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Teething is a great milestone in your baby’s development. The arrival of teeth can happen without causing any pain. Whilst for some babies this can be an uncomfortable process and distressing for yourself and the baby.
Common signs and symptoms of teething include:
Excessive drooling Red and swollen gums Chewing on objects Irritability or crankiness Sore or tender gums A slight increase in temperature but no fever
Here are a few tips on how to help your teething child:
Cuddle therapy – a little extra love, lots of hugs and cuddles will help to comfort and reassure your baby if they are distressed.
Cold Foods – Babies love to chew and bite to help soothe any discomfort, giving them anything cold will help to numb the pain. Yoghurt straight from the fridge, frozen fruit and vegetables are only a number of foods you can use to help soothe teething pain. Avoid smaller pieces of fruit or vegetables that can become a choking hazard or anything too hard that could bruise the gums and cause further pain.
Applying Pressure/Massaging – teething can cause the gums to become “itchy”. Applying some pressure can help to soothe sore points on their tender gums. Textured teethers and soothers even refrigerated ones are readily available for purchase. If these don’t work, you can always try a clean cold cloth.
Teething Gels – Teething gels (which contain some local anesthetic) can provide fast-acting and targeted relief eg. Bonjela Teething Gel. Look for one that is sugar-free and colour-free. Try gently massaging the gum while applying the gel with a clean finger.
Infant Medicine – Medicine that is specifically designed for babies such as, Nurofen for Children, for babies three months (over 5kg) to help with pain associated with teething and to reduce a raised temperature if there is one. We highly recommend parents to speak to their GP or child health nurse about whether pain-relieving medication is needed or suitable for your child.
Although teething pain can be challenging to manage, it won’t last forever! It’s a normal stage of your child’s development. Once all baby teeth erupt (usually by the age of 2), it’s time to take your child for their first dental check-up. |
In 1898, the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-Cuban-American War. The then-Spanish colonies of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico were ceded to the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 between Spain and the United States. 115 years later, Puerto Rico is still a colonial territory of the United States, a country founded upon the values of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Since 1917, all Puerto Ricans born in the territory are native-born citizens, and if they move to the mainland, they can vote and run for any office, including President of the United States. Residents of the island cannot vote for either president, or for any member of Congress, except for a non-voting delegate.
Since 1917, Puerto Ricans have fought in all wars the United States has been involved in. For instance, if the 65th Infantry Regiment —known as the “the Borinqueneers” because of the regiment’s mainly Puerto Rican membership— had not been in Korea in 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir, the Chinese would have overran the retreating U.S. Marines.
Puerto Ricans are as much Americans as Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, etc. Since the Nationalist Party revolts of 1950, Puerto Rico’s independence movement has seen a gradual decline of followers up to the present status of the island’s Independence Party, not even reaching 3% of its required approval to retain their party status with the Puerto Rican Electoral Commission.
And then you have the latest Presidential Task Force, published by the Obama Administration, which on page 25 states the following:
“…consistent with the legal conclusions reached by prior Task Force reports, one aspect of some proposals for enhanced Commonwealth remains constitutionally problematic—proposals that would establish a relationship between Puerto Rico and the Federal Government that could not be altered except by mutual consent. This was a focus of past Task Force reports. The Obama Administration has taken a fresh look at the issue of such mutual consent provisions, and it has concluded that such provisions would not be enforceable because a future Congress could choose to alter that relationship unilaterally (Congress similarly could elect to enact legislation violating a treaty with a foreign country or to legislate over the opposition of one or more States).”
Therefore, the proposal of an enhanced Commonwealth outside the territorial clause of the United States Constitution, proposed by Puerro Rico’s incumbent ruling party —the Popular Democratic Party (affiliated mainly with the Democratic Party of the United States)— is unconstitutional and a pipe dream being offered to its followers.
Last November, during the election, the people of Puerto Rico were asked two questions. The first was whether they wished to change the current status of Puerto Rico. A similar question was asked in 1951, when Public Law 600 was enacted by Congress to approve the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. To the question asked last November, 54% of the voters that participated that day said they were not satisfied with the current arrangement.
On a second question that was not binding to how one answered the first question, voters were asked to choose between three status alternatives: Statehood, Independence, or Free Associated Republic (the type of arrangement the independent nation of the Marianas has with the United States). 61% of the voters who chose to answer this question picked Statehood, the very first time that Statehood had won any type of plebiscite on the island. Opponents of Statehood, mainly politicians backed by multinational corporations and other special interests that benefit from the current territorial arrangement, claim that the Statehood percentage dropped to 45% when the empty ballots cast were taken into consideration.
Nowhere in the United States is a blank ballot even considered as part of a final tally percentage. If that were the case, then Congressmen who abstained from voting would count against the winning vote. Even if the blank ballots were a protest vote, those are never counted in our political system.
Clearly the message to the world is that the people of Puerto Rico have chosen to begin the process to become a full-fledged member of the Union. Helping Puerto Rico gain Statehood should be a priority for the U.S. Latino Movement, whether conservative or liberal. Not only because it is the will of the people of Puerto Rico, but because Puerto Ricans —as native-born American citizens that pay most federal taxes and participate in the armed forces— are discriminated against for living on the island.
It is due time that the United States live up to its values of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Until Puerto Rico joins the Union, the United States will be living a hypocrisy, granting children of non-Americans residency with the chance to becoming citizens, yet denying the same rights of voting and representation to the citizens that reside in the territory of Puerto Rico.
Edwin R. Jusino is the former National Associate Vice-President of the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association, a non-profit student organization not affiliated with the New Progressive Party, that advocates Statehood for Puerto Rico. Jusino is also a Social Sciences-History graduate from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. |
INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER | MATTHEW BATEY
The Government of Canada is the federal democratic administration of Canada. The roles of the many people and institutions that constitute Canada's government are:
The Prime Minister of Canada is head of the Canadian government and the leader of the Canadian federal political party electing the most members to the Canadian House of Commons during a general election. The Prime Minister has the responsibility to select the members that form the rest of the Cabinet.
In the 2019 federal election, the Liberal Party under current Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau's, leadership returned to prominence with winning 157 seats, to form a minority government.
Photo: Ryan Jackson Photography.
Alberta is divided into 87 different constituencies. The candidate who wins the most number of votes in each constituency becomes the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for that district. Key positions that make up the Alberta Government are:
The Premier of Alberta is the head of government for the province. When elected, the Premier represents the leader of the party who wins the majority vote throughout all ridings.
Jason Kenney was sworn in as Alberta's 18th Premier on April 30, 2019. He led his party to an election victory with 55% of the popular vote in a campaign focused on economic growth and advocating a fair deal for Alberta in the Canadian federation.
The 2017-2021 Calgary City Council was sworn in on October 23, 2017. Calgary City Council consists of the Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi and 14 Councillors representing separate divisions or districts, called wards.
The current members of Calgary City Council broken down by ward are:
For more information about Calgary City Council, visit City of Calgary.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi is currently serving his third term as Calgary's 36th mayor. Under his leadership, Calgary experienced many positive changes in regards to building better communties, keeping Calgarians moving, and transforming government. Mayor Nenshi has been an active spokesperson for the Be Part of the Energy Campaign, travelling to both the East and West coasts to share the Calgary story.
As a result of his visionary leadership of how a city should plan for its future, Mayor Nenshi was named the winner of the 2014 World Mayor Prize. Mayor Nenshi is also extremely active and engaged on social media. Follow him on Twitter for a taste of life in Calgary right from the Mayor himself! |
Boneset - Eupatorium perfoliatum was an important herb in the traditional medicine of native Americans and it was used for fevers, digestive disorders, rheumatism, as a powerful emetic and laxative. In the Boneset, infusions had a sprinkle of magical protective properties to keep evil spirits away. The name Boneset has nothing to do with its ability to mend bone fractures but refers to its efficacy in treating "break-bone fever", a virulent flu-like illness, from which early settlers suffered. (Houdret 2002). By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European settlers considered boneset to be a cure-all of different diseases. Boneset was used during that time period to treat many different diseases and conditions. It was one of the most widely used herbal medicines in the America. Some families, as well as medical doctors, kept dried boneset available for immediate use, especially during the flu and cold season. Boneset ability to helps reduce fever by promoting sweating, reduces aches and pains, and relieves congestion by loosening phlegm and promoting coughing. Boneset would also stimulate the immune system, which further the destruction of the flu. (Fundukian 2009)
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is a common perennial plant that is native to the eastern United States and Canada. The other names for boneset are feverwort, sweat plant, and thoroughwort. The Native American translation name for boneset is ague-weed (ague is the name for malarial fever). The medical constituents that are in Boneset are: sesquiterpene lactones (euccannabinolide, eufoliatin, eufoliatorin, eupafolin, euperfolide, euperfolitin, and helenalin), polysaccharides (4-0-methylglucuroxylans),flavonoids (astragalin, eupatorin, hyperoside, kaempferol, quercitin, rutin, etc.), diterpenes (dendroidinic acid and hebenolide), sterols, volatile oil, tannic acid, resin and gum. (Fundukian 2009)
The abstract on Eupatorium perfoliatum demonstrates that the anti-inflammatory effects caused by the ethanolic extracts can be correlated well with clinical symptoms related to diseases as common cold, rheumatism, arthritis etc. These data also support the credibility of the plant's traditional use by the North American Indians and early European settlers. In principle quality aspects of the Boneset herbal material, it will have to be affirmed by establishing modern pharmacopoeia control methods to guarantee constant and reliable quality. (Hensel, 2011). |
Today we learned more about symbols of the United States. We saw a video about four U.S. symbols. Ask me name at least two symbols of the United States. We zoomed in on The Statue of Liberty. We learned that although the statue is made of copper like a penny, it is not brown, but green. We found out it changed because it is outside and gets wet. Here is a little experiment you can do at home to see how this happens.
We analyzed a photograph of The Statue of Liberty. We looked at the parts that make up the statue and found out what they symbolize. Then we sketched the statue and labeled the parts.
Have a great weekend! |
Students + Teachers
Your class can learn about storm water (urban runoff) pollution and how they can help prevent it. Using a hands-on model representing a neighborhood city, your students will be invited to “pollute” the model using Kool-Aid to represent motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, fertilizers, and trash. A simulated rain storm will allow students to see the path of pollutants as they enter creeks and rivers on the model.
Contact Us to receive FREE educational materials in English and Spanish to promote stormwater pollution prevention in your classroom and school, such as:
- Monterey Bay Begins on Your Street Brochure (Spanish)
- Be Kind to Animals Coloring Book (English and Spanish)
- Stormwater Pollution Prevention Poster
Free School Presentations Grades 4-12
- Your class can learn about storm water (urban runoff) pollution and how they can help prevent it. Using a hands-on model representing a neighborhood city, your students will be invited to “pollute” the model using Kool-Aid to represent motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, fertilizers, and trash. A simulated rain storm will allow students to see the path of pollutants as they enter creeks and rivers on the model. Learn more here.
EPA for Teachers and Students
- K-12 students and educators need access to quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas to learn and teach about the environment. Environmental education (EE) is a multi-disciplinary approach to learning about environmental issues that enhances knowledge, builds critical thinking skills and helps students make informed and responsible decisions. Learn more here.
Coastal Commission for Teachers
- The mission of the Coastal Commission is to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance environmental and human-based resources of the California coast and ocean for environmentally sustainable and prudent use by current and future generations. Learn more here.
Department of Water Resources – Water Education Materials
- The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is responsible for managing and protecting California’s water. DWR works with other agencies to benefit the state’s people, and to protect, restore and enhance the natural and human environments. To help you develop classroom curriculum, the Department of Water Resources offers water education materials at no charge. Learn more here.
Community Storm Drain Stenciling
- This is a great opportunity for citizen volunteers from businesses and community organizations like you to help make a difference. By volunteering, you’ll be helping the environment, cutting costs to local communities and potentially creating an environment that will be protected without having to resort to expensive treatment systems. Learn more here.
- Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA) provides wastewater treatment services for the southern Monterey Bay region. It is dedicated to meeting the wastewater and reclamation needs of our member agencies while protecting the environment. Learn more about the Treatment and Recycling Facilities Tour here.
- Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) is home to the Last Chance Mercantile, Recycling Drop-off Center, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, Materials Recovery Facility, Monterey Peninsula Landfill, and Organics to Energy Program. Learn more about the MRWMD Tour and School Presentations here. |
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer, has proved to be tricky for doctors to assess and treat. Patients vary widely in their response to treatment, and clinicians have found it nearly impossible to predict who will do well and who will fare poorly.
A new study analyzing more than 100 genes known to cause the disease reveals a major reason for this disparity: AML is not one disorder but at least 11 distinct subtypes caused by specific genetic changes. This discovery could change the way patients are diagnosed and treated.
“These findings help us understand how AML develops as mutations occur — what the critical events are that fine-tune the leukemia,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering molecular geneticist Elli Papaemmanuil, who co-led the study, which was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). “This is the first step in helping us to identify who needs aggressive treatments and to choose who might benefit from clinical trials.”
The study was conducted in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and a team of international colleagues. It involved analyzing leukemia-associated genes in 1,540 AML patients enrolled in three clinical trials in Europe — the largest AML patient group ever used for this type of genetic study. Researchers looked for common genetic themes behind development of the disease. They found that patients fit into at least 11 major groups, each with different assortments of genetic changes and distinctive clinical features.
“For the first time, we untangled the genetic complexity of AML genomes into distinct genetic subgroups, reflecting paths leading to specific subtypes of AML,” Dr. Papaemmanuil explains. “This enables us to understand the biology of AML types and to use that information to develop clinical approaches such as combination therapies for clinical trials based on the mutation patterns.”
Mutational Profiles and AML Subtypes
AML is characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells. It develops when precursor cells in the bone marrow become cancerous as a result of a series of errors in the DNA. This usually requires mistakes in several key genes controlling blood-cell production. The disease affects people of all ages and often requires months of intensive inpatient chemotherapy.
Although in recent years researchers have identified a handful of AML mutations that play a significant role in driving the disease, most patients have a number of additional mutations that may or may not be important. The new study clarifies how the interplay between many of these mutations can affect the disease’s progression.
MSK leukemia researcher Ross Levine, in an accompanying NEJM editorial, cited Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” in describing how distinct paths — initiated by varying mutations — lead to different disease destinations. The study, he wrote, provides “an unprecedented understanding of the different roads that lead to AML and how the specific path from normal blood cell to leukemia has important biologic and clinical implications.”
In the study, full knowledge of the genetic makeup of a patient’s leukemia greatly improved clinicians’ ability to predict whether that patient would be cured with current treatments.
Because the study was so large, it allowed researchers to tease out genetic interactions that were not previously recognized. For example, the analysis showed patterns not just in the combination of mutations that occur but also in how one mutation can lead to a subsequent aberration.
“Once you expand to a large cohort, you identify relationships, not just in the combination of which mutations come together but also in the order in which they’re acquired,” Dr. Papaemmanuil says.
“This work provides us with a blueprint for how leukemia develops,” Dr. Levine adds. “It shows that how that blueprint is written really matters for the patient.”Back to top
Validating Genomic Analysis
The study illustrates the promise of improving cancer care through genomic analysis of patient-derived samples.
The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, established at MSK in 2014, is taking this approach by correlating molecular information from tumors with clinical data, including patients’ outcomes and responses to therapy.
More specifically, MSK’s newly established Center for Hematologic Malignancies seeks to use this type of molecular data to better understand how leukemia develops — and then to apply those findings to crafting better therapies.
“This gives us a framework to go back to the lab and understand how all this wiring contributes to leukemia — to really look under the hood,” Dr. Levine says. “This is the basis for scientific studies to unlock new ideas about this disease and to test new therapeutic ideas.”Back to top |
The Lore of Lincoln
In a nation of fickle tastes and fleeting fame, Abraham Lincoln's eminence only grows.
His words still impress. His accomplishments continue to generate scholarly awe. His face remains as recognizable as that of any movie star or sports hero.
And it's never been more true than in this, the bicentennial year of his birth. With an array of commemorative events scheduled throughout the state, Connecticut might just as well rename itself the Land of Lincoln.
"Lincoln is great because he plumbs the depths of the morality and contradictions of the American political experiment," says Robert Bourgeois, assistant professor of anthropology and humanities at Albertus Magnus College. "He and the cataclysm of the Civil War finally decided what kind of country we would be."
In the coming weeks and months, Connecticut will host everything from Civil War re-enactments to a penny drive for charity. There will be lectures, panel discussions and academic forums on Lincoln's life, his presidency and even his theological perspective. In addition, HBO, PBS and the History Channel have planned specials about Lincoln this month.
"As a spokesman for democracy, he ranks right up there with Jefferson," says Michael Burlingame, emeritus professor of history at Connecticut College and the author of two books about Lincoln. "He talks again and again about the foundation upon which this democracy rests and the idealism of the Declaration of Independence. We, as a people, prize him highly for his personality and character."
THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR
The facts of Lincoln's life are well-trod ground for most Americans.
Born Feb. 12, 1809, "Honest Abe" rose from humble origins to become a brilliant country lawyer and state legislator in Illinois. His oratorical skills and political savvy propelled him to the presidency in 1860, where it became his charge to hold the Union together through the bloody Civil War. His Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, and his second inaugural address in 1865 set a benchmark for such speeches that may never be equalled.
Tragically, Lincoln's second term was cut short by his assassination in April of 1865.
"We grow up absorbing the mythical Lincoln," notes Bourgeois. "But he did come from rude, poor circumstances. It's hard to believe how anyone with those beginnings could become a master of the English language. He had tremendous ups and downs."
Indeed, Lincoln dealt with the death of his mother and estrangement from his father at a young age. He would later endure loneliness, depression, ridicule, a difficult marriage and the loss of one of his children.
"Lincoln should be respected not only as an inspirational figure for people born into economic poverty, but also as a man who overcame enormous emotional poverty," Burlingame says. "He became a model of balance, maturity and wholeness."
Since Lincoln's death, hundreds of scholarly books have examined his life, and hundreds more almost certainly will follow. Burlingame says that's because new research continues to elicit nuggets of information about his legal career, his correspondence as president and the impressions of people who met with him.
LINCOLN SLEPT HERE
Of course, New Haven had a brief, but important, encounter with Lincoln just as he was coming into his own.
In March 1860, Lincoln visited Connecticut on a speaking tour that tested the strength of his national prominence. He'd gained considerable attention from his celebrated series of debates with Stephen Douglas and was mulling a run at the Republican nomination for president.
"He did an amazing swing through Connecticut," says William Hosley, director of the New Haven Museum & Historical Society. "This was retail politics, meeting and greeting the public in New Haven, Meriden, Hartford, Waterbury. That was an age when the contact you could have with a candidate was vastly more intimate than today. It was an exciting moment for Connecticut."
Lincoln stayed in New Haven March 6 and 7 as the guest of James F. Babcock, publisher of the Palladium newspaper. Accounts from the time say a large crowd followed Lincoln from 92 Olive St. to Union Hall on Union Street, where Lincoln gave a major speech linking workers' rights to the issue of slavery.
"I am glad that a system of labor prevails in New England under which laborers can strike when they want to, where they are not obliged to labor whether you pay them or not," Lincoln said. "One of the reasons I am opposed to slavery is just (for that reason)."
The message foreshadowed what would be the central focus of Lincoln's political life -- the role of slavery in America and the ramifications of ending it.
"There's been a trend in recent years to think Lincoln was not such an egalitarian fellow, regarding race," Burlingame says. People often cite criticism of Lincoln by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, as well as Lincoln's gradual approach to full equality for freed slaves.
But Burlingame contends that even Douglass came to see the brilliance of Lincoln's strategy, which was to create a "wedge" of legal rights that inevitably would expand over time.
"Abraham Lincoln was emphatically the black man's president, as well as the white man's president," Burlingame says.
THE WRITE STUFF
Such topics are fertile ground for discussion: Lincoln and war, Lincoln and race, Lincoln and politics.
According to Burlingame, Lincoln's deft handling of politics approached the sublime. He not only brought together hostile factions within his own party, he also mobilized them throughout the deadliest conflict in American history.
"It was the hallmark of his leadership," Burlingame says. "An utmost sense of tact and timing, and an ability not to ruffle feathers. Most politicians have thin skins, but Lincoln was able to overcome the tyranny of the ego."
Adds Bourgeois: "Lincoln's relative passivity masked a deep well of confidence in his principles and his cause. Scholars of his writings lead one to think he had a magnetic personality."
This, despite his rural accent, his penchant for frontier yarns, his loping walk and his unusual height and features.
As a writer, Bourgeois says Lincoln has few peers among American political leaders.
"He had literary genius," Bourgeois says. "He was spare. He pared things down to their logical essence, and that was one part of their rhetorical power."
To be sure, the resonance of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural address remains strong. But Bourgeois says they reflect an intellectual clarity that also speaks to larger themes.
"He became the theologian-in-chief for the country," Bourgeois explains. "He was working through the meaning of existence and free will, working out what kind of higher authority was out there."
A TIMELESS STORY
Ultimately, Lincoln created a model for politicians of any era.
"One of the most critical dimensions of leadership is understanding what it means to be American and rephrasing it for our time," Bourgeois says. "Not many people have that capacity, to reflect back to people the American story and motivate them to have courage." |
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Gardeners can be seduced by mild weather at this time of year, as the temptation is to sow seeds in open ground, even though the soil is cold and wet.
Those who succumb to the lure of a warmer day or two will lose most seeds.
Main-crop carrots, parsnips, peas, beet and potatoes can wait until the end of next month to be sown.
Patience will pay off later and strong, healthy plants are the reward for delaying sowing.
However, small quantities of spinach, stump-rooted carrots, hardier lettuce, mustard, cress and turnips can be sown now.
Peas and leeks can be sown under cover, for planting out later. If dwarf, quick-maturing peas (Earlicrop Massey or Novella) are sown at the same time as main-crop varieties, such as Greenfeast, a natural succession of crops will occur.
Although they are more resistant to frost if sown in autumn, broad beans can be sown now, as the seed will germinate at low temperatures. Onions can still be sown, if soil conditions allow.
Hoe around spring cabbages to stir soil hardened by winter rains. When harvesting, take every second plant at the half-grown stage so those remaining have more space to mature.
Spinach likes plenty of organic matter in the soil. When preparing the ground for this crop, work in compost at the rate of a 10-litre bucketful per square metre. Summer spinach can be sown from now on, but choose a warm spot.
New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia expansa), which is not a true spinach, grows best in the hottest, driest months of the year. Frost-tender, its seed should not be sown until October.
The plants spread quickly and trailing growths eventually form a clump of succulent shoots. Allow plenty of space, as each plant will grow 60cm or more in diameter. It remains ready for use until next winter’s frosts. It is recommended that New Zealand spinach be cooked before eating.
Chrysanthemums can be grown from cuttings taken now or by splitting the plants next month and growing the rooted pieces in the open garden.
For cuttings, slice stems immediately below a leaf joint with a sharp knife. Plant in sandy soil and keep sheltered for a few weeks. Propagation can be encouraged by dipping the stems in rooting hormone before planting.
Rock gardens deserve attention before spring flowering starts. Remove any dead foliage and stems, then work gritty soil into any gaps, pressing down plants lifted by frost.
Early camellias and rhododendrons will be starting to flower, a welcome successor to small bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus) and Iris reticulata.
Slugs can be a menace in spring, so check for them under spreading plants. Drop any found in a bucket of boiling water, the most environmentally friendly way to kill them.
Ground prepared in autumn for fruit tree planting should be in perfect order for putting in young trees. They are best planted by the end of this month but if the soil is very wet, wait a week or two.
Do not let grass grow up to the stem of a fruit tree — keep an area of clear soil around the base. To prevent codling moth (Cydia pomonella), which attacks walnuts, pears and apples, a codling moth pheromone trap that lures the male moths to its sticky pad can be used. Comfrey is sometimes grown under fruit trees to reduce codling moth. The herb is cut two or three times a year and left on the ground to rot.
Apple and pear trees’ root action will suffer if drainage is poor, so check by digging a circular trench, just clear of the root area. If water collects in it, dig another leading off it from the lowest point. Fill the trench with drainage material, such as broken bricks, then cover with a thin layer of soil.
Hard pruning will encourage fresh growth in fruit trees. Cut back the main leaders to two-year or older wood. Rub off any fruit buds. Reduce the spurs, especially if stunted, by half. A few can be cut back flush with the parent branch. Cover every cut with pruning paste. This is vital to prevent disease. Do not leave prunings on the ground.
A mulch of well-rotted manure spread over the entire root area of the tree will give it a boost. |
The usual problem that we encounter during summer is body odor, specially with my kids who are very very active. We used to believe that it is because of sweat. A few readings online told me that sweat does not have a smell. So where do the odor comes from?
You know there’s this thing called odor-causing germs. When we sweat, the bacteria on our skin digests our sweat and that’s what us smell bad. Siguro pwede nating sabihin, yung amoy natin, utot ng bacteria yun.
5 Tried And Tested Ways to Prevent Body Odor
Take a bath. During the days that is cool, take a bath once a day. During hot seasons, you should do it twice a day. Taking a bath gets rid of odor causing germs in your skin. Take extra special care on these parts of the body as these are the body parts where odor is most likely to occur:
- under breast
- behind the ears
- neck and back of neck
As you take a bath, make sure that you soap these body parts more than usual. Use soap like Safeguard as it can kill 99.9% germs.
Clothing. Use clothes that are light in terms of material and color. Darker clothes attracts more heat thus making you sweat more. As we have mentioned earlier, odor causing germs loves sweat.
Use fabric conditioner that can help you with odor causing germs. We use Downy Antibac with the power of Safeguard. Tried and tested in helping me manage my kids body odor. When we started using it., I noticed that even after playing in the sun, my kids does not smell that bad.
Downy Antibac with the power of Safeguard is available in supermarkets nationwide. You can also buy it online at Safeguard Official Online store in Lazada: Click here for the link of the store.
Use deodorant. How does deodorant works? It works by killing the bacteria on your skin and also works in a way that it helps you reduce your sweat. What’s the best type of deodorant? tawas for me! It’s antibacterial and clog the skin pores. It works just by eliminating the odor causing germs.
Drink more water. It works like magic to us. When kids are well hydrated, they smell better, meaning they don’t smell as bad as when theyre drinking colored drinks. So we try to avoid that as much as possible. The goal is for them to drink 2 liters of water a day.
Yes it is true that people who sweat more are more prone to body odor but always remember that it is caused by odor causing germs. We have to be #germprotektado para protektado din tayo sa baho. |
|Thiel I 23 ff
Mathematics/Tradition/Thiel: Aristotle, Kant and Plato accept an object, an area of mathematics. More important to them is the question of how the human behaves in relation to this object.
Differentiation invent/discover/Plato: Euthydemos: geometers, arithmetic artists and astronomers are like hunters, they are exploring what is already there.
AristotleVsPlato: he had joined the Kratylos and Heraclitus inasmuch as there could be no science of the sensible after him, since everything was in flux. Thus, objects cannot even be defined.
Plato: There are always many of the same kind of the mathematical objects, while the idea is always only one.
Thiel: one may think of the four-time appearance of the isosceles triangle in the square.
Aristotle's Plato: denies an existence of the mathematical objects independent of the bodies. They exist on or in objects and can be isolated by abstraction. Mathematical objects are not themselves concrete, real objects. But they also have no "separated being". Each number is always only number of something._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. The note [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition.
Philosophie und Mathematik Darmstadt 1995 |
Polylactic Acid Production Cost Analysis 2020
Polylactic acid, which is also known as PLA, is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester. It is extracted from renewable resources. It is one of the most significantly consumed bioplastics globally. Several commercial routes afford usable polylactic acid. The route to polylactic acid that is widely used is the ring-opening polymerisation of lactide with various metal catalysts in solution or as a suspension. The metal-catalysed reaction tends to cause the racemisation of the polylactic acid, which decreases its stereoregularity. Using stereospecific catalysts often leads to heterotactic polylactic acid that can show crystallinity, where the degree of crystallinity shows many important properties.
Many different forms of polylactide exist because of the chiral nature of lactic acid. Polylactic acid is soluble in solvents, hot benzene, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane. PLA polymers range from amorphous glassy polymer to a semi-crystalline and highly crystalline polymer. It comes with a glass transition between 60–65 °C, a melting temperature between 130-180 °C, and a tensile modulus between 2.7–16 GPa. Heat-resistant polylactic acid can bear temperatures of 110 °C.
Procurement Resource provides an in-depth cost analysis of Purified Polylactic Acid production. The report incorporates the manufacturing process with detailed process and material flow, capital investment, operating costs along with financial expenses and depreciation charges. The study is based on the latest prices and other economic data available. We also offer additional analysis of the report with detailed breakdown of all cost components (Capital Investment Details, Production Cost Details, Economics for another Plant Location, Dynamic Cost Model). |
The world officially became a slightly safer place in October, when the World Health Organization declared that polio’s type 3 strain had been eradicated. This strain — joining type 2, which was eradicated in 2015 — no longer exists anywhere in the world, outside of highly secure laboratories. (Type 1 is the only strain still at large.) Thanks to the hard work of thousands of dedicated individuals, these two strains will no longer cause devastating paralysis or death.
While it was once just a dream, permanently ending diseases has been within our power since 1980, when smallpox was eradicated after an intense campaign. This victory has saved roughly 200 million people who would otherwise have succumbed to the disease since then.
But other attempts to rid the world of diseases have not gone as smoothly. Doctors have been working on ending polio for 31 years, initially hoping it would be completely gone by 2000. Now, due to difficulties tracking the disease, the target eradication date for the remaining type 1 strain is 2023. Another pathogen nearing eradication is a parasite known as Guinea worm, but again, problems have complicated that campaign, and others as well.
So what was it about smallpox that made it so much simpler to eradicate? What makes an organism eradicable in the first place?
Fundamentally, if we want to get rid of a pathogen, we must have a way of stopping its transmission. Halt the spread, and you can isolate those infected without anyone else getting sick. Do a thorough enough job, and there won’t be any new cases anywhere in the world — the disease is eradicated. Theoretically, this process can take many forms. The deployment of an effective vaccine robs a disease of future hosts. Eliminating a key vector takes out the means of infection. And for a bacterial pathogen, antibiotic treatments can target the disease itself. But theory doesn’t always translate to practice in the real world.
For a sense of what actually works, smallpox provides the perfect case study: It turns out to be almost ideally suited to eradication. First, it’s a virus that only affects people, not animals. Wipe it out in humans, and that’s it, you’re done. (We’re not actually sure why smallpox is so choosy, and we’re unlikely to find out anytime soon, since little research today involves the deadly pathogen — and even then, it focuses on treatments and vaccine research over fundamental biology.)
Second, the disease makes its presence clearly and unambiguously known. It produces a rash that’s easy to identify and distinct from rashes caused by other diseases. And infections are not asymptomatic: You can’t be infected and contagious but still appear healthy. (Again, it’s not clear why this is.) These traits make it easier to track new cases and quickly stop outbreaks.
