, like most notably Steve Jobs, seem to fit that list as well.\n\nWhat qualities make a great craftsman?\n\nShould founders care about their employees’s personal lives?\n\n{Note: this is part of an experimental series of short posts. My goal is to spark more discussion and post things that aren’t fully thought out 1,500 word mega-entries I usually post.}\n\nThis tweet got me thinking today:\n\nThere are assholes and then there are people who have moments when they act like one. In a startup there is no room for the former, but we all have moments where we may be the latter.\n\nI’ve found myself in the latter bucket a number of times since I got to SF because of the stresses I’m experience in adjusting to a new environment and starting over socially. Try as I might, I haven’t always been able to leave issues at home and just be my usual working self.  Fortunately, Hiten and others have been understanding of me. Team dynamics are hard to get right and when someone is being an asshole, it’s poison to the environment. That’s why I posit it is important for founders to care about their employees personal lives.\n\nOf course, none of this is limited to just assholes; employees underperform for a multitude of reasons in a variety of ways.  If you have a connection with your employees beyond their job description, you’re likely to find out what may be the cause of an issue. And you wouldn’t have to be their therapist to be helpful and understanding.  At the least, you can help patch up some relations around the company by telling others on the team to cut that person some slack (without necessarily going into specifics) and making some recommendations of what the employee can do to help themselves.\n\nWhat do you think?\n\nShould founders care about their employees’s personal lives?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.580103874206543}
{"content": "Contact a Lawyer\nThis form does not yet contain any fields.\n\n    Topamax Lawyer Justinian Lane Discusses Cleft Lips\n\n    In early March of 2011, the FDA strengthened the warning label on Topamax (generic name: Topiramate) due to an association between Topamax use and birth defects.  Currently, Topamax is most strongly associated with oral birth defects, such as cleft lips and cleft palates. \n\n    Cleft lips are fairly common birth defects in which the upper lip is split.  A cleft lip occurs when the facial structures in a fetus do not fully close.  A cleft lip can occur on one or both sides of the face, and can range in size and severity.\n\n    Researchers do not yet understand exactly what causes a cleft lip to occur.  However, studies have shown that Topamax increases the risk of a cleft lip.  Topamax lawyers are interested in this scientific research as it will be critical to win a Topamax lawsuit.\n\n    It wasn't until I began researching Topamax birth defects that I learned how serious of a medical condition that a cleft lip is.  I initially thought a cleft lip was a cosmetic issue only.  It isn't.  In fact, a cleft lip can lead to hearing loss, eating and speaking difficulties, and numerous psychological challenges. \n\n    If you or a loved one took Topamax during a pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a cleft lip, feel free to e-mail me at  I'm currently reviewing Topamax birth defect cases and will be happy to discuss your potential case with you.\n\n\n    Will the first Topamax lawsuit be filed this week?\n\n    Topamax lawyers are heavily advertising on the Internet regarding the link between Topamax and birth defects like cleft palates and cleft lips.  To the best of my knowledge, no Topamax attorney has yet filed a Topamax birth defect lawsuit. \n\n    One of the reasons why I suspect that Topamax litigation will commence so soon after Topamax was linked to birth defects is because of the rules of Multi-District Litigation.  (MDL)  Whenever a large number of drug lawsuits are filed across the country, they are eventually consolidated into an MDL.  That simply means that instead of all of the Topamax lawsuits being filed across the country, they're initially filed in one court, so the same judge can make sure everything proceeds in an orderly fashion.  (Many people confuse class action lawsuits with MDL proceedings.  By and large, if the lawsuit involves a large number of people hurt by a drug like Topamax, it will be an MDL.  However, there may also be a Topamax class action.  If an when that happens, I'll post about it here.)\n\n    When an MDL is created, the MDL judge appoints a steering committee.  The steering committee will consist of Topamax attorneys who (a) have a great deal of experience in drug litigation, and (b) have a large number of Topamax lawsuits of their own.  The first lawyer to file a Topamax lawsuit will be at an advantage when it comes to applying for a position on the Topamax steering committee.\n\n    I therefore suspect that someone will work to get a Topamax lawsuit filed this week.  I could be wrong, but I'd be very surprised if the first Topamax case isn't filed this month.\n\n    If you'd like to know more about how an MDL works, or whether you're eligible to bring a Topamax lawsuit on behalf of your child, feel free to e-mail me using the contact form.\n\n\n    Topamax Linked To Birth Defects\n\n    On March 4th of 2010, the FDA announced that new data showed that women who take Topamax during pregnancy are at an increased risk of giving birth to a child with a cleft lip or a cleft palate.  Topamax and Topiramate (the generic equivalent of Topamax) were approved by the FDA to treat certain types of epileptic seizures.  Eventually, they received FDA approval to prevent migraine headaches.\n\n    The FDA classifies drugs according to whether or not they pose a risk of causing birth defects.  Topamax was initially in Category C, meaning that studies showed a risk of birth defects in animals, but there was insufficient evidence in humans.  The FDA has now moved Topamax to Category D, which means there is positive evidence of risk of birth defects in humans.\n\n    Here is what the FDA currently recommends regarding Topamax during pregnancy:\n\n    Before starting topiramate, pregnant women and women of childbearing potential should discuss other treatment options with their health care professional. Women taking topiramate should tell their health care professional immediately if they are planning to or become pregnant. Patients taking topiramate should not stop taking it unless told to do so by their health care professional. Women who become pregnant while taking topiramate should talk to their health care professional about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, a group that collects information about outcomes in infants born to women treated with antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.\n\n    If you took Topamax or Topiramate during your pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a cleft palate, a cleft lip, or other skeletal deformity, Topamax may be to blame.  As a Topamax attorney, I'd be happy to talk with you about your child and what legal options you and your child may have.\n\n\n    FDA Took Years To Process Topamax Birth Defect Data\n\n    It wasn't until March of 2011 that the FDA issued a warning that linked Topamax with cleft palate and cleft lip birth defects.  But back in July of 2008, a study linked the drug to those very defects:\n\n    For the study, researchers examined women who became pregnant while taking topiramate either on its own or along with other epilepsy drugs. Of 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects. Three of these were in infants whose mothers were taking only topiramate, and 13 were in those whose mothers were taking topiramate and other epilepsy drugs.\n\n    Four of the babies had cleft palates or cleft lips, a rate 11 times higher than that expected if these women were not taking epilepsy drugs. Four male babies had genital birth defects, with two of those classified as major defects, which is 14 times higher than the normal rate for this defect.\n\n    Source: Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk of Birth Defects\n\n    It's unfortunate that our regulatory system can take years to recognize the risks that drugs cause to unborn children.  At least the risk is recognized now, and hopefully there will not be as many women who take Topamax while pregnant.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6178629398345947}
{"content": "Elizabeth Warren On Illegal Foreclosures. \n\n\"You have made a decision to protect the banks but not to help the families who were illegally foreclosed on,\" Warren said. \"Families get pennies on the dollar for being the victims of illegal activities.\"\n\nGovTrack.us - Easily track the activities of the United States Congress\n\n\nWhile borrowers strug gle to repay their debt, the federal government is making money on its student loan programs. This year, the federal government will make $34 billion on student loans. The government even makes money on its loans to low - income students – 36 cents , on average, for every student loan dollar it puts out.\n\nAlways believe in yourself! #motivation #success #belief\n\nAlways believe in yourself! #motivation #success #belief\n\nVirtual Coffee | Binaural Beats + Isochronic Tones | Coffee Break\n\nWant to experience the energetic properties of caffeine without having to ingest any? This audio is based on a method developed by Michael Triggs, who found that a slow binaural beat with a rising pitch can be used to induce a feeling of wakefulness. Added to the binaural beat is a 17hz isochronic tone to further enhance the effect. This begins in the sub frequencies and culminates at over 1000hz.\n\nSo how do you use this audio? Simply put on your headphones/earphones, find a comfortable volume (usually I recommend a low volume but in this case louder may be better…. experiment), and if you like, load up your favourite songs in another tab. Listen until the end to experience the full effect.\n\nWhat worries you, masters you. Often times our worries are worse than reality. Focus your attention on the desired outcome.\n\n\nWhat were you called before 1492\n\n1. What were we called before 1492?\nAnswer: The ’natural people’, who are the Founders of Civilization, and the Mothers and Fathers of the Human Family, were called Moors / Muurs / Mu / Maure / Maurus / More / Moorens / Moroccan / Al Moroccans, etc. These are some of the dialectical pronunciations, according to varied languages, such as, Moorish Latin, Middle English, Germanic, French, Greek, etc.\n\n22. What is a Negro, Colored Man and Woman?\nAnswer: These names are ‘brands’ and ‘tags’ coined for ignominious social ‘status’ in society. They are political ‘Caste’ designations, and not national identities. Negro is an Anthropoid / Ape. ‘Colored’ is a legal term meaning, ‘Artifice, fake, covered up, artificial,and fraud’.\n\n26. Who first started Religion and why is it needed today?\nAnswer: The Ancient Moabites founded the world’s first religion. The true etymological meaning of ‘Religion’ is ‘a study of the Stars, and the workings of Nature’ The masses of the world (miseducated by European conquerors) do not know of the original meaning of Religion. The power of knowledge has been preserved for the Elite Caste, Industrialists, and Rulers of Government. Another term for this Religious / Cosmo knowledge and Anthropological secrecy is called, Masonry.\n\n27. What is the oldest religious so called Holy Book on This\nAnswer: It must be understood that so-called religious ‘Holy Books’ are all coded Astrology Texts. They are, for the most part, mathematical calculations of Human evolution, chronology and prophecy.\n\n39. What is a Race, and are there 5 Races or just the Human Race?\nAnswer: There is but one ‘Race’ and that is the Human Race.\n\n(Source: vervebucci)\n\nWe must travel in the direction of our fear.\nJohn Berryman\n\nYou Can Heal Your Life - The Movie!!!\n\nYou can heal your life and you probably should. Lol. Great lessons!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6379188299179077}
{"content": "Microbiology Lab: Biochemical Tests\n\nCreated by mrm0017 \n\nUpgrade to\nremove ads\n\n22 terms · Summary of the types of biochemical tests used in lab\n\nAnaerobic growth\n\nPurpose: Differentiates microorganisms based on their ability to grow in the absence of oxygen.\nProcedure: Inoculate TSA and streak for isolation; incubate 48h at 37C in an anaerobic jar.\nPositive: see growth\nNegative: no growth\n\nBHI with 6.5% NaCl\n\nPurpose: Differentiates microorganisms based on their ability to grow in 6.5% NaCl.\nPositive: Turbidity (growth)\nNegative: No growth (clear)\n\nBile esculin hydrolysis\n\nPurpose: Differentiates based on ability to hydrolyze esculin to esuletin and dextrose. The esculetin reacts with ferric citrate in the medium to form a dark brown/black complex.\nPositive: Blackening of the slant.\nNegative: No color change.\n\n\nPurpose: Differentiates based on ability to utilize citrate as a sole carbon source. Uses a pH indicator called bromthymol blue. Organisms that are able to grow on the media will produce an alkaline reaction.\nPositive: Growth with an intense blue color.\nNegative: No growth/color change (remains green).\n\n\nPurpose: Detection of the protein coagulase that is excreted by certain Staphylococcus species that causes fibrin clot formation. Inoculate a loop of organism into a coagulase (rabbit plasma) tube and incubate at 37 degrees. Positive: coagulation or clot formation (any degree).\n\nCystine Tryptic Agar (CTA) Sugars-Arabinose, Lactose, Mannitol, Raffinose, Salicin, Sucrose, Trehalose, Xylose\n\nPurpose: Detection of carbohydrate utilization in microorganisms. Carbohydrate utilization is detected by the incorporation of the pH indicator, phenol red, in the medium. When the carbohydrate is metabolized, the medium is acidified resulting in a color change from red to yellow. Inoculate and incubate 48h at 37C. Positive: yellow color. Negative: no change in color.\n\nDecarboxylation Reactions (Arginine, Lysine, Ornithine)\n\nPrinciple: Dextrose, the amino acids arginine, lysine or ornithine and the pH indicator bromcresol purple are incorporated into the media. Following the fermentation of dextrose, there is a drop in the pH and a change of color from purple to yellow. If the organism can decarboxylate the amino acid, there is a rise in the pH due to the production of an amine that is an alkaline end product.\n\nArginine dihydrolase (decarboxylase)\n\nPurpose: Detection of the enzyme arginine dihydrolase which hydrolyzes the amino acid arginine to ornithine, which is then decarboxylated to form the amine putrescine and carbon dioxide. Must put sterile mineral oil on the top of the medium after inoculating and cap should be tight during incubation. Positive: Purple color Negative: yellow\n\nLysine decarboxylase\n\nPurpose: Detection of the enzyme lysine decarboxylase that degrades lysine to the diamine cadaverine and carbon dioxide. Mineral oil and cap tight as in previous test. Positive purple; negative yellow.\n\nOrnithine decarboxylase\n\nPurpose: Detection of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase that degrades ornithine to the amine putrescine and carbon dioxide. Mineral oil and caps tight. Purple positive, yellow negative.\n\nHemolysis on SBA\n\nDifferentiates microorganisms based on their hemolytic activity on sheep blood agar. Alpha: incomplete hemolysis, greening of the media. Beta: complete hemolysis, clearing of the media. Gamma hemolysis: no hemolysis or discoloration of the media.\n\nMethyl red\n\nPurpose: Differentiates microorganisms based on their ability to produce and maintain stable acid end products from glucose fermentation. Inoculate an MRVP broth. Incubate 48-72 hours at 37C. Withdraw 1mL and transfer to a serological tube; add 5 drops of methyl red indicator. Positive: Immediate red color development. Negative: yellow color development.\n\n\nDifferentiates microorganisms based on susceptibility to novobiocin. Inoculate an .85% saline tube with organism to a density equivalent to a .5 McFarland Standard. Dip a sterile swab into the suspension then inoculate a Mueller-Hinton agar plate with a lawn streak of the organism. Using sterile forceps apply a 5 microgram disc of novobiocin to the center of the plate. Incubate 37C for 24h. Susceptible: Zone of inhibition greater than 17mm. Resistant: zone less than 17mm.\n\nO/F Dextrose (glucose) or trehalose (oxidation-fermentation reaction)\n\nDifferentiates microorganisms based on oxidative or fermentative metabolism of carbohydrates. Stab or inoculate two tubes per organism and leave on exposed to air (oxidative) and one with sterile mineral oil (fermentative). Oxidative is yellow color in open tube only, Fermentative is yellow in both tubes, and if it does neither, there will be a green or blue color in both tubes.\n\nOptochin (P) disc\n\nDifferentiates microorganisms based on susceptibility to ethyl hydrocupreine hydrochloride. Steak organism evenly across the blood agar plate. Apply P disk to streaked area and incubate at 37C. Susceptible will have a zone of inhibition 14mm or larger.\n\nPenicillin susceptibility\n\nSame as all the other antibiotics-any zone of inhibition indicates that the organism is susceptible.\n\nProduction of red pigment at 25C\n\nJust inoculate TSA and incubate at 25C for 48h. Positive will produce red pigment (S. marcescens is positive).\n\nPurple broth fermentation reactions (arabinose, lactose mannitol, sucrose)\n\nDifferentiates members of Enterobacteriaceae based on carboydrate fermentation. Contains specific carbohydrates and the pH indicator bromcresol purple-when an organism ferments the carbohydrate, an acidic product is produced, which changes the indicator to yellow. A bubble in the tube indicates gas production.\n\nSIM (Sulfur, indole, motility)\n\nDifferentiates microorganisms based on hydrogen sulfide production, indole production and motility. Stab the SIM tube about 2/3 of the way to the bottom and incubate for 48 with caps loose.\nH2S production: blackening along stab line\nIndole: after incubation, add 3-4 drops of Indole or Kovac's reagent-positive will show a red color.\nMotility: positive will diffuse outward from the stab line.\n\nSwarming motility\n\nDifferentiates based on ability to spread across a plate demonstrating a swarming type of motility.\n\n\nDifferentiates organisms based on urease production. The enzyme urease will hydrolyze urea yielding ammonia. Ammonia is alkaline an din the presence of phenol red, it will change the color from light orange to a deep reddish pink color.\n\n\nDifferentiates based on ability to produce a neutral end product, 2,3 butanediol from glucose fermentation. This end product is oxidized to form acetoin that is detected with the addition of the VP reagents alpha-napthol and KOH.\nInoculate MRVP with test organism and incubate 72 hours; add the contents of VPA and shake, then add 5 drops of VP B and shake. Positive will show a red color development within 15 minutes.\n\nPlease allow access to your computer’s microphone to use Voice Recording.\n\nHaving trouble? Click here for help.\n\nWe can’t access your microphone!\n\n\n\nReload the page to try again!\n\n\nPress Cmd-0 to reset your zoom\n\nPress Ctrl-0 to reset your zoom\n\n\nPlease upgrade Flash or install Chrome\nto use Voice Recording.\n\nFor more help, see our troubleshooting page.\n\nYour microphone is muted\n\nFor help fixing this issue, see this FAQ.\n\nNEW! Voice Recording\n\nClick the mic to start.\n\nCreate Set", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5079817175865173}
{"content": "7.5 Multi-threading\n\nThe :thread-policy keyword argument of op:create_poa controls the number of threads created. The value can be one of:\n\n\nUse the same thread for all requests.\n\n\nUse an ORB specific number of threads.\n\nAn integer n\n\nUse n threads.\n\nCurrently the \"ORB specific number of threads\" is 1, so this is the same as :single-thread-model .\n\nSee the Portable Object Adapter specification, available from OMG.\n\nDeveloping Component Software with CORBA - 30 Oct 2007", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989261031150818}
{"content": "College Catalog 2013-2014\n\nAudience Navigation:\n\nTopic Navigation:\n\nCourse Descriptions\n\nRPK - Recreation and Parks\n\nRPK 120\n\n\n(3.00 CR.)\n\nIncludes history and philosophy of conservation, preservation, and the development of outdoor recreation in the United States. Emphasizes development of practical skills in planning, instructing, and managing outdoor recreation programs and facilities, including youth resident camps, RV campgrounds, as well as resources in the urban setting. Lecture 2 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 5 hours per week.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5669606924057007}
{"content": "Dunnigan Charged with Burglary\n\nMeridian police have re-arrested a teenager who was out on bond on an armed robbery charge.\n\n15-year-old Richard Dunnigan of Meridian is now also charged in a residential burglary that happened June 30.\n\nDunnigan is charged as an adult, because he had already been charged with armed robbery in a case from earlier this year.\n\nBond was denied because of the previous charge.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995943307876587}
{"content": "Dude, Where’s My Mars Rover?\n\nDude, Where’s My Mars Rover?\n\nNewsbound is a media and software company on a mission to make complex topics understandable. They produce original explainers in their unique stack format and also work with clients to adapt research, reporting, and analysis into this form.\n\nStill wondering how we sent an SUV-sized rover to Mars last year? And what it’s doing up there today? In our latest explainer, Newsbound tackles this subject — and the broader history of Mars exploration — in our unique stack format.\n\nWhat’s the stack all about? It’s a design-rich, slide-based reading experience the Newsbound team has been developing and designing since last September. So far we’ve used it to break down thorny topics such as the federal budget debate, filibuster reform, drone warfare, etc. The format shares plenty of qualities with motion graphics, slideshows, infographics, and custom interactives — all mediums that we love and have inspired us.\n\nWhat are... keep reading\n\nHow Old Are Our Favorite Sports?\n\nSports are rooted in nothing more than a fun distraction from perilous times, but now those playful pastimes have evolved into an industry valued at more than $100 billion. Simple games of man vs. man, team vs. team, or man vs. little round ball have grown into massive conglomerates with inches-thick rule books and... keep reading\n\nIs Data Visualization Art?\n\nData Visualization is driven by data. Its form is often derived from optimizing the efficiency of inputting data (and information about that data) into a human brain. It is a very pragmatic practice, built around numbers and logic. And yet it is beautiful. It evokes emotions. It can be aesthetically pleasing, or hideous. It... keep reading", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8359074592590332}
{"content": "Eye Can Learn\n\nEye Exercises for Better Visual Health\n\n\nImprove your Visual Information Process Skills:\nPerception, Tracking, Focusing, and Eye Teaming\n\nClick on the Exercises Below\n\nPerception       Tracking       Focusing       Eye Teaming\nDiscrimination Peripheral Focus Shifts Eye Aiming\nVisual Memory Jumps Cross-Eyed Viewing\nFigure Ground  Number  Saccades    Relaxed Viewing\nVisual Closure Line Tracking \nForm Constancy   Pursuits Other Resources\n\nParents, teachers, and OT's, please note:  These activities are offered as a fun way to help sharpen \"learning-related\" visual skills that are critical for success in school.  If a child has deficits in visual information processing, these simple exercises alone are not sufficient to correct a problem.  Please do not confuse these exercises with vision therapy.  Vision therapy involves a much wider scope of remediation procedures involving the use of lenses, prisms, filters, and instrumentation in a closely sequenced program prescribed by developmental optometrists.  However, if your child has difficulty with these activities, it could indicate there is a problem with his/her vision system, and you may want to contact a developmental optometrist for further evaluation.  A developmental optometrists can run specialized tests to determine if your child has developed adequate visual skills for reading, learning, and visual attention. Developmental optometrists are sometimes called behavioral optometrists because of their role in evaluating how vision affects behavior and performance.  To locate a doctor in your area, contact the national certifying board at covd.org.\n\nVision Perception Skills  \n\nThe vision skills we need to understand, analyze, and interpret what we see are called visual perception. Here are some fun games and puzzles that will help sharpen your perceptual skills.\n\n\nVisual Discrimination lets us see differences between objects that are similar.  Good visual discrimination helps keep us from getting confused.  For example, when we read, it's visual discrimination that let's us see the \"was\" and \"saw\" are different even though they have the same letters. Puzzle games that ask us to tell how two pictures are different are good ways to help develop visual discrimination.  \n\n\n\nFor answers to the visual discrimination pictures, click here!\n\nFor the answers to the matching puzzles, click here!\n\n\nVisual Memory is another important perceptual skill.  It helps us recall what we've seen.  Click on the buttons below and you will see a picture for five seconds, and then it will disappear.  After the picture disappears, can you remember the items you saw in the same order?\n\n\n\nMinute Memory Game: You will see a picture for one minute.  Look at it carefully and try to remember as many details as possible.  After the minute is up, you'll be asked to tell as many things about the picture as you remember.  Good luck!\n\n\n\nFigure Ground is the perceptual skill that let's us pick out details without getting confused by the background or surrounding images. This skill is especially helpful when we're presented with a lot of visual information at one time.  The popular puzzle games called \"hidden pictures\" requires good figure ground skills.  We've searched the internet and come up with some fun examples of hidden pictures. Click on the button below to see how good your figure ground skills are!\n\n\n\nVisual Closure is the ability to visualize a complete whole when given incomplete information or a partial picture. This skill helps us understand things quickly because our visual system doesn't have to process every detail to recognize what we're seeing.  Where we're reading, this skill helps us recognize sight words. Click on the button below for some from practice with visual closure!\n\n\n\n\nVisual Form Constancy is the ability to mentally turn and rotate objects in our minds and picture what they would look like. This skill helps us distinguish differences in size, shape, and orientation. Children with poor form-constancy may frequently reverse letters and numbers. Game like the following can help us get practice form constancy.  Click on the buttons below to play!\n\n\n\n\n\nTracking Skills   \n\nGood tracking skills allow us to follow a line of print without losing our place. It is our oculomotor system that lets us accurately direct our eye movements.  There are three main types of oculomotor skills:  fixation is the ability to maintain steady visual attention on a target; saccades is the ability to quickly and accurately make eye jumps from one target to another; and pursuits is the ability to smoothly follow a moving target.    \n\nCentral-Peripheral Integration\n\nCentral Fixations and Peripheral Awareness, Activity 1:   \n\nObjective: A strong integration between our central and peripheral vision systems is critical to good reading skills. Our side vision allows us to locate objects and process where they are in space, but our clear, central vision tells us what it is we're looking at.  (These two systems are sometimes referred to as the \"Where is it?\" and \"What is it?\" systems.) In reading, our central vision processes the letters, while our side vision locates the next word and tells us where to aim our eyes next.  If there is not continuous, fluid, simultaneous processing between these two systems, reading will be jerky and loss of place will be common.\n\nDirections: Watch the clown's face but do not move your eyes.  However, as you stare at the clown in the center, follow the edges of the red and blue boxes with your side vision as they move outward. Work on \"seeing\" the clown's face and the outside edge of the boxes at the same time. \n\n\nCentral Fixations and Peripheral Awareness with motor demand, Activity 2:   \n\nObjective: The following activity adds an eye-hand element to the visual demand.  Twenty percent of the raw visual data coming off the retina does not go back to the visual cortex for imaging but breaks away and travels up to the brain's motor centers to help with balance, coordination, and movement. Visual motor integration, commonly called eye-body or eye-hand coordination, is a critical component of vision.  Think of it as a visual \"follow the leader\": the eyes go first and tell the muscles where to follow. \n\nDirections: Watch the circle in the center and do not look away.  However, you can see the circles on the side of the screen as you are watching the center.  As the center circle changes color, touch the same colored circle on the outside--without looking away from the center circle!  Start with the slow speed, but then switch to the fast as you get better using your side vision!\n\n\n\n\nClown Jumps: Objective: Saccades refer to the eye's ability to quickly and accurately shift from one target to another. This is an important visual skill, allowing us to accurately control where we aim our eyes.  The ability to make efficient saccades (or jump movements) is especially important in reading.  It keeps us from overshooting or undershooting, going too far ahead or not far enough when we're trying to follow a line of print and locate the next word.\n\nDirections: Click on the button below. You will see a clown jumping around the screen. Watch the clown, being careful to only move your eyes and not your head.  (The inability to move the eyes without also moving the head is usually an indication of deficits in a child's oculomotor system.) \n\n\nRabbit Jumps with Motor Demand:  Objective: This is another tracking/visual motor activity, integrating the ability to control our eye movements with our ability to direct our hands.  This time, however, the directions ask the child to alternate hands, turning the demand up a notch.  This will also mean that sometimes the child will be reaching across his body to touch the screen.  The ability to bilaterally reach across the body's midline is an important developmental milestone. The target is also the same color as the background (less contrast) and moving quickly (requiring faster processing) so the child's visual system has to be fairly efficient in order to complete the task well.    \n\nDirections: Try to touch the rabbit with your index (pointer) finger before he moves.  Alternate hands--right, left, right, left, etc. Move only your eyes and hands, not your head. \n\n\nReading Saccades \n\nObjective:  Reading involves some very specific eye movements. The eyes must move left to right along a straight line without deviating up or down to the lines above or below.  In addition, when we reach the end of a line, our eyes must make a difficult reverse sweep back to the beginning of the next line.  If a child cannot control these eye movements, he'll lose his place and comprehension becomes a problem.\n\nDirections: Read the numbers left to right as they appear on the screen.  Move only your eyes, not your head. Start with the slow speed; if it is too easy, move on the medium speed.  Once the medium skill is mastered, try the fast speed. The goal is to read the numbers easily, smoothly, and accurately. \n\n\n\nLine Tracking:  Objective: The oculomotor demand is increased in these activities by adding distracters.  There are more than one path.\n\nMen have lost their hats, baby animals have lost their mothers, and fairy tale characters have been separated.  Can you help them?  Directions: Follow the lines without getting lost! Do you end up at the right place?  Remember to use only your eyes, not your finger!\n\n\n\nHere are some harder line tracking activities to try.  Have fun!  Directions: Follow the lines without getting lost! What letters match up with what letters?  Remember to use only your eyes, not your finger!  \n\n\nPursuits: Objective: The skill that allows our eyes to smoothly follow moving targets is called pursuits.   This is an especially important skills in most sports, allowing us to catch, hit, or kick a moving ball.\n\nFollowing a moving target, slow speed:   Directions: Watch the butterfly fly around the screen.  Move only your eyes, not your head. Can you keep your eyes on the butterfly? \n\nFollowing a moving target, fast speed:  Directions: Watch the ball bounce around the screen.  Move only your eyes, not your head. Can you keep your eyes on the ball? \n\nFocusing Skills\n\nNear-Far Focus Shifts\n\nObjective: Our focusing system allows us to see clearly, especially up close.  At the close ranges required for reading, this is the visual skill needed to maintain clear sharp images for extended periods of time. It also includes the ability to quickly shift focus when looking from near to far, such as when children have to look from their desks to the board at school. \n\nDirections: Highlight the small number chart below and copy and paste it into a Word document and print.  Cut the paper around the grid so that you have a small card with the numbers in the middle.  Then place a large calendar on the wall on the opposite side of the room.  Holding the small number chart about six inches from your nose, look at the number 1.  Is it clear?  If it's a little blurry, move the paper out until you can see the numbers clearly.  Then find the number one on the calendar.  Now look back at the number 2 on the small chart in your hand.  Then look up and find the two on the calendar.  Continue back and forth for the entire month.  Could you keep the numbers clear on both the wall calendar and on the small number chart as you hold it close to your eyes?   If so, move the number chart a little closer to your nose and do the exercise again.  Your goal is to be able to hold the number chart within three inches of your nose and still keep the numbers clear without double vision and make fast focusing shifts from near to far and back again.   Practice until this is easy and you don't feel a lot of eye strain.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEye Teaming Skills \n\nControlling how we use and aim our eyes together is an importing skill that keeps us from seeing double.  The ability to use both eyes as a \"team,\" or a single functioning pair, is what allows our brain to fuse the two separate pictures coming in from each eye into a single image. This skill is called binocularity. \n\nThere are two basic ways to aim or \"team\" our eyes: \n\n1) The ability to turn our eyes inward to maintain single vision for objects up close is called convergence. It is similar to looking \"cross-eyed,\" like this: \n\n2) The ability to turn our eyes outward to maintain a single image for objects far away is called divergence. Our eyes appear to aim straight ahead, like this:\n\n\n\n\nEye Aiming Activities: \n\nObjective: The ability to simultaneous use both eyes together as a single functioning pair is one of our most critical visual skills.  In fact, many poor readers have not developed adequate eye teaming control.  The activities in this section are fun ways to become aware of our eye teaming system. \n\nDirections: Click on the button below and practice using the two different types of eye aim:\n\n\n\nThree-Dimensional Pictures\n\n3-D Photographs using the \"Cross-Eyed\" Viewing Method.\n\nObjective: The ability to use and team our eyes together is what creates depth perception.  Technically called stereopsis, precise two-eyed fusion allows us to perceive three-dimensional depth. \n\nDirections: Once you've practiced the \"cross-eyed\" look in the previous activity, here are some 3-D photographs you can have fun with.   \n\n\nStereograms using the parallel, \"straight ahead\" viewing method.  \n\nObjective: Often called \"Magic Eye\" pictures, stereograms are a fun way to play with our eye teaming using the relaxed, straight-ahead look. This is harder for some people because our visual system's anatomy does not allow for the same degree of divergence as it does convergence. The following activity allows you to experience divergent eye teaming.  \n\nDirections: To be able to fuse stereograms, you must aim your eyes BEYOND the screen, much like you are looking out a window at something far way. Try a \"day dreaming\" look to keep your eyes relaxed and aiming straight ahead instead of at the screen.  Don't give up too soon.  It takes some time for your brain to make sense of the pictures each eye is sending it and form the combined image.  (Note:  If you try to do the \"cross-eyed\" look with these pictures, they'll be inverted and not make any sense.)\n\n\n\n\nOther Fun Resources on the Web\n\n\nVision Perception: General\n\nThe following link has many, many different activities to improve visual perceptual skills. Very complete.\n\n\n\nVisualization and Form Constancy\n\nFollow the link below for work on fun \"tangram\" puzzles to improve your visualization and form constancy skills!  These ancient Chinese puzzles work much like electronic parquetry blocks.  Wonderful fun!\n\n\n\nJigsaw puzzles are wonderful for developing visualization and form constancy skills.  Here's a link to a great site that not only lets you choose which picture you want to put together, but how hard you want the picture to be!\n\n\n\n\nVisual Memory\n\nOne good way to improve your visual memory skills is to play matching games. Click on the links below to practice your visual memory skills!  \n\n\n\n\nHere's a couple of fun memory games to help kids learn: multiplication facts, telling time, and even Spanish!\n\nhttp://www.aplusmath.com/Games/Concentration/Multiplication_Concentration.html  (third grade and above)\n\nhttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/con_math/g03c05.html (third grade and above)\n\nhttp://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/pinata/game.htm  (third grade and above)\n\n\n\nFigure Ground\n\nThe Highlights children's magazine is famous for their hidden pictures; it's a regular feature in their monthly magazine.\n\n\n\n\nThis is a fun on-line game for older children called \"Mystery Case Files: Huntsville.\"  Allow time for the Shockwave file to load.\n\n\n\nMah Jong, the ancient Chinese puzzle game, is another excellent opportunity to help develop figure ground skills.  Try the link below to a free on-line version. \n\n\n\n\nMany, many fun images!: http://www.eyetricks.com/3dstereo.htm\n\nAwesome sight! http://www.colorstereo.com/1_homep.age/directry.htm\n\n\n\nTurn words into stereograms: http://www.kondo3d.com/stereo/java/stereoword-e.html\n\n\n3-D Viewing Pictures\n\nHere are some sites packed full of 3-D pictures to view either using the crossed-eyed or parallel viewing methods. Some include large anaglyph collections to use with red-blue glasses.\n\nAwesome 3-d photographs from around the world.  You'll need red-blue (or red-green) glasses to view. http://www.3dphoto.net/stereo/stereo.html\n\n Wonderful pictures of Thailand with choice of viewing method: http://users.skynet.be/didier.leboutte/\n\n\n\nHit Counter", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9112752676010132}
{"content": "Dungeonland > Általános témák > Téma részletei\nZhonLord 2013. aug. 22. @ du. 7:21\nNeed advice on DM loadout\nSo currently I have a completely minion-oriented loadout that I have a lot of fun with. Problem is, whenever there's even one bot, normal difficulty becomes a crapshoot of either the heroes breezing through the entire level without losing a single life, or they get completely beaten into the dust and I end up taking 3 of their lives or more in one encounter. Any suggestions for making this build challenging WITHOUT it being a coin toss whether heroes win or lose?\n\nBlocking Wall - 1 mana\nMonster Trap - 1 mana\nIce Trap - 1 mana\nReal Missiles - 1 mana\nTeleport Monsters - 2 mana\nHealing Area - 2 mana\nResurrection Tower - 3 mana\n\nOrc Berserker - 2 mana\nImp - 2 mana\nSkeleton Archer - 2 mana\n\nRabbit Breeder - 2 mana\nStalkers - 2 mana\n\nPosession: Evil Heal\n\nBoss: Minocow\n\nTrait: Hordes of Things\n\n(note: for danger events, always go with the 4 mana horde option rather than the 6 mana mini-boss)\nLegutóbb szerkesztette: ZhonLord; 2013. aug. 22. @ du. 7:37", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999998807907104}
{"content": "Our Sponsors\n\nTechnical Translation\nWebsite TranslationClip Art\n\nWhen is ‘different’ treated differently?\n\nOctober 19th, 2013\n\nJoan Gambill noticed a rather odd use of an adjective in my characterization of pruinose the other day. Here is how she put it:\n\n“In yesterday’s word email about pruinose, under Notes at the end of the paragraph, it seems as though it should be differently, not different. I do enjoy your words.”\n\nIn most dialects of English both different and differently are allowed after verbs depending on what you mean. The suffix -ly on differently associates the adjective different with the verb, so that to tell you differently would mean “to tell you in a way different from the normal way of telling”, e.g. whispering, or in a letter. To tell you different implies “to tell you that the thing we are talking about is different”.\n\nIt is difficult to find situations in which both the adjective and adverb are applicable but they do pop up from time to time: She worked furiously (to finish on time) vs. She worked furious (at the way the boss treated her). In the former sentence, furiously modifies the verb; in the latter sentence, furious refers to she. As you see here, when the adjective is used, we usually supply a subordinate clause to clarify.\n\nWithout the subordinate clause, the result is often humorous: “Mary ate her salad undressed.” Here the joke arises from the ambiguity of which thing is undressed: the salad or Mary?\n\nNew Games at alphaDictionary\n\nOctober 17th, 2013\n\nI have added two new games about idioms and adages to the growing supply of word games on alphaDictionary. The first consists in matching idioms and adages with an prose description comprising arcane vocabulary, e.g. neophyte serendipity = beginner’s luck: http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/idiom_match.html\n\nThe other new game–my favorite–is matching idioms and adages with a picture of their literal meaning. For example, a picture of people climbing walls = climbing the walls. It may be found at http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/idioms_adages.html.\n\nHave fun.\n\nA Small Menu\n\nOctober 15th, 2013\n\nI received this interesting note from Jean Perry this morning:\n\n“I recently read in Barbara Ehrenrich’s book Dancing in the Streets, about public festivals, that menu peuple meant ‘simple people’. I couldn’t find the connection between menu as in ‘list’ and menu as in ‘simple’. Can you help me with this?”\n\nThis is a Middle French usage that came over when English borrowed the word. French menu then meant “unimportant” or “small”, because menu came to Old French from classical Latin minutus “minúte”. The earliest written evidence in Middle French was les menus = le menu peuple “the small, unimportant people”, plural of la gent menude “the small, unimportant person”. The usage of menu in this sense is now considered archaic.\n\n\nOctober 7th, 2013\n\nForvo is a website which encourages its visitors to pronounce words. It has pronunciations of words in a large number of languages.\n\nCan you Enjoy without a Direct Object?\n\nSeptember 23rd, 2013\n\nJoel Jacubowicz sent me the following message today:\n\nI have several questions about the usage of the word ‘enjoy’ as a complete, standalone sentence.\n\n1) Is the complete sentence “Enjoy!” (As in, “Here’s your meal. Enjoy!”) grammatically correct?\n2) If not, despite being ungrammatical could it be considered to be acceptable usage? \n3) Is it an Americanism? And if so could it be argued to be acceptable to use it anyway in British English?\n\nI ask this because a certain person I know has a pathological and irrational hatred of the phrase “Enjoy!”, e. g. without a direct object (“enjoy WHAT??!!”) but I argue that, even if it’s grammatically incorrect, it’s essentially a set phrase and communicates slightly different meaning to “enjoy this” or “enjoy your meal”, so it can be exempt from following the rules. Alternatively it could be just a command (Enjoy! / Eat! / Read! / Sit!) which is taken as a polite invitation rather than something that you absolutely must do. \n\nHere is my response.\n\nEnjoy! as an intransitive verb was first used by Yiddish speakers according to Harry Golden in his 1958 book, For 2 Cents Plain. I first heard it from a retired Pennsylvania forest ranger who made commercials for the Pennsylvania Department of Parks about 40 years ago. It would seem to have arisen among speakers of German dialects in the US. I don’t think it is common outside the US; I’ve never heard it used in all the British or Australian movies and TV series that my wife and I have watched over the past 25 or so years.\n\nEnjoy is an obligatorily transitive verb, i.e. a verb which must have a direct object. There are pseudotransitive verbs, verbs which may be transitive or intransitive, i.e. the verbs you mention (eat, read, sit), but enjoy, devour, fix aren’t among them.\n\nAn interesting article from the New York Times Magazine points out that the imperative is the only way we can use the intransitive enjoy. I enjoy, you enjoy, s/he enjoys, etc. without a direct object are never heard or spoken. How can this be? It follows that this usage is at best idiomatic.\n\nIf this usage spreads throughout  the US, it will be an acceptable usage in the US only, hence it is dialectal. Transitivity is rather flexible; if anyone can think of a situation where a transitive verb works intransitively or vice versa, and they (mis)use it in that situation, it is just a matter of “catching on”. Still, this expression will only be dialectal and idiomatic.\n\n(This blog was partially based on research by Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira.)\n\nLabov “Dialect Diversity in America”\n\nSeptember 18th, 2013\n\nReview of William Labov’s Dialect Diversity in America: The Politics of Language Change (2012, Charlottesville, University of Virginia Press)\n\n\nI. What the Book is About.  It has been brought to my attention that my pseudonym has been taken in vain by another respected scholar in his recent monograph, Dialect Diversity in America, by  William Labov. Labov quoted this blog:\n\n“Regional accents are dying out…the original dialects in this country were the results of the accents of various immigrants who came to this country looking for a better life. They all landed on the east coast, which is why all accents are currently located in the east. However, as they migrated to the west, all these accents merged into one, so there are no distinctive regional dialects west or north of southern Ohio (maybe southern Illinois and a bit in northern Minnesota).”\n\nHis remark to this quotation was, “This overwhelmingly common opinion is simply and jarringly wrong.”  The popularity of this opinion makes Labov’s task especially difficult, since the opinion is popular among professional linguists like Mr. Labov and myself.\n\nI will proceed as follows. I will describe his monograph chapter by chapter and then remind us of what he omitted.\n\nChapter 1 About Language and Language Change. This chapter explains the common knowledge of how dialects emerge when some speakers of a language split away from the main body of speakers of a given language and that language continues to develop, but along different paths. Eventually, these two dialects become so different that mutual comprehensibility is lost, at which point we say that they have become different languages. We should expect that when dialect areas reintegrate, differences in dialectal characteristics disappear, but Labov claims that this is not happening in the US. In fact, dialectal differences are growing and spreading.\n\nChapter 2 A Hidden Consensus. This chapter explains how we know the suffix -ing is only pronounced -in’ in informal situations. He admits that this phenomenon is not strictly American; it has existed in all dialect areas for at least 1000 years. But he makes the point, well known by linguists, that there are not only regional dialects but social ones as well.\n\nChapter 3 Hidden Diversity. Having spent the first two chapters explaining the obvious and irrelevant, Labov begins this chapter by telling the reader that only phonological diversity will be considered, not morphological, syntactic, semantic, or lexical. So, Labov will be writing only about accents, not dialects. Dialects comprise differences in all aspects of grammar.\n\nHe them proceeds to quote some studies done in the 60s and  70s of the pronunciation of words, selected on the basis of known accent differences, recorded with Philadelphia, Chicago, and Birmingham. Recorded passages with accents were played in isolation to subjects in the same cities except the one they lived in. In isolation the subjects listening to each word recognized about 5% of them. When conjoined with one other word the percentage rose to around 30-40%. When the words were then repeated in complete sentences, the percentage rose to 90%.\n\nLabov does not mention that linguistic sounds are relative to one another. We have no difficulty understanding people speaking with different foreign accents, even if they are using only native sounds. The ear has no trouble making the adjustment in seconds. So, Labov doesn’t even make the case that accents interfere with comprehensibility. Incomprehensibility, which leads dialects to become fully fledged languages, comes only with morphological, syntactic, semantic and lexical differences.\n\nHe then moves on to explain the major point of the book: Northern Cities Shift (NCS). NCS involves a circular shift of five sounds involving such those formerly heard only in the northeast, such as the pronunciation of bat moving bet, and bet to bit. He uses this shift, which has moved west across the northern tier of states, to prove that dialectal differences are increasing.\n\nHe fails to note that as this dialectal “difference” as it moved westward, must have obliterated all the dialectal differences in its path, proving my point, too, that dialectal, even accentual differences, are disappearing.\n\nChapter 4 The Growing Divergence of Black and White English. Amazingly, after claiming in Chapter 2 that only phonological features of “dialects” will be considered, this chapter deals almost exclusively with morphological differences.\n\nLabov discusses the following features of Black English (or AAVE, African American Vernacular English, as he calls it):\n\n1. Loss of r at the end of syllables;\n\n2. Use of present tense with an infinitive (He can goes out)\n\n3. HAD as a simple past based on one study in Springville, Texas;\n\n4. BE as marker of habitual past (Imperfective Progressive: He be good);\n\n5. BEEN as a remote present perfect\n\n6. BE DONE as a remote present perfect\n\n7. Omission of -s possessive: My mom room\n\n8. Omission of -s present tense: She hit me when I come into her room.\n\nNotice that only one of these topics involve phonology: the omission of R at the end of syllables. This is a universal trait of all English dialects, including the one  spoken by the Queen of England. Neither the Cambridge British nor the Oxford English Dictionary pronunciations ever include an R at the end of syllables.\n\nOn the loss of verbal S (He see me), the possessive S (my mom room) and the copula (he good), Labov reports a 1983 work by Baugh: “The majority of speakers, those who had very little contact with whites, show 78% absence of the possessive ['s], 72% for verbal /s/, and 52% for the copula. In contrast, the African Americans with high rates of contact with whites . . . show very low rates of -s absence . . . .”\n\nWhat this description lacks is any number identifying how many speakers had “very little contact with whites”. Or any mention of the effects of the 1952 Brown v Board of Education decision, or the 1964 or 1965 civil rights laws, forced bussing, or affirmative action. Citing a 1983 work to prove a point is too early in the startling process in US education that brought an African American to the presidency.\n\nSo does Labov prove that Black English is expanding or splitting up? Although he cites much research based on interviews, he only cites in detail one work not written by him, a work that tracks the usage of had as a marker of the simple past: I had pushed him, where had marks, not the past perfect, but simple past. This usage is reported to have spread throughout the African American community of Springville, Texas. However, notice that a feature already in the dialect only spread within that dialect. It did not lead to an increase in the number of dialects.\n\nLabov explains the expansion of African American English in these terms: “The answer to the question, why are the differences increasing? Is, first and foremost, residential segregation, as reinforced and maintained by institutional racism.” He cites a 1981 study by Hershberg based on a study of segregation between 1850 and 1970. An analysis of historical U.S. Census data by Harvard and Duke scholars, “The End of the Segregated Century”, published by the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (January 2012) shows that racial separation has diminished significantly since the 1960s. That means that more African Americans since the 1970s have had “high rates of contact with whites.”\n\nChapter 5 – Politics of African American English.  At the center of this chapter is a series of jokes about Ebonics followed by a report on the failure of that movement’s claim that African American English is a foreign language, that courses needed be taught in African American English vernacular. The chapter ends with a description of the research into two commercial products produced by Labov, research which shows them successful.\n\nAgain, Labov does not mention the effects of integration, bussing to force the integration of schools, or affirmative action designed to fully integrate colleges and universities.  Did these politically motivated upheavals not affect the dialectal differences between white and black English?  How could Labov discuss the politics of “dialects” without mentioning the major political events that have had a great impact on the two major dialects in the United States? He does not raise this issue because it undermines his thesis.\n\nChapter 6 – Language Change as Language Politics.   This chapter discusses two phenomena: Canadian Raising in a village in Martha’s Vineyard  and similar the shift of the pronunciation of the diphthong in words like down [aw] to [ew]. Labov admits that two follow up studies found it to be non-existent or “showed signs of recession among the youngest speakers”. I fail to see why this bit of putative evidence was even mentioned in the book. Since, again, Labov only claims that this phenomenon is only spreading, not leading to dialectal distinction, I will omit comment in further detail on this phenomenon.\n\nChapter 7 – The Political Ideology of the Northern Cities Shift. This chapter returns to the Northern Cities Shift, tying it to the building of the Erie Canal (1817-1875). Without first showing that the Northern Cities Shift had taken place in New York by the time we started building the Erie Canal, Labov declares that it followed the route of that canal.\n\nLabov then goes on to explain “the tendency to superimpose Yankee ideology on the rest of the world” as an explanation why, of all the accents brought in by workers on the Erie Canal, the New York accent prevailed. He then moves into an explanation of “Yankee ideology”, a topic far off subject.\n\nII. What Labov Left Out. Although my claims were anecdotal, most of Labov’s arguments are anecdotal, too, based on interviews with individuals. The anecdotal evidence is so overwhelming as to make a statistical study, were it even possible to base such a study on data collected over the past 30 or so years, moot.\n\nFirst, I began by noting that ALL my grandnieces and grandnephews, who live in rural North Carolina speak without a trace of even their parents’ mild accent. I have attended baseball games and soccer games they played in and none of their friends, black or white, spoke in the strong Southern dialect I was brought up speaking and hearing in the 40s. Remember, we are talking about rural North Carolina.\n\nThe white generation that preceded me used sot and holp as the past tense of sit and help, and et, as it is in Britain today, was the past tense of eat.  The words very and must didn’t exist in the rural North Carolina dialect I spoke. All my relatives and neighbors used mighty where Yankees would use very. I recall the first time I heard must coming from the mouth of a Southerner. Our high school was having career day and had invited a pianist from Fayetteville who had tried his luck in New York. He said, “I must go now; I have another session . . . . “  I was so struck by the incident, that I remember it to this day, a half century later. Now very and must are commonplace and holp, sot and et are not to be heard because dialects are disappearing.\n\nThe African American friends of my grandnieces and grandnephews continue to pronounce [th] as [t] and [d], as I did growing up (I am white) and some of their (white) parents still do. But I never hear Ise (I is), nor a you is, we is, they is when I return now.  Whites and blacks drop the R at the end of syllables and substitute -in for -ing, as do people speaking English informally around the world.\n\nBut that is the extent of the accentual differences that I hear today back home or here in Pennsylvania. I do not know when I have heard the strong African American accent by anyone interviewed on television. All I have heard for the past ten years are the three characteristics mentioned above. Interviews with African American athletes on the Sports Illustrated web site (si.com) seldom reveal a trace of African American accent beyond the three traits mentioned above.\n\nGeographical separation is required for a dialect (not an accent) to thrive. When dialect D1 is mixed with D2 one is absorbed by the politically dominant one. It is economically advantageous to speak the politically dominant dialect or language. We had courses in standard English that were taught to Southerners and Northerners with a “Brooklyn” accent in the 80s. I haven’t heard of any such courses in the new millennium.\n\nMigration patterns do not involve part of the US English speakers removing themselves geographically from the others. Migration is all internal and is based on economic factors. There has been an intermixture of dialects, rather than separation.\n\nWe must never forget the fundamental economic factor influencing the recent development of dialects in the US: you cannot succeed in the US unless you speak economically dominant “standard” English. Everyone, no matter which dialect or language (Spanish, Russian, etc.) you speak, wants to speak and write that dialect.\n\nSo Mr. Labov has not made his case with convincing examples or statistics. He offers a few tables of long-term statistics which show the development of pronunciation differences over time, no massive chronological tables which his case requires. The anecdotal evidence, on the other hand, so overwhelmingly favors my position, I personally see no need for long-term statistics, even were they to exist.\n\nOf Peckerwoods and Woodpeckers\n\nSeptember 17th, 2013\n\nI received an interesting inquiry from Jeanne Henry. Here is that inquiry and my response.\n\nPeckerwood. That is what our Southern Baptist pastor called us kids when he got angry with us. I just attended a 40-year reunion of the youth church choir and we laughed about Dr. Jimmy Morgan getting mad at us in church and announcing from the pulpit, “You little peckerwoods better shut up!” Of course, that made us giggle and shake the church pews even more. Poor guy.”\n\n“Anyway, what is the history of the word Peckerwood?”\n\nIt started out as simply a Southern variant of woodpecker. However, it is not always used that way and has naughty overtones due to a poem kids back in the 20s and 30s once recited:\n\nWoodpecker pecking on the schoolhouse door.\nHe pecked and he pecked ‘til his pecker got sore.\n\nWhen my mother heard me or my cousins reciting this rhyme—long before we knew the other meaning of pecker—she became clearly embarrassed and forbade its recitation. Of course, this only egged us on.\n\nSince the word begins with pecker, it has become mildly profane as well as a mild insult. That word is covered up a bit in woodpecker.\n\nThe Names of Things\n\nSeptember 6th, 2013\n\nRandy Bynder appealed to Dr. Goodword for help with a common problem facing parents: answering a child’s innocent question. Children are learning machines, sponges that absorb thousands of facts every day. Here is a questiona that stumped Randy:\n\n“Lately my 8 year old daughter keeps asking where partcular words come from. For instance ‘Daddy why do they call it a couch? Why are we called people?’ etc.\n\n“Question: can you help me to formulate an intelligent but easy to understand response to such questions? Thank you.”\n\nThe answer, according to Plato, is that there is no answer; the relation between sounds and meanings are purely arbitrary. We call a horse a “horse” while Russians call the same animal a loshad’, Germans call it a Pferd, Spaniards a caballo, and Serbs a kon. It is the same animal referred to by different sounds depending on which part of the world you are in, more specifically, the language you are speaking.\n\nHistorically speaking, is another question. The similarities between English sister, German Swester, Russian sestra are not coincidental. These languages belong to a known language family, called “Indo-European”. A language family is exactly what it sounds like, a group of related languages that descended (developed over time) from the same “proto” language. They have descended from one language that existed earlier.\n\nSo the best response is to take advantage of the question to make your daughter aware that people around the world speak 6,912 languages and dialects. People speaking a different language are not to be feared; they are just saying more or less the same things we say in a different way.\n\nLaying the Lie-Lay Confusion to Rest\n\nJuly 12th, 2013\n\nTed Whittier is at it again:\n\n“Thanks, again, for your interesting and informative daily word pieces. I enjoy them immensely.”\n\n“I do have a question however. Has the use of the words lay and lie changed since I went to school? In your word piece today for crepuscular, in the Notes section, fifth sentence, you state: ‘. . . so we mustn’t just let it lay there.’ I seem to recall that if we lay something down we then let it lie not lay. What say you, good Doctor?”\n\nTed, when you’re right, you’re right. I had written “lie there” and was called on it by one of my editors, but then forgot to correct it.\n\nLie differs from lay in that it is intransitive (can’t take a direct object) and lay is transitive can take a direct object, so “I lie down” but “I lay the paper down”.\n\nThe problem is, and has been for centuries, the past tense of lie is lay—lie, lay, lain. The parts of speech of lay are lay, laid, laid.\n\nI’ve written on this problem somewhere else on the website and forgot in the heat of getting out the Good Word (usually late at night) my own advice.\n\nThank you for catching that.\n\nNew G-rated Limerick\n\nJuly 10th, 2013\n\nI recently published a raft of “G-rated” limericks created by visitors to the alphaDictionary site. I invited more contributions from our lot, and receive this one from Steve Parris:\n\nThe Alpha Agora might boast\nOf limericks cleaner than most,\nBut when rhymers start cookin’\nAnd nobody s lookin’\nThey write stuff they never could post\n–Steve Parris\n\nI plan to separate the original limericks from the unoriginal ones soon, so you will not see this one up until then.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6234901547431946}
{"content": "Go the Distance, ChiRunning's Danny Dreyer Shows Us How\n\nBOYT: Please share with our readers how the Chi Running technique came about.\n\nDanny Dreyer: I was an ultra marathon runner for 25 years which means I consistently competed in races longer than the standard 26.2 marathon. Because of my intense running background, I was constantly training and striving to become a more efficient runner. Eleven years ago, I went to my first Tai Chi class. The Tai Chi instructor devoted the class time to teach how one strengthens the core, posture, and how to effectively rotate one’s body weight around the central alignment of the body. During the class I wondered if I could successfully apply these techniques to running. When I applied the Tai Chi philosophy to my run the next day, it totally blew my socks off! From that point forward I began learning Tai Chi and applying it to running and the ChiRunning technique was born. I was fortunate to collaborate with a Tai Chi master who was instrumental in helping me develop the philosophy behind Chi Running.\n\nBOYT: Your book and ChiRunning DVD offers its readers very helpful tools to enjoy running and avoid injury with proper form. Would you say your book and DVDs are suitable for beginning to advanced levels of runners?\nDanny Dreyer: The book and DVD is appropriate for all types of runners. In fact, the people in my classes range from people who have never worn running shoes to elite runners. I have had eleven year olds to eighty-five year olds. In ChiRunning, everyone begins at the same level because it is a completely new way to run so it works for runners at all levels. The DVD is great because it breaks down the running technique into easy to follow steps, and it is a great place for people to start in their journey with ChiRunning.\nBOYT: You hear so many mixed messages in the media regarding whether or not training, specifically running, is safe to do daily. If one practices the ChiRunning techniques is it safe for someone to run every day?\nDanny Dreyer: I recommend that no one runs more than six days a week. The body needs some time to rest and recover. However, the caveat with Chi running is that it teaches how to run efficiently and injury free. Consequently, if someone is incorporating Chi Running techniques, recovery time is unnecessary because they have not done anything to strain their body. The more efficiently one runs, the less the muscles are used, and the less the muscles are used, the less time needed to recover. The key is for people to listen to their body and run in a way that allows them to run as much as they desire without doing harm to their body.\nBOYT: What are the biggest mistakes that new runners make? What can be done to correct the problem?\nDanny Dreyer: There are two main mistakes new runners make that lead to injuries. New runners often have too long of a stride. When the stride is too long, the runner is reaching forward with his legs and hitting heel first, which is very harmful. The impact of hitting the road with the heel first will cause strain to the back, quads, or knees as they absorb the jolting force. Chi running teaches runners to run with shorter strides and to practice more of a mid-foot stride where the whole foot lands underneath the body. Chi running teaches runners to fall forward while swinging their legs to the rear rather than pushing themselves forward with their legs. This is the second common mistake runners make: by pushing oneself forward with one leg while catching yourself with the other is essentially running with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.   Beginner runners automatically assume running is a hard sport because they are running inefficiently. One of the fundamentals of ChiRunning that stems from Tai Chi is that a successful runner or walker must cooperate with the forces that surround them. The primary force runners and walkers face is the road. If the runner is swinging their leg into the road and hitting heel first, the impact of the road is so much greater than when they land with their foot solidly underneath them while falling forward. ChiRunning teacher people how to minimize the impact of the road, thus decreasing strain and injury.\nDanny Dreyer, ChiRunning, Chi Running Danny Dreyer, effective work outBOYT: Do you find that a treadmill offers as effective a work out as running on land?\nDanny Dreyer: I much prefer street and trail running. There are a slew of reasons of why running outdoors is better for your body than running indoors on a treadmill. Running on a treadmill it is not really running; Treadmill running is more about keeping your balance on top of a moving object than running. The treadmill does most of the work, and the runner is more prone to injuries on a treadmill due to the strain put on the body during this balancing act. Running across a solid surface teaches one’s body how to balance and support itself while interacting and connecting with the earth. By increasing awareness of the body and the earth, a person is able to learn an incredible amount about themselves and the world they live in. Your connection to the earth is broken through using a treadmill. ChiRunning emphasizes the connection between the earth and your body that is only achieved through being mindful, and this empowering connection will ultimately improve your quality of life.\nBOYT: We know that you suggest using a metronome to set your cadence. Do you suggest that a person listen to music while running?\nDanny Dreyer: I recommend running intentionally and consciously because that is the only way to improve. Chi running is based on being mindful, and listening to music serves as a distraction and is detrimental to one’s running practice. I tell people who listen to music to split the days they listen to music and the days they run without it so they can focus and improve on their technique.\nBOYT: Lastly, please share with our audience the most inspirational piece of advice or thought.\nDanny Dreyer: I hope to transform running from a sport into a practice. When people practice yoga or meditation they intentionally pay attention to their activity, direct it with their mind, and responding accordingly with their body. The body is one’s direct connection to this world. If one wants to have a higher quality of life and an improved well-being, they must improve their connection with the world through communicating with the body. Ultimately by mastering a practice like running, a person is elevated to another level. I have been on spiritual paths forever and I believe it is so important to become familiar with the invisible world. Ultimately running can become a catalyst that leads into a deeper and more sensitive existence. Therefore, by treating running as a practice, a person is able to gain rewards that go far beyond receiving a medal for completing a race.\nAbout Danny Dreyer\nDanny Dreyer is the creator of ChiRunning® and ChiWalking®. He has successfully completed 40 ultra-marathons since 1995, finishing in the top 3 in his age group in all but one. Danny has lived a lifestyle steeped in holistic living, meditation, and personal wellness for over 30 years. He teaches techniques that tap into one's inner strength and power. For more information on ChiRunning, to purchase Danny Dreyer's book, and to contact Danny please visit his website.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6341307163238525}
{"content": "\n\n‘We mutually pledge to each other ...’\n\nJuly 4, 2013\nBy MIKE MATHISON - Sports editor\n\nSix words in the Declaration of Independence should be the motto for every sports team: We mutually pledge to each other.\n\nThe last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence is as follows:\n\n\nThe United States is 236 years old today.\n\nWould the Founding Fathers recognize this country?\n\nOn June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented to congress the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.\n\nCongress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, but did not complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence until two days later.\n\nAfter changes to Jefferson's original draft, a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4, 1776 - nine colonies voted in favor of the Declaration; two voted no, Pennsylvania and South Carolina; Delaware was undecided and New York abstained.\n\nJohn Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. It is said that he signed his name \"with a great flourish so King George can read that without spectacles.\"\n\nIf you mutually pledge something to each other, you are telling the others they are more important than you.\n\nYou are telling them that the team is bigger than yourself.\n\nThat is something our military personnel do every day.\n\nThey mutually pledge to each other to fight for this country so you and I are free.\n\nWe are free to believe in God, or not.\n\nWe are free to burn the American flag, or not.\n\nWe are free so say what we want, or not. At the same time, if we say what we want, others are free to hold us accountable for what we say, or write, or shout, or tweet.\n\nWe are free to pray, or not.\n\nWe are free to make unbelievable stupid statements at sporting events on all levels, or not.\n\nThank you to all the men and women who serve in the armed forces, for you are the pure example of being humble.\n\nYou have put everybody ahead of yourself, something that I could not do in that situation.\n\nI never wanted any part of being in the military.\n\nThat was never something that interested me in the least.\n\nYou are far better humans that I.\n\nYou lay down your lives so the Stars and Stripes can wave proudly.\n\nYou lay down your lives so we can have freedoms not found anywhere else in the world.\n\nThank you.\n\n\n\"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.\" - C. S. Lewis\n\n\"Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.\" - Saint Augustine\n\n\"Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire.\" - William Penn\n\n\"Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends.\" - Dwight D. Eisenhower\n\n\"Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self.\" - Charles Spurgeon\n\n\"True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.\" - Ralph W. Sockman\n\n\n\n\"As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on thing and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.\" - C.S. Lewis\n\n\"In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.\" - Winston Churchill\n\n\"True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.\" - Martin Luther\n\n\nThere is no talent in being humble.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI am looking for:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6233447790145874}
{"content": "Latest Issue of Science News\n\n\nNarcolepsy may be an autoimmune disease\n\nSleep disorder traced to assault on brain cells\n\nNarcolepsy occurs when wayward immune forces launch an attack on brain cells responsible for wakefulness, a new study suggests. In a case of mistaken identity, immune cells that target a protein fragment from a microbial invader also on rare occasions ravage neurons that produce a similar protein fragment, or peptide, researchers report.\n\nThe victims of this cross fire are neurons that make a peptide called orexin, a neurotransmitter that is crucial for staying awake. The researchers say this could explain the lack of orexin neurons in people with narcolepsy, as shown previously in patient autopsies. A lack of orexin, also called hypocretin, leaves a person with disordered sleep, daytime drowsiness and the risk of nodding off abruptly — the hallmarks of narcolepsy.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9994781017303467}
{"content": "Paper Session #4: The New \"Local\": Evolving Use of Theory in Ethnographic Research\n\nSusan Squires\nEvent Time\nWednesday, September 21, 2011\n\nTraditionally ethnography has been a local-level method for gathering direct, first-hand participant-observations and interviews in order to investigate the daily lives of a group of people, and to discover unmet needs. With the emergence of “digital communities,” “local” has taken on a new meaning for participants and researchers alike. Further, practitioners are now challenged to provide insights and recommendations, which provide value beyond product innovation and design. In this session we will look at two evolving aspects of our practice: how we are using theory to make sense of the new “digital local’ and how ethnographic research is evolving frameworks to accommodate the strategies and goals of large corporations that go beyond “local.”\n\nThe Luminosity of the Local\n\nMichael Donovan\n\nThis paper seeks to capture the local in Locavore---both its concrete and symbolic character. Locavore itself is a kind of nascent identity that emerges from constellations of social relationships, self-defining “food communities”, made up of consumers and farmers and chefs, and food writers and environmentalists of various stripes. These communities live in the blogosphere, tweets and other media as well as face-to-face relationships and transactions. At their core are representations of the local—in foods, dishes, recipes, meals, places, and persons. Place-bound identities that in some theoretically interesting ways transcend place. Drawing on classical anthropological theory and recent studies in cultural geography and the formation of digital communities we explore ways in which the local is invented and given representational power in the creation of community. Implications for branding, marketing and understanding the continued power of place-bound identities in the very constitution of digitized and globalized worlds.\n\n‘Mental Kartha Hai’ or ‘Its Blowing my Mind’: Evolution of the Mobile Internet in an Indian Slum\n\nNimmi Rangaswamy\n\nThis paper is an ethnographic exploration of on-line practices of teens in a slum in Hyderabad, India to develop concepts for building a novel user model in a unique socio- technical ecology. With little to spare upon ‘always on’ Internet enabled devices, they lead digital lives accessed on mobile phone piece meal and apportioned among peers in everyday communicative behaviours. The mobile internet has allowed the leapfrogging digital technologies, as they participate in and re-characterize the genre of virtual life: a leap discontinuous and disruptive, revolutionizing the media ecology of these teenagers. Indeed, for many of them the mobile phone is the inaugural personal gateway to a world of multi-media communications, entertainment and sociality. The paper examines contexts of youth-technology practices to identify and represent habituations of the mobile internet. These are anchored in the following contemplations: 1. the imagining of an ‘on demand internet’ rather than ‘always on’ internet 2. the forging of ‘persisting internet’ rather than ‘perpetual internet’. Our story is also about alternate infrastructures modifying constraining ecologies to endowing ecologies.\n\nShining a light on agency: Examining responses to resource constraints to uncover opportunities for design\n\nEmma J. Rose\nRobert Racadio\n\nPeople employ creative ways to overcome the challenges of daily life. The construct of agency is a productive area of inquiry when considering how people respond to these challenges. Exploring moments of agency provides an embodied understanding of people’s motivations and helps reveal the structural and technological barriers they encounter every day. We propose a framework of agency and three corresponding categories: resourcefulness, resilience, and powerlessness. This framework was developed while working with data from two design ethnographies: one in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the other in Seattle, Washington. In these settings, many people live with resource constraints, meaning they often have to make do or do without. Viewing structures through this analytic frame provides a mechanism to critique existing systems and provide design considerations for the future.\n\nUnclear social etiquette online: how users experiment (and struggle) with interacting across many channels and devices in an ever-evolving and fast-changing landscape of communication tools\n\nMartin Ortlieb\n\nHow should one behave and interact online? What kind of behavior can one expect from one’s partners in the online communication/interaction/transaction spaces from Social Networking to Online auctions and from Email and Instant messaging to blogs and reviews? These concerns from participants repeatedly surfaced in recently conducted research. People raised these issues, since they feel there is no established etiquette how purely online relationships should be conducted, but also how to transform relationships that began ‘online only’ into their social environments that reach beyond the Web. In my analysis I looked for practical clues from the research data: How do people calibrate their experiences with new forms and tools of communication on the Internet? How do they make sense and keep control of the digital relationships they’re engaging in? Based on these insights from research, I will illustrate how the current models of personal relationships (most notably the model of concentric realms extending outward from ego), especially online, are now proving insufficient, contradictory and unworkable for many users to be meaningfully applied in their social activities online.\n\nCracking Representations of the Emerging Markets: It’s Not Just about Affordability\n\nRenee Kuriyan\nKathi Kitner, Scott Mainwaring, and Dawn Nafus\n\nEmerging markets have grown to be a hotbed of technological innovation and use. How do businesses capture the seemingly large market opportunity comprised of what is known as the “emerging middle classes?” In the context of technology adoption, businesses create strategies to capture this market of potential First Time Buyers of PCs based on preconceived notions and representations of what emerging middle class consumers desire. Our research asked: what are the social and cultural forces that mediate technology adoption? What are their impacts on market opportunities? The paper uses the case of netbooks, specifically its slow uptake in emerging markets, to illustrate how using certain representations of these market segments to create strategies on messaging, positioning and communications to consumers can lead to missed market opportunities. We show how ethnographic frameworks to gauge social viability of products can be used to deconstruct these notions and help accelerate growth in emerging markets.\n\nEvolutionary Matryoshka: Mapping the dimensions of the evolutionary forces impacting survival of ethnographic insights within a large financial enterprise\n\nAri Nave\n\nCorporate ethnographies generate ideas that are subject to a number of evolutionary forces. Some ideas thrive, others mutate and propagate, still others wilt. These forces include the sui generis attributes of the ideas themselves, the mechanisms and mediums of transmission, and the ecology of selective forces that are brought to bear on the ideas, such as the corporate organizational structure, power relationships, and business demands. This article will also address the impact of the ethnographer’s agency on the entire process — when he or she is a participant in the development of communications strategies, based upon the research they’re conducting. While agency-based ethnographers may try to equip insights with the “skills” they need to survive, they themselves are subject to evolutionary forces that result in cognitive biases and impact choice. Duel-inheritance theory provides a robust platform for understanding the evolutionary forces on such systems.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9898167252540588}
{"content": "environmental health\n\nTag archives for environmental health\n\n\nLast year, reported cases of West Nile virus in the United States hit their highest levels in nearly a decade. It’s a good reminder to keep protecting yourself from getting bitten, but it also begs the question: Is this just a sign of a much bigger threat? The answer is just as wily as the pesky mosquito.\n\nWhen most of us pass by a new high-rise or drive down a new road, we rarely think: Did the builders and planners consider my health? However, a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers evidence that certain types of land use and transportation decisions can indeed limit the human health and environmental impacts of development.\n\n\n\nA couple years ago, two public health researchers attended a hearing about the possible expansion of an industrial food animal production facility. During the hearing, a community member stood up to say that if the expansion posed any hazards, the health department would surely be there to protect the people. The two researchers knew that probably wasn’t the case.\n\nExcess breast cancer risk among women employed in automobile plastics facilities\n\nTwo recently published papers funded by the federal agency Health Canada report on excess risk of breast cancer among auto plastics workers and the chemical compounds and processes used that are the likely culprits.\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8154220581054688}
{"content": "Complementary Colors\n\nComplementary (com-pluh-MEN-tuh-ree) colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Because they are opposites, they tend to look especially lively when used together. When you put complementary colors together, each color looks more noticeable.\n\nCarnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent\n\nRed and green are an example of complementary colors. Look at the painting Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent. The reddish-pink color of the flowers really stands out against the green background. Imagine if Sargent had painted all yellow or blue flowers instead. They would just blend in with the green (ho-hum).\n\nTRY IT! Choose colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, you might choose blue and orange. Make a picture that uses both colors. Don't they make an interesting contrast? That's because the colors are opposites.\n\nValue: Tints and ShadesArtAnalogous Colors\n\nMore on Complementary Colors from Fact Monster:\n\n  • Neutral Colors - Neutral Colors Neutral (NOO-trul) colors don't usually show up on the color wheel. Neutral ...\n  • printing: Illustrations and Color Printing - Illustrations and Color Printing In three kinds of printing—relief, intaglio, and ...\n  • color: Apparent Color of Objects - Apparent Color of Objects Color is a property of light that depends on wavelength. When light falls ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7207872867584229}
{"content": "Last updated on April 16, 2014 at 6:17 EDT\n\nMustelinae Reference Libraries\n\nPage 1 of about 11 Articles\nJavan Ferret-badger Melogale orientalis\n2013-01-01 14:09:23\n\nThe Javan ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis) can be found in Indonesia, with a range that includes Bali and Java. The preferred habitat of this species is not well known, but one specimen from Bali was found in a secondary forest near plantations. Other records show a preference for primary forests, so it is though that the Javan ferret-badger prefers a large variety of habitats. It was once...\n\nPatagonian Weasel Lyncodon patagonicus\n2012-12-31 13:27:36\n\nThe Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon patagonicus) is the sole member of its genus Lyncodon. Its range includes areas of Chile, western Argentina, and the Pampas. It prefers a habitat within xerophytic woodlands and shrub steppes. The Patagonian weasel can reach an average body length between 11.8 and 13.8, with a tail length between 2.4 and 3.5 inches. Its fur is mostly white, with brown and...\n\nStriped Polecat Ictonyx striatus\n2012-11-16 13:48:55\n\nThe striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), also known as the zoril, zorilla, zorille, or the African polecat, is a member of the weasel family. It can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, and the Congo Basin. It prefers a habitat within open areas and savannahs. This species resembles a skunk, and even releases a foul odor when threatened by predators. It is black in color with four white...\n\nAfrican Striped Weasel\n2007-10-23 13:58:02\n\nThe African Striped Weasel (Poecilogale albinucha), is the only member in the genus Poecilogale. It is a small black and white weasel native to sub-Saharan Africa. The African striped weasel lives in forests, wetlands, and grasslands. It is a nocturnal hunter of small mammals, birds, and reptiles. The weasel kills its prey by whipping its own body and kicking, making use of its thin, lithe,...\n\nGreater Grison\n2007-08-23 04:53:33\n\nThe Greater Grison (Galictis vittata), is an animal that belongs to the ferret family Mustelidae. It is native to Central and South America. It can be found from Southern Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia. It lives in savannas and rainforests, usually near rivers and streams. Greater Grisons spend most of their time on the ground at night hunting for food. They are nocturnal, but also may be...\n\nLesser Grison\n2007-08-23 04:52:24\n\nThe Lesser Grison (Galictis cuja), is an animal that belongs to the ferret family Mustelidae. It is native to South America and is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay.\n\n2007-08-15 11:07:59\n\n\n2007-08-10 16:41:52\n\nThe Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling species of the weasel family Mustelidae. It is also known as the Glutton or Carcajou. The wolverine lives primarily in isolated areas in the northern hemisphere. These areas include Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia and Scandinavia. They are also native to Russia and the Baltic countries. Until the mid 1800's they were found as far south as...\n\nMarbled Polecat\n2007-06-25 07:46:23\n\n\nEuropean Polecat\n2007-01-22 15:28:04\n\nThe European Polecat (Mustela putorius), also known as a fitch, is a member of the Mustelidae family. It is related to the stoats, otters, weasels, and minks. They are dark brown with a lighter bandit-like mask across the face, pale yellow underbody fur, a long tail and short legs. They are somewhat larger than weasels, weighing between 24.69 oz (0.7 kg) for females to 59.97 oz (1.7 kg) for...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8910406231880188}
{"content": "Alien antique show: Egyptians wore JEWELRY FROM SPAAAACE\n\nBoffins trace origin of 5,000-year-old cosmic bijoux\n\nHigh performance access to file storage\n\nPic Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptians fashioned their bling from rocks from outer space, not from iron ore.\n\nThree of the nine ancient beads from Gerzeh, Egypt\n\nJust bead it, bead it ... Three of the nine ancient beads from Gerzeh, Egypt\n\nWe're told beads kept at UCL's Petrie Museum in London predate the emergence of iron smelting by two millennia: the jewellery was made from pieces of meteorite, hammered into thin sheets and then rolled into tubes. The nine beads, which are at least 5,000 years old, were then strung together into a necklace along with gold and gemstones, reflecting the high value of the material in ancient times.\n\n\"The shape of the beads was obtained by smithing and rolling, most likely involving multiple cycles of hammering, and not by the traditional stone-working techniques such as carving or drilling which were used for the other beads found in the same tomb,\" said Professor Thilo Rehren, lead author of a paper on the find.\n\n\nBecause they started metal working with meteorite iron, smiths had nearly two millennia of experience by the time iron smelting started in the mid-second millennium BC, we're told. That knowledge was essential for coming up with smelting in the first place and the production of iron from iron ore, allowing the Iron Age to start and the metal to replace copper and bronze.\n\nThe beads were found in a pre-dynastic cemetery near the village of el-Gerzeh in Lower Egypt around 1911 and were completely corroded when discovered. A team of boffins had to use X-ray techniques to figure out if they were meteoric or magnetite, which can be mistaken for corroded iron due to its similar properties.\n\nShooting beams of neutrons and gamma-rays at the beads showed their unique texture and also revealed the high concentration of nickel, cobalt, phosphorus and germanium characteristic of meteoric iron.\n\nThe full paper, 5,000-years-old Egyptian iron beads made from hammered meteoritic iron, was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science and is available online from today. ®\n\nHigh performance access to file storage\n\nMore from The Register\n\nnext story\nVideo games make you NASTY AND VIOLENT\nEspecially if you are bad at them and keep losing\nPlans to annex Earth's satellite with permanent base by 2030\nSolar-powered aircraft unveiled for round-the-world flight\nIt's going to be a slow and sleepy flight for the pilots\nLOHAN's Punch and Judy show relaunches Thursday\nWeather looking good for second pop at test flights\nNot the worst place to be stung, says one man\nIndia's GPS alternative launches second satellite\nClosed satnav system due to have all seven birds aloft by 2016\nCuriosity finds not-very-Australian-shaped rock on Mars\nFile under 'messianic pastries' and move on, people\nTop Secret US payload launched into space successfully\nClandestine NRO spacecraft sets off on its unknown mission\nprev story\n\n\nMainstay ROI - Does application security pay?\nFive 3D headsets to be won!\n3 Big data security analytics techniques\nThe benefits of software based PBX\nMobile application security study", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8113557696342468}
{"content": "Keep items safe with the latest coffee table by Mexican industrial designer Jorge Diego Etienne. The series, fittingly entitled 'Cages,' resembles a place of imprisonment. Though it may be an intimidating aesthetic, the cages are in fact really handy, as books can be slid through the bars, while larger items can be placed inside through the removal of the top piece.\n\nThe rationale behind Jorge Diego Etienne's design is described on his website, as he states that, \"cages provoke a dialogue about which is safer, being in or outside lockup, breaking expectations for what an occasional table's function is.\"\n\nAvailable in two varying sizes, the powder-coated steel containers are sure to keep everything locked up. Each table comes in either a bright yellow or a rich black.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5898041725158691}
{"content": "Search tips\nSearch criteria\n\nResults 1-25 (30)\n\nClipboard (0)\nYear of Publication\nmore »\nDocument Types\n1.  Regulation of KLF4 turnover reveals an unexpected tissue specific role of pVHL in tumorigenesis \nMolecular cell  2012;45(2):233-243.\nThe transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is an important regulator of cell fate decision, including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and stem cell renewal, and plays an ambivalent role in tumorigenesis as a tissue specific tumor suppressor or oncogene. Here we report that the Von Hippel-Lindau gene product, pVHL, physically interacts with KLF4 and regulates its rapid turnover observed in both differentiated and stem cells. We provide mechanistic insights into KLF4 degradation and show that pVHL depletion in colorectal cancer cells leads to cell cycle arrest concomitant with increased transcription of the KLF4-dependent p21 gene. Finally, immunohistochemical staining revealed elevated pVHL and reduced KLF4 levels in colon cancer tissues. We therefore propose that unexpectedly pVHL, via the degradation of KLF4, is a facilitating factor in colorectal tumorigenesis.\nPMCID: PMC3982234  PMID: 22284679\nBrain research  2010;1358:172-183.\nBecause children are becoming overweight, unhealthy, and unfit, understanding the neurocognitive benefits of an active lifestyle in childhood has important public health and educational implications. Animal research has indicated that aerobic exercise is related to increased cell proliferation and survival in the hippocampus as well as enhanced hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Recent evidence extends this relationship to elderly humans by suggesting that high aerobic fitness levels in older adults are associated with increased hippocampal volume and superior memory performance. The present study aimed to further extend the link between fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory to a sample of preadolescent children. To this end, magnetic resonance imaging was employed to investigate whether higher- and lower-fit 9- and 10-year-old children showed differences in hippocampal volume and if the differences were related to performance on an item and relational memory task. Relational but not item memory is primarily supported by the hippocampus. Consistent with predictions, higher-fit children showed greater bilateral hippocampal volumes and superior relational memory task performance compared to lower-fit children. Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with performance on the relational but not the item memory task. Furthermore, bilateral hippocampal volume was found to mediate the relationship between fitness level (VO2 max) and relational memory. No relationship between aerobic fitness, nucleus accumbens volume, and memory was reported, which strengthens the hypothesized specific effect of fitness on the hippocampus. The findings are the first to indicate that aerobic fitness may relate to the structure and function of the preadolescent human brain.\nPMCID: PMC3953557  PMID: 20735996\nBrain; Children; Exercise; Hippocampus; MRI; Physical activity\n3.  Neurobiological markers of exercise-related brain plasticity in older adults \nPMCID: PMC3544982  PMID: 23123199\nexercise; aging; functional connectivity; fMRI; default mode network; aerobic fitness; growth factors\nThe pipeline embolization device (PED) provides effective, durable and safe endovascular reconstruction of large and giant intracranial aneurysms. However, 80% of all cerebral aneurysms found in the general population are less than 10 mm in size. Treatment of small aneurysms (<10 mm) with flow diverters may be advantageous over endosaccular modalities that carry risks of procedural rupture during aneurysm access or coil placement.\nWe retrospectively reviewed a prospective, single-center aneurysm database to identify all patients with small (<10 mm) internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms who underwent endovascular treatment using the PED. Patient demographics, aneurysm characteristics, procedural details, complications, and technical and clinical outcomes were analyzed.\nForty-four cases were performed in 41 patients (age range 31-78 years). PED was successfully implanted in 42 cases. A single PED was used in 37/42 (88%) cases. Mean postprocedure hospital stay was 1.7 ± 0.3 days and 98% of patients were discharged home. Major complication occurred in one patient (2.3%), who died of early subarachnoid hemorrhage. Transient neurological deficit, delayed intracerebral hemorrhage (asymptomatic), and delayed groin infection occurred in one patient each. Follow-up rate was 91.8% (45 aneurysms in 35 patients) with a mean follow-up of 4.0 ± 1.9 months. By 6 months post-PED implantation, angiographic success (complete or near complete aneurysm occlusion) was observed in 80%. Mild (<50%), asymptomatic, nonflow limiting in-stent stenosis was observed in 5.4% (2/37 cases). All the 35 patients with follow-up remained at preprocedure neurological baseline.\nSmall (<10 mm) ICA aneurysm treatment with PED implantation is safe and carries a high rate of early angiographic success.\nPMCID: PMC3779399  PMID: 24083050\nCerebral aneurysms; flow diverter; pipeline embolization device\n5.  Functional connectivity: a source of variance in the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognition? \nNeuropsychologia  2010;48(5):1394-1406.\nOver the next twenty years the number of Americans diagnosed with dementia is expected to more than double (CDC 2007). It is, therefore, an important public health initiative to understand what factors contribute to the longevity of a healthy mind. Both default mode network (DMN) function and increased aerobic fitness have been associated with better cognitive performance and reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease among older adults. Here we examine the association between aerobic fitness, functional connectivity in the DMN, and cognitive performance. Results showed significant age-related deficits in functional connectivity in both local and distributed DMN pathways. However, in a group of healthy elderly adults, almost half of the age-related disconnections showed increased functional connectivity as a function of aerobic fitness level. Finally, we examine the hypothesis that functional connectivity in the DMN is one source of variance in the relationship between aerobic fitness and cognition. Results demonstrate instances of both specific and global DMN connectivity mediating the relationship between fitness and cognition. We provide the first evidence for functional connectivity as a source of variance in the association between aerobic fitness and cognition, and discuss results in the context of neurobiological theories of cognitive aging and disease.\nPMCID: PMC3708614  PMID: 20079755\ncognitive aging; fMRI; functional connectivity; aerobic exercise; executive function; spatial memory\n6.  CASE REPORT Spontaneous Forearm Compartment Syndrome in a Boy With Hemophilia A: A Therapeutic Dilemma \nEplasty  2013;13:e16.\nObjective: We present the case of a 14-year-old Factor VIII-deficient patient with no history of trauma, who developed acute spontaneous compartment syndrome of the volar forearm. We also suggest a treatment strategy. Methods: Fasciotomy with hematoma evacuation and ipsilateral carpal tunnel release was performed, and the wound was closed with vascular loops in “Jacob's ladder” fashion. Factor infusions were continued overnight. Results: The volar forearm compartment was successfully decompressed, and the patient's coagulopathy was managed with appropriate clotting factors. Conclusions: Hemophilic patients warrant special consideration and multispecialty care; with replenished coagulation factors and timely surgical decompression, they can expect satisfactory recovery of muscular and neurological function.\nPMCID: PMC3601454  PMID: 23573336\n7.  TcyR regulates L-cystine uptake via the TcyABC transporter in Streptococcus mutans \nFems Microbiology Letters  2012;328(2):114-121.\nStreptococcus mutans, a primary dental pathogen, has a remarkable capacity to scavenge nutrients from the oral biofilm for its survival. Cystine is an amino acid dimer formed by the oxidation of two cysteine residues that is required for optimal growth, whereas S. mutans modulates l-cystine uptake via two recently identified transporters designated TcyABC and TcyDEFGH, which have not been fully characterized. Using a non-polar tcyABC-deficient mutant (SmTcyABC), here we report that L-cystine uptake is drastically diminished in the mutant, whereas its ability to grow is severely impaired under l-cystine starvation conditions, relative to wild type. A substrate competition assay showed that l-cystine uptake by the TcyABC transporter was strongly inhibited by dl-cystathionine and l-djenkolic acid and moderately inhibited by S-methyl-l-cysteine and l-cysteine. Using gene expression analysis, we observed that the tcyABC operon was up-regulated under cystine starvation. TcyABC has been shown to be positively regulated by the LysR-type transcriptional regulator CysR. We identified another LysR-type transcriptional regulator that negatively regulates TcyABC with homology to the B. subtilis YtlI regulator, which we termed TcyR. Our study enhances the understanding of l-cystine uptake in S. mutans which allows survival and persistence of this pathogen in the oral biofilm.\nPMCID: PMC3288405  PMID: 22212096\nCystine; cysteine; transport; TcyABC; Streptococcus mutans\nNeuroscience  2011;199:166-176.\nThis study examined whether individual differences in aerobic fitness are associated with differences in activation of cognitive control brain networks in preadolescent children. As expected, children performed worse on a measure of cognitive control compared to a group of young adults. However, individual differences in aerobic fitness were associated with cognitive control performance among children. Lower-fit children had disproportionate performance cost in accuracy with increasing task difficulty, relative to higher-fit children. Brain activation was compared between performance-matched groups of lower- and higher-fit children. Fitness groups differed in brain activity for regions associated with response execution and inhibition, task set maintenance, and top-down regulation. Overall, differing activation patterns coupled with different patterns of brain-behavior correlations suggest an important role of aerobic fitness in modulating task strategy and the efficiency of neural networks that implement cognitive control in preadolescent children.\nPMCID: PMC3237764  PMID: 22027235\nexercise; physical activity; aerobic fitness; executive control; fMRI; development\n9.  Dietary baked-milk accelerates resolution of cow's milk allergy in children \nThe majority (∼75%) of cow's milk-allergic children tolerate extensively heated-(baked-) milk products. Long-term effects of inclusion of dietary baked-milk have not been reported.\nWe report on the outcomes of children who incorporated baked-milk products into their diets.\nChildren evaluated for tolerance to baked-milk (muffin) underwent sequential food challenges to baked-cheese (pizza) followed by unheated-milk. Immunologic parameters were measured at challenge visits. The comparison group were matched to active subjects (using age, sex, and baseline milk-specific IgE) to evaluate the natural history of tolerance development.\nOver a median of 37 months (range 8-75 months), 88 children underwent challenges at varying intervals (range 6-54 months). Among 65 subjects initially tolerant to baked-milk, 39 (60%) now tolerate unheated-milk, 18 (28%) tolerate baked-milk/baked-cheese and 8 (12%) chose to avoid milk strictly. Among the baked-milk-reactive subgroup (n=23), 2 (9%) tolerate unheated-milk, 3 (13%) tolerate baked-milk/baked-cheese, while the majority (78%) avoid milk strictly. Subjects who were initially tolerant to baked-milk were 28 times more likely to become unheated-milk-tolerant compared to baked-milk-reactive subjects (P<.001). Subjects who incorporated dietary baked-milk were 16 times more likely than the comparison group to become unheated-milk-tolerant (P<.001). Median casein IgG4 levels in the baked-milk-tolerant group increased significantly (P<.001); median milk IgE values did not change significantly.\nTolerance of baked-milk is a marker of transient IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy whereas reactivity to baked-milk portends a more persistent phenotype. The addition of baked-milk to the diet of children tolerating such foods appears to accelerate development of unheated-milk tolerance compared to strict avoidance.\nClinical implications\nAddition of dietary baked-milk is safe, convenient, and well-accepted by patients. Prescribing baked-milk products to milk-allergic children represents an important shift in the treatment paradigm for milk allergy.\nCapsule summary\nThe majority of cow's milk-allergic children tolerate extensively baked-milk products, which is a marker of transient IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy. Dietary baked-milk appears to accelerate development of unheated-milk tolerance compared to strict avoidance.\nPMCID: PMC3151608  PMID: 21601913\ncow's milk allergy; milk allergy; tolerance; extensively heated; baked; immunotherapy; immunomodulation\n10.  Association between Short Sleep Duration and the Risk of Sensitization to Food and Aero Allergens in Rural Chinese Adolescents \nBoth long and short sleep duration have been associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. However, there have been no previous studies investigating the potential relationship between altered sleep duration and allergen sensitization.\nTo explore the association between sleep duration and sensitization to food and aeroallergens.\nThis study includes 1534 rural Chinese adolescent twins aged 12 to 21 years who completed standard sleep questionnaires and skin prick tests (SPTs) to 9 food and 5 aeroallergens. Total sleep time was defined as the interval from bedtime to wake-up time minus sleep latency. Sensitization was defined as having at least one positive SPT.\nCompared to individuals with the highest (3rd) tertile of sleep duration, those who slept less were more likely to be sensitized to any food allergen with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.9 (95% confidence interval(CI):1.3–2.7) and 1.4 (95%CI:1.0–1.9) for the 1st and 2nd tertiles (trend test Ptrend=3×10−4), respectively. The corresponding ORs for sensitization to any aeroallergen were 1.5 (95%CI: 1.1–2.0) and 1.3 (95%CI:1.0–1.7) (Ptrend=8×10−3). These associations were independent of percent body fat. In addition, we observed a significant dose-response association between the number of positive SPTs and percentage of shortest sleep duration (1st tertile) (Ptrend=1×10−3).\nConclusions and Clinical Relevance\nIn this sample of relatively lean rural Chinese adolescents, we found that short sleep duration was associated with increased risk of sensitization to food and aeroallergens, independent of percent body fat. Longitudinal studies are needed to further determine the temporal and causal relationships. If short sleep duration indeed is one of the risk factors for allergic sensitization, the global burden of allergic diseases could be dramatically reduced by providing appropriate guidance on sleep duration for youth.\nPMCID: PMC3056931  PMID: 21255141\nsleep duration; skin prick test; allergen; sensitization; adolescent\n11.  High temperatures alter physiological properties of pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons in hippocampus \nTemperature has multiple effects on neurons, yet little is known about the effects of high temperature on the physiology of mammalian central neurons. Hyperthermia can influence behavior and cause febrile seizures. We studied the effects of acute hyperthermia on the immature hippocampus in vitro by recording from pyramidal neurons and inhibitory oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) interneurons (identified by green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in the GIN mouse line). Warming to 41°C caused depolarization, spontaneous action potentials, reduced input resistance and membrane time constant, and increased spontaneous synaptic activity of most pyramidal cells and O-LM interneurons. Pyramidal neurons of area CA3 were more strongly excited by hyperthermia than those of area CA1. About 90% of O-LM interneurons in both CA1 and CA3 increased their firing rates at hyperthermic temperatures; interneurons in CA3 fired faster than those in CA1 on average. Blockade of fast synaptic transmission did not abolish the effect of hyperthermia on neuronal excitability. Our results suggest that hyperthermia increases hippocampal excitability, particularly in seizure-prone area CA3, by altering the intrinsic membrane properties of pyramidal cells and interneurons.\nPMCID: PMC3390787  PMID: 22783167\nfebrile seizures; hippocampal neurons; hyperthermia; inhibition\nPatients and Methods\nPMCID: PMC2849769  PMID: 20159824\n13.  Age-related differences in the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in attentional control \nBrain and cognition  2009;71(3):328-335.\nPMCID: PMC2783271  PMID: 19699019\n14.  Early Life Eczema, Food Introduction, and Risk of Food Allergy in Children \nPMCID: PMC3281290  PMID: 22375277\nJournal of neural engineering  2009;6(5):055007.\nPMCID: PMC2921864  PMID: 19721185\nBehavioural brain research  2008;197(1):186-197.\nPMCID: PMC2845993  PMID: 18804123\n17.  Plasticity of Brain Networks in a Randomized Intervention Trial of Exercise Training in Older Adults \nPMCID: PMC2947936  PMID: 20890449\n18.  Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Attentional Control in the Aging Brain \nPMCID: PMC3024830  PMID: 21267428\ncardiorespiratory fitness; Stroop task; cognitive and attentional control\nClinical Implications\nCapsule summary\nPMCID: PMC2747487  PMID: 18805578\n20.  Development of the Chicago Food Allergy Research Surveys: assessing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of parents, physicians, and the general public \nParents of children with food allergy, primary care physicians, and members of the general public play a critical role in the health and well-being of food-allergic children, though little is known about their knowledge and perceptions of food allergy. The purpose of this paper is to detail the development of the Chicago Food Allergy Research Surveys to assess food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among these three populations.\nFrom 2006–2008, parents of food-allergic children, pediatricians, family physicians, and adult members of the general public were recruited to assist in survey development. Preliminary analysis included literature review, creation of initial content domains, expert panel review, and focus groups. Survey validation included creation of initial survey items, expert panel ratings, cognitive interviews, reliability testing, item reduction, and final validation. National administration of the surveys is ongoing.\nNine experts were assembled to oversee survey development. Six focus groups were held: 2/survey population, 4–9 participants/group; transcripts were reviewed via constant comparative methods to identify emerging themes and inform item creation. At least 220 participants per population were recruited to assess the relevance, reliability, and utility of each survey item as follows: cognitive interviews, 10 participants; reliability testing ≥ 10; item reduction ≥ 50; and final validation, 150 respondents.\nThe Chicago Food Allergy Research surveys offer validated tools to assess food allergy knowledge and perceptions among three distinct populations: a 42 item parent tool, a 50 item physician tool, and a 35 item general public tool. No such tools were previously available.\nPMCID: PMC2736935  PMID: 19664230\n21.  Deducing the transmembrane domain organization of presenilin-1 in γ-secretase by cysteine disulfide crosslinking† \nBiochemistry  2006;45(24):7598-7604.\nγ-Secretase is a founding member of membrane-embedded aspartyl proteases that cleave substrates within transmembrane domains, and this enzyme is an important target for the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease. The structure of γ-secretase and its precise catalytic mechanism still remain largely unknown. γ-Secretase is a complex of four integral membrane proteins, with presenilin (PS) as the catalytic component. To gain structural and functional information about the 9-transmembrane domain (TMD) presenilin, we employed a cysteine mutagenesis/disulfide-crosslinking approach. Here we report that native Cys92 is close to both Cys410 and Cys419, strongly implying that TMD1 and TMD8 are adjacent to each other. This structural arrangement also suggests that TMD8 is distorted from an ideal helix. Importantly, binding of an active-site directed inhibitor, but not a docking-site directed inhibitor, reduces the ability of the native cysteine pairs of PS1 to crosslink upon oxidation. These findings suggest that the conserved cysteines of TMD1 and TMD8 contribute to or allosterically interact with the active site of γ-secretase.\nPMCID: PMC2597485  PMID: 16768455\n22.  Does Apolipoprotein E Genotype Influence the Risk of Ischemic Stroke, Intracerebral Hemorrhage, or Subarachnoid Hemorrhage? \nBackground and Purpose\nApolipoprotein E genotype (APOE) is associated with cholesterol metabolism, ischemic heart disease, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and so may affect risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.\nWe comprehensively sought and identified studies of the association of apoE with ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We did meta-analyses to assess the evidence for an association between APOE and the various pathological types and subtypes of stroke, and assessed the effects of several methodological criteria.\nWe analyzed data from 31 eligible studies (26 IS, 8 ICH, and 3 SAH) in 5961 cases and 17 965 controls. ∊4 allele-containing (∊4+) genotypes were significantly associated with IS (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.22) and SAH (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.99) and nonsignificantly with ICH (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.44), whereas ∊2+ genotypes were associated with ICH (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.74). Associations appeared stronger with ∊4+ genotypes for large artery compared with other IS subtypes and for Asian compared with white populations, and with ∊2+ genotypes for lobar compared with deep hemorrhages. However, we found no association between ∊4+ genotypes and IS when we analyzed only larger studies (>200 cases; OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.11) or studies without control selection bias (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.17).\nPublication and selection biases make existing studies of APOE and stroke unreliable. Further, very large, methodologically rigorous studies are needed.\nPMCID: PMC2577180  PMID: 16385096\napolipoproteins E; genetics; meta-analysis; stroke\n23.  Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and beliefs: Focus groups of parents, physicians and the general public \nBMC Pediatrics  2008;8:36.\nFood allergy prevalence is increasing in US children. Presently, the primary means of preventing potentially fatal reactions are avoidance of allergens, prompt recognition of food allergy reactions, and knowledge about food allergy reaction treatments. Focus groups were held as a preliminary step in the development of validated survey instruments to assess food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of parents, physicians, and the general public.\nEight focus groups were conducted between January and July of 2006 in the Chicago area with parents of children with food allergy (3 groups), physicians (3 groups), and the general public (2 groups). A constant comparative method was used to identify the emerging themes which were then grouped into key domains of food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs.\nParents of children with food allergy had solid fundamental knowledge but had concerns about primary care physicians' knowledge of food allergy, diagnostic approaches, and treatment practices. The considerable impact of children's food allergies on familial quality of life was articulated. Physicians had good basic knowledge of food allergy but differed in their approach to diagnosis and advice about starting solids and breastfeeding. The general public had wide variation in knowledge about food allergy with many misconceptions of key concepts related to prevalence, definition, and triggers of food allergy.\nAppreciable food allergy knowledge gaps exist, especially among physicians and the general public. The quality of life for children with food allergy and their families is significantly affected.\nPMCID: PMC2564918  PMID: 18803842\n24.  Positive influence of AP-2α transcription factor on cadherin gene expression and differentiation of the ocular surface \nThe family of transcription factors Activating protein-2 (AP-2) are known to play important roles in numerous developmental events, including those associated with differentiation of stratified epithelia. However, to date, the influence of the AP-2 genes on endogenous gene expression in the stratified epithelia and how this affects differentiation has not been well defined. The following study examines the detailed expression of the AP-2α and AP-2β proteins in the stratified epithelia of the ocular surface, including that in the cornea and developing eyelids. The effect of altered levels of the AP-2α gene on ocular surface differentiation was also examined using a corneal epithelial cell line and AP-2α chimeric mice. Immunolocalization studies revealed that, while AP-2β was broadly expressed throughout all cell layers of the stratified corneal epithelium, AP-2α expression was confined to cell compartments more basally located. AP-2α was also highly expressed in the less differentiated cell layers of the eyelid epidermis. Overexpression of the AP-2α gene in the corneal cell line, SIRC, resulted in a dramatic change in cell phenotype including a clumping growth behavior that was distinct from the smooth monolayer of the parent cell line. Accompanying this change was an up-regulation in levels of the cell adhesion molecule, N-cadherin. Examination of the ocular surface of AP-2α chimeric mice, derived from a mixed population of AP-2α−/− and AP-2α+/+, revealed that a down-regulation in E-cadherin expression is correlated with location of the AP-2α−/− null cells. Together, these findings demonstrate that AP-2α participates in regulating differentiation of the ocular surface through induction in cadherin expression.\nPMCID: PMC2517417  PMID: 12694203\nocular surface; cell adhesion; transcription factors; AP-2; cornea; eyelids; differentiation\n25.  Mammalian Sir2 Homolog SIRT3 Regulates Global Mitochondrial Lysine Acetylation▿ †  \nPMCID: PMC2169418  PMID: 17923681\n\nResults 1-25 (30)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9789825677871704}
{"content": "I was going to review my french and linguistics but then this happened instead.\nExcept it’s 3.30am so it’s half-assed. //shotdead\n\nBut hopefully people will find this of use. \\o/ Sorry this took so long, Anon, and I hope it answers your questions.\n\n\nA mouth-watering fuck-ton of hand references.\n\n[From various sources]\n\n\nColoring tutorial for Anon! This took about 30 minutes to make in total, but I essentially use the general principals here for most of my pieces, from painted to this cel-shaded… thing. Hope this is slightly useful!\n\n\nWhen I was trying to figure out paint tools sai I had a hard time finding helpful tutorials.\nSo I’ve decided to post some things I’ve discovered that were useful. (And maybe might be useful to you)\n\n\nSome awesome leg tutorials done by n3m0s1s.\n\n\n\n\nYEAH lots of people asked about bodies and poses SO\nUMM THERE”S not much i can cover on full bodies idk every cahracter is different so there are noEAXCT proportions for anythign REALLY \n\nIF YOU”RE NOT SURE WHAT POSE TO DO jsut draw a random gesture line that fits the direction of movement and sometimes u end up with really ENERGETIC POSES!! I DUNNO THIS METHOD MIGHT NOT BE FOR EVEYRONE SOBS i dont reallly know \n\n\nAn awing fuck-ton of big cat references.\n\nAnd here’s a link to a spectacular image that helps distinguish types of big cats. It’s insanely helpful, and you’d be doing yourself a majour disservice if you don’t use it:\n\nPlease note that in the first cheetah GIF, the head has been insolated. When running, the head will bob up and down slightly. Not a lot, but just know how the head attaches to the neck and how that moves when the body is oscillating up and down when they run, like in the second GIF.\n\n[From various sources]\n\n\nHere ! Since the livestream broke after 15 minutes, I’ve decided to do a little step by step to show you how I color things these days. It’s more of a recollection of tips I’ve learned rather than a proper method, but it can help some of you figure the not-so-mysterious texture thing !\n\nThere is a reason I never wanted to do tutorials though, and I need to write it down. I don’t like it when people just use someone’s technique without adding a bit of themselves in it. If it’s just to copy someone’s art, I think it’s a bit unfair for the poor artist who had to come up with a creative way of coloring things to make it work ! Suddenly everyone can do it and the artist’s not special anymore. So please use this with care. Don’t try to just copy, try to understand and re-interpret it !  In the end you’ll be much more pleased with yourself and you’ll get to do your own tutorials :D !\n\n\nA whole motherfuck-ton of specific male anatomy references.\n\n[I am so gay for these pictures, you people have no fucking idea.]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5481259226799011}
{"content": "\nHaving the ability to grow long, luxurious locks for some can require more than using the right hair products or having the perfect genes. Your body cannot produce healthy hair without obtaining the proper vitamins.\nYour hair is a big indicator of your overall health, which is why many people who suffer from poor nutrition often have brittle, damaged or thinning hair.\nOur goal is to treat your hair from within. Manetabolism™ brings out the healthy hair in you. Because a healthier inside shows from the outside!\n\n\n30daystesti 3weekstesti 23daystesti\nDisclaimer: *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Manetabolism is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.973200261592865}
{"content": "Forgot your password?  \n\nMadame Bovary Essay Topics & Writing Assignments\n\nPurchase our Madame Bovary Lesson Plans\n\nEssay Topics\n\nEmma, Charles' mother, and the first Madame Bovary are a study in contrasts. How do these three women compare throughout the novel?\n\nSpecifically comment on the following:\n\n- What are the similarities and differences in their appearance?\n\n- How do they treat the men in their lives?\n\n- Compare and contrast their goals and ideals.\n\nEmma loves to read, and she has a penchant for gothic, dramatic themes. Choose one of the following genres of literature that Emma enjoys reading. Explain the genre and its main themes, and then connect these themes to Emma's own life. How do the plots in these books reveal deeper aspects of Emma's personality?\n\n- Historical novels by Sir Walter Scott.\n\n- Biographies of unhappy women.\n\n- Romantic novels.\n\nOrganized religion is critiqued and mocked throughout the novel, particularly by the actions of Monsieur Homais. Do you think Flaubert believes religion is enough...\n\n(read more Essay Topics)\n\nThis section contains 1,179 words\n(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)\nPurchase our Madame Bovary Lesson Plans\nMadame Bovary from BookRags. ©2009 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved.\nFollow Us on Facebook", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9897972941398621}
{"content": "Types of Stress\n\n\nEveryone of us would probably experience different types of stress at one time or another. It could be some personal stress arising in the work place, strained family relationships with teenage children, emotional stress caused by financial problems, post traumatic disorders after an unhappy event like an accident or even feeling stress when you are on holiday!\n\nAll these various types of stress and many more, can however be group into four main types of stress.\n\n\nHave you ever (I'm sure you have) felt:\n\n- The thrill and excited feeling while watching a horror movie\n- The feeling of excitement when you won a game or race\n- The excitement when you bought your first car\n- The accomplishment of a challenge\n- The proud feeling of being a first time parent\n- The happy feeling of being loved\n- The excitement of going for a holiday\n\nThese feelings sure make us feel good and they are the so-called \"good stress\" or \"positive stress\". They are able to exert a healthy effect on you. It gives one a feeling of fulfillment or contentment and also makes one excited about life. Unfortunately, it is a type of stress that only occurs for a short period of time.\n\nEustress is also often called the curative stress because it gives a person the ability to generate the best performance or maximum output.\n\n\n\nJust like everything in life, when there are good or positive stress, there are also \"bad\" or \"negative stress\". These types of stress is the opposite of Eustress and it's called Distress\n\nDistress is a “negative stress”. It is a stress disorder that is caused by adverse events and it often influences a person’s ability to cope. Some events leading to distress are:\n\n- Death of a loved one\n- Financial problems\n- Heavy work responsibility and workload\n- Strained relationship\n- Chronic illnesses\n\nDistress can be classified further as acute stress or chronic stress. Acute stress is short-lived while chronic stress is usually prolonged in nature.\n\nThe remaining two types of stress are:\n\n\n\nWhen a person is pushed beyond what he or she can handle, they will experience what we called hyperstress.\n\nHyperstress results from being overloaded or overworked. It’s like being stressed out. When someone is hyperstressed, even little things can trigger a strong emotional response. People who are most likely to suffer from hyperstress are:\n\n- Working mothers who have to multi-task, juggling between work and family commitments\n- A wall street trader who are constantly under immerse tension\n- People who are under constant financial strains.\n- Generally people working in fast pace environment.\n\nand the extreme opposite of hyperstress is\n\n\n\nHypostress stands in direct opposite to hyperstress. That is because hypostress is one of those types of stress experienced by a person who is constantly bored. Someone in an unchallenging job, such as a factory worker performing the same task over and over, will often experience hypostress. The effect of hypostress is feelings of restlessness and a lack of inspiration.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9995869994163513}
{"content": "\nNeed a new registration confirmation email? Click here\n\nLooking at Pre-earnings Order Flow\n\nTheStreet Premium Services\n\nA complimentary preview\nof Options-Profits Previews\n\nWith the end of the second quarter just a few days away, it won't be long before earnings reports flood the market from mid-July to mid-August. Options prices are typically very efficient and premiums \"price-in\" the potential post-earnings moves with higher implied volatility in the front-month options on companies that are due to report. It's often interesting to see the market expectations and the positioning in front of the news. Let's take a look at a recent example.\n\nLennar (LEN) is trading up 4.4% to $36.50 in the wake of the company's earnings report. Option flow heading into earnings was very heavy with 19K calls and 14K puts trading on the stock on Monday. Upside calls in July led the most actives, with a buyer paying $0.93 for the July 36-39 call spread in afternoon action when shares were near $35. They bought the July 36s for $1.61 and sold July 39s at $0.68, to open. The spread is now bid at $1.10. In this case, it appears that an investor made a smart directional bet in the homebuilder ahead of the results.\n\nIn addition to looking for bullish or bearish options trading in specific stocks ahead of earnings, the past track record around earnings if often intersting as well. For instance, as we can see from the graphic below, the average daily move in LEN over the past eight quarters is 4.7%, so today's move is mostly in-line with the past. Some stocks are simply bigger earnings movers compared to others. So, seeing what happened in the past is often an important indicator of what might happen in the future.\n\nLEN Daily Contract Activity\nSource: Trade Alert\n\n\nLastly, I like to see what the market is saying about the potential for volatility around a profit report. The easiest way is simply to look at the at-the-money straddle. In LEN, the July straddle was trading near 11% of spot ahead of the report. However, since there are stilll 24 days until expiration, some of that premium is due to time value. Therefore, we also look at the skew between the front-month and later expiratoin months to get an idea of the potential range for the stock post-earnings. The math lies outside of the scope of this article, but in this case, the market on LEN options was suggesting a standard deviation of about 7.6% on earnings, well above the median move near 4.7%.\n\nIn summary, some of the factors to consider when looking to enter or exit a positoin in front of an earnings report include 1) the directional bias being displayed in the order flow 2) what is the post-earnings move history 3) is the market pricing in for the potential for a big move. In the case of LEN, the directional order flow was bullish, and the market was implying a larger post-earnings move compared to previous quarters. It turns out, the directional flow seemed to foreshadow the move higher, but the premiums were a bit too jacked up compared to the stock's behavior around past earnings reports. Situations where there is strong directional sentiment and relatively low expectations (relative to past post-earnings moves) are the best trade set-ups around earnings. Of course, those are far and few between.\n\nOptionsProfits can be followed on Twitter at\n\n\nBrokerage Partners\n\nTop Rated Stocks Top Rated Funds Top Rated ETFs", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9127511382102966}
{"content": "The Internship Programme of the United Nations Office at Vienna and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime\n\n\nThe United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) accept unpaid interns on an ad hoc basis. The purpose of our Programme is to offer students from diverse academic backgrounds an educational experience through practical work assignments within the international environment of the UN, while offering the United Nations the assistance of qualified students specializing in various professional fields.\n\nThe main eligibility criteria for the UNOV/UNODC internship programme are:\n\n  • Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate/postgraduate university programme, both at the time of application and during the entire period of envisaged internship (for which they have to provide official documentary evidence from the university);\n  • Applicants pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages must have completed at least four years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a graduate degree (for which they have to provide official documentary evidence from the university);\n  • Applicants must be available for a minimum duration of two months.\n\nAlso please bear in mind that:\n\n  • Selected candidates are responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and for arranging their travel;\n\n\nTo qualify for the UNOV/UNODC Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:\n\n  • Applicants must be enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school (second university degree or higher) both at the time of application and during the entire period of internship; or\n\nPlease use the following table to check your eligibility for the Internship Programme before you send us an application:\n\nEligibility self check\n\n\nYou are currently enrolled in a Master or PhD (or similar programme) and will be during the entire internship, or you are pursuing studies in a country where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages, and you are currently enrolled in your fifth year (or higher) at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a degree.\n\n\nYou are able to obtain the necessary visa and to arrange your travel to Vienna.\n\n\nYou are able to cover the costs of travel, accommodation, as well as living expenses of the internship.\n\n\nYou will be able to provide valid medical insurance coverage for your stay in Austria, a medical certificate stating that you are in good health and an official proof of enrolment in graduate (post-graduate) studies.\n\n\nYou are able to communicate fluently in English.\n\nTo be eligible, you should satisfy the conditions imposed.\nIf you answer \"No\" to one or more of the above question(s), you should consider postponing your application until the above requirements are met.\n\nApplication procedures for the UNOV/UNODC Internship Programme\n\nEffective immediately, the hiring of interns for our Programme will be done using the United Nations Secretariat online recruitment system, Inspira, and eligible candidates can apply on the United Nations Career Portal at The first step in the process is to create a profile which is a prerequisite for submitting job applications in Inspira.\n\nOnce the profile is completed, applicants can search for Internship Job Openings they are interested on the Job Openings page of UN Careers under the tab \"Internship\". There are several ways the results can be sorted to show the positions in Vienna. Alternatively, the Search Job Opening Field at the bottom of the page can be used by choosing \"Internship\" from the drop down list under \"Category\" and \"Vienna\" from the drop down list under \"Duty Station\".\n\nAll applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online well before the deadlines stated in the Internship Job Openings. No applications will be accepted after the deadlines. The deadlines for all current applications will be stated on the Careers Portal website as well as in the Internship Job Openings.\n\nOnline applications will be automatically acknowledged where an e-mail address has been provided. Please note that you will receive two (2) confirmation e-mails:\n\n  1. First e-mail confirms your registration\n  2. Second e-mail confirms your application for an internship.\n    This e-mail will be sent after the successful submission of your application.\n\nIf you face any technical difficulties in using Inspira, simply contact us via the Careers Portal or Inspira to reach the Inspira Support Centre.\n\nLanguages required\n\nApplicants must be fluent in at least one of the working languages of the United Nations (English and French). Knowledge of other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.\n\nFields of study\n\nFields of study include social and political sciences, psychology, economics, journalism, finance, information technology, accounting, business administration, international relations and international law.\n\n\nThe minimum duration of an internship is two months, which may be extended depending on the needs of the office to a maximum period of six months.\n\nThe internship programme is normally on a full-time basis. Interns are expected to work five full days a week in the Division that has selected them, under the supervision of an experienced staff member.\n\nMedical insurance and certificate\n\nInterns are required to provide proof that they have valid health or medical insurance coverage in Austria during their internships. UNOV/UNODC accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of an intern or compensation in the event of death, injury or illness during an internship.\n\nInterns have to provide a medical certificate of good health issued by a duly qualified medical practitioner.\n\n\nThe United Nations does not remunerate interns in any way. All costs related to an intern's participation in the programme must be borne by the applicant who will have to make his/her own arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, etc.\n\n\nCosts incurred by an intern in the discharge of his/her functions shall be reimbursed by the United Nations under the same rules as costs reimbursed to staff members.\n\nClaims, privileges and immunities\n\nThe United Nations is not responsible for any claims by any parties where the loss of or damage to their property, death or personal injury was caused by the actions or omission of action by an intern during his or her internship.\n\n\nInterns are not staff members and therefore are not entitled to the privileges and immunities extended by the host country to the staff of UNOV/UNODC. They shall not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against posts authorized for the implementation of mandated programmes and activities.\n\nCommencement of the internship\n\nInterns will be requested to report to the Internship Coordinator at the beginning of the first day of their internship to complete the necessary formalities, which include: signing a waiver, providing proof of medical insurance and the certificate of good health, and receiving an induction briefing.\n\nWorking location and hours\n\nThe work performed by the intern during the internship will be on the premises of the office to which he or she is assigned. Interns are not permitted to travel outside of the immediate duty station for official purposes.\n\n\nInterns must inform their supervisors in writing in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances that prevent them from observing those working hours. For absence of longer than three days on medical grounds, a sick leave certificate is required and for periods of longer than two weeks the intern has to provide to the Internship Coordinator with a certificate from the treating physician that he/she is fit to return to work in order to resume the internship.\n\n\nInterns are personally responsible for obtaining their visa at the Austrian Embassy or Consulate in the country of their nationality/residence. Visa matters are handled solely by the Austrian Government through their representations abroad. Usually, prospective interns are granted regular Schengen Visas for 3 or 6 months as the unpaid internship does not count as employment.\n\n\nInterns are required to conduct themselves at all times in a manner compatible with their responsibilities as temporary UNOV/UNODC \"staff members\", i.e. in accordance with the standards of conduct of international civil servants.\n\n\n\nInterns may not represent the United Nations in any official capacity.\n\n\n\n\nUse of the United Nations Library\n\nSubstantive offices accepting interns are responsible for making the necessary arrangements for the interns to use the United Nations Library.\n(For more information, contact the United Nations Library by telephone (ext. 3210) or by e-mail.)\n\nSubsequent employment\n\nThe purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with the United Nations but to complement an intern's studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment following an internship.\n\nInterns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in the Professional or higher categories in any organization/office belonging to the United Nations Secretariat, regardless of source of funding or type and length of appointment for a period of six months following the end of their internship.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9059098362922668}
{"content": "North America\n\n\nEvery day, Veolia's employees meet the environmental and urban challenges of our modern societies. The responsibility for our environment is long-term, and the employees of Veolia are hard at work ensuring a better world for future generations.\n\nVeolia has become the benchmark in its field because we meet our clients' needs for solutions to the problems they encounter in the areas of water, waste and energy optimization. Veolia has the resources and expertise to help cities, businesses and organizations operate and provide essential services while protecting the environment and reclaiming resources.\n\nEmpowered by our commitment to providing sustainable solutions, every individual in every role is ultimately working for the betterment of society and the environment. If you've been looking for a way to make a difference, consider us. Join our team in one of the following areas and build a sustainable, satisfying career with a stable company that's been in operation for more than 150 years.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9607534408569336}
{"content": "Reverse Word Search Lookup\n\nDictionary Suite\nball bearing a bearing composed of a track containing freely rolling metal balls, against which or within which a shaft or other part can rotate without friction. [1/2 definitions]\nbirl to rotate (a floating log) by running in place on its exposed surface, as in a contest among lumberjacks.\ncrank to rotate a crank. [1/6 definitions]\nday a unit of time equal to twenty-four hours, or the time it takes the earth to rotate once on its axis. [1/5 definitions]\nhamstring any of three muscles at the back of the human thigh that are used to flex the knee, rotate the leg, and extend the thigh. [1/5 definitions]\nhurdy-gurdy an early lute-shaped string instrument played by turning a crank that causes a rosined wheel to rotate against the strings. [1/2 definitions]\npitch1 of a rocket or the like, to rotate about an axis extending from front to back. [1/22 definitions]\npivot to rotate, swing, or oscillate on or as if on a pivot. [2/6 definitions]\npotter's wheel a device consisting of a horizontal disk made to rotate by foot or motor power, that enables a potter to create cylindrical or rounded shapes in clay.\nrotifer any of a group of mostly freshwater, microscopic, multicellular organisms that have one or more wheel-like rings of cilia at the front end which appear to rotate when vibrated.\nscrew a device consisting of rotary blades oriented so that they pull or drive something by transferring helical force as they rotate; screw propeller. [1/17 definitions]\nspin to rotate or seem to whirl rapidly. [1/15 definitions]\nsupinate to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm is upward or forward.\ntwirl to cause to spin or revolve quickly; rotate. [2/6 definitions]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997313618659973}
{"content": "We have a Kohler wide spread faucet that is leaking under the escutcheon on the cold water side when the hot water is on but the cold water is off. The water does not appear to be going into the cabinet just bubbling up under the trim and running into the sink. When the water is turned off the leak stops. Each handle has its own valve body. Threaded flexible hoses connect each handle to the faucet at a T. Where do I start trying to debug this? Is the T clogged? Is it a bad valve in the cold faucet? The hot side is almost always the one that is used and the cold side in not frequently turned on. The faucet is about 14 years old. We do have hard water.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5970184206962585}
{"content": "Donald Brittain: Writer, filmmaker, storyteller.\n\nUne sélection de Adam Symansky\n\nThe Champions, Part 1: Unlikely Warriors\n\nIn Part 1 of this 3-part documentary series, director Donald Brittain chronicles the early years of Pierre Elliott Trudeau and René Lévesque. From their university days in the 1950s to 1967 when Lévesque left the Liberal Party and Trudeau became the federal Minister of Justice, Brittain attempts to get at the heart of what makes these men so fascinating.\n\n\n\n\n\n— Adam Symansky", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8432764410972595}
{"content": "US Naval War College Logo\nContact Us\nSite Map\nNWC on Facebook NWC on Twitter NWC on Flickr NWC on Blackboard\nNEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- A diverse cadre of government, academic, and military officials finished a three-day maritime stability operations game (MSOG) at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) Dec. 8.\n\nThe game helped participants learn and better understand how to prepare and respond to a crisis in coastal waterways, also known as littorals, working alongside multiple military and civilian organizations as well as international partners.\n\nIn addition to senior Navy, Marine, and U.S. Coast Guard officers, the game also involved nongovernment officials (NGOs) from organizations such as Aidematrix, USAID, U.S. Institute of Peace, and World Engagement Institute; federal agency officials; and Maersk Shipping Company.\n\nParticipants were divided into four different groups based upon their areas of expertise. Each group represented a unit or organization that would be involved with a real world situation.\n\nA 'blue cell' represented a coalition of maritime forces (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard).\n\nA 'purple cell' represented NGOs and government officials of the depicted host nation and the U.S. embassy in that nation. The third group was the 'white cell' consisting of subject matter experts representing world opinion and international leadership bodies, such as the United Nations, as well as U.S. cabinet-level officials.\n\nLastly, a 'red cell' comprised of intelligence and federal law enforcement experts operated as insurgent and criminal groups.\n\nEach day advanced the scenario of a country struck by a natural disaster. It didn't take long for the respective cells to recognize a fundamental theme between the partners -- maritime forces tended to work toward solutions incorporating loose rules and clearly defined objectives while civilian officials sought tighter rules and a much broader, less-defined objective.\n\nNEWPORT, RI - Professor Doug Ducharme, MSOG game director leads a discussion on stability operations during a plenary session with operataions game participants.  Discussions helped identify the differences between military and civilian approaches to a crisis and bridge those differences to build trust.  (U.S. Navy photo by James E. Brooks)Retired U.S. Marine Col. Robert Dobson, now a civilian assigned to Marine Corps Combat Development Command, acknowledged philosophical differences between maritime forces and government civilians in the way they approach problems.\n\n\"The end state for a maritime stability operation is going to change over time,\" said Dobson. \"Military participants must understand that. The military must evolve because the era of tight objectives and end states are over.\"\n\nEach cell's definition of mission success also varied between the groups who were sequestered in different rooms and could only communicate through gaming technology that simulated real world processes.\n\n\"Military and political elements must come together and define success,\" said Steve Nichols of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Trans-National Threat Department. \"It may change daily.\"\n\nAccording to NWC MSOG Director Douglas Ducharme, there is a growing need to understand how to respond and stabilize the maritime environment for a country requesting assistance.\n\n\"Military doctrine for stability operations is very land-centric,\" said Ducharme. \"This game took stability operations to the sea where the doctrine is emerging.\"\n\nDespite the cultural differences of thought between maritime forces and government civilians, trust was seen as the necessary foundation between partners in bringing about a stable maritime environment. Most participants seemed to agree that unity of effort and a greater understanding of each other contributed directly to making the maritime stability operations game successful.\n\n\"The Navy fully recognizes the importance in building and maintaining relationships between partners, allies, the maritime industry and other members of the interagency and joint team. Exercises and planning events like these are critically important to improving our common understanding, expectations and identifying interoperability gap,\" said Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris, director, Navy Irregular Warfare Office and MSOG sponsor. \"As we all know, trust cannot be surged.\"\nBy James Brooks, U.S. Naval War College Public Affairs\nPosted by Brie Lyons", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7762796878814697}
{"content": "Jump To Content\n\n\nIQ and Chess Strength\n\nIQ and Chess Strength\n\nThe following is taken from Jonathan Levitt's Genius of Chess and from an article by Bill Wall on IQ and Chess, poured into a blender to create my delicious lesson smoothie. These excerpts include some interesting anecdotes and case studies of IQ in relation to chess abilities.\n\nSome chess players discuss IQ\nBack in 1988, there was an impressive chess festival in the small industrial town of St. John's, Canada. Two large and very strong Open tournaments were combined with the complete set of seven Candidates' matches in the World Championship cycle of the time. The English contingent were all on good terms and in good cheer (Nigel Short was making mincemeat of Sax in his match, likewise Jon Speelman of Seirawan) and usually formed, combined with certain selected 'foreigners' (like Spassky), a massive eating party which the local restaurants struggled to accommodate.\n\nI have a fair recall of the conversation on one such evening. Nigel Short was asked what he thought his IQ was. He was not sure, but (far too modestly) proposed 130 or 140. John Nunn, his second, suggested that with a little training, Nigel could knock his score up to at least 160. Speelman was not impressed by IQ tests generally, and everybody saw the inadequacy of any test which depended on how much practice you had had at the type of questions involved.\n\nAt this point, some bright spark (me) suggested that it might be a better measure of intelligence to do two tests and see how much the person improved. Quick as a flash, Nigel replied that this was a very bad idea since you could do deliberately badly in the first test! It took me a few seconds to grasp his meaning - that you could artificially inflate the difference in your scores and thus score better in the proposed test.\n\nEverybody was fairly impressed by this quick and crafty answer and the conversation moved on. The story illustrates something important about the nature of the chess mind - how good it is at short cuts (no pun intended) and tricky ways round things. Mathematicians are usually less devious in their thinking - it is important to find direct ways to prove things.\n\nThe mathematician's approach to getting what you want\nThere is a story about a Turkish reformer who wanted to discourage women from wearing the veil. Instead of attempting to forbid it directly (the mathematician's approach), he issued a decree that all prostitutes must wear veils. This indirect 'trick' proved the workable, effective way to his objective and shows the sort of thinking which chessplayers are often rather good at.\n\nIn chess too, it is the result that counts, not how correctly it is derived. 'Players' like to try things out, and not to study other people's work diligently. Chessplayers are good thinkers but not always good students, as many university dons have found to their annoyance!\n\nHow strong is the connection between chess ability and IQ?\nI discussed what is meant by intelligence at the start of the book (just after the introduction), and later gave it as a typical characteristic of the chess genius, but so far I have not really answered the question: 'how strong is the connection between chess ability and IQ?'. There are many reasons, some of them simply common sense, to believe that the two are strongly correlated. (A correlation of zero means that two things are entirely independent; a correlation of one means they are entirely related or dependent on one another. Mathematically speaking, all things are correlated somewhere between zero and one.) De Groot considered several of these reasons, and the next paragraph summarises some of his conclusions.\n\nSo wait…is there a correlation between IQ and chess strength?\n\nSpatial intelligence is crucial for chess thinking. It's the ability to \"perceive possibilities\". This is important because you not only need to know what (a system of knowledge) but also know how (the system of experience).\n\nThis system must be stored (memory) and well managed - rules, analogies and operating principles must be constantly abstracted, adapted and improved (perhaps not always on a conscious level). Chess thinking often involves a complex, hierarchical structure of problems and sub-problems, and the capacity for retaining such complex structures of data (not getting confused), and for keeping objectives clear and well organised, all correlate with having a high IQ.\n\nBefore offering, very tentatively, my equation linking potential chess strength with IQ, I would like to say a little more about the IQ scale. Assuming, somewhat incorrectly as pointed out earlier (and it is true that from a false assumption you can deduce anything, but this sort of false assumption should be seen as just an inaccurate approximation), that intelligence follows the 'normal' distribution (mean 100, standard deviation 15), then how many really bright people would there be? The mathematical/statistical implications would be as follows:\n\n16% above 115;\n2.3% above 130;\n0.13% above 145\n0.003% above 160\n\nThis would mean only .003 percent of the population would have an IQ of over 160. This would correspond to approximately the following numbers of people above the given levels in England:\n\n1,150,000 above 130;\n65,000 above 145\n1500 above 160.\n\nNow that you have an idea of IQ and its distribution throughout a typical population, let's get to the good stuff - case studies of chess and its link to genius and intelligence.\n\nCase Studies\n\nSome say that the highest IQ ever possess by a human adult was Leonardo da Vinci, with an IQ of 220. Obviously, he lived before the development of IQ tests - so we can't say for sure.\n\nIn 1870, Hippolyte Taine (1828-1893) stated that playing several games of blindfold chess was an achievement in visual memory and high intelligence. Taine asked a chessplayer how he understood imagination and images, and how he played blindfold chess. Taine believed that the type of imagery used in chess was an \"internal mirror\" that reflected the precise state of the things being imagined.\n\nIn 1893, Alfred Binet (1857-1911) made a study of the connection between mathematics and chess. After questioning a large number of leading chess players, he found that over 90 percent of them were good mental calculators and had good memories. On the other hand, he found that some mathematicians played chess, but few were strong players.\n\n\nIn 1925, three Soviet psychologists, Djakow, Rudik, and Petrovsky, conducted extensive tests on chess masters and came to the conclusion that their powers of memory were only greater than that of the layman as far as chess was concerned. In other areas, there was no difference. The researchers determined that high achievement in chess is based on: exceptional visual memory, combinational power, speed of calculation, power of concentration, and logical thinking.\n\n\nIn a 1977-79 study by Dr. Yee Wang Fung in Hong Kong, chessplayers showed a 15 percent improvement in math and science test scores.\n\nSome sources give Garry Kasparov, a renowned chess player, an IQ between 185 and 190. But in 1987-88, the German magazine Der Spiegel went to considerable effort and expense to find out Kasparov's IQ. Under the supervision of an international team of psychologists, Kasparov was given a large battery of tests designed to measure his memory, spatial ability, and abstract reasoning. They measured his IQ as 135 and his memory as one of the very best.\n\nReferences: Jonathan Levitt, Bill Wall\nImages: Trevor Block, Mark Coggins\n\n  1. rkmittal saidFri, 05 Dec 2008 04:09:22 -0000 ( Link )\n\n    Tiffany, Interesting lesson and an insight into how reliable or misleading the IQ numbers can be. By the way, in your test – Are you smarter than Gary Kasparaov – I scored 9/9 and found that i was the first one to take this test! What do u say about my IQ? :)\n\n    Current Rating\n    Rate Up\n    Rate Down\n    No Votes\n\n    Post Comments\n\n  2. fuzzyLogic saidThu, 09 Feb 2012 16:06:02 -0000 ( Link )\n\n    \" Are you smarter than Gary Kasparaov – I scored 9/9 and found that i was the first one to take this test! What do u say about my IQ? :)\" Inconsistent capitalization, using “u” rather than “you”, misspelling Garry as “Gary”… I would say that you might score rather low on an IQ test. However the methodology behind IQ testing is fundamentally flawed as can be seen if Kasparov truly did score a mere 135, the test fails to measure all areas of human intellect and therefore failed to observe the genius that Kasparov demonstrates on a regular basis during chess games. In short, it doesn’t matter what your IQ is, you can be a genius in your own right without it being detected on an IQ test.\n\n    Current Rating\n    Rate Up\n    Rate Down\n    1 Total Vote\n\n    Post Comments\n\nYour Comment\nTextile is Enabled (View Reference)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5363000631332397}