Third, smallpox has a highly effective vaccine, made from a virus closely related to smallpox called the vaccinia virus. Because the vaccine contains a live virus, the immune system produces a rapid, strong and lasting response. The vaccine can even stop a smallpox infection in its tracks. “You can vaccinate somebody who is already developing smallpox up to six days after they have been infected,” said Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist and former WHO physician who took part in the smallpox eradication campaign. The vaccine made it easier to halt new transmissions and protect healthy people, even if responders arrived at a smallpox outbreak that was already underway.
The fourth reason — and an increasingly relevant one — is not a biological consideration, but a psychological one: Smallpox was a feared disease. People knew it was deadly, and even survivors could be scarred for life. This translated to political support from world governments and local support among populations receiving the vaccination.
All these features in combination enabled us to wipe out one of humanity’s oldest scourges in about a dozen years of intense effort. But if a disease is missing just one or two of these attributes, it can prove much harder to eradicate.
Like smallpox, polio is a disease that only affects humans, and we have an effective vaccine for it. In fact, we have two. But neither is as good as the one for smallpox, and one of them — a live virus vaccine no longer used in the U.S. — has the potential to mutate and cause vaccine-derived polio. In fact, for the last several years, we’ve had more cases of vaccine-derived polio than wild polio infections. (To be clear, no such dangers exist with flu or other typical vaccines.)
Unfortunately, polio differs from smallpox in another crucial way. Approximately 95% of those infected either don’t display any symptoms or only display generic ones such as fever and headache. This means the type of disease tracking that officials used to detect smallpox epidemics is impossible for polio. Instead, health officials take environmental samples to test for polio viruses, with positive results meaning additional vaccine campaigns for the area. The process is repeated until no additional samples contain polio virus. This relatively inefficient approach does work, though, and it’s how we’ve eradicated two of polio’s strains and will hopefully soon take down the third.
Guinea worm is another pathogen whose biology differs enough from smallpox to make it harder, but not impossible, to eradicate. The Guinea worm eradication campaign was championed by former President Jimmy Carter (among others) and launched in 1986, and it has led to a sharp reduction in cases of this water-borne parasite, from around 3.5 million yearly cases to under 30. Like smallpox, Guinea worm provides an obvious and unambiguous sign of infection: After growing in the host’s body for about a year, the worm emerges through the skin through a blister on the lower leg. But Guinea worm eradication has grown more complex over the past five years as doctors have recognized that it’s not a human-specific infection, as had been assumed: Recent studies have demonstrated that dogs, frogs and fish can also transmit the pathogen. This will slow the eradication timeline since the animals can re-contaminate clean water supplies.
But despite these setbacks, the polio and Guinea worm campaigns have shown how viable such goals really are. For future eradication campaigns, yaws and measles are both good potential targets. Yaws is a human-specific infection caused by a spirochete; left untreated, it has the potential to cause serious illness and disability. In 2012, researchers realized that a single dose of antibiotics could treat yaws and break the transmission cycle. Through this method, India became yaws-free in 2016, though the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the spirochete may complicate efforts.
Measles also echoes many of smallpox’s characteristics: It only affects humans, it doesn’t appear asymptomatically, and it has a highly effective vaccine. As a result, worldwide measles deaths have already dropped by approximately 20% since 2000, and the disease has been eliminated in the U.S., meaning it’s no longer constantly present here (despite occasional cases brought in by travelers). But while it’s a good candidate for eradication based solely on its biology, measles doesn’t share smallpox’s crucial psychological factor: People don’t fear it enough. To the contrary, unsubstantiated fears of vaccines are on the rise, harming the global eradication campaign and nearly bringing endemic measles back to the U.S.
So while we may have the biological tools to allow us to eradicate certain diseases, that’s not enough.
“It’s not science, it’s public will,” Brilliant said. “Public will is so critical.” |
On 7 Dec 1941, the US Naval base, at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i, was attacked from the air. Among the many vessels that were lost, the USS Arizona and USS Utah are now National Historic Landmarks, under the care of the National Park Service. Multibeam Sonar, LIDAR, and photogrammetry were used to survey the ships, monuments, and other historical structures. These data will be tied together to create a 3D visualization of the underwater and above-water structures; providing a valuable tool to allow the US Park Service to monitor degradation of the ships over time. The data will also be used to give park visitors a unique view of the ships.
The Sonic 2024 was used to survey most of the Arizona using a small vessel of opportunity. Due to very shallow water and the Memorial itself, a Sonic 2020 was mounted on an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to survey the areas where the manned vessel could not survey. The USS Utah was surveyed solely with the Sonic 2024. R2Sonic I2NS provided inertial navigation. QPS QINSy software was used for the multibeam data collection. Multibeam data were post processed in QINSy, Fledermaus, and HyPack. Applanix POSPac processing was also employed for PPK positioning. LIDAR was used to scan the above-water structures. Dive teams performed visual inspection and photographed the hull structures.
A big mahalo goes out to the following:
- National Park Service for coordinating the activities.
- Autodesk’s Stategic Projects division for project management, tying all the data together, and underwater photogrammetry.
- R2Sonic for the bathymetric survey and post processing the 2024 data.
- eTrac for supplying bathymetric survey talent and post processing the 2020 data.
- Deep Ocean Engineering for providing the USV for the 2020 survey.
- Gilbane Building for providing land surveying and LIDAR.
- U.S. Navy dive team and the U.S. Navy Public Affairs. |
Rooibos is an asset for the physically active
Rooibos is believed to quickly replace sodium lost through sweating. The tea has also become a respectable alternative to cold refreshments for sportsmen, manual workers or other people who suffer under high physical strain, due to the proportion of mineral nutrients and micro-nutrients in Rooibos.
Rooibos may help prevent cancer
Flavonoids in Rooibos work as antioxidants – a major protagonist in preventing and slowing down the progress of cancer. Research found that, since a major cause of cancer is damage of the genetic material, the rising level of glutathione associated with Rooibos tea could prevent genetic damages from happening.
The polyphenic-rich extract in Rooibos indicates potential for use in cosmeceuticals for sun protection and as part of a strategy for preventing non-melanoma skin cancers in humans.
Rooibos boosts your immune system
Scientists believe that antioxidants in Rooibos significantly elevate antioxidant levels in the blood, boosting the body’s internal defence system against disease. Antioxidants protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals.
Rooibos helps slow the ageing process
Studies show that Rooibos could possibly slow the ageing process, including the progression of dementia.
Rooibos can lower the risk of heart disease
Researchers also found that biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease significantly reduced by drinking Rooibos tea
Rooibos may control diabetes
A study in Japan found that aspalathin in Rooibos tea helps improve the glucose uptake of muscle cells in type 2 diabetes, thus helping to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Rooibos helps fight allergies
Rooibos can help fight allergies by boosting the production of cytochrome P450 – an important enzyme that helps metabolise allergens. Japanese researchers found that when Rooibos is consumed regularly as a beverage, it helps improve allergy status as a result of the increased levels of this enzyme in the body.
Rooibos soothes stomach cramps and colic
Anecdotal evidence also suggests that Rooibos acts as a digestive aid and antispasmodic, thereby relieving stomach cramps and colic in babies, as well as symptoms associated with pancreatic sufferers.
Rooibos is also used to relieve nervous tension and stomach and bowel irritation, easing the painful symptoms of urinary system diseases such as prostatitis and cystitis.
Rooibos lowers blood pressure
Chrysoeriol in Rooibos acts effectively as a bronchodilator, with an associated effect on lowering blood pressure and relieving spasms.
Rooibos assists in balancing hormones
Plant-derived oestrogen, Phytoestrogen, has the potential as an alternative for oestrogens in hormone-replacement therapy.
Rooibos soothes skin irritations and acne
Rooibos helps soothe skin irritations and is also excellent for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis. It helps soothe nappy rash and improves acne. Rooibos tea contains no harmful chemicals or preservatives, which may produce allergic reactions or further skin damage.
Rooibos contains zinc, which is essential to the skin’s metabolism, as well as its own natural alphahydroxy acid, which is believed to smooth and refine fine lines and wrinkles.
Rooibos protects the liver
Researchers in Spain found evidence that Rooibos protects the liver against the accumulation of fat and can thus help prevent metabolic disease. It also helps reduce cholesterol, tryglycerides and free fatty acids.
Rooibos assists in relief of heartburn
Rooibos tea can possibly aid in the relief of heartburn, as it has antispasmodic properties.
Rooibos helps against insomnia
Rooibos tea is frequently used as a natural home remedy to help fight insomnia.
Rooibos is 100% good
To conclude: Researchers know of no side effects associated with the use of Rooibos tea. Pure Rooibos tea is also safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children. |
Predictions about the success of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are pessimistic. It has now become commonplace to bemoan the scope, ambition, and deeply political nature of a convention that addresses issues ranging from ecosystems protection to the exploitation of genetic resources, from conservation to justice, and from commerce to scientific knowledge. Ten years after its adoption, how can we assess the difference that the CBD has made? Is it in danger of collapsing under its own weight or is it building the foundations of new patterns of relations between societies and nature? What achievements can we record and what challenges does it face? In this book, which is unique in its scope, diversity and the wealth of information it contains, contributors from a variety of academic disciplines tackle an issue of enduring importance to the protection of biodiversity and enhance our understanding of humanity's capacity to reconcile its various aspirations and halt the destructive path upon which it is set.
Table of Contents
Contents: Introduction: the emergence of biodiversity governance, Philippe G. Le Prestre; The story of the biodiversity convention: from negotiation to implementation, Désirée M. McGraw; The Cartagena protocol on biosafety, François Pythoud and Urs P. Thomas; Studying the effectiveness of the CBD, Philippe G. Le Prestre; The operation of the CBD convention governance system, Philippe G. Le Prestre; The clearing-house mechanism: an effective tool for implementing the convention on biological diversity?, Geneviève Reed; The emergence and implementation of the advance informed agreement procedure, Amanda Wolf; The fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the exploitation of genetic resources: a difficult transition from principles to reality, François Blais; The role of indigenous peoples in conservation actions: a case study of cultural differences and conversation priorities, Catherine Potvin, Jean-Pierre Revéret, Geneviève Patenaude and Jane Hutton; The CBD, the WTO and the FAO: the emergence of phytogenetic governance, Urs P. Thomas; The science and policy of global biodiversity protection, Louis Guay; Economics and biodiversity management, Jean-Pierre Revéret and Alain Webster; Development of Canadian policy on and the protection of marine diversity, Paule Halley; Devoted friends: the implementation of the convention on biological diversity in Madagascar, Mark Hufty and Frank Muttenzer; Conclusion: the long road to a new order, Philippe G. Le Prestre. Annexes: Chronology of the convention on biological diversity; Dimensions of the CBD; The convention on biological diversity; Bibliography; Index.
’Governing Global Biodiversity is a significant contribution to the emerging field of biodiplomacy. This pioneering work provides a firm intellectual foundation for further research and serves as a rich source of insights on international politics. It has no parallels.’ Calestous Juma, Harvard University, USA ’In the aftermath of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, issues pertaining to the implementation of international agreements have come into focus as never before. Examining the Convention on Biological Diversity as a prominent example, this book sheds new light on a range of factors governing the transition of international regimes from paper to practice.’ Oran Young, Director, Institute on International Environmental Governance, Dartmouth College, USA '...illustrates well the complexity of the current political debate...' Swiss Forestry Journal '...this book offers a political analysis of the CBD. It convincingly shows that the Convention goes beyond conservation, and includes the essentials of sustainable development...The book is most complete, very well written and referenced...It provides a set of necessary and very informative annexes, including a chronology and the full text of the Convention.' International Journal of Environment and Pollution 'Overall, specialists on the legal aspects of biodiversity conservation and those interested in the mechanics of one of the less studies and newest international environmental agreements will find this book helpful...for those academics interested in learning more about hos the biodiversity convention came about and what challenges it faces, this is a useful volume.' International Environmental Agreements |
Editorials for Clinical Practice
CHADIS Co-Director and President, Dr. Barbara Howard is a regular contributor to the Behavioral Consult column of Pediatric News and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Howard is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician trained by Dr. T. Berry Brazelton at Harvard University. She is a national speaker on child behavior problems and is a past president of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She was a contributing author for Bright Futures™, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) and Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health and has served on national committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Sleepless in adolescence
Publish date: December 19, 2017
One thing that constantly surprises me about adolescent sleep is that neither the teen nor the parent is as concerned about it as I am. Instead, they complain about irritability, dropping grades, anxiety, depression, obesity, oppositionality, fatigue, and even substance use – all documented effects of sleep debt.
Inadequate sleep changes the brain, resulting in thinner gray matter, less neuroplasticity, poorer higher-level cognitive abilities (attention, working memory, inhibition, judgment, decision-making), lower motivation, and poorer academic functioning. None of these are losses teens can afford!
In addition, inadequate sleep changes metabolism, increasing insulin resistance, sympathetic activity, and hunger, and decreasing satiety. Sleep-restricted teens consume more calories, exercise less, and choose a diet with higher percentage of calories from fat. Amazingly, the odds of being obese are increased by 80% for each hour of sleep shorted.
While sleep problems are more common in those with mental health disorders, poor sleep precedes anxiety and depression more than the reverse. Sleep problems increase the risk of depression, and depression relapses. Insomnia predicts risk behaviors – drinking and driving, smoking, delinquency. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep is associated with a threefold higher risk of suicide attempts.
Despite these pervasive threats to health and development, instead of concern, I find a lot of resistance in families and teens to taking action to improve sleep.
Teens don’t believe in problems from inadequate sleep. After all, they say, their peers are “all” getting the same amount of sleep. And they are largely correct – 75% of U.S. 12th graders get less than 8 hours of sleep. But the data are clear that children aged 12-18 years need 8.25-9.25 hours of sleep.
Parents generally are not aware of how little sleep their teens are getting because they go to bed on their own. If parents do check, any teenagers worth the label can growl their way out of supervision, “promise” to shut off the lights, or feign sleep. Having the house, pantry, and electronics to themselves at night is worth the risk of a consequence, especially for those who would rather avoid interacting.
The social forces keeping teens up at night are their “life”: the hours required for homework can be the reason for inadequate sleep. In subgroups of teens, sports practices, employment, or family responsibilities may extend the day past a bedtime needed for optimal sleep.
But use of electronics – the lifeline of adolescents – is responsible for much of their sleep debt. Electronic devices both delay sleep onset and reduce sleep duration. After 9:00 p.m., 34% of children aged older than 12 years are text messaging, 44% are talking, 55% are online, and 24% are playing computer games. Use of a TV or tablet at bedtime results in reduced sleep, and increased poor quality of sleep. Three or more hours of TV result not only in difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings, but also sleep issues later as adults. Shooter video games result in lower sleepiness, longer sleep latency, and shorter REM sleep. Even the low level light from electronic devices alters circadian rhythm and suppresses nocturnal melatonin secretion.
Keep in mind the biological reasons teens go to bed later. One is the typical emotional hyperarousal of being a teen. But other biological forces are at work in adolescence, such as reduction in the accumulation of sleep pressure during wakefulness and delaying the melatonin release that produces sleepiness. Teens (and parents) think sleeping in on weekends takes care of inadequate weekday sleep, but this so-called “recovery sleep” tends to occur at an inappropriate time in the circadian phase and further delays melatonin production, as well as reducing sleep pressure, making it even harder to fall asleep.
In some cases, medications we prescribe – such as stimulants, theophylline, antihistamines, or anticonvulsants – are at fault for delaying or disturbing sleep. But more often it is self-administered substances that are part of the teen’s attempt to stay awake – including nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine – that produce shorter sleep duration, increased latency to sleep, more wake time during sleep, and increased daytime sleepiness; it results in a vicious cycle. Sleep disruption may explain the association of these substances with less memory consolidation, poorer academic performance, and higher rates of risk behaviors.
We adults also are a cause of teen sleep debt. We are the ones allowing the early school start times for teens, primarily to allow for after school sports programs that glorify the school and bring kudos to some at the expense of all the students. A 65-minute earlier start in 10th grade resulted in less than half of students getting 7 hours of sleep or more. The level of resulting sleepiness is equal to that of narcolepsy.
Later school start times for teens increase sleep duration not by an earlier bedtime, but by a 1-hour-later wake-up time. Results include decreased daytime sleepiness, increased motivation, attention, school performance, declines in self-reported depressed mood, fewer health center visits for fatigue, and less tardiness. In one community, later school start time decreased the teen car crash rate by 16.5%, the major cause of mortality in U.S. teens. Sleep debt is as dangerous a risk factor as is driving under the influence for car crashes.
As primary care clinicians, we can and need to detect, educate about, and treat sleep debt and sleep disorders. Sleep questionnaires can help. Treatment of sleep includes coaching for: having a cool, dark room used mainly for sleep; a regular schedule 7 days per week; avoiding exercise within 2 hours of bedtime; avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, tea, nicotine, and medications at least 3 hours before bedtime; keeping to a routine with no daytime naps; and especially no media in the bedroom! For teens already not able to sleep until early morning, you can recommend that they work bedtime back or forward by 1 hour per day until hitting a time that will allow 9 hours of sleep. Alternatively, have them stay up all night to reset their biological clock. Subsequently, the sleep schedule has to stay within 1 hour for sleep and waking 7 days per week. Anxious teens, besides needing therapy, may need a soothing routine, no visible clock, and a plan to get back up for 1 hour every time it takes longer than 10 minutes to fall asleep.
If sleepy teens report adequate time in bed, then we need to understand pathologies such as obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, menstruation-related or primary hypersomnias, and narcolepsy to diagnose and resolve the problem.
Parents may have given up protecting their teens from inadequate sleep so we as health providers need to do so.
Dr. Howard’s contribution to this publication is as a paid expert to Frontline Medical Communications. E-mail her at [email protected]. |
As part of the EU project CHEQUERS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF and its partners have jointly developed a hand-held scanner for the remote detection of explosives and hazardous substances. “Our hazardous substance scanner covers a large spectral range in no time, provides precise results and can even be used by untrained personnel. This is extremely useful at crime scenes, after terroristic attacks or after accidents in industrial plants in which chemicals spread in an uncontrolled way. Rescue forces can react immediately to the threat,” explained Dr Stefan Hugger, project manager and scientist at Fraunhofer IAF.
The CHEQUERS consortium faced the technical challenge to develop a hand-held system for remote detections of hazardous substances from a safe distance and with a fast reaction time. The result is a measuring device based on infrared backscattering spectroscopy. The research team combined very fast, widely tuneable quantum cascade lasers with adjusted transmission and receiver optics, fast IR detectors and a fitting control and detection software.
Portable sensors for remote spectroscopic detections require especially compact and fast tuneable laser sources. “Such devices need to compensate the inevitable movements of the hand and still be able to detect a conclusive spectrum within a short amount of time. Together with Fraunhofer IPMS, we have developed a miniaturised quantum cascade laser with an external resonator that is able to scan the whole spectral range of the QC laser chip within just a millisecond,” said Hugger, who represented Fraunhofer IAF at the final meeting. The measuring principle is based on selective spectral lighting of the target in the wavelength range of 1000–1300 cm–1. The chemical substance is identified based on the intensity of the backscattered light and the illumination wavelength. The spectral fingerprint is matched with an integrated database that contains a large amount of safety-relevant substances.
The hand-held demonstrator was successful in a series of test measurements conducted by the Federal Criminal Police Office in cooperation with Fraunhofer IAF in early 2019. “During the test measurements, the scanner for hazardous substances was able to detect many explosives and their precursor materials, and has thus proven that the technology works. The next step is to increase the robustness of the measuring system to make it ready for daily use”, commented Hugger. |
Views:2 Author:Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-06-01 Origin:Site
Common materials for set screws
It is a kind of screw used to fix the relative position of the machine.It is classified according to the slot type.It can have hexagon socket set screws, inner plum set screws, slotted set screws, and square head set screws without slots, etc. , The available materials are stainless steel, iron, brass, aluminum, titanium, etc.
Characteristics of set screws
A set screw with parallel first end surface and second end surface, with a threaded section between the first end surface and the second end surface, two parallel grooves extending radially in the direction of the first end facing the second end surface The wall, the connection between the two groove walls-the bottom of the groove, by which a radial groove is defined by the groove wall and the bottom of the groove; it is characterized in that the adjacent parts of the groove wall and the thread section have-from the thread section to the groove wall The inclined side abuts the inclined surface, and the groove bottom and the abutment portion of the threaded section also have a bottom abutting inclined surface that converges toward the groove bottom.
The role and use of set screws
The positioning pin of the set screw plays the same role, and is generally used to connect two parts to play a fixed role, and this screw can be screwed in as a whole, so that it looks smooth and looks good. When using a set screw, screw the screw into the internal threaded hole of the part to be fixed, and then press the end of the screw firmly on the surface of the other part (or the corresponding recess in the surface), even if the two parts are The relative position is fixed. The usage scenarios of flat end, concave end and cone end are different, and the corresponding uses are also different. Slotted sockets, inner plum and hexagon socket set screws are not suitable for applications where screws are exposed, and square head set screws without slots are suitable for applications where screw heads are allowed to be exposed.
Uses of set screws
Set screws are commonly used in mining, metallurgy, textiles, various precision machinery, precision instruments, meters, electronic products, communication products, locks, toys and other industries! Prioritized for applications requiring simple equipment and parts, easy to install, with The dual-structure sealing device can work in harsh environments. The structure has various forms, good versatility and interchangeability.
Set screws should also be customized according to different application scenarios. Basically, the hardware store basically fails to meet the requirements. It has an internal hexagon at one end and several standards at the other end. Such as DIN916.DIN915.DIN914.DIN913. The specifications of the set screws are from M1.6-M12, and the length is from 4MM-50MM. Specifically, it is divided into hexagon socket female set screws, hexagon socket flat set screws, hexagon socket set screws, and hexagon socket set screws. |
A general dentist is your primary care dental provider. This dentist diagnoses, treats, and manages your overall oral health care needs, including gum care, root canals, fillings, crowns, veneers, bridges, and preventive education.
A prosthodontist is the oral health care provider who specializes in the repair of natural teeth and/or the replacement of missing teeth on a much larger scale than the general dentist.
The prosthodontist uses artificial teeth (dentures), gold crowns (caps), or ceramic crowns to replace the missing or extracted teeth. The prosthodontist is also very involved in the replacement of teeth using dental implants.
In addition, specially trained prosthodontists work with patients with head and neck deformities, replacing missing parts of the face and jaws with artificial substitutes.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the oral health care provider who performs many types of surgical procedures in and about the entire face, mouth, and jaw area.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons treat accident victims who suffer facial injuries and offer reconstructive and dental implant surgery. They treat patients with tumors and cysts of the jaws. They also place dental implants.
The types of surgeries an oral surgeon may perform include: simple tooth extractions, complex extractions involving removal of soft tissue or overlying bone or remaining roots, impacted teeth (especially wisdom teeth) removal, soft tissue biopsies, removal of tumors in the oral cavity, implant positioning, complex jaw realignment surgeries involving facial or bite discrepancies, fractured cheek or jaw bone repair and soft tissue (cleft palate or lip) repair.
An endodontist is the dental specialist concerned with the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the human dental pulp or the nerve of the tooth.
This specialist may perform simple to difficult root canal treatments or other types of surgical root procedures.
A periodontist is the oral health care provider who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases of the soft tissues of the mouth (the gums) and the supporting structures (bones) of the teeth (both natural and man-made teeth).
This dentist diagnoses and treats gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) as well as periodontitis (gum and bone disease).
A periodontist may perform the following procedures: simple and deep pocket cleanings, root planing, crown lengthening procedures, soft tissue and/or bone grafting, gingival or flap procedures, soft tissue re-contouring or removal (gingivoplasty or gingivectomy), hard tissue re-contouring (osteoplasty), and implant placement.
An orthodontist is the oral health care provider who specializes in diagnosis, prevention, interception, and treatment of malocclusions, or "bad bites," of the teeth and surrounding structures.
Malocclusions can result from crowded, missing, or extra teeth or jaws that are out of alignment.
This specialist is responsible for straightening teeth by moving them through bone by the use of bands, wires, braces, and other fixed or removable corrective appliances or retainers. This specialist treats children as well as adults who may wish to improve their appearance and bite.
A pediatric dentist is the oral health care provider who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of the dental problems of children from the age of one or two to early adulthood.
This dentist can detect, treat, or refer (as needed) problems with decayed, missing, crowded, or crooked teeth.
A pediatric dentist focuses on management and treatment of a child's developing teeth, child behavior, physical growth and development, and the special needs of children's dentistry.
An oral pathologist is the oral health care provider who studies the causes of diseases that alter or affect the oral structures (teeth, lips, cheeks, jaws) as well as parts of the face and neck.
Oral pathologists examine and provide a diagnosis of the biopsy, tissue, or lesion sent to them by other oral health care providers.
A radiologist is the oral health care provider who specializes in the taking and interpretation of all types of X-ray images and data that are used in the diagnosis and management of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral and maxillofacial region. |
I first heard of RAFT writing several years ago as a strategy for students to show their content knowledge beyond just writing reports. Most of the suggestions for use have been in upper grades classrooms, especially in middle school and high school. It’s also a common format for writing in content areas to have students demonstrate their understanding of the topic that has been learned- often as a product at the end of the unit. RAFT Writing has students respond when the Role, Audience, Format, and Topic are laid out for students to do their writing, often showcasing their content knowledge. However, over the years, I’ve used RAFT as a writing strategy for analyzing prompts in elementary school with students as young as first grade. RAFT has allowed me to give students experience and exposure with various writing types, build in creative writing into our writing centers, and give students a tool to use for state testing to analyze the prompts their given and respond appropriately.
RAFT is an acronym identifying the four aspects of a writing prompt:
R- Role (who is the character/narrator and their point of view)
A- Audience (who is the writing for)
F- Format (what type of writing is expected)
T- Topic (what you are writing about)
Examples of RAFT in content areas could be:
~Write an article as if you were a water droplet going through the water cycle.
~Write a story as a water droplet going through the water cycle.
~Pretend you are a child in 1774 in what will eventually be America. Describe what your life is like.
RAFT Writing is commonly used as essay responses at the end of units to measure students’ content knowledge. It’s also used in more open ended ways allowing for differentiation; the role and audience may be the only pieces given and students are able to choose the format and specific topic. Or, students are given the topic and format, but can choose their role and the audience. This is most often done in intermediate classrooms and higher as the focus is on the subject and content that has been taught, and not on the writing itself.
I’ve used RAFT as a strategy in other ways in my elementary classroom, and with other classes and groups of students, with good success.
RAFT Writing in the Primary Grades
I have used RAFT Writing with students as young as first grade as a way of building creative writing with students and to introduce the categories of RAFT and writing prompts. In first grade I introduce it by explaining each of the components. We then generate, together, several different items for each component. We generally do about 4-6 and often use students in the class or people in the school as the role and audience. This helps make the task relevant to students. We then roll a dice to choose which item from each category we’ll use. We do a shared writing of it together, the first time. Then, we select another for the students to complete independently. After students are familiar with RAFT and how it can be used to generate a writing task, I use my RAFT Writing cards as an option during our centers to build students’ creative writing.
RAFT Writing as Test Prep
I also really like using RAFT as a test prep strategy. On the state tests, students are given an on-the-spot prompt to respond to. Often, it’s in response to reading, and students are expected to respond with a range of genres. In my experience, students struggle to identify the proper genre to respond to or miss out on other key pieces of information, such as writing from a character’s perspective. With my third graders, it’s so important to me that they have a strategy to “attack” a difficult task that is given to them. RAFT is a strategy that can make them break down the prompt and help them feel ready to respond successfully.
We do our main writing work during our writers workshop four days a week. However, one day a week, we do specific RAFT practice. I begin the year doing various narrative writing tasks with RAFT, though I introduce it with examples of all 3 genres. I want my students to be successful with it so I don’t typically do much of the other genres until we have explicitly done them together. However, I will occasionally do something like a how-to, or something opinion based that I know they have strong feelings about. Our weekly RAFT practice gives my students an opportunity to work through the genres in a more spiral way than we typically do during writers workshop. It also allows me to continue to do focused lessons on specific strategies I want to see in their writing. This pre-writing step has made a world of difference for my students as they tackle the demands of state testing writing prompts!
After I’ve introduced and practiced RAFT with my students, we begin analyzing prompts. Using the strategy to think through and plan writing with the acronym is why it’s so effective and useful. This easy form is one I use when I begin having students independently analyze their writing prompts. I have students identify each area of RAFT and then I work to correct any misconceptions. You can download the free page by clicking the image below.
I also offer a variety of free RAFT resources in my free library. As we practice RAFT throughout the year, we move on to students writing based on the the prompt information. These printables and templates have us up and working with a prompt in just a few quick seconds. I have 5 ready to print RAFT prompts ready to go!
I have two digital templates for creating your own RAFT writing prompts. I use these to give my students practice with a RAFT prompt each week after we’ve worked through the parts together. The digital template is designed for students to type their responses in and is perfect for updating and sharing as copies on Google Classroom. The printable is designed with handwriting lines for students to write their written responses after you’ve typed the prompt.
You can download each of them from my Free Library. To access it, sign up for my newsletter. After confirmation, you’ll receive an email with the link and password to access each of the files for yourself.
RAFT is such a useful writing strategy that can be incorporated in so many different ways in the classroom. In addition to our writing block, I also use digital prompt writing and journals to give students much needed practice responding to prompts on a regular basis. You can read more about that by clicking the link below. |
Around this time of the season§ the discussion forums are awash with questions about virgin queens failing to emerge, or get out to mate, or return from mating flights, or start laying eggs, or any of a myriad of other possible things that can go wrong between a sealed queen cell and a nicely laying queen.
Or where to buy a new queen for a terminally queenless colony.
Followed a week later by a question about what to do with a recently purchased, and soon to be delivered, queen that is now surplus to requirement as – miraculously – a beautiful mated and laying queen is now obviously present and busy in the hive 😉
Practice makes perfect
There’s good evidence from recent genetic studies that the honey bee (Apis mellifera) evolved about 300,000 years ago from Asian cavity-nesting bees†. This was determined by analysing 140 bees sampled from around the world. The genetic differences between them (over 8.3 million in total) were identified and then – knowing the rate at which differences arise – it was possible to extrapolate backwards to define the approximate time the first honey bee (Eve?) evolved.
For comparison, humans – modern man, Homo sapiens – have been around for about the same length of time‡.
300,000 years is a long time when compared to the lifespan of a human, or a bee. However, it’s a mere blink of an eye in evolutionary terms. It also means that bees, and humans, are relatively recent arrivals when compared with fig wasps (34 million years), coelacanths (65 million years) or elephant sharks (420 million years).
Nevertheless, although bees might be evolutionary newcomers, they have been getting it right for about 300,000 years. Which means they’ve been superceding and swarming ever since modern man was recognisably modern man.
Which means they’re reasonably good at it … ‘it’ being reproduction∞, and more specifically getting the queen mated.
If they weren’t any good at it they’d be long gone by now.
Going by the book
The development of the queen takes 16 days from egg to eclosed (emerged) virgin. Three days as an egg, a further 6 days as a larva at which point the cell is sealed. Pupation then lasts for a further 7 days. The recently emerged queen needs to become sexually mature. This process takes a further 5 to 6 days before she goes on one (or more) matings flight(s). After mating she then returns to the hive and, after a further 2-3 days, starts laying eggs.