{"content": "Florida’s Death Penalty Problems and Recommendations\n\nby David A. Brener\n\nIn 2006, the Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team, working with the American Bar Association, found a number of problems with the death penalty system in Florida. This assessment focused exclusively on capital punishment laws and processes and did not consider, as a matter of morality, philosophy, or penology, whether Florida should have a death penalty.\n\nFlorida leads the nation in death row exonerations. According to the study, Florida has exonerated twenty two (22) death row inmates, who served a combined total of one hundred and fifty years in prison before being released. One inmate, Frank Smith, died of cancer while waiting to be executed. He was exonerated posthumously.\n\nAmong the findings of the Assessment Project, were:\n\n1) Inadequate Compensation for trial counsel in death penalty cases.\n\n2) Lack of qualified capital collateral registry counsel.\n\n3) Inadequate compensation of capital collateral attorneys.\n\n4) Lack of unanimity in the jury’s sentencing decision.\n\n5) Significant capital juror confusion.\n\n6) The practice of judicial override of the jury’s life recommendations.\n\n7) Racial disparity in capital sentencing.\n\n8) Geographic disparity in capital sentencing.\n\n9) The imposition of death on those with severe mental disabilities.\n\nWhen human life is at stake, there is no room for error or injustice. The assessment team recommended a number of reforms that would help ensure fairness and accuracy in the process. Among the recommendations were:\n\n1) Florida should protect innocent death row inmates by investigating wrongful convictions and preventing similar injustices in the future.\n\n2) Florida should ensure that all capital defendants receive adequately compensated lawyers.\n\n3) Florida should require jurors to make the ultimate sentencing decision.\n\n4) Florida should require juror unanimity before imposing the death penalty.\n\n5) Florida should ensure that its clemency process is transparent and open.\n\n6) Florida should collect and analyze data to determine whether its death penalty system is fair and accurate. Other states such as Connecticut, New Jersey, and California have created commissions consisting of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, who together have the credibility to recommended specific reforms of their death penalty systems. Florida should do the same.\n\nIn addition to these recommendations, Florida should require that all statements or confessions of murder suspects are video recorded, that informant testimony is determined by the court to be reliable and corroborated before presentation to the jury, and that the jury instructions adequately define and explain mitigation and its ability to justify the imposition of a sentence less than death.\n\nEven those who are not against capital punishment want the system to be reliable and fair. By implementing the changes recommended by the Assessment Team, Florida can increase reliability in the fact finding process, and limit the potential for the excecution of the innocent.\n\nDavid A. Brener, Esq. is a Fort Myers criminal defense attorney who concentrates on serious felony and homicide cases. He is the current chairperson of the Criminal Law Practice Section of the Lee County Bar.\n\n\n\nCopyright 2008 Law Offices of David A. Brener, P.A., All Rights Reserved", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6983237862586975}
{"content": "April 17\n\nBlessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust.—PS. xl. 4.\n\nThat we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.—I TIM. ii. 2.\n\n  Just to let thy Father do\n    What He will;\n  Just to know that He is true,\n    And be still;\n  Just to trust Him, this is all!\n    Then the day will surely be\n  Peaceful, whatsoe'er befall,\n    Bright and blessed, calm and free.\n\n\nEvery morning compose your soul for a tranquil day, and all through it be careful often to recall your resolution, and bring yourself back to it, so to say. If something discomposes you, do not be upset, or troubled; but having discovered the fact, humble yourself gently before God, and try to bring your mind into a quiet attitude. Say to yourself, \"Well, I have made a false step; now I must go more carefully and watchfully.\" Do this each time, however frequently you fall. When you are at peace use it profitably, making constant acts of meekness, and seeking to be calm even in the most trifling things. Above all, do not be discouraged; be patient; wait; strive to attain a calm, gentle spirit.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9523176550865173}
{"content": "Half the Sky\nHalf the Sky\n\nEdna Adan\n\nEdna Adan is featured in the second night of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.\n\nEdna Adan is an inspiring advocate for women and girls, and her maternity hospital in Somaliland is an oasis of healing and care for the country's women.\n\nAdan was raised in Somaliland in an educated and wealthy family, when the country was a protectorate of the British Empire. When she was 15, a girls' school opened in Somaliland. Adan went to work there as a student teacher and also received private lessons. She was permitted to sit for exams, in a room separate from the boys, and was the first Somali girl awarded one of a few coveted scholarships to study in Britain. She spent seven years there, studying nursing, midwifery and hospital management.\n\nWhen she returned home to Somaliland, Adan became the first qualified nurse-midwife in the country and the first Somali woman to drive a car. She later became the first lady when she married Somaliland's prime minister, Ibrahim Egal. After they divorced, Adan was recruited to join the World Health Organization (WHO), where she held various key positions advocating for the abolition of harmful traditional practices, such as female genital cutting.\n\nBut Adan never let go of a life-long dream to build a hospital, so upon retiring from the WHO she sold all of her possessions, including her beloved Mercedes, and returned to Somaliland to make her dream a reality. There was only one available plot of land within the capital of Hargeisa, land which since the civil war had been used as a trash dump. But it was in the poor area of town, near those who needed the hospital the most. So she negotiated with the president, her ex-husband, and obtained the land for her hospital.\n\nWhen the structure was completed but the roof not yet installed, the project ran out of money. But with assistance from the Friends of Edna's Hospital and in-kind donations from local merchants, Adan finished construction and the hospital opened in 2002. Since then, Adan has focused her efforts on a new goal: training and dispatching 1,000 qualified midwives throughout Somaliland. Adan continues to work as the hospital's director and strives to improve the lives and health of women throughout her country.\n\nWant to help?\n\nPledge to volunteer with Edna at her maternity hospital in Somaliland where she and her fellow midwives have cut the maternal mortality rate of their patients to one-fourth of the national average. Work alongside this pioneering midwife as she aims to train 1,000 new midwifes to send out into communities across Somaliland. This position is for volunteers with medical experience only.\n\nAlternatively, send this image to your friends with medical experience, and encourage them to take time to volunteer with Edna's staff in Somaliland. Or, if you'd like to help sponsor or fundraise for a friend to volunteer with Edna, share your pledge to support a friend who wants to take the trip.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8790912628173828}
{"content": "[Media Alert] Guardians of Middle-earth Announces New DLC Character - Frodo\n\nAs one of the bravest and most famous Hobbits in Middle-earth history, Frodo Baggins joins the battle and is the newest playable Guardian in  Guardians of Middle-earth . Frodo Baggins DLC will be available on PlayStation Network and on Xbox LIVE Arcade.\n\n\nThe Frodo Battle Profile trailer, as well as his abilities and character art can be downloaded from the following links:\n\n\n\n\nOr if you prefer, embed the link below:\n\n·         1280x720: http://www.youtube.com/embed/mcDD6Zb0G-Q\n\n·         640x360: http://www.youtube.com/embed/mcDD6Zb0G-Q\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000011920928955}
{"content": "Mikaela Howie (M.S.)\n\n\nMy thesis research investigated the spatial extent of exposure in terrestrial insectivorous birds and their prey living near the mercury-contaminated South River in western Virginia.  I found that birds and their prey had elevated levels throughout the floodplain suggesting that mercury in the river poses a problem for a wider area than previously thought.  I also investigated the mechanisms by which mercury gets transported from the river to the terrestrial food chain.  My results suggest that flood waters are an important vector but that mercury may also travel by way of biological vectors, such as emergent aquatic insects.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999299049377441}
{"content": "1300 195 833\n\nWhile sharks have a number of receptors used to detect odors in the water and weak electric fields, research has shown that vision is the crucial sense in the final phase of a shark attack.\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Elude™ design is very difficult for a shark to see and allows the wearer to blend in with the background colours. So while a shark may locate its prey through a number of different means, it is less likely to attack if the target cannot be seen.\n\n\n\nThe Diverter™ design uses very precise contrasting and coloration to present the wearer as something dangerous or unpalatable to a shark. If you look closely you’ll notice the intricate detailing. At the very least this will provide the user with increased protection, but it could also provide the time needed to evacuate the area if a shark is in range.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9989732503890991}
{"content": "\n\nMore like this: quotation, bacon quotes and oprah winfrey.\n\nQuotes I Like\n\nEverybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. - Gertrude Stein #quotes #quotations\n\nLife is tough, and if you have the ability to laugh at it you have the ability to enjoy it. - Salma Hayek #quotes #quotations\n\n\nI don't think there is a proper way to celebrate something which makes you happy. - Matthew Oliphant #quotes #quotations\n\nThink not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults. - Socrates #quotes #quotations\n\nDo not throw the arrow which will return against you. - Kurdish Proverb #quotes #quotations\n\nWe all self-conscious. I'm just the first to admit it. - Kanye West #quotes #quotations\n\nI daresay one profits more by the mistakes one makes off one's own bat than by doing the right thing on somebody's else advice. - W. Somerset Maugham #quotes #quotations\n\nGo through your phone book, call people and ask them to drive you to the airport. The ones who will drive you are your true friends. The rest aren't bad people; they're just acquaintances. - Jay Leno #quotes #quotations\n\nPromises that you make to yourself are often like the Japanese plum tree - they bear no fruit. - Francis Marion #quotes #quotations\n\nBetter by far you should forget and smile than you should remember and be sad. - Christina Rossetti #quotes #quotations\n\nWhen something that honest is said it usually needs a few minutes of silence to dissipate. - Pamela Ribon #quotes #quotations\n\n\nDeath is a friend of ours; and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home. - Sir Francis Bacon #quotes #quotations\n\nDon't think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm. - Malayan Proverb #quotes #quotations\n\nThus, in a real sense, I am constantly writing autobiography, but I have to turn it into fiction in order to give it credibility. - Katherine Paterson #quotes #quotations\n\n\nI am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. - Louisa May Alcott #quotes #quotations\n\n\nTruth is generally the best vindication against slander. - Abraham Lincoln #quotes #quotations\n\nArt enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. - Thomas Merton #quotes #quotations\n\nYou don't have to die in order to make a living. - Lynn Johnston #quotes #quotations\n\nHolding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned. - Gautama Buddha #quotes #quotations\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9366899728775024}
{"content": "1. Health\nSend to a Friend via Email\n\nYour suggestion is on its way!\n\nAn email with a link to:\n\n\nwas emailed to:\n\nThanks for sharing About.com with others!\n\nBone Pain and Tenderness - Causes - Symptoms - Diagnosis - Treatment\n\nInformation on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options of bone pain and tenderness. Bone pain is not the same as joint pain or muscle pain. Bone pain can be caused from injuries, arthritic conditions or other more serious reasons. Seek out prompt medical attention for correct diagnosis and proper treatment whenever you experience bone pain and tenderness.\n  1. A - Z: Joint Pain\n  2. A - Z: Natural Therapies\n  3. A - Z: Sports Injury\n  4. A - Z: Symptoms\n  5. A - Z: Treatments\n  6. A - Z: Types of Arthritis\n  7. Avascular Necrosis\n  8. Gaucher Disease\n  9. Hip and Other Bone Fracture\n  10. Joint Protection\n  11. Osteoporosis\n  12. Paget's Disease of Bone\n\nBone Pain - What Arthritis Patients Should Know\nIs bone pain the same as joint pain?\n\nPaget’s Disease of Bone Vs. Osteoarthritis\nPaget’s disease of bone and osteoarthritis are completely different disorders that share some of the same symptoms. What are the differences and similarities between Paget’s disease of bone and osteoarthritis? How can Paget’s disease of bone cause osteoarthritis?\n\nOsteoporosis Pain - Osteoporosis: Coping With Chronic Pain\nA two-part overview of pain relief options for osteoporosis. The fractures caused by osteoporosis can be very painful. Some people experience little or no pain, while others with osteoporosis suffer intense pain and muscle spasms that last long after a fracture has healed.\n\nGuide to Avascular Necrosis\nAlso known as osteonecrosis, avascular necrosis is a disease that is caused by the loss of blood supply to the bones.\n\nBone pain or tenderness\nBone pain or tenderness involves aching or other discomfort in one or more bones.\n\nAging changes in the bones - muscles - joints\nChanges in posture and gait are as universally associated with aging as changes in the skin and hair. The skeleton provides support and structure to the body. Joints are the areas where bones come together.\n\nOsteomyelitis is an acute or chronic bone infection, usually caused by bacteria. The infection that causes osteomyelitis often is in another part of the body and spreads to the bone via the blood. Affected bone may have been predisposed to infection because of recent trauma.\n\nOsteomyelitis (Image)\nOsteomyelitis is infection in the bones. Often, the original site of infection is elsewhere in the body, and spreads to the bone by the blood. Bacteria or fungus may sometimes be responsible for osteomyelitis.\n\nOsteomalacia involves softening of the bones caused by a deficiency of vitamin D or problems with the metabolism of this vitamin. There are numerous causes of osteomalacia. In children, the condition is called rickets and is usually caused by a deficiency of vitamin D.\n\nOsteogenesis imperfecta (Brittle bone disease)\nOsteogenesis imperfecta is a congenital (present from birth) condition of abnormal fragility of the bones. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is classified into four major types (and further subtypes).\n\nBone Bruise (Image)\nA bone bruise results from compressive forces incurred during an injury. The damaged areaoccurs in the medullary portion of the bone and can be accompanied by bleeding and swelling. Bruises are often caused by falls, sports injuries, accidents, or blows received by other people or objects. Bruises can last from days to months, with the bone bruise being the most severe and painful.\n\nAn Overview: The Long bones\nLong bones are hard, dense bones that provide strength, structure, and mobility (such as the femur or thigh bone). A long bone has a shaft and two ends. There are also bones in the fingers that are classified as \"long bones,\" even though they are short in length. This is due to the shape of the bones, not the actual size.\n\nLong bones (Image)\nLong bones have a thick outside layer of compact bone and an inner medullary cavity containing bone marrow. The ends of a long bone contain spongy bone and an epiphyseal line. The epiphyseal line is a remnant of an area that contained hyaline cartilage that grew during childhood to lengthen the bone.\n\nWrist Fracture - What You Need To Know\nWrist fracture is common after falling. People tend to stick out their arm to break the fall.\n\nThe skeleton (Image)\n\nHip fractures (Image)\nHip fractures occur as a result of major or minor trauma. In elderly patients with bones weakened by osteoporosis, relatively little trauma, even walking, may result in a hip fracture.\n\nAcute vs. chronic conditions (Image)\nAcute conditions are severe and sudden in onset. This could describe anything from a broken bone to an asthma attack. A chronic condition, by contrast is a long-developing syndrome, such as osteoporosis or asthma. Note that osteoporosis, a chronic condition, may cause a broken bone, an acute condition.\n\nCompression fractures of the back\nIn a compression fracture of the vertebrae, the bone tissue of the vertebral body collapses. More than one vertebra may be affected. This condition may be caused by osteoporosis (the most common cause), tumor, or trauma to the back. (Illustrated)\n\nShort bones\nShort bones in the human body are cubelike, and have dimensions that are approximately equal. They include the carpal bones (hands, wrist) and tarsal bones (feet, ankles).\n\nFlat bones\nFlat bones consist of a layer of spongy bone between two thin layers of compact bone\n\nThe tibia\nThe tibia is the larger of two long bones in the lower leg (between the knee and ankle). Sometimes called the shin bone.\n\nBroken Bone - Stress Fracture\nIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an open fracture (compound fracture). A stress fracture is a hairline crack in the bone that develops because of repeated or prolonged forces against the bone.\n\nSkull Fracture\nA skull fracture is a fracture or break in the cranial (skull) bones.\n\nNose Fracture\nA nose fracture is a break in the bone over the bridge of the nose.\n\nIs it a Fracture or a Break?\nFractures, broken bones--you can call it what you wish, it means the same thing--are among the most common orthopedic problems.\n\nBroken Bones in Children\nFractures are an extremely common injury sustained by children; in fact it is probably the most common reason for a child to visit an orthopedic surgeon.\n\nProximal Humerus Fracture\nProximal humerus fracture is a common injury to the shoulder. Especially common in elderly individuals due to osteoporosis, proximal humerus fractures are among the most common broken bones.\n\nElbow Fracture (Olecranon Fracture)\nAn olecranon fracture is an injury to the most prominent bone of the elbow. People may call the olecranon the 'funny bone.' The bone is actually the end of the ulna, one of the two forearm bones.\n\nDiscuss in my forum\n\n©2014 About.com. All rights reserved.\n\nWe comply with the HONcode standard\nfor trustworthy health\ninformation: verify here.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6676487922668457}
{"content": "If a client has trouble sitting upright with legs straight which muscles are likely tightest? Hip flexors? Hamstring?\n\nI have a client with well developed core strength but sitting in that 90 degree position is a struggle. I'm not too flexible myself in that position and I know I have very tight piriformis and IT band but what else might be involved?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8275839686393738}
{"content": "In other languages\n  • English\nCreate a book\n\nGlossary:Baseline study\n\nFrom Statistics Explained\n\nA baseline study is an analysis of the current situation to identify the starting points for a programme or project. It looks at what information must be considered and analyzed to establish a baseline or starting point, the benchmark against which future progress can be assessed or comparisons made.\n\nAn example is the REACH baseline study, a tool to monitor the new European Union policy on chemicals “Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals”. A first “snapshot” has been taken of the situation before REACH came into force (“Pre-REACH-Baseline”); further snapshots later on will make it possible to monitor and assess the success of the Reach legislation.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990648031234741}
{"content": "Miguel Bastos | Born in 1980 | Lisboa, Portugal\nCommunication Designer at RIPE NCC | Amsterdam / Netherlands\nUniversity Degree in Communication Design\nDesigner Freelancer | Illustration | Photography\n\n5 years experience with Graphic Design | Brand Design | Interface Systematization\nCustom Publishing |Packaging| Video | Photography | Illustration | Contemporary\nEditions | Book Projects | Means of Signalling | Events for clients and as Illustrator\nwith several collaborations to Umbigo Magazine (www.umbigomagazine.com).\n\nThrough academical and professional experience has acquiring and deepening\nknowledges on various types of software, trying to apply them to Design, developing\nconcepts and applying them to a number of Editorial Projects such as Magazines,\nBrand Design, Means of Sygnalling, Interface Systematization, Photography,\nWeb Design, Advertising Campaigns, Illustration, Video and Sound Application.\n\nProfessional user of software such as Mac OS | Adobe Cs5 - Illustrator, Indesign,\nPhotoshop | Adobe Prémiere | FinalCutPro | GridPro | PeakSound | AutoCad | Freehand.\n\n\nM.(0031) 646076061\nMail. miguel.garmani@gmail.com\nAddress: Brouwersgracht | Amsterdam * Netherlands\n\n024 Satiros Versante\n\n\n\n\n022 Star Wars God\n\n\n021 Apollo Pio Clementino\n\nApollo Homeric Greek: is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deitiesin ancient Greek\nand Roman religion, Greco–Roman Neopaganism, and Greek and Roman mythology. The ideal of the kouros\n(a beardless, athletic youth), Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and\nprophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry, and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin\nAs the patron of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic\nOracle. Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated\nthrough his son Asclepius, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague.\nAmongst the god's custodial charges, Apollo became associated with dominion over colonists, and as\nthe patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of the Muses(Apollon Musegetes) and director of\ntheir choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry. Hermes created the lyre for him,\nand the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were called paeans.\n\n\n020 \"St Valentine´s God\"\n\n\n019 | Demeter\n\nand the seasons (personified by the Hours). Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain\nand Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society.\nThough Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sanctity\nof marriage, the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central\nfigures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon. In the Linear B Mycenean Greek tablets\nof circa 1400-1200 BC found at Pylos, the \"two mistresses and the king\" are identified with Demeter, Persephone\nand Poseidon. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.\n\n\n018 | Dionysus\n\nDionysus is the ancient Greek god of wine, the god who inspires ritual madness and ecstasy, and a major\nfigure of Greek mythology. He is included as one of the twelve Olympians in some lists. Dionysus is typical\nof the god of the epiphany, \"the god that comes\". He was also known as Bacchus, the name adopted by\nthe Romans and the frenzy he induces, bakkheia. In addition to winemaking, he is the patron deity of\nagriculture and the theater. He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's\nnormal self, by madness, ecstasy or wine. The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the\naulos and to bring an end to care and worry.[4] Scholars have discussed Dionysus' relationship to the \"cult\nof the souls\" and his ability to preside over communication between the living and the dead.\n\n\nThis image, is just an approach experience of advertising project to a product of a trade mark.\n\n\nApproach for advertising on vehicle\n\n\nZeus was the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he was married\nto Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort was Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father\nof Aphrodite by Dione. He is known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic\noffspring,including Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus,\nHeracles, Helen, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera, he is usually said to have fathered\nAres, Hebe and Hephaestus.\n\n016 | HERMES\n\nHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and additionally as a guide to the\nUnderworld. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who travel\nacross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves and liars, of orators and wit,\nof literature and poets, of athletics and sports, of weights and measures, of invention, and\nof commerce in general. Hermes was identified with the Roman god Mercury, who, though\ninherited from the Etruscans, developed many similar characteristics, such as being the patron\nof commerce.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArquivo do blogue\n\nWhat i like", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9938406944274902}
{"content": "Fragrances Nazareth PA\n\nThere may be harmful ingredients in the products of perfume, air fresheners, shampoo, etc. To protection your respiratory health, avoid the blew fragrances.\n\nDollar Tree\n(610) 759-2844\n863 Nazareth Pike\nNazareth, PA\nBon Ton Department Store The\n(610) 250-2030\nPalmer Park Avenue\nEaston, PA\nDollar General Store\n(610) 253-8780\n1720 Butler St\nEaston, PA\nFamily Dollar Stores Inc\n(610) 867-7233\n2920 Easton Ave\nBethlehem, PA\nMarshalls Mega\n(610) 867-9413\n2144 W Union Blvd\nBethlehem, PA\n(610) 250-0717\n3722 Easton Nazareth Hwy\nEaston, PA\nKmart Stores\n(610) 258-2324\n320 S 25th St\nEaston, PA\nSurprise Department Store\n(610) 258-7525\nRR 115\nEaston, PA\n(610) 863-6428\n9 S Robinson Ave\nPen Argyl, PA\nFamily Dollar Stores Inc\n(610) 262-1740\n2412 Cherryville Rd\nNorthampton, PA\n\nFragrances to Avoid\n\nProvided by: \n\nTo avoid negative reactions, check labels for the word fragrance , which may indicate that the potentially harmful ingredients listed below are contained in products such as perfume, shampoo, fabric softener, bleach, air fresheners, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, soap, hairspray, shaving cream, aftershave, deodorants, nail polish remover, and more.\n\nAcetic acid, benzyl ester: Targets nerves and kidneys; possible carcinogen.\n\nBenzyl alcohol: Central nervous system (CNS) depressant.\n\nDiethyl phthalate: Possible risk of congenital malformation in the fetus; targets nerves.\n\nMusk ketone: Increases carcinogenic effects of other materials. Remains stored in blood, fat tissue, and breast milk; crosses placental barrier.\n\nMusk xylene: Carcinogenic in animal studies. Stored in blood, fat tissue, and breast milk; crosses placental barrier.\n\n6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl: Extremely destructive to mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract tissues.\n\nToluene: Carcinogenic. Targets liver, kidneys, brain, or bladder. One of nine major starting materials for synthesis of fragrance chemicals. Addictive.\n\n4-Vinylphenol: Toxic. May impair fertility. Toxic by inhalation. Respiratory and skin sensitizer.\n\n2,6-Xylenol: Toxic. Harmful by inhalation. Material is extremely destructive to upper respiratory system, eyes, and skin. Corrosive.\n\nAcetone: Inhalation causes dryness of the mouth and throat, dizziness, nausea, incoordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, coma in extreme cases. CNS depressant.\n\nBenzaldehyde: Narcotic. Sensitizer. CNS depressant. May cause kidney damage and irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs, and GI tract, leading to nausea and abdominal pain. Do not use with contact lenses.\n\nBenzyl Acetate: Carcinogenic. Irritating to eyes and respiratory passages. Causes systemic effects through skin. Do not flush to sewer.\n\nCamphor: Irritant and CNS stimulant. Readily absorbed through body tissues. Irritation of eyes, nose and throat, dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles, and convulsions.\n\nEthanol: EPA hazardous waste. May cause fatigue and irritating to eyes and upper respiratory tract even in low concentrations. Initial stimulatory effect followed by drowsiness, impaired vision, ataxia, stupor. Causes CNS disorder.\n\nEthyl Acetate: Narcotic. EPA hazardous waste. Irritating to eyes and respiratory tract; headache and narcosis (stupor); skin drying and cracking; anemia with leukocytosis; and damage to liver and kidneys.\n\nLimolene: Carcinogenic. Irritant and sensitizer. Wash thoroughly after using and before eating, drinking, and applying cosmetics. Do not inhale.\n\nLinalool: This narcotic causes respiratory disturbances and CNS disorder and attracts bees. In animal tests, it was found to cause ataxic gait; reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression; respiratory disturbances leading to death; and depressed frog-heart activity.\n\nMethylene Chloride: On hazardous waste lists. Car...\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9826578497886658}
{"content": "You are here:News» Topics» Lilly\n\nNews » \n\nGeneral Elections 2014: India votes TOI\n\nShashi Tharoor with mother Lilly Tharoor after casting their vote at Cotton Hill School in Thiruvananthapuram.\n\nBRIT Awards: Red Carpet TOI\n\nBritish singer-songwriter Lilly Allen arrives at the BRIT Awards 2014, held at the O2 Arena in London.\n\nAnupama Singh's exhibition TOI\n\nArunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki with his daughter Lilly during Anupama Singh's exhibition, held in New Delhi.\n\nQuotes » \n\nThere are no quotes on Lilly", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999855756759644}
{"content": "Cooper-Hewitt: Finding Design Solutions\n\nDesigners Sergio Palleroni and Bryan Bell discuss the relevance and potential for design to solve critical issues in the world. They describe projects being executed internationally with their college students to foster civic environmentalism and address issues such as hunger, community, and unemployment.\nDesign Solutions, projects, Sergio Palleroni, Bryan Bell, architect, Center for Sustainable Solutions, Design Corps, civic environmentalism, issues, international, talk, long, public program\n\nTeens Create Socially Responsible Campaigns\n\nOne of the exciting aspects of Design with the Other 90%: Cities is the ability to connect the international themes of the exhibition to a New York setting. In our second DesignPrep workshop held at the United Nations, teens examined key issues highlighted in the exhibition.\ndesignprep, program, Teens, youth, Workshop, United Nations, New York City, NYC, social, responsibility, issues, international, campaigns, iPad, teamwork, proposals, John Emerson\n\nDandelion Seeds\n\nI was surprised when I arrived at work yesterday morning when Pete (Ron Petersen), who makes the place clean and ready everyday, said cheerfully, “Great day for a photo-op!” I had no idea what he was talking about.\nphoto-op, t-shirt, tee shirt, dandelion, seeds, analogy, message, spread, renovate, RE:DESIGN, knowledge, collection, resources, issues, quote, collective, communicate, decisions, outcomes, creative, solutions\n\nSocial Changemakers\n\nJoin in a Twitter-based Social Entrepreneurship Chat organized by Ashoka. The real time discussions on social entrepreneurship issues take place the 1st Wed of the month, 4-6PM US Eastern Time.\nSocial Entrepreneurship, Ashoka, organizer, Twitter, discussions, issues, mobile innovations, Lemelson Foundation, innovators, Ashoka Tech, Nicaragua, rural, project, fellow, Mathias Craig, hybrid, wind, solar, energy, industries, local, job, creation, economic, activity, Godisa, SolarAid, hearing aid, battery, recharger, Botswana, Howard Weinstein, underserved, disabled, communities, deaf, deafness, hard of hearing, India, village information kiosks, remote, wireless, internet, Web, access, Amol Goje, low cost, affordable, video, conferencing, farmers, productivity, growth, education, generation, interactive, communication, technologies, capacity, increase, urban, population, growth\n\nDesign: Creativity in Service of Others\n\nAs a member of the 2009 National Design Awards Jury, let me first and foremost congratulate all of the winners and finalists. It was an exciting, exhausting, and inspiring process to review all the submissions and debate the merits and accomplishments of each\nNational Design Awards, 2009, nda, jury, deliberation, congratulations, disciplines, function, intellect, art, design, distinction, service, improve, lives, technology, creativity, beauty, complex, issues, people-centered, human-centered, care, fragile, marry, necessary, useful, Shakers", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6772613525390625}
{"content": "The flight distance from Malaysia to Taiwan is:\n\n1,846 miles / 2 971 km\n\nFrom: reverse locations\n\nCalculate the flight distance between you and your friends:\n\nTravel map from Malaysia to Taiwan\n\nDistance from Malaysia to Taiwan\n\nThe total distance from Malaysia to Taiwan is 1,846 miles.\n\nThis is equivalent to 2 971 kilometers or 1,604 nautical miles.\n\nYour trip begins in Malaysia.\nIt ends in Taiwan.\n\nYour flight direction from Malaysia to Taiwan is Northeast (42 degrees from North).\n\nThe distance calculator helps you figure out how far it is to fly from Malaysia to Taiwan. It does this by computing the straight line flying distance (\"as the crow flies\"). It uses the great circle formula to compute the total travel mileage.\n\nfind a flight to Taiwan\n\n\nCountry: Malaysia\nContinent: Asia\nCategory: countries\n\n\nCountry: Taiwan\nContinent: Asia\nCategory: countries\n\nFind the distance between cities\n\nEnter your locations below to find the distance between them. Type in airport codes (NRT), cities (Tehran, Iran), states (Oregon), countries (Estonia) or zip codes (91948).\n\nFlight Distance from to  \n\nFlight distance calculator\n\nTravel Math provides an online flight distance calculator to get the distance between cities. You can also compare all types of locations including airports, cities, states, countries, or zip codes to find the distance between any two points. The database uses the latitude and longitude of each location to calculate distance using the great circle distance formula. The calculation is done using the Vincenty algorithm and the WGS84 ellipsoid model of the Earth, which is the same one used by most GPS receivers. This gives you the flying distance \"as the crow flies.\" Find your flight distances quickly to estimate the number of frequent flyer miles you'll accumulate. Or ask how far is it between cities to solve your homework problems. You can lookup U.S. cities, or expand your search to get the world distance for international trips.\n\nThis page was loaded in 0.0067 seconds.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9875465035438538}
{"content": "Music Of Malaysia And Singapore\n\n Music Of Singapore\n\nSingapore has an urban musical scene, and is a center for rock, punk and other genres in the region. The 1960s produced bands like The Crecendos with hit songs like Mr Twister. The Quests, who had hits like \"Shanty\", \"Don't Play That Song\", \"Jesamine\" and \"Mr Rainbow\". \"Naomi & The Boys\" with a house hold hit song \"Happy Happy Birthday Baby\" as well as other pop-rock bands including The Thunderbirds, The Trailers, The Western Union Band, October Cherries and The Silver Strings. Folk music includes the ethnic Chinese, Malay and Tamil sounds.\nThe launch of the nation's arts centre, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, has served to focus the island's classical music making. It is now the venue for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's subscription and gala concerts. In addition, the arts centre has ensured a representation of classical music from the four primary cultures in the land. In particular, the regular festivals of Hua Yi, Pesta Raya and Kalaa Utsavam ensure that interpreters of these different repertories are heard on a regular basis.\n\nFolk music\n\n\nPeranakan folk music is noted for its fusion of English in Malay-inspired tunes, largely because the Peranakans themselves are often conversant in both languages. Contemporary tunes continue to be composed based on the Peranakan culture, such as \"Bunga Sayang\", a theme song from Dick Lee's musical \"Kampung Amber\". The song became an often-sung staple of the National Day Parade, and gained international exposure when it was performed for the opening ceremony of the 117th IOC Session at the Esplanade.\n\nPop and rock music\n\nSingapore's pop scene began in 1960, when the Blue Diamonds performed, and really launched after Cliff Richard & the Shadows arrived a year later, thus launching the beat boom. Like much of the world, the British Invasion began in 1963, led by The Beatles. Some bands remained instrumental, while others incorporated singers. Soon, British R&B became popular, and spawned a local Malay variety. Pop stars of the 1960s included Naomi & the Boys, D'4 Ever, Antarctics, Mike Ibrahim & the Nite Walkers, Swallows, Ismail Haron & the Guys and Les Kafila's.\nIn the late 1970s and early 1980s saw the rise of rock bands such as Sweet Charity fronted by the charismatic vocalist Ramli Sarip. The band had such an influence in the Singapore and Malaysia music scene that it later led to a rock explosion in the mid 1980s. Malaysian based M.Nasir is also a Singaporean born singer, actor, composer & producer.\nThe 1990s produced bands with alternative and indie influences such as Concave Scream, Humpback Oak, The Padres, Oddfellows, Livionia, with the band KICK!, signed to the Pony Canyon label, making a strong wave in the POP scene with a slew of radio hits & a strong fan base.\n\nPunk and hardcore genres\n\nA popular band in Singapore is an all-Malay punk band Rancour which have gained popularity and musical success in a Malay \"battle of the bands\" programme called \"Anugerah Band\". Canadian Hardcore Punk band Comeback Kid and American Hardcore punk band Sick of It All have played in Singapore before. Screamo is less popular but is still known in the music scene with Japanese screamo band Envy having a maintainable fan base in Singapore. Emo is less common but there are still bands who have or are still playing of that genre.\n\nHeavy metal\n\nHeavy metal has a small but not insignificant presence in Singapore's music scene. Popular bands like Slayer, Dream Theater and Helloween have played in Singapore to receptive crowds, usually at an open field at Fort Canning Park. Weekly small scale to medium scale gigs are held almost weekly at locations such as BlackHole212 or Substation. Most recently, on 15th February, 2011, Iron Maiden played to a crowd of 12,000 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.\n\nNo Singaporean reach successful international act except some Mandarin language singer that have made it in China, Hong Kong & Taiwan.  \n\n Music Of Malaysia\n\nMusic of Malaysia is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Malaysia. A great variety of genres in Malaysian music reflect the specific ethnic groups of multiracial Malaysian society consisting of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Dayak, Kadazandusun, Eurasians and other groups.\nIn general, music of Malaysia may be categorized as classical, folk, syncretic (or acculturated music), popular and contemporary art music. Classical and folk music emerged during the pre-colonial period and exists in the form of vocal, dance and theatrical music such as Nobat, Mak Yong, Mak Inang, Dikir barat, Ulek mayang and Menora. The syncretic music developed during the post-Portuguese period (16th century) and contains elements from both local music and foreign elements of Arabian, Persian, Indian, Chinese and Western musical and theatrical sources. Among genres of this music are Zapin, Ghazal, Dondang sayang, Joget, Jikey, Boria, Keroncong and Bangsawan.\nBoth Malaysian popular music and contemporary art music are essentially Western-based music combined with some local elements. In 1950s, the musician P.Ramlee helped in creating a Malaysian music that combined folks songs with Western dance rhythms and western Asian music.\n\nFolk Music\n\nBesides Malay music, Chinese and Indian Malaysians have their own forms of music, and the indigenous tribes of Peninsula and East Malaysia have unique traditional instruments.\n\nMalay music\n\nTraditional Malay music and performing arts appear to have originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region with influences from India, China, Thailand and Indonesia. The music is based around percussion instruments, the most important of which is the gendang (drum). There are at least 14 types of traditional drums. Drums and other traditional percussion instruments are often made from natural materials. Besides drums, other percussion instruments (some made of shells) include: the rebab (a bowed string instrument), the serunai (a double-reed oboe-like instrument), the seruling (flute), and trumpets. Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrating life-cycle events, and times like harvest. It was once used as a form of long-distance communication.\nThe Malays of Kelantan and Terengganu are culturally linked to peoples from the South China Sea area, and are quite different from the West Coast of Malaya. The martial art of silat Melayu developed in the Malay peninsula since the beginning of common era also popular in Malaysia, while essentially still important as a branch of the self defence form. Similar to tai chi, though of independent origin, it is a mix of martial arts, dance and music typically accompanied by gongs, drums and Indian oboes.\nThe natives of the Malay Peninsula played in small ensembles called kertok, which performed swift and rhythmic xylophone music. This may have led to the development of dikir barat. In recent years, the Malaysian government has promoted this Kelantanese music form as a national cultural icon.\nArabic-derived zapin music and dance is popular throughout Malaysia, and is usually accompanied by a gambus and some drums. Ghazals from Arabia are popular in the markets and malls of Kuala Lumpur and Johor, and stars like Kamariah Noor are very successful. In Malacca, ronggeng is the dominant form of folk music. It played with a violin, drums, button accordion and a gong instrument. Another style, Dondang Sayang is slow and intense; it mixes influences from China, India, Arabia, and Portugal with traditional elements.\n\nChinese music\n\nThe Hua Yue Tuan (華乐团), or \"Modern Chinese Orchestra,\" is made up of a blend of western and traditional Chinese musical instruments. The music itself combines western polyphony with Chinese melodies and scales. Although the bulk of its repertoire consists of music imported from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, many local Chinese orchestras also regularly perform Malay folk tunes with various local composers making a definite effort to absorb elements of surrounding musical cultures, especially Malay, into their compositions. In Malaysia, Chinese orchestras exist nationwide in urban areas which have large concentrations of Chinese Malaysians. Sponsored largely by various Chinese organizations including schools and Buddhist societies, a typical orchestra consists of between 12 to 50 members.\nThe orchestra is usually made up of four sections:\nBowed string instruments, consisting of:\n  • erhu (range of three octaves; performs the role of the violin)\n  • banhu (a high pitched fiddle with coconut sound box)\n  • gaohu (;pitch is higher than erhu)\n  • zhonghu ( tenor erhu, similar to viola)\n  • gehu (like the cello)\n  • bei-da-ge-hu ( like the double bass)\nplucked strings comprising various sized lutes:\n  • pipa ( highest pitch)\n  • liu-yue-qin\n  • yueqin\n  • zhongruan\n  • daruan\n  • sanxian\n  • guzheng *yangqin\nthe wind section consisting of:\n  • dizi (笛子; transverse flutes)\n  • xiao (箫; vertical flutes)\n  • sheng (笙; mouth organ)\n  • suona (唢呐; reed aerophone)\npercussion section consisting of:\n  • paigu (排鼓; drums)\n  • taigu (太鼓; drums)\n  • dabo (大钹; cymbals)\n  • lo (锣; hand held tam-tam)\n  • shih mian lo (十面锣; frame mounted tam-tam)\n  • ling (铃; bell)\n  • ma ling (马铃; 5 suspended bells)\n  • shuang yin mu (双音木), bang zi (棒子) and mu yu (木鱼; wood blocks)\nThere is no lack of virtuoso performers in the Chinese classical tradition in Malaysia. Advanced training is however not presently available with most Malaysian virtuoso musicians obtaining their advanced training either in China or Singapore. Various professional and semi-professional Chinese orchestras are in existence. Malaysian western trained classical conductors are employed full time. Much of the music played is imported from China. There are however some accomplished Malaysian composers for this medium such as Saw Boon Kiat and Chew Hee Chiat.\nNew generations of Chinese singers are more into pop music. These include Eric Moo, Lee Sin Je, Fish Leong, Z Chen, Penny Tai and lately Daniel Lee.\n\nIndian music\n\nIndian music is strongly associated with religious tradition and faith. As its origins in India, there are two systems of traditional or classical Indian music in Malaysia, viz. Carnatic Music and Hindustani Music. Since Tamils from South India are the predominant group among the Indian population in Malaysia, it is the South Indian carnatic music which predominates. Simply speaking, Hindustani classical music is more lyric-oriented, while Carnatic classical music emphasises musical structure.\nIndian classical music as it is performed in Malaysia has remained true to its origin. There is practically no other cultural influence. Other than reflecting Indian life, the purpose of Indian classical music is to refine the soul.\nThe fundamental elements of carnatic music are raaga and taala. A raaga is a scale of notes, while the taala is the time-measure. A carnatic music concert usually starts with a composition with lyrical and passages in a particular raaga. This will be followed by a few major and subsequently some minor compositions.\nIn Malaysia, traditional or classical Indian music are studied and performed by Malaysians of Indian ethnic origin with material that still comes from India. Musical productions are mainly in the form of dance dramas incorporating instrumental ensemble, vocal music and dance. Musical instruments used in the performances are imported from India.\nOver the years, Punjabi music have established itself in Malaysia. One example of famous Punjabi music is bhangra. Many Malaysian songs today has the Punjabi influence. For example, the sound of the dhol, an instrument used mainly by the Punjabis have been incorporated in many Malay, Chinese and Indian songs in Malaysia. The increase of interest in Punjabi music have led to the birth of Malaysia's very first Urban Bhangra themed group, called Goldkartz.\n\nWorld Music\n\nEthnic music has also found a new and vigorous following, with world music festivals like the Rainforest World Music Festival, held annually since 1998 in a scenic open-air setting in Sarawak. The first Malaysian \"ethnic fusion\" group to play on this international platform was Akar Umbi - comprising Temuan ceremonial singer Minah Angong (1930–1999) and Rafique Rashid. Unfortunately, the charismatic Minah Angong (better known as Mak Minah) died just three weeks after winning over the hearts of a whole new audience at the RWMF 1999. This left Akar Umbi with only one posthumously released CD to its name ('Songs of the Dragon,' Magick River, 2002).\nPrivate companies like Trident Entertainment have begun to invest in the production, distribution and promotion of the \"ethnic fringe\" in Malaysian music.\n\nClassical Music\n\nWithin Malaysia, the largest performing arts venue is the Petronas Philharmonic Hall. The resident orchestra is the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO). Malay popular music is a combination of the music from all ethnicities in the country. The Malaysian government has taken steps in controlling what music is available in Malaysia; rap music has been criticised, heavy metal has been limited, and foreign bands must submit a copy of a recent concert before playing in Malaysia. It is believed that this music is a bad influence on youth.\n\n21st century\n\nThe 21st century has witnessed the rapid rise of a variety of new musical trends, imported from different shores and strongly influenced by an urban elite hip to jazz-fusion and fringe music (classical revivals, ethnic-flavored folk, trance, and so on). Students who studied in Europe and the Americas began returning with a staunch passion for more progressive musical modalities.\nPetronas, the national petro-chemical corporation responsible for the construction of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas and statutory bodies like the Sarawak Tourism Board have contributed significantly to the development of a broader interest in jazz, classical and world music amongst the new generation of Malaysians. Private institutions like the Temple of Fine Arts have also produced a steady flow of students skilled in world music, primarily Hindustani & Carnatic musical traditions. The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (Petronas Philhrmonic Hall), home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, has become a popular venue amongst the affluent new Malaysian middle class for acts encompassing jazz, classical, and world music concerts.\nMalaysia has a handful of homegrown musicians who have achieved world class stature in jazz exposition e.g., keyboardists Michael Veerapan and David Gomes; freestyle bassist Zailan Razak; multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, The Solianos; and virtuoso drummer Lewis Pragasam. Mohar and Prabhu Ganesh, two flautists with ethnic leanings, are Malaysian musicians who have begun to make waves abroad. Many of these innovators are ex-alumni of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. The promise of even more exciting things to come can be seen in the emergence of youthful, ethnic-flavored percussion ensembles like the Diplomats of Drum.\n\nFusion music\n\nIn the field of Malaysian contemporary music a number of composers have gained international recognition, for example award-winning composers Chong Kee Yong, Dr Tazul Izan Tajuddin, Yii Kah Hoe, Saidah Rastam, Adeline Wong and others, encompassing a diverse range of styles and aesthetics.\nFor example, at the cutting edge of the avant garde are Chong Kee Yong and Tazul Tajuddin. Yii Kah Hoe is slowly exploring a similar direction as a departure, or perhaps an enrichment, of his work with Chinese orchestral music, while pianist-composer Ng Chong Lim treads the ground between atonalism and aleatoric music based on the live interaction of more tonal fragments.\nPursuing a more accessible tonal language is the colourful and rhythmically vibrant music of Adeline Wong and Johan Othman, the latter combining a quasi minimalist approach with elements of Malaysian aesthetics tempered with jazzy undercurrents. Saidah Rastam experiments with jazz and atonalism in combination with ethnic Malaysian elements, and has even worked with reinventing Chinese Opera through atonal jazz. Ahmad Muriz Che Rose works with a more populist approach to Malay traditional instruments in a contemporary language through his work with the Petronas Performing Arts Group, Prabhu Ganesh fuses European Classical Music with undertones of North Indian Raagas, bringing back similar feelings explored by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar in the early 90's through their venture Passages (BMG).\nSince the turn of the new millennium Malaysian composers have begun to earn recognition and respect for their work, and increased coverage and interest in the media has also helped to bring the efforts of serious composers to the foreground of musical activity in the country.\n\nPopular music\n\nMalaysia's pop music scene developed from traditional asli (pure) music popularized in the 1920s and 1930s by Bangsawan troupes. These troupes are in fact a type of Malaysia opera influenced by Indian opera at first known as Wayang Pasir (Persia) which was started by rich Persians residing in India. They portrayed stories from diverse groups such as Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay. Music, dance, acting with costumes are used in performance depending on the stories told. The musicians were mostly local Malays, Filipinos and Guanis (descendants from Gua in India).\nOne of the earliest modern Malay pop songs was \"Tudung Periok\", sung by Momo Latif, who recorded it in 1930. In the 1950s, P.Ramlee became the most popular Malay singer and composer with a range of slow ballads such as \"Azizah\", \"Dendang Perantau\" and the evergreen \"Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti\".\n\nPop Yeh-yeh\n\nIn the 1960s, western-influenced Yé-yé music came to the forefront. The localised name 'Pop Yeh-yeh' genre was popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei in the 1960s. Pop Yeh-yeh ruled the Malay music scene from 1965 to 1971. The music and fashion of The Beatles and other British rock and roll bands during the 1960s were a strong influence of the pop yeh-yeh bands and also generally influenced the Malay music industry of that period. In fact, the term \"pop yeh-yeh\" was taken from a line from the popular Beatles song, \"She Loves You\" (\"she loves you, yeah-yeah-yeah\".)This may not be a fact as the term \"pop yeh yeh\" was never used in the 1960s but much later when such music was revived in the 1980s by M. Shariff & The Zurah. It might be that music journalists of the 1980s coined the term.\nThe first local song in the Pop Yeh-yeh vein was a song called \"Suzanna\", sung by M Osman in 1964. During the height of the pop yeh-yeh craze, a lot of the bands that were formed tried their best to mimic The Beatles in their look, songwriting and performance style. But still the musical style was taken from The Shadows and The Ventures. Usually the bands (also referred to as \"kumpulan gitar rancak\" - \"rhythmic guitar bands\" – or its acronym \"kugiran\") consists of four members who sings on top of handling the basic four musical instruments (two electric guitars, electric bass and drums). Most of the bands were formed in Singapore but also in Malaysia. The southern state of Johore and Singapore were the hub of activity for these bands. Most of the recordings were done in Singapore such as at the old EMI Studio at MacDonald's House in Orchard Road and many small studios owned privately.\nThe word \"Kugiran\" was first aired on Radio Singapore in the weekly Top Chart \"Lagu Pujaan Minggu Ini\" programme on Radio Singapore and hosted by the 1st Malay DJ M.I.A. (Mohd Ismail Abdullah). It was understood the acronym \"Ku-Gi-Ran\" was the idea of a subtitling officer, Daud Abdul Rahman. It is also said that it was P. Ramli who coined the term to differentiate it from the combo styled Malay bands of earlier times. \"Kugiran\" comprises 5 piece band members and a vocalist, one lead-guitarist, one bassist, one rhythm-guitarist, one organist (keyboardist) and a drummer.\nThe formation and development of these kugiran's encouraged the establishment and existence of various recording companies in Singapore in the 1960s and a lot of these songs were recorded on vinyl and sold well commercially. Some of the singers who made their name during that period include M Osman, A Ramlie, Jeffrydin, Roziah Latiff & The Jayhawkers, Adnan Othman, Halim \"Jandaku\" Yatim, Afidah Es, J Kamisah, Siti Zaiton, J. Sham, A Rahman Onn, Hasnah Haron, J Kamisah, Fatimah M Amin, Asmah Atan, Orkid Abdullah, A. Remie, Zamzam, Salim I, Kassim Selamat, M Rahmat, A Karim Jais, M Ishak, Hussien Ismail, Jaafor O, A Halim, Azizah Mohamed, S Jibeng and L Ramlee. Other popular rock and pop bands of the period include The Rhythm Boys, The Siglap Five, The Hooks which featured A Romzi as their lead vocalist (they scored a hit with the song \"Dendang Remaja\"), Siglap Boys, Les Kafilas, Cliffters featuring Rikieno Bajuri, Impian Bateks featuring Rudyn Al-Haj with his popular number \"Naik Kereta Ku\" and a cappella like \"Oh Posmen\", \"Gadis Sekolah\" etc., The Swallows featuring \"La Aube\", \"Angkut-angkut Bilis\" etc. whose vocalist was Kassim Selamat and the EP was featured in a radio station in Germany. There, \"La Aube\" was in the German pop chart. Almost all the above mentioned artistes were Singaporeans. The most popular ones from the Malaysian side of the divide must include L. Ramli, Roziah Latiff & The Jayhawkers, J.Sham, Orkes Nirvana, The Sangam Boys and Les Flingers. The music and lyrics were usually composed by the bands themselves. The band leaders were also the producers of the albums of the period.\nThe golden age of pop yeh-yeh started to dwindle in 1971. Since the fall of the popularity of pop yeh-yeh, the center of the Malay music industry shifted up north from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. A lot of composers, songwriters, lyricists, singers, and producers started to gain foothold not only in Kuala Lumpur but also in other cities including Johor Bahru and Ipoh to grab the opportunity of the emerging and rapidly changing Malay music industry.\n\nChanges in musical tastes\n\nDJ Dave, Hail Amir and Uji Rashid introduced Hindustani-influenced music in the 1970s. Between the late 1970s and mid 1980s, the market for local recordings and artiste was in big demand, bands and musicians performing in clubs and pubs were contracted to record. Although The Jayhawkers led by Joe Chelliah was the first wholly non-Malay pop band to record Malay pop songs as a pre-cursor, it was in the mid-1970's that later non-Malay artistes, bands and businessmen ventured into the Malay music industry. Bands like Alleycats, Discovery, Carefree and Cenderawasih took the lead to modernize Malaysian Pop music; solo singers like Sudirman, Sharifah Aini further push the music to its peak. Between 1979 to early 1980 - emergence of blues outfit/band called THE BLUES GANG in Malaysia specialising in blues and the emergence of a hard rock/heavy metal outfit/band called SWEET CHARITY from Singapore - these two groups changed the Malay music scene.\nBefore the mid 1980s another genre of music appeared. This time it was slow rock, heavy metal, hard rock and the blues. Popular bands from the west like Scorpions, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Def Leppard were some of the major influences for these Malaysian bands. M. Nasir previously a Singaporean played a leading role in shaping rock music in Malaysia as a song writer and producer for a period of almost ten years. He produced local rock bands like Search and Wings and took them to their highest level of Malaysian rock music. Piracy in the form of duplicating cassettes and CDs became rampant and uncontrollable around this period as sales of these items soar which was supported by the country’s wave of economic success.\nBetween the mid 80s and early 90s, R&B and Pop music became the focus of the urban youngsters. This music was cosmopolitan and catered to a professional and educated crowd. In 1985, Sheila Majid a singer groomed by engineer/producer Roslan Aziz made a debut album called \"Dimensi Baru\" which was financed and produced by Roslan Aziz himself. With a lovely mellow voice together with a bunch of creative musicians like Mac Chew and Jenny Chin both influenced by R&B, fusion and jazz achieved their dreams and set a new direction for many Malaysian R&B artistes to come. This was evidently clear when her second album EMOSI was released in Indonesia and earned the BEST R&B ALBUM in the prestigious BASF awards in 1986. This historical release has changed the facet of the music industry. In the mid 1990s, a rap group 4U2C with 7 young boys was introduced by ZMAN Production and a producer Man Senoi & Mam Rap and they had made a big hit in the market and received few gold and platinum and also KRU, a vocal group composed of three brothers among others developed Malay rap and hip-hop.\n\nIslam-influenced pop\n\nIn 1991, an environmental album recorded by Zainal Abidin, songs written by Mukhlis Nor and produced by Roslan Aziz was released. This was received very positively by the public and the international music scene especially in Asia. Around this time nasyid pop music which was a form of Islamic religious which utilized a vocal group and accompaniment of only percussions music entered the market. Developed by vocal groups like Raihan, Rabbani and Brothers, this music got a lot of support from the countryside and religious fans.\nIn 1996 a school girl by the name of Siti Nurhaliza from a rural town Kuala Lipis in the state of Pahang released an album produced by a talented pop music producer named Adnan Abu Hassan. This album of Malay Pop genre was a huge success. She included different genres such as Malay pop, R&B and Malay Traditional music in her later albums with much success. This singer is now very popular in the country.\n\nMalaysian Alternative & 1990s Rock\n\nThe Malaysian underground music scene (also known as the Malaysian independent or urban music scene, with the term \"urban\" introduced in the late 90s)\nThe first signs of a underground music scene, as in real bands and original recordings, in Malaysia actually started in the city of Kuala Lumpur in the mid 1980s.\nMusicians involved in the underground scene are usually guitar-driven bands with inclination towards rock music, although there are a number of acts with differing musical influences such as Folk, hip-hop, electronica and dance music. The current rise of singer-songwriters in the acoustic or folk vein in the underground scene. The first wave of singer-songwriters who have established and gained reputation in this genre include Meor Aziddin Yusof, Sherry and Kit Lee (now known as Antares). The new generation of singer-songwriters include Pete Teo, Azmyl Yunor and Shanon Shah.\nThey were those in the scene who practically refused to play the mainstream music industry game due to the lack of transparency and fair-play in the dealings of the music companies, including one-sided and exploitative recording deals which they see as grossly unfair.\nThe underground scene in Malaysia used to be a strong and unified community, especially from its birth in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Bands or acts of different persuasions, such as punk, hardcore, Oi!/street punk, metal and ska usually performed together. The scene became less united by 1996 when most hardcore punk bands then started to apply a more staunch anti-corporate and DIY ideals into their activities.\nIt was also the days when fascist and right-wing elements started to rear its head via gangs of \"chaos punk\" and some skinhead bands. Metal bands had also removed itself from the usual multi-genre gig circuit, preferring to play only with other metal bands. Anti-corporate DIY punk bands, with anarchist ideals also started to be on their own, cutting off all ties to the others; building their own network and starting small bistros and labels. On the other hand, bands who originally started in the underground scene such as Butterfingers and OAG began to work with major label-affiliated record companies; which was seen by some as a betrayal of the DIY underground spirit.\nThis resulted in the break-up of the larger scene into smaller pockets which refused to acknowledge the other. The scene essentially split into two larger camps, on one hand the mainstream-friendly bands and the other, a deeper underground scene alienating themselves from the larger picture or any form of media exposure apart from their own fanzines.\nLately, major shows features bands from the mainstream hardcore scene with established bands (Cassandra, Love Me Butch) and also from the burgeoning folk singer-songwriter scene with established performers such as Azmyl Yunor.\n\nMalaysian punk band\nFamous Malaysian punk bands include the anarcho punk Carburetor Dung and streetpunk/oi! A.C.A.B..\nThe first punk rock scene in Malaysia started in Terengganu in 1978/1979. It started in the small town of Dungun by a group of friends influenced by British music magazines such as NME, Melody Maker, Sounds and Zig Zag, as well as their brothers and friends studying or living in the more modern West Coast cities who would pass them the magazines and music.\nIt was known as the Malaysian capital of punk rock throughout the late 1979 and the 1980s but there were no bands then as the punks were too poor to afford the equipment. The scene then was more a covergence of pioneering punk rockers trading pre-recorded music and fanzines acquired from pen-pals and friends from overseas while dabbling in home-made DIY punk fashion.\nMost of the trading material came from friends studying overseas, friends living in the West Coast cities and also punk rockers from UK, Europe and US who sent tapes and magazines. Irregular trips were made to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (and Georgetown, but rarely as it was too far) to dub punk rock records at the music stores or buy pirated tapes.\nSome fishing villages would have the most punks and thus became the center of activities. The main two villages were Kampung Mengabang Telipot (an hour north to the city) and Kampung Tanjung (right at the mouth of the city's river system). In Mengabang Telipot, there was a small punk community library with fanzines, magazines and music, which the kids would share. This library was actually a wooden cupboard situated at one of the punk rockers' houses, it was called as \"logen\".\nThe first Malaysian punk fanzine came out from this scene. It appeared in 1986 with the title of Huru Hara (meaning \"chaos\"); it was written in Terengganu slang by editor Mamat Hitam but never distributed on a large scale. The first fanzine to do that was Aedes, which lasted until 1996.\nBands like The Pilgrims, Carburetor Dung, The Bollocks, A.C.A.B and A.R.T were playing in the underground gig circuit 90's around Kuala Lumpur, sharing the same stage with other bands playing different genres. The Oi! scene was also popular with street punk music by bands like A.C.A.B, The Official & Roots N Boots, with the look of the mods and skinheads. Joe Kidd (Carburetor Dung), who was a journalist from Malaysia's The Sun newspaper, wrote his column called 'Blasting Concept' which reviewed most of the records and demo released by D.I.Y bands in the 1990s. There was also reviews of concerts and shows all around Malaysia. Joe Kidd now owns a D.I.Y shop called 'The Ricecooker' which is located in the heart of the Malaysian underground scene, Central Market.\nA new generation picked it up again in the late 1990s with bands, DIY labels and intermittent gigs.\nThere are still a lot of active punk-influenced bands such as Dirty Divider and The Goodnight Goodies, and hardcore/experimental/trance Mad Monsters Attack.\n\n\nBy the late 1990s with the internet easily available, downloading was the easiest and cheapest way to obtain recordings through mp3 files. Hardware CDs were also available in shops, illegal CD stalls and night markets. Priced at a quarter (1/4) of the original product price, CDs from major distributors and recording companies were no competition for these pirates. Many of the Malaysians prefer illegal music copies than original music copies. The market further deteriorated with the arrival of hardware such as mp3 players and mobile phones with similar features.\nMany factors has caused the Malaysian music industry declined:\n  • Excessive piracy (piracy is not a new phenomenon in Malaysian music market, it has been a phenomenon since 1970s, with pirated vinyls and audio cassettes sell at the half of the price of the original product)\n  • The revenue for Malaysian music industry decreased from over RM300 million in 1997 to only RM60 million in 2009\n  • Many local record labels out of business\n  • Illegal downloads\n  • The price of original cassettes and CDs decreased\n  • The number of local artists active in the music industry dropped from over 200 in 1997 to less than 100 in 2009\n  • Local record labels has forced local artists to produce album themselves\n  • Many local albums released after 2006 have less songs (mostly 5 - 9 songs)\nAs a result, Malaysia, along with its neighboring country, Singapore, is two of the countries in South East Asia where illegal music copies outsells legal music copies. Sales of domestic and international repertoire are in the same levels in both countries, comparing to other South East Asian nations.\nThe piracy of music CDs has caused all original albums sold in Malaysia, whether local or foreign to be attached with an original hologram sticker since 2000 before it can be sold. At the time of introduction, it only covers audio CDs, cassettes and music VCDs. In 2003, the sticker was updated with hologram feature and now also covers non-music video releases and video games. Also, in 2004, the certification levels were down from 15,000 copies and 25,000 copies to 10,000 copies and 20,000 copies for an album to be certified as Gold and Platinum, respectively.\nThe encouragement from the Malaysian government towards privatization of broadcasting stations received support from the public. An array of new radio and TV stations were built.\nDuring the early 2000s, introduction to a new form of entertainment called “Reality Shows” revived public interest in music entertainment. Shows such as Akademi Fantasia and Malaysian Idol allowed the public to choose their own stars by sending SMS through hand phones or computers at the convenience of the audiences. This excited the public because they were involved in the making of a celebrity and could choose who they wanted instead of having record companies create & distribute artistes.\nResearch implied that comparing from the past decades many other forms of entertainment such as DVDs, cable TVs, increased radio programmes and change of life styles has affected the musical interest of the public towards local musicians. However, this is still not representative of the active live music circuit with performers who compose and perform their own materials. Increased commercialisation and product placements using musicians casts a giant shadow over the local independent music scene and gives a skewed perception of what the local music \"industry\" represents instead of the voice of local musicians who still actively perform at pubs, gig venues and cafes.\nFrom reality shows, stars such as Vincent Chong, Jaclyn Victor, Danell Lee Chee Hun and Mawi are able to sell larger numbers of CDs compared to other musicians.\n\nIndonesian Music Invasion\n\nIndonesian music has always been welcomed by Malay music listeners until recently when some radio stations play more Indonesian songs than local songs. This phenomenon could be attributed to Malay music listeners who are tired of the local musicians' tendency to keep recycling old songs like 'Rock Kapak' and power-ballads that are deemed safe in terms of music industry strategy. Artist society like 'Karyawan' has tried to introduce a 90:10 quota, whereby 90% is allocated to Malaysian music and 10% for outsider music. This quota failed, as a lot of Indonesian music was aired by local radio stations. There has been mounting resistance to this invasion with many limitations in terms of airplay and show permits, but the lack of creativity by local musicians only accelerates the invasion of Indonesian music in Malaysia's community.\nHowever, starting from March 1, 2010, all Malay-language radio station has been required to play the latest song from local artists taken from their new singles/albums in order to crack down the stimulating Malaysian music industry.\n\nAncient Indian ship carving in South East Asia\nThe old name for Singapore or Singapura is Temasik. Singapura is a sanskrit word for city of lion. The old Temasik was name that when Sang Nila Utama a malay prince the founder of Singapore saw a lion in the island. The Earliest settlement is around 2 century AD. At this time around Hindu / Buddha is the religion of this region & other malay kingdom (nusantara) spread by Hindu merchant & colony maker. When Arab trader came they brought Islam & Arab culture there that is melt with local culture replacing Hindu-Buddha religion. We can still hear & watch those thousands year old ancient Hindu influence in Malay or nusantara culture today.\n\nOrkes Keroncong\nThe name keroncong came from the strumming sound of Portuguese little guitar  cavaquinho, braguinha, rajão & ukulele (Hawaii guitar). The music can be traced back to medieval &baroque Portuguese. The name keroncong only used in1800s a hundreds of years after Portuguese ex slaves settled in Batavia. Today the music is similar to Fado in Portugal. Up to this days gamelan element have been ad into the music and now become one of Indonesian musical heritage and identity.\n\nBlues Gang a Malaysian blues band who play American blues rock style music with some local element in Malay language. They also sing it in local dialect of Negeri Sembilan -\"Apo Nak Di kato\" & \"Jambatan Tamparuli\" in Dusun Language.Their first album Any Time Any Day released in 1979.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5955321192741394}
{"content": "The core temperature of sourdough before baking\n\nHi. Could anybody tell me what the core temperature of the sourdough should be just before baking?\n\n\nWe retard sourdough overnight after shaping, then bake off in the morning. The retarder stays at 4 degree Celsius until a few hours before baking. A few hours before baking, the prover kicks off, and the temperature of the retarder-prover gradually goes up. It's set to be 28 degrees just before baking. \n\n\nWhen I stick a thermometer into the sourdough just before baking, I realise that the internal temperature of the sourdough is sitting anywhere between 10 degrees and 14 degrees. I'm thinking that this is too cold, and hence we've been having problems with large blow out holes on the bottom of loaves.\n\n\nI could be wrong, but we've done so many different experiments to identify the cause of the holes, to no avail. \n\n\nIf anybody could kindly tell me what the core temperature of the sourdough after retarding but before baking, that'd be great. Also, if you could suggest any different ways of retarding sourdoughs, I'd appreciate that too. \n\n\nThank you. \n\n\nHi Naomi,\n\nSorry to hear you are still having problems.\n\nI'm only a home baker and only know what I know and have read about.  There are reports of people going straight from the fridge to the oven and also leaving the loaf at room temperature for several hours after retarding before baking with what seems to be equal success.\n\nI don't know whether your bakery schedule would allow it, but why don't you try some loaves that haven't been retarded and thus must be at full temperature and also a sequence of loaves that have been given progressively more time after retarding to see if the quality is different.\n\nI realise that you run into the potential problem of overproving with the latter approach because the chemistry does not stop during retardation, just slows down.  But, for the sake of a trial, a few loaves are worth the sacrifice.\n\n\n\nI'm with Farinam. I have personally baked at all temps between straight out of fridge (~4 C) and room temp - eitehr warmed after retard or not retarded at all, and temp variations never seem to - for me - precipitate this kind of result.\n\nAs I posted in the other thread, The only times I have had anything approaching this effect is when I have had the top of the loaf separate from the body in an otherwise similar looking way - and that I have correlated with occasions when the loaf has stuck badly in the banetton, and I have had to \"hang\" the loaf and cajole it out - causing a shearing under the top skin. That's why I wondered (in that other thread) whether there was any possibility of a similar force/action on the bottom of the proofed loaves - in that process of transferring to peel or even in the pulling away of the peel to get the loaf in the oven? (Are they shoved in roughly, or do they stick a bit to the peel?) Of course this may have nothing to do with what is happening... Alternatively does that top surface of the proving loaf  (that presumably becomes the bottom crust,  in the oven) dry out such that the expanding loaf might suffer a shear force between the loaf body which is expanding and the locally drier/harder skin which can't expand as much (eg imagine two balloons one inside the other, with  tape stuck over part of the outer balloon - when you blow up the inside balloon, the two don't move relative to each other, except where the tape is - the inner balloon expands but the outer one can't)? Probably way off course, but just a thought.\n\nOr what about this - how is that heat applied as the loaves are finally proved - 28 C seems high to me! I like them to warm slowly at around 20 deg C. I wonder if there is differential heat coming mainly onto that top skin (that becomes the bottom crust when it's turned over on the peel???). Could you be promoting a whole lot more expansion action just under that skin (much more than through the rest of the loaf)- as you say it's 10-14 in the middle, and presumably 28 C (ish) on that skin. Then those local large bubbles hit the stone, there's a whole lot of differential expansion - lots just inside the skin where the loaf is well warm, and way less in the body of the loaf which is relatively much cooler. Frankly I doubt this because I have baked partly warmed loaves that are probably 6C in the middle and 15 C on the skin, and had no problem! But it's a thought.\n\nCould you set the prover to kick in much earlier for a slower rise to say 20 or 22C? And does the heat get applied all around the loaves - or through the top (which will be bottom crust) only???\n\nHi Naomi,\n\nI had the problem of blow out holes at the bottom of my loaves during the experimental stage of learning sourdough after only doing yeasted bread in the past. It was very clear what was causing my problem- I was cooking 2 uncovered loaves side by side (but not touching) and the moisture sitting between the loaves was causing weak spots in the crust that persisted after the slashes in the tops had hardened a bit so that is where the oven-spring went- not via slashes as hoped but between the loaves. I now bake single loaves covered to retain moisture until rising is completed and have not had the problem ever under this current system.\n\nThat is why I am wondering if it is an air circulation problem ie the tops are setting or drying out before the sides while the bread is still rising in the oven.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.619890034198761}
{"content": "KBGX - FM 105.3 - Kea'au, HI\n\nThe Greatest Hits of All Time\n\nKBGX (105.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Oldies format. Licensed to Keaau, Hawaii, the station serves the Hilo area. The station is currently owned by Mahalo Broadcasting L.L.C. and features programing from Citadel Media's \"The True Oldies Channel\" satellite feed.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9965715408325195}
{"content": "Quapaw Reservation\n\nThe Quapaw Indian reservation is situated in the extreme northeast corner of the agency, and is 6.5 miles wide north and south, 14 miles long east and west, and contains 56,685 acres of land. The land is mostly prairie and well watered. Indications of mineral are found on this reservation in almost all the land\n\nQuapaw Indians\n\nQuapaw Tribe: Meaning “downstream people.” They were known by some form of this word to the Omaha, Ponca, Kansa, Osage, and Creeks. Also called: Akansa, or Arkansas, by the Illinois and other Algonquian Indians, a name probably derived from one of the Quapaw social subdivisions. Beaux Hommes, a name given them by the French. Bow\n\nModoc Tribe\n\nModoc Indians (from Móatokni, ‘southerners’). A Lutuamian tribe, forming the southern division of that stock, in south west Oregon. The Modoc language is practically the same as the Klamath, the dialectic differences being extremely slight. This linguistic identity would indicate that the local separation of the two tribes must have been comparatively recent and has\n\nModoc Indians\n\nModoc Indians were located on Little Klamath Lake, Modoc Lake, Tule Lake, Lost River Valley, and Clear Lake, extending at times as far east as Goose Lake in Oregon.\n\nNewsletter Signup\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8052463531494141}
{"content": "highway supertanker\n\nThe price of a gallon of gasoline has been a major downer so far in 2011, and data shows that it may be affecting driving habits. According to The Detroit News, the Federal Highway Administration claims that Americans drove 1.453 trillion miles in the first half of 2011. That's down 1.1 percent compared to the first six months of 2010, or an eye-popping 15.5 billion fewer miles compared to the first half of last year. In fact, the government report shows that total miles are down to the lowest level since 2004.\n\nTraffic was down on both rural and urban roads during that time span, though the greater drop occurred outside our nation's cities. Rural roads dropped by 1.7 percent, while urban roads declined by only one percent.\n\nThere is no telling if economic woes and pricey petrol will continue to keep Americans out of their vehicles in the second half of 2011, but it's a solid bet that we'll fall short of the 3 trillion miles traveled in 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9354935884475708}
{"content": "April 16, 2014\n\nHomework Help: Physics\n\nPosted by Elyssa on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 7:15pm.\n\n\nAn object experiences an acceleration of 6.8m/s^2. As a result, it accelerates from rest to 24m/s. How much distance did it travel during that acceleration?\n\nA car which is traveling at a velocity of 15m/s undergoes an acceleration of 6.5m/s^2 over a distance of 340m. How fast is it going after that acceleration?\n\nA car slams on its breaks creating an acceleration of /3.2m/s^2. It comes to rest after traveling a distance of 210m. What was its velocity before it began to accelerate.\n\nAn object is dropped from a 32m tall building. How fast will it be going when it strikes the ground?\n\nAn object is dropped from a building and strikes the ground with a speed of 31m/s. How tall is the building?\n\nA hopper jumps straight up to a height of 1.3m. With what velocity did it leave the floor?\n\nA hopper jumps straight up to a height of 0.45m. With what velocity will it return to the table?\n\nWhat is the landing velocity of an object that is thrown vertically down with a velocity of a 5m/s from a height of 25m?\n\nAn object accelerates from rest with a constant acceleration of 7.5m/s^2. How fast will it be travelling after it goes 12m?\n\nAn object is traveling at a constant velocity of 11m/s when it experiences a constant acceleration of 1.5m/s^2 for a time of 14s. What will its velocity be after the acceleration?\n\nAn object is thrown vertically up with a velocity of 35m/s. What was the maximum height?\n\nA boy throws a ball vertically up and catches it after 3s. What height did the ball reach?\n\nAn object is moving at velocity of 5.8m/s. It accelerates to a velocity of 25m/s over a time of 3.3s. What acceleration did it experience?\n\nA car which is traveling at velocity a 9.6m/s undergoes an acceleration of 4.2m/s^2 over a distance of 420 m. How fast is it going after that acceleration?\n\nA marble is projected vertically up by a spring gun, and reaches the maximum height of 9.8m. What is the initial speed of the marble? How long did it take the marble to reach maximum height?\n\nAn arrow is shot vertically up by a bow, and after 8s returns to the ground level. What is the initial velocity of the arrow? How high did it go?\n\nAnswer this Question\n\nFirst Name:\nSchool Subject:\n\nRelated Questions\n\nAlgebra - Find the product of (x^2 - 3x + 5) with the quotient of (10x^6 - 15x^5...\nmath - (x+3)(x+4)(x+5) just need help with the steps to solve it\ncollege algebra - 12x+4y+2z=-7 (1) 3x-12y+6z=-4 (2) 9x-16y+4z=-3 (3) solve the ...\nAlgebra again - I don't understand how to do this problems: Solve for the ...\nAlgebra II - Solve the given system by using a substitution method 9x-2y=3 3x-6=...\nALGEBRA - Determine the comparable interest rate for a $70,000 loan when the ...\nAlgebra - M = gw/g+w ... solve for w .... what's the steps I need to solve for w\ncalculus - Implicit Differentiation question x^y = y^x I was wondering if I was ...\nChemistry - Gas X has a density of 2.60/L at STP. Determine the molar of this ...\nalgebra - I need help breaking down the steps to solve HELP ME PLEASE solve ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.888308048248291}
{"content": "Sunyata Recordings are completely annihilating all label competition at the moment. I have no idea where they find the artists; I just hope they keep plumbing the abyssal underground for these gems. Pre-orders have just been put up for the ultra limited Life In The Dark EP; The Sunya Is Rising. Limited to 25 copies, a purple CDR enshrined in black card, all sealed and stamped in an envelope. A truly picturesque aesthetic for an honest, poignant release.\n\nPiano and voice ebb and flow as a candid sense of melancholy and appropriation swamp the listener. You are greeted by sultry notes that glisten to the spoken word of Anne Sexton’s ‘The Fury Of Sunrises’. Within minutes the track has evolved and hazily breaks into the recognizable Nadja-fed drone. Piano strokes haunt and recur throughout the piece lending an overall feel that leaves me somewhat reminiscent of early Nortt material. There are even harsher moments tamed by underlying ambient fuzz that bring Heartache era Jesu to mind. The release integrates all the familiar aspects of shoegaze, drone, industrial and even funeral doom to create a pivotally compelling piece of music.\n\nThe composition is heavily drone oriented with a brilliantly calculated ear for refrain and release that has largely dissipated from Nadja releases as their back catalogue became ever more convoluted and uninteresting. 35 minutes of unabashed hazed up synthdrone teeming with melancholy and splendour. Drums hiss and crackle behind a field of reverb, samples pulse from the wreckage and shine side by side with piano as the only sensibly clear sounds. Vocals wail under the current of the track – left deep at the bottom of the mix. I implore you to check out an excerpt from The Sunya Is Rising on the Sunyata Recordings Sampler (here), and immediately pre-order before this ultra limited release ends up in the dark too.\n\nFellow LURKER Richard described this to me as ‘epic’, and few words really hold as true. For a two track, 35 minute drone metal EP to hold sway over you for the duration and not fall into the catacombs of blatant Nadja worship, there is a telling sense of artistic integrity that is not being celebrated enough. Pre-order or miss out.\n\nRelated musings:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.669919490814209}
{"content": "10.0 Priority Sync\n\nPriority Sync is a new feature in NetIQ eDirectory 8.8 that is complimentary to the current synchronization process in eDirectory. Through Priority Sync, you can synchronize the modified critical data, such as passwords, immediately.\n\nYou can sync your critical data through Priority Sync when you cannot wait for normal synchronization. The Priority Sync process is faster than the normal synchronization process. Priority Sync is supported only between two or more eDirectory 8.8 or later servers hosting the same partition.\n\nThe following table lists the platforms that support the Priority Sync feature:\n\nFeature List\n\n\n\nPriority Sync\n\nThis chapter includes the following information:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9520936012268066}
{"content": "Two free-ranging packs of dholes (Asiatic wild dog, Cuon alpinus) were monitored for a period of 6 yr (Sep. 1990-Sep. 1996) in the Mudumalai sanctuary, southern India. Demographic data on age structure, litter-size, sex ratio and age and sex specific dispersal were collected. Behavioural data on social interactions and reproductive behaviour among pack members were obtained to determine the frequencies of dominant and subordinate behaviours shown by male and female pack members and a measure of each male's reproductive access to females. Behaviours displayed by pack members at dens were recorded to determine whether any age- or sex-specific role specialization existed during pup care. Tenures for dominant males and females within the pack were calculated to ascertain the rate of breeding vacancies occurring within packs. Approximate levels of genetic relatedness within packs were determined by studying pedigrees.\n\nIn most years one study pack had a male-biased adult sex ratio. This was caused by almost two-fold higher dispersal of adult females over adult males. A considerable variance existed in the percentage of sub-adults dispersing from the two packs. Differences existed in the frequencies of dominant and subordinate behaviours shown by males. For males, dominance ranks and ranks based on submissive behaviours were not correlated with frequencies of reproductive behaviours. Subordinate males also displayed reproductive behaviours. In packs, dominant males had lower tenures than dominant females indicating that among males breeding vacancies arose more quickly. The litter size was found to be negatively correlated with the age of the breeding female. There were no significant differences across individuals of varying age or sex classes in the display of pup care behaviours. Significant differences did exist among individual adults. Genetic relatedness among packs tended to vary temporally as a consequence of possible mating by subordinate animals and immigration of new males into the pack.\n\nIn conclusion, it appears that males delay dispersal and cooperate within their natal packs because of the variety of reproductive strategies they could pursue within. A combination of ecological constraints and the difficulties of achieving breeding status within non-natal packs may make early dispersal and independent breeding less beneficial.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9515448212623596}
{"content": "Having to replace a radiator is a hassle, but tolerable. Replacing a muffler or alternator is more costly and thus, more frustrating. But it's still bearable. Your car's engine, on the other hand, is among the few assemblies (your transmission is the other one) where a failure can empty your pocket book.\n\n\nBelow, we'll explore the decision to fix the assembly versus having it replaced. We'll explain why uncovering the root causes of a given problem is a critical piece to making this decision. Lastly, we'll describe the key differences between a brand new engine and a remanufactured unit.\n\nDeciding Whether To Repair The Assembly\n\nSuppose your vehicle is eight or nine years old and you've driven it extremely hard over those years. As a result, your engine has finally failed. The first question to ask is whether you should keep your car, or retire it and buy a new one. A lot depends on its age, value, and overall condition.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDifferences Between New And Remanufactured Engines\n\nYou can buy a used assembly from a junkyard, but doing so may be dangerous. There's no way to be certain whether there are problems hidden from view, especially with engines that have a lot of miles. Even if you find a used assembly with low miles and a limited warranty, it will usually be a less-than-ideal option. The price will be consistent with a remanufactured unit, which will have been brought up to OEM standards. At that point, you're better off investing in the latter.\n\n\n\n\n\nAlamo Heights | Balcones Heights | Castle Hills | Cibolo | Converse | Elmendorf | Fair Oaks Ranch | Grey Forest | Helotes | Hill Country Village | Kirby | Leon Valley | Live Oak | Lytle | Olmos Park | San Antonio | Schertz | Selma | Shavano Park | Somerset | Terrell Hills | Universal City | Von Ormy | Windcrest | China Grove | Hollywood Park | St. Hedwig | Cross Mountain | Scenic Oaks | Timberwood | Park Adkins | Atascosa | Macdona | Martinez | Sayers Bulverde | Fair Oaks Ranch | Garden Ridge | New Braunfels | San Antonio | Schertz | Selma | Canyon City | Fischer | Spring Branch | D'Hanis | Dunlay | Mico | Pearson | Rio Medina | Yancey | Castroville | Devine | Hondo | LaCoste | Lytle | Natalia | Bexar County | Comal County | Medina County", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7796949148178101}
{"content": "Just before leaving Syria late last month, U.N. weapons inspectors discovered an odd-looking projectile sticking out of the dirt near the spot where hundreds of Syrians died Aug. 21. Experts who studied the device would call it a \"trash can on a rocket,\" citing its long fuselage and fat warhead capable of carrying 15 gallons of poison.\n\nThe reference to the rocket's discovery would take up only a few lines in Monday's highly technical U.N. report confirming the use of lethal sarin gas against Syrian civilians. But the new details about one of the weapons allegedly used in the attack came closer than ever to pinning the blame on the Syrian government, diplomats and weapons experts said.\n\nThe 41-page U.N. report concluded that much of the sarin used in the attack was hurled east of Damascus in unusually shaped, 330mm artillery rockets, similar to the one found protruding from the soil in the Zamalka suburb. The finding is significant, weapons experts say, because the rockets appear to be of a unique Syrian design, different from any of the shells and warheads associated with other producers of chemical arms.\n\nThe size of the warhead — capable of carrying up to 20 times as much liquid as other commonly used munitions — could account for the unexpectedly large number of deaths from the Aug. 21 attack, in which more than 1,000 people are estimated to have died, diplomats and weapons experts said.\n\nMoreover, the 330mm rocket and its Iranian-built launching system are known to be tightly controlled by Syrian forces. Since the conflict began, there have been only a handful of accounts of government forces using such rockets and no reports of rebels acquiring either the weapons or the specialized launching tubes required to fire them, experts say.\n\n\"The U.N. report provides solid confirmation as to the two types of rockets used in the attack, and its evidence provides even greater proof that the government was responsible,\" said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies program director at Human Rights Watch, which last week issued a study that also pointed to the rockets as vital clues linking the Syrian regime to the attack.\n\nAlthough the U.N. report does not explicitly assign blame, Bouckaert said the rockets' flight path and the military-grade quality of the sarin also point to the government.\n\nThe U.N. report said the larger, 330mm rockets were found in Zamalka and Ein Tarma, two southeastern neighborhoods that recorded the highest numbers of casualties.\n\nThe report included photographs and drawings of the 330mm rockets' barrel-shaped warhead, which it described as being about 14 inches wide and 30 inches long. At those dimensions, the weapon's carrying capacity would have been about 120 pounds of liquid sarin, the report said.\n\nEnvironmental samples from the rocket remnants and surrounding soil tested positive for sarin, the report said.\n\nHighlights of the report\n\nWhat was used?\n\n\nHow was it delivered?\n\nThe U.N. team found remnants of rockets that were 25 inches long and 5½ inches wide, with a small rocket motor on the bottom, a central shaft and a cylindrical warhead. The warhead had a capacity to hold about 14.8 gallons of liquid sarin, plus or minus 1.6 gallons. The rockets were \"variants of the M14 artillery rocket, with either an original or improvised warhead.\" The team was able to trace back the trajectories of two of the rockets and found their path could have come from a single, multi-barreled launcher.\n\nWho fired the weapons?\n\nThe U.N. team's mandate was strictly limited to evidence-gathering and testing to determine if a banned chemical weapon as used. Syria had requested the dispatch of the U.N. team to investigate a March 19 incident at Khan al-Assal earlier this year. After protracted negotiations with the United Nations, agreement was finally reached for the team to check that and two other alleged attack sites. But the team was not to assign blame for the attacks.\n\nWho has chemical weapons?\n\nAccording to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Albania, India, Iraq, Libya, Russia and the United States, along with a country identified by the OPCW only as \"a State Party\" but widely believed to be South Korea, have declared stockpiles of chemical weapons to The Hague-based organization. The Associated Press", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9180340766906738}
{"content": "Gender Neutral Bathrooms\n\nWhat is a gender neutral bathroom?\n\nA gender neutral bathroom is a bathroom that anyone of any gender can use. In contrast, gender segregated bathrooms are those that mark \"women\" or \"men\" on the door. Gender neutral bathrooms can be single or multi-stall. Single stall gender neutral bathrooms (often marked as a \"family restroom\" or with a pants/skirt/handicap sign) are ones that you enter, close the door behind you, and have the facility to yourself. Multi-stall gender neutral restrooms are larger rooms with multiple stalls and multiple sinks where any one of any gender can enter. Gender neutral bathrooms can benefit several different groups of people including parents with differently gendered children, people who necessitate an attendant in the restroom who may be of a different gender, and trans* and gender nonconforming people. This page is dedicated to explaining the issue as it pertains to the trans* and gender nonconforming population at Portland Community College.\n\nWhy are gender neutral bathrooms important when creating a safe space for gender minorities?\n\nGender neutral bathrooms are a way to create a safer campus environment for trans* and gender nonconforming students, staff, faculty and community members at PCC. They are also a way for PCC to show trans* and gender nonconforming people that our community values their presence and cares about their health and safety.\nFor trans* and gender nonconforming individuals, gender segregated bathrooms can be spaces where they are met with intimidation, harassment, run-ins with security, and/or violence. These occurrences happen when people using the restroom police the gender of others based on binary assumptions and expectations of who men and women are and what they look like. This policing can effect trans* individuals, but also cisgender individuals (those who are not trans*) who present or express their gender in ways that are not culturally normative. This phenomenon is commonly referred to in gender minority communities as \"The Bathroom Problem,\" and is an experience that most trans* and gender nonconforming people have encountered, often repeatedly, in their lives.\nGender segregated bathrooms threaten the safety of many trans* and gender nonconforming individuals. In addition to being a safety concern, this bathroom configuration can lead to health concerns. When one does not have a bathroom option that they feel comfortable and/or safe accessing, they may choose to not use the bathroom. Depending on how a person goes about avoiding the bathroom, whether it be by not eating or drinking all day or by holding it, doing so can cause serious health problems.\nGender neutral restrooms are safer for trans* and gender nonconforming people and not any less safe for others (See \"Common Arguments\" below). When a bathroom is gender neutral, a person who does not identify within the binary as a man or woman does not have to choose a bathroom that does not align with their gender identity. When a bathroom is gender neutral, trans* and gender nonconforming people do not stand out in ways that can make them vulnerable to intimidation, harassment or attack. When a bathroom is gender neutral, \"who counts\" and \"who is allowed\" is expanded to include everyone, which lessens the likelihood of exclusionary gender policing in the bathroom. Finally, when a trans* or gender nonconforming person sees a gender neutral bathroom when they access a PCC campus, especially if PCC is explicit about the ways in which they serve gender minority populations, the bathroom will act as a sign of PCC's commitment to serving and supporting a diverse student body and PCC community.\n\nDoes Portland Community College have gender neutral bathrooms?\n\nYES!!! PCC has gender neutral bathrooms (GNBs) on every campus, and we are working for more. For information about how to find them, please contact genderinclusivespaces@pcc.edu.\n\nWhat can you do to encourage Portland Community College to institute more gender neutral bathrooms?\n\n  • Join the Gender Neutral Bathroom Task Force, which meets every other Friday at each campus in a round robin style. For more information contact genderneutralspaces@pcc.edu. The chair of this committee is Nash Jones.\n  • Educate others about this topic, which some have never thought about or encountered. If you feel comfortable speaking to the topic yourself, do so! If you do not, you can refer them to this webpage, to the Queer Resource Center at Rock Creek Campus, or the Gender Neutral Bathroom Task Force, at genderinclusivespaces@pcc.edu.\n\nCommon Arguments and Frequently Asked Questions\n\n1. argument: gender neutral bathrooms are unsafe for women and children\n\n\n  • allowing people to use the bathroom that works best for their gender identity does not compromise the safety of women or children. Trans* and gender nonconforming people should not be assumed to be predators or dangerous. Also, a sign on a gender segregated bathroom does not keep actual violent or dangerous people (of any gender) out of the restroom.\n\n\n\n\n  • gender neutral bathrooms do not only increase bathroom accessibility and safety for trans* and gender nonconforming individuals. Gender neutral bathrooms also increase access for guardians who accompany a child of another gender to the bathroom, thus increasing the safety of that child. Gender neutral bathrooms also increase access for attendants who assist people of another gender in the restroom, thus increasing the safety of the person who necessitates assistance in the bathroom.\n\n3. argument: If only gender segregated bathroom options exist, which bathroom should we let transgender people use? What if they do not present in a gender normative way?\n\n  • trans* folks should not be told which restroom they should use. Trans* folks should be allowed to use the restroom that they believe is most fitting, comfortable or useful for them. For binary trans* folks, this would most likely be the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. For genderqueer or gender nonconforming folks, this decision may depend on several personal factors.\n\n  • There are no rules about how feminine or masculine one needs to be to access the restroom. This is called “gender policing” the rules of the gender binary. Almost no one (trans, queer, or cis) conforms perfectly to gender norms all of the time, thus the gender binary is restrictive for all. Policing gender in or outside of the bathroom can lead to discrimination and violence.\n\n4. argument: men are messier and stinkier than women, so women shouldn’t be forced to share a bathroom with them\n\n  • men are not inherently or naturally messier than women. Often women’s restrooms can get messy. If this is an observed comparison between bathrooms in a given place, maybe making the bathrooms gender neutral will encourage a culture of cleanliness.\n\n  • most people use gender neutral bathrooms at home or in others’ homes without questions of messiness. The ease at which restrooms are shared with all genders in the home indicates that people could do so successfully in public.\n\n5. argument: gender neutral bathrooms will make cisgender people (often communicated as “real,” “natural,” “regular,” or “normal” women/men) uncomfortable. Also, sharing the bathroom with the “opposite” sex will be embarrassing.\n\n  • Comfort should not take precedence over safety.\n\n  • Folks may feel uncomfortable with a change in a rule that did not negatively effect them personally, but most likely only at first.\n\n  • avoiding embarrassment should not be more important than creating safety.\n\n  • the preferences of the majority should not be prioritized over the needs of a minority\n\n6. argument: I understand that gender neutral bathrooms increase safety and health of trans* and gender nonconforming people, but we just don’t have the money or space to build more bathrooms. I also don’t have the power to change the bathrooms we have into gender neutral options.\n\n  • Multi-stall gender neutral bathrooms actually take up the same amount or even less space as gender segregated restrooms. They are simply a single room instead of two separate rooms assigned to women and men. They are also more cost efficient because you need fewer of them, you can convert pre-existing bathrooms with only slight changes, and if you choose to take the urinals out, you will have less maintenance cost as urinals are known to clog and break down at a faster rate than toilets.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7200270295143127}
{"content": "**CS Saturday LangExch PICNIC IN THE PARK (regular meeting)**\n\nOrganized by Oscar Barrofet\nLet's meet at 15.30 in front of the main gate, the one in front of Arc de Triomf, or if you are late just go to the meeting point.\n\nMy number if you are lost: +34 654-58-66-89\n\ngood time is arrived, let's settle for Parc de la Ciutadella. I am sure that it will be a great good weather and a nice picnic it is a must!!! so bring your sandwiches, snacks, salads, fruits, your picnic towel and some fresh drinks to enjoy until the sun go away.\n\n\n  • main_thread_for_E:event/22292\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9993340969085693}
{"content": "Hydrodemolition Trailer\n\nA photo of a Rampart Hydro trailer\n\nOur Hydro-demolition Trailer transports and stores all equipment, parts and supplies used on a job site.  The cleverly-organized trailer can contain up to three X-Pumps, a 1,200 gallon water tank, four 150-gallon diesel fuel tanks, a waste oil tank, cutting tractor, aluminum canopy for adverse working conditions, generator and lights plus all the parts and tools necessary for a project.  This innovative piece of Rampart-designed equipment wastes no space.  An inside container houses the cutting tractor during transport and becomes an enclosed workshop at the job site.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.760252833366394}
{"content": "Historical Background\n\nHorvat Omrit is a Roman-era sanctuary site located in the foothills of Mt. Hermon, just south of the modern Israeli border with Lebanon. Omrit stands near the crossroads of the ancient highway system, which linked important urban centers such as Scythopolis and Tyre to the Roman provincial capital of Damascus. During Hellenistic and Roman times, Omrit was part of an unruly region, famous for banditry, known as Iturea (Strabo Geo. 16.2, 18). The population of this mountainous region was primarily composed of Greek-speaking pagans, whose culture was most closely aligned with the cities of Syria and Phoenicia. There was also a significant population of Jews living in Iturea, many of whom, according to Josephus (Ant. 13.9), had been forcibly converted to Judaism during the rule of the Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE).\n\nFollowing the battle of Actium in 31 BCE, the emperor Augustus ceded control of Iturea to Herod the Great and tasked him with restoring order to the unruly region. Herod crushed all military opposition with his typical ruthless efficiency and then initiated an audacious building program designed to win over the people of Iturea (Josephus Ant. 15.344). Among the sites that benefited from Herod’s largesse was Horvat Omrit. During the early first century CE, Herod constructed a lavish sanctuary complex at Omrit, which was likely dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor, Augustus. This sanctuary was expanded several times over the course of first century CE and remained in use until 363 CE, when it was destroyed in an earthquake. A small Christian chapel was later erected on the spot of the Herodian sanctuary using blocks from collapsed Roman buildings. The Christian community that built this chapel continued to thrive at Omrit until a second major earthquake destroyed the site in the mid-eighth century CE.\n\n\nIsraeli and American archaeologists rediscovered Horvat Omrit in 1998 after a brush fire cleared away the vegetation, revealing the ancient ruins. Archaeological excavations began on the site in 1999, under the direction of Prof. J. Andrew Overman of Macalester College. For twelve seasons (1999-2011), J.A. Overman and his team, with the assistance of co-directors Daniel Schowalter of Carthage College and Michael Nelson of Queens College in NY, worked to uncover the Roman sanctuary complex at Omrit. Their excavations have recovered evidence of three separate building phases of the temple. The first phase, commonly known as the “Early Shrine,” was built around 20 BCE. The Early Shrine was constructed out of local limestone which was stuccoed and painted with polychrome frescoes meant to imitate precious stone veneer. Many of these frescoes have survived in startlingly good condition and preserving them will be a top priority in the years to come.\n\nDuring the first century CE, Herod the Great decided to replace the Early Shrine with a new, much larger temple (Temple I). This new temple conformed to the standard paradigm used for emperor-cult temples in East: prostyle, tetrastyle with a high podium and staircase. The Roman historian, Josephus (Ant. 15.363; War 1.404), states that Herod built an Augusteum (i.e., a temple of Augustus) in the region of Caesarea Phillipi, a town approximately 2 kilometers away from Omrit. Based on its architectural design, J.A. Overman has identified Temple I at Omrit as the Augusteum mentioned by Josephus. The construction of this new Augusteum not only reaffirmed Herod’s loyalty to Augustus, but also helped to assure the continued participation of the local Iturean population in the imperial regime.\n\nDuring the late first century CE (c. 79-96 CE), the temple at Omrit underwent a final phase of expansion (Temple II). The podium was significantly widened and a peripteros (or row of columns) was installed around the entire temple. J.A. Overman believes that this final expansion of temple at Omrit may have been related to the visit of the Roman general, Titus, to Iturea in 70 CE. Josephus reports (War 7.24) that after quelling the Great Jewish Revolt, Titus held his victory games at Caesarea Phillipi. It seems likely, therefore, that while he was in the region, Titus decided to renovate the Augusteum at Omrit as a way of permanently commemorating his victory over the Jews.\n\nComments are closed.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9257815480232239}
{"content": "Encyclopedia Astronautica\n2001.04.26 - STS-100 Mission Status Report #16\n\nAs flight controllers continued to troubleshoot computer systems on board the International Space Station (ISS), the ten crewmembers were told late today they would spend some bonus time together, after mission managers requested an additional two days of docked operations to allow ground teams to recover the use of command computers in the Destiny laboratory and to complete joint activities.\n\nFinal confirmation of the two-day extension is pending Russian concurrence of NASA's request for a one-day delay to their Soyuz launch, currently scheduled for Saturday. That would allow Endeavour to remain docked to the Station until at least Monday to help resolve the computer problems which were first noticed Tuesday night. The Soyuz vehicle was rolled out to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at dawn today.\n\nWith one of three command and control computers still up and running on board the station, flight controllers worked through the day to overcome what is believed to be a software problem with the other two command computers and their processing systems. Ultimately a decision was made to postpone the unberthing of the Raffaello logistics module from the Unity module until Friday while ground controllers worked to recover the computers. With other work on hold, the crewmembers completed packing up Raffaello with unneeded gear and trash, which will be brought back to Earth.\n\nIf at least one additional command computer can be recovered overnight, and engineers can reboot two fault protection computers in the Unity module which also shut down earlier today, the Raffaello module could be unberthed around midday Friday. Procedures to bring at least one additional computer back on line for further operations are expected to take about 10 hours.\n\nIf Raffaello can be returned to Endeavour's cargo bay tomorrow, then the crew will likely be given the green light to press ahead with the handoff of a pallet from the newly installed Canadarm2 Station robot arm to Endeavour's slightly smaller robot arm on Saturday, setting the stage for undocking on Monday.\n\nTo recover the two Unity computers, which offer a defense against other computer malfunctions by automatically rebooting them, controllers will have to perform a complex resynchronization procedure early Friday shortly before the planned wakeup of the two crews.\n\nEndeavour has enough power and other consumables to remain in orbit until Friday, if necessary. With a two-day mission extension, landing would occur on Wednesday.\n\nThe crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station are scheduled to be awakened around 2:40 a.m. Central time Friday. Meanwhile, all of Endeavour's systems continue to function flawlessly as it orbits the Earth linked to the ISS.\n\nMore... - Chronology...\n\nHome - Browse - Contact\n© / Conditions for Use", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.55143141746521}
{"content": "dLifeHeaderPortlet dLifeHeaderPortlet\n\nLean Lemon Chicken Breast\nSource: dLife\n\nChicken breast deliciously seasoned and baked.\n\nPrep Time: 30 minutes\nCook Time: 30 minutes\nDifficulty: Intermediate\n\nNutrition Facts\n\nMakes 4 servings\nAmount Per Serving\nCalories 145.4\nTotal Carbs 6.4 g\nDietary Fiber 1.0 g\nSugars 1.6 g\nTotal Fat 1.4 g\nSaturated Fat 0.4 g\nUnsaturated Fat 0.3 g\nPotassium 377.9 mg\nProtein 26.6 g\nSodium 310.1 mg\nDietary Exchanges\n, 1/2 Fruits , 4 Lean Meat\nSee the Detailed Nutritional Analysis\nPowered by ESHA\n\nIngredients Directions\n  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8-inch x 8-inch glass or non-stick baking dish with olive oil spray.\n  2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, lemon pepper, and seasoned salt. Mix to blend.\n  3. Place the chicken on a large plate or platter. Rub the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes for the seasonings to flavor the chicken.\n  4. Place a large non-stick skillet over high heat until it is hot enough for a squirt of water to sizzle on it. Using an oven mitt, remove the skillet from heat to spray lightly with olive oil spray.\n  5. Put the chicken in the pan, cooking it for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until browned.\n  6. Place the cooked chicken into the baking dish, smooth sides up, making sure the pieces don't overlap. Spray each breast with 2 spritzes of butter-flavored cooking spray. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken, topping each breast with a lemon slice.\n  7. Bake for 21 to 24 minutes, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven, basting with pan juices. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.\n\ndLife Weekly Poll\n\nIs your sleep often disrupted by a diabetes-related issue?\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7076098918914795}
{"content": "What's the difference between leadership and management?\n\nWinston Churchill sitting at his desk\nWinston Churchill is a great example of a leader, but he is not manager. Photograph: Hulton Getty\n\nManagement and leadership practises were once just a subject for TV sitcoms – the Office's David Brent, a master of 'management speak', was celebrated as an example of all that is bad about bosses.\n\nBut recent scandals, such as those concerning the BBC, NHS and the banking sector, have forced the debate about management and leadership up the agenda. Employers and politicians alike are now asking how our public and private bodies should be organised – and how we can prepare the next generation of leaders.\n\nKey to the problem is understanding the difference between management and leadership, says John Kotter, Konosuke Matsushita professor of leadership at Harvard University. He fears that too often, employers use the terms synonymously.\n\n\"Management is a set of processes that keep an organisation functioning. They make it work today – they make it hit this quarter's numbers. The processes are about planning, budgeting, staffing, clarifying jobs, measuring performance, and problem-solving when results did not go to plan.\"\n\nLeadership is very different. \"It is about aligning people to the vision, that means buy-in and communication, motivation and inspiration.\"\n\nChurchill is a great example of a leader, but he is not manager. \"He is not beloved because he made the bureaucracy function.\"\n\nIf an organisation is run effectively, leadership and management will exist in tandem, adds Jonathan Gosling, professor of leadership studies at the University of Exeter Business School. He points to the management technique known as target-setting – a concept that will only work when good leadership is present.\n\n\"Target setting is a management technique used to focus attention on certain activities. A hospital, for example, might set targets around waiting times.\"\n\nFor this exercise to work, someone within the hospital must show leadership by emphasising the importance of the activity. \"In this example, the wider purpose is helping patients to lead better lives. A leader needs to inspire employees by showing how meeting a target can contribute towards this aim. They also need to think of new ways of reaching that target.\"\n\nHow an organisation strikes a balance between management and leadership depends on the environment in which it operates. \"If the world is not changing and you are on top, then management is essential but more leadership really is not,\" says Kotter. \"Leadership is always about change: it's not about mobilising people to do what they've always done well to continue to do it well.\"\n\nBut at a time of economic crisis and technological transformation, leadership has never been more essential, according to Dame Mary Marsh founding director of the Clore Social Leadership Programme and former chief executive of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). She emphasises that employees should be encouraged to develop the necessary qualities as soon as possible.\n\n\"It's crazy to think that you only need to lead when you're working at the top of an organisation – you simply can't learn it all then because you'll be too busy doing it.\"\n\nWhile management and leadership are distinct concepts, there is a natural overlap between the skills they require, argues Marsh.\n\n\"There will be senior leaders who are particularly focused on strategic aims, but it's a great mistake to think that if you're managing a team you're only managing it. You're actually leading as well.\"\n\nMentoring and formal training can help employees make the most of opportunities to use leadership skills, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute. It reports that 90% of members who have completed a management and leadership qualification found the experience improved their performance at work. There was also a \"ripple effect\", with 81% of those surveyed passing on their knowledge to colleagues.\n\nAcademics say that training demystifies the idea of leadership. They fear the media's representations of popular \"hero leaders\", such as Steve Jobs or Churchill, have caused some to believe that only a select few are born with the ability to work in a top-level position.\n\n\"At any one time the world has a very limited number of Steve Jobs or Winston Churchills or Thomas Watson the firsts,\" says Kotter. \"These are wonderful people and we can learn much from them, but praying for a few more of them to solve the world's problems is not a great idea.\"\n\nCelebrating individual leaders can also cause some to forget that it is never just one person running the show, adds Marsh.\n\n\"Leadership needs to be clear and strategic, but it also needs to be collaborative both between and within organisations.\"\n\n\"You've got to be able to listen, to engage, to emphasise. You need to be maintaining a customer focus and growing the people around you.\" At a time when many businesses are facing budget cuts, such qualities are essential, she adds.\n\nFor Julie Davenport, founder and chief executive of Good Energy, the path to effective management and leadership begins at school.\n\nWhile communication and writing should be nutured in the classroom, team work exercises should also be prioritised.\n\n\"These can be developed through other areas including sport, art, design, and music, activities that aren't confined to the classroom and are sometimes neglected in the push for academic results.\"\n\nThese soft skills, Gosling agrees, are essential to all those helping to run an organisation. \"There are people who have a lot of great qualities and capacities for huge workloads or discerning what is and isn't of strategic importance – but who have no ability to communicate or engender trust among people.\n\n\"In any workplace, these are the qualities that matter.\"\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8855799436569214}
{"content": "Eyes are probably the most important symbolic sensory organ. They can represent clairvoyance, omniscience, and/or a gateway into the soul. Other qualities that eyes are commonly associated with are: intelligence, light, vigilance, moral conscience, and truth. Looking someone in the eye is a western custom of honesty. In this way covering of the eyes, by wearing a helmet, sunglasses, etc. can mean mystery, not seeing the complete truth, or deceit. However, in other cultural contexts the obscuring of the eyes can convey respect (Asian) or modesty and submission (many middle eastern women wear VEILS for this purpose). The eye often means judgment and authority. Jung considers its original symbol as the eternal bosom with the pupil its 'child.' It is the place where love begins (ending at the mouth).\n\nDifferent colors of the eyes carry different meanings: blue - a sign of being in love, innocence; green - jealousy, a sign of distrust, rarity; red - demonic, weeping, fury. Different numbers of eyes have different meanings as well: one - subhuman, divine omniscience, superhuman (usually negative); two - normality, both physically and spiritually; three - superhuman powers, can be either benevolent or malevolent; multiple - stars and darkness.\n\nUp one level\nBack to document index", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8954800367355347}
{"content": "9 Purdue professors elected as fellows by top science organization\n\nNovember 29, 2012  \n\nWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Nine Purdue University professors have been awarded the distinction of fellow from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society.\n\n\nThe fellows from Purdue are:\n\n* Mahdi Abu-Omar, professor of chemistry, for distinguished contributions to the field of mechanistic inorganic chemistry, with particular emphasis on atom transfer reactions of oxorhenium complexes.\n\n\n* Mark Cushman, distinguished professor of medicinal chemistry, for outstanding contributions to medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, particularly his impact on fundamental science and delivery of novel therapeutics.\n\n* Vincent Jo Davisson, professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, for important contributions to the understanding and exploitation of molecular specificity in pharmacological systems.\n\n\n* David Nolte, professor of physics, for distinguished contributions to the field of optical interferometric devices, particularly the development and commercialization of dynamic holographic films, the BioCD and motility contrast imaging.\n\n* Ian Shipsey, the Julian Schwinger Distinguished Professor of Physics, for his contributions to the field of experimental particle physics, particularly for heavy quark physics and leadership in the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment.\n\n* Gabriela Weaver, professor of chemistry, for distinguished contributions to transforming science education at the undergraduate and pre-college levels through the use of inquiry-based pedagogies and innovative technologies.\n\n* Howard Zelaznik, professor of health and kinesiology and associate vice president for research, for distinguished contributions to the fields of psychology and kinesiology, particularly for the development of a theoretical framework in movement timing.\n\nThese new AAAS fellows bring the Purdue total to 54.\n\n\n\nBrian Wallheimer, 765-496-2050, bwallhei@purdue.edu\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9873118996620178}
{"content": "Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz\n\n(1651 - 1695 / San Miguel Nepantla / Mexico)\n\nBiography of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz\n\nSor Juana Ines de la Cruz poet\n\n\n\n\nMaria Luisa and Sor Juana embarked on a passionate friendship that may have crossed the boundaries of the propriety of the day. In any case, it produced decidedly amorous poetry. Sor Juana wrote, \"That you're a woman far away is no hindrance to my love: for the soul, as you well know, distance and sex don't count.\" Whether she was a lesbian by modern-day standards is unclear, and probably irrelevant. What is clear is that her poetry expresses a spiritual solidarity with women, a sublime affinity that transcends sex. That this solidarity excluded men is apparent in her anti-male work -- in \"You Men,\" the accused are a sniveling bunch \"adept at wrongly faulting womankind.\"\n\nHowever, it was not the Sapphic content of her verses that upset Sor Juana's contemporaries. Rather, she drew fire after a private letter criticizing a member of the clergy was published without her permission. When the Archbishop of Mexico tried to silence her, she wrote a defense entitled \"La Respuesta.\" This letter is her defining work -- and the instrument of her downfall. Sor Juana turned around the logic used by the Church to justify her oppression and subverted it into a magnificent defense for women's intellectual rights and education. Though the letter’s tone is superficially humble, Sor Juana forcefully insists that women have a natural right to the mind. Her use of biblical evidence to support her call for strong, educated women is downright clever -- and has earned her recognition for her rhetorical skills. Naturally, \"La Respuesta\" brought indignation from the Church and unwanted attention from the Inquisition. To save herself, Sor Juana was forced to stop writing and to give up her books. She died a nun’s death in 1695, succumbing to illness while caring for the poor during an epidemic.\n\nThis page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz; it is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the CC-BY-SA.\n\n[Hata Bildir]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5073429346084595}
{"content": "Sacred Texts  Bible  Bible Commentary  Index \nJoel Index\n  Previous  Next \n\n\nJoel Chapter 2\n\n\njoe 2:0\n\nThe prophet sounds the alarm of a dreadful calamity, the description of which is most terribly worked up, Joe 2:1-11. Exhortation to repentance, fasting, and prayer, that the Divine judgments may be averted, Joe 2:12-17. God will in due time take vengeance on all the enemies of pure and undefiled religion, Joe 2:18-20. Great prosperity of the Jews subsequent to their return from the Babylonish captivity, Joe 2:21-27. Joel then makes an elegant transition to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, Joe 2:28-30; for so these verses are explained by one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. See Act 2:16-21. Prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, which was shortly to follow the opening of the Gospel dispensation, Act 2:31. Promises of safety to the faithful and penitent; promises afterwards remarkably fulfilled to the Christians in their escape to Pella from the desolating sword of the Roman army, Act 2:32.\n\nJoel 2:1\n\njoe 2:1\n\nBlow ye the trumpet in Zion - This verse also shows that the temple was still standing. All assemblies of the people were collected by the sound of the trumpet.\n\nThe day of the Lord cometh - This phrase generally means a day of judgment or punishment.\n\nJoel 2:2\n\njoe 2:2\n\nA day of darkness, etc - The depredations of the locusts are described from the second to the eleventh verse, and their destruction in the twentieth. Dr. Shaw, who saw locusts in Barbary in 1724 and 1725, thus describes them: -\n\n\"I never observed the mantes, bald locusts, to be gregarious. But the locusts, properly so called, which are so frequently mentioned by sacred as well as profane writers, are sometimes so beyond expression. Those which I saw in 1724 and 1725 were much bigger than our common grasshopper; and had brown spotted wings, with legs and bodies of a bright yellow. Their first appearance was toward the latter end of March, the wind having been for some time south. In the middle of April their numbers were so vastly increased that, in the heat of the day, they formed themselves into large and numerous swarms; flew in the air like a succession of clouds; and, as the prophet Joel expresses it, (Joe 2:10) they darkened the sun. When the wind blew briskly, so that these swarms were crowded by others, or thrown one upon another, we had a lively idea of that comparison of the psalmist, (Psa 109:23), of being 'tossed up and down as the locust.' In the month of May, when the ovaries of those insects were ripe and turgid, each of these swarms began gradually to disappear; and retired into the Mettijiah, and other adjacent plains, where they deposited their eggs. These were no sooner hatched in June, than each of these broods collected itself into a compact body of a furlong or more in square; and, marching immediately forward in the direction of the sea, they let nothing escape them; eating up every thing that was green and juicy, not only the lesser kinds of vegetables, but the vine likewise; the fig tree, the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, Joe 1:12; in doing which they kept their ranks like men of war; climbing over, as they advanced, every tree or wall that was in their way. Nay, they entered into our very houses and bedchambers, like so many thieves. The inhabitants, to stop their progress, made a variety of pits and trenches all over their fields and gardens, which they filled with water; or else they heaped up in them heath, stubble, and such like combustible matter, which were severally set on fire upon the approach of the locusts. But this was all to no purpose, for the trenches were quickly filled up, and the fires extinguished, by infinite swarms succeeding one another; while the front was regardless of danger, and the rear pressed on so close, that a retreat was altogether impossible. A day or two after one of these broods was in motion, others were already hatched to march and glean after them; gnawing off the very bark, and the young branches, of such trees as had before escaped with the loss only of their fruit and foliage. So justly have they been compared by the prophet Joel (Joe 2:3) to a great army; who further observes, that 'the land is as the garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate wilderness.'\n\n\"Having lived near a month in this manner (like a μυριοστομον ξιφος, or sword with ten thousand edges, to which they have been compared), upon the ruin and destruction of every vegetable substance which came in their way, they arrived at their full growth, and threw old their nympha state by casting their outward skin. To prepare themselves for this change, they clung by their hinder feet to some bush, twig, or corner of a stone; and immediately, by using an undulating motion, their heads would first break out, and then the rest of their bodies. The whole transformation was performed in seven or eight minutes, after which they lay for a short time in a torpid and seemingly languishing condition; but as soon ad the sun and air had hardened their wings, by drying up the moisture which remained upon them, after casting their sloughs, they reassumed their former voracity, with an addition both of strength and agility. Yet they did not continue long in this state before they were entirely dispersed, as their parents were before, after they had laid their eggs; and as the direction of the marches and flights of them both was always to the northward, and not having strength, as they have sometimes had, to reach the opposite shores of Italy France, or Spain, it is probable they perished in the sea, a grave which, according to these people, they have in common with other winged creatures.\" - Travels, 4to. edition pp. 187, 188.\n\nA day of darkness - They sometimes obscure the sun. And Thuanus observes of an immense crowd, that \"they darkened the sun at mid-day.\"\n\nAs the morning spread upon the mountains - They appeared suddenly: as the sun, in rising behind the mountains, shoots his rays over them. Adanson, in his voyage to Senegal, says: \"Suddenly there came over our heads a thick cloud which darkened the air, and deprived us or the rays of the sun. We soon found that it was owing to a cloud of locusts.\" Some clouds of them are said to have darkened the sun for a mile, and others for the space of twelve miles! See the note on Joe 2:10 (note).\n\nJoel 2:3\n\njoe 2:3\n\nA fire devoureth before them - They consume like a general conflagration. \"They destroy the ground, not only for the time, but burn trees for two years after.\" Sir Hans Sloane, Nat. Hist. of Jamaica, vol. i., p. 29.\n\nBehind them a flame burneth - \"Wherever they feed,\" says Ludolf, in his History of Ethiopia, \"their leavings seem as if parched with fire.\"\n\nNothing shall escape them - \"After devouring the herbage,\" says Adanson, \"with the fruits and leaves of trees, they attacked even the buds and the very bark; they did not so much as spare the reeds with which the huts were thatched.\"\n\nJoel 2:4\n\njoe 2:4\n\nThe appearance of horses - The head of the locust is remarkably like that of the horse; and so Ray on Insects describes them: Caput oblongum, equi instar, prona spectans - \"They have an oblong head, like to that of a horse, bending downward.\" On this account the Italians call them cavaletta, cavalry. Bochart remarks, from an Arabic writer, that the locusts resemble ten different kinds of animals:\n\n1. The Horse in its head.\n\n2. The Elephant in its eyes.\n\n3. The Bull in its neck.\n\n4. The Stag in its horns.\n\n5. The Lion in its breast.\n\n6. The Scorpion in its belly.\n\n7. The Eagle in its wings.\n\n8. The Camel in its thighs.\n\n9. The Ostrich in its feet. And\n\n10. The Serpent in its tail.\n\nVid. Hieroz., vol. ii., p. 475, edit. 1692.\n\nBut its most prominent resemblance is to the horse, which the prophet mentions; and which the Arabic writer puts in the first place, as being the chief.\n\nJoel 2:5\n\njoe 2:5\n\nLike the noise of chariots - Bochart also remarks: -\n\n\"The locusts fly with a great noise, so as to be heard six miles off, and while they are eating the fruits of the earth, the sound of them is like that of a flame driven by the wind.\"\n\nIbid., p. 478.\n\nJoel 2:6\n\njoe 2:6\n\nAll faces shall gather blackness - Universal mourning shall take place, because they know that such a plague is irresistible.\n\nJoel 2:7\n\njoe 2:7\n\nLike mighty men - like men of war (and as horsemen, Joe 2:4) - The prophet does not say they are such, but they resemble. They are locusts; but in their operations they are Like the above.\n\nThey shall not break their ranks - See the account on Joe 2:2, from Dr. Shaw.\n\nJoel 2:8\n\njoe 2:8\n\nThey shall not be wounded - They have hard scales like a coat of mail; but the expression refers to the utter uselessness of all means to prevent their depredations. See Shaw's account above.\n\nJoel 2:10\n\njoe 2:10\n\nThe earth shall quake - the heavens shall tremble - Poetical expressions, to point out universal consternation and distress. The earth quaked to see itself deprived of its verdure; the heavens trembled to find themselves deprived of their light.\n\nThe sun and the moon shall be dark - Bochart relates that \"their multitude is sometimes so immense as to obscure the heavens for the space of twelve miles!\" - Ibid. p. 479.\n\nJoel 2:11\n\njoe 2:11\n\nThe Lord shall utter his voice - Such a mighty force seems as if summoned by the Almighty, and the noise they make in coming announces their approach, while yet afar off.\n\nJoel 2:12\n\njoe 2:12\n\nTurn ye even to me - Three means of turning are recommended: Fasting, weeping, mourning, i.e., continued sorrow.\n\nJoel 2:13\n\njoe 2:13\n\nRend your heart - Let it not be merely a rending of your garments, but let your hearts be truly contrite. Merely external worship and hypocritical pretensions will only increase the evil, and cause God to meet you with heavier judgments.\n\nFor he is gracious - Good and benevolent in his own nature.\n\nMerciful - Pitying and forgiving, as the effect of goodness and benevolence.\n\nSlow to anger - He is not easily provoked to punish, because he is gracious and merciful.\n\nOf great kindness - Exuberant goodness to all them that return to him.\n\nAnd repenteth him of the evil - Is ever ready to change his purpose to destroy, when he finds the culprit willing to be saved. See the notes on Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7.\n\nJoel 2:14\n\njoe 2:14\n\nWho knoweth if he will return - He may yet interpose and turn aside the calamity threatened, and so far preserve the land from these ravagers, that there will be food for men and cattle, and a sufficiency of offerings for the temple service. Therefore: -\n\nJoel 2:15\n\njoe 2:15\n\nBlow the trumpet - Let no time be lost, let the alarm be sounded.\n\nJoel 2:16\n\njoe 2:16\n\nGather the children - Let all share in the humiliation, for all must feel the judgment, should it come. Let no state nor condition among the people be exempted. The elders, the young persons, the infants, the bridegroom, and the bride; let all leave their houses, and go to the temple of God.\n\nJoel 2:17\n\njoe 2:17\n\nLet the priests - weep between the porch and the altar - The altar of burnt-offerings stood before the porch of the temple, Ch2 8:12, and between them there was an open space of fifteen or twenty cubits. It was there that the priests prostrated themselves on such occasions. It was into this place that the priests brought the sacrifice or victim of atonement; and where the high priest laid his hands on the head of the victim confessing his sins.\n\nLet them say - The following was the form to be used on this occasion, \"Spare thy people,\" etc. And if this be done with a rent heart, etc., \"then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people,\" Ch2 8:18. He will surely save, if ye seriously return to and penitently seek him.\n\nJoel 2:19\n\njoe 2:19\n\nYea, the Lord will answer - It is not a peradventure; it will surely be done; if ye seek God as commanded, ye will find him as promised.\n\nI will send you corn and wine - He will either prevent the total ravaging of the land, or so bless it with extraordinary vegetable strength, that ye shall have plentiful crops.\n\nJoel 2:20\n\njoe 2:20\n\n\n\n\n\nJoel 2:21\n\njoe 2:21\n\nFear not - for the Lord will do great things - The words are repeated from the preceding verse; Jehovah will do great things in driving them away, and supernaturally restoring the land to fertility.\n\nJoel 2:23\n\njoe 2:23\n\nThe former rain moderately - המורה לצדקה hammoreh litsedakah, \"the former rain in righteousness,\" that is, in due time and in just proportion. This rain fell after autumn, the other in spring. See Hos 6:3.\n\nIn the first month - בראשון barishon, \"as aforetime.\" So Bp. Newcome. In the month Nisan. - Syriac.\n\nJoel 2:25\n\njoe 2:25\n\nI will restore - the years - It has already been remarked that the locusts not only destroyed the produce of that year, but so completely ate up all buds, and barked the trees, that they did not recover for some years. Here God promises that he would either prevent or remedy that evil; for he would restore the years that the locusts, cankerworm, caterpillar, and palmerworm had eaten.\n\nJoel 2:26\n\njoe 2:26\n\nPraise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you - In so destroying this formidable enemy; and so miraculously restoring the land to fertility, after so great a devastation.\n\nJoel 2:28\n\njoe 2:28\n\nShall come to pass afterward - אחרי כן acharey ken, \"after this;\" the same, says Kimchi, as in the latter days, which always refers to the days of the Messiah; and thus this prophecy is to be interpreted: and we have the testimony of St. Peter, Act 2:17, that this prophecy relates to that mighty effusion of the Holy Spirit which took place after the day of pentecost. Nor is there any evidence that such an effusion took place, nor such effects were produced, from the days of this prophet till the day of pentecost. And the Spirit was poured out then upon all flesh, that is, on people of different countries, speaking the languages of almost all the people of the earth; which intimated that these were the first-fruits of the conversion of all the nations of the world. For there was scarcely a tongue in the universe that was not to be found among the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Jews, Cappadocians, people of Pontus, of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia, who were residents at Jerusalem at that time; and on whom this mighty gift was poured out, each hearing and apprehending the truths of the Gospel, in his own language wherein he was born. Thus we have Divine authority for saying, that was the fulfillment of this prophecy by Joel. And the mighty and rapid spread of the Gospel of Christ in the present day, by means of the translation of the Scriptures into almost all the regular languages of the world, and the sending missionaries to all nations, who preach the Gospel in those tongues, are farther proofs that the great promise is in the fullest progress to be speedily fulfilled, even in the utmost sense of the words.\n\nYour sons and your daughters shall prophesy - Shall preach - exhort, pray, and instruct, so as to benefit the Church.\n\nYour old men shall dream dreams - Have my will represented to them in this way, as the others by direct inspiration.\n\nYour young men shall see visions - Have true representations of Divine things made upon their imaginations by the power of God; that they shall have as full an evidence of them as they could have of any thing that came to the mind through the medium of the senses.\n\nJoel 2:29\n\njoe 2:29\n\nAnd also upon the servants and upon the handmaids - The gifts of teaching and instructing men shall not be restricted to any one class or order of people. He shall call and qualify the men of his own choice; and shall take such out of all ranks, orders, degrees, and offices in society. And he will pour out his Spirit upon them; and they shall be endowed with all the gifts and graces necessary to convert sinners, and build up the Church of Christ on its most holy faith.\n\nAnd this God has done, and is still doing. He left the line of Aaron, and took his apostles indiscriminately from any tribe. He passed by the regular order of the priesthood, and the public schools of the most celebrated doctors, and took his evangelists from among fishermen, tent-makers, and even the Roman tax-gatherers. And he, lastly, passed by the Jewish tribes, and took the Gentile converts, and made them preachers of righteousness to the inhabitants of the whole earth. The same practice he continues to the present day; yet he did not then pass by a man brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, no more than he would now a man brought up in a celebrated seminary of learning. He is ever free to use his own gifts, in his own way; and when learning is sanctified, by being devoted to the service of God, and the possessor is humble and pious, and has those natural gifts necessary for a public teacher, perhaps we might safely say, God would in many cases prefer such: but he will have others, as intimated in the prophecy, that we may see the conversion of men is not by human might, nor power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. The learned man can do nothing without his Spirit; the unlearned must have his gifts and graces, without which both their labors would be unprofitable; and thus the excellency of the power is of God, and no flesh can glory in his presence. See my sermon on this passage.\n\nJoel 2:30\n\njoe 2:30\n\nWonders in the heavens and in the earth - This refers to those dreadful sights, dreadful portents, and destructive commotion, by which the Jewish polity was finally overthrown, and the Christian religion established in the Roman empire. See how our Lord applies this prophecy, Mat 24:29 (note), and the parallel texts.\n\nJoel 2:31\n\njoe 2:31\n\nThe sun shall be turned into darkness - The Jewish polity, civil and ecclesiastical, shall be entirely destroyed.\n\nBefore the great and the terrible day of the Lord come - In the taking and sacking of Jerusalem, and burning of the temple, by the Romans, under Titus, the son of Vespasian. This was, perhaps, the greatest and most terrible day of God's vengeance ever shown to the world, or that ever will be shown, till the great day of the general judgment. For a full view of this subject, I wish to refer the reader to the notes on Matthew 24.\n\nJoel 2:32\n\njoe 2:32\n\nWhosoever shall call on the name of the Lord - כל אשר יקרא בשם יהוה col asher yikra beshem Yehovah, \"All who shall invoke in the name of Jehovah.\" That Christ is the Jehovah here mentioned appears plain from Rom 10:15, where the reader had better consult the notes. \"This refers,\" says Bp. Newcome, \"to the safety of the Christians during the Jewish and the Roman war.\" It may: but it has a much more extensive meaning, as the use of it by St. Paul, as above, evidently shows. Every man who invokes Jehovah for mercy and salvation by or in the name, Jesus - that very name given under heaven among men for this purpose - shall be saved. Nor is there salvation in any other; and those who reject him had better lay these things to heart before it be too late.\n\nFor in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem - Our blessed Lord first began to preach the Gospel in Mount Zion, in the temple, and throughout Jerusalem. There he formed his Church, and thence he sent his apostles and evangelists to every part of the globe: \"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.\" Of the Jews there was but a remnant, a very small number, that received the doctrine of the Gospel, here termed the remnant that the Lord should call; קרא kore, whom he calleth. Many were called who would not obey: but those who obeyed the call were saved; and still he delivers those who call upon him; and he is still calling on men to come to him that they may be saved.\n\nNext: Joel Chapter 3", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8377443552017212}
{"content": "Microsoft this week said that it has worked with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, major players in the financial services industry, and other industry technology leaders to help thwart a major botnet operation that is responsible for over $500 million in losses to individuals and businesses.\n\nThe operation involved a court ordered civil seizure warrant in which Microsoft disrupted 1462 Citadel botnets and millions of infected computers as well as separate but coordinated steps taken by the FBI. Called Operation b54—Microsoft’s seventh anti-botnet operation to date—the effort marks the first time in history that law enforcement and the private sector worked in concert to execute a civil seizure warrant as part of a botnet disruption operation.\n\n“We do expect that this action will significantly disrupt Citadel’s operation, helping quickly release victims from the threat and making it riskier and more costly for the cybercriminals to continue doing business” a Microsoft statement notes. “However, we do not expect to fully take out all of the botnets in the world using the Citadel malware.”\n\nAccording to Microsoft, it found during an investigation of over a year that Citadel blocked victims’ access to legitimate anti-virus/anti-malware sites, making it difficult for users to remove the threat from their PCs. Additionally, the technology giant noted that the cybercriminals were somehow developing their malware and growing their business by “using fraudulently obtained product keys created by key generators for outdated Windows XP software,” creating a nice opening for another discussion about migrating customers to a newer and more modern Windows version.\n\nEscorted by US Marshals, Microsoft earlier this month seized data and evidence from the botnets, including computer servers from two facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Microsoft also provided information about the botnets’ operations to international Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), so they could take action against botnets located outside the United States.\n\nMuch of the half billion dollars in losses were directly attributed to the cybercriminals recording users’ keystrokes using the Citadel malware and then discovering their access information for banks and other online accounts. About five million people were affected, Microsoft says, with the highest number of infections occurring in the US, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and Australia. But there were victims in more than ninety countries worldwide.\n\n“The harm done by Citadel shows the threat that botnets, malicious software, and piracy pose to individuals and businesses around the world,” Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said. “Today’s coordinated action between the private sector and law enforcement demonstrates the power of combined legal and technical expertise and we’re going to continue to work together to help put these cybercriminals out of business.”\n\nIn addition to the FBI and US Marshals, Microsoft says it worked with the the Financial Services – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association, the American Bankers Association (ABA), Agari, A10 Networks and Nominum to help thwart the threat.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9477348327636719}