So, under optimal conditions, it takes a minimum of ~23-25 days to go from egg to mated and laying queen i.e. about three and a half weeks.
If a queen is removed from the hive, deliberately or by accident, there could be a new, mated laying queen present about three and a half weeks later.
In fact, it’s possible the new queen could be mated and laying in less time than this. The queenless colony might start to rear young larvae as queens, so ‘saving’ a few days. It’s generally reckoned that larvae up to about three days old can be selected by the colony and reared as queens, though younger is better as they are better fed for longer.
Bees can’t read
However, things rarely go by the book. Although development time is pretty-much fixed at 16 days from newly laid egg to emerged virgin, there’s plenty of opportunity to lengthen (and rarely shorten, as outlined above) the time taken before the queen starts laying.
Chief amongst these is getting conditions suitable for queen mating. Typically this needs to be warm and settled weather. High teens centigrade, sunny and light winds between late morning and mid/late afternoon. If this doesn’t occur the queen stays put in the hive.
There’s also a time window within which successful mating must occur. This starts when the queen reaches sexual maturity (~5-6 days after emergence) and ends three to four weeks later (~26-33 days after emergence). A few days of poor weather during this period may well delay mating. Three weeks of lousy weather can be catastrophic – she may well turn out to be poorly mated or, if she doesn’t mate, a drone laying queen.
Depending on where you live, it’s rare to get three continuous weeks of terrible weather during the predominant swarming period (late April to late-July perhaps). However, it’s not uncommon to get a week or so of ‘unseasonable’ weather∑. In 2017, June was the wettest on record in Fife – precisely when I expected my virgins to be going out to mate.
Keep calm and Have Patience
All this means is that you need patience when waiting for newly mated and laying queens in your colonies. In my experience it usually takes longer than it could, and it’s almost always longer than I want.
You should be able to calculate when the virgin queen will emerge to within a day or so of the colony becoming queenless. Better still, judge the development of queen cells and add 7 days to the date on which the cell become capped.
I usually check to make sure there’s a virgin queen in the hive. They’re small, skittish and often tricky to spot. They don’t get the same sort of attention from the workers as a mated queen gets. They can fly, and do if you disturb them too much. It’s reassuring to know there’s an emerged virgin present, but don’t keep checking. I try and check on the day after emergence. If you check too late and the weather is good there’s a chance you’ll interrupt her returning from a mating flight, with possibly disastrous consequences.
Observe the bees at the hive entrance and look for them returning laden with pollen. If you must inspect the colony (why?) do so early or late in the day. Don’t bother looking for the queen. Instead look for polished cells in the middle of the central frames … and eggs of course.
Dates from my diary
In June 2017 new queens should have emerged from my vertical splits on or shortly after the 2nd. Under optimal conditions I could hope these virgins would be mated and laying by the 12th at the latest. The splits were all set up on the same day. I didn’t check every hive for the presence of a virgin, and didn’t find one in every hive I checked, but I did find the expected vacated queen cell.
It then started raining. Lots. One of my apiaries flooded.
I had a quick look on the 12th in a couple of hives – no eggs. I checked again around the 22nd. The 18th had near-perfect weather for queen mating – sunny, 20+°C, light winds – and found mated, laying queens in a couple of boxes. But not in all of them. It wasn’t until the 27th that I found evidence that the latest queen was mated and laying well. She’d obviously started a day or so earlier as there were already eggs across two full frames.
All but two splits appears to have been successful – defined by presence of a laying queen∏. None were mated and laying anywhere near the minimal possible 9-10 days after emergence. One developed laying workers and I suspect the queen got lost on a mating flight quite early on. The second looks promising and I’ve not yet given up hope on this remaining colony.
I don’t keep records of the time it takes for new queens to get mated. However, from emergence (the date of which I usually do know) I wouldn’t be surprised if the average was a little over 21 days.
The shortest mating times I’ve seen occur in ideal weather conditions when using mini-nucs for queen rearing – under these circumstances ~11-12 days is not uncommon. But that’s a post for the future …
Keep Calm and Carry On
§ This was written in mid/late June in Fife, Scotland … about two weeks after the peak of the swarm season.
† Wallberg et al., A worldwide survey of genome sequence variation provides insight into the evolutionary history of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Nature Genetics, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/NG.3077
‡ Huber et al., New fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco and the pan-African origin of Homo sapiens. Nature, 2017; DOI:10.1038/nature22336
∞ OK … formally, I know that supercedure might not be considered as ‘reproduction’.
∑ Though how it can be considered unseasonable when it’s not uncommon is a mystery 😉
∏ Of course, the true measure of success when rearing new queens is much more rigorous than this. They need to primarily lay fertilised worker eggs, have a tight laying pattern, mother well-behaved, calm bees that work well in the local environment, do not have a tendency to swarm, are frugal with winter stores and build up well in early Spring. And the rest …
Keep Calm and Carry On was the text on a motivational poster produced in 1939 in the run up to World War II. Millions of copies were printed but few were ever displayed … in fact, many were pulped in 1940 to help overcome a serious paper shortage.
There’s an excellent account of the history and (many) compromises made during the design and preparation of the poster (almost 78 years to the day I’m writing this) on the Government history blog – highly recommended.
The poster was largely forgotten until 2000 when it was re-discovered. The rest, as they say, is history … it’s now ubiquitous, corrupted in a load of different ways and used on all sorts of novelty and decorative products.
You can even design your own … |
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to Rubicon: Crossing the Rubicon
A limit that when passed or exceeded permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment.
[Latin RubicōRubicōn-, , Rubicon, a short river of north-central Italy, the crossing of which by Julius Caesar and his army in 49 bc began a civil war.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
1. (Historical Terms) a stream in N Italy: in ancient times the boundary between Italy and Cisalpine Gaul. By leading his army across it and marching on Rome in 49 bc, Julius Caesar broke the law that a general might not lead an army out of the province to which he was posted and so committed himself to civil war with the senatorial party
2. (Placename) a stream in N Italy: in ancient times the boundary between Italy and Cisalpine Gaul. By leading his army across it and marching on Rome in 49 bc, Julius Caesar broke the law that a general might not lead an army out of the province to which he was posted and so committed himself to civil war with the senatorial party
3. (sometimes not capital) a point of no return
4. (Card Games) a penalty in piquet by which the score of a player who fails to reach 100 points in six hands is added to his opponent's
5. cross the Rubicon pass the Rubicon to commit oneself irrevocably to some course of action
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
a river in N Italy flowing E into the Adriatic. 15 mi. (24 km) long: in crossing this ancient boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy, to march against Pompey in 49 B.C., Julius Caesar began a civil war.Idioms:
cross or pass the Rubicon, to take a decisive, irrevocable step.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Switch to new thesaurus
|Noun||1.||Rubicon - the boundary in ancient times between Italy and Gaul; Caesar's crossing it with his army in 49 BC was an act of war|
|2.||Rubicon - a line that when crossed permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment|
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007 |
Science, Tech, Math › Animals & Nature Butternut, a Common Tree in North America Share Flipboard Email Print Animals & Nature Forestry Individual Hardwood Species Tree Identification Basics Arboriculture Tree Structure & Physiology The Science Of Growing Trees Conifer Species Pests, Diseases, and Wildfires Tree Planting and Reforestation Amphibians Birds Habitat Profiles Mammals Reptiles Wildlife Conservation Insects Marine Life Dinosaurs Evolution View More By Steve Nix Forestry Expert B.S., Forest Resource Management, University of Georgia Steve Nix is a natural resources consultant and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters. our editorial process Steve Nix Updated January 28, 2020 Butternut (Juglans cinerea), also called white walnut or oilnut, grows rapidly on well-drained soils of hillsides and streambanks in mixed hardwood forests. This small to medium-sized tree is short-lived, seldom reaching the age of 75. Butternut is more valued for its nuts than for lumber. The soft coarse-grained woodworks, stains, and finishes well. Small amounts are used for cabinetwork, furniture, and novelties. The sweet nuts are prized as food by man and animals. Butternut is easily grown but must be transplanted early because of the quickly developing root system. 01 of 05 The Silviculture of Butternut ValerieZinger/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 Cultivars of this species have been selected for nut size and for ease of cracking and extracting kernels. Nuts are especially popular in New England for making maple-butternut candy. Small amounts of wood are used for cabinets, toys, and novelties. Butternut is under attack by the butternut canker disease within its range. 02 of 05 The Images of Butternut (uwdigitalcollections/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0) Forestry Images provides several images of parts of butternut. The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is Magnoliopsida > Juglandales > Juglandaceae > Juglans cinerea L. Butternut is also commonly called white walnut or oilnut. 03 of 05 The Range of Butternut Elbert Little/U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Wikimedia Commons Butternut is found from southeastern New Brunswick throughout the New England States except for northwest Maine and Cape Cod. The range extends south to include northern New Jersey, western Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, northwestern South Carolina, northern Georgia, northern Alabama, northern Mississippi, and Arkansas. Westward is found to central Iowa and central Minnesota. It grows in Wisconsin, Michigan, and northeast into Ontario and Quebec. Through most of its range butternut is not a common tree, and its frequency is declining. The ranges of butternut and black walnut (Juglans nigra) overlap, but butternut occurs farther north and not as far south as black walnut. 04 of 05 Butternut at Virginia Tech cvrgrl HW/publicdomainpictures.net/CC0 Public Domain Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, 15 to 25 inches long, with 11 to 17 oblong-lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins; rachis is stout and pubescent with a well developed terminal leaflet; green above and paler below.Twig: Stout, maybe somewhat pubescent, yellow-brown to gray, with a chambered pith that is very dark brown in color; buds are large and covered with a few light-colored pubescent scales; leaf scars are 3-lobed, resembling a "monkey face;" a tuft of pubescence is present above the leaf scar resembling an "eyebrow." 05 of 05 Fire Effects on Butternut skeeze/pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Butternut does not typically survive fires that destroy aboveground plant parts. |
When we were young we had little to no idea at all about how money worked. We just asked our parents for our allowance, watched them pay bills, and ushered them to the toy store cashier. The moment we became adults and stepped into working society, we were hit hard by the harsh reality of money.
Money is valuable. It possesses a unique position in our society, wherein it can be both a negative and a positive aspect to our lives. It’s hard to admit, but our generation has a loose grip on the value of money. We have no education about it.
A survey conducted by George Washington University suggested that only 8% of their respondents are financially literate, while the rest were just financially confident. Statistics even implied that individuals aged between 20 to 24 years old were financially declining by 41 percent in comparison to the previous generation. To combat this impending and prevalent issue, here is some financial advice that can help young adults achieve financial success.
Learn the Art of Self-Discipline
Not everyone is lucky enough to be taught about how money works, but learning it is never too late. Developing healthy financial habits is the key to a successful financial future. Learning how money is earned gives us the ability to value every last penny we have.
Knowing when and how to spend keeps us from depleting our bank accounts. Budget awareness gives us direction and is an inevitable lesson. You can start by tracking your cash flow, and know how much and when your money comes in.
From there, list your expenses, know which ones are priorities, and establish the difference between a want and a need. Create a spreadsheet that encompasses all this information. You will then be able to create a well-thought budget. Always rethink your spending.
Start saving, start early, and better yet, start now. This is probably the most common term you will hear when talking about finances. Saving is an important aspect in finances because it keeps you from spending, and allows you to accumulate more money, plus it gives you a head start for your retirement.
This habit makes you ready for any financial hiccup or accident. It is better to learn to be comfortable saving money rather than spending money. If you are struggling with spending, I suggest you watch “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” It might give a little more insight on shopping habits.
Know How Credit, Debit, Loans Work
Being knowledgeable about how money works includes knowing about how credit, debit, and loans work. All these are part of a financial ecosystem ran by monetary institutions. A debit card is a payment card that can be used to pay for your purchases. The funds directly come from your bank account.
A credit card on the other hand is a card issued by a bank with a certain limit or amount that a cardholder can borrow. They also help you rebuild your credit quickly. There are many types of loans.
A few of them are student loans, housing loans, and even auto loans. A loan is money lent by an entity under the impression that it is going to be used for a specific purpose.
Know Your Cash Flow
Since you are aware of the right habits and the importance of saving, now you need to learn your cash flow. Cash flow is the movement of your money; how it gets in and how it goes out. When you are well aware of your cash flow, you will be given a clearer view of your finances. You will know the areas where you can cut costs, and the areas to focus on. You can make better financial decisions when you are aware of your cash flow. |
0.4 per cent more greenhouse gases were released in Norway last year than the year before, figures from Statistics Norway show.
Not surprisingly, says Minister of Climate and Environment Ola Elvestuen (V) to NRK.
-The main reason for the increase is that we use less palm oil. But we do not yet have enough of the good biofuel to replace palm oil, says Ola Elvestuen.
The total increase in greenhouse gas emissions was 0.4 per cent from 2017 to 2018, according to Statistics Norway (Statistics Norway).
Among the areas where emissions increase are road traffic, with an increase of three per cent. The increase is due to the fact that there has been a minor share of biofuels in the fuel mixture. The reason for this is mainly a sharp reduction in imported palm oil, SSB writes.
-We have worked hard to reduce the use of palm oil in fuel because of the risk of deforestation in rainforest land. The work to replace palm oil must be strengthened in the following years. We will reduce at least 45 per cent by 2030. I will present a plan for it next year, so there is no doubt that the emissions will be lower in Norway in the next few years, ”says Elvestuen to NRK.
Sweden has reduced its CO2 emissions by 26 per cent since 1990, while Norway has experienced a slight increase in the same period. |
It is quite rare to view a live recording of a truly legendary performance, yet I was blessed to do so a few years ago. In a documentary about Mstislav Rostropovich, the genius Russian cellist, I saw such a performance, the night a Russian cello wept for Czechs. It was the 1968 Proms season and he performed Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor on August 21, 1968 – the very day that the Soviet tanks rolled into Prague.
I suggest you scroll down to the video and push play with your speakers on high, then scroll back to continue reading this post.
Still taking in all of the photographs, videos and films from the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, I was reminded of this performance…
This specific Proms* concert was at the center of much attention because of the accompaniment by the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra and the Soviet conductor Evgeny Svetlanov. Outside the Royal Albert Hall, protesters were shouting and holding up signs and banners denouncing the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. They made their way indoors as well.
(*The Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. The Proms were founded in 1895, and are now organised and broadcast by the BBC. This performance was Prom 30 of the 1968 season.)
Twist of fate…
Yes, it was a strange twist of fate that Russian cellist, Rostropovich, was playing the Dvorak Cello Concerto – After all, this is one of the most intensely nostalgic and nationalistic Czech works in the repertoire. This is precisely what made the occasion even more significant. For this reason, and for his incredible performance and solidarity, I believe this is one of the most important musical performances of the second half of the century – if not the whole of the century.
During this performance, Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor immediately became the unlikely scene of a worldwide protest for the musical world against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Why? Because a half a million Warsaw Pact troops had poured into Czechoslovakia, the land of Antonín Dvořák’s birth, to crush a remarkable flowering of liberal socialism which, in Moscow’s eyes, could not be allowed continue. For months, under the leadership of Alexandr Dubcek, Prague had been reforming industry and freedom of speech. The Soviet tanks rolling into Czech cities signaled the end of Moscow’s patience.
The audience in the theatre began heckling as soon as the orchestra took to the stage. “Go home!” someone shouted. “Russians out!” yelled another. By the end of the evening, despite the musical performance, shouts of “Russian murderers!” could still be heard…
Tears were streaming down his face…
However, Russian cellist Rostropovich held the center of attention and attendees began to notice that he was playing the entire piece with tears streaming down his face. He had such a great love of Prague and all the Czech people. It was there that we won his first ever musical competition and he frequently performed concerts there.
Weeping as he played, he later recalled that he imagined Czechs being killed through his tears. His playing was so emotional, filled with such sadness and anger at what was happening in Prague. After all, this was also the city where he had met his wife. To audience goers who recalled it later, it felt more like an apology than a piece of music. At the close of his performance, he held the score high overhead as a shared gesture of solidarity for the Czech people.
You can listen to a 30 minute audio where Paul Gambaccini recalls that evening in 1968, when Russian tanks entered Prague. Click here to listen to the audio.
Can you imagine what a nightmare for the cellist it must have been? Yet Rostropovich proceeded to give a performance of such seething intensity that no one could have left the hall with any doubt about his feelings towards the invasion.
Rostropovich made four recordings of this concerto in his lifetime, this is the version which is the most powerful and yet the most sorrowful. Perhaps Dvorak’s greatest achievement, this work has everything a human being can express and feel and dream.
Russian Cellist weeps for Czechs
From the below video description: On Aug. 21, 1968, Soviet tanks rolled into Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague Spring. This same day saw the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra’s Proms debut, with Rostropovich scheduled to perform Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, an ironic coinciding of events. A skirmish ran through the audience, which finally settled down with shouts of “shut up” out-yelling calls for the concert to be cancelled. Rostropovich performed with tears streaming down his cheeks as a terrified Vishnevskaya hid in her box. The performance burns with Rostropovich’s impassioned playing – an unforgettable evening when art coincided with human events to create one of history’s momentous theatrical occasions.
Rostropovich literally made the cello sing for all the Russian people in sympathy with the Czechs. Because the majority of the Russian people were also familiar with the Communist boots of the Soviets.
Do you hear the roar at the end of the video? I cannot even begin to imagine how it must have felt to be there!
Rostropovich may have been Russian, but he was against Soviets and communists. He is considered to be one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century and was internationally recognized as a staunch advocate of human rights, and was awarded the 1974 Award of the International League of Human Rights.
Rostropovich fought for art without borders, freedom of speech, and democratic values, resulting in harassment from the Soviet regime. An early example was in 1948, when he was a student at the Moscow Conservatory. In response to the February 10, 1948 decree on so-called ‘formalist’ composers, his teacher Dmitri Shostakovich was dismissed from his professorships in Leningrad and Moscow; the 21-year-old Rostropovich quit the conservatory, dropping out in protest.
In 1970, Rostropovich sheltered Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who otherwise would have had nowhere to go, in his own home. His friendship with Solzhenitsyn and his support for dissidents led to official disgrace in the early 1970s. As a result, Rostropovich was restricted from foreign touring, as was his wife, soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, and his appearances performing in Moscow were curtailed, as increasingly were his appearances in such major cities as Leningrad and Kiev.
Rostropovich left the Soviet Union in 1974 with his wife and children and settled in the United States. He was banned from touring his homeland with foreign orchestras and in 1977 the Soviet leadership instructed musicians from the Soviet bloc not to take part in an international competition he had organised.
In 1978 Rostropovich was deprived of his Soviet citizenship because of his public opposition to the Soviet Union’s restriction of cultural freedom. He would not return to the Soviet Union until 1990.
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Today, let's fly the ocean. The University of Houston's College of Engineering
presents this series about the machines that make our civilization
run, and the people whose ingenuity created them.
It's 1910: airplanes are still wobbly little box kites.
None have flown more than 140 miles at fifty miles an hour. Flight is still in
its cradle and the May issue of Century magazine describes transatlantic flight --
in airships, not airplanes.
Within a year of this article, Count von Zeppelin would be flying passengers
within Europe, and his goal was transatlantic service. We wouldn't see such
service for another eighteen years, just after Lindbergh's flight. Still,
airships would provide regular transatlantic service long before
One airship did try the crossing only six months after this article, in October,
1910. An American, Walter Wellman, had a non-rigid airship built in France.
He left Atlantic City in it, and was east of Nova Scotia when his engines failed.
He and his crew drifted for a day and a half; then managed to hail a passing
British mail ship. They lowered their own lifeboat, were picked up, and brought
safely back to New York. They used a combination of lantern signals and
primitive radio to communicate with the ship. And radio
was then even younger than flight.
The Century article reveals how much more methodical than early airplane \
pilots the dirigible builders were. It goes on at length about the care with which
dirigible meteorologists were identifying steady air currents -- wind rivers,
they called them. They were also mapping the oceanic trade winds in great detail.
Radio was already serving weather stations. Now dirigible pilots were set to
tie into that new stream of information.
Everything was on course to begin transatlantic service in 1915. Day and a half
crossings at seventy miles an hour were within grasp. Then, the guns of August,
1914. Passenger service was put aside. Von Zeppelin's airships were diverted
to bombing London. They were terrifying at first. But they soon fell to improved
airplane interceptors and tactics. Those great whales in the sky were never meant
to serve as warriors.
The postwar turmoil of economic sanctions and depression once more slowed the goal.
Count von Zeppelin died in 1917 and Hugo Eckener took over the work. Eckener
struggled with all the postwar troubles and finally managed to fly from
Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Like Lindbergh, he received a ticker-tape
parade in Manhattan. His airships went on to log over a million miles in transatlantic
service with a perfect service record.
Eckener was enormously popular in Germany. He even tried to run against Hitler in
the 1933 presidential election. Of course that doomed him. Hitler made him
persona non grata and nationalized the airships. He ran them until the
Hindenburg burned at Lakehurst. After that, another war, and no more
dirigibles. We had only that brief bright nine-year era, so well foreseen in an
old magazine article.
I'm John Lienhard at the University of Houston,
where we're interested in the way inventive minds
T. R. MacMechen and C. Dienstbach, Over Sea by Air-ship: Surprising Progress of German
Plans for a Transatlantic Service. The Century Magazine, Vol. LXXX, No. 1, May,
1910. pp. 113-119. All images from this source.
See also the Wikipedia articles about
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin,
and the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. |
US Sailing’s STEM Education Series
Check out Module 1 in both the Educator Guide and Student Logbook here for FREE!
If you’re thinking about trying out Reach at your program than this is the perfect resources for you!
Why use Reach?
Adventure programming focusing on the “How” and “Why” of sailing
Kids stay engaged on no-wind or rainy days
Over 100,000 youth have participated in US Sailing’s Reach Initiative annuallyfor the past three years from over 450 schools, sailing centers, and yacht clubs working together to combine STEM Education and the great sport of sailing using this standardized curriculum. Reach has shown proven success with participants increasing their STEM based knowledge on an average of 13%.
Reach Educator Guide Middle School, Modules 1-10
The Reach Educator Guide is the perfect easy to follow curriculum for sailing instructors and teachers interested in implementing STEM through sailing! Middle School Modules 1-10 are designed for use in the classroom, on the water, and in outdoor classrooms. Implement 1 module or all 10. If you would like to dive into the curriculum through a one day professional development course, try US Sailing’s STEM Educator Course with includes a copy of the Reach Educator Guide. The Reach modules are correlated to National Education Standards in science and math, as well as US Sailing’s Learn Sailing Right! Beginner and Intermediate. US Sailing highly recommends working with your local school district to implement standards based programming in your area.
Regular Retail Price: $59.95
Member Price: $49.95
Student Logbook & Portfolio
Perfect for youth ages 10-16, in the Reach Student Logbook & Portfolio provides a place for youth sailors to track their sailing skills, collect data, reflect on their learning, and engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and the environment around them. Students will be inspired through the many “Career Connections” to peruse their love of sailing for a lifetime.
Regular Retail Price: $8.00
Member Price: 25% off
Bulk Pricing: email [email protected]
The student book directly aligns to Modules 1-10 in the Reach Educator Guide: Middle School and also with the Learn Sailing Right Beginning Sailing and Learn Sailing Right Intermediate Sailing books. A fit for Adventure Sailing Classes, Learn to Sail programs, and of course Reach programming. Just getting started, check out the STEM Educator Course for teachers and sailing instructors participating in US Sailing’s Reach Initiative
Reach Educator Guide Middle School, Modules 11-17
Designed for middle school students, these seven modules incorporate national education concepts including watershed education, climate change, and green technology—all with a focus on learning both on and off the water. The modules are aligned to the Ocean Literacy Principles and include content created by sailing centers actively implementing the Reach curriculum. Modules 11-17 are designed as a supplement to follow as a resource for those who attended the Reach Educator Course and have already implanted a few modules from 1-10 having practice skills in inquiry-based education practices.
Retail Price: $19.95
Interested in joining the Reach Initiative?
Register for the Reach STEM Educator Course , a one day professional development and training (which includes a copy of the Reach Educator Guide) or purchase the Educator Guide at the US Sailing store. We are always looking for schools and sailing centers to host a STEM Educator Course at their facilities. Many programs find hosting a Sailing Through STEM Night is an easy way to get started and ignite some STEM energy in your community.
Are you implementing two or more of the Reach modules at your school or youth program? Register with US Sailing’s Reach Initiative and your organization and contact information will be added to the Reach website.
Reach: Middle School Modules 1-10
|Module 1||Measuring Wind||“How can we use the wind if we can’t see it?”|
|Module 2||Buoyancy||“How does this boat float?”|
|Module 3||Sail Area and Perimeter||“What shape are sails and why?”|
|Module 4||Simple Machines on Sailboats||“Why do boats have all these ropes and pulleys?”|
|Module 5||Water Quality Testing||“What is happening in the water out there?”|
|Module 6||Marine Debris||“How does marine debris get in our waters and where does it go?”|
|Module 7||Upwind Sailing Angles||“How does geometry affect my sailing?”|
|Module 8||Land and Sea Breezes||“Why does the wind change as the day progresses?”|
|Module 9||Wind Power||“How is wind used as power?”|
|Module 10||Underwater Exploration||“How can we learn more about our sailing environment?”|
“I’m pretty critical when it comes to STEM, and there is a lot of trendy/science-as-entertainment stuff out there, but it looks like Reach has mostly gotten it right. It appears tactile, mechanical and not dumbed-down. It’s not whiz-bang or computer- or video-driven. It looks like it’s the kind of thing that builds intuition and more importantly, the ability to build intuition.” – Brian Bauman Ph.D.
The Reach modules are correlated to National Education Standards in science and math, as well as US Sailing’s Learn Sailing Right! Beginner and Intermediate. US Sailing highly recommends working with your local school district to implement standards based programming in your area. |
In 1836, after returning from the Beagle, Charles Darwin wrote “I have had a bad spell. Vomiting every day for eleven days, and some days after every meal.” Darwin suffered for over 40 years from long bouts of vomiting, stomach cramps, headaches, severe tiredness, skin problems and depression. A number of researchers now suggest that he suffered from lactose intolerance (Campbell and Matthews, 2005). His case is a good example of how easily lactose intolerance can be missed.
Lactose is a disaccharide made up from glucose and galactose. It is the primary carbohydrate (sugar) found exclusively in mammalian milk (Heyman, 2006). To obtain energy from lactose, it must be broken down to glucose and galactose by the enzyme lactase. This enzyme is found in the small intestine on the tips of the villi. Glucose and galactose are then readily absorbed into the bloodstream to provide energy. Lactose intolerance occurs when the body produces little or no lactase, or when the lactase it produces doesn’t work. In the absence of lactase, lactose is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. These bacteria produce hydrogen and a wide range of potential toxins (Matthews et al., 2005).
Lactose intolerance and cow’s milk allergy are often mistakenly confused. Lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of lactase, cow’s milk allergy is an adverse immune reaction to proteins found in milk.
Hippocrates first described lactose intolerance around 400 years BC but the clinical symptoms have become recognised only in the last 50 years (Lomer et al., 2008). Symptoms include diarrhoea, bloated and painful stomach and on some occasions nausea and vomiting. Typically lactose intolerance causes diarrhoea via an osmotic mechanism. However, persistent lactose-induced diarrhoea that lasts long after the lactose has gone may be caused by a signalling mechanism analogous to cholera or enterotoxin (Matthews et al., 2005).
Other symptoms may include muscle and joint pain, headaches, dizziness, lethargy, difficulty with short-term memory, mouth ulcers, allergies (eczema, rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma) cardiac arrhythmia, sore throat, increased frequency of urination, acne and depression (Lomer et al., 2008). The severity of symptoms depends on the level of lactase produced; someone producing moderate levels may experience mild symptoms, whereas a person producing very little or no lactase will suffer more severe symptoms. Even more worrying is that bacterial toxins may play a key role in several other diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and some cancers (Campbell et al., 2009).
There are three types of lactase deficiency:
- Primary lactase deficiency (adult-type hypolactasia) is the most common form. In most mammals, lactase activity naturally declines at variable rates following weaning until it reaches undetectable levels (Lomer, 2008). Generally the age of onset ranges from 1-20 years (Rasinperä et al., 2004). However, it is not unknown for lactose intolerance to develop in people over 20 (Seppo et al., 2008).
- Secondary (acquired) lactase deficiency is caused by illness, injury or medication. It can result from digestive diseases of the small intestine (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), or intestinal damage caused by infections (such rotavirus and Giardia) (Matthews, 2005). Chemotherapy and long courses of antibiotics can cause lactose intolerance too. This may be temporary, but if caused by a long-term condition, could be permanent.
- Congenital lactase deficiency is an extremely rare disorder of new-borns associated with a complete absence of lactase. Affected infants present with intractable diarrhoea as soon as human milk or lactose-containing formula is introduced. Infants with this condition would not be expected to survive before the 20th century, as no suitable lactose-free formula was available (Heyman, 2006).
For some years, it was thought that lactase persistence in humans was the ‘wild-type’ pattern. It is now widely accepted that in adulthood, lactase deficiency is the normal state for most people (Lomer et al., 2008). A staggering 4,000 million people cannot digest lactose properly (Campbell et al., 2009). In fact, around 70 per cent of the world’s population has primary lactase deficiency (Heyman, 2006; Lomer et al., 2008). It is most prevalent in Asian and African countries with 80-100 per cent frequency. In Northern Europe, prevalence varies between one and 18 per cent (Rasinperä, 2004). The age of onset varies among different ethnic populations. Around 20 per cent of Hispanic, Asian and black children under five show some evidence of lactase deficiency (Heyman, 2006), while low lactase levels are rarely seen in white children under five (Rasinperä, 2004).
The widespread prevalence of lactose intolerance suggests that lactase deficiency is the normal or natural state and that the ability to continue to digest lactose after weaning originates from a genetic mutation that provided a selective advantage to populations using dairy products (Swagerty et al., 2002). This idea is supported by William Durham in his book Coevolution (Durham, 1991). Durham describes milk as baby food not ‘intended’ for adult consumption. He describes how the ability to digest lactose is the exception to the norm and can originally be traced back to a minority of pastoral tribes: the Tutsi and Hutu of Rwanda; the Fulani of West Africa; the Sindhi of North India; the Tuareg of West Africa and some European tribes. People who have retained the normal intolerance of lactose include: Chinese, Japanese, Inuit, native Americans, Australian Aborigines, Iranians, Lebanese and many African tribes including the Zulus, Xhosas and Swazis. These people, generally, do not have a history of pastoralism. As stated in Part One (The Origins of Dairy Farming) lactase persistence only developed around 8,000 years ago. In evolutionary terms, this is very recent history.
A range of tests can be used to diagnose lactose intolerance. The breath hydrogen test is currently considered to be the most cost-effective, noninvasive reliable test (Lomer et al., 2006). However, it involves drinking a lactose solution and can cause severe symptoms, sometimes lasting for days (Matthews, 2005). In rare cases a small bowel biopsy may be used to measure lactase levels. However, this invasive technique is usually used to determine whether the symptoms are caused by another condition, such as coeliac disease. A stool acidity test may be used to check infants for lactose intolerance. This is because large doses of lactose, such as those given in the breath hydrogen test, are dangerous for young children. Also, infants are more likely to develop dehydration caused by diarrhoea. DNA analysis of blood samples could offer a quick and easy to way to diagnose lactose intolerance and may help to differentiate patients with primary and secondary lactase deficiency (Lomer et al., 2008). However, this test is not yet routinely available.
When a dairy exclusion diet appears to fail, lactose intolerance is often mistakenly ruled out (Matthews et al., 2005). This is because lactose is added to many unexpected (non-dairy) foods and may continue producing symptoms in a patient convinced they are on a lactose-free diet. Lactose is used as a browning agent in bread and cakes, it is added to processed meats (sausages and burgers) and even injected into some chicken meat. It is also added to some soft drinks and lagers. Breakfast drinks, powders and slimming products can contain as much lactose as cow’s milk and it is often used in sauces supplied to butchers and restaurants (Matthews et al., 2005). Since 25 November 2005, all pre-packed foods sold in the UK have to show clearly on the label if they contain milk or any of the ingredients of milk.
Treatment depends on how sensitive the patient is to lactose. If they are mildly intolerant, they may be able to tolerate small amounts of some dairy foods. Fermented dairy foods (such as probiotic yoghurt and milk, sour cream, cottage cheese and hard cheeses, such as Edam and Cheddar) contain less lactose than fresh dairy products. Alternatively lactase may be taken in liquid form or capsules before a meal or added to cow’s milk. Low lactose milk is also available in supermarkets but is quite sweet as it contains galactose and glucose from degraded lactose. Other animal milks (such as goat’s milk), are not lactose-free. In fact, the lactose content of goat’s and cow’s milk are very similar; goat’s milk contains 4.4g of lactose per 100g and whole milk contains 4.5g per 100g and semi-skimmed contains 4.7g per 100g (FSA, 2002). Of course, non-dairy products (such as soya, rice and oat milk) are excellent alternatives that do not require any monitoring at all.
Avoiding all lactose means cutting out all dairy foods and checking labels for lactose in bread, chocolate and other processed foods including meats. In addition, lactose is used in some types of medication so the patient should check with their GP or pharmacist (although symptoms of lactose intolerance rarely occur as a result of taking medication containing it).
Although there is no evidence of calcium deficiency in people eating a Chinese or Japanese diet with no lactose (Matthews, 2005), patients cutting out dairy foods may need some help and advice on how to ensure they still get plenty of calcium. This may be important for young children who need calcium for healthy growth and development. There are many excellent non-dairy sources of calcium including non-oxalate dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, spring greens, cabbage, bok choy and watercress), dried fruits (figs and dates), nuts (almonds and Brazil nuts) and seeds (sesame seeds and tahini, which contains a massive 680 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams) (FSA, 2002). The dairy industry frequently cites the poor absorption of calcium from spinach as an example of how ‘superior’ cow’s milk is as a source of calcium. However, spinach is an unusually poor source of calcium compared to other plant foods as it contains higher levels of oxalate which binds calcium and lowers its availability. Pulses (soya beans, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans, broad beans, lentils, peas and calcium-set tofu) also provide a good source, as does calcium-fortified soya milk.
Although rarely life-threatening, the symptoms of lactose intolerance can lead to significant discomfort, disrupted quality of life, loss of school attendance and leisure and sports activities and work time, all at a cost to individuals, families and society (Heyman, 2006). The terminology relating to lactose intolerance (as opposed to milk protein allergy) can be confusing. It is therefore crucial to ensure that these problematic terms do not cause diagnostic mistakes and inappropriate treatment (Harrington and Mayberry, 2008).
In conclusion, drinking cow’s milk is neither normal nor natural. The health implications of being the only mammal to consume milk as adults (and not just that, milk from another species too) are becoming clearer in the scientific literature as levels of the so-called diseases of affluence soar. The treatment for lactose intolerance is straightforward: avoid lactose. This means cutting out all dairy foods and checking labels for lactose in bread, chocolate and other processed foods. |
World History with Mr. Johnson
Unit 1: Major Religions & World Empires
Unit 2: Renaissance & Reformation
Unit 3: Exploration & Global Trade
Unit 4: From Absolutism to Enlightened Revolutions
Unit 5: Legacy of the Enlightenment & Napoleon
Unit 6: Industrialization & Imperialism
Unit 7: World War I & the Interwar Period
Unit 8: World War II & 20th Century Genocide
Unit 9: Cold War & Decolonization
Unit 10: Contemporary Issues
SOL Test Prep
Check Your Grade
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Watch a movie
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Type a one paragraph summary
of the film, describing the characters and plot.
Write an additional paragraph
relating the film to the themes of the unit it is listed under.
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Youth in the bay area need quality programming where they’ll be engaged, where they can gain independence, and navigate the challenging transition from childhood to adolescence all while learning valuable and applicable skills. According to the California Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Learning Network, “a STE[A]M-literate student is not only an innovator and critical thinker, but is able to make meaningful connections between school, community, work and global issues.”
Y STEAM initiatives serve youth through our after school and camp programs that are living in the Bay Area’s most under-resourced neighborhoods: 35% of youth in our service areas are living in poverty.
Last year, the majority of the youth involved in the programs were African-American and Latino students (90%) in the 5th-8th grade range.
Our STEAM programs engage over 1,800 youth in hands-on, project-based learning.
Y kids have opportunity to compete nationally through STEAM competitions like Thingamajig and TechShop’s SumoBots Competition.
The YMCA of San Francisco empowers and inspires young people to look towards STEAM education and careers through our STEAM Academy that takes place during the school year and summer camps. Many of the young people that come through our doors are students of color from low-income households. These students are illustrative of those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEAM fields. By working to engage with these young people at an early age, and inspire them to see the possibilities that can come from STEAM education, we are working to create a generation of young people who are not only STEAM-literate, but are ready to fill the growing gap in a diversified workforce.
From woodworking to robotics, and gardening to coding, our menu of options allows for entry points for all students depending on their age and interests. Our STEAM specialists have been able to work with community partners to develop curriculum and opportunities for engagement in neighborhoods across the Bay Area.
At Y Makers Camp, youth and their families can engage in woodworking and carpentry classes, learning valuable skills and building furniture and games to take home and to share! We empower youth with an emphasis on safety and creativity, and in this environment, we see young people from kindergarten through high school use tools to create and build. Youth not only learn the skills necessary to properly use and maintain woodworking and carpentry tools, but they are able to build and create something tangible. The sense of accomplishment present for the youth and the families after they work together to build something is poignant.
Through our technology and innovation component, STEAM Academy offers robotics camps and coding classes. Participants learn to take apart computers to rebuild or repurpose them to create something new. Moreover, they learn how to create video games and apps all while experimenting and inventing new ideas. With a joint focus on 21st century skill building and social responsibility, our robotics and app building curriculum have youth identify a community issue and guide them in working together to use the new skills they have acquired to address the issue. Last year, a group of our young people worked together to build a robot they named ElderBot which worked to help seniors and the local retirement community with daily tasks.
We incorporate workforce development and exposure to 21st century STEAM careers into the STEAM Academy. For example, the head of our woodworking component has taken on two high school age “apprentices” one of whom is coming from the San Francisco Mayors Youth Employment and Education Program. These apprentices receive stipends for their work and are given the opportunity to help teach, guide, and mentor younger students. Furthermore, the STEAM Academy takes youth on site tours of STEAM work spaces and welcomes guest speakers who have specialized in STEAM fields to speak with students about their education and career pathways.
In the summer of 2015 we offered the Thingamajig® Invention Convention. The Thingamajig Invention Convention was brought to San Francisco summer camps, and campers worked on hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math inventions at a full-day of learning and competition. Thingamajig started as a way to spark the inventive and creative minds of children through hands-on exhibits and challenges. Originally created by Janice Williams from the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington DC, it’s been twenty-two years and Thingamajig keeps getting bigger and better. |
Sermon Reference: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (text); Romans 8:18-25
Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life … When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence … Things do not change, we change.” Henry David Thoreau, 19th century American philosopher wrote this while he lived by a lake called Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. During these two years, he pondered upon the meaning of life and simple living close to nature.
While Thoreau was a 19th century philosopher who pondered the meaning of life, Andy Warhol was no philosopher, but merely a pop artist. Nevertheless, in 1968, he waxed philosophical in saying, “In the future everybody will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” From this saying came the idiom, “15 minutes of fame.”
Warhol’s only venture from pop art to philosophy echoes what the writer of Ecclesiastes taught 2,500-3,000 years ago. The Preacher, as the writer of the book is often called, begins his book exclaiming, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The Hebrew word translated “vanity” is also translated as “meaningless” or “useless.” The Hebrew literally means “vapor, breeze, wind,” so it can refer to something very fleeting or disappearing very quickly. It could also point to the fleeting pleasures of life. Or it can be an expression of frustration, anger, or sorrow. Or maybe, life itself is “vanity” because it is hard to understand even with all wisdom; to try to understand it is useless, “a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14-15). Thus, the meaning of this word is similar to what James says about our lives, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
In this book is a catalog of meaningless things “under the sun”: wisdom, pursuit of pleasure, work, and life and death itself. In the first eleven verses, he speaks about life, from fallen man’s point of view, as meaningless. Man’s work is futile, with nothing to gain (verse 3). Life’s cycles never change (verse 4). Creation itself, the universe and the earth, remain the same (verses 5-7). And there is nothing new “under the sun” (verses 9-10).
Finally, old things will not be remembered. Even new things today will be old tomorrow, and will be forgotten (verse 11). This present generation is the best example of this. In the last several years, every time Apple came out with a new iPhone, people would start to camp in long lines to buy the new version, even overnight. Now, some industry analysts say that Apple is on the decline. Some are even saying that Apple might be the next Atari or Compaq—irrelevant and meaningless. Who remembers these two companies? Who remembers the Sony Walkman or those big, round, CD players?
Andy Warhol was right: everyone and everything will be famous for “15 minutes.” The Preacher of Ecclesiastes is even more right: life is meaningless and nothing is new under the sun. But does the Preacher really conclude that life on this earth is vain and meaningless?
Today, we will meditate on the theme, “Life is Fifteen Minutes of Vanity,” under three headings: (1) From a Human Point of View; (2) From God’s Sovereign Decree; and (3) Life is All Vanity, Really?
From a Human Point of View
Because the Preacher teaches in these verses that all life is vain and meaningless, there is no gain for man from anything in this life. So he repeatedly asks throughout the book, “What does man gain?” (Eccl 3:9; 5:15; also Eccl 2:11; 6:11; 10:11) Is there any meaning to our lives?
The first subject that he mentions as futile is man’s toil or work, “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (verse 3) From the very beginning, as the builders of the Tower of Babel, man’s desire was to make a name for himself. The Pharaohs of Egypt built those giant pyramids so they will be remembered. Nebuchadnezzar built his majestic hanging gardens for his own glory. Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world, and built great cities named after him, including Alexandria in Egypt and Kandahar in Afghanistan. The Roman emperors surpassed all of those before them in power and in conquering most of the world. Where are all of these empires, emperors and their magnificent cities, buildings and monuments now? All are gone, except for the ruins and the faded memories.
Churches today are not immune from these “15 minutes of fame” phenomenon. Youth leaders would come back from a “creative worship” seminar or camp bringing “new” songs for the church. After a few months, these “new” songs are set aside for still newer “new” songs. Most so-called Christian bands and personalities, like their secular counterparts, vanish after their “15 minutes of fame.”
Although megachurches are still popular, there are signs of decline after four decades of dominating evangelicalism. Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral, one of the first of these megachurches, is now gone. Our old home church in California has declined by more than half. Most membership increase is not because of new converts, but because of transfers from other churches. Because a great majority of these churches are not true churches—preaching false gospels, dishonoring the sacraments, and no church discipline—they will falter in the end. Only true churches will remain steadfast, even if they remain small, because they are not after “15 minutes of fame,” but for faithfully preaching the true gospel of Christ.
The second subject the Preacher mentions as meaningless is the cycle of life itself, “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever” (Eccl 1:4). Some scholars believe that the generations refer to the human cycle; others concluded that they refer to the natural cycles of creation. In contrast to the coming and going of time and cycles, the earth remains permanent.
The third subject is creation itself, which runs its course daily, monthly, yearly, and for many millennia, but does not change. This seemingly endless cycle of nature has continued since the beginning of time when God created the sun, moon and stars, and the seasons on earth. The sun rises and sets at specific times daily. The wind blows wherever it will, and it blows in never-ending circles. The rains fill the rivers, and the rivers flow to the sea. But the sea never changes its level in minute amounts that the change is measurable only by sensitive equipment. The only time changes in sea level are visible is when a tsunami comes after an earthquake.
These natural cycles of creation does seem to have no purpose, in vain, and meaningless because they do not have any lasting effect on anything.
From God’s Sovereign Decree
Because of the utter meaningless of man’s toil, the cycles of human life, and the seasons of natural world, the Preacher continues, “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. All of the things in the previous verses—human and natural cycles—continue in endless repetition. When we look at these things, we sometimes say in exasperation, “Same old, same old,” or “Been there, done that.” The Preacher says these things are wearisome, and we run out of words to describe it. Our eyes see and our ears hear these things, but we are never satisfied. No matter what “new” things we see or hear, we want to see and hear more “newer” things.
This is why the Preacher says that always seeking “new” things “under the sun” is all meaningless. It is because “there is nothing new under the sun” (verse 9). Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us”(verse 10). The world has always been obsessed with the “new and improved.” Adam and Eve were given an obsession by the serpent: to touch, eat and taste that beautiful, delicious-looking forbidden fruit. The builders of the tower of Babel were obsessed to build a new, great structure to make a name for themselves.
If nothing is new under the sun, what shall we call space travel, the most advanced computer and communications technologies, and weapons of mass destruction unknown to man until 70 years ago? They might be new things, but the people who make them are only as intelligent and as sinful as all previous generations. Even heresies in the church are merely recycled heresies from the ancient days. All new “insights” and doctrines are just heresies of the past because of man’s sin.
Since man’s fall into sin, the world has been full of its tragic consequences: war, disease, oppression, hard labor, grief and hopelessness. The Preacher has a very pessimistic statement, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done” (verse 9). The tragic past, present and future effects of sin will always be present, even unto the end of time.
At the end of our text, the Preacher writes a sad conclusion, “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after” (verse 11). Why do we call some ideas “new” when there is nothing new “under the sun”? Because we have either forgotten them or ignorant of them. We have very short memories. If we have a hard time remembering people, events and things just a few years back, how do we remember these things from 10, 20, 50 or 100 years ago?
Look at the church today. Evangelicals have no idea what, why, and how they came to be, or why there is a Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals who both claim the truth from the Bible. It is because they are ignorant of the history of the church beyond their own local church. Heretics of old—Montanus, Pelagius, Donatus, Jacobus Arminius, Charles Finney, to name a few—are their heroes. Not only are they ignorant of church history, they are ignorant of the Holy Scriptures itself! Very basic doctrines such as original sin, substitutionary atonement, justification, sanctification, and the end times are rarely taught, preached or discussed. Evangelicalism has made its choice of entertainment over doctrine, experience over Scripture, resulting in widespread Biblical illiteracy.
The march of people from one generation to the next, the cycles of the created world, and the obsession with “new” things that are actually old: all of these seem to be meaningless and in vain.
Life is All Vanity, Really?
In these first eleven verses, the Preacher’s thoughts dwell on the human perspective. And from the human perspective alone, everything under the sun is meaningless. But what does the rest of Scripture tell us about these things? First, man’s toil was established by God already in the Garden of Eden, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Since this command was given to Adam before he fell into sin, work is not a result of sin. Man was created by God to work and to guard his own created world.
But after sin, work has become hard labor, with blood, sweat and tears. Paul tells us about the importance of honest work, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Eph 4:28). He condemns those who are lazy, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess 3:10). He judges them harshly, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8).
Work is not meaningless, for we have a higher goal for our labors, not just for ourselves and our families, but to help those who are needy, especially among the “household of faith” (Gal 6:10).
Secondly, human and natural cycles are not meaningless, endless repetitions, because God has decreed before the creation of the world all things that will come to pass, “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” (Isa 46:10). Not only did he ordain everything that will happen, he has made all of his decrees of creation happen: “He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved” (Psa 104:5); and “The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth” (Psa 104:8-9). From the fourth day of creation, God set the courses of all the cosmic lightbearers—the sun, moon and stars—“[the sun] runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them” (Psa 19:5-6).
Therefore, what seems from our human perspective as endless, repetitious cycles of work, life, and natural seasons are not meaningless and futile as we might think. Because God has ordained them for his good purpose for his creation. God rules over all his creation as the King of the universe, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psa 103:19; 1Tim 6:15). Not only does he rule over all his creation, God guides man to act according to his purpose, “fashion[ing] the hearts of men” (Psa 33:13-15), even turning the king’s heart “wherever he will” (Prov 21:1).
As Christians, one of our favorite encouraging texts is Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” All good things are sent to his people by God. And even temptations, sufferings and persecutions that come to us are also under God’s sovereign plan.
We commonly hear that “history repeats itself,” but God is leading all history from a seemingly endless and meaningless cycle to a dramatic end and into an eternal age. Ever since Jesus ascended into heaven, Christians have eagerly awaited his return to gather his people into the new heaven and new earth. Jesus and his disciples promised his return in his Word, and we trust that he will fulfill his Word now, as he did in ages past. And the day of his coming is also the Day of Judgment.
At the end of his book, the Preacher anticipates this Judgment Day, “God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl 12:14). Evildoers do not believe in Christ’s return and a Day of Judgment, saying that the world is in an endless, repetitious, meaningless cycle of seasons, so they mock, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2Pet 3:4). The world has always been in a meaningless merry-go-round, so why worry? But God’s wrath will destroy all the mocking, scoffing sinners who are “being kept until the day of judgment” (2Pet 3:7).
But although God is wrathful towards sinful man, God is also “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psa 103:8). God was not slack in giving the Ninevites a 40-day reprieve from destruction if they repented of their wickedness (Jon 3:10).
The world is not in an endless, meaningless spin, but is swiftly moving to an end. You usually hear that God would completely vaporize the universe and create a completely new one. But the end is not of destruction, but of restoration to what God had originally intended: an eternal kingdom of a new heaven and a new earth. This is why Paul says that even though “creation was subjected to futility,” or meaninglessness or vanity, it will be “set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Even though ”the whole creation has been groaning together … we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:20-23). As Christ is the Son, so you are also adopted children with an eternal inheritance.
As you depart from this beautiful creation that God has prepared for you this weekend, remember that this world is not spinning endlessly and meaninglessly forever. Your lives are also not a meaningless cycle of birth and death, but of work ordained by God. As you await our Lord’s return, strive to live godly and holy lives in your homes, work, schools, and in the church. |
If you haven’t regularly traveled in California or Japan, you might not know how to react in the case of an earthquake. Wellington does have occasional light earthquake activity, so it is worth knowing how to react in the unlikely event of a little rumble.
Note: Our 7in7 venue at the National Library of New Zealand is one of the safest buildings in the world, housing NZ’s prized national archives and adhering to strict earthquake-proof building guidelines.
🙈 Drop, Cover, and Hold
The key thing to remember is to Drop, Cover, and Hold if you feel an earthquake. According to Wellington Emergency Management, here are where to find safe places in an earthquake:
If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, drop, cover, and hold. Stay indoors – you do not have to evacuate a building straight away unless it is showing obvious signs of distress.
If you are in bed, stay there! Cover your head with your pillow to protect it from falling objects.
If you are at or near the beach, drop, cover, and hold.
If the earthquake is LONG or STRONG then GET GONE. The only warning you will get for a tsunami caused by a local earthquake is the earthquake itself.
If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.
If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, move no more than a few steps away from buildings, trees, street lights, and power lines, then drop, cover, and hold.
In modern New Zealand homes, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the structure – doors can swing and injure you. Drop, cover, and hold is the correct action.
Even less likely is the possibility of a tsunami, which occur due to strong earthquakes. From Wellington Emergency Management:
“A tsunami is a series of sea waves or surges caused by a sudden event (such as an earthquake) beneath, or near the ocean causing the water column to move and a tsunami ‘wave’ to form. If you feel an earthquake that is either longer than a minute OR strong enough that it’s hard to stand up, as soon as the shaking stops, get to high ground, and out of all zones!” (past the blue line)
Remember! The National Library is not close enough to the waterfront to be in a risk zone. If you would like to check other venues or accommodation, you can visit the Tsunami Evacuation Zone page.
🚨 ShakeOut 2019
If you are in Wellington early, you might come across ShakeOut 2019 – a national earthquake drill on Thursday, 17 October 2019 at 1.30pm local time. Organizations such as schools and offices will be taking part, so don’t be surprised if people drop to the ground at that time!
ShakeOut is held across the world to remind people of the correct actions to take during an earthquake — Drop, Cover, and Hold — and to practice a tsunami hīkoi (evacuation) in in a coastal area.
ℹ️ For more information
Don’t be alarmed, but do be aware! If you do feel the earth move during the 7in7 Conference, it’s far more likely to be from inspiration (or too much partying) 🎉
You might want to ask your Airbnb host or accommodation provider if there is an emergency kit nearby, with a torch, water, and other key provisions.
Finally, the emergency number in New Zealand is: 111 |
"At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man - they were an awe inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze - knee to knee and horse to horse - the dying sun glinting on bayonet points..." Trooper Ion Idriess
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre aims to present an accurate history as chroniclers of early Australian military developments from 1899 to 1920.
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre site holds over 12,000 entries and is growing daily.
The following weeks will see the various pages from the Hotchkiss Portable Machine Gun Handbook, the official manual issued by the company for the use of troops in the field. The Hotchkiss Gun was introduced in the Light Horse formations during the early months of 1917. The introduction of this robust and portable gun gave the Light Horse Regiments additional mobile fire power which considereably added to their ability to sustain light combat situations and defend against vastly numerically superior forces. Apart from being an excellent weapon, it was in much demand by the Turkish forces who considered the capture of a Hotchkiss Gun well worth any risks involved in the process. This is a manual produced in 1917 and illustrates the method by which the Hotchkiss Gun was packed and moved throughout the Palestine campaign.
the proposition was raised that the alleged Elliott photograph claimed to be the charge of the 4th LHB at Beersheba. By a number of posts, each dealing with discrete sections of knowledge, it will be demonstrated that the alleged Elliott photograph was actually a picture taken by Captain Hurley of the 9th LHR on manoevres near Deir el Belah in February 1918. This is Part 2 of the discussion. The internal evidence of the alleged Elliott photograph.
One of the most fundamental methods of research is to allow the document or photgraph tell its own story. It is a process of examining the internal evidence. In this post, the alleged Elliott photograph will be examined on its own merits with the same picture available to Professor Ian Jones when he wrote his article in 1983. In that manner we can establish if the research and conclusions were accurate or deficient in dilligence prior to publication. Thus we will examine the internal evidence of the photograph.
In supporting this claim by Elliott was an article written by Ian Jones called: Is This The Charge At Beersheba? and published in the Journal of the Australian War Memorial, October 1983. Page 33 of the Journal is reproduced at the top of this article.
The reason for reproducing this page is to highlight the material available to Elliott and Jones which is available to everyone else through this article. So to that end, it is important to use this as the starting point to analyse the quality of scholarship produced by Jones in supporting the Elliott claim. This will allow all protagonists in this argument to begin from a common point - the published claim and reproduced photograph.
One item noticable on this copy is a red circle in the background. Below is an enlargement of the scene it describes.
Second Line, Charge Picture enlarged, 1.
This picture is extracted from that found in the Journal of the Australian War Memorial, October 1983, p. 33, the same facilities available to Jones then and now. The picture describes two dismounted men overviewing the 2nd line. Two empty saddles indicates that the riders have dismounted.
But what is going on here? What are these three men looking at?
If the focus is moved to the first section of horsemen in the second line, the answer becomes clear.
Second Line, Charge Picture enlarged, 2.
The horsemen of the sections immediately adjacent to the two dismounted horsemen are facing towards those men. The legs of the various horses indicates that there is no movement occurring at all. They are stationary. While it is beyond the ken to know exactly the actions that are occurring at the moment this picture was taken, it appears as though the men of this section are taking instructions from the dismounted soldiers.
If this is the thundering charge picture as described by Elliott, then the men in the second row are behaving quite casually and indeed are not charging at all.
Below is the whole section summed up.
Second Line, Charge Picture enlarged, 3.
[Click on picture for larger version.]
These men are not charging at all. Quite the contrary, they are standing around seemingly awaiting orders.
Now here is the problem confronted by those who believe that the picture was taken by Elliott. If the answer is that the picture represents the formation of the charge rather than the total charge, as has been put forward by some, then there is contradiction with the positioning of the third line. This relates to the hand drawn map by Massie indicating that the third line was assembled in line of column prior to the charge of the 4th LHB. The map and description may be located here:
In other words, the logic doesn't allow an each way description. If, as those who believe it is the Elliott photograph, this is the commencement of the charge, then the absence of the third line being in line of column militates against it being the Elliott photograph as it does not reflect the conditions at that moment. If this is then a picture of the full blown charge, then the second line does not appear to be charging at all and thus it cannot be the charge scene described by Elliott in his declaration:
I hastened to complete my job under the impression that this was what my charts were required for, at the same time keeping my eye on the Brigade area, to to my surprise it seemed to be within minutes, I saw horsemen in extended order coming over the crest of the ridge, I packed my gear, and then came another line of troops in the same order, I then moved around to the other side of the knoll, and by this time the third line appeared, bewildered by what was happening I just lay there and gazed in astonishment, as the front line drew nearer I saw that their bayonets were drawn and that they were approaching at a hard gallop, having a camera in my haversack I got it out and took a shot
Further compounding this situation is that of the third line. The aspect of the horses' stance indicates that the line too is standing still or not engaged in any charging action.
The internal evidence of the photograph leads one only to a single conclusion, it cannot possibly be the photograph of the charge at Beersheba by the 4th LHB as alleged by Elliott and supported by Jones. It would appear as though the examination of the picture by Jones was not conducted on the merits of the picture but introducing extraneous factors that have no bearing upon the subject. An examination of the internal evidence was not beyond the ability of Jones for the screening of the picture for the article meant that he had a high quality reproduction available to him. The enlargements in this post come directly from the screened photograph he had available to him at the time of publication in 1983. Nothing new has been added. The only difference between these two dates is a rigorous examination of the background in the picture, something that was absent in the initial article.
One final reflection. In the latest coffee table book produced by Jones called: A Thousand Miles of Battles, it is essentially a rehash of the Time Life book from 1986 with no attempt at a serious examination of this issue and others in light of recent scholarship. While no doubt becoming a popular version of the story, its inherent inaccuracies of detail make it risible for the purposes of scholarship. Indeed, it compounds the difficulties in telling an accurate story to the public when it is shrouded in solid myth. It is this mythology that debases the contribution of the men and women to our nation during these terrible years. It makes a mockery of their sacrifice and turns them into cartoon characters. But what else can one expect from a film script writer whose job is to sell fantasy. There is no problem with people producing fictional films but there is a major problem when fiction is produced under the guise of a book written by an "academic" and then sold to the public as reality.
When examining various works, indeed even this blog, it is essential to test all the information to ascertain its veracity. Elliott made a claim about a photograph which has been sustained by many over the years. When examined under forensic conditions, the claim seems to fade away. So too do the claims of Elliott's supporters.
Acknowledgement: This ground breaking study would not have been possible without the expert assistance of Chris Horvath and Steve Becker, both of whom contributed their own expertise. Chris and I discussed in detail the issues related to this photograph during my visit to Perth in July 2008 while Steve Becker added a depth of technical information regarding the movement of mounted cavalry. Of course, any errors, mistakes or omissions are mine alone. Bill Woerlee.
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the permission is still being sought, the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre has decided, in good faith, to proceed with digitisation and publication. Australian Light
Horse Studies Centre would be happy to hear from copyright owners at any time to discuss usage of this item. |
Celebrating the end of the drought will be short-lived, as state officials stressed that California continue along its course to improve conservation and efficiency to prepare for future droughts.
Written by Tara Lohan
Published on Apr. 9, 2017
As Northern California inched closer on Friday to breaking the record for the wettest water year in California’s recorded history, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order formally declaring the drought emergency over in most of the state.
After a very wet winter, California’s critical April 1 snowpack reading came in at 164 percent of the historical average and the U.S. Drought Monitor showed that less than 8 percent of the state was experiencing some form of drought, a stark change from the same time last year when 90 percent of the state was in drought, much of it extreme.
The governor’s executive order applies to all four counties – Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Tuolumne – where State Water Resources Control Board Chair Felicia Marcus said the drought emergency declaration was important to continue projects in progress to restore drinking water supplies impacted by the drought.
Friday’s executive order, B-40-17, rescinded four previous executive orders related to the drought, but Nancy Vogel, deputy secretary for communications for the California Natural Resources Agency, said the negative effects of California’s drought would linger for a long time, including diminished groundwater, subsidence from overpumping of aquifers and tree mortality.
But she stressed that the drought had also had good effects, such as the development of a legacy of conservation and efficiency – as the state also on Friday released a long-term framework that builds on a May 2016 executive order, B-37-16, Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life.
Marcus said that California next faced the “less dramatic but no less important work to prepare for the next” drought. This includes developing permanent prohibitions on wasteful water practices like irrigating turf medians and hosing off sidewalks.
Agricultural water suppliers that provide water to more than 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares) will also need to develop annual water budgets that would complement reporting requirements related to the implementation of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Ben Chou, policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called for more leadership from the state on agricultural water issues in the plan. “While we fully support the plan’s proposal to extend water planning requirements to more agricultural water suppliers, it keeps intact nearly all of the draft’s flawed ideas for improving agricultural water efficiency, including a misguided fixation on getting agricultural water districts (which supply irrigation water to farms) to complete complicated water budgets,” Chou wrote. “But even more disappointing, the plan omits specific water-saving practices for suppliers to adopt.”
When it comes to urban water suppliers, they will soon no longer be required to meet mandatory conservation requirements or stress tests for water supply. But the state will be developing new efficiency standards for urban water suppliers to comply with and utilize data that is site specific and related to climate, population, indoor water use, area of outdoor water use, commercial and industrial water use and leaks.
“State agencies will be setting efficiency standards but water suppliers will apply local information to set their targets,” said Kamyar Guivetchi, who manages statewide integrated water management for the Department of Water Resources. “Then they have flexibility to implement the projects they need to meet that target.”
Efficiency is often hailed as one of the cheapest ways to help increase water supply, while at the same time saving energy and money. But it won’t be the only avenue the state is pursuing. Groundwater overdraft remains a huge concern, with some parts of the San Joaquin Valley sinking as much as 28ft (8.5m) in the last century and critical water infrastructure at risk from subsidence.
The plan going forward looks a bit like an “all-of-the-above strategy.”