{"content": "1035.8 #167 (DL Qual #134\n\nSep 6, 2012 2:14 PM  Disneyland Talk Land\nOMG OMG OMG... To all my MW friends. I seriously am in need of as much pixie dust you can send my way. I have an interview Tuesday for my \"Dream Job\" at Disney! One step closer to becoming a PLAID!!!\n\nPixie dust! Pixie dust! Pixie dust! - Mickeymouse28  367.1 #582 2:15PM\n✨✨✨✨✨ - PirateQueenBriezy  308.3 #815 2:16PM\nWoohoo! Throwing buckets of Pixie Dust your way :) - DisLUVney  607.7 #313 2:18PM\nOmg! Good luck! - Krissy Marissy  411.2 #509 2:19PM\nBucket loads of pixie dust headed your way Suzy!!!!!!! - MermaidWithShears  1025.8 #169 2:20PM\nPixie dust!!!!!!!! - MrsSchnooks  3223.8 #40 2:22PM\n🌟✨🌟You got this🌟✨🌟 - Mouse4life  1293.1 #123 2:23PM\nPixie dust and prayers for my friend. - MinnieNurse  331.5 #694 2:24PM\nGood luck suz! - chris.  2511.0 #48 2:26PM\nPixie dust!! ✨✨✨ - ZippADeeDani  142.0 #2780 2:26PM\nGood luck - GoofyMom77  728.7 #248 2:27PM\npixie dust coming your way! you got this! you are gonna do so AMAZING! - wendytink  356.8 #615 2:28PM\nYou can do this girl!!✨✨✨✨ - SueBayou  2019.0 #70 2:29PM\nHow cool, and you would be perfect for the job. Good luck! - Sugarbuzz  219.0 #1681 2:29PM\n✨✨✨✨✨✨ pixie dust ✨✨✨✨✨✨ - LostUndertheSea  481.8 #412 2:30PM\npixie dust and pixie farts. Good luck :) - vincentchase1  672.9 #279 2:32PM\nI'm not sure I've ever gotten a pixie fart before. Thank you! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 2:46PM\n✨✨✨ x a million, you would make a perfect plaid!! - Linzee  1120.7 #150 2:34PM\n✨✨good luck✨✨ - Bambi.  605.0 #315 2:37PM\nLots of good thoughts coming your way! - snowwannab  733.9 #243 2:38PM\nAwesome,pixie dust being sent your way!! - cyndaws  258.0 #1215 2:38PM\nDriving our company 🚚🚚 (trucks) full of ✨✨✨✨✨✨(PD) your way!!!!! - Romec123aKaSmartyPants  720.8 #251 2:42PM\nGoooood luck & pixie dust!! - GrimGrinningAmanda  660.5 #284 2:43PM\nDefinately! Best of luck to you. - DisneyVacationLover  462.3 #441 2:43PM\nIt's meant to be. You got this! :) - Darlingwendi  1209.5 #134 2:43PM\nPixie dust your way! You deserve it! - mamadisney3  261.5 #1184 2:43PM\n✨🌟✨🌟✨ - SPandEvLover  3832.4 #32 2:44PM\nEeeeee!! I am SOOO excited for you!! You can do this! *PixieDust* and in my thoughts :D *runs around, arms in the air, screaming and all excited for you* - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.8 #17 2:46PM\nI promise to be there for you when you need a plaid!!! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 2:58PM\nYESSSS! ❤❤❤ - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.8 #17 4:43PM\nOne pixie rain dance, coming up... ✨✨✨💃👯💃👯💃👯✨✨✨ - Waites4DodgerEars_CM  1002.3 #176 2:46PM\nThat is just so amazing. Good luck🍀 - ScooterMike  1963.0 #74 2:49PM\nI just sent my chopper(the pixie chopper) to drop a load of ✨✨✨✨ pixie dust over your home. - Hendizl  2760.0 #43 2:49PM\nMucho pixie dust, Good luck!! :)) - CarmenINwonderlanD  265.0 #1153 2:53PM\n✨✨You Will Do Great✨✨. Best of luck - Tealtownfan  1015.5 #173 2:53PM\nSo awesome to hear! Good luck! - iamdugsmaster  878.7 #194 2:55PM\nThis is amazing! Lots of luck✨ - MinnieBow11  17.3 #7416 2:56PM\ngood luck!!! - OhanaPhoto  3803.1 #34 2:59PM\nGood luck! They will love you! - ladylikesdisney  945.0 #180 3:04PM\nYou would be a natural plaid, good luck!!!! - madsdad  1868.1 #81 3:05PM\nToo cool! Fingers are crossed and tossin' lots and lots of pixie dust your way :) - TheBudd  357.3 #614 3:06PM\nGood luck! - MXPrincess399  743.4 #239 3:14PM\nBest wishes. - Mrs.mouse  543.6 #358 3:15PM\nOooh! Good luck! Prayers and pixie dust are headed your way. ✨✨✨🙏🍀 - Vegan7LuvsStitch  1025.0 #170 3:17PM\nSo awesome!!!! Good luck! - LisaMouse7531  410.1 #511 3:26PM\nPrayers and pixie dust coming your way! - erinten  539.9 #363 3:26PM\nThat's awesome! Praying this happens for you! You would be an amazing plaid!! :) - Pintraderswife  468.3 #431 3:30PM\nhow cool!! good luck!! - Stitch_Legacy  5138.0 #19 3:34PM\nI've always seen you as more of a lavender, but ok, pixie dust coming your way. A whole bu.... What?...... What do you mean I can't say \"butt load\"?.....Well any way a whole lot your way. };) - Evilstitch  338.5 #666 3:35PM\nYour killing me. I laughed out so loud I snorted. Scared my dogs! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 3:48PM\nCongratulations!! Good luck!! - Stiglitz3  288.3 #936 3:37PM\nGood luck!✨✨✨✨ - CherryTreeLane  460.4 #442 3:40PM\nEEEE!!!! Good luck!!! That is so awesome!!!! - abbeyroo68  184.8 #2123 3:40PM\nHoping for lots of pixie dust! - Squirtortue  311.1 #790 3:41PM\nEvery ounce of pixie dust I have I'm sending your way👏👍😃 - Tinkerbellmom4  413.5 #505 3:42PM\nPixie dust your way!!! - MarshaMouse  4816.2 #22 3:53PM\nI'm just going to Congradulate you now!! Ta da! Best wishes! - mrscttlemstr  308.7 #811 3:54PM\nHaha, thank you! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 4:55PM\nPixie dust and luck!!!!✨🍀✨ - JessM4  269.6 #1114 3:59PM\n✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨pixie dust to ya girl! - MouseketeerforShort  340.3 #660 4:02PM\nOMG! *screams like a girl* You deserve it more than anyone I know! - Deltachiq  1228.0 #130 4:04PM\nI think I heard you❤ - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 5:14PM\nPixie dust and lots of good luck! - chipanddalefan  733.4 #244 4:05PM\nGathering up all the pixies, sending them all your way, so they can fly around you and keep the pixie dust coming! - iloveprinceEric  264.2 #1166 4:09PM\ngood luck! - MaidMiriam  308.0 #819 4:15PM\nBest of luck to you! - MightyWhitey  1081.4 #158 4:36PM\nSending tons of pixie dust your way! 🌟✨🌟💓✨🌟✨Good luck! 👸 - figzchic  724.8 #250 4:36PM\n✨✨✨✨✨✨✨BEST OF LUCK TO YOU✨✨✨✨✨✨ - EdLovesAlvena  258.4 #1211 4:39PM\nBest of luck to you. - suejacken  3.8 #24137 4:47PM\nPixie Dust!!!! I really hope it works out! If anyone is worthy, then you definitely are :) - KylaShea  632.7 #298 4:48PM\nSending pixie dust your way! Good luck! - MeridaFan  3581.3 #36 4:48PM\nBest wishes and pixie dust headed your way!! ✨✨✨ - minigirl1156  733.4 #245 4:48PM\nOmgeeeee MORE PIXIE DUST  Good luck!!! - ChocolateSandwichesCM  212.2 #1782 4:57PM\nGood luck! - goofyinohio  20.9 #6718 5:10PM\nI hope u get it! I'll be praying!! - princessVanessa  384.3 #556 5:14PM\nGood luck!!!! - PlutoFanatic  296.3 #880 5:16PM\nGood luck!!!! How exciting!!! :) - supermom2twins  3.2 #33518 5:18PM\nHere is a huge bucket of pixie dust!!! *dumps it on your head* - adisneyfamily  870.4 #199 5:19PM\nMore pixie dust for you! - dimplesdanie  1236.7 #128 5:20PM\n✨✨✨✨✨🌟✨✨✨✨ - Disneymomblessedx3  363.1 #593 5:22PM\nPlaid is your color! - Gia  802.0 #215 5:40PM\n❤❤❤❤❤ - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 6:36PM\nGood luck Suzy! I'm sure you'll ace it :) - BaseballMickey_CM  7185.4 #8 5:45PM\nGood luck. Sending lots of pixie dust. - Eraf61  264.8 #1156 5:48PM\nWow amazing! Good luck and pixie dust. - thestalkerNIN  362.4 #594 5:51PM\nHope you land the job! - moomooluvr  293.2 #909 5:55PM\nGood luck and pixie dust! If you're working this weekend I'd love to meet you. I have your necklace with me. If not, I'll stick it in the mail when I get home. - RCmom  5229.2 #18 6:24PM\nYes, I'm working Pixar Parade Saturday and parade/WOC on Sunday!!! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 6:38PM\nGood luck!! - VeloMouseGirl  549.8 #351 6:25PM\nOh wow Suuz! Pixie dust your way - best of luck! You deserve it! - Oinker34  1267.7 #125 6:26PM\nGood luck! Here's some more pixie dust for you!! - MissAmericaSings  391.6 #542 6:26PM\nOMG!!!! Yay Suuz wishing you all the pixie dust!! dream job at Disney for sure! - CuriousAsAlice7  124.2 #3061 6:26PM\nYay!!! Bucket full of pixie dust!!! Hope you get your dream job so you can one day escort John Stamos 😁 - CourtyAstroBlisters  754.7 #233 6:36PM\nI think I would die if that happens. But I would do my best not to embarrass him! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 6:41PM\nLol your professional you will be fine!!! FYI I am determine to hunt you down next weekend when I'm there lol!! - CourtyAstroBlisters  754.7 #233 6:55PM\nGood luck my dear friend Suz! Sending many pixie dusts along the way!! ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ - Charlie_Mouse  273.4 #1076 6:45PM\nThat is so awesome Suuz, I have all my appendages crossed. - splashphotoCM  885.6 #191 6:49PM\nWill do...sending lots of positive thoughts your way! Good things happen to good people! - ladylikesdisneysmom  269.6 #1113 6:55PM\n*dumps a whole bag over Suuz head* There you go. good luck, you don't need it. :-) - mini_MINNIE  1079.9 #159 6:59PM\nSending tons of pixie dust your way! - LaPearleNoir  1638.1 #95 8:34PM\nPrint out all these comments for references!! You are the best and so friendly and yet always get your job done. You would make the best plaid!! God bless you and I will keep praying for you until you let us know you got the job!!!! - secretagentangel  2169.3 #65 8:36PM\nThat's a great idea. Thank you! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 8:43PM\n✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ - Plumiegirl  9392.2 #3 8:36PM\nGood luck Suzie, you totally deserve it! - dlmickeymouseCM  2404.5 #52 8:47PM\n👏👏👏✨✨✨YAY!!!! you'll do awesome! - Mimmy  1442.3 #105 8:47PM\nGood luck! - pbrdad  164.3 #2439 8:48PM\nYAYAYAYAY! Pixie dust your way. You'll do great! :) - BrerRabbit  360.8 #603 9:49PM\nAll the luck in the world plus pixie dust!! - Willierose  2267.7 #60 9:50PM\nSending lost and lots of pixie dust your way.*.*.*.*. - Pixieliz  310.9 #794 10:01PM\nSending pixie dust Suz!!!! So exciting!!! ✨✨✨❤ - PrincessMacy  536.5 #367 10:11PM\nGood luck !! - jmza4  285.6 #31532 10:17PM\nGood luck! How exciting! - templeclan  54.8 #4403 10:20PM\nHow exciting. You would be wonderful. Pixie dust your way but I'm pretty sure you got this all on your own. - sewedna  548.0 #354 10:21PM\nThat is sooo wonderful!! A big good luck Tuesday!! - jjdq  338.0 #668 10:23PM\nSending you a truckload of magical Disney pixie dust... :) - timetraveler2442  343.7 #649 10:23PM\nGood luck!!! :D - Jillian  767.1 #227 10:25PM\nSending loads of pixie dust✨✨✨✨✨and prayers! How exiting for you! - HollyGolightlyPrincess  396.8 #536 10:31PM\n✨✨✨ - lynniesue42  232.4 #1515 10:38PM\nThank you, thank you everyone😍😘💗💗❤❤ - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 5:17PM\nThank you all for the pixie dust✨✨✨✨✨✨ - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 8:32PM\nI've tried to like everyone's comments💙💜💗💚💛💓❤ To show my thanks to everyone! - SUUZinOCretiredPLAID  1035.8 #167 10:10PM\n\n\n\n\nThank you! - Admin  5:04PM\n\n\n  - mckelfam  36.7 #5150 3:09PM\nWeeeeee - MommyandBash  201.3 #1907 10:29PM\n\n\n1. MelodyMouse\n\n2. Winnie111286\n\n3. MadameLeota\n\n4. grumpypapa\n\n5. Plumiegirl\n\n6. jacdanfan\n\n7. secretagentangel\n\n8. Dave\n\n\n10. Coaster\n\n\nThanked by:   Tom   FrankenweenieVelinee   JediKitty   DarthFairy  \n\n\n1. MelodyMouse\n\n2. MadameLeota\n\n3. Coaster\n\n4. goofygal\n\n5. jacdanfan\n\n6. Winnie111286\n\n7. JPatDL\n\n8. Brian\n\n9. grumpypapa\n\n10. toystory3\n\n\n\n\nThanked by:   goducksgo   boomom   catlikesmouse   suzieq65  \n\n- valj84DisneyDeppAddict  216.9 #1713 12:58PM\n- djmickeymouse  7.1 #0 10:08AM\n\n\nTest - Admin  12:16AM\nBoth books are an  read!  I've read both numerous times and will re-read again before our Nov trip! - Dianat710  3.9 #23613 7:13PM\n\n\n- djmickeymouse  7.1 #0 6:51PM\n  - mckelfam  36.7 #5150 9:48PM\n\n\nNice pic!📷 - Stitchcrazy62622  16.9 #7482 10:18PM\nAwesome!! - stanvoodoo  19.0 #7060 7:25PM\n\nTOP 5 THINGS to do this week at the Disneyland Resort:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nwas bummed i did not make it two weeks ago,  see you in aug! - MsTikiMermadam  431.9 #470 6:41PM\n- piratemom  467.5 #432 12:50PM\n\n\n\n1. CobbPR\n\n2. uscdisneyteacher\n\n3. Dave\n\n4. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n5. Duchess_SMK\n\n6. Plumiegirl\n\n7. Stitch_Legacy\n\n8. HandMeAChurroImmaFaint\n\n9. ElSuperRaton\n\n10. Winnie111286\n\n\n\n\nthanks admin - Fantasmicfan1  1376.2 #112 9:42PM\n  - jacdanfan  9353.2 #4 6:08AM\n- Lilogirl1  121.2 #3122 4:26PM\n\ni am so glad i got to experience it,  but did not have to go thru it! - MsTikiMermadam  431.9 #470 5:56AM\n\nHere are the top 10 News Contributors:\n\n1. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n2. Stitch_Legacy\n\n3. RickChavez\n\n4. ScooterMike\n\n5. SPandEvLover\n\n6. caramiapoohAKAface\n\n7. IDVandalSkipperCM\n\n8. Dave\n\n9. Duchess_SMK\n\n10. Sweet_Irish_Cream\n\n\n\nInnoventions reopens as Star Wars Launch Bay September 30\nHaunted Mansion Aug 24-Sept 11\nSpace Mountain Sept 7-Sept 11\nPirates of the Caribbean Sept 14-Sept 30\n\n\nLuigi's Rollickin Roadsters opens early 2016\n\n\nHere are the Top 10 MouseWaiters of All-Time:\n\n1. Coaster\n\n2. Dave\n\n3. Plumiegirl\n\n4. jacdanfan\n\n5. Tom\n\n6. goofygal\n\n7. uscdisneyteacher\n\n8. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n9. CobbPR\n\n10. Sonja\n\n\n\n\n\nThank You - suzieq65  67.0 #4093 6:20PM\nI'll crowd with you  - LaPearleNoir  1638.1 #95 2:27PM\nI ❤️ crowding meetups - bonedaddy909  1354.8 #113 12:29PM\n\nHere are the recent wait time leaders:\n\nJuly: MelodyMouse 417.38\nMay: MelodyMouse 640.08\nApril: WARLOCK 228.33\nMarch: HARR_E 290.27\nFebruary: jacdanfan 251.32\nJanuary: ShariRenee 246.23\nDecember: MelodyMouse 303.05\nNovember: MelodyMouse 410.98\nOctober: jacdanfan 189.98\n\n Everyone for making   - Boundin  614.3 #310 10:21PM\n\n\n1. DisneyMakesMeSmile\n\n2. Goofytom\n\n3. mamabeam\n\n4. beentoall\n\n5. TiggerBelle\n\n6. Moog\n\n7. richiii3\n\n8. Dolewhipped\n\n9. DisneylandOrBust\n\n10. DoomBuggy61\n\n\n👋❤️ - Tom  9152.5 #5 11:47AM\nYay !!!  - otilegna  2314.6 #58 9:42AM\n\n\nThank you for reading! - Admin  6:26PM\n- MommyandBash  201.3 #1907 1:32PM\n- DarthFairy  112.6 #3297 4:40PM\n\n\n1. jacdanfan\n\n\n3. secretagentangel\n\n4. DisneyGrandma\n\n5. leopardditz2000\n\n6. DisLUVney\n\n7. debbiev\n\n8. MeridaFan\n\n9. MelodyMouse\n\n10. MinnieMyLove\n\n\n\n\n\n\nunFORECAST for the week of August 24, 2015\n\n\nHere are the overall MouseRank leaders for the past 6 months:\n\nJuly 2015: Winnie111286 463.58\nMay 2015: MelodyMouse 679.4\nApril 2015: Fantasmicfan1 466.89\nMarch 2015: HARR_E 423.38\nFebruary 2015: Winnie111286 364.36\nJanuary 2015: ShariRenee 408.65\n\n! - FrankenweenieVelinee  2355.2 #57 7:16AM\n- MowgliLovesBaloo  65.1 #0 5:18PM\n- LindseyanaJones  101.2 #3478 11:31AM\n- XochiFryingPanWhoKnew  83.9 #3748 5:02PM\n\n\nJust got it! - Dizkid  370.2 #579 12:29PM\nDownloading it now.  - TrueFromOzLovesDisney  481.6 #413 4:18PM\n\n\nCan't wait! - sawman911  705.5 #254 6:30PM\n\nYour Donations Help Us Make MouseWait Better!\n\nTOP MWs of the WEEK\n\n1.MelodyMouse 513.38 #14  \n2.Winnie111286 158.08 #21  \n3.toystory3 79.43 #24  \n4.secretagentangel 76.65 #65  \n5.HARR_E 71.21 #29  \n6.Coaster 66.8 #1  \n7.OhanaPhoto 64.71 #34  \n8.grumpypapa 62.97 #37  \n9.quote 59.43 #0  \n10.BAMBAM 55.32 #0  \n\n\n\n\nBy UsernameBy Keyword\nSee what's happening LIVE at Disneyland!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7484098672866821}
{"content": "1228.0 #130 (DL Qual #99\n\nFeb 3, 2013 5:06 AM  Disneyland Talk Land\nPSA...please remember the ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS rule today! Please do not post score updates or the winner of the Super Bowl for those who want to watch the game after a day at the Parks! Thank you and GO NINERS!\n\nIt's okay guys, I don't even watch basketball. But I'm rooting for the Yankees! Go Tiger Woods!!!! - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1399.4 #109 7:03AM\nGo Yankees! LOL - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 7:12AM\nThey're hockey, right?😜😜 - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1399.4 #109 7:27AM\nUh... Sure! LOL As long as you're cheering for them you're good in my book! - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 7:28AM\nRotfl 😂😂😂😂 - mini_MINNIE  1079.9 #159 8:00AM\n@ Avid I posted something Yankees/Mickey for you in The Hub in case you need some info on the Yankees. LOL 😂😂😂😂 - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 8:02AM\nHaha ooh I'll check! But no worries, I really do enjoy baseball over any sport (except hockey hehe) but I've even been to a Yankees game at Yankees stadium on 4th of July! :D the most American thing I've ever done in my life. - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1399.4 #109 8:07AM\nBaseball is my favorite too. Forgot how much I love watching sports in general until I met my husband. He is a huge sports fan! And that is pretty awesome about the Yankees on the 4th of July! So jelly! - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 8:11AM\n😄😄😄😄😄 - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 8:54AM\nYankees? Wha? No. Go Dodgers! And nothin about the Giants. Sf is already being represented to by that one team in the game I think. 😜 - Waites4DodgerEars_CM  1002.3 #176 10:10AM\n👆Go Giants! - Slotherini  1079.4 #160 10:17AM\n👍😁👍 - PinkMinnie  176.9 #2228 11:18AM\n😂😂😂 I knew that'd get a response from either you or CAB. - Waites4DodgerEars_CM  1002.3 #176 11:46AM\nGo A's! another division title and then some this season! - CVDisneyland  388.1 #548 1:32PM\nIs this where we post our up to the minute Super Bowl updates? - Mouse4life  1293.1 #123 3:28PM\nHeads on the coin toss 😂😂😂 - Villescas8  606.9 #314 3:29PM\nOhh and I just won a free papa johns pizza because it came up heads - Villescas8  606.9 #314 3:31PM\nThose flying monkeys look vicious - Mouse4life  1293.1 #123 4:00PM\nThey do. Did you get your free 2 liter if Pepsi next? - Villescas8  606.9 #314 4:01PM\nHorry cow that was nutz - Mouse4life  1293.1 #123 7:58PM\nProblem being, I'm sure it will be easily overheard in the parks... Good luck! Ear plugs perhaps? - cynDOLEwhip  1175.5 #139 9:09AM\nAnyone see that episode of HIMYM where they missed the Super Bowl, and needed to watch it all together, so they did everything they could to not hear who won? Teds masterpiece headgear for the sportsbar, nuff said xD - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1399.4 #109 10:14AM\nYES! This is why I love you. - cynDOLEwhip  1175.5 #139 11:25AM\nGo niners!!! I'm all alone over here... everybody is rooting for the freakin birds. I NEED TO BE BACK IN CA! - KylaShea  632.7 #298 11:55AM\nYes you do - E-Ticket  1393.0 #110 1:42PM\nYes, yes you do!! - MissMolly  1310.9 #119 6:19PM\nCan't wait to see the Niners Lose! - HanLostLeia  1098.3 #155 10:00AM\n*gasp!* Don't make me block you mister! - LBChica  2355.6 #56 10:03AM\nWe aren't friends today Han. - Slotherini  1079.4 #160 10:18AM\nI really don't care who wins, but I don't really care for the Niners because of my brothers. - HanLostLeia  1098.3 #155 11:29AM\nI grew up in Oakland, so by default I have to agree with this... - CVDisneyland  388.1 #548 1:45PM\nLa la la la la la la. I'm not listening. I wanna be surprised when the big \"Destiny's Child\" reunion is revealed. - Waites4DodgerEars_CM  1002.3 #176 10:08AM\nBla bla bla......... - WARLOCK  3903.4 #30 6:37AM\nI truly hope you were being sarcastic - LBChica  2355.6 #56 9:29AM\nWhat she said.... - Armenda  1154.6 #144 6:56AM\nCan I post my psychic updates before the game starts? - CobbPR  7122.2 #9 7:18AM\nExcellent reminder. This needs to be stuck up top all day! - Mimmy  1442.3 #105 7:30AM\nNiners win (Prediction) - E-Ticket  1393.0 #110 7:53AM\nThank you - Missymoo  702.5 #257 8:03AM\nOMG! the Ravens win!! - Stitch_Legacy  5138.0 #19 8:11AM\nOk. Thanks for the reminder. So after the parks close it's okay?! J/K 😃😃I understand - iloveprinceEric  264.2 #1166 8:14AM\nI promise to not say a word. I promise!! - LaPearleNoir  1638.1 #95 8:37AM\nIt's gonna be hard for me today. I'll just have to save all my comments and status updates for Facebook. 😜😜😜 - LBChica  2355.6 #56 9:08AM\nExactly! - LaPearleNoir  1638.1 #95 12:03PM\nIs Super Bowl today? - snowwhite15  19.6 #6931 8:39AM\nWatch out for people streaming it on their cell phones. - MeridasHair  346.5 #641 8:46AM\nNever thought of that! Or people cheering in the parks. - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 9:09AM\nWell considering the super bowl has nothing to do with Disneyland anyway... you shouldn't expect that kind of topic in the Disneyland lounge...Go Ducks! - socaldad85  106.6 #3399 9:37AM\nNon Disney related topics (as long as they're appropriate) can be posted as long as they're in the Hub. That's the reason no spoilers is addressed in the FAQs. - LBChica  2355.6 #56 10:02AM\nYou would be surprised what people post. 😬 - Miss_E_Mouse  1433.5 #106 10:03AM\nYou mean you don't want to know who the winner of they puppy bowl is?! 🐶🏆😁 - Miss_E_Mouse  1433.5 #106 10:02AM\n😹 - mini_MINNIE  1079.9 #159 10:16AM\n💁: \"I heard there's going to be a big game at the 👯Beyoncè concert today.\" - rbeezy  703.0 #256 10:04AM\n😂😂😂 - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 11:24AM\n😂😂😂 - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.7 #17 11:49AM\nI thought today was the Beyonce concert...hmmmm, I'm confused now :-) - GarnerPhotography  324.9 #723 12:50PM\nBeyonce=restroom break... - CVDisneyland  388.1 #548 1:56PM\nI'm so excited for the commercials! Don't spoil those either! 😊 - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 2:08PM\nPuppy bowl just started, no score yet. - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 3:09PM\nim rooting for the dole whip - CM_Oregon_DucksFan  2608.5 #45 3:15PM\nBump - Missymoo  702.5 #257 3:19PM\nBump! - Mimmy  1442.3 #105 3:39PM\nCan I go like this 😳? Lol - MarshaMouse  4816.2 #22 3:49PM\nWhy? Is Nick running around in a sparkly tutu again? - Villescas8  606.9 #314 3:52PM\n😂😂😂😂 - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 3:53PM\nI'm just watching the commercials😂😂😂 - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.7 #17 4:01PM\nUmm me too. Go get your free 2 liter soda online - Villescas8  606.9 #314 4:02PM\nDid I miss an ad? - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.7 #17 4:12PM\npepsi - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 4:15PM\nYep, go to pepsinexit.com - Villescas8  606.9 #314 4:18PM\n@ V8 just got mine! Thanks for the reminder. - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 4:22PM\nDodgers won - mattc  259.4 #1203 4:19PM\nWhat?! Darn Penguins. - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 4:31PM\nBeyonce won - KylaShea  632.7 #298 4:38PM\nGo Dodgers! - pinkmonkeys  527.7 #373 4:57PM\nI watched the coin toss...then got bored and started to clean. 😂 - Jillian  767.1 #227 4:43PM\nPretty much that's why hockey is so much better...a lot more action and way less breaks - socaldad85  106.6 #3399 4:55PM\nTotally agree social dad. Football bores me now lol - MarshaMouse  4816.2 #22 6:00PM\nEn Unos minutos va a comensar el show de Medio Tiempo con Beyonce :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 5:04PM\nIf you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it. - MomWithAJuiceBoxBuzz  1175.9 #138 5:18PM\nSi...en verdad...hola momma buzz :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 5:22PM\nOh no, I don't know who the most valuable puppy was. - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 5:22PM\nI recorded it! LOL - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 5:34PM\nWatching the replay instead of the halftime show, and since there is a stadium issue right now. I keep flipping back and forth. - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 5:49PM\nSTUFF IS HAPPENING!! OMG!! - TheNewTrent  749.0 #234 6:09PM\nIndeed :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 6:11PM\nWhy you calling Beyonce \"stuff\"? 😉 - MrsSchnooks  3223.7 #40 6:25PM\nOMG!!!! MORE STUFF just Happened!!!!!! :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 6:34PM\nMust resist! - PrincessDaisy  323.7 #733 6:41PM\nIndeed :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 6:44PM\nWhat the crap is happening!?! - BellesLibrary  408.5 #516 6:42PM\nThe Superbowl :-) - uscdisneyteacher  7687.9 #7 6:44PM\nStuff - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4399.5 #27 6:45PM\nCan not say! Or else! - PrincessDaisy  323.7 #733 6:46PM\nI realized that I want to be Beyonce when I grow up! - MinnieMousewife  892.2 #187 7:28PM\nand then... - OhanaPhoto  3803.1 #34 7:59PM\nCoach Harbough won!! - TheNewTrent  749.0 #234 8:07PM\nSpoiler! :P - IDVandalSkipperCM  2407.5 #51 8:09PM\n😂😂 - HandMeAChurroImmaFaint  5626.7 #17 8:10PM\nWell that was interesting stuff - MarshaMouse  4816.2 #22 8:08PM\nThat was close - Lelundrial  581.4 #327 8:13PM\nSo glad dodgers won the would series!! - princessVanessa  384.3 #556 8:14PM\nPsh, I'm glad the Bucks won the Stanley Cup :P :P I don't know what sport you were watching! - IDVandalSkipperCM  2407.5 #51 8:22PM\nI don't get it...was there some kind of game today? - MissAmericaSings  391.6 #542 8:33PM\n\n\n\n1. DisneyMakesMeSmile\n\n2. Goofytom\n\n3. mamabeam\n\n4. beentoall\n\n5. TiggerBelle\n\n6. Moog\n\n7. richiii3\n\n8. Dolewhipped\n\n9. DisneylandOrBust\n\n10. DoomBuggy61\n\n\n👋❤️ - Tom  9152.5 #5 11:47AM\nYay !!!  - otilegna  2314.6 #58 9:42AM\n\nHere are the top 10 News Contributors:\n\n1. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n2. Stitch_Legacy\n\n3. RickChavez\n\n4. ScooterMike\n\n5. SPandEvLover\n\n6. caramiapoohAKAface\n\n7. IDVandalSkipperCM\n\n8. Dave\n\n9. Duchess_SMK\n\n10. Sweet_Irish_Cream\n\n\n\nThank you for reading! - Admin  6:26PM\n- MommyandBash  201.3 #1907 1:32PM\n- DarthFairy  112.6 #3297 4:40PM\n\n\nThank You - suzieq65  67.0 #4093 6:20PM\nI'll crowd with you  - LaPearleNoir  1638.1 #95 2:27PM\nI ❤️ crowding meetups - bonedaddy909  1354.8 #113 12:29PM\n\n\n- valj84DisneyDeppAddict  216.9 #1713 12:58PM\n- djmickeymouse  7.1 #0 10:08AM\n\n\n1. MelodyMouse\n\n2. Winnie111286\n\n3. MadameLeota\n\n4. grumpypapa\n\n5. Plumiegirl\n\n6. jacdanfan\n\n7. secretagentangel\n\n8. Dave\n\n\n10. Coaster\n\n\nThanked by:   Tom   FrankenweenieVelinee   JediKitty   DarthFairy  \n\n\n\nTest - Admin  12:16AM\n\n\n1. CobbPR\n\n2. uscdisneyteacher\n\n3. Dave\n\n4. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n5. Duchess_SMK\n\n6. Plumiegirl\n\n7. Stitch_Legacy\n\n8. HandMeAChurroImmaFaint\n\n9. ElSuperRaton\n\n10. Winnie111286\n\n\n\n\nCan't wait! - sawman911  705.5 #254 6:30PM\n\nHere are the overall MouseRank leaders for the past 6 months:\n\nJuly 2015: Winnie111286 463.58\nMay 2015: MelodyMouse 679.4\nApril 2015: Fantasmicfan1 466.89\nMarch 2015: HARR_E 423.38\nFebruary 2015: Winnie111286 364.36\nJanuary 2015: ShariRenee 408.65\n\n! - FrankenweenieVelinee  2355.2 #57 7:16AM\n- MowgliLovesBaloo  65.1 #0 5:18PM\n- LindseyanaJones  101.2 #3478 11:31AM\n- XochiFryingPanWhoKnew  83.9 #3748 5:02PM\n\n\nThank you! - Admin  5:04PM\n\n\n1. MelodyMouse\n\n2. MadameLeota\n\n3. Coaster\n\n4. goofygal\n\n5. jacdanfan\n\n6. Winnie111286\n\n7. JPatDL\n\n8. Brian\n\n9. grumpypapa\n\n10. Tmoneysf\n\n\n\n\nThanked by:   goducksgo   boomom   catlikesmouse   suzieq65  \n\n\nHere are the Top 10 MouseWaiters of All-Time:\n\n1. Coaster\n\n2. Dave\n\n3. Plumiegirl\n\n4. jacdanfan\n\n5. Tom\n\n6. goofygal\n\n7. uscdisneyteacher\n\n8. BaseballMickey_CM\n\n9. CobbPR\n\n10. Sonja\n\n\n\n\n\nunFORECAST for the week of August 24, 2015\n\n\n\n\n\nJust got it! - Dizkid  370.2 #579 12:29PM\nDownloading it now.  - TrueFromOzLovesDisney  481.6 #413 4:18PM\n\nHere are the recent wait time leaders:\n\nJuly: MelodyMouse 417.38\nMay: MelodyMouse 640.08\nApril: WARLOCK 228.33\nMarch: HARR_E 290.27\nFebruary: jacdanfan 251.32\nJanuary: ShariRenee 246.23\nDecember: MelodyMouse 303.05\nNovember: MelodyMouse 410.98\nOctober: jacdanfan 189.98\n\n Everyone for making   - Boundin  614.3 #310 10:21PM\n\n\nInnoventions reopens as Star Wars Launch Bay September 30\nHaunted Mansion Aug 24-Sept 11\nSpace Mountain Sept 7-Sept 11\nPirates of the Caribbean Sept 14-Sept 30\n\n\nLuigi's Rollickin Roadsters opens early 2016\n\n\nTOP 5 THINGS to do this week at the Disneyland Resort:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n- piratemom  467.5 #432 12:50PM\n\n\n  - mckelfam  36.7 #5150 3:09PM\nWeeeeee - MommyandBash  201.3 #1907 10:29PM\n\n\nthanks admin - Fantasmicfan1  1376.2 #112 9:42PM\n  - jacdanfan  9353.2 #4 6:08AM\n- Lilogirl1  121.2 #3122 4:26PM\n\n\n1. jacdanfan\n\n\n3. secretagentangel\n\n4. DisneyGrandma\n\n5. leopardditz2000\n\n6. DisLUVney\n\n7. debbiev\n\n8. MeridaFan\n\n9. MelodyMouse\n\n10. MinnieMyLove\n\n\n\n\nNice pic!📷 - Stitchcrazy62622  16.9 #7482 10:18PM\nAwesome!! - stanvoodoo  19.0 #7059 7:25PM\n\n\n- djmickeymouse  7.1 #0 6:51PM\n  - mckelfam  36.7 #5150 9:48PM\n\nYour Donations Help Us Make MouseWait Better!\n\nTOP MWs of the WEEK\n\n1.MelodyMouse 513.38 #14  \n2.Winnie111286 158.08 #21  \n3.secretagentangel 76.65 #65  \n4.HARR_E 71.21 #29  \n5.toystory3 70.57 #25  \n6.Coaster 66.8 #1  \n7.OhanaPhoto 64.71 #34  \n8.grumpypapa 62.97 #37  \n9.quote 57.52 #0  \n10.MadameLeota 54.87 #39  \n\n\n\n\nBy UsernameBy Keyword\nSee what's happening LIVE at Disneyland!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5121397972106934}
{"content": "The “Fit but unequal” graphic in the March 24 Variety section was an interesting way to explain the differences in performance in male and female athletes. However, it failed to note that while elite male athletes will typically outperform elite female athletes, elite female athletes outperform the vast majority of all male athletes.\n\nEmily Johnson, Minneapolis", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9948304295539856}
{"content": "MySQL: Count occurrences of string\n\nDrupal and MySQL\n\nToday I needed to quickly find out a list of node's which did not contain a certain token (one we use on PPOnline to insert adverts into articles). There were meant to be 2 of these tokens per article but we had noticed some only had one. Some didn't have any at all!\n\nNow, this might already exist as a neat function somewhere, but I couldn't find it. So I wrote this little query to find the number of occurrences of a substring in a larger block of text.\n\nI did look into using the SUBSTRING() and SUBSTRING_INDEX() commands, however I couldn't see a way of efficiently using them to find any number of occurrences. So I settled on the following…\n\nSET @findme=\"MySQL\";\n  n.nid, n.title,\n  CAST((LENGTH(nr.body) - LENGTH(REPLACE(nr.body, @findme, \"\"))) / LENGTH(@findme) AS UNSIGNED) AS findme_count\nFROM node n\nINNER JOIN node_revisions nr ON nr.vid = n.vid\nWHERE n.type = \"blog\"\nORDER BY findme_count DESC;\n\nThe above example will list all node's of type blog. It will then compare the length of the body before and after removing all instances of the string you're looking for. The result should be n * LENGTH(find_me) where n is the number of occurrences. This is why we divide by the length of the find_me string.\n\nThis is a pretty fast query too. On our live database, it searched over 1,400 nodes in just over 31 milliseconds.\n\nI hope this saves someone some time in the future!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5404272079467773}
{"content": "How to Hide Your Digital Communications from Big Brother\n\nJ.P. Hicks\nActivist Post\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Associated Press was recently violated by the Department of Justice who, with a secret subpoena, forced service providers to hand over phone records of AP’s reporters and central offices.\n\nThe U.S. government claims the authority to track, trace, and database all electronic communications in order to keep us safe. Despite the obvious intrusion of privacy, it clearly has the intent to spy on all communications and is actively seeking expanded legal cover and technological advances for full spectrum digital surveillance.\n\nLarge central service providers make this nefarious goal possible.\n\nBut as the government cracks down on Web privacy, a new decentralized communication protocol called Bitmessage has emerged to offer an easy way for people to send and receive encrypted messages.\n\nWhat is Bitmessage?\n\nBitmessage is a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol that allows people to communicate anonymously.\n\nBitmessage’s official description is as follows:\n\nBitmessage is a P2P communications protocol used to send encrypted messages to another person or to many subscribers. It is decentralized and trustless, meaning that you need-not inherently trust any entities like root certificate authorities. It uses strong authentication which means that the sender of a message cannot be spoofed, and it aims to hide “non-content” data, like the sender and receiver of messages, from passive eavesdroppers like those running warrantless wiretapping programs. (Source)\n\nBased loosely on Bitcoin‘s open-source protocol, Bitmessage utilizes the computer power of decentralized users to process the messages making them essentially impossible to track. Addresses are made up of 36 random characters as opposed to a name and other personal information that email services require.\n\nExample Bitmessage address: BM‐2nTX1KchxgnmHvy9ntCN9r7sgKTraxczzyE\n\nIn their white paper, the Bitmessage developers emphasize that privacy was their main motivation for creating it:\n\nHiding one’s identity is difficult. Even if throw‐away email addresses are used, users must connect to an email server to send and retrieve messages, revealing their IP address. \n\n…if just one of those organizations is run by a government agency, and if they have certain network hardware in place between users and destination servers, then they would be able to perform a targeted man‐in‐the‐middle attack of ostensibly secure communications at will… \n\nWhat is needed is a communications protocol and accompanying software that encrypts messages, masks the sender and receiver of messages from others, and guarantees that the sender a message cannot be spoofed, without relying on trust and without burdening the user with the details of key management.\n\nThe addresses not only emphasize privacy but guarantee sender verification:\n\nWhile certainly more cumbersome than an email address, it is not too much to type manually or it can be made into a QR‐code. Users have already demonstrated this to be acceptable as Bitcoin addresses are similar in format and length. This address format is superior to email in that it guarantees that a message from a particular user or organization did, in fact, come from them. The sender of a message cannot be spoofed.\n\nThough it may sound complicated, Bitmessage makes it easy for anyone to communicate anonymously. Once the program is downloaded on your computer, you just need to set “Your Identities”, “Passphrase”, and “Addresses” in your Bitmessage folder which is much like a Bitcoin “wallet”.\n\nThen it works similarly to email where you choose from one of your “From” addresses to compose a message to “Send” to another address. The message’s encryption is then “processed” by the peer-to-peer network of servers and delivered to the recipient’s “wallet” (Bitmessage folder) on their personal computer. The “stream” or “proof of work” takes roughly four minutes to process the message to the recipient.\n\nBitmessage also offers a “broadcast” feature for mass announcements. So if you run an organization, website or blog with a newsletter, you can send anonymous “broadcasts” to subscribers. Meanwhile, subscribers can sign up without giving out their email address or anything that links them to the information.\n\nJust as Bitcoin has the potential to displace centralized currencies, Bitmessage may be the future of free and private communication. As the government increases its Big Brother spying on average citizens, Bitmessage proves that freedom will always find a way.\n\nWatch the video below for more information about Bitmessage:\n\nGet started with Bitmessage here.\n\nAnother great resource for how to get started with Bitmessage:\n\n\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 557381;\n\nlinkwithin_text=’Related Articles:’", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5513455867767334}
{"content": "I also use a Halliburton case for storage/travel. My system consists of a 503CW, 50,60,80, and 150 lenses, 3 backs, a PM45 prism, filters, etc. For a minimal setup for walking around I use a Lowepro Pro Toploader 70 which accommodates body with any lens and prism, plus meter and film. For additional backs I have belt mag. cases. I prefer messenger style bags for when I need to carry more gear. I have several sizes, but usually use the small one which will hold body and 3 lenses, etc. Tenba, Lowepro, and Think Tank all make great messenger bags. Hope this helps.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.71116042137146}
{"content": "1) What is a hotspot? A volcanic \"hotspot\" is an area in the upper mantle from which heat rises in a plume from deep in the Earth. High heat and lower pressure at the base of the mantle facilitates melting of the rock. This melt, called magma, rises through cracks to the surface and forms volcanoes. As the tectonic plate moves over the stationary hot spot, the volcanoes are rafted away and new ones form in their place.\n\nVia Seth Dixon", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9116318225860596}
{"content": "Common Sleep Disorders\n\nsleepHealthful sleep habits can ease the severity of sleep problems, but many people need medical treatment to get a good night’s sleep. Following are some of the most common sleep disorders, which are evaluated at The Sleep Disorders Center at Aiken Regional Medical Centers.\n\nSleep Apnea\nA person with sleep apnea stops and starts breathing again while asleep. This may happen several hundred times during the night, causing loud snoring and gasping, morning headache, sore throat, daytime sleepiness and problems with memory and concentration. If left untreated, it can result in irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, stroke or impotency in males. Sleep apnea is a very serious sleep disorder.\n\nA person with insomnia is unable to fall asleep during the night.\n\nRestless Leg Syndrome (RLS)\nA person with RLS has muscle twitches in their calves, thighs and ankles throughout the night, causing restless sleep and excessive tiredness during the day.\n\nA person with narcolepsy suddenly falls asleep during the day.\n\nThe Sleep Evaluation\n\nIf you suspect you have a sleep disorder, consult with your primary care physician and they will determine if a sleep study is necessary. The sleep study will provide your physician with information about how you breathe and sleep. This data will help your physician to determine the type and severity of your sleep disorder. It can also help to determine your treatment options.\nThe Sleep Testing Process\nThe sleep study test will require you to spend the night at the Sleep Disorders Center at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. You will be directed when to report to the hospital. A few days before your test, you will receive information and a questionnaire to complete and bring with you the night of your sleep study. A staff member will escort you to an attractive, comfortable room where your sleep test will be conducted.\n\nBefore you retire for the evening, a technician will place several small electrodes, or sensors, on your body. These will record your body movements, brain waves, heart rate, air flow, breathing and blood/oxygen levels. They will not restrict your movement or cause you discomfort. The technician will remain in an adjoining room throughout your test, and will wake you the next morning.\n\nThe results of your testing will be documented in a report and reviewed by a physician credentialed in interpreting sleep study tests. The report summarizing the information with the sleep specialist’s impressions will then be sent to your referring physician. Your physician will discuss the results of your report and various treatment options with you.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5824047327041626}
{"content": "Last year, farmers didn't have nearly enough rain for their wilted, drought-ravaged crops. So far this year, they have too much of it - so much that they can't get into their fields to work them for planting.\n\n\n\"The challenge farmers have is in dealing with extremes,\" said Purdue Extension agronomist Tony Vyn, who advises farmers on the best tillage methods for different crops and soils.\n\nIndeed, Indiana farmers are almost getting used to dealing with both extremes - what Purdue Extension corn specialist Bob Nielsen refers to as \"roller coaster years\" of late.\n\n\"Over the past few years, in the even-numbered years we've had early planting, and in the odd-numbered years we've had late planting,\" he noted.\n\n\n\nAs a result, only 1 percent of Indiana's corn crop was planted by the week ending April 28, compared with 67 percent last year - an even-numbered year when some farmers planted as early as March - and the five-year average of 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soybeans are not yet reported because they typically are planted a few weeks later than corn.\n\nDepending on conditions of individual fields, farmers would need several days for fields to dry to the point where they can work in them. Unlike a homeowner mowing the lawn just hours after a rain, farmers can't just drive their equipment onto their fields so soon.\n\n\"It's different for farmers,\" Vyn said. \"They shouldn't be out there.\"\n\n\nVyn advises farmers anxious to get into their fields not to succumb to three common tillage temptations: tilling too early or too often and when it's too wet. He says farmers need to be patient and wait for a break in the weather.\n\n\n\n\"So we can catch up pretty fast,\" he said.\n\n\n\"By itself, delayed planting isn't a sure path to lower yields,\" Nielsen said.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\"Just because it's a day in a workweek doesn't mean you can get out in the fields to work,\" said Shaun Casteel, Purdue Extension soybean specialist. \"A person working in an office goes to work rain or shine. Not so for farmers.\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5180646181106567}
{"content": "Penn Quarter\n(202) 638-0800\n\nUnder the direction of celebrated chef José Andrés and his ThinkFoodGroup team, Zaytinya offers an innovative mezze menu inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines served up in a sleek and modern setting. Building on Jose’s deep knowledge of Mediterranean cooking and years of research and travel, the menu features shared small plates of authentic and innovative fare, creative cocktails, and unique Mediterranean wines, making Zaytinya one of the most exciting restaurants in...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5138939023017883}
{"content": "Rules And Laws in Mesopotamia\n\nRules and Laws were a big part of the Mesopotamian s community. I was wondering how Hammurabi made a successful community . I choose this topic because  I like learning about how our community works. Also  because laws are very important to our life’s and with out laws and rules every one would be out of control and everyone would do there own thing. Also rules and laws helps the presidents and mayors keep everyone in line.\n\nHammurabi is very important because he made all the laws in Mesopotamia. Also he had to make the laws very harsh laws and strict punishments because Hammurabi doesn’t want anyone to break the laws.The laws had punishments that hurt that person that did something wrong. They would cut of your ear,eye ,hand ,or even kill you. The laws were put on a big podium that they put in important public places like churches, and neighborhoods . Hammurabi made the community better because he made people fallow the laws so Mesopotamia was very well organized town. A lot of people in Mesopotamia  fallowed the laws because they didn’t want to get hurt. Hammurabi didn’t make all the laws though some people help him like the priest, military officers, and people who had a lot of money.\n\nIn this project I learned a lot about the laws in Mesopotamia and a lot about Hammurabi s Code.I learned that Hammurabi did a great job making a good and organized community because he made the punishments harsh so no one would break them.  Also in this project it was very challenging because I was sick one day and I had to do my project and it was due the next day. But I was also given a lot of time and I catch up in no time. But the best part was when I finished my physical project because it made me feel so good that I finally finished.Also it was also really easy finding all my information because their was a lot information on Hammurabi s Code.  I also learned that the Rules and Laws in Mesopotamia are a lot different then our laws today.\n\n\n\n1. s code/\n\n\n\n\n\nThis Week\n\nWe finally finished the book Bud, Not Buddy! It’s about an orphan named Bud who gets sent to a foster home and runs away. He finds his friend and decides to go out west with him. Bud misses the train but his friend gets on.He decides to try to find his father. He gets a ride to his father from a complete stranger and finds his dad! It’s one of my favorite books and I recommend it to you. We are now doing a project on the book.\n\nIn some other classes we are mixing up into boy girl classes to see if it’s going to work. So far it is working out well for the girls but I don’t know about the boys. In P.E we are doing invasion games like capture the flag,soccer, team hand ball, and ultimate Frisbee. It’s very fun and also very loud.\n\nAlso this week at are school we have a important person at our school . His name is Alpan Hong he is a famous piano player that takes the time out of his week  not only to come play the piano but also teach kids to play piano better! He is going to come back in the Spring to do a concert at our school and have some children be in it to and some parents! In music we are doing traditional songs and dances from Japan. We are learning to also play the songs on the recorder! Also this week we are doing a project about Mesopotamia in Social Studies. We got our groups and got a topic and we are researching and making projects about our topic.  We had a great week this week I can’t wait for next week I hope it will be even better!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6327009201049805}
{"content": "\n\nI am reluctant to use the expression “Only in America” because I love my country, and only in America could mankind achieve the heights he has, and influence world events for the better by being victorious in WWII.  But the following truths are indisputable, so I guess I’ll have to go with it, albeit with one change: Only in a dumbed down America.\n\nOnly in a “dumbed down” America—Top Ten\n\n\n2) Only in America could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when we have a black President, a black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is black. (12% of the population is black.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9583208560943604}
{"content": "1 Thessalonians 2:16 CEB\n\n16 when they try to stop us from speaking to the Gentiles so they can be saved. Their sins are constantly pushing the limit.a God's wrath has caught up with them in the end.\n\nReferences for 1 Thessalonians 2:16\n\n    • c 2:16 - Or <i>They constantly fill up the measure of their sin.</i>", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6472508907318115}
{"content": "English Monarchs\nScottish Monarchs\n\nGenealogical Tables\n\nHouse of Stuart\nJames I & VI\nArbella Stuart\nHenry Frederick,\nPrince of Wales\n\nCharles I\nHenrietta Maria\nof France\n\nOliver Cromwell\nThe Civil War\nRupert of the Rhine\nBattle of Worcester\nCharles II\nGreat Fire of\n\nJames II\nJames Scott,\nDuke of Monmouth\n\nMonmouth Rebellion\nHenrietta Anne Stuart\nWilliam & Mary\nQueen Anne\nJames Francis Edward\nCharles Edward Stuart\nHenry Benedict Stuart\nCharlotte Stuart\nJacobite Succession\n\nNative Princes\nOf Wales\n\nEnglish Princes\nof Wales\n\nThe Honours of Wales\n\nTudor Era\nStuart Era\nRecent History\n\nThe Regalia\nThe Theft Of The Crown Jewels\n\nLeeds Castle\nBuckingham Palace\nWindsor Castle\nHolyrood House\nBalmoral Castle\nSandringham House\nHampton Court Palace\nOsborne House\n\nSt. George's Chapel\nWestminster Abbey\nHenry VII Chapel\nEdward the\nConfessor's Shrine\n\nCarisbrooke Castle\nand Charles I\n\nOrder of the Garter\nOrder of the Bath\n\n\nThe House Of Stuart\n\nCharles I\n\nThe Battles of the Civil War\n\nThe Battle of Edgehill - 23rd October 1642\n\nStandards were raised for the first encounter of the Civil War in 1642. King Charles I personally commanded the Royal army which clashed with the Parliamentary forces under Robert Devereux, third Earl of Essex, at Edgehill, near Birmingham. The Parliamentarians opened battle with a volley of cannon fire. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the nephew of King Charles I, led a cavalry charge, putting the the Parliamentarians to flight. Rupert pursued in their wake, leaving the King completely open to attack. Essex seized the advantage, leading an assault on the remaining Royalists, who eventually fled. Prince Rupert returned to the field but as darkness was drawing in, the battle concluded as indecisive.\n\nAdwalton Moor - 30th June 1643\n\nThe Royalist commander, William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, attempted to enclose the Parliamentary forces in Bradford. He clashed with the Parliamentary army under Thomas Fairfax, whom he heavily outnumbered, at Adwalton Moor. Adopting a defensive position, Fairfax successfully withstood a number of Royalist charges. However some of the Parliamentary troops abandoned their positions in pursuit of the retreating Royalists, resulting in they themselves being forced into retreat.\n\nThomas, General Fairfax\n\nRoundaway Down - 13th July 1643\n\nThe Parliamentary army under the command of Sir William Waller, had forced the Royalists under Lord Hopton, to Devizes. Waller decided to rest his army prior to mounting a final assault, unaware that on reaching Salisbury the Royalists had turned North to obtain aid. Lord Henry Wilmot brought a force to their assistance. On their approach, the Parliamentary army occupied a position on Roundaway Down, just north of Devizes. As a result of repeated Royalists charges the Parliamentary cavalry fled the field, although the infantry courageously continued to stand their ground. A force commanded by Hopton attacked them from the rear, causing them to eventually flee also.\n\nFirst Battle of Newbury - 20th September 1643\n\nEssex, in the course of travelling from London, was attacked by a company of soldiers under Prince Rupert. The Prince's strategy was to delay the Parliamentarians , allowing his uncle, Charles I to arrive at Newbury before Essex. Charles army blocked Essex's path and battle was prepared for. The Royalists mounted an unsuccessful attack on the strong Parliamentary artillery position on Round Hill, but were forced into retreat. A second Royalist attack on the hill met with success, pushing the enemy back. The Royalist cavalry had suffered heavy losses and the battle turned out again to be inconclusive.\n\nMarston Moor - 2nd July 1644\n\nPrince Rupert was commissioned to go to the aid of a Royalist army at York, when Oliver Cromwell, an East Anglian landowner from the ranks of the gentry, who had risen to lead Parliament, dispatched Parliamentary forces to confront him. Rupert ordered cavalry to Marston Moor while riding with the remainder of the Royalist army via a second route. Heavily outnumbered, the Prince still decided to give battle. A surprise attack on Rupert's position was mounted, resulting in a Parliamentary victory. Following the battle, the Prince of Wales was sent to Bristol for his greater safety, where he was placed in charge of the the West Country.\n\nPrince Rupert of the Rhine\n\nSecond Battle of Newbury - 27th October 1644\n\nThe King and his army were situated in a strong position in defence of the northern border of the town of Newbury. The Parliamentary army occupied a ridge to the north-east. The Parliamentarians were led by Edward Montagu, a force under the command of Sir William Waller was sent to skirt the edge of the King's army. At break of day, both divisions lead a simultaneous attack on the Royalists. The ensuing melee lasted for the rest of the day and at nightfall Charles decided to retreat to the royalist capital of Oxford.\n\nThe Battle of Naseby - 14th June 1645\n\nThe Battle of Naseby proved to be the turning point in the Civil War. In attempt to bring the King to battle, the Parliamentary army under General Fairfax laid siege to Oxford. Charles, as expected, came to the defence of the city. As the Royal army approached, it was attacked by Fairfax and forced to engage in pitched battle. The Royalists foolishly abandoned a strong position and advanced on Fairfax. The Royalist cavalry, led by Prince Rupert, attacked, pushing back the Parliamentary cavalry. The New Model Army, a highly trained and well armed Parliamentary force, took to the field, and Charles' army were overwhelmed. The battle went on for only three hours, when it became apparent that his cause was lost, the King fled the field. The royalists were chased for around twelve miles from Naseby and many of the captured were slaughtered. The battle effectively ended Royalist hopes of victory in the Civil War.\n\nBattle of Rowton Heath - 24 September, 1645\n\nWhile stationed at Raglan Castle in South Wales the king received the news that Chester was the subject of a Parliamentary siege. He entered the city on 23rd September, while a force under Sir Marmaduke Langdale occupied Rowton Heath, about two miles to the south east of Chester, with the intention of attacking the Parliamentary army from the rear.\n\nThe King Charles Tower, Chester city walls, from which Charles watched the battle of Rowton Heath\n\nKing Charles Tower, Chester\n\nThe Parliamentarians, lead by Sydenham Poyntz, were informed that Charles had entered the city, and marched through the night to meet the Royalist forces. Charles watched the ensueing batle from a tower on the city walls, now known as the King Charles Tower. Battle was opened with a Parliamentary charge, which the Royalists drove back, but they were pushed back to the eastern suburbs of the city and finally driven from the field. The king was moved to the cathedral tower, were he was narrowly missed by a bullet fired by a Parliamentary sniper.\n\nSee also:-\n\nCharles I\n\nThe Battle of Worcester -1651\n\nExternal links\n\nThe Battle of Nantwich\n\nThe Civil War Siege of Chester\n\nThe Battle of Rowton Heath\n\nThe Massacre of Barthomley and Civil War skirmish at Haslington", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8174598217010498}
{"content": "Understanding SAT scores is easy. The exam consists of three parts: Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. The scores from each section can range from 200 to 800, so the best possible total score is 2400. The average score for each section is roughly 500, so the average total score is about 1500. \n\n\nUnderstanding SAT scores is important because your scores tell college admissions staff how you did compared with other students who took the test. For example, if you scored close to the average, about a 1500, admissions staff would know that you scored as well as about half of the students who took the test nationally.  \n\n\nSAT percentiles compare your scores to those of other students who took the test. Say, for example, your math score is 500. If the state percentile for a score of 500 is 50, then this means you did better than 50 percent of the state's college-bound seniors.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9028428792953491}
{"content": "\n\nEmma Caulfield Quotes\n\nNo matter how successful you get in Hollywood, you cannot rest. Your new movie doesn't open well; they're looking for the next person to replace you; it's always something. You never have true peace.\n\nEmma Caulfield\n\nCopyright © 2001 - 2015 BrainyQuote", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6699045300483704}
{"content": "Items by Tony Davis\n\nTucson’s rain-catching revolution\nTucson’s rain-catching revolution\nIn the Sonoran Desert, rainwater harvesting is finally going mainstream.\nThe right-wing heiress who changed course in the desert\nThe right-wing heiress who changed course in the desert\nLooking back on Bazy Tankersley: publisher, rancher and conservationist\nThe BLM fights for the Southwest’s last free-flowing river\nThe BLM fights for the Southwest’s last free-flowing river\nA federal agency asserts its water rights to the San Pedro river in a case that might eventually lead to limits on growth in Arizona.\nA Mexican rancher struggles to shift from cattle to conservation\nA Mexican rancher struggles to shift from cattle to conservation\nHow conservation works south of the border\nHow conservation works south of the border\nHardrock Mining Showdown\nHardrock Mining Showdown\n\"Curious about the human condition\"\n\"Curious about the human condition\"\nA conversation with Western writer Philip Fradkin.\n'Firebrand ways'\n'Firebrand ways'\nLongtime activist Kieran Suckling talks about the Center for Biological Diversity.\nNon-navigable River Blues\nNon-navigable River Blues\nUltimate solution?\nSouthern California wants to use desalination to increase its water supply, but critics think the idea needs to be taken with a grain of salt.\nThe Battle for the Verde\nFed up with paying to play\nChris Wallace’s refusal to pay daily user fees on Arizona’s Mount Lemmon led to a courtroom decision that has thrown the entire future of the federal recreational fee program into doubt\nHave golf's glory days gone by?\nHow a tiny owl changed Tucson\nThe cactus ferruginous pygmy owl has been removed from the endangered species list, but Tucson area leaders say they plan to continue the desert conservation efforts put in place to help the very rare bird\nReality Check\nMisinformation and exaggeration abound in the debate over the Endangered Species Act’s critical habitat provisions\nESA talks end in stalemate\nA working group of 23 experts convened by the nonprofit Keystone Center could not reach consensus over how to reform the Endangered Species Act’s critical habitat provisions\nCritical Habitat: The Inside Story\nA behind-the-scenes look at the struggle over critical habitat reveals the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be an agency at war with itself\nHigh Noon for Habitat\nIn Riverside County, Calif., the conflict between the Endangered Species Act’s critical habitat rule and the West’s booming, sprawling, growth-driven economy comes to a head\nScience: The chink in Quivira's armor\nThe Quivira Coalition has a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting its claim that its grazing methods work, but hard, independent science on the topic is much harder to find\nThe 'New Ranch' poster child hangs on by a thread\nRancher Jim Williams believes the Quivira Coalition helped change his life, but restoring his arid rangeland has proved difficult, and between drought and an uncertain economy, the future of his ranch still hangs in the balance\nRangeland Revival\nThe Quivira Coalition wants to bring peace and prosperity to the West’s public grazing lands, but some critics question whether the collaboration-based group can accomplish its goals\nNew grazing rules ride on doctored science\nDeveloper under fire for destroying desert\nDeveloper George Johnson is being sued by the state of Arizona for major violations of environmental laws, committed in the early stages of his planned La Osa Ranch development\nDeath of the San Pedro: Not if, but when\nGroundwater pumping in the Sierra Vista area may be already reducing water flow to the San Pedro River\nA Thirst for Growth\nArizona voters say 'yes' to open space\nCougar hunt creates uproar\nFollowing a flurry of sightings and a much-publicized, ill-starred hunt for mountain lions in Sabino Canyon near Tucson, Arizonans push for changes in how the state manages its big cats\nBiologist busted for moving endangered cacti\nFires take toll on San Diego’s wildlife\nThe October wildfires in Southern California burned rare trees and may have caused the extinction of a butterfly -- proving, some say, that San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program did not protect enough habitat to save imperiled species\nBehind the scenes, pressure and doubt\nTwo former Fish and Wildlife Service biologists had early doubts about San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program, criticizing the limits of the program’s science and its inability to protect a population of endangered willowy monardella", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.723365306854248}
{"content": "CHICO, Calif. -\n\nAs they do every Halloween at Chico State, pumpkins fell from the heights of Butte Hall.\n\nFor 26 years, the gourds have been dropped from one of the tallest buildings on campus. Hundreds showed up for the event, including local school children and older ones who were passing by.\n\nThe Pumpkin Drop is put on by the Society of Physics Students. They dress as historical figures -- including Aristotle and Galileo -- and each explain their theories of gravity.\n\n\"We spend a couple of weeks getting together and kind of running through lines and trying to get the timing down on the pumpkins,\" said society member Sarah Knudsen, who portrayed Sir Isaac Newton. \"Although, since we don't have an opportunity to practice with pumpkins, sometimes, it can cause some fun.\"\n\nAs a grand finale, pumpkins were dropped to the cannon blasts of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8905324339866638}
{"content": "Suffer the Children, Suffer the Country\n\nNEW YORK – Children are every country’s most vital resource. This is true not just morally, but also economically. Investing in the health, education, and skills of children offers the highest economic returns to a country. A new study by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows which high-income countries are doing well when it comes to making these investments – and which are doing poorly.\n\nThe report, Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, takes a holistic view of the conditions of children in the United States, Canada, and Europe – 29 countries in all. The top-ranked countries, where children are best off, are the social democracies of Western Europe. The Netherlands heads the list, followed by Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.\n\nAt the bottom one finds a major surprise: the US, the richest large economy in the world, is in 26th place, followed by three much poorer countries: Lithuania, Latvia, and Romania. France and the United Kingdom are ranked in the middle.\n\nThe study assesses children’s well-being in terms of material conditions (related to household-income levels); health and safety; education; risky behavior (such as excessive alcohol consumption); and physical environment, including housing conditions. Although the study is limited to high-income countries, national governments – and even cities – in other parts of the world should replicate it to analyze their own children’s well-being.\n\nThe gaps between the northern European countries and the US are the most telling. Northern European countries generally provide cash support to families to ensure that all children are raised in decent conditions, and they undertake ambitious social programs to provide high-quality day care, pre-school, and primary and secondary education. Moreover, all children are well covered by effective health-care systems.\n\nThe US, with its individualist, free-market ideology, is very different. There is little cash support for families. Government programs supposedly provide a social safety net, but politicians are, in fact, largely indifferent to the well-being of the poor, because poor voters turn out in lower numbers and do not finance America’s expensive election campaigns. Indeed, the evidence strongly suggests that US politicians tend to listen and respond only to their richer constituents. The so-called safety net has suffered accordingly, as have America’s poor.\n\nThe differences between the social democracies and the US show up strongly in category after category. In the social democracies, less than 10% of children grow up in relative poverty (meaning households with less than half of the country’s median income). In the US, the rate of relative poverty exceeds 20%.\n\nAmerican children suffer far more from low birth weight (a major danger signal for later life); being overweight at ages 11, 13, and 15; and very high rates of teenage fertility. There are around 35 births for every 1,000 girls aged 15-19, compared to fewer than ten per thousand in the northern European countries.\n\nLikewise, US children face considerably more violence in society than children in other high-income countries do. That may not be surprising, but it is deeply troubling, because children’s exposure to violence is a major threat to their physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Homicide rates in the US are roughly five times higher than in northern Europe.\n\nOne fascinating aspect of the UNICEF study is its use of what is now called “subjective well-being.” This means asking a person directly about his or her life satisfaction. There have been many recent studies of the subjective well-being of adults around the world.  But I know of no comparable research in which children were asked directly about their sense of well-being – a very smart question indeed.\n\nHere, the evidence suggests that northern Europe’s children generally appreciate their remarkable advantages. The children were asked to rate their “life satisfaction” on an 11-step ladder. In the Netherlands, a remarkable 95% of children set their rating at six or higher. In the US, the proportion is much lower, at around 84%. These subjective rankings also correlate highly with the children’s reported quality of interactions with their peers and parents. Some 80% of Dutch children report their classmates to be “kind and helpful,” compared to just 56% of American children.\n\nThe costs to the US of allowing so many of its children to grow up in poverty, poor health, poor schools, and poor housing are staggering. A shocking proportion ends up serving time in prison – especially in the case of non-white poor children. Even those fortunate not to fall into the trap of America’s vast prison system often end up unemployed and even unemployable, without the skills needed to obtain and keep a decent job.\n\nAmericans have been blinded to these calamitous mistakes partly by a long history of racism, as well as by a misplaced faith in “rugged individualism.” For example, some white families have opposed public financing for education, because they believe that their tax money goes disproportionately to help poorer non-white students.\n\nThe result, however, is that everybody loses. Schools underperform; poverty remains high; and the resulting high rates of unemployment and crime impose huge financial and social costs on US society.\n\nThe UNICEF findings are powerful. High national incomes are not enough to ensure children’s well-being. Societies that have a strong commitment to equal opportunity for all of their children – and that are prepared to invest public funds on their behalf – end up with much better outcomes.\n\nEvery country should compare the conditions of its young people with those reported by UNICEF, and use the results to help guide expanded investment in their children’s well-being. Nothing could be more important for any society’s future health and prosperity.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9592055082321167}
{"content": "Extension educators receive countless questions during the holidays regarding safety issues of food they want to prepare or serve. Here are some recent questions and our answers:\n\n\nA. If giblets were left in the cavity during roasting, even though this is not recommended, the turkey and giblets are probably safe to use. However, if the package containing the giblets has changed shape or melted in any way during cooking, do not use the giblets or the turkey because harmful chemicals from the packaging may have penetrated the surrounding meat.\n\n\nA. Unfortunately, this roast should not be eaten. It has been out of refrigeration too long. At room temperature, bacteria that may be present multiply very rapidly and some types of bacteria will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking, and can possibly cause illness.\n\nNever thaw frozen food on the kitchen counter. Refrigerator thawing is much safer. You may also thaw foods in cold running water or in the microwave. These foods must be cooked immediately to a safe minimum internal temperature before refrigerating.\n\n\n\n\nA. Poultry and hams are smoked for flavor, not preservation. The only exceptions are country hams and dry sausages, which are safe at room temperature because of their high salt content and dryness.\n\n\nIf perishable food arrives warm - above 40 degrees, as measured with a food thermometer - notify the company. It's the shipper's responsibility to deliver the product on time, properly packaged and handled safely; the customer's responsibility is to have someone at home to receive it and refrigerate it immediately.\n\nQ. What should I do? I put a 20-pound turkey in a 200-degree oven before I went to bed last night, and the pop-up timer says it's already done at 7:30 this morning. We won't be eating until 3 p.m.\n\nA. You have two problems here. First, overnight cooking of meat at a low temperature isn't a safe method, so we don't recommend eating this turkey. It's not safe to cook any meat or poultry in an oven set lower than 325 degrees. At 200 degrees, meat remains in the \"danger zone\" (between 41 and 135 degrees internally) for too long a time, so bacteria multiply rapidly and can form toxins.\n\nSecondly, holding a safely cooked turkey at a safe internal temperature of 140 degrees or above for this amount of time can dry it out and affect the quality. If a safely cooked turkey must be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for optimal safety and quality it should be carved and refrigerated in covered shallow containers and served cold or reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.\n\n\nA. Yes. Food made with eggs and milk - such as pumpkin pie, custard pie and cheesecake - must first be safely baked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees. Then, they must be refrigerated after baking.\n\nEggs and milk have high protein and moisture content and when these baked products are left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply. It's not necessary to refrigerate most other cakes, cookies or bread unless they have a perishable filling or frosting.\n\nI hope this information will help keep you and your family safe so you can truly enjoy the holidays.\n\nFor more information, podcasts, videos, recipes, activities for children, etc., go to http://holidayfoodsafety.org.\n\n- - -\n\nMarcia Weber is York County's Penn State Cooperative Extension family and consumer sciences educator and certified food safety instructor.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9457740187644958}
{"content": "Messy Paperback Conversion for Henry Jenkins’ Convergence Culture\n\n<rant>As someone who used to work in book publishing and who has a wife who still does, I’m pretty sympathetic to the challenges of getting a book into print without typos. That being said, I’m pretty let down by the job NYU Press did in converting the hardcover edition of Henry Jenkins’ Convergence Culture into paperback. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading the 3rd printing of the paperback and have been annoyed by the haphazard way the text was reflowed from the layout in the hardcover edition to the layout for the paperback. At least a dozen times in the past 100 pages, I’ve seen hyphenated words that were probably at the end of the line in the hardcover now in the middle of a line. Today, I read a block quote (on page 119) that seemed to be missing at least the final line.</rant>\n\n<praise>Despite the annoyances of the physical text, I am enjoying the book and am finding much that I might be able to use in my credit course this fall.</praise>", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6161254048347473}
{"content": "Norman Spinrad Trashes Knopf, Sonny Mehta, Chip Kidd and American Publishing\n\nNORMAN Last night, the long-time scifi writer Norman Spinrad (who earlier this year was diagnosed with stomach cancer) published the second of a three-part series on “THE PUBLISHING DEATH SPIRAL.” It’s amazing! In it, he trashes his relationship with Knopf, who sank one of his books, trashes book designer Chip Kidd (for having more power than the editors) and trashes his Knopf editor for being useless, spineless and not so bright. It’s a great read; I don’t agree with all of it but it’s illuminating. One thing that really stands out is the way the U.S. book publishing system is an entirely different animal than that of other countries. In the U.S., publishers will buy books and then, shortly thereafter, not care about them in the slightest, and on some level, Spinrad can’t quite accept that this is a systematic thing. He’s looking for a reason from Knopf honcho Sonny Mehta of why books like his get thrown on the pyre, and actually, there is no reason, and Sonny Mehta doesn’t care about your book! It’s expediency, it’s capitalism, it’s people who don’t have time, it’s because there’s no incentive in American publishing to care. Last week, actually, Spinrad did a pretty good job of explaining the diminishing returns of orders and expectations for writers.\n\n\n\n\nAnd how does that play out for the author? As he wrote last night:\n\nWithout BookScan, order to net, near monopolies on the retailing end, and a conglomeritized industry where the great idioyncratic independents like Scribners, Random House, and yes Knopf, have become mere brand names owned by a scant handful of multinational corporations, a Sonny Mehta, running on whatever motivation, would still be able to assassinate a single novel by publishing it badly, but not the author’s ongoing career.\n\nOr not for sure, anyway. Back in the day, you could write your way out of it if you were good enough by writing a novel great enough to be recognized as a great novel by a single editor with the passion and the leeway to ignore the previous strike-out at bat and swing for the fences. Back in the day, there were many more editors like that because there were many more independent major publishers, hence much more real competition on the acquisition end, hence as much reliance on analog editorial judgement as digital Nielsen numbers.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6508602499961853}
{"content": "A recidivist is a person who is released from prison and who later commits another crime, or reoffends, such as a parole violation or the commission of a new crime. Recidivism rates by state vary but California is among the highest in the nation. According to a 2012 report by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, just over 65% of those released from California’s prison system return within three years. This number has not changed significantly over the years. The report also sheds light on some factors that affect recidivism including the fact that 73% of the recidivists committed a new crime or violated parole within the first year of their release from prison. Also, those convicted of property crime are much more likely to recidivate that those convicted of serious crime. Such high prison recidivism rates represent a complete failure of the prison system to achieve its supposed goals of deterrence and rehabilitation.\n\nRecidivism is a multi-tiered problem with no easy answer. Many factors go into a former inmate’s decision to re-offend after release. It is important to note, however, that there have been many studies showing prison programs systems which provide institutional programming have lower recidivism rates among those who are released. Prison programs such as anger management, vocational skills training, educational opportunities, and even trauma support groups are vital to ensuring inmates who are reintroduced to the general population have the life skills necessary to stay on the right path. For example, participants in prison substance abuse programs recidivate at a much lower rate than those who do not participate.\n\nRates of recidivism are also affected by the reentry services provided to each person released from prison on parole or as a result of a determinate sentence. Reentry projects report that 33% of all prison admissions nationwide are due to parole violations. To reduce recidivism, communities need to consider factors such as the threat of homelessness, mental health services, substance abuse programs, adequate health care, education and employment assistance, and family support. In addition, female inmates may need programs and services that are different from male inmates.\n\nUnfortunately, however, California is one of many states which have stripped its prisons of rehabilitative programming over the years. Legislators and special interests who shape the institutional model for California’s prison system have decreased funding, or defunded altogether, programs which are designed to rehabilitate the prison population by arguing such programs are “soft on crime,” including parole services. As a result, inmates are often unable to participate in programs even if they are interested; wait times for valuable programs can be months or even years. If the system is supposed to work to deter those convicted from committing crimes again and rehabilitate them so that they can become productive members of society upon release, it is clear that the system is doing something wrong when two-thirds of those released ultimately return to prison. The prison system needs to address these recidivism rates and make the changes necessary to meet its goals: deter and rehabilitate.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.997194766998291}
{"content": "You are here\n\nStatement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on Baucus-Grassley \"HIRE\" Act\n\nCBPP Statement: February 12, 2010 - For Immediate Release\n\n\nThe Baucus-Grassley “HIRE” Act recognizes the need for further steps to boost the economy and create jobs beyond what Congress enacted last year in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  It falls short of what’s needed, however, because it lacks additional fiscal relief for hard-pressed states and provides an inadequate extension of emergency unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for jobless workers.  Fiscal relief and UI are among the most effective steps available to policymakers, providing a high “bang for the buck” in terms of boosting the fragile economy as well as preventing layoffs and preserving or creating jobs.  Congress should add significant fiscal relief and extend the length of additional UI benefits to the recovery legislation it enacts.\n\nThe lack of additional fiscal relief is particularly glaring.  States face an estimated $300 billion in total deficits over the next two fiscal years, and many states have already begun to draft their budget for 2011, which starts July 1 in most states.  Governors are proposing deep program cuts that, if adopted by their legislatures in the coming weeks, will reduce demand in the economy, increasing unemployment and raising the risk of a double-dip recession.  If Congress does not act – and act quickly – to provide more fiscal relief, states will have to take steps to close their budget gaps that could cost the economy up to 900,000 jobs.  They will likely cut education, leading to teacher lay-offs; cut Medicaid, throwing more working-class people into the ranks of the uninsured, and cut aid to local governments, leading to cutbacks in local services like police and fire protection.  All of these actions will mean less money for families and small businesses to spend in their communities, further depressing economic growth.  Federal aid to states produces $1.41 in economic activity for each $1 in federal spending, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's  Thus, the Baucus-Grassley legislation omits one of the best “bangs for the buck” available.\n\nCongress also should extend the emergency UI benefits for unemployed workers that it enacted in ARRA through the end of the year.  Most forecasters believe that unemployment will remain close to 10 percent through 2010, and that means long-term unemployment will also likely remain very high.  Regular UI benefits typically run out after 26 weeks but, as of last month, more than 40 percent of unemployed workers had been looking for a job for 27 weeks or more.  The percentage of the unemployed who have been out of work for more than half a year and still can’t find a job is the highest on record in data that go back to 1948, and much higher than in past recessions. Providing temporary additional benefits to unemployed workers in such a weak labor market not only helps the workers and their families but it’s also one of the most effective ways to boost the nascent economic recovery.  The Congressional Budget Office listed it among the most effective policies for boosting output and employment in its recent analysis of measures that Congress will likely consider, and it consistently ranks very high in other analysts’ rankings of economic stimulus \"bang-for-the-buck.”\n\nAs Congress considers legislation to further boost the economy and create jobs, lawmakers should include the critical steps of significant fiscal relief and an extension of emergency UI benefits through the end of 2010.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5857182741165161}
{"content": "CFD Online Discussion Forums\n\nCFD Online Discussion Forums (\n-   Main CFD Forum (\n-   -   Spalart-Allmaras and \"Non-Conservative Diffusion\" (\n\nPeterDoings April 15, 2013 18:22\n\nSpalart-Allmaras and \"Non-Conservative Diffusion\"\n\nI'm an undergrad student and I'm implementing the S-A model for incompressible flow in a FV solver;\n\nI have access to STAR-CCM+'s documentation and there I found an entry explaining that they did not discretize explicitly one of parcels of the diffusion term but that they combined it with the conservative diffusion one. I tried to get to the formula on my own using the identity:\n\n\\nabla\\cdot(\\phi\\nabla\\psi)=\\phi\\nabla^{2}\\psi + \\nabla\\phi\\cdot\\nabla\\psi\n\nAnd got a very similar result to STAR's:\n\n\\frac{1}{\\sigma_\\nu}[\\int_S(\\nu+\\tilde{\\nu})\\nabla\\nu \\cdot dS + \\int_V C_{b2} (\\nabla \\nu \\cdot \\nabla \\nu)dV] = \\frac{1+C_{b2}}{\\sigma_\\nu}  \\int(\\nu+\\tilde{\\nu})\\nabla\\tilde{\\nu} \\cdot dS -  \\int_V\\frac{C_{b2}}{\\sigma_\\nu}(\\nu+\\tilde{\\nu})\\nabla^2\\tilde{\\nu}dV\n\nExcept that in the documentation it appears as a \\approx and the last term has, instead of the Laplacian, a \\nabla\\tilde{\\nu}^2 which I assume is their mistake (is it?).\nMy questions are: a) is this common practice? and b) I'll treat the first term as a regular diffusion term with the diffusivity given by last iteration's \\tilde{\\nu}, but how can I best discretize the last one? Explicitly calculate the laplacian on a cell by cell basis, multiply by \\nu+\\tilde{\\nu} and put the result in the right-hand side?\n\nAny help apreciated.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6472640633583069}
{"content": "Wax works\n\nWhere can you find Paul McCartney, Mark Twain and Harriet Tubman all in the same place?\n\nChandler Elementary School, of course. Well, sort of.\n\nThese historic figures and many more could be found in the hallways of Chandler recently as fourth-grade Excel teacher Nancy Lidy put on &quot;Lidy's Wax Museum.&quot; The project gave students the opportunity to portray a historically significant figure. Characters ranged from famous jurist Sandra Day O'Connor to frontier explorer Meriwether Lewis.\n\nThe children in Lidy's class were expected to create and memorize a 55-second speech on their characters. Participants were also expected to dress accordingly and bring in props to help set the scene for audience members, who included parents and other students at the school.\n\nThe presentations were given in a style similar to that of a &quot;wax museum.&quot; Five &quot;characters&quot; were placed at each of four different stations in the school's foyer and hallways. Each character would begin and end a speech in a totally frozen state. Lidy would then release characters from their trance with the words, &quot;Lidy's Wax Museum preparing to open&quot; and the clapping of a clapboard.\n\nLidy believes the unique approach to the presentations helped engage the audience.\n\n&quot;It's moving so fast that boredom doesn't have a chance to set in,&quot; Lidy said. &quot;The audience is constantly alert.&quot;\n\nMcKenna Peach, a student in Lidy's Excel class, chose civil rights activist Rosa Parks as the subject of her presentation.\n\n&quot;I think what she did was great,&quot; Peach said. &quot;I just thought they treated black people differently and it wasn't right. She stood up for her rights and did the right thing. She really inspired me.&quot;\n\nWardrobe was another appealing part of the presentations\n\nPeach's outfit included a colorful dress with a knitted shawl and hat. Maria Fruit, acting as the famous Native American Sacagawea, had a detailed costume and wore a longhaired whig to go along with her Indian dress.\n\nThis was the second time Lidy has done the &quot;wax museum&quot; project with her students and she considers it to be a great educational tool.\n\n&quot;They go from not knowing what a speech is at all to developing a 55-second speech,&quot; she said.\n\nLike many adults, the prospect of public speaking was daunting to many students.\n\n&quot;When she first said we were giving speeches, I was scared,&quot; Peach said. &quot;(But) we kept practicing and it got easier.&quot;\n\nStudents had lots of time to prepare their presentations, but due to the many snow days Warrick County has encountered recently they were given just one dress rehearsal before their first performance. Lidy was impressed with how her students responded to the adversity.\n\n&quot;They only had one dress rehearsal,&quot; Lidy said. &quot;But when it was showtime everyone had it down pat.&quot;\n\nThe goal of the project was to help the fourth grade students gain experience in researching certain topics and to develop a sense of ease while speaking in front of their peers, something Lidy feels was accomplished.\n\n&quot;They are very comfortable talking in front of each other by this point,&quot; she said.\n\nThe students may have developed that sense of comfort Lidy was hoping for, but some learned even more than that.\n\nSam Huff, a youth baseball player and student of Lidy's, decided to personify baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand. Abbott was best known for his overcoming a disability to pitch in the major leagues. Huff, an aspiring big league pitcher, was influenced by Abbott's achievements.\n\n&quot;I learned that if you try hard, you can overcome anything,&quot; Huff said.\n\nLidy enjoys hearing that. She said those moments when students use lessons not only to gain knowledge of specific topics but also to learn life skills are particularly gratifying.\n\n&quot;I love my job,&quot; said Lidy. &quot;We present them their education and they become the active doers. They go from teacher-driven to studentdriven.&quot;\n\nLidy has been involved in education since 1970 and has been the Excel teacher at Chandler since 1993. She is the wife of former Castle football coach John Lidy.\n\nHer tenure as an educator has been long, but Lidy has treasured each moment.\n\n&quot;I love the journey,&quot; she said. &quot;Sometimes I don't know who is having more fun, the students or me.&quot;\n\n&quot;It's like what I always tell my colleagues,&quot; she said. &quot;I have the best job in Warrick County.&quot;\n\nAnd a lot of celebrities in her classroom.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8716017603874207}
{"content": "American Society For Nutrition\n\nASN Blog\n\nASN Blog\n\nExcellence in Nutrition Research and Practice\n\nBreakfast Consumption and Weight Loss\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Caitlin Dow, PhD\n\n\nBreakfast is often considered the “most important meal of the day,” and if you are looking to lose weight, you mustn't skip breakfast… or so the story goes. This idea is widely believed in popular culture as well as by many nutrition scientists and government bodies and is repeated so often that many in the field consider it health dogma. Indeed, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans even recommend breakfast consumption as an important tool for weight loss.  But what does the science say?\n\n            Observational studies indicate that breakfast consumption is linked to lower weight.  Data from the National Weight Control Registry demonstrated that 78% of the nearly 3,000 subjects included in the analysis (adults who had lost at least 13 kg and kept the weight off for a year or more) reported eating breakfast everyday and only 4% reported never eating breakfast [1]. Further, a recent meta-analysis of observational studies that have evaluated the relation between weight and breakfast consumption found that skipping breakfast was associated with a 55% increased odds of having overweight or obesity [2]. These findings are likely the reason many tout breakfast consumption as an important weight loss modality, despite these studies not actually testing that outcome.\n\nObservational studies can only describe associations, but are not appropriate to determine causation.  Thus, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have sought to test whether breakfast consumption directly impacts weight.  In one of the first RCTs to evaluate the role of breakfast in weight loss, Schlundt et al. [3]studied women with obesity who were self-reported breakfast eaters or skippers.Within each group, women were randomized to eat or skip breakfast in addition to following a 1200 kcal/day diet for 12 weeks. All groups lost at least 6 kg, but interestingly, those who were randomized to switch their breakfast condition (e.g. ate breakfast at baseline, then started skipping) lost more weight than those who maintained their breakfast habit. These results suggest that changing an eating behavior in addition to following a reduced calorie diet may accelerate weight loss. However, the results from a study by Dhurandhar et al. did not corroborate those findings. Adults with overweight and obesity were randomized to one of three conditions in which all groups received a USDA pamphlet on healthy eating practices: the control group received no other information, one group received additional instructions to consume breakfast, and the third group was instructed to not eat breakfast [4]. After 16 weeks, there was no observed effect of treatment assignment on weight loss.Contrary to the results from the Schlundt study, baseline breakfast eating habit was not related to weight change, though this study didn't evaluate breakfast consumption in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet.Finally, in a recently published 4-week study, adults with overweight and obesity were randomized to three different breakfast conditions: water (control), frosted flakes, or oatmeal [5].Interestingly, skipping breakfast resulted in an average weight loss of 1.2 kg, while those randomized to either breakfast condition demonstrated no significant weight change.However, total cholesterol also increased in the control group, suggesting that skipping breakfast may result in slight weight loss, but have detrimental effects on cardiometabolic health.\n\nThus, the results from the few RCTs completed in adults with overweight and obesity, to date, do not support the notion that breakfast consumption should be part of a weight loss regimen. Importantly, though, the results are also not compelling to suggest that eating breakfast hinders weight loss.  This field is still young and many questions remain unanswered. I look forward to more RCTs evaluating breakfast consumption (and potentially, breakfast quality) on various facets of weight and metabolic health.\n\n\n1.Wyatt, H.R., et al., Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obes Res, 2002. 10(2): p. 78-82.\n\n2.Brown, A.W., M.M. Bohan Brown, and D.B. Allison, Belief beyond the evidence: using the proposed effect of breakfast on obesity to show 2 practices that distort scientific evidence. Am J Clin Nutr, 2013. 98(5): p. 1298-308.\n\n3.Schlundt, D.G., et al., The role of breakfast in the treatment of obesity: a randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 1992. 55(3): p. 645-51.\n\n4.Dhurandhar, E.J., et al., The effectiveness of breakfast recommendations on weight loss: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 2014. 100(2): p. 507-13.\n\n5.Geliebter, A., et al., Skipping breakfast leads to weight loss but also elevated cholesterol compared with consuming daily breakfasts of oat porridge or frosted cornflakes in overweight individuals: a randomised controlled trial. J Nutr Sci, 2014. 3: p. e56.\n\nGreen Tea: Who Does it Help, and How?\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy: Emma Partridge, MS Candidate\n\nGreen tea contains a high concentration of polyphenols, most of which are flavanols. Flavanols are commonly known as catechins, the most active catechin being epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).1 Within the world of nutrition, green tea is consistently touted as a beverage with a plethora of health benefits. These benefits are far-reaching and specific roles of green tea have been identified to improve symptoms or reverse disease damage amongst people with autoimmune disease, heart disease, cancer, liver disorders, smoking complications, chronic inflammation, and more. The roles of green tea often overlap and while green tea consumption is important for those with various diseases, the consumption of green tea by healthy individuals may be integral in the prevention of many of the following diseases.\n\nChronic Inflammatory Disease \nEGCG may be most important flavanol when it comes to inflammation control.2 EGCG has been shown to suppress the production of cytokines, pro-inflammatory mediators. Suppressing cytokines decreases long-term inflammation and has been shown to improve inflammation-related symptoms in arthritis models.3,4 \n\nAutoimmune Disease\nIn addition to helping to control the chronic inflammation associated with most autoimmune diseases, EGCG has been shown to suppress auto-reactive T cell proliferation. Auto-reactive T cells act against the body, resulting in various forms of autoimmune diseases. EGCG may also help to regulate T-helper cell balance, which may decrease the pathogenesis of arthritic diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis.3 \n\nType 2 Diabetes Risk\nType 2 Diabetes is sweeping America, and food production practices, availability, and affordability are making it harder for people to access healthy options. The ease of accessing and affording unhealthy foods is increasing the risk of diabetes among populations. Green tea, as well as coffee, has been associated with lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, though the mechanism is unknown and the data inconsistent. However, in a study of 40,000+ people followed for 10 years, researchers found that daily consumption of at least three cups of coffee or tea may lower type 2 diabetes risk.5\n\nHeart Disease & Stroke Risk\nIn an article published by the American Heart Association, researchers found that people who drank two to three cups of green tea per day had a 14% lower risk of stoke.6 The research on green tea and stroke risk comes on the wake of multiple studies finding links between green tea and heart health. Multiple studies found green tea consumption to lower risk of death from heart attacks by 26% and lower risk of coronary artery disease by 28%.7 \n\nCancer & Tumor Growth\nCancer is a leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease. Green tea has already been shown to be beneficial in preventing the leading cause of death; now studies have now shown that the EGCG may affect transformed cells by inhibiting the growth of certain cell lines, inducing apoptosis, and altering gene expression to prevent transformed cells from becoming cancerous.8\n\nThe polyphenols in green tea have shown to work against carcinogens, while the antioxidant effects may reverse endothelial dysfunction in healthy smokers.8 The reversal of endothelial dysfunction in smokers is important because it plays a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.9\n\nLiver Disease\nGreen tea's aforementioned anti-carcinogenic affect may play a role in preventing liver disease. Active polyphenols detoxify reactive oxygen species, preventing oxygen free radicals from destroying hepatocytes and causing oxidative DNA damage. Multiple studies have shown that, most likely via this method, green tea intake can attenuate liver disease or liver cancer.10\n\nWeight Loss & Weight Maintenance\nGreen tea's affect on weight loss may be attributed to two components: EGCG and caffeine. Caffeine alone does play some role in increasing energy expenditure, but when combined with EGCG, the mixture stimulates energy expenditure and fat oxidation to a greater degree. This may trigger weight loss, and additional evidence reveals that continual green tea consumption can further help to maintain weight.11\n\nIn determining whether or not green tea is for you, the answer is likely yes. While there are risks by way of overconsumption, a few glasses a day has been shown to be beneficial for the all-around healthy person in preventing disease and for the person suffering from various diseases or ailments.\n\n1.Ehrlich SD. Green Tea. 2011;\n2.Hamer M. The beneficial effects of tea on immune function and inflammation: a review of evidence from in vitro, animal, and human research. Nutrition Research. 2007;27(7):373-379.\n3.Wu DY, Wang JP, Pae M, Meydani SN. Green tea EGCG, T cells, and T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2012;33(1):107-118.\n4.Kim HR, Rajaiah R, Wu QL, et al. Green Tea Protects Rats against Autoimmune Arthritis by Modulating Disease-Related Immune Events. Journal of Nutrition. 2008;138(11):2111-2116.\n5.van Dieren S, Uiterwaal C, van der Schouw YT, et al. Coffee and tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2009;52(12):2561-2569.\n6.Green tea, coffee may help lower stroke risk. 2013;\n7.Green tea may lower heart disease risk. Harvard Heart Letter 2012;\n8.Chen ZP, Schell JB, Ho CT, Chen KY. Green tea epigallocatechin gallate shows a pronounced growth inhibitory effect on cancerous cells but not on their normal counterparts. Cancer Letters. 1998;129(2):173-179.\n9.Nagaya N, Yamamoto H, Uematsu M, et al. Green tea reverses endothelial dysfunction in healthy smokers. Heart. 2004;90(12):1485-1486.\n10.Jin X, Zheng R-h, Li Y-m. Green tea consumption and liver disease: a systematic review. Liver International. 2008;28(7):990-996.\n11.Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. 2009;33(9):956-961.\n\nUganda and Food Security: Thoughts from a Personal Experience\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Amber Furrer, MS\n\nThe term “food security” at a basic level was defined by the World Food Summit of 1996 as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (FAO 1996).  This is obviously a key element in success and well-being of any people, though its realization will look a little bit different in America, where we do still have food insecure, compared to other parts of the world. \n\nThere are many facets to the problem: poor infrastructure and organization, poverty, limited education, social injustice and gender inequality, conflict, and lack of natural resources.  Solutions also cannot generally be broadly applied because each country experiences these issues differently.  Despite the successes of the Green Revolution in agriculture and food research implementation and nutrition interventions since the 1960's, around 850 million people (or about 15% of the world's population) remain malnourished.  For children specifically, this jumps to 20%. The enormity of the problem can leave a person wondering what possible difference one person or one organization could make.   \nOn May 8, I traveled to Uganda on 3-week assignment with a United States-based NGO whose mission is to serve the vulnerable in developing countries with development and relief efforts.  Uganda, like the surrounding countries, is given a “low human development” score in the 2014 Human Development Report by the United Nations.  In 2006, 38% of Ugandan children experienced chronic malnutrition, or stunting.  Vitamin A and iron deficiency remain critical problems in population health, especially for mother and children (FAO 2010).\n\nThe broad focus of my assignment was nutrition education and recipe development for a small-holder farmer cooperative.  In general, farmers are an important target for nutrition education because they are able to impact the local food supply and most farmers are women of reproductive age.\nPreparing for my trip, I wasn't sure what kind of impact I would have.  A semi-tropical climate allows Ugandans to grow and consume a variety of foods, and on paper I thought their diet seemed pretty adequate.  But of course things on paper are always a bit different than what you find in reality. \n\nI spent two days with each group of farmers, the first day communicating (through a translator) the basic, important concepts of nutrition and the second explaining and demonstrating foods and preparation methods that could improve the diet quality of people in their district.  I shared the kind of information that we take for granted: the role of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals in our bodies and the importance of consuming a balanced diet including a variety of foods in addition to other simple but important tidbits like “don't feed tea and coffee to your children.”  When it came to recipe demonstrations, I explained things that most people in the US could look up on a computer whenever they wanted, but for these women and men was not accessible.\n\nAlong the way, I began to recognize that consumption patterns, while related to economic factors, often have more to do with cultural practices and preferences and societal barriers.  A visitor to Uganda immediately notices the huge amount of carbohydrate sources consumed at every meal.  There are several, including Irish potatoes, (white) sweet potatoes, cassava, green banana, rice, corn and millet-based pastes, and wheat-based chapatti.  Ugandans also grow a variety of beans, ground and tree nuts, vegetables, and fruits, so it is not that nutritious foods are totally absent, but are consumed in skewed proportions. \n\nFruit is considered child's food, and vegetables (including beans) are consumed in very small amounts.  Meat, dairy, and eggs are not widely affordable, and insects and fish have an undesirable “poor food” stigma attached.  Influences and perceptions of a Western diet have made white bread and other packaged foods sought-after commodities, rather than the native whole grain millet, avocadoes, mangos, and other naturally nutritious foods that Americans are ironically trending towards. \n\nIn lacking a strong education system and broad computer access, Ugandan people live in an information desert.  Despite the agricultural potential for variety, many dishes are made and consumed the same way day after day with the same ingredients because knowledge on nutrition and food preparation is lacking. There are countries with enough conflict and natural resource struggles that educating on the benefits of vegetable and dairy/animal protein consumption might be a moot point, but in Uganda these things are more achievable.  Timing seems critical: these farmers were at a point where they requested this training, and that makes the potential impact far greater. \n\nEasily-modified agricultural factors can have broad influence on the diet.  For example, simple introduction of orange-fleshed, rather than white-fleshed, sweet potatoes can vastly improve vitamin A intake.  Increasing use of fertilizers or crop rotation practices can ensure that minerals which foods like peanuts should theoretically contain are actually present.         \nGender-related issues can also impact diet quality. Women are responsible for feeding themselves and their children, but the money, even money they earned, is not always in their hands. Men may have a nice meal at a restaurant while women eat cassava and potatoes at home.  In addition, the common practice of multiple wives and the perception of children as a status symbol often make families quite large. \n\nOverall, while economic, agricultural, and societal factors do play a role in food security, in countries such as Uganda I think nutrition education has strong potential to directly provide needed knowledge and indirectly change practices and prejudices that impede diet quality.  My personal experience fully supports UNICEF recommendations for future nutrition education programs, including starting young, investing in women and girls, and collaborating across ministries to support integrated approaches to improving the diet (Unicef 2014).  These integrated approaches address other strong nutrition influencers such as food safety and hygiene and health and disease, in addition to agricultural production.     \n\nFAO. 1996. “Declaration on World Food Security.” World Food Summit, Rome: FAO.\nFAO. 2010. “Uganda.” United Nations.\nUnicef. 2014. “Multi-Sectoral Approaches to Nutrition: The Case for Investment by Educational Programmes.”\n\nFDA’s Proposal to Update Nutrition Facts label\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Emily Roberts\n\nFor nutrition professionals, deciphering the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages may be second nature. However, for the general public it is often difficult to understand and interpret this information. The FDA took this into consideration when proposing new requirements for Nutrition Facts labels in 2014 (1). Two main changes were proposed: new information on labels as well as design changes and new serving and package size requirements (2). The appearance of the label will be quite different if they are accepted.\n\nThis is of course to be the biggest change since 1993. The only alteration in the past 20 years has been the requirement of the amount of trans fat to the label in 2006 (1). This month the FDA proposed two more changes to the label. The one getting the most attention is the percent daily value of added sugars. \n\nThe most notable changes issued in March 2014 were (1):\n•    increased font size of calories\n•    changing of serving size requirements\n•    placement and update of percent daily value\n•    including added sugars\n•    removing calories from fat\n•    including the gram amount of micronutrients\n•    including vitamin d and potassium\n•    making vitamin C and vitamin A voluntary\n\nAs of this July 2015, two new changes were proposed (1):\n•    require the percent daily value of added sugars\n•    change the footnote to help consumers understand daily values\n\nWhat are considered added sugars?\nSimply stated added sugars are not naturally occurring and are added to the product. ChooseMyPlate says they are sugars that are added when processed or prepared. USDA lists some common sources of added sugars seen on ingredient lists including corn syrup, honey, fructose and lactose.  However, for many manufactures this can be quite difficult to quantify because fructose and lactose are naturally occurring in fruits and milk. Yet, when they are added during processing they are now considered an “added sugar”. The current requirements from the FDA states in The Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (101.60 c) that manufactures can use the claim “No added sugars” if “no sugar or sugar-containing ingredient is added during processing” (3).\n\nWhy does the FDA want percent daily value of added sugars?\nCurrently, there is no percent daily value of sugars because the FDA recommends that consumers limit their sugar intake to as low as possible. Things changed this month when the FDA argued that the percent daily value helps consumers understand how much is too much added sugars. Added sugars provide no nutrient value, increase caloric intake and replace nutrient dense foods. Susan Mayne, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, argued this change will help consumers reduce their intake of added sugars (4).\n\nHow much is too much of added sugars?\nFDA recommends that daily intake of added sugars should not exceed 10% of total calories (1). If you are eating a 2,000 calorie diet you can easily exceed this 10% mark by consuming one 20 fl oz Minute Maid Lemonade.\n\nHow are food manufacturers reacting?\nFood companies argue that including added sugars and a percent daily value could be misleading because the body utilizes added sugars the same as natural sugars and question the amount and quality of scientific evidence the FDA used to support their new proposal. Manufacturers claim that nutrition information seldom alters consumer's food intake, so these changes would be more costly than they would be beneficial (5).\n\nWhen can the public see these new changes?\nThe two new proposed changes will go through a comment period before they are accepted.\n\n\nThe Path to Policy: ODS Interview\n\nStudent Blogger\nInterview with NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Director Dr. Paul Coates\nBy: R. Alex Coots\n\nAcademia is changing.\n\nToday's universities increasingly rely on adjunct faculty to teach courses and reserve the coveted full-time academic position for the science superstars.  This phenomenon, coupled with decreasing paylines from funding agencies, makes a science career especially challenging to pursue. And that's not even considering the project difficulties!\n\nThe problem has become so pressing that even the NIH has realized it. New initiatives, such as the BEST Innovation Award, aim to ensure that graduate students and post-docs have increased opportunities to expand their skill sets for a future outside of academia.  \n\nPolicy is one of the many areas that nutrition experts can serve. The current Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), Dr. Paul Coates, successfully made the transition from bench research as a geneticist to a career in science policy. He spoke with me about his career and transition to ODS.\n\nWhat motivated your interest into policy?\nI was curious. For all these years, I had been funded to do research by the NIH and other organizations, but what I concentrated most on was my own research. I was pretty naïve when I came to the NIH, not knowing what life was like for people who worked on the government side. There were plenty of them like me, PhD's in one setting or another, who had come to the NIH to work as extramural program directors.\n\nWhat are the important skills or knowledge that someone should have when moving into policy?\nOne of the things I understood was the importance of making connections. My first job at the NIH was focusing on diabetes research efforts. I learned how to work with other people within an institute, and then gradually in other institutes and beyond to achieve common goals. I think the art of science policy is knowing who else works in this field that you can benefit from, and flip it around and ask “How can I help other people benefit from working together with them?” Recognize the talent that's out there in other organizations.\n\nWhat advice would you give to students?\nYou need to pay your dues as a scientist first. You need to understand the scientific method. You don't have to spend an eternity in science, but you must have spent some time doing it. Author publications and write grants. My observation is that the people best prepared for this kind of experience “get it” about what a scientist does. They must be prepared to critically analyze data and know what to look for in the literature to inform policy.\n\nWhat types of projects do the AAAS and Milner fellows work on?\nThe AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship is beautifully designed to encourage people at different levels of experience in science to work closely with federal agencies to learn about the science-to-policy transition. In ODS, we're recent partners in that program. Fellows are engaged in projects that my office works on. We have a very active role in translating science into policy, but also in identifying research needs.\n\nThe Milner fellowship has a different side to it. Jointly funded by ODS and the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, the Milner fellowship brings in one or two people per year for a two-year stint that will allow them to conduct research in one of the labs at Beltsville. At the same time, they participate at ODS in work on science policy.\n\nHow do you see ODS changing in the future?\nODS is getting a little older. A fairly urgent challenge is identifying people who can come up behind us and continue to identify opportunities for research—particularly those that have public health implications— and be committed to help tackle them.\n\nASN Focused on Collaboration to Solve Nutrition’s Complex Problems\n\nJohn Courtney\nBy John E. Courtney, PhD\n\nAs a society, ASN highlights the very best scientific research that promotes healthy people and communities; we recognize that nutrition research is conducted within and across the public, private and government sectors of our society. ASN members understand that the nutrition challenges facing the world are multi-faceted and require research-based solutions. The Society also understands that public confidence in scientific research and integrity is essential to translate scientific evidence into improved dietary practices by consumers.\n\nASN's professional activities allow members to come together and share information and research findings that accelerates discoveries that allow us to better understand the connections among diets and health. As a broad member-based organization, we are transparent about the fact that industry, government, trade groups and other scientific organizations contribute funding to help our society support the research enterprise for all of our members.  ASN is committed to openness, objective science, and disclosure of potential conflicts. The Society's Conflict of Interest attestation and “guiding principles for working with external groups and addressing COI” can be found on our website. All of the Editors for ASN's three journals have publicly-available conflict of interest statements, which is not a required process and is an example of our commitment to transparency.\nASN promotes rigorous research that highlights the very best dietary practices, policies and guidance. Because issues of nutrition impact virtually every aspect of the food supply chain, involvement of all informed stakeholders in the scientific enterprise is essential. Furthermore, in today's extremely competitive research environment, industry support helps progress research that might otherwise be impossible due to limited federal funding.  ASN, like all scientific societies, remains vigilant in safeguarding the integrity of the scientific process from the biases and influences that can be associated with research funding from all sources. Without scientific integrity, there can be no public trust. \n\nASN does not have small goals, and therefore we cannot work in a vacuum. We believe that scientists in academia, government, and industry can partner to solve the world's nutrition challenges. Our members work with moms and dads, children, the elderly, the sick, the under- and over- nourished, foundations, companies, governments, and media. We look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders who are passionate about nutrition and committed to the highest ethical standards for research that advances the public health to achieve a healthier world.\n\nASN welcomes all to the table to learn from one other and to make progress on continuing to solve today's complex nutrition challenges. These challenges include improving mechanisms and processes to fund, conduct and review nutrition research that improves global health.\n\nDietary Guidelines Committee Focuses on the Diet-Health-Environment Trilemma\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Banaz Al-khalidi\n\nFirst released in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated and jointly published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) every 5 years. These guidelines provide recommendations on nutrition and physical activity for Americans aged 2 and older, and are the driving force behind Federal nutrition policies, nutrition education and food procurement programs. As such, these guidelines are used by both the public and industry, and by a wide variety of audiences including educators, health professionals and government agencies.\n\nEarlier the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) released a Scientific Report based on the latest evidence, which will shape the finalized guidelines later this year. The committee's work was influenced by two fundamental connections between nutrition and lifestyle-related health issues facing the U.S population:\n\n1) Chronic diseases, overweight and obesity: about half of all American adults (~117 million) have one or more preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diet related cancers, and about two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese due to poor dietary habits and physical inactivity.  \n2) Food environment and settings: diet and lifestyle behaviors are strongly influenced by personal, social, organizational, and environmental context and systems. As such, the DGAC developed their recommendations based on a conceptual model of socio-ecological framework to provide recommendations at the individual, social, organizational, and environmental level.\n\nWhat does the DGAC's report say about the latest research on diet and lifestyle-related health outcomes?\n\nThe DGAC found that the current average American diet is low in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and too high in refined grains, added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Furthermore, inadequate consumption of vitamin D, calcium, fiber, and potassium were categorized as nutrients of public health concern for the majority of the U.S population. Lifestyle-related health problems in the U.S. have persisted for more than 2 decades and the DGAC's report calls for urgent preventative actions at the national, state, and local community levels. The DGAC recommended a shift in focus to a more environmentally friendly, sustainable plant-based diet that focuses on whole foods rather than specific nutrients. The overall body of evidence examined by the committee is summarized below:\n\n“A diet higher in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in calories and animal based foods is more health promoting and is associated with less environmental impact than is the current U.S. diet.”\n\nThis is not to say that any food groups need to be eliminated completely to improve health and sustainability outcomes. In fact, the DGAC recommended three dietary patterns to provide options that can be adopted by the U.S. population and are also aligned with lower environmental impacts. These dietary patterns include the Healthy U.S. style Pattern, the Healthy Mediterranean style Pattern, and the Healthy Vegetarian Pattern.  Furthermore, the 2015 DGAC left out cholesterol restrictions where previously, the 2010 DGAs recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. The up-to-date evidence on cholesterol showed no substantial relationship between dietary consumption of cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Thus, the 2015 DGAC concluded, “Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.”\n\nThe message is clear—the 2015 DGAC recommends the U.S population consume dietary patterns that are rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products and alcohol; lower in red and processed meat; and low in saturated fat (less than 10% of total calories consumed per day), added sugars (maximum of 10% of total calories consumed per day), and sodium (2,300 mg per day or age-appropriate Dietary Reference Intake amount). Whether the USDA and the HHS will choose to adopt or ignore these recommendations put forth by the 2015 DGAC remains uncertain at this point. Meanwhile, dozens of health and environmental groups support the committee's recommendations regarding sustainability, as viewed in the open letter found at My Plate My Planet, Food for a Sustainable Nation.  \n\nThe advisory recommendations put forth by the 2015 DGAC are also closely aligned with recent research highlighting the urgency of shifting global diets, where healthy dietary patterns (i.e. Vegetarian, Pescetarian, and Mediterranean diets) are found to be associated with more favorable health as well as environmental outcomes. Thus, the available data strongly suggest that diets that are higher in plant-based foods will not only improve personal and public health, but also boost our planet's health via “weight” reduction in greenhouse gases mainly due to reduction in livestock production.\n\nFood for Health\n\nSuzanne Price\nBy Sarah Ohlhorst, MS, RD and John Courtney, PhD\n\nWhile nutrition scientists in academia and industry seek to increase research and inquiry with respect to the potential value and role of foods and nutrition-based products in improving health, the current regulatory framework appears to limit research on the health benefits of foods. Is it not time for a renewed discussion of the role of food in health? It appears to be necessary, especially related to risk reduction for noncommunicable diseases, given research that consistently shows the role of food in reducing risk of or managing a range of acute and chronic conditions.  Read the full guest blog posted at the Altarum Health Policy Forum.\n\nRethinking the problem of long-term weight management\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Banaz Al-khalidi\n\nLosing weight is hard enough. Keeping it off is even harder. Despite decades of scientific advancement in our understanding of energy intake and energy expenditure, weight regain after weight loss remains a major issue in obesity treatment. What could we be missing in this energy balance equation? Rethinking this problem, I think it is worth asking ourselves whether we live to eat or eat to live. There is a huge difference. Given the abundance of food in our environment, the majority of us will live to eat. But what drives this motivation or simply put, what are the determinants of healthy versus unhealthy behaviors?  \n\nGenerally, healthy lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, and behavioral strategies, such as keeping a food log, have proven to be effective for weight loss in the short term. However, participants' lack of adherence to the intervention coupled with subsistence of unhealthy behaviors result in weight regain in the long term. According to a research on cardiovascular health behaviors and health factor changes in the US population from 1988 to 2008, healthy diet scores changed minimally (from 0.3% to 1.4% between 1999 and 2008), and physical inactivity levels decreased by only 7-10% from 1999 to 2006. Furthermore, by 2020, it is estimated that 43% of American men and 42% of American women will have a BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2 (i.e., obese category). Despite the established risks and benefits associated with diet and physical activity, it seems that health behaviors tend to be incredibly resistant to change.\nA recent report from a panel of obesity experts convened at the National Institutes of Health discussed the issue of weight regain after weight loss. The authors highlighted the problem of behavioral fatigue, in which patients grow weary of strict lifestyle regimens, especially when weight loss declines after the first 6 months. Specifically, the authors mentioned that “Initially, the positive consequences of weight loss (e.g., sense of accomplishment, better fit of clothes) outweigh the cognitive and the physical effort needed to lose the weight. Later, when the goal is to maintain lost weight, the positive feedback is less compared to the effort required to keep adhering to the same regimen. Thus, the benefits no longer seem to justify the costs”. In other words, the costs of adherence to these interventions exceed the benefits as time progresses, and patients seem to justify their behavior by re-thinking about the cost/benefit ratio in the long run. How can we then increase the long-term benefits while decrease the costs associated with weight maintenance?\n\nThere is a need to understand what factors allow people to successfully maintain a behavior over a long period of time. In recent years, obesity and behavioral scientists have started to explore strategies that involve incorporating ‘mindfulness' to promote the sustainability of healthy behaviors. Mindfulness is defined as: awareness of the present moment, and paying attention to one's moment-to-moment experiences non-judgmentally. This attention leads to a clear awareness of one's own thoughts as well as one's environment in that one observes what is happening, but instead of reacting, the mind views these thoughts as inconsequential. This does not mean disconnection from life; rather, the mind is actively engaged and flexible. Mindfulness is not a technique but it is a way of being.\n\nYou might ask, what does this have to do with obesity and health behaviors? They're all related. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have recently become a focus for the treatment of obesity-related eating behaviors. A recent review paper examined the effectiveness of MBIs for changing obesity-related eating behaviors. Of the 21 studies included in the review, 18 studies reported positive results for obesity related eating behavior outcomes. Specifically, mindfulness enhanced self-awareness and self-regulation (i.e. long lasting self-motivation) by improving awareness of emotional and sensory cues, which may be effective for sustaining a behavior in the long term. It's about acceptance of the moment we're in and feeling whatever we feel (accepting both positive and negative emotions) without trying to resist, change or control it. Under emotional stress, most of us will try to comfort ourselves by putting something into our mouths, but being aware of the negative emotions, and having greater self-control skills may help us resist the urge to eat large quantities of food or unhealthy food. Thus, greater awareness and self-control skills may help an individual to better monitor and regulate their dietary intake as well as their engagement in physical activity.\n\nWhen we live to eat, we tend to engage in the act of mindless eating because we tend to see food as a source of reward or entertainment, and we shovel food into our mouths without paying attention to what we're eating and whether we feel full. However, when we're more mindful or self-aware (i.e. eating to live), we become more conscious of what goes into our bodies by focusing fully on the act of eating and eating related decisions. The bottom line is mindfulness may help patients identify internal and external eating cues, manage food cravings, and enhance self-regulation and resilience- all factors important to counteract the behavioral fatigue that tends to occur in lifestyle interventions over time. Perhaps, when we're more mindful, we'll tune into our bodies instead of our thoughts (i.e., thinking about the costs/benefits), and will start to look at food as nourishment rather than as emotional comfort blanket. It is important to note that research in this area is still preliminary but exploring and understanding the relationship between mindfulness and health behaviors may hold promise for long-term weight management.\n\nNew Focus on Reducing Anemia in Adolescent Girls\n\nStudent Blogger\nBy Marion Roche, PhD\n\nThe target set out by the World Health Assembly is to reduce the anemia in all women of reproductive age by 50% by 2025. Women make up about 3.5 billion in population on our planet. In order to reach this World Health Assembly target, it will be essential to address anemia in the 600 million adolescent girls in the world and recently their nutrition has been getting more attention.\n\nThe global birth rate has declined over the past decade, except when analyzing the rate for adolescent girls, with 17-20 million adolescent pregnancies per year. Eleven percent of all pregnancies are to adolescents and 95% of these adolescent pregnancies are occurring in developing countries. \n\nComplications from pregnancy and child birth are the second greatest contributor to mortality for girls 15-19 years of age. Young maternal age increases the risk for anemia during pregnancy, yet adolescent women are less likely to be covered by health services, including micronutrient supplementation, than older women. Compared with older mothers, pregnancy during adolescence is associated with a 50% increased risk of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and greater risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and small for gestational age (SGA) (Bhutta et al, 2013; Kozuki et al, 2013; Gibbs et al, 2012).\n\nReducing anemia in adolescents is often motivated by efforts to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes for pregnant adolescents; however, benefits for improving adolescent school performance and productivity at work and in their personal lives should also be valued.\n\nGlobally, iron deficiency anaemia is the third most important cause of lost disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in adolescents worldwide at 3%, behind alcohol and unsafe sex (Sawyer et al, 2012).\n\nAdolescents have among the highest energy needs in their diets, yet in developing countries many of them struggle to meet their micronutrient needs. The World Health Organization recommends intermittent or weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplements for non-pregnant women of reproductive age, including adolescent girls. IFA supplementation programs have often been designed to be delivered through the existing health systems, without specific strategies for reaching adolescent girls.\n\nI have heard adolescence referred to as “the awkward years” when individuals explore self-expression and autonomy, but it is also definitely an awkward period for public health services in terms of delivering nutrition, as we often fail to reach this age group. \n\nThere have been examples of programs going beyond the health system to reach adolescent girls, such as through schools, peer outreach, factory settings where adolescents work in some countries and even sales in private pharmacies to target middle and upper income adolescent girls.\nThe Micronutrient Initiative implemented a pilot project with promising results in Chhattisgarh, India where teachers distributed the IFA supplements to 66,709 female students once per week during the school year over a 2 year pilot. \n\nIt was new for the schools to become involved in distribution of health commodities, but engaged teachers proved to be effective advocates. There were also efforts to reach the even more vulnerable out of school girls through the integrated child development centers, yet this proved to be a more challenging group of adolescents to reach. Peer to peer outreach by the school girls offered a potential strategy. The current project is being scaled up to reach over 3.5 million school girls.\n\nAdolescent girls have much to offer to their friends, families and communities beyond being potential future mothers. It is time to get them the nutrients they need to thrive in school, work and life.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9754202961921692}
{"content": "File Path Function Arguments\n\nA Pygame function or method which takes a file path argument will accept either an Unicode or a byte — 8-bit or ASCII character — string. Unicode strings are translated to Python’s default file system encoding, as returned by sys.getfilesystemencoding(). An Unicode code point above U+FFFF — ’uFFFF’ — can be coded directly with a 32-bit escape sequences — ’Uxxxxxxxx’ — , even for Python interpreters built with an UCS-2 (16-bit character) unicode type. Byte strings are passed to the operating system unchanged.\n\nNull characters — ’x00’ — are not permitted in the path, raising an exception. An exception is also raised if an Unicode file path cannot be encoded. How UTF-16 surrogate codes are handled is Python interpreter dependent. Use UTF-32 code points and 32-bit escape sequences instead. The exception types are function dependent.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000052452087402}
{"content": "Finance Annual Closing List\n\nVIEWS: 5,180 PAGES: 2\n\nMore Info\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis is a template for a checklist that can be used by a business to help organize and\ncoordinate year-end financial closing objectives. Financial closing at the end of the year\ncan be a tedious and burdensome process where any small detail that is overlooked\ncan ripple into a massive problem for the business. This document should be used by\nsmall businesses or other entities to ensure that all of the required year-end financial\nobjectives are completed in an organized and timely fashion.\n                   Year-End Checklist\n\n                      1. ___ Accrue any year-end costs associated with payroll and post to payroll\n                          expense and payroll liabilities.\n                              a. Review your fringe benefits to ensure they are accurately reported\n                                  for the year.\n                              b. Ensure all your employee information is correct for year-end\n                                  reporting (W-2, W-3, 940, 941).\n                      2. ___ Ensure all your vendor bills are posted by the year-end close date.\n                      3. ___ Invoice your clients to finalize any outstanding unbillable revenue to\n                              a. Adjust outstanding receivables that are deemed to be uncollectible\n                                  against bad debt expense.\n                              b. Review if any should be sent to an outside collection agency for\n                      4. ___ Review your 1099 vendor information to make sure it is complete.\n                          (Check for Name, Address, Tax Id, Accurate coding of expenses as to\n                          whether they are eligible for 1099 tracking, etc.)\n                      5. ___ Reconcile\n                              a. Your bank accounts.\n                              b. Your credit card accounts.\n                              c. Your loan accounts.\n                      6. ___ Conduct a physical inventory count and record adjustments within\n                          ERP inventory.\n                      7. ___ Adjust any prepaid items, such as insurance, that need to be\n                      8. ___ Journalize any other accruals for year-end that won’t be paid until the\n                          following year.\n                      9. ___ Calculate and record amortization, depreciation, and any other\n                          necessary year-end adjusting journal entries.\n                      10. ___ Review your asset and expense balances to ensure that all fixed\n                          assets have been accurately recorded for any purchases or selling of\n                      11. ___ Update any changes in employee or sales tax rates for the New Year.\n                      12. ___ Ensure any prepaid deposits received from clients throughout the\n                          year are adjusted to earned revenue.\n                      13. ___ Review and update the business plan to include changes anticipated\n                          for the upcoming year as needed.\n                      14. ___ Prepare the budget for the New Year if not done so previously.\n                      15. ___ Prepare year-end reports, W-2, W-3, 940, 941, 1096, 1099 and any\n                          other applicable forms and remit to appropriate parties.\n                      16. ___ Check to see if any local licensing or permits need to be filed with\n                          year-end data.\n                      17. ___ Review memorized transactions to ensure they are still applicable for\n                          the New Year.\n\n© Copyright 2013 Docstoc Inc.                                                  2\n                      18. ___ Print your year-end reports, which should include\n                              a. Profit & Loss Statement\n                              b. Balance Sheet\n                              c. Accounts Receivable Aging\n                              d. Accounts Payable Aging\n                              e. Budgeted vs. Actual\n                      19. ___ Schedule a time to review the information with your client to see if the\n                          information seems reasonable to them. While we can prepare various\n                          data, it is always wise for us to review the information with them and\n                          discuss any variances we find.\n                      20. ___ Ensure you have a regular backup process that includes verifying the\n                          data to help minimize any data loss. Consolidate and condense if needed\n                          for performance.\n\n© Copyright 2013 Docstoc Inc.                                                     2\n\nTo top", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9983654618263245}
{"content": "New concept art from Harry Potter's ending shows off a different fate for Voldemort\n\nThink there were too many characters turning into flaky bits and floating off into the sky in the Battle of Hogwarts? Concept artist Andrei Riabovitchev has released some stills from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 that show a slightly different Voldemort departure. Plus, check out a few close-up shots of… » 1/31/12 6:45am 1/31/12 6:45am", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9696880578994751}
{"content": "\n\n\nThe United States is already supplying weapons to Peshmerga fighters from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, who are struggling to stem advances by militants from the Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot.\n\nFrance and the Czech Republic have said they will send weapons to the Kurds. Britain and the Netherlands have said they would consider doing so.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8490921854972839}
{"content": "Rangers have added to the protests over the post-split SPL fixtures by hitting out at the decision to hand them three consecutive away games. Despite having a double-figures lead at the top of the table, Rangers chief executive Martin Bain argued that his club had been placed at a \"competitive disadvantage\" by being given trips to Hibernian, Dundee United and Celtic in succession.\n\nBain has also criticised the decision to give Celtic a third home match against Motherwell, whose pitch suffered badly in the harsh winter.\n\nBain told the club's official website: \"We find it very disappointing and surprising that we have been asked to play three consecutive away matches in the space of 10 days at such a crucial stage of the season.\n\n\"We know we have work to do in our efforts to win the championship but it is maybe just as well we have a good lead given the schedule we are faced with.\n\n\"It is certainly our understanding that clubs are never forced to play three away games in a row before the split so we don't know why we are being asked to do so now.\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9576719403266907}
{"content": "Autism – What will I gain from being diagnosed later in life? It won’t change anything for me, so why should I bother?”\n\n\nPeople often ask me: “What will I gain from being diagnosed later in life? It won’t change anything for me, so why should I bother?”\n\nWell, my answer as to whether or not anyone should “bother” to get diagnosed is this.\n\nFirstly, on a purely personal level, it depends entirely on what your personal circumstances are and what the biggest issues are that you’re facing at any given point in time.\n\nIf you’re a person who’s main problem is that you’re always feeling misunderstood or blamed by your family member for being the way that you are, then perhaps receiving a formal diagnosis may help your family members to comprehend and accept that some of the onus for understanding both who and how you are, falls upon them to make more of an effort to accept you as you are, rather than allowing them to continue to always view you as being the one who needs to change.\n\nSecondly, if you find that you may be in need of some form of formal support or assistance, then receiving a diagnosis may help you to better be able to access whatever support systems are in place within your area.\n\nA diagnosis should also, at the very least, help others around you to become aware that you are genuinely more in need of care, understanding and support than they had previously thought.\n\nThirdly, if you want to increase your own levels self-understanding and awareness or further seek to validate your own understandings of yourself as being both true and accurate, then receiving a diagnosis may also provide these assurances for you.\n\nBut, if you are a strong-willed person who is confident enough to be able to self-identify with having Asperger’s, without feeling any twinges of doubt about it what so ever, then you’ll most likely feel that either the seeking out, or the receiving a diagnosis, is not for you as it holds little potential to offer you any great benefits.\n\nAnd that’s okay.\n\nBut for me, I have found that those who benefit the most from older women such as myself coming forward and being diagnosed, are the generations of girls who are yet to come and the generation of girls and women who are still today, young enough to incorporate this deeper understanding of themselves as females who are Autistic,  into their daily lives and move on.\n\nAt my age, receiving a formal diagnosis offers me purely the ability to understand myself better and enables me to finally ask for the things I’ve known for so long that I’ve needed all of my life, things such as solitude, peace and quiet, but have never been made to feel as if it were okay for me to ask for these things, because I am a woman and women are supposed to love company and to always want to be social creatures.\n\nI had no way of explaining to anyone, let alone myself, why I’ve always felt that I needed so much time alone.\n\nYet for girls of my daughter’s age, receiving a diagnosis is offering them so much more.\n\nIt is offering them the opportunity of being able to grow up with the gift of truly knowing not only who they are, but also understanding how they are, and that they’re okay.\n\nThat it’s okay to be different.\n\nAnd this to me, as both a woman and a mother, is the gift of understanding that I truly believe is worth fighting for.\n\nI am so glad that there were women in the past who had the strength, courage and forethought, to lead the way forward and to lay the foundations that so many of us today are now standing on, by arguing, on our behalf’s, that High Functioning Female Autism is a very real phenomenon.\nBelieve me when I tell you that I am all too aware that if no woman had ever dared challenge the male based status quo of the understandings of Asperger’s Syndrome of the past, that neither my daughter nor I, would now be diagnosed.\n\nSo how exactly does receiving a diagnosis later in life help anyone and what does it solve anyway even if you do get one?\n\nWell, for one thing, it is likely to allow many women to make sense of their pasts.\n\nTo knit all of the previously unresolved elements of their lives, their personalities, their characteristics and their traits, into some semblance of a perspective that will finally make sense to them.\n\nSo if that one singular perspective that makes sense of your life is the one thing that you’ve been missing, then getting a diagnosis, even at a much later stage in life, can still provide you with a huge feeling of relief.\n\nIn terms of gaining greater access to benefits and assistance, if you are already financially secure or successfully working, then no, receiving a diagnosis later in life, may not help you in any way in terms of on the job support training and alike.\n\nBut what it will do, is benefit your children, and your children’s children.\n\nAnd if you’re not a mother yourself, then please understand that your actions and your choices, may end up benefiting your sister’s or your brother’s children.\n\nThe knowledge and validity that we as women gain from receiving a formal diagnosis, could well prevent future generations of girls from having to put up with the kinds of constant bullying that are caused by male bias ignorance.\n\nThis will enable them to grow up holding all of the answers to all of the questions that we once, as children held locked inside of our own heads, like fragile eggs, and were too afraid to ask why it was that we were so different from everybody else.\n\nIf being diagnosed later in life can help to take away from another child, that awful sense of confusion and self-loathing that comes from knowing that they don’t belong, without ever fully knowing or understanding why, then I’m all for it.\n\nSo whilst a formal diagnosis may not seem to be such an important deal individually, in the grand scheme of things, I can see how each and every woman and girl, diagnosed today, can help create a stronger, better defined and more brightly lit path, for our Autistic girls of the future to walk upon.\n\nUnlike us, they won’t have to spend over half of their lifetimes stumbling around in the deep and uncertain dark, and that’s a good thing.\n\nI’m not sure whether holding ideas like these makes me a dreamer, or simply yet another deluded fool.\n\nEither way, the more women and girls who are diagnosed today, the harder it will be for the powers that be, to dismiss the needs of Autistic Women in the future.\n\nI understand that this way of looking at things is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly is mine. So comment and let me know whether or not you agree.\n\nYes – Asperger’s may present differently in women – but…\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnd yet..\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAsperger Syndrome – Grappling and Grasping\n\nArtwork by Linzi Lynn\n\n\n\nThey simply seem to just escape me.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIt’s a genuinely, real, experience.\n\nYet give me a keyboard and I’m perfectly fine.\n\n\n\nThere’s no effort, no strain, no awkward silences.\n\nThere is only the freedom of expression.\n\nThe freedom of being me.\n\n\n\ndigital 4\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nToday these same workers are called ‘Carers’.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNow where is the genuine care in that?\n\n\n\n\n\nTo my mind families are the real ‘carers’.\n\nThey don’t get paid and they never clock off.\n\n\n\nThey are never off call.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWomen and Autism – How one woman’s letter to a psychologist finally helped her receive an ASD diagnosis after years of personal invalidation.\n\n\nThis amazing letter was written by a woman who suspected that she may be on the Autism Spectrum, prior to meeting her psychologist for the first time. Here’s what she had to say.\n\n“Dear Dr L—\n\nI hope in this letter I can give you a more thorough explanation of how I feel, the way these feelings affect me and why I think a diagnosis and continued support would be beneficial to me.\n\nI have an over-active mind and experience high anxiety.\n\nI constantly see things at multiple levels, including thinking processes and analyse my existence, the meaning of life, the meaning of everything continually.\n\nNothing is taken for granted, simplified, or easy.\n\nEverything is complex.\n\nBeing serious and matter-of-fact has caused me many problems and I have been told on numerous occasions that I come across as rude and/or abrupt.\n\nEvery year my work progress development report says that I would benefit from some kind of people management course, which to date has never happened.\n\nMaking friends or developing relationships has always been and still is very difficult for me.\n\nAs a child, I was convinced that I was away the day everyone decided who they would be friends with.\n\nThis has always been an area that has caused me confusion.\n\nI still have a constant feeling that I am misplaced, isolated, overwhelmed, and have been plopped down in the wrong universe.\n\nIf I had friends, my tendency was to blindly follow wherever they went and to escape my own identity by taking on theirs.\n\nI dressed like them, spoke like and adapted myself to his/her likes and dislikes.\n\nI have had a couple of “friends” in my life for a very long time but I mostly talk to them online as I do not like leaving the comfort of my safe environment.\n\nEven with people I know well I do not like being in their houses as my anxiety levels hit the roof.\n\nI get agitated and uncomfortable not knowing what to say, what to do, if I’ve over stayed my welcome or would it be rude if I left now, have I stayed long enough.\n\nThis leads to seriously high stress levels, nasty thoughts in my head, sweating, increased heart rate and a sudden urgency to flee.\n\nWhen I know I don’t have to be anywhere, talk to anyone, answer any calls, or leave the house, I can take a deep breath and relax.\n\nEven something as simple as a self-imposed obligation, such as leaving the house to walk the dog can cause extreme anxiety.\n\nIt’s more than just going out into society; it’s all the steps that are involved in leaving–all the rules, routines, and norms.\n\n\nI struggle when I’m out with sounds, textures, smells and tastes, which in turn creates a sense of generalized anxiety and/or the sense that I am always unsafe or in pending danger, particularly in crowded public places.\n\nThere have been times in crowded places like shops where the confusion and anxiety has gotten so high that I have had to just say “I need to go” and have walked out and straight to the car to gather my thoughts and calm down.\n\nCounting, categorizing, organizing, rearranging, numbers brings me some ease and has been with me ever since I can remember.\n\nOver the years I have sought out answers as to why I seemed to see the world differently than others, only to be told I’m an attention seeker, paranoid, hypochondriac, or too focused on diagnoses and labels.\n\nMy personhood was challenged on the sole basis that I “knew” I was different but couldn’t prove it to the world.\n\nMy personhood was further oppressed as I attempted to be and act like someone I’m not.\n\nI have children diagnosed with ASD and am concerned that I am not doing the best for them due to my own inhibitions.\n\nStill I question my place in the world, even more so now that my son has a diagnosis of ASD and I see so many similarities between what he’s going through and my own personal experiences.\n\nHow can I help them to adapt and learn when I don’t know myself how to deal with the situations that are causing them the most problems?\n\nI would really benefit from help in learning to deal with my issues.\n\nNow that I understand the Autism Spectrum and am convinced I am well within the spectrum, the hope is that I will get support and advice can benefit me and allow me to help my children.\n\nMy hope is that through diagnosis and the support that should follow; I will be able to work on the areas that I lack the necessary skills for dealing with society, in.\n\nIf I can get help for myself it will put me in a better position to guide and help my children.\n\nApologies for the lengthy explanation, I hope I have given you the information you were seeking. If not please don’t hesitate to contact me.\n\nYours sincerely\n\n\n\nAmanda is sharing this letter in the hope that it may help other woman avoid some of the pain and confusion she’s experienced in her own life. Thank you so much for your willingness to help others Amanda <3\n\n\nThe Gendering of Autism – How a few deliberately biased questions turned Autism into a men’s only club.\n\n\nSince the 1980s, the prevalence of those with Autism associated with science, computing and other hi-tech industries, has once again singled out Autism as being a primarily male condition.\n\nDiagnosing famous scientists, engineers, and computer scientists with autism has become both a parlour game and a cottage industry—Albert Einstein, Paul Dirac, Bill Gates, and Isaac Newton are among the most commonly cited in this category.\n\nContemporary understandings of geek masculinity have become one of the more common, gendered screens through which autism is now understood.\n\nAccording to the Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory of autism, people with autism possess hyper-male brains, therefore the existence and/or severity of their Autism, can be graded based on a scale that views those who are less adept at systemizing tasks (mostly women) as non-autistic, and those with extremely high systemizing abilities (mainly men) as being people with Autism.\n\nTo achieve this male and female interests are categorized as either “systemizing” or its opposite, “empathizing,” and then placed along a scale that grades from female to male to the extreme male (or autistic).\n\nIn particular, the EMB theory takes the form of a “double hierarchy,” in which an established series (e.g., male-female) forms the basis for a second series (systemizing-empathizing).\n\nIn a 2009 study Baron-Cohen co-authored with Bonnie Auyeung, et al., the authors provide these points of evidence for their extreme male brain theory:\n\n-“The typical male brain is heavier than the female brain and individuals with autism have heavier brains than typical males”.\n\n-“The amygdala is also disproportionately large in boys compared to girls … and children with autism have enlarged amygdala”.\n\nNot only does this evidentiary criteria over emphasize differences between those with autism and those without; but it also forces males and females further apart by exaggerating the differences between average women, average men, and autistic people.\n\nFurther to this Baron-Cohen claims men are more interested in systemizing tasks, such as engineering, computer programming, and mathematics, or hobbies based on mechanics, construction, and categorizing—metalworking, boat-building, crafting musical instruments, even bird-spotting.\n\nWhereas women tend to enjoy “having supper with friends, advising them on relationship problems, or caring for people or pets, or working for volunteer phone-lines listening to depressed, hurt, needy, or even suicidal anonymous callers”.\n\nBased on these insights, Baron-Cohen devised a series of three tests:\n\n-The systemizing quotient (SQ),\n\n-The empathizing quotient (EQ),\n\n-The Autism quotient (AQ).\n\nAll of which reflect his predetermined, gendered notions of male and female-appropriate activities.\n\nOn the Systemizing Quotient Test, testers are asked to rank their answers on a Likert scale to such questions as -“If I were buying a car, I would want to obtain specific information about its engine capacity” and “If there was a problem with the electrical wiring in my home, I’d be able to fix it myself”.\n\nMeanwhile, the Empathy Quotient test includes such prompts as “I try to keep up with the current trends and fashions” and “When I talk to people, I tend to talk about their experiences rather than my own”.\n\nIn these prompts it can be seen that stereotypically masculine activities are assumed to reflect systemizing, while stereotypically feminine activities are assumed to reflect empathizing.\n\nClearly, these questions can easily be seen to reflect socialization as well as biology.\n\nTherefore changing even a small number of the questions to more gender-neutral issues could have easily reduced or removed the sex differences found within SQ scores.\n\nIn 2006, Sally Wheelwright, Baron-Cohen, and their collaborators published a revised version of the SQ, the SQ-R, which included a wider range of questions about systemizing.\n\nThe original SQ, the authors admitted, “Were drawn primarily from traditionally male domains.” For this reason, the SQ-R included “more items that might be relevant to females in the general population,” a feature that would allow the researchers to determine whether men would continue to score higher on the SQ “even with the inclusion of items selected from traditionally female domains” (Wheelwright et al).\n\nSome of the new prompts included “When I have a lot of shopping to do, I like to plan which shops I am going to visit and in what order” and “My clothes are not carefully organised into different types in my wardrobe” (answering “no” on this prompt presumably indicates an SQ type of brain).\n\nThe SQ-R successfully shifted the results. In the original SQ, men had a higher mean score on 86 percent of the questions, while women had a higher mean on only 13.2 percent. In the revised version, men scored higher on 68 percent and women on 32 percent—a rather dramatic shift in the sex ratio.\n\nThe SQ-R itself demonstrates that these sex differences may largely be an artefact of the testing prompts and the specific mix of questions applied.\n\nOne might therefore, hypothesize that the SQ could be revised even further in ways that would more drastically equalize the scores.\n\nThis article consists of excerpts form an academic paper written by J. Jack and published in 2011.\n\n\nTony Attwood – The Pattern of Abilities and Development for Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome\n\n\nThe overwhelming majority of referrals for a diagnostic assessment for Asperger’s Syndrome are boys. The ratio of males to females is around 10:1, yet the epidemiological research for Autistic Spectrum Disorders suggests that the ratio should be 4:1. Why are girls less likely to be identified as having the characteristics indicative of Asperger’s Syndrome? The following are some tentative suggestions that have yet to be validated by academic research, but they provide some plausible explanations based on preliminary clinical experience.\n\nIt appears that many girls with Asperger’s Syndrome have the same profile of abilities as boys but a subtler or less severe expression of the characteristics. Parents may be reluctant to seek a diagnostic assessment if the child appears to be coping reasonably well and clinicians may be hesitant to commit themselves to a diagnosis unless the signs are conspicuously different to the normal range of behaviour and abilities.\n\nWe have a stereotype of typical female and male behaviour. Girls are more able to verbalise their emotions and less likely to use physically aggressive acts in response to negative emotions such as confusion, frustration and anger. We do not know whether this is a cultural or constitutional characteristic but we recognise that children who are aggressive are more likely to be referred for a diagnostic assessment to determine whether the behaviour is due to a specific developmental disorder and for advice on behaviour management. Hence boys with Asperger’s Syndrome are more often referred to a psychologists or psychiatrist because their aggression has become a concern for their parents or schoolteacher. A consequence of this referral bias is that not only are more boys referred, clinicians and academics can have a false impression of the incidence of aggression in this population.\n\nOne must always consider the personality of the person with Asperger’s Syndrome and how they cope with the difficulties they experience in social reasoning, empathy and cognition. Some individuals are overtly active participants in social situations. Their unusual profile of abilities in social situations is quite obvious. However, some are reluctant to socialize with others and their personality can be described as passive. They can become quite adept at camouflaging their difficulties and clinical experience suggests that the passive personality is more common in girls.\n\nEach person with Asperger’s Syndrome develops their own techniques and strategies to learn how to acquire specific skills and develop coping mechanisms. One technique is to have practical guidance and moral support from one’s peers. We know that children with Asperger’s Syndrome elicit from others, either strong maternal or ‘predatory’ behaviour. If the person’s natural peer group is girls, they are more likely to be supported and included by a greater majority of their peers. Thus girls with Asperger’s Syndrome are often ‘mothered’ by other girls. They may prompt the child when they are unsure what to do or say in social situations and comfort them when they are distressed. In contrast, boys are notorious for their intolerance of children who are different and are more prone to be ‘predatory’. This can have an unfortunate effect on the behaviour of a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome and many complain of being teased, ignored and bullied by other boys. It is interesting to note that some boys with Asperger’s Syndrome actually prefer to play with girls who are often kinder and more tolerant than their male peers.\n\nThe author has conducted both individual and group social skills training with boys and girls with Asperger’s Syndrome. Experience has indicated that, in general, the girls are more motivated to learn and quicker to understand key concepts in comparison to boys with Asperger’s Syndrome of equivalent intellectual ability. Thus, they may have a better long-term prognosis in terms of becoming more fluent in their social skills. This may explain why women with Asperger’s Syndrome are often less conspicuous than men with the syndrome and less likely to be referred for a diagnostic assessment. The author has also noted that, in general, mothers with Asperger’s Syndrome appear to have more ‘maternal’ and empathic abilities with their own children than men with Asperger’s Syndrome, who can have great difficulty understanding and relating to their children.\n\nSome individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome can be quite ingenious in using imitation and modelling to camouflage their difficulties in social situations. One strategy that has been used by many girls and some boys is to observe people who are socially skilled and to copy their mannerisms, voice and persona. This is a form of social echolalia or mirroring where the person acquires a superficial social competence by acting the part of another person. This is illustrated in Liane Holliday-Willeys intriguing new autobiography, titled, “Pretending to be Normal’.\n\n“I could take part in the world as an observer. I was an avid observer. I was enthralled with the nuances of people’s actions. In fact, I often found it desirable to become the other person. Not that I consciously set out to do that, rather it came as something I simply did. As if I had no choice in the matter. My mother tells me I was very good at capturing the essence and persona of people. At times I literally copied someone’s looks and their actions. I was uncanny in my ability to copy accents, vocal inflections, facial expressions, hand movements, gaits and tiny gestures. It was as if I became the person I was emulating. (p.22)”\n\nGirls are more likely to be enrolled in speech and drama lessons and this provides an ideal and socially acceptable opportunity for coaching in body language. Many people with Asperger’s Syndrome have a prodigious memory and this can include reciting the dialogue for all characters in a play and memorizing the dialogue or ‘script’ of real life conversations. Knowing the script also means the child does not have to worry about what to say. Acting can subsequently become a successful career option although there can be some confusion when adults with Asperger’s Syndrome act another persona in real life as this can be misconstrued as Multiple Personality Disorder rather than a constructive means of coping with Asperger’s Syndrome.\n\nWhen a child would like more friends but clearly has little success in this area, one option is to create imaginary friends. This often occurs with young girls who visualise friends in their solitary play or use dolls as a substitute for real people. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can create imaginary friends and elaborate doll play which superficially resembles the play of other girls but there can be several qualitative differences. They often lack reciprocity in their natural social play and can be too controlling when playing with their peers. This is illustrated in Liane Holliday-Willey’s autobiography.\n\n“The fun came from setting up and arranging things. Maybe this desire to organise things rather than play with things, is the reason I never had a great interest in my peers. They always wanted to use the things I had so carefully arranged. They would want to rearrange and redo. They did not let me control the environment.”\n\nWhen involved in solitary play with dolls, the girl with Asperger’s Syndrome has total control and can script and direct the play without interference and having to accept outcomes suggested by others. The script and actions can be an almost perfect reproduction of a real event or scene from a book or film. While the special interest in collecting and playing with dolls can be assumed to be an age appropriate activity and not indicative of psychopathology, the dominance and intensity of the interest is unusual. Playing with and talking to imaginary friends and dolls can also continue into the teenage years when the person would have been expected to mature beyond such play. This quality can be misinterpreted as evidence of hallucinations and delusions and a diagnostic assessment for schizophrenia rather than Asperger’s Syndrome.\n\nThe most popular special interests of boys with Asperger’s Syndrome are types of transport, specialist areas of science and electronics, particularly computers. It has now become a more common reaction of clinicians to consider whether a boy with an encyclopaedic knowledge in these areas has Asperger’s Syndrome. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can be interested in the same topics but clinical experience suggests their special interest can be animals and classic literature. These interests are not typically associated with boys with Asperger’s Syndrome. The interest in animals can be focussed on horses or native animals and this characteristic dismissed as simply typical of young girls. However, the intensity and qualitative aspects of the interest are unusual. Teenage girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can also develop a fascination with classic literature such as the plays of Shakespeare and poetry. Both have an intrinsic rhythm that they find entrancing and some develop their writing skills and fascination with words to become a successful author, poet or academic in English literature. Some adults with Asperger’s Syndrome are now examining the works of famous authors for indications of the unusual perception and reasoning associated with Asperger’s Syndrome. One example is the short story, “Cold” in ‘Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice’ by A.S. Byatt.\n\nFinally, the author has noted that some ladies with Asperger’s Syndrome can be unusual in their tone of voice. Their tone resembles a much younger person, having an almost child like quality. Many are concerned about the physiological changes during puberty and prefer to maintain the characteristics of childhood. As with boys with Asperger’s Syndrome, they may see no value in being fashionable, preferring practical clothing and not using cosmetics or deodorants. This latter characteristic can be quite conspicuous.\n\nThese tentative explanations for the apparent under representation of girls with Asperger’s Syndrome have yet to be examined by objective research studies. It is clear that we need more epidemiological studies to establish the true incidence in girls and for research on the clinical signs, cognitive abilities and adaptive behaviour to include an examination of any quantitative and qualitative differences between male and female subjects. In the meantime, girls with Asperger’s Syndrome are likely to continue to be overlooked and not to receive the degree of understanding and resources they need.\n\nOriginally sourced from\n\nHolliday-Willey, L. (1999) Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome. London. Jessica Kingsley Publications.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7548446655273438}