“If we combine efficiency foremost with tools like recycling, stormwater capture, groundwater management, underground and surface storage, ecosystems thinking and restoration, safe drinking water and more flexibility to enable each drop of water to benefit more than one need, we can face the future far more successfully,” said Marcus. |
Memorial to the victims of Stalin's deportation of the Crimean peoples in the city of Yevpatoria in Putin-occupied Crimea.
Today, many people in the Russian Federation will pause to remember the victims of political repressions in the USSR, in particular the members of the 14 peoples who were deported en masse and the 48 other nations who were deported or otherwise repressed only in part, a list that even more tragically is far from complete
While the regime of Vladimir Putin increasingly defends what Stalin did and tries to block any memorialization of his victims, Elena Meygun of Nazaccent.ru points out that “more than 700 memorials” to the victims of Stalinist repression nonetheless have been erected across the country.
Few of them are in Moscow or in other major cities. Instead, they are at the sites of former jails and camps, resettlement points, and mass graves. To give some idea of the scope of this effort, she provides pictures and details of some of them which show in her words that “the peoples of our country are united not only by the word ‘Russian’ but by a common tragedy.”
On this day, it is worth looking at these pictures and thinking about the millions of human victims of a system whose collapse Putin has described as “the greatest geopolitical tragedy” of the 20th century and, having viewed them, recommitting ourselves to ensuring that there will be no more steps in the direction of recreating it.
And unfortunately, such a recommitment is necessary not only morally but practically. As Crimean Tatar Mustafa Dzhemilyev reminds today, Moscow is engaged in an analogous act of ethnic engineering and genocide in occupied Crimea by forcing Crimean Tatars out and sending ethnic Russians in to take over their farms and houses.
Meygun’s gallery of memorials and the groups for which they were set up include:
- The Cossacks, who erected a memorial cross at a cemetery in Kotlas in the Far North in 2003 and another at the resettlement camp in Makarikha.
- The Lithuanians who set up a memorial in the Komi Republic in 1990 in honor of the Lithuanians who were deported there after the illegal annexation of their country.
- The Russian Germans who erected a memorial in Karelia.
- The Poles who set one up in St. Petersburg in 1993.
- The Ingush and Chechens who put up a memorial in Nazran in 1997 to those who were deported to Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
- The Kalmyks who erected a monument in their capital Elista in 1996 to those who had been deported and then able to return.
- The Karachays who put one up in 2014 in an aul in the Karachayevo-Cherkess Republic.
- The Estonians who erected a memorial cross in Norilsk in 1991 in honor of those Estonians who perished there.
- The Jews who put up a memorial in Medvezhegorsk in Karelia in 2005to the Jews who died not only in 1937-1938 but throughout the Soviet period.
- The Ukrainians who set up a memorial in Khakassia to which many of them were deported. It was dedicated in August 2000.
- The Latvians who erected a monument to Latvians who died in deportation in the Komi Republic in 1989.
- The Greeks who put up a memorial in Krasnodar in 2011 to victims from among that nation.
- The Koreans who put up a small memorial to their losses in Shcherbinka, near Moscow.
- The Mongolians who did the same also in Moscow oblast.
- The Yakuts (Sakha) who put up a monument in Arkhangelsk in 2009.
- The Assyrians who erected a memorial in St. Petersburg in 2000 to those of their nation who lost their lives in the GULAG.
- The Ingermanland Finns who set up a memorial also in the Northern Capital in 1994.
- The Balkars who have a memorial in their republic to those deported and killed.
- The Belarusians who set up a memorial in the Komi Republic in 1999.
- And the Crimean Tatars who have memorials in Feodosia and Yevpatoria, some of which have been vandalized since the Russian occupation of that Ukrainian peninsula. |
Nationally, as of the fourth quarter of 2013 housing’s share of gross domestic product stood at 15.3%, with the residential construction sector responsible for approximately 3.1 percentage points of that total. Similar Bureau of Economic Analysis data also allows a tracking of state-by-state economic output due to the construction sector – residential and nonresidential. These state-level numbers highlight the role of the construction sector as an engine of local economic growth.
The data in the map above come from 2012, the most recent year reported. Nationwide, construction was responsible for only 3.45% of economic output at that time. However given gains in construction spending in 2013, the construction share has certainly risen over recent months.
In 2012, the state with the highest construction share of gross state product (GSP) was Hawaii, where 5.27% of state output was due to construction. Other top states include North Dakota (5.15%), Mississippi (5.08%), Wyoming (5.08%), and Montana (5.05%).
The data also enable estimating the change in construction sector state product from 2011 to 2012, a period when the housing recovery began to take hold. The second map charts the percent change in the share of construction in terms of GSP.
States where the construction share rose the most as a percentage of the state’s economy include many states with growing natural resource and energy sectors: North Dakota (14% growth in share), West Virginia (13%), Alaska (6%), Kansas (6%), and Wyoming (5%).
When released, the 2013 data will provide a better sense of the impact the ongoing recovery in residential construction is playing in various local economies. The national numbers confirm that construction’s role in expanding economic activity grew during 2013, as the pace of residential construction spending increased more than 18% from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. |
[reposted from the Blaze]
Home-schooled students may have the academic edge over their public schooled peers, according to a new study from the Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science.
The study, which examined the test scores of 74 students ages 5-10, found that kids educated in structured home school environments actually outperformed their public school counterparts in math and reading.
Researchers found that public school kids tested either at or above their grade level, while home-schoolers tested about a half-grade higher in math and 2.2 grades higher in reading.
“Structured home-schooling may offer opportunities for academic performance beyond those typically experienced in public schools,” author Sandra Martin-Chang, a professor at Concordia University, said in a statement about the results.
While public school might help kids develop social skills, the advantages of home-schooling — including smaller class sizes, individualized attention and more time spent on core subjects — can accelerate the learning process, Martin-Chang said.
The test score differences remained even after researchers controlled for income levels, the mother’s education, employment and marital status.
Still, home-schooling didn’t beat public schooling across the board: The study included 12 students educated in unstructured home-school environments — known as “unschooling,” which uses no teachers, textbooks or tests — who scored between one and four grade levels below the public school and structured home school groups.
As the Associated Press reported in August, “there’s no fixed curriculum, course schedule or attempt to mimic traditional classrooms” with unschooling, and parents serve as “facilitators,” with materials and other resources, rather than top-down “teachers.”
Department of Education statistics show an estimated 1.5 million U.S. students – 2.9 percent of the school-age population – were home-schooled in spring 2007, up from 1.1 million four years earlier. According to the AP, the number of home-schooled students in the U.S. could now be up to 2 million. |
Next Post. The following bar chart lists the number of satellites launched based on the origin of the launch vehicle. Terrier Orion. Shenzhou 13 Gaganyaan Test Flight 1. Run through the list of Indian satellites, listed year-wise along with their purposes.
Indian Space Programme. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, dedicating. TERLS to U.N.
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES OF INDIA PDF DOWNLOAD
February 2, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) established at. ISRO Indian Satellites List – Study Notes for SSC & Bank Exams in PDF. 8 months ago. Save Download this as PDF.
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Before we look into the list of Indian. PDF | On February 15,ISRO set a new world record by launching satellites in a single Download full-text PDF. Content.
ISRO developed reliable and cost efficient satellite launch vehicle such as Polar Satellite.
Board index All times are UTC. Lista de servidores do dreamule download. Hidden categories: All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December Articles with permanently dead external links Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Use Indian English from December All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Use dmy dates from August Incomplete lists from October India has launched satellites of various types since its first in Rohini RS-D1 Rohini
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Rohini RS-D1 Rohini In principle, three geosynchronous satellites located symmetrically in artificial satellites of india plane of the earth's equator can provide complete coverage of the earth's surface. Sign Up for Free Already a Member? It will also undertake the development of new launch vehicles and spacecraft. Skip to content. It carried 12 high-power Ku-band transponders designed to provide direct-to-home DTH television services.
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Communications Earth Sciences . Technology Applications . Current Affairs. HAMSAT 5th May Micro satellite for providing satellite-based amateur radio services to the national as well as the international community. A network of 29 Intelsat satellites in geosynchronous orbit now provides instantaneous communications throughout the world. Video installer download.
ISRO Indian Satellites List Study Notes for SSC & Bank Exams in PDF Testbook Blog
The organisation responsible for India's space program is Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO) and it Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES OF INDIA PDF DOWNLOAD A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite from the Satish. Springsteen live 75 85 rar download. Coinbase exchange downloads.
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Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's Space Programme. Indigenously built remote sensing satellite IRS-1 A, in Retrieved 29 May The Times of India. GSAT — 11 is the latest, next generation high throughout communication satellite that will accelerate the broadband service across the nation.
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|This is a micro-satellite that was built as a collaboration between Indian and Dutch researchers, for providing satellite-based amateur radio services to the national as well as the international community.
Earth Sciences Space Physics . All Rights Reserved. The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November Go to Testbook Discuss! |
|Author||Tarasevich, Yu. I. ♦ Doroshenko, V. E. ♦ Rudenko, V. M. ♦ Ivanova, Z. G.|
|Source||United States Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information|
|Subject Keyword||ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES ♦ MATERIALS SCIENCE ♦ ALUMINIUM CHLORIDES ♦ SORPTIVE PROPERTIES ♦ GASEOUS WASTES ♦ ADSORPTION ♦ AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT ♦ MONTMORILLONITE ♦ ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS ♦ ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDES ♦ CATALYTIC EFFECTS ♦ HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS ♦ HEXANE ♦ INORGANIC ION EXCHANGERS ♦ ION EXCHANGE ♦ MICROSTRUCTURE ♦ POROSITY ♦ WATER VAPOR ♦ X-RAY DIFFRACTION ♦ ALKANES ♦ ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS ♦ CATALYSIS ♦ CHLORIDES ♦ CHLORINE COMPOUNDS ♦ CLAYS ♦ COHERENT SCATTERING ♦ CRYSTAL STRUCTURE ♦ DIFFRACTION ♦ FLUIDS ♦ GASES ♦ HALIDES ♦ HALOGEN COMPOUNDS ♦ HYDROCARBONS ♦ HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS ♦ HYDROXIDES ♦ ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS ♦ ISOTHERMS ♦ MATERIALS ♦ ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ♦ OXYGEN COMPOUNDS ♦ POLLUTION ABATEMENT ♦ SCATTERING ♦ SORPTION ♦ SURFACE PROPERTIES ♦ VAPORS ♦ WASTES 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989) ♦ Other MaterialsStructure & Phase Studies|
|Abstract||Sorbents based on montmorillonite and basic aluminum chlorides with platelike micropores 0.77 nm thick were synthesized. The parameters of the primary and secondary pore structure of these materials were estimated from adsorption and x-ray data. A method was proposed for estimating the amount of initial montmorillonite stacks and stacks modified by the basic aluminum cations.|
|Learning Resource Type||Article|
|Publisher Place||United States|
|Journal||Colloid J. USSR|
|Organization||Institute of Colloid Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Kiev, USSR|
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Wall Street Journal, October 4, 2005
FROM AN INGREDIENT IN COSMETICS, TOYS, A SAFETY CONCERN
Male Reproductive Development Is Issue With Phthalates, Used in Host of Products; Europe, Japan Restrict Them
[Rachel's introduction: Starting 30 years ago, studies in the Great Lakes began revealing that gender-bending chemicals are changing the sexual characteristics of wildlife. Now we know humans are affected as well.]
By Peter Waldman
In the 12th week of a human pregnancy, the momentous event of gender formation begins, as X and Y chromosomes trigger biochemical reactions that shape male or female organs. Estrogens carry the process forward in girls, while in boys, male hormones called androgens do.
Now scientists have indications the process may be influenced from beyond the womb, raising a fresh debate over industrial chemicals and safety. In rodent experiments, common chemicals called phthalates, used in a wide variety of products from toys to cosmetics to pills, can block the action of fetal androgens. The result is what scientists call demasculinized effects in male offspring, ranging from undescended testes at birth to low sperm counts and benign testicular tumors later in life. "Phthalate syndrome," researchers call it.
Whether phthalates -- pronounced "thallets" -- might affect sexual development in humans, too, is now a matter of hot dispute. Doses in the rodent experiments were hundreds of times as high as the minute levels to which people are exposed. However, last year, federal scientists found gene alterations in the fetuses of pregnant rats that had been exposed to extremely low levels of phthalates, levels no higher than the trace amounts detected in some humans.
Then this year, two direct links to humans were made. First, a small study found that baby boys whose mothers had the greatest phthalate exposures while pregnant were much more likely than other baby boys to have certain demasculinized traits. And another small study found that 3-month-old boys exposed to higher levels of phthalates through breast milk produced less testosterone than baby boys exposed to lower levels of the chemicals.
Scientists are raising questions about phthalates at a time when male reproductive disorders, including testicular cancer, appear to be on the rise in many countries. Seeking an explanation, European endocrinologists have identified what some see as a human counterpart to rodents' phthalate syndrome, one they call "testicular dysgenesis syndrome." Some think it may be due in part to exposure to phthalates and other chemicals that interfere with male sex hormones.
"We know abnormal development of the fetal testes underlies many of the reproductive disorders we're seeing in men," says Richard Sharpe of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, a researcher on male reproduction. "We do not know what's causing this, but we do know high doses of phthalates induce parallel disorders in rats."
It isn't surprising to find traces of phthalates in human blood and urine, because they are used so widely. Nearly five million metric tons of phthalates are consumed by industry every year, 13% in the U.S. They are made from petroleum byproducts and chemically known as esters, or compounds of organic acid and alcohol. The common varieties with large molecules are used to plasticize, or make pliable, otherwise rigid plastics -- such as polyvinyl chloride, known as PVC -- in things like construction materials, clothing, toys and furnishings. Small-molecule phthalates are used as solvents and in adhesives, waxes, inks, cosmetics, insecticides and drugs.
Users and producers of phthalates say they are perfectly safe at the very low levels to which humans are exposed. Phthalates are among the most widely studied chemicals and have proved safe for more than 50 years, says Marian Stanley of the American Chemistry Council, a trade association.
She says studies suggest primates, including humans, may be much less sensitive to phthalates than are rodents. She cites a 2003 Japanese study of marmoset monkeys exposed to phthalates as juveniles, which found no testicular effects from high doses. The study was sponsored by the Japan Plasticizer Industry Association. Scientists involved in a California regulatory review questioned the study and maintained it didn't support the conclusion that humans are less sensitive to phthalates than rodents are.
Ms. Stanley's conclusion: "There is no reliable evidence that any phthalate, used as intended, has ever caused a health problem for a human."
The phthalate debate is part of the larger societal issue of what, if anything, to do about minute, once-undetectable chemical traces that some evidence now suggests might hold health hazards.
With much still unknown about phthalates, scientists and regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency are moving cautiously. "All this work on the effects of phthalates on the male reproductive system is just five years old," says the EPA's leading phthalate researcher, L. Earl Gray. "There appears to be clear disruption of the androgen pathway, but how? What are phthalates doing?"
To Rochelle Tyl, a toxicologist who works for corporations and trade groups studying chemicals' effects on animals, the broader question is: "If we know something bad is happening, or we think we do, do we wait for the data or do we act now to protect people?" Based on her own studies of rodents, Dr. Tyl says it is still unclear whether low levels of phthalates damage baby boys.
Some countries have acted. In 2003, Japan banned certain types of phthalates in food-handling equipment after traces turned up in school lunches and other foods.
The European Union has recently banned some phthalates in cosmetics and toys. In January, the European Parliament's public health committee called for banning nearly all phthalates in household goods and medical devices. In July, the full parliament asked the EU's regulatory body, European Commission, to review a full range of products "made from plasticised material which may expose people to risks, especially those used in medical devices."
With the controversy particularly hot in Europe, the European market for the most common phthalate plasticizer, diethylhexyl phthalate, or DEHP, has fallen 50% since 2000, says BASF AG, the German chemical giant. In response, BASF says it is ceasing production of DEHP in Europe this month. A spokesman for the company says the cutback won't affect its phthalate production in the U.S.
The U.S. doesn't restrict phthalates, and has lobbied the EU hard in recent years not to burden manufacturers with new regulations on chemicals. Still, a few companies, under pressure from health groups, have agreed to abide by European standards in their products sold in the U.S. Procter & Gamble Co. said last year it would no longer use phthalates in nail polish. Last December, Unilever, Revlon Inc. and L'Oreal SA's American unit promised to eliminate all chemicals banned in European products from the same items in the U.S.
For medical bags and tubes, Baxter International Inc. pledged in 1999 to develop alternatives to phthalate-containing PVC, as did Abbott Laboratories in 2003. (Abbott has since spun off its hospital-products unit.) In a June study by Harvard researchers of 54 newborns in intensive care, infants who'd had the most invasive procedures had five times as much of the phthalate DEHP in their bodies -- as measured in urine -- as did babies with fewer procedures.
Researchers aren't yet sure what this means. Another study by doctors at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, published last year, found that 19 adolescents who'd had significant exposure to phthalates from medical devices as newborns showed no signs of adverse effects through puberty.
Kaiser Permanente, the big health-maintenance organization, promised in 1999 to eliminate phthalates in hospital supplies. Demand from the HMO has helped drive development of medical gloves that don't contain phthalates, as well as non-PVC carpeting and a new line of phthalate- free plastic handrails, corner guards and wall coverings.
In the early 1990s, the EPA set exposure guidelines for several types of phthalates, based on studies that had been done decades earlier. Since then, much more has been learned about them.
Consider dibutyl phthalate, which is used to keep nail polish from chipping and to coat some pills. The EPA did a risk assessment of it 15 years ago, relying on a rodent study performed in 1953. The now half-century-old study found a "lowest adverse-effect level" -- 600 milligrams a day per kilogram of body weight -- that killed half of the rodents within a week.
A 2004 study of the same chemical, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, found far subtler effects, at far lower exposures. It detected gene alteration in fetuses of female rats that ingested as little as 0.1 milligram a day of the phthalate for each kilogram of body weight. That dose is one six-thousandth of the 1953 "lowest adverse-effect" level.
It's also an exposure level found in some U.S. women, says Paul Foster of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a co- author of the gene study. So "now we're talking about 'Josephina Q. Public' -- real women in the general population," he says. "The comfort level is receding."
Still, because researchers don't know the function of the genes that were altered in the rat study, EPA experts say it's too early to base regulatory decisions on such gene changes. "We're a long way, in my opinion, from considering changes in gene expression as 'adverse' for risk assessment," says the environmental agency's Dr. Gray.
Exxon Mobil Corp. and BASF dominate the $7.3 billion phthalates market. An Exxon Mobil spokeswoman says risk assessments by government agencies in Europe and the U.S. confirm "the safety of phthalates in their current applications."
Phthalates are cheaper than most other chemicals that can soften plastics. But a BASF press release says European manufacturers have been replacing phthalates with plasticizers designed for "sensitive applications such as toys, medical devices and food contact."
Makers of pills sometimes coat them with phthalates to make them easier to swallow or control how they dissolve. A case study published last year in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives said a man who took a drug for ulcerative colitis, Asacol, for three months was exposed to several hundred times as much dibutyl phthalate as the average American. The drug's maker, Procter & Gamble, says it coats the pill with the phthalate so it will stay intact until it reaches inflamed colon areas. P&G says a daily dose of the drug has less than 1% of the 0.1 milligram of dibutyl phthalate per kilogram of body weight that the EPA regards as a safe daily dose.
Attributing health effects to specific industrial chemicals is a dicey business. Scientists often look for associations: statistical correlations that suggest, but don't prove, a possible causal link.
With phthalates, they've found a few. For instance, a 2003 study divided 168 male patients at a fertility clinic into three groups based on levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine. The study found that men in the highest third for one of the phthalates were three to five times as likely as those in the lowest third to have a low sperm count or low sperm activity. Men highest in a different phthalate also had more abnormally shaped sperm, according to the study, which was done by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the journal Epidemiology.
The scientists now are extending the research to 450 men. In their next paper, they're also planning to discuss a separate Swedish study, of 245 army recruits, that found no link between phthalate exposure and sperm quality.
The latest human study, on 96 baby boys in Denmark and Finland, found that those fed breast milk containing higher levels of certain phthalates had less testosterone during their crucial hormonal surge at three months of age than baby boys exposed to lower levels.
Authors of the study, led by Katharina Main of the University of Copenhagen and published Sept. 8 in Environmental Health Perspectives, said their findings support the idea that the human testis is vulnerable to phthalate exposure during development -- possibly even more vulnerable than rodents' genitalia. They added, however, that "before any regulatory action is considered, further studies on health effects of [phthalates] are urgently needed" aimed at "verifying or refuting our findings."
A human study of 85 subjects published in June linked fetal exposure to phthalates to structural differences in the genitalia of baby boys.
Researchers measured phthalate levels in pregnant women and later examined their infant and toddler sons. For pregnant women who had the highest phthalate exposure -- a level equivalent to the top 25% of such exposure in American women -- baby sons had smaller genitalia, on average. And their sons were more likely to have incompletely descended testicles.
Most striking was a difference in the length of the perineum, the space between the genitalia and anus, which scientists call AGD, for anogenital distance. In rodents, a shortened perineum in males is closely correlated with phthalate exposure. A shortened AGD also is one of the most sensitive markers of demasculinization in animal studies.
Males' perineums at birth are usually about twice as long as those of females, in both humans and laboratory rodents. In this study, the baby boys of women with the highest phthalate exposures were 10 times as likely to have a shortened AGD, adjusted for baby weight, as the sons of women who had the lowest phthalate exposures.
The length difference was about one-fifth, according to the study, which was led by epidemiologist Shanna Swan of the University of Rochester (N.Y.) School of Medicine and Dentistry and published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Among boys with shorter AGD, 21% also had incomplete testicular descent and small scrotums, compared with 8% of the other boys.
Does it matter? The researchers intend to track as many of the boys as possible into adulthood, to address a key question: Will they grow up with lower testosterone levels, inferior sperm quality and higher rates of testicular tumors, as do rats with phthalate syndrome?
When the boys are 3 to 5 years old, Dr. Swan plans to assess their play behavior to see if exposure to phthalates appears associated with feminized neurological development. She says such tests have shown that little girls with high levels of androgens, or male hormones, gravitate toward "masculine" play. But she says no one has studied whether boys' play is affected by fetal exposure to chemicals that block androgens.
"In rodents, the changes result in permanent effects. Future studies will be necessary to determine whether these boys are also permanently affected," Dr. Swan says.
She and others agree that a study of just 85 subjects needs to be enlarged and repeated. She notes that although boys' genitalia were affected in subtle ways, no substantial malformations or disease were detected.
Some endocrinologists call this the first study to link an industrial chemical measured in pregnant women to altered reproductive systems in offspring. "It is really noteworthy that shortened AGD was seen," says Niels Skakkebaek, a reproductive-disorder expert at the University of Copenhagen, who wasn't an author of the study. "If it is proven the environment changed the [physical characteristics] of these babies in such an anti-androgenic manner, it is very serious."
Ms. Stanley of the American Chemistry Council doubts that any study can "tease out" the cause of a human health condition, given the wide variety of chemical exposures in people's lives. She notes that some of the specific phthalates associated with reproductive changes in the two human-baby studies haven't been linked to such changes in rodents. So, she says, it's possible the changes in anogenital distance and hormone levels may merely reflect normal variability.
Dr. Tyl, the chemical-industry toxicologist, says her own rat studies confirm that AGD is very sensitive to phthalates. She says that in rats that had very high phthalate exposures, a shortened AGD at birth was closely associated with a number of serious reproductive disorders later in life. However, in rats exposed to much lower doses of phthalates, a shortened AGD at birth did not always lead to later troubles. Many of these rats grew up to breed normally, she says, despite their slightly altered anatomy.
Dr. Tyl suggests that the same may be true of humans. Dr. Swan's study is "potentially important," Dr. Tyl says, because it suggests that "at low levels of exposure, humans are responding" to phthalates. But it remains quite possible, Dr. Tyl theorizes, that the boys with shortened AGD will grow up normally. "At what point do changes like this cross the line" to become dangerous, she asks. "We don't know yet."
Write to Peter Waldman at [email protected]
See various studies related to phthalates:
Phthalate Exposure and Human Semen Parameters
Phthalate exposure and reproductive hormones in adult men
Dose-Dependent Alterations in Gene Expression and Testosterone Synthesis in the Fetal Testes of Male Rats Exposed to Di (n-butyl) phthalate
Analysis of Consumer Cosmetic Products for Phthalate Esters
Phthalate Exposure during Pregnancy and Lower Anogenital Index in Boys: Wider Implications for the General Population?
Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure
Medications as a Source of Human Exposure to Phthalates
Human Breast Milk Contamination with Phthalates and Alterations of Endogenous Reproductive Hormones in Three Months Old Infants
Follow-Up Study of Adolescents Exposed to Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) as Neonates on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Support
Copyright 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. |
The “rare” spectacle of Manhattanhenge happens but twice a year. Friday the 13th and a full moon falling on the same day won’t happen for another 30. Tonight, look up into the night sky while simultaneously watching your back, because this is the first full moon that’s occurred on Friday the 13th since October, 2009 and will be the last until August, 2049. Okay, so that’ll be before the next Halley’s Comet, but in the scope of things, rare. It’s also a Harvest Moon–the full moon closest to the fall equinox.
With Halloween already being foisted on us by retailers and the advent of a full moon falling on a cursed day, we figured we’d do a little research on what makes all those things spooky. The unluckiness of Friday the 13th dates back just 150 years, but the number 13 being unlucky and, separately, Fridays being unlucky, may date back to the Biblical story, where there were 13 people at the last supper. Interestingly, in Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky, and in Italy it’s Friday the 17th.
While all that is based in superstition, how about the full moon? Does it really cause luna(cy)? The moon’s gravitational force effects bodies of water, so some believers submit that, since the human body is 80% water, it has a disruptive effect on us. Scientists have debunked this theory, however the increased occurrence of erratic and even criminal behavior on the full moon is undeniable. Scientists and criminologists offer up a logical explanation: there’s more light. Studies have shown that there is not an increase in indoor criminal activity on a full moon, just outdoor criminal activity.
So is Friday the 13th even spookier because of a full moon? Probably not. But it’s a fun excuse to go looking for a black cat so you can experience the trifecta! |
From the start, typically developing infants are social beings. Early in life, they gaze at people, turn toward voices, grasp a finger, and even smile.
In contrast, most children with autism seem to have tremendous difficulty learning to engage in the give-and-take of everyday human interaction.
Some social symptoms are enumerated below:
1. Often in the first few months of life, children with autism do not interact and they avoid eye contact.
2. They seem indifferent to other people, and often seem to prefer being alone.
3. They may resist attention or passively accept hugs and cuddling. Later, they seldom seek comfort or respond to parents’ displays of anger or affection in a typical way.
4. Research has suggested that although children with autism are attached to their parents, their expression of this attachment is unusual and difficult to “read.” To parents, it may seem as if their child is not attached at all. Parents who looked forward to the joys of cuddling, teaching, and playing with their child may feel crushed by this lack of the expected and typical attachment behavior.
5. Children with autism also are slower in learning to interpret what others are thinking and feeling. Subtle social cues whether a smile, a wink, or a grimace may have little meaning.
To a child who misses these cues, “Come here” always means the same thing, whether the speaker is smiling and extending her arms for a hug or frowning and planting her fists on her hips! Such symptoms call for immediate autism treatment.
Without the ability to interpret gestures and facial expressions, the social world may seem bewildering. To compound the problem, children with autism have difficulty seeing things from another person’s perspective. Most 5-year-olds understand that other people have different information, feelings, and goals than they have. A child with autism may lack such understanding. This inability leaves them unable to predict or understand other people’s actions.
Although not universal, it is common for children with autism also to have difficulty regulating their emotions. This can take the form of “immature” behavior such as crying in class or verbal outbursts that seem inappropriate to those around them. The individual with ASD might also be disruptive and physically aggressive at times, making social relationships still more difficult. They have a tendency to “lose control,” particularly when they’re in a strange or overwhelming environment, or when angry and frustrated. They may at times break things, attack others, or hurt themselves. In their frustration, some bang their heads, pull their hair, or bite their arms. |
Follow former medical chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, as they leave isolated captivity and step outdoors for the very first time.
In 2009, two chimpanzees originating from the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, were ‘leased’ to Stony Brook University in New York. It was there the unfortunate animals were subjected to years of invasive and painful medical testing. Exposed only to researchers and a sole animal handler, Hercules and Leo had fine-wire electrodes implanted into their muscles which forced the animals to walk upright to conduct locomotion research.
Nearly 18 years later, the tortured creatures were finally rescued from isolated captivity by Project Chimps, a non-profit organization responsible for the release of over 200 chimpanzees being used a test subjects in various medical facilities. Now the dedicated animal rights organization is showcasing the results of their incredible work via a two-part VR docu-series.
Shot in collaboration with Condition One, a VR studio developing advanced technology towards animal awareness, Project Chimps takes users into the heart of the Project Chimps sanctuary in Blue Ridge, Georgia as Hercules, Leo, and a host of other freed chimpanzees are introduced to their new, natural habitat for the first-time. 360-cameras capture every moment as these animals, many of whom never having seen sunlight, made their first steps into the outside world.
“Virtual reality is a new medium to extend our understanding of others. It takes us outside of ourselves and into the experience of others,” said Casey Brown, Co-Founder, Condition One and Co-Director of the series. “Project Chimps is able to provide a direct experience of being in close proximity to chimps experiencing freedom for the first time in their lives. Their individuality and intelligence becomes self-evident and will hopefully lead to a heightened awareness of how our actions affect the lives of our close relatives and better inform our decisions to end testing on all animals.”
Condition One is the same studio behind This is Climate Change, a four-part VR docu-series that made waves at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
Project Chimps is available now for $1.99 via the Condition One app on the Oculus GO and Samsung Gear VR. Download the Condition One app free on the Oculus Store.
Image Credit: Project Chimps
The post VR Docu-Series Explores The Lives Of Chimps Freed From Research Labs appeared first on VRScout.
Source: VR News | VR Docu-Series Explores The Lives Of Chimps Freed From Research Labs |
D vitamin is the vitamin everybody is speaking about nowadays, particularly in the world of bariatric surgery. D vitamin is just one of four fat soluble vitamins and is very important in bone metabolic process and has recently been observed to possess anti inflammatory and immune supporting properties. Recent findings suggest that low D vitamin levels might increase incidence and mortality from coronary disease and cancer. Current research is analyzing potential connections between D vitamin degrees and medical issues such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure level, and autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
WHY VITAMIN D IS IMPORTANT TO Your Wellbeing! – Your muscles need D vitamin to move – Your nerves need D vitamin to help carry info between your mind and all your body components – Your immunity system requires D vitamin To help in fighting off germs and viruses – Considering all the physiological functions which need D vitamin, it is important to guarantee you’re never functioning! – What Causes D vitamin Deficiency? D vitamin deficiency may happen for many different many reasons – Food intake is lower than recommended intake with time – Sunlight exposure is restricted – The kidneys can’t convert amino acids from its inactive to active type – Absorption of D vitamin in the digestion is insufficient – Obesity may also increase the possible danger of a D vitamin deficiency.
Greater quantities of subcutaneous fat continue to vitamin and change its release into circulation, which causes lower D vitamin levels. Post gastric bypass patients may become D vitamin deficient with time since the portion of the upper small intestine where D vitamin is absorbed is bypassed. Rickets and osteomalacia are the most typical D vitamin deficiency diseases. Osteomalacia leads to weak bones and symptoms include bone pain and muscle weakness. Tiredness and general achiness and pain is the most typical signs of D vitamin deficiency, though some don’t experience any symptoms.
How’s D vitamin Deficiency Diagnosed? the very best way to check your D vitamin status is thru lab work, specifically the kind of D vitamin found at the blood, 25 hydroxyvitamin D. This value is expressed at either nanomoles per liter or nanograms per milliliter. 1 nmol\/L = 0.4 ng\/mL. Your primary care doctor or of your bariatric surgeon can order this for you. In general, levels below 30 nmol\/L are too low for overall or bone tissue health, and levels above 125 nmol\/L are likely too high. A value of 50 nmol\/L or higher is sufficient for many people. Please bear in mind these are general instructions, your surgeon or the lab where you get your lab work done might vary slightly from all of these values. |
The debate is always on what’s better: to rely on intuition (feeling) or rely on deliberate thinking while making decisions. Fact is in some cases its better to rely on feeling and in some on deliberate thinking and the trick is to know which to choose when. This post is about learning how not to get fooled by a feeling from an experiment conducted by neuroscientist Read Montague, which demonstrates how our dopamine system leads us to lose money in the stock market.
In the simulated experiment, subjects were given $100 at the start. Players were to invest their money for twenty rounds and got to keep their earnings, if any. Interesting twist of the experiment was that Read Montague had people ‘play’ the Dow of 1929, Nasdaq of 1998, Nikkei of 1986 and S&P 500 of 1987 – what had been once real-life bubbles and crashes.
What the scientists observed from brain mapping, were signals emanating from dopamine rich areas of the brain, like ventral caudate, which was encoding the ability to learn from what-if scenarios. For example, the situation in which a player invested 10% of his total money – relatively small bet. Then he saw the market rise dramatically. What happened was his ungrateful dopamine neurons got fixated on the profits he missed. In such a situation, when the market was booming, like before the Nasdaq bubble of 1998, the players kept increasing their investments. Not to invest was to drown in the feeling of regret. The greedy brains were convinced that they’ve solved the stock market, but just when they are most convinced that it isn’t a bubble, the bubble burst. The Dow sank, the Nasdaq imploded and Nikkei collapsed. All of a sudden, those who regretted not investing more and subsequently invested more were now despairing their plummeting net worth. “When the markets head down,” says Montague, “you get the exact opposite effect. People just can’t wait to get out, because the brain doesn’t want the feeling of regret staying in. Investors dump any stock that’s declining. Panic.”
Jonah Lehrer, author of ‘How we decide’, says, “Our dopamine neurons that release the feel-good chemical, weren’t designed to deal with random oscillations of the stock market. The brain is so eager to maximize rewards that it ends up pushing its owner off a cliff. Casinos have learned to exploit this flaw of the human brain. So don’t try to perceive patterns when they don’t exist. The world is more random than you think it is. Don’t fixate on what might have been or obsess over someone else’s profits. But that’s what our emotions can’t understand.”
Now if you don’t get fooled in such circumstances, tell us how. |
It’s essential for students to develop effective practice methods. Here are some tips we’ve gathered from some of our teachers:
1. The metronome is your best friend. Make the metronome your practice buddy and pretend it’s a simple percussionist that you’re making music with. Also, try having the clicks only sound on beats 2 and 4 in common time, or on beats 1 and 3 in triple meter. Playing with a metronome can be challenging in the beginning but it will actually decrease the time it takes you to learn a song or passage, it will help you develop an even sense in time, and it will prepare you to play with others.
2. Practice makes permanent. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. That means to make sure you’re not only playing the correct notes, but that you’re using the correct fingerings, correct techniques, and that you’re not making unnecessary movements. For example, using your 2nd finger for a note when it would make more sense to use your 3rd finger, or vice versa.
3. Minimum Motion. Making huge gestures and motions can be fun and have some benefits in playing expressively, but be mindful of having your fingers, hands, and/or arms, take the shortest path from one note to another. Are your hands making any unnecessary shifts? Could your fingers move more accurately or closer to the instrument? Minimum motion is about playing with accuracy, speed, and precision.
4. The tortoise wins the race. We all want results immediately and seek instant gratification. Everyone wants to shred to the greatest guitar solos. However, learning at a steady pace and mastering each concept before trying to move on will benefit you in the long race and before you know it, you’ll be rocking out to your favorite songs.
5. Play with your ears not your eyes. Music is sound. More often than not, we worry about doing things the ‘right’ way with the ‘right’ technique. Although, good technique is vital in playing music, at the end of the day we learn to play music because we want to make sound. Listen to yourself. Enjoy each sound you make. Be mindful of every note and note duration. |
Appropriate senior care and senior wellness may not just enhance your quality of residing, but also can expand the size of your life. It keeps your brain and human body fit, safeguards against and battles off illness, and maintains current problems from rising worse.
Methods to maintain a healthy lifestyle contains staying active. Participate in enjoyment, rigorous actions such as water aerobics, quick strolling, tennis or tennis. With increased activity, it’s crucial to steadfastly keep up a healthier diet as well. An entire everyday vitamin is essential for supplementing your day-to-day food intake. Be sure to eat well-balanced dishes and in moderation. Getting in more calories each day than is burned can cause obesity and different significant health conditions such as for example diabetes. Overall, you should remain effective as you develop older and keep on to eat meals which are packed with natural price that also contain important supplements and vitamins to keep a healthier, productive body.
The normal ageing method does occur both emotionally and physically over time, and it’s our work to be sure we’re giving equally our head and our human body with standard melody ups. Medical authorities believe that there’s a powerful relationship between staying literally productive and sustaining a sound mind. When your body continually utilizes your head to do physical actions, the mind develops stronger and, as study indicates, can decelerate the development of intellectual disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
Though era unquestionably requires their cost on your head and human body, there are many methods to stop or even simplicity the development of particular ailments. For example, osteoporosis could be stopped early by getting daily suggested amounts of calcium and Supplement D. Usually participating in weight-bearing activities or exercise also helps to reduce the likelihood of establishing osteoporosis. Diabetes can be stopped or delayed by raising your amount of physical activity and maintaining a healthy well-balanced diet.
A healthier diet and physical exercise along with maintaining an energetic physical and social life has already been suggested to avoid or slow down Alzheimer’s. While they are just a few illnesses several seniors experience today and some possible preventative measures for each, preventative medical care and treatment options are available for nearly all senior wellness concerns.
Balanced person lifestyles may often reduce healthcare dilemmas from occurring or help seniors to enhance their quality of life. Protective senior care is crucial to senior wellness and for maintaining our body and minds fit even as we develop older. Certain activities may possibly thwart down disease, and will in truth increase psychological and bodily functions. Maintain a wholesome diet – A wholesome diet, abundant with fiber, calcium, fruits and veggies, is type in blocking or delaying many senior-related ailments. Providing your system and mind with necessary nutritional elements and vitamins is required for elderly health.
Workout – Normal, non-strenuous daily exercise keeps your center, bones, and different vitals functioning while they should. Physical exercise can prevent many different physical illnesses including heart problems, and might help build-up bone bulk (helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis). However, in addition, it features a large selection of psychological advantages, and assists to boost head function – that is essential in thwarting the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Discretion activities encompass such a thing that gives a relaxing setting mixing a cultural, physical, and intellectual aspect. This increases places in equally the human body and mind which includes established powerful in avoiding or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s as well as a great many other elderly wellness concerns. Workout your mind on a regular basis by understanding anything new, doing offers, participating in social activities, examining, and whatever else that issues your brain and offers an opportunity to expand your knowledge.
Typically, your loved ones practitioner can help you decide where you should go for many diagnostic checks, or can perform the tests themselves. These checks may include anything from a bone thickness examination to hearing checks to rest studies. If you are concerned with symptoms, see your doctor for suggestions about the proper way to take シニア 海外移住. |
Course offered in the second semester of M1.
Overview of the course:
Computational complexity aims to classify computational problems depending on the resources they need. One
studies various modes of computation such as deterministic, randomized, nondeterministic or quantum and compares
resources such as time or space needed to solve algorithmic problems. The objective of this course is to give a
broad understanding of the notions used to classify computational problems. About half of the course is dedicated
to studying basic complexity classes defined using Turing machines. We introduce (or study deeper) notions that are
central in complexity theory: nondeterministic computation (e.g., the class NP), reductions between computational
problems (e.g., NP-completeness) and the technique of diagonalization (e.g., hierarchy theorems). We also study
randomized computation and computation using boolean circuits as well as their relation to basic complexity classes.
We conclude the course by studying the complexity of communication, i.e., trying to evaluate communication
bottlenecks to perform a given computational task between different parties.
Teaching in 2014: Omar Fawzi (lectures) and S ́ebastien Maulat (exercise classes)
One can summarize the most important objectives of the course as follows.
- Understand the formal definitions for the basic complexity classes like L, NL, P, NP, coNP, PSPACE.
Be familiar with nondeterministic computation and the polynomial hierarchy. Know about the inclusions and separations between these classes.
- Understand the notion of reduction between computational problems, and the notion of complete problem, e.g., SAT is NP-complete, PATH is NL-complete, TQBF is PSPACE-complete.
- Understand complexity classes defined using boolean circuits, and the notion of uniformity in computation. Know the relation to basic complexity classes.
- Understand complexity classes using randomized computations. Know the relation to basic complexity classes.
- Get a flavour for the power of interactive proofs.
- Be familiar with an important tool in theoretical computer science: communication complexity. Be able to reduce various problems to a communication complexity problem. |
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Allocation of Bits among Opcode and Operand
The trade-off here is between numbers of bits of opcode vs. the addressing capabilities. An interesting development in this regard is development of variable length opcode.
A number of the factors which are considered for selection of addressing bits:
WORD Addressing = 4K words
⇒ 12 bits are needed for word addressing.
Byte Addressing = 212 words
= 213 bytes
⇒ 13 bits are needed for byte addressing.
The UNIX operating system for a multiprocessor system has a number of extra features as compared to normal UNIX operating system. Let's first consider the design objectives of mul
third partial product of 13*11 in binary
Hardware that calculates CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) uses: Hardware which computes CRC utilizes shift register and Xor unit.
Differentiate between protection and security. Operating system contains a collection of objects, software or hardware. All objects have a unique name and can be accessed by
Q. What are the values of x, y, and z. (1011.001101)2 = (x)10 = (y)8 = (z)16 Q. What are the various ways to represent Negative Numbers in the Computer system?
How do transmission bridges help in satisfying the connectivity? A usual transmission bridge is demonstrated in figure. The series capacitance and the shunt inductances of
Given the subsequent FIFO and rules, how deep does the FIFO require to be to stop underflow or overflow? RULES: a. frequency(clk_A) = frequency(clk_B) / 4 b. per
Complete Binary tree A complete binary tree can be described as a binary tree whose non leaf nodes have nonempty left and right sub tree and all leaves are at the similar level
prevention of boiler troubles
With the help of a neat diagram, explain the working of a successive approximation A/D converter Ans: Successive Approximation ADC: It is the most broadly used A/D con
Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!
All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd |
Lemurs, the furry apes brought to fame by the Disney animation film "Madagascar", are the most endangered mammals on Earth, an International Union for Conservation of Nature conference found.
An interview with Liliana Madrigal reveals how the Amazon Conservation Team achieved success by abandoning conventional land protection practices and following the guidance of shamans.
We’ve gone on at great lengths discussing the dangers of genetic modification. Monsanto’s GMO corn has been linked to weight gain and organ function disruption, while GMO crops and pesticides destroy our farmland and environment.
The recovery has not been universal, however. Rivers in some rural upland areas - such as Wales and parts of northern England - appeared to deteriorate slightly. The team is now investigating these trends further. Another important finding was t
A novel idea for cleaning up oil spills
The vast wildfires of this summer and last represent a new normal for the western United States. They may signal a radical landscape transformation, one that will make the 21st century West an ecological frontier.
An underwater volcano that erupted near the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa is giving scientists a closer look at how ocean ecosystems could respond to climate change, from dying fish to adapting plankton.
Mainali, who has been working in the field of rural energy for the past 15 years, along with senior researcher Shonali Pachauri and researcher Yu Nagai – both from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna, Austria – modeled
Extreme heat, drought leave parched fields, desperate farmers in Midwest
Climate change drove coral reefs to a total ecosystem collapse lasting thousands of years, according to a paper published this week in Science.
Midwest ranchers have never been enamored with environmental regulators, but they really began to complain after learning that federal inspectors were flying over their land to look for problems. The Environmental Protection Agency flies over powe
"Why are we doing this? Self reliance. Not government reliance. This is the way things are supposed to work."
Utility crews made slow progress Sunday in restoring electricity to millions of households amid a record-setting heatwave in the eastern United States that showed no sign of abating soon.
But evidently, all this is not enough. In 2009, Mayor Gregor Robertson announced his intention to make Canada’s largest west coast city the greenest in the world. Three years, thousands of expert opinions, and an outpouring of public support later, t
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled unanimously on Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency had lawfully determined that greenhouse-gas emissions pose a danger to public health and welfare.
A federal appeals court upheld a finding by the EPA that heat-trapping gases from industry and vehicles endanger public health, dealing a decisive blow to companies and states that had sued to block agency rules.
This is a pretty incredible observation – that British politicians have no idea how they are going to attain the "goals" they voted for regarding the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The US Gulf Coast braced Sunday for a hit from Tropical Storm Debby, as it pounded parts of the coast with strong winds and heavy rain, forecasters said.
Germany has decided to pursue ambitious greenhouse-gas reductions—while closing down its nuclear plants. Can a heavily industrialized country power its economy with wind turbines and solar panels?
Major engineering firms and power providers team up to demonstrate two new power generation technologies.
Japan's tsunami-caused nuclear disaster at the Fukushima energy complex in March 2011, in which three atomic reactors were heavily damaged, continues to wreak havoc on ecosystems - in the U.S.
While world leaders negotiate in the Rio+20 meeting halls, thousands of activists have launched "The People's Summit"
Indigenous peoples affected by the controversial Belo Monte dam complex now under construction along the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon have occupied a coffer dam that cuts across channels of the river since last Thursday June 21.
The Earth's grasslands and savannas are experiencing a major transformation as woody plants, such as trees and shrubs, have begun to dominate arid lands around the globe.
Here’s the latest installment of an escalating disinformation campaign to “acclimate” the populace to the aerial spraying program under way for years in many parts of the world.
World leaders are gathering in Brazil for a three-day meeting on sustainable development, but the US election and Europe's economic woes are making the conference a subdued affair.
The head of Greenpeace International said the NGO is moving to a "war footing" after negotiators at the Rio+20 sustainable development conference watered down proposals to protect the world's oceans.
In the same way humans might be tempted to binge on some junk food when they're under stress, grasshoppers head for the carbohydrate-rich foods when they get scared.
Japanese authorities failed to disclose US data on the spread of radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant last year, a cabinet minister says.
On June 20, the UN commences a long-awaited follow-up to the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. Here's a guide to what could happen. |
When it comes to ovarian cancer, it is especially important that you get an early diagnosis. Often an early diagnosis is key in providing you with enough time to allow your treatment to work. As with other life threatening illness it is important that you get ovarian cancer diagnosed as early as possible.
In modern times, everything seems like it is possible and many of us wonder why people are still dying from diseases. However, modern medicine still doesn’t promise that people will be completely free of malignant health problems.
Ovarian cancer is a good example since it affects women from the age of 45-60 and is considered deadly, simply, because it is a member of the cancer family. Women cannot escape the possibility of getting cancer. This is why it is important to consider how you can avoid ovarian cancer through proper awareness of the disease.
Being aware of ovarian cancer means that you are conscious of the symptoms and signs associated with the disease so that you can respond quickly before it can develop into an advanced stage. Ovarian cancer has no definitive signs, but you can try to diagnose ovarian cancer early through a series of radiology tests, a CT scan or an MRI.
However, even with these tests ovarian cancer may not be seen immediately. Exploratory surgery is often recommended in which a surgeon will get a tissue sample from within your body to confirm radiology scans.
Through these exploratory tests, patients can feel a level of pain. This is because with a biopsy a piece of flesh is taking from your body in order to determine if cancer cells are present. This is the most accurate and easiest way to diagnose and perform necessary tests associated with many cancers.
Sometimes a patient can even get results within a few hours. However, it is recommended that a woman take a blood test before resulting to the extreme of an operation. This is because a simple blood test can show if there is a protein tumor marker in the blood. It is always best to have a blood test done before you undergo any major testing.
If cancer cells are found in a patient’s body then a doctor will do what they can to remove as many of the cancer cells as possible. After this, the patient may need to undergo regular treatment to prevent the cancer from growing and spreading to other areas of the body.
The doctors never take this issue for granted since no one can completely guarantee that cancer cells won’t re-grow and continue to spread in a patient’s body. It is important to have cancer diagnosed early so that an experienced doctor can apply correct treatment. Nothing can treat ovarian cancer if it is diagnosed too late.
Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is the best thing you can do before starting treatment. After diagnosis, a doctor can provide further treatments including medicines and other life-long remedies to help. This is why it is important for every woman to be aware of the possibility that their body is susceptible to cancer as a result of aging and overworking. |
Apples and pears can both be victims of the codling moth. This moth lays eggs which hatch into worms which eat their way into either apples or pears as well as some other fruits. This, of course, ruins the fruit and makes it unsellable. My father fought this problem in his orchards for as long as I can remember. Some early sprays for this bug included lead arsenic, sulphur, and horticulture oil. These were only partially effective and had to be applied almost weekly. A big side effect of this regimen was that the horses that pulled the spray machine would get lead poisoning and would become very ill. The person doing the spraying had to wear a respirator to keep from getting the poison.
In the late 40s a new pesticide, DDT, was introduced into the market and seemed to be the wonder pesticide that would solve all of the farmers’ problems. It had to be used only once in the spring and would control the codling moth and other pests for the entire summer. It killed everything. It would kill the grasshoppers. The cats would then eat these dead grasshoppers and the cats would die. It did not take long for the scientific community to realize that this pesticide was an environmental disaster. It was soon banned for use anywhere and as far as I know is now banned world wide. It was a good example of how man can negatively disrupt the natural environment in an attempt to solve some problem.
By Richard Gappmayer |
What Color are Your Teeth?
What color are your teeth? Of course, there is no “right” answer. Teeth come in endless shades and ranges. When we talk about tooth color in our office, we try to break it down into no fewer than 40 shades (light to dark) and ranges (color). For example, you could have a very light shade of tooth in the reddish brown range, or a dark shade of tooth in the gray range. Everyone’s teeth are unique and the possibilities are endless.
You may be wondering, what makes a tooth the color it is now or will be in the future? We all know about coffee and tobacco as being major culprits of stained teeth, but what else goes into the making of a tooth color?
Things We Can’t Control:
- Genetics – Did you know that you could inherit your tooth color? You can also inherit your tooth’s propensity for staining.
- Aging – We now know that teeth simply turn yellow, as we age.
- Medicine Use – some medicines, such as certain antibiotics, can cause your tooth color to change.
- Injury – Traumatic tooth injuries can cause intrinsic discoloration of the inner part of the tooth, the “dentin”, which is difficult to remedy. Have you ever seen a tooth that looks “dead”? That gray tone has most likely been brought on by a traumatic tooth injury.
Things We Can Control:
- Food and Drinks – Certain foods and drinks, such as berries, sauces, coffee, dark soda, black tea and red wine, cause staining over time. Limit these foods and practice good oral hygiene habits!
- Over-fluoridation – Too much fluoride in children, while teeth are still developing, can cause tooth discoloration. Be sure to follow guidelines for safe fluoride use. Don’t abandon the use of fluoride altogether though. Fluoride offers numerous benefits such as: preventing tooth decay by making teeth more resistant to acid attacks and reversing early tooth decay. But, we’ve all heard that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing!
- Tobacco Use – It is well known that cigarettes and other tobacco products turn teeth yellow and eventually brown. Don’t smoke or chew.
What can you do about stained teeth? We’re glad you asked! We offer professional teeth whitening options for the best and safest results. No matter what tooth shade you’ve inherited (or created), we can help make it whiter. Give us a call today to find out more!
Comments are closed. |
Dr. Richard Felder's Study Checklist
Dr. Richard Felder in 1999 wrote an interesting “Memo To Students Who Are Disapponted With Their Last Test Grade”. It was originally aimed to his engineering students, but it’s actually of general applicability, so it’s well worth reporting here.
A link to the PDF of the original memo.
The gist of the following checklist is that if you answer (honestly) “Yes” to most of the questions, you should be confident enough to get a good grade. If you answer “No” to many questions, than a bad grade should not be suprising…
Test Preparation Checklist
Answer “Yes” only if you usually did the things described (as opposed to occasionally or never).
- Did you make a serious effort to understand the text? (Just hunting for relevant worked-out examples doesn’t count.)
- Did you work with classmates on homework problems, or at least check your solutions with others?
- Did you attempt to outline every homework problem solution before working with classmates?
- Did you participate actively in homework group discussions (contributing ideas, asking questions)?
- Did you consult with the instructor or teaching assistants when you were having trouble with something?
- Did you understand ALL of your homework problem solutions when they were handed in?
- Did you ask in class for explanations of homework problem solutions that weren’t clear to you?
- If you had a study guide, did you carefully go through it before the test and convince yourself that you could do everything on it?
- Did you attempt to outline lots of problem solutions quickly, without spending time on the algebra and calculations?
- Did you go over the study guide and problems with classmates and quiz one another?
- If there was a review session before the test, did you attend it and ask questions about anything you weren’t sure about?
- Did you get a reasonable night’s sleep before the test? (If your answer is no, your answers to 1-11 may not matter.) |
Pàrlamaid na h-Alba
|Founded||12 May 1999|
|Preceded by||Estates of Parliament (pre-1707)|
UK Parliament (pre-devolution)
since 12 May 2016
|Additional member system|
|5 May 2016|
|6 May 2021 or earlier|
The Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood.
The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for four-year terms under the additional member system: 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality ('first-past-the-post') system, while a further 56 are returned from eight additional member regions, each electing seven MSPs. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 5 May 2016, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality.
The original Parliament of Scotland was the national legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland, and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. As a consequence, both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England ceased to exist, and the Parliament of Great Britain, which sat at Westminster in London was formed.
Following a referendum in 1997, in which the Scottish electorate voted for devolution, the powers of the devolved legislature were specified by the Scotland Act 1998. The Act delineates the legislative competence of the Parliament - the areas in which it can make laws - by explicitly specifying powers that are "reserved" to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate in all areas that are not explicitly reserved to Westminster. The British Parliament retains the ability to amend the terms of reference of the Scottish Parliament, and can extend or reduce the areas in which it can make laws. The first meeting of the new Parliament took place on 12 May 1999. The competence of the Scottish Parliament has been amended numerous times since then, most notably by the Scotland Act 2012 and Scotland Act 2016, with some of the most significant changes being the expansion of the Parliament's powers, especially over taxation and welfare.
Before the Treaty of Union 1707 united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England into a new state called "Great Britain", Scotland had an independent parliament known as the Parliament of Scotland. Initial Scottish proposals in the negotiation over the Union suggested a devolved Parliament be retained in Scotland, but this was not accepted by the English negotiators.
For the next three hundred years, Scotland was directly governed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the subsequent Parliament of the United Kingdom, both seated at Westminster, and the lack of a Parliament of Scotland remained an important element in Scottish national identity. Suggestions for a 'devolved' Parliament were made before 1914, but were shelved due to the outbreak of the First World War. A sharp rise in nationalism in Scotland during the late 1960s fuelled demands for some form of home rule or complete independence, and in 1969 prompted the incumbent Labour government of Harold Wilson to set up the Kilbrandon Commission to consider the British constitution. One of the principal objectives of the commission was to examine ways of enabling more self-government for Scotland, within the unitary state of the United Kingdom. Kilbrandon published his report in 1973 recommending the establishment of a directly elected Scottish Assembly to legislate for the majority of domestic Scottish affairs.
During this time, the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the following "It's Scotland's oil" campaign of the Scottish National Party (SNP) resulted in rising support for Scottish independence, as well as the SNP. The party argued that the revenues from the oil were not benefitting Scotland as much as they should. The combined effect of these events led to Prime Minister Wilson committing his government to some form of devolved legislature in 1974. However, it was not until 1978 that final legislative proposals for a Scottish Assembly were passed by the United Kingdom Parliament.
Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1978, an elected assembly would be set up in Edinburgh provided that a referendum be held on 1 March 1979, with at least 40% of the total electorate voting in favour of the proposal. The 1979 Scottish devolution referendum failed: although the vote was 51.6% in favour of a Scottish Assembly, with a turnout of 63.6%, the majority represented only 32.9% of the eligible voting population.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, demand for a Scottish Parliament grew, in part because the government of the United Kingdom was controlled by the Conservative Party, while Scotland itself elected relatively few Conservative MPs. In the aftermath of the 1979 referendum defeat, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was initiated as a pressure group, leading to the 1989 Scottish Constitutional Convention with various organisations such as Scottish churches, political parties and representatives of industry taking part. Publishing its blueprint for devolution in 1995, the Convention provided much of the basis for the structure of the Parliament.
Devolution continued to form part of the platform of the Labour Party which won power under Tony Blair in May 1997. In September 1997, the Scottish devolution referendum was put to the Scottish electorate and secured a majority in favour of the establishment of a new devolved Scottish Parliament, with tax-varying powers, in Edinburgh. An election was held on 6 May 1999, and on 1 July of that year power was transferred from Westminster to the new Parliament.
Since September 2004, the official home of the Scottish Parliament has been a new Scottish Parliament Building, in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh. The Scottish Parliament building was designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles in partnership with local Edinburgh Architecture firm RMJM which was led by Design Principal Tony Kettle. Some of the principal features of the complex include leaf-shaped buildings, a grass-roofed branch merging into adjacent parkland and gabion walls formed from the stones of previous buildings. Throughout the building there are many repeated motifs, such as shapes based on Raeburn's Skating Minister.Crow-stepped gables and the upturned boat skylights of the Garden Lobby, complete the unique architecture. Queen Elizabeth II opened the new building on 9 October 2004.
In March 2006, one of the Holyrood building's roof beams slipped out of its support and was left dangling above the back benches during a debate. The debating chamber was subsequently closed, and MSPs moved to The Hub for one week, whilst inspections were carried out. During repairs, all chamber business was conducted in the Parliament's committee room two.
While the permanent building at Holyrood was being constructed, a temporary home for the Parliament was found in Edinburgh. The General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on the Royal Mile was chosen to host the Parliament. Official photographs and television interviews were held in the courtyard adjoining the Assembly Hall, which is part of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh. This building was vacated twice to allow for the meeting of the Church's General Assembly. In May 2000, the Parliament was temporarily relocated to the former Strathclyde Regional Council debating chamber in Glasgow, and to the University of Aberdeen in May 2002.
After each election to the Scottish Parliament, at the beginning of each parliamentary session, Parliament elects one MSP to serve as Presiding Officer, the equivalent of the speaker in other legislatures, and two MSPs to serve as deputies. The Presiding Officer (currently Ken Macintosh) and deputies (currently Linda Fabiani and Christine Grahame) are elected by a secret ballot of the 129 MSPs, which is the only secret ballot conducted in the Scottish Parliament. Principally, the role of the Presiding Officer is to chair chamber proceedings and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. When chairing meetings of the Parliament, the Presiding Officer and his/her deputies must be politically impartial. During debates, the Presiding Officer (or the deputy) is assisted by the parliamentary clerks, who give advice on how to interpret the standing orders that govern the proceedings of meetings. A vote clerk sits in front of the Presiding Officer and operates the electronic voting equipment and chamber clocks.
As a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Presiding Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament functions effectively and has the staff, property and resources it requires to operate. Convening the Parliamentary Bureau, which allocates time and sets the work agenda in the chamber, is another of the roles of the Presiding Officer. Under the Standing Orders of the Parliament the Bureau consists of the Presiding Officer and one representative from each political party with five or more seats in the Parliament. Amongst the duties of the Bureau are to agree the timetable of business in the chamber, establish the number, remit and membership of parliamentary committees and regulate the passage of legislation (bills) through the Parliament. The Presiding Officer also represents the Scottish Parliament at home and abroad in an official capacity.
The Presiding Officer controls debates by calling on members to speak. If a member believes that a rule (or standing order) has been breached, he or she may raise a "point of order", on which the Presiding Officer makes a ruling that is not subject to any debate or appeal. The Presiding Officer may also discipline members who fail to observe the rules of the Parliament.
The Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations, supported by the Minister for Parliamentary Business, is responsible for steering the Scottish Government's executive business through Parliament.
The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament has seating arranged in a hemicycle, a design which is common across European legislatures, intended to encourage consensus and compromise. There are 131 seats in the debating chamber. Of the total 131 seats, 129 are occupied by the Parliament's elected MSPs and two are seats for the Scottish Law Officers--the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland, who are not elected members of the Parliament but are members of the Scottish Government. As such, the Law Officers may attend and speak in the plenary meetings of the Parliament but, as they are not elected MSPs, cannot vote.
Members are able to sit anywhere in the debating chamber, but typically sit in their party groupings. The First Minister, Scottish cabinet ministers and Law officers sit in the front row, in the middle section of the chamber. The largest party in the Parliament sits in the middle of the semicircle, with opposing parties on either side. The Presiding Officer, parliamentary clerks and officials sit opposite members at the front of the debating chamber.
In front of the Presiding Officers' desk is the parliamentary mace, which is made from silver and inlaid with gold panned from Scottish rivers and inscribed with the words: Wisdom, Compassion, Justice and Integrity. The words There shall be a Scottish Parliament, which are the first words of the Scotland Act, are inscribed around the head of the mace, which has a ceremonial role in the meetings of Parliament, representing the authority of the Parliament to make laws. Presented to the Scottish Parliament by the Queen upon Parliament's official opening in July 1999, the mace is displayed in a glass case, suspended from the lid. At the beginning of each sitting in the chamber, the lid of the case is rotated so that the mace is above the glass, to symbolise that a full meeting of the Parliament is taking place.
Parliament typically sits Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from early January to late June and from early September to mid December, with two-week recesses in April and October. Plenary meetings in the debating chamber usually take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 6 pm and on Thursdays from 9:15 am to 6 pm. Chamber debates and committee meetings are open to the public. Entry is free, but booking in advance is recommended due to limited space. Parliament TV is a webcast and archive of Parliamentary business back to 2012. and on the BBC's parliamentary channel BBC Parliament. Proceedings are also recorded in text form, in print and online, in the Official Report, which is the substantially verbatim transcript of parliamentary debates.
Since September 2012, the first item of business on Tuesday afternoons is usually Time for Reflection at which a speaker addresses members for up to four minutes, sharing a perspective on issues of faith. This contrasts with the formal style of "Prayers", which is the first item of business in meetings of the House of Commons. Speakers are drawn from across Scotland and are chosen to represent the balance of religious beliefs according to the Scottish census. Invitations to address Parliament in this manner are determined by the Presiding Officer on the advice of the parliamentary bureau. Faith groups can make direct representations to the Presiding Officer to nominate speakers. Before September 2012, Time for reflection was held on Wednesday afternoons.