{"content": "Movie posters take a new look with artist Patrik Svensson’s simple typography posters to very popular movies. Can you guess the movie by looking just at the type? This approach to movie posters almost makes looking at them a fun challenging, mind game as to what the movie is before actually looking at the name.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7835493087768555}
{"content": "Photographers & Designers\n\n4 Uploads 1,267 Downloads 28 Favorites\n\nGlenn Eaton\n\nHi, I am a keen photographer, especially like getting industrial shots and ones of landscapes. You are free to use my photos, all I ask is a comment about where you used them. Thanks.\n\nMember for: 6 years, 3 months\n1-4 of 4 photos", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9889980554580688}
{"content": "Player wird geladen ...\n\n\n\n\nNels Cline (born in Los Angeles in 1956) is an American guitarist and composer.\n\nHe began to play guitar at age 12 when his twin brother, Alex Cline took up the drums. He is noted for his use of effects pedals and looping devices which give his music a distinct sound.\n\nCline is known for his improvisational work and for the diversity of his musical projects. He has played with jazz musicians Charlie Haden, Gregg Bendian,…\n\nmehr erfahren\n\n\n\nÄhnliche Künstler\n\n\nHinterlasse einen Kommentar. Logge dich bei ein oder registriere dich.              \n\nAktuelle Hörer\n\n\nAPI Calls", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5195577144622803}
{"content": "Tags :: Star Trek\n\nWhy &#8220;Star Trek&#8221; &#8212; and Mr. Spock &#8212; matter ARTICLE\n\nWhy “Star Trek” — and Mr. Spock — matter\n\nThe ongoing cultural influence of the “Star Trek” phenomenon is incalculable, and Leonard Nimoy’s contributions are an immense part of that. Nimoy wasn’t just an actor doing a job; in a real sense he was a co-creator who helped to define his character in many ways.\n\n\nStar Trek Into Darkness (2013)\n\n\n\nStar Trek (2009)\n\n\n\nStar Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)\n\nThe Search for Spock may be the unappreciated middle child of the Trek franchise, but it’s still one of better and more indispensable episodes.\n\n\nStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)\n\n\n\nStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)\n\n\n\nStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)\n\n\n\nStar Trek: Nemesis (2002)\n\n(Written by Jimmy Akin) The main cast is no longer trapped in amber — never changing their relationships, never getting promoted, never leaving the Enterprise. They’ve become unstuck. It’s a sign of things to come.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5188645124435425}
{"content": "A stolen vehicle investigation Saturday in Colorado Springs turned into a drug bust and landed six people in jail.\n\nA police officer was patrolling the area of East Pikes Peak Avenue, east of Memorial Park, around 5 p.m. when he spotted a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of Days Inn, 2409 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Two people were found inside the vehicle with warrants, according to police. Through investigation, police identified a hotel room associated with the two people.\n\nPolice contacted the people in the hotel room and found methamphetamine, two handguns, \"large\" amounts of identity theft evidence and money, according to a police news release.\n\nSix people were jailed, including the two in the vehicle. Bobby Martin, Brent Bury, Stephen Robbins, Derek Smith, Danyiel Zimmerman and Stephanie Celusta were all taken into custody.\n\nThe four in the hotel room were arrested on suspicion of identity theft, narcotics charges, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and motor vehicle theft.\n\nThe news release didn't specify who was in the hotel room or in the vehicle.\n\nFor updates, stay with Gazette.com.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9932680130004883}
{"content": "binary tree definition\n\nA binary tree is a method of placing and locating files (called records or keys) in a database, especially when all the data is known to be in random access memory (RAM). The algorithm finds data by repeatedly dividing the number of ultimately accessible records in half until only one remains.\n\nIn a tree, records are stored in locations called leaves. This name derives from the fact that records always exist at end points; there is nothing beyond them. Branch points are called nodes. The order of a tree is the number of branches (called children) per node. In a binary tree, there are always two children per node, so the order is 2. The number of leaves in a binary tree is always a power of 2. The number of access operations required to reach the desired record is called the depth of the tree. The image to the left shows a binary tree for locating a particular record among seven records in a set of eight leaves. The depth of this tree is 4.\n\nbinary tree\n\nIn a practical tree, there can be thousands, millions, or billions of records. Not all leaves necessarily contain a record, but more than half do. A leaf that does not contain a record is called a null. In the example shown here, the eighth leaf is a null, indicated by an open circle.\n\nBinary trees are used when all the data is in random-access memory (RAM). The search algorithm is simple, but it does not minimize the number of database accesses required to reach a desired record. When the entire tree is contained in RAM, which is a fast-read, fast-write medium, the number of required accesses is of little concern. But when some or all of the data is on disk, which is slow-read, slow-write, it is advantageous to minimize the number of accesses (the tree depth). Alternative algorithms such as the B-tree accomplish this.\n\nAlso see binary search and tree structure. Compare B-tree, M-tree, splay tree, and X-tree.\n\nThis was first published in September 2005\n\nDig Deeper\n\n\n\n\n\n\nForgot Password?\n\n\nYour password has been sent to:\n\n\nFile Extensions and File Formats\n\nPowered by:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6577356457710266}
{"content": "A leading provider of high-performing WLAN\n\nScanSource is proud to distribute Aruba Networks products and offer our value-added services. We are committed to working harder and smarter than any other distributor by equipping you with the tools, training, services and inventory that you need to succeed!\n\nAruba Networks delivers the best possible mobile experience to the new mobile generation.\n\nFounded in 2002 to liberate businesses from the last wire barriers, Aruba helps businesses engage #GenMobile with exactly what they need, at exactly the right time, no matter what the device or location.\n\nWith its Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba helps businesses solve some of their biggest mobility challenges and untether possibilities. It automates performance optimization and security actions that used to require IT intervention, so the network engineer can stop being the IT authority and become the IT ally.\n\n\nWith Aruba, businesses can right-size their fixed network infrastructure, save IT time, slash capital and operating costs, and deliver the mobile experience that #GenMobile expects. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Aruba has offices throughout the Americas, Asia-Pacific/Japan and Europe/Middle East/Africa regions. Aruba is listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index.\n\nAruba's best-of-breed products are available through all of ScanSource's North American business units, so if you're interested in becoming an Aruba reseller, please complete their Partner Application.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9787932634353638}
{"content": "Alabama Lake Levels\n\nLake Name Current Level Full Pool +/- Full Pool Reading Date - Time\nAndrews (AL) 76.76105-28.248/26/2015 7:00\nBankhead (AL) 254.5255.1-0.68/26/2015 8:03\nClaiborne (AL) 34.55??? 8/26/2015 8:00\nDemopolis (AL) 757328/26/2015 8:03\nEufaula (AL GA) 187.96188-0.048/26/2015 0:00\nGoat Rock (AL GA) 401.28404-2.728/25/2015 9:49\nGuntersville (AL) 594.9595.44-0.548/25/2015 11:30\nHarding (AL GA) 519.9521-1.18/25/2015 9:49\nHolt (AL) 186.3187-0.78/26/2015 8:03\nJordan (AL) 251.41252-0.598/26/2015 8:00\nLay (AL) 395.87396-0.138/26/2015 8:00\nLogan Martin (AL) 464.8465-0.28/26/2015 8:00\nMartin (AL) 488.43490-1.578/26/2015 7:00\nMitchell (AL) 311.94311.90.048/26/2015 8:00\nNeely Henry (AL) 507.9508-0.18/26/2015 8:03\nPickwick (AL TN MS) 413.5414-0.58/25/2015 11:30\nR.E. Bob Woodruff (AL) 125.41250.48/25/2015 8:14\nSmith (AL) 505.24510-4.768/26/2015 4:00\nTallassee (AL) 287.2288.8-1.68/26/2015 8:03\nTuscaloosa (AL) 223.5229.96-6.468/26/2015 0:00\nWedowee (AL) 792.05793-0.958/26/2015 8:00\nWeiss (AL GA) 563.84564-0.168/26/2015 8:00\nWest Point (AL GA) 633.93635-1.078/26/2015 9:15\nWheeler (AL) 555.8556.28-0.488/25/2015 11:30\nWilliam 'Bill' Dannelly (AL) 87.6807.68/25/2015 18:00\nWilliam Baker Oliver (AL) 124.6??? 8/26/2015 8:03\nWilson (AL) 507.5507.88-0.388/25/2015 11:30\nYates (AL) 343.03344-0.978/26/2015 8:00\n\nThere were some states this past summer of 2012 that were grossly affected by the worst drought conditions seen in years. One of these states was Alabama. The state of Alabama is releasing waters from the dams at intervals as lake levels were and continue to be at an all-time low. While there is a schedule for water released, this schedule can change at any time. The state of Alabama is asking people to enjoy the beauty of the lakes, but to use caution when on the water. Lakes that are situated in near proximity to the dams are dangerous, because when waters are released from the dams they become hazardous. Changes in water levels can also cause concern for people’s safety. Alabama’s rainy season is during the winter and spring, and weather changes can cause water changes very suddenly.\n\nWhen the dams are opened more frequently during these times, it causes changes in the lakes that people need to be aware of and stay on alert if they are on the lake. They will need to do all they can to protect themselves and their property such as boats, water equipment and home properties. Because of the drought conditions the state of Alabama is trying to build up water levels in its reservoirs. If these droughts continue to increase Alabama will continue to try to conserve as much water as possible, and then release reservoirs into the lakes to help raise lake levels.\n\nThe state has provided citizens with an informational phone number for citizens to call and keep up on the changing Alabama lake levels. This important phone number to keep handy is as follows:\nAlabama Power’s automated information system-800–Lakes11 (525-3711)\nThis number will give residents and tourists all the information that they will need on Alabama lakes, streams and river levels. It will also inform residents just when hydroelectric facilities will open spill gates. This will rapidly churn up the waters and make lake waters near dam sites very dangerous. Read schedules and know when spill gates will open. Better yet, do not take boats or swim near these spill gates, in order to practice safety first.\n\nWhen Alabama weather changes and rain does come in access it can change Alabama lake levels quickly. Their lakes can rise quickly, so the state continues to caution it residents to practice safety at all times. Alabama has numerous lakes, streams, and rivers that tourists and residents flock to every year. People enjoy the water activities in Alabama, but one must read the news provided by the state about their water conditions, and how the rain can cause serious concerns on the water, and just how their hydro-generation plants work in regards to lake levels. Alabama is doing all they can in order provide tourists and residents a safe and fun Alabama holiday.\n\nThe water in Alabama is one of the state’s greatest natural commodities. The state emphasizes respect to their water systems, and wants everyone to understand that their waters provide transportation needs, food, recreations and energy needs to the state. The state of Alabama provides hydroelectric power to residents. The water in Alabama provides economic opportunity, plus recreation adventures. The waters supply irrigation to neighbors, and fresh clean drinking water for residents, tourists, water life, and wildlife. Alabama Power utilizes flood control to residents and tourists alike. Alabama says that it relies on their lake levels to sustain life of everyone in their state.\n\nIf you are a tourist or a resident wanting to participate in water activities, know the Alabama lake levels, and the levels of streams, and rivers before going out on the water. Know the schedule of the spill gates, and beware of lake areas adjacent to the dams. Don’t be caught off guard and get hurt, injured or become a casualty of death while enjoying your time on any of Alabama water systems.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8133318424224854}
{"content": "Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3\n\nLayer Groups - viewed 98,465 times\n\n\nLet me start by telling you that before Photoshop CS2 was introduced Layer Groups were called Layer Sets. The tutorial was written before Photoshop CS2 was released, so some of the screenshots are still based on Photoshop CS and you will read \"Layer Set\" in some of those.\n\nLayer Groups are a great way to get your layers organized. The following image contains about 115 layers. Most of these layers however are hidden inside 11 Layer Groups . This has several advantages and some of which might not all be that obvious. For one thing it makes it easier to get things organized. Your layers palette will look less cluttered and there will be less need to scroll. But above all there are several interesting things you can do with layer groups. The more and more you use layer groups, the less you use linked layers.\n\nYou create a new Layer Group by clicking on the Layer Group icon Layers Palette at the bottom of your layers palette. It's important that you name your layer groups, otherwise you will get confused when you have a few of them.\n\nHalloween image\n\nIn Photoshop CS2 you can select multiple layers (or a single one) and press Ctrl + G (Command + G on the Mac) to group them or you can drag and drop the layers on the Create a new group icon Layers Palette:\n\nMove layers into Layer Group\n\n\nA layer group allows you to turn off several layers all at once. The candle on the left is made out of 7 layers. To make the candle invisible, you just need to make the layer invisible (1 , bottom left, in front of the bowl).\n\nHiding or moving a Layer Set\n\n\nIt's easy to move layer groups. To move the candle on the right to a different spot, I just need to activate the layer that contains the candle and then I can use the move tool to move the candle to the background (2).\nYou might want to move the candle in front of the pumpkin, in that case your layer group with the candle will be higher in the layers palette than the the pumpkin layer group. It's the other way around if you want to move the candle behind the pumpkin.\n\n\nIt's easy to duplicate objects by dragging and dropping a layer group on the New Layer icon New Layer at the bottom of the layers palette. In this example I dragged the left candle layer and dropped it on the New Layer icon (3) and as a result a new layer was created with the name left candle copy. In this example I moved the layer group that contains the copy to the right using the Move Tool Move Tool, so that you can see that I now have two identical candles.\n\nDuplicating a Layer Set\n\n\nYou can add a layer mask to mask parts of a layer group. In this example I've masked the stand of the candle (4).\n\nMasking a Layer Set\n\n\nYou'll probably know that you can change the opacity of a layer. You can however also change the opacity of a layer group once activate it. This will change the opacity of the complete layer group.\n\nPass Through\n\nA layer group has its own blending mode. By default the blending mode is Pass Through (6). This means that all the adjustment layers or layer blending modes inside the layer group will affect all layers below and outside the group.\nIn our example the green circle turned into olive. Once we change the blending mode to anything different than Pass Through, in our example Normal, then we see how the Hue & Saturation adjustment only effects the layers inside the layer group; the yellow square turned into olive, but the square kept its green color.\n\nLayer Set's 'Pass Through' blending mode\n\n\nYou can also lock complete layer groups. Once you lock a layer group, all layers inside the layer group will be locked too (7).\nThis will also lock the layer group's opacity as you can see in this example.\n\nLocking a Layer Set\n\nNested Layer Groups\n\nPhotoshop CS introduced nested layer groups, which means that you can have a layer group inside a layer group.\nYou can drag & drop a layer group on a another layer group or you can create a new one inside an existing group.\n\nMenu options\n\nYou can click on the little triangle in the layers palette (5) to view a menu that has all kind layer groups related options that you can use.\n\nLayer Set menu options\n\n\n\nNew Group From Linked\nLayer Group properties\nMerge Layer Group\n: create a new layer group and moves all linked layers into this new group\n: turn on/off specific channels or color your layer group inside the layers palette\n: this merges all layers of any kind inside the layer group to a single layer.\n\nFinal words\n\nSome people ignore the power of layer groups, thinking that it just about grouping layers and that's about it. You've learned by now that grouping layers is just part of the power of layer groups. It's what you can do with them what makes them really useful.\nIt's not always necessary to use layer groups, but once you're scrolling through 100 layers, you might consider to use them!\n\nFor more help with Photoshop check out ourPhotoshop Trainingsection.\n\nPartner Sites\nW3C XHTMLW3C CSSExplorerFirefoxOperaRSSRSS Valid", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5381999015808105}
{"content": "OUP user menu\n\nADAM15 regulates endothelial permeability and neutrophil migration via Src/ERK1/2 signalling\n\nChongxiu Sun, Mack H. Wu, Mingzhang Guo, Mark L. Day, Eugene S. Lee, Sarah Y. Yuan\nDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvq060 348-355 First published online: 26 February 2010\n\n\nAims Endothelial barrier dysfunction is a key event in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases associated with inflammation. ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) 15 has been shown to contribute to the development of vascular inflammation. However, its role in regulating endothelial barrier function is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ADAM15 on endothelial permeability and its underlying mechanisms.\n\nMethods and results By measuring albumin transendothelial flux and transendothelial electric resistance in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers, we found that depletion of ADAM15 expression via siRNA decreased endothelial permeability and attenuated thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction. In contrast, endothelial cells overexpressing either wild-type or catalytically dead mutant ADAM15 displayed a higher basal permeability and augmented hyperpermeability in response to thrombin. In addition, ADAM15 knockdown inhibited whereas ADAM15 overexpression promoted neutrophil transendothelial migration. Further molecular assays revealed that ADAM15 did not cleave vascular endothelial-cadherin or cause its degradation. However, overexpression of ADAM15 promoted extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation in both non-stimulated and thrombin-stimulated endothelial cells in a protease activity-independent manner. Pharmacological inhibition of Src kinase or ERK activation reversed ADAM15-induced hyperpermeability and neutrophil transmigration.\n\nConclusion The data provide evidence for a novel function of ADAM15 in regulating endothelial barrier properties. The mechanisms of ADAM15-induced hyperpermeability involve Src/ERK1/2 signalling independent of junction molecule shedding.\n\n  • Endothelial permeability\n  • Metalloproteinase\n  • Vascular inflammation\n  • Signal transduction\n\n1. Introduction\n\nVascular endothelial (VE) cells constitute a semi-permeable barrier that controls the transport of fluid, solutes, and cells across the vessel wall. Endothelial hyperpermeability is considered one of the most important cellular processes in the development of inflammatory disorders, such as sepsis,1 atherosclerosis,2 and diabetic complications.3 The mechanisms underlying permeability regulation have been the subject of extensive investigation. It is commonly recognized that cell–cell adhesion and integrin-mediated cell–matrix interactions play a critical role in the maintenance of barrier function as well as in the mediation of responses to inflammatory stimuli such as thrombin.4\n\nAs an important type of cell–cell junctions in the peripheral vascular endothelium, the adherens junction is mainly composed of VE-cadherin and catenins. VE-cadherin mediates homophilic binding of adjacent cells via its extracellular domain and associates with catenins via its cytoplasmic tail, thereby linking the junction complex to the cytoskeleton.5 Disruption of the junction leads to increased vascular permeability; an effect seen in diseased vasculature with elaborated inflammatory mediators, including thrombin,6 cytokines, and VE growth factor.7 Moreover, the adherens junction participates in the regulation of leucocyte extravasation. For example, VE-cadherin disruption has been shown to facilitate monocyte transendothelial migration.8 Likewise, blocking VE-cadherin with antibodies promotes neutrophil migration.9 In addition to cadherin-mediated cell–cell interactions, integrin binding to the extracellular matrix strengthens endothelial barrier function. Competitive disruption of integrin-matrix interactions with RGD peptides causes endothelial hyperpermeability.10\n\nADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) are a family of type I transmembrane glycoproteins that have been implicated in inflammation, angiogenesis, and cancer growth and metastasis.11,12 Structurally, each ADAM molecule consists of a prodomain, a metalloproteinase domain, a disintegrin domain, a cystein-rich domain, an epidermal growth factor-like domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail.13 The metalloproteinase domain has a consensus HEXXGXXH sequence capable of degrading matrix14 and shedding cytokines,15 growth factor and growth factor receptors,16,17 and cadherins.18,19 The disintegrin domain of human ADAM15 contains an RGD sequence that can regulate integrin binding and subsequent cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesions. In addition to the proteolytic and adhesive properties, ADAM15 possesses a cytoplasmic tail with potential recognition sites for several protein kinases20 that are known to be major players in signal transduction. These unique features provide a structural basis for ADAM15 to exert pleiotropic functions via distinct mechanisms. In this study, we tested whether protease shedding of VE-cadherin, disintegrin-mediated disruption of focal adhesion, or intracellular signal transduction via Src and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 played a relatively important role in ADAM15-induced permeability responses in human endothelial cells in the presence and absence of inflammatory stimulation by thrombin.\n\nWe also examined the effect of altered ADAM15 expression on endothelial permeability because recent studies indicate that ADAM15 upregulation is functionally involved in pathological angiogenesis21 and tumour metastasis.22 Moreover, ADAM15 is upregulated in cells treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines23 and in tissues of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis,24 rheumatoid arthritis,25 and irritable bowels,26 indicating the possibility that increased ADAM15 serves as an inflammatory mediator.11 However, the specific role of ADAM15 in regulating VE permeability has not been established, and even less is known about its mechanism of action. Therefore, characterization of the molecular basis underlying ADAM15-induced permeability responses would be important for a further understanding of inflammatory diseases.\n\n2. Methods\n\n2.1 Transfection\n\nPlasmid pcDNA/human WT ADAM15 with haemagglutinin tag at the C-terminus was generated as previously described.18 Mutant ADAM15 cDNA producing a catalytically dead metalloproteinase was constructed by mutating the glutama into alanine at 350 (E350A).18 Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) (Combrex, MD, USA) were maintained in endothelial growth medium (Lonza, NJ, USA). Transient transfection of siRNA (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) or pcDNA constructs was achieved by using Nucleofector II (Amaxa Biosystems, Cologne, Germany).\n\n2.2 Cell treatment and immunoblotting\n\nAll measurements were made 72 h post-transfection. To examine the signalling role of ERK1/2 or Src, cells were starved overnight and treated with vehicle, 10 µM U0126, or PP2 (Calbiochem, CA, USA) for 1 h. Then phospho (Thr202/Tyr204)- and total ERK1/2 were monitored with specific antibodies (Cell Signaling, MA, USA). To test VE-cadherin shedding, cells were treated with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT (10 µM) for 16 h followed by western blotting using an anti-VE-cadherin C-terminus antibody (Santa Cruz, CA, USA). Cells were lysed with RIPA buffer and protein concentration determined by BCA assay. Cell lysates corresponding to 20 µg protein were submitted to western blotting as previously described.27 When necessary, stripping buffer (Thermo, VT, USA) was applied to the same membrane for reprobing.\n\n2.3 Albumin transendothelial flux\n\nAlbumin flux across cultured HUVEC monolayers was measured as previously described.27 Briefly, 105 HUVECs were grown to confluence on a transwell membrane (Corning, NY, USA). FITC-labelled albumin (15 µM) was added to the top chamber in the presence or absence of 25 nM thrombin. After 1 h incubation, concentrations of albumin in the top and bottom chambers were monitored with a fluorescence microplate reader (BioTek, VT, USA). The permeability coefficient of albumin (Pa) was determined as Pa = [A]/t × 1/A × V/[L], where [A] is the bottom chamber concentration, t the time (s), A the area of the membrane (cm2), V the bottom chamber volume, and [L] the top chamber concentration. At the same time, parallel wells were submitted to MTT (Roche, CA, USA) assay and Calcein AM (Invitrogen, CA, USA) staining to confirm cell quantity and confluence of the monolayers.\n\n2.4 Transendothelial electrical resistance (TER)\n\nAs an indicator of cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesive barrier properties, transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) was measured as previously described.27 Briefly, 105 cells were seeded onto ECIS electrode arrays (Applied Biophysics, NY, USA) and grown overnight. With a 1 V, 4000 Hz alternating current signal supplied through a 1 MΩ resistor to a constant-current source, in-phase voltage, and out-of-phase voltage were recorded with ECMS 1.0 software (CET, IA, USA). Endothelial barrier function was expressed as TER normalized to the baseline and the time when thrombin added was set at 0. Only endothelial monolayers with a baseline TER of 5000 Ω or higher were used for experiments in this study.\n\n2.5 Neutrophil transmigration\n\nHUVECs (5 × 104) were seeded onto a 96-well transwell membrane (Millipore, CA, USA) and grown overnight to confluence. Human neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood based on approval by the University of California at Davis Institutional Review Board and the investigation conforms to the Declaration of Helsinki. Neutrophils were separated with histopaque (Sigma, MO, USA) gradient centrifugation followed by negative selection (Stem Cell, BC, Canada) which yielded a purity >90%. 5 × 104 neutrophils were added to the top well with or without 10 nM fMLP (Sigma, MO, USA) in the bottom well. After a 2 h incubation, 5 × 104 polystyrene beads (Polysciences, PA, USA) were added to the bottom well and then migrated neutrophils were counted using FACS and normalized to 5000 beads. In parallel, the wells were submitted to MTT assay and Calcein AM staining to confirm cell quantity and confluence.\n\n2.6 Conditioned medium analysis\n\nSerum-free medium was collected and processed as described previously.18 The level of soluble VE-cadherin was detected using western blotting with an antibody against the extracellular domain of VE-cadherin (R&D, MN, USA).\n\n2.7 Statistical analysis\n\nFor each intervention, multiple experiments were performed and data presented as mean ± SD. The number of samples (n) indicates the number of experiments done in separate days using different cells. Two-tailed unpaired Student's test was used for comparison between two groups and one-way analysis of variance used for multiple groups to evaluate the level of difference. Significance was accepted at P ≤ 0.05.\n\n3. Results\n\n3.1 ADAM15 is a regulator of endothelial permeability\n\nSince ADAM15 is upregulated in several inflammatory settings2426 that are associated with endothelial hyperpermeability, we aimed to determine the causal relationship between ADAM15 expression and endothelial permeability in HUVECs. We first verified that pcDNA/ADAM15 transfection increased ADAM15 expression by ∼60% and siRNA/ADAM15 knockdown reduced its expression by ∼85% (Figure 1A). Next, albumin permeability and electric resistance were measured in ADAM15-overexpressing or knockdown HUVECs. Thrombin, a permeability-increasing agonist contributing to vascular inflammation,28 was used to stimulate the endothelial monolayers. In non-stimulated monolayers, ADAM15 overexpression resulted in a 35% increase, whereas knockdown caused a rather small (16%) decrease, in albumin permeability (Figure 1B), supporting the possibility that ADAM15 contributes to vascular barrier dysfunction under conditions where this molecule is upregulated. Furthermore, when thrombin was added, augmented hyperpermeability was observed in ADAM15-overexpressing cells (37% increase). Accordingly, ADAM15 knockdown caused a 20% decrease in Pa in the presence of thrombin (Figure 1B), indicating a role for ADAM15 in mediating thrombin-induced hyperpermeability. Consistent with the albumin permeability assay, the TER dynamics showed a rapid drop in resistance (indicative of barrier dysfunction) upon thrombin. Overexpression of ADAM15 augmented the decrease in TER (maximal resistance −0.39 in mock-transfected control vs. −0.48 in ADAM15 overexpression) (Figure 1C). In contrast, ADAM15 knockdown attenuated thrombin-induced decreases in TER (−0.40 in scrambled siRNA control vs. −0.26 in siRNA ADAM15) (Figure 1C). These results demonstrate that ADAM15 overexpression increases endothelial permeability and it also contributes to thrombin-induced hyperpermeability.\n\nFigure 1\n\nADAM15 regulates endothelial permeability. (A) Western blot analysis of ADAM15 expression in HUVECs non-tranfected (NT) or transfected with empty vector (mock), ADAM15 siRNA (siADAM15), scrambled siRNA (siScam), pcDNA/WT ADAM15 (ovrexp/WT). Top, representative blots; bottom, quantitative protein levels (n = 8). *Indicates P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT. (B) Albumin permeability (Pa) measured by the ratio of transendothelial flux to concentration difference in ADAM15-overexpressing (ovrexp/WT) or knockdown (siADAM15) HUVECs in the absence (solid) or presence (open) of thrombin (25 nM, 60 min) (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT (right) without thrombin; #P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT with thrombin. (C) Transcellular electric resistance (TER) was measured in HUVECs as indicator of adhesive barrier function before and after thrombin (25 nM). Top, averaged peak response (n = 4). *P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT. Bottom, individual tracings showing the TER dynamic. Time 0 indicates the time when thrombin was added.\n\n3.2 ADAM15 does not cause VE-cadherin shedding\n\nIt has been shown that ADAM15 and ADAM10 shed E- and N-cadherins on the surface of epithelial and neuronal cells.18,29 In endothelial cells, ADAM10 cleaves VE-cadherin thus facilitating T-cell transmigration.19 These findings along with the suggestion that ADAM15 co-localizes with VE-cadherin30 promoted us to test whether ADAM15 affected endothelial permeability by digesting VE-cadherin. We transfected cells with a cDNA mutant that produces dominant expression of a catalytically dead metalloproteinase.18 Our data, however, suggested that the protease activity was not involved in VE-cadherin shedding or degradation. As shown in Figure 2A, expression of either WT or catalytically incompetent ADAM15 did not alter the level of soluble VE-cadherin in the extracellular medium (indicator of ectodomain shedding). Likewise, ADAM15 knockdown and overexpression produced the same level of soluble VE-cadherin. Further, there was no difference in the production of the C-terminal fragment (CTF) of VE-cadherin in cells expressing WT and mutant ADAM15 or depleted of ADAM15 after treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT which prevents secondary degradation and CTF removal (Figure 2B). Consistently, the functional assays showed that the expression of WT ADAM15 with intact protease function or ADAM15 mutant lacking protease activity increased albumin permeability and TER response to thrombin to a similar extent (Figure 2C), indicating that the protease activity is not required for ADAM15-induced hyperpermeability.\n\nFigure 2\n\nADAM15-induced permeability is independent of its proteolytic effect on VE-cadherin shedding. (A) The level of soluble VE-cadherin measured by immunoblotting with an antibody against the extracellular domain of VE-cadherin in conditioned media. Full-length VE-cadherin (FL VE-cad) was measured in cell lysate as control. No difference detected in cells overexpressing ADAM15 wild-type (ovrexp/WT) and its mutant lacking protease function (ovrexp/mut) (n = 3). (B) Detection of VE-cadherin shedding products by immunoblotting with an antibody specific to the C-terminal fragment (CTF) of VE-cadherin in cells treated with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT. There is no difference in CTF production from cells expressing wild-type and catalytically dead ADAM15 (n = 3). (C) Comparison of ADAM15 level and permeability in HUVECs overexpressing ADAM15 wild-type (ovrexp/WT) and its mutant lacking protease function (ovrexp/mut). Left column shows consistent levels of ADAM15 expression regardless of mutation (n = 6). *P < 0.05 vs. mock cells. Middle column shows that ADAM15 WT or mutant increases albumin permeability and enhances thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction. *P < 0.05 vs. mock; #P < 0.05 vs. mock with thrombin (n = 3). Right column shows representative TER dynamics from three experiments.\n\n3.3 ADAM15 affects neutrophil transendothelial migration\n\nWe further determined the effect of endothelial ADAM15 on neutrophil transendothelial migration in the absence and presence of a chemoattractant, fMLP. In the absence of fMLP, expression of either WT or mutant ADAM15 in HUVECs increased neutrophil transmigration by two- to three-folds. In the presence of fMLP, WT and mutant ADAM15 caused a further increase in transmigration by more than 30% (Figure 3A). Knockdown of ADAM15 produced an opposite effect, reducing neutrophil transmigration with or without fMLP (Figure 3B).\n\nFigure 3\n\nADAM15 promotes neutrophil transendothelial migration with and without chemoattractant. HUVECs expressing ADAM15 WT or mutant were grown on transwell membrane with neutrophils added to the top chamber and fMLP or vehicle added to the bottom. Transmigrated neutrophils were counted using FACS and normalized to the mock or non-treated condition. Top, transmigration across ADAM15 WT and mutant expressed HUVECS without (−) and with (+) fMLP (n = 3). Bottom, transmigration across ADAM15 knockdown and control siRNA treated HUVECs with or without fMLP (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT cells without fMLP. #P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT with fMLP.\n\n3.4 ADAM15 activates ERK1/2 signalling independently of its protease activity\n\nBecause ERK1/2 phosphorylation is involved in permeability regulation by thrombin31 and other inflammatory mediators like histamine,32 we assessed whether ERK1/2 signalling contributed to the ADAM15 effect. In the absence of thrombin, overexpression of either WT or mutant ADAM15 increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation by nearly two-fold, whereas knockdown of ADAM15 decreased the phosphorylation by 30% (Figure 4A). When cells were stimulated with thrombin, overexpression (WT or mutant) further elevated ERK1/2 phosphorylation and knockdown produced an opposite effect (Figure 4A). The experiment using U0126, which blocks ERK1/2 activation, further supports the involvement of ERK1/2 signalling in ADAM15-mediated permeability. As shown in Figure 4B, while U0126 had no effect on the basal barrier properties of mock-transfected endothelial monolayers, it prevented ADAM15-induced increase in albumin permeability. Furthermore, U0126 pre-treatment inhibited thrombin-induced hyperpermeability; the inhibitory effect was more significant in ADAM15-overexpressing cells than in seen mock-transfected cells (Figure 4C). These data demonstrate an important role of ERK1/2 signalling in ADAM15 regulation of endothelial barrier function.\n\nFigure 4\n\nADAM15 causes ERK1/2 phosphorylation coupled with hyperpermeability. (A) ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK1/2) was measured by blotting with anti-phospho ERK1/2 (T202/Y204) in HUVECs expressing ADAM15 WT or mutant in the absence and presence of thrombin (25 nM, 5 min). Total ERK1/2 (tErk1/2) was probed as control. Top, representative blots. Bottom, ratio of phosphorylated to total ERK1/2 (n = 5). *P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT without thrombin; #P < 0.05 vs. mock or NT with thrombin. (B) ERK1/2 phosphorylation (top) and albumin permeability (bottom) in ADAM15-overexpressing HUVECs during inhibition of ERK activation with UO126 (10 µM, 60 min). The inhibitor blocks ADAM15-induced increase in Pa (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock with vehicle; #P < 0.05 vs. ovrexp with vehicle. (C) ERK1/2 phosphorylation (top) and thrombin-induced TER changes (bottom) in ADAM15-overexpressing HUVECs with or without inhibition of ERK activation. ADAM15 overexpression enhances the TER decrease by thrombin and the effect is inhibited by UO126 (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock with vehicle; #P < 0.05 vs. ovrexp with vehicle.\n\n3.5 ADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation requires Src but not focal adhesion kinase\n\nERK1/2 phosphorylation has been shown as a downstream event of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) or Src signalling.33,34 With an RGD sequence in its disintegrin domain, ADAM15 can bind αvβ3 and α5β1 integrins35 triggering outside-in signalling via FAK phosphorylation. We tested whether this pathway was responsible for ADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation and barrier dysfunction. When adhered to collagen, fibronectin, or vitronectin (via different integrins), endothelial cells overexpressing WT or mutant ADAM15 displayed a slightly higher level of FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine 925 compared with mock-transfected cells (data not shown). However, depletion of FAK using siRNA had no effect on ADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation (Figure 5A), indicating that FAK is not required for the response. In contrast, when Src activity was inhibited by PP2, a significant attenuation in ERK1/2 phosphorylation was observed (Figure 5B). Similar to U0126, PP2 was able to block the hyperpermeability induced by ADAM15 overexpression (Figure 5B).\n\nFigure 5\n\nADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation is not dependent on FAK but involves Src signalling. (A) siRNA knockdown (siFAK) depletes total FAK expression (tFAK) but fails to alter ADAM15-induced ERK phosphorylation. Top, representative blots of ERK phosphorylation, total ERK, and total FAK. Bottom, ratio of phospho-ERK to total ERK (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock. (B) The effect of Src inhibition by PP2 (10 µM, 60 min) on ERK1/2 phosphorylation and hyperpermeability in HUVECs overexpressing ADAM15. Top, representative blots of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Middle, ratio of phospho- to total ERK1/2 (n = 3). Bottom, albumin permeability (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock with vehicle; #P < 0.05 vs. ovrexp with vehicle.\n\n3.6 Src and ERK1/2 are involved in ADAM15-facilitated neutrophil transmigration\n\nPre-treatment of endothelial cells with PP2 reduced neutrophil transmigration and the inhibitory effect was more significant in ADAM15 overexpressing cells than in mock-transfected cells (50 vs. 22% reduction). Pre-treatment of HUVECs with U0126 also attenuated the migration response but the effect was relatively modest (reduction by 10% in mock-transfected and 22% in ADAM15-expressing cells) (Figure 6).\n\nFigure 6\n\nSrc and ERK1/2 mediate ADAM15 effect on neutrophil transmigration. Neutrophil chemotactic migration across HUVEC monolayers is enhanced during ADAM15 overexpression compared with mock expression; this effect is greatly attenuated by the Src inhibitor PP2 (10 µM, 60 min) and the ERK pathway inhibitor UO126 (10 µM, 60 min) (n = 3). *P < 0.05 vs. mock with vehicle; #P < 0.05 vs. ovrexp with vehicle.\n\n4. Discussion\n\nADAM15 is upregulated in endothelial cells treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines23 and in tissues under various inflammatory settings, including atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and irritable bowels.2426 In this study, we report that overexpression of ADAM15 in endothelial cells increases endothelial permeability and promotes neutrophil transmigration. Furthermore, ADAM15 enhances endothelial hyperpermeability to thrombin, and ADAM15 depletion attenuates thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction. The mechanism by which ADAM15 regulates permeability is not dependent on its proteolytic domain-mediated shedding of VE-cadherin or its disintegrin effect on cell–matrix focal adhesion; rather, it involves activation of Src and ERK1/2, perhaps via intracellular signalling. Our results have characterized ADAM15 as a novel endothelial barrier regulator and a potential therapeutic target of vascular inflammation.\n\nThis study indicates a role of ADAM15 in the pathological regulation of endothelial permeability in diseased vasculature where ADAM15 is upregulated or inflammatory mediators such as thrombin are elaborated. In particular, ADAM15 overexpression was capable of increasing albumin flux and augmenting thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction in endothelial cells. While alterations in the basal barrier property can contribute to enhanced or attenuated response to a stimulus, the effect of ADAM15 on resting endothelial cells was relatively modest compared with that seen with thrombin. In other words, altered basal permeability did not fully account for the altered thrombin response. Alternatively, ADAM15 may serve as a signalling molecule that mediates the permeability response under stimulated conditions. Such a condition is often seen in diseases associated with vascular inflammation or thrombosis where thrombin metabolism or signalling is altered. For example, in atherosclerosis, ADAM15 upregulation in the vascular endothelium may lead to endothelial hyperpermeability and augmented response to thrombin, contributing to the development of lesions. Further investigation with in vivo models of disease or genetically altered mice would provide physiologically significant information.\n\nBased on the complex structure of the ADAM family, multiple molecular pathways have been proposed to explain their effects, of which the best recognized mechanism is proteolytic cleavage or ectodomain shedding of transmembrane molecules via its metalloproteinase domain. We first tested the hypothesis that ADAM15 induced hyperpermeability by shedding of VE-cadherin. Supporting this is that shedding of membrane-anchored VE-cadherin by metalloproteinases, measured as increased soluble fragments corresponding to the extracelluar domain of VE-cadherin, is detected in vascular inflammatory disease.36 As a member of the metalloproteinase family, ADAM15 sheds E-cadherin on the epithelial cell surface generating soluble fragments that trigger ErbB activation.18 ADAM10, a close relative of ADAM15, cleaves VE-cadherin in association with endothelial permeability.19 To our surprise, however, the data from the current study challenges the conventional concept that ADAMs act mainly through proteolysis. We found that ADAM15 with or without protease activity caused barrier responses to a similar extent, and they did not alter the level of soluble VE-cadherin or its degradation products, indicating that VE-cadherin shedding is not involved in ADAM15-induced permeability.\n\nWe then examined the potential importance of integrin-mediated focal adhesion in the ADAM15 effect. The extracellular part of ADAM15 contains an RGD sequence that binds to different integrins mediating heterotypic cell interactions.23,35 Overexpression of ADAM15 in epithelial cells facilitates leucocyte adhesion by mechanisms involving its RGD motif.37 Loss of ADAM15 in prostate tumour cells reduces their ability to adhere and migrate.22 In agreement with these studies, we found increased neutrophil transmigration across ADAM15-overexpressed endothelial cells. However, our results do not support the disintegrin effect (disruption of focal adhesion) as a critical step in the endothelial response to ADAM15, since ADAM15 overexpression did not alter integrin expression or cell attachment to different matrix proteins (data not shown). More importantly, siRNA depletion of FAK, a major mediator of integrin signalling, did not significantly alter ADAM15-induced endothelial responses, indicating that FAK is dispensable. Indeed, both RGD-dependent and -independent pathways have been proposed for ADAM15 action. An earlier study with NIH3T3 cells38 suggests that ADAM15 does not alter cell–matrix interactions but functions as a cell–cell adhesive molecule to decrease cell permeability. The discrepancy in the data on permeability is not surprising given the pleiotropic functions and heterogeneous effects of ADAM15 in different cells or tissues. Its effect on the endothelial barrier may not be the same as that seen with cells that do not form barriers or cells connecting to each other via other adhesion molecules than VE-cadherin, which is predominantly expressed in endothelial cell–cell junctions and serves as an important regulator of vascular permeability.\n\nThe negative finding about VE-cadherin shedding and focal adhesion disruption promoted us to explore the potential mechanism of intracellular signal transduction. ADAM15 possesses a cytoplasmic tail containing SH3/SH2 binding sequences and putative recognition sites for protein kinases20 capable of transducing complex signals or serving as molecular scaffold to recruit signalling components with kinase activity, such as Src, which in turn act on the endothelial barrier structure.39 In haematopoietic cells, the cytoplasmic tail of ADAM15 binds to Src in a phosphorylation-dependent manner.40 Mutation studies demonstrate the involvement of this cytoplasmic domain in homotypic aggregation of T cells as well as in heterotypic adhesion between lymphocytes and epithelial cells.37 Moreover, several isoforms of ADAM15 have been classified based on splicing variants of the cytoplasmic domain. One variant containing Src binding site with a high catalytic activity dependent on Src has been associated with malignant tumour behaviour.41 While these findings support in general the role of Src in the ADAM15 pathway, our data characterize the specific contribution of Src to endothelial responses to ADAM15. In another study, we found that truncation of its intracellular domain blocked ADAM15-induced increase in permeability, further supporting that intracellular signal transduction as an important mechanism underlying the endothelial effect of ADAM15.\n\nERK1/2 signalling has long been implicated in endothelial responses to growth factors and inflammatory mediators.31,32 In breast cancer cells, ADAM15 deletion decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation impairing migration and proliferation.18 In this study, we demonstrate that ADAM15 overexpression stimulates ERK1/2 phosphorylation, an effect responsible for altered barrier function in the presence or absence of inflammatory stimulation. Furthermore, ADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation is involved in neutrophil transendothelial migration, consistent with a previous observation.42 While ERK1/2 is known to be activated downstream from FAK33 and Src,34 we show that ADAM15-induced ERK1/2 activation is not dependent on FAK but largely through Src. This finding supports our hypothesis that the Src-binding cytoplasmic domain of ADAM15 serves as a triggering factor in the transduction of permeability responses. Further, additional signalling molecules may be involved in the ADAM15 pathway because Src inhibition did not completely block the phosphorylation response.\n\nThe precise mechanisms by which Src or ERK1/2 regulates permeability remain to be elucidated. We hypothesize that these kinases can target the endothelial barrier structure for phosphorylation rendering weakened cell–cell adhesion. Our previous studies suggest that Src causes β-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation leading to intercellular gap formation,39 and that the ERK1/2 pathway mediates microvascular hyperpermeability by activating endothelial contractile cytoskeleton and altering cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions.32 A search of potential ERK targets using the consensus phosphorylation motif TXY produces several proteins that are known to be essential to endothelial barrier function, including FAK, VE-cadherin, catenins, actin, and actin-binding proteins.32 Although siRNA knockdown of FAK did not effectively abolish the permeability effect of ADAM15, we cannot rule out the possibility that post-translational modification of FAK activity or perturbation of integrin signalling contributes to the ADAM15 action. Some studies have shown a link between integrin activity and Src kinases.43,44 Likewise, while VE-cadherin shedding was not detected, it is possible that ADAM15 induce phosphorylation or conformational changes of the junction complex.\n\nWe also examined the effect of endothelial ADAM15 on neutrophil transendothelial migration because neutrophil diapedesis often occur in parallel with endothelial barrier dysfunction during vascular inflammation. Neutrophils migrate across the endothelium via paracellular pathways maintained by junctional molecules including VE-cadherin, PECAM-1, and JAM-A.4 Despite the current focus on VE-cadherin, we recognize the role of PECAM-1 and JAM-A in regulating endothelial integrity and neutrophil transmigration and their potential involvement in the ADAM15 pathway. Additionally, the relative contribution of endothelial barrier properties vs. neutrophil activities to the transmigration process requires further studies. Within this context, the result that ADAM15 greatly increased neutrophil transmigration without a chemoattractant indicate the possibility that endothelial activation is sufficient to open or loosen the barrier for transmigration. Further stimulation or activation of neutrophils can augment the migration response but may not a prerequisite for the overall process. This may explain why the chemotactic migration to fMLP was not increased much more than the non-chemotactic migration. The data support an active role of endothelial ADAM15 in vascular inflammation.\n\nIn conclusion, our study has identified ADAM15 as a novel endothelial barrier regulator especially under inflammatory stimulation. The effects of ADAM15 on endothelial hyperpermeability and neutrophil transmigration are not dependent on the catalytic activity of the metalloproteinase but are mediated by intracellular signalling involving Src and ERK1/2 activation.\n\n\nThis work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants HL61507, HL84542, and HL96640.\n\n\nWe thank Chris D. Pivetti, Robert L. Pitts, Olesya P. Litovka, and Bert J. Frederich for excellent technical assistance.\n\nConflict of interest: none declared.\n\n\nView Abstract", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6954902410507202}
{"content": "CHE University Ranking 2015/16\n\nGermany's largest University Ranking\n\n\nRegister free of charge\n\nMore than 30\nsubject areas\nMore than 300 universities\nIndividual Ranking\nTo use the ranking, a registration is required.\n  • FAQ\n\n    Simply click on the most frequently asked questions regarding the ranking to get the answers.\n\n    Which subjects were examined and when?\n    The data for the single subjects are actualised in a three-year circle: natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, medicine, nursing, sports 2015. Law, economics, social sciences, social work 2014; humanities, psychology, peadagogy 2013.\n    Why is the data not updated every year?\n    The enormous amount of work necessary for such a complex ranking makes a yearly update of the data for all subjects impossible. This would be beyond our capacities and the capacities of the universities, which assist with a considerable amount of preparatory work for the ranking project. Except for a few individual cases, changes at universities do not take place with the speed that would make an annual update necessary. In addition, most cases do not show any values referring to one year, but average values across several years (e.g. publications, study time). The figure-work of these values is unlikely to seriously change within one year. In addition, it is extremely unlikely that there would be substantial changes, e.g. for publications or the duration of studies within one year. The time comparison in the different subjects, which was possible for the first time in the 2003 ranking, also shows that important changes, which really result in a change to the ranking groups, are more an exception than a rule.\n    Why is my subject not included?\n    The subjects included in the ranking cover the degree courses of around 80% of first-year students. The subjects that are not included are, for the most part, subjects that are only offered at a few universities, or for which only a relatively small number of students per university have enrolled.\n    When will the new ranking be available?\n    The CHE UniversityRanking 2015/16, for which the natural sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, medicine, nursing and sports were examined was published in the spring of 2015. For further information on this project see\n    What does Research Reputation / Reputation for Academic Studies and Teaching tell?\n    Currently, the CHE Ranking includes the indicator \"Research Reputation\" and \"Reputation for Academic Studies and Teaching\" only for a few subjects. The indicator is displayed for the following subjects: Business Administration, Civil Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering, Facility Management, German Language and Literature, Law, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, Psychology, Romance Studies, Environmental Engineering, Economics, Mechanical-, Process- and Chemical Engineering and Material Engineering. The indicator reflects the faculties' reputation among the professors of the subject. For the Reputation for Academic Studies and Teaching, the CHE asks the professors which universities in their opinion are best for studying their subject, if only the quality of the education was of importance. For the Research Reputation the professors are asked, which universities they consider as \"leading\" in their subject. Within the subject community, there is, as a rule, a clear picture about the standing or the reputation of the individual faculties. Even if the professors do not know all the faculties of their subject in detail, there is nevertheless this reputation hierarchy in their heads. This indicator reflects the opinion of the professors; it is not an indicator of the universities' efficiency! A faculty's reputation may, but does not have to, match its factual achievements in research and teaching. There may be faculties, which still live off achievements from the past; but vice versa, there are also faculties, whose achievements are not yet recognised among the professors. Nevertheless, this indicator may be meaningful information - not least as the reputation of a university is also linked to the graduates.\n    Does the ranking only cover subjective opinions about the universities?\n    Why does the ranking not include any survey of employers?\n    Which indicators are selected for the \"Compact Ranking\"?\n    Are students' opinions soft indicators?\n    In addition to facts about various areas, the higher education ranking contains a number of student opinions. In contrast to the frequently uttered opinion that they are purely \"Well-being indicators\", they are perfectly meaningful, provided the questions are asked with sufficient detail. On the one hand, previous years have shown that students and professors judge at different levels of grades - professors usually around one grade better than students - but the relative order of faculties is not very different, the correlation of opinions is - according to indicator and subject - at around 0.5 to 0.8. Therefore, a library regarded as poor in the eyes of students is usually also given poor assessments by professors. On the other hand, repeated examinations of the same subject show that students' opinions hardly change at most universities. Actual improvements, however, such as a faculty moving into new premises, are clearly reflected here; a sign that students do assess according to objective criteria.\n    What are bibliometrics and how does CHE do it?\n    Can research achievement be measured?\n    Where in Germany can I study which course?\n    In the Compact Ranking, all universities offering a course in a certain subject are listet. You may also use the search-fuction.\n    Courses and subjects not listed can be found at the DAAD University Guide published in cooperation with the German Rectors'' Conference\n    Can conclusions be drawn from the results of the CHE UniversityRanking student questionnaires regarding the quality of the graduates from a HEI?\n    Why is there no ranking of master programmes?\n    In Master programs the number of enrolled students is often too small to achieve an adequate return rate. Nevertheless, it is possible to survey the Master students in some fields. Master students in Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering and Mechatronics have been surveyed in 2013 and students in Business Administration and Economic Sciences in 2014. The results of the Masters student's survey in Computer Sciences will be published in autumn 2015.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9290200471878052}
{"content": "Figure 2: TLC/FID chromatograms of lipid classes in a standard and as part of a study of the effects of produced water from oil and gas production on cod [17]. Lipid class composition was determined after a three-step development on Chromarods (Figure 1). Lipid extracts were applied to the Chromarods and focused to a narrow band using 100% acetone. The first development system was hexane : diethyl ether : formic acid (98.95 : 1.0 : 0.05). The rods were developed for 25 min, removed from the solvent system for 5 min, and replaced for 20 min and then partially scanned in the Iatroscan. The second development was for 40 min in hexane : diethyl ether : formic acid (79 : 20 : 1) after which the rods were partially scanned. The final separation had two steps, the first was development in 100% acetone for two 15 min time periods, then two 10 min periods in chloroform : methanol : chloroform-extracted water (5 : 4 : 1), after which the rods were dried and their entire length scanned. Before using each solvent system the rods were placed in a constant humidity chamber. The Chromarods were calibrated using standards (e.g., Figure 1) from Sigma Chemicals (Sigma Chemicals, St. Louis, MI, USA).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9834638237953186}
{"content": "5 questions for Transformers leader Optimus Prime\n\nOptimus Prime\n\nBy Michelle Mills\n\nAs Transformers fans flooded onto the floor of BotCon 2014, the official Hasbro Transformers’ collection convention, at the Pasadena Convention Center last weekend, we wrangled a few minutes with the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime. Actually, our interview was with John Barber, editor of IDW Publishing and writer of “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” and other comic books, who offered to speak for the character he knows so well.\n\nQ: Why are the Autobots mad at humans?\n\nA: As much as we try to protect the humans, they see all of us as one group and it’s important to understand that everyone is an individual and the choices we make are the choices that define us.\n\nQ: Will you accept the artificial Transformers the humans have created?\n\nA: As with anyone, those Autobots will have to prove themselves. I hold nothing against where someone came from or how they were created. It depends again, as I said, on the choices they make and the life they decide to lead.\n\nQ: Does it hurt to transform from robot to car and vice versa?\n\nA: Not at all, it feels great. If you’re tired or have been in a fight, it might hurt a little bit, but first thing in the morning, it’s nice.\n\nQ: What do Transformers eat?\n\nA: Energon is our sustenance and our lifeblood. It’s a pure form of energy found on Cybertron and rarely in other places in the galaxy... We’re fuel-efficient and we’re green.\n\nQ: What advice would you give humans?\n\nA: The most important thing is to remember that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and to allow everyone to live the life that they choose to live and not force your will on others.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9893864393234253}
{"content": "Aaron Hernandez filed a grievance to get $6 million plus in salary from the New England Patriots. But his being indicted for a July 2012 double murder on Thursday means that grievance no longer holds much water.\n\nBecause that incident happened before Hernandez signed his mega contract extension later in '12, it goes against language in his contract regarding \"existing circumstances\". That's according to's Joel Corry, a former NFL agent who detailed the cap situation with Hernandez and the Patriots in January.\n\nIt would give the New England organization grounds to recoup what they owed Hernandez, including a $3.25 million singing bonus that was deferred and paid only in March of this year. That matches the minimal extra salary-cap relief the Patriots would get, too.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6432677507400513}
{"content": "What is Electricity?\n\nContributors: Jimb0\nFavorited Favorite 5\n\nGetting Started\n\nElectricity is all around us–powering technology like our cell phones, computers, lights, soldering irons, and air conditioners. It’s tough to escape it in our modern world. Even when you try to escape electricity, it’s still at work throughout nature, from the lightning in a thunderstorm to the synapses inside our body. But what exactly is electricity? This is a very complicated question, and as you dig deeper and ask more questions, there really is not a definitive answer, only abstract representations of how electricity interacts with our surroundings.\n\nPublic domain NOAA lightning picture\n\nElectricity is a natural phenomenon that occurs throughout nature and takes many different forms. In this tutorial we’ll focus on current electricity: the stuff that powers our electronic gadgets. Our goal is to understand how electricity flows from a power source through wires, lighting up LEDs, spinning motors, and powering our communication devices.\n\nElectricity is briefly defined as the flow of electric charge, but there’s so much behind that simple statement. Where do the charges come from? How do we move them? Where do they move to? How does an electric charge cause mechanical motion or make things light up? So many questions! To begin to explain what electricity is we need to zoom way in, beyond the matter and molecules, to the atoms that make up everything we interact with in life.\n\nThis tutorial builds on some basic understanding of physics, force, energy, atoms, and fields in particular. We’ll gloss over the basics of each of those physics concepts, but it may help to consult other sources as well.\n\nGoing Atomic\n\nTo understand the fundamentals of electricity, we need to begin by focusing in on atoms, one of the basic building blocks of life and matter. Atoms exist in over a hundred different forms as chemical elements like hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and copper. Atoms of many types can combine to make molecules, which build the matter we can physically see and touch.\n\nAtoms are tiny, stretching at a max to about 300 picometers long (that’s 3x10-10 or 0.0000000003 meters). A copper penny (if it actually were made of 100% copper) would have 3.2x1022 atoms (32,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms) of copper inside it.\n\nEven the atom isn’t small enough to explain the workings of electricity. We need to dive down one more level and look in on the building blocks of atoms: protons, neutrons, and electrons.\n\nBuilding Blocks of Atoms\n\nAn atom is built with a combination of three distinct particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons. Each atom has a center nucleus, where the protons and neutrons are densely packed together. Surrounding the nucleus are a group of orbiting electrons.\n\nRutherford atom model\n\nA very simple atom model. It’s not to scale but helpful for understanding how an atom is built. A core nucleus of protons and neutrons is surrounded by orbiting electrons.\n\nEvery atom must have at least one proton in it. The number of protons in an atom is important, because it defines what chemical element the atom represents. For example, an atom with just one proton is hydrogen, an atom with 29 protons is copper, and an atom with 94 protons is plutonium. This count of protons is called the atom’s atomic number.\n\nThe proton’s nucleus-partner, neutrons, serve an important purpose; they keep the protons in the nucleus and determine the isotope of an atom. They’re not critical to our understanding of electricity, so let’s not worry about them for this tutorial.\n\nElectrons are critical to the workings of electricity (notice a common theme in their names?) In its most stable, balanced state, an atom will have the same number of electrons as protons. As in the Bohr atom model below, a nucleus with 29 protons (making it a copper atom) is surrounded by an equal number of electrons.\n\nCopper Bohr model\n\nAs our understanding of atoms has evolved, so too has our method for modeling them. The Bohr model is a very useful atom model as we explore electricity.\n\nThe atom’s electrons aren’t all forever bound to the atom. The electrons on the outer orbit of the atom are called valence electrons. With enough outside force, a valence electron can escape orbit of the atom and become free. Free electrons allow us to move charge, which is what electricity is all about. Speaking of charge…\n\nFlowing Charges\n\nAs we mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, electricity is defined as the flow of electric charge. Charge is a property of matter–just like mass, volume, or density. It is measurable. Just as you can quantify how much mass something has, you can measure how much charge it has. The key concept with charge is that it can come in two types: positive (+) or negative (-).\n\nIn order to move charge we need charge carriers, and that’s where our knowledge of atomic particles–specifically electrons and protons–comes in handy. Electrons always carry a negative charge, while protons are always positively charged. Neutrons (true to their name) are neutral, they have no charge. Both electrons and protons carry the same amount of charge, just a different type.\n\nLithium atom with particle charges labeled\n\nA lithium atom (3 protons) model with the charges labeled.\n\nThe charge of electrons and protons is important, because it provides us the means to exert a force on them. Electrostatic force!\n\nElectrostatic Force\n\nElectrostatic force (also called Coulomb’s law) is a force that operates between charges. It states that charges of the same type repel each other, while charges of opposite types are attracted together. Opposites attract, and likes repel.\n\nCharges attract/repel\n\nThe amount of force acting on two charges depends on how far they are from each other. The closer two charges get, the greater the force (either pushing together, or pulling away) becomes.\n\nThanks to electrostatic force, electrons will push away other electrons and be attracted to protons. This force is part of the “glue” that holds atoms together, but it’s also the tool we need to make electrons (and charges) flow!\n\nMaking Charges Flow\n\nWe now have all the tools to make charges flow. Electrons in atoms can act as our charge carrier, because every electron carries a negative charge. If we can free an electron from an atom and force it to move, we can create electricity.\n\nConsider the atomic model of a copper atom, one of the preferred elemental sources for charge flow. In its balanced state, copper has 29 protons in its nucleus and an equal number of electrons orbiting around it. Electrons orbit at varying distances from the nucleus of the atom. Electrons closer to the nucleus feel a much stronger attraction to the center than those in distant orbits. The outermost electrons of an atom are called the valence electrons, these require the least amount of force to be freed from an atom.\n\nCopper atom with valence electron labeled\n\nThis is a copper atom diagram: 29 protons in the nucleus, surrounded by bands of circling electrons. Electrons closer to the nucleus are hard to remove while the valence (outer ring) electron requires relatively little energy to be ejected from the atom.\n\nUsing enough electrostatic force on the valence electron–either pushing it with another negative charge or attracting it with a positive charge–we can eject the electron from orbit around the atom creating a free electron.\n\nNow consider a copper wire: matter filled with countless copper atoms. As our free electron is floating in a space between atoms, it’s pulled and prodded by surrounding charges in that space. In this chaos the free electron eventually finds a new atom to latch on to; in doing so, the negative charge of that electron ejects another valence electron from the atom. Now a new electron is drifting through free space looking to do the same thing. This chain effect can continue on and on to create a flow of electrons called electric current.\n\nSimple electron flow\n\nA very simplified model of charges flowing through atoms to make current.\n\n\nSome elemental types of atoms are better than others at releasing their electrons. To get the best possible electron flow we want to use atoms which don’t hold very tightly to their valence electrons. An element’s conductivity measures how tightly bound an electron is to an atom.\n\nElements with high conductivity, which have very mobile electrons, are called conductors. These are the types of materials we want to use to make wires and other components which aid in electron flow. Metals like copper, silver, and gold are usually our top choices for good conductors.\n\n\nStatic or Current Electricity\n\n\nStatic Electricity\n\n\nStatic electricity example\n\n\nSpark gap igniter static shock\n\n\n\n\n\nCurrent Electricity\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElectric Fields\n\nWe have a handle on how electrons flow through matter to create electricity. That’s all there is to electricity. Well, almost all. Now we need a source to induce the flow of electrons. Most often that source of electron flow will come from an electric field.\n\nWhat’s a Field?\n\nA field is a tool we use to model physical interactions which don’t involve any observable contact. Fields can’t be seen as they don’t have a physical appearance, but the effect they have is very real.\n\nWe’re all subconsciously familiar with one field in particular: Earth’s gravitational field, the effect of a massive body attracting other bodies. Earth’s gravitational field can be modeled with a set of vectors all pointing into the center of the planet; regardless of where you are on the surface, you’ll feel the force pushing you towards it.\n\nEarth gravity field\n\nThe strength or intensity of fields isn’t uniform at all points in the field. The further you are from the source of the field the less effect the field has. The magnitude of Earth’s gravitational field decreases as you get further away from the center of the planet.\n\nAs we go on to explore electric fields in particular remember how Earth’s gravitational field works, both fields share many similarities. Gravitational fields exert a force on objects of mass, and electric fields exert a force on objects of charge.\n\nElectric Fields\n\nElectric fields (e-fields) are an important tool in understanding how electricity begins and continues to flow. Electric fields describe the pulling or pushing force in a space between charges. Compared to Earth’s gravitational field, electric fields have one major difference: while Earth’s field generally only attracts other objects of mass (since everything is so significantly less massive), electric fields push charges away just as often as the attract them.\n\nThe direction of electric fields is always defined as the direction a positive test charge would move if it was dropped in the field. The test charge has to be infinitely small, to keep its charge from influencing the field.\n\nWe can begin by constructing electric fields for solitary positive and negative charges. If you dropped a positive test charge near a negative charge, the test charge would be attracted towards the negative charge. So, for a single, negative charge we draw our electric field arrows pointing inward at all directions. That same test charge dropped near another positive charge would result in an outward repulsion, which means we draw arrows going out of the positive charge.\n\nElectric fields of single charges\n\nThe electric fields of single charges. A negative charge has an inward electric field because it attracts positive charges. The positive charge has an outward electric field, pushing away like charges.\n\nGroups of electric charges can be combined to make more complete electric fields.\n\nBigger e-field\n\nThe uniform e-field above points away from the positive charges, towards the negatives. Imagine a tiny positive test charge dropped in the e-field; it should follow the direction of the arrows. As we’ve seen, electricity usually involves the flow of electrons–negative charges–which flow against electric fields.\n\nElectric fields provide us with the pushing force we need to induce current flow. An electric field in a circuit is like an electron pump: a large source of negative charges that can propel electrons, which will flow through the circuit towards the positive lump of charges.\n\nElectric Potential (Energy)\n\nWhen we harness electricity to power our circuits, gizmos, and gadgets, we’re really transforming energy. Electronic circuits must be able to store energy and transfer it to other forms like heat, light, or motion. The stored energy of a circuit is called electric potential energy.\n\nEnergy? Potential Energy?\n\nTo understand potential energy we need to understand energy in general. Energy is defined as the ability of an object to do work on another object, which means moving that object some distance. Energy comes in many forms, some we can see (like mechanical) and others we can’t (like chemical or electrical). Regardless of what form it’s in, energy exists in one of two states: kinetic or potential.\n\nAn object has kinetic energy when it’s in motion. The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its mass and speed. Potential energy, on the other hand, is a stored energy when an object is at rest. It describes how much work the object could do if set into motion. It’s an energy we can generally control. When an object is set into motion, its potential energy transforms into kinetic energy.\n\nGravitational potential energy\n\nLet’s go back to using gravity as an example. A bowling ball sitting motionless at the top of Khalifa tower has a lot of potential (stored) energy. Once dropped, the ball–pulled by the gravitational field–accelerates towards the ground. As the ball accelerates, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (the energy from motion). Eventually all of the ball’s energy is converted from potential to kinetic, and then passed on to whatever it hits. When the ball is on the ground, it has a very low potential energy.\n\nElectric Potential Energy\n\nJust like mass in a gravitational field has gravitational potential energy, charges in an electric field have an electric potential energy. A charge’s electric potential energy describes how much stored energy it has, when set into motion by an electrostatic force, that energy can become kinetic, and the charge can do work.\n\nLike a bowling ball sitting at the top of a tower, a positive charge in close proximity to another positive charge has a high potential energy; left free to move, the charge would be repelled away from the like charge. A positive test charge placed near a negative charge would have low potential energy, analogous to the bowling ball on the ground.\n\nPotential Energy in a field\n\nTo instill anything with potential energy, we have to do work by moving it over a distance. In the case of the bowling ball, the work comes from carrying it up 163 floors, against the field of gravity. Similarly, work must be done to push a positive charge against the arrows of an electric field (either towards another positive charge, or away from a negative charge). The further up the field the charge goes, the more work you have to do. Likewise, if you try to pull a negative charge away from a positive charge–against an electric field–you have to do work.\n\nFor any charge located in an electric field its electric potential energy depends on the type (positive or negative), amount of charge, and its position in the field. Electric potential energy is measured in units of joules (J).\n\nElectric Potential\n\nElectric potential builds upon electric potential energy to help define how much energy is stored in electric fields. It’s another concept which helps us model the behavior of electric fields. Electric potential is not the same thing as electric potential energy!\n\nAt any point in an electric field the electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy divided by the amount of charge at that point. It takes the charge quantity out of the equation and leaves us with an idea of how much potential energy specific areas of the electric field may provide. Electric potential comes in units of joules per coulomb (J/C), which we define as a volt (V).\n\nIn any electric field there are two points of electric potential that are of significant interest to us. There’s a point of high potential, where a positive charge would have the highest possible potential energy, and there’s a point of low potential, where a charge would have the lowest possible potential energy.\n\nOne of the most common terms we discuss in evaluating electricity is voltage. A voltage is the difference in potential between two points in an electric field. Voltage gives us an idea of just how much pushing force an electric field has.\n\nWith potential and potential energy under our belt we have all of the ingredients necessary to make current electricity. Let’s do it!\n\nElectricity in Action!\n\nAfter studying particle physics, field theory, and potential energy, we now know enough to make electricity flow. Let’s make a circuit!\n\nFirst we will review the ingredients we need to make electricity:\n\n  • The definition of electricity is the flow of charge. Usually our charges will be carried by free-flowing electrons.\n  • Negatively-charged electrons are loosely held to atoms of conductive materials. With a little push we can free electrons from atoms and get them to flow in a generally uniform direction.\n  • A closed circuit of conductive material provides a path for electrons to continuously flow.\n  • The charges are propelled by an electric field. We need a source of electric potential (voltage), which pushes electrons from a point of low potential energy to higher potential energy.\n\nA Short Circuit\n\nBatteries are common energy sources which convert chemical energy to electrical energy. They have two terminals, which connect to the rest of the circuit. On one terminal there are an excess of negative charges, while all of the positive charges coalesce on the other. This is an electric potential difference just waiting to act!\n\nBattery with charges\n\nIf we connected our wire full of conductive copper atoms to the battery, that electric field will influence the negatively-charged free electrons in the copper atoms. Simultaneously pushed by the negative terminal and pulled by the positive terminal, the electrons in the copper will move from atom to atom creating the flow of charge we know as electricity.\n\nBattery short circuit\n\nAfter a second of the current flow, the electrons have actually moved very little–fractions of a centimeter. However, the energy produced by the current flow is huge, especially since there’s nothing in this circuit to slow down the flow or consume the energy. Connecting a pure conductor directly across an energy source is a bad idea. Energy moves very quickly through the system and is transformed into heat in the wire, which may quickly turn into melting wire or fire.\n\nIlluminating a Light Bulb\n\nInstead of wasting all that energy, not to mention destroying the battery and wire, let’s build a circuit that does something useful! Generally an electric circuit will transfer electric energy into some other form–light, heat, motion, etc. If we connect a light bulb to the battery with wires in between, we have a simple, functional circuit.\n\nLightbulb animation\n\nSchematic: A battery (left) connecting to a lightbulb (right), the circuit is completed when the switch (top) closes. With the circuit closed, electrons can flow, pushed from the negative terminal of the battery through the lightbulb, to the positive terminal.\n\nWhile the electrons move at a snails pace, the electric field affects the entire circuit almost instantly (we’re talking speed of light fast). Electrons throughout the circuit, whether at the lowest potential, highest potential, or right next to the light bulb, are influenced by the electric field. When the switch closes and the electrons are subjected to the electric field, all electrons in the circuit start flowing at seemingly the same time. Those charges nearest the light bulb will take one step through the circuit and start transforming energy from electrical to light (or heat).\n\nGoing Further\n\nIn this tutorial we’ve uncovered just a tiny portion of the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There’s still a ton of concepts left uncovered. From here we’d recommend you step right on over to our Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm’s Law tutorial. Now that you know all about electric fields (voltage) and flowing electrons (current), you’re well on your way to understanding the law that governs their interaction.\n\nHere are some other beginner level concept tutorials we’d recommend reading through:\n\nOr, maybe you’d like to learn something practical? In that case, check out some of these basic level skill tutorials:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9624523520469666}
{"content": "Kirkus Reviews QR Code\n\n\nby D.S. Walker\n\nPub Date: Nov. 8th, 2010\nISBN: 978-1450260510\nPublisher: iUniverse\n\nA family copes with a daughter’s quirks in Walker’s fanciful, heartwarming tale of Asperger’s syndrome.\n\nLike any new parents, Ben Long, a successful Hawaiian pediatrician, and his wife Francesca have high hopes for their first child. Their baby Mia has high hopes for them, too: as a yet-to-be-born spirit in heaven, she noticed Francesca’s kindness and patience and picked her out as her future mom. Mia relies on Francesca’s nurturing qualities because she will be born with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild, often undiagnosed variant of autism. Her parents find her to be a bright, precocious, musical child, but also shy, socially awkward, frightened by new situations and beset with food phobias. What seems to others to be mere eccentricity and cussedness is to Mia a rational response to her unusual cognitive traits. Mia is abnormally sensitive to stimuli: loud voices and bright lights hurt her ears and eyes, new clothes feel like sandpaper, perfume smells like tear gas. While she shrinks from these sensory assaults, her literal-mindedness makes her prone to obsessive anxieties: a news story about tainted hamburger leads to an epic school lunch-room battle and a bird’s nest collected by her grandmother strikes her as a nightmarish tangle of filth and decay. The author sets Mia’s first-person narrative within a larger family story told from Francesca’s point of view as she grapples with Ben’s exasperation over Mia’s problems, tussles with her difficult Chinese-American mother-in-law and weathers the heartache of her parents’ deaths. Writing with a limpid prose style deftly infused with medical research, Walker does a remarkable job illuminating Mia’s offbeat perspective from within; she makes it more a personality than an affliction. The book’s advocacy impulses occasionally overheat, as when Francesca goes ballistic over an incident in which mean girls tease Mia at school. Still, through Mia’s story, Walker dispels much of the mystery of Asperger’s kids while revealing the richness and promise of their lives.\n\nA poignant and enlightening coming-of-age saga.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8645831346511841}
{"content": "Haven't found the Essay You Want?\nFor Only $12.90/page\n\nShould Wealthy Nations Be Required to Share Their Wealth with Poorer Nations by Providing Essay\n\nIn recent years, there is a controversial issue is that the rich countries should share their assets among the poorer countries or not. Most of the public agreed that it is a necessary activity to help the poor improve their lives. On the other hand, some tax payers resolutely keep their opinions when they supposed that the governments of poorer nations are liability to take care of their inhabitants by themselves. As a supporter of sharing with the poor, I think that we have many reasons to establish philanthropic organizations to support the wretch in other countries and territories.\n\nSeveral main reasons will be analyzed in this essay. Beginning with lack of natural resources, poor nations cannot take advantages of fertile soil to cultivate or minerals to exploit. Moreover, weak education causes many consequences, one of them is a large number of residents are illiterate so they cannot approach modern life by knowledge. Because of that, they always live with the shortage of food, clothes and other articles of daily necessities.\n\nThey do not have enough money and technology to improve the environment so it brings them to need the help of other countries for surviving. Besides, economic crises occur after several years, as a stage of the economic cycle. Given their capabilities and power, rich nations often recover more quickly than their poor counterparts.\n\nThis means that the poor is not only more prone to negative impacts of economic crises but also in more difficult circumstances. In these cases, if we do not join our hands to offer them financial assistance, then the gap between the rich and the poor is become wider, lead to the loss of economic balance. When the living standard has been improved, they can afford to quality good and the trade all over the world will be more prosperous. Last but not least, sharing wealth with the poor is a humanitarian activity, and anyone can do it.\n\nThis is the best lesson for children about the important of sharing in hard times. From that, the love of human races will be larger. However, the government of poorer countries should not only rely on others. They also have to improve their own situation by carrying out the reform in education, changing some unsound customs and opening to obtain the knowledge of the world. In conclusion, if the richer can give their wealth and the poorer can improve by themselves, we will soon have a thriving future.\n\nEssay Topics:\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8557893633842468}
{"content": "Motorola Solutions Transforms Body-Worn Cameras for TETRA Users\n\nBack in December the UK government decided on who and what will drive the new generation of emergency service communications. The ESN (Emergency Services Network) was the result of months of tendering and negotiations. So they decided that EE would manage the network and Motorola would provide the hardware. This article is about the first wave of communication devices that Motorola are planning to use with the ESN.\n\nNew innovative solution combines body-worn video camera, radio speaker and microphone with cloud-based data storage and management to create a complete digital evidence management system\n\nAt Critical Communications World 2016 (May 31 to June 2 in Amsterdam), Motorola Solutions announces a new combination of body-worn video camera, radio speaker and microphone, along with new, cloud-based, digital evidence management software, which is able to collaborate with TETRA digital two-way radios. The new “Smart Interface” (Si) Si500 Video Speaker Microphone (VSM) is reducing the number of devices that weigh down public safety officers in the field today, while CommandCentral Vault digital evidence management software is providing unparalleled efficiency that saves time and resources.\n\nPublic safety agencies today face an increasing demand to capture, store, properly manage and share video evidence. While use of body-worn cameras has widespread and growing acceptance with public safety agencies and the citizens they protect, the massive amounts of data cameras create needs to be managed and stored, oftentimes incurring significant costs. With its new solution, Motorola Solutions tackles all of these challenges and offers an end-to-end solution that can be used with existing TETRA radio equipment. Public safety agencies are provided with a seamless experience from video capture in the field to back office storage and content management that helps them simplify workflows and reduce administrative overheads.\n\n“In Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA), TETRA digital radio technology has become a standard for mission-critical communications,” said Steven Young, vice president TETRA devices at Motorola Solutions. “This is why we have developed a body-worn video solution that collaborates with TETRA radios. The Si500 is transforming digital evidence management by integrating our best microphone into a body-worn camera and combining it with a content management system that´s unmatched in its ease-of-use.”\n\nSight and Sound Simplified\n\nBoth body-worn camera and remote radio speaker microphone, the compact Si500 VSM is a unique interface that extends the mission-critical performance of Motorola Solutions TETRA digital two-way radios. The lightweight compact design includes innovative features to meet the needs of first responders:\n\n  • The Si500 VSM is equipped with a 210-degree range-of-motion camera lens that provides optimal field-of-view and flexible wearing positions. Users can wear the VSM with the display facing in or out.\n  • The Si500 VSM features a new adaptive audio engine that automatically adjusts audio settings based on the user’s wearing position and environment. With five integrated microphones and a loud 0.5-watt rated speaker, it provides the high audio quality of TETRA radios.\n\n    Integrated Wi-Fi dramatically improves the speed of uploading multi-media. It also makes over-the-air feature updates via Radio Management quickly and seamlessly over Wi-Fi.\n\n  • The Si500 VSM offers a full-screen tempered-glass display with an intuitive user interface that presents only vital information within three panels. Users have the ability to control radio channels and talkgroups, view recorded video and photos, tag videos and listen to audio recordings.\n\nDigital Evidence Management Revolutionized\n\nThe digital evidence management solution includes the cloud-based CommandCentral Vault software application to securely store, manage and share digital evidence. With an expansive base storage capacity and integration with computer aided dispatch and records management systems, CommandCentral Vault is designed to make digital evidence management easy and affordable. The digital evidence management software also:\n\n  • Ensures end-to-end security that reduces any challenge to chain of custody for agencies\n\n    Pairs with the Si500 VSM and can also operate stand alone and accept evidence gathered from any device\n\n  • Offers a highly streamlined ability to search, review, annotate and perform other evidence management, reducing administrative time and expense\n  • Provides an industry-leading auto-redaction feature to help public safety agencies remove identities of individuals in videos seamlessly. Instead of having to painstakingly invest the time to review and possibly edit each video frame, technicians will be able to automatically mark objects such as faces, addresses or license plates and let the new technology blur them out automatically throughout the video, saving hours of administrative time.\n  • Creates greater engagement and transparency with communities. The system enables agencies to improve evidence sharing and more easily respond to content requests.\n\nThis ‘Smart’ Earplug Can Be Your Language Translator In Real Time\n\nWe have all watched star trek or ‘Allo ‘Allo! (bare with us) and wondered how we can understand all the different languages. Well it is all down to the tardis! It translates the persons speech from their mouth to your ear so you can understand in perfect English. But now you don’t need to keep a Tardis about with you, as they have designed a earpiece that can translate different languages, just pop it into your ear and talk to some foreigners. You can find the original article here.\n\nHow many times did you give up on befriending a foreign national due to language problem? Even if you have befriended the person who doesn’t speak your language, it becomes difficult to converse with him or her. You always feel  the need to have a translator, whether it is a face-to-face conversation or a telephonic interaction.\n\nTechnology has the solution for any or every kind of problem in this world. It is advancing day-by-day so language barrier can no longer make you behave like an alien. Communicating with a foreign national in real time is no longer a pain as a company has come up with the Pilot earphones that let two people who speak different languages communicate smoothly with each other.\n\nSo there won’t be any awkward pause the next time you speak with your friend who doesn’t know your language. Also, there is no need to consult either a dictionary or search online the next time you want to talk to your French or Spanish friend.\n\nIn fact, Wavery Labs, a New York-based company that launched the wireless earphones, will add more languages as soon as possible. Currently the earphone translates only three languages – English, French and Spanish. The company will soon add Italian to its list.\n\nYou must be wondering about its functions. It works when you connect the earphones to two different people, speaking different languages and translates what they say in the ear.\n\nWaverly Labs calls it the first ‘smart earpiece’. But it hasn’t disclosed much detail about how it works. According to the company, the earphone uses “translation technology” embedded in an app. The Pilot will cost $129 (around Rs. 8,646) and will be available for pre-order on their website.\n\nPublic Safety Radio Network encounters Capacity Challenges during Brussels Bombings – See more at:\n\nThis article is from the well trusted website This story is about the Belgian tetra system, called ASTRID, running close to full capacity during one of the biggest disaster events that Belgium has seen. The system had a few stuttering moments, but with the unpredictable surge in traffic after the event, this is to be expected. To learn more read below and see what they are planning to do…..\n\nDuring last week bombings, ASTRID, the Belgian Public Safety TETRA network encountered a huge increase of traffic which resulted in a temporarily capacity problem.\n\nASTRID, the TETRA radio communications network in Belgium, used by the security forces, has not functioned as desired, after the attacks of last week Tuesday, several media announced. Also the GSM network was down and therefore in some cases WhatsApp had to be used by the security forces.\n\nCommissioner General Catherine De Bolle has requested an investigation. Several media mentioned that for many hours the system would not have worked. Therefore, the rescue operations of the police at the airport were much more difficult and more chaotic than it should be. Spokesman Peter Dewaele of the federal police admits that some things did not run as planned.\n\nAstrid responds\n\n“After analyzing the situation, Astrid requested all user organizations to sit around the table in order to examine the communication after the attacks of 22 March. Meanwhile, concrete action and specific recommendations were specified,”\n\nAccording to ASTRID, the exceptional nature of the emergency caused that some masts of the radio network could not be reached for a short period of time, because of the enormous increased traffic. Therefore communication was not possible, Astrid announced.\n\n“From across the country emergency and security services were asked to provide assistance, which led to an extraordinary radio traffic. On specific requests of many of these organizations Astrid registered hundreds of extra radios to the network. Also the failure commercial mobile phone networks has led to a significant increase in radio traffic.”\n\n“Not flat, or capacity”\n\nAstrid points out that the control rooms/emergency centers were particularly busy in Brussels and Flemish Brabant, but they continue to function properly. Also the alarm system for calling the volunteer fire brigade received extra traffic, but the system worked without any problem. Astrid also installed a mobile-transmission tower in order to strengthen the radio network in the Brussels area.\n\nOn a nationwide level, the radio network was still operational, but especially in the Brussels region there were severe capacity challenges,” Astrid notes. “Shortly after the attacks the nearby Astrid masts reached their maximum output, which resulted in difficult communication during some crucial hours. Some users had no access to their talk groups.”\n\n“On Friday March 25th we discussed the situation with the End User Advisory Committee. Concrete action points and recommendations for the use of the radio network and training were determined,” concludes Astrid.\n\nThe Effect of Earplugs in Preventing Hearing Loss From Recreational Noise Exposure (A Systematic Review)\n\nThis is an interesting review of a study of how effective ear plugs are in the workplace. We take for granted that people working in loud factories wear protective hearing, but many of the clubs, pubs, concerts and festivals that have as equal levels of sound. As they say below, it isn’t mandatory to wear ear plugs in such environments, which defies common sense and possibly causes more damage than we understand. Here you can find the original source of the review.\n\nA review of the literature turned up only two high quality studies that looked at whether wearing earplugs to music venues will prevent hearing loss and tinnitus directly afterward.\n\nDr. Wilko Grolman and colleagues at University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands searched for published studies containing the keywords “music” and “earplugs” and screened 228 resulting papers. All but four were not eligible for inclusion in the review and only two were highly relevant and did not have a high risk of bias, in the reviewers’ estimation.\n\nTwo studies simply examined people who chose on their own to wear or not wear earplugs, while two randomized controlled trials tested what happened when participants were assigned to wear earplugs or not.\n\nTwo studies reported on hearing loss and tinnitus while one only reported hearing loss.\n\nThe two best studies were different enough that the researchers couldn’t combine their data and analyze the results, the reviewers wrote. Both included 29 concert attendees and performed audiometry before and after the concerts. In one study, participants were allowed to choose whether or not they wore earplugs, and only three chose to wear them.\n\n“Frankly, with such a small comparator group between three subjects and the others, it would be hard to assess validity of plugs or not,” said Dr. Jennifer Derebery, president of the Los Angeles Society of Otolaryngology and lead author of the first study.\n\n“We had trained them all in proper insertion, and encouraged but not required wearing them,” Derebery told Reuters Health by email.\n\nIn the other study, 15 participants were assigned to the earplug group.\n\nIn general, wearing earplugs did reduce hearing loss directly after the concerts, but did not eliminate it completely, as reported online March 3 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.\n\n“Ear plugs are effective in preventing hearing loss when they are used both correctly and consistently,” said Colleen G. Le Prell, the Emilie and Phil Schepps Professor of Hearing Science at the University of Texas at Dallas, who was not involved in the review.\n\n“This systematic review highlights the very limited data on prevention of recreational music-induced hearing loss using earplugs,” Le Prell told Reuters Health by email.\n\n“At younger ages, loud toys, firecrackers, loud video games, personal stereos or personal music players, lawnmowers or leaf blowers, sporting events or air shows, or other non-music events might be more likely noisy activities than music venue attendance,” Le Prell said. “A significant number of youth are also involved in target shooting activities, which children can get involved with through Boy Scouts or other organizations.”\n\nFor teens and young adults, repeat exposures to amplified music at clubs, concerts, festivals, or other related events may damage the inner ear and result in hearing loss, she said.\n\n“Most concerts are both loud enough, and long enough, that they are likely to exceed the total daily exposure allowed by workplace safety regulations,” she said. “Sound exposure also commonly occurs via loud music delivered via personal listening devices, at sporting or other recreational events, and at jobs that involve lawn-mowing, use of power tools, or construction services.”\n\nFor workplace noise exposure, “we are not doing a very good job achieving correct and consistent use of hearing protection devices (HPD), including both ear plugs and ear muffs,” she said.\n\n“In the United States, it is relatively uncommon for music venues to provide ear plugs at no charge,” Le Prell said. Even if they were provided, people may need to be educated in why using them is important and in how to use them correctly, she said.\n\n“As a neurotologist, it really is upsetting to see these kids coming in younger and younger with a completely preventable hearing loss,” Derebery said.\n\nWhy Are Good Communication Skills Important?\n\nTake a second and look at Human beings, really look at us. We’re not as strong as elephants or rhinos, we’re not as tough as lions or tigers and we can neither swim like fish nor fly like birds. Yet, despite all this, there is still one inescapable fact: Human beings are the dominant species on the planet.\n\nThe short answer to your question lies implicitly within the above paragraph. With good communication skills, a group of disparate individuals can overcome a great many obstacles by working together. It is believed that our earliest ancestors were able to ward off predators by sticking together in large groups and thus presenting a formidable target (as opposed to, say, a buffet). We were also able to hunt prey much larger and stronger than ourselves (e.g. the woolly mammoth) by co-ordinating our efforts with good communication skills.\n\nSuch good communication skills are, not to put too fine a point on it, vitally important to the Human race as a whole. This excerpt from ‘Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution’ by Russian author Peter Kropotkin (1902), illustrates what we’re trying to say better than we ever could.\n\n“Man is the result of both his inherited instincts and his education. Among the miners and the seamen, their common occupations and their every-day contact with one another create a feeling of solidarity, while the surrounding dangers maintain courage and pluck”\n\nIn other words, their shared lifestyle is a form of communication, the result of learned social primers and a lifetime of experience. It is the secret ingredient to our success as a species.\n\nGood communication skills in the workplace operate along the same basic principles as they do outside the workplace. The goal is clarity, but equally, the speaker wishes to illustrate her point of view and encourage others to sympathize with it. This is why politicians pay their speechwriters as handsomely as they do.\n\nCommunication skills are also Vital to Human interaction. Humans are able to learn all sorts of things by listening for verbal cues that we are unconsciously primed to respond to. Information about a speaker’s age, class, race, gender and even occupation can be gleaned from the simple act of listening to a person. To quote Peter Trudgill’s book ‘Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society’ (1974),\n\n“Different social groups use different linguistic varieties, and as experienced members of a speech community we have learnt to classify speakers accordingly”, for those interested – this is known as ‘social-class dialects’.\n\nYou might ask how this affects you. Well, consider this; if you are applying for a typically upper or middle class job (say, office manager as an example) and you speak with a traditionally working-class accent, vocabulary and demeanour during your interview, you are actually less likely to get the job than the applicant who uses received pronunciation and does not use colloquialisms or slang terms. You might be more qualified on paper, but the interviewer will likely say something about you not being “the right fit” for the position. This is because he has been primed to expect a certain type for a certain role. Therefore, good communications skills, in this instance at least, would hinge on your ability to appeal to listeners by meeting their expectations.\n\nOf course, we now know that such distinctions are unfair. Combating expectations of class, race, gender and sexual stereotyping led to the rise of ‘political correctness’, a much-maligned (and often justly so) and yet consistently misunderstood phenomenon.\n\nFor a more extreme example, imagine giving an obscenity-laced PowerPoint presentation at your next meeting. Once you stop laughing, consider the implications even if everything in the presentation was 100% accurate, (groundbreaking, even) you’d still be fired, wouldn’t you? Swearing is, of course, a lower-class way of communicating.\n\nYou need to find the correct words for the correct situation, but evidently, there has been a great deal of discussion as to what are the correct words.\n\nIf you want to know more, the poem ‘The Six O’Clock News’ (1976) by Scottish poet Tom Leonard is a good place to start. In the UK, we study it as part of GCSE English (or at least we did when this writer was at school), and the poem neatly highlights the social and class-based distinctions that typified (and still do to some extent) ‘normal’ speech and any important announcements..\n\nSo, in conclusion, communication skills are important because without them, nobody would be able to understand YOU.\n\nWill 2 Way Radios of Different Brands Communicate\n\nOne question that is frequently asked by people interested in buying two way radios is that can you mix brands of two way radios. To answer this question properly, it is imperative to understand first how the devices work. It should be known that whether you have a small business or a large warehousing facility, UHF band radios never communicate with the VHF band radios. Therefore, if you are looking to buy a radio, make sure to buy additional units of the device of similar bands. In this way be it a UHF band radio or a VHF band radio, if set to the same frequency can work with all brands. However, some considerations have to be put in its place beforehand.\n\n\nTwo way radios imply that it can both send as well as receive radio messages. They are transceivers that are battery powered. The radios operate on a half-duplex channel system. This system implies that the radio will be able to transmit a signal on a single channel that can be received on many devices at the same time. Normally these radios are designed to transmit short-range signals. Almost all of the two way radios function on the same principle. They all include a microphone, an antenna, a speaker, and the Push to talk Button. These radios are designed to function on different frequencies.\n\nFrequency types\n\nThe general public use frequencies are the Family radio service frequency or the FRS and the general Mobile radio Service frequency or GMRS. Both these frequencies work on a 460 MHz rage. The UHF frequency or the ultra-high frequency is ideal for the two way radios as they can easily penetrate the interference in the form of building and trees. The two way radio with a long UHF antenna will push through the concrete and will do your work efficiently. On the other hand, VHF antennas on the radios are much longer than the ones in the UHF radios. These are ideal to use in the outdoors as they usually can transmit signals over very large distances.\n\nTypes of radios\n\nThere are normally two types of radios, that are used in businesses and that are used in consumer situations. The consumer radios normally work on the FRS or the GMRS frequencies. Regardless of the number of channels in the radio, the two way radios can be mixed with other brand radios. Only the radios have to be set to the same privacy code, the channel number, and the same frequency. Alternatively, there are several different types of frequency in the business two way radios category. The radios use the UHF, VHF and the 800/900 MHz type frequency. Just by choosing, the radio with the same frequency may not be compatible with the radios of other brands bought beforehand. While buying the radio, the dealer may have programmed a special customized frequency into the radio beforehand. In order for the business, two way radios to work efficiently with the radios of different brands it is essential to completely figure the type of band that the radio uses, the pre-set frequency on the radio from the dealer.\n\nSepura Releases New SC20 Portable Radios\n\nSepura are masters of the tetra market, they have produced radios for many years for the emergency services. police and airport security, a forward runner for the digital systems we now see all around the UK. The SC20 is the new generation of Sepura radios ready for the modern day work force. We found this article on this website and thought that our readers would find it useful.\n\nFirst orders of Sepura’s new flagship hand-portable radios, the SC20 series, will be shipped in February.\n\nShaped by user feedback, SC20 series hand-portable radios are resilient, intelligent and durable, providing intuitive operation and outstanding performance, even in the toughest conditions.\n\nBroadband-ready, the SC2020 (380MHz-430MHz) and the SC2040 (403MHz-470MHz) combine the mission-critical security and advanced performance of TETRA with an optional second high-speed data bearer capability.\n\nA new, powerful Class 3 TETRA engine is paired with a new receiver that surpasses the ETSI specification, a unique combination, extending operational range and stretching coverage into areas where it was not possible before.\n\nThe radios’ powerful 2W audio capability, enhanced by unique water-porting technology, allows for uncompromised audio clarity, even in continuous heavy rain. Uniquely, the SC20 series boasts IP66, 67 and 68 environmental protection rating, meaning that it is completely dustproof, submersible to a depth of two metres for one hour and impervious to jets of water. Its design also enables it to be easily cleaned by simply rinsing dust and dirt off under the tap.\n\nAdditionally, the radios’ high-resolution screen, the largest on the market today, is specifically designed to provide a richer user experience. The larger screen enables the display of more comprehensive data, suitable for future applications via high-speed data; it is also viewable in all light conditions, including direct sunlight.\n\n“The SC20 has been designed to deliver the highest levels of robustness, endurance, audio clarity and power. It is designed to place and receive calls where it simply was not possible before,” commented Mark Barnby, Sepura’s head of product management – devices.\n\n“This is the first product on our brand new technology platform. It is designed to meet the needs of mission-critical users today, whilst allowing high-speed data to be added in the future.”\n\nSteve Barber, VP group strategy for Sepura, commented: “The SC20 confirms our vision for the future and demonstrates our ability to adapt to the fast-moving markets in which we operate.\n\n“We continue to provide our global customer base with products that address their ever-evolving communication needs and the operational challenges they face every day. The SC20 provides undisputable proof that Sepura is going further in critical communications.”\n\nThe Best Styles of Bluetooth Earpieces\n\nBluetooth technology has been designed for many different purposes and situations. Consequently, when people want to buy a bluetooth ear piece for a specific situation, there are some things that they will need to consider. Specifically, based on their specific situation and circumstances, they will need to review the best style of bluetooth earpiece that is available on the market today. Since there are different styles that have been made for for one or more reasons, it’s important for each individual to do their research to see which style can accommodate their needs. It is also important to note that the kind the person purchases must be comfortable so that they can wear them for an extended period of time and they fit the devices that they will be used for. Listed below are three of the bluetooth styles that’s currently offered by manufactures all over the United States and abroad.\n\nBluetooth ear pieces for Mobile Phones\n\nMost people take their mobile phones wherever they go. To work, school, church, parties and all kinds of other events that they may attend. Because these phones have become commonplace in many environments, people have a need to handle them and talk to others when their hands are free. This is also a great reason for individuals who work in certain settings to make sure that they are buying the right style that will best fit their needs.\n\nOne specific style that some people may choose is the ear cradle style of headphone. In fact, this kind of bluetooth earpiece is idea for people who want to spend their time working out and performing all kinds of other extracurricular activities. People are also encouraged to buy this kind of style because they may be driving when they receive a telephone call from a family member. Or, they may be working at the job typing a memo or walking around taking care of wide hosts of other kinds of activities that are not conducive to holding a mobile phone by hand to the ear. Whatever the situation, this style of bluetooth earpiece technology is great for many different situations and purposes.\n\nBluetooth ear pieces and Headsets for Music Lovers\n\nIn addition to the cradle style for mobile phones, people should also review other styles as well. One specific style that is also functional in many different settings is the DJ over the head headphones. This style has been designed for the serious music lovers, especially those who can appreciate making distinctions in sounds and beats that come from specific musical instruments like the bass, violin, trumpet and other popular instruments. For those who like and prefer this kind, they will also find that this is one of the best styles for keeping out outside noises that normally interfere with a person’s overall entertainment experience. Also, because they are wireless, they are great for people who like to stay mobile during the day instead of remaining in a sedentary position.\n\nBluetooth Ear Pieces for IPODs\n\nIn some situations, people may want to use bluetooth technology with their IPODs. Therefore, they should consider buying an additional popular style bluetooth earpiece technology. This style is known to be very popular, specifically because it is similar to an actual earbud. An ear bud is also another excellent choice for people who want to remain both active and hassle free. Though this is a great choice for people who like to remain mobile in a wide variety of different situations, one of its main draw backs is that they tend to fall out of the individuals ear. Which means, they can also be lost since it lacks additional support to keep them stabilized inside the ear.\n\nETRI presents a blueprint of the 5G Future\n\nWe will see a huge change in the way we access the the internet in the future when 5G is here, at speeds that only big businesses and high level internet companies see at the moment, we will have this to hand on our smart phones and tablets. When 5G is hundreds of times faster than any of the UK’s broadbands, households will be looking to the mobile phone companies to supply their home broadband.\n\nA 5G future is no longer a distant one, but an upcoming reality. High quality videos of more than 10Mbps can be served simultaneously to 100 users even in a train running at up to 500km/h. People can experience data rates that are 100 times faster than currently available technologies.\n\nThe Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) of Korea will hold a “5G technology demonstration” on the 18th December, 2015. It will demonstrate future SNS (social network service) and several 5G core technologies such as “millimeter wave”, “Mobile Hot-spot Network”, “in-band full duplex” and so on.\n\n5G is the next generation wireless technology that would provide even faster data rates, even lower delays, and even more devices connected than 4G. Accordingly, distinct and differentiated applications are expected in 5G.\n\nETRI’s “future SNS” is a kind of trial service model to apply 5G technologies that provides dynamic user-centric connection to neighboring people, things and spaces. It is characterized by instant content-sharing between users, communication with neighboring things, and Giga-bps(Gbps)-grade video applications in vehicles.\n\n5G core technologies demonstrated by ETRI include the following:\n\n— MHN (Mobile Hot-spot Network) is a mobile backhaul technology that provides high-speed Internet access of Gbps in vehicles at speeds of up to 500 km/h (e.g. KTX in Korea). Almost 100 passengers can watch videos of high quality simultaneously.\n\n— ZING is a near-field communication technology that enables mass data to be transmitted with 3.5 Gbps data rate between neighboring devices within the radius of 10cm.\n\n— Single-RF-Chain compact MIMO technology enables a single antenna to simulate the effect of multiple antenna. It can reduce antenna volume and cancel inter-antenna interference in a multi-antenna system.\n\n— Millimeter wave (mmWave) beam switching technology provides fast switching of radio beams to mobile users, and therefore allows seamless Gbps-grade service in mobile environments.\n\n— Mobile Edge Platform (MEP) is a mobile edge cloud server on vehicles that enables passengers to enjoy customized Gbps-grade content and connects them with neighbors, things and spaces. It provides user-centric services.\n\n— In-band Full Duplex technology can transmit and receive signals simultaneously over the same frequency band. It can increase spectral efficiency by up to two times.\n\n— Small cell SW technology is designed for AP(Access Point)-sized small cell base stations that can reduce communication dead zones and improve data rates per user in a hot-spot area.\n\n“With this demonstration event, we are officially introducing our R&D results on 5G. We will continue to lead the development of 5G technologies. Also, we are trying to develop commercialization technologies needed by businesses, and to construct a 5G ecosystem.” said Dr. Hyun Kyu Chung, vice president of ETRI Communication & Internet Lab.\n\nIn January, 2016, ETRI will demonstrate Giga internet service and future SNS in a Seoul subway train installed with MHN and ZING kiosks. ETRI will also introduce hand-over technology on a millimeter wave mobile communication system and 5G radio access technology that satisfies 1 millisecond radio latency.\n\nAbout ETRI\n\nEstablished in 1976, ETRI is a non-profit Korean government-funded research organization that has been at the forefront of technological excellence for about 40 years. In the 1980s, ETRI developed TDX (Time Division Exchange) and 4M DRAM. In the 1990s, ETRI commercialized CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) for the first time in the world. In the 2000s, ETRI developed Terrestrial DMB, WiBro, and LTE-A, which became the foundation of mobile communications.\n\nRecently, as a global ICT leader, ETRI has been advancing communication and convergence by developing Ship Area Network technology, Genie Talk (world class portable automatic interpretation; Korean-English/Japanese/Chinese), and automated valet parking technology. As of 2015, ETRI has about 2,000 employees where about 1,800 of them are researchers.\n\nLenovo to phase out the Motorola brand name\n\nThe Motorola brand, which has been a fixture in the technology world for 85 years, is about to be phased out by its parent company Lenovo.\n\nThe US-born company was bought from Google by the Chinese giant in 2014, with the company continuing the lineage of Motorola handsets.\n\nHowever, the days of the Motorola name appearing on phones and in marketing materials will come to an end this year.\n\nMotorola Chief Operating Officer Rick Osterloh told CNET: “We’ll slowly phase out Motorola and focus on Moto.”\n\nThe company plans to simply use ‘Moto’ and the familiar batwing logo for high end devices, while all other handsets will feature the Lenovo Vibe branding. Even the top devices like the Moto X will feature the blue Lenovo logo rather than the Motorola name.\n\nThe rather complex blending of the two brands will involve Moto devices being introduced to Lenovo stronghold territories and marketed it as premium devices.\n\nThe budget Vibe devices will also be introduced to western markets to complement the high-end Motorola devices according to the report.\n\nIf this wasn’t confusing enough, the Motorola company is being retained from an organisational perspective and that division will now oversee all of Lenovo’s smartphones activity.\n\nMotorola is credited with inventing the first mobile phone with the DynaTAC released in 1984. Likewise, the company’s importance to the development of consumer technology in other sectors cannot be overstated.\n\nIn 1930 it released one of the first commercially successful car radios and in the 50s had a major role in the foundation of cable television systems. In 1969 a Motorola radio transmitted the first words from the Moon to Earth and in 1990 it launched the world’s first digital HD television.\n\nAdios, Motorola.\n\nWhilst the Motorola Brand name is strong in the mobile phone and two way radio industry it is an important institute in the communications field that should be preserved, as this article says it was there at the start of telecommunications and has been around for longer than most of us can remember, it would be a shame if it was pulled apart by Lonovo.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5572710037231445}
{"content": "log in\n\n  • Published in Opinion\n\nAfter Russell Brand’s attack on the political system, Elizabeth Humphrys and Tad Tietze of the Australian blog Left Flank offer some thoughts on 'anti-politics'\n\nRussell Brand at Anonymous protest. Photo by @sparkers7\n\n'At a certain point in their historical lives, social classes become detached from their traditional parties. In other words, the traditional parties in that particular organisational form, with the particular men who constitute, represent, and lead them, are no longer recognised by their class (or fraction of a class) as its expression.'\n\n—Gramsci (1971), Selections From The Prison Notebooks, p. 210\n\n'If the ruling class has lost its consensus, i.e. is no longer “leading” but only “dominant”, exercising coercive force alone, this means precisely that the great masses have become detached from their traditional ideologies, and no longer believe what they used to believe previously, etc. The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.'\n\nibid, pp. 275-6\n\nIn this post we will try to clarify what we mean by “anti-politics”, and how this fits in a wider analysis of the crisis of politics that Left Flank has been developing since we started. Our analysis has moved on somewhat from pieces like this one in 2010, and we think it is worth acknowledging shifts in our analysis. Various responses to Russell Brand’s attack on the political system, and discussion here and on social media, have encouraged us to try to put our thoughts about “anti-politics” in one place. We apologise in advance for the abbreviated and schematic nature of what follows.\n\nThe starting point for understanding why Brand’s intervention struck such a chord is the crisis of representation that leads most people to see politics as completely detached from their lives. Crucially, this detachment is not caused by the political class being less “representative” of their social base than in some previous era; rather, its lack of a social base makes the political class’ actual role in representing the interests of the state within civil society more apparent.\n\nDespite purporting to represent the “general interest” of society, the state has interests separate from and opposed to those of the civil society on which it is founded, relying on a mixture of coercion and consent to maintain its rule. In Gramsci’s terminology the state and political society “enwrap” civil society, reshaping and incorporating resistance from below (this conception of “an integral state” provides the theoretical basis of Liz’s PhD research).\n\nUnder capitalism the ruling class doesn’t directly govern; there is an apparent separation between economics (relations of production / class exploitation) and politics (organised around the state, with its political class, and resting on apparent equality of citizens reflecting equality of exchange in the market). This creates the appearance of representation, one that masks the underlying social relations of domination. It is this appearance that is now breaking down.\n\nIt follows from this that parties representing subaltern (exploited/oppressed) social groups are always contradictory phenomena. They both articulate subaltern groups’ interests in relation to the state and incorporate them into reproducing the system. One way to think about it is of politics as a “container” in which social movements are limited from above, but which also provides a structure into which resistance can be channeled from below.\n\nThe hollowing out of such political structures provides the social basis for the greater prominence of anti-politics. We won’t repeat Left Flank’s analysis of the period after the end of the post-WWII boom, except to note that the attempts by political elites to resolve the crisis of the 1970s via a “neoliberal” political project failed to provide a sustained resolution of those problems. In Australia this was especially acute because the central national political arrangement around Laborism reached its peak of influence in the Accord, which drove through the neoliberal project and thereby signed its own suicide note. The result has been the exhaustion of the old politics, but without a stable and confident new arrangement able to be implemented. This has happened across a wide range of advanced capitalist countries (hence Brand’s anti-politics can have resonance internationally), although local manifestations vary.\n\nSo what is this anti-politics? We think three things, which are interrelated:\n\n  1. A widespread mood among ordinary people related to Gramsci’s description of “detachment”. This can manifest in spontaneous popular outbursts or be reflected in volatile electoral results, but tends to peter out if not given some kind of direction. To put Brand’s intervention into context, all he has really done is state this obvious fact, to point to the elephant in the room, that the political elite would rather have hidden behind claims it is “representative”.\n  2. A political strategy by sections (or aspiring sections) of the political class, drawing on this mood for support. There are lots of variants on this, not confined to Left or Right: Bob Brown, Kevin Rudd, and Clive Palmer have all appealed to anti-politics in Australia, while UKIP, Beppe Grillo, and the people who led the early phases of the 15M (Indignados) movement across the Spanish state are overseas examples. In each case the limited nature of their anti-politics (few actually want to destroy politics altogether) means that these represent limited challenges to the existing order and often fall back into being “just like the other politicians” or collapse into moralistic opposition to the status quo.\n  3. A consistent strategy of social revolution, which seeks to concretely intervene on the effective terrain in order to build a movement that overcomes politics by overcoming the state. This is “communism” as the end of politics (as Engels put it, when “the government of persons is replaced by the administration of things”), a real movement that is a simultaneously theoretical and practical critique of politics, not simply replicating the inner logic of capitalist politics for different ends.\n\nCritical responses to Brand’s anti-politics have come from across the political spectrum. Some are little more than snide attempts to dismiss the substance of what he has argued, for example claiming that his privilege and fame disqualify him from speaking for the disenfranchised majority (because, presumably, privilege and fame only qualify you to defend the political system). Others claim that Brand’s criticisms of politics is tantamount to an attack on democracy and licenses a descent into mob rule, or even places him on the slippery slope to fascism.\n\nA more serious argument from within the broader Left has been to acknowledge the failings of the political system, but to argue that the problem is that there are not enough people like Russell Brand on the inside, working to transform it. Yet if politics was somehow healthier three decades ago when large swathes of the sixties generation of radicals entered it to change things and we ended up with what is happening now, it seems at best naïve to encourage today’s anti-capitalists inside the tent as if this will produce a better result.\n\nBut it is among some on the Marxist Left that the most troubling response has emerged. On the one hand this response welcomes Brand’s attack on “conventional” or “official” politics. But on the other it suggests that what is needed is to build a different, “unconventional”, “radical” or even “revolutionary” politics instead. In August, Tad wrote of such radical Left responses to the hollowing out of politics:\n\nThe result is a tendency to see the Left’s prospects as dismal, because the official Left’s decay is seen as proof of the limited possibilities for a more radical politics. And the crisis of official politics is therefore seen — paradoxically — as a negative rather than an opportunity.\n\nOthers describe the current context as “depoliticisation”. We don’t think this is helpful. To understand why it is problematic, let’s ask what “repoliticisation” would mean. Clearly something more than simply “people getting involved” is implied. What we have lost is in fact the mystified appearance that actually existing politics was “representative”, predicated on the hollowing out of the institutional structures that supported such an illusion. Is this really what we want to revive?\n\nThe demands that issue from such a view involve a kind of nostalgia for political institutions from a previous era — “we need strong unions”, “we need a rank-and-file movement”, “the ALP Left should fight for better policies”, “we need a strong parliamentary Left”, “we need more grassroots control of Labor and the Greens”, etc. The contradictory nature of these political forms — their historic role in constraining the social interests of subaltern groups — is downplayed in favour of wishing for their return. Such arguments are particularly odd in Australia, where the highpoint of the union movement’s institutional influence was during the Accord process that delivered full-blown neoliberalism to the working class. So while neoliberalism did undermine the strength of unions in Australia, as Liz has argued, and this represented a significant political defeat for the working class, it was achieved through a consensual project that the unions helped run. This points to the impasse of the institutional Left, as much as any victory by the Right.\n\nIf we assume that rebuilding historic “representative” institutions is a precondition for social revolution we are likely to find instead that we cannot return to a moment in time when the creation of such institutions was still possible. Worse, we will overestimate the strength of the political class and miss the opportunities their crisis creates.\n\nThe point is not that the crisis of politics means that capitalism is about to spontaneously enter some kind of “death agony”. A political crisis is not the same as a social crisis. But unless we start with a critique of the nature of politics, a concrete analysis of the effective terrain we find ourselves on, then we will not be intervening in what is actually happening, but what we wish it to be. Where the rising tide of anti-politics ends up will depend on whether and how revolutionaries intervene, and that depends on being clear on what is actually going on, or else we will simply cede the initiative to other forces, of the sort described in point 2, above.\n\nA social revolutionary approach doesn’t eliminate the need for strategy and tactics, alliances and compromises. But these will need to be in the service of ending politics, not reconstructing it. The alternative, it seems to us, is fighting to the death to save relics of the past while the machinery of capitalism goes on unperturbed.\n\nFrom Left Flank\n\n\nLog in or create an account", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5666877031326294}
{"content": "| Connect Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook\nAbout | Subscribe | Advertise\n\n\nNews, articles, video, resources and interactive content serving readers in Asia, Oceania and Russia\n\n\nDaily Quiz (225)\n\nTrue or false: SSPC has a performance standard for polymeric materials used to protect the interiors of concrete potable water storage tanks.\n\nWhich of the following is an oxygenated solvent?\n\nTrue or false: The healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente recently mandated that wall and ceiling coatings in its facilities must contain antimicrobial additives.\n\nWhat do MPCAC and PLURAL have in common?\n\nWhat organization offers the training, “Exterior Envelope—Doing It Right”?\n\nTrue or false: ASTM D4417 describes three methods for measuring surface profile of blast-cleaned steel using either a digital profile gage or a surface profile comparator or a portable stylus instrument.\n\nTrue or false: When a specification requires that a concrete surface be dry before painting, the word “dry” could be interpreted to mean visibly dry, dry to touch, dry when using moisture meters on the surface, or dry by instrumentation or test methods that examine moisture in the substrate below the paint.\n\nWhat organization produces rubber replica templates to judge the degree of surface profile on concrete?\n\nTrue or false: According to a recent D+D In Depth article, hygienic paint coatings with controlled release nano-silver ions have the most effective antimicrobial property for long-lasting hygiene protection.\n\nIn a study of shop-applied topcoats reported in JPCL, which generic type achieved a hardened film that resisted handling damage at lower temperatures (50°F) and higher humidity (75 percent RH) in the shortest amount of time?\n\nWho said, “There are three keys to preserving wood: (1) keep wood dry, (2) keep wood from getting wet and (3) keep water away from wood”?\n\nWhat organization has a standard measuring the functional durability of spray-applied, fire-resistive coatings?\n\nTrue or false: NACE and SSPC are the only organizations that certify coating inspectors.\n\nWhat performance property of epoxy resins makes them useful as wood repair products?\n\nWhich of the following formulating or application strategies can increase the hiding of a coating?\n\nTrue or false: Photographic standards are sometimes used to assess the degree of cracking of exterior coatings.\n\nTrue or false: Products for exterior wood are sometimes formulated with high pigment concentrations to provide hiding power and to help seal the exposed wood microstructure.\n\nWhat is the name of the coatings exposure testing device that intensifies outdoor UV exposure by a factor of 10 to 12 and simulates South Florida nighttime exposure?\n\nTrue or false: According to a recent JPCL article, the threshold values in ASTM standards for deeming concrete suitable to be coated are neither achievable nor realistic for below-grade structures.\n\nTrue or false: The American Coatings Association issues the Green Mark Certification for environmentally friendly paints.\n\nWhat organization has validated a Wall Coating Applicator Training Program?\n\nTrue or false: No more than 30 percent of SSPC technical committee members may represent a single stakeholder interest category (e.g, contractors, coating manufacturers, consultants, equipment manufacturers).\n\nWhat is the acronym for gypsum-based or cementitious fire-resistant materials?\n\nWhich of the following is not a strength of anodizing aluminum substrates?\n\nPVDF is an essential component of what generic coating type?\n\nTrue or false: Thermoplastic is another name for thermoset resins.\n\nTrue or false: Fire-resistive, intumescent coatings sometimes have epoxy and sometimes acrylic resin systems.\n\nTrue or false: Atlas Test Cells are sometimes used to test the performance of immersion linings.\n\nTrue or false: Flake-filled epoxy novolacs have been used to protect metal in flue gas desulfurization units.\n\nTrue or false: Negative-side waterproofing applied to dry interior surfaces has to have some water-vapor permeability.\n\nTrue or False: ASTM D3359, “Standard Test Method for Measuring Adhesion by Tape Test,” measures the tensile adhesion of a coating.\n\nHow is profile measured in ASTM D4417?\n\nTrue or false: Abrasive used for abrasive blast cleaning to remove rust and mill scale should have a Mohs hardness of 1.\n\nWhat organization is developing the Guide for Detection of Moisture in Walls and Ceilings?\n\nTrue or false: Vinyl ester floor coatings are ineffective at resisting harsh chemical exposures.\n\nTrue or false: The Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) was created by ISO.\n\nTrue or false: Red iron oxide pigment is stable at temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit.\n\nWhat name is sometimes given to a faux version of marble?\n\nWhat makes crushed glass a “green” abrasive, according to the JPCL article, “What is a Green Abrasive?”\n\nTrue or false: Spraying of in-place pipeline interiors with lining materials can be commercially completed by robotic systems on both straight runs and 45- and 90-degree radius bends.\n\nWhat elastomeric coating type is listed as acceptable by the International Code Council (ICC) for application over spray polyurethane foam roofing?\n\nWhat organization claims to offer “the world's leading environmental assessment method to assess new, existing buildings and community scale development”?\n\nTrue or false: Germany has a painting contractor certification program modeled after the one overseen by SSPC in the U.S.\n\nWhich of the following pigment types are sometimes used as extenders?\n\nWith specific values required in several energy codes, reflectance is an important performance property of a cool roof coating. What is another?\n\nWhat organization jointly publishes a QP (Qualification Procedure) standard with SSPC?\n\nWhat organization is developing the “Guide for Fluid Applied Air Barrier Coatings for Concrete Masonry Units”?\n\nHow many days does it take to simulate three years of outdoor aging of reflective roof coatings using the laboratory testing protocol developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory?\n\nTrue or false: Prior to being used for measurements, all thermometers should be exposed to the environment they will be used in for sufficient time to allow them to stabilize, according to a recent JPCL article.\n\nWhat organization produces standards for the surface preparation of concrete?\n\nWhere does a cohesive coating failure occur?\n\nWhat name is sometimes given to a coating system comprised of galvanizing together with an organic coating?\n\nTrue or false: Additives based on hydrated lime are sometimes used to create anti-bacterial coatings.\n\nTrue or false: It is possible to write performance-based specifications for surface preparation prior to painting.\n\nTrue or false: All of the SSPC mechanical surface preparation standards require solvent cleaning to SSPC-SP 1 prior to performing any additional cleaning required by the project specification.\n\nWhat is the coating term used to describe the action of flake metallic pigments, such as aluminum, and certain other pigments aligning with or floating near or at the coating surface when mixed with a suitable vehicle?\n\nTrue or false: Waterborne acrylic primers for steel cannot be formulated with inhibitive pigments.\n\nWhat organization has a certification program for installing spray polyurethane foam on roofs?\n\nIn a centrifugal wheel blast machine, what is another name for “operating mix?\"\n\nTrue or false: Fire-resistive and fire-retardant paints perform the same function.\n\nTrue or false: According to a JPCL article, one year is a good starting interval between calibrations of a magnetic dry film thickness gage.\n\nTrue or false: A recent Naval Research Laboratory study determined that coating performance is not adversely affected by chloride contamination.\n\nTrue or false: SSPC is developing a quantitative coatings texture guide as an aid in specifying flooring systems that will improve traction on floors expected to be wet or covered with contaminants.\n\nTrue or false: Methyl methacrylate membranes have been used as water and root barriers beneath roof gardens.\n\nOne mil of coating thickness equals approximately how many microns?\n\nA test that requires rubbing a clean black fabric across a painted surface evaluates what attribute of the paint?\n\nWhat association is focused on thick-film high performance elastomer technologies?\n\nTrue or false: Air abrasive blast workers are regularly exposed to noise in excess of 120 dBA.\n\nTrue or false: Acrylic coatings are effective as reflective roof coatings, but not as air barriers.\n\nTrue or false: SSPC certifies contractors that apply polymeric coatings and surfacings to concrete and other cementitious substrates.\n\nTrue or false: SSPC-SP 10 is the most rigorous degree of cleaning steel by abrasive blasting.\n\nTrue or false: In coating work, a jeep test is a quantitative fit test for a respirator.\n\nTrue or False: The International Standards Organization published the International Green Construction Code in 2012.\n\nTrue or false: In creating the best appearance on a concrete polished floor, it is more important to achieve a higher specular gloss value than it is to achieve a high distinctness of image value.\n\nTrue or false: Cathodic protection of steel pipe is sometimes achieved with anodizing.\n\nTrue or false: The words “hardening” and “curing” of coatings have the same meaning, according to a recent JPCL article.\n\nSulfate-reducing bacteria that cause corrosion of steel and concrete are likely to be found in what media?\n\nWhich of the following terms is another name for wet abrasive blasting?\n\nTrue or false: The installed cost of thick-film resinous coating systems, such as high-build epoxies and polyureas, on concrete floors ranges from $3.50 to $7.00 per square foot, according to a recent D+D In Depth article.\n\nOpacity observations of air pollution emissions are sometimes reported using what rating system?\n\nWhat is the name of a rectangular metal tool used to deposit a specified thickness of wet coating on a test panel or other substrate?\n\nIf a mural fools the eye, what is the name of the technique used to create it?\n\nTrue or false: ICRI recommends a profile of 10 mils to 1/4 inch in its surface preparation requirements for polymer overlays on concrete.\n\nTrue or false: Aggressive application of dehumidification to dry a concrete floor slab should begin within the first 10 days after placement.\n\nWhich of the following coating adhesion tests is the least quantitative?\n\n\n\nTrue or false: In air abrasive blasting operations, the same particle size mix of silica sand and coal slag yield the same profile ranges on steel.\n\nTrue or false: Polyaspartic coatings cure more quickly than polyureas.\n\nTrue or false: Among the performance properties of polyureas, according to a JPCL article by Mike O’Donoghue and Vijay Datta, tolerance of low-temperature application is the weakest.\n\nTrue or false: Waterborne coatings require special spray guns when applied by electrostatic spray.\n\nIn concrete polishing work, an appearance defined as a Level 4 sheen and a cream aggregate exposure is the most expensive to produce.\n\nTrue or false: Bugholes can be caused by oil and grease on the surface being coated.\n\nIn addition to trisodium phosphate, used for cleaning in painting operations, what other material has the acronym TSP?\n\nWhat coating material would be least likely to be specified for high heat applications?\n\nTrue or false: It is better to use a pull stub than a dolly on pull-off adhesion testing.\n\nCutter bundles are used on what devices?\n\nWhich process aims to depict a building at a particular time in its history by preserving materials from the period of significance and removing materials from other periods?\n\nWhat is the content of the non-mandatory appendix of SSPC-SP 1, Solvent Cleaning, added during the 2015 revision of the standard?\n\nMeters for determining moisture content of concrete slabs are based on what principle of operation?\n\nTrue or false? Inorganic zinc pre-construction primers for shipbuilding normally have more zinc content than inorganic zinc primers applied after fabrication.\n\nTrue or false: A Tooke gauge can sometimes be used to measure the thickness of individual coats of paint within a multicoat system.\n\nTrue or false: Seismic retrofits of bridge piers can be carried out with Bresle patch fabric.\n\nTrue or false: Written descriptions of end conditions of steel after blast cleaning take precedence over visual photos in judging conformance with SSPC blast cleaning standards.\n\nTrue or false: Some organic zinc-rich coatings have silicate binders.\n\nWhat organization will present the 2016 Symposium on Building Envelope Technology?\n\nMicaceous iron oxide provides what type of anti-corrosion protection to coatings?\n\nAccording to the Coatings Encyclopedic Dictionary (originally published by the FSCT, now part of the American Coatings Association), \"Venetian mosaic\" is a synonym for what?\n\nWhich one of the following coating types is the least commonly used as an air barrier?\n\nA mandrel is used to test what coating characteristic?\n\nTrue or false: Color and gloss retention is one of the main strengths of anodizing on aluminum.\n\nTrue or false: Inorganic zinc-rich coatings are very resistant to solvents and oils.\n\nTrue or false: Aliphatic polyurea coatings provide UV stability for their elastomeric properties but not for color and gloss retention.\n\nTrue or false: Crystalline waterproofing materials can be used only after concrete cures.\n\nTrue or false: Methyl methacrylate (MMA) resinous flooring systems should not be applied at temperatures below 40 degrees F.\n\n\nTrue or False: Anodizing provides excellent corrosion resistance in coastal settings.\n\nTrue or false: Silanes are classified as semi-permanent anti-graffiti coatings.\n\nAmong the performance properties of polyureas, according to a JPCL article by O’Donoghue and Datta, which of the following is the weakest?\n\nTrue or false: SSPC-VIS 1, Visual Standards for Blast Cleaned Steel, was initially produced by the Institute of Corrosion in the U.K.\n\nTrue or false: SSPC and NACE recently worked cooperatively to revise their standards on measuring dry film thickness of coatings.\n\nWhich of the following is not a term used for application of metallic wire, metallic powder or thermoplastic powder?\n\nTrue or false: Parking decks are always sealed with penetrating sealers.\n\nTrue or false: A hygro thermometer is used to measure the moisture content and temperature of insulation on hot piping.\n\nTrue or false: Calcium sulfonate alkyds are non-toxic, inhibitive primers.\n\nWhat organization provides education and certification for concrete slab moisture testing technicians?\n\nCementitious, fire-resistive coatings for unexposed structural steel in buildings often contain which of these materials?\n\nWhich of the following organizations provides information about good practice in the selection and use of sealants in expansion joints?\n\nTrue or false: The threat of mud cracking in highly pigmented paints applied at high film builds is likely to be diminished in coating films that employ spherical pigments.\n\nBarrier protection can be achieved in a coating with all but which of the following means?\n\nThe San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was just recognized as the 2015 Outstanding Structure Award from what industry association?\n\nWhat organization recently published a technology update on fluoropolymer coatings?\n\nWhat is the name of the technique used to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from cradle to grave?\n\nWhat type of polyurethane yellows and chalks in direct sunlight?\n\nWhat is the name of a British publication on coating defects?\n\nTrue or false: An extract from fish scales is used to create a mother-of-pearl effect.\n\nTrue or false: According to the Coatings Encyclopedic Dictionary, “patina” is defined in part as “a thin layer of corrosion, usually green or brown.\"\n\nTrue or false: The “Cold Wall Effect” on tank linings refers to a temperature differential between the ambient air outside the tank and the temperature of the product stored inside.\n\nPressurized pots are used for what type of spray painting?\n\nAlkyds are a specific type of what broader class of resins?\n\nWhat type of corrosion is characterized by a definite thread-like structure and directional growth under coatings on steel?\n\nTrue or false: Thick-film, epoxy novolac coatings are sometimes recommended for railroad tank cars carrying crude oil.\n\nSulfate-reducing bacteria contribute to corrosion by what mechanism?\n\nWhite rust appears on which of the following substrates?\n\nTrue or false: “Solvent pop” occurs because of hackles in a steel substrate.\n\nTrue or false: Breathable coatings often incorporate platey pigments.\n\nTrue or false: Dry ice pellets used as abrasive cannot produce a profile on steel.\n\nTrue or false: Sponge jetting requires ultra-high pressure (UHP) water.\n\nTrue or false: Polypropylene powder is sometimes applied by flame spray to create a field joint coating system for transmission pipeline.\n\nA thin, pasty liquid used for adhering gold leaf and filling surface imperfections is called what?\n\nWhich of the following is not an inhibitive pigment used in coatings for corrosion control?\n\nTrue or false: In air abrasive blast systems, the bull hose carries pressurized air and abrasive to the blast nozzle.\n\nTrue or false: Oil contamination of the atomizing air in an air spray system can cause fish eyes in the coating film.\n\nWhich of the following isocyanates is used in polyurethane coatings?\n\nHigh ratio calcium sulfonate alkyds are recommended by some coating specialists for what kind of service?\n\nWhat polymer concrete resin is based on an alcohol derived from agricultural wastes such as rice and oat hulls and corn cobs?\n\nTrue or false: TDI and MDI are aromatic isocyanates.\n\nIn coatings work, what is a limpet cell?\n\nThe last solvent in a solvent blend to evaporate from an applied coating film is called what?\n\nTrue or false: An epoxy ester coating is a single-package material.\n\nTrue or false: In paint failure analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy is normally used to detect and identify volatile or semi-volatile materials.\n\nA chopper gun would most likely be used for what application?\n\nWhat coating type is used to penetrate and line the pores of concrete to achieve water repellency?\n\nWhat is an alternative to hot potting?\n\nTrue or false: The ASTM standard for moisture mitigation systems on concrete slabs for use under resilient flooring requires that the coating system have a permeance of 6 perms or less.\n\nTrue or false: The SSPC Committee on Commercial Coatings is developing guides for laboratory testing, selecting, and assuring the quality of thick-film coatings on CMU assemblies.\n\nHow can paints be made conductive for electrostatic spraying?\n\nWhat organization published a revised standard in 2012 on measuring dry film coating thickness that focuses on frequency of measurements and acceptablility of acquired results?\n\nTrue or false: When dissimilar metals are in contact in the presence of an electrolyte, the more noble metal will experience galvanic corrosion.\n\nWhich of the following is not the subject of an SSPC Qualification Procedure (QP)?\n\nTrue or false: SSPC has a qualification procedure (QP) to assure the qualifications of installers of liquid-applied air barriers.\n\nAccording to Fred Goodwin, one of JPCL’s Top Thinkers, the three Ds negatively affecting the durability of concrete are deterioration, damage and ... what else?\n\nTrue or false: A dilatant paint is said to be thixotropic.\n\nTrue or false: Coatings based on silicone resins have little resistance to chalking.\n\nTrue or false: Surface profile on steel can be measured in the field.\n\nTrue or false: Osmotic blisters are likely to be filled with liquids that contain solvents or salts.\n\nWhat level of voltage does a wet sponge holiday detector employ?\n\nTrue or false: Power tool cleaning is effective in removing soluble salts from a steel substrate.\n\nTrue or false: Siloxane sealers are normally applied to concrete substrates in film thicknesses of two to three mils.\n\nTrue or false: Coatings that form a film by coalescence are two-component materials.\n\nTrue or false: Inorganic zinc-rich coatings, left untopcoated, decrease in barrier protection over time.\n\nTrue or false: PVDF resins can be emulsified in water to create a single-component, ambient-cured, fluoropolymer coating.\n\nTrue or false: SSPC’s technology update on overcoating says that failure by delamination is a minor risk.\n\nTrue or false: ASTM has separate test methods for steel and concrete substrates in determining the pull-off adhesion of coatings.\n\nWhat kind of concrete sealers penetrate the pores of the concrete and form little, if any, film build?\n\nMicaceous iron oxide is a pigment providing what kind of properties to protective coatings among the choices listed?\n\nTrue or false: To be effective, a seal coat over a thermal-sprayed zinc coating must be applied after a significant amount of natural oxidation has occurred.\n\nTrue or false: Some moisture meters for concrete are based on AC impedance.\n\nTrue or false: An inorganic zinc-rich primer can be topcoated as soon as it is dry.\n\nTrue or false: According to a recent JPCL article, application of silicone foul-release coatings presents numerous problems that need to be overcome.\n\nWhat kind of corrosion is caused by the formation and collapse of bubbles?\n\nTrue or false: A polysiloxane is an aliphatic polyurea.\n\nTrue or false: Calcium aluminate mortars are sometimes used as linings for rehabilitation of manholes.\n\nTrue or false: It is easier to remove coal tar epoxy than coal tar enamel from a steel substrate.\n\nTrue or false: A black light test can detect certain oil films on a bare steel substrate.\n\nTrue or false: There are both pneumatic and electric remote controls for air abrasive blast systems.\n\nTrue or false: A polyaspartic coating is an aliphatic polyurea.\n\nCertain machine guns, like the old Thompson sub-machine gun, are called chopper guns. What is a chopper gun in coatings work?\n\nTrue or false: According to a recent JPCL article, foul-release hull coatings can be divided into hard and soft technologies.\n\nTrue or false: Inorganic zinc-rich primers should be topcoated as soon as they appear to be dry.\n\nTrue or false: Non-osmotic blisters can develop in coatings on concrete floors.\n\nTrue or false: The greater the permeability of a coating on concrete, the more effectively it will perform.\n\nWhat mechanism of corrosion protection does zinc phosphate provide to coatings?\n\nTrue or false: Plastic shrinkage cracking of concrete can occur during the first few hours after placement.\n\n\n\nWhat is a common term for osmotic blistering of coatings due to thermal gradients?\n\n\nIf coatings were removed before abrading a concrete floor slab to conduct the ASTM anhydrous calcium chloride test, how much time must elapse between grinding and conducting the test?\n\nTrue or false: Abrasive particle size, shape, and hardness all have an impact on the creation of surface profile.\n\nAmmonium polyphosphate is most likely to be found in what type of coating?\n\nWhat do HUNKOR and CEFRACOR have in common?\n\nWhich one of the following organizations does not train and certify coating inspectors?\n\nTrue or false: An ASTM subcommittee is working on a proposed standard to test the slip-coefficient properties of coatings used in slip-critical bolted connections.\n\nTrue or false: Abrasive blast particles in an air abrasive blast system using a venture nozzle can achieve speeds of 450 mph or higher.\n\nTrue or false: OSHA’s work practice controls to minimize exposure to hazardous materials, such as toxic dust, can include, in most instances, job rotation.\n\nWhat organization developed a standard for measuring concrete surface profile with replica putty?\n\nWhat organization publishes the Standard for the Preparation of Steel Substrates for PSPC?\n\nWhat is the relationship between a discontinuity and a holiday in a coating?\n\n\n\n\nWhat kind of test was developed by Frederick Knoop and colleagues?\n\nWhat SSPC/NACE blast cleaning standard is equivalent to Sa 2, Thorough Blast Cleaning, in ISO 8501-1?\n\nThe migration of asphalt from a roof to the surface of a white roof coating applied over it is called what?\n\n\nIndustrial Vacuum Equipment Corp.\nHurricane Vacuums\n& Dust Collectors\n\nVacuum and dust collector hose, filters and related accessories.\n\nTarps manufacturing, Inc.\nQUALITY MADE IN AMERICA —Available near you!\n\n\nN.T. Ruddock Co.\n\nOur Abrasives Hold Up Under Pressure\n\n\nIt pays to be a know-it-all!\n\n\nHoldTight Solutions Inc.\n\nOur HoldTight®102 salt remover & flash rust\npreventer prevents flash\nrust by removing surface contaminants. Contact us\nfor your nearest distributor.\n(800) 319.8802 sales@holdtight.com\n\nClemco International GmbH\nGlobal engineering-trusted solutions\n\n\nNovatek Corporation\nNovatek Corporation, Dustless Coatings Removal\n\n\nW Abrasives - Surf Prep Pack\n\n\nDampney Co., Inc.\nHigh Heat Stainless Steel Paint & Coating\n\n\nCovestro Deutschland\nWhat keeps contractors one layer ahead when finishing their projects?\n\n\nTechnology Publishing\n\nThe Technology Publishing Network\n\nThe Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings (JPCL) PaintSquare\nDurability + Design Paint BidTracker\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.871824324131012}
{"content": "CAcT HomePage\n\nChemistry of Batteries\n\nSkills to develop\n\nChemistry of Batteries\n\nChemistry is the driving force behind the magics of batteries.\n\nA battery is a package of one or more galvanic cells used for the production and storage of electric energy by chemical means. A galvanic cell consists of at least two half cells, a reduction cell and an oxidation cell. Chemical reactions in the two half cells provide the energy for the galvanic cell operations.\n\nEach half cell consists of an electrode and an electrolyte solution. Usually the solution contains ions derived from the electrode by oxidation or reduction reaction.\n\nWe will make this introduction using a typical setup as depicted here. The picture shows a copper zinc galvanic cell (battery).\n\nA galvanic cell is also called a voltaic cell. The spontaneous reactions in it provide the electric energy or current.\n\nTwo half cells can be put together to form an electrolytic cell, which is used for electrolysis. In this case, electric energy is used to force nonsponaneous chemical reactions.\n\nOxidation Reduction Reactions\n\nMany difinitions can be given to oxidation and reduction reactions. In terms of electrochemistry, the following definition is most appropriate, because it let us see how the electrons perform their roles in the chemistry of batteries.\nLoss of electrons is oxidation, and gain of electrons is reduction.\n\nOxidation and reduction reactions cannot be carried out separately. They have to appear together in a chemical reaction. Thus oxidation and reduction reactions are often called redox reactions. In terms of redox reactions, a reducing agent and an oxidizing agent form a redox couple as they undergo the reaction:\n\nOxidant + n e- ® Reductant\nReducant ® Oxidant + n e-\nAn oxidant is an oxidizing reagent, and a reductant is a reducing agent. The reductant | oxidant or oxidant | reductant Two members of the couple are the same element or compound, but of different oxidation state.\n\nCopper-Zinc Voltaic Cells\n\nAs an introduction to electrochemistry let us take a look of a simple Voltaic cell or a galvanic cell.\n\nWhen a stick of zinc (Zn) is inserted in a salt solution, there is a tendency for Zn to lose electron according to the reaction,\n\nZn = Zn2+ + 2 e-. The arrangement of a Zn electrode in a solution containing Zn2+ ions is a half cell, which is usually represented by the notation: Zn | Zn2+, Zinc metal and Zn2+ ion form a redox couple, Zn2+ being the oxidant, and Zn the reductant. The same notation was used to designate a redox couple earlier.\n\nSimilarly, when a stick of copper (Cu) is inserted in a copper salt solution, there is also a tendency for Cu to lose electron according to the reaction,\n\nCu = Cu2+ + 2 e-. This is another half cell or redox couple: Cu | Cu2+.\n\nHowever, the tendency for Zn to lose electron is stronger than that for copper. When the two cells are connected by a salt bridge and an electric conductor as shown to form a closed circuit for electrons and ions to flow, copper ions (Cu2+) actually gains electron to become copper metal. The reaction and the redox couple are respectively represented below,\n\nCu2+ + 2 e- = Cu,       Cu2+ | Cu. This arrangement is called a galvanic cell or battery as shown here. In a text form, this battery is represented by, Zn | Zn2+ || Cu2+ | Cu, in which the two vertical lines ( || ) represent a salt bridge, and a single vertical line ( | ) represents the boundary between the two phases (metal and solution). Electrons flow through the electric conductors connecting the electrodes and ions flow through the salt bridge. When [Zn2+] = [Cu2+] = 1.0 M, the voltage between the two terminals has been measured to be 1.100 V for this battery.\n\nA battery is a package of one or more galvanic cells used for the production and storage of electric energy. The simplest battery consists of two half cells, a reduction half cell and an oxidation half cell.\n\nOxidation and Reduction Reactions -- a review\n\nThe overall reaction of the galvanic cell is\n\nZn + Cu2+ = Zn2+ + Cu Note that this redox reaction does not involve oxygen at all. For a review, note the following: Oxidant + n e- = Reductant\nExample: Cu2+ + 2 e = Cu\nCu2+ is the oxidizing agent and Cu the reducing agent.\n\nReductant = n e- + Oxidant\nExample: Zn = Zn2+ + 2 e-.\nZn is the reducing agent, and Zn2+ the oxidizing agent.\nTheoretically, any redox couple may form a half cell, and any two half cells may combine to give a battery, but we have considerable technical difficulty in making some couples into a half cell.\n\nLinks to Some Battry Companies\n\nBatteries play an important role in our lives. These links are provided so that you can visit some of the battery companies on the internet. Because these are links, and they are subject to change over time.\n\nLinks to Fuel Cell Companies\n\nA fuel cell differs from a battery in that the fuel is continuously supplied. To find out more about fuel cells, here are some links to fuel cell companies.\n\nConfidence Building Questions\n\nNext page: Oxidation states\n\n© by", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9898684620857239}
{"content": "In-Fisherman Tackle Trends: Panfish On Ice Dvd - $14.99\n\nPanfishing has always been a vibrant part of the fishing scene. If one lumps the various panfish together as a group, perch, crappies, bluegills and other sunfish, they become the most popular overall target of anglers, surpassing even bass. Panfish are no less popular on ice. In this video we cover a variety of common situations you can expect to face in the field. Seasonal tactics, basin fishing tactics, spring bobber techniques, rigs, spoons, jigs, plastics, and electronics - the latest trends in icing panfish. 78 minutes. DVD. - $14.99", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9992756843566895}
{"content": "Cosmic Pancake Spotted Around Andromeda Galaxy\n\nCharles Q. Choi\nCosmic Pancake Spotted Around Andromeda Galaxy\nView photos\nAstronomers are asking the public to help find star clusters in Andromeda, a bright, neighbouring galaxy to our Milky Way.\n\nA giant pancake-like structure made of dwarf galaxies has been spotted orbiting the Andromeda galaxy, the nearest neighbor of our own Milky Way, researchers say.\n\nA similar galactic disk, which current galaxy formation models have trouble explaining, may even exist around the Milky Way, too, scientists added.\n\nThe Andromeda galaxy, named after a mythological princess, is a spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. At about 2.5 million light-years away in the Andromeda constellation, it is the nearest spiral galaxy, and is the most distant object in the sky that one can see with the unaided eye.\n\nAndromeda and Milky Way are each surrounded by a swarm of smaller galaxies. These dwarf galaxies, which seem rich in mysterious, invisible dark matter, appear to each be about 10 million to 100 million times the mass of the sun, while the Andromeda and Milky Way each total nearly 1 trillion (that's 1 million million) times the mass of the sun.\n\n\"These dwarf galaxies shine from a few hundred to millions of times fainter than large spiral galaxies like Andromeda or the Milky Way,\" said study author Nicolas Martin, an astronomer at the Astronomical Observatory of Strasbourg in France. [Andromeda's Collision With Our Milky Way (Gallery)]\n\nNow Martin and his colleagues find that about half of Andromeda's 27 known dwarf galaxies are apparently arranged in a disk around it spinning in the same direction as Andromeda. These 13 ball-shaped dwarf galaxies make up a pancake-like structure less than 42,000 light-years thick that extends at least 1.3 million light-years away from Andromeda.\n\nSatellites of Andromeda\n\nThe astronomers detected the disk using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey.\n\nSo far, it remains uncertain if current models of galaxy formation and evolution can explain the existence of this vast disk.\n\nDwarf satellite galaxies are thought to be remnants of the material that came together to form the giant galaxies they surround. While it makes sense that a disk of such dwarfs might emerge early after they formed, after a few orbits these dwarfs should veer off and live relatively independently, dispersing the disk in the process.\n\n\"Either something about how these galaxies formed or subsequently evolved must have led them to trace out this peculiar, coherent structure,\" Martin told \"Either way, we do not understand the reason for this structure, making it very exciting.\"\n\n\"The presence of this thin, rotating disk of dwarf galaxies around Andromeda suggests a strong connection between the host galaxy Andromeda and its satellites,\" Martin added. \"There is currently no satisfactory scenario that can explain all the properties of the satellites in the disk, but they all require a strong interplay between Andromeda and the satellites themselves.\"\n\nAstronomical illusion or reality?\n\nCritics might wonder if these dwarf galaxies are coincidentally moving together, and only seem to make up a disk.\n\n\"It could be argued that we are seeing a statistical fluke, but this would be an exceedingly rare statistical fluke indeed — about one chance in 10,000,\" Martin said.\n\nOther mysteries abound regarding this new discovery. For instance, this disk of dwarves appears tilted at about a 50-degree angle in relation to Andromeda's disk. It is unknown why that is.\n\n\"It may relate to the dynamics of the process responsible for the creation of this rotating disk,\" Martin said.\n\nIntriguingly, the Milky Way's pole apparently lines up with Andromeda's disk of dwarf galaxies. It remains unclear why that is as well.\n\n\"It may indicate that the Milky Way is somehow involved in the shaping of this plane of dwarf galaxies, but it could also be a chance alignment,\" Martin said.\n\nIn addition, about half the remaining dwarfs orbiting Andromeda, which lie above the spiral galaxy, also seem to make up another disk. This one seems tilted by about 13 degrees in relation to Andromeda's disk, said Brent Tully at the University of Hawaii, who did not participate in this study.\n\nThe researchers now hope to investigate the properties of dwarf galaxies in this disk to look for any differences from dwarf galaxies outside the disk that could enlighten them on the disk's origin. They would also like to see if similar disks exist around other galaxies to check if they are common features of galaxy formation.\n\nThe scientists detailed their findings in the Jan. 3 issue of the journal Nature.\n\nFollow @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9729207754135132}
{"content": "Ancient Civilizations\n\nIn this ancient civilizations worksheet, students discover the Incas of Peru as they read a brief selection about them, study a map, and respond to 6 short answer and essay questions.\n\n5th - 7th Social Studies & History 78 Views 228 Downloads\nResource Details\n\nWorld History\n1 more...\nResource Types\n2 more...\n\nWhat Members Say\n\nAleesa F.\nI am an ESOL teacher for grades K through 8. Lesson Planet helps supply me with the resources I need to scaffold instruction and build the background knowledge of my students. Lesson Planet makes learning - AND teaching - fun!\nAleesa F., Teacher\nBeaufort, SC", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930276274681091}
{"content": "Hey oojacoboo,\n\nIf I could only see any shots of the Bluetooth Robot, I would believe that you did make it.\n\nHere are a few ideas for making any kind of robot, and any means of connecting to a computer:\n\n- You could make a robot that runs off of the BASIC programming language, even if it is done from REALBasic or Visual Basic.\n\n- The main operating system could be that from the original Macintosh, and maybe the same hardware, too.\n\n- Make it powered from ADB, PS/2, or RJ-45, (you know, Ethernet).\n\nAnd a name that runs off of an RJ-45 cable could be called \"EtherBot\"\n\nJust a few thoughts.\n\nP.S.: Grrrr, I hate it when I'm typing and I accidentally activate Exposé. ;-)\n2 GHz MacBook 13\", 80 GB total 2 GB RAM\niPod Photo, 30 GB\niPod Video, 80 GB\niPod Nano, 2 GB\nAirPort Extreme with DSL broadband", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9727076888084412}
{"content": "Another Tour of Scala\n\n\n\n\n\n  1. ScalaBasics - Scala has some surprising syntax for both Javaists and Rubyists. This is a crash course.\n  2. UnifiedTypes - everything is an object. Even Int. Finally.\n  3. ScalaClasses - Scala is object-oriented.\n  4. ScalaProperties - Scala intelligently handles so-called “getters” and “setters”…by not having them\n  5. ScalaPackages - Scala allows code to be packaged for visibility and organization.\n  6. ScalaObject - Scala has direct support for singleton objects.\n  7. ScalaTraits - Scala allows multiple inheritance via mixins.\n  8. ScalaGenerics - Scala allows parametrized types.\n  9. ScalaAnnotations - Scala can use Java annotations.\n  10. ScalaOperators - Scala’s flexible syntax lets you create your own operators.\n  11. JavaIntegration - Scala can call anything that Java can.\n\n\n  1. ScalaFunctions - Scala has strong support for functional programming.\n  2. PatternMatching - Scala has an advanced switch/@case@ system.\n  3. FunctionCurrying - define a function that has received some of its parameters now, and will get the remainder later.\n  4. CaseClasses - taking switch statements to a useful level.\n  5. ExceptionHandling - Scala does have exceptions, but they are handled more simply than Java\n  6. OptionType - Scala prefers a different way of handling null, by using the null object pattern\n  7. SealedClasses - tightening up CaseClasses .\n  8. XmlLiterals - Scala allows XML literals that are smarter than strings.\n  9. ForComprehensions - don’t let the name confuse you; this is about Scala’s powerful for loop construct.\n  10. TypeBounds - Scala’s generic types can be restricted and bound for (alleged) understandability.\n  11. InnerClasses - Scala supports nesting classes within objects and other classes.\n  12. ImplicitConversions - Scala can implicitly convert objects to other types.\n  13. TypeDependentClosures - Scala has proper support for closures. Take that, Java!\n  14. DefaultParameterValues - Scala 2.8 now supports default parameter values\n  15. NamedParameters - Scala 2.8 introduced named parameters. Take that, Objective-C!\n\n\n  1. ImplicitParameters - Scala can automatically pass parameters to methods that need them!\n  3. AbstractTypes - Scala supports type aliasing and abstract types as an alternative to generics/type parametrization.\n  4. AdvancedScalaObjects - Scala’s singleton objects are quite powerful.\n  5. DuckTyping - Scala supports duck typing. Take that, Ruby!\n  6. ActorsAndConcurrency - Scala uses an actor/message-passing style of concurrency.\n  7. TypeSpecialization - Scala 2.8 allows specialization of generics for primitive types.\n  8. PackageObjects - Scala 2.8 provides a means for packages to include things other than just classes and objects.\n  9. ExplcitlyTypedSelfReferences - This is like the final boss in Super Mario 3. Good luck.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6974594593048096}
{"content": "The Anti-Universal Coverage Club Manifesto\n\nThe Anti-Universal Coverage Club is a list of scholars and citizens who reject the idea that government should ensure that all individuals have health insurance. It exists to challenge the idea that “universal coverage” is the best way to protect and promote health.\n\nThe following principles explain the club’s opposition to “universal coverage”:\n\n  3. In a free society, people should have the right to refuse health insurance.\n\nTo join, post something to your blog or email me mcannon [at] (here).  If you blog about the club, pro or con, please send the link to that address as well.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8755934834480286}
{"content": "Home Cooking\n\nChicken Dinner\n\nChicken Marbella Questions for dinner on Sunday 8/29...\n\n\nHome Cooking 12\n\n\ndinneronsundays | Aug 28, 2010 07:34 AM\n\nHi guys: Thanks for suggesting the chicken marabella; I will be making it this sunday for about 18 people( yup, I've got loads of friends). I've made quite a reputation with the roast chicken and pastitsio meals and I hope that the trend continues. So I need your help in continuing to make me feel like a culinary genius, even though, honestly, I have a passion for food but has never taken the next step of actually cooking. Now, I've totally jumped the shark!\n\nAnyway, here's the recipe and my questions:\n\n\n\n1) The whitewine. I am not able to use this. Can you please recommend an acceptable subsitute? One liquid or a combo? appke juice/water/stock/lemon juice/ prune juice/other? I am not able to use white wine or other alcohol.\n\n2) Many of the epicurious reviewers suggestd that I increase the marinade by 50 - 100 percent. How would you do that?\n\n3) Please recommend prep times. What can I do the day before?\n\n4) I will be serving rice as the starch because that is what was provided. I would have preferred couscous because I've never ever cooked rice in my entire life(redundant much?). How would I cook it? Technique? How much for 18 people? Ratio of water to rice? Spices? Visible queues to look for as I cook the rice, etc?\n\n5) I will be serving ftozen green beans(yuck!) or green salad? How would I jazz these up? Vinaigrette? If you think about it, the watermelon/feta salad from 8/22 will be a hard act to follow?\n\n6) Dessert ideas, please.\n\n7) Is there anything else that comes to mind that will be very helpful? Like, is that amount of chicken ok?\n\nThanks again, guys!\n\nWant to stay up to date with this post?\n\nRecommended From Chowhound", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9683292508125305}
{"content": "Vinicius Moreti\n\nSão Paulo\n\nConsulting Experience\n\nVinícius Moreti works as a Hotel Investment Analyst with HVS São Paulo. He has seven years of experience in the Brazilian hospitality sector and has worked in the development function with Brazil’s second largest hotel chain, Atlantica Hotels. Additionally, Moreti has worked on strategic projects for the Brazilian Hotel Operators Forum (FOHB).\n\nPresently, Moreti develops sectoral publications, and conducts market research and economic feasibility studies for new hotels in South America.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999476671218872}
{"content": "Public Release: \n\n\nNew research suggests mindfulness could improve glucose levels, heart health\n\n\n\n\"Whether eating snacks while watching the game or grazing by the dessert tray at the office event, we often find ourselves overeating not because we're hungry, but because the food looks delicious, we're distracted, or we wish to soothe away unpleasant feelings,\" explains Dr. Daubenmier. \"Our study suggests that mindful eating can go further than making healthy food choices and recognizing when we're full; it could improve glucose levels and heart health to a greater extent than behavioral weight-loss programs that do not teach mindful eating.\"\n\n\n\n\"Most behavioral weight-loss interventions do not place as much emphasis on managing mindless eating, and previous studies on the topic have not included attention controls or long term follow-up to better study the contribution of mindfulness components over time,\" said Deborah Tate, PhD, spokesperson for The Obesity Society. \"This research points to some of the potential benefits of enhancing the mindfulness components of behavioral weight loss.\"\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7324695587158203}
{"content": "Northeastern Russian coast south to North Korea and Japan\n\n\nTree-lined open river plains, river valleys, and lakes; and rocky coastlines\n\nEagle of the sea\n\nOften called the world’s most magnificent bird of prey, the Steller’s sea-eagle is dark, impressive, the largest of all sea-eagles, and the heaviest known eagle. Despite its large size and attractive appearance, its habits are not well known.\n\nBig birds\n\nThe Steller’s sea-eagle is often easy to spot, with its dark body; white forehead, shoulders, tail, and thighs; and bright-yellow bill. It is believed that they are glacial relics that evolved in the narrow, northeast Asian coast and simply stayed there through multiple Ice Age cycles, never occurring anywhere else. Other northern sea-eagles share the yellow legs, eyes, and beak of the Steller’s, and they are large birds as well, which seems to support this theory.\n\nThe Steller’s sea-eagle was named for a noted 18th-century zoologist and explorer, Georg Wilhelm Steller.\nThe Steller’s sea-eagle is considered the most powerful and aggressive of its closest relatives, the bald eagle and the white-tailed sea-eagle.\nThe scientific name of the Steller's sea-eagle translates roughly to \"eagle of the open seas.”\nSteller’s sea-eagles are honored birds in Japan.\n\nThe San Diego Zoo received its first Steller’s sea-eagle in 1953 as a gift from a Japanese ornithologist. This bird awed Zoo guests for many years. Our next Steller’s arrived in 1996.\n\nToday, the Zoo is the only place in North America where you can view these impressive eagles. A pair of Steller’s sea-eagles lives in an aviary along the Zoo’s Eagle Trail.\n\nEagles and humans\nSteller’s sea-eagles are a vulnerable species and have been given complete legal protection in Russia, the only place it breeds, and in Japan, where it overwinters. Despite these protections, human behavior continues to harm the remaining sea-eagle population. In Russia, Steller’s are losing their habitat because of the development of hydroelectric power projects and logging in the forested areas where they nest. The rivers where the sea-eagles fish are being contaminated by chemicals from local industries.\n\nIn Japan, sea-eagles eat both fish and carrion. Overfishing by humans in Japanese waters has led the birds to scavenge on sika deer remains left by hunters. Eating carrion filled with lead shot from hunters has had devastating effects on the sea-eagle population, leading to the outlawing of lead ammunition on Japan’s Hokkaido Island. As of 2009, the world’s population was estimated at 5,000 birds, but it is slowly decreasing.\n\nStill much to learn\nVery little is known about these eagles, especially their early years. Research efforts began in 1992, at Russia’s Magadan State Nature Reserve. In 2006, San Diego Zoo Global and Natural Research, Ltd. teamed up with scientists there to study the movements of young Steller’s sea-eagles in their native habitat to determine the hazards young birds face, in hopes of protecting the species in the wild. Researchers survey nests, and a team member climbs the tree to collect a bird, gently placing it in a bag to be lowered to the ground. The ground crew measures, weighs, and takes tissue samples from the bird. Young eagles get a satellite leg tag so researchers can track its movement.\n\nThe team was surprised to discover the extent of persecution these birds are exposed to, despite the species’ protected status throughout its range. Preliminary results show high juvenile mortality, with deaths associated with oil rigs. Nest productivity/chick survival is correlated to snow depth and resulting floods. Fishing and caviar harvesting are major industries in Russia’s Siberia, and they provide offal for sea-eagles to scavenge. However, overfishing can impact the birds’ habits, forcing wintering birds to look inland for food. There, they often prey on deer carcasses, which can contain lead fragments from bullets. Japan responded to this hazard by banning lead bullet use throughout the sea-eagles’ range within their country.\n\nAlthough legally protected in Russia, Japan, China, and South Korea, other threats to Steller’s sea-eagles include fossil fuel energy developments, wind farms, pollution, habitat loss, hunting, and possibly global warming. By learning more about the threats young sea-eagles face each autumn as they head off on their frosty migrations, it is hoped that this vulnerable bird population may stabilize.\n\nThe San Diego Zoo has a pair of Steller’s sea-eagles and has loaned pairs of birds to four other zoos in the US. We hope that seeing these amazing raptors up close will encourage visitors to participate in the conservation of this rare species.\n\nYou can help, too!\nYou can help us bring Steller’s sea-eagles back from the brink by supporting the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. Together we can save and protect wildlife around the globe.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9831475019454956}
{"content": "A republican enterprise of collecting tourist tax will be formed in Crimea, Prime Minister of the autonomy Anatoly Mohylyov told the press.\n\nThe Crimean PM explained that currently the tax is being collected by local authorities, who have no clue how to do it properly, and as a result, local budgets lose money.\n\n\"We need these means to maintain the communal infrastructure of the sea cities. We've decided to form a special agency, charged with determining tourist places and setting and collecting taxes from these places. The money will go to the local budgets and used for development of cities' infrastructure,\" Mohylyov said.\n\nAccording to the official, the republican agency will have branches in Crimean cities and districts. It is supposed to create a centralized system of tax collection. According to preliminary estimations, the agency will collect 50-60 million hryvnias of tax into local budget.\n\nThe Crimean PM also informed that the agency would start working next year.\n\n\n\nКлассические туфли мужские", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8842926621437073}
{"content": "Chris Allick\n\nEnd-to-End: Connecting Artists with Enthusiasts\n\nEnd-to-End is a suite of projects that connects artists and their work directly to people through experiential design.\n\n\n\n8-Tracks, records, tapes, CDs and now even digital downloads are becoming obsolete mediums as streaming becomes ubiquitous. Netflix, YouTube and Twitter are examples of Internet services that have shaped consumer’s desire for immediate and constant access to media. Stream accessing wireless devices are the solution, but how will recording artists continue to reach listeners and inspire them if all that exists is Internet accessible media? Will future generations even have the same concept of ownership that we see changing now? If the medium is the message, what happens when there is no more medium? How can music distribution transition into what I am dubbing non-static listening experiences?\n\nEnd-to-End is the result of a collaborative effort between True Panther Records artist Glasser, graphic designer Trevor Gilley and myself. The label and I set out to explore new ways to distribute music and engage listeners in response to observed trends in streaming media on the Internet.\n\nMy thesis tries to answer the above questions and uses real world examples of experiential interactive design to create non-static listening experiences. These projects demonstrate one possibility for the re-invigoration of the music industry.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7038674354553223}
{"content": "Lebanon Library To Support Tor, Causes Debate\n\nYour TOR use is being watched\n\nA outrageous discuss between law coercion and polite libertarians ensued after Kilton Public Library from Lebanon, New Hampshire, announced a goal to dedicate their computers to turn partial of a Tor network.\n\nThis preference was met with clever condemnation from a law coercion authorities; but, a polite libertarians also found their voice in a matter.\n\nApparently, a library’s goal in this whole thing was desirous by a long-preserved tradition of libraries opposite a universe and ages being famous as institutions that yield believe to a people; they were always deliberate a synonym for a place where leisure of debate and egghead leisure were practiced. So, it was deliberate an evolutionary step – a preference of a library to actively attend in a Tor network.\n\nHomeland confidence is an American powerful tenure for a accordant inhabitant bid to safeguard a homeland that is safe, secure, and volatile opposite terrorism and other hazards where American interestsHowever, it didn’t go neglected – a Department of Homeland Security reached out to hit a library and demonstrate their concerns about a new decision.\n\nIn their argument\n\n\nRead more ... source:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9618639945983887}
{"content": "Boca Bearings All Star Companies Interview: Robot Band Builders\n\n1. How did you come up with the team name “TeamDARE Eindhoven”?\nOur team is called “TeamDARE” which stands for “Daring Autonomous Robots Eindhoven”. We needed a team name when participating in Eurobot in 2005. The name sticked since then.\n\n2. Please give your name and any professional designation and tell me what each of your engineering specialties are and where and how did you each gain them?\nTeamDARE consists of 9 experts from various high tech companies and institutes in Eindhoven or her direct vicinity, including ASML, Philips, Prodrive, CCM, DAF Trucks, The Mathworks, and the University of Technology Eindhoven. The expertise that each brings in for the team comes from our jobs at these companies. Although, it also works the other way around. The practical knowledge from TeamDARE is also applicable in our daily work in the high tech industry.\n\n3. What is the TU/e?\nIt is the (Dutch) abbreviation of the University of Technology Eindhoven (Technische Universiteit/eindhoven). Two of our members work at the mechanics department of this university. One as the project manager for robotics, the other as a student. All of the team members studied at this university.\n\n4. How did you participate in Eurobot?\nBack in 2001, some of the current members of TeamDARE participated in the Eurobot competition as an internship at the TU/e. It was organized by three of its departments: Electrical engineering, Mechanical engineering and Computer Science. Combining these disciplines turned out to be really fun and successful (we finished 2nd).\n\nThe second and third time that we participated -in 2005 and 2006- we participated as an independent team and were financially supported mainly by the TU/e, Philips and ASML.\n\n5. What is your industry experience in embedded, intelligent systems? What kinds of systems?\nIn their daily lives, the members of TeamDARE, work on complex embedded systems such as, for example, the wafer steppers from ASML, MRI scanners from Philips. These systems require high quality standards for mechatronics and software. Also robustness follows from our daily work; a nice example of this is are the high robustness requirements that are required in DAF trucks. They have many moving parts, that always have to work in challenging environment conditions.\n\nApplying such ways of working in our robot project is essential to also make sure the music robots always work straight out of their box, even when set up in stress conditions, i.e. on a dark, loud, and often small podium.\n\nSpecifically the expertise we apply comes from the team members working at:\n\n6. Briefly describe some other robots you built with their names.\nBefore starting the work on the robot band, we participated at Eurobot three times. For this competition a team typically builds two (or back in 2001 multiple) robots that have to complete a task autonomously in 90 seconds against an opponent. The goal of the game is changed each year to make it more easy for “new comers” to come up with a competitive robot. The required autonomy and time limit guarantee that the smartest team has most change of winning.\n\nAs mentioned before, we participated at Eurobot in 2001 as an internship at the TU/e. We then built 11 robots that all solved a small part of the problem (in that year, placing flags on cylinders with different height and mobility). Our swarm of robots yielded a 2nd place and the concept was so successful that next year the rules were changed, limiting the number of robots each team could construct.\n\nAfter this competition, the core members entered the Dutch version of the Robotwars competition with a robot named Cyclone. This was a huge moving cylinder that had a spinning outer shell. This was great fun to built, but not very high tech, as these robots from a technical point of view are not much more complex than a radio controlled car.\n\nSo we sent back to Eurobot and participated two more times. Reaching the quarter finals in 2005, and finishing again second in 2006. We stopped participating after three times in search for something completely different.\n\nWe then found the Artemis Orchestra Contest in 2008. The contest dictated to make a robot that can play an instrument of choice, without alterning the instrument itself and as part of an orchestra. We decided to compete by building a robot that can play an acoustic guitar. It was built in about four months and we got really enthusiastic responses wherever we played. This was the motivation for us to continue to expand the band, irrespective of the contest (which stopped after 2009).\n\n7. Who were your sponsors for the robot band project? Can you provide links to their websites?\nsee: http://www.teamdare.nl/ it has a list of our sponsors with links. We have several different types of sponsors. Some provide us the parts we need for construction, a few help out financially, others such as e.g. BocaBearings help with publicity.\n\n8. How did you adhere to simplicity and low cost with the robot band?\nSimplicity is not our goal on itself, but more a requirement to end up with a robust solution. As a simple example: a complex system depending on a 100 small components in a cascade, each with 99% robustness, will fail about 63% of the time. Complex systems also take much longer to test and debug.\n\nIn order to implement things as simple as possible, we have long discussions at the beginning of each project, trying to see if a certain part of the problem is best solved in software, or using electronics or with a mechanical solution. A typical example is the accurate positioning of an arm. Often accuracy can be increased using all three disciplines and really depend on the specific use case which is yield the simplest result.\n\nAlso low cost is not a goal on itself, but a consequence when depending on sponsors and your own budget.\n\n9. Please discuss the circuit design and layout for the robot band.\nEach music robot is roughly designed similarly, from a high level circuit design point of view, consisting of three layers: actuation, scheduling and control.\n\nActuation is the lowest layer. We use microcontrollers (AVR32 family from Atmel) to control motors, and handle sensor information. On this level the controllers have no knowledge of music and only handle simple actuation commands instantly, e.g. move a motor from A to B with a given profile. The intermediate layer does teh scheduling of actuations and also runs on microcontrollers (low-end 8-bit RISC controllers). These controllers receive a lists of music notes for a certain instrument, including how and when each should be played, e.g. exact timing and volume. These lists of notes are translated to commands that can be executed by the low level layer. Each command is sent at their corresponding time. At the highest level, songs are controlled. Each song is decomposed into instruments and for each instrument the song is converted in lists of notes that can be sent to the scheduling controllers. The highest layer is no longer time critical, i.e. can be non-real time and is therefore easily implemented on a PC. This is important to also be able to add a user interface. This layering is important for two reasons. First, to be able to have precise control and actuation, together with a easy user interface that can start, stop, and add songs. Second, to be able to extent the band to an arbitrary number of instruments.\n\nAll circuit boards, are designed by ourselves. Some have even been etched by us.\n\n10. Please discuss the design and mechanical and robotic construction of the robot band.\nWith respect to mechanics, there has been a steady increase in complexity for each new robot that has been constructed. The guitar is the most simple of the three. It consists of six plectra on little arms that each actuate one string. The arms are rotated with a servo motor. The “left hand” of the guitar player consists of a grid of pneumatic pistons that press down the string at the correct fret position. The volume of each note is controlled by setting a second servo motor that controls the height of the a plectrum with respect to its string.\n\nThe drums conceptually seem simple: one stick for each tom, controlled by a servo motor. But in order to get the timing, volume and the bounce of these sticks correct a very complex motion controller was required. Furthermore, the pedal for the hi-hat and the muting of the crash cymbal was implemented using pneumatics.\n\nThe pan flute robot is the most complex robot of the three in terms of mechanics. Instead of “just” having a nozzle for each tube, we wanted to use a single pipe and rotate the pan flute back and forth. In order to get the correct tone out of each tube, the nozzle needed to be controlled over three degrees of freedom: horizontally, vertically and one axis of rotation. In addition, the airflow influences the pitch of the sound. To make things really complex, on each tube of the pan flute a semitone can be produced in addition to a note. For this, a tube needs to be partially obstructed. We implemented this using a small rubber cushion that mimics lips and a second air flow supply.\n\n11. Please discuss the software design for the robot band. What programming languages and software did you use?\nThe whole band currently runs on 8 microcontrollers and two PCs, due to the layered design, mentioned before. Most of the code on the microcontrollers is written in C, with the exception of some small critical parts that are implemented in assembly. The PC software is mostly written in C++. For some nice 3D visualization on a big screen, we have written a player in C++ and GPU code, this runs on the second PC.\n\nIn addition, a lot of software has been written to automate the “song writing”, mostly in C and C++. Basically, these tools convert midis to a format suitable for our robots and can simulate how a song will sound when played on the robots.\n\n12. What instruments are included in the robot band?\nAs mentioned before, the band consists of a guitar, drum set and pan flute. But conceptually, the 3D visualization can be seen as a fourth instrument. Instead of making sound, however, it shows a 3D rendering of the music that is played. We are currently working on a double bass playing robot and have future plans for the saxophone and piano.\n\n13. How did the robot band overcome the instrumental performance capabilities that you lacked?\nWith science! Playing music in its basic form is about correctly producing notes on instruments. It all depends on the definition of “correctly” to what level of naturalness the robots can play music. Not being able to compose songs ourselves, we depend on the information that can be found in digital tablature, such as midi. These formats typically contain accurate time and volume information for each note, and depending on the instrument type, also effects like changes in pitch and duration.\n\nWhen the robots reconstruct this digital tablature they play music. Unfortunately, musicians deviate from the written music in all kind of ways when they put a certain emotion in a song. We have not found any means yet to also include these. We are still searching for a scientific description of emotions in music. Who knows this might give our music robots some soul.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7370560169219971}
{"content": "Role of private sector in health care - contracting, Biology\n\nRole of Private Sector in Health Care - Contracting\n\nThe government can transfer some of its work to the private sector by contracting. If the cost of resultant services (including the government’s cost in administering and monitoring the contract) are lower than the cost of services extended by the government directly, then contracting can be a viable option. Some funds will then become available for other uses.\n\nContracting can also free up scarce skilled government personnel who can devote their time to other managerial tasks which only the government can do. Such arrangements will also produce additional benefits beyond the considerations of cost and savings. It would promote the establishment of an environment in which there is a separate private market for health care infrastructure including manufacturers and distributors. By having contract clauses that ensure efficient delivery, contracting can influence healthy private market practices and prices.\n\nPosted Date: 12/15/2012 6:30:47 AM | Location : United States\n\nRelated Discussions:- Role of private sector in health care - contracting, Assignment Help, Ask Question on Role of private sector in health care - contracting, Get Answer, Expert's Help, Role of private sector in health care - contracting Discussions\n\nWrite discussion on Role of private sector in health care - contracting\nYour posts are moderated\nRelated Questions\nQ. Nematode identity card. How are nematodes characterized according to examples of representing beings, type of symmetry basic morphology, , germ layers and coelom, digestive syst\n\n\n\nQ. What are the hormones secreted by the neurohypophysis? What are their respective functions? The neurohypophysis secretes the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin. Oxytoci\n\nwhat is the process of nitrogen fixation in soil by bacteria\n\nWhat is the endocrine function of the placenta? The placenta is not a permanent gland of the endocrine system but it also has endocrinal function. The placenta produces estroge\n\n\nQ. Explain Hypertensive Response? Hypertension at rest has long been known to be a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Significant elevation of B\n\nWhy Fish and Sea Foods are important for human Body? They are rich sources of proteins (20-25%) of a high biological value. Dry fishes contain more (60%) proteins since most of\n\nAnimals of the open water zone The limnetic region of this zone contains certain fishes as well as rotifers, zooplankton such as crustacean and protozoan. In the profundal zo", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6387252807617188}
{"content": "Oct 24, 2014\n\nTourist get mauled by tiger in Phuket's Tiger Kingdom\n\nPaul Goldie -pic credit to phuketwan.com\n\nMy son touching a tiger...\n\n“We did everything as the park people advised,” Goudie told reporters .\n“I am not sure why it bit me,” he said.\nHe punched the tiger as it attacked him.\n“When it did [attack] I had no choice except to whack it in the face a couple of times,” he said.\nTiger Kingdom opened in Phuket in August 2013 and draws hundreds of tourist per day. The park allows them to enter several different tiger enclosures, posing for photographs with the chained and sedated adult  tigers - sometimes even sitting on their backs - and feeding bottles to cubs.\ndress codes warning at Tiger Temple Kanchanaburi\n\nBefore entering the pens, guests are required to remove all loose belongings, including shoes, wash their hands and sign a waiver absolving Tiger Kingdom of any responsibility in the event of an accident.\nTiger and other animal parks in Thailand have been drawing increasing amounts of criticism, not only due to treatment of the animals that activists and many tourists say is cruel, but because the wild animals, despite their sedation, occasionally still resort to their natural instincts.\nA 19-year-old British tourists was left with permanent scarring at Tiger Temple park in the Kanchanaburi last year when a fully-grown tiger knocked her down and bit her leg. \nIn 2011, a Thai woman suffered severe head and arm injuries after being mauled at the Million Years Stone Park in Pattaya. \nYours truly has been to the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi  and well, it is a fascinating experience to touch and stroke a tiger, but we have to still understand that they are wild animals and so we should not do anything to startle them or even deem us a threat though it can be hard at times with visitors all around and some of them thinking they can do anything they like because they paid for the privilege.\n\nAs for cruelty, I am of a mixed opinion here as there are two ways of looking at it . One is, the animals are well fed and safe despite probably some rough handling by some handlers if the tigers are in the wild, our world is no longer like the world years before where wild animals can roam safely in huge rain forest etc. \n\nInstead, rainforests are being cut down and their natural habitat no longer exists and they are a threat to humans as well and at threat from illegal poachers as well. \n\nThis is my 2 cents. But naturally I do not like seeing the animals being roughly handled or abused. I believe there has to be respect all around.. between humans, humans and animals and so on.\n\n\nWhat do you think of my blog???", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8159862160682678}
{"content": "Looking for the latest version? Download agena-2.9.8-src.tar.gz (7.0 MB)\nName Modified Size Downloads / Week Status\nTotals: 5 Items   195.4 kB 4\nManuals 2016-08-15 1111 weekly downloads\nSources 2016-08-14 77 weekly downloads\nBinaries 2016-08-14 1111 weekly downloads\nPackages 2016-01-02 11 weekly downloads\nREADME.TXT 2016-08-15 195.4 kB 44 weekly downloads\nagena >> `The Power of Procedural Programming` What are the Changes ? ---------------------- 2.9.8, August 14, 2016 New features: - The new `|` operator compares two numbers a, b, and returns -1 if a < b, 0 if a = b, and 1 if a > b. It is twice than fast as the `sign` operator. - The new `|-` operator computes the absolute difference of two numbers x and y, i.e. abs(x - y). - The new `identity` function just returns all its arguments. - The new function `strings.compare` compares two strings and returns the first position where they differ, or 0 if both strings are equal. If called with any option, the function returns the result of the C function strcmp. - The new `astro.cweek` function returns the calendar week of the given date, a number in the range 1 to 53, according to the ISO 8601 standard. - The new function `astro.lastcweek` determines the last week of a year. - The new function `astro.cweekmonsun` computes the Gregorian dates of the Monday and Sunday for a given calendar week. - The new function `os.esd` computes the Excel Serial Date. - The new function `os.tzdiff` computes the difference between the system's local time zone and UTC in minutes and a Boolean indicating whether daylight Saving Time is active for the given date. - The new function `stats.freqd` returns a frequency distribution function for a sample that can be iterated subsequently to return the number of all occurrences step by step. - The new `xbase.fieldtype` function returns the dBASE data type of the given field. - The new `xbase.write` function writes a number, string, or boolean to a dBASE file. It can be used instead of `xbase.writenumber`, `xbase.writefloat`, `xbase.writestring`, `xbase.writeboolean`, etc. - The new C API function `agn_checknonnegint` checks for non-negative integers. - The new C API function `agn_datetosecs` takes a structure or at least three numbers and returns the number of seconds elapsed since the epoch of the system (usually January 01, 1970). - The new C API function `agnL_createpairnumbers` puts a pair of two numbers on top of Agena's C stack. Improvements: - `hypot` has become around 40 % faster. `polar`, `approx`, `ilog2`, `calc.eucliddist`, `stats.neighbours` and various fractals package functions benefit from this increas in speed, as well. - `math.roundf` has become 13 percent faster. - `calc.eucliddist` now accepts multivariate functions and returns more precise results. - `calc.iscont` and `calc.limit` now can also process multivariate functions. If you would like give a self-defined epsilon, it must be passed as an 'eps':<value> option as the very last argument. For example, if the function is f := << (x, y) -> x + y >>, with x = 1, y = 3, and eps = 1e-4, the call would be: `calc.limit(f, 1, 3, eps = 1e-4)`. - `calc.diff` now can also process multivariate functions. If you want to pass a user-defined accuracy value h, pass the eps=h option as the very last argument instead of passing h as the third argument. - `calc.limit` can now return the left-sided limit by passing the side='left' option, the right-sided limit by passing the side='right' option, the left- and right-sided limit by passing the side='both' option; and the bidirectional, the left-sided, and the right-sided limits with the side='all' option. - `os.date`: the day of week ('wday' field) is now determined according to the ISO 8601 norm, where 1 is Monday, and 7 is Sunday. You may switch back to the old behaviour (1 for Sunday, 7 for Saturday) by issueing environ.kernel(iso8601 = false). - `os.date`: The '*j' (Julian Date) and '*l' (Lotus Serial Date) options have been re-introduced as they have been inadvertently removed in Agena 2.8.4. Contrary to the former results returned with the '*l' format, the function now returns correct values. - `os.now` and `os.settime` now accept year, month, and day, and optionally hours, minutes and seconds. - `os.date` now also accepts a table array of integers representing year, month, day, and optionally hour, minute, second. - `os.datetosecs` now accepts no argument at all and in this case returns the number of seconds elapsed till the current date and time. - When passing `false` as the last argument to `os.lsd`, the function acknowledges daylight saving time (by default, the function always returns a Standard Time value even if Daylight Saving Time is active for the given date). - `astro.cdate` now also returns hours, minutes and seconds in ordinary sexagesimal notation. - In Windows and eComStation, `os.realpath` now by default returns a path with slashes instead of backslashes. You can override this by passing `false` as a second option. - `stats.obcount` and `stats.obpart` can now be passed the number of classes into which a distribution shall be subdivided with the new 'classes' option. Also, if no third argument is passed to the function, it automatically computes the step size (aka class width), with no upper limit (it is suggested to choose between 5 or 30 classes). - `stats.obcount` now accepts an optional fourth argument, a procedure that is applied on any element of a distribution before the function decides into which subinterval to sort it for the final count. - Improved memory allocation error management of `stats.quartiles` and `stats.fivenum`. - Improved error handling of `stats.checkcoordinate` `math.inttofpb`, `math.tobinary`. - `xbase.new` now also accepts the data type name 'Numeric' which is equal to 'N' and 'Number'. (There is no dBASE data type called 'Number'.) - The xbase package now supports signed 4-byte integers (Visual Fox Pro 'I' or 'Long' data type). Use `xbase.writelong` or `xbase.writenumber` to write 4-byte integers to a dbf file. The function automatically truncates Agena numbers to their integral part and issues an error if the numeric range [-2'147'483'647, +2'147'483'647] is exceeded. Longs can be read by LibreOffice 5.x Calc, but not by Excel. - The xbase package now supports timestamps (Visual Fox Pro 'T' data type). Use `xbase.writetime` to write them. - dBASE binary Double values can now be read by LibreOffice 5.x Calc. They can still not be read by current Excel editions. - `xbase.attrib` now also returns the dBASE version number. - `xbase.new` can now be given an explicit dBASE version number with the new version=x option. (See documentation of `xbase.new` for valid values for x). If no version option is passed, then by default the dBASE version is 0x03 = 3 decimal = dBASE III+. If at least one of the given fields is of type 'Double', then the version number is automatically changed to 0x30 = 48 decimal = Visual Fox Pro. This allows dBASE files created with Agena and containing binary Doubles to be imported into LibreOffice 5.x. Current versions of Excel still cannot read Visual Fox Pro dbf files, so you might pass the version option. - Besides xBASE doubles, `xbase.writenumber` can now also write xBASE floats, longs, and binary doubles. Thus, you must no longer need to check whether to use `xbase.writefloat`, `xbase.writelong`, or `xbase.writedouble`. Also improved error message. - The manual has been improved. Bug Fixes: - `calc.limit` sometimes returned wrong results with removable singularities. This has been fixed. - The already documented `hypot2` function has now been implemented. It computes sqrt(1 + x^2), avoiding over- and underflows. - `os.lsd` works again if one or more arguments have been passed to it, and also now returns a correct result with dates before March 01, 1900. - `os.settime` now works as described in the manual. - `os.drivestat` and `os.settime` are available (again) in Linux. - `zx.genseries` always crashed. This has been fixed. - `utils.readcsv` now returns an error if both enclosing single and double quotes shall be removed from field values. - `skycrane.readcsv` now by default only deletes enclosing double quotes; single quotes around fields can no longer be removed. - `stats.obcount` and `stats.obpart`: The following feature does now work as described in the manual: \"[...] if an element in a distribution equals the right border of the overall interval, it is considered part of the last subinterval.\" - `math.tosgesim` has been rewritten in C, improved in precision and no longer returns the second or minute 60 or greater. It has also become 30 percent faster. - `math.nthdigit` could not retrieve a digit in the fractional part of a number. This has been fixed. - `mdf` and `xdf` rounded all numbers to the wrong direction. This has been fixed. Thus, `xdf` can now be used to truncate floats to a given decimal place. - `gdi.pointplot` may not have worked when evaluating thickness and linestyle options. This has been fixed. - `os.drivestat` might not have worked in Sun Solaris. This has been fixed. 2.9.7, February 01, 2016 - The new `intdiv` statement conducts an integer division of its operands and reassigns the result to the first operand. - The new function `calc.iscont` returns `true` if a real function is continuous at a given point, and `false` otherwise. - The new function `calc.limit` returns the limit of a function at a given point. - The new function `calc.eucliddist` computes the Euclidian distance, i.e. the straight-line distance, of two points on a curve defined by a function in one real. - The new function `calc.arclen` returns the arc length (curvilinear length) of a function in one real between two points. - The new function `calc.sinuosity` computes the ratio of the curvilinear length and the Euclidean distance between the end points of a curve. - The new function `calc.symdiff` computes the symmetric derivative of a function at a point. The function is three times faster than `calc.xpdiff`, but a little less accurate. - `math.eps` can now also compute a `mathematical` epsilon value that also takes into account the magnitude of its argument, by passing any second argument. It prevents huge precision errors with computations on very small and very large numbers. - `environ.kernel` returns the maximum path length with the 'pathmax' option. - `clock.tm` has been tuned. - Added another fix to `math.convertbase` with respect to the internal stack used. - `utils.readcsv` did not correctly strip empty quoted fields and fields enclosed by quotes containing delimiters - this has been fixed. - `approx` returned a wrong result (i.e. `true`) if at one of its first two arguments was `infinity` and the other one was finite. This has been fixed. - In Windows, when pressing CTRL + C to quit the interpreter, the warning `This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information.` should no longer be issued. - The test suite has been corrected. - The number of internal number stacks has been extended from one to three stacks. You can switch between them by calling the new function `switchd` with its argument between 1 and 3. The default is stack #1. The new function `stack.selected` returns the currently selected/active stack. When given a stack number, `allotted` returns the current number of values in the given stack. `stack.resetd` now also accepts one or more stacks to be cleared by passing their number(s). - The new function `stack.sorted` sorts all or the last given number of elements in the stack in ascending order. - The new function `stack.choosed` returns the number of the stack with the least number of stored values. - `stack.reversed` did not correctly check negative arguments. This has been fixed. - `pushd` can now insert values into a given stack by passing the stack = <stack number> option as the last argument, avoiding explicit stack switches with calls to `switchd`. Using this option, however, may slow down the operation since processing an option takes quite some computation time. You may be better off calling `switchd`. 2.9.6, January 03, 2016 - The `create table` statement can now pre-allocate both the array _and_ hash parts of a new table, e.g. `create table a(10, 200)`. - `math.convertbase` generally cleared the built-in numerical stack and thus could interfere with other functions still needing it. This has been changed. - In Windows, the `bye` statement sometimes caused unnecessary warnings of the operating system. This has been fixed by now conducting a final standard garbage collection and completely closing the state of the interpreter. - `os.exit` now by default clears the interpreter state before leaving. The description of the function in the manual has been corrected, too. - `pushd` now accepts a sequence of numbers to be added to the built-in number stack. - `stack.reversed` can now reverse the last n values pushed onto the stack, e.g. `stack.reversed(n)`. - `resetd` has been moved to the `stack` library. An alias to this former base library function has been added for backward compatibility. - If the initialiser of `tables.dimension` is a structure, the function now creates an indidual copy of it to avoid referencing to the same structure. This was the behaviour of the former `dimension` baselib function. - The `mapm` package did not correctly free some of the consumed memory at exit. This has been fixed. Also, the garbage collection of the package trims the memory usage to significantly reduce general footprint of this library. - In Debian, the `gdi` package has been recompiled and hopefully would now only need the zlib package as a dependency ... Also, libexpat2 and libgd2-xpm are no longer pre-requisites for the Debian installer. 2.9.5, December 30, 2015 - The new function `math.tobinary` converts a non-negative integer into its binary representation, a sequence of zeros and ones. - The new function `tables.newtable` returns a table with a given number or pre-allocated array and hash slots. - `dimension` has been completely rewritten and can now create any kind of n-dimensional table. The function has also been moved to the `tables` library (new function `tables.dimension`). An alias to the former `dimension` function in the basic library has been added for backward compatibility. - The `to` indexing method for tables did not work properly with some types of index ranges and in theses cases wrongly returned all elements in the array part of a table. This has been fixed. - With structures, the `case/of` statement now compares values for strict equality (like the `==` operator). Formerly, a Cantor-like equality check has been conducted where positions and the number of occurence of elements in a structure do not matter. - `stack.dumpd` can now also dump the last n values pushed onto the stack. - If `ads.iterate` receives a file handle only, the very first key ~ value pair in the base is returned (same as passing the empty string as the second argument). The function now can also read sequences: in this case, the function returns an iterator function that when called returns the next entry in the sequence database. - `ads.getall` now returns an Agena sequence of all the entries stored in a sequence database if any second argument is given. The entries are returned in the order of their physical presence in the database file; if one and the same entry is stored multiple times, it is returned multiple times. - `ads.createbase` now returns nothing, since returning the handle of a closed file did not make sense. - Memory leaks in `ads.createbase` and `ads.iterate` have been removed. - `ads.filepos` has been documented. 2.9.4a, December 26, 2015 - Windows only: Due to a very kind hint by an Agena user, the missing dynamic link library libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll needed by the gdi and gzip packages has been added to the Windows installers. 2.9.4, December 07, 2015 - The new function `stats.midrange` computes the sum of the minimum and maximum value of a distribution, divided by two. - The new `|` operator compares two finite numbers a, b, determines whether a is less than b, a is equal to b, or a is greater than b, and returns -1, 0, or 1 respectively. - A numerical stack has been built into Agena. It can store numbers only. See Chapter 7.41 of the Primer and Reference for details. - Agena for Windows has been recompiled with GCC 4.8.1. The binaries are around 20 percent faster now. - `math.tobytes` had been rewritten for it did not work correctly if Agena had been compiled with GCC 4.8.x or higher. Thus, it now also works in DOS. - `mapm.xtonumber` could not convert a mapm arbitrary precision number into an Agena number. This has been fixed. - Improved error messages of `gzip.lines` and of `run`. - Some source files have been cleaned up, so Agena should compile better with very pedantic C compilers. - Extended the test suite. 2.9.3, November 17, 2015 - The new `// ... \\\\` constructor allows to define a table of constant numbers and/or strings the simple way: items may not be separated by commas, and strings do not need to be put in quotes as long as they satisfy the criteria for valid variable names (name starting with a hyphen or letter, including diacritics). Records are supported as well. Expressions like `sin(0)` etc. are _not_ parsed. Example: > a := // 0~0 1 2 3 zero one two three '2and3' \\\\: [0 ~ 0, 1 ~ 1, 2 ~ 2, 3 ~ 3, 4 ~ zero, 5 ~ one, 6 ~ two, 7 ~ three, 8 ~ 2and3] - The new function `math.wrap` conducts a range reduction of a number to a given interval [min, max). - The new `inrange` operator checks whether a number is part of an interval. It is five times faster than the `in` operator. \"inrange(x, a, b)\" is equivalent to \"x in a:b\". - C-style comments ( /* ... */ ) are now supported. - The `**` operator turned into an infinite loop if the exponent was +/- `infinity` or `undefined`. This has been fixed. - The new `zx` package provides various elimentary mathematical functions implementing Chebyshev polynomials for sine, cosine, tangent, arcus sine, arcus cosine, arcus tangent, natural logarithm, exponentiation to the base E, general exponentiation, and square root. These functions are C implementations of the corresponding Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k ROM Z80 assembler routines. Furthermore, some auxiliary functions are provided to directly compute Chebyshev polynomial with a given coefficient vector, to reduce the range of arguments, and to retrieve or change Chebyshev coefficients. For completeness, pendents of all other ZX Spectrum math and Boolean functions are available, as well. 2.9.2, November 04, 2015 - The new `utils.uuid` function creates a random version 4 universally unique identifier (UUID), or the nil UUID. - `os.exit` now closes the state of the interpreter before leaving for the operating system if its last argument is the Boolean `true`. - In eComStation, the 'halt' switch to `os.terminate` can now halt the system, but it does not power it off. - The new `registry` package provides limited access to the registry and should be used instead of the `debug.getregistry` function. - The `system` function in the `debug` library has been moved to the `environ` package. An alias has been provided for backward compatibility. - Garbage collection has been changed when deleting set entries via indexing. - In the manual, the chapters on sandboxes and scripting have been improved. Also, userdata, lightuserdata, and the registry are now briefly described. The Crash Course has been extended, as well. 2.9.1, October 30, 2015 - The new `++` operator returns the next representable number larger than its argument. Likewise, `--` returns the next representable number smaller than its argument. They can be used to create open intervals, e.g. \"1 in ++1 : --2\" returns false, and use the same underlying C function as math.nextafter. With variables passed as arguments, the operators do not modify, i.e. increase or decrease, them (see `inc` and `dec` statements instead). - `put` now supports registers. - With sets, the standard assignment `setname[key] := value` is now supported. If value is `null`, key is deleted from the set. If value is not `null`, key is added to the set. - `rawset` can now delete a value from a set by passing the value as the second and `null` as the third argument. - The new function `numarray.purge` removes a given element from an array. - `numarray.include` can now insert a single number instead of an array into a numarray. - The new function `numarray.used` returns the estimated number of bytes consumed by the given array. - Arrays can now be reduced to zero size by `numarray.resize`. - When shrinking an array, `numarray.resize` no longer fills slots to be deleted with zeros. This prevents arrays from being modified if memory re-allocation fails. - The new environ.kernel/readlibbed setting returns a set of all the libraries imported in a session. The equivalent package.readlibbed set may be deprecated in the future. Likewise, environ.kernel/loaded returns the names of all standard libraries available after start-up. - The `insert` and `delete` statements did not cope well with complex expressions, e.g. \"insert 1 into f.g(x)\", with function f.g returning a structure. This has been changed. - With metamethods attached to tables, sequences and registers, the `insert` statement either failed or incorrectly added a value. This has all been fixed. - The `delete` statement did not support metamethods and thus allowed to purge values from structures protected by a proper read-only metamethod. Now, the delete statement supports metamethods: it passes `null` as the value and the data to be deleted as its key to the __writeindex metamethod. To protect values stored to structures you might define: > readonly_mt.__writeindex := proc(t, k, v) is > if unassigned v or assigned rawget(t, k) then > error('cannot delete or modify') > else > rawset(t, k, v) > fi > end; - The `pop`, `rotate`, `duplicate`, and `exchange` statements now issue an error if a structure features a __writeindex metamethod. This prevents read-only structures from being modified. - The `restart` statement did not delete loaded metatables from the environment. This has been fixed. - In DOS, `math.tobytes` did not work. The function now just returns `fail` on this operating system. - Improved the manual. 2.9.0, October 23, 2015 - The new `case of <condition>` syntax flavour is an alternative to the `if` statement, similar to the `switch` statement in the Go programming language. It may improve the readability of code. Example: > case > of x < 0 then return -1 > of x = 0 then return 0 > else return 1 > esac - `case` statements can now check whether numbers or characters are included in ranges, e.g.: > case value > of -1 to 1 then return true > of 'a' to 'c' then return true > esac - In `case` statements, the arrow token (->) can be used instead of the `then` keyword. - The new `odd` operator checks for odd numbers (integers). - The new `mod` statement computes the modulus of its operands and reassigns the result to the first operand. - The new function `math.isinfinity` checks for positive or negative infinity in one call. - The new `numarray` package implements arrays of C doubles, 32-bit integers, and unsigned chars and can also read and write binary files. - `math.tobytes` can convert an integer into a sequence of four bytes if given the optional number 4. Likewise, `math.tonumber` can convert a sequence of four bytes to a number. - The `environ.kernel/minlong` and `environ.kernel/maxlong` settings have been moved to `debug.system`. Two new constants have been added to the math package: `math.smallest` and `math.largest` represent the smallest and largest positive representable number and - contrary to the debug.system settings - are computed and assigned during start-up. - In Solaris, eComStation - OS/2, and DOS, the `abs` operator returns a more precise result with complex numbers. - `environ.kernel` can now return the smallest positive and largest representable Agena number (= C double). More number ranges have been added to `debug.system`. - Sometimes the `print` funtion printed one and the same table value with a numeric key twice. This has been fixed. - `calc.linterp` and `calc.polygen` could possibly crash Agena, this has been fixed. - In Windows 2000 and earlier, `os.cpuload` crashed Agena. This has been fixed. - Corrected error message of `llist.purge`. - The `hashes` package accidently also stored its package table to the registry. This has been changed. 2.8.6, September 29, 2015 - The new function `math.rint` rounds a float to an integer according to the current rounding mode (see environ.kernel/rounding). - The new function `os.realpath` converts each pathname argument to an absolute pathname, with symbolic links resolved to their actual targets and no . or .. directory entries. - The new function `os.strerror` returns the text message for the given error code, or the latest error issued by the underlying operating system. - `os.setenv` now allows to remove environment variables by passing the second argument `null` (as already mentioned in the manual). - A potential memory leak has been removed from the Windows version of `os.getenv`. - Agena crashed in the Windows edition of `os.setenv` if the environment variable name or its value exceeded 32,766 characters. This has been fixed. - The new command-line option `-s` issues a user-defined slogan at start-up. - The new command-line option `-x` surpresses the initialisation of the main Agena library file lib/library.agn at start-up. Setting this switch may be useful for debugging purposes only, or to save memory. Many functions, however, will not be available if this option is used. - The `-n` (do not run initialisation file(s)) command-line switch has been ignored by the `restart` statement. This has been fixed. - The new `environ.kernel` settings `skipinis` and `skipmainlib` control whether Agena initialisation files and the main Agena library are loaded during a `restart`. - The new `environ.kernel` setting `rounding` sets or retrieves the current rounding mode. - `environ.kernel`: Agena could crash when reading or changing the `digits` setting. This has been fixed. - The new C API functions `agn_isvalidindex` and `agn_stackborders` determine valid stack positions. The functions may be useful for debugging purposes, only. 2.8.5, September 01, 2015 - `antilog2` and `antilog10` now automatically use the same function called by the `^` exponentiation operator (i.e. C's pow) if their arguments are out of the bounds +/- 308.2547155599167 and +/- 1024, respectively, instead of simply returning 0 or `infinity`. - The new `xnor` operator implements the if-and-only-if Boolean operator which return true if both its operands are the same, and `false` otherwise. - With functions of two arguments called like binary operators: before, only simple names could be used in the call expression; now, indexed names and even esoteric calls to functions returning functions are allowed, as well: > add := << x, y -> x + y >>; > 1 add 2: # -> 3 > t := [add = << x, y -> x + y >>]; > 1 t.add 2: # -> 3 > 1 t['add'] 2: # -> 3 > subtract := proc() is return << x, y -> x - y >> end > 2 subtract() 2: - The new function `math.fdima` returns x - y if x >= y, and a default otherwise. - `os.system` could not detect properly detect Windows 10. This has been fixed. - `os.unmount` crashed in Sun Solaris 10. This has been fixed. - The plus library DLL files in the portable Windows version of Agena 2.8.4 had been out-of-date. This has been changed. - `xor`, `nand`, and `nor` have been tuned a little bit. 2.8.4, August 23, 2015 - The new function `math.quadrant` returns the quadrant of an angle given in radians and returns an integer in [1, 4]. - The new function `math.fdim` returns x - y if its argument x is greater than y, else returns 0. - The new function `math.isminuszero` checks for minus zero (-0). - The new function `math.symtrunc` returns its argument if it is in a given range, and a default otherwise. - In Windows, Solaris, and Debian, `math.signbit`, `math.isordered`, `fma`, `finite`, `log2`, as well as `int`, `frac` and their related functions now use C functions provided by the underlying platform instead of self-defined implementations. - `math.signbit` now returns correct values on formerly unsupported platforms, instead of just zero. - Both `antilog10` and `antilog2` have become five times faster by using the respective Cephes Math Library implementations. Please note the new ranges for the arguments: +/- 308.2547155599167 and +/- 1024, respectively. If the argument is out of these bounds, the operators return 0 or `infinity`. For very small arguments, you might use the `^` operator. - `stats.prange`, `stats.iqmean`, `stats.trimean`, `stats.quartiles`, `stats.fivenum`, `stats.smm`, and `stats.gsmm` now use the introsort algorithm to sort observations instead of traditional recursive Quicksort, to speed up computation times. - Positive numbers can now be preceded with the `+` token, as asserted in the manual. This will not effect anything. - `os.cpuload` crashed in Windows 2000 and earlier. This has been fixed. - `os.symlink` may have crashed in Windows. This has been fixed. - The `to` statement (not the `for` statement) could corrupt the stack in Agena 2.8.3. This has been fixed. - Fixed the -0 constant bug when loading or running script files. - Minor change to `os.system` et al: future Windows releases beyond 10 are now properly handled, provided no Win API changes will be made. - `os.terminate` is no longer available in Mac OS X since the Carbon framework formerly being linked caused memory leaks in Agena. - Improved the scheme files and parts of the Primer and Reference. 2.8.3, July 29, 2015 - A new flavour of the `with` statement is available: with <name> do: within the body of this statement, the table <name> can be referenced by just an underscore. It also allows to actively change values in the table <name>. Example: > zips := [duedo = 4000, bonn = 5300] > with zips do > print(_.bonn); > _.bonn := 53111 > od 5300 > zips: [bonn ~ 53111, duedo ~ 4000] This is syntactic sugar for: > scope > local _ := zips; > print(_.bonn); > _.bonn := 53111 > epocs All flavours of the `with` statement now allow its block to be surrounded by the `do` and `od` - instead of the `scope` and `epocs` keywords - just as allowed by Modula-2. - Numeric `for` loops with stop value 0 (zero) and a fractional step size did not stop at 0 but one step before. This has been fixed. Optimised internals of numeric for loops, as well. - The new function `rot` rotates a two-dimensional vector, represented by a (complex) number, through a given angel. - The new function `everyth` returns every given k-th element of a structure and returns a new structure. - `stats.iqr` has become six times faster if the distribution is unsorted. - `tanc` has become twelve percent faster. - The new function `stats.qcd` determines the quartile coefficient of dispersion. - `math.dms` returned imprecise results. This has been fixed. The function has also become 25 percent faster. - `math.random` behaved poorly if called with no arguments. This has been fixed. 2.8.2, July 14, 2015 - The new function `calc.ibeta` implements the incomplete beta integral. - The new function `calc.invibeta` evaluates the inverse of the incomplete beta integral. - `stats.acf` now optionally accepts a pre-computed arithmetic mean and the sum of all values in a distribution. This option reduces computation time to a third. - The new `tanc` function returns tan(x)/x for real or complex x <> 0, and 1 for x = 0. - The new `stats.invnormald` implements the inverse Normal distribution function. - The arguments of `calc.igamma` and `calc.igammac` have been swapped to comply with related integral functions. - `stats.gammadc` evaluated the Gamma distribution function instead of the complemented one. This has been fixed. - `calc.polygen` does not accept more than 256 arguments any longer for this could corrupt an internal stack. - The following functions now properly free internal memory in case of errors: `stats.acf`, `stats.acv`, `stats.prange`, `stats.neighbours`, `stats.nearby`, `calc.interp`, `calc.newtoncoeffs`. 2.8.1, July 07, 2015 - `stats.trimean` now optionally accepts a given percentile rank determining the lower and upper margin. - The new function `stats.fivenum` returns the five-number summary of a distribution, plus the arithmetic mean. - The new functions `calc.Ai` and `calc.Bi` compute the Airy wave functions and their respective first derivatives. - The new `calc.zeta` function computes the Riemann zeta function. - The new `calc.polylog` function computes the polylogarithm of a given order and point in the real domain. - The new function `calc.En` computes the exponential integral int(exp(-x*t)/t^n, t = 1 .. infinity). - The new `calc.igamma` evaluates the incomplete gamma integral. - The new `calc.igammac` evaluates the complemented incomplete gamma integral. - The new `stats.gammad` Gamma distribution function returns the integral from zero to x of the gamma probability density function. - The new `stats.gammadc` complemented Gamma distribution function returns the integral from x to infinity of the gamma probability density function. - `calc.polygen` has become twenty times faster by using the same technique to access internal data as `calc.linterp` has done. The former bug that wrong results have been returned when passing more than 254 coefficients thus has also implicitely been fixed. - The index of the Primer and Reference, and the Crash Course have been improved, as well. 2.8.0, June 23, 2015 - The new `with` statement unpacks values from a table, declares them local and then is able to access them in a block. The new names are variables on their own and do not refer to the indexed values in the table: zips := ['duedo' ~ 40210:40629, 'bonn' ~ 53111:53229, 'cologne' ~ 50667:51149]; with duedo, bonn in zips scope print(duedo, bonn, cologne); duedo := null # zips.duedo is not changed epocs; -> 40210:40629 53111:53229 null print(zips.duedo) -> 40210:40629 - The former `with` function has been renamed to `initialise`, but there are no changes to the `import` statement. - The assignment statement has been extended to unpack values from a table, the `local` statement is supported, as well. Thus, duedo, bonn in zips is equal to (local) duedo, bonn := zips.duedo, zips.bonn Both extensions are based on a Lua 5.1 power patch written by Peter Shook. - Record fields in tables can now be defined more easily by using the equals sign separating the - unquoted - record field name and the corresponding value. Thus, zips := ['duedo' ~ 40210:40629, 'bonn' ~ 53111:53229, 'cologne' ~ 50667:51149]; is equal to zips := [duedo = 40210:40629, bonn = 53111:53229, cologne = 50667:51149]; The old way to define record fields using tildes is still supported. Both styles can be mixed: zips := ['duedo' ~ 40210:40629, bonn = 53111:53229, cologne = 50667:51149]; Please note that if you want to enter the result of a Boolean equality check into a table, use the `==` token instead of the `=` sign. - `os.date` can return the Julian date if given the new '*j' format, or the Lotus 1-2-3 Serial Date if given the new '*l' format. - The new function `os.lsd` computes the Lotus 1-2-3 Serial Date, which is also used in Excel (known there as `Excel Serial Date`), where January 01, 1900 is day 1. It returns a number. (Day 60 = non-existent February 29, 1900 is properly handled.) - `os.now` also returns the Lotus 1-2-3 Serial Date with the 'lsd' key. - `xbase.writedate` now accepts both strings and numbers as the date to be written to a dBASE file. - `os.time` did not check for the existence of a given date and returned miraculous results with invalid dates. This has been fixed. - Remember tables sometimes failed returning a cached result if too many entries have been stored to them. This bug has been fixed. - The initialisation routine that searches for the main Agena library has become stricter to avoid unneccessary problems in UNIX. - The `values` operator has been fixed to avoid problems with strict equality checks (`==` operator). - On the interactive level, i.e. the Agena prompt, diacritics defined in the ISO 8859/1 Latin-1 codepage can now be part of names. Please note that within scripts stored to a file, diacratics still are not allowed within names. - Deprecated `stats`, `linalg`, and `xbase` functions now are correctly initialised in the compat.agn compatibility file. 2.7.0, June 12, 2015 - Formerly, only one expected type of return could be defined for procedures, now you can specify up to four basic types by putting them in curly brackets, e.g.: > f := proc(x) :: {number, complex} is return 'a' end > f() In stdin at line 1: Error in `return`: unexpected type string in return. - There has been a subtle change on how Agena treats the last iteration value of numeric for loops if such loops are executed _on the interactive level_, i.e. not within a function: if the loop is part of a block, then the last iteration value now is accessible only in this `scope` block, but not in outer blocks: > scope > for i to 10 do od; > print(i) > epocs 11 > print(i) null > for i to 10 do od > print(i) 11 This fix has been applied to comply with the description in the Primer and Reference, so that the behaviour now is the same both with functions and the interactive level. - If you assign a procedure to `environ.onexit`, then when quittung Agena with `bye`, `os.exit`, or CTRL-C, this procedure will be called before exiting the interpreter. The procedure is also called when issuing the `restart` statement. Thus you may conduct file system clean-up, pass back information if Agena is being piped, save variables to disk, or anything else. - Remember tables can now already be assigned during procedure definition: just put the statement `feature reminisce` right after the `is` keyword. You may thus save an explicit call to `rtable.rinit` after the procedure has been defined. Thus, also anonymous procedures support remember tables now. - `os.system` can now directly detect Windows 10 and Windows 10 Server. The function also now correctly acknowledges Windows Server 2012 R2. - The `tar` package (UNIX tape archive reader) has become a part of the Agena distribution. - The new function `gdi.lineplot` plots lines between 2-dimensional points. It is just an easy-to-use wrapper around `gdi.pointplot` with the connect = true option. - `gdi.pointplot` with the connect = true option now supports the `thickness` and `linestyle` options for lines. - `gdi.setline`, `gdi.setcircle`, `gdi.setarc`, `gdi.setellipse`, `gdi.setrectangle`, `gdi.settriangle` now accept a thickness value as the very last argument. By default, it is 1 (= normal). - The new function `math.decompose` splits an integer of any base into its digits. - `math.ndigits` has been ported to C, and processes non-positive values, as well. It has not necessarily become faster. - The new C API function `agn_checkposint` checks whether a value is a positive integer. - The new C macro `lua_regsetinumber` sets an Agena number to the given index of a register. - The scheme files have been improved. - `environ.attrib` now checks whether a register has been assigned a user-defined type. 2.6.1, May 27, 2015 - A slightly improved version of the tar package including better documentation has been uploaded: http://sourceforge.net/projects/agena/files/Packages/tar.agn/download. - Chapter 6.24 of the Primer and Reference on object-oriented programming has been extended: http://sourceforge.net/projects/agena/files/Manuals/agena.pdf/download. 2.6.1, May 25, 2015 - `environ.kernel` returns all current kernel settings when called with no argument. - In Windows, eComStation, and UNIX incl. Mac OS X `os.memstate`, now also returns the page size in bytes. If the memory status could not be determined in eComStation, then `os.memstate` now returns a table with all the values set to `undefined` instead of just returng `fail`. - `os.fattrib` now accepts a number (representing an octal value, like the argument to the UNIX chmod command)to change the mode of a file, so for example UNIX `chmod 755 file` = Agena `os.fattrib(file, 0o755)`. - `strings.tochars` now also accepts a sequence of numbers (unsigned chars) to be converted to a string. - The new function `binio.lines` creates an iterator that returns a line in a file step-by-step. - The new function `binio.isfdesc` checks whether a file handle is valid. - `binio.rewind` now accepts an optional position. If given, the function resets the file pointer to this position relative to the beginning of the file. - The new function `math.tobytes` returns a sequence with all the bytes of a number in Little Endian order. - The new function `math.tonumber` takes a sequence of numbers representing bytes and converts it into an Agena number. - The error messages of various I/O functions in the io and binio packages now give more detail. - `strings.tochars` has been patched to cope with embedded zeros. - `os.fattrib` could not change the date and time of files. This has been fixed. Also, in UNIX, `os.settime` issued errors - this has been fixed, too. - Corrected error messages of `os.datetosecs`. - The `ignorespaces` default (formerly true) has been changed: now `utils.readcsv` does not delete spaces in 1fields any longer. Also, if fields are enclosed in double qoutes, the function also automatically deletes these quotes. You can set the new `removedoublequotes = false` option to avoid this. - Agena for Windows now runs around 10 % faster, as it has been compiled with MinGW/GCC 4.5.2 instead of 4.6.2. - Two new packages have been uploaded to http://sourceforge.net/projects/agena/files/Packages: - a package to list, read, and extract individual files from a UNIX tar archive, and - a package called `Agner` with phone line availability formulaes developed by Danish Scientist Agner Krarup Erlang. Please see the respective Agena source files for the documentation. 2.6.0, May 10/11, 2015 - You can now `define` your own binary operators just by using functions of two arguments, > plus := proc(x, y) is return x + y end; the following way: > 1 plus 2: 3 When using a function as a binary operator, it has always the highest precedence. - Agena now supports OOP-style methods. To define a method for a table object, > account := ['balance' ~ 0] enter something like (please note the two `@` tokens): > proc account@@deposit(x) is > inc self.balance, x; > return self.balance > end The name `self` always refers to the table object. Call the method using two `@` characters: > account@@deposit(100) Query the object. > account: [balance ~ 100, deposit ~ procedure(016D6820)] For more information, check http://www.lua.org/pil/16.html. - Added `divs.asine`, `divs.acosine`, `divs.asecant`, `divs.hsine`, `divs.hcosine`, `divs.htangent` and the proper metamethods for the arcsin, arccos, arcsec, sinh, cosh, and tanh operators, to the `divs` package. The `recip` and `~<>` operators now also support fractions. - The new `<<<<` and `>>>>` operators return the number x (left operand) rotated a given amount of bits (right operand) to the left or the right. - `inc`, `dec`, `mul`, and `div` accepted function calls as the first argument. This has been fixed. - The `linalg` package now supports the division operator for vectors, and the `~<>` operator for both vectors and matrices. - Some `linalg` functions have been marginally improved with regards to runtime behaviour. - The list of available metamethods in Appendix A2 of the Primer and Reference has been extended. - The `shift` operator has been removed. Please use the `<<<` operator for left-shift operations, and `>>>` for right-shifts. An alias, however, has been provided for backward compatibility. - Extended the scheme files. - The undocumented reserved words `algform` and `kthmoment` have been removed. - The agena-2.6.0-win32-gcc452* installers feature a Windows version of Agena that runs around ten percent faster. 2.5.4, May 06, 2015 - Due to a suggestion by a forum user, you may now include double quotes in a string delimited by single quotes without using a backslash. The same applies to single quotes embedded in a string delimited by double quotes, e.g. \"'agena'\" is now a valid string. - `inc`, `dec`, `mul`, and `div` accepted function calls as the first argument. This has been fixed. - The `typeof` operator could not determine user-defined types for userdata. This has been fixed. - The `cls` and `bye` statements can now be included in chunks (e.g. loop or procedure bodies), there are no longer syntax errors. Thus, os.execute('/usr/bin/clear') or os.exit() statements in chunks are no longer needed. - Two variables in `gdi.plotfn` had been declared global. This has been fixed. - The Linux build scripts have been corrected. 2.5.3, April 26, 2015 - A non-yum based WarpIN installer of Agena for eComStation has been uploaded due to a kind hint from Serenity Systems, Italy. 2.5.3, April 12, 2015 - Due to an idea from Serbia, a new type check metamethod '__oftype' has been introduced for all structures and for userdata. If a type check metamethod exists for such an object, then it is run with calls to the :: and :- operators. If the object does not satisfy the criteria defined in the metamethod, then Agena returns `false`. This also applies to function calls: if the check fails, Agena issues an error, e.g.: > mt := [ '__oftype' ~ proc(x) is return type(x) = pair and left(x) :: number and right(x) :: number end ]; > duo := 1:2; > setmetatable(duo, mt); > f := proc(x :: pair) is return x end; > f(duo): 1:2 > duo := 'a':'b'; > setmetatable(duo, mt); > f(duo): In stdin: argument #1 does not satisfy type check metamethod '__oftype' metamethods can also check results to procedure calls if an expected result type is specified in a procedure definition (e.g. `f := proc(x :: pair) :: pair is return x end;`). - User-defined types can now also be set to registers. - `stats.sumdataln` returned incorrect results. This has been fixed. - `stats.gmean` has been rewritten using logarithmic sums and now is twice as fast. - The new function `stats.meanvar` returns both the artithmetic mean and the variance of a distribution. - The new function `stats.standardise` normalises a distribution so that they become comparable. - The new function `stats.covar` computes the covariance of two distributions. - The '__sin' metamethod has been removed. 2.5.2, April 07, 2015 - `gdi.plotfn` now can also plot graphs of high slope functions correctly thanks to a contribution by a Serbian user. - The following binary operators are now at least thrice as fast: `xor`, `atendof`, `&&`, `||`, `^^`, `~~`, `<<<`, `>>>`, `::`, `:-`, `*%`, `/%`, `+%`, `-%`, `@`, and `$`. - The new `~<>` binary operator checks whether two numbers or complex numbers are not approximately equal, i.e. it is the negation of the `~=` operator. - The new `nand` and `nor` operators are the negations of `and` and `or`, respectively. - The new function `stats.cauchy` returns the probability density function 1/(Pi*b*(1+((x-a)/b)^2)), of the Cauchy distribution. - The new function `stats.sumdataln` sums up the natural logarithms of the observations in a distribution. - The new functions `stats.durbinwatson` tests the autocorrelation in the residuals from a linear regression. - The functions `stats.sum` and `stats.sumdata` have been merged, i.e. `sumdata` now also accepts a data selection function. `stats.sum` has been deprecated, but an alias is provided for backward-compatibility. - Most statistics functions now ignore `infinity` and `undefined` if present in tables. With sequences, the functions have already skipped these non-finite values. 2.5.1, March 30, 2015 - Agena allowed to start a string with a single quote and finish it with a double quote, and vice versa. This has been changed: string delimiters must now either be single or double quotes. - Besides including one or more single quotes within a number to group digits, also underscores (like in Ada) can be used. Underscores and single quotes, however, cannot be mixed. - Functions alternatively can be defined using the Algol-like syntax: proc <name>(<arguments>) is <statements> end, which is equal to <name> := proc(<arguments>) is <statements> end. - The new `cis` operator computes the complex exponential function exp(I*x) = cos(x) + I*sin(x) for any real or complex argument x and is around 25 % faster than the equivalent expression exp(I*x). - If any Boolean is given as the last argument to `math.random`, then the sequence of random numbers should be arbitrary. - The new function `stats.chisquare` returns the probability density function x^((nu-2)/2) * exp(-x/2)/2^(nu/2)/gamma(nu/2), of the chisquare distribution. - The new function `stats.fratio` returns the probability density function gamma( (nu1+nu2)/2)/gamma(nu1/2)/gamma(nu2/2)*(nu1/nu2)^(nu1/2)* x^((nu1-2)/2) / ( 1+ (nu1/nu2)*x) ^ ((nu1+nu2)/2), of Fisher's F distribution. - The new function `stats.normald` returns the the probability density function exp( -(x-mu)^2/2/sigma^2 ) / sqrt(2*Pi*sigma^2), of the normal distribution. - The new `stats.studentst` function returns the probability density function gamma( (nu+1)/2 )/gamma(nu/2)/sqrt(nu*Pi)/(1+t^2/nu)^((nu+1)/2), of the Student's t-distribution. - `stats.skewness` can now compute the sample skewness of a distribution by passing an optional argument. - The new function `stats.kurtosis` determines the kurtosis (peakedness) of symmetric and unimodal distributions. - `skycrane.dice` now creates truely random numbers. - Agena cow correctly returns `undefined` with the numeric expressions 0^0 and 0**0. For the sake of speed of the exponentiation operators, it still incorrectly returns 1 instead of `undefined` for infinity^0. 2.5.0, March 23, 2015 - `utils.writecsv` can now also write a header and enclose each value with a given string. Also, any option can now be given in the form `option = value`. The old way of sequentially passing options is still supported. - `stats.gmean` has been rewritten for it returned wrong values with distributions containing very small or very large values provoking underflows or overflows. Also, the function no longer returns complex values if the sign of the product of all observations is negative (returning `undefined` instead), and issues an error if the distribution contains complex values for it now computes in the real domain, only. The function has become twice as fast. - `<<<`, and `>>>`, `stats.skewness`, and `fractals.dragon` have been tuned a little bit. - `unpack` with a given register may have crashed Agena if the interpreter had not been compiled with GCC. - The `shift`, `<<<`, and `>>>` bitshift operators could crash Agena when called with non-numbers. This has been fixed. - Registers had not been correctly garbage-collected, leading to out-of-memory errors with large registers. This has been fixed. - The test suite now properly cleans up the namespace. - The manual and the scheme files have been corrected. - The following deprecated operators and functions have now been removed, the following list includes their substitutes right after the `->` token. Except is/si and ->, all of these functions can be used by running the `/lib/compat.agn' file. -> mapping -> @ operator bags.attribs -> bags.attrib calc.newton -> calc.interp clock.dectotm -> clock.totm clock.tmtodec -> clock.todec gethigh -> math.gethigh getlow -> math.getlow io.flush -> io.sync is and si -> if and fi linalg.backsubs -> linalg.gsolve linalg.meq -> linalg.maeq linalg.veq -> linalg.vaeq math.log2exp -> ilog2 math.tworaised -> antilog2 notisnegint -> isnonnegint notisposint -> isnonposint optnnonneg -> optnnonnegative; registers.gettop -> size sethigh -> math.sethigh setlow -> math.setlow stats.kosumdata -> stats.sumdata stats.ssd -> stats.sd utils.cdate -> astro.cdate utils.decode64 -> utils.decodeb64 utils.isleapyear -> astro.isleapyear varprep -> qmdev xbase.field -> xbase.readdbf xbase.isVoid -> xbase.isvoid 2.4.5, March 10, 2015 - Two new modifiers for `strings.format`, `printf`, and related functions have been introduced to prevent quarrels with numerical functions that can return non-numbers in case of errors: 'D' prints an integer if the argument is a number, and the C double representation of undefined otherwise. 'F' likewise either prints a float, or the C double pendant of undefined. - the q modifier to `strings.format`, `printf`, etc. now works as described in the manual. The new Maple-like a modifier works like the q modifier but does not include trailing and leading double quotes. - The new function `strings.diffs` counts the differences between two strings: substitutions, transpositions, deletions, and insertions. Besides returning the number of differences, it can also return the types of differences. The function is thrice as fast as `strings.dleven`, but may count differently. - The name of the former `varprep` operator has been changed to `qmdev`. An alias has been provided for backward-compatibility (put varprep's argument in brackets). - The order of arguments to `stats.sd` has been changed: a) if any third argument is given (formerly second argument), the coefficient of variation is computed. b) if the optional second argument evaluates to `true`, the (unbiased) sample standard deviation is returned, otherwise the population standard deviation is computed. - `stats.var` has been extended to also compute the (unbiased) sample variance or the index of dispersion. - `stats.moment` can now also compute sample moments by passing `true` as the new fourth argument. - `stats.trimean` returned some sort of garbage if the distribution contained less than two observations. This has been fixed. - `stats.ssd` has been deprecated, please use `stats.sd(<distribution>, true)` instead. - Improved error handling of `stats.checkcoordinate`. - The former `gethigh`, `getlow`, `sethigh`, and `setlow` operators are now functions moved into the math library, i.e. the new names are `math.gethigh`, etc. Aliases have been provided for backward compatibility. - Corrected the scheme files. 2.4.4, March 04, 2015 - The new function `descend` recursively descends into a deeply nested structure and returns all elements that satisfy a given condition. - `recurse` now accepts multivariate functions. - `stats.moment` now uses the Kahan-Babuška method to prevent round-off errors. - `stats.kosumdata` has been renamed to `stats.sumdata`. For backward compatibility, an alias has been provided. - Corrected error messages of `stats.acv`. Improved error messages in some other stats functions in case of memory allocation failures. - `stats.iqmean`, `stats.trimean` and `stats.quartile` had to be patched once again to avoid crashes with distributions containing the value `undefined`. 2.4.3, February 18, 2015 - `stats.acf`, `stats.acv`, `stats.ad, `stats.amean`, `stats.ema`, `stats.gini`, `stats.gsm`, `stats.iqmean`, `stats.meanmed`, `stats.sma`, `stats.kosum`, and `stats.zscore` and now use the Kahan-Babushka instead of the Kahan-Ozawa summation algorithm, and thus have become up to 20 percent faster now. Kahan-Babuška adds a corrective value to the pre-computed result after the last iteration, whereas Kahan and Kahan-Ozawa adds it in each iteration. - `stats.prange`, `stats.iqmean`, `stats.trimean`, `stats.quartiles` crashed Agena if an observation contained the value `undefined`. `stats.prange` sometimes also crashed Agena due to other reasons. This has all been fixed. - The `sadd` operator now uses Kahan-Babushka summation to prevent round-off errors. 2.4.2, February 15, 2015 - The new operator `sinc` implements the unnormalised cardinal sine function, i.e. sin(x)/x. - The new function `rect` implements the rectangular function. - The new `linalg.reshape` function restructures a matrix to new dimensions and works like the corresponding Octave function of the same name. - The new function `math.signbit` checks whether its numeric argument has its sign bit set. - The new function `math.eps` returns the relative spacing between its numeric argument and its adjacent number in the machine’s floating point system. - The new function `stats.iqmean` returns the arithmetic mean of the interquartile range of a distribution. - The new function `stats.trimean` (not to be confused with `stats.trimmean`) returns the trimean and the median of a distribution to check whether it is biased. - Numeric `for` loops with fractional step sizes can now alternatively use the enhanced Kahan-Ozawa summation algorithm instead of the default original Kahan one, by the setting: environ.kernel(kahanozawa = true). - The `copy` operator can now explicitely extract the array or the hash part of a table by passing the new optional second argument 'array' or 'hash'. - `stats.quartiles` has been ported to C and is at least twice as fast now. Furthermore, it no longer assumes a sorted distribution. Also, the function no longer issues an error if the distribution contains less than two observations, but just returns `fail`. - The new `varprep` operator pre-computes a `variance sum` which must be divided either by the number of elements n in a distribution to calculate its population variance, or by n - 1 to compute its sample variance. - `stats.var` and `stats.sd` returned wrong results especially if the variance is close to the arithmetic mean of a distribution; the results sometimes were even negative or had imprecise accuracy. This has been changed by using an algorithm published by Donald Knuth / B. P. Welford, which is much more accurate - to the disadvantage of speed. - All statistics functions that determine or work with quartiles now determine the first and third quartile according to the NIST rule which has always been used by `stats.quartiles` (which had been wrongly documented): position of Q1 := entier(1/4*(n + 1)), position of Q3 := entier(3/4*(n + 1)), where n is the number of observations in a distribution. - `stats.isany` and `stats.isall` crashed with sequences. This has been changed. - Changed the `xbase` sources to prevent compiler warnings. - This release has been Valgrind-checked on x86 Linux and Mac to ensure there are no memory leaks. 2.4.1a, February 03, 2015 - The `lower` and `upper` operators have been tuned by around 6 %. - Applied changes to some source files to reduce compilation problems with GCC >= 4.6. - The Windows version has become around 5 % faster (measured by comparing test suite runs) by recompiling the sources with GCC 4.6.2 and the -O3 switch. - The eCS, Solaris, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and DOS versions have been recompiled. - This release has been Valgrind-checked on x86 Linux and Mac to ensure there are no memory leaks. 2.4.1, February 01, 2015 - The new operators `antilog2` and `antilog10` raise 2 and 10 to the power of the given arguments, respectively. Depending on the support of the underlying C functions exp2 and exp10, they are around 30 % faster than the corresponding a^x operations. - The new `signum` operator returns 1 if its real argument is non-negative, and -1 otherwise. For complex argument z, it returns z/|z|. - The new function `math.koadd` adds two numbers using Kahan-Ozawa round-off error prevention. - The new function `stats.peaks` uses an alternative algorithm to determine peaks and valleys in time-series. - The new function `stats.md` returns the median deviation in a distribution. - The new functions `stats.isany` and `stats.isall` check whether distributions contains non-zero elements. - `stats.extrema` now is twice as fast than its former version. - The new function `stats.checkcoordinate` checks whether its argument is a pair consisting of two numbers. - The new function `optnumber` checks whether its argument is a number. If its argument is `null`, it returns a default number. - The new function `optpositive` checks whether its argument is a positive number. If its argument is `null`, it returns a default positive number. Likewise, `optposint` checks for positive integers. - The new function `optnonnegative` checks whether its argument is a non-negative number; if its argument is `null`, it returns a default non-negative number. Likewise, `optnonnegint` checks for positive integers. - The new function `optboolean` checks whether its argument is a Boolean; if its argument is `null`, it returns a default Boolean. - The new function `optstring` checks whether its argument is a string; if its argument is `null`, it returns a default string. - The new function `optcomplex` checks whether its argument is a (complex) number. If its argument is `null`, it returns a default (complex) number. - On Windows, `os.drivestat` returns further information on a drive: total number of clusters, number of free clusters, sectors per cluster, and bytes per sector. - `os.unmount` might have crashed in Solaris. This has been fixed. - `fma`, `isordered`, `trunc`, `log2`, and `isfinite` did not use the underlying C functions if available on the respective platform. Instead they used alternative definitions. This has been fixed. - Minor non-functional changes to the standard library file `lib/library.agn`. - The Agena Quick Reference is now edited with LibreOffice 3.4 instead of OpenOffice 4.1 due to issues with the latter application. - This release has been Valgrind-checked on x86 Linux and Mac to ensure there are no memory leaks. 2.4.0, January 11, 2015 The following measures have been taken to totally hide data in registers: - The `size` operator no longer returns the total size of a register regardless of the setting of the current top pointer. Instead, it simply returns the position of the top pointer at the time of its call. Since now there no longer is a way to determine the actual size of a register, you have to store its original size yourself. This measure also simplifies programming procedures that operate on registers, sequences, and tables. - Agena formerly allowed to assign values above the current top of a register. This bug has been fixed. - Error messages no longer indicate whether data has been hidden (obmission of the `current` word). Other changes are: - Both indices and and index ranges can now be mixed, e.g. a[2 to 3, 2] now is a valid expression. - The following functions now also support registers: `replace`, `join`, `qsadd`, `sadd`, and `smul`, `bintersect`, `bminus`, `bisequal`, `augment`, `columns`, and `utils.writecsv`. - The new function `os.iseCS` determines whether Agena is running on eComStation. - The new function `os.islinux` determines whether Agena is running on Linux. - The new function `os.unmount` unmounts filesystems in the UNIX-based editions. - The new function `getbits` returns all 32 bits in an integer; the new function `setbits` sets the given bits to an integer. - `qsadd` now uses fused-multiply add to compute more accurate results. - The new function `os.terminate` halts, reboots, sleeps, or hibernates the system. It can also logoff or lock the current user session. It is available in the Windows, eCS, and Mac OS X editions. - The new function `os.monitor` puts a monitor on and off, or on stand-by. It is available in the Windows and Linux editions, only. - The new function `os.mouse` returns information on the number of mouse buttons, vertical and horizontal scroll wheels, a flag on whether the left and right buttons have been swapped, and the speed and threshold. It is avail\nSource: README.TXT, updated 2016-08-15\n\nThanks for helping keep SourceForge clean.\n\nScreenshot instructions:\nRed Hat Linux   Ubuntu\n\nClick URL instructions:\n(This may not be possible with some types of ads)\n\nMore information about our ad policies\n\nBriefly describe the problem (required):\n\nUpload screenshot of ad (required):\nSelect a file, or drag & drop file here.\n\nPlease provide the ad click URL, if possible:\n\nGet latest updates about Open Source Projects, Conferences and News.\n\nSign up for the SourceForge newsletter:\n\nNo, thanks", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999977350234985}
{"content": "Spanner in the works\n\nBut while these tools and practices are intended to improve profitability,\nthere are indications of a fad-like cycle of over-promising, underperformance\nand abandonment of management accounting innovations.\n\nImplementation failure rates for many innovations are high. Even\norganisations that initially rate an innovation as successful may change their\nview over time and abandon it later.\n\nSome of this fad-like cycling can be explained by behavioural-economic ideas\nabout how rational human beings try to solve complex problems.\n\nMany management accounting innovations appeal because they promise insights\ninto organisational complexity. But because they tackle complexity, they are\nvulnerable to the side effects of tactics used to simplify complex situations\nand the judgment biases that result from them. New tools and practices create\nconflict because individuals are subject to overconfidence and ‘false consensus\n\nSome complex systems function adequately, not because they are free of major\nerrors but because they include countervailing errors.\n\nA major overestimate generated by one element in a faulty budgeting system\ncan be cancelled out by underestimates elsewhere in the system. The simplifying\ntactic of correcting the major over-estimate increases net error in the system.\n\nInnovative systems often provide information that is relevant but highly\nuncertain. To simplify, this information is treated as if it were relatively\n\nProcesses such as these lead to disappointment with the performance of\ninnovations. Awareness of these simplifying tactics and their consequences can\nmake innovations more effective by enabling managers to guard against their\npotential side effects.\n\nJoan Luft is professor of accounting at Michigan State University and\neditor of the Journal of Management Accounting Research\n\nRelated reading\n\nNew Logo Saffery Champness", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5328809022903442}
{"content": "Occup Environ Med 63:244-249 doi:10.1136/oem.2005.020644\n  • Original article\n\n\n  1. T Nakadate1,\n  2. Y Yamano1,\n  3. C Adachi1,\n  4. Y Kikuchi2,\n  5. Y Nishiwaki2,\n  6. M Nohara3,\n  7. T Satoh4,\n  8. K Omae2\n  1. 1Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan\n  2. 2Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan\n  3. 3Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan\n  4. 4Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan\n  1. Correspondence to:
 Professor T Nakadate
 Department of Hygiene, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan; nakadate{at}\n  • Accepted 27 October 2005\n\n\n\nObjectives: To conduct a cross sectional study to evaluate the association between the biological indices of lung fibrosis and toner dust exposure in an occupational cohort handling solid toner dust in their work life.\n\nMethods: A total of 600 male toner workers and 212 control subjects were surveyed in terms of their subjective respiratory symptoms, pulmonary functions, and chest radiographic findings. In addition to the exposure history, the current working conditions and personal exposure levels to toner dust were also examined.\n\nResults: Although subjects handling toner for more than 20 years tended to show a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and minimal chest x ray abnormalities, there was no consistent relation between the exposure to toner dust and the biological responses of the respiratory system.\n\nConclusion: Deterioration of respiratory health related to toner dust exposure is less likely to occur in current well controlled work environments, especially if the powdered toner is handled carefully. Nonetheless, it is important to collect further epidemiological evidence on the biological effects of toner dust inhalation, preferably using a longitudinal study design.\n\n\n  • Competing interests: none.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.991165280342102}
{"content": "Change search\nReferencesLink to record\nPermanent link\n\nDirect link\nReading Success and Vocabulary Knowledge among advanced professionals with English as their second language (L2): A comparative study of Russian and Swedish medical professionals in Sweden\nStockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of English.\n2009 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 80 credits / 120 HE creditsStudent thesis\nAbstract [en]\n\n\nIt is vital you have advanced knowledge in English as a second language (L2) if you work and/or research as a medical specialist at the Swedish academic university hospitals in Sweden. Otherwise it will be impossible to communicate within your area of interest, either orally or in writing, or even by means of reading, not only internationally but also between co-workers. All communication between academic professionals from different countries as well as textbooks, articles, instructions, lectures and exchange of information are in English.\n\nInterviews and tests for this essay were made with advanced medical researchers and specialists at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.\n\n\nThe aim of this research is to find out how closely estimated vocabulary size is related to successful reading.\n\nThere has not been much research on advanced academic intellectuals when it comes to advanced reading comprehension. Some studies on children and younger adults have shown that reading proficiency is based on the size of their vocabulary, the bigger vocabulary they have the higher their reading proficiency, while other studies have shown that the more they read the more they understand and automatically their vocabulary increases. Are these the only reasons for their reading proficiency, or are there other aspects involved? Do their vocabulary sizes affect their understanding when they read? Or what other reasons help reading and comprehending the text?\n\nIn comparing readers’ understanding of different domain-specific texts, it can be hypothesized that there are differences in comprehension between general and more specialized texts. It can also be thought that it is easier for Swedes to read and comprehend English as the same alphabet is used in English and Swedish, than for Russians, who are used to a different language structure with other typographical factors.\n\n\nFactors that Can Affect Reading Success\n\n- The Linguistic Threshold Hypothesis\n\n- Background knowledge\n\n- Prior knowledge\n\n- Interest and attitude\n\nGeneral Questions\n\n1. How important is a L2 reader’s vocabulary size to his/her understanding of a text? Could other factors be more important?\n\n2. Is it possible for professionals with poor linguistic proficiency in English to read and understand domain specific texts due to their expert knowledge?\n\n3. Is professionals’ receptive proficiency similar within their domain specific areas and in general areas?\n\n4. Is there an effect of having lived in an English-speaking country on reading comprehension or vocabulary size?\n\n\n1. The L1 typology would make a difference.\n\n2. The Swedes would have a better vocabulary and a better general comprehension of general English, and thereby a better understanding of the domain-specific texts as well.\n\n\nProfessionals often have English as their L2. They are assumed to read English texts as efficiently as they read texts in their L1. In this essay the focus was set on their reading ability and their vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary was assessed as academic or infrequent, and reading was assessed by means of tests of word recognition, single sentence comprehension, evaluation of logical arguments based on two sentence recognitions, and reading domain-specific, medical articles as well as general articles.\n\nData was collected from medical researchers and specialists during this empirical research. The specialists were presumed to read English journal articles on a daily basis in their area of expertise, medicine, and use English as their working language. Seven Russians and seven Swedes were interviewed between February and April 2007. They had chosen the date, time and place for their interviews.\n\nThe testing took about 90 minutes and was divided into\n\n\nEach subject was asked to fill out a questionnaire about his/her educational and social background. This data could not be used in this essay, but would be interesting to use for research about the impact of social background on the proficiency of English as a L2.\n\nThen they were asked to continue with paper diagnostic tests, the Proficiency Test, testing their syntax skills and vocabulary size. The Proficiency Test is a part of DIALANG, a self-assessment test developed by the Project of the European Commission for use on the Internet, and it was used along with a test of academic vocabulary, and a test of infrequent vocabulary, divided into synonyms and antonyms.\n\nThe computerized test, the SuperLab test, was divided into two sections. For the first section, Reading Proficiency, articles within the medical domain as well as various general domains were read and then retold orally. The retold stories were taped and the language used when retelling the story, L1 or L2, was decided by the subject, so they would feel comfortable when speaking. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed. The second part of the computerized sub skills, Reading Comprehension, consisted of word recognition and reading comprehension of one and more sentences.\n\n\nThe Proficiency Test\n\nThe Proficiency test tested vocabulary knowledge. Overall most of the subjects thought Part 2 Synonyms and Part 3 Antonyms were the most difficult parts of the whole test. Although they knew other languages, it was not possible to use that knowledge in this part of the test. One Swede thought the Part 3 Antonyms was the most difficult. Some words were recognised from earlier, from looking them up in dictionaries several times and then forgetting them again. Sometimes no alternative seemed to be correct. Another Swede commented that it was not obvious which alternative was the correct answer. Sometimes the synonym or antonym could be explained in his own words, but not with any of the alternatives. A third Swede commented that in reading a regular text you do not have to know every single word to get coherence.\n\nThe SuperLab Test\n\nThe computerized reading test, the SuperLab test, was to show reading comprehension of texts, sentences and word recognition. Since sentence comprehension did not correlate well with vocabulary size here, these results suggest that the size of the vocabulary above a certain level does not have an immediate impact on the logical judgement or comprehension of sentences At the same time it has to be remembered that the subjects are advanced academic professionals, and might not only use their vocabulary knowledge and size in a L2 when it comes to making conclusions and decisions.\n\nReading Comprehension - Analysis\n\nThe Reading Comprehension part of the test consisted of six different texts: three general texts and three medical texts. For each text there were a number of propositions that had to be correctly recalled to get points. The first text was on paper and the last five read and timed on the computer. It has to be kept in mind that the text read on paper, Text 1, presented the subjects with an opportunity to read as they usually do. Most of them seemed to read the title, skimmed the text and then read and reread the interesting or missed parts several times, until the message was clear. When the other five texts were read on the computer screen on the other hand, only one sentence was shown at a time, and disappeared when the next sentence was keyed for. This computerized way of reading the text forced the reader to remember what was read after each sentence, without knowing what came next. So, the ordinary way of reading a text was changed.\n\nReading Comprehension - Results\n\nA conclusion of all propositions indicated that the Russians as a group had higher results than the Swedes. When looking at the individual answers a pattern can be shown. The Swedes on an average were a more homogenous group with a smaller span between the top result and the lowest. The Russians were a more heterogeneous group.\n\nIn this essay the focus has been on the reading quality. The results showed that there are other circumstances than simple language and reading proficiency to be aware of. There is a difference in their background knowledge. How much of their ‘recall’ do they actually remember from the text and how much do they know from beforehand?\n\nFor example, the Reading Comprehension Test with the retelling of the five texts read in an unnatural way did not only test how much the subjects understood and recalled, but also how much they remembered. While reading the texts on the computer, one sentence at a time, the subjects had to focus on the meaning of each sentence in the text, memorize it and then read the next sentence. For the three first texts there was no demand for any previous knowledge to be able to read and understand the words and sentences separately. The subjects did not use any dictionaries, which they seldom do in their ordinary, everyday work either.\n\nThe results also show that interest and background knowledge were important factors to be able to understand the whole contents of each text. The meaning of the text was more easily understood the more background knowledge the subjects had.\n\n\nHypothesis 1 - The L1 typology would make a difference.\n\nThe tests did not show that the language background made a difference. The Russians lived in Sweden and spoke Russian among themselves but English with everybody else. They were well-educated academics, not only proficient in English within their own area, medical texts, but also very good at understanding general texts. When it came to reading comprehension the background knowledge seemed to be more important than the vocabulary skills.\n\n\nIt was not indicated at any time during the research for this essay that the Swedes had a better vocabulary and thereby would understand both general and domain-specific texts better. The understanding and comprehension seemed to be more based on attitude and background knowledge of the different texts.\n\nTsui and Fullilove (1998) found in their studies that it was extremely difficult to process information which contradicted what they already knew. This particularly showed during this essay, with some of the Russians questioning and discussing the contents of the medical texts, exactly as Steffensen and Joag-Dev (1979) found in their study. The authors stated that readers seemed to dismiss information they found unimportant, add information they thought should be there, and focus on what they found important, all based on their world view and their opinion.\n\nMost of the Russians seemed to be more involved and questioning than the Swedes in this investigation. This study showed that the more background knowledge the subjects had, the more they understood the texts.\n\nDuring the testing he Swedes made a point of the difficulties of reading the texts on the computers, which did not agree with their reading strategies. These Swedes seemed to attempt to use more normal strategies when reading the texts on the computer screen than the Russians. The Russians appeared to read more slowly overall. Slow readers usually had difficulties putting things together towards the end of sentences and paragraphs. Probably the Russians used more background information than English reading proficiency and understanding when doing the test.\n\nVocabulary Size and Reading Success\n\nDuring the work with this essay it was not proven that vocabulary size was directly linked to reading proficiency. The readers tested were advanced academic professionals, and might not only use their vocabulary but also their background knowledge when understanding the content of the texts used. The Russians were not a random selection, because those who participated were more confident with their English knowledge than those that did not participate.\n\n\nThere were of course some limitations during this study. One was fatigue among the subjects due to their hectic working environment and the long duration of the tests. Another issue was that most of the texts were on the screen, to be read sentence by sentence, and hence unnaturally read.\n\nOut of the results of these tests the conclusion could be drawn that even if you have a larger vocabulary, it would not necessarily mean you understand more.\n\nAfter having worked with the material for this essay and interviewing the scientists, brought up in an academic environment, I came to the conclusion that vocabulary knowledge and reading skills shown during a test did not show everything. Speed and accuracy of reading often correlate, but that was not the case in this study. Low proficiency did not seem to make an impact on the understanding of the text. The background knowledge was very important, but at the same time the attitude and interest of the subjects during the testing also had an enormous impact on their results.\n\n\nSteffensen, M.S., Joag-Dev, C. and Anderson, R.C. 1979. A cross-cultural perspective on reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1 (pp. 10-29).\n\nTsui, A.B.M. and Fullilove, J. 1998 Bottom-up or top-down processing as a discriminator of L2 listening performance. Ap\n\nPlace, publisher, year, edition, pages\n2009. , 25 p.\nKeyword [en]\nsuccessful reading, vocabulary size, advanced reading comprehension, second language, English, domain-specific text, academic professionals, background knowledge, prior knowledge, interest, attitude, the linguistic threshold hypothesis\nNational Category\nGeneral Language Studies and Linguistics\nURN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-8711OAI: diva2:175228\n2008-06-14, 00:00 (English)\nHumanities, Theology\nAvailable from: 2009-08-11 Created: 2004-01-01 Last updated: 2009-08-11Bibliographically approved\n\nOpen Access in DiVA\n\nNo full text\n\nBy organisation\nDepartment of English\nGeneral Language Studies and Linguistics\n\nSearch outside of DiVA\n\nGoogleGoogle Scholar\n\nTotal: 50 hits\nReferencesLink to record\nPermanent link\n\nDirect link", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8153339624404907}
{"content": "John Lithgow\nf p @\n67 lists\n\nJohn Lithgow\n\nJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Lithgow has received acclaim and many accolades in his career including two Tony Awards, five Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an American Comedy Award, four Drama Desk Awards and was also nominated for two Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards. Lithgow was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and American Theater Hall of Fame. Lithgow is well known for his telev...\n\n... more on Wikipedia\n\nlists about John Lithgow\n\n  • The Best John Lithgow Movies\n\n    605 Votes\n\n    List of the best John Lithgow movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. John Lithgow's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning more\n\n\nJohn Lithgow is ranked on...\n\n\nJohn Lithgow is also found on...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000090599060059}
{"content": "How to cook with rehydrated freeze dried\n\nProviding that you have stored your freeze dried food correctly, it will taste just as great as fresh food. Rehydrating the food is no big deal, but you may want to take a little bit of extra care when you cook it. I have to be honest and say that I think that freeze dried food often tastes better than regular frozen food. The process of freeze drying seems to intensify the flavor. There is no great mystery to how to rehydrate freeze dried food and still make it taste great. However, I have one hot tip for you. Dry your own herbs or invest in high quality dried herbs; it will make a lot of difference.\n\n\nHow to rehydrate freeze dried food\n\nFirst of all, I prefer to buy foods which have not been cooked before freeze drying. If you are still going to prepare family meals, it can taste better and give you the feeling of cooking with fresh food. That being said, cooked freeze-dried food has its place as well, and you should have this available also. From an energy point of view, it is much more economical in a crisis.\n\nAll you need to do to rehydrate food is to place it in a bowl of water and let it absorb all of the water it needs. It doesn’t take very long, and you can actually watch the process. In a few minutes, your food will be ready to cook or to enjoy. Remove from the water, and cook all food which wasn’t prepared prior to freeze drying. Ice cream, fruit, and berries do not need to be cooked. However, you should always cook the meat, or reheat it, if it hasn’t already been cooked.\n\n\nHow to cook your food\n\nCooking with uncooked meat and vegetables is not different from cooking with fresh produce. As I always try to focus on energy consumption when I cook, I will use a crock pot or a small gas stove. You can also use a steamer to cook vegetables and fish. Food such as fish and vegetables will retain more of its nutritional content if prepared in a steamer. Salmon steamed with herbs will taste great when cooked in a steamer.\n\nYou cook the food in the same way as fresh food. My personal preference is to cook it in a crockpot. Somehow, the freeze drying process seems to have made the food tastier. This is probably because no oxygen or water has been allowed access to the food. In other words, there has been nothing there to spoil it.\n\nCooking a casserole in a hot pot will taste just great, but remember to use your herbs. I find that you will need to add extra spices and herbs to the food to get an authentic taste of a dish. Onions are great as well, and you should try to add them if you can. I would advise against using things like powdered dairy cream. It doesn’t seem to taste very good. The fresh version is better, and will make the dish more home cooked.\n\nDon’t be afraid of freeze dried food. It is really great, and even of you are not a prepper, it can make a great addition to your larder. If, you are trying to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle, freeze dried food is a great alternative. You get more bang for your buck as they say!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMylar Bags and Oxygen Absorbers\n\nMylar Bags and Oxygen Absorbers from\n\n\n\n\n\nstoring food for the Long term\n\nstoring food for the Long term\n\n\n\nPlanning ahead for a crisis\n\n\n\nFood Crisis\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat food to store\n\nCanning Food for Long Term\n\nCanning Food for Long Term\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6905944347381592}
{"content": "Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas\n\nAlpine is the coldest place in Arizona. It's deep valley and tall surrounding mountains make for a frozen and secluded lake during the winter. You feel like you could whisper and the vastness would carry your voice to the other end of the landscape! #alpine, az #arizona #snowy arizona\n\nTerrific lodging near Alpine, Arizona heart of the White Mountains. Cross country skiing, hiking, fishing, snowmobiling. Accommodations, lodge rooms, cabins...\n\nOne of the most beautiful and peaceful things in nature to be around. Waterfalls Lakes Plitvice, Croatia National Park Is among the 20 most beautiful lakes in the world to 17th place.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9985597729682922}
{"content": "Distance from to\n\nDistance from Israel to Saudi Arabia\n\nDistance from Israel to Saudi Arabia is 1,284 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 798 miles.\n\nThe air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Israel and Saudi Arabia is 1,284 km= 798 miles.\n\nIf you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Israel to Saudi Arabia, It takes 1.42 hours to arrive.\n\n\nGPS Coordinates (DMS)31° 2´ 45.7800'' N\n34° 51´ 5.7960'' E\nAltitude462 m\n\nIsrael Distances to Countries\n\nDistance from Israel to Italy2,318 km\nDistance from Egypt to Israel613 km\nDistance from Israel to Montserrat9,701 km\n\nSaudi Arabia\n\nGPS Coordinates23° 53´ 9.3840'' N\n45° 4´ 44.9760'' E\nAltitude947 m\nCountrySaudi Arabia\n\nSaudi Arabia Distances to Countries\n\nSaudi ArabiaDistance\nDistance from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia4,194 km\nDistance from Netherlands to Saudi Arabia4,595 km\nDistance from Albania to Saudi Arabia3,004 km", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9660162329673767}
{"content": "Endangered Plants in the Laos Tropical Forest\n\nLaos is suffering from deforestation much like its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand. Southeast Asia is home to many rare tropical trees that are in great demand for exotic hardwoods, religious objects and as medicinal oils. Trees become endangered in Laos because of a combination of demand and unsustainable harvesting to meet that demand.\n\nAfzelia Xylocarpa\n\nAfzelia xylocarpa belongs to the same family of trees as the orchid tree and the flamboyant tree. It is more commonly known as black rosewood. This tree, because of its hard, dense wood that has a very fine grain, has been exploited for many purposes, including musical instrument construction, home construction and carvings. The bark of this tree is sometimes used in local hide tanneries. This tree usually grows in the Laotian low hill, ranging in altitude from 300 feet to 2,000 feet.\n\n\nAgarwood, sometimes called \"the wood of the gods,\" is nearly extinct in Laos. This wood is very high in resin and is often used in religious items and ceremonies throughout Asia, as well as for medicinal purposes. Resins distilled from this tree is also used in many perfumes and cosmetics. Agarwood resin is often used in high-quality incense used in religious rites and rituals. Agarwood is primarily endangered in Laos due to unsustainable harvesting arising from insufficient quality in agarwood resin substitutes.\n\nDipterocarpus Turbinatus\n\nThe Dipterocarpus turbinatus is another endangered tree in Laos. This tree is harvested both for its gum and resin, as well as for its wood. The Dipterocarpus turbinatus is sometimes called the common garjun tree or the wood oil tree. Its oils and resins are oleo-resins, often called garjun oil or garjun balsam. This oil is part of several different medical systems, including Indian Ayurvedic medicine, where it is often used on skin lesions, ulcers and ringworm.\n\nKeywords: Laos wood products, endangered plants, endangered trees in Laos\n\nAbout this Author\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9982334971427917}
{"content": "Golfsmith Tapered Iron Ferrules - Packgage Of 12\n\nBEGIN PRODUCT COPY Ferrules are required on metal clubheads with flat-topped (non-raduiused) hosels to provide the taper and enhance the appearence of the club. Many Golfsmith® ferrules have outside diameters that closely match those of our clubhead hosels and thus require little or no turning. END PRODUCT COPY [+]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.913785457611084}
{"content": "How do I reconstitute my oligos to a 10µM concentration?\n\nWe recommend dissolving the stock oligo in concentrated form in TE (10 mM Tris pH 8.0, 1 mM EDTA). Alternatively, sterile dH2O can be used. DNA kept frozen in a nuclease-free environment should be stable for years. We find it convenient to initially make a freezer stock (which should be thawed relatively infrequently) at 100 µM concentration. Adding a volume of TE (µl) equal to ten times the number of nanomoles of DNA present in the tube (as noted on the spec sheet provided with the oligo) will produce a stock solution at this concentration. For example, dissolve 50 nmoles of oligo in 500 µl TE to make a stock 100 µM solution. Dilute from this stock 1:10 (in water) to make a working solution at 10 µM for use in setting up PCR reactions. Most PCR reactions use 0.1 - 0.5 µM primer. Addition of 1 µl of the 10 µM primer to a 20 µl PCR reaction will result in a final primer concentration of 0.5 µM, or 10 picomoles of oligo in 20 µl volume.\n\nYou can also refer to our Resuspension Calculator Software online. This program will help you to quickly determine how much buffer/water to add to the oligo to meet your desired concentration. Simply enter the number of nmoles in your vial, change the drop down button from \"OD260\" to \"nmoles\", type in your desired concentration in the appropriate space, and hit calculate. Here is the link to this program:\n\nApplication Support Topics", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8276883959770203}
{"content": "47 CFR 74.803 - Frequency selection to avoid interference.\n\n§ 74.803 Frequency selection to avoid interference.\n\n\n\n(c) In the 941.500-952.000 MHz, 952.850-956.250 MHz, 956.45-959.85 MHz, 6875.000-6900.000 MHz, and 7100.000-7125.000 MHz bands low power auxiliary station usage is secondary to other uses (e.g., Aural Broadcast Auxiliary, Television Broadcast Auxiliary, Cable Relay Service, Fixed Point to Point Microwave) and must not cause harmful interference. Applicants are responsible for selecting the frequency assignments that are least likely to result in mutual interference with other licensees in the same area. Applicants must consult local frequency coordination committees, where they exist, for information on frequencies available in the area. In selecting frequencies, consideration should be given to the relative location of receive points, normal transmission paths, and the nature of the contemplated operation.\n\n(d) In the 1435-1525 MHz band, low power auxiliary stations (LPAS) are limited to operations at specific fixed locations that have been coordinated with the frequency coordinator for aeronautical mobile telemetry, the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Committee. LPAS devices must complete authentication and location verification before operation begins, employ software-based controls or similar functionality to prevent devices in the band from operating except in the specific channels, locations, and time periods that have been coordinated, and be capable of being tuned to any frequency in the band. Use is limited to situations where there is a need to deploy large numbers of LPAS for specified time periods, and use of other available spectrum resources is insufficient to meet the LPAS licensee's needs at the specific location. All LPAS devices operating in a particular area in the band may have access to no more than 30 megahertz of spectrum in the band at a given time.\n\n[42 FR 14729, Mar. 16, 1977, as amended at 52 FR 2535, Jan. 23, 1987; 80 FR 71728, Nov. 17, 2015]\n\n\n\n\nUnited States Code\n\nTitle 47 published on 2015-10-01\n\n\n      GPO FDSys XML | Text\n      Final rule.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.946018397808075}