The Presiding Officer (or Deputy Presiding Officer) decides who speaks in chamber debates and the amount of time for which they are allowed to speak. Normally, the Presiding Officer tries to achieve a balance between different viewpoints and political parties when selecting members to speak. Typically, ministers or party leaders open debates, with opening speakers given between 5 and 20 minutes, and succeeding speakers allocated less time. The Presiding Officer can reduce speaking time if a large number of members wish to participate in the debate. Debate is more informal than in some parliamentary systems. Members may call each other directly by name, rather than by constituency or cabinet position, and hand clapping is allowed. Speeches to the chamber are normally delivered in English, but members may use Scots, Gaelic, or any other language with the agreement of the Presiding Officer. The Scottish Parliament has conducted debates in the Gaelic language.
Each sitting day, normally at 5 pm, MSPs decide on all the motions and amendments that have been moved that day. This "Decision Time" is heralded by the sounding of the division bell, which is heard throughout the Parliamentary campus and alerts MSPs who are not in the chamber to return and vote. At Decision Time, the Presiding Officer puts questions on the motions and amendments by reading out the name of the motion or amendment as well as the proposer and asking "Are we all agreed?", to which the chamber first votes orally. If there is audible dissent, the Presiding Officer announces "There will be a division" and members vote by means of electronic consoles on their desks. Each MSP has a unique access card with a microchip which, when inserted into the console, identifies them and allows them to vote. As a result, the outcome of each division is known in seconds.
The outcome of most votes can be predicted beforehand since political parties normally instruct members which way to vote. Parties entrust some MSPs, known as whips, with the task of ensuring that party members vote according to the party line. MSPs do not tend to vote against such instructions, since those who do are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in their parties. Errant members can be deselected as official party candidates during future elections, and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright. Thus, as with many Parliaments, the independence of Members of the Scottish Parliament tends to be low, and backbench rebellions by members who are discontent with their party's policies are rare. In some circumstances, however, parties announce "free votes", which allows Members to vote as they please. This is typically done on moral issues.
Immediately after Decision Time a "Members Debate" is held, which lasts for 45 minutes. Members Business is a debate on a motion proposed by an MSP who is not a Scottish minister. Such motions are on issues which may be of interest to a particular area such as a member's own constituency, an upcoming or past event or any other item which would otherwise not be accorded official parliamentary time. As well as the proposer, other members normally contribute to the debate. The relevant minister, whose department the debate and motion relate to "winds up" the debate by speaking after all other participants.
Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee. The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the government and partly to compensate for the fact that there is no revising chamber. The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to take evidence from witnesses, conduct inquiries and scrutinise legislation. Committee meetings take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland.
Committees comprise a small number of MSPs, with membership reflecting the balance of parties across Parliament. There are different committees with their functions set out in different ways. Mandatory Committees are committees which are set down under the Scottish Parliament's standing orders, which govern their remits and proceedings. The current Mandatory Committees in the fourth Session of the Scottish Parliament are: Public Audit; Equal Opportunities; European and External Relations; Finance; Public Petitions; Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments; and Delegated Powers and Law Reform.
Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the members on each committee reflect the balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees in the fourth Session are: Economy, Energy and Tourism; Education and Culture; Health and Sport; Justice; Local Government and Regeneration; Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment; Welfare Reform; and Infrastructure and Capital Investment.
A further type of committee is normally set up to scrutinise private bills submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property. Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as the development of the Edinburgh Tram Network, the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link and extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland.
The Scotland Act 1998, which was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 November 1998, governs the functions and role of the Scottish Parliament and delimits its legislative competence. The Scotland Act 2012 and the Scotland Act 2016 extended the devolved competencies. For the purposes of parliamentary sovereignty, the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster continues to constitute the supreme legislature of Scotland. However, under the terms of the Scotland Acts, Westminster agreed to devolve some of its responsibilities over Scottish domestic policy to the Scottish Parliament. Such "devolved matters" include education, health, agriculture and justice. The Scotland Act 1998 enabled the Scottish Parliament to pass primary legislation on these issues. A degree of domestic authority, and all foreign policy, remain with the UK Parliament in Westminster. The Scottish Parliament has the power to pass laws and has tax powers. Another of the roles of the Parliament is to hold the Scottish Government to account.
The specific devolved matters are all subjects which are not explicitly stated in Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act as reserved matters. All matters that are not specifically reserved are automatically devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Most importantly, this includes agriculture, fisheries and forestry, economic development, education, environment, food standards, consumer advocacy, health, home affairs, legal system, courts, legal profession, police and fire services, prisons, control of air guns, local government, sport and the arts, many aspects of transport (including rail franchising), training, tourism, research and statistics, social work, and some powers over social security. In terms of tax powers, the Scottish Parliament has full control over income tax rates and thresholds on all non-savings and non-dividend income liable for tax by taxpayers resident in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament also has full control over Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Scottish Landfill Tax.
Reserved matters are subjects that are outside the legislative competence of the Scotland Parliament. The Scottish Parliament is unable to legislate on such issues that are reserved to, and dealt with at, Westminster (and where Ministerial functions usually lie with UK Government ministers). These include broadcasting policy, civil service, common markets for UK goods and services, constitution, electricity, coal, oil, gas, nuclear energy, defence and national security, drug policy, employment, foreign policy and relations with Europe, welfare, reserved tax powers, most aspects of transport safety and regulation, National Lottery, protection of borders, most aspects of social security and stability of UK's fiscal, economic and monetary system.
Members of the public take part in Parliament in two ways that are not the case at Westminster: a public petitioning system, and cross-party groups on policy topics which the interested public join and attend meetings of, alongside MSPs. The Parliament is able to debate any issue (including those reserved to Westminster) but is unable to make laws on issues that are outside its legislative competence.
Bills can be introduced to Parliament in a number of ways; the Scottish Government can introduce new laws or amendments to existing laws as a bill; a committee of the Parliament can present a bill in one of the areas under its remit; a member of the Scottish Parliament can introduce a bill as a private member; or a private bill can be submitted to Parliament by an outside proposer. Most draft laws are government bills introduced by ministers in the governing party (or parties). Bills pass through Parliament in a number of stages before receiving royal assent, whereupon they become Acts of the Scottish Parliament.
The party, or parties, that hold the majority of seats in the Parliament forms the Scottish Government. In contrast to many other parliamentary systems, Parliament elects a First Minister from a number of candidates at the beginning of each parliamentary term (after a general election). Any member can put their name forward to be First Minister, and a vote is taken by all members of Parliament. Normally, the leader of the largest party is returned as First Minister, and head of the Scottish Government. Theoretically, Parliament also elects the Scottish Ministers who form the government of Scotland and sit in the Scottish cabinet, but such ministers are, in practice, appointed to their roles by the First Minister. Junior ministers, who do not attend cabinet, are also appointed to assist Scottish ministers in their departments. Most ministers and their juniors are drawn from amongst the elected MSPs, with the exception of Scotland's Chief Law Officers: the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General. Whilst the First Minister chooses the ministers - and may decide to remove them at any time - the formal appointment or dismissal is made by the Sovereign.
Under the Scotland Act 1998, ordinary general elections for the Scottish Parliament are held on the first Thursday in May every four years (1999, 2003, 2007 and so on). The date of the poll may be varied by up to one month either way by the Monarch on the proposal of the Presiding Officer. If the Parliament itself resolves that it should be dissolved (with at least two-thirds of the Members voting in favour), or if the Parliament fails to nominate one of its members to be First Minister within 28 days of a General Election or of the position becoming vacant, the Presiding Officer proposes a date for an extraordinary general election and the Parliament is dissolved by the Queen by royal proclamation. Extraordinary general elections are in addition to ordinary general elections, unless held less than six months before the due date of an ordinary general election, in which case they supplant it. The following ordinary election reverts to the first Thursday in May, a multiple of four years after 1999 (i.e., 5 May 2011, 7 May 2015, etc.).
Several procedures enable the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise the Government. The First Minister or members of the cabinet can deliver statements to Parliament upon which MSPs are invited to question. For example, at the beginning of each parliamentary year, the First Minister delivers a statement to the chamber setting out the Government's legislative programme for the forthcoming year. After the statement has been delivered, the leaders of the opposition parties and other MSPs question the First Minister on issues related to the substance of the statement.
Parliamentary time is also set aside for question periods in the debating chamber. A "General Question Time" takes place on a Thursday between 11:40 a.m. and noon where members can direct questions to any member of the Scottish Government. At 2:30 pm, a 40-minute-long themed "Question Time" takes place, where members can ask questions of ministers in departments that are selected for questioning that sitting day, such as health and justice or education and transport. Between noon and 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays, when Parliament is sitting, First Minister's Question Time takes place. This gives members an opportunity to question the First Minister directly on issues under their jurisdiction.
Members who wish to ask general or themed questions, or questions of the First Minister, must lodge them with parliamentary clerks beforehand and selections are made by the Presiding Officer. Written questions may also be submitted by members to ministers. Written questions and answers are published in the Official Report.
Elections for the Scottish Parliament were amongst the first in Britain to use a mixed member proportional representation (MMP) system. The system is a form of the additional member method (AMS) of proportional representation, and is better known as such in Britain. Under the system, voters are given two votes: one for a specific candidate and one for a political party.
Of the 129 MSPs, 73 are elected to represent first past the post constituencies and are known as "Constituency MSPs". Voters choose one member to represent the constituency, and the member with most votes is returned as a constituency MSP. The 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies shared the same boundaries as the UK Parliament constituencies in Scotland, prior to the 2005 reduction in the number of Scottish MPs, with the exception of Orkney and Shetland which each return their own constituency MSP. Currently, the average Scottish Parliament constituency comprises 55,000 electors. Given the geographical distribution of population in Scotland, this results in constituencies of a smaller area in the Central Lowlands, where the bulk of Scotland's population live, and much larger constituency areas in the north and west of the country, which have a low population density. The island archipelagos of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles comprise a much smaller number of electors, due to their dispersed population. If a Constituency MSP resigns from Parliament, this triggers a by-election in his or her constituency, where a replacement MSP is returned from one of the parties by the plurality system.
The remaining 56 MSPs, called "List MSPs", are elected by an additional members system, which seeks to make the overall results more proportional, countering any distortions in the constituency results. Seven List MSPs are elected from each of eight electoral regions, of which constituencies are sub-divisions:
Each political party draws up a list of candidates standing in each electoral region, from which the List MSPs are elected. When a List MSP resigns, the next person on the resigning MSPs' party's list takes the seat.
The total number of seats in the Parliament are allocated to parties proportionally to the number of votes received in the second vote of the ballot using the d'Hondt method. For example, to determine who is awarded the first list seat, the number of list votes cast for each party is divided by one plus the number of seats the party won in the region (at this point just constituency seats). The party with the highest quotient is awarded the seat, which is then added to its constituency seats in allocating the second seat. This is repeated iteratively until all available list seats are allocated. As the allocation of seats to parties mirrors the popular vote, it is commonplace for the most successful party in the election not to win an outright majority of the seats, thereby requiring them to seek some form and level of cross-party support for their initiatives in government. Nonetheless, the 2011 election saw the SNP become the first-and to date, only-party to win a majority government.
As in the House of Commons, a number of qualifications apply to being an MSP. Such qualifications were introduced under the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the British Nationality Act 1981. Specifically, members must be over the age of 18 and must be a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, one of the countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, a citizen of a British overseas territory, or a European Union citizen resident in the UK. Members of the police and the armed forces are disqualified from sitting in the Scottish Parliament as elected MSPs, and similarly, civil servants and members of foreign legislatures are disqualified. An individual may not sit in the Scottish Parliament if he or she is judged to be insane under the terms of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
The next Scottish Parliament election is due to be held on Thursday 6 May 2021. Under the Scotland Act 1998, an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament would normally have been held on the first Thursday in May four years after the 2016 election, i.e. in May 2020. This would have clashed with the proposed date of the 2020 United Kingdom general election, but later became a moot point after the latter was brought forward to 2017. In November 2015, the Scottish Government published a Scottish Elections (Dates) Bill, which proposed to extend the term of the Parliament to five years. That Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25 February 2016 and received Royal Assent on 30 March 2016, setting the new date for the election as 6 May 2021.
As with all elections in the UK, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens are entitled to vote. Unlike elections to the Westminster parliament, citizens of other non-Commonwealth EU member states who are resident in Scotland are entitled to vote in elections to the Scottish Parliament. Overseas electors on Scottish electoral registers are not allowed to vote in Scottish Parliament elections. From the 2016 election, the franchise for Scottish Parliament elections was expanded to include 16 and 17-year olds. In 2020, the Scottish Parliament voted to extend the right to vote in Scotland to all foreign nationals with leave to remain (limited or indefinite).
|Scottish general election, 2016|
|Party||Constituencies||Regional additional members||Total seats|
The resignation of Henry McLeish as First Minister, brought on by an office expenses scandal, generated controversy in the first years of the Scottish Parliament. Various academics have written on how the Scottish Parliament can be improved as a governing institution.
A procedural consequence of the establishment of the Scottish Parliament is that Scottish MPs sitting in the UK House of Commons have been able to vote on domestic legislation that applies only to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland - whilst English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Westminster MPs are unable to vote on the domestic legislation of the Scottish Parliament. This phenomenon is known as the West Lothian question and has led to criticism. Following the Conservative victory in the 2015 UK election, standing orders of the House of Commons were changed to give MPs representing English constituencies a new "veto" over laws only affecting England, known as English votes for English laws. |
Here is the definition on the internet of a carbon calculator.
A Carbon Calculator is actually a Instrument to estimate an individual’s carbon emissions, dependant on how much Electricity and what kind of Vitality is Utilized in everyday functions. The result of the calculation can be an estimated emission figure in terms of a ton of CO2 That may be a individual’s Carbon Footprint.
Lots of Carbon Calculators have already been produced to evaluate just one’s carbon footprint. These calculators divide somebody’s things to do like simply how much they push and ordinary house functions. The calculator will frequently calculate in mass models of CO2 each year. By inputting distinct formulations which can be through the consumer of the calculator, it quantifies the level of carbon dioxide or equivalent which can be emitted.
Now all carbon calculators are diverse and have distinctive formulas which are useful for these calculations.
You can find a ballpark figure from the fundamental carbon calculator to determine what your carbon footprint is. Some carbon calculators can even Offer you different strategies to help you lower your carbon footprint and some may even work out for you personally how to off-set your carbon footprint far too.
With any carbon calculator also known as CO2 calculator only has the chance to estimate estimates. Moving into specific information and facts also helps make a change.
Here are some in the carbon footprint calculators that we offer for use on our web site with somewhat details about them.
US EPA House Emissions Calculator
You should utilize this calculator to secure a typical notion of the dimensions of your own or spouse and children’s greenhouse fuel emissions and study the have an affect on of getting several actions to reduce your emissions. The calculator is damaged into three sections:
Portion 1: Estimate your present total domestic emissions.
Area 2: Check out actions you normally takes to scale back your greenhouse fuel emissions, Strength use, and squander disposal expenses.
Part 3: See the amount It can save you (in dollars and emissions) by getting the steps you selected in Section 2.
Interesting Climate Network Calculator
This calculator is a small business enterprise carbon footprint calculator. This calculator measures your footprint should you have a little company.
The 1st part is a quick footprint estimator. You might be requested a number of very simple concerns to give you an estimate.
This calculator figures transportation, amenities, procurement, and summary then gives you info on your footprint and provides you strategies regarding how to lower your carbon footprint.
We also have a footprint calculator for your pet, there are a few quick questions on your animal, things such as when you feed them organic and natural foodstuff and does your pet food stuff are available paper or plastic and so forth. We just believed that This could be fun so that you can do. |
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Pace refers to the speed of the class. It is a subjective judgement, connected with how it feels for the learner to go through the sequence of activities in a class.
Some activities inevitably affect the pace of a class, for example, a whole group brainstorming activity will work best at a fast pace and an intensive reading at a slow one.
In the classroom
A pace that is either too slow or too fast can have negative impact on the learner. Simply asking learners if they feel activities went on for the right amount of time, and if they were too fast or slow will give a teacher good information about the pace of a class. Alternatively, another way to assess this is to ask another teacher to watch the class and give feedback. |
At the roots of the Church of Bologna there are two martyrs, separated by social class but joined by the palm of death due to their faith. With their actions, Vitalis and Agricola - servant and master - sent out a message of equality and solidarity, which would later be publically acknowledged with the birth of the free Commune and the decree that released the serfs - the Liber Paradisus, i.e. the Heaven Book. The earliest information regarding the two protomartyrs dates back to St. Ambrose and St. Paulinus of Nola, who write about how the two were associated and united in martyrdom. Their bodies, discovered in the Jewish burial place by the bishop Eustace, were removed by Ambrose in 393 and placed in the Holy Jerusalem of the Church of St. Stephen. Their veneration was already widespread in the 5th and 6th centuries. Their relics are housed in the Mother Church of Bologna. |
The GTN provides recommendations and advice for conducting your own authentic research in astronomy using contemporary telescope systems and detectors. Robotic telescope systems are increasingly available across the internet, many of which the GTN is involved. By following these tools and tips you can make meaningful observations of the most ground breaking discoveries, that the most sophisticated observatories are working on at this very moment. You may even eventually be able to publish your results! Your authentic research may also lead you to explore real NASA data from famous observatories orbiting in space such as Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer Telescope, Wide Infrared Survey Explore (WISE) Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Telescope, and 2MASS.
What is authentic research and how is it done? Here you can find information on where to start for making meaningful observations.
Here you can find more information on how to observe specific objects and where they can be located.
There are many ways to look at something and derive a conclusion about it. This information will help you align what you want to observe with the best approach to observe it. |
Despite the way it may seem to you, most people do not make decisions based on rational arguments and logic from the conscious brain.
You make decisions that are driven by the beliefs and emotions of the subconscious parts of the brain.
The limbic system is the emotional brain. It is one of the three brains described by the Triune Brain Theory, developed by Paul MacLean. This theory was conceived of by research and experience in order to develop a model based on the study of evolutionary development of the human brain. Over time the different parts of the brain developed as a natural evolution in response to the survival needs of humans.
According to this theory, the three brains are as follows:
The Reptilian Brain is the primal brain. It was the first part of the brain that developed. The early people used this brain for protection, survival and procreation of the species. The drives from this part of the brain are very strong, and they are at the root of many decisions to make on a daily basis.
This reptilian part of your brain scans for danger and seeks safety and also pleasure. It encourages you away from pain or any threats in your environment. This part of the brain is very active in people with PTSD from trauma. It also gives you sexual drives and is at the root of impulses.
The Limbic System is the second part of the brain that was developed. The limbic system contains the emotions and deals with behavior in response to emotions. It also processes memories and associations you have between experiences and feelings. This part of the brain consists of the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus.
If you have ever made a decision that did not seem rational to you, and you can’t figure out why you did it, then it may have been driven by a combination of the reptilian brain and the emotions from the limbic system.
The conscious brain is made of two hemispheres and it is called the hippocampus, the Neocortex.
These hemispheres have been responsible for the development of human language, abstract thought, imagination, and consciousness. The neocortex is flexible and has almost infinite learning capabilities
Learning ways to access and understand what is happening in your subconscious brain, is a valuable tool to understanding your emotions and behaviors. Hypnosis is one tool that can help you to access your subconscious and heal certain emotional wounds that you may be carrying.
Old emotional wounds can affect your feelings and behavior in ways that may no longer be supporting you.
There are a variety if things that can be done while under various levels of hypnosis. If you are working with an ethical hypnotherapist, you will have control over any and all alterations in the neural pathways of your brain. You can create positive changes that will allow you to live your life in ways that allow you to experience things in that way that you would like to.
In addition to accessing and healing old emotional wounds, you can identify any false beliefs that you may be holding in your subconscious about yourself. Many of our perceptions were programmed into us while we were young. Some of these beliefs may be untrue and have a negative effect on our emotions and ability to achieve the things we want.
If you are interested in finding out more about how hypnotherapy can benefit you…
If you have negative self talk that you know is holding you back from things you know you can do….
If you are curious about the possibilities of realizing ways you can create amazing changes in the way you frame your reality…
Then please visit my new web site GentleAwakening.com and send me a contact message. I will respond yo you via email, and talk with you more about what hypnotherapy can do for you. Or you can reach me by email at [email protected]
And we can schedule a 15 dollar discounted first time session, so you can try it out and discover what you can realize about yourself that you didn’t even know that you knew, because that information has been driving your unconscious brain, and your conscious brain was not aware of it. |
In this video, you will change the color of cells and text in your project tracker, so
you can quickly see how your project is progressing.
To do this, you will use conditional formatting.
Conditional formatting formats cells a certain way if they contain specific information.
You will use conditional formatting to change the color of the cells and text in the status
column if the status of the task matches certain criteria.
To start, highlight the cells in the status column down to the end of your task list.
From the format menu, select “conditional formatting.”
The cells you highlighted show up in the box as the “range.”
Next, create the “if” part of the conditional by choosing the condition that must be met
for the formatting to occur.
In this case, the cell should look different depending on the text contained in the cell.
Choose “text contains” from the menu.
Type in one of the status choices from your data validation list.
These choices come from the data validation you created in the previous activity.
Under “formatting style,” choose a color to go with that status.
To continue conditional formatting, add a new rule.
This time, type a different status from the data validation list into the box, and choose
a different color.
Repeat this process for each status in the list.
If you have more than three items in the data validation list or you would like to use different
colors, choose a custom color option.
Or, change the look of the text instead of the color of the cell.
To do this, create a new rule.
Then, choose a custom format for the text.
Delete a rule if you make a mistake or no longer need it.
Use the drop-down menu to change the status of each.
The cells display different background and text colors.
You can now get a quick visual of how your project is progressing.
Now, it’s your turn: Use conditional formatting to change the colors
and text in your project tracker based on task status.
Change the status of your tasks. |
Time heals all wounds, a familiar saying and reality because the intensity of any tragic event does diminish as time passes. Coping with the loss of a loved one is an obstacle that will happen to anyone at anytime and as the American Psychological Association suggests, one of the hardest challenges that we face.
Research shows that most people, with a social support system and healthy habits, will come to terms with a loss, though it may take months or longer.
There is no normal time and most do not pass through the steps of the grieving process at the same time. We tend to try and push ourselves forward too quickly because of life responsibilities to work and family. Working through shock, confusion, anger and sadness takes time; we need to be gentle with ourselves in the process.
· Accept your feelings and do not deny opportunities to express them. Talk with your support system, clergy and loved ones who can help you through the myriad of emotions that you will be experiencing. Even those beyond your immediate friends can lend an ear; just listening creates the confirmation you need to feel renewed.
· Take care of yourself by not missing meals, not overeating and exercising. Sleep is essential during coping. If sleeping is disturbed by dreams or insomnia, talk to your doctor. Have one day a week to do something special for yourself whether it be a steak dinner, a shopping trip or even buying your favorite coffee.
· If you are a writer, journal your feelings of loss. Sometimes our worst tragedies bring out our best, creative talents. Put together a scrapbook of family photos depicting the relationship you have lost. Write a memory book and if children are involved in the grieving process, do this as a family moment. If you are a musician, write a song, play their favorites and share with others. Do not isolate with the thought that no one will understand.
NewYork Life offers a guide how parents and adults can support their children that grieve.
· Children learn about dealing with grief from their parents. The adults who surround them, whom they admire and love, are whom they will mirror. It is very important to show your love in explaining their questions. But if the task is too difficult, you may want to have someone assist you.
· Simple facts are the best way to deal with death. Do not assume that they know. Even toddlers can understand that death is a physical concept and that it happens to everyone at some point.
· Check with them to see if they understand. You can share your religious beliefs but make sure it is not abstract. That children understand that the physical body dies but the soul or spirit lives on in a place we cannot see.
· Sometimes, children feel guilt after a death occurs. Small children believe that everything is magical and they can make things better. We prompt children to make wishes for something they want but it is important that when death happens, they are not responsible even if they had a bad thought. Older children wonder if they could have prevented the death in some way shape or form. Constantly reassure.
· Allow them to express their anger, especially if it is in a spiritual form. This is a natural coping mechanism; avoid being too critical. However, limits should be set to help avoid inappropriate behavior from occurring – such as hitting or putting themselves in dangerous situations.
· Children should be offered the opportunity to attend a funeral or memorial service. But let them decide whether or not to attend. If you cannot be with the child, make sure another adult is there with them throughout the service that can answer questions and provide comfort.
The loss of someone close will never be easy regardless of your age and experience. Developing financial strategies such as securing life insurance in the event of death will not make the pain of grief dissipate, but at least you can make sure that your bills are paid and your loved ones are fed as you cope. |
During most of the 20th Century, scientists didn’t think that the unborn baby had any functioning senses. It used to be accepted that intelligence was located only in the brain and since the brain was not fully developed until after birth, there seemed to be no intelligence or awareness possible before birth.
By the end of the century, however, experts were reaching for a consensus that there could be touch, hearing, and tasting in utero. Nevertheless, considering the immaturity of the brain in utero, skepticism remained about how any sensory information could be given real meaning. In the 1980’s Babies were still operated on without anesthetic. Nowadays the information about the conscious nature of babies comes from scientific experiments and systematic observations utilizing breakthrough technologies. Scientists confirm what mothers have known intuitively that babies are aware during their time in the womb and that these experiences influence their mental, emotional and physical health and well-being and set-down lifelong patterns.
Annie Murphy Paul (author of “Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives.”) shares a powerful talk on what babies learn before they’re born.
So when do those senses start?
“Touch, the first sense, is the cornerstone of human experience and communication, beginning in the womb“ (Montagu, 1978).
Just before 8 weeks gestational age, the first sensitivity to touch manifests in a set of protective movements to avoid a mere hair stroke on the cheek. From this early date, experiments with a hair stroke on various parts of the embryonic body show that skin sensitivity quickly extends to the genital area (10 weeks), palms (11 weeks), and soles (12 weeks). By 17 weeks, all parts of the abdomen and buttocks are sensitive. By 32 weeks, nearly every part of the body is sensitive to the same light stroke of a single hair.
The first dramatic motion is the first heartbeat at about three weeks after conception. This rhythmic activity continues while valves, chambers, and all other parts and connections are under construction. Between week six and ten, the unborn baby achieves graceful stretching and rotational movements of the head, arms and legs. Hand to head, hand to face, hand to mouth movements, mouth opening, closing, and swallowing are all present at 10 weeks (Tajani and Ianniruberto, 1990). Breathing movements and jaw movements have begun. Hands are busy interacting with other parts of the body and with the umbilical cord.
The structures for tasting are available at about 14 weeks and experts believe that tasting begins at that time. Tests show that swallowing increases with sweet tastes and decreases with bitter and sour tastes. The nose develops between 11 and 15 weeks. Many chemical compounds can cross the placenta to join the amniotic fluid, providing the unborn baby with tastes and odors. The amniotic fluid surrounding the unborn baby bathes the oral, nasal, and pharyngeal cavities, and babies breathe and swallow it.
The mother’s diet reaches the unborn baby via the placenta and throught the blood which is flowing in the capillaries of the nasal mucosa. Thus, prenatal experience with odorants from both sources probably prepare this sensory system to search for certain odors or classes of odors. Newborns are drawn to the odor of breastmilk, although they have no previous experience with it.
Many studies now confirm that voices reach the womb and a mother’s voice is particularly powerful because it is transmitted to the womb through her own body reaching the baby in a stronger form than outside sounds. Intonation patterns of pitch, stress, and rhythm, as well as music, reach the fetus without significant distortion. Working with 400 fetuses, researchers in Belfast beamed a pure pulse sound at 250-500 Hz and found behavioral responses at 16 weeks g.a.–clearly seen via ultrasound (Shahidullah and Hepper, 1992). This is especially significant because reactive listening begins eight weeks before the ear is structurally complete at about 24 weeks. These findings indicate the complexity of hearing, lending support to the idea that receptive hearing begins with the skin and skeletal framework. Numerous experiments have made it clear that unborn babies who have the opportunity to hear stories and music repeated to them in utero can demonstrate recognition for this material later in life. Babies memorize the voices of their mothers and fathers in utero while learning the basic features of their native language, the “mother tongue” as we say. Spectrographic analysis of voice and cry sounds as early as 26 weeks of gestation show how far babies of this age have already progressed in adopting the voice characteristics of the mother. In other research, babies have demonstrated immediately after birth a preference for their mother’s voice and their native language.
In utero, eyelids remain closed until about the 26th week. However, the fetus is sensitive to light, responding to projections of light on the abdomen with heart rate accelerations. Unborn Babies have been known to react to the experience of amniocentesis (usually done around 16 weeks g.a.) by shrinking away from the needle, or, if a needle nicks them, they may turn and attack it. Similarly, at 20 weeks, twins in utero have no trouble locating each other and touching faces or holding hands!
Unborn babies are much more than we thought, they manifest intelligence and are learning from their experiences and environement. So let us treat them with the love, care and awareness they need right from the beginning. You, their mother is their first universe and by supporting you to communicate love and care to your baby during pregnancy and by preparing for a gentle birth, your baby is given the best possible start to life.
Ref: The Fetal Senses: A Classical View
By David B. Chamberlain, Ph.D.
From Life Before Birth, The Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
The HypnoBirthing program incorporates information and exercises on pre and perinatal psychology, and gives parents an opportunity to bond and connect with their developing baby. Many HypnoBirthing parents are amazed at the information shared in this unit of the program. These teachings give parents a much stronger insight into their babies world in utero, and helps them focus on their babies experience rather than just their own. This has an impact on the decisions they are making not only for the birth, but during the remainder of their pregnancy. |
It seems a bit greedy. Every few years, another “genuine tomb of Jesus” is identified with great confidence. Some people are serial identifiers and this latest story is one of those. Curiously, it’s dated 1 March 2012, although I received it on 29 February (presumably on the back of neutrinos from the Large Hadron Collider). Once again, Simcha Jacobovici and James Tabor have identified the ‘Tomb of Jesus’ and, surprise, surprise, they have a book, The Jesus Discovery, to sell about it.
The pair have previously identified a tomb as the “Jesus Family Tomb”. Located at Talpiot (תלפיות), a suburb of Jerusalem some 5 km south-east of the city, it was discovered in 1980 and published in 1996. It contained ten ossuaries (boxes for bones), of which six bore inscriptions naming the person whose bones had been stored inside them. According to Jacobovici and Tabor, the six names are Mariamne (compounded with a variant of Martha), Judah son of Jesus, Matthew, Jesus son of Joseph, Joseph and Mary; from this they concluded that Jesus son of Joseph is Jesus of Nazareth, with a 600:1 likelihood that this is the tomb of the historical Jesus and his family.