{"content": "Haruhide Matsuda\n\nLearn More\nLet k ≥ 2 be an integer. We show that if G is a (k + 1)-connected graph and each pair of nonadjacent vertices in G has degree sum at least |G| + 1, then for each subset S of V (G) with |S| = k, G has a spanning tree such that S is the set of endvertices. This result generalizes Ore's theorem which guarantees the existence of a Hamilton path connecting any(More)\nFor a graph H and an integer k ≥ 2, let σ k (H) denote the minimum degree sum of k independent vertices of H. We prove that if a connected claw-free graph G satisfies σ k+1 (G) ≥ |G| − k, then G has a spanning tree with at most k leaves. We also show that the bound |G| − k is sharp and discuss the maximum degree of the required spanning trees.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997521042823792}
{"content": "Job Market Guide: Hospice Admissions Nurse jobs in Evansville\n\nDesired Skills\nYears of Experience\nYears of Experience distribution graph for Hospice Admissions Nurses in Evansville. Hospice Admissions Nurses in Evansville have between ${} and ${} years of experience, averaging $${} years of experience.\n\n1 Hospice Admissions Nurse job in Evansville\n\nCompensation Estimate\n\nWhat's a Compensation Estimate?\n\n\n$60K to $100K - Jasper, IN\nIn this role, you will oversee and provide primary care, including all clinical care, palliative care, and symptom control and identify other physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs for assigned patients.\nMisc. Healthcare\nNot Specified", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9667285680770874}
{"content": "A restaurant lists the calorie counts for its patrons... I love it!\n\nEvery so often, I get into this debate with people who reject the concept of “calorie counting” outright. And while I’m the type of person who believes in understanding someone’s viewpoint before I make a decision about it either way (because there is a difference between understanding someone and accepting their opinion as right), I’m not going to make it easy, either.\n\nThe very first series I wrote on this site was about my experiences with calorie counting, and it’s a process that’s very near and dear to my heart. Before I explain my experiences with calorie counting and my own personal stance, I think it’s fair to explain the concept of intuitive eating. I think, as you read along, you’ll discover what my real thoughts about intuitive eating actually are.\n\nI know, I know… no one loves wikipedia. I’m quoting it anyway:\n\nIntuitive eating is a nutrition philosophy based on the premise that becoming more attuned to the body’s natural hunger signals is a more effective way to attain a healthy weight; rather than keeping track of the amounts of energy and fats in foods. It’s a process that is intended to create a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body. Intuitive Eating, just like the many books available today, goes by many names, including non-dieting or the non-diet approach, normal eating, wisdom eating, conscious eating and more.\n\nI think that’s a pretty solid definition.\n\nI think I’ve said enough on this site that implies that I am anti-dieting. I don’t believe in restrictive rules that I can’t abide by, thus resulting in my incessant need to “cheat.” I don’t believe in the “health obsessed, yet still unhealthy culture” in our country today.. that takes advantage of people’s confusion about weight loss and wellness. I don’t believe in society’s need to idolize sickly looking women (and by sickly looking, I mean not fit, just thin-for-the-sake-of-being-thin). I don’t believe in perpetuating the idea that you have to buy every book or every trendy fad fitness toy to be healthy… especially when all it’s gonna do is collect dust until you donate it to Goodwill. I just… I reject most of what popular culture tells me about wellness, food and weight loss. That part of the intuitive eating philosophy, I accept and advocate.\n\nI’m also big about developing healthy relationships with food. I support conscious consuming. I don’t support using food to self-medicate. Or hiding food. Or using food for any reason other than fueling the body and enjoying the experience. A lot of us don’t even realize that we have unhealthy relationships with food because we’re not even conscious of what we’re doing when we do it. We just.. consume.. feel better.. and move on to the next issue. Wash, rinse, repeat.\n\nHowever, people who support intuitive eating also have this tendency to reject calorie counting as a faction of that “health obsessed, yet still unhealthy” culture that we have. Weight loss programs abound, that restrict you to a certain amount of calories, as if calories are the key indicator of weight loss success or failure. (Countless posts here will tell you.. they’re not.) Without proper focus, it can absolutely become obsessive. Supporters also believe it puts too high of a priority on calories… as if a calorie is a calories is a calorie, and it doesn’t matter where they come from so long as you’re under X number.\n\nI don’t necessarily disagree with any of that. I think they are great philosophies. I also think they’re thoughtless, slightly privileged and a little disconnected from the reality that calorie counting can provide… because while I am an intuitive eater now, I got here through calorie counting. And because of that, because these people want to pit the two against one another, instead of using calorie counting as a means of maturing into intuitive eating, calorie counting wins out for me.\n\nWhen I first realized that my problem was not only how much I was eating but what I was eating, I struggled a bit and had to start from scratch. For me, this meant that I completely dropped processed foods and – because I was missing the processed dishes I was eating – had to learn how to cook. Some people take the insulting stance of “you should know that eating a cupcake is not healthy,” but it’s not that you should know it is unhealthy.. it’s about knowing just how unhealthy it is.\n\nI developed a love of cooking, because I realized just how much fun it could be to experiment and actually succeed with a well-put-together dish. And with every dish, I learned what each ingredient contributed to the dish. It taught me to be mindful of just how much fat I was adding to a dish (by way of oil, butter, cream, avocado, nuts, whatever) while still seeking to create a flavorful dish. I learned that I needed to be mindful of a “tipping point” in my dishes: sure, I can recreate the flavors in my favorite restaurant pasta dish… but did I really want the size? Did I really need the size?\n\nI calorie counted everything in my baking, and learned where I could pare down the sugar and excess fat while still enjoying myself. And in baked goods where I learned just how calorie-heavy they were… I learned that I couldn’t eat them often – or at all, for that matter.\n\nWhile I was doing all of this calorie counting, something was happening to me that I didn’t recognize at first, but I’m eternally grateful for after the fact. All of this experimenting with real ingredients as opposed to processed foods allowed me to redevelop my own sense of being full. That’s right – a lifestyle that relied on food that originated from dust and, within my insides, turned back into dust and failed to fill me… thus compelling me to eat more and consume more calories… altered my ability to eat intuitively. It worked against my intuition, and caused me to disconnect from it. It caused me to lose my ability to connect to myself and my body. I suspect I’m not the only person that has ever had that problem.\n\nBeing a calorie counter – as well as an amateur cook – allowed me to learn how different foods make me feel inside. I learned how foods with a lot of fat are much higher in calories and are supposed to fill you up quicker. I learned why there’s a difference in how I feel after eating my cheesecake vs someone else’s cheesecake… which taught me to stop eating someone else’s cheesecake. I learned.. I learned… I learned so much from my experience with counting calories that, if I had just bypassed it for the sake of “trying to become an intuitive eater,” I wholeheartedly believe I’d still be flailing about and clueless, almost 110lbs ago.\n\nWhy can’t we have both? Is the risk associated with calorie counting soooooo great that we cannot instead focus our energies on developing a healthy program that nurtures calorie counters into people who become more conscious of the contents of their dishes and better able to listen to their bodies? Why is wellness always all or nothing, especially when overlooking the middle usually results in a lot of people being left in the dust? And, let’s face it – some people want to lose weight. Is there something so wrong with that? They should be allowed to understand their bodies and how to better control the weight those bodies carry. (Or do we fear that allowing healthful discussion about “how to lose weight” implies that people need to lose weight? Isn’t it easier to just work to fix that mentality?)\n\nIn closing, I offer up a polite suggestion. Instead of railing against calorie counting… take the stance that, for those of us who don’t come from some grand understanding of “you’re an idiot if you don’t know that a cupcake isn’t healthy,” it is a way to learn just how unhealthy some things are. Understand that it helps us quantify just how bad our decisions are and can be if we aren’t conscious and careful. Understand that it helps us realize that each food we put into our bodies should serve multiple purposes – not just “be yummy” – because our bodies have needs… and our bodies try to tell us what they need, if we’re able to listen. You can’t make it from the first floor to the second without walking up a few steps… and for me, calorie counting was those steps.\n\nSo.. if I have to choose? Calorie counting. All day.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9747887253761292}
{"content": "What is actuarial sciences\n\nwhat is actuarial sciences\n\n\nBest Answer: Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in the insurance and finance industries. Actuaries are professionals who are qualified in this field through examinations and experience.\n\nJob description:\n\nAn actuary uses statistical and mathematical knowledge to make long-term financial forecasts. These forecasts are used by financial and governmental organisations to solve current financial problems and to make future plans. Traditionally, actuarial work has been mainly associated with pensions and insurance activity, but actuaries are increasingly in demand from other related sectors, including corporate finance/investment banking, business management and healthcare.\n\nActuarial consultancy is just one branch of the actuarial profession. Working mainly within professional services firms or specialist consultancies, actuaries in this area may be involved in providing a whole range of services to their clients.\n\nTypical work activities:\n\nThe work of an actuary within a consultancy may include advising on pensions (designing schemes and calculating contributions), general insurance, HR management, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, corporate recovery, and financing projects. The exact nature of the work undertaken therefore depends on the focus of the employing organisation and the specific projects within their portfolio, but the work of most actuaries can be summarised by what is known at the 'control cycle' model. Actuaries monitor the general economic and commercial environment, specify targeted outcomes and assess risks, develop appropriate solutions and then monitor the experience and\n\nimpact. The results of their decisions may require earlier stages to be revisited and revised; hence the cyclical nature of their work.\n\nOn a daily basis, consulting actuaries draw upon and apply their knowledge of economics, accounting, marketing, legislation and business practice. General responsibilities may include:\n\n* using mathematical modelling techniques and statistical concepts to determine probability and assess risks;\n\n* explaining the implications of this work to clients and advising on risk limitation;\n\n* advising on the marketing and administration of pensions and life assurance schemes;\n\n* writing detailed reports and letters;\n\n* applying a range of techniques to resolve different types of business problems;\n\n* undertaking actuarial valuations;\n\n* liaising with clients and dealing with queries as they arise;\n\n* working with IT professionals to develop systems that ensure compliance with the requirements of regulatory bodies;\n\n* collaborating with a range of colleagues, including accountants, solicitors, underwriters and investment managers;\n\n* selecting and using appropriate IT software to manage and manipulate data;\n\n* researching current developments within the business and financial worlds.\n\nTrainee actuaries may choose to focus on the consultancy environment because it tends to offer more varied work, affording the opportunity to deal with a variety of different clients and possibly to travel, working at client sites. Balancing a wide range of responsibilities, projects and client demands can be challenging but also rewarding.\n\nSource: answers.yahoo.com\n\nCategory: Insurance\n\nSimilar articles:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.999648928642273}
{"content": "Mite dispersal among the Southern Ocean Islands and Antarctica before the last glacial maximum.\n\nMortimer E. ; Jansen van Vuuren B. ; Lee J.E. ; Marshall D.J. ; Convey P. ; Chown S.L. (2011)\n\n\nIt has long been maintained that the majority of terrestrial Antarctic species are relatively recent, post last glacial maximum, arrivals with perhaps a few microbial or protozoan taxa being substantially older. Recent studies have questioned this 'recolonization hypothesis', though the range of taxa examined has been limited. Here, we present the first large-scale study for mites, one of two dominant terrestrial arthropod groups in the region. Specifically, we provide a broad-scale molecular phylogeny of a biologically significant group of ameronothroid mites from across the maritime and sub-Antarctic regions. Applying different dating approaches, we show that divergences among the ameronothroid mite genera Podacarus, Alaskozetes and Halozetes significantly predate the Pleistocene and provide evidence of independent dispersals across the Antarctic Polar Front. Our data add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that many taxa have survived glaciation of the Antarctic continent and the sub-Antarctic islands. Moreover, they also provide evidence of a relatively uncommon trend of dispersals from islands to continental mainlands. Within the ameronothroid mites, two distinct clades with specific habitat preferences (marine intertidal versus terrestrial/supralittoral) exist, supporting a model of within-habitat speciation rather than colonization from marine refugia to terrestrial habitats. The present results provide additional impetus for a search for terrestrial refugia in an area previously thought to have lacked ice-free ground during glacial maxima.\n\nThis item appears in the following collections:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8417831659317017}
{"content": "Shares of Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VTAE) have entered overbought territory as the 14-day RSI reading touched 87.38 after yesterday’s close. Investors should be cautious of taking positions as this might indicate the stock is due to reverse course.  \n\n\nVitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VTAE) shares have traded 0.33% for the week and are 15.97% for the year. At the time of writing, the stock is trading at $20.99, a change of 0.14% from the previous close. In terms of volatility, the average daily high/low percentage range stands at 0.29% for the week and 1.35% for the month.\n\nSo, most importantly, where are shares headed from here? In order to get a sense of Wall Street sentiment, we can look to brokerage analyst estimates. On a one to five ratings scale where 1.0 indicates a Strong Buy, 2.0 indicates a Buy, 3.0 a Hold, 4.0 a Sell and 5.0 a Stong Sell. Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. currently has an average analyst recommendation of 3.00 according to analysts. This is the average number based on the total brokerage firms taken into consideration by Beta Systems Research. The same analysts have a future one-year price target of $21.00 on the shares.\n\nTechnical Indicators\n\nIn addition to sell-side rational, we can also take a look at some technical indicators. The stock is currently 66.12% away from its 50-day simple moving average and 105.37% away from the 200 day average. Based on a recent trade, the shares are -0.21% away from the 52-week high and 414.46% from the 52-week low. \n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9556106328964233}
{"content": "Robotics and Automation Handbook\n\nRobotics and Automation Handbook\n\n4.11 - 1251 ratings - Source\n\nAs the capability and utility of robots has increased dramatically with new technology, robotic systems can perform tasks that are physically dangerous for humans, repetitive in nature, or require increased accuracy, precision, and sterile conditions to radically minimize human error. The Robotics and Automation Handbook addresses the major aspects of designing, fabricating, and enabling robotic systems and their various applications. It presents kinetic and dynamic methods for analyzing robotic systems, considering factors such as force and torque. From these analyses, the book develops several controls approaches, including servo actuation, hybrid control, and trajectory planning. Design aspects include determining specifications for a robot, determining its configuration, and utilizing sensors and actuators. The featured applications focus on how the specific difficulties are overcome in the development of the robotic system. With the ability to increase human safety and precision in applications ranging from handling hazardous materials and exploring extreme environments to manufacturing and medicine, the uses for robots are growing steadily. The Robotics and Automation Handbook provides a solid foundation for engineers and scientists interested in designing, fabricating, or utilizing robotic systems.In the case of the Mitsubishi PA-10 robot arm, there are no link lengths so a 1 through a 7 are equal to zero. As seen from the schematic of the Mitsubishi arm, the only nonzero link offsets, dia#39;s D-Hparameters are ds, d5, and d7. Havinganbsp;...\n\nTitle:Robotics and Automation Handbook\nAuthor:Thomas R. Kurfess\nPublisher:CRC Press - 2004-10-15\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8907015323638916}
{"content": "Nanotechnology Databases\n\nComprehensive databases for nanomaterials, events, products,\ncompanies, research labs, degree programs and publications\n\n\nNanomaterial Suppliers\n\n\nShowing results 1 - 25 of 70 for suppliers of Carbon Nanotubes:\n\nAdnano Technologies is a supplier of various forms of graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. They also provide analytical services like FESEM, TEM, AFM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, Contact Angle, BET, Zeta sizer and Master sizer.\nCNT producer in Taiwan.\nA global supplier of nanomaterials.\nArknano is committed to the research and development of Medicinal Chemistry and Material Chemistry. The company's main research fields are: The synthesis and applications of carbon nanotubes; custom synthesis and structure modification of pharmaceutical intermediates; the design of molecular drugs.\nSupplier of a wide variety of nano materials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nano elements as as well as nano oxides (rare earth, metal, and non-metal).\nAtom NanoElectronics provides the next generation display and device technology with pure semiconducting nanomaterials. The company supplies HiPCO, electronically pure single-chirality semiconducting carbon nanotubes, and narrowly distributed large-diameter semiconducting carbon nanotubes and conductive carbon nanotubes with sheet resistance of 70 Ohms/sq at 70% transmission.\nThe company specializes in analytical characterization, consultancy, and synthesis of nanomaterials serving to nanotechnology-based industries, universities and institutes. They also manufacture carbon nanotubes, graphene, and various nanoparticles.\nThe company manufactures graphene and caron nanotubes.\nCanatu Oy's business is the production and sales of a new class of versatile carbon based components based on its novel NanoBud nanomaterial.\nManufacturer of carbon nanotubes and graphite nanofibers.\nManufacturer of carbon nanotubes.\nProducer of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers and carbon nanochips.\nA supplier of various forms of carbon nanotubes.\nA supplier of carbon nanotubes and various nanopowders.\nProducer of carbon nanotubes.\nDevelops and manufauctures carbon nanotube and related products for diverse applications across broad market segments including energy, enviromental/ cleantech, specialty materials, and electronics.\nONEX Global Nanotechnologies S.A. (Glonatech) is a nanotechnology company offering nanoscience and nanotechnology solutions, products & services to global product manufacturers. The company also is a manufacturer of carbon nanotubes.\nProducer of carbon nanotubes.\nHubron is an independent distributor of technically relevant speciality and functional raw materials to industries that formulate. The industries that they currently serve include rubber & plastics; adhesives & sealants; coatings & inks; structural composites; polyurethane; lubricants and certain parts of the healthcare and cosmetic markets.\nCarbon nanotube development and commercialization.\nleft arrowBack to Nanotechnology Links Directory", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6070307493209839}
{"content": "Demand for your company’s product is influenced by two factors: economic conditions for the year (good, fair or poor) and the intensity of market competition (intense or moderate). Company analysts estimate a likelihood of 30% that economic conditions will be good, a 50% likelihood that they will be fair, and a 20% likelihood they will be poor.\nIt is estimated that if economic conditions are good, there is an 80% probability that market competition will be intense (and so a 20% chance it will be only moderate). If economic conditions are only fair, there is a 50% chance that competition will be intense (and a 50% chance it will be moderate). Finally, if economic conditions are poor, there is only a 10% chance that competition will be intense (and a 90% chance it will be moderate).\nThe company has a basic demand level of 5000 units, but its analysts estimate that good economic conditions will add 2000 units to this total, while fair economic conditions will add 1500. (Poor conditions will add nothing to basic demand.) In addition, moderate competition can be expected to add an extra 1000 units, while intense competition will subtract 1000 units.\nUsing company demand as your random variable and x to represent values of the random variable,\na. List the possible x values.\nb. Show the full probability distribution.\nc. Compute the expected demand.\n\n  • CreatedJuly 16, 2015\n  • Files Included\nPost your question", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8342418670654297}
{"content": "'The Censor's Hand'\n\n\nJune 3, 2015\n\nMany scholars complain that institutional review boards unreasonably delay or block studies involving human research subjects. A new book, The Censor's Hand: The Misregulation of Human-Subject Research (MIT Press), doesn't see IRBs as fixable, but as an inherently flawed system. The author -- Carl E. Schneider is Chauncey Stillman Professor of Law and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan -- responded via email to questions about his book's themes.\n\nQ: Is the problem that IRBs are overzealous or (as you suggest) that the entire system is messed up?\n\nA: The problem is that the IRB system is so fundamentally misconceived that it is virtually a model of how to regulate badly. Good regulation is accountable, but IRBs are effectively answerable to nobody. Good regulation has clearly defined jurisdictional limits, but IRBs may intervene as they wish. Good regulation is guided by clear rules, but IRBs have little more than empty principles. Good regulation is disciplined by fair procedures, but IRBs can ignore every fundamental precept of due process. Good regulation is transparent, but IRBs need not even explain -- much less justify -- their decisions. Good regulation is staffed by experts, but IRB members cannot be competent in all the specialties they regulate. Good regulation has manageable workloads, but IRBs regulate more details of more research in more ways than they can review responsibly, and they have steadily broadened and intensified their hold over research.\n\nIn short, the IRB system makes unreliable decisions because it is lawless and unaccountable, because its organization, procedures, membership and imperialism are so inappropriate. The problem is not regulation, it is bad regulation.\n\nQ: Why do you believe IRBs have become censors?\n\nA: IRBs have become censors because they have been told to censor. IRBs may decide what questions researchers can ask, how to ask them, how to analyze answers and how to report findings. IRBs' incentives lead them into the classic censors’ faults -- like constraining too much for too little reason. If IRBs say no, little harm can come to them: researchers may be dismayed, but they cannot afford to alienate regulators who have unreviewable authority over their work. If IRBs say yes, they risk blame for trouble that (justly or not) the research provokes. This trouble can be painful, including institutional embarrassment, lawsuits and federal sanctions.\n\nQ: In recent years, social scientists have been among the vocal critics of IRBs, saying that their research needs a different kind of review than biomedical review. Does your critique apply here?\n\nA: IRB review of social-science research suffers from all the problems of fundamentally misconceived regulation that I just described. But those problems are exacerbated by the fact that the IRB system was designed for biomedical research. Thus IRBs too often ask questions and impose restrictions ill suited to social-science research. In addition, many kinds of social-science research are ideologically controversial, tempting IRBs to use their power to promote their own preferences.\n\nQ: Many scholars complain about IRBs as delaying their work, a bureaucracy, etc. But you say more than this -- that they are hurting science. Would you summarize your evidence?\n\nA: Scholars rightly say that the burdensome bureaucratic processes that IRBs have come to demand and the restrictions that IRBs impose delay, distort, discourage and even prevent research. These impediments reduce the amount of research that can be done, diminish its quality and postpone its benefits. The Censor's Hand spends a chapter detailing the evidence that these costs of the IRB system are high. For example, reports of researchers' experiences with multisite studies indicate that just dealing with IRBs can consume 15 percent of a study's budget. Those reports also show IRBs responding to a single protocol in bafflingly inconsistent -- and sometimes incomprehensible -- ways. Nor is there good evidence that IRBs actually improve research or protect its subjects.\n\nQ: The United States was home to the Tuskegee experiments, and even today, some researchers are accused of doing research abroad that would never be tolerated with Americans. Is there some need for IRBs, even if not in their present form?\n\nA: The response to one social disaster should not be to create another. Yet a social disaster is what the fundamentally misconceived IRB system has turned out to be. Before regulating, government should ask what problem regulation addresses and whether regulation can do more good than harm. Most research -- both biomedical and social science -- poses risks no greater than those people handle routinely without government supervision. Furthermore, research varies enormously, so human-subject research should not be treated as posing one set of problems and requiring one kind of solution. So we should ask which specific threats research actually poses and then identify the best way to handle each kind of threat.\n\nQ: What system would you have to protect research subjects?\n\nA: One approach to that question is to ask how we protect patients from doctors, who (for lack of adequate evidence from research) must daily treat patients with unproved methods and whose misjudgments yearly kill and injure far more people than research has in all its modern history. We do not make doctors get prior approval for every treatment from a doctor review board. Another approach to that question is to ask how we protect the public from journalists, who daily invade privacy and damage reputations in ways researchers would find wholly unethical. We do not make journalists get prior approval for every interview question from a press review board. In the case of both doctors and journalists, we recognize that the harm that regulation did would inevitably exceed the good, just as the harm of the IRB system inevitably exceeds its benefits. We regulate doctors and journalists as we regulate most people, by punishing wrongdoers (administratively, criminally or through private lawsuits). Sanctions can already be visited upon researchers, and if more sanctions or harsher sanctions are needed, they can be supplied.\n\n\nBack to Top", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7409850358963013}
{"content": "Institution: The University of Adelaide, Australia\n\nTop Collaborators: Drewlo S, Baczyk D, Ryan G, Czikk MJ, Lye S, Proctor LK, Adamson SL, Keating S, Dodd JM, Mcleod A, Windrim RC, Rushworth V, Alanjari A, Shah PS, Wright E, Keunen J, Windrim R, Schrey S, Fitzgerald B, Czikk M\n\nResearch Interests: Growth, Placenta, Eclampsia, Pre-eclampsia, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Glial Cell, Human, Inhibition, Placental Insufficiency, Placentation, Regulation, Syncytiotrophoblast, Syndromes, Transcription Factor, Trophoblast, Placental Abruption, Bias, Placental Development, Pregnancies", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5614205002784729}
{"content": "\n\nSource:  CO2 Science\n\n\n\nWhat was done\n\nWhat was learned\nThe two researchers report that “acidification negatively affected the closer-muscle length of the crusher chela and correspondingly the claw-strength increment in C. maenas,” while “the effects of warming and/or acidification on L. littorea were less consistent but indicated weaker shells in response to acidification.” And as might have been expected on the basis of these individual species responses to ocean acidification and warming (weaker claw strength in the predator, but weaker shells in the prey), Landes and Zimmer say that “on the community level,” they “found no evidence that predator-prey interactions will change in the future.”\n\nWhat it means\nThe take-home message of the findings of Landes and Zimmer is well described in the closing sentence of the abstract of their research report: “Further experiments exploring the impacts of warming and acidification on key ecologicalinteractions are needed instead of basing predictions of ecosystem change solely on species-specific responses to environmental change [italics and bold added].” Nature is complex; and our studies of it must be directed to gaining a better understanding of that species-interactive complexity, along with its implications for potential future global change.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9814959168434143}
{"content": "What Does A $3,000 Nissan Datsun Seem Like For 2013-2014?\n\nIf you've ever really wondered about what a $3,000 dollar car looks like. They have an electricity steering pump providing the exact amount of assistance the driver needs, instead of an excessive amount of power which needlessly draws energy off the powertrain. The company began output of the fuel efficient, low emissions vehicles late a year ago following a prosperous introduction at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. More traction means better control, which is especially needed on wet and slippery roads.\n\nWhen you are investing in a car, knowing the signs to check for could MyAirbags prevent from buying a faulty vehicle. The three most frequent legal theories for finding someone liable are breach of warranty, negligence, and strict liability. In the end, I will still advise you to take professional help. This can be ideal for driving in cities with rapid infrastructural developments that become barely recognizable within just a year. However, enhancing the amount of airbags installed in the vehicle in addition has dramatically raised the expense of rebuilding cars and insurance firms generally consider the car a total lost when some or all airbags deploy.\n\nUnfortunately, there is no way to predict when this kinds of accidents sometimes happens or each and each time they are going to result within your elderly loved versions lying in agony all day at a stretch until they get somebody to aid them. Today every new car has to undergo a group of stringent federal and industrial safety standards and crash test ratings to come out within the market. Run-Flat Tires.\n\nReliable SUVs. As a result, a majority of cars nowadays have airbags installed as a factor feature. As MyAirbags a result, a majority of cars nowadays have airbags installed as a factor feature. Even when the vehicle safety device further thoughtful, detailed preparation, the final fundamental factor lies within the driver itself.\n\nA motorcycle airbag may come inside the form of your fuel tank mounted. This computer system will automatically sense the change within body direction in addition to velocity, forcing the airbags to deploy and safely cover every one of the body from top to bottom. In fact, these folks were invented back in the My Airbags 50's but didn't make their way into cars until 197 They", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5010170340538025}
{"content": "Homecoming Dresses Evening Formal\n\nNot sure about which homecoming dresses evening formal to pick for your occasion? Shop from Cocomelody and you are sure to find the answers! Listed in an organized order, the wide collection of handmade homecoming dresses evening formal from us is of highest quality. In order to facilitate you, we provide detailed information for you to look up. Feel comfortable to ask our online customer service if you have any question. Best wishes to you and have fun.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7010815739631653}
{"content": "EUdict :: English-English dictionary\n\nResults for: cable carrying electricityTranslations: 130 / 372\n English English\ncable carrying electricitypower line\n(Electricity) capability of a circuit to generate an electromotive force; inductor, circuit or device in which an electromotive force can be generated, `:L, property of electric circuitinductance\n(Electricity) device that causes electrical resistance (used to control the flow of an electrical current), component controlling the flow of electricityresistor\n(Electricity, Physics) pertaining to ferromagnetism; exhibiting ferromagnetism, displaying ferromagnetismferromagnetic\n(symbol) ) sigma, ability to transmit electricity, conductance (, property or power of conducting (heat, etc.), transmission of nerve impulsesconductivity\n(symbol) muV, one millionth of volt, unit of electrical force equal to one millionth of a volt (Electricity)microvolt\n(symbol), unit of electrical resistance, unit of electrical resistance equal to the resistance of a conductor in which the force of one volt produces a current of one ampere (Electricity)ohm\n1,000 volts, unit of electromotive force which is equal to one thousand volts (Electricity)kilovolt\na commotion or disturbance, bind, wrap; twist, wind, contraceptive device, curve or bend, cylinder, roll; ring, link; wrapping, winding, device supplying electricity to spark plugs, loop, pipes arranged in rows or spiral, roll of stamps, series of loop...coil\na craft carrying people or freight, act of transporting, conveyance; means of transporting (truck, ship, etc.), affect somebody with strong emotion, carry somebody or something, bear, transfer; deport, conveyance of somebody or something, experience or...transport\nability of object to transmit electricity, conductivity, G, transmission, conduction (of electricity)conductance\nability to store electric charge, measure of electric charge storage, part of electric circuit, property of an insulator that allows energy to be stored due to the separation of the charge (Electricity)capacitance\nable to be conducted, transmittable (of heat, electricity, etc.)conductible\nable to transmit, able to transfer (heat, electricity, etc.), conducting energy, transmitting nerve impulseconductive\nacademic cap with a square flat top and a tassel; square board with handle underneath used by masons to hold mortar, academic hat, board for carrying mortarmortarboard\naccording to the rules of electrochemistry (branch of chemistry that studies the connection between electricity and chemical changes)electrochemically\nacoustic, science of sound; manner in which sound is transmitted within an enclosed space (as in a room, auditorium, etc.), sound-carrying ability, study of soundacoustics\nact bordering on suicide, somebody carrying out parasuicideparasuicide\nSearch time: 0.005 seconds. Next »\n\nAbout Eudict\n\n\nNEW! English<>Vietnamese dictionary\n\nTotal number of language pairs: 414\nTotal number of translations (in millions): 11.6\n\nMobile version", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9890512824058533}
{"content": "Desktop Engineer\n\nAcute informatics Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai\nIT & Computers\n5K - 10K\n06 Aug. 2014\n\nJob Description\n\nThe candidate should have the following requirements:-\n1. Strong Communication skills.\n\n2. Strong troubleshooting and resolution skills.\n\n3. Have good knowledge on Software Installation, Configuration, Troubleshooting (Desktop & Laptop) & Maintenance.\n\n4. Experience with Disaster Recovery (backup, recovery, archiving, antivirus).\n\n5. Experience with Security Incident Response.\n\n6. Mail - postfix / sendmail.\n\n7. Experience in managing enterprise authentication and authorization systems (LDAP/Kerberos/Active Directory/CAS).\n\n\nThe candidate should fulfill the following job responsibilities:-\n1. Establish, maintain, and monitor system access and security distribution and retention of data on various storage devices and company data.\n\n2. Assist in disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans with Centralized Backup Experience.\n\n3. Produce weekly reports of outstanding issues and projects.\n\n4. Review and approve new drafts and changes to policies and procedures.\n\n5. Maintain current standards, policies, and procedures for all new and existing equipment’s.\n\n6. Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for multiple environments.\n\n7. Write scripts to automate common operational tasks.\n\n8. Provide support for 24x7 customer-facing networks (shared responsibility).\n\n9. Strong knowledge of network services and web application infrastructures in a Management of network access control systems including host-based firewalls (primarily ipfw) and Cisco network equipment.\n\n10. VMware, ESX, Storage installation and administration, iSCSI, SANs and other Virtualization related technologies including backup products and architectures.\n\nAbout Company\n\n\nOur team members have several years of expertise developing customized, fully integrated enterprise level systems in a variety of industrial standards. Some of our team members have worked on software projects which demand high degree of expertise under severe pressure. In addition, we have a well-managed administrative support staff to assist in meeting your needs.\n\n\nApply now to get noticed earlier.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8727967143058777}
{"content": "Homefront achievements\n\n\n3.2 from 4301 votes\n\nThere are a maximum of 47 Homefront achievements worth 3,385 (1,000)\n\n67,346 tracked gamers have this game, 502 have completed it (0.75%)\n\nAchievement Details\n\nIron Man - Freedom in Homefront\n\nIron Man - Freedom59 (25)\n\nComplete chapter 2 in the Single Player Campaign without dying or restarting a checkpoint\n\n  • Unlocked by 11,948 tracked gamers (18% - TA Ratio = 2.37) 67,346  \n\nAchievement Guide for Iron Man - Freedom\n\nSome tips for all stages:\n- Difficulty does not matter, so you're better off playing on easy.\n- Use cover! Most of the environment is indestructible, everything from airplane parts to wood crates, use that to your advantage, and heal when you've taken some damage.\n- Take it slow! In most parts of the game (if not all - there's at least one spot I'm just not sure of), there is a set number of enemies, no unlimited spawning like Black Ops, so there's no pressure to make it up to a certain area. Take your time and pick guys off from a distance. Your team will usually run ahead of you when an area has been cleared. Whey they get to the next area, they may take out a few of the enemies or, at the very least, help show you where the enemies are ... BUT ...\n- Your team AI isn't always great. Enemies will sometimes run right by them and come after you. Your team can't be killed, which is a huge plus, but always stay on your toes!\n- Watch out for the grenade indicator. There isn't a 'throw back' option like in other games, so your only choice is to get out of there!\n\nPossible Issues with Stage 2: (minor spoilers)\n\n- In this stage we fight the sentry guns we caught a glimpse of during the opening bus ride. There are 3 parts of the level that require you to take down sentry guns, just be careful moving from cover to cover. Watch where the beam is aiming and once it passes you move to your next spot. A grenade to the back of the gun (because they run on propane?!) and the sentry is history.\n\n- I did die once while going for this achievement and had to start over ... there is a part in the level where you face an ambush, and you fight for several seconds in slow motion. The moment I came out of slo-mo is when I got wasted by a guy with a machine gun. While you are still IN slo-mo, get over to the left as far as you can so when slo-mo ends you can make a quick escape up the stairs.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9788984656333923}
{"content": "Affordable Access\n\nPublisher Website\n\nSolving the puzzle of why Finns have the highest IQ, but one of the lowest number of Nobel prizes in Europe\n\nDOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2014.06.006\n  • Finland\n  • Iq\n  • Pisa\n  • Nobel Prizes\n  • Personality\n  • Psychoticism\n  • Education\n\n\nAbstract Finland has been noted to perform consistently very well in the international PISA assessments for many years, but it also has a relatively low per capita number of Nobel Prize winners. We draw upon a large body of proxy data and direct evidence, including the first ever use of RTs to calculate the Finnish IQ and the first ever use of the WAIS IV and PISA scores in the same capacity. Based on these data, we hypothesize that Finns perform so consistently well in PISA because they have a higher IQ overall than other European countries and exhibit a specialized slow life history strategy characterized by high Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and low Psychoticism and Extraversion. Most of these traits predict educational success but all would suppress genius and creativity amongst this population. We connect the present distribution of phenotypic traits amongst the Finnish population with evolutionary change starting in the Pleistocene, accelerating in the Holocene, and continuing into the present day. We argue that this profile explains why Finns are relatively poorly represented in terms of science Nobel laureates.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9647176265716553}
{"content": "The Evolution of Public Relations Through Content Marketing\n\nby Lee Odden\nBrands are answering the call to create more value for customers and their community by publishing their own news and editorial content. As companies adopt a publisher model of content and media creation, many are surpassing the reach and influence of traditional publications in their industry. Some great examples of popular content hubs include Intel IQ, Target’s Bulls Eye View, Adobe’s CMO.Read the full article", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.902525007724762}
{"content": "Bill Nye’s sundial hitches a ride to Mars Seattle Post-Intelligencer\n\nMars is about to be invaded by three successive spacecraft carrying sophisticated scientific instruments, six-wheeled robotic “rovers” and two sundials from Seattle. The planned landing on Christmas Day of Britain’s Beagle 2 will be followed by two NASA probes, Spirit and Opportunity, which will land on different days in January. The general purpose of the missions is to find evidence of life, or past life. What does a sundial have to do with this and why on Earth would it come from soggy, cloudy Seattle?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9681640863418579}
{"content": "7 Key Pros and Cons of Natural Gas\n\n7 Key Pros and Cons of Natural Gas\n\nby / Comments Off / 1142 View / Dec 27, 2014\n\nWhen you are looking for the perfect energy source, your search will come to an end very quickly. The fact is that no energy source is perfect and there are good and bad attributes associated with every type. The only way to determine if an energy source is the best option is to weigh the pros against the cons. Like every other energy source known to man, natural gas has both advantages and compromises.\n\nFascination with Natural Gas\n\nNatural gas has become a headline topic in the news lately for many different reasons. It has often been hailed as a solution to the energy problems that we are facing, but this is not entirely true. Trying to separate all the facts from the fiction can be pretty difficult, but taking a closer look at both the pros and cons of natural gas is a start.\n\nWhat is Natural Gas?\n\nBefore you take a deeper look at natural gas, it is essential that you don’t inaccurately define this type of energy as shale gas. It has become increasingly common for people to lump natural gas and shale gas as one in the same, but this is not accurate. There are a number of distinctions between natural gas and shale gas. Natural gas is collected as a byproduct of oil drilling, while shale gas is attributed to a very aggressive method of extraction that involves getting beneath the many layers of shale under the surface. This means that shale gas is often dependent on fracking.\n\nTaking a closer look at the advantages associated with this energy source allows you to see why there is so much buzz surrounding natural gas. Although no energy source is perfect, natural gas is overflowing with a variety of benefits that can be extremely impactful.\n\nPros of Natural Gas:\n\n1. Widely Used\nNatural gas is quickly becoming the most used energy source in existence. It is widely used and plays a part in about 22% of the entire world’s energy production. This is a huge percentage and shows that natural gas is immensely popular and only growing in use and production as time goes on.\n\n2. Can it Be Delivered?\nWhen you are determining if an energy source is viable, you have to consider the delivery infrastructure that is in place. One great advantage associated with natural gas use is that is that a delivery infrastructure for this energy source is already in place. This means that getting access to natural gas is made simple, which is a huge convenience and benefit.\n\n3. What Are Uses?\nThe uses of natural gas also give this energy source a huge advantage. It can be used for both power generation and heat. This makes it a much more versatile energy source than others and is a big advantage.\n\n4. Clean Fossil Fuel\nAnother pro associated with natural gas is the fact that it is known as one of the cleanest fossil fuel types in existence. Unlike other types of fossil fuel, natural gas burns very efficiently and also produces less CO2 than both coal and oil. It emits almost 45% less CO2 than coal and more than 30% less CO2 than oil. However, it is found in abundance and there is a huge supply.\n\nAlthough there are many advantages associated with natural gas, this does not mean that everything surrounding this energy type is positive. There are a few downsides to using natural gas that are seen by many as cons.\n\nCons of Natural Gas:\n\n1. Non-Renewable\nOne of the biggest downsides of natural gas is that it is a non-renewable energy source. This means that the supply can’t be replaced.\n\n2. What is Emitted?\nNatural gas may emit less CO2 than coal and oil, but it still produces some carbon dioxide when it is burned. This is not ideal and is seen as a negative by many. Natural gas is also known to contain methane in high volumes. This is not good because methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It is an energy source that is explosive and has the potential to be very dangerous. This means that natural gas much be used with care and some safety hazards do exist that you have to be warned against.\n\n3. Production and Distribution\nThis is a concentrated source of energy that needs longer distances of transmission and transportation, which is not ideal during production and distribution of natural gas. There are extensive pipelines that are required to ensure that this type of fossil fuel is transported over land. It is stored under high pressure and needs turbine-generators to produce energy.\nLearning more about natural gas requires you to take a closer look at both the advantages and downsides. In some cases, natural gas can offer many benefits, but this is not always true.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6614952683448792}
{"content": "Vantiv Enterprise Sales Representative in Los Angeles, California\n\n\nAs an expert in the field, uses professional concepts in developing resolution to critical issues and broad design matters.\n\nWorks on issues that impact design/selling success or address future concepts, products or technologies. Creates formal networks with key decision makers and serves as external spokesperson for the organization.\n\n\nTypically requires a minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 5 years experience; or equivalent experience.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000098943710327}
{"content": "Yohan Cabaye 2016 EURO Maillots\n\nYohan Cabaye 2016 EURO Maillots\n\nPostautor: luqinyun123 » 1 cze 2016, o 09:01\n\n锘? There are several key elements when it comes to designing a training program. For example Yohan Cabaye 2016 EURO Maillots , take the requirements for a speed training program. An athlete must establish a good foundation of strength before participating in plyometric training. The athlete must also work on technique prior to jumping straight into an intensive speed program. An athlete must also establish a good level of flexibility before performing the explosive movements of many of the training methods. After understanding all of the components that make up speed you will now be able to begin to design a program that bests suits you and your needs. First of all let's talk about the various stages and phases of a training program. Periodization refers to the various cycles of a training program where the training stimulus changes in a structured way. The training programs may vary amongst different coaches and athletes but they all address the components of flexibility, endurance, strength, speed, recovery and power training. The Three Cycles are: Micro cycles will often consist of a 7-14 day training phase; Meso-cycle consist of a 4-6 week training phase and a Macro-cycle consists of the entire term of a training cycle. It is often represented by one year in length. Planning often takes into account the stage of season the athlete is in. The three stages are pre-season, in-season and post season. The pre-season is a progressive training program that prepares the athlete for the competitive season. The in-season is where the athlete is in continuous competition and is often in a maintenance phase. Gains are achieved through match play. The final stage is the post-season which occurs after a competitive season and mainly comprises of rest, rehabilitation and recovery. There are several key principles to consider when designing a training program: Specificity refers to selecting the appropriate exercises and drills that are specific to the demands of your sport. To take this one step further you must also analyse the specific movement patterns and needs of the specific positions with in your sport. For example a tennis player who serves and volleys will require more emphasis on speed in a forwards direction following the serve where as a baseline player will work more on lateral speed. Variety is required for the purpose of helping the athlete to maintain motivation and interest in training. It is our human nature to get bored quickly so if you have the exact same training routines then you will become bored and find these sessions monotonous. Variety can still be achieved while choosing sport and position specific exercises. Overload is a key concept to constant improvements. An athlete will improve when they are subjected to gradually and progressively increasing training loads. There are a number of ways of to increase the load such as increasing the duration of training, the frequency of training and increasing the intensity at which you train. The athlete must be consistent and disciplined when it comes to their training. Each fitness component must be trained on a regular basis according to their specific program. Facility availability is very important to a coach. It is great if you have unlimited access to a gym, courts or playing field. However, it is not always the way as many teams may be required to use one field. This is where you need to plan your sessions around other teams and find a fair balance between all. Sports such as college tennis where there may be twelve players on a team, may only have access to three courts which will force the tennis coach to become more creative in their training programs so that players can practice both singles and doubles. Individual differences amongst athletes are often ignore by sports coaches. Many coaches fall into the old traditional methods of training every player as if they were all the same and possessed the same physical qualities. It is important to identify the individual differences amongst athletes and then assist each athlete on an individual basis to become stronger in the areas that they need to improve on. If you are prepared when conducting a training session then everything will seem to run a lot smoother. Also, it is important to have a back-up plan in case of inclement weather. Have all of your equipment ready in advance. If you wait until your training session is about to begin then you are likely to face problems of missing or having broken equipment that could affect your training session. Assess your training program. The key to improving a training session is for the coach to step back every now and then and to really study the group when they train. This will help the coach see what works and what doesn't work. Keeping records involves having a notepad on hand so that you can record any results as they occur. If you try and wait until the end of training to collect the results or times from the athletes then many will have forgotten their scores. Learn to take your own personal notes immediately after training as this will help you to make the necessary modifications to your future training sessions. Skill demonstration is essential in order for all athletes to undertsand how to complete the drill. You must allow sufficient time to clearly describe and demonstrate each exercise or test to be performed. I also have found it worthwhile to explain to the athletes why they are performing these specific exercises and how they relate to their goals. If the athletes understand why they are training a certain way then they are likely to try harder. It is also important to understand group placement when demonstrating these exercises. The best formation is to have all of your athletes in a single file or semi-circle as this way they all will have clear vision of your demonstration. Group instruction is important in order to allow time to speak to the athletes while in a group rather .\nPosty: 203\nRejestracja: 27 kwie 2016, o 07:53\n\nWróć do Wczesna interwencja logopedyczna\n\nKto jest online\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.998770534992218}
{"content": "How Broccoli has the Most Cancer Fighting Ingredients in Food\n\nBroccoli has long been considered a healthy vegetable that is a must for those trying to get the right amount of nutrients in their diet. Consider the following as an explanation of how broccoli has the most cancer-fighting ingredients in food.\n\n- sponsored links -\n\n- sponsored links -\n\nBroccoli is filled with Vitamin C, minerals, glucosinolates and phenolic compounds. With all of these helpful elements, broccoli is a good food to eat in order to help prevent chronic diseases, including cardiovascular issues and breast and prostate cancers. Broccoli also helps prevent oxidative stress related to other diseases due to its antioxidant activity.\n\nStudies Analyze Different Types of Florets\n\nIt has been confirmed that broccoli contains antioxidants and anti-cancer properties. However, different studies focused on different types of florets, so the results varied. One study looked at the stalks and leaves of three different varieties of florets. The one thing that was not considered during this study, however, was the different harvest times. This could be important because harvesting the broccoli at different times would mean different biological activities.\n\nA study focused on different cultivars, namely Kyoyoshi, Myeongil96 and SK3-085, all purchased from the same farm in Jeju, Korea, and havestedat different growth stages.\n\nStudy Results Show Phenolics Differences\n\nDifferent cultivars of broccoli and by-products have different phenolics. The highest level of phenolics was in Kyoyoshi, which is an early-maturing variety of cultivar, while Myeongil96 (middle-maturing) was next and SK3-085 (late maturing) was third. Meanwhile, the leaves of all cultivars contained the most phenolics in terms of by-products. Florets were next, followed by stems.\n\n- sponsored links -\n\n- sponsored links -\n\nWhen tested for different phenolic levels at different dates of harvest, SK3-085 had the highest phenolics when harvested in October when it was non-flowering. Meanwhile, harvesting in November, when the florets were beginning to form, was the second highest levels of phenolics.\n\nGenetics, soil cultivation and composition as well as growing conditions impacted the phenolic levels in various by-products. In an interesting twist, the stems and leaves that are usually by-products of broccoli production may contain more beneficial antioxidant and anti-cancer properties than the florets that are usually sold for consumption. The study of these by-products could have significant benefits for the food industry.\n\nSulforaphane, which is a product of glucoraphanin in broccoli (produced during hydrolysis), was measured in freeze-dried by-products and found highest in florets. Meanwhile, the highest phenolic content was in SK3-085 when harvested in January, or the mature stage.\n\nMeanwhile, the sulforaphane content in the stem of the Kyoyoshi cultivar of broccoli was higher than the floret. The leaves overall contained the lowest levels of sulforaphane.\n\nThis ultimately means that any level of broccoli can be eaten for its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, but some of the types of broccoli and some harvested at different times can be more beneficial than others. It is still a very wise decision to include broccoli in your dinner plans during the week to help you stay in good health in general and also to prevent cancer development.\n\n\n- sponsored links -\n\n- sponsored links -", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9968301653862}
{"content": "AAP woos voters promising 8 lakh jobs, 20 new colleges\n\nAAP woos voters promising 8 lakh jobs, 20 new colleges\nNew Delhi, Nov 15: Kickstarting its sessions to connect with the masses and woo voters ahead of Delhi assembly polls, the AAP today launched a five-point programme for the youth, promising 8 lakh jobs, vocational training, setting up of 20 new colleges, sports facilities and having wi-fi connectivity across Delhi.\n\nThe party formally launched the Delhi Dialogue, an interactive initiative to connect with voters of different stratas of society, and spelt out its strategy for youth. The party will come up with a 50-point programme catering to different sections of the society.\n\nHighlighting the issue of admission, faced by students especially after class XII, AAP's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the main cause of the the problem was lack of infrastructure in the education sector. \"No new college has been built since last 15-20 years, which is leading to this problem. Giving education to the these students will be government's responsibility. We will double the number of existing seats and construct 20 new colleges for the youth.\n\n\"Many villages have also complained about lack of educational institutions. The government will build colleges in these villages to ensure that the students there get admission,\" Kejriwal said at a function held at Jantar Mantar here. He said if his party voted to power the new government will also ensure that students get loan for pursuing their education.\n\n\"The government will also be a guarantor to these students so that they don't have to mortage their property and valuables to get education,\" he said. The AAP chief also tried to woo the youth by making Delhi a wi-fi city.\n\n\"We are working on the details to have wi-fi across Delhi,\" he said. The former Chief Minister said efforts would be made to fill over 50,000 vacancies of doctors, teachers, nurses and other professionals in the Delhi government.\n\n\"The colleges the government would build will be designed in a way that students won't have to look for jobs. It will have incubation centres. After passing out, the student can be given a facility to carry out his venture and we will also help to get loan through banks. \"We will create the Delhi Skill Mission, which will help generate 8 lak jobs in Delh,\" he said.\n\n\nPlease Wait while comments are loading...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6822723150253296}
{"content": "schizophrenia twilight zone\nAugust 19, 2014\n\nStuck In Neutral: Brain Defect Traps Schizophrenics In Twilight Zone\n\nDan Gaffney, University of Sydney\n\n\nPublished in Biological Psychiatry, the finding by a University of Sydney research team is the first to illustrate the inability to initiate goal-directed behavior common in people with schizophrenia.\n\nThe finding may explain why people with schizophrenia have difficulty achieving real-world goals such as making friends, completing education and finding employment.\n\n\"The apparent lack of motivation in schizophrenic patients isn't because they lack goals or don't enjoy rewards and pleasure,\" says the University of Sydney's Dr Richard Morris, the study's lead author.\n\n\"They enjoy as many experiences as other people, including food, movies and scenes of natural beauty.\n\n\nUsing a control group research design, the researchers used a two-prong approach to reveal how and why schizophrenics fail to convert their preferences into congruent choices.\n\nFirst, using a series of experiments involving choosing between different snack food rewards, experimenters revealed that:\n\n- schizophrenic subjects had a liking for snack foods equivalent to healthy adults\n\n- when researchers reduced the value of one of the snacks, both subjects and healthy adults subsequently preferred different snacks, as expected\n\n- surprisingly, schizophrenic subjects had major difficulty choosing their preferred snack when provided with a choice between their preferred snack and the devalued snack.\n\nSecond, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measures brain activity while study subjects performed learning tasks involving snack foods.\n\nThis technique relies on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activity are coupled. When an area of the brain is in use, bloodflow to that region increases, thereby indicating neural activity. This neural activity can be presented graphically by color-coding the strength of activation across the brain or in specific brain regions. The technique can localize neural activity to within millimeters.\n\nFunctional MRI results revealed the following:\n\n- schizophrenic subjects had normal neural activity in the brain region responsible for decision-making (prefrontal cortex)\n\n- among schizophrenic subjects, brain regions responsible, in part, for controlling actions and choice (the caudate) had far lower neural activity than in healthy subjects\n\n- lower neural activity in the caudate regions was correlated with the difficulty that schizophrenic subjects' had applying their food preferences to obtain future snack foods.\n\n\"Pathology in the caudate and associated brain regions may prevent schizophrenic subjects from properly evaluating their desires then transmitting that information to guide their behavior,\" says Dr Morris.\n\n\n\nSchizophrenia affects one percent of people worldwide, including in Australia.\n\nHowever so-called \"poor motivation\" in schizophrenia is a major economic concern because it is not treated by current medicines, and often means patients fail to finish their education or hold a full-time job.\n\n> Explore Further...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8787367343902588}
{"content": "Loughborough University\nLeicestershire, UK\nLE11 3TU\n+44 (0)1509 263171\nLoughborough University\n\nLoughborough University Institutional Repository\n\n\nTitle: Toughness enhancement of poly(ethylene terephthalate) with chemically modified high molecular weight polyethylene\nAuthors: Ophir, Amos\nIssue Date: 1997\nPublisher: © A. Ophir\nAbstract: The present work was concentrated on exploring and developing a toughening material system to be used in engineering products made of high crystalline PET [poly(ethylene terephthalate)]. The work addressed some fundamental objectives in the technology. of crystallised PET (CPET) related to toughness and thermoforming. PET is widely used in fibres and oriented films but is also an attractive material for moulded products, owing to its high melting point and solvent resistance. Crystalline PET, however, is brittle and susceptible to hydrolytic degradation through water absorption. The polymeric toughening system was based on suitably modified UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) a crystalline polymer with very high fracture toughness under plane strain conditions, low water absorption, but with a relatively low melting point. Being a thermoplastic it has a modulus about 1,000 times higher than the equivalent hydrocarbon elastomer usually used to toughen PET and polyamides. Hence, deterioration of strength and stiffness is minimized. Blending PET with UHMWPE produces coarse microstructures and poor mechanical properties due to lack of compatibility of the two polymers. Compatibility is expected to be improved by reducing the interfacial tension and increasing the adhesion between the two phases; the first will reduce the size of the dispersed phase, while the latter would improve the mechanical properties. Compatibilisation of a pair of immiscible polymers, like in blend of PET with UHMWPE, can be achieved by incorporation of reactive units along the main chains of the UHMWPE, which are capable of strong interactions with the matrix component (PET). The methods used in this investigation involved smface grafting and irradiation treatment to produce chemically active groups on the UHMWPE polymer chain to achieve the required level of interfacial adhesion assisting the agglomerate particle breakdown into small size and to develop strong bonding to the PET when the two polymers are blended in a high shear mixing. The results obtained with several modified UHMWPE powders incorporated into PET by melt mixing showed a clear formation of small primary particles of UHMWPE strongly bonded to the matrix, thereby achieving a vast improvement in toughness while preserving other important fundamental properties related to both the end product and the material processing.\nURI: https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/13881\nAppears in Collections:PhD Theses (Materials)\n\nFiles associated with this item:\n\nFile Description SizeFormat\nThesis-1997-Ophir.pdf8.78 MBAdobe PDFView/Open\nForm-1997-Ophir.pdf33.78 kBAdobe PDFView/Open\n\n\nSFX Query\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9318968653678894}
{"content": "go to homepage\n\n\nEuropean research laboratory\nAlternative Titles: Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, European Organization for Nuclear Research, Organisation Européene pour la Recherche Nucléaire\n\nCERN, byname of Organisation Européene pour la Recherche Nucléaire, formerly (1952–54) Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, English European Organization for Nuclear Research, international scientific organization established for the purpose of collaborative research into high-energy particle physics. Founded in 1954, the organization maintains its headquarters near Geneva and operates expressly for research of a “pure scientific and fundamental character.” Article 2 of the CERN Convention, emphasizing the atmosphere of freedom in which CERN was established, states that it “shall have no concern with work for military requirements and the results of its experimental and theoretical work shall be published or otherwise made generally available.” CERN’s scientific-research facilities—representing the world’s largest machines, particle accelerators, dedicated to studying the universe’s smallest objects, subatomic particles—attract thousands of scientists from around the world. Research achievements at CERN, which include Nobel Prize-winning scientific discoveries, also encompass technological breakthroughs such as the World Wide Web.\n\n\nThe establishment of CERN was at least in part an effort to reclaim the European physicists who had immigrated for various reasons to the United States as a result of World War II. The provisional organization, which was created in 1952 as the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, had been proposed in 1950 by the American physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi at the fifth General Conference of UNESCO. Upon formal ratification of the group’s constitution in 1954, the word Organisation replaced Conseil in its name, although the organization continued to be known by the acronym of the earlier name. By the end of the 20th century, CERN had a membership of 20 European states, in addition to several countries that maintained “observer” status.\n\nCERN has the largest and most-versatile facilities of its kind in the world. The site covers more than 100 hectares (250 acres) in Switzerland and, since 1965, more than 450 hectares (1,125 acres) in France. The activation in 1957 of CERN’s first particle accelerator, a 600-megaelectron volt (MeV) synchrocyclotron, enabled physicists to observe (some 22 years after the prediction of this activity) the decay of a pi-meson, or pion, into an electron and a neutrino. The event was instrumental in the development of the theory of the weak force.\n\nThe CERN laboratory grew steadily, activating the particle accelerator known as the Proton Synchrotron (PS; 1959), which used “strong focusing” of particle beams to achieve 28-gigaelectron volt (GeV) acceleration of protons; the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR; 1971), a revolutionary design enabling head-on collisions between two intense 32-GeV beams of protons to increase the effective energy available in the particle accelerator; and the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS; 1976), which featured a 7-km (4.35-mile) circumference ring able to accelerate protons to a peak energy of 500 GeV. Experiments at the PS in 1973 demonstrated for the first time that neutrinos could interact with matter without changing into muons; this historic discovery, known as the “neutral current interaction,” opened the door to the new physics embodied in the electroweak theory, uniting the weak force with the more-familiar electromagnetic force.\n\nIn 1981 the SPS was converted into a proton-antiproton collider based on the addition of an Antiproton Accumulator (AA) ring, which allowed the accumulation of antiprotons in concentrated beams. Analysis of proton-antiproton collision experiments at an energy of 270 GeV per beam led to the discovery of the W and Z particles (carriers of the weak force) in 1983. Physicist Carlo Rubbia and engineer Simon van der Meer of CERN were awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize for Physics in recognition of their contribution to this discovery, which provided experimental verification of the electroweak theory in the Standard Model of particle physics. In 1992 Georges Charpak of CERN received the Nobel Prize for Physics in acknowledgment of his 1968 invention of the multiwire proportional chamber, an electronic particle detector that revolutionized high-energy physics and has applications in medical physics.\n\nIn 1989 CERN inaugurated the Large Electron-Positron (LEP) collider, with a circumference of almost 27 km (17 miles), which was able to accelerate both electrons and positrons to 45 GeV per beam (increased to 104 GeV per beam by 2000). LEP facilitated extremely precise measurements of the Z particle, which led to substantial refinements in the Standard Model. LEP was shut down in 2000, to be replaced in the same tunnel by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), designed to collide proton beams at an energy of almost 7 teraelectron volts (TeV) per beam. The LHC, expected to extend the reach of high-energy physics experiments to a new energy plateau and thus reveal new, uncharted areas of study, began test operations in 2008.\n\nTest Your Knowledge\nWorld Organizations: Fact or Fiction?\n\nThe founding mission of CERN, to promote collaboration between scientists from many different countries, required for its implementation the rapid transmission and communication of experimental data to sites all over the world. In the 1980s Tim Berners-Lee, an English computer scientist at CERN, began work on a hypertext system for linking electronic documents and on the protocol for transferring them between computers. His system, introduced to CERN in 1990, became known as the World Wide Web, a means of rapid and efficient communication that transformed not only the high-energy physics community but also the entire world.\n\nLearn More in these related articles:\n\n...W-, and Z, much in the way that the electromagnetic force is conveyed by photons. The three new particles were discovered in 1983 during experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), a large accelerator laboratory near Geneva. This triumph for the electroweak theory represented another stepping stone toward a deeper understanding...\nThe first signs of neutral currents came in 1973 from experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva. A team of more than 50 physicists from a variety of countries had diligently searched through the photographs taken of tracks produced when a large bubble chamber called Gargamelle was exposed to a beam of muon-antineutrinos. In a neutral current reaction an...\n...promptly incorporated in the design of the 33-GeV proton synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., and the 28-GeV machine at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), near Geneva.\n  • MLA\n  • APA\n  • Harvard\n  • Chicago\nYou have successfully emailed this.\nError when sending the email. Try again later.\nEdit Mode\nEuropean research laboratory\nTips For Editing\n\n\n\n\nLeave Edit Mode\n\nYou are about to leave edit mode.\n\n\nThank You for Your Contribution!\n\n\n\nUh Oh\n\n\nKeep Exploring Britannica\n\nAlbert Einstein.\nAlbert Einstein\nIsaac Newton, portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1689.\nSir Isaac Newton\nWorld Organizations: Fact or Fiction?\nThomas Alva Edison\nLeonardo da Vinci\nAuguste Comte\nUnited Nations (UN)\nIrving Langmuir, 1930.\nIrving Langmuir\nTheodore von Kármán.\nTheodore von Karman\nEdwin Hubble\nAlan M. Turing, 1951.\nAlan Turing\nJoseph Priestley\nEmail this page", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8046233654022217}
{"content": "La Défense’s landmark edifice is the marble Grande Arche, a cube-like arch built in the 1980s to house government and business offices. The arch marks the western end of the axe historique (historic axis), though Danish architect Johan-Otto von Sprekelsen deliberately placed the Grande Arche fractionally out of alignment. After several years of renovations, access to the roof is expected to reopen in 2017.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997920989990234}
{"content": "How Do I Talk to My Doctor About Social Anxiety?\n\nLearn how to approach the topic of social anxiety with your doctor.\nTalking to your doctor about social anxiety can be difficult.. Getty / Stone / Thomas Barwick\n\n\"I can't do it. Every time I go in, I don't know what to say.... How do I let them see what I go through without explaining it? I can't explain properly what it is. It's embarrassing to be there. I don't like admitting something is wrong with me. I hardly even know how to talk. Even if I don't care about others watching, when I speak all I hear is me speaking. All I can focus on is what to say.\"\n\n-Social Phobia World forum member\n\nDoes this sound like you? Are you afraid to talk to your doctor about social anxiety? If so, you are not alone.\n\nMany people with symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD) never receive a diagnosis because they are afraid to talk about how they are feeling.\n\nWrite it Down\n\nOne good solution for this problem is to present your doctor with a case summary instead of trying to verbally explain your symptoms. In general, a case summary is a concise description of your history of symptoms. The summary should be detailed but short enough that your doctor can read through it quickly.\n\nRead: Example of a Case Summary for Social Anxiety\n\nEven if you don't bring a case summary, it is a good idea to write out your thoughts ahead of time in point form.\n\nDoing so ensures that nothing gets forgotten, even if you become anxious when speaking with your doctor. Writing down the answers that your doctor gives will also give you a written record of what was said and help to keep you focused.\n\nAcknowledge Your Anxiety\n\nBefore starting to speak with your doctor, tell him that you are going to have a hard time talking with him. If you decide to prepare a case summary, include a statement at the beginning to this effect:\n\n\"I probably look fine to you now, but inside I am terrified that you are judging me.\n\nWhen I talk to doctors I become very anxious, my mind goes blank and I can't explain what is wrong.\"\n\nBring Someone Along\n\nBring someone with you to speak to your doctor. In addition to having the support of a friend or family member, that person can listen to what is said, think of questions, and ask for clarification when necessary. A second person could also take notes of what is said during the meeting.\n\nAlthough it can be intimidating talking to professionals about personal issues, it is your doctor's job to listen and understand. Trusting your doctor may be hard, but sharing how you are feeling is the first step toward getting help.\n\nYou might also be interested in: Signs You Need a New Doctor for Your Social Anxiety\n\nContinue Reading", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.66938716173172}
{"content": "Category Archives: othering\n\nStigma Kills: A Concrete Example\n\nOften when bloggers or activists push back against ableist language and stereotypes in the media, especially pop culture, someone will respond with an argument that there are more important disability issues to address and that the topic at hand is mostly irrelevant to disability rights as a whole. This has happened with each of the posts in the Ableist Word Profile series, it’s happened with discussion about ableist tropes in pop culture, it’s happened when critiquing the vast overrepresentation of criminal behavior in news coverage of people with mental illness.\n\nI believe these things matter very much. Perhaps not individually – if I slip and use the word “lame” pejoratively, it does not automatically cause a person with a disability to die instantly. But each individual instance adds up to become a trend, to become a larger understanding and expectation of how things are. And if those understandings and expectations aren’t accurate, it can have dramatically horrific results.\n\nThis is because a lot of our ongoing decisionmaking is done automatically, unconsciously. This is because we are constantly presented with such a vast amount of information that if we stopped to consciously evaluate everything, we’d never be able to do anything at all. When I see an object with keys labeled with letters and laid out in the QWERTY design, I recognize it as a keyboard an assume I use it to manually input written data into a computer or typewriter or phone or other device. This saves me the trouble of figuring out each and every time what this object is, what it is for, how I am supposed to interact with it, and what end result I can expect. I do this instantly, even though it is immensely complicated – it has been extraordinarily difficult to program a computer to identify, say, a keyboard from a photo or video, regardless of lighting, angle, and lots of other variables that the brain can process almost instantly.\n\nThere are similar examples for evaluating other sensory input. When I touch something, I know instantly and without consciously considering it whether the object is solid or liquid, dry or wet. I have no idea how I make that evaluation and instructing someone else on making that judgment would be immensely difficult for me – but when my foot touches a wet patch of carpet en route to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I pull my foot back lightning fast to avoid what is surely cat puke. If I feel myself losing balance, I put out a hand to catch myself without consciously deciding to, because my classification of my sensations as “losing balance” was done entirely unconsciously.\n\nHow does stigma fit into this? Well, a stereotype is an unconscious cognitive shortcut – instead of examining an individual person or situation, we apply a stereotype to make assumptions. While a stereotype is usually seen as a negative thing, they serve an important purpose by allowing us to make educated guesses. For example, when I go into a fast food restaurant, I know to go to the counter and give my order to someone behind the counter, usually wearing a uniform. While this has held true at the places I’ve visited in the past, if I go to an new fast food restaurant that I haven’t visited before, I will assume that I use the same procedure. That’s a useful assumption that saves me the time and energy of approaching each situation as brand new and unrelated.\n\nThere are times when stereotypes can be harmful and damaging, as we well know. The stigma against PWDs is an assumption applied to all PWDs simply because they are PWDs, assuming they have a set of presumed characteristics, motivations, and beliefs. It is a stereotype composed of all the understandings and expectations of PWDs conveyed by all the little things – the word choices of the people you talk to, that one character in that on tv show, that story you saw on the news last night. And although the specifics fade away, most people are left with vague, unconscious associations. Again, some of these associations are essentially value-neutral, as how I generally associate red with “stop” and green with “go” from traffic lights and signs. But people can also have unconscious associations around more complex and problematic issues, like race, gender, and disability status.\n\nSocial psychologists from Harvard developed a computer-based test to measure the existence of implicit associations and stereotypes – the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The IAT asks users to rapidly categorize words to the left or right of the screen. From the IAT FAQ:\n\nThe IAT asks you to pair two concepts (e.g., young and good, or elderly and good). The more closely associated the two concepts are, the easier it is to respond to them as a single unit. So, if young and good are strongly associated, it should be easier to respond faster when you are asked to give the same response (i.e. the ‘E’ or ‘I’ key [to indicate left or right]) to these two. If elderly and good are not so strongly associated, it should be harder to respond fast when they are paired. This gives a measure of how strongly associated the two types of concepts are. The more associated, the more rapidly you should be able to respond. The IAT is one method for measuring implicit or automatic attitudes and is featured on this website. There are other methods, using different procedures, that have been investigated in laboratory studies.\n\nI’ve taken a number of IATs before (because I’m dorky about cognitive science and this kind of stuff) and believe that they have correctly identified in me some negative unconscious associations. For example, I unconsciously associated women with home and family and men with business. Consciously, I strongly disagree with that association! So when I do consciously consider my assumptions about those associations, I override and reject my unconscious associations.\n\nWhen researching this post, I took the IAT that measures unconscious associations around disability. (I can’t link directly to that test, but it can be found in the IAT demonstrations available here.) Taking the test, I found that I have a slight automatic preference for abled people over PWDs. This doesn’t mean that when I act, speak, or even think about these issues I exhibit that preference. It doesn’t mean that I “really” prefer TABs to PWDs. It means that I have been sufficiently inundated by messages that associate TABs with “good” and PWDs with “bad” that I have a slight unconscious tendency to apply that association, a tendency almost instantaneously overruled by my conscious thought. So it is an association that exists only for the tiniest of moments until it is extinguished by cognition.\n\nHow can those tiny moments, almost too small to measure, even matter? Well, as Chally recently posted about, a Los Angeles police officer shot and killed an unarmed man with an unspecific cognitive disability autism 1. The officer fired as the man reached towards his waistband after failing to respond to verbal commands from the police. From the LA Times article linked in the post:\n\n[LAPD Officers] Corrales and Diego believed “he [the PWD] was arming himself” and fired, Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said at an afternoon news conference.\n\n\nIn a fraction of a second.\n\nJust long enough for the unconscious association to spark but not long enough for conscious thought to override it.\n\nJust long enough for stigma to kill.\n\n  1. ETA since his family disclosed that he had autism in numerous public interviews.\n\nIntegrating Primary and Mental Health Care\n\n\nThis indicates a significant split between the physical health care and mental health care systems, where people are expected to go to their PCP for physical health issues and to self-refer to a mental health care clinic or specialist for mental health treatment. This is problematic for a whole host of reasons – primary among them the simple fact that this system simply isn’t working – even though the prevalence of mental disorders in primary care is somewhat higher than the overall population, PCPs are ineffective at identifying those people and providing them with treatment. Expecting people to identify themselves as experiencing a mental disorder, overcoming societal stigma to seek diagnosis and treatment, and assuming they have the ability to access mental health services through a fragmented and poorly financed system erects barriers to treatment that are likely insurmountable to someone experiencing an untreated mental health problem. Unsurprisingly, these barriers are likely more pronounced for already vulnerable populations such as the elderly and low-income minorities.\n\nThere are a lot of benefits to better integration of mental health care into the PCP’s role. The PCP is usually the patient’s first contact with the health care system and an individual is much more likely to know how to access care from a PCP than from an unintegrated mental health system. Patients are often more willing to attend appointments with and follow up with their PCPs because of the removal of stigma from receiving treatment. Other patients may not have meaningful access to a separate or nonintegrated mental health system, either due to financial barriers, long waiting lists, or other barriers.\n\nThe most significant problem, in my view, is the expectation that an individual should be able to determine they are experiencing a mental health problem. Given that the majority of PCPs, who have medical degrees and extensive training, fail to identify and diagnose mental health issues, expecting untrained laypeople to do so – while they are experiencing the mental health problem – is beyond absurd. It is even more absurd given that many mental health issues have a physical component. Depression results in fatigue and appetite changes, as does mania. The physical experience of a panic attack is often interpreted as a heart attack. Auditory or visual hallucinations could easily be interpreted as problems with the sensory organs themselves. This is sometimes heightened by an individual’s cultural context, as many Asian cultures describe the experience of depression almost exclusively in physical terms. Expecting an affected individual to untangle the complicated interplay of physical and mental effects and diagnose themselves with a mental health problem prior to seeking treatment is bound to fail.\n\nAnother argument in favor of integration is the huge overlap between physical and mental health problems. Estimates of this comorbidity vary wildly, but range somewhere from 20% to 80% of primary care patients (useful data, no?). Having a patient access two separate mental health care systems for their treatment ensures fragmented treatments that may contradict each other and are certainly not coordinated for maximum effect. Better integration would ensure treatments for physical and mental health issues complemented each other and treated the patient as a whole person.\n\nThis seems like an uncontroversial and common sense suggestion. It was embraced by the United States Surgeon General in 2001 and by the World Health Organization in 2008, but has seen little progress or momentum since then. Some local treatment systems are taking steps towards integration, such as these trainings done by the British Columbia health system, but there have been few steps towards addressing this issue in the larger health system.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWe Need to Consider More than Universities\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  1. Sphere, pshyeah.\n\nA Conversation in the Lunch Room\n\n\n  • “Is depression even a real disease?”\n\n\nWe’ve got a long way to go, y’all.\n\nThis is Why We’re Always on about Language\n\n\n\n\nHow insane is that?\n\nHere’s my reply.\n\n\nIt is not insane.\n\n\n\n\n\n  1. Unfortunately, none of this is even exaggerated.\n\nHow to Frame the Accommodations Debate\n\nThe concept of accommodations for employees with disabilities is one that exists all over the world. The basic principle of these laws is that an employee with a disability is entitled to changes to accommodate specific needs created by their disability in order to work. These can be changes in policies (changing a policy prohibiting eating at employee desks to allow an employee with diabetes to manage his blood sugar) or procedures (issuing company announcements both orally at staff meetings and by written memo to accommodate an employee with auditory processing difficulties), or even maintaining a scent-free or florescent light-free workplace, providing ergonomic modifications to workspaces, and beyond.\n\nThere are a lot of negative attitudes and assumptions surrounding workplace accommodations. It is often assumed that the employee with a disability (EWD for short) and their employer are in an adversarial position – the employee is asking for something they want but that the employer does not want to give. Providing the accommodation is seen almost universally as a loss for the employer, because providing it will cost them, either by purchasing new equipment or in administrative costs and hassle for changing existing policies and procedures. In the United States, it is often made very clear to employees that accommodations are provided solely because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to cooperate, not because the employer wants to assist with accommodations or believes it will improve the overall workplace in any meaningful way.\n\nThe cost of the accommodation, whether direct or indirect, is often seen as offsetting the worth or value of the EWD and limiting the benefit the employer can derive from an individual employee. More broadly, this is seen as discouraging employers from hiring EWDs in order to prevent the need for these accommodations. This means that accommodations are often seen as “special treatment,” for EWDs, requiring a whole set of special procedures by which EWDs can request accommodations and have them evaluated and special staff to learn the ADA and evaluate accommodations and …\n\nAnother feature of accommodations for EWDs is that although they are supposed to be individualized and tailored to the specific needs and responsibilities of an individual employee, employers often think of providing specific, pre-determined accommodations based on the type of disability the EWD has. For example, employers often consider themselves to have fulfilled their accommodation duties for people with physical disabilities if the workplace is wheelchair accessible and the parking lot has a handicapped parking space. Any additional requests from accommodation are likely met with bewilderment by the employer – “we already took care of all of the accommodation issues!”\n\nIt was with all of that in my mind that I read this recent article from ABCNews, with the headline “Employees Healthier When Boss Is Flexible.” The article discussed the benefits of flexible work schedules for employees without disabilities:\n\n“Flexible working initiatives which equip the worker with more choice or control, such as self-scheduling of work hours or gradual or phased retirement, are likely to have positive effects on health and well being,” Clare Bambra of Durham University in the U.K., told MedPage Today. “Control at work is good for health,” Bambra said. Overall, the researchers found that situations that gave the employee more control over scheduling have positive effects on health and well being, particularly with regard to blood pressure, sleep, and mental health. A third study found significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and heart rate for workers with flexible scheduling, Bambra said. Conversely, Bambra and colleagues found that mandatory overtime and fixed-term contracts had absolutely no positive effects on health outcomes.\n\nAlthough the article did not analogize these flexible work schedules under employee control to the principle of accommodations and disability was not explicitly mentioned in the article, I couldn’t help but connect the two. The idea of allowing an employee to control their own work schedule based on her own needs is exactly the principle behind accommodations – tailoring the work requirements and environment to the individual and specific needs of the employee, rather than requiring everyone to comply with universal policies set by the employer. It’s also implied that these flexible policies benefit the employer by creating healthier and happier employees who are, in turn, more productive at work.\n\nThis made me wonder if it would be helpful to adopt this framing for accommodations arguments, as in “see, assisting employees to accommodate their individualized needs results in better outcomes for both employees and employers!” Framing the argument that way addresses a lot of the negative issues around accommodations discussed above: the employee and the employer are working together rather than against each other; providing this flexibility is seen as a benefit to, not a loss for, the employer; this maximizes the work, worth and value of the employee rather than offsetting it; accommodations are good business practice rather than special treatment imposed by law; the individualized nature of accommodations is emphasized and changes must be dictated by the employee’s view of their own needs.\n\nThere is a potential drawback to this framing, however – it does not explicitly mention or focus on PWDs. I see this as potentially harmful given that the need for accommodations for PWDs is created by the historic and continuing othering of and discrimination against PWDs. (See amanda and wiki on the social model of disability for more about this.) Advancing the principle of accommodations for employees without explicitly focusing on PWDs removes a lot of the disability-based stigma from the discussion, but also removes the historical context that has created a need for accommodations. Similarly, framing the issue as a smart business practice than a civil rights issue removes the discussion of “special” rights or treatment, but removes focus from the fact that PWDs deserve these rights to counteract oppression based on their disability status.\n\nThis framing technique also dilutes the concept of what an accommodation is and extends it to all employees, whether or not they have disabilities. This could be dangerous, as it would allow employers to think about accommodations in terms of overall economic benefit – this might encourage them to deny specific accommodation requests that would be considered too costly for the company, or insufficiently beneficial to the overall bottom line. While that may be unwise for employers, given studies like this, it would not be illegal and would not be a civil rights issue for employees without disabilities. For EWDs, however, denying accommodations is a civil rights issue, because accommodations are required to allow EWDs equal access to employment benefits in light of the barriers that exist because of historic and continuing oppression and discrimination against PWDs on the basis of their disabilities. Expanding the focus of accommodations to all employees de-emphasizes the rights-based aspect of accommodations for PWDs to the point of invisibility.\n\nI’m not sure whether the benefits or costs of this framing of the accommodations argument are stronger. What do you think? Have I ommitted any advantages of using this framing? Any disadvantages? Which framing – current rights-based arguments or these non-PWD centered business arguments – do you think is best?\n\nI’m not here for your inspiration\n\n\nBut let me begin at the beginning.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDescription follows\n\nDescription written by Haddayr:\n\nShe didn’t let her disability stop her!\nForced to use [mobility device]\nCourageous battle\nConfined to a wheelchair\nThen tragedy struck/her dreams were shattered/the unimaginable happened\nCan only communicate through [communication device]\nCheerful/ Never let it get her down/ Positive attitude\nFree Space:\nThrough the miraculous assistance of [something completely non-miraculous]\nShe refused to give up/give in/succumb\nDefying overwhelming odds\nShe ‘suffers from’ [impairment]\n[insert some pseudoscience]\nHe has overcome his disability!\n\nSo, let’s go back to my story.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDescription follows\n\nDescription: As above, but with the following squares circled:\nForced to use [mobility device]\nThen tragedy struck/her dreams were shattered/the unimaginable happened\nCheerful/ Never let it get her down/ Positive attitude\nShe refused to give up/give in/succumb\nHe has overcome his disability!\n\n\nProud for so many reasons\n\n\nThank you, Alex and Frédéric.\n\nBrian Smith, Toronto\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCome filk with us – “Special Treatment” for PWD\n\n\nYou can read a little about him here at Debbie Kruger’s:\n\n\nCheck out the song:\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI can’t enter my child’s classroom\nAlthough the door’s right there\nI’m stuck outside my child’s classroom\nBlocked by a single stair\n\nI get special treatment\nSpecial treatment\nVery special treatment\n\nI’d like to work an eight hour day\nIn an office on main street\nBut they won’t offer me the same pay\nOr add a ramp my chair needs\n\nSay it’s “special treatment”\nSpecial treatment\nVery special treatment\n\nMother and father loved each other well\nBut together they could not stay\nThey were split up against their will\nUntil their dying day\n\nThey got special treatment\nSpecial treatment\nVery special treatment\n\nMama gave birth to a healthy child\nA child she called her own\nStrangers came and took away that child\nTo a stranger’s home\n\nShe got special treatment\nSpecial treatment\nVery special treatment\n\nI’m not allowed to cry out loud\nI’m not allowed to scream\nI’m not allowed to show my rage\nI’m not allowed to dream\n\nAfter all, I get special treatment\nSpecial treatment\nVery special treatment\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“What’s the matter with you?”\n\n“cant handle it? then just fucking die!”\n\n“fuck u die slow nigga!”\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPlease read and abide by our comments policy.\n\nNext page →\n← Previous page", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7938352823257446}
{"content": "Apr 24, 2014\n\n    The art of fine bread-making\n\n\n    ZACHARY Golper gets a strange look in his eyes when he talks about his miche.\n\n    Mr Golper, who oversees the ovens at Bien Cuit, a bakery in Brooklyn, is part of a starter culture of obsessive, boundary-pushing bread-makers in New York City and around the country.\n\n    Connoisseurs consider his miche, a French-style country loaf, something of a crown jewel. But it certainly doesn't shine like one; bulbous and heat-bludgeoned, it looks more like something that might have been used as a shield in a Stone Age skirmish.\n\n    But it makes sense - Mr Golper, like many comrades in the revolutionary salt-flour-water brigade, is engaged in an ancient and ceaseless battle: against the whims of working with fermenting dough whose personality can shift on a daily or even hourly basis; against the high costs of making bread in what he considers the purest manner; against decades of commercialisation that have trained the American eye and palate to expect bread that is soft, gummy, pale and tasteless.\n\n    \"Most people are trying to make bread as quickly as possible,\" he said. \"I don't think there's any reason to make bread fast. I don't think it's healthy.\"\n\n    Instead, the 36-year-old wages a loving blitz on the miche dough, fermenting it for as long as an epic 68 hours and hardening the crust with a bake that goes on for almost double the time (at a slightly lower temperature) than you would find in the average shop. The dough itself contains six types of flour.\n\n    The process brings out \"nuances that otherwise would not be obtainable if you don't take the time\", he said.\n\n    Small independent bakers in New York, California, Oregon, Virginia and North Carolina are going to great lengths to approach an ideal of bread that is simultaneously cutting-edge and primordial. They are hunting down heirloom grains, early forms of wheat like emmer and einkorn, and milling their own flour.\n\n    Some are travelling to Washington state to meet Stephen Jones, a rogue wheat breeder who runs the Bread Lab, a Wonka-esque wonderland for crusty, airy-crumbed experimentation.\n\n    They are using unusually wet dough and stretching out fermentation times. They are trying to conjure up the baker's version of terroir, creating sourdough starter in the classic manner: simply by letting it sit, welcoming the bacteria in the air so the bread presumably tastes like the place where it was made.\n\n    Meanwhile, white bread is still venerated at bakeries in Asia, where it has been elevated to \"artisan\" status with a lofty, feathery crumb, a milk-sweet crust and a naturally long shelf life.\n\n    Called shokupan, milk bread, pai bao and by other names, this bread is a miracle of engineering: moist but not gummy, rich but light, balanced between sweet and salty.\n\n    At baking chains like Paris Baguette, based in Seoul, this is achieved with industrial proofers and artificial flavours. The key to making it at home is tangzhong, a warm, pudding-like starter quickly made by cooking a small amount of flour with water or milk.\n\n    Janice Wong, a pastry chef in Singapore, said tangzhong is a traditional Chinese way of making dough for steamed buns. (The characters mean, roughly, \"soup method\".)\n\n    \"Asian doughs tend to have small, fine air bubbles,\" she said.\n\n    The method was applied to white bread by Japanese bakers in the 20th century and became a staple in Asian bakeries.\n\n    \"About half of Japanese people eat toast for breakfast,\" said Kimie Kobayashi, the manager of Takahachi Bakery in Lower Manhattan, where shokupan is made daily. \"The customers here seem surprised to hear that.\"\n\n    Eminent food scientist Harold McGee said tangzhong is different from other starters - like autolyse, levain, biga and the unappetisingly named poolish - because it hydrates and gels the starches in the flour, giving the bread its characteristic fluff and spring.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6187976598739624}
{"content": "\n\n\nE-mail; Tel. (+1) 510 642 2217; Fax (+1) 510 642 4995.\n\n\nMagnetotactic bacteria contain nanometre-sized, membrane-bound organelles, called magnetosomes, which are tasked with the biomineralization of small crystals of the iron oxide magnetite allowing the organism to use geomagnetic field lines for navigation. A key player in this process is the HtrA/DegP family protease MamE. In its absence, Magnetospirillum magneticum str AMB-1 is able to form magnetosome membranes but not magnetite crystals, a defect previously linked to the mislocalization of magnetosome proteins. In this work we use a directed genetic approach to find that MamE, and another predicted magnetosome-associated protease, MamO, likely function as proteases in vivo. However, as opposed to the complete loss of mamE where no biomineralization is observed, the protease-deficient variant of this protein still supports the initiation and formation of small, 20 nm-sized crystals of magnetite, too small to hold a permanent magnetic dipole moment. This analysis also reveals that MamE is a bifunctional protein with a protease-independent role in magnetosome protein localization and a protease-dependent role in maturation of small magnetite crystals. Together, these results imply the existence of a previously unrecognized ‘checkpoint’ in biomineralization where MamE moderates the completion of magnetite formation and thus committal to magneto-aerotaxis as the organism's dominant mode of navigating the environment.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9966383576393127}
{"content": "C.cldrf.com is a browser extension that installs in any browser of your PC in a sudden manner and you can not understand why does it happen. Usually the program is downloaded together with freeware from unknown vendors. If you like freeware, then you are welcome to install it, but you should be vigilant during the process of installation because it is eager to add different undesirable utilities into your PC and it will be hard to uninstall them. C.cldrf.com is called adware (the software that will show you many special offers) that is not a malware in the general sense of this word, but it can harm your computer. You are welcome to remove C.cldrf.com as soon as possible.\n\nremove C.cldrf.com\n\nHow to remove C.cldrf.com Easily\n\nThere are several ways to uninstall C.cldrf.com from the system. It is better to read the guide completely and choose the needed way of removal. Speaking about the facilest and the fastest way of removal, so I should say about the utilities that will help. According to my experience, the best way is to install and run effective C.cldrf.com Removal Tool. Removal software that was created for a individual kind of viruses is the most active. You are welcome also to run any other antimalware that has C.cldrf.com in the signature base. The antimalware that I recommend you (Spyhunter 4) will detect and uninstall C.cldrf.com completely, you are welcome to get it using this download button.\n\nRemove C.cldrf.com automatically\nWhy this program?\n  • It removes C.cldrf.com right now. Forever.\n  • 24/7 professional support\n\nSpyhunter 4 is the latest release of effective antimalware program that removes all the elements of C.cldrf.com and other malware not only in browsers, but also from the registry entries. It is a good program for users who do not understand how to delete viruses from the registry, because it will do everything for you.\n\nWhat Is C.cldrf.com?\n\n\nInstructions to delete C.cldrf.com from browsers: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari\n\nReset Google Chrome\n\nReset Firefox\n\nReset Internet Explorer\n\nReset Safari\n\nReset Opera\n\nWhat is the Way to Guard Your System Against C.cldrf.com?\n\nHere are the effective methods to guard your computer from C.cldrf.com in the future not to allow this unwanted program to infect the browser one more time. You are welcome to tell about these measures to your relatives and friends to guard the computers from C.cldrf.com and any other possible adware:\n\n  • You should not install dubious applications from different unknown and strange websites. Very often users suppose that they have encountered the necessary utility, but when it is already in your system, it proves to be that the program is viral.\nHow much money do you need to delete C.cldrf.com?\nMethod to uninstall Price\nManual $0\nFree antimalware $0\nSpyhunter $35-$55\nComputer repair shop $95-$140\nC.cldrf.com Statistics\nProbability of Data theft 91,4%\nRegistry occupancy 3,7%\nSelf-active Launch in OS 39,5%\nManual removal effectiveness 13,5%\nFree Antivirus removal 63,5%\nPaid Antivirus removal 99,2%\nInfection Risk (USA) 4,9%\nRisk of infection (Europe) 9,1%\n\n\nOne Hundred Percent Guarantee of C.cldrf.com Deletion\n\nSpyhunter is a modern antivirus application that will remove various types of up-to-date malware, even those that almost all antimilware programs cannot find. You can also run it if the endeavour to uninstall C.cldrf.com manually was not successful. Spyhunter will protect your computer from virus infection in the future due to the regularly updated signature base.\n\nVideo instructions\n\nAbout Author: Material provided by: Averina lab", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5600471496582031}
{"content": "Skip to main content\n\nThe Digestive System\n\nThe Digestive System\n\nThe foods we eatapples, pepperoni pizzas, leafy green saladstaste good to us, but cannot be used by the body as they are. The nutrition the cells of the body need to keeping growing and working must be in a simple form: amino acids, simple sugars, and fatty acids. It is the job of the digestive system to take the complex organic molecules of the foods we ingestproteins, carbohydrates, and fatsand break them down into their simple building blocks. This process is called digestion. Once digestion has occurred, the simple molecules (nutrients) are absorbed from the digestion system by the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and transported to cells throughout the body.\n\n\nThe digestive system may be broken into two parts: a long, winding, muscular tube accompanied by accessory digestive organs and glands. That open-ended tube, known as the alimentary canal or digestive tract, is composed of various organs. These organs are, in order, the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. The rectum and anus form the end of the large intestine. The accessory digestive organs and glands that help in the digestive process include the tongue, teeth, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gall bladder.\n\nThe walls of the alimentary canal from the esophagus through the large intestine are made up of four tissue layers. The innermost layer is the mucosa, coated with mucus. This protects the alimentary canal from chemicals and enzymes (proteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions) that break down food and from germs and parasites that might be in that food. Around the mucosa is the submucosa, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and lymph vessels. Wrapped around the submucosa are two layers of muscles that help move food along the canal. The outermost layer, the serosa, is moist, fibrous tissue that protects the alimentary canal and helps it move against the surrounding organs in the body.\n\nThe mouth\n\nFood enters the body through the mouth, or oral cavity. The lips form and protect the opening of the mouth, the cheeks form its sides, the tongue forms its floor, and the hard and soft palates form its roof. The hard palate is at the front; the soft palate is in the rear. Attached to the soft palate is a fleshy, fingerlike projection called the uvula (from the Latin word meaning \"little grape\"). Two U-shaped rows of teeth line the mouthone above and one below. Three pair of salivary glands open at various points into the mouth.\n\nThe Digestive System: Words to Know\n\nAlimentary canal (al-i-MEN-tah-ree ka-NAL):\nAlso known as the digestive tract, the series of muscular structures through which food passes while being converted to nutrients and waste products; includes the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine.\nAmylase (am-i-LACE):\nAny of various digestive enzymes that convert starches to sugars.\nAppendix (ah-PEN-dix):\nSmall, apparently useless organ extending from the cecum.\nGreenish yellow liquid produced by the liver that neutralizes acids and emulsifies fats in the duodenum.\nBolus (BO-lus):\nRounded mass of food prepared by the mouth for swallowing.\nCecum (SEE-kum):\nBlind pouch at the beginning of the large intestine.\nChyle (KILE):\nThick, whitish liquid consisting of lymph and tiny fat globules absorbed from the small intestine during digestion.\nChyme (KIME):\nSoupylike mixture of partially digested food and stomach secretions.\nColon (KOH-lun):\nLargest region of the large intestine, divided into four sections: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid (colon is sometimes used to describe the entire large intestine).\nColostomy (kuh-LAS-tuh-mee):\nSurgical procedure where a portion of the large intestine is brought through the abdominal wall and attached to a bag to collect feces.\nDefecation (def-e-KAY-shun):\nElimination of feces from the large intestine through the anus.\nDentin (DEN-tin):\nBonelike material underneath the enamel of teeth, forming the main part.\nDuodenum (doo-o-DEE-num or doo-AH-de-num):\nFirst section of the small intestine.\nEmulsify (e-MULL-si-fie):\nTo break down large fat globules into smaller droplets that stay suspended in water.\nEnamel (e-NAM-el):\nWhitish, hard, glossy outer layer of teeth.\nEnzymes (EN-zimes):\nProteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions.\nEpiglottis (ep-i-GLAH-tis):\nFlaplike piece of tissue at the top of the larynx that covers its opening when swallowing is occurring.\nEsophagus (e-SOF-ah-gus):\nMuscular tube connecting the pharynx and stomach.\nFeces (FEE-seez):\nSolid body wastes formed in the large intestine.\nFlatus (FLAY-tus):\nGas generated by bacteria in the large intestine.\nGastric juice (GAS-trick JOOSE):\nSecretion of the gastric glands of the stomach, containing hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus.\nIleocecal valve (ill-ee-oh-SEE-kal VALV):\nSphincter or ring of muscule that controls the flow of chyme from the ileum to the large intestine.\nIleum (ILL-ee-um):\nFinal section of the small intestine.\nJejunum (je-JOO-num):\nMiddle section of the small intestine.\nLacteals (LAK-tee-als):\nSpecialized lymph capillaries in the villi of the small intestine.\nLarynx (LAR-ingks):\nOrgan between the pharynx and trachea that contains the vocal cords.\nLipase (LIE-pace):\nDigestive enzyme that converts lipids (fats) into fatty acids.\nLower esophageal sphincter (LOW-er i-sof-ah-GEE-alSFINGK-ter):\nStrong ring of muscle at the base of the esophagus that contracts to prevent stomach contents from moving back into the esophagus.\nPalate (PAL-uht):\nRoof of the mouth, divided into hard and soft portions, that separates the mouth from the nasal cavities.\nPapillae (pah-PILL-ee):\nSmall projections on the upper surface of the tongue that contain taste buds.\nPeristalsis (per-i-STALL-sis):\nSeries of wavelike muscular contractions that move material in one direction through a hollow organ.\nPharynx (FAR-inks):\nShort, muscular tube extending from the mouth and nasal cavities to the trachea and esophagus.\nPlaque (PLACK):\nSticky, whitish film on teeth formed by a protein in saliva and sugary substances in the mouth.\nPyloric sphincter (pie-LOR-ick SFINGK-ter):\nStrong ring of muscle at the junction of the stomach and the small intestine that regulates the flow of material between them.\nRugae (ROO-jee):\nFolds of the inner mucous membrane of organs, such as the stomach, that allow those organs to expand.\nTrypsin (TRIP-sin):\nDigestive enzyme that converts proteins into amino acids; inactive form is trypsinogen.\nUvula (U-vue-lah):\nFleshy projection hanging from the soft palate that raises to close off the nasal passages during swallowing.\nVestigial organ (ves-TIJ-ee-al OR-gan):\nOrgan that is reduced in size and function when compared with that of evolutionary ancestors.\nVilli (VILL-eye):\nTiny, fingerlike projections on the inner lining of the small intestine that increase the rate of nutrient absorption by greatly increasing the intestine's surface area.\n\nTHE TONGUE. The muscular tongue is attached to the base of the mouth by a fold of mucous membrane. On the upper surface of the tongue are small projections called papillae, many of which contain taste buds (for a discussion of taste, see chapter 12). Most of the tongue lies within the mouth, but its base extends into the pharynx. Located at the base of the tongue are the lingual tonsils, small masses of lymphatic tissue that serve to prevent infection.\n\nTEETH. Humans have two sets of teeth: deciduous and permanent. The deciduous teeth (also known as baby or milk teeth) start to erupt through the gums in the mouth when a child is about six months old. By the age of two, the full set of twenty teeth has developed. Between the ages of six and twelve, the roots of these teeth are reabsorbed into the body and the teeth begin to fall out. They are quickly replaced by the thirty-two permanent adult teeth. (The third molars, the wisdom teeth, may not erupt because of inadequate space in the jaw. In such cases, they become impacted or embedded in the jawbone and must be removed surgically.)\n\nTeeth are classified according to shape and function. Incisors, the chisel-shaped front teeth, are used for cutting. Cuspids or canines, the pointed teeth next to the incisors, are used for tearing or piercing. Bicuspids (or premolars) and molars, the back teeth with flattened tops and rounded, raised tips, are used for grinding.\n\nEach tooth consists of two major portions: the crown and the root. The crown is the exposed part of the tooth above the gum line; the root is enclosed in a socket in the jaw. The outermost layer of the crown is the whitish enamel. Made mainly of calcium, enamel is the hardest substance in the body.\n\nUnderneath the enamel is a yellowish, bonelike material called dentin. It forms the bulk of the tooth. Within the dentin is the pulp cavity, which receives blood vessels and nerves through a narrow root canal at the base of the tooth.\n\nTHE SALIVARY GLANDS. Three pair of salivary glands produce saliva on a continuous basis to keep the mouth and throat moist. The largest pair, the parotid glands, are located just below and in front of the ears. The next largest pair, the submaxillary or submandibular glands, are located in the lower jaw. The smallest pair, the sublingual glands, are located under the tongue.\n\n\nIvan Petrovich Pavlov (18491936) was a Russian physiologist (a person who studies the physical and chemical processes of living organisms) who conducted pioneering research into the digestive activities of mammals. His now-famous experiments with a dog (\"Pavlov's dog\") to show how the central nervous system affects digestion earned him the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology in 1904.\n\nInterested in the actions of digestion and gland secretion, Pavlov set up an ingenious experiment. In a laboratory, he severed a dog's throat (Pavlov was a skillful surgeon and the animal was unharmed). When the dog ate food, the food dropped out of the animal's throat before reaching its stomach. Through this simulated feeding, Pavlov discovered that the sight, smell, and swallowing of food was enough to cause the secretion of gastric juice. He demonstrated that the stimulation of the vagus nerve (one of the major nerves of the brain) influences the actions of the gastric glands.\n\nIn another famous study, Pavlov set out to determine whether he could turn unconditioned (naturally occurring) reflexes or responses of the central nervous system into conditioned (learned) reflexes. He had noticed that laboratory dogs would sometimes salivate merely at the approach of lab assistants who fed them. Pavlov then decided to ring a bell each time a dog was given food. After a while, he rang the bell without feeding the dog. He discovered that the dog salivated at the sound of the bell, even though food was not present. Through this experiment, Pavlov demonstrated that unconditioned reflexes (salivation and gastric activity) could become conditioned reflexes that were triggered by a stimulus (the bell) that previously had no connection with the event (eating).\n\nDucts or tiny tubes carry saliva from these glands into the mouth. Ducts from the parotid glands open into the upper portion of the mouth; ducts from the submaxillary and sublingual glands open into the mouth beneath the tongue.\n\nThe salivary glands are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, a division of the nervous system that functions involuntarily (meaning the processes it controls occur without conscious effort on the part of an individual). The glands produce between 1.1 and 1.6 quarts (1 and 1.5 liters) of saliva each day. Although the flow is continuous, the amount varies. Food (or anything else) in the mouth increases the amount produced. Even the sight or smell of food will increase the flow.\n\nSaliva is mostly water (about 99 percent), with waste products, antibodies, and enzymes making up the small remaining portion. At mealtimes, saliva contains large quantities of digestive enzymes that help break down food. Saliva also controls the temperature of food (cooling it down or warming it up), cleans surfaces in the mouth, and kills certain bacteria present in the mouth.\n\nThe pharynx\n\nThe pharynx, or throat, is a short, muscular tube extending about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) from the mouth and nasal cavities to the esophagus and trachea (windpipe). It serves two separate systems: the digestive system (by allowing the passage of solid food and liquids) and the respiratory system (by allowing the passage of air).\n\nThe esophagus\n\nThe esophagus, sometimes referred to as the gullet, is the muscular tube connecting the pharynx and stomach. It is approximately 10 inches (25 centimeters) in length and 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter. In the thorax (area of the body between the neck and the abdomen), the esophagus lies behind the trachea. At the base of the esophagus, where it connects with the stomach, is a strong ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter. Normally, this circular muscle is contracted, preventing contents in the stomach from moving back into the esophagus.\n\nThe stomach\n\nThe stomach is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity just under the diaphragm (a membrane of muscle separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity). When empty, the stomach is shaped like the letter J and its inner walls are drawn up into long, soft folds called rugae. When the stomach expands, the rugae flatten out and disappear. This allows the average adult stomach to hold as much as 1.6 quarts (1.5 liters) of material.\n\nThe dome-shaped portion of the stomach to the left of the lower esophageal sphincter is the fundus. The large central portion of the stomach is the body. The part of the stomach connected to the small intestine (the curve of the J) is the pylorus. The pyloric sphincter is a muscular ring that regulates the flow of material from the stomach into the small intestine by variously opening and contracting. That material, a soupylike mixture of partially digested food and stomach secretions, is called chyme.\n\nThe stomach wall contains three layers of smooth muscle. These layers contract in a regular rhythmusually three contractions per minuteto mix and churn stomach contents. Mucous membrane lines the stomach. Mucus, the thick, gooey liquid produced by the cells of that membrane, helps protect the stomach from its own secretions. Those secretionsacids and enzymesenter the stomach through millions of shallow pits that open onto the surface of the inner stomach. Called gastric pits, these openings lead to gastric glands, which secrete about 1.6 quarts (1.5 liters) of gastric juice each day.\n\nGastric juice contains hydrochloric acid and pepsin. Pepsin is an enzyme that breaks down proteins; hydrochloric acid kills microorganisms and breaks down cell walls and connective tissue in food. The acid is strong enough to burn a hole in carpet, yet the mucus produced by the mucous membrane prevents it from dissolving the lining of the stomach. Even so, the cells of the mucous membrane wear out quickly: the entire stomach lining is replaced every three days. Mucus also aids in digestion by keeping food moist.\n\n\nWilliam Beaumont (17851853) was an American surgeon who served as an army surgeon during the War of 1812 (181215) and at various posts after the war. It was at one of these posts that he saw what perhaps no one before him had seen: the inner workings of the stomach.\n\nIn 1882, while serving at Fort Mackinac in northern Michigan, Beaumont was presented with a patient named Alexis St. Martin. The French Canadian trapper, only nineteen at the time, has been accidently shot in the stomach. The bullet had torn a deep chunk out of the left side of St. Martin's lower chest. At first, no one thought he would survive, but amazingly he did. However, his wound never completely healed, leaving a 1 inch-wide (2.5 centimeter-wide) opening. This opening allowed Beaumont to put his finger all the way into St. Martin's stomach.\n\nBeaumont decided to take advantage of opening into St. Martin's side to study human digestion. He started by taking small chunks of food, tying them to a string, then inserting them directly into the young man's stomach. At irregular intervals, he pulled the food out to observe the varying actions of digestion. Later, using a hand-held lens, Beaumont peered into St. Martin's stomach. He observed how the human stomach behaved at various stages of digestion and under differing circumstances.\n\nBeaumont conducted almost 240 experiments on St. Martin. In 1833, he published his findings in Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion, a book that provided invaluable information on the digestive process.\n\nThe small intestine\n\nThe small intestine is the body's major digestive organ. Looped and coiled within the abdominal cavity, it extends about 20 feet (6 meters) from the stomach to the large intestine. At its junction with the stomach, it measures about 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) in diameter. By the time it meets the large intestine, its diameter has been reduced to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters). Although much longer than the large intestine, the small intestine is called \"small\" because its overall diameter is smaller.\n\nThe small intestine is divided into three regions or sections. The first section, the duodenum, is the initial 10 inches (25 centimeters) closest to the stomach. Chyme from the stomach and secretions from the pancreas and liver empty into this section. The middle section, the jejunum, measures about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) in length. Digestion and the absorption of nutrients occurs mainly in the jejunum. The final section, the ileum, is also the longest, measuring about 11 feet (3.4 meters) in length. The ileum ends at the ileocecal valve, a sphincter that controls the flow of chyme from the ileum to the large intestine.\n\nThe inner lining of the small intestine is covered with tiny, fingerlike projections called villi (giving it an appearance much like the nap of a plush, soft towel). The villi greatly increase the intestinal surface area available for absorbing digested material. Within each villus (singular for villi) are blood capillaries and a lymph capillary called a lacteal. Digested food molecules are absorbed through the walls of the villus into both the capillaries and the lacteal. At the bases of the villi are openings of intestinal glands, which secrete a watery intestinal juice. This juice contains digestive enzymes that convert food materials into simple nutrients the body can readily use. On average, about 2 quarts (1.8 liters) of intestinal juice are secreted into the small intestine each day.\n\nAs with the lining of the stomach, a coating of mucus helps protect the lining of the small intestine. Yet again, the digestive enzymes prove too strong for the delicate cells of that lining. They wear out and are replaced about every two days.\n\nThe large intestine\n\nExtending from the end of the small intestine to the anus, the large intestine measures about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) in diameter. It almost completely frames the small intestine. The large intestine is divided into three major regions: the cecum, colon, and rectum.\n\nCecum comes from the Latin word caecum, meaning \"blind.\" Shaped like a rounded pouch, the cecum lies immediately below the area where the ileum empties into the large intestine. Attached to the cecum is the slender, fingerlike appendix, which measures about 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) in the average adult. Composed of lymphatic tissue, the appendix seems to have no function in present-day humans. For that reason, scientists refer to it as a vestigial organ (an organ that is reduced in size and function when compared with that of evolutionary ancestors).\n\nSometimes used to describe the entire large intestine, the colon is actually the organ's main part. It is divided into four sections: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid. The ascending colon travels from the cecum up the right side of the abdominal cavity until it reaches the liver. It then makes a turn, becoming the transverse colon, which travels horizontally across the abdominal cavity. Near the spleen on the left side, it turns down to form the descending colon. At about where it enters the pelvis, it becomes the S-shaped sigmoid colon.\n\nAfter curving and recurving, the sigmoid colon empties into the rectum, a fairly straight, 6-inch (15-centimeter) tube ending at the anus, the opening to the outside. Two sphincters (rings of muscle) control the opening and closing of the anus.\n\nRoughly 1.6 quarts (1.5 liters) of watery material enters the large intestine each day. No digestion takes place in the large intestine, only the reabsorption or recovery of water. Mucus produced by the cells in the lining of the large intestine help move the waste material along. As more and more water is removed from that material, it becomes compacted into soft masses called feces. Feces are composed of water, cellulose and other indigestible material, and dead and living bacteria. The remnants of worn red blood cells gives feces their brown color. Only about 3 to 7 ounces (85 to 200 grams) of solid fecal material remains after the large intestine has recovered most of the water. That material is then eliminated through the anus, a process called defecation.\n\nThe pancreas\n\nThe pancreas is a soft, pink, triangular-shaped gland that measures about 6 inches (15 centimeters) in length. It lies behind the stomach, extending from the curve of the duodenum to the spleen. While a part of the digestive system, the pancreas is also a part of the endocrine system, producing the hormones insulin and glucagon (for a further discussion of this process, see chapter 3).\n\nPrimarily a digestive organ, the pancreas produces pancreatic juice that helps break down all three types of complex food molecules in the small intestine. The enzymes contained in that juice include pancreatic amylase, pancreatic lipase, and trypsinogen. Amylase breaks down starches into simple sugars, such as maltose (malt sugar). Lipase breaks down fats into simpler fatty acids and glycerol (an alcohol). Trypsinogen is the inactive form of the enzyme trypsin, which breaks down proteins into amino acids. Trypsin is so powerful that if produced in the pancreas, it would digest the organ itself. To prevent this, the pancreas produces trypsinogen, which is then changed in the duodenum to its active form.\n\nPancreatic juice is collected from all parts of the pancreas through microscopic ducts. These ducts merge to form larger ducts, which eventually combine to form the main pancreatic duct. This duct, which runs the length of the pancreas, then transports pancreatic juice to the duodenum of the small intestine.\n\nThe liver\n\nThe largest glandular organ in the body, the liver weighs between 3 and 4 pounds (1.4 and 1.8 kilograms). It lies on the right side of the abdominal cavity just beneath the diaphragm. In this position, it overlies and almost completely covers the stomach. Deep reddish brown in color, the liver is divided into four unequal lobes: two large right and left lobes and two smaller lobes visible only from the back.\n\nThe liver is an extremely important organ. Scientists have discovered that it performs over 200 different functions in the body. Among its many functions are processing nutrients, making plasma proteins and blood-clotting chemicals, detoxifying (transforming into less harmful substances) alcohol and drugs, storing vitamins and iron, and producing cholesterol.\n\nOne of the liver's main digestive functions is the production of bile. A watery, greenish yellow liquid, bile consists mostly of water, bile salts, cholesterol, and assorted lipids or fats. Liver cells produce roughly 1 quart (1 liter) of bile each day. Bile leaves the liver through the common hepatic duct. This duct unites with the cystic duct from the gall bladder to form the common bile duct, which delivers bile to the duodenum.\n\nIn the small intestine, bile salts emulsify fats, breaking them down from large globules into smaller droplets that stay suspended in the watery fluid in the small intestine. Bile salts are not enzymes and, therefore, do not digest fats. By breaking down the fats in to smaller units, bile salts aid the fatdigesting enzymes present in the small intestine.\n\nThe gall bladder\n\nThe gall bladder is a small, pouchlike, green organ located on the undersurface of the right lobe of the liver. It measures 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 centimeters) in length. The gall bladder's function is to store bile, of which it can hold about 1.2 to 1.7 ounces (35 to 50 milliliters).\n\nThe liver continuously produces bile. When digestion is not occurring, bile backs up the cystic duct and enters the gall bladder. While holding the bile, the gall bladder removes water from it, making it more concentrated. When fatty food enters the duodenum once again, the gall bladder is stimulated to contract and spurt out the stored bile.\n\n\nThe digestive system breaks down food into a useful form through mechanical and chemical means. Mechanical digestion is the physical breaking up food into small pieces, such as by chewing. The smaller pieces are then acted upon by digestive enzymes, which change complex chemical molecules into much simpler molecules the body can easily utilize. This process involving enzymes is called chemical digestion.\n\nDigestive activities in the mouth\n\nFood taken into the mouth is broken down by both mechanical and chemical means. Through the process of mastication or chewing, teeth physically break down the tough tissues of meats and fibers of plants into smaller particles. The tongue helps move the food around the mouth, allowing the different sets of teeth variously to cut, tear, or grind the food. The jaw muscles, perhaps some of the strongest muscles in the body, help the teeth break down food in seconds.\n\nStimulated by the presence of something in the mouth, salivary glands secrete an increased amount of saliva (the sensations of sight, taste, and smell also increase saliva flow). As saliva is mixed with the food, salivary amylase (an enzyme in saliva) begins the chemical digestion of carbohydrates or starches, changing them into the simple sugar maltose.\n\nAs the food is broken down into pieces by the teeth and mixed with saliva, the tongue rolls these pieces into a battered, moistened, soft mass or ball called a bolus. Only after food has been compacted into a bolus of proper texture and consistency can swallowing occur.\n\n\nSwallowing is both a voluntary and involuntary action. Once food has been properly chewed and mixed with saliva to create a bolus, the tongue forces the bolus toward the back of the mouth and into the pharynx. This a voluntary action; the individual has total control over moving the bolus while it is in the mouth. When the bolus presses against the soft palate, the soft palate and the uvula rise to close off the nasal passages to prevent the bolus from entering them.\n\nOnce the bolus enters the pharynx, swallowing becomes an automatic reflex action and cannot be stopped. The larynx, the upper part of the trachea that contains the vocal cords, rises. As it does so, a flaplike piece of tissue at the top of the larynx, the epiglottis, folds down to cover its opening. This prevents the bolus from passing into the trachea.\n\nSometimes, when a person laughs or talks while eating or drinking, the uvula and the epiglottis may not cover their openings quickly enough. If the uvula does not rise in time, bits of food or liquid may squirt up into the nose. If the epiglottis does not fold down, bits of food or liquid may enter the trachea, causing the person to cough (a protective reflex) until the food or liquid is expelled from the trachea.\n\nOnce material reaches the esophagus, the circular muscles in the walls of the esophagus begin alternately to contract and relax in a wavelike manner, pushing the bolus farther and farther down. This series of wavelike muscular motions is known as peristalsis (or peristaltic contractions). Material is pushed down the esophagus regardless what position a person is in: standing up, sitting, lying down, or upside down. Gravity helps move the bolus along, but peristalsis occurs even in the zero gravity of space.\n\nA typical moist bolus takes about 9 seconds to travel through the esophagus. Drier boluses take longer. Liquids often pass through this muscular tube in just seconds, faster than the accompanying peristaltic waves. When the bolus or liquid reaches the lower esophageal sphincter, it presses against the sphincter, causing it to open. The material then passes into the stomach.\n\nDigestive activities in the stomach\n\nGastric juices begin to flood the stomach even before food arrives. The sight, smell, taste, or even thought of food triggers the central nervous system to send nerve impulses to the gastric glands, which respond by secreting gastric juice. Once food does arrive in the stomach and touches its lining, cells in the lining release gastrin, a hormone. Gastrin, in turn, stimulates the production of even greater amounts of gastric juice.\n\nAs food fills the stomach, its wall begin to stretch. This initiates mechanical digestion in the stomach. The muscles in the walls being to contract, compressing and pummeling the food, breaking it apart physically. At the same time, the food is being mixed with gastric juices, and chemical digestion begins. Pepsin, the protein-digesting enzyme in gastric juice, starts to break down complex proteins. Little digestion of carbohydrates or fats takes place in the stomach. Water, alcohol, and drugs such as aspirin, however, are absorbed through the walls of the stomach into the bloodstream.\n\nOnce the food has been well mixed and broken down into chyme, peristalsis begins in the lower portion of the stomach. Chyme is moved downward into the pylorus. With each contraction of the stomach walls, the pyloric sphincter opens just a little, allowing a bit of chyme to squirt into the duodenum of the small intestine. When the duodenum is filled and its wall stretched, a nerve impulse is sent to the stomach to slow down its activity. It takes about four hours for the stomach to empty completely after receiving a well-balanced meal. If that meal contains much fat, then the process could take six or more hours.\n\nDigestive activity in the small intestine\n\nWhen chyme from the stomach enters the small intestine, it contains proteins and carbohydrates that have been only partially digested. Fats have been hardly digested. Over a three-to six-hour period, as chyme moves through the twists and coils of the small intestine, chemical digestion increases. By the time chyme reaches the end of the small intestine, eighty percent of all digestion in the body has taken place.\n\nThe presence of chyme in the duodenum stimulates the secretion of intestinal juice. Cells in the lining of the duodenum are also stimulated to produce hormones that, in turn, stimulate the pancreas to produce pancreatic juice and the liver to produce bile (the gall bladder is also stimulated to release its store of concentrated bile). Both enter the duodenum and combine with intestinal juice to digest or break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.\n\nPeristalsis occurs in the small intestine, mixing the chyme with the intestinal juices and moving it through the organ. Although water and nutrients are absorbed all along the length of the small intestine, most absorption occurs in the jejunum. In this section, digested carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and most of the vitamins, minerals, and iron are absorbed. These nutrients pass through the walls of the villi into the blood capillaries and lacteals (lymph capillaries). The blood capillaries eventually drain into veins that connect with the portal vein, which transports the nutrient-rich blood to the liver. The lacteals, carrying fat nutrients, eventually drain into larger lymph vessels that connect with the venous system.\n\nBy the time material enters the ileum, the last section of the small intestine, all that remains is some water, indigestible food matter (such as plant fibers), and bacteria. This material then enters the large intestine through the ileocecal valve, which closes to prevent material from flowing backward.\n\nDigestive activities in the large intestine\n\nThe large intestine does not produce any digestive enzymes; therefore, no digestion takes place. It functions mainly to absorb water and a few minerals from the waste products of digestion. Peristalsis in the large intestine occurs very slowly: material takes between twelve and twenty-four hours to pass through.\n\nMillions of bacteria living in the large intestine feed on the waste products. In doing so, they produce vitamin K and some B vitamins that are absorbed through the wall of the large intestine into the bloodstream and then transported to the liver. The bacteria also produce intestinal gasmethane and hydrogen sulfidethat gives feces their characteristic odor. The amount of that gas, properly known as flatus, may increase if certain foods rich in carbohydrates (such as beans) are eaten.\n\n\nAnorexia nervosa (an-ah-REK-seeah ner-VO-sa): Eating disorder usually occurring in young women that is characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a persistent aversion to food, and severe weight loss.\n\nAppendicitis (ah-pen-di-SIGH-tis): Inflammation of the appendix.\n\nBiliary atresia (BILL-ee-a-ree ah-TREE-zee-ah): Condition in which ducts to transport bile from the liver to the duodenum fail to develop in a fetus.\n\nBulimia (boo-LEE-me-ah): Eating disorder characterized by eating binges followed by selfinduced vomiting or laxative abuse.\n\nCirrhosis (si-ROW-sis): Chronic disease of the liver in which normal liver cells are damaged and then replaced by scar tissue.\n\nCrohn's disease (CRONES di-ZEEZ): Disorder that causes inflammation and ulceration of all the layers of the intestinal wall, particularly in the small intestine.\n\nDiverticulosis (di-ver-ti-cue-LOW-sis): Condition in which the inner lining of the large intestine bulges out through its muscular wall; if the bulges become infected, the condition is called diverticulitis.\n\nGallstones (GAUL-stones): Solid crystal deposits that form in the gall bladder.\n\nHepatitis (hep-a-TIE-tis): Inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by a virus.\n\nLactose intolerance (LAK-tose in-TOL-er-ance): Inability of the body to digest significant amounts of lactose, the predominant sugar in milk.\n\nUlcer (digestive) (UL-sir): Any sore that develops in the lining of the lower esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.\n\nUlcerative colitis (UL-sir-a-tiv ko-LIE-tis): Disorder that causes inflammation and ulceration of the inner lining of the large intestine and rectum.\n\nWhen powerful peristaltic contractions force the feces or compacted waste products from the sigmoid colon into the rectum, the wall of the rectum stretches. This triggers the defecation reflex. Signals from the spinal cord cause the walls of the sigmoid colon and rectum to contract and the anal sphincters to relax. Feces are then eliminated through the anus. The outer sphincter muscle can be controlled voluntarily, allowing an individual to delay defecation when necessary.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBiliary atresia\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiverticulosis and diverticulitis\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInflammatory bowel disease\n\n\n\n\n\nUlcers (digestive)\n\n\n\n\nBefore the 1980s, physicians believed ulcers were caused by several factorsincluding stress and a poor dietthat resulted in excess stomach acid. Medical research has since shown that a certain bacterium that can live undetected in the mucous membrane of the digestive tract is the culprit. This bacterium irritates and weakens the lining, making it more susceptible to\n\n\n\n\nThe body is wholly dependent on the digestive system to provide it with the nutrientsfluids, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and mineralsit needs to continue to function. If the digestive system fails to do this because it is not functioning properly, the entire body suffers.\n\nA healthy lifestyle will keep the digestive system healthy. This includes following a proper diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation, and reducing stress.\n\n\nTapeworms are parasites (organisms that live in or on other kinds of organisms) that live in the intestinal tracts of some animals. There are three major species of tapeworms that can infect humans. They are typically acquired from eating raw or undercooked beef, pork, or fish.\n\nTapeworm eggs are passed along in feces. When improperly treated human sewage is used to fertilize pastures or crops, pigs and cattle can become infected with the eggs. They can also become infected from drinking contaminated water. Freshwater fish become infected when human feces contaminates their water source.\n\nThe tapeworm eggs develop into larvae in the infected animals and fish. When humans eat the meat from those animals and fish without properly cooking it, they become infected. The tapeworm travels to the intestine, attaching itself to the inner lining by hooks on its head. If not treated, the tapeworm may stay in the intestine for years, absorbing nutrients through its outer covering. It may grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) in length.\n\nMost individuals infected with a tapeworm have no symptoms. Some, however, may experience pain in the upper abdomen, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, and weakness. A tapeworm's eggs or worn body parts that appear in an individual's feces are often the only sign of an infection.\n\nTapeworms are easily treated with medication. Practicing good hygiene and avoiding raw or undercooked meat or fish are important steps in preventing a tapeworm infection.\n\nThe \"Food Guide\" Pyramid developed by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services provides easy-to-follow guidelines for a proper diet. In general, foods that are low in fat (especially saturated fat), low in cholesterol, and high in fiber should be eaten. Fiber is especially important in maintaining the workings of the intestines. Fat should make up no more than 30 percent of a person's total daily calorie intake. Breads, cereals, pastas, fruits, and vegetables should form the bulk of a person's diet; meat, fish, nuts, and cheese and other dairy products should make up a lesser portion. Drinking fluids, especially water, helps move material through the digestive system.\n\nLong-term ingestion of cigarette fumes, excessive alcohol, and spicy foods can cause serious damage to the digestive system. Toxins that are taken into the body by way of the mouth are absorbed by the digestive tract and transported to the liver, which can suffer permanent damage. Many medications can injure the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Medicines in pill or capsule form should always be taken with plenty of water.\n\nTeeth are an important, yet often overlooked, part of the digestive system. They begin the entire process of digestion. Oral hygiene is, therefore, a primary concern. The best way to prevent tooth decay is to brush the teeth at least twice a day, preferably after every meal and snack. The teeth should also be flossed daily to help prevent gum disease.\n\nMinor irritations of the digestive system are common. Occasional diarrhea, constipation, or excessive gas is to be expected. Often, they are treated with nonprescription drugs. However, if these or any digestive problems persist, they should not be ignored and medical attention should be sought.\n\n\n\nAvraham, Regina. The Digestive System. New York: Chelsea House, 1989.\n\nBallard, Carol. The Stomach and Digestive System. Austin, TX: Raintree/Steck-Vaughn, 1997.\n\nBryan, Jenny. Digestion. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1993.\n\nEpstein, Rachel. Eating Habits and Disorders. New York: Chelsea House, 1990.\n\nParker, Steve. Digestion. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech Books, 1997.\n\nParramon, Merce. The Digestive System. New York: Chelsea House, 1994.\n\nSilverstein, Alvin, Virginia B. Silverstein, and Robert A. Silverstein. The Digestive System. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, 1994.\n\nWWW Sites\n\nAmerican Digestive Health Foundation\nHomepage of a national organization that advances digestive health through the financial support of research and education in the cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of digestive diseases.\n\nDigestive System\nSite includes a large image of the human digestive system with each part/organ linked to a paragraph explanation of its structure and function.\n\nThe Digestive SystemHow It Works\nSite from the Jefferson Health System, a collective of member hospitals and healthcare organizations in the greater Philadelphia region. Information on the digestive system includes a discussion of how it works and the numerous disorders that can afflict it.\n\nMUSC Digestive Disease Center\nSite of the Medical University of South Carolina focusing on digestive diseases. Includes an overview of the digestive organs, an extensive list of diseases and their symptoms, and links to other sites.\n\nVirtual Anatomy Textbook: The Digestive System\nSite provides extensive coverage of the parts of the digestive system, mixing images and text. System parts are grouped into three classes: early digestion, middle digestion, and late digestion.\n\nCite this article\n\n  • MLA\n  • Chicago\n  • APA\n\n\"The Digestive System.\" UXL Complete Health Resource. . 21 Oct. 2016 <>.\n\n\"The Digestive System.\" UXL Complete Health Resource. . (October 21, 2016).\n\n\"The Digestive System.\" UXL Complete Health Resource. . Retrieved October 21, 2016 from\n\nLearn more about citation styles\n\n\n\n\nModern Language Association\n\nThe Chicago Manual of Style\n\nAmerican Psychological Association\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7551603317260742}
{"content": "No Photo Available\nTop Links\nmain detailsbiographyby votesphoto galleryquotes\nby yearby typeby ratingsby votesby TV seriesby genreby keyword\nDid You Know?\nphoto galleryquotes\n\nQuotes for\nSophia Hapgood (Character)\nfrom Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992) (VG)\n\nIndiana Jones: [complimenting Sophia] In this light you look just like Vivien Leigh.\nSophia Hapgood: Frankly Indy, I don't give a damn.\n\nIndiana Jones: Of all the shops in Algeria and we had to walk into this one.\nSophia Hapgood: We'll always have Iceland Indy...\n\nIndiana Jones: [while exploring the Crete labyrinth] Some date, huh?\nSophia Hapgood: We're not dating Jones; this is not a date, if it was a date, I would've stood you up!\n\nIndiana Jones: [Indy is making shadow puppets with a flashlight and makes a dog] Neat! Woof, woof!\nSophia Hapgood: ...Indy?\nIndiana Jones: [makes an elephant] It's Jumbo! King of the Circus!\nSophia Hapgood: What do you think you're doing?\nIndiana Jones: [makes a rabbit] ... and here's Nur-Ab-Sal!\nSophia Hapgood: Stop that this instant!\nIndiana Jones: [turns off flashlight] ... sorry.\n\n[last lines]\n[looking at the volcano left after Atlantis' collapse]\nIndiana Jones: You know, a lot of my discoveries seem like tall tales, even to me. At least there's some evidence now.\n[the volcano promptly sinks under the surface]\nSophia Hapgood: Then again, maybe not.\n[Indy suddenly kisses Sohia intently]\nSophia Hapgood: [surprised] What was that for?\nIndiana Jones: To ease the pain.\n\nSophia Hapgood: Not so fast; first I'm going to read your fortune.\n[Sophia moves closer to Indy]\nSophia Hapgood: Look into my eyes.\n[Indy backs off nervously, Sophia moves in again]\nSophia Hapgood: *Deep* into my eyes.\n[Indy backs off again, Sophia follows]\nSophia Hapgood: For Pete's sake, I'm not going to hurt you!\n\nIndiana Jones: [in Iceland] Cold enough for ya?\nSophia Hapgood: Even colder than my feelings toward you, Dr. Jones.\n\nIndiana Jones: [Indy finds Sophia trapped in a pit in the Knossos labyrinth, but cannot see her] How do I know you're really Sophia?\nSophia Hapgood: If I wasn't Sophia, how would I know about that cute little birthmark on your...\nIndiana Jones: Fine, you're Sophia!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991526007652283}
{"content": "CAD/CAM developer Lectra has launched an updated version of its Diamino automatic marker-making solution, which it claims will help fashion and footwear firms make significant fabric savings and improve productivity.\n\nThe DiaminoFashion and DiaminoFootwear software can be used in either interactive (manual) or automatic modes.\n\nInteractive marker-making requires some initial intervention from the user to prepare the markers on-screen for fabric pieces to be cut during production.\n\nThe automatic method is entirely managed by Diamino, and can contribute to increased productivity by letting the software process a list of markers in the background or overnight, without an operator.\n\nThe combination of these two methods, says Lectra, means high volumes of markers using simple pieces can be launched automatically, with consequent time savings and improved efficiency.\n\nThe marker maker is then free to concentrate on the quality of markers using more complex pieces so that fabric use can be maximised.\n\n\"The ability to combine these two modes of a considerable competitive advantage for our customers,\" said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. \n\nIn markets where margins are generally low and where fabric represents more than 50% of the cost of the finished article, the software's quoted material savings of 2-4% take on real meaning.\nA small- or medium-sized fashion company producing $10m in garments per year, could save $100,000 per year in fabric costs, for example.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7133119106292725}
{"content": "The Buddha in the Attic\n\nK5vjbgeq9o0z t\nCurriculet Details\n16 Questions\n20 Annotations\n3 Quizzes\n\nThis free digital curriculum for 9th grade students contains interactive videos exploring the Japanese internment during World War II and elements of Otsuka's novel, as well as annotations describing themes, imagery, and tone. Students will explore the themes of prejudice, change versus tradition, and disillusionment and dreams. The Common Core aligned questions, answers and quizzes in this free online unit will increase student engagement in the book while supporting reading comprehension.\n\nThe curriculet is being added to your library\n\nCome, Japanese!\n\nDid you know that this Curriculet has a built-in \"Define\" tool? To use this tool, click on any one word. Select \"Define,\" and a list of definitions will appear. Practice using this tool by defining \"kimonos\" in the text.  \nAs you read Julie Otsuka's The Little Buddha, we will explore the narrative point of view and the cultural perspectives throughout the work. Watch the video below, and keep an eye out for annotations and questions related to this topic.  (This annotation contains a video)\nWhich type of narration does the author, Otsuka, choose to tell this story? \nTake a moment and think about what travels with these woman on the boat. What types of physical items represent their culture? What values are apparent because of the items they bring?  \nWhy are some words in this story italicized? \nThis short entry is meant to convey a sense of \nMany Japanese are Buddhists. They follow the teachings of Buddha (shown below), a religious man who lived sometime between the 6th and 4th century BCE. The women aboard this ship (except for the one Christian) are influenced by Buddhism, and we will look more closely at how it influences their perspectives, actions, and even themes in this story.  (This annotation contains an image)\nWhich of the following appears to have the MOST influence on these girls' values and point of view about the world?  \nThe letdown that these girls experience is an example of irony. Watch the video below to learn more about this concept. What kind of irony is present in the final scene in the first chapter?  (This annotation contains a video)\n\nFirst Night\n\nWhat literary technique does Otsuka use to create a sense of tension and a mood of despair in this chapter, \"The First Night\"?  \n\n\nJapanese were not a welcome group in most of California in the early 20th century. In fact, many Japanese were even held at internment camps, like Manzanar (shown below). What does the phrase \"You now belong to the invisible world\" imply about Americans' attitudes towards the Japanese?  (This annotation contains an image)\nWhat inference can be drawn based on the highlighted text?  \nThe highlighted passage is an unique example of a flashback. Watch the following video to help you understand why. What effect does this flashback have on you as you read this story? (This annotation contains a video)\nWhat cumulative effect does the use of first-person plural narration have on the tone of this story?   \nThere are several themes in this story. Watch the following video to learn more about themes. What theme do you think the Japanese women's interaction with the wealthy white women most conveys?  (This annotation contains a video)\nWhat theme is MOST conveyed through the sections of the text that highlight the interaction between the Japanese and wealthy women?  \nTake a moment and think about the consequences these women face for living a duplicitous life. What do you think motivates them to leave? What theme does this section about their life away from their husbands most connect to? \nPart I Quiz \n\n\nWhich of the following BEST describes the combination of moods that the imagery in this chapter conveys as the narrators discuss their experiences having babies?  \nOtsuka uses imagery in this chapter to help you visualize what these women experienced. Watch the video below on imagery. What's one example of imagery that you find particularly poignant?  (This annotation contains a video)\n\nThe Children\n\nTake a moment and think about the relationships that children have with their mothers and fathers in this community. What cultural values are apparent in the narrators' description of family life? Which of these values can you relate to?  \nWhich theme do the narrators MOST strongly convey through their descriptions of their children's lives?  \nThe word \"forgot\" is repeated throughout this section of the text. What effect does this repetition have on you as a reader? What theme does Otsuka convey through this section and the repeated use of the word \"forgot\"? \nThe imagery used in this highlighted text is meant to convey the narrators' sense of  \nFollow the link and read the poem \"A Dream Deferred,\" by the poet Langston Hughes. In what ways does this poem relate to the experiences of these Japanese children in America mentioned in this chapter? Which example of segregation from \"The Children\" were you most affected by? (This annotation contains a link)\n\n\nThe following clip contains real footage from this tragic event in American history. Listen to the propaganda in this video and contrast it with the reality that you read in this chapter.  (This annotation contains a video)\nHow does the highlighted passage MOST relate to the title of this story?  \nHow does the treatment of the Japanese in America compare to the treatment of African Americans? Jewish people during the Holocaust in Europe? Take a moment and reflect on what you remember of Nazi Germany and slavery in American history, and compare it to what you read in this story. \nIn the beginning chapters of this story, the Japanese women have high expectations for their American experience. They are quickly disillusioned. What event, though, MOST precipitates a change of heart?  \nIn the midst of the chaos of this paranoid prejudice and segregation, Otsuka inserts imagery about nature. Take a look at the highlighted passage. Why do you think she uses these types of images ? What effect do you think she hopes to accomplish? \nPart II Quiz \n\nLast Day\n\nWhat is the intended meaning of the imagery used in this highlighted line? \nHow does Otsuka challenge your assumptions about how people left for the interment camps? Think about the style of narration she uses, and how this contributes to a more robust, realistic understanding of this event.  \nThe government's involvement in the Japanese internment camps left many Japanese wondering just how much freedom there really was in America. The relocation card (shown below) is a document from this time period. As we look back today, this internment seems foolish. What do you think drove the American government to such an extreme measure of prejudice?  (This annotation contains an image)\n\nA Disappearance\n\nHow does the narration in \"A Disappearance\" MOST change from the narration in the previous chapters? \nOtsuka's portrayal of what other Americans perceive during the displacement and internment is haunting. In what way does Otsuka create a mood of ghostly emptiness in this chapter? What details contribute to this mood? \nThe narrators, in general, have a ___ tone towards their Japanese neighbors. \nTake a moment and think about how the Americans' response to the Japanese disappearance is slowly changing. They seem sad, but do they actually do anything about it? Do you think their response is a selfish or selfless one? Consider Edmund Burke's famous quote: \"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.\" \nPart III Quiz", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9551992416381836}
{"content": "Income Tax to serve demand notices on 339 Swiss account holders\n\nNEW DELHI,Shrimi Choudhary(DNA): The Income Tax sleuths are all set to process demand notices to 339 account holders in Swiss banks under the HSBC list.\n\n“We are in the process of finalising assessment which will be over early this March. So far, the department has finalised assessment of almost 85-90 assessees involving more than 300 assessments,” said a senior I-T official close to the development.\n\nWhat will the demand notices comprise?\n\n“By the end of March 31, demand notice will be sent to all the respective account holders of HSBC Geneva. The demand notice will include corporate tax (33%), penalties (could be anywhere between 100% and 300%) and interest payments depending on the nature of the case. This will work out to around 150% of money stashed abroad,” said sources.\n\nIs I-T dept contacting other countries as well?\n\nAccording to sources, the I-T department is sending another round of consent letters to the governments in the UK, the US and Germany seeking information of some major assesees.\n\n“In some cases, we have found huge amount of money being diverted to the US and the UK bank accounts from Geneva, that information need to be sought.”\nThe Special Investigation Team (SIT) clearly instructed the department that irrespective of this, notices should be served in all the actionable cases even if the respective countries would not respond in the given timeline, said sources.\n\nWhat is the stash of black money worth today?\n\nThe government had said in December that of the list of 628 Indians who could be holding black money overseas as per the HSBC list, 201 are either non-traceable or non-residents, while 289 have no balance left in their accounts. There are 427 actionable cases that collectively hold a sum of Rs 4,479 crore in bank accounts overseas, according to the official release, calculated at the dollar-rupee exchange of Rs 45 per dollar.\n\nOut of these, an amount of Rs 2,926 crore has been brought to tax towards the undisclosed balances in the accounts relating to these persons.\n\nHave penalty proceedings been initiated so far?\n\nPenalty proceedings under Section 271 (1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act) have been initiated in 46 cases. Such penalties have been levied in three cases so far. With regard to the other assessees, proceedings are pending.\n\nFinance minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said that proceedings in these cases would be completed by March 31. The SIT headed by retired Supreme Court judge M B Shah along with Justice (retd) Arijit Pasayat had also stated in their last report submitted to the apex court in December that these cases would be brought to their logical and legal conclusion by the said deadline.\n\nI-T to start raising demand notices by March first week\nOut of 628 HSBC account holders, balances are shown against 339 persons\n201 are either non–residents or non–traceable\nDepartment has finalised assessment of almost 85-90 assessees out of 300 assessments\nTotal amount involved is about Rs 4,479 crore\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9402044415473938}
{"content": "British Listed Buildings\n\nHistory in Structure\n\n\n\nThe Lodges, Gates, Gate Piers and Walls to Birmingham University Campus, Pritchatt's Road, Birmingham\n\nDescription: The Lodges, Gates, Gate Piers and Walls to Birmingham University Campus, Pritchatt's Road\n\nGrade: II\nDate Listed: 3 August 2011\nEnglish Heritage Building ID: 1402289\n\nOS Grid Reference: SP0488983869\nOS Grid Coordinates: 404851, 283857\nLatitude/Longitude: 52.4527, -1.9300\n\nLocality: Birmingham\nCounty: Birmingham\nCountry: England\nPostcode: B15 2SB\n\nIncorrect location/postcode? Submit a correction!\n\nListing Text\n\n\nA pair of ceremonial drive gates, with pedestrian gates to either side, all made by the Birmingham Guild, with lodges set at either side and wing walls. The grouping was designed by H T Buckland and W Haywood and built in 1930.\n\nReason for Listing\n\nThe Lodges, gates, gate piers and walls which form the northern entrance to Birmingham University campus. Pritchatt's Road, are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:\n* Architectural: the grouping has strong architectural presence which and well suited to its setting at the entrance to the campus, and provides a suitable introduction to the university buildings beyond.\n* Intactness: the buildings are notable intact and retain their original layout and materials, with very little alteration to the design and the retention of many original fittings.\n\n\nThe grand and ambitious scheme for the buildings of Birmingham University on its campus site in Edgbaston took several decades to complete and underwent several changes of plan. Until the mid-C20 the lack of sufficient buildings meant that parts of the old Mason's College were still used by several academic departments, including Arts, Law, Education and Medicine.\n\nIn the 1920s, as an attempt to consolidate the university on one site, the Chancellor, Grant Robertson, led an appeal which led to the grant of a further forty-one acres of land from the Calthorpe family from their Edgbaston estate. Robertson had planned an extension to the buildings which would have been a mirror image of the original semi-circular grouping that Aston Webb and Ingress Bell had designed. However, the Calthorpe family felt that the topography lent itself to a grand processional route which would start at an entrance on Pritchatt's Road and then lead as a straight, tree-lined avenue to the Harding Library gates, through the Chamberlain tower and to the steps of the Great Hall.\n\nThe avenue was laid out as planned and continued to exist until the building of the five-storey Library building by Verner Rees in 1957-60, which is set on this central line. Trees from the avenue still exist, but the area adjacent to Pritchatt's Road is now a car park.\n\n\nA pair of ceremonial drive gates, with pedestrian gates to either side, all made by the Birmingham Guild, with lodges set at either side and wing walls. The grouping was designed by H T Buckland and W Haywood and built in 1930. The buildings are of red brick laid in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings. The lodge roofs are hipped and covered with pantiles and the gates are of wrought and cast iron.\n\nPLAN: walling fronts onto Pritchatts Road and is terminated by piers. At the centre, lengthy sections of quadrant walling form a crescent-shaped approach to the central gates which are divided by rectangular, ashlar piers. Further curved walls lead from the lateral piers to join with the single-storey lodges, which are set at either side of the driveway, to the south of the gates, and slightly curved on plan. Beyond them, more walls curve inwards towards the driveway.\n\nEXTERIOR: the lodges are each of five bays with a central doorway, approached along a paved path which has panels of alternating stone arranged in a grid pattern. Each panelled door has eight raised and fielded panels and a central bronze knob and an ashlar surround with panels at either and a decorative cornice which has alternating raised and fluted panels with curved and pointed cresting. At either side of this are windows with two casement lights. The surrounds to the windows have canted headers and there is a band of similar bricks below the top of the wall. Metal pins at either side of the windows show that they formerly had shutters. There are two, symmetrically placed, ridge stacks to each cottage, which have a stone band and moulded cap and a raised panel to each side. Each lodge façade is gently curved away from the drive, but is flanked by walls which curve inwards. These connect to the gates on the north side and terminate in piers on the south side with ashlar panels and similar cornicing to that seen above the lodge doors. Similar piers terminate the walling on the Pritchatt’s Road front. The garden front of each lodge has three wide bays, with a recessed door to the centre, with stone surround and flanked by small windows in the upper wall. At either side, and projecting slightly, are flat-roofed bays with three-light casements. The tops of the walls have a soldier course of bricks on this front. Connected to these rear fronts are stretches of Flemish bond walling with ashlar coping, which form the enclosed garden for each house. The north and south end fronts each have a two-light casement. The central, drive gates and the lateral pedestrian gates, have shaped tops and are infilled with panels which have S-shaped bars and cast, shell-shaped bosses. They are painted a bronze colour, but there are signs of original gilding to the cresting. The ashlar gate piers have raised and fielded panels to each side and carved cornicing, as seen elsewhere on the group. The central piers carry the university arms, carved in relief to their northern face. The original bell-shaped lanterns have been replaced by projecting lamps in the later C20.\n\nINTERIOR: each lodge retains its original plan in all essentials. These have a central, octagonal lobby from which gently curved corridors lead off in both directions. Door surrounds are moulded, and fitted cupboards with panelled doors survive in both houses. All original chimney breasts and the majority of the original fire surrounds survive. Both lodges appear to retain their original, small lean-to glass house at the north end.\n\nSource: English Heritage\n\nListed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9313267469406128}
{"content": "Is inflation the remedy?\n\nANYONE over 40 will be having trouble keeping track of the latest screeching U-turn by expert opinion. Hardly had the National Trust decided that dusting is bad for houses, while cobwebs are environmentally sound, than diet books urging a regime of steak and red wine were topping the bestseller list.\n\nAnd then there is inflation. Low inflation, it seems, is rotting our nest-eggs away. Again and again we read and hear of low rates of return caused, in part, by low interest rates, which can only reflect low rates of inflation.\n\nOf course, there are other factors, chiefly the slump in share values since 2000 and, on the pension side, the impressive failure of the actuarial profession to notice that people are living longer.\n\nBut low inflation is very much in the frame, for all that the spokespeople for the personal finance industry prefer to talk of low interest rates. Given that interest rates change solely in relation to the need to control inflation, this is a distinction without a difference.\n\nIn this light, a spot of inflation is just what the doctor ordered to pep-up your unit trusts, pension scheme and endowments. At this point, the oldies will be scratching their heads, quite sure that, once upon a time, the opposite was said to be the case.\n\nThey are right. Margaret Thatcher spelled it out in September 1975: 'Inflation is the death of savings.'\n\nIt was hard to disagree. If inflation is destroying the value of money, then saving is a mug's game and borrowing is sensible, given that the debt will be repaid in sharply devalued pounds.\n\nInflation was roaring up at 24.2% as Thatcher was speaking. Today it is 3.1%. The mystery, then, is working out why low inflation has prompted such gnashing of teeth among the thrifty. The first step in solving the puzzle is distinguishing saving from investment, the former lacking the speculative element of the latter.\n\nYes, inflation is bad for savings - £100 parked with a building society in January 1975 would have had a real ( inflation-adjusted) value of just £92 by the end of December 1980. But thanks to the latest edition of Barclays' Equity Gilt Study, we can see that those six years would have been much kinder to £100 invested in shares, whose real value would have risen to £132.\n\nEven during less ferocious inflation, savings accounts fare poorly compared with shares: £100 in a building society in 1985 would have seen a real gain of 20% by the end of 1990, while shares grew by 40%.\n\nAs mentioned above, shares are riskier than savings accounts, so those that do well ought to pay higher rewards, otherwise nobody would buy them. But these figures do not apply only to shares that do well - they apply to all shares, the duds as well as the winners.\n\nAnd bonds, including gilts, are far less risky than shares, yet £100 invested in Government stock in January 1975 became £108 in real terms by the end of 1980.\n\nSo somehow, equity investors, and, to a lesser extent, bond investors, have had a helping hand from inflation.\n\nWhy? Surely rises in inflation and rises in share values or interest rates ought to cancel each other out?\n\nOn the same swings and roundabouts principle, today's lower investment yields ought to be balanced out by lower inflation. Monetary conditions simply should not matter to investors - yet clearly they do.\n\nIn part, this is a case of 'money illusion' - the fact that people feel richer with a ten% rise in income alongside ten% inflation than with a one% rise in income alongside one% inflation. Money illusion covers investments as well --100 invested at the 1972 stock-market peak would not be worth £100 again, in real terms, until 1983.\n\nBut this is far from the whole story. More important is the fact that inflation silently redistributes wealth.\n\nGains for shareholders in the high-inflation Seventies were paid for by those with savings accounts, anyone living on a fixed income, and to some extent by those in work - between 1975 and 1978, real incomes fell 13% while shares rose 18%.\n\nThis would have been self-feeding. As investors spotted that shareholders were taking a bigger real share of profits at the expense of employees, then the shares would have risen further.\n\nToday, investors have lost this agreeable top-up, paid by people whose consent was never sought and who were probably unaware of their own generosity.\n\nThe answer is not a return to high inflation and its unfair transfers of wealth, but the emergence of a new Lord Beveridge to create safe, predictable and guaranteed vehicles for savings, investment and retirement, leaving a speculative fringe for freer spirits.\n\nDon't hold your breath.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5257259011268616}
{"content": "Tiffany Fulcher\n\nEntrepreneur, speaker, and life purpose architect, Tiffany is devoted to encouraging others to unleash their influence and upgrade their lives. She is the CEO and founder of Tiffany Fulcher Enterprise and the Influencer’s Institute—a lifestyle business school created to educate, train, and inspire small business owners and entrepreneurs in strategic implementation, income generation, leveraging their influence, creat- ing more time in their day, making a bigger impact, and building a business without debt. [+]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9595857858657837}
{"content": "What Is Unemployment?\n\nUnemployment is a state where the individuals looking out for opportunities to be hired remain jobless over a period. So what is unemployment in real terms? According to the international labor organization, the term unemployment refers to a situation where an individual remains out of work for a period of over four weeks in the time, which he or she has been actively looking out for opportunities to be hired for employment. Even people who have found a job and are looking to start work in a matter of two weeks are termed unemployed by the international labor organization.\n\nIn today’s scenario, the situation of unemployment world over is very grim. Statistics reveal that a major portion of the world’s population is unemployed due to various reasons. This also shows economic showdown, which the world is facing today. The causes of unemployment may be numerous but the main reason for the major ratio of the world population being unemployed boils down to the economic recession of the world and the increasing technological advancement by the day.\n\nThe major question doing rounds these days is what is unemployment? The reason for this being more and more people of the world does not have a job. This brings individuals to prod on the question what is unemployment. With the advent of machines and technology for all purposes, the requirement of labor force is almost nil in many organizations. This has led to more people remaining out of work for a longer time. The irony is that technology is advancing in a rapid pace and so is the world’s population. However, the sad part is that there are not enough opportunities for all these individuals to be employed.\n\nAs the unemployment crisis is booming at a rapid pace stringent measures have to be taken curb the situation immediately. This is a major concern troubling the brains of the economists, as they have to find a practical and sound solution for the brain-racking question what is unemployment. All the unemployment data has to be immaculately recorded by all the governments for the purpose of labor management and macroeconomics.\n\nI hope that in the years to come the situation will come under control under the rightful guidance of well-versed economists. Let us together wait for a situation where the question what is unemployment is read just for knowledge and not dealt with as a crisis booming like today.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6450472474098206}
{"content": "HUNTINGTON - A burrito shop in Huntington is searching for a person who stole one of the restaurant's paintings.\n\nRobert Velasco, the manager of Fat Artie's Burrito Shack, says the paintings in the establishment are expensive and can run up to a thousand dollars each. He says that the stolen painting was ordered from Mexico and has been with them since the restaurant opened four years ago.\n\nSurveillance video shows someone taking the painting right off the wall.\n\nThe manager says there is a $100 reward.\n\nHe is asking the person responsible to come forward and says they won't file charges.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5531301498413086}
{"content": "Beethoven Essay Research Paper We have witnessed\n\nBeethoven Essay, Research Paper We have witnessed and had the chance to hear many pieces from both classical and modern composers . Numerous composers have tried to match the style of one of the most prominent composers of the nineteenth century, but few have come close. We are speaking of the ever-famous Ludwig van Beethoven.\n\nBeethoven Essay, Research Paper\n\nWe have witnessed and had the chance to hear many pieces from both classical and modern composers . Numerous composers have tried to match the style of one of the most prominent composers of the nineteenth century, but few have come close. We are speaking of the ever-famous Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven is one of the most famous composers of all times and always will be considered to be among the best. The rise of Beethoven into the ranks? of history?s greatest composers was paralleled and in some ways a consequence of his own tragedy and despair.\n\nLudwig Van Beethoven, born in Bonn, Germany, was considered generally one of the greatest composers in the Western tradition. His father was a singer in a court chapel. Beethoven followed in his father?s footsteps and became a court musician as well, because of his fathers mental absence. His father was an alcoholic, so Beethoven needed to somehow support himself and the rest of his family. Under the tutelage of German composer, Christian Gottlobe Neefe , his early compositions signal an important talent. It was planned for Beethoven to study in Vienna with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart died in 1791, preventing Beethoven to ever join him. Beethoven ended up going to Vienna in 1792, and became one of Joseph Hayden?s, an Austrian composer, pupils.\n\nBeethoven?s piano improvisations dazzled aristocracy in Vienna. He entered into favorable arrangements with Viennese music publishers. Beethoven succeeded as a free lance composers due to the broadening of published music. Mozart took the same path, except for he found it full of frustration.\n\nIn the beginning of the nineteenth century, Beethoven loosely constructed a style of works such as the Septet Opera 20. Beethoven claimed that he had never learned anything from Hayden. He then revealed this complete assimilation of the Viennese classical style in every major instrumental genre: symphony, concerto, string quartet, and sonata. 1798 led to an increase of social isolation, due to Beethoven?s hearing impairment. His hearing began to deteriorate until eventually he became totally deaf. He went into a period of despair and even considered suicide, but then found the strength to devote his life to the music, which he could know only feel within himself. He reached his peak during these years. He gradually settled into patterns of shifting residences, spending a few summers in the Viennese suburbs. During these times of relocation, Beethoven found himself to be falling in love, in love with the wrong women. He tended to fall for the unattainable women, either they were aristocratic or married or both. These women inspired him to write many pieces, yet it is still unknown who these works were written for.\n\nIn 1815, Beethoven?s brother, Casper Carl, had died. Beethoven devoted himself to a costly legal struggle with his sister-in-law for custody of her nine year old son, and Beethoven?s nephew. Beethoven won custody of his nephew, after a lengthy hearing. Yet this whole arrangement did not work out for either Beethoven or his Nephew, Karl. In the years these two spent together, they were engaged in many fights and disagreements. This contributed to Karl?s attempted suicide in 1826.\n\nBeethoven relied on small “conversation books” due to him becoming virtually deaf in 1818. The conversation books contained visitor remarks so he could at least read them, since his hearing ceased to exist. He stayed with a steadily shrinking group of friends, and withdrew himself from all others. His music remained fashionable during these times, but only among a small group of educated people. During Beethoven?s last illness, he received out pouring of sympathy from the surrounding communities. On March 26, 1827, Beethoven died in Vienna. Tens of thousands witnessed his funeral procession.\n\nIn Beethoven?s 57 years of living, his major outputs consist of seven concerto?s, nine symphonies, seventeen string quartets, ten sonatas for violin and piano, thirty two piano sonata?s, an opera, five sonatas for cello and piano, several overtures, two masses, and numerous sets of piano variations. People considered Beethoven a bridge to Romanticism. After Beethoven arrived in Vienna, he alternated between compositions based openly on classical models, such as the String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5. From 1802 to 1812 he projected a heroic aura, although his works of this decade musically represented an expansion of the tighter forms of Hayden and Mozart. This is apparent in both, Eroica Symphony and his Piano Concerto No.5. His piece entitled, Eroica was dedicated to Napoleon, who seemed to symbolize liberty and fraternity. Beethoven later ripped up the dedication when Napoleon betrayed the cause of freedom and was crowned emperor. Ludwig also represented formerly compressed works, such as his Symphony No. 5 and the Piano Sonata, Op.57.\n\nThe fading hopes for a successful relationship with the “Immortal Beloved” and the completion of the Symphony # 8 left Beethoven with composition uncertainty. A couple of his works prior to 1812, experimented with reviving and expanding on the more relaxed musical structure he had employed in the 1790?s. A couple example are, the Piano Sonata in A Major Op. 101 in 1817, and the Op. 98 song cycle An die feme Gelibte in1816. His cyclic works of this period exercised the most direct musical influence on the succeeding generation of romantic composers. Beethoven made a second return to the tightly structured heroic style in 1818. The return was marked by his Piano Sonata in B Flat Major Op. 106. This piece was a work of length and difficulty.\n\nRather than have been composing in sets or even pairs, the works of Beethoven in his last period are each marked by individuality. Later on, composers would admire his work, and strive to equal his perfection. Beethoven gave expression to an all embracing view which idealized humanity with the Ninth Symphony and the Missa Solemnis. Beethoven?s style gave rise to the five string quartets in 1824-1826. Although these pieces were viewed as inaccessible in their time, we in modern times have come to use these string quartets as a comparable standard.\n\nThe Romantic generation that followed Beethoven pictured him as a heroic artist, who fought against social injustice and hypocrisy. Beethoven was far more than that and his greatness was not recognized completely until after his death. His later works were so advanced, that they were considered unplayable for fifty years. Beethoven?s brilliant compositions continued to develop and signaled the beginning of a new era in all fields of human creativity and experience.\n\n1.) Hogwood, Christopher. Beethoven Remembered. Great Ocean Publishers, Inc., ?1987\n\n2.) Fischer, Edwin. Beethoven?s Pianoforte Sonatas. Faber and Faber Limited, ? 1959\n\n3.) Ventura, Piero. Great Composers. G.P. Putnam?s Sons, ?1989\n\n4.) Internet., 1998", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8212460279464722}
{"content": "1971 - Never a Dull Moment: The Year That Rock Exploded.pdf\n\n1971 - Never a Dull Moment: The Year That Rock Exploded.pdf\n\n\nOn New Year's Eve in 1970, Paul McCartney initiated the proceedings that would wind up The Beatles. It was the end of the sixties, a year later than scheduled. And it would pull down the curtain on the pop era. The following day was the first day of 1971. It was to be the dawning of a new age, and in particular of a year that would become music's most significant, most creative and most innovative since the days of Flower Power. Over the course of those twelve months, rock music would truly come of age. It would see the release of more influential albums than any year before or since. It would see the launching of careers which would span the next forty years - David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and many more. During those twelve months, in a surge of creativity, playfulness, ambition, technological breakthrough, ego and blissful ignorance, a huge proportion of the most memorable music ever made was released. How did it happen? This book explains. It's the story of 1971, the year rock was born.\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9619457125663757}
{"content": "Monarch Recruitment Limited\n\nDeployment Engineer VOIP SIP Aylesbury £40K\n\nDeployment Engineer, Telephony, VOIP, SIP, Trunking, Unified Communications, Aylesbury, £30K - £40K \n\nI am currently looking for a Deployment Engineer to join my Gartner leading recognised firm in Aylesbury.  In this role, you will be responsible for collecting detailed customer requirements from the Sales Engineer and assisting with the configuration of internal products and 3rd party product services.  The deployment engineer will also assist customer with the integration of my clients systems and hardware with their own legacy systems. \n\nKey Responsibilities:\n\n- Provide hands on technical support and assistance to customers, resellers and field technicians\n- Participate in  the Project Management call, being responsible in the whole process post sale\n- Identify any design issues and follow up with the project manager\n\n\n- Experience supporting VoIP and working knowledge of telephony, PBX, SIP “trunking” and UC Technology\n- Excellent customer service skills\n- Experience working in a client facing role\n- Driving license and the willingness to travel if required\n\nMy client is globally recognised as the world leader in their industry.  They have gone through incredible growth over the last few years and are still looking to expand their team due to increased demand.  There are various routes for progression within the team and company.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000087022781372}
{"content": "Social Capital\n\nSocial Capital\n\nAn Introduction to Managing Networks\n\nKenneth W. Koput\n\n\nChapter 3: Sociocentric Perspectives with Applications to Human Resources\n\nKenneth W. Koput\n\nSubjects: business and management, human resource management\n\n\nIn this chapter we examine how a company can tap into the social capital in the informal networks formed by employees’ social ties and use that social capital to further organizational goals. We consider first the case where a company is filling vacancies by promoting from within, known as internal staffing. Then we’ll look at how a company can use employees’ extraorganizational social networks to more effectively hire new employees from outside the organization. INTRAORGANIZATIONAL SOCIAL CAPITAL 3.1 Filling vacancies from within Marsden and Gorman (1999) are concerned with the nature and determinants of internal staffing procedures that draw on social capital versus more formal methods. Let’s first identify social capital methods and formal methods so we can contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Then we’ll look at how a manager can determine which type of method to use in filling a vacancy, based on which is more likely to manifest its advantages. Social capital methods are those that utilize employees’ social connections to identify candidates to fill the vacant position. For our purpose here, we can identify social capital methods as either direct contacts or referrals. Direct contacts come from actual observation of a candidate at work, based on having an existing social tie. So they are persons either that you have had the opportunity to supervise or whose supervisor is in your social network, and so you have observed them in the course of your social interaction with their supervisor. Referrals come from third parties who...\n\n\n\n\n\nFurther information", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8628706336021423}
{"content": "Busy. Please wait.\n\nForgot Password?\n\nDon't have an account?  Sign up \n\nshow password\n\n\n\n\nAlready a StudyStack user? Log In\n\nReset Password\n\nRemove ads\nDon't know (0)\nKnow (0)\nremaining cards (0)\n\nPass complete!\n\n\"Know\" box contains:\nTime elapsed:\nrestart all cards\n\n\n  Normal Size     Small Size show me how\n\nAstronomy Exam 1\n\nKepler's 1st Law of Planetary Motion Planet's orbit is an ellipse; with Sun at one focus\nKepler's 2nd Law of Planetary Motion Object orbiting Sun on elliptic orbit is FASTEST when CLOSEST to Sun and SLOWEST when FURTHEST from the Sun\nKepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion Periods (YEARS) are related to planets' orbital sizes (a in AU); applies to planets orbiting a 1 solar mass star p^2=a^3\nNewton's 1st Law of Gravity body at rest/ motion STAYS in rest/motion UNLESS acted upon an outside FORCE\nNewton's 2nd Law of Gravity F=ma (Force=mass x acceleration) more mass--more force to accelerate\nNewton's 3rd Law of Gravity Every action has an EQUAL and OPPOSITE force\nOccam's Razor Scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agrees with the observations\nscientific paradigm General pattern of thought that tends to shape scientific study for a specific time period\ndiameter of Earth 8,000 miles\ncircumference of Earth 24,900 miles\nAverage/Mean Earth-Sun distance 93.9 million miles (=1 AU)\n1 light-year DISTANCE light travels in a vacuum in a year\nright ascension (LONGITUDE) but on the celestial sphere [used in equatorial coordinate system]\ndeclination (LATITUDE) but on the celestial sphere [used in equatorial coordinate system]\nelevation angle number of DEGREES between the horizon and the object (AKA altitude, used in horizon coordinate system]\nazimuth direction around the horizon from due north (used in horizon coordinate system)\necliptic Sun's apparent annual path among the constellations (fundamental great circle of ecliptic coordinate system)\nzodiac constellations on the celestial sphere through which the ecliptic passes\nvernal equinox points at which the sun passes through the equator making the DAY AS LONG AS NIGHT (FALL & SPRING equinox)\ncelestial meridian circle that connects the zenith with the north and south poles\nzenith straight UP from observer\nnadir straight DOWN from observer\nnorth celestial pole point on the celestial sphere directly above earth's north pole\nlatitude (on Earth) angular NORTH-SOUTH distance between Earth's equator and a location on Earth's surface\nlongitude (on Earth) angular EAST-WEST distance between Earth's prime meridian and a location on Earth's\nWhat causes the seasons? Earth's 23 & 1/2 degree tilt on its axis\nprecession of the equinoxes slow change in direction of the axis of Earth's rotation\nPythagorus a^2+b^2=c^2\nCreated by: Daisy Castillo Daisy Castillo", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7934802174568176}
{"content": "Tag Archives: Steve Caruso\n\nAgain on Ralph Ellis\n\nRalph has responded to my most recent blog post at great length after I invited him here to engage concerns with his scholarship directly. I told him I would not delete his posts, but I would not allow him to post if he showed himself unwilling or unable to address concerns with his arguments. I’ve consolidated my responses to his comments in the following:\n\nThank you for taking the time to post here, Ralph, but I invited you here to discuss Steve’s concerns with your claims, not your concerns with Tom or with his claims. Nevertheless, let it never be said that I am not accommodating. I’m not interested in engaging your personal attacks against Tom or anyone else, but I will respond to the claims you highlight from your book. However, I expect you to do me the same courtesy and fully address my concerns. If you refuse to do so, I will disallow future posting. I’m not going to delete anything unless it is vulgar or spamming, but I will ban you from commenting if you depart any further from the discussion I delineate, or attempt to sidestep my criticisms. I hope you understand that my time is important to me, as I’m sure your time is to you. I will not go diving down rabbit holes just to help you muddy the water.\n\nNow, regarding your conflation of King Abgarus and King Monobazus, you don’t really provide any evidence, you simply assert their conflation at a sublevel. Instead of saying you conflated them because they were the same person (flagrant begging the question), you simply say you conflated them because their wives were the same person, as a result of Adiabene and Edessa being the same place. You’re still begging the question, you’re just moving the fallacy a couple steps away from your main claim to obscure it a bit. You do not provide a word of evidence for these identifications except for a forced inference you impose upon Josephus’ text in order to harmonize an artificial conflict. In other words, you see Josephus’ lack of reference to Edessa and assume—based on no evidence—that he would have had to have mentioned it.\n\nAssumptions about what an historian would have had to have done do not form legitimate methodological bases for conflating toponyms and personal names, though. Historical authors frequently leave out quite important information for reasons that are not clear to us. For instance, some people claim that the absence of the mention of Belshazzar from Herodotus’ histories means Herodotus didn’t know about him, but they overlook the fact that Herodotus also never mentions Nebuchadnezzar, of whom Herodotus could not possibly have been ignorant. Josephus is actually quite infamous for glaring omissions from his retelling of Jewish history that he obviously felt did not reflect on Judaism the way he wanted. His Antiquities and his War are also inconsistent, crafting the narratives with different details to satisfy the rhetorical concerns of each composition. In short, I don’t see any reason whatsoever we are required to find Edessa or its rulers in Josephus’ text. If you wish to insist that we cannot leave the text without identiying Edessa within it, you will have to provide something well beyond the naked assertion that he just cannot have left it out.\n\nNext, the existence of the kingdom of Adiabene is not in doubt, nor is there any historical need whatsoever to find some candidate from the archaeological record to identity with it. Its history, quite independent and distinct from that of Edessa, is narrated in a variety of ancient documents. For example, Strabo, Ptolemy, and Pliny all describe the geographic location of Adiabene, as well as the location of Edessa. There is some geographic overlap, but that is easily explained by the fact that Adiabene controlled the region for a time. See this text for discussion of the geographic descriptions of Adiabene. There is simpy no reason on earth to think that they are the same city. Josephus’ omission of Edessa is absolutely irrelevant. It certainly does not serve as evidentiary leverage for ignoring what other writers have to say about the two regions. The evidence unilaterally and unequivocally precludes your thesis, and there is simply no evidence whatsoever to support it. No responsible historian would ever subscribe to such a stunningly problematic thesis, and that is not rhetoric at all; the claim violates every single principle of historiography I can think of.\n\nNext, you claim that you were constrained in your use of Greek and Hebrew fonts, and that you had to provide JPEG images of all occurrences of those scripts. You don’t make clear whether you produced the JPEGs or they were produced by Innodata using a text you submitted. If you did it, it would mean that whatever came through in the book was what was in the JPEG you submitted. They can’t edit the fonts in a JPEG image. If you mean to say you submitted the text and they turned it into a JPEG image, then there’s an interesting problem. The mistake was the confusion of a final sigma with a non-final one, which requires at least knowing the Greek alphabet and what the final sigma represents. I find it hard to believe that an Innodata inputer saw the final sigma, knew it was just the form of the sigma when it appears at the end of a word, but still managed to accidentally input a non-final sigma. No, the error found in your book is quite common to beginners who are typing out Greek from a transliteration. I am compelled to conclude that this was your error, but I am not going to pursue the argument any further; it does not seem to me that would admit it even if it were your error. The point of highlighting this error was to expose an obvious lack of familiarity with the relevant languages, which I believe is a valid and accurate conclusion, irrespective of the source of the error in your book.\n\nAs an example of some other concerns that are not based on inputter error, I would point to pp. 37–38, where you argue that the “Aramaic-Hebrew”  is a gentilic noun with the definite article, thus “The Adyab,” or “The Adia-bene.” You interpret it as a people because you understand the –bene suffix to represent the Hebrew word for “son” (thus “sons of Addai”). You also happen to fumble—or Innodata fumbled—the form of the final nun in the Hebrew בן (not בנ). You then accuse the Talmudic scribes of misunderstanding the word, resulting in the initial ḥet in two spellings and the final pe in one of those. Your analysis is staggeringly uninformed on several levels. The shorter form found in the Talmud and in the Syriac Chronicle of Arbela are original. The Greek Adiabene is secondary. We know this because the –ene suffix was one of a small number of Greek components attached to toponyms during the Parthian period when the Seleucid empire split up many Achaemenid satrapies into more manageable sizes. Compare “Adiabene” to the other names Osrhoene, Inigene, Tinigene, Akabene, Zabdicene, Dolomene, Sittacene, Mesene, Calachene, and Characene. The other widespread suffices that were added include –ena, -ia, and –itis. The –ene on the end of the toponym Adiabene has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Hebrew word בן. It comes from a Greek suffix added to the names of the cities after their annexation and division by the Seleucids. The Aramaic form without the suffix is original.\n\nAnyone with a grasp of the Hebrew would not have understood it as “Sons of Addai” anyway, since the word you have read as “son” comes at the end of the word, rather than the beginning (Aramaic and Hebrew don’t do that), and also because gentilic nouns (“people of . . . , or “-ites”) end in yod (the long /i/ vowel). Finally, the Greek is based on the Aramaic word, which is represented in the Aramaic and the Syriac primarily with the ḥet. It is the Talmudic rendering with the he that is mistaken, the very spelling you naively think is original. Your etymology is stunningly uninformed and is flatly wrong.\n\nIt doesn’t seem to me you have much facility at all with the languages, but I’m willing to be proven wrong. Can you translate the following Greek sentence and parse the verbal elements:\n\nεἰσέλθετε εἰς ἀγορὰν δῶρα παρά γε τῶν ἀδικούντων ληφόμενοι\n\nAnd then translate this sentence from the Aramaic and parse the verbal elements:\n\nשלם מראן אלה שמיא ישאל שגיא בכל עדן\n\nBoth of these sentences were taken from beginning grammars. I would appreciate a direct response to these two requests, whether that means providing the answers or acknowledging that you are unable.\n\nMoving on (I’m skipping over much of your concerns with Tom’s treatment of your claims), you claim Josephus saw three “acquaintances” (ἐγνώρισα) being crucified and arranged to have them released and treated. You nakedly assert that these “acquaintances” are “three leaders of the Jewish Revolt.” There is no basis whatsoever for this identification, it’s just something you’ve conjured out of thin air. The text says nothing about the prisoners being leaders of the revolt, and the fact that Josephus mentions them as acquaintances in no way suggests they were leaders. Josephus uses even more intimate language for all kinds of men, women, and children. As Steve Mason points out, Josephus finds 190 “friends” and “close friends” among people locked up in the temple in §419, as well as others on crosses near a village in §420. Authors in this period inflated their importance by multiplying their intimate associations. These are unquestionably not leaders of the Jewish revolt. Finally, even if we assume that these three people were leaders of the Jewish revolt, the notion that because “King Izas” was a leader of the revolt, he had to be one of these three is flagrantly fallacious. To call that notion “axiomatic” is utter nonsense.\n\nYou say one may not agree with the speculation, but “the comparison is legitimate.” This is simply false. The comparison is not legitimate in any sense of the word, nor do the rest of the stories match. You are forced in your effort to make these things align to fudge meaning, ignore details, and subjugate the contexts to your conclusion. It’s flagrant begging the question. Your concluding remarks about Tom’s neglect of the context and of the relevant primary texts is laughable, as you repeatedly ignore the context and the historical data in the interest of your naked assertions. You’re attempting to talk down to him and his methodologies, but you’ve yet to show a single instance of respect for professionalism or the standard methodologies of biblical studies, historiography, or anything related. Youre primary concern is quite clearly whatever methodology you naively believe will support your presuppositions.\n\nNow, getting on to what I actually asked you to come here to address. You claim Caruso is ignorant of the “true” history that Josephus was hiding. You go on to state the following:\n\n you cannot apply the rules of grammar and syntax on sentences that were written as ‘in jokes’ for a privileged few.\n\nThis is the most ridiculous claim you’ve provided to date. Basically, you’re saying the standard exegetical and historical methodologies cannot hold in instances where you believe someone is masking the details in pseudonyms in a way that only the initiated will understand. In this way you attempt to insulate your argument from actual informed scholarship. No matter what anyone says, you just have to point out that they’re not initiated, and so no matter what they don’t know what’s going on. You are the sole arbiter of the truth, and the sole proprietor of the exegetical keys to the text. This is amateur nonsense. Obviously, the claim that an author is cryptically hiding details underneath the text requires quite clear and definitive evidence, yet you can provide none. The lynchpin for your entire claim is the notion that Josephus could not possibly have omitted Abgarus from his texts. You can provide nothing to support this claim except the strength of your own assertion. I’ve already addressed the fallacy of asserting an ancient historian had to have included this or that figure. The additional fallacy here is the argument by assertion. Your entire claim quite literally comes down to “because I say so.” You obviously can provide nothing beyond your own word. Josephus’ comment about Adiabene being “beyond the Euphrates” doesn’t support your argument in the least. It’s not a clue of anything. Adiabene was located beyond the Euphrates.\n\nYour claim that Queen Helena of Adiabene was living in Edessa and married to Abgar, the king of Edessa, is equally without merit of any kind whatsoever. Numerous historians have addressed the separate identities of the rulers of Adiabene and Edessa, particularly because the two locales were so important to early Christian proselytizing. The confusion of historical figures in later histories is quite widespread in antiquity, including within Syriac sources like Moses of Chorene, whose testimony you so naively prioritize. You are now the one cherry-picking sources by ignoring what the chonologically much closer texts have to say in order to assert the accuracy of some writing 400 years later. Several other authors from that period conflated Helena of Adiabene with Helena, the mother of Constantine. Are you going to write another book claiming they’re all the same Helena?\n\nYou’ve also obviously not considered the contemporary concerns with the text of Moses’ history. The oldest extant manuscript comes from the 14th century, and it appears to be based on heavily edited editions from the 7th and 8th centuries. For instance, Moses refers to four different Armenias that were not established until Justinian I organized the provinces in the 6th century. Moses claims the Iranians advanced into Bithynia, but that didn’t happen until a war from the early 7th century CE. Moses has also been criticized precisely for conflating figures and altering historical texts in the interest of his rhetorical aims. Some scholars defend him, however, pointing out that that was how history was written back then. In short, your dependence upon a much later and very tendentious historian is misguided. The propping up of your entire thesis on the legitimacy of that historian’s claim is pseudo-history.\n\nThe worst methodological mistake you make throughout all of your texts, however, is your insistance on synthesizing select data from various different disparate sources, while dismissing data that conflict with your preconceptions. You refuse to acknowledge errors where errors are beyond doubt, while asserting errors where the texts are clearly accurate, all in an effort to manipulate the sources in the aid of your presuppositions. Then you bark about people not being in the know, and not understanding because they’re trying to do history instead of acknowledging that the truth is cryptically hidden underneath the surface of the text. This is pseudo-scholarship, pure and simple. You don’t really defend any of your claims, as far as I can tell, you just hide behind rhetorical contrarianism that amounts to little more than “Nu-uh!” I’ve yet to see you respond legitimately to a call for references or for argument. Most commonly, you just reassert your original thesis without further argument. And this despite the fact that you accuse others of not providing direct evidence, or not providing scholarly support. You ignore all the standards of historiography only to prop up asinine claims on your naked assertions. Your research contributes nothing to history or religious studies.\n\nDavid Elkington Once Again on the Lead Codices\n\nIn a recent post on his Facebook group page, David Elkington has responded in a roundabout way to the charge that he deliberately altered the Peter Northover metallographic report to replace a judgment that the codices exhibited a property inconsistent with their putative provenance with a judgment that they exhibited a property perfectly consistent with that provenance. He states:\n\n\nFirst, that error was first pointed out about six months ago. It shouldn’t have taken six months for Elkington to acknowledge the error and correct it. Second, it strains credulity to think that the one portion of the report that directly conflicted with Elkington’s broad claims would be conveniently, and accidentally, omitted, especially in light of his repeated appeal to the report’s corroboration of those claims. I discussed the possibility of haplography in the post linked to above (note my assumption was shown to be correct), but if you consider Elkington’s reticence for the last six months and the claim he made on his recent appearance on Coast to Coast that he simply doesn’t have the skills to forge a different report (which was never the charge), it seems highly unlikely this was an accident.\n\nFor discussion of the video shot months ago and recently added to Elkington’s Facebook page, see Steve Caruso’s The Aramaic Blog.\n\nIn Response to David Elkington\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShort Video on Jordan Codices\n\n\n\n\n\nHere is his transcription of this page:\n\n\n\n\nThe highlighted sentence reads:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSteve Caruso Beats Me to the Punch and More\n\nCheck out Steve’s new analysis of the texts of the Jordan Codices. I’ve been working on the same patterns, but Steve was quicker on the draw (this isn’t over, Steve). The use of a number of stamps has been suggested in the past based on the frequent repetition of the menorah, the two different styles of trees, etc. See also the two different versions of the “Christ” face:\n\n\nBut on the codex the head of the second horse from the right is longer and actually has a more vertical orientation compared to the other horse heads to its left and right. The horses’ knees are also not in line on the codex:\n\nThis is the fake used in the impression. The difference is pretty minute, but it is there:\n\nThe fake coin used to produce the profile of Alexander the Great with the lion’s skin has also been identified. Here’s an overlay of the copper codex image and the fake coin:\n\nFor those who want to go digging for a source, a page shared in Prof. Davies’ editorial reproduces a photo given him by David Elkington of a codex with the impression of a clearly modern coin/plaque of some kind. I know I have seen this face before before, but I cannot place it at the moment (it is presumably supposed to be Jesus). If anyone reading recognizes the man in the codex, please let us know:\n\nLong ago I pointed to the very clear iconographic relationships shared by the copper codices and the lead codices. The exact tree image found on the copper codex is found on about a dozen different lead codices being promoted as genuine by Elkington, as well as the same lettering and ornamentation. More evidence for this has come forward, such as the Herodian symbol found on the codex Elkington himself is flaunting as a forgery. As Steve very perceptively notes in his new post, we have yet to see a photo of a codex that does not bear clear indications of forgery. If Elkington has genuine codices, he’s hiding them. Note also Steve’s comment about the hammering out of the images on the one codex from the Facebook page. This is especially important because Elkington claims on that page that there is no iconography on that side of the plate because it is the “back page.” This is rather transparent deception on the part of Mr. Elkington. There is more deception in his attribution of several texts on that page to “experts,” “third party journalists,” and “professors,” when the texts are very clearly written by Elkington himself (note phrases he uses repeatedly in his own writing, like “at the highest level,” “of ancient provenance,” and “meaning and/or interpretation”). He’s trying to build up some authority around his fraud, but it’s painfully transparent that he alone is responsible for all of it.\n\nFinally, just today Elkington put a link on the Facebook page to a blog called Heavenly Ascents, by a friend of mine named David Larsen (PhD candidate at St. Andrews). I don’t think Elkington has read all David’s posts on the codices (he cites me and Peter Thonemann, for instance), but for now he recommends it as fair and balanced. That’s a step forward from deleting and barring all posters who challenge Elkington’s claims.\n\nAn Indication of Forgery on the Jordan Codices\n\n\nMore Dishonesty from Jordan Codices\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.576098620891571}
{"content": "\n\nHere's the blog post about the redesign: https://github.com/blog/1276-welcome-to-a-new-gist\n\nIsn't that what this post is linked to?\n\nMaybe somebody changed the link?\n\nThey did; it was originally just a link to a random Gist to show the new design.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999626278877258}
{"content": "tune page - abc tune search\n\nfind abcnotation on facebook\ndonate button\n\n\n\n   music text    a - z file order   search help\n\nAires de Pontevedra\n\n browse similar - search: file | collection\n\n download: abc | midi | png | musicxml\n viewing problems - switch to png search help - SVGs\nAires de Pontevedra Spain G D G D G D G D C 4 6 4 2 A D A D A D D G A G A D D G A G A D www.abcnotation.com/tunes\n\n\nTuneGraph - similar tunes (what's this?)\n\nAlternative sources for this tune:\n\n\nBack to the top\n\n... folk clubs, musicians, celtic, sheet music, folk, bands, equipment, festivals, gigs, instruments ...\n... trumpet, percussion, woodwind, mandola, violin, whistle, fiddle, voila, harmonica, tuba ...\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9970368146896362}
{"content": "'Hannah Montana' Actor Goes On a 'Big Break'\n'Hannah Montana' Actor Goes On a 'Big Break'\nThese Hannah Montana stars are going places, but Moises Arias is ready to take a break, Beethoven's Big Break, that is.  The actor, who plays the wily Rico in the Disney series, was chosen to play the role of Billy in the sixth installment of the Beethoven series.  The film may have already been released on DVD last year, but Arias' admits that he will always remember the entire experience. \n\nThe young celebrity said he truly enjoyed acting alongside the Saint Bernard who played the film's title role.  “We could play with him and push him around because he weighs like 150 pounds,” he said in an interview with Colorado's La Voz newspaper.  “I have two dogs and they weigh like 4 pounds.”\n\nDespite having a great time on set, Moises Arias knew that it can also be tough to work with animal actors.  “When I watched the other ‘Beethoven' movies, I always wondered how they got the dog to do certain things,” he explained.  “Finally, I got to see how they train them.”\n\nHe might have found out the hard way, as he cites an example of his experience.  “[T]hey put baby food on me so he'd lick my face.”  On the film, Arias will be portraying the lead character's son.  As Billy, he finds that he's being followed by a dog as he walks on the street.  He takes him home to his father (Jonathan Silverman), an animal trainer struggling with his job and his life as a single dad.  They adopt the dog, and with the animal's penchant for Ludwig Van Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Billy names it Beethoven.  \n\nEven though he wasn't born during the time the first Beethoven film was released, Arias admits that he was more than excited to do Beethoven's Big Break.  “I watched a couple of the movies.  I was a big fan of the “Beethoven” movies because the dog did a lot of tricks.” \n\nMoises Arias might have risen to fame in Hannah Montana, but he's also been spotted on a number of big screen hits as well.  He became known for appearing alongside comedian Jack Black in Nacho Libre, back in 2006.  He then moved on to projects for the Disney Channel, like the film Dadnapped in 2008.  Later on, he bagged a role in the baseball movie known as The Perfect Game, as well as reprised his role as Rico in Hannah Montana: The Movie.\n\n-Maria Gonzalez, BuddyTV Staff Columnist\nSource: Dogchannel.com, Extra News\n(Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6722676753997803}
{"content": "Table of Contents\n\nHandbook of Management and Creativity\n\nHandbook of Management and Creativity\n\nElgar original reference\n\nEdited by Chris Bilton and Stephen Cummings\n\n\nChapter 3: The curious case of the embedded creative: creative cultural occupations outside the creative industries\n\nGreg Hearn and Ruth Bridgstock\n\nSubjects: business and management, organisational innovation, organisation studies, strategic management, economics and finance, services, innovation and technology, organisational innovation\n\n\nFew managers would dispute that creativity and innovation are important. However, what they mean by those terms would vary widely, and indeed, a survey of researchers and research studies examining creativity and innovation would confirm this diversity. For instance, proponents of the value of innovation laud creativity, but have tended to be biased towards scientific and technical invention and how this can be leveraged in new services and products. On the other hand, artistsí works are seen as evidence of creativity that comes through different forms of cultural expression, but here there has been less concern with translation into commercial outcomes (e.g., Smith-Bingham 2006). Over the last 15 years, the term ëcreative industriesí has gained currency as a descriptor of sectors that involve the deployment of specialised cultural creativity in industrialised form.\n\n\n\n\n\nFurther information", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9401782155036926}
{"content": "post #1 of 1\nThread Starter \n\n\n\nI have the following arrangement when playing to speakers and have a question concerning the volume settings.\n\n\nPC-->[Optical]-->Meier Symphony DAC/AMP-->[analog]-->Sony A/V Receiver-->speakers\n\n\nI have two volume controls and would like to know if the Meier Symphony DAC/AMP should be set at high and then adjust the receiver, or the receiver set at high and adjust the Symphony.\n\n\nIt seems that since the Meier Symphony AMP is better quality I should have the majority of power coming from it, yes?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999662637710571}
{"content": "My original White Netgear router is starting to make some odd noises, so it looks like it could be on its way out.\n\nNow, I know that the T&Cs say that i have to use a Sky router.... but lets pretend that that T&C doesn't exist.\n\nI'd like to replace it with one that has the following (in order or priority)\n\n- wireless N (pref dual band)\n- Gigabit\n- intergrated print server\n\nSo, is there anything on the market that would fit the bill?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8284292817115784}
{"content": "5 Superfoods For Super Healthy Living\n\nby Sumdima Rai\n\nDon’t you instantly think about Superman when you hear the word superfood? Ok, maybe I'm the only one. But, what's so special about these superfoods that they've acquired superhero status in today's food-obsessed culture?\n\nSuperfoods pack a powerful punch, providing antioxidants and essential nutrients that your body needs to prevent disease. Here are five superfoods you need to start including in your diet for a super healthy living.\n\n1) Blueberries For Heart Health, Brain Health, Cancer Prevention & Insulin Response\n\nResearch suggests that natural compounds found in blueberries called polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce inflammation in chronic conditions such as heart disease and several types of cancer, including esophageal, lung, mouth, pharynx, endometric, pancreatic, prostate and colon. Blueberries also contain folate (folic acid in food), which plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair, thus playing a role in the prevention of formation of cancer cells from mutations in the DNA.\n\nRich in dietary fiber, blueberries lower blood glucose levels, improve blood sugar, and insulin levels in people with diabetes. Flavonoids in blueberries have been found to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and even improve short-term memory loss and mortar coordination.\nRecommended Servings: ½ cup per day\n\n2) Salmon For Bone Health, Heart Health & Cognitive Health\nThe fish contains proteins like calcitonin which helps in improving bone density by enhancing calcium uptake. Salmon is rich in omega 3-fatty acids which helps prevent heart disease by reducing inflammation and preventing your arteries from getting blocked. Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon also improve cognitive function along with protecting the brain from inflammation.\nRecommended Servings: 2-3 per week\n\n3) Soy For Cancer Prevention, Heart Health, Menopause, Bone Health & Digestive Health\nAntioxidants present in soy neutralize free radicals. The high fiber content in soy can reduce risk for colon and colorectal cancer, since fiber eases digestion and lessens the strain on the gastrointestinal system. Fiber in soybeans also reduces cholesterol levels. The presence of fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acid, in soy can help maintain appropriate blood pressure levels for a healthy heart. Fiber improves digestion by stimulating peristaltic motion—the contraction of the smooth muscles that pushes the food through your digestive system.\n\nIsoflavones present in soy ease many symptoms of menopause like mood swings, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Soy is rich in vitamins and mineral such as calcium, magnesium, copper, selenium, zinc, which promote osteogenesis that allows for new bone formations and speeds up the healing process of bones.\nRecommended Servings: 1 cup of tofu per day\n\n4) Strawberries For Heart Health, Cancer Prevention & Cognitive Health\nStrawberries are being studied for their ability to suppress inflammation and reduce risk of hypertension by lowering LDL cholesterol. Anthocyanins, a certain sub class of flavonoid, dilates the arteries and counters the buildup of plaque as well as provide other cardiovascular health benefits.\n\nFlavonoids also help reduce inflammation and play a vital role in improving cognitive health. Strawberries are also good sources of antioxidants, folic acid and vitamin C which help decrease risk of esophageal cancer.\nRecommended Servings: Eight strawberries per day\n\n5) Dark Chocolate For Heart Health, Cognitive Health & Insulin Response\nA recent study found that dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing arteries from clogging. Consumption of cocoa can reduce LDL cholesterol, potentially lowering risks of heart disease.\n\nDark chocolate contains phenylethylamine(PEA), the same chemical that is released from your brain when you fall in love, thus uplifting the mood and reducing stress making it healthy for the brain. Dark chocolate has a low glycemic index (does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels). The flavonoids present in it reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells function normally and regain the ability to use insulin efficiently.\nRecommended Servings: 1 ounce per day\n\nJoin The Conversation", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5246259570121765}
{"content": "Family remembers mother by restoring music to 85-year-old piano\n\nJoel Lidstrom and the 1928 Steinway being donated by the Loveland family to Viterbo. ~ Clay Schuldt\n~ Clay Schuldt\n\nBy Clay Schuldt\n\nCaledonia Argus\n\n\nThere are endless ways to memorialize a loved one. Many families make donations in the individual’s honor. The Loveland family of La Crosse chose to remember their mother Barbara Holmes Loveland in a unique way, by donating her 1928 Steinway Grand Piano.  There was, however, a problem with the piano: It had been unserviceable for decades. Barbara’s daughter Carole Loveland Jones was aware the piano would need to be fixed before it could be donated and made a call to Joel Lidstrom.\n\nLidstrom has been a resident of the Caledonia area for years and restores Steinway grand pianos in his shop in Winnebago Township. Lidstrom cannot remember the exact number of pianos he has restored, but believes it is close to a 100. He began restoring pianos during his senior year of college at the University of Minnesota while working at Schmitt Music in Minneapolis. After graduating from college, Lidstrom moved to southeast Minnesota and continued the same work and soon began specializing in Steinways.\n\n“Very quickly I saw that I only wanted to work on Steinways,” Lidstrom said. “Fortunately I have been successful enough that pianists took note.”\n\nLidstrom’s business is mainly advertised by word of mouth, but his work sells itself.  He recently completed work on the Loveland’s 1928 Steinway and now the 85-year-old instrument looks brand new.\n\nThe cabinet and basic structure of the Loveland piano is original even though it has been given a thorough cleaning and paint job. But the beauty of a Steinway is by no means skin deep. The interior of the instrument is made of hundreds individual parts set into a golden plate appropriately nicked named “the harp.”  The corner of the plate is branded with its manufacturing location: New York.\n\nWhile the more famous Steinway manufactures are located in Germany, the Steinway Company started out in New York City in the mid-1800s by a German immigrant. The Hamburg facility was founded later.\n\nThere is a bit of a rivalry between New York and Hamburg made pianos.  “Younger artists like the aggressive sounds of the German instruments but usually come back to the ‘darker’ sound of the New York built instruments,” Lidstrom said. It is that sound that needed to be restored in the Loveland piano.\n\nLidstrom explained that the Loveland Steinway became unusable because of the high moisture content in the home it was kept. “All the pivot points in a piano contain a brass pin.  The idea, that in theory, it will not corrode like iron, but in long term it oxidizes,” Lidstrom said. Once the pins oxidized the hammers begin to stick and fail to strike the cords. Soon a beautiful piano is rendered silent.\n\nOne of the most time intensive parts of a restoration involve replacing and rebuilding the functional moving parts of the piano, including the keys, hammers and strings.\n\nMany higher-end piano keys are made from bone or pre-ban ivory.  Ivory is produced from the tusks of elephants and rhinoceroses. In order to prevent illegal poaching of these animals, many countries block the import and export of ivory, making it hard to come by.  For this project Lidstrom uses plastic for the keys, but does use ebony for the dark keys, which is becoming a rarity as well\n\nThe process of restoring a Steinway grand piano may take as long as a year.  Lidstrom estimated that he puts 1,000 hours into each piano he restores and tends to limit his work to two pianos a year. His next project is a Steinway from Winona that was salvaged from a house fire.\n\nThe Loveland Steinway, now completed, will be donated to Viterbo University in La Crosse.  It was Lidstrom’s suggestion to donate the instrument to Viterbo, explaining that the college is committed to becoming an all-Steinway school. It will go into the Viterbo music department’s piano professor’s study.\n\nMany institutions are strictly dedicated to Steinway instruments. “The quality of Steinway is head and shoulders above any other,” Lidstrom said. “Virtually all concert artists in the world are Steinway artists and they only play Steinway grand pianos.”\n\nThough Lidstrom’s preference is for the older, hand-crafted instruments, he admits the modern piano has not changed much over the last hundred years. “You just can’t improve on it.  Mostly what is done now is figuring out ways of doing it cheaper and with less labor intensity, and it compromises the quality of the instrument.”\n\nLike many items these days, pianos are frequently massed produced. There was a time when any individual working for the Steinway company could build a piano from the ground up, but now the production is process has become very specialized.\n\nRestoring an old piano is often the best way to insure a quality product. In the case of the Loveland’s 1928 grand piano, the restoration has added several decades to its life.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5926632881164551}
{"content": "combined magnitude\n\nQuick Reference\n\nThe total brightness of two (or more) celestial objects, such as a close pair of stars that appear as one to the naked eye. Since the magnitude scale is logarithmic, the combined magnitude m is not simply the sum of the individual magnitudes m1 and m2, but must be found from the formula\n\nm = m1 −2.5 log {1 + antilog[ −0.4 (m2m1)]}\n\nFor example, the combined magnitude of two stars each of magnitude 1 is 0.25.\n\nSubjects: Astronomy and Astrophysics.\n\nReference entries", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5576999187469482}
{"content": "Port Of Brownsville goes \"Hollywood\"\n\n      The Port of Brownsville transformed itself into a movie set complete with a production team and actors, in order to shoot an $18,000 dollar movie highlighting the port TMs ongoing efforts to increase security.\n\n      The funds for production come from the $17 million in grant money awarded to the port since 2007, by the Department of Homeland Security.\n\n      Port Spokesman Manuel Ortiz said that Following the 9/11 terroristic attacks, ports across the nation went on lock down.\n\n      \"Ports are a critical part of the nation's infrastructure and they're a critical part of general global trade and commerce, Ortiz said, that is a reason why security is so important.\"\n\n      The Port of Brownsville ranks third in the nation in the import and export of steel, and nearly 90 percent of the liquid cargo, such as gas, that comes through the port is exported into Mexico.\n\n      Any breach of security, officials said, could cause seriously damage the economy on a global scale.\n\n      To avoid that, the Port of Brownsville implemented the Transportation Workers Identification Credential program \" it was the first port in the nation to do so.\n\n      \"It's a program that grants access to individuals, after a detailed and lengthy background, check to access secured areas (around the port).\"\n\n      During the three day filming, actors - many of them port employees - staged scenarios such as a driver running the entry gates of the port without proper identification and an exercise in which a visitor sneaks into a restricted area.\n\n      The finished product, officials said, will be used for educational security videos.\n\n      Ortiz said it TMs a worthwhile production to help secure the port which is a multimillion dollar economic engine for the U.S. and other countries.\n\n      \"2011 was one of the strongest years that the Port of Brownsville has had in the past 10 years, Ortiz said. In terms of tonnage and in revenue, for example, we moved more than six million metric tons here at the port. We had a very strong year and that's significant given that it was a down economic year.\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7041223049163818}
{"content": "Writers like Fitzgerald, Nabokov and Wharton have all perfectly captured the beauty and corruption of the French Riviera. Jane Ciabattari explores its appeal.\n\nThe French Riviera, that dazzling Mediterranean coastline from St Tropez to the Italian border, has drawn many writers over the centuries, beginning with the Italian poets Dante and Petrarch. Somerset Maugham, who knew the Riviera intimately, called it “a sunny place for shady people.”\n\nThe chiaroscuro of the Côte d'Azur can be seen in the work of many authors who have enjoyed its sensuous pleasures and healthy sea air, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Anton Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield. Vladimir Nabokov gathered impressions for Lolita in Menton in 1937. “There was my Riviera love peering over at me over dark glasses,” Humbert Humbert muses upon meeting the nymphet. Graham Greene, who moved to Antibes in 1966, wrote a dozen books there, as well as a curious 1982 document, J'Accuse: The Dark Side of Nice, denouncing official corruption. But only a few writers have immortalised the region’s unique combination of radiance and shadow.  \n\nWhat is it about the actual place – and the novels set there – that gives us a sense of light and dark, of corruption and tragedy? In part, it’s the rarefied atmosphere –the sunny beach days that give way to an ever-spinning carousel of partying, cocktails and gambling. That’s the impression given by F Scott Fitzgerald, who captured the glory days and darker nights of the 1920s jazz age on the Riviera in his lyrical and tragic 1934 novel, Tender Is the Night. The narrative transports an expatriate American couple – Dr Dick Diver, a psychiatrist, and Nicole, his glamorous and unstable wife and patient – to Antibes, where a young starlet, Rosemary Hoyt, comes into their orbit.\n\nFitzgerald tracks the evolving love triangle over a period of years, beginning in 1925. His portrait of the Riviera as backdrop to a glittering international party with the Divers as hosts is gloriously written. Fitzgerald sets the scene by describing a “large, proud rose-colored hotel” with a dazzling beach: “In the early morning the distant image of Cannes, the pink and cream of early fortifications, and the purple Alp that bounded Italy, were cast across the water and lay quavering in the ripples and rings sent up by sea-plants through the clear shallows.”\n\nFitzgerald began the novel in 1925, when he and his gifted and troubled wife Zelda were soaking up the sun along the Cap d’Antibes, drawn there when Sara and Gerald Murphy inaugurated the Riviera’s summer season. (It had been a fashionable winter retreat for Russian and European aristocrats for several centuries.) The Murphys started visiting the Riviera regularly in the summer of 1923, according to Amanda Vaill, whose book Everybody Was So Young chronicles their love story and friendships with the writers and artists in their circle. The owner of the Hôtel du Cap in Antibes kept one wing of the hotel open for them. “The Fitzgeralds rented a villa in Valescure in 1924,”says Vaill. Gerald Murphy cleared the Garoupe beach (previously just a rocky, seaweedy place where fishermen left their boats) and made it a kind of playground. By 1925 the Murphys' art deco Villa America was remodeled and they were living in it and more and more people started arriving.” Their visitors, Vaill adds, included the Fitzgeralds, Hemingways and Archibald MacLeishes, Donald Ogden Stewart and the Gilbert Seldeses, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, John Dos Passos, George S Kaufman, Harpo Marx, Rudolph Valentino, and sometimes Pablo Picasso and his wife Olga.  \n\nLike the Murphys, the fictional Divers convince a hotel owner to stay open after April, create a fabulously fashionable villa, and embark upon a glittering, seemingly endless international party. Dick Diver, “a fine man in a jockey cap and red striped tights,” regularly rakes stones from the sand. Rosemary asks Nicole, who wears a string of pearls with her bathing suit, “Do you like it here?” “They have to like it,” intrudes a friend. “They invented it.”\n\nThe idyll begins to dissolve when Nicole checks into a Geneva clinic run by her husband. Dick deteriorates; his drinking leads to the point where “he’s not received anywhere any more,” his professional life suffers and the marriage is lost. There were parallels in the lives of the Fitzgeralds and the Murphys, who were back in the US by the 1930s, caught in a downward spiral. Zelda was institutionalised. Scott’s alcoholism impeded his work and shortened his life. The Murphys’ two sons died young.  Gerald gave up his promising art career to take over the family business. But the dangerously seductive Riviera as portrayed in Fitgerald’s dazzling prose remained as a touchstone of the time. \n\nNotes on a scandal\n\nThe mixture of high society and nouveau riche, nobility and arriviste, in Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo in the 1890s was a fitting backdrop for Edith Wharton, who set a pivotal section in The House of Mirth there. Wharton didn’t write a novel of the Riviera; she conveyed her New York characters and their “little hothouse of traditions and conventions” to the Riviera, and contrasted its natural beauty with their glittering self-regard. Their social games and betrayals were set awhirl amidst the casinos and luxury restaurants.\n\nWharton’s Lily Bart flees a series of indiscretions in New York by sailing aboard a yacht owned by the Dorsets, a couple with a fraying marriage. Wharton describes Lily’s view from the deck: “Unclouded sunlight enveloped sea and shore in a bath of purest radiancy. The purpling waters drew a sharp white line of foam at the base of the shore; against its irregular eminences, hotels and villas flashed from the greyish verdure of olive and eucalyptus; and the background of bare and finely-pencilled mountains quivered in a pale intensity of light.”\n\nIt is an idyllic setting, but treachery lurks, “like the gleam of a knife in the dusk.” Bertha Dorset, who has begun an affair with a young poet, turns the spotlight on Lily, falsely accusing her of infidelity with her husband George. Lily’s former boyfriend, Lawrence Selden, hastens to warn her to leave the yacht so she is not caught in the middle of a marital spat, but she ignores him.\n\nThe showdown between Lily and Bertha comes after an elaborate dinner party at a Monte Carlo restaurant hosted by wealthy Americans for a Duchess whose favour they seek. Among the guests is a society columnist who has spread gossip about Lily and George. At the end of the evening, Bertha orders Lily not to return to the yacht. It’s the beginning of the end for Lily, who is ruined by the scandal.\n\nWharton’s own experience of the south of France was tranquil by contrast. Fourteen years after publishing The House of Mirth, Wharton began wintering in Hyères, in a less frenetic part of the Riviera. She bought the villa she called Sainte-Claire du Château for her summer residence in 1927, and devoted many years to creating its sublime subtropical garden. \n\nOn the waterfront\n\nSomerset Maugham lived at Villa La Mauresque in Cap Ferrat for four decades, beginning in 1927 (he was among the 700 at the 1956 wedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier in Monaco). But he wrote mostly of other locales. A key exception was his 1944 novel The Razor’s Edge, which highlights the Riviera’s decadent allure and includes vivid scenes just before and after the stock market crash of October 1929.\n\nMaugham’s focus is, as usual, on the ebb and flow of high society. His autobiographical narrator follows six characters, including Elliott, a nouveau riche snob who settles in Antibes and entertains with magnificence.  “The shores of the Mediterranean were littered with royalties,” Maugham writes, “lured by the climate, or in exile, or escaping a scandalous past or unsuitable marriage.” Maugham follows Elliott through the Depression years and into the era when Hollywood “royalty” begins to gather, sharing wicked insights into Elliott’s descent down the social ladder over the years, until he announces on his deathbed, “I will not be buried on the Riviera among a lot of retired colonels and middle-class French people.” Through another character, Sophie, a heavy-drinking young woman drawn to “rough trade” and opium on the waterfront in Nice, Maugham captures the region’s famed temptations of the flesh.  \n\nAnd what of the region today? The once exclusive Riviera is now home to several million people and draws more than 11 million visitors each year.  It still provides a picturesque backdrop for the annual Cannes Film Festival. Say the word “Riviera,” and that magical and doomed  world Fitzgerald wrought comes immediately to mind. And it’s likely thanks to Fitzgerald, too, that many a literary pilgrim visits the blue coast with its sparkling days, its limpid nights with “fireflies riding on the dark air” and always, that sense of temptation on the wind.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.88271564245224}
{"content": "What in the world is average speed?\n\nBy Gordana\n\nWe all know that Venus de Miles Bike Club is a fabulous and supportive biking community. The word is out, the club is growing, and weekend rides are offering choices of distance and speed. For example, a 25-mile route may have three groups, “one going at 12, one at 14, and one at 16+ mph average speed.” The goal of dividing riders into groups based on speed is to allow for a more enjoyable and coherent ride for everyone. If you are thinking to yourself: “what exactly do they mean by ’14 mph average speed’?” or, perhaps more pragmatically: “which group should I ride with?”, you are not alone! Read on for tips and definitions that will help you pick the best group for you.\n\nFirst, some definitions:\n\n1. Average speed, as measured by bike computers and similar devices, is a time-average, NOT a distance-average, of riding speed. For example, if a rider is climbing a 10-mile hill at 10 mph, it will take her an hour to reach the top. If she then descends that same hill at 20 mph, it will take her 30 minutes to reach the bottom. A reasonable person might expect that this rider’s average speed was 15 mph, but bike computers do not think like a reasonable person. The average speed that a computer would report is (1h*10mph+0.5h*20mph)/1.5h = 13 mph. In other words, slower riding “counts for more” in the average speed.\n\nThere are two important consequences of this definition: (a) average speed on a ride that includes a lot of climbing and descending is usually lower than the average speed on a flat ride. For example, a rider who achieves 15 mph average speed on a ride to and from Hygiene may average 13-14 mph on a ride to and from Jamestown; (b) because of coasting, slowing at traffic lights, etc, average speed is usually lower than the speed one rides on flats. For example, a rider who is breezing by at the speed of 18 mph on the flats may find her average speed for the ride to be 15 mph.\n\n2.     For the purposes of the club rides, the designated speeds refer to the average speed a rider would achieve on a relatively flat ride, such as the route to Hygiene via country roads, with no drafting or severe winds. Depending on amount of climbing, wind conditions, whether there was a club happy hour the night before, and so on, the actual average speed achieved by a specific group can vary week to week, even if all the riders are the same. So the “14 mph” group may average 12 mph on a route with a long climb, and 15 mph on a flat ride with tailwind in every direction (hypothetical scenario; it has been scientifically proven that there are only two kinds of wind: headwind and sidewind), but they remain the “14 mph” group. As you can imagine, this is not an exact science, and sometimes a group will go faster or slower than expected. As the season progresses, riders get familiar with each other and the groups somewhat settle into a rhythm. Note that in club ride announcements the words “pace” and “average pace” are sometimes used interchangeably with “average speed.” It is worth reiterating that a group designated as “X mph” will be moving faster than X mph on the flats.\n\nOK, now that we have the technicalities out of the way, here are some tips for joining the right group for you:\n\n–       If you are not familiar with the club or not sure how fast you would like to ride, it is best to err on the side of going slower. If you find that your group is going much slower than you would like to go, you can always join a faster group next time. Many of us know from personal experience that chasing a fast group can be a great workout, but it may not be very fun! The weekend club rides are “no drop” meaning that nobody gets left behind. Group leads and sweeps normally have a way of handling mismatches in riding speed. However, in the interest of fairness, it is our responsibility as riders to try our best to pick wisely. If you do find yourself in over your head, it is not the end of the world. Most of us have been there! Let your sweep know that you’re having a hard time keeping up, and she will devise a plan.\n\n –       If you would like to calibrate yourself to the “club average speed scale,” you can use a bike computer, GPS device, or a smartphone tracking app (e.g., Cyclemeter) to measure your average speed on a relatively flat ride (such as this Hygiene ride or this 16 mile route) under “normal” conditions (no drafting or severe wind). This is not a NIST-certified, 100%-guaranteed calibration, but it provides a great guideline. Your resulting average speed is most likely similar to the average speed designation of the group where you’d be happiest, unless you feel like taking it easy or challenging yourself extra hard that particular day.  \n\nFinal notes: The club has grown tremendously, and it is always going to be a challenge to balance the need for manageably sized groups with the need for trained leaders and sweeps. For the club rides, it is helpful to be somewhat flexible about riding speed and go with the flow. The leaders do their best to set the right pace, but remember that they are human and are volunteers. So, above else, remember the two most important club rules: RIDE SAFELY and HAVE FUN!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9807820916175842}
{"content": "View Single Post\nOld April 2nd, 2010, 04:51 PM\nStatus: Offline\nHookah Newbie\nJoin Date: Oct 2008\nPosts: 7\n\nI understand not being allowed to mention a sale or even a new product. But if someone complains of bad customer service or a troublesome transaction with a random vendor, and they want a recommendation for someone who I have never ever had a problematic order with.... I will say John.\n\nNot allowing him to post, or the mention of his sales is justifiable due to the rules which are in place, and the warnings that were given.\n\nBUT ignoring him as if he didn't exist is a GREAT DISSERVICE to the hookah community, especially new hookah enthusiasts. It would be like if Eric from tangiers was banned. Not talking about using phunnel bowls, or tangiers tobacco would be outright ridiculous. It would be a disservice to the community and to those wanting to get the best experience possible out of the hobby.\n\n*I understand HJ is a vendor, so it is not apples to apples, but you get the picture.\n\nJust my opinion... much love to all of HP, and RIP to HJ account. I hope hj thrives and continues to grow, just as I hope this community does as well.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.694063663482666}
{"content": "Busy. Please wait.\n\nForgot Password?\n\nDon't have an account?  Sign up \n\nshow password\n\n\n\n\nAlready a StudyStack user? Log In\n\nReset Password\n\nRemove ads\nDon't know (0)\nKnow (0)\nremaining cards (0)\n\nPass complete!\n\n\"Know\" box contains:\nTime elapsed:\nrestart all cards\n\n\n  Normal Size     Small Size show me how\n\necosystems and biome\n\nEcosystems All living things plants and animals- and the nonliving things in a place.\nAbiotic Non-living parts of an ecosystem (sunlight, water, climate, soil)\nBiotic Living organisms in an ecosystem\nPopulation All members of one species that live together in a place at the same time.\nCommunity All populations living together in a certain area\nHabitat Place and surroundings where an organism normally lives or environment in which an organism lives.\nSpecies Group of similar organisms whose members can mate among themselves and produce fertile offspring.\nLimiting Factors A factor that prevents the continuing growth of a population. (food, shelter, space)\nCarrying Capacity Maximum size a population can reach in an ecosystem\nNiche The role an organism plays in its environment.\nTropical Rain Forest Home to more species than all other biomes combined. The leafy tops of tall trees, extending from 50 to 80 meters above the forest floor, form a dense covering called a canopy. In the shade below the canopy, a second layer of shorter trees and vines forms\nTropical Savanna Receiving more seasonal rainfall than deserts but less than forests, tropical savannas are spotted with isolated trees and shrubs.\nDesert Dry, desert biome is defined as having annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters. Many undergo extreme temperature cahnges during the course of the day, alternating between hot and cold.\nTemperate Grassland Rich mix of grasses and under laid by some of the world's most fertile soils, temperate grasslands, such as plains and prairies.\nTemperate Forest Mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, or conifers produce seed bearing cones, and most have leavesshaped like needles. Have cold winters that halt plant growth for several months.\nConiferous Forest Mild, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall to this biome. The forest is made up of a variety of conifers, ranging from giant redwoods along the coast of Northern Cali to spruce, fir, and hemlock farther North.\nTundra Permafrost, a layer of permentaly frozen sunsoil. During the short, cool summer, the ground thaws to a depth of a few centimeters and becomes soggy and wet. In winter, the topsoil freezes again.\nTaiga Along the Northern edge of the temperate zone are dense evergreen forests of coniferous trees. These biomes are called boreal forests or taiga. Winter are bitterly cold, but summers are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw.\nBIOSPHERE Refers to all life on Earth\nBIOMES Large geographical area Distinct plant and animal groups Adapted to particular environment Climate and geography of region determine\nSALTWATER BIOME Oceans and bodies of water containing salt\nFRESHWATER BIOME Rivers, Streams and Lakes\nBiodiversity the variety of life on earth, reflected in the variety of ecosystems and species, their processes and interactions and the genetic variation within and among species.\nextinct a species that no longer exists\ngenetic diversity the genetic variation present in a population or species\nhabitat loss the destruction, degradation, and fragmentation of habitats; primary cause of biodiversity loss\nintroduced species and organisms that has been brought into an area where it does not occur naturally.\ninvasive species an organism that has been brought into or spread into an area where it does not occur naturally\nnative species a species that occurs naturally in an area or habitat\nsustainable How biological systems remain diverse, productive and balanced over time\ntrait a genetic feature or characteristic, such as hair color or blood type, that may be passed on from one generation to the next\nmigration the movement of animals in response to seasonal changes or changes in the food supply\nSuccession Natural, gradual changes in the organisms living in an area\nPrimary Succession Succession that begins without soil. The first time succession happens. After lava hardens or a flood has washed away all the soil and left bare rock.\nSecondary Succession Succession that happens when soil is already present. After forest fires and floods where soil is left, and a field\nClimax Community Nature's \"happy place\". When nature is at a stable, balanced equilibrium.\nPioneer Species The first species to settle an area. If no soil present, must be lichens or moss\nCreated by: KallyEvans", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9938485622406006}
{"content": "Mental illness and well-being: The central importance of positive psychology and recovery approaches\n\nArticle (PDF Available)inBMC Health Services Research 10(1):26 · January 2010with73 Reads\nDOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-26 · Source: PubMed\nA new evidence base is emerging, which focuses on well-being. This makes it possible for health services to orientate around promoting well-being as well as treating illness, and so to make a reality of the long-standing rhetoric that health is more than the absence of illness. The aim of this paper is to support the re-orientation of health services around promoting well-being. Mental health services are used as an example to illustrate the new knowledge skills which will be needed by health professionals. New forms of evidence give a triangulated understanding about the promotion of well-being in mental health services. The academic discipline of positive psychology is developing evidence-based interventions to improve well-being. This complements the results emerging from synthesising narratives about recovery from mental illness, which provide ecologically valid insights into the processes by which people experiencing mental illness can develop a purposeful and meaningful life. The implications for health professionals are explored. In relation to working with individuals, more emphasis on the person's own goals and strengths will be needed, with integration of interventions which promote well-being into routine clinical practice. In addition, a more societally-focussed role for professionals is envisaged, in which a central part of the job is to influence local and national policies and practices that impact on well-being. If health services are to give primacy to increasing well-being, rather than to treating illness, then health workers need new approaches to working with individuals. For mental health services, this will involve the incorporation of emerging knowledge from recovery and from positive psychology into education and training for all mental health professionals, and changes to some long-established working practices.\n\n\nFull-text (PDF)\n\nAvailable from: PubMed Central · License: CC BY\n    • \"This can be contrasted with 'clinical recovery' that emphasises 'the invariant importance of symptomatology, social functioning, relapse prevention and risk management' [25] (p.1). It is claimed that the emphasis that the RA places on exploring individuals' own goals and strengths is advantageous for promoting subjective wellbeing [25]. Although the RA has done much to highlight the importance of the subjective meaning that individuals may take from their mental health difficulties, a number of concerns have been raised about potential limitations associated with the approach. \"\n    [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Concerted efforts have been made in recent years to achieve equity and equality in mental health for all people across the globe. This has led to the emergence of Global Mental Health as an area of study and practice. The momentum that this has created has contributed to the development, implementation and evaluation of services for priority mental disorders in many low- and middle-income countries. This paper discusses two related issues that may be serving to limit the success of mental health initiatives across the globe, and proposes potential solutions to these issues. First, there has been a lack of sophistication in determining what constitutes a ‘good outcome’ for people experiencing mental health difficulties. Even though health is defined and understood as a state of ‘wellbeing’ and not merely an absence of illness, mental health interventions tend to narrowly focus on reducing symptoms of mental illness. The need to also focus more broadly on enhancing subjective wellbeing is highlighted. The second limitation relates to the lack of an overarching theoretical framework guiding efforts to reduce inequalities and inequities in mental health across the globe. This paper discusses the potential impact that the Capabilities Approach (CA) could have for addressing both of these issues. As a framework for human development, the CA places emphasis on promoting wellbeing through enabling people to realise their capabilities and engage in behaviours that they subjectively value. The utilization of the CA to guide the development and implementation of mental health interventions can help Global Mental Health initiatives to identify sources of social inequality and structural violence that may impede freedom and individuals’ opportunities to realise their capabilities.\n    Full-text · Article · Dec 2016\n    • \"The first is the experience of restoration from mental illness symptoms; the second is the experience of optimization of positive mental health. The first indicator mostly pertains to the clinical recovery approach, while the second mostly relates to themes from the personal recovery approach (Slade, 2010). Positive mental health is defined as a syndrome composed of several manifestations of well-being (Keyes, 2002), at the emotional (e.g., interest, satisfaction), psychological (e.g., purpose in life, personal growth), and social levels (e.g., social contribution, social integration). \"\n    [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Context: A shift toward person-centered care has been occurring in services provided to people with mood and anxiety disorders. Recovery is recognized as encompassing personal aspects in addition to clinical ones. Guidelines now recommend supporting people's engagement in self-management as a complementary recovery avenue. Yet the literature lacks evidence on how individualized combinations of self-management strategies used by people relate to their clinical and personal recovery indicators. Objectives: The aims of this study were to identify profiles underlying mental health recovery, describe the characteristics of participants corresponding to each profile, and examine the associations of profiles with criterion variables. Method: 149 people recovering from anxiety, depressive, or bipolar disorders completed questionnaires on self-management, clinical recovery (symptom severity), personal recovery (positive mental health), and criterion variables (personal goal appraisal, social participation, self-care abilities, coping). Results: Latent profile analysis (LPA) revealed three profiles. The Floundering profile included participants who rarely used self-management strategies and had moderately severe symptoms and the lowest positive mental health. The Flourishing profile was characterized by frequent use of self-empowerment strategies, the least severe symptoms, and the highest positive mental health. Participants in the Struggling profile engaged actively in several self-management strategies focused on symptom reduction and healthy lifestyle. They concomitantly reported high symptom severity and moderately high positive mental health. The study revealed that Floundering was associated with higher probabilities of being a man, being single, and having a low income. People in the Flourishing profile had the most favorable scores on criterion variables, supporting the profiles' construct validity. Discussion: The mixed portrait of Struggling participants on recovery indicators suggests the relationship between health engagement and recovery is more intricate than anticipated. Practitioners should strive for a holistic understanding of their clients' self-management strategies and recovery indicators to provide support personalized to their profile. While people presenting risk factors would benefit from person-centered support, societal efforts are needed in the long term to reduce global health inequalities. The integration of constructs from diverse fields (patient-centered care, chronic illness, positive psychology) and the use of person-oriented analysis yielded new insights into people's engagement in their health and well-being.\n    Full-text · Article · Apr 2016\n    • \"Angell (2014) suggests that thinking about resilience can be traced back at least to Freud and his successors in their thinking about adaptation to stress; and it is the case that there are many overlaps with ideas such as existential psychology and 'will to meaning' (Frankl 1959), hardiness (Kobasa 1982), post-traumatic growth (Tedeschi 2004; Joseph 2012), recovery in mental health (Velleman 2007b; Slade 2010) and positive psychology (Seligman 2011). Furthermore, others are considering resilience in many areas of study, such as in those at suicide risk (Johnson 2011) and those experiencing mental health issues (Southwick 2011). \"\n    [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: We review how research over the past decade both supports existing knowledge about the risk factors that children in the UK affected by parental substance misuse face, and adds to our knowledge about the protective factors, protective processes and evidence of resilience which can reduce the likelihood that children will experience poor outcomes. Further research is needed to understand what areas of resilience are most important to target and how other variables, such as gender or age, may influence how protective factors affect the development of resilience. Longitudinal research is also needed to better understand how an individual's resilience may change over time. Finally, there remain many considerable challenges which practitioners, service providers, commissioners and policy makers face in better meeting the needs of this population of children.\n    Full-text · Article · Mar 2016\nShow more\n\nSupplementary resources", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9892805814743042}
{"content": "Learn More\nThe REPERE Challenge aims to support research on people recognition in multimodal conditions. To assess the technology progression, annual evaluation campaigns will be organized from 2012 to 2014. In this context, the REPERE corpus, a French videos corpus with multimodal annotation, has been developed. This paper presents datasets collected for the dry run(More)\nWithin the framework of the construction of a fact database, we defined guidelines to extract named entities, using a taxonomy based on an extension of the usual named entities definition. We thus defined new types of entities with broader coverage including substantive-based expressions. These extended named entities are hierarchical (with types and(More)\nThe evaluation of named entity recognition (NER) methods is an active field of research. This includes the recognition of named entities in speech transcripts. Evaluating NER systems on automatic speech recognition (ASR) output whereas human reference annotation was prepared on clean manual transcripts raises difficult alignment issues. These issues are(More)\nIn the QA and information retrieval domains progress has been assessed via evaluation campaigns(Clef, Ntcir, Equer, Trec).In these evaluations, the systems handle independent questions and should provide one answer to each question, extracted from textual data, for both open domain and restricted domain. Quaero is a program promoting research and industrial(More)\nThe Quaero program that promotes research and industrial innovation on technologies for automatic analysis and classification of multi-media and multilingual documents. Within its context a set of evaluations of Named Entity recognition systems was held in 2009. Four tasks were defined. The first two concerned traditional named entities in French broadcast(More)\nWithin the framework of the Quaero project, we proposed a new definition of named entities, based upon an extension of the coverage of named entities as well as the structure of those named entities. In this new definition, the extended named entities we proposed are both hierarchical and compositional. In this paper, we focused on the annotation of a(More)\nRÉSUMÉ Le défi REPERE a pour objectif d'encourager les recherches et le développement de technologies dans le domaine de la reconnaissance des personnes par des indices multimodaux. Afin d'estimer la progression des solutions proposées, des campagnes annuelles d'évaluation autour de la reconnaissance multimodale des personnes sont organisées entre 2012 et(More)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8377506732940674}
{"content": "Patient Pathway Coordinator\n\nTate are currently working in partnership with an NHS Trust based in the Southampton, we are looking for a Patient Pathway Coordinator to work on a full time, ongoing basis.\nAs a Patient Pathway Coordinator, you will be responsible for:\n- Tracking notes, filing, scanning, finalising letters on e-docs or eCaMIS, posting of letters, sorting post, dating and distributing post\n- Co-ordinate, monitor and initiate appropriate changes within administrative processes along the patient pathway to ensure the patient's journey is managed efficiently, smoothly and in accordance with targets and agreed timescales.\n- Ensure patient information is maintained and updated on the appropriate patient information system (eCaMIS, EOPS, e-Docs)\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000100135803223}
{"content": "What is a Constable?\n\n“Grass Roots Law Enforcement”\n\nConstables date back to the Roman Empire as one of the oldest positions of law enforcement. From early frontier days to the 21st Century, the Arkansas Constable has stood trained and ready to protect the peace. Township Constables deal with disturbances, emergencies, violation of the law, fire and rescue operations, weather crisis, and citizen calls for help. Arkansas Constables are voluntary, Constitutionally-elected peace officers who are uniformed, equipped and trained to State statute and standards. They constitute a significant law enforcement presence in our counties.\n\nAccording to the Arkansas State Constitution, a constable is an officer of the township in the county in which he/she has been elected. Constables serve under the executive branch of government, along with other elected officers including the State Treasurer, Secretary of State, County Sheriffs, County Coroners, and all State Militia officers.\n\nEach township within the state is authorized to have a constable. There are approximately 1400 townships in Arkansas, but only about 700 constables. It is believed this shortage has resulted from a lack of understanding by the electorate and various county governments as to the benefits of law enforcement at the grass roots level.\n\nThe constable has the broad, primary responsibility of ensuring that the laws of the County, State, and Country are faithfully executed. Willing men and women who feel called to serve may be elected for two-year terms by the voters of the township in which he or she lives.\n\nWhile constables are required to perform many of the same duties as other law enforcement officers, they do not receive compensation or monies for expenses. They are required to provide their own uniforms, equipment, and transportation.\n\nTruly, being a constable is a labor of love. Love for one’s neighbors and community. Arkansas Constables are dedicated, hard-working citizens who desire justice and peace through service to others.\n\nIf you have questions about Constables contact your local constable. If you need to know who your local Constable is, your County Clerk has that contact information.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.966921329498291}
{"content": "Pronunciation of Continental  \n\nEnglish Meaning\n\nOf or pertaining to a continent.\n\n  2. Of or relating to the mainland of Europe; European.\n  3. Of or relating to the American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.\n  4. Used as an intensive: \"Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine,/The continental liar from the state of Maine.” ( Grover Cleveland).\n  5. An inhabitant of a continent.\n  6. An inhabitant of the mainland of Europe; a European.\n  7. A native of the continental United States living or working in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.\n  8. A soldier in the American army during the American Revolution.\n  9. A piece of paper money issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.\n\nMalayalam Meaning\n\n Transliteration ON/OFF | Not Correct/Proper?\n\nഅടുത്തുള്ള - Aduththulla | Aduthulla ;ഭൂഖണ്‌ഡപരമായ - Bhookhandaparamaaya | Bhookhandaparamaya ;സമീപം - Sameepam ; ;\n\n\n\n\nFound Wrong Meaning for Continental?\n\nName :\n\nEmail :\n\nDetails :", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9941399097442627}
{"content": "NOTE: It is expected that you have studied this topic in High School Biology. This subject may not be covered in the lectures, but you are responsible for all of the information in these notes because it is important background for topics in this course, suchas muscle cell physiology (Chapter 7). Please be familiar with this material before we reach those topics in lecture. Pay special attention to bold and underlined terms.\n\nCellular respiration is the enzymatic breakdown of glucose (C6H12O6) in the presence of oxygen (O2) to produce cellular energy (ATP):\n\nC6H12O6 + 6O2 ® 6 CO2 + 6H2O + 38 ATP\n\n\n1. Glycolysis: (Fig. 18-2)\n\n  • a ten-step process that occurs in the cytoplasm\n  • an anaerobic process - proceeds whether or not O2 is present ; O2 is not required\n  • net yield of 2 ATP per glucose molecule\n\nThe pyruvic acid diffuses into the inner compartment of the mitochondrion where a transition reaction (Fig. 18-3) occurs that serves to prepare pyruvic acid for entry into the next stage of respiration:\n\n\n(b) acetic acid + co-enzyme A ® acetyl CoA\n\n2. Citric Acid or TCA Cycle: (Fig. 18-3)\n\n  • occurs in the inner mitochondrial matrix\n\n  • the acetyl group detaches from the co-enzyme A and enters the reaction cycle\n\n  • an aerobic process; will proceed only in the presence of O2\n\n\n\n  • in this stage of cellular respiration, the oxidation of glucose to CO2 is completed\n\n\n3. Electron Transport System:\n\n\n  • consists of a series of enzymes on the inner mitochondrial membrane\n  • net yield of 34 ATP per glucose molecule\n\n\n\nThe above notes describe the process of carbohydrate (glucose) catabolism for the production of ATP. When glucose is in adequate supply, such as shortly after consumption of a meal, the hormone insulin from the pancreas increases glycogen formation (glycogenesis) in the liver. When glucose levels drop between meals, the hormone glucagon is released from the pancreas and stimulates the conversion of glycogen into glucose (by the process of glycogenolysis). If all glycogen supplies are depleted, then other substances in the body are converted into glucose or intermediate products that can enter the above-outlined cellular respiration pathway. The conversion of fatty acids (from lipids) or amino acids (from proteins) into glucose or intermediate products is called gluconeogenesis (p. 500).\n\n\n\nFats (lipids) are stored in adipose tissue. These stored fat molecules are synthesized in the body from the breakdown products of fat digestion (glycerol and fatty acids), in a process known as lipogenesis (p. 501). When needed as an energy source, the fat reserves are mobilized, moved out of adipose tissue, and broken down into glycerol and fatty acids in the liver by the process of lipolysis. Glycerol is changed into one of the intermediate products of glycolysis, so enters the cell respiration pathway. Fatty acids are changed in a series of reactions called beta-oxidation into acetyl CoA molecules, which enter cell metabolism at the Kreb's Cycle. When fats are being used as the primary energy source such as in starvation, fasting or untreated diabetes, an excess amount of acetyl CoA is produced, and is converted into acetone and ketone bodies. This produces the sweet smell of acetone on the breath, noticeable in a diabetic state.\n\n\n\nProteins are used as an energy source only if protein intake is high, or if glucose and fat sources are depleted, in which case amino acids from protein breakdown are converted into molecules that can enter the TCA Cycle. These molecules are produced by either of two categories of reactions that alter the structure of amino acids. Transamination transfers an amino group (NH2) from one amino acid to another, whereas deamination removes an amino group from an amino acid. As they accumulate, the amino groups removed by the process of deamination are altered to form a harmful waste product (ammonia), so are converted by the liver into urea which is excreted by the kidneys.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9777206182479858}
{"content": "How do I write the complete contents of a DataGrid that consists of data from a database table, variables and user input (textboxes) into a new (or existing) table in my SQLServer database? If you need my code to answer this question please tell me and I provide it. Thanks for your help. Liz", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.997306764125824}
{"content": "\n\nMore than 200 million people worldwide have diabetes. Many of them do not receive the care that they need. The lnternational Diabetes Federation (IDF) has chosen 2006 as the year of the disadvantaged and the vulnerable.\n\nWith the slogan 'Diabetes Care for Everyone', the World Diabetes Day 2006 campaign aims to raise awareness of communities and groups in both developed and developing countries that experience difficulties in accessing optimal healthcare because they are outside the healthcare system, or for some reason are less likely to access or are less aware of the services available to them.\n\nWorld Diabetes Day campaigning and celebrations involve the entire global diabetes community. The yearlong campaign is the key awareness-raising event for diabetes representative organisations everywhere.\n\nThe main aims for the 2006 campaign are to:\n\n- Underscore the message that every person with diabetes or at risk of diabetes deserves the best quality of education, prevention and care that is possible.\n\n- Draw public attention to communities and groups that are disadvantaged or vulnerable in terms of their access to appropriate diabetes education prevention and care.\n\n- Increase awareness among the international assistance community of the need to provide greater funding for non-communicable diseases.\n\n- Focus the attention of the public and private sectors on the low levels of investment in diabetes education, prevention and care.\n\n- Persuade governments to tighten the welfare net so that individuals with diabetes do not slip through.\n\n- Raise awareness among people with diabetes or at risk of diabetes of the education, prevention and care available to them.\n\n- Engage networks, groups and individuals working with target communities to join the campaign and promote the campaign messages.\n\n- Share best practice in diabetes education, prevention and care that targets disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.\n\n- Stimulate research that will foster a better understanding of the socio-cultural origins of diabetes among disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in order to inform the development of policies and practices that are culturally relevant to the prevention and management of diabetes.\n\nDiabetes Facts\n\n- The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030.\n\n- In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes.\n\n- Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.\n\n\n- WHO projects that diabetes deaths will increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years without urgent action. Most notably, diabetes deaths are projected to increase by over 80% in upper-middle income countries between 2006 and 2015.\n\nDiabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or alternatively, when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.\n\nType 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset) is characterised by a lack of insulin production. Without daily administration of insulin, Type 1 diabetes is rapidly fatal. The symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.\n\nType 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body's ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes comprises 90% of people with diabetes around the world, and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity. The symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked.\n\n\nGestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia which is first recognised during pregnancy. Symptoms of gestational diabetes are similar to Type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is most often diagnosed through prenatal screening, rather than reported symptoms.\n\nStress induced hyperglycaemia is usually associated with illness, surgery, infection, trauma, etc. It is caused by counter-regulatory hormone and cytokine responses to drugs given in situations like a heart attack or asthma causing gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in different organs.\n\nWhat is the economic burden of diabetes?\n\nDiabetes and its complications impose significant economic consequences on individuals, families, health systems and countries.\n\nHow can the burden of diabetes be reduced?\n\nWithout urgent action, diabetes-related deaths will increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years. To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:\n\n- Achieve and maintain healthy body weight.\n\n- Be physically active - at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days. More activity is required for weight control.\n\nEarly diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive blood testing. Treatment of diabetes involves lowering blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that damage to blood vessels. Tobacco cessation is also important to avoid complications.\n\nInterventions that are both cost saving and feasible in developing countries include:\n\n- Moderate blood glucose control. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin; people with type 2 diabetes can be treated with oral medication, but may also require insulin;\n\n- Blood pressure control;\n\n- Foot care.\n\nOther cost saving interventions include:\n\n- Screening for retinopathy (which causes blindness);\n\n- Blood lipid control (to regulate cholesterol levels);\n\nScreening for early signs of diabetes-related kidney disease.\nThese measures should be supported by a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999905824661255}
{"content": "\nName: _________________________\nDate: _________________________\n\nshort vowels\n\nMatch the vocabulary words with the definitions on the right.\n\nshed, shelf, spent, gas, drag, grip, spin, stamp, spend\n\n_________ To part or divide.\n_________ Consumed, used up, exhausted, depleted.\n_________ To consume, to use, to exhaust.\n_________ To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.\n_________ To take hold, particularly with the hand.\n_________ To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.\n_________ A piece of currency that allows one to send things in the mail.\n_________ Matter in a state intermediate between liquid and plasma that can be contained only if it is fully surrounded by a solid (or held together by gravitational pull); it can condense into a liquid, or can (rarely) become a solid directly.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8730229139328003}
{"content": "Michelin Tires\n\nCompare Tires\n\nResearch top Tires recommendations on ConsumerAffairs\n\nCompare Companies\n\nConsumer Complaints and Reviews\n\nI am very disappointed with my Michelin Defender Tires. I bought the best tire for my wife's crv. They only lasted 31k with a 90k warranty that michelin DID not honor. They are overpriced and overrated. Michelin dealer DID not honor warranty even though they mounted and balanced tires and lined car up which is not abused at all. They stated tires wore out, but would not honor warranty because I rotated the tires every 5k, not them. Poor excuse. They just lost a customer with three cars and one truck. Don't be fooled by warranty of 90k.\n\nI do NOT recommend Michelin Tires to ANYONE! We purchased 2 tires for a GTO and went with the top of line for excellent performance and handling. We got NEITHER! The car drove awful. We purchased the tires in Oct 2014 and the vehicle is put away winters. In August 2016, about 2500 miles after the 2nd rotation, wire showed on the inside. (Yes, Rotations and Alignment were done.) We had 13,000 miles on a 60,000 mile warranty. Our Garage said the tires were soft garbage and to have them replaced by Michelin due to the uneven wear so quickly .So I took them back to Dunn Tire where the Tires were purchased for 250.00 each, and they said Michelin wouldn't honor the warranty because they were OBVIOUSLY never rotated or aligned. Yet, I had receipts for both. Hmmm.\n\nI am still fighting this, but so far getting nowhere. Michelin does NOT like to honor warranties and I WISH I would have seen these reviews BEFORE I spent 500.00 on CRAP! (We just purchased Firestone Firehawks for GTO at 120.00 each, and the car handles better than EVER.) Will NEVER purchase Michelin again, and will tell everyone I know not to also! HORRIBLE customer service and they do NOT stand behind their warranty.\n\nI have had 2 Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires that were the original equipment that came on my new 2013 Lexus RX 350 SUV. They had significant premature wear at only 10,000 and currently only have 24,000 miles on my car and all the tires have had to be replaced due to premature wear. I have contact Michelin too many times to count with no resolution or even a return call from their customer service dept.\n\nEach time I call the adviser has to put me on hold for about 10 min. to read any notes in my account then comes back on the line to tell me the same thing they tell me each time I call. They say that they never received my inspection fax, which I have confirmation of them receiving it plus the dealership has also faxed it to them and they have confirmation as well but they lie and say they never received it. Supervisors are never available and if you leave a message to have one call you back they never do. I would never buy a Michelin product again. They do not honor their warranties or stand behind their products. I have never dealt with a worse customer service department. They are clueless, robots that answer the phones.\n\nMy Michelin tire blew 2 weeks ago (2015 Equinox) exiting highway. Thank goodness for that part. 10 thousand miles on tire. They would not pay anything towards tire as they said I drove on the tire. Yes, I pulled off road and drove maybe 500 feet. Had tire replaced at my cost and again tonight when I left highway the same thing happened. The brand new tire. Towed car to dealership to ensure no mechanical problem caused this. If none found the tires will ALL be replaced with a different brand. You pay top dollar for garbage product that can kill you. Company should be held accountable for their negligence and inferior quality.\n\nBought Michelin LTX M/S2 tires and love them! Love these tires. Bought them for my Toyota 4runner before a cross country road trip. As a single woman with her dog, I'm so glad I paid more and went with these better tires as they literally saved my life during harsh weather conditions with wind, rain and flooding. Also, Michelin stood by their tire when I ran over a piece of road debris in rural Idaho. I called and they got me the right tire at the nearest Toyota dealer for free. Excellent product and excellent customer service. Now selling my car and the hardest part is that I want the tires!\n\nHow do I know I can trust these reviews about Michelin?\n\n  • 609,317 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.\n  • We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.\n  • Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.\n\nFor more information about reviews on ConsumerAffairs.com please visit our FAQ.\n\nThought was to put a nice quality tire on it that would last. Pay top dollar for these tires. Bought a 60,000 mile warranty tire to get half the life of the tire. At 32,000 miles not covered due to I have had them 7 years. Truck I have is not used much, maybe 5,000 miles a year. It's kept in the garage all year with tires rotated regularly. LAST MICHELIN I WILL EVER BUY!!! And I will make sure the people I work with and all that I know not to waste their money on a Michelin. Poor quality tire. I could have bought a foreign tire for a lot less and got the same mileage.\n\nI was in need of new tires so I purchased Michelin Tires for my Ford Explorer. Extremely happy with the quality of the tires and the 70,000-mile guarantee. I would recommend Michelin to my friends.\n\nI bought a used car that came with Michelin tires and had a 60,000 mile warranty and needed replacement when I reached 40K. I was pissed off that I couldn't take advantage of the warranty because of the limitations on where to get the new tires. I ended up buying new Michelin tires from a wholesale club that offer a better deal but would not be able to take advantage of the Michelin warranty. I contacted Michelin telling them how disappointing it was and they sent me a check for more than the value of the original promised credit although I didn't even ask for any. This was my first time interacting with Michelin customer service and was very pleased with the way it was handled.\n\nI like others paid over 700 for Michelin HydroEdge tires. I started seeing huge cracks where the side wall meets the tread. We took our car to Sears to show them. I rotate my tires faithfully as well as getting alignments. The middle tread was a 6, the sides were 3s all worn evenly. I thought getting a 90000 mile warranty would be good. Nope. My car only has on 4000 miles on these tires and the side walls are cracked to the point that they will fail inspection. I got a hold of Michelin and they will only give me a 35 percent credit on the tires which comes out to 47.20 on each tire.\n\nI must replace them with defenders so out of pocket would cost me over 600.00 dollars (this is after their credit of 189.00). They are horrible. They wouldn't go with the tread of 6, only the 3s. What a damn rip off. This company should be sued. They should have a recall and replace their tires and have to pay for any damages that side wall blow outs have caused. I nor any of my family or friends will ever buy Michelin again. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.\n\nBought a set of Michelin Hydroedge in 2011. I paid a premium price of $600 for 90,000 mile tires so they lasted a long time. After about 30,000 miles, I've had three sidewall blowouts. One at 500 miles. Was covered warranty and replaced free. The second blew out at 10,000 miles, out of warranty. It cost me $150 to replace it. The third blowout occurred July, 2016 at 30,000 miles. So, I have to replace a set of tires that cost me about $750 that should have lasted me a whole lot longer than this. I've owned cars for 50 years and never experienced such tire problems. So, you can't blame it on me. It must be a manufacturer defect. All blowouts were about 1.5\" and occurred at the same location, where the tread meets the sidewall. I've contacted Michelin but don't expect to hear from them.\n\nMichelin Tires: I had a set of four Michelin tire on my Chevy Van. They all had plenty of treadwear left on each tire. One day while driving at 55-60 mph the tread on the left rear tire unwound from the side walls on both sides. The tread wrapped around the axle housing, with the result that the wheel locked up and stopped turning. This caused the van to start to spin on the freeway. It was all I could do to maintain control. The photo shows what my tire and wheel looked like after the incident. One of the reasons I have always bought Michelin tires is so that these kinds of things won't happen. But, I guess I could have bought the cheapest tire made overseas, in a country not known for making good products, and nothing worse could have happened.\n\nSimilar to a previous reviewer, Joan of Morrow, GA on May 11, 2016, I purchased (over $700) a set of four Michelin Defenders for my VW SportWagen Diesel on December 23, 2014 that were warranted for 90,000 miles. The tires would not pass inspection due to wear in June 2016. Be advised that the tires are 2 1/2 years old and the wear was even wear (see photo). The car is mostly driven on highways. The 90,000 mile warranty is only effective if you have receipts for tire rotation every 5,000 miles according to Mavis. The tires wore out at 53,000 miles. The original equipment tires lasted longer than that. Michelin mileage claims are definitely overstated and belong in the marketing baloney bin. By the way, does anyone have the time to have the tires rotated every 86 days or less? That requirement is a bogus way to avoid warranty obligations. Michelins are not worth the price.\n\nMy Accord Hybrid has only 14K miles and couple of weeks ago while driving home had a front passenger side tire failure for no apparent reason. On close examination found a crack on the outside wall. Got the car towed to the local dealership. After some run around got to talk to Michelin customer service and she agreed to pay 75% towards my tire. Tonight once again while driving on a freeway I got a low tire pressure warning on my dash and was able to exit the freeway safely.\n\nUpon checking for flat found another crack this time back passenger tire and a crack is inside wall. Is anybody else having similar experience??? Please do share. I am really disappointed with Michelin quality. All my previous Honda(s) had Michelin and over the years I have been religiously replacing the tires with OEM Michelin. With Hybrid I have serious concerns as the car doesn't come with spare nor does it has any tools other than air compressor and fix-a -flat that can't be use with a crack in the tire sidewall.\n\nWorse tire & worse company I have ever dealt with. I bought these tire, put 5K miles on the tires & my side wall blew out. Right at that time, I read that Michelin was recalling tires for rupturing (8/29/15) in the newspaper. But they would not honor my ruptured sidewall... really?? Looked for a replacement tire to match, only to find out that they have been discontinued by Michelin. Tried to do a warranty claim, Michelin would not honor. So not only could I not find a match, I had to buy another tire, but Michelin would not credit me anything. When I talked to Cust. Svc. rep. he would not honor anything for the blow & out & when I asked to speak to Michelin Supervisor, they were too busy to talk to customers on the phone. Obviously, Michelin is too big for the small guy. I will never buy another Michelin product. I would suggest that other consumers do the same!\n\nAnyone know if there is a recall or some type rebate on the Michelin tires that have over 50% tread but the sidewalls are weather checked badly? Not sure just how safe these are? I know some tire dealers are taking them off because of severe weather checking on the side walls. All the ones I have seen that where taken off have 50 to 70% tread.\n\nIn Sept 2013 I was informed by the Ford dealer that all 4 tires on my E-350 van had severe side wall cracking and were part of a recall by Michelin. The tires had 26,870 miles. They prorated the tires and covered 30% of the cost to replace them. Now I see that 2 of the 4 tires are again cracking badly on the side walls and they only have 8,141 miles on them. How can this be... My car has Michelin radials and we have never had any problems with those tires. I'm very concerned about driving long distances with these tires and will bring the vehicle down to the Ford dealer to have them check them out. If Michelin does not replace these tires at their cost I will never buy Michelin Tires again. This is a huge safety issue and they need to admit that they have a manufacturing defect here and need to fess up before lives are lost.\n\nI bought $900 Michelin Tires with prediction of 90,000... I took car to Discount Tire for scheduled requiem rotation to be told, had to have new tires as my tires were dangerous at only 29,000. A Prorated amt was viewed but still cost in the hundreds to replace 4 tires... The reason for my review is that I want customers to be aware as to their purchase of Michelin tires.\n\nJust had my 2012 Buick Lacrosse, equipped with Michelin energy saver tires, inspected. I was informed that one of the front tires would not pass inspection due to cracks that were exposing the underlying chords of the tire. I was also informed that the other tire on the front had similar cracking and would need to be replaced soon. The rear tires also had cracks but were not as bad.\n\nI viewed the tires and saw for myself the cracks and the exposed chords. The tires do have 40,000 miles on them but the tread depth remaining was adequate to pass inspection. I get my car serviced at the required intervals and have the tires rotated when required. I was told by the service individual that a tire in this condition could easily fail if it hit a pot hole. I live in PA so if you are a resident of this state you already know how poor the roads are. My concern is that people with these tires may think they are okay because the tread depth is adequate but they could easily fail causing a catastrophic result.\n\nI bought new Michelin tires that have about 10000 miles on them and they are cracked on the side wall. I called up the tire company and was told that they would NOT refund me my money but would give me 25% off a new set of. What a joke this business is.\n\nI bought 4 Michelin tires at discount tire 2.5 years ago and now have 18000 miles on them. While on a trip I had to go to a dealership and they told me my tires had cracks on the sidewalks and I should have that addressed because tires were leaking air. This is the first time I've ever had tires do that to me. When I showed Discount Tire they wanted $400 to replace them. In my opinion the tires are defective and not safe, that Michelin should replace them at their expense.\n\nOur daughter recently bought her \"dream car\" - a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is about 6 months old. She was driving home from Los Angeles two weeks ago and she had the rear tire blowout. Her car went into a spin, was clipped by a big rig, she ended up in the carpool lane facing oncoming traffic. By a miracle, she was able to get to the shoulder of the road, unharmed, other than bruising. She is extremely fortunate in surviving this accident, but we are most unhappy with these Michelin tires. It sounds like the damage to her car will exceed repair.\n\nI own a 2015 Honda Civic EXL. Love the car. The Car came with Michelin tires - these tires have 21,000 miles and have started to shake. Took the car for inspection last week and was told by the technician that it appears that all four tires have a wobble which indicates that the belts are near their breaking point. I am a very unhappy customer - will not ever buy another vehicle with Michelin tires. Was told by the Honda dealer that they do not do Michelin warranty work so I would have to contact Michelin myself and talk to a qualified service station for an estimate on what they could do for me. Sears was the closest qualified warranty service for the Michelin tires. Arrived at sears and the Technician confirmed that there is something wrong with all four tires - they then had to contact Michelin to see what they would do.\n\nAfter approximately 1 hour time we were told that they would give us a credit of 45% or approximately $89 dollars per tire toward the purchase of 4 new Michelin tires. However we would have to get the car aligned at a cost of $89.99 and pay a whopping $115.00 labor to have the new tires installed. In the end it will cost us somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 + to get the new tires on the car. They will not give us the credit and let us choose a different type of tire which is what we wanted to do. Why would we want the same type of tire that only lasted 21,000 miles?\n\nWe did not have the tires replaced today. However, once getting home we contacted our local garage to get a price for four new replacement tires (another brand). We can purchase them from this dealer for less than $500. Why would I go through Sears??? These Michelin tires are JUNK. I believe they are producing an inferior product and should replace the tires at no cost to the consumer. I will Never purchase another vehicle with Michelin tires and also will never purchase a replacement Michelin tire. They are nothing but Junk...\n\nMy wife experienced a second tire failure today while driving down the road. Our 2015 Ford Escape has 11,011 miles on it. The first failure occurred in mid-January 2016 when the vehicle had 9,537 miles on it. The sidewall on both tires showed a large crack in it after the failure. Both failures were not the result of striking a road hazard. The tire deflation light came on right away when the failures occurred. The failures did not result in a collision since they occurred at a speed of approximately 25 mph and there wasn't any traffic around.\n\nThe first failed tire was replaced with the same Michelin tire. My wife and I have both been driving 40+ years and I've never experienced a problem like this with any of my vehicles or with a Michelin tire in the past. I strongly suspect there is a design issue or manufacture defect with these tires. It has been a rare instance when this vehicle has been operated on the highway. I am reluctant to do so with these tires on the vehicle, and equally reluctant to replace this second failure with a like Michelin considering the complaints I have found registered with the national highway traffic safety administration after researching this tire on the nhtsa.gov website. I do have photos of the second failed tire to document the damage and tire dot # since I will be replacing the failed tire today. One star is over rating these tires. I would steer clear of this product from Michelin.\n\nI own a 2013 Cadillac ATS with Michelin MXM4 tires with about 28k miles. The first two years they performed well. The third year two tires split at the bead of the tire where the tire first touches the rim. The first instance was on the front passage side. The dealer said it was from a pot hole (although I don't remember hitting any large potholes) and paid for the repair. I called Michelin and they gave me 25% off the repair.\n\nThe second incident happen about 3 weeks later on the front driver's side. I had the car towed to the dealer because the car was unsafe to drive. This issue is still unresolved. However I did the following: Research online. I found hundreds of similar issue with Michelin tires. I've come to the conclusion the tires are defective and need to be removed from the road before someone gets killed, if it didn't happen already. Placed an incident with NHTSA, number **. Placed an incident with GM, number **.\n\nThe GM dealership and Michelin seemed unconcerned that the tire could cause serious injuries or death. The dealership said it was a pothole. Who gives them the right to assume how the problem happen. If a tire's sidewall is splitting at 2-3 years old with less than 30k miles then the tire is defective. It should handle a pothole. I believe, hypothetically Michelin's new process using sunflower oil is the problem. They use the sunflower oil to make the tire pliable. I believe after 2-3 years the tires are drying out and become brittle and making them more susceptible to splits and sidewall blowouts.\n\nSidewall blowout are one of the most dangerous occurrences that can happen while driving. Why is there not a class action suit or a recall for this problem. How many people have to die before something is done. It would be a miracle if something was done before a multitude of injuries and death. Although deaths don't seem to bother GM.\n\nI purchased four Michelin Defender 90K on February 26, 2013 for my Town Car for Classic Ford in Columbia, South Carolina. I purchase them because for the 90K. I had 126,632 miles on my car and now I have 164,861. That's only 38,229 miles. The service center are telling me that I need to buy some new tires.\n\nMichelin Defender - tread life claim is pure fraud. In 2012 purchased 4 new tires, 175/70 R14 for my tiny Hyundai Accent. The car is a lightweight. I have almost put 30k on the tires and they are just about done, maybe another 5k left (but no way for next winter). I do not remember precisely what the treadwear claim was when I bought them, I believe it was either 70k or 90k. For argument's sake, let's say 60k rating. There is no way these tires would last as long as claimed under any circumstance. Lessoned learned, do not pay attention to treadwear ratings, they are bogus and never work your advantage.\n\nNew tires. After 16000 miles worn out at front of my car. I mean tread almost gone! Michelin said maybe under inflated tires. Only thing I did wrong was not rotated for that distance. Something is wrong with Michelin. Never had this problem before. Tires are aligned. Discount tire said it is due to not rotating every 8k miles. B.S.! These are 90k mile tires. I can accept some wear but not worn bald!\n\nWe bought four Michelin tires in LA 4 years ago before moving to Manteca. Since then we were so happy that our Tundra truck got a new tires that we thought fits the road to pull our boat. But few months thereafter we observed little cracked on all tires on its side wall. We were trying to find our receipt for warranty but seems to misplaced it. We inquired at Michelin dealer... And provided us some tire recall for certain Michelin tires. But unlucky for us the size we bought which is P265/65R17 ALL-TERRAIN was not part of that recall. We're very disappointed.\n\nMichelin LT275/65R20 F 350 Super Duty 2014 - I imported to Sydney Australia and have 16K on the tires after 16 months - The sidewalls are peeling with a thin coat of black rubber (less than 1 mm - actually about the thickness of a rubber dishwashing glove) revealing what was a covered white wall beneath. The rubber is just peeling away - looks terrible on an 80,000 truck and there would be millions of these in the USA. No off road at all - and the problem started at 4k.\n\nPurchased MXM4 Tires with 55K mile warranty and after 7400 miles the tires are worn down to the wear bars. The tires were $275 each... waiting for a response from Michelin.\n\nExpert Review\n\nLauren FixAutomotive Contributing Editor\n\n\nMichelin is a global company that produces tires in nearly every category. Michelin operates several tire plants in the United States and has been in the tire business for over 100 years.\n\n  • Beyond cars and trucks: Michelin offers a full range of tires, including bicycle, motorcycle, agriculture and commercial tires.\n  • Availability: Michelin tires are available through major tire retailers as well as through stores such as BJ’s, Sam's and Costco.\n  • Michelin Promise Plan: For light truck and passenger tires, Michelin offers a comprehensive satisfaction plan. It includes a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, 3-year flat tire changing assistance and a limited mileage warranty.\n  • Find My Tires Tool: Michelin's search tool is easy to use and comprehensive, allowing search by vehicle, tire size, tire name or tire category.\n  • Michelin Travel: Michelin has long been known for its comprehensive and global travel guides.\n  • Best for Sports car and high-end vehicle drivers, extreme performance, touring, winter, run-flats, light truck and SUV drivers and passenger vehicle drivers.\n\nCompare Tires\n\nMichelin Tires Company Profile\n\nCompany Name:\nP.O. Box 19001\nPostal Code:\nUnited States", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5914259552955627}
{"content": "Massive Disneyland Attraction Database\n\nScrooge Mcduck's Toontown\n\n\nScrooge Mcduck's Toontown is where infamous toons go when they aren't dropping anvils on each other.\n\n\nSelect Shops and Restaurants\n\n\nIn Scrooge Mcduck's Toontown, if you sit on a warrior it may make you an honorary citizen.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9226791262626648}
{"content": "Fruit trees, row crops may be weather affected\n\n      LONOKE, Ark. (AP) - Up and down temperatures across Arkansas may affect Arkansas fruit trees and a wet spring could delay planting of row crops in the state.\n\n\n      The Thursday night and Friday morning storms brought hail and rain damaged homes and downed trees across the state - but it also has helped start grass growing and began filling ponds for livestock in the state.\n\n      The rains also left fields wet and could delay the planting of crops including rice, soybeans, potatoes and onions.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9650282859802246}
{"content": "Scientists and Their Discoveries\n\nScientists and Their Discoveries\n\n4.11 - 1251 ratings - Source\n\nThis series takes a fresh look at history by using original documents as the starting point for studying major events or periods in the past. The author draws on a wide range of sources, from diaries and letters to speeches and legal documents. Each document is set in context and fully annotated. They have been set in modern type for legibility, but photographs of some of the original documents are also shown. The books are highly illustrated with photographs, reproductions and maps. Scientists and their Discoveries looks at the lives and achievements of many of the scientists who have transformed the world with discoveries ranging from tiny subatomic particles to the massive and powerful mechanisms that drive the Earth and the stars - Marie curie, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Harry Hess and many more. It examines their ideas and how they affected society, highlighting their work which was a mixture of experiment, collaboration and brilliant individual insight that has characterised scientific advance down the ages.Despite his brilliance, Einstein did make some errors. ... Einstein and the bomb Einsteina#39;s fourth paper of 1905 contained the famous equation E = mc , which shows the relationship between energy (E) and mass (m). ... Einstein and other scientists wrote to the American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging that the USA carry out similar research ... Hiroshima, Japan, after the atomic bomb was dropped.\n\nTitle:Scientists and Their Discoveries\nAuthor:Christine Hatt\nPublisher:Evans Brothers - 2006-11-01\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9396935701370239}
{"content": "The United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, will be on the ground in Haiti with food, water, flood buckets, and medical supplies as soon as relief workers are allowed in to the area. 100% of every dollar you give goes towards the relief efforts. \n\nOur mission is to invite others to walk with us as disciples, growing in love and knowledge of God, so that we can transform the world into a place where God's great love can be seen by everyone.\n\n\n\nYou are invited to join the ministry of Level Creek United Methodist Church.  We are striving to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, worshipping our God of love and compassion, offering ourselves in service to others, and prayerfully participating in the work of the Holy Spirit.\n\nLevel Creek UMC has a rich history and deep roots in the Suwanee community. Our story is filled with incredible people who humbly serve God and faithfully serve the community. We continue to grow, continue to learn, and continue to seek God's presence in the world.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9947801232337952}
{"content": "caitlyn jenner shows the hurdles of her post-transition life\n\nthe process is not a rush\n\nDespite the incredible amount of support that Caitlyn Jenner has received since announcing her transgender identity, the latest episode of I Am Cait proves that things aren't necessarily easy for Jenner post-transition. Although she admittedly has experienced a more seamless transition than most, she still experiences new hurdles and challenges daily, with things that many woman simply take for granted, like wearing a bathing suit.\n\nOn a trip to San Francisco with her girlfriends, Jenner was invited to join her friends in a hot tub. Jenner's friend, Jenny Boylan, asked Jenner, \"Caity, have you been swimming? Have you been swimming in your own bathing suit yet?\" Jenner answered that she had been in a bathing suit, but had not yet been swimming. It is clear that she is uncomfortable with the topic.\n\nIn a later interview, Jenner honestly stated, \"This process of coming out, doesn't happen overnight. There are so many hurdles to overcome.\" This emotion is further reiterated as she speaks directly to the camera late at night while her friends are in the hot tub: \"I don't think I'm ready for that. You have to realize, these girls transitioned years and years ago. I just don't know if I'm ready to expose myself like that.\"\n\nThough at surface level, it seems like putting on a bathing suit is a simple task, but this segment shows how certain experiences and processes are more difficult for transgender people than most may realize. Jenner addresses the importance of waiting until she feels ready and comfortable with the idea. The scene also sheds light on how necessary it is for others to not rush transgendered people into situations they may not feel ready for.\n\nIt is uplifting and admirable to see Jenner continuing to face these challenges head-on as she adjusts to her post-transition life. The latest promo shows Jenner looking beautiful in a white one-piece swimsuit, sitting by the pool with her feet in the water. So though she may not have felt ready to join her friends in the hot tub before, it seems she has learned to grow more comfortable with the idea wearing a bathing suit in a public setting. Watching Jenner overcome the hurdles one at a time makes I Am Cait a truly inspirational series to follow.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6094558238983154}
{"content": "Busy. Please wait.\n\nForgot Password?\n\nDon't have an account?  Sign up \n\nshow password\n\n\n\n\nAlready a StudyStack user? Log In\n\nReset Password\n\nRemove ads\nDon't know (0)\nKnow (0)\nremaining cards (0)\n\nPass complete!\n\n\"Know\" box contains:\nTime elapsed:\nrestart all cards\n\n\n  Normal Size     Small Size show me how\n\n7-1 Science Final\n\n7-1 Spring Science Final\n\nWhat is the pupil of your eye? the hole in the eye through which light enters. If the lights in a dark room are turned on, your pupil gets smaller.\nWhich part of the eye controls the amount of light that is allowed to enter? iris\nWhat are the photoreceptor cells that detect different color of light in the human eye? cone cells\nWhat does the optic nerve in your eye do? it sends nerve impulses to the brain\nRod cells respond to _____________________________. White, black, and gray and detect light.\nThe largest part of the brain. It controls the senses (touch, taste, smell, vision, and hearing). cerebrum\n3 parts of the brain cerebrum, cerebellum, and the medulla\ncentral nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord\nWhat does your outer ear do? act like a funnel to collect sound waves\nThe eardrum is in the middle ear. What does the ear drum do? vibrates in response to sound in the ear canal\nWhy is the inner ear important? provides our sense of hearing and our sense of balance.\nWhat does the circulatory system do for our bodies? Delivers oxygen to our body and removes wastes and carbon dioxide from the cells.\nWhat are the important parts of the circulatory system? heart, blood, and blood vessels?\nWhat are the three blood vessels? arteries, veins, and capillaries\nWhich body system delivers oxygen and removes wastes from the cells? circulatory system, also know as the body's \"transport system\"\nWhat are alveoli? Where gas exchange happens, found in the lungs, and are surrounded by capillaries.\nWhat are the smallest blood vessels in the body? Capillaries\nWhich blood vessel brings back blood towards the heart? veins\nWhat is the function of the right side of the heart? collect oxygen-poor blood from the body and pump it to the lungs\nWhat is the function of the left side of the heart? collects oxygen-RICH blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body\nWhich blood vessels carry blood away from the heart? arteries\nWhat is the function of red blood cells? carry oxygen to the cells,\nWhy are white blood cells important? they are a part of the immune system and help fight infections.\nWhich body system consists of the lungs and passageways that lead to the lungs? the respiratory system\nWhat is process by which the body exchanges and uses gases? respiration\nWhich body system breaks down food using enzymes and absorbs nutrients into the blood? digestive system\nWhich organ mixes up digestive juices with swallowed food and liquids and sends it to the small intestine? stomach\nWhich organ sits behind the stomach and produces enzymes and bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid when food enters the duodenum? pancreas\nWhat is the job of the large intestine? absorb water and package waste.\nWhy are the tiny, finger-like projections called villi important in the small intestine? they increase surface area for absorption of nutrients\nSome examples of vestigial organs? human's appendix and whale leg bones\nWhat is mitosis? the division of a cell's nucleus\nWhy is mitosis important? repairs damaged/injured cells, growth, and replaces dead cells\nWhich phase of mitosis shows the chromosomes lined up in the center of the cell? metaphase\nWhich phase of mitosis shows the chromosomes pulling apart? anaphase\nWhich phase of mitosis shows 2 nucleus? telophase\nDuring which phase is the DNA copied/replicated? Interphase\nWhat is the base pair rule for MRNA? G goes with C. C goes with G. T goes with A. A goes with U.\nWhat is the base pair rule for DNA? G goes with C. C goes with G. A goes with T. T goes with A.\nThe 4 bases of RNA are: AGUC\nWhat is a change in the hereditary material called? mutation\nWhat is the form of a trait that an organism displays? Phenotype (for example, tall or short)\nThe letter code for a trait genotype (for example, TT or tt)\nThe form of a trait that always shows up when uppercase allele is present dominant trait\nThe form of trait that always hides when dominant trait is present recessive trait\nGenotypes for dominant traits RR (homozygous dominant) or Rr (heterozygous)\nGenotypes for recessive traits rr (homozygous recessive)\nWhat makes up proteins in our cells? amino acids\nWhat is the tool used to determine the possible phenotypes of offspring for a certain trait? Punnett Square\nHow does studying DNA base sequence help us learn about the relationships of different species? the more similar their base sequence, the more closely related the species are\nWhat happens when a species produces too many offspring? only the healthiest (best fit) will survive\nWhich tool is used to show relationships between living species and their ancestors? a cladogram\nCharacteristics of prokaryotic cells no nucleus, bacteria, loose DNA\nCharacteristics of eukaryotic cells nucleus, DNA is found in nucleus\nHow is bacteria classified? shape (spiral, rod, and ball shape)\nWhere do Archaebacteria live? in extreme environments, such as volcanoes.\nWhat is a virus? tiny, non-living particles made up of genetic material and proteins\nWhat are some characteristics of a virus? does not reproduce, eat or make its own food.\nCreated by: solgarcia", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5935086607933044}
{"content": "10 Effective Home Remedies To Treat Tingling Sensation August 3, 2016\n\nDo you often face tingling or numbness in your hands and feet? Does your skin tingle when you step out into the sun? Tingling sensation and numbness are disorders that can cause quite a stir in your life. But then, what causes these conditions? And what are the remedies for it?\n\nWant to have the answers? Then go ahead with the post!\n\nCauses Of Tingling Sensation:\n\nTingling sensation is a common condition that most people experience in their life. They are usually temporary and are a result of awkward postures or pressure applied on a certain body part. The characteristic ‘pins and needles’ effect usually happens with inactivity.\n\nAlthough usually temporary, you can suffer from outbreaks of tingling and sometimes even chronic tingling. This is the result of deep rooted problems like nerve damage, which can also induce tingling sensations. Other causes include bacterial infections, toxic exposures and even a predisposition to diabetes. Tingling sensations can also lead to other symptoms like numbness, pain, and itching (1).\n\nCauses Of Numbness:\n\nNumbness is another manifestation of tingling and usually occurs in the same way. Nerve pressure or inactivity or damage is a leading cause of numbness. Sometimes other conditions like tendon pain and repetitive motion syndrome lead to numbness in fingers and toes as well. Sometimes, lack of blood circulation can also lead to numbness and tingling sensations (2).\n\nNatural Remedies For Tinglings In Hands And Feet:\n\nNow that we know about the causes, let’s look at some home remedies for tingling and numbness! Next time you get that ‘pins and needles’ sensation, you can try one of these simple tips!\n\n1. Move Around:\n\nUsually, tingling sensation and numbness are caused by sitting in the same position for long stretches of time. The best treatment for this is trying some basic stretches or exercising a little to improve blood circulation (3).\n\n2. Correct Posture:\n\nOften our incorrect posture or lack of movement can trigger numbness and tingling. Awkward posture can restrict blood circulation, which leads to numbness. Incorrect posture can also lead to back pain and tingling sensations in the bladder or abdomen. So the next time you are on the computer or are watching television, be sure to maintain the right posture (4).\n\n3. Rest:\n\nContinuous activity can also trigger tingling in the feet and arms. So, the best way to treat such cases is to lie down and take a nice kip (5).\n\n4. Yoga/Physiotherapy:\n\nOne of the best ways to ease tingling sensation and numbness is regularly practicing yoga. Yoga helps calm the body and mind, and at the same time also helps enhance and stimulate healthy blood circulation. Thus, it can significantly help reduce tingling and numbness (6).\n\n5. Vitamin B- Complex:\n\nThis is one of the best home remedies for episodic or chronic tingling or numbness. A lack of vitamin B12 is one of the most common reasons for chronic tingling and numbness (7).\n\nHowever, do first consult your doctor before ingesting or taking any vitamin supplements.\n\n6. Avoid Caffeine:\n\nAnother remedial action you can take is avoiding excessive coffee consumption. Caffeine dehydrates the body and impedes blood circulation, thereby leading to numbness and tingling. Thus, avoid caffeine and avoid tingling (8).\n\n7. Include Magnesium In Diet:\n\nMagnesium is an essential mineral that not only solves problems like insomnia, but also helps the nervous and cardiovascular system function optimally. You can consider supplementing your diet with magnesium, as it helps enhance blood circulation, which in turn lessens tingling and numbness (9).\n\n8. Use NSAIDs:\n\nSometimes, the numbness or tingling can be caused by something sinister like carpal tunnel syndrome. You can use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to cure tingling and numbness (10).\n\n9. Lower Blood Sugar:\n\nAnother cause for tingling and numbness is diabetes. A common condition associated with diabetes, called diabetic neuropathy, can lead to pain, tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes. So, try and eat foods that help you lower blood sugar (11).\n\n10. Limit Alcohol:\n\nAlthough you might be quite fond of your weekly glass of wine, you might want to consider giving it up. Studies prove that tingling and numbness can also be caused by alcoholism. Thus, one of the best ways to reduce the feeling is to limit the amount of alcohol you put into the system (12).\n\nWe hope that these remedies will help you get rid of that irritating tingling sensation! To tell us about any other activities that you use to get rid of this condition, share your experiences here. Leave a comment below!\n\nRecommended Articles:\n\nThe following two tabs change content below.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5538321733474731}
{"content": "This App For Drone Users Warns Against Flying Drones In Restricted Areas\n\nBy: Rahul Kalvapalle - Nov 27, 2015\nReferences: & techcrunch\nB4UFLY is an app for drone users, developed by the Federal Aviation Authority, that tells drone users about any restrictions that might exist on unmanned aircraft in the particular area that they're in.\n\nDrones have occasionally interfered with fire rescue efforts and have led to false alarms due to security concerns. This app aims to promote voluntary compliance with aviation rules by offering real-time, public information in a user-friendly format. All the user has to do is check the app before launching their drone, and they should be good to go.\n\nAs drones slowly begin to infiltrate the air space, there will surely arise instances of drones going where they shouldn't, but the B4UFLY app for drone users will help keep such instances to a minimum and prevent accident, theft and damage to property.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9472872018814087}
{"content": "Africulture: Transfarming Africa (c)\n\n\nAfriculture is an organic, fair-trade, small-scale farmer coop for the resuscitation, rebranding and commercialization of lost & declining crops of Africa for longterm and sustainable food sec\n\nLOCATION(S): General\n\nAfriculture: Transfarming Africa (c)\n\nIn the backdrop of Kenya's colonial history, and consequent shifts in consumption patterns, many traditional foods were put on the back burner, and have devolved, unfortunately, into a food for the lower class or rural citizens, in favor of corn products, heavily processed foods, and imported agri-cultures, such as disproportionate cash-crop farming that isn't viable in the face of food insecurities.\n\nMost traditional crops are very resilient, enrich the soils and are very nutritious when consumed. We also recognize the urgency in the conversion to organic farming, following comprehensive studies on the negative impact of various chemical inputs on human health and the entire ecosystem in the short and long term, the environmental degradation as a result of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and the assault on bio-diversity as a result of GMOs.\n\nAfriculture will take a 3 pronged approach:\n\n  1. Cultivation of unique, local vegetables and fruit crops through conservation agriculture (organic, agroforestry, and REDD carbon sequestration).\n    We will start with support for the declining cereals like millet, amaranth and sorghum and local green leafy vegetables, like \"Osuga” , “Mrenda” or \"Kunde\" grown in much of Western, Kisii and Nyanza Province in Kenya. They are popularly known by their vernacular names, and usually are the leaves of bean plants like the cow-peas (for kunde).\n  2. Agroforestry: We’ll necessitate the growth of particular tree crops (butterfruit, imbe (mangosteen), ebony fruit, and agbayun (miracle berry)) for the immediate environmental benefits to the crops and environment,for long term harvest of exotic, commercial trees like the ebony which fetches extremely high market premium prices internationally, for its cultivated woods but provides valuable fruit in the meantime.\n  3. Herb gardening: We’ll grow saffron and vanilla the world's most expensive spices (saffron is the most expensive with vanilla bean being the second most expensive), whose premiums will be realized on international markets and the funds will be used to increase the incomes of farmers and support the extension services of Africulture which we will usher in value addition and post harvest technologies such as canning, fruit preserves, drying, freeze drying among others.\n\nOur innovation:\n\nThe rescusitation, re-branding and local and international retailing of particular traditional lost crops of Africa grown under organic methods and fair-trade conditions. This will be structured in a small-scale farming cooperative model, and target farmers initially in Ngozi village Kakamega, Western Kenya and duplicated across the country fostering long-term food security, sustainable and ethical agriculture, and promoting traditional agricultural science and methods.\n\nThe Beneficiaries:\n\nThe farmers in the co-op and entrepreneurs at all levels of production will stand to gain super-normal profits, and increased land productivity, in a system of agriculture that allows subsistence, bio-centric farming.Local entrepreneurs will gain from extensive employment opportunities emergent from the various stages of value added production, branding and marketing as well as revenue on the premium sales both locally, regionally and internationally.\n\nProject funding:\n\nIn the short to med-term, we will work Investors paying for the start up process: seeds and proper farming implements, consultation and extension services during start-up and the packaging and marketing of products. In the long term our sales revenues from both traditional crops and premium herb and ebony will sustain expansion, production and marketing processes.\n\nProject Timeline\n\n6 mth:-Retailing of various traditional vegetables, in local and regional markets of Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi, Narok; mostly by street vendors.\n\n12 mth:-Retailing of Africultures crops in local and regional markets of Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi, Narok, Mombasa; have our products carried in local supermarket chains Nakumatt, Tusky's, and Uchumi.\n\n-Growth of saffron and ebony in nurseries and then introducing them to specific gardens 3-5 yrs:- Premium retailing of saffron spice and ebony wood to finance expansion and sustenance of project - Development of sister programs in other countries in Africa - Control of over 50% market share in traditional crops of Africa in regional and global markets\n\nHow will it be accomplished\n\nThrough our cooperativein Ngozi Village we will begin drive innovation to the farmers and incorporate the farmers into the knowledge and agency building process in a Participatory Action Research model.\n\nManagement team:\n\nFour farmers at the executive planning board, with a combined 80 years of work within the industry.We will work in consultation with some of the best in the field, including leading research bodies in Africa along with University researchers at Michigan State University among other leading institutions.\n\nGot a suggestion on how to make this idea even better?\n\n  • Embed video from services like YouTube, Vimeo & Flickr\n\nEndorse & Pledge\n\nUSD Pledged\nHours Pledged\n\n\nFlag this idea", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9125681519508362}
{"content": "Neoliberalism: Dream & Reality\n\nCorey Robin, as usual, writes an insightful post. He explores neoliberalism, the dream and the reality:\n\n\n\nThe complexity of modern life, especially modern American life, is no accident. It is an intentional component, maybe even a cornerstone to the entire project that we are all living in. It is the dream of capitalists and plutocrats, of libertarians and conservatives, of Republicans and more than a few of Democrats. But I would point out that this neoliberal vision is a liberal scheme (a distorted and depraved liberalism, but liberalism nonetheless) and some self-identified liberals are on board with it or have submitted to it in compromise of dreaming small dreams. Many liberals, however, are increasingly waking up from the dream, some conservatives as well. But radical liberals and left-wingers have been awake for quite a while now.\n\nI maybe first came across a good explanation of this issue in the book Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher (p. 20):\n\n“The persistence of bureaucracy in late capitalism does not in itself indicate that capitalism does not work – rather, what it suggests is that the way in which capitalism does actually work is very different from the picture presented by capitalist realism.”\n\nBut it isn’t just neoliberalism for the monster has another head, neoconservatism (Fisher, pp. 60-1):\n\n“In her essay ‘American Nightmare: Neoconservatism, Neoliberalism, and De-democratization’, Brown unpicked the alliance between neoconservatism and neoliberalism which constituted the American version of capitalist realism up until 2008. Brown shows that neoliberalism and neoconservatism operated from premises which are not only inconsistent, but directly contradictory. ‘How’, Brown asks,\n\n“does a rationality that is expressly amoral at the level of both ends and means (neoliberalism) intersect with one that is expressly moral and regulatory (neoconservatism)? How does a project that empties the world of meaning, that cheapens and deracinates life and openly exploits desire, intersect one centered on fixing and enforcing meanings, conserving certain ways of life, and repressing and regulating desire? How does support for governance modeled on the firm and a normative social fabric of self-interest marry or jostle against support for governance modeled on church authority and a normative social fabric of self-sacrifice and long-term filial loyalty, the very fabric shredded by unbridled capitalism?”\n\n“But incoherence at the level of what Brown calls ‘political rationality’ does nothing to prevent symbiosis at the level of political subjectivity, and, although they proceeded from very different guiding assumptions, Brown argues that neoliberalism and neoconservatism worked together to undermine the public sphere and democracy, producing a governed citizen who looks to find solutions in products, not political processes. As Brown claims,\n\n“the choosing subject and the governed subject are far from opposites … Frankfurt school intellectuals and, before them, Plato theorized the open compatibility between individual choice and political domination, and depicted democratic subjects who are available to political tyranny or authoritarianism precisely because they are absorbed in a province of choice and need-satisfaction that they mistake for freedom.”\n\n“Extrapolating a little from Brown’s arguments, we might hypothesize that what held the bizarre synthesis of neoconservatism and neoliberalism together was their shared objects of abomination: the so called Nanny State and its dependents. Despite evincing an anti-statist rhetoric, neoliberalism is in practice not opposed to the state per se – as the bank bail-outs of 2008 demonstrated – but rather to particular uses of state funds; meanwhile, neoconservatism’s strong state was confined to military and police functions, and defined itself against a welfare state held to undermine individual moral responsibility.”\n\nBetween neoliberalism and neoconservatism, the dominant worldview becomes an all-consuming vision. It preoccupies our media and our politics, our minds and our time. It defines our possibilites and choices, often giving us a forced choice and denying all else. As long as one thinks within the rules of this game, one can’t win for the entire worldview is a trap and its only purpose is to perpetuate its own social order, its own power and authority, to subsume all of reality into its narrative (Fisher, pp. 16-17):\n\n“Needless to say, what counts as ‘realistic’, what seems possible at any point in the social field, is defined by a series of political determinations. An ideological position can never be really successful until it is naturalized, and it cannot be naturalized while it is still thought of as a value rather than a fact. Accordingly , neoliberalism has sought to eliminate the very category of value in the ethical sense. Over the past thirty years, capitalist realism has successfully installed a ‘business ontology’ in which it is simply obvious that everything in society, including healthcare and education, should be run as a business. As any number of radical theorists from Brecht through to Foucault and Badiou have maintained, emancipatory politics must always destroy the appearance of a ‘natural order’, must reveal what is presented as necessary and inevitable to be a mere contingency, just as it must make what was previously deemed to be impossible seem attainable. It is worth recalling that what is currently called realistic was itself once ‘impossible’: the slew of privatizations that took place since the 1980s would have been unthinkable only a decade earlier, and the current political-economic landscape (with unions in abeyance, utilities and railways denationalized) could scarcely have been imagined in 1975. Conversely, what was once eminently possible is now deemed unrealistic. ‘Modernization’, Badiou bitterly observes, ‘is the name for a strict and servile definition of the possible. These ‘reforms’ invariably aim at making impossible what used to be practicable (for the largest number), and making profitable (for the dominant oligarchy) what did not used to be so’.”\n\nCorey Robin, from the same post linked above, offers a common critique from the left which brings the issue down to the human level:\n\n\n\nThis reminds me of two things.\n\nFirst, I’ve often doubted the claim that the free market just gives people what they want. With PR, as with propaganda, the so-called ‘free’ market more often tells people what they want (and I would add punishes those who would seek something else). Actually, it goes further still. Through commercialized indoctrination of a corporate media that is society-wide infiltrates every nook and cranny of our lives, the capitalist worldview shapes our desires and fears from a very young age. The more fundamental wants and needs that are inherent to human nature continue to exist. No amount of PR can destroy that fundamental level of reality, but it can obscure it and misdirect our attention.\n\nSecond, what Robin describes touches upon my recent post about the morality-punishment link. As I pointed out, the world of Star Trek: Next Generation imagines the possibility of a social order that serves humans, instead of the other way around. I concluded that, “Liberals seek to promote freedom, not just freedom to act but freedom from being punished for acting freely. Without punishment, though, the conservative sees the world lose all meaning and society to lose all order.” The neoliberal vision subordinates the individual to the moral order. The purpose of forcing the individual into a permanent state of anxiety and fear is to preoccupy their minds and their time, to redirect all the resources of the individual back into the system itself. The emphasis on the individual isn’t because individualism is important as a central ideal but because the individual is the weak point that must be carefully managed. Also, focusing on the individual deflects our gaze from the structure and its attendant problems.\n\nThis brings me to how this relates to corporations in neoliberalism (Fisher, pp. 69-70):\n\n“For this reason, it is a mistake to rush to impose the individual ethical responsibility that the corporate structure deflects. This is the temptation of the ethical which, as Žižek has argued, the capitalist system is using in order to protect itself in the wake of the credit crisis – the blame will be put on supposedly pathological individuals, those ‘abusing the system’, rather than on the system itself. But the evasion is actually a two step procedure – since structure will often be invoked (either implicitly or openly) precisely at the point when there is the possibility of individuals who belong to the corporate structure being punished. At this point, suddenly, the causes of abuse or atrocity are so systemic, so diffuse, that no individual can be held responsible. This was what happened with the Hillsborough football disaster, the Jean Charles De Menezes farce and so many other cases. But this impasse – it is only individuals that can be held ethically responsible for actions, and yet the cause of these abuses and errors is corporate, systemic – is not only a dissimulation: it precisely indicates what is lacking in capitalism. What agencies are capable of regulating and controlling impersonal structures? How is it possible to chastise a corporate structure? Yes, corporations can legally be treated as individuals – but the problem is that corporations, whilst certainly entities, are not like individual humans, and any analogy between punishing corporations and punishing individuals will therefore necessarily be poor. And it is not as if corporations are the deep-level agents behind everything; they are themselves constrained by/ expressions of the ultimate cause-that-is-not-a-subject: Capital.”\n\nCorporations are part of the structure of capitalism, but they are merely the outward form of the deeper social order. They express that deeper order. They are the results of it, not the cause.\n\nThis directly relates to issues of structural racism, specifically in terms of the New Jim Crow. Our prison-industrial complex isn’t just a system of social control. It is also a system of privatized for-profit companies. The connection of those two isn’t accidental, no more accidental than the disproportionate imprisonment of minorities. It is a system designed to be unequal and to continually reinforce that inequality. It isn’t a byproduct of the system. It is the modus operandi.\n\nNeoliberalism and neoconservatism each form a bar of the Iron Cage. Together, they imprison our minds and bodies, our individualities, our families, our communities. But it is a prison of our own making. It exists because we believe in it. It demands our belief and we acquiesce. But what if we lost our faith in this system, not just partly or temporarily? What if looked beyond the bars and saw that a whole other world existed, a better world full of promise?\n\nSince Nelson Mandela is on everyone’s mind, I’ll end with words by him that contain a moral force that is the antidote we need. There is no quibbling in his naked demand for justice:\n\n\n“While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.”\n\nAnswers About Every New Technology Since the Written Word\n\nSimple Answers\n\nMorality-Punishment Link\n\nMorality and punishment share an interesting relationship. Society seeks to punish immoral acts. But I also thought of how a relationship between the two applies in the opposite direction.\n\nTake AIDs as an example. It carries its own punishment or rather it is the punishment. The moral crime that is supposedly being punished is sexual promiscuity. AIDs has a stigma. To be infected proves you are guilty, within a particular worldview. However, in reality, not everyone gets AIDs from sexual promiscuity and not everyone who gets infected becomes sick. If a simple prevention or cure for AIDs were discovered, the morality-punishment link would be broken.\n\nThere are many other STDs that don’t capture the moral imagination. The reason they don’t is because they are easily cured if caught early enough. There is less consequence and so they seem less attractive to moralizing. How can you know something is morally wrong without a moral punishment that follows from it?\n\nThis works for other issues as well. The reason why a certain type of person sees the poor as moral failures is because poverty is seen as a punishment in the ‘natural’ scheme of things. Any negative consequence is easily transformed into a moral punishment. This type of thinking particular captures the religious mind; after all, if not God or the Devil, who else causes people to suffer or not? The Invisible Hand of the ‘Free Market’ is just another supernatural being doling out moral punishment and reward, an economic Santa Claus who keeps a list.\n\nThis points to what is so interesting about the world of Star Trek: Next Generation. Most major problems have been solved, especially poverty and hunger and probably STDs as well, although the latter doesn’t seem to come up in the show. That future utopia has almost permanently broken the morality-punishment link. There is no negative consequence for being lazy or for being perceived as lazy by others. The conservative moral imagination is severely weakened in that world.\n\nLiberals do seek to break this link in many ways. Liberals seek to promote freedom, not just freedom to act but freedom from being punished for acting freely. Without punishment, though, the conservative sees the world lose all meaning and society to lose all order.\n\nInconsistency of Burkean Conservatism\n\nI’ve been reading, since it became available the other day, The Great Debate by Yuval Levin. I won’t attempt a review until I’m finished with it. For the time being, let me use a particular point as a jumping off point.\n\nLevin, in introducing the lives of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine, writes (Kindle Location 163):\n\nIT MAY SEEM STRANGE to seek philosophical arguments in the words of two men so deeply involved in day-to-day politics. We are not used to political actors who are also political theorists. Such actors were certainly a bit more common in Burke’s and Paine’s era— when in both Britain and America we encounter some politicians who wrote and thought like philosophers— but they were still very much a rare breed even then. And because nearly all of Burke’s and Paine’s pamphlets, speeches, letters, and books were written with some immediate political purpose in mind even as they made larger arguments, scholars of both men’s views have battled over some very basic questions through the centuries.\n\nPart of the problem is that both of these people were political actors rather than political philosophers. Both were seeking to change the social world around them. This seems even more central for Burke who was first and foremost a life-long professional politician. Raised by a father who was a lawyer for the Irish government, Burke was raised in a political family. Burke never had to learn a trade like Paine, never personally experienced poverty, homelessness and hunger like Paine. Burke wasn’t part of the English aristocracy, but he was very well off compared to most British people at that time.\n\nOne major point is that the worlds in which Burke and Paine were living were vastly different. Levin makes a false portrayal when he claims that, “Each was a man of humble origins” (Kindle Location 239). To Burke, the prospect of revolution threatened his class privilege and socio-political position. To Paine, the prospect of revolution offered him rights and freedoms he was being denied. They were hardly responding to the same situation and so it is unsurprising that their responses were so different.\n\nAs I explained it in a comment to a review of this book:\n\nHistorical context is everything.\n\nA person would be entirely clueless about Paine’s position if they didn’t know this historical context: the Commons (as it relates to the Charter of the Forest, common law, the rights of Englishmen, and pre-Lockean land rights) and land enclosures (privatizing the benefits of public resources while externalizing the costs); populations being pushed from their homes and communities in the countryside and forced into concentrated cities where they experienced desperation and rampant disease; growing rates of unemployment, homelessness and poverty; protests and the formation of the first labor unions in London; starvation and food riots while the poor were being hung for simple crimes like stealing a loaf of bread; massive numbers of the destitute being imprisoned, put in workhouses and sold into indentured servitude; et cetera. All of that was what was the background to what was going on when Paine came of age.\n\nBefore Paine was a revolutionary, he was a civil servant of the British government seeking gradualist reform within the system. Understanding the historical context that made Paine a revolutionary would also help one understand why Burke transformed from a moderate progressive who supported revolution to a reactionary conservative who opposed revolution. It wasn’t necessarily inevitable that these people would become who they became. Paine was no more inherently a revolutionary than Burke was inherently a reactionary. They were products of their times and of specific environments, especially large rigid class divisions with Paine coming from the working class and Burke coming from the upper class.\n\nWhen Paine was growing up and becoming and adult in England, the government wasn’t open to being reformed. If it had, Paine might have lived a long contented life as a civil servant. The British government only took reform seriously after it was humbled from its loss during the American Revolution. It is unfair and unreasonable to compare Paine’s response to a reform-resistant pre-revolutionary British government and Burke’s response to a reform-accepting post-revolutionary British government.\n\nUnfortunately, Levin apparently (from what I can tell by my reading of his book so far) doesn’t discuss this historical context and doesn’t give evidence that he understands it.\n\nSo, they were both political actors. However, they were acting in response to and toward very different life experiences. If Burke like Paine had been raised working class and had been treated dismissively by the British government, he wouldn’t have developed into the same person. That is an important thing to keep in mind, assuming one desires genuine understanding of historical figures instead of trying to force them into ideological boxes.\n\nAs Levin continues (Kindle Location 169):\n\nIn Burke’s case, the leading question has been whether he had a consistent set of views throughout his life or whether the French Revolution transformed him somehow. As we will see, Burke spent the first two decades of his political career championing various sorts of reform: of the British government’s finances, its treatment of religious minorities, its trade policy, and more . He spent much of this time pushing against the standing inertia of English politics. But after the revolution in France, which he was concerned might be imported to Britain, Burke was above all a staunch defender of Britain’s political traditions. He strenuously opposed all efforts to weaken the power of the monarch and the aristocracy and warned against fundamental political reforms (like moves toward greater democratization) that might unmoor the nation from its long-standing traditions. He has sometimes been accused, therefore, of changing his most basic views and turning against his former co-partisans and friends. The charge could first be heard in his own lifetime (voiced by Paine, among others) and has been repeated by some of Burke’s biographers and interpreters ever since.\n\nConsistency is more of an issue of theory than of subjective human nature in the context of the messy details of living. Both Burke and Paine changed over their lifetimes. And so neither, in that sense, is ‘consistent’. Understanding why Burke changed is not unlike asking why Reagan switched loyalties from the New Deal Progressivism of the Democratic Party to the Neocon-ruled movement conservatism of the Republican Party. Burke, like Reagan or like Paine, changed because the social and political conditions changed around him.\n\nFew if any people remain unchanged during drastically changing times. Furthermore, no one knows who they might have become under different life conditions, with different events and experiences, in response to different opportunities or oppressions. We all have endless lives not lived, potentials not manifested, roads not taken.\n\nStill, we all want to think we are consistent, that we are morally principled rational actors. So, we try to make sense of what we have become. It is hard for us to know what is genuine insight and what is mere rationalization.\n\nThis is also something Levin doesn’t consider, instead taking Burke at his word (Kindle Location 177):\n\nBut such a charge miscasts both Burke’s earlier and later views, neglecting the arguments he offered both as a reformer and as a conserver of Britain’s political tradition. Those arguments were always about finding a balance between stability and change— the quest that, as we will see, was at the core of Burke’s ambitions. In the concluding words of his Reflections on the Revolution in France, clearly foreseeing the coming charge of inconsistency, Burke described himself as “one who wishes to preserve consistency, but who would preserve consistency by varying his means to secure the unity of his end, and, when the equipoise of the vessel in which he sails may be endangered by overloading it upon one side, is desirous of carrying the small weight of his reasons to that which may preserve its equipoise.”\n\nThis image of the man seeking to balance his ship—or to balance his country in a sea of troubles—against various threats to its cherished equipoise, is fitting, in light of Burke’s varied causes and arguments throughout his eventful career. He was a reformer when some elements of the English constitution threatened to suffocate the whole. He was a preserver when it seemed to him, as David Bromwich has put it, “that revolution is the ultimate enemy of reform.” Equipoise, for Burke, is not stagnation, but rather a way of thinking about change and reform, and about political life more generally. As we will see, it was a central metaphor of his political thought.\n\nOf course, no person, especially no professional politician, wants to be seen as inconsistent. That is the dreaded waffling and flip-flopping for which conservatives like to blame liberals. Conservatives pride themselves on supposedly being principled whereas liberals get characterized as moral relativists. As such, Burke the father of conservatism can’t be a moral relativist. God forbid! Burke was more noble than that. He was seeking ‘balance’ and ‘equipose’. Could you imagine a politician today trying to rationalize away charges of inconsistency with such highfalutin language and getting away with it?\n\nI don’t know Burke’s writings all that well. From Levin’s explanations, Burke seems to have been, if anything, a bit wary of being too principled for in that direction lies radicalism (Kindle Location 312):\n\nBurke argues that human nature relies on emotional, not only rational, edification and instruction— an idea that would become crucial to his insistence that government must function in accordance with the forms and traditions of a society’s life and not only abstract principles of justice. “The influence of reason in producing our passions is nothing near so extensive as it is commonly believed,” Burke writes. 5 We are moved by more than logic, and so politics must answer to more than cold arguments.\n\nHaving “stark and fundamental principles” (Kindle Location 499) from which one reasons toward political action is what a radical like Paine does, not Burke. “Universal principles” (Kindle Location 543) are dangerous for all worthy values must submit to and serve the social order rather than the other way around. The danger of being too principled is that way lies the extremes of revolution (Kindle Location 120): “the French Revolution launched in earnest the modern quest for social progress through unyielding political action guided by uncompromising philosophical principle.”\n\nThis Burkean conservatism sounds like moral relativism to me. Indeed, Levin argues that Burke was fundamentally a utilitarian in that he supposedly didn’t believe humans could know natural law. Moral principles were only to be invoked as they were useful or, as I’d say, when convenient to his purposes.\n\nEven so, Burke wasn’t even consistent in this. When it was inconvenient to limit himself to tradition and established order, he would invoke abstract universal principles as needed (Kindle Location 1453):\n\nBecause he had very little positive law to appeal to in making his case, he grounded his passionate and powerful appeal in a higher law. “I impeach him,” Burke told the lords regarding Hastings, “in the name and by virtue of those eternal laws of justice which he has violated. I impeach him in the name of human nature itself, which he has cruelly outraged, injured, and oppressed, in both sexes, at every age, rank, situation, and condition of life.”\n\nThe accusation of the radical left by the likes of Burke was that they were essentially too principled; yet the left, radical or otherwise, continuously gets accused of being unprincipled. Which is it? Talk about inconsistency. We can’t even determine the problem, much less the proper stance that would offer a solution. It seems to be that this Burkean stance allows for whatever is convenient at the moment, convenient that is for maintaining the social order and maintaining the power of those who already have it. Burke, in justification, uses yet another fancy term — ‘prudence’ (Kindle Location 1573):\n\nPrudence is not the opposite of either principle or theory. Prudence, rather, is the application of general experience to particular practical problems. In Burke’s view, the prudent person believes that the experience of our society generally points to underlying principles of justice (and of nature) and so offers more reliable, if less specific, guidance than do abstract theories like the natural-rights liberalism that Paine would import wholesale into practical politics.\n\n“History is a preceptor of prudence, not of principles,” Burke writes; it does not offer us direct knowledge of precise or abstract rules. But it does give us general rules, which are certainly good enough most of the time.\n\nPrudence isn’t immoral. It is just morality that is relative to human experience (i.e., moral relativism). The practice of prudence doesn’t deny theory. Rather, it is the theory of the practical (i.e., utilitarianism). I guess it was relatively moral and practical for a conservative like Burke to support monarchy and anti-democratic oppression and yet conservatives today would find that less relatively moral and practical. That is as close to consistency as this kind of conservatism gets.\n\nThe descriptive is the normative and hence the prescriptive, or in the words of Levin: “For Burke the resort to history is the model of nature’ (Kindle Location 1623).\n\nThe problem with this was explained by the author of another book I was reading the other day — Racecraft by Barbara J. Fields and Karen Fields (p. 128):\n\nAll human societies, whether tacitly or overtly, assume that nature has ordained their social arrangements. Or, to put it another way, part of what human beings understand by the word “nature” is the sense of inevitability that gradually becomes attached to a predictable, repetitive social routine: “custom, so immemorial that it looks like nature,” as Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote.\n\nAn additional problem is that even conservatives like Burke don’t consistently seek to defend all traditions and in fact they will even actively attack traditions when they don’t like them. Their vision of tradition is dependent on cherrypicking. Liberals like Paine, on the other hand, often find themselves in the position of defending tradition against the attack by conservatives:\n\nSomeone like Paine wasn’t simply attempting to create something new. He was trying to save what was being destroyed, the commons along with the rights of Englishmen. This relates to a long English tradition going back to the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest. Liberalism arose not just in envisioning new liberties but in defense of old liberties. Such things as the commons are what modern conservatives would like to conveniently forget. Conservatives want to pick and choose what they want from the past and discard the rest.\n\nSo, is there anything consistent to conservatism besides, as Corey Robin argues, reaction? If the seemingly inconsistent Edmund Burke is the father of conservatism, then what is this conservatism?\n\nLet me lead into my conclusion with one last quote from Levin (Kindle Location 824);\n\nPaine’s book was the most significant reply to Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, though it was by no means the only one. Indeed, dozens of counter-pamphlets soon appeared, mostly from English radicals and dissenters accusing Burke of abandoning both Whig principles and his own principles. They charged him with a profound inconsistency, given his support for the American Revolution and his earlier assertion (in his 1770 pamphlet Thoughts on the Causes of the Present Discontents) that the deep disgruntlement of an entire population is proof that the state requires serious reform. Thomas Jefferson spoke for many when, upon reading the Reflections, he remarked that “the Revolution in France does not astonish me so much as the revolution in Mr. Burke.” 56 This theme of inconsistency would follow Burke for the rest of his life and indeed well beyond his life, among historians.\n\nThis charge of inconsistency, with Burke as their ideological father, continues to plague conservatives to this day. As far as I can tell, they have no better justification to offer to refute this charge. Conservatives barely even acknowledge it, much less try to explain it.\n\nMaybe conservatives need to look for a better foundation.\n\nCulture of Paranoia, Culture of Trust\n\nParanoia is easy to wave away and laugh about. The craziest of conspiracy theories are known about by almost any American. It is redundant, in respectable company, to even say a conspiracy theory is crazy. But this condescension toward the paranoid misses the fundamental relevance of paranoia.\n\nThis country is a paranoid society, I would argue. It goes beyond the radical conspiracists and affects us all. There could be many reasons for this state of affairs. The most obvious one is that we live in a large and diverse country. Few other countries come close to the distance found here between geographic regions and ethnic cultures. Furthermore, the distance between the powerful and powerless is at least as vast and growing vaster. In the space between these distances, there is much room for fantasizing and projection, for fear and mistrust.\n\nI find myself more sympathetic and understanding of paranoia than many people, partly because I have my own paranoid leanings. I came of age reading Robert Anton Wilson and listening to Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM. I tend toward considering all perspectives, even when they seem improbable, if only for amusement and the exercise of my imagination. This isn’t to say I will waste my time trying to make sense of incoherent ramblings or unsupported speculations. Nor does it mean I won’t judge harshly and call bullshit. I’ll look at someone’s evidence and claims, but I will do so critically with utmost intellectual standards.\n\nI take paranoia seriously because it feels like an all too reasonable response to the world we live in. Particular paranoid responses often aren’t plausible or relevant. Sometimes they can lead to harmful beliefs and dangerous behaviors. Still, paranoia taken on its own terms is a useful and maybe a necessary attitude. It simply tells us that there is something that isn’t known and that such is a less-than-optimal situation. So, even when paranoia leads to an invalid conspiracy theory and/or problematic levels of mistrust, the impulse itself shouldn’t be denied or ignored.\n\nTruth often hides in odd places, if we dare to look. But we can’t know what truth that might be until we look for it. When we notice paranoia, we should take very seriously what is provoking it.\n\nThere are plenty of issues an American should be paranoid about. Trust needs to be earned, most especially in a supposed democratic society. Yet particular individuals and groups in our society have proven to be questionable in their trustworthiness. We have endless examples of trust being abused and betrayed, often in major ways.\n\nOne of the greatest of injustices in this country, of course, is that of racism… or call it racialization, racial bias, institutional racism, racecraft, the New Jim Crow, whatever. Everyone acknowledges the dark past beginning with slavery, but political correctness has made it near impossible to speak openly and honestly about the continuing reality and the enduring repercussions.\n\nFrom Racial Paranoia: The Unintended Consequences of Political Correctness The New Reality of Race in America by John L. Jackson:\n\n“Most commentators don’t emphasize, however, that the stakes of political correctness are located in a slightly different place than our conversations on the matter imply. The culture of political correctness actually generates one of the essential foundations of contemporary racial distrust. Since most Americans aren’t as transparent as Archie Bunker (even when he’s trying to hide his ethnocentrism), PC policies actually lose their ability to cultivate the kinds of good-faith dialogues they are meant to foster. Instead, blacks are stuck in the structural position (vis-à-vis white interlocutors) of their ancestors’ slave masters: they see smiles on white faces and hear kind words spilling from white mouths without the least bit of certainty about whether those gestures are representative of the speakers’ hearts. “The American Negro problem,” wrote Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal in the 1940s, “is a problem in the heart of the American. It is there that the interracial tension has its focus. It is there that the decisive struggle goes on.” And it is there that the search for racial honesty and truth continues today. But not in the same ways that Myrdal emphasized.\n\n“When individuals’ words and some of their actions can no longer be trusted, we look for other seemingly invisible and interior clues about people’s racial positions. We long to look past calculated performances and into the very hearts of men and women. Social analysts should take the features of this need, this search for de cardio racism, seriously—this racism attributed to the hearts of other-than-explicitly racist actors. De cardio racism is imagined to be a kind of hidden or cloaked racism, a racism of euphemism and innuendo, not heels-dug-in pronouncements of innate black inferiority.\n\n“We’re living in a moment when what I’m calling de cardio racism has elbowed out room for itself at the head of America’s political table, right alongside still operative de jure and de facto forms (think of sentencing disparities for possession of crack versus powder cocaine as a contemporary version of the former and our seemingly effortless, self-perpetuating reproductions of residential and educational segregation along racial lines as a twenty-first-century instance of the latter).\n\n“Given this newfangled reckoning of American racism’s potentially cloaked animosities, the white man’s newest burden is hardly lightened by political correctness—just as black people’s deepest racial suspicions are only bolstered by America’s current penchant for dressing up every ideological position (no matter how reactionary or elitist, partisan or self-interested) as simply another better version of egalitarianism.”\n(pp. 77-80)\n\nWithout genuine public discourse, the silence belies something unspoken and unadmitted.\n\n“As an anthropologist studying how black people talk about race, I’ve heard this silence described many times and in many ways, but one young security guard in Brook – lyn, New York, captured the thrust of the de cardio racism critique most succinctly: “They were sending dogs to maul black kids in the street forty years ago, and all of a sudden there are no racists in America at all.” De cardio racism asks, where did all of yesterday’s racial wolves go, and why do all these sheep seem to be standing around licking their chops?”\"\n(pp. 88-89)\n\nRacism hasn’t disappeared. It has simply mutated into some strange creature, a mind parasite that burrows deep (as the Toxoplasma lies hidden in the brain of rats telling them that they want to run fast in open spaces, that the smell of cat urine is actually a pleasant smell to be sought out). Hidden behind political correctness and post-racial colorblindness, the infestation of this soul-sickening mind-warping racial oppressiveness goes untreated.\n\n“The point isn’t that race is less important now than it was before. It’s just more schizophrenic, more paradoxical. We continue to commit to its social significance on many levels, but we seem to disavow that commitment at one and the same time. Race is real, but it isn’t. It has value, but it doesn’t. It explains social difference, but it couldn’t possibly. This kind of racial doublethink drives us all crazy, makes us so suspicious of one another, and fans the flames of racial paranoia. Nothing is innocent, and one bumps into conspirators everywhere.”\n(p. 11)\n\nThis isn’t to deny the progress that has been made, but it is to look deeper past the superficial narrative and into the even more intransigent problems.\n\n“The demonization of public racism is clearly a social and moral victory, but it has come at a cost. Political correctness has proven tragically effective at hiding racism, not just healing it. In sacrificing noisy and potentially combative racial discussions for the politeness of political correctness, we face an even more pernicious racism, a racism that’s almost never explicitly declared, except among the closest of confidants. But as the “White Like Me” skit’s lampoon shows, people recognize the fact that racism might be even more effectual under the cover of color blindness and rhetorical silence.”\n(p. 91)\n\nThe fact that political correctness has become the ultimate defense of racism is one of the saddest results of all. The words of political correctness are invoked like an invisibility spell. With this talismanic use of magical words, all the old racisms simply take new form and in some ways they are more powerful than before. Now they are presented, instead of as belief and bigotry, in the guise of neutral observation or even scientific reality.\n\nWe Americans live in a society, not just of vast geographic and cultural divides, but also of vast racial and class divides.\n\nThere is no other major developed country in the Western world with equivalent high of rates of economic inequality and no other country anywhere in the world with even close to our high rates of incarceration rates; other high rates of social problems could be added to these two egregious examples. The injustice of this American society is beyond comprehension. Those on the bottom or those threatened with ending up on the bottom have a lot to fear. If you are deemed useless or simply in the way in this society, you will be lucky to fall through the cracks rather than be ground beneath the wheel. And no one in the mainstream media will bother to report on your sad fate. You’ll just be another faceless number or maybe not even that.\n\nIt is hard to blame people, under these oppressive conditions, for lashing out at shadows.\n\n“When you wire skepticism and paranoia directly to questions of racial discrimination and inequality (and in a context where economic inequality is rising just as social safety nets are deteriorating precipitously), you then have a perfect storm for severe responses to severe times.”\n(p. 200)\n\nThe danger in our society isn’t in being paranoid but in not being paranoid enough, especially if you are part of the economic underclass or worse still the racial under-caste. But paranoia speaks of deeper undercurrents still. In a society of fear, the sickening taint of mistrust and doubt seeps into our very pores.\n\n“De cardio racism can even be hidden from the very person who harbors it. They may not even admit racist feelings to themselves. If we were all self-aware and totally self-transparent, every psychotherapist in the country would be begging for bread.”\n(p. 237)\n\nNow there is paranoia for you. The monster lurks within the unsuspecting. Look in the mirror, if you dare, and see what may look back.\n\nThe more we deny something the more we fear being judged to be in denial. Still, it isn’t just that this judgment may come from others but that we too have suspicions about ours own potential guilt, a sense of past sins and ongoing complicities. Everyone understands that each of us harbors ugly thoughts, cruel grudges, repressed memories, and who knows what else. So much of civilized behavior is pretense, as much to convince ourselves as others. For certain, political correctness isn’t a recent invention. People have been speaking around uncomfortable truths and dangerous ideas for as long as humans could speak.\n\n“The eighteenth-century French philosopher Voltaire once claimed that human beings really only speak to conceal what they truly feel, as much to miscommunicate as anything else. Humans are complicated and dissimulating creatures with the uncanny ability to misrepresent themselves and their deepest inner thoughts, to be purposefully economical with the truth. It could be as harmless as a “little white lie” about how good your child was in the school play or as catastrophic as a governmental cover-up of Watergate-like proportions. And there are few areas of public life where people put these gifts to work as often as they do in the context of discussions about race.”\n(pp. 89-90)\n\nIt doesn’t even matter if we’d rather not admit to what underlies our own thoughts and motivations. The data points toward the inconvenient knowledge of our all too human tendencies. Research shows a million examples of hidden biases and prejudices, many of them racial.\n\n“Although nobody went on CNN or Fox after the Hurricane Katrina disaster to proclaim that they would like to donate money to white victims instead of black ones, a Washington Post/Stanford University study found that white Americans were willing to provide more financial assistance to white victims than black ones, to the tune of about $1,000 extra a year. And the darker the victim, the less money she would have received, with lighter-skinned blacks benefiting from about $100 more per month than those who couldn’t pass the brown-paper-bag test (i.e., those not lighter than a brown shopping bag). Americans may hardly admit it in public, but they are clearly willing to put their money where their color biases are.”\n(p. 88)\n\nI have my doubts that we, as a society and as individuals, would know how to be non-racist, even if we tried. We are the products of our society and are no more capable of being colorblind than Pavlov’s dog could be mute to the sound of the bell.\n\n“If psychologists have shown that people don’t even necessarily know what makes them happy, they may not be able to identify exactly what makes them potentially hateful or discriminatory either. If we can “stumble on happiness,” we might be able to stumble right into prejudice as well.\n\n“The more blatantly racist a society has been in the past, the steeper its climb out of explicit racial discrimination and the harder it is for contemporary citizens to shake fears of de cardio racism. The farther we advance from overt racist doctrines and laws, the more material traces those past sins leave behind, which means all the more surfaces to which contemporary racially charged paranoia might stick.”\n(p. 95)\n\nAlleging that our dark nature is to be found in our genes or elsewhere instead of the unconscious hardly alleviates the paranoia. Ours is a society full of people claiming secret sins are hidden away within the hearts, minds and bodies of their neighbors, coworkers and fellow citizens. All white people have hidden racist beliefs and thoughts. All black people (along with other minorities) have hidden inferior genes and culture. And all of society has hidden structures of privilege and oppression, of class warfare and cabals of special interest groups. Endless seething nightmares of paranoia.\n\nThe real dark secret is the paranoia itself. We all go on acting normal as these dark visions play out in the background of our daily activities and interactions. It isn’t about proving one’s own preferred paranoia and disproving all others. The paranoia itself always speaks to our shared reality. The question is: What does it signify? What are we really afraid of?\n\n“Rumors about race, racism, and racial distrust are not just fringe beliefs held by a few hard-line crackpots, not even the kinds just mentioned. They define the surreal core of all racial stereotypes and race-based social policy. Race, as a concept, is only useful as a way to ground conspiratorial claims—about research on inherent cognitive differences between social groups or about secret government surveillance technologies. Race is one of the shortcuts we use to convince ourselves that the social differences we see in the world merely reflect more latent and inflexible differences in genes or culture. And racial paranoia is the realization that we are all far too afraid and polite to deal with any of these assumptions head-on.”\n(pp. 108-110)\n\nRacial paranoia is just another expression of the return of the repressed. If we don’t deal with an issue at the conscious level, our unconsciousness will find a way to force the issue and command our attention. The central conflict of race itself demands resolution.\n\n“In the early 1970s, psychologist Joseph White penned what is now one of the most classic formulations of black paranoia as a reasonable response to white racism. “Part of the objective condition of black people in this society is that of a paranoid condition,” he writes. “There is, and has been, unwarranted, systematic persecution and exploitation of black people as a group. A black person who is not suspicious of the white culture is pathologically denying certain objective and basic realities of the black experience.””\n(p. 189)\n\nThere is more to racial paranoia than fear-fueled suspiciousness and dark visions. Very much real social conditions, historical and present, give plentiful evidence for mistrust. How could the average black person in this society not at the very least have some occasional misgivings? Heck, I’m a relatively privileged white male and even I have healthy skepticism about the good intentions of certain people who share this society with me. A bit of paranoia is a perfectly normal response when faced with such deeply entrenched power structures and power disparities.\n\n“What detractors pooh-pooh as irrational racial paranoia might represent an appropriate, if incomplete, response to euphemized forms of racism today.”\n(p. 214)\n\nSo, what kind of response is needed?\n\nSimply trying to be more reasonable and rational won’t save us. We humans never lack for reasons, never lack for an ability to rationalize and explain away. The surface level of our thoughts and words is just so much distraction. If we seek justice and fairness, there is no way for us to keep an objective distance and keep ourselves clean from the inersubjective muck of it all. It is all too personal for all involved.\n\n“As a society we should never pretend that we have successfully reasoned or legislated our way out of race’s suffocating grasp. Our historical investment in it is too dynamic and affective for that, too irrational and deep-seated. We are being naive if we think that we can sit down and intellectualize ourselves out of its sticky clutches, if we imagine that ending explicit commitments to blatant types of racial discrimination must mean that we are done with racism’s awful legacy for good. It is a trap that scholars fall into as well, assuming that all they have to do is objectively “deconstruct” race, prove it isn’t real in the biological ways that we once thought, and then imagine that by doing so they have somehow inoculated us all against its most hazardous features, dulled its sharpest talons. That isn’t nearly true.”\n\n“We want to believe something very similar about racism and accusations of racism. If we can prove that a particular allegation of racism is unfounded or untrue, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief and try to move on. That is part of racism’s power. It tricks us into thinking that we can wish it away with a string of logical premises and conclusions, with a singular decree of guilt or innocence. We fantasize about isolating this thing and determining its measurable impact once and for all, especially now that blatant forms of racism have been so thoroughly demonized in mainstream society.”\n(pp. 84-85)\n\nYeah, I’ve lately read a number of books whose authors could be accused of falling into that intellectual trap. I’m not sure it is an entirely fair accusation, but I understand the point. Intellectual analysis of data is just a tool. It is one tool among many and no less useful when needed.\n\nIf I had an accusation against the author of this book (John L. Jackson), I might say that he didn’t ground his argument in enough intellectual analysis of data. His argument would have been so much stronger had he been as thorough as, for example, Michelle Alexander in The New Jim Crow. It was the data-driven strength of Alexander’s presentation that made her book so effective in its impact and hopefully its influence.\n\nI love that Racial Paranoia presents fresh insight and an innovative perspective. So, I wouldn’t judge Jackson too harshly for I understand his purpose. He is making a very important point that maybe no one else is making, at least not in the way he is making it. The only comparable book I’ve come across is Racecraft by Fields and Fields. Both books try to get beyond the standard repeating of data and, in doing so, try to get past the cognitive traps of our own making.\n\nSome have criticized Jackson for what the perceived failure to more fully include the problems of more overt racism, but I especially think that is unfair.\n\n“I do want to argue that racial paranoia isn’t racism, but racism is also still alive and well (even in its more explicit guises). I don’t want to privilege individual psyches over larger structural forces. In fact, I want to argue that a structural transformation in the American racial order created current versions of race-based paranoia. All I suggest is that we not simply reduce accusations of racism to simplistic assessments of truth or falsehood. We shouldn’t just try to vet them for provable accuracy and then go on to something else once we think we’ve shown a particular allegation to be unfounded. Instead, I want to remind us that we now live in a political atmosphere that promotes racial dissimulation and insincerity. The self-conscious parsing of racial speech brings a certain kind of distrust and bad faith into the center of every interracial conversation, even if through the back door and against some people’s best intentions.”\n(pp. 195-196)\n\nHis point is that taking seriously racial paranoia is a necessary and essential part of our dealing with the more concrete racial problems that confound us.\n\n“We promote racial paranoia when we combine discussions about color blindness with silent acceptance of continued structural differences in racial realities.”\n(p. 206)\n\nAs such, racial paranoia is a sign of our collective failure. It is proof of how far away we still are from coming to terms with the real issues at hand.\n\nThere is a further issue that brings me to my own thoughts on American society. Jackson touches upon this in the following:\n\n“Some critics downplay the significance of Americans’ publicly concealing their racial biases in mixed company, even as some of these same naysayers admit that most blacks and whites don’t have many substantial relationships with one another. In fact, political scientist Robert Putnam argues that Americans who live in diverse communities are more likely to disengage from civic life than those who live in homogenous racial and ethnic enclaves. This just further highlights fellow political scientist Diana Mutz’s persuasive contention that “participatory democracy” (civic engagement, people rolling up their sleeves and taking part in political life) and “deliberative democracy” (substantive discussions about political life) operate at cross-purposes to one another.13 If the lack of racial intimacy breeds distrust, the increase of interracial contact only makes good-faith social dialogue and interaction a casualty of that social mistrust. Social distance can make the heart grow frightened, but it takes more than just passing a diverse array of strangers on the street to allay those fears.”\n(pp. 202-203)\n\nI’ve so far spoken only of our culture of paranoia. That is the challenge before us. But what is the antidote? I would suggest that the only force equal to the task would be a culture of trust. The fact that this country has such a culture of paranoia could be interpreted as demonstrating how weak is our culture of trust, but I don’t know if that is actually the case. Conditions supporting each might not be oppositional.\n\nThe reason I say this is because the United States, in the studies I’ve seen, measures relatively high as a culture of trust. Not as high, of course, as Germany or Japan. Still, we’re not doing too bad, better than most countries. Besides, one might point out that, if not for a significant culture of paranoia in Germany, the Nazis wouldn’t likely have come to power by scapegoating so many people.\n\nA culture of trust is about social capital. And a culture of paranoia is one possible result of insufficient social capital. But a finer point must be added that there are many kinds of social capital that serve different ends.\n\nThat is what Jackson explains in the quote directly above when he says, ““participatory democracy” (civic engagement, people rolling up their sleeves and taking part in political life) and “deliberative democracy” (substantive discussions about political life) operate at cross-purposes to one another.” Maybe so. If so, that is quite a dilemma. I doubt it is a forced option of one or the other, but it could imply a necessary third that bridges the two, a factor of social capital that is of a higher order.\n\nThis is shown by yet another study. Children who grow up in multicultural communities tend to become more socially liberal as adults. For a social democracy, the ultimate form of social capital is social liberalism. Without it, social democracy can’t function. Multiculturalism teaches kids how to tolerate and accept, how to cooperate and compromise with those who are different.\n\nAs this all shows, it isn’t simply a matter of social capital or its lack. Rather, what is required is a balance of social capital that achieves a particular end. A different blend of social capital would be required in a traditional society than in a modern society. In speaking of cultures of trust, we must consider what kinds of trust toward whom and for what purpose.\n\nA kinship-based society would measure low in these kinds of studies for people in those societies only trust kin, but their trust of kin is very strong. In America, there is less trust (or loyalty) to large extended families. Few Americans could honestly speak of having a traditional clan or a tribe to which they belong. Also, as we aren’t an ethnic nation-state, we don’t have the same kind of patriotism and communitarianism found in the countries that do measure highest as cultures of trust. The Japanese when dealing with other Japanese know that they can make business deals on a handshake for someone’s word is their honor and, when the Japanese fail by their own sense of honor, that means social death and if severe enough a responsibility to commit suicide. We Americans aren’t so honor-bound.\n\nEven so, we Americans have our own variety of trust. Unlike societies of kinship and ethno-nationalism, we are more likely to offer trust to strangers more quickly and with fewer reservations. We are more likely to assume someone is trustworthy until proven otherwise, especially in terms of face-to-face personal interactions.\n\nMy dad gave an example of this. His career led him to visit many factories. He remembered visiting a closed-down Japanese factory, but Japanese management were wary about him seeing their operation since he was an outsider, not just an outsider to Japan for he was also an outsider to the company. In visiting American factories, it was more common for management to let him freely wander around factories that were actively being used.\n\nThis might relate to a behavioral trait I’ve heard many foreigners observe in Americans. Americans on average are more openly gregarious, quick to help others, go out of our way to make people feel welcome. But to many foreigners this feels superficial. I can only imagine that it is something like how my Midwestern mother felt when interacting with our Southern Belle neighbor in South Carolina, a cordial friendliness that was just a formality. This observation of foreigners seems to show that there are two levels of trust. In everyday interactions, Americans act trustingly. But otherwise, Americans go by the policy that deeper trust needs to be earned. We don’t give someone that deeper trust simply because they share our kinship or our ethnicity.\n\nRacial paranoia seems to operate on that deeper level.\n\nIt goes back to slavery, as Jackson explains. Many slave masters weren’t so wealthy that they could sit around sipping iced tea on the veranda. They had to be out there working in the fields with their slaves. Even for wealthier slave masters, their entire lives were intimately entwined with their slaves and, in the more isolated Virginia plantations, this went as far as slaves being part of an extended sense of family. It was the simultaneous closeness and distance between people in a slave society that necessitated trust even as it provoked paranoia. Segregation offers a false portrayal of geographic separation, but the reality is that people lived separate lives while often living next door to one another. Even after slavery, whether as sharecroppers or servants, blacks in the Deep South tended live near the whites they worked for. My Southern Belle neighbor, for example, had a black woman who was her personal servant for years and only lived a few blocks away.\n\nA similar dynamic has happened also between other diverse demographics: ethnic groups, regional populations, etc. This is an immigrant nation and so that has meant diverse people have had to learn to work together, even when there was potential for animosities and inequalities. This has been magnified by the American tendency to move around a lot from region to region. American-style cooperative trust goes hand-in-hand with wary mistrust.\n\nIt could be that the paranoid imagination is how societies process divisions and conflicts. As people imagine dark possibilities, they imagine brighter possibilities as well.\n\nAlong with being an immigrant nation, the corollary is that this is a dynamic society. There is a constant influx of immigrants and, about every few generations, a new large wave of immigration comes along. This has meant that, unlike traditional societies with established ethnic populations, Americans in general has never been able or particularly interested in trying to remain unchanging.\n\nLike all of modernity, this dynamic instability is taxing on human nature. There is an endless need for negotiating and renegotiating relationships. No seeming certainties go forever unchallenged.\n\nThis reminds me of my eternal fascination with boundaries and boundary types. I’ll let this angle bring me into my concluding thoughts.\n\nThe reason race is most prone to paranoia is because it isn’t an objective category. It can be almost anything to anyone. This is clearly shown with issues of definition. Even relatively dark-skinned North Africans are technically Caucasians. A large number of American blacks have as many or more European genetics than African genetics. There is a long history of light-skinned blacks passing as whites and also some examples of whites passing as blacks (e.g., John Howard Griffin). Then there are all those ethnic groups that have struggled to fit into American categories: Italians, Irish/Scots-Irish, Eastern Europeans, Jews, etc.\n\nAmerica is one of those places where differences come to die, although some take longer than others, race being one of the more stubborn. There are few ethnic immigrants whose American-born descendants aren’t assimilated within a few generations, often along with marrying across ethnic divides.\n\nAs boundaries shift, everything else shifts along with them: social identities, religious practices, communities, etc. And so we as a society shift from what is known to what is unknown, to what has been to what might be. This past century has been a time of the greatest shifts in American history. It shouldn’t be surprising that, when so much is up in the air, paranoia would become rampant. Of the uncertainties of our age, racial identities and categories are among the most challenged. A large part of the population today has few if any ancestors who were in America during slavery or even Jim Crow. The very history behind racial dogma is becoming ever more irrelevant, and so its ideological nature is becoming more obvious.\n\nAt the same time, the historical racial divides have been growing as the class divides grow. The racial order that benefits the few is increasingly becoming harmful to the many as those in power become increasingly oppressive in maintaining all aspects of the social order. It is in the interest of those least worthy of trust to discourage the development of a culture of trust.\n\nThe only thing that can move all of this forward against such resistance is public dialogue. Even paranoia expressed is more constructive than silence.\n\nRacecraft: Political Correctness & Free Marketplace of Ideas\n\n\nRacecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life\nby Barbara J. Fields and Karen Fields\npp. 40-44\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRace-Racism Evasion\n\n\n\n\n\nFrom Racecraft (pp. 100-102):\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGet every new post delivered to your Inbox.\n\nJoin 169 other followers", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.73611980676651}
{"content": "Law and Order\n\nJUL 2013\n\nIssue link:\n\nContents of this Issue\n\n\nPage 54 of 67\n\nwhere the law does not specifcally exclude non-motorized vehicles, it provides for the reasonable speed of the vehicle in question, thus accommodating farm tractors, horse carriages and bicycles. Why is it cyclists are being cited for \"impeding\" when they are actually driving defensively and in a manner reasonable for their vehicle? The Law Some bikes require more space on the roadway. crashes and near-misses cyclists experience. Hugging the edge of the road is actually dangerous for a number of reasons. Most traffc lanes are too narrow to safely accommodate a motor vehicle and cyclist side by side. Cyclists who keep right so motorists can pass them without changing lanes actually encourage close passes and sideswipes. Cyclists who ride farther left and control the lane report no such problems. Motorists pass them in an adjacent lane. If they have to slow down and wait for an opportunity to pass, that's OK. Empirical evidence shows that any delays motorists experience waiting to pass are usually 30 seconds or less. Bike lanes make cycling safer: In fact, bike lanes were created because of the myth listed above and the desire for a separate space. Bike lanes force cyclists to ride on the edge, sometimes even in the \"door zone\" of parked cars, where they might be directly hit or startled into swerving in front of traffc. Channeling bicyclists to the right of other traffc encourages them to be unpredictable— unexpectedly passing slower traffc on the right. When cyclists are forced to ride on the edge of the roadway conficts arise at intersections and driveways—the most common location of bicycle/ motorist crashes. There the cyclist's position conficts with turning cars—thru cyclists are to the right of right-turning vehicles and are often screened from the view of drivers turning left. Bicycle paths are safest for cyclists: Since paths fall outside the scope of traffc laws, behavior on them is unregulated, unpredictable and unenforceable. Conficts and crashes increase at intersections. Unlike roads, paths don't go everywhere people need or want to go. Cyclists riding in the middle of the traffc lane will impede traffc: Where \"impeding\" laws exist, nearly all clearly state that only drivers of motor vehicles can illegally impede. In the six states In every state, bicycles are either defned in statutes as a vehicle or cyclists are given the same rights and responsibilities as other vehicle drivers. They have the right to use most roadways, which means the fog line to the centerline. The term \"roadway\" does not include the shoulder. In many non-snow states, shoulders may be non-existent or too narrow to be rideable. While most states forbid bicycles on freeways, some western states—with vast open space and fewer roads—allow cyclists to ride the shoulder of controlled access highways. Only New York, Hawaii and Alaska mandate shoulder use if it is safely usable. Most states require cyclists to ride \"as far to the right (FTR) as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.\" This sentence is often misunderstood. For purposes of the statute language \"practicable\" means as close to the right edge as is safe and reasonable under existing or probable conditions. It does not mean as close as possible to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. Moreover, it is up to each cyclist to decide where he/she believes is safest. After all, the cyclist not only has the least protection, but also is passed with the highest speed differential. Many statutes list specifc reasons why cyclists need to ride farther left within a lane. These include avoiding road hazards, preparing for a left turn, passing another vehicle, or avoiding objects such as parked cars, pedestrians or animals. The most signifcant reason given is a \"substandard width lane\" within which a cyclist and motorist cannot pass safely side by side. This last reason is the most misunderstood, largely because it applies to the majority of traffc lanes on today's roadways—making the exception the rule. Anywhere bicyclists choose to ride in such a lane is legal. More experienced cyclists choose to \"control the lane.\" By using a large portion of the lane, cyclists send a clear message to motorists that they must change lanes to pass when safe and legal to do so. Cyclists legally controlling a narrow lane cannot by defnition \"impede traffc\" even though they are moving substantially slower than surrounding traffc. It is important to remember that a traffc lane is a public utility there for the purpose of moving people, not merely motor vehicles. Substandard Width Lanes It may shock many to learn that a 12-foot-wide lane is considered a \"substandard width\" for the purpose of this statute. Federal roadway design standards suggest a cyclist needs a minimum of 4 53\n\nArticles in this issue\n\nLinks on this page\n\nArchives of this issue\n\nview archives of Law and Order - JUL 2013", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.633792519569397}
{"content": "How to Be Size Zero?\n\n\nTo get to size zero, count your calories and eat right. Load your plate with lean protein such as chicken, fish and legumes, get plenty of vegetables and stick to complex carbohydrates. Exercise a lot and track your progress by measuring how much you exercise, your weight and your measurements. Be patient and be accepting since losing weight the healthy way is a process.\nQ&A Related to \"How to Be Size Zero\"\n\"Size zero models\" are used to describe female models that are able to fit into a size zero clothing (dress, pants, shirts,etc.).\nwell they range from micro (7.13inches) mini (7.25) regular any wetre from 7.5 to 8.5 and then an oldschool board that 95 wide\nThe battery for the mower is the Battery Council International’s group number 26, or BCI26. The Battery Council International is a nonprofit organization that sets industry\nsize zero in the UK is an average of size 4\nExplore this Topic\nSize zero is a term used in the US catalogue size system to refer to a woman's clothing size. It is often used to refer to extremely thin individuals, especially ...\nSize 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes method, roughly equal to a UK size 4. Size 0 and 00 were invented due to the varying of clothing sizes ...\nYou can get size zero clothes in most fashion stores in the UK such as Miss Selfridge, and H and M. Size zero is equivalent to size four in the UK and these are ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5628454089164734}
{"content": "I would also like to warn anyone about the formulas in Champlin's book which contain organic acids such as benzoic and salicylic acids. These chemicals may cause softening of the emulsion leading to reticulation.\n\nThis book illustrates why I take a jaundiced eye to all old developer formulations. Modern emulsions are very different from those used when these old time developers were formulated. There is no reason to believe that these formulations will provide better results than modern developers. Despite what some advocate on APUG, there is no \"holy grail\" of developers.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9755467772483826}
{"content": "Ecards : Sending\n\nHow long does it take to deliver my ecard?\n\neCards are usually sent within an hour. You can choose to receive a confirmation email during the sending process. Our optional confirmations are found under eCard Nofifications on the Personalize Your eCard page. If you have selected to receive a confirmation, we will send you an email to let you know your eCard was sent. The email contains a link you can use to view the personalized eCard that you just sent.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.923409104347229}
{"content": "modernism, in religion, a general movement in the late 19th and 20th cent. that tried to reconcile historical Christianity with the findings of modern science and philosophy. Modernism arose mainly from the application of modern critical methods to the study of the Bible and the history of dogma and resulted in less emphasis on historic dogma and creeds and in greater stress on the humanistic aspects of religion. Importance was placed upon the immanent rather than the transcendent nature of God. The movement as a whole was profoundly influenced by the pragmatism of William James, the intuitionism of Henri Bergson, and the philosophy of action of Maurice Blondel. Modernist ideas were accepted in all or in part by many of the Protestant denominations, but there was also a reaction against them in the movement called fundamentalism. In reformed Judaism, especially among Americans, there developed a modernist movement resembling Protestant modernism. Within the Roman Catholic Church there was a movement specifically referred to as Modernism; it was condemned as the \"synthesis of all heresies\" by Pius X in his encyclical Pascendi (1907). Among the leaders of Catholic Modernism were A. F. Loisy in France and George Tyrrell in England. Vital to the Catholic movement were the adoption of the critical approach to the Bible, which was by that time accepted by most Protestant churches, and the rejection of the intellectualism of scholastic theology, with the corresponding subordination of doctrine to practice. Many modernists applied the pragmatic method to the sacraments, to dogma, and to prayer. They considered the sacraments to have no reality as a divinely ordained means of grace, but valuable only for their psychological effect. These tendencies led them naturally to deny the authority of the church and the traditional Christian conception of God; a decree declared the beliefs heretical, ending Roman Catholic Modernism.\n\nSee M. Rancheti, The Catholic Modernists (tr. 1969); B. M. Reardon, comp., Roman Catholic Modernism (1970); A. R. Vidler, A Variety of Catholic Modernists (1970); W. R. Hutchison, The Modernist Impulse in American Protestantism (1976); G. Daly, Transcendence and Immanence: A Study in Catholic Modernism and Integralism (1980).\n\nModernism describes an array of cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The term covers a series of reforming movements in art, architecture, music, literature and the applied arts which emerged during this period. At its most basic level, Modernism could be described as the experimentation and fragmentation of the human experience, characterized by deviations from the norms of society.\n\nIt is a trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology or practical experimentation. Modernism encouraged the re-examination of every aspect of existence, from commerce to philosophy, with the goal of finding that which was 'holding back' progress, and replacing it with new, progressive and therefore better, ways of reaching the same end. Embracing change and the present, modernism encompasses the works of thinkers who rebelled against nineteenth century academic and historicist traditions, believing the \"traditional\" forms of art, architecture, literature, religious faith, social organization and daily life were becoming outdated; they directly confronted the new economic, social and political conditions of an emerging fully industrialized world. Some divide the 20th Century into movements designated Modernism and Postmodernism, whereas others see them as two aspects of the same movement.\n\n\nThe first half of the nineteenth century for Europe was marked by a number of wars and revolutions, which reveal the rise of the ideas and doctrines now identified as Romanticism: emphasis on individual subjective experience, the sublime, the supremacy of \"Nature\" as a subject for art, revolutionary or radical extensions of expression, and individual liberty. By mid-century, however, a synthesis of these ideas with stable governing forms had emerged, partly in reaction to the failed Romantic and democratic Revolutions of 1848. It was exemplified by Otto von Bismarck's Realpolitik and by \"practical\" philosophical ideas such as positivism. Called by various names—in Great Britain it is designated the \"Victorian era\"—this stabilizing synthesis was rooted in the idea that reality dominates over impressions that are subjective.\n\nCentral to this synthesis were common assumptions and institutional frames of reference, including the religious norms found in Christianity, scientific norms found in classical physics, especially electromagnetism, and doctrines that asserted that the depiction of external reality from an objective standpoint was not only possible but desirable. Cultural critics and historians label this set of doctrines Realism, though this term is not universal. In philosophy, the rationalist, materialist and positivist movements established a primacy of reason and system.\n\nAgainst the current ran a series of ideas, some of them direct continuations of Romantic schools of thought. Notable were the agrarian and revivalist movements in plastic arts and poetry (e.g. the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the philosopher John Ruskin). Rationalism also drew responses from the anti-rationalists in philosophy. In particular, Hegel's dialectic view of civilization and history drew responses from Friedrich Nietzsche and Søren Kierkegaard, who were major influences on Existentialism. All of these separate reactions together began to be seen as offering a challenge to any comfortable ideas of certainty derived by civilization, history, or pure reason.\n\nFrom the 1870s onward, the ideas that history and civilization were inherently progressive and that progress was always good came under increasing attack. Writers Wagner and Ibsen had been reviled for their own critiques of contemporary civilization and for their warnings that accelerating \"progress\" would lead to the creation of individuals detached from social norms and isolated from their fellow men. Arguments arose that the values of the artist and those of society were not merely different, but that Society was antithetical to Progress, and could not move forward in its present form. Philosophers called into question the previous optimism. The work of Schopenhauer was labelled \"pessimistic\" for its idea of the \"negation of the will\", an idea that would be both rejected and incorporated by later thinkers such as Nietzsche.\n\nTwo of the most significant thinkers of the period were, in biology, Charles Darwin, and in political science, Karl Marx. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection undermined the religious certainty of the general public, and the sense of human uniqueness of the intelligentsia. The notion that human beings were driven by the same impulses as \"lower animals\" proved to be difficult to reconcile with the idea of an ennobling spirituality. Karl Marx seemed to present a political version of the same proposition: that problems with the economic order were not transient, the result of specific wrong doers or temporary conditions, but were fundamentally contradictions within the \"capitalist\" system. Both thinkers would spawn defenders and schools of thought that would become decisive in establishing modernism.\n\n\nThe second school was Symbolism, marked by a belief that language is expressly symbolic in its nature and a portrayal of patriotism, and that poetry and writing should follow connections that the sheer sound and texture of the words create. The poet Stéphane Mallarmé would be of particular importance to what would occur afterwards.\n\nAt the same time social, political, and economic forces were at work that would become the basis to argue for a radically different kind of art and thinking. Chief among these was steam-powered industrialization, which produced buildings that combined art and engineering in new industrial materials such as cast iron to produce railroad bridges and glass-and-iron train sheds—or the Eiffel Tower, which broke all previous limitations on how tall man-made objects could be—and at the same time offered a radically different environment in urban life.\n\nThe miseries of industrial urbanism, and the possibilities created by scientific examination of subjects brought changes that would shake a European civilization which had, until then, regarded itself as having a continuous and progressive line of development from the Renaissance. With the telegraph's harnessing of a new power, offering instant communication at a distance, the experience of time itself was altered.\n\nThe breadth of the changes can be sensed in how many modern disciplines are described, in their pre-twentieth century form, as being \"classical\", including physics, economics, and arts such as ballet or architecture.\n\nBeginning, 1890–1910\n\nWilliam Everdell has argued that Modernism began with Richard Dedekind's division of the real number line in 1872 and Boltzmann's statistical thermodynamics in 1874; but Clement Greenberg wrote, \"What can be safely called Modernism emerged in the middle of the last century—and rather locally, in France, with Baudelaire in literature and Manet in painting, and perhaps with Flaubert, too, in prose fiction. (It was a while later, and not so locally, that Modernism appeared in music and architecture). The \"avant-garde\" was what Modernism was called at first, and the term remained to describe movements which identify themselves as attempting to overthrow some aspect of tradition or the status quo.\n\nIn the 1890s a strand of thinking began to assert that it was necessary to push aside previous norms entirely, instead of merely revising past knowledge in light of current techniques. The growing movement in art paralleled such developments as the Theory of Relativity in physics; the increasing integration of the internal combustion engine and industrialization; and the increased role of the social sciences in public policy. It was argued that, if the nature of reality itself was in question, and if restrictions which had been in place around human activity were falling, then art, too, would have to radically change. Thus, in the first fifteen years of the twentieth century a series of writers, thinkers, and artists made the break with traditional means of organizing literature, painting, and music.\n\n\n\n\nPowerfully influential in this wave of modernity were the theories of Sigmund Freud and Ernst Mach, who argued, beginning in the 1880s, that the mind had a basic and fundamental structure, and that subjective experience was based on the interplay of the parts of the mind. All subjective reality was based, according to Freud's ideas, on the play of basic drives and instincts, through which the outside world was perceived. Ernst Mach developed a well-known philosophy of science, often called \"positivism\", according to which the relations of objects in nature were not guaranteed but only known through a sort of mental shorthand. This represented a break with the past, in that previously it was believed that external and absolute reality could impress itself, as it was, on an individual, as, for example, in John Locke's empiricism, with the mind beginning as a tabula rasa.\n\nThis wave of the modern movement broke with the past in the first decade of the twentieth century, and tried to redefine various artforms in a radical manner. Leading lights within the literary wing of this movement (or, rather, these movements) include:\n\nComposers such as Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and George Antheil represent modernism in music. Artists such as Gustav Klimt, Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, and the movements Les Fauves, Cubism and the Surrealists represent various strains of Modernism in the visual arts, while architects and designers such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe brought modernist ideas into everyday urban life. Several figures outside of artistic modernism were influenced by artistic ideas; for example, John Maynard Keynes was friends with Woolf and other writers of the Bloomsbury group.\n\nExplosion, 1910–1930\n\nOn the eve of the First World War a growing tension and unease with the social order, seen in the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the agitation of \"radical\" parties, also manifested itself in artistic works in every medium which radically simplified or rejected previous practice. In 1913, the year of Einstein's first paper on the General Theory of Relativity, Niels Bohr's quantized atom, Edmund Husserl's Ideas, Ezra Pound's founding of Imagism, and the New York Armory Show, famed Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, working for Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, composed Rite of Spring for a ballet, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky that depicted human sacrifice, and young painters such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were causing a shock with their rejection of traditional perspective as the means of structuring paintings—a step that none of the Impressionists, not even Cézanne, had taken.\n\nThese developments began to give a new meaning to what was termed 'Modernism': It embraced disruption, rejecting or moving beyond simple Realism in literature and art, and rejecting or dramatically altering tonality in music. This set modernists apart from 19th century artists, who had tended to believe in 'progress'. Writers like Dickens and Tolstoy, painters like Turner, and musicians like Brahms were not 'radicals' or 'Bohemians', but were instead valued members of society who produced art that added to society, even if it were, at times, critiquing less desirable aspects of it. Modernism, while it was still \"progressive\" increasingly saw traditional forms and traditional social arrangements as hindering progress, and therefore the artist was recast as a revolutionary, overthrowing rather than enlightening.\n\n\nModernist philosophy and art were still viewed as being part, and only a part, of the larger social movement. Artists such as Klimt and Cézanne, and composers such as Mahler and Richard Strauss were \"the terrible moderns\"—those farther to the avant-garde were more heard of than heard. Polemics in favour of geometric or purely abstract painting were largely confined to 'little magazines' (like The New Age in the UK) with tiny circulations. Modernist primitivism and pessimism were controversial, but were not seen as representative of the Edwardian mainstream, which was more inclined towards a Victorian faith in progress and liberal optimism.\n\n\nThus in the 1920s, modernism, which had been such a minority taste before the war, came to define the age. Modernism was seen in Europe in such critical movements as Dada, and then in constructive movements such as Surrealism, as well as in smaller movements such as the Bloomsbury Group. Each of these \"modernisms\", as some observers labelled them at the time, stressed new methods to produce new results. Again, Impressionism was a precursor: breaking with the idea of national schools, artists and writers adopted ideas of international movements. Surrealism, Cubism, Bauhaus, and Leninism are all examples of movements that rapidly found adopters far beyond their original geographic base.\n\n\nBy 1930, modernism had won a place in the establishment, including the political and artistic establishment, although by this time modernism itself had changed. There was a general reaction in the 1920s against the pre-1918 modernism, which emphasized its continuity with a past while rebelling against it, and against the aspects of that period which seemed excessively mannered, irrational, and emotionalistic. The post-World War period, at first, veered either to systematization or nihilism and had, as perhaps its most paradigmatic movement, Dada.\n\nWhile some writers attacked the madness of the new modernism, others described it as soulless and mechanistic. Among modernists there were disputes about the importance of the public, the relationship of art to audience, and the role of art in society. Modernism comprised a series of sometimes contradictory responses to the situation as it was understood, and the attempt to wrestle universal principles from it. In the end science and scientific rationality, often taking models from the 18th Century Enlightenment, came to be seen as the source of logic and stability, while the basic primitive sexual and unconscious drives, along with the seemingly counter-intuitive workings of the new machine age, were taken as the basic emotional substance. From these two poles, no matter how seemingly incompatible, modernists began to fashion a complete weltanschauung that could encompass every aspect of life.\n\nSecond generation, 1930–1945\n\nBy 1930, Modernism had entered popular culture. With the increasing urbanization of populations, it was beginning to be looked to as the source for ideas to deal with the challenges of the day. As modernism gained traction in academia, it was developing a self-conscious theory of its own importance. Popular culture, which was not derived from high culture but instead from its own realities (particularly mass production) fueled much modernist innovation. By 1930 The New Yorker magazine began publishing new and modern ideas by young writers and humorists like Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, E.B. White, S.J. Perelman, and James Thurber, amongst others. Modern ideas in art appeared in commercials and logos, the famous London Underground logo, designed by Edward Johnston in 1919, being an early example of the need for clear, easily recognizable and memorable visual symbols.\n\nAnother strong influence at this time was Marxism. After the generally primitivistic/irrationalist aspect of pre-World War One Modernism, which for many modernists precluded any attachment to merely political solutions, and the neoclassicism of the 1920s, as represented most famously by T. S. Eliot and Igor Stravinsky—which rejected popular solutions to modern problems—the rise of Fascism, the Great Depression, and the march to war helped to radicalise a generation. The Russian Revolution was the catalyst to fuse political radicalism and utopianism, with more expressly political stances. Bertolt Brecht, W. H. Auden, André Breton, Louis Aragon and the philosophers Gramsci and Walter Benjamin are perhaps the most famous exemplars of this Modernist Marxism. This move to the radical left, however, was neither universal, nor definitional, and there is no particular reason to associate Modernism, fundamentally, with 'the left'. Modernists explicitly of 'the right' include Wyndham Lewis, William Butler Yeats, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, the Dutch author Menno ter Braak and many others.\n\nOne of the most visible changes of this period is the adoption of objects of modern production into daily life. Electricity, the telephone, the automobile—and the need to work with them, repair them and live with them—created the need for new forms of manners, and social life. The kind of disruptive moment which only a few knew in the 1880s, became a common occurrence. The speed of communication reserved for the stock brokers of 1890 became part of family life.\n\n\nAfter World War II\n\nThe Post war period left the capitals of Europe in upheaval with an urgency to economically and physically rebuild and to politically regroup. In Paris (the former center of European culture and the former capital of the art world) the climate for art was a disaster. Important collectors, dealers, and modernist artists, writers, and poets had fled Europe for New York and America. The Surrealists, and modern artists from every cultural center of Europe had fled the onslaught of the Nazis for safe haven in the United States. Many of those that didn't flee perished. A few artists, notably Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Pierre Bonnard, remained in France and survived.\n\nThe 1940s in New York City heralded the triumph of American Abstract expressionism, a modernist movement that combined lessons learned from Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Surrealism, Joan Miró, Cubism, Fauvism, and early Modernism via great teachers in America like Hans Hofmann and John D. Graham. American artists benefited from the presence of Piet Mondrian, Fernand Leger, Max Ernst and the André Breton group, Pierre Matisse's gallery, and Peggy Guggenheim's gallery The Art of This Century, as well as other factors.\n\nPollock and Abstract influences\n\nDuring the late 1940s Jackson Pollock's radical approach to painting revolutionized the potential for all Contemporary art that followed him. To some extent Pollock realized that the journey toward making a work of art was as important as the work of art itself. Like Pablo Picasso's innovative reinventions of painting and sculpture near the turn of the century via Cubism and constructed sculpture, Pollock redefined the way art gets made. His move away from easel painting and conventionality was a liberating signal to the artists of his era and to all that came after. Artists realized that Jackson Pollock's process—the placing of unstretched raw canvas on the floor where it could be attacked from all four sides using artist materials and industrial materials; linear skeins of paint dripped and thrown; drawing, staining, brushing; imagery and non-imagery—essentially blasted artmaking beyond any prior boundary. Abstract expressionism in general expanded and developed the definitions and possibilities that artists had available for the creation of new works of art.\n\nThe other Abstract expressionists followed Pollock's breakthrough with new breakthroughs of their own. In a sense the innovations of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Mark Rothko, Philip Guston, Hans Hofmann, Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Motherwell, Peter Voulkos and others opened the floodgates to the diversity and scope of all the art that followed them. Rereadings into abstract art, done by art historians such as Linda Nochlin, Griselda Pollock and Catherine de Zegher critically shows, however, that pioneer women artists who have produced major innovations in modern art had been ignored by the official accounts of its history.\n\nIn the 1960s after abstract expressionism\n\nIn abstract painting during the 1950s and 1960s several new directions like Hard-edge painting and other forms of Geometric abstraction, as a reaction against the subjectivism of Abstract expressionism began to appear in artist studios and in radical avant-garde circles. Clement Greenberg became the voice of Post-painterly abstraction; by curating an influential exhibition of new painting that toured important art museums throughout the United States in 1964. Color field painting, Hard-edge painting and Lyrical Abstraction emerged as radical new directions.\n\nBy the late 1960s however, Postminimalism, Process Art and Arte Povera also emerged as revolutionary concepts and movements that encompassed both painting and sculpture, via Lyrical Abstraction and the Postminimalist movement, and in early Conceptual Art. Process art as inspired by Pollock enabled artists to experiment with and make use of a diverse encyclopedia of style, content, material, placement, sense of time, and plastic and real space. Nancy Graves, Ronald Davis, Howard Hodgkin, Larry Poons, Jannis Kounellis, Brice Marden, Bruce Nauman, Richard Tuttle, Alan Saret, Walter Darby Bannard, Lynda Benglis, Dan Christensen, Larry Zox, Ronnie Landfield, Eva Hesse, Keith Sonnier, Richard Serra, Sam Gilliam, Mario Merz, Peter Reginato were some of the younger artists who emerged during the era of late modernism that spawned the heyday of the art of the late 1960s.\n\nPop Art\n\nIn 1962 the Sidney Janis Gallery mounted The New Realists the first major Pop Art group exhibition in an uptown art gallery in New York City. Sidney Janis mounted the exhibition in a 57th Street storefront near his gallery at 15 E. 57th Street. The show sent shockwaves through the New York School and reverberated worldwide. Earlier in England in 1958 the term \"Pop Art\" was used by Lawrence Alloway to describe paintings that celebrated consumerism of the post World War II era. This movement rejected Abstract expressionism and its focus on the hermeneutic and psychological interior, in favor of art which depicted, and often celebrated material consumer culture, advertising, and iconography of the mass production age. The early works of David Hockney and the works of Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi were considered seminal examples in the movement. While in the downtown scene in New York's East Village 10th Street galleries artists were formulating an American version of Pop Art. Claes Oldenburg had his storefront, and the Green Gallery on 57th Street began to show Tom Wesselmann and James Rosenquist. Later Leo Castelli exhibited other American artists, including Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein for most of their careers. There is a connection between the radical works of Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, the rebellious Dadaists with a sense of humor, and Pop Artists like Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein, whose paintings reproduce the look of Benday dots, a technique used in commercial reproduction.\n\n\nBy the early 1960s Minimalism emerged as an abstract movement in art (with roots in geometric abstraction via Malevich, the Bauhaus and Mondrian) which rejected the idea of relational, and subjective painting, the complexity of Abstract expressionist surfaces, and the emotional zeitgeist and polemics present in the arena of Action painting. Minimalism argued that extreme simplicity could capture all of the sublime representation needed in art. Associated with painters such as Frank Stella, minimalism in painting, as opposed to other areas, is a modernist movement. Depending on the context, minimalism might be construed as a precursor to the postmodern movement. Seen from the perspective of writers who sometimes classify it as a postmodern movement, early minimalism began and succeeded as a modernist movement to yield advanced works, but which partially abandoned this project when a few artists changed direction in favor of the anti-form movement. In the late 1960s the term Postminimalism was coined by Robert Pincus-Witten to describe minimalist derived art which had content and contextual overtones which minimalism rejected, and was applied to the work of Eva Hesse, Keith Sonnier, Richard Serra and new work by former minimalists Robert Smithson, Robert Morris, and Sol Lewitt, and Barry Le Va, and others. Minimalists like Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, Agnes Martin, John McCracken and others continued to produce their late modernist paintings and sculpture for the remainder of their careers.\n\nIn the 1960s the work of the avant-garde Minimalist composers La Monte Young, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley also became prominent in the New York art world.\n\nSince this time, many artists have embraced minimal or Postminimal styles and the label postmodern, has been attached to them.\n\nCollage, Assemblage, Installations\n\nRelated to Abstract expressionism was the emergence of combined manufactured items, with artist materials, moving away from previous conventions of painting and sculpture. This trend in art is exemplified by the work of Robert Rauschenberg, whose \"combines\" in the 1950s were forerunners of Pop Art and Installation art, and made use of the assemblage of large physical objects, including stuffed animals, birds and commercial photography. Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Larry Rivers, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg, George Segal, Jim Dine, and Edward Kienholz among others were important pioneers of both abstraction and Pop Art; creating new conventions of art-making; they made acceptable in serious contemporary art circles the radical inclusion of unlikely materials as parts of their works of art. Another pioneer of Collage was Joseph Cornell whose more intimate scaled works were seen as radical; partially because of his personal iconography and partially because of his use of found objects.\n\n\nIn the early 20th century Marcel Duchamp exhibited a urinal as a sculpture. His professed point was to have people look at the urinal as if it were a work of art because he said it was a work of art. He referred to his work as \"Readymades.\" Fountain, was a urinal signed with the pseudonym R. Mutt, that shocked the art world in 1917. This and Duchamp's other works are generally labelled as Dada. Duchamp can be seen as a precursor to conceptual art, other famous examples being John Cage's 4' 33\", which is four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence, and Rauschenberg's Erased De Kooning Drawing. Many conceptual works take the position that art is created by the viewer viewing an object or act as art, not from the intrinsic qualites of the work itself. Thus, because Fountain was exhibited, it was a sculpture.\n\nMarcel Duchamp famously gave up \"art\" in favor of chess.[1] Avant-garde composer David Tudor created a piece, Reunion (1968), written jointly with Lowell Cross that features a chess game, where each move triggers a lighting effect or projection. At the premiere, the game was played between John Cage and Marcel Duchamp.[2]\n\n\nPerformance and happenings\n\n\nDuring the same period—the late 1950s through the mid 1960s—various avant-garde artists created Happenings. Happenings were mysterious and often spontaneous and unscripted gatherings of artists and their friends and relatives in varied specified locations, often incorporating exercises in absurdity, physicality, costuming, spontaneous nudity, and various random or seemingly disconnected acts. Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenburg, Jim Dine, Red Grooms, and Robert Whitman among others were notable creators of Happenings.\n\n\n\n\nLate period\n\nArtists from many disciplines continue to work in modernist styles into the 21st century. The continuation of Abstract expressionism, Color Field painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Geometric abstraction, Minimalism, Abstract Illusionism, Process Art, Pop Art, Postminimalism, and other late 20th century modernist movements in both painting and sculpture continue through the first decade of the 21st century.\n\n\nHowever by the early 1980s the Postmodern movement in art and architecture began to establish its position through various Conceptual and Intermedia formats. Postmodernism in music and literature began to take hold even earlier, some say by the 1950s. While postmodernism implies an end to modernism many theorists and scholars realize that late modernism continues into the 21st century.\n\nGoals of the movement\n\nMany modernists believed that by rejecting tradition they could discover radically new ways of making art. Arnold Schoenberg believed that by rejecting traditional tonal harmony, the hierarchical system of organizing works of music which had guided music making for at least a century and a half, and perhaps longer, he had discovered a wholly new way of organizing sound, based in the use of twelve-note rows (See Twelve-tone technique). Abstract artists, taking as their examples the Impressionists, as well as Paul Cézanne and Edvard Munch, began with the assumption that color and shape formed the essential characteristics of art, not the depiction of the natural world. Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Kazimir Malevich all believed in redefining art as the arrangement of pure color. The use of photography, which had rendered much of the representational function of visual art obsolete, strongly affected this aspect of modernism. However, these artists also believed that by rejecting the depiction of material objects they helped art move from a materialist to a spiritualist phase of development.\n\nOther modernists, especially those involved in design, had more pragmatic views. Modernist architects and designers believed that new technology rendered old styles of building obsolete. Le Corbusier thought that buildings should function as \"machines for living in\", analogous to cars, which he saw as machines for traveling in. Just as cars had replaced the horse, so modernist design should reject the old styles and structures inherited from Ancient Greece or from the Middle Ages. Following this machine aesthetic, modernist designers typically reject decorative motifs in design, preferring to emphasize the materials used and pure geometrical forms. The skyscraper, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building in New York (1956–1958), became the archetypal modernist building. Modernist design of houses and furniture also typically emphasized simplicity and clarity of form, open-plan interiors, and the absence of clutter. Modernism reversed the 19th century relationship of public and private: in the 19th century, public buildings were horizontally expansive for a variety of technical reasons, and private buildings emphasized verticality—to fit more private space on more and more limited land. Conversely, in the 20th century, public buildings became vertically oriented, and private buildings became organized horizontally. Many aspects of modernist design still persist within the mainstream of contemporary architecture today, though its previous dogmatism has given way to a more playful use of decoration, historical quotation, and spatial drama.\n\nIn other arts such pragmatic considerations were less important. In literature and visual art some modernists sought to defy expectations mainly in order to make their art more vivid, or to force the audience to take the trouble to question their own preconceptions. This aspect of modernism has often seemed a reaction to consumer culture, which developed in Europe and North America in the late 19th century. Whereas most manufacturers try to make products that will be marketable by appealing to preferences and prejudices, high modernists rejected such consumerist attitudes in order to undermine conventional thinking. The art critic Clement Greenberg expounded this theory of modernism in his essay Avant-Garde and Kitsch. Greenberg labelled the products of consumer culture \"kitsch\", because their design aimed simply to have maximum appeal, with any difficult features removed. For Greenberg, modernism thus formed a reaction against the development of such examples of modern consumer culture as commercial popular music, Hollywood, and advertising. Greenberg associated this with the revolutionary rejection of capitalism.\n\nSome modernists did see themselves as part of a revolutionary culture—one that included political revolution. Others rejected conventional politics as well as artistic conventions, believing that a revolution of political consciousness had greater importance than a change in political structures. Many modernists saw themselves as apolitical. Others, such as T. S. Eliot, rejected mass popular culture from a conservative position. Indeed, one could argue that modernism in literature and art functioned to sustain an elite culture which excluded the majority of the population.\n\nReception and controversy\n\nThe most controversial aspect of the modern movement was, and remains, its rejection of tradition. Modernism's stress on freedom of expression, experimentation, radicalism, and primitivism disregards conventional expectations. In many art forms this often meant startling and alienating audiences with bizarre and unpredictable effects: the strange and disturbing combinations of motifs in Surrealism, or the use of extreme dissonance and atonality in modernist music. In literature this often involved the rejection of intelligible plots or characterisation in novels, or the creation of poetry that defied clear interpretation.\n\nThe Soviet Communist government rejected modernism after the rise of Stalin on the grounds of alleged elitism, although it had previously endorsed Futurism and Constructivism; and the Nazi government in Germany deemed it narcissistic and nonsensical, as well as \"Jewish\" and \"Negro\" (see Anti-semitism). The Nazis exhibited modernist paintings alongside works by the mentally ill in an exhibition entitled Degenerate art (Louis A. Sass (Bauer 2004) compares madness, specifically schizophrenia, and modernism in a less fascist manner by noting their shared disjunctive narratives, surreal images, and incoherence). Accusations of \"formalism\" could lead to the end of a career, or worse. For this reason many modernists of the post-war generation felt that they were the most important bulwark against totalitarianism, the \"canary in the coal mine\", whose repression by a government or other group with supposed authority represented a warning that individual liberties were being threatened.\n\n\nThis merging of consumer and high versions of modernist culture led to a radical transformation of the meaning of \"modernism\". Firstly, it implied that a movement based on the rejection of tradition had become a tradition of its own. Secondly, it demonstrated that the distinction between elite modernist and mass consumerist culture had lost its precision. Some writers declared that modernism had become so institutionalized that it was now \"post avant-garde\", indicating that it had lost its power as a revolutionary movement. Many have interpreted this transformation as the beginning of the phase that became known as Postmodernism. For others, such as, for example, art critic Robert Hughes, postmodernism represents an extension of modernism.\n\n\"Anti-modern\" or \"counter-modern\" movements seek to emphasize holism, connection and spirituality as being remedies or antidotes to modernism. Such movements see Modernism as reductionist, and therefore subject to the failure to see systemic and emergent effects. Many Modernists came to this viewpoint, for example Paul Hindemith in his late turn towards mysticism. Writers such as Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson, in The Cultural Creatives (2000), Fredrick Turner in A Culture of Hope and Lester Brown in Plan B, have articulated a critique of the basic idea of modernism itself — that individual creative expression should conform to the realities of technology. Instead, they argue, individual creativity should make everyday life more emotionally acceptable.\n\n\nSee also\n\nReferences & Notes\n\n  • Armstrong, Carol and de Zegher, Catherine (eds.), Women Artists as the Millennium, Cambridge Massachusetts: October Books, MIT Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-262-01226-3.\n  • Aspray, William & Philip Kitcher, eds., History and Philosophy of Modern Mathematics, Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science vol XI, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1988\n  • Baker, Houston A., Jr., Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987\n  • Berman, Marshall, All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity. Second ed. London: Penguin, 1988. ISBN 0140109625.\n  • Bradbury, Malcolm, & James McFarlane (eds.), ''Modernism: A Guide to European Literature 1890–1930 (Penguin \"Penguin Literary Criticism\" series, 1978, ISBN 0-14-013832-3).\n  • Brush, Stephen G., The History of Modern Science: A Guide to the Second Scientific Revolution, 1800-1950, Ames, IO: Iowa State U.P., 1988\n  • Centre George Pompidou, Face a l'Histoire, 1933-1996. Flammarion, 1996. ISBN 2-85850-898-4.\n  • Crouch, Christopher, Modernism in art design and architecture, New York: St. Martins Press, 2000\n  • Eysteinsson, Astradur, The Concept of Modernism, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992\n  • Gates, Henry Louis. \"The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2004.\n  • Hughes, Robert, The Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change (Gardners Books, 1991, ISBN 0-500-27582-3).\n  • Kenner, Hugh, The Pound Era (1971), Berkeley, CA: U. of California Press, 1973\n  • Kern, Stephen, The Culture of Time and Space, Cambridge, MA: Harvard U.P., 1983\n  • Kolocotroni, Vassiliki et al, ed.,Modernism: An Anthology of Sources and Documents (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998).\n  • Levenson, Michael (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Modernism (Cambridge University Press, \"Cambridge Companions to Literature\" series, 1999, ISBN 0-521-49866-X).\n  • Lewis, Pericles. The Cambridge Introduction to Modernism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007).\n  • Nicholls, Peter, Modernisms: A Literary Guide (Hampshire and London: Macmillan, 1995).\n  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Yale University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10571-1).\n  • —, The Sources of Modern Architecture and Design (Thames & Hudson, \"World of Art\" series, 1985, ISBN 0-500-20072-6).\n  • Pollock, Griselda, Generations and Geographies in the Visual Arts. (Routledge, London, 1996. ISBN 0-415-14128-1)\n  • Pollock, Griselda, and Florence, Penny, Looking Back to the Future: Essays by Griselda Pollock from the 1990s. (New York: G&B New Arts Press, 2001. ISBN 90-5701-132-8)\n  • Schwartz, Sanford, The Matrix of Modernism: Pound, Eliot, and Early Twentieth Century Thought, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1985\n  • Van Loo, Sofie (ed.), Gorge(l). Royal Museum of Fine Art, Antwerp, 2006. ISBN\n  • Weston, Richard, Modernism (Phaidon Press, 2001, ISBN 0-7148-4099-8).\n  • de Zegher, Catherine, Inside the Visible. (MIT Press, 1996).\n\nExternal links\n\nSearch another word or see Modernismon Dictionary | Thesaurus |Spanish\nCopyright © 2013, LLC. All rights reserved.\n  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7212625741958618}
{"content": "Carbon cycle models underestimate indirect role of animals\n\n\nResearchers boost Artificial Intelligence (AI) with evolution\n\n\nAnimals focus smell as well as vision\n\n\nDoes rock music bring out the animal in you?\n\n\nStudy: GMO food causes organ disruption in animals\n\n\nLions more likely to attack after a full moon\n\nIf you didn't already make it a priority to avoid lions and other maneating creatures like wolves, scientists warn you should particularly avoid them right after a full moon when they are the most likely to eat you.\n\nMark Zuckerberg kills goats\n\nWatch out, Winkelvosses - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced that from now on he's going to kill what he eats.\n\nBrain researchers investigate nervous system repair with worms and fish\n\n\nBullying in mice alters brain chemistry, leads to anxiety\n\nMice that are low on the totem pole have a tough life. It turns out that bullying has some measurable effects on the brain chemistry of mice.\n\nUniversal tests of intelligence for humans and animals\n\nScientists are developing a new intelligence test that can be taken by any living creature. It will allow for comparison of intelligence between humans and animals.\n\nMonkeys demonstrate self-awareness via computer game\n\n\nSimple marine worms distant relatives of humans\n\n\nHumans and sea sponges more alike than not\n\nA surprised team of international scientists recently discovered that sea sponges - one of Earth's oldest life forms - share almost 70 percent of the same genes as human beings.\n\nT. Rex had more than junk in its trunk\n\nPaleontologists used to believe Tyrannosaurus Rex was a monstrous and slow scavenger. But now a Canadian researcher has hypothesized that the dinosaur was actually a very fast and efficient killing machine.\n\nBee brains calculate better than expensive computers\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6834399700164795}
{"content": "Division Chief Paul Lepore \"How to become a firefighter\"\nSmoke Your Fire Fighter Interview$24.95\n\n\nSKU: b-001. Category: . Tags: , .\n\nProduct Description\n\nSmoke Your Fire Fighter Interview\n\nThis new 5th edition of Smoke Your Firefighter Interview has additional questions, expanded answers and reasoning as well as New Paramedic Situational questions.\n\nChief Lepore’s most popular book is called Smoke Your Firefighter Interview (360 pages). It provides readers with a view of the interview from the perspective of the panel raters. The objective is for candidates to see themselves through the eyes of the raters. By the end of the book, readers will understand exactly how they are being scored. More importantly, they will understand how to completely answer the types of questions that they will encounter on the fire department interview. Since it is often weighted 100% of the candidate’s final score, earning a high score on the interview is essential to getting hired.\n\nIn this book, Chief Lepore uses his 30 years of fire service experience to review over 90 commonly-asked fire department interview questions. The author shares not only the questions that you can expect in your fire department interview, but also how the panel expects the entry-level candidate to answer them. Most importantly, Chief Lepore explains the reasons for the correct answer. The “Reasoning” section that follows each question is often longer than the answer itself. It covers the exact key points that the interviewers are looking for in the previous question. This section includes the following: expectations of a probationary firefighter; understanding the candidate’s knowledge of their position within the organization; the rank structure of the fire service; and how to expertly navigate the tricky waters of stepping up as the new firefighter when he or she identifies something that is not right.  The reasoning section is designed to provide an in-depth insight into the unique culture present in every fire station in every department throughout the country. It is expected that entry-level firefighters understand the culture prior to getting hired. For those who understand it, the interview questions make more sense. For those who are new to the fire service culture, passing the interview can be a daunting task.\n\nThe interview panel will quickly identify candidates who simply memorize the answers to both routine and complex questions, but have no understanding as to why they would act or perform in a certain way. The panel’s follow-up questions are designed to identify how committed candidates are to their answers.\n\nSmoke Your Firefighter Interview  allows readers to do more than simply memorize the right answer. By explaining the rationale, which often includes the culture of the fire service, readers are able to understand and internalize the “right” answer. Since readers now completely understand the concepts, they are able to clearly express their thoughts to the oral board. The oral interview is the most important part of the hiring process.\n\nAdditional Information\n\nWeight 1 oz\n\n\n\nBe the first to review “Smoke Your Fire Fighter Interview”\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9853863716125488}
{"content": "News and blog posts from our students and faculty\n\nA Reductionist Approach to Determing Design Roles\n\nWednesday, September 4th, 2013 | Posted by scott.gerlach\n\nWhat is a designer’s role and how can it be determined?\n\nIn our first two weeks in our Design, Society, and the Public Sector section at ac4d, we’ve been reading and discussing articles that speak broadly to implications of design on society and attempt to derive meaningful roles for the designer.\n\nAs an exercise to help us process our thoughts and reactions we were asked to extract a central idea from each of the five articles we’ve read and then plot those five ideas on line to represent their importance.  Laced into this process was that each of us were to decide what exactly that scale of importance was.  Specifically we had to give the rankings context beyond their positioning on the line.\n\nThe process of reduction was difficult.  These articles were largely academic and consequently full of meaningful ideas.  My first few attempts at this spiraled into internal debate and on some level the process just felt wrong.  But one of the major themes that I internalized through this unit was the uniqueness of design because of it’s intertwined relationship with the specific.  So I tried a different approach.\n\nI thought about my experience in other areas of my life.  I thought about specific representations of the individual and then expressed those as an insight:\n\nIncreasingly, people are the curators of their representational identity in the world.  In this role they struggle to expose their own vulnerability, and therefor their humanity, to others. \n\nThis insight may of course be completely wrong, but it was immensely helpful for me to reference in the process of reducing and ranking the ideas in the articles.\n\nBy defining a specific problem, a narrative started to form and then it was only a matter of understanding how each of the different articles responded to that narrative and to what extent I thought that response was insightful.\n\n\nThe result of this process is and related discussion follow:\n\n\n“Design is Powerful” was the reduction of Manipulating Public Opinion by Edward Bernays.  The article defines the process by which the public forms and responds to ideas and then outlines techniques which can be used to manipulate this process.\n\nWhile there’s no questioning the potency of  Bernays’s ideas, they also weren’t particularly insightful in thinking about how to help the curator.  Empowerment seems much more crucial than manipulation in addressing the issues at play: pushing the raw power of Bernays to the bottom of my scale.\n\n“Consequences are Amplified” was distilled from my reading and discussion of Victor Papanek’s Design for the Real World.  Papanek expresses a lot of ideas about the wider context of a designer’s decisions and the necessity for better approaches to design education.  Embedded in this discussion is the notion that the industrial designer’s education and view of the world is crucial because his/her ideas will be greatly amplified.\n\nI think Papanek is absolutely right about the need for a broad understanding of the challenges that face society in order to design.  However, in the context of trying to provoke individuals to convey more of their humanity, the consequences of amplification only serve to highlight the problem: people are guarded and controlling with their identity precisely because of the increase in amplification in the mediums were are communicating through.  While central to the topic, it’s also obvious.\n\nHigh Stakes\n“The Stakes are High” is a reduction from Maurizio Vitto’s The Meaning of Design.  Vitto connects the dots between the mass production of objects, the individuals consumption of those products as a means of a communication, and the erosion of substance that results from the repetition of this process.\n\nI think Vitto’s ideas are important to the specific problem I considered in that they offer a pinpoint explanation on exactly why our own control over our representative identity can erode our connection to our actual identity.  By engaging in so many empty forms of personal representation we actually create a more substantively vacant version of ourselves.\n\n“Context is Essential” was directly lifted from Allan Chochinov’s 1000 Words: A Manifesto for Sustainability in Design.  Chochinov’s manifesto is full of helpful, simply articulated themes that are relevant to design.  Particularly compelling are his statements about sustainability, impermanence, and systems design.  But it’s not a stretch to see everything he writes as an extension of a deep understanding of the modern context of design.\n\nThe reason why Context is ranked so high on my scale is that it implies not just a process for understanding our specific problem but also suggests a technique for ranking difference design frames that are available (just as this activity has pushed me to do).  While most of the other ideas represented thus far feel helpful in articulating the problem, Context seems to be the first opportunity for tangible steps toward problem solving.\n\n“Design Technology must be Agile and Specific” was a helpful reduction of Richard Buchanan’s Wicked Problems in Design Thinking although certainly others were possible.  Via John Dewey, Buchanan articulates a thought provoking narrative of the history of design as well as clues to how it can be regularly re-instantiated going forward through the use of technology.  And the technology Buchanan is referring to are the mental methods and practices of design thinking.\n\nBuchanan’s articulation of design technology was by far the most helpful in thinking of the specific problem at hand.  It suggested a process by which a designer can locate his/her role in the world by rooting them in the specific problem and then calling upon them to employ the technology of design.  The specific method that come out of this process are the result of the wide context that the problem exists but also result from an understanding of the fine details of the problem.  In our case, we might think of how our context with the curator could be addressed by different current design areas (like signs and communication) and then try different very specific methods (like affinity diagrams and insight combinations) to provoke the design toward meaningful outcomes.\n\nThis process was at once helpful and difficult.  In trying to make abstract sense of ideas about design I found the abstractions to be vacant and difficult to compare.  However, by rooting my thoughts in something practical, the ideas in these articles started to come to life.  I can’t escape the feeling that I made an intuitive narrative and then just pulled from the articles as it suited me and perhaps that is the most meaningful takeaway: that ideas reduced in isolation are arbitrary but in reducing with a purpose already in mind, the reductions take on meaning and multiple reductions are possible.\n\nNo Comments »", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8585901260375977}
{"content": "How we made it\n\nThe process of making the show began with a residency at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Centre in New York State. The new state-of-the-art art and technology facility had recently been completed.\n\nThe view from our office - dusk\n\n\nWe had a beautiful studio to ourselves, where the EMPAC team helped us explore the ways we could take images of flashing lights and create landscapes with them, and record layers of similarly landscaped sound, due to the studio’s excellent acoustic properties (the studio floats on giant acoustic springs and is paneled with special metal acoustic tiles despite its very large size).\n\n\nWe worked almost exclusively in the dark, using still images to inspire the sound and video choices.\n\n\nSinging was recorded using the rhythms, structures and poetic resonances of the lights as inspiration.\n\nWe used these materials to compose the final performance, and wove narratives of sound and image together to create the immersive space of the show; the lighting, the blocking and the other materials.\n\nWe experimented with screen, speaker placement and lighting until we settled on what felt right to balance the acoustic against the electronic sound, the live lights against the just perceptible physical body doing the singing.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9126871228218079}
{"content": "Syria rejects partial reports on chemical weapons\n\nDamascus, Aug 30: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem Friday rejected any partial reports by the UN secretariat before investigators complete the probe into the alleged use of chemical weapons in the country, state-run SANA news agency reported.\n\nThe minister said this during a phone call with UN chief Ban Ki-moon after the UN said the chemical investigators would leave Syria Saturday, Xinhua reported.\n\n“Syria rejects any partial reports before the completion of the mission and the completion of the laboratorial tests of the samples assembled by the team,” al-Moallem said.\n\nAccording to SANA, the minister asked Ban about the reasons behind the abruption of the UN team’s mission, urging him to stick to evenhandedness. He also stressed that any aggression against Syria would “blow up all of the exerted efforts to politically solve the Syrian crisis”.\n\nHe requested that the UN team should also investigate the sites where the government accused the rebels of using nerve agents against troops and civilians.\n\nThe UN team did not investigate all reported instances of chemical weapons’ use, but its officials promised to return to Syria after submitting the result of their primary investigation.\n\nThe UN probe team, led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom, has been carrying out its work without incidents after a pause Tuesday when its convoy was attacked by snipers while heading to Damascus’ eastern suburb of Ghouta, where chemical weapons were allegedly used Aug 21.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5344700813293457}
{"content": "Facebook Twitter\nPrimitive Soul - Come Tomorrow\nThe Beatles Mashups\n\n\nThe Beatles\n\nThe Beatles\nBeatles Instruments\n\nBeatles Novels\nRoman Historique sur les Beatles\nDM's Beatles forums\nThe Beatles accession to the Toppermost of the Poppermost began in 1960 when they headed over to Hamburg Germany to work regularly in nightclubs. Working 8 hour shifts, with another band…sometimes Ringo’s band “Rory Storm and the Hurricane” helped them to focus their stage act and dramatically increase their repertoire. This included the writing of their own songs, initially to make sure they would have material to play when they traveled with other bands. As most Rock bands were in England at this time in history, the Beatles were a cover band, offering their versions of Carl Perkins, Larry Williams, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and many other artists songs. After moderate success on the British Melody Maker Chart during 1962 with a Lennon/McCartney original composition, “Love Me Do” (it reached # 21), the Beatles had their first NUMBER 1 hit with \"Please, Please Me\" in March of 1963. Beatles History Beatles History\nBeatle Money\nBeatles Timeline\n\nBeatles Timeline\n\nThe Official Ringo Starr Site | Welcome", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999274015426636}
{"content": "The Planted Tank Forum\n\nThe Planted Tank Forum (\n-   General Planted Tank Discussion (\n-   -   Help with new planted tank please (\n\nGreenTank1 01-20-2013 07:35 AM\n\nHelp with new planted tank please\nI started researching planted tanks about 6 months ago and decided I was ready to jump in. Well, I am not so sure now. It seems I cannot do anything to make my tank flourish. I planted the plants 3 weeks ago and while most of the plants that remain show new growth, the original parts of the plants are all still decaying and I am replanting plants 2-3 times per week that have detached from the rooted parts of the plants. I managed to keep at least one of every plant that I purchased, but some look to be on their last leg.\n\nTank Setup (fully cycled 3 months before putting current plants in, but no fish yet):\n- 55 Gal Standard Tank\n- 6x T-2 6400k lights (I've been told it is roughly equivalent to 3 T-5 54W lights)\n-- 8 hours of light per day\n- Eco Complete substrate (3\" in front to 6\" in back)\n- EI dosing with CSM+B and GH booster, also have API root tabs for now and clay balls with CSM+B in substrate. Have osmicote plus that will go in after the current root tabs are done. I will soon start adding Iron to the regular water column dosing as well.\n- 50% water change every week\n- Pressurized CO2 with Cerges reactor where drop checker reads green by the time lights turn on...I had it reading yellow for a while, but am trying to dial back to allow fish eventually\n-- CO2 starts 2 hours before lights turn on and stops 1 hour before lights out\n- Rena XP3 filter and Hydor 750 for water flow\n\nWater Parameters for what I can test:\n- Ammonia/Nitrites = 0\n- Nitrates = ~80 (day before 50% water change)\n- PH drops about 1 degree during day due to CO2, but reads around 7.4 before CO2 added\n- GH = 6\n- KH = 4\n\nPlants in tank (almost all arrived in great shape):\n- Rotala roundifolia\n- Myriophyllum sp. 'mini'\n- Ludwidgia sp. 'red'\n- Echinodorus tenelus (Sag?)\n- Rotala Magenta\n- Blyxa Japonica\n- Ludwidgia repens x arcuata\n- Water Sprite\n- Proserpinaca palustris\n- Limnophila macrandra\n\nVideo of my tank:\n\nStill pictures if you do not prefer the video (sorry some of them are a little blurry as this was taken with my phone and the plants may be moving too much inside the tank to get a good still shot):\n\nSo questions I have:\n1. Should I cut the new growth and replant for those plants that have a large amount of decaying in the old growth?\n2. Are the plants telling me I don't have enough or too much light?\n3. Do I need to adjust my EI dosing? I am sure I am going overboard, but that is kind of what it is about anyways right?\n4. Do I have too much water flow? Is there enough/too much surface ripple? I am seeing some film on the surface.\n\nThank you for your help.\n\nsamjpikey 01-20-2013 09:42 AM\n\nWhat's the temperature of the tank ???\n\ndprais1 01-20-2013 10:12 AM\n\nei dosing macros as well? looks like a lot of the issues are with stem plants which I believe are mostly water column feeders so all those root tabs won't help. And I believe most root tabs are mostly micros not macros so they won't help anyhow.\n\nGreenTank1 01-20-2013 07:25 PM\n\nTemp is 80F.\n\nI dose both micros and macros. Most of those stem plants were red when I got them so I assume they need extra iron as well. But I don't think lack of extra iron from something other than micros. Does that jive with common belief?\n\nKathyy 01-20-2013 09:27 PM\n\nI think you have the information on lighting backwards. T2s are more efficient than T5s according to this site.\n\nTry cutting back to half the bulbs you are running now to see it that helps. You may only need one bulb if they are really that good!\n\nDo remove dead and decaying material. I find that new plants tend to sit there and look horrible until all the growth is from after arrival then they decide to stick around and look pretty.\n\nGreenTank1 01-21-2013 12:11 AM\n\n\n\nGreenTank1 01-21-2013 08:24 AM\n\nI re-read that article about the T-2 lights and it appears I have the equivalent of about 2w per gal if I was using T-5 lights. I can back off to make it about 1.33 by shutting off one bank if that will help. Or down to about .67w by turning off two banks. Is the problem that I have too much then?\n\nGreenTank1 01-22-2013 07:53 AM\n\nI started the iron dosing today so we will see what happens as I know the plants are showing iron deficiency. I have also started trimming the dead off the plants.\n\nShould I drop the lighting down right now or only change one thing at a time? I know it makes sense to only change one thing at a time, but will my plants survive if it is too much light? I know others out there have higher light than what I am using as it seems I am using more of a med-high light set-up. The website that recommended 6-8 13w T-2 lights for my sized tank said that it is equivalent to 2-3 54w T-5 lights. My understanding was that 2-3 54w T-5 lights was Medium-high light. Correct?\n\n\nPowered by vBulletin®\nCopyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9200785160064697}
{"content": "TED Community » Dylan Tilley\n\nAbout Me\n\nUnited States, Dania, FL\nPrefer not to say\n\n\n\n  • +1\n\n    A comment on Conversation: Is it possible that gravity, is a persistent illusion, created by the constant expansion of mass in the universe?\n\n    Jan 28 2012: It is possible to explain in simple isolation the effect of gravity relatively as expansion however there are many simple reasons why this theory is false; 1st the force of Gravity is not constant throughout space so objects would have to be accelerating at different rates to achieve the observable gravity fields, which would distort the stable geometry of the universe such as the relative distance between stars and planets second in order for the other forces in the universe to maintain their proportional balance as they have in nature for all of the history of the known universe the fundamental laws governing those laws would have to be in constant change to accommodate for the proposed continuous expansion. It is fundamental geometry that if you increase a linear dimension (lets say doubled) then the associated area goes up by that same scale squared (X4) and the volume by the same scale cubed (X 8) so phenomena that are proportional to the ratio of these quantities are limited to a particular scale. This is why cells only grow so large to maintain volume to surface area ratio for sufficient nutrient transport, or why dimensional analysis with Nondimensional numbers like Reynolds is so important in scaled models for testing like in windtunnel and tow tank tests. Therefore the uniform or even irregular expansion of space cannot explain gravity or other comoonly observed phenomena. I hope this answers your question. The simplest explanation is often the best one.\n\nFavorite talks\n\nThis member doesn't have any favorite talks yet.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.864044725894928}
{"content": "\n\nWhy do we do this?\n\nUsually Ships in 1-2 Weeks\nMFR Item:\n\n\nThis 15\" x 72\" Advance Tabco DT-6R-72 wall mounted drainage shelf is perfect for storing and draining dish racks in any busy dish room! It's made of 1 5/8\" diameter stainless steel tubing with stainless steel side brackets. Please consult the Specification Sheet for additional details and measurements.\n\nAlso known as: DT6R72, DT.6R-72, DT 6R 72, DT-6R 72, DT6R-72, DT 6R-72, DT-6R.72, DT.6R.72, or DT-6R72\n\n\n\nNSF Listed Made in America\n\n\nSpec Sheet Specsheet Instructions Instructions Warranty Warranty\n\n\nRelated Items\n\nHave you used this product?\n\n\nLogin or Register", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8786709904670715}