So, why are they now claiming that another tomb is the “real” tomb of Jesus, when the odds were stacked so highly in favour of their previous claimant? It’s only 200 feet (61 m) away from the first and they used robotic cameras to explore it. Presumably, the tomb is sealed. Inside, they claim that their cameras have revealed “images of the Resurrection”. I’m immediately driven to ask how one makes an image of a resurrection and make it clear that it is a resurrection that’s being depicted? Assuming that the interpretation of the scene is correct, how do we know it’s supposed to be the resurrection of Jesus and not Lazarus? There is also said to be a cross depicted on the wall.
Already, there are murmurs that a Greek text they claim to have found and translate as “Divine Jehovah, raise up, raise up” does not contain the Greek IAEO (Yahweh transliterated into Greek letters), as the first letter is not an iota (I) but a tau (T). This is obvious from the photograph published by The Daily Mail. Their claim that there is an image of a fish with a stick (!), which they interpret as representing Jonah and the Whale, has been debunked by Eric Meyers, who shows it to be a representation of a nephesh (tomb monument). He shows similar examples from published early first century CE contexts in Jerusalem.
The problem I have with this sort of story is the completely uncritical way it’s dealt with by the mainstream press. Journalists ought to pressing Jacobovici and Tabor to answer the awkward questions raised by their critics. They ought to be investigating rather than churning out yet another dodgy press release claiming all sorts of amazing discoveries and throwing in a few sceptical comments for ‘balance’. They are happy to describe Simcha Jacobovici as an archaeologist (actually, the first report I read called him an archeologist, a sure sign that the author of the piece doesn’t know their fundament from their ginglymus), when he is a journalist. He is perhaps best known from his television series as the Naked Archaeologist (now there’s a mental image you’re going to find hard to get rid of). James Tabor is the controversial Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. So, neither is an archaeologist and both are happy to present themselves to the public as archaeologists.
What other profession allows outsiders to claim that they are members? Surgeons, architects, quantity surveyors, solicitors, teachers… all have professional bodies that prevent any know-it-all from setting themselves up as one of their members. Yet it’s always a free-for-all when it comes to claiming expertise as an archaeologist. While it may not require the intellect of an Einstein, archaeology is nevertheless a profession with its own codes of practice, years of training, gaining experience and ways of dealing with evidence. Yet this pair of frauds can come along, pretending to be archaeologists to help bolster some utterly ridiculous claims that any archaeologist worthy of the name would not even entertain.
Update 1 March 2012
Well, I’m happy to say that others have picked up on this story. Perhaps the overwhelmingly negative reactions among scholars in the blogosphere will help prevent the gullible among the faithful from falling for this non-story. As usual, Michael Heiser has some good thoughts and plenty of links to other sites critical of the spin. |
By Gina Snyder
Last summer, I had the opportunity to drive an extended range electric car. This is a vehicle that drives only on the battery until all the charge has been used up, then it uses a gasoline engine and hybrid technology for excellent mileage. But the really interesting thing about this car was the extensive feedback on my driving “performance.”
A spinning green globe on the dashboard let me know when I began to accelerate out of the efficient range. Not only that, but on this 90-degree day, when I used air conditioning, the climate conditioning display also showed how much power was going to keep the cabin space cool. It turned out that using the eco-air conditioning used 21 percent of the engine’s power on cooling the cabin, but pushing the ‘comfort’ button drove it all the way up to 35 percent of the engine’s power! That just goes to show how much energy it takes to run air conditioning.
I don’t continuously focus on doing everything possible to conserve fuel when I drive, but I do like to drive with fuel efficiency in mind. The best tip I’ve ever found was to drive a car like you would ride a bike. It helps if you think about spending energy as wisely in your car as you do when you ride.
Here are some examples:
- Ensure your tires are properly inflated and vehicle is in good mechanical condition – this reduces rolling and mechanical resistance. Proper tire pressure is safer, extends tire life, and can provide up to 3 percent benefit per tankful of fuel.
- Smart braking means that you coast to stops. Go easy on the gas pedal just like you don’t pedal madly towards stop signs and then jam on the binders on your bike.
- “Driving with load” on hills saves energy. You don’t usually power up hills trying to maintain your previous cruising speed on your bike, do you?
- Reduce speed. It’s easier for cyclists, who are highly attuned to the relationship between aerodynamic drag and the energy consumed to travel at high speed.
- Don’t idle your car unnecessarily. You don’t sit and spin your bike pedals while waiting for someone, nor do you ‘warm up your bike’ in the driveway, do you?
Being attuned to your performance as an efficiency-conscious driver will result in a style that mirrors the smooth and steady progress you make on a bicycle. We can all be smooth operators this summer. Go easy on the brake and gas pedals when you approach traffic lights and stop signs. Stopping and accelerating gradually not only gives you a smoother ride, it saves gas—and that’s good for the air and good for you!
Learn more from EPA on Green Vehicles: https://www3.epa.gov/greenvehicles/
Other green driving tips: https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/wycd/wycd-road.pdf
About the author: Gina Snyder works in the Office of Environmental Stewardship, Compliance Assistance at EPA New England and serves on her town’s climate committee |
Food hygiene concerns shift pallet purchasing trends as food manufacturers choose plastic
With a wider choice than ever in produce pallets, the move away from those produced from wood and towards plastic pallets is most evident. But what advantages can plastic pallets offer over their wooden counterparts?
They are certainly a cleaner, safer and more robust alternative, with some of the following qualities:
• More Hygienic – plastic pallets are made to be water-resistant and allow for high-pressure cleaning in between uses, minimising the risk of infestation, odour, dust, or mould growth.
• More Durable and Flexible – the optimal loading capabilities of plastic pallets keeps fresh produce well protected and economises storage space and transportation far better than its wood equivalent.
• More Economical – under standard handling and loading conditions, the typical lifespan of the plastic pallet is estimated at 10 years; significantly longer than a wood pallet. While the initial cost might be higher, the return on this investment throughout the plastic pallet’s working life is greater.
• Safer – Being free from nails and jagged edges, the risks of handling injuries along the supply chain with a plastic pallet are greatly reduced.
• Greener – while wooden pallets pose a threat to forestry, plastic pallets, which are frequently made from recyclable materials, clearly are a more sustainable option.
With its low cost per unit, our CleanPal pallet was designed with these potential benefits over a wooden pallet alternative in mind.
Produced from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), CleanPal is washable and, therefore more hygienic. With the constant threat of harmful foodborne pathogens being a major concern in food logistics, food manufacturers do not want to use wood pallets. We have found that plastic pallets, such as CleanPal, are becoming their go-to option. As CleanPal is resistant to moisture, weak acids and alkalis, it is suitable for use in other industries that depend on contaminant-free transportation too, including the pharmaceuticals industry.
CleanPal’s innovative, nestable capability means that our plastic pallets can fit neatly inside one another for increased stackability. We found that this is important in space-limited retail environments as well as being beneficial for both the efficient transportation and return of empty pallets. In fact, up to 3 times more pallets can be accommodated on one lorry load compared with a wood pallet equivalent. The lower transport effort per unit makes for substantial reductions in fuel cost and a lower carbon footprint too!
What’s more, the CleanPal deck features marked moulded locations with recessed grooves so that it can lock in place the crates that are being transported. The improved stability of crates when placed on the plastic pallet CleanPal means that all contents remain well-protected whilst in transit. Designed to be compatible with our Polynest line of stackable crates for food products, this is a key feature for food manufacturers aiming to eliminate damage to spoilable, fresh produce on its way to stores.
Produced with large strength to density ratio, plastic pallets are overall less susceptible to degradation over time and at half the weight of a wood equivalent, it is possible to be lifted by just one person. We have found that the production of CleanPal at a consistent dimension of 1200 x 1000 x 162mm (ensured by the fact that they are manufactured in highly polished moulds) is also appealing to those that need to account for precise loading calculations.
Intrigued and swayed to try a switch towards a cleaner and cost-effective alternative for fresh produce transportation too?
For further information on the CleanPal, please visit: http://www.polymerlogistics.com/product-solutions/nestable-pallet2/ or call +44 (0) 845 200 0001 |
When picturing the first days of an infant’s life, what we look forward to the most is love. We express our love in so many ways: skin-to-skin, breastfeeding, swaddling and snuggling.
Love also means keeping them safe.
Advances in maternal-infant health are one of the greatest success stories of the 20th century, with a drop in the death rate of 99%. But some of those dangers only stay in the past through constant vigilance. Behind every screening test and preventive measure is a careful, research-driven rationale. Here are seven newborn tests, screenings, and prevention measures you should know about:
Vitamin K injection
Vitamin K is vital for blood to clot properly. Newborns cannot make Vitamin K and it is poorly transferred in breast milk. Without this injection, babies are at risk for spontaneous bleeding from the umbilical cord, mucus membranes, even in the brain. Giving Vitamin K has greatly reduced this "hemorrhagic disease of the newborn," but rates are increasing as more parents refuse it. Oral Vitamin K has not been shown to prevent this potentially devastating disease.
Hepatitis B vaccine
This is an anti-cancer vaccine. Before this vaccine existed, approximately 10,000 kids under age 10 contracted hepatitis B each year. Most had no known exposure to it. Kids are more likely than adults to get very sick and to have complications. Vaccination at birth has greatly reduced rates of pediatric liver cancer due to hepatitis B.
Antibiotic eye ointment
This prevents bacterial eye infections. Some of these infections are associated with sexually transmitted bacteria, but not all of them are. Negative testing or a monogamous relationship does not prevent these infections. The ointment does not sting, affect your baby's vision or prevent eye opening.
Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, is caused by a chemical called bilirubin. High levels can cause lethargy, feeding problems and dehydration. Very high levels can causes permanent brain damage. Every baby gets screened with a skin test or a blood test.
This two-part blood tests looks for some rare but life-threatening conditions. They are asymptomatic at birth and not detected in prenatal screening. If not treated promptly, they can cause permanent problems like seizures and developmental delay.
Congenital cyanotic heart disease screening
Even with good prenatal care, some babies have heart or blood vessel problems. Early detection can help to prevent irreversible damage to organs like the heart and lungs. Soft sensors are painlessly placed on the right hand and one foot for a few seconds.
This is also a painless test. There are two kinds of tests commonly used. One involves small sounds made through soft earphones, another places a tiny sensor just on the inside of the ear. This helps to detect hearing deficits in about 1-3/1000 babies, half of whom have no risk factors for hearing loss. Early detection provides the opportunity for early intervention and preservation of speech development. |
What Does It Mean for the Yield Curve To Be Inverted
Sign of an upcoming recession?
The US stock market has enjoyed a 10 year bull market (a period where share prices are rising), the longest in history. But recently, there have been signs (an escalation of trade and currency tensions with China, for instance) that a recession might be on the horizon.
The Yield Curve as a Leading Indicator of a Recession
Figure 1: Normal Yield Curve vs. Inverted Yield Curve
What does Yield mean? When you, the investor, lend to another entity, you expect to get greater returns the longer the term of the loan is. When you buy US Treasury bonds, you are effectively lending to the US government. The amount of return you get from these bonds are signified by the yield. The higher the yield, the higher the returns you get. Under normal circumstances, the longer the term of the bond, the greater the yield you earn. Therefore, when you plot the Yield vs. Bond term, you have a curve that goes up to the right (see Figure 1 – left). As such, the yield difference between a longer term Treasury bond and shorter term is positive.
However, this is not always the case. Under certain circumstances, the opposite is true. Investors are rewarded with less yield for longer term bonds. When this happens, the yield curve is inverted (see Figure 1 – right). In such a case, the investor gets less return when lending money to the US government through long term bonds.
The yield curve inversion is commonly measured by the yield difference between the 10-year (long term) and the 3-month (short term) Treasury bonds. If the difference is negative, then the yield curve is inverted. This difference has been shown to be a powerful leading indicator for US recessions. When the yield difference is negative, studies have shown that a recession might be coming in two to six quarters.
Why does this inversion happen? When investors have a low sentiment on the short term prospects of the financial market, they tend to buy up long term US Treasury Bonds (which is the safest form of investment, as the US government has never defaulted on its debt), to avoid potential short term losses.
When more and more investors buy long term US bonds, the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) responds by lowering the yield (to balance the supply and demand). Conversely, when investors are not buying short term bonds, the Fed will increase the short term bond’s yield. This causes the yield difference to be negative.
What is the difference now? Currently, the difference is -30 points (one of the highest since April 2007). Figure 1 shows the difference between the interest rates on the 10-year Treasury and the 3-month Treasury bond from June 1976 to August 2019. Shaded areas indicate US recessions. From 1980 to 2019, there have been 5 recessions in the US, and each time, it is preceded by negative yield difference. If you are a financial wonk like we are, you can find the original paper (published in 1996) here.
A couple of caveats: Even though this indicator can be a powerful predictor of incoming recession, it is not 100% accurate. Also, it is still very difficult to know the timing of the recession. When the 1990 recession occurred, it started 17 months after the yield difference hits bottom. Similarly, the 2001 dot-com bubble and 2007 great recession, occurred 12 and 13 months, respectively, after the bottom.
Furthermore, it is very difficult to know when the yield difference has hit bottom. The bottom is only clearly visible on the chart after the fact.
Figure 2: The difference between the interest rates on the 10-year Treasury and the 3-month Treasury bonds
So what’s an investor to do? The first instinct is to pull out of the market, and avoid the bottom and re-enter as the market is climbing back up. In other words, try to time the market. If an investor can avoid the worst days of the market and invest only when the market is growing, surely this will lead to spectacular performance. But how feasible is this?
Can you correctly predict the worst market days and avoid them? It is very attractive if we can avoid the worst trading days. If one can exclude the worst 90 days from 1963 to 1993 (7802 trading days), a $100 investment in 1963, would have returned $325.40. This is 14x higher than just investing and holding the S&P 500 over the same time period. Unfortunately, this is near impossible to do. For example, say an investor has a 70% chance of being able to correctly predict the performance of the market at any given day, the probability of this investor correctly identifying the 90 days out of 7802 trading days is effectively ZERO (probability = 0.7^7802). Read the full research here.
The penalty of being wrong. Conversely, it has been shown that, during this same period, 90 trading days generated 95% of the period’s market gains. That is an average of just 3 days per year, or 1.2% of total days.
If you try to time the market and miss these best 90 days, your average annual return would have been 3.28% (about half of the return of Treasury Bills, the risk free investment option) and is much lower than had you not done anything and invested in the S&P 500 (which would have given you 7.09% annually). In other words, if you try to time the market and failed, during this 31 year period, you would have been exposed to the volatility and risk of the market, while halving your return.
What would Warren Buffett do? Warren Buffett often says “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” (from his op-ed in NYT 2008 – it’s well worth a read). In the aftermath of the 2007 – 2008 financial crisis, Buffett took the opportunity to invest in strong US companies at discounted valuation (as other investors were fleeing the equity market. At that time, he invested in GE and Goldman Sachs, as he viewed them to have strong balance sheets despite falling share prices. Nonetheless, he admitted that his purchase decision was 4 – 5 months early, as the market continued to plunge in 2009. But he was proven right in the long term.
So what have Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway been doing? Hoarding cash it appears. The holding company, in its latest earnings release reported a record US $122 billion in cash. Further, it has not made any major acquisition in several years, and even reduced share repurchase in the latest quarter.
Note that, what Warren did is not for the faint of heart. It is very difficult for even a seasoned investor to invest when share prices are falling, especially when it is impossible to know when the bottom is. Further, Warren’s strategy may not be replicable as he gets access to unique deals that are not available to the public and is often the first call for unique opportunities.
Figure 3: Berkshire Hathaway Cash and Short Term Investment
So, what’s the prudent thing to do? If timing the market in the long run is impossible, then the best thing to do is to invest with a long term horizon. If the investor would like to minimize losses during adverse market conditions, constructing a well diversified portfolio in multiple asset classes (stocks, real estate, precious metals and treasury bonds) might be the prudent thing to do. In future newsletters, we will share some of these portfolios with you.
This article is meant to be informative and not to be taken as an investment advice, and may contain certain “forward-looking statements,” which may be identified by the use of such words as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “estimated,” “potential” and other similar terms. Examples of forward-looking statements include, without limitation, estimates with respect to financial condition, market developments, and the success or lack of success of particular investments (and may include such words as “crash” or “collapse”). All are subject to various factors, including, without limitation, general and local economic conditions, changing levels of competition within certain industries and markets, changes in interest rates, changes in legislation or regulation, and other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technological factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results.
Our team members at Vested may own investments in some of the aforementioned companies. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment or strategy will be suitable or profitable for an investor’s portfolio. Note that past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing in the stock market carries risk; the value of your investment can go up, or down, returning less than your original investment. Tax laws are subject to change and may vary depending on your circumstances. |
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While some of the programming languages were bought by top firms in the world, like C# by Microsoft, Java by Sun, likewise Python has been held by Google long time back since 2006. The easy to access nature, the reliable syntax is some of the reasons why Python is a big-time hit these days.
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How to Analyze Data with Pandas?
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GUI in Python
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Thus, one can obtain a clearer view of what all is taught in this course. Now, these are some of the reasons why you should definitely take up the Python Mega Course: Build 10 Real World Applications course.Get this Deal Now |
Central Park is the most visited park in the United States of America. Its visitors can recall the plentiful amount of trees, flowers, grass, paths, architecture, benches, rocks, and overall beauty. Today, it has 42 million visits each year. The park spans 843 acres, with 150 acres of lakes and streams. It was not always this way, but from its humble beginnings, it flourished to what it is today. To understand Central Park’s history, one must learn the reasons for its creation, the process of its making, and the outcomes in its earliest years.
During the early to mid-19th century, New York City was becoming only an island of buildings. The city streets were crowded with buildings and little amounts of green land. Manhattan’s inhabitants flocked to the cemeteries for some relaxation in open grass spaces. Originally, De Witt Clinton’s commissioners planned the city’s parks to be located on the shoreline when the city grid was created in 1811. Unfortunately, the shorelines had been taken up by docks, boardinghouses, tenements, warehouses, and factories. This was all due to immigration, job growth, and overall growth of money and business. New Yorkers, especially the upper class, wanted an escape from all of this.
A piece of evidence that is an example of the people’s motivation for Central Park is an article in New York Daily Times. According to the article written on June 4, 1853, by the writer, A.V.W., many New Yorkers wanted a Central Park, but worried it would take too long to construct. It was only an idea at the time, but the city’s people wanted a vast retreat to nature. The article urged legislation to be passed for the park to become a reality. The three needed benefits of the park were health, recreation, and pleasure driving. Parks were thought to benefit health because although the public was not terribly educated about air pollution, they knew that cities did not have clean air. A place that was more nature-like was thought to be a retreat to clean, healthier air. According to the article, New Yorkers wanted a place for recreation to escape to a taste of rural life. The last main reason was for pleasure driving. The streets and avenues were a place for business purposes and general travel. People still wanted spaces for pleasure driving and walking. At this time, the only thing preventing the construction was people who already lived in the designated Central Park area.
In 1852, the area between 5th and 8th avenue, and 59th and 106th street was considered marginal land, which was attractive to poor New Yorkers who needed a place to live. Primarily, these people were Irish and German immigrants, the majority of the poor population. The southern area “were dotted with piggeries, shanties, and bone-boiling establishments…” North of that was a community of mainly African Americans known as Seneca Village. It had churches, cemeteries, and a school. In 1852, Mayor Fernando Wood declared that the land was an “almost uninhabited part of the island.” Other politicians that also wanted the park, lied about the number of victims who would be affected by the creation of the park in order to pass legislation to build the park.
By the fall of 1857, the city had purchased the land from the residents for about $5 million and evicted the sixteen hundred settlers. Not too long after that, the mayor of the city announced a design contest for “The Central Park.” The winners were Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, with their design called “Greensward.” Samuel Parsons, a superintendent of the park, often interacted with the two men and once wrote, “I have often heard Mr. Vaux say that Mr. Olmsted was especially equipped for this study because he was superintendent of Central Park at the time, and therefore necessarily familiar with all of the peculiarities of the terrain. Moreover, Mr. Vaux had a profound respect for Mr. Olmsted’s constructive imagination and artistic power.” Both of their inspirations for what was said to be a “coherent piece of art”, was from the aesthetic of Andrew Jackson Downing, an American landscape gardener.
One aspect of their design that stood out the most was the horizontal roads that helped crosstown traffic flow. This aspect of the park was a requirement for all contest entries, but the Greensward Plan had the road 8 feet below grade, as to not disturb the scenic landscape from its admirers on foot. This was important because the park goers did not want to see urban life. The park was made for an escape to a taste of the rural life, which was eventually accomplished.
Another early aspect of the park that was particularly impressive was the piping system developed by George E. Waring, Jr., who was the project’s drainage engineer. He, with the help of his team, created clay pipes buried about 4 feet below the ground and 40 feet apart. These pipes contributed water to a large lake that fit perfectly into the park’s design. The lake attracted New Yorkers before the park was even finished. In December of 1858, ice skaters had taken to the frozen lake.
The park was used as much as possible during the creation and construction process. Past news articles are evidence to this. Pieces of writing from the New York Times in 1862 described various events that involved live music being played in the park at the mall. If the weather was nice enough, the schedule was followed with one band after another.
Although Olmsted was known for his eye in design and aesthetics, he did not take well to the critiques and compromises of his work. In June of 1861, the commissioners demoted him to superintend from his chief position because they were “fed up with the heavy expense of Olmsted’s aesthetic extravagance.” They replaced Olmsted with Andrew H. Green, someone who they trusted to pay attention and consider every expense. Only days later, Olmsted enlisted in the Union troops as chief executive officer and fought in the Civil War. During the war, he improved food, water, and clothing conditions while also improving discipline and medical care. By 1865, Vaux had then got their jobs back on the Central Park project. Once they were finished, they won the assignment to design Prospect Park in Brooklyn not many years later.
During Olmsted’s absence, Green did not have much to finish. Most of the park was open to the public for walks, carriage drives, and various activities. About 240,000 trees and shrubs had been planted all over the park. Workers were putting the finishing touches by building a low stone wall around the perimeter of the park. The only thing left to do was to incorporate land between 106th and 110th streets.
Towards the park’s finish, there were a few standout aspects of the park that are still are part of the park today. The Mall is a section of the park that consists of a quadruple row of American elms that surround a quarter mile straight path, the only one in the park. The trees are some of the largest and last remaining stands of American elm trees in North America.
At one side of the Mall is the Bethesda Terrace Arcade. It was considered a main architectural feature to Olmsted and Vaux. One of the highlights of the arcade is the ceiling tile made by England’s Minton Title Company. Although they were made for floors, they were installed in the ceiling. The Bethesda Arcade is the only place in the world where Minton tiles are installed on a ceiling.
After walking through the Bethesda Arcade’s arches, there stands the Bethesda Fountain. This was completed after the civil war. Emma Stebbins created the Angel of the Waters statue on top of the fountain. She was the first woman to be commissioned in New York City for a public art piece. The inspiration for the statue comes from the Gospel of John, in which an angel blesses the Pool of Bethesda and bestowing healing powers upon it. The statue was said to also be made to commemorate the union army’s loss.
One of the largest parts of the park, still in place today, is the reservoir. It was first built as a backup for the Croton Water Works system that was shut down for repairs two weeks each year. The exsisting reservoir is 40 feet deep and holds a billion gallons of water. The first Croton Water Works reservoir is where the Great Lawn is today and was built before Central Park was created. Water from the Croton Aqueduct came from Westchester’s Croton River to the reservoir. Olmsted and Vaux did not think the rectangular shape of this reservoir was appealing, so they used stone walls and plants to hide the site. During the 20th century, the original reservoir was filled and became a lawn space with baseball fields, known as the Great Lawn.
The park has continued to live on for over 150 years. It started as a place for the poor to live and was transformed into an extravagant rural escape from the city life. It took plenty of hard work to but, its creators and designers had a keen eye for details. Central Park’s beauty started in the mid to late 19th century and is still aparent today in its famous structures that are still esist in the park.
RIC BURNS, JAMES ANDERS, AND LISA ADES, New York: An Illustrated History, (New York: Knopf, 1999), 107.
W., A. V. 1853. “A Central Park.” New York Daily Times (1851-1857), Jun 04, 3.
CATHERINE MCNEUR. 2014. Taming Manhattan : Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City. Cambridge, Massachusetts: (Harvard University Press, 2014), 204-205.
RIC BURNS, New York: An Illustrated History. 108.
PARSONS, SAMUEL. “History of the Development of Central Park” Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association 17 (1919): 168.
JEFF L. BROWN, “The Making of Central Park.” 43.
“The Central Park Concerts.” New York Times (1857-1922), Jun 13, 1862.
ALGIS VALINUS. “The Genius of the Place: How Frederick Law Olmsted Transformed American Life.” Commentary no. 3 (2011): 51.
JEFF L. BROWN, “The Making of Central Park.” 43.
ALGIS VALINUS. “The Genius of the Place: How Frederick Law Olmsted Transformed American Life.” 51.
“The Mall and Literary Walk” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/mall-literary-walk.html
“Milton Tile Ceiling at Bethesda Terrance” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/minton-tiles-at-bethesda.html
“Bethesda Fountain” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/bethesda-fountain.html
RIC BURNS, New York: An Illustrated History. 140.
“Reservoir” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/reservoir.html
“Great Lawn” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/great-lawn.html
BROWN, JEFF L. “The making of Central Park.” Civil Engineering (08857024) 83, (January 2013): 40-43. EBSCOhost (accessed October 5, 2016).
This is a brief history behind central park from a civil engineer’s perspective. It also goes into detail about a few of the famous sections of the park.
BURNS, RIC, ANDERS, JAMES, AND ADES, LISA. New York: An Illustrated History, New York: Knopf, 1999.
This is our “textbook” for the class. I used it for a few facts that paired along with my other sources.
MCNEUR, CATHERINE. 2014. Taming Manhattan : Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2014. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed November 13, 2016).
This secondary source talks about the want for the park and the initial problems with creating it. This source had a few pieces of information other sources do not have.
PARSONS, SAMUEL. “History of the Development of Central Park” Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association 17 (1919): 164-72. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42890080
This is one of my primary sources that is written by one of the superintendents of the creation of central park. He gives insight to the relationship between the two creators of the park.
“The Central Park Concerts.” New York Times (1857-1922), Jun 13, 1862.
This is one of my primary sources that confirms activities in the park, even during its construction. This article specifically reports on music events.
VALINUS, ALGIS. “The Genius of the Place: How Frederick Law Olmsted Transformed American life.” Commentary no. 3 (2011): 51. Literature Resource Center, EBSCOhost (accessed October 5, 2016).
This source goes into detail about Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the beginnings of central park. It is a secondary source that has a lot of information about him that my other sources do not.
W., A. V. 1853. “A Central Park.” New York Daily Times (1851-1857), Jun 04, 3.
This primary source gave a writer’s insight to the need for a Central Park. Not only were they his opinions, but those of New Yorkers at the time as well.
“About Central Park” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/
“Bethesda Fountain” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/bethesda-fountain.html
“Great Lawn” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/great-lawn.html
“The Mall and Literary Walk” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016,
“Milton Tile Ceiling at Bethesda Terrance” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/minton-tiles-at-bethesda.html
“Reservoir” Central Park Conservancy, Accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/reservoir.html |
Saffron (Crocus Sativus): Production and Processing
Saffron is a precious spice which is mainly grown in Iran, India, Spain, Greece, Italy, Pakistan, Morocco, and central Asian countries. Until recently, saffron was perceived only for its value as a spice. However, with recent research findings pointing to the medicinal properties of saffron such as its antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant effects, interest in this plant has increased. The book presents a comprehensive account of saffron which includes the historical background, acerage underproduction, yield and applications, botanical ecophysiology, production technology, irrigation, pests, diseases and weeds, genetics, sterility, reproduction and production of secondary metabolites by in vitro method, economic aspects, indigenous knowledge in saffron production, processing, chemical composition and quality control, and research strategies.
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Agricultural anther Birjand buds callus Cardaria draba cataphylls cells chemical Chichiricco chromosomes color strength Convolvulus arvensis Corm tunics corms crocetin crocin Crocus sativus crop coefficient cultivated saffron culture Descurainia sophia dried dry saffron economic Effects Evaluation explants extract farmers Ferdowsi Ferdowsi University fertilizer filament Ghaen Gonabad growth harvesting hectare Hemmati increase indigenous knowledge Industrial Research Organization Iran Iranian Iridaceae irrigation kg/ha Khorasan Center Khorasan Institute leaf leaves marketing Medicinal Plants meristems methods mite Organization of Iran ovary packing perianth perigone Persian petals picrocrocin pigments pollen tube processing of saffron quality of saffron Rahimi Sadeghi saffron corm saffron Crocus sativus saffron export saffron fields saffron production saffron stigma safranal Scientific and Industrial soil South Khorasan southern Khorasan Spain species stage stamens standard stigma structure style Table temperature tissues University of Mashhad vitro weed control yellow yield of saffron |
Although Namibia is an upper-middle-income country, it still struggles with a high rate of poverty and undernourishment. According to the World Food Program, 26.9% of the country’s population lives in poverty. In addition, according to the U.N., 430,000 people are in desperate need of food. Namibia, since its independence, has seen good economic growth. The country’s GDP grew from $3.8 billion in 2000 to $12.3 billion in 2019. However, hunger in Namibia remains a growing issue.
Over the past years, the agriculture economy in Namibia has suffered from droughts. The reduction of produce from the food industry is causing hunger in Namibia as families struggle to grow enough food to feed their families. Hunger in Namibia is leaving many children and families malnourished which significantly affects the progress of the nation. Still, both the government and its partners are working to address hunger in Namibia.
Who Is Affected?
Over the past decade, Namibia has faced a lot of droughts leaving low-income-earners struggling to make a living. With a population of approximately 2.4 million people in 2018, 18% (430,000) of the country’s people face severe acute food insecurity and need humanitarian aid.
According to a government report, the country’s agriculture sector, which is partially powered by smallholder farmers, provides for most of the country’s population. Many families who are low income find it difficult to buy food because of increasing food prices.
Malnutrition in Namibia is also affecting children. According to the World Food Program, approximately 23% of children in Namibia are stunted in their growth because they do not eat enough nutritious food. Stunting can have a dangerous effect on the development of children and can even influence their behaviors as they grow older.
Causes of Hunger in Namibia.
In 2019, because of the lack of rain, Namibia food production, both its crops and livestock, fell. Namibia lost 60,000 tons of crops and 60,000 livestock. The two main crops that are planted are maize, which declined in production by 26% between 2018 and 2019, and millet, which declined by 89%. The lack of rain in Namibia hit cereal production the hardest.
The most affected regions of the country are Northwestern parts and the Southern provinces. Due to losses in sales from their livestock, some farmer’s households are finding it difficult to purchase food from markets. Currently, families in 14 regions in Namibia spend more than 50% of their income on food. The cause of drought in Namibia has been attributed to climate change, which is said to be only getting worse.
What Is Being Done?
To help fight against the hunger crisis, the government incorporated the Hunger Initiative in the Harambee Prosperity Plan in August 2016, a plan which is in action through 2020. The plan focuses on 5 different pillars: Effective governance, economic advancement, social progression, infrastructure development, international relations and cooperation. The fight against hunger falls into the Social Progression sector. According to a government report in 2019, Namibia’s government is addressing the country’s hunger crisis by making food banks available in 7 different regions in the country. These food banks reach 17,260 food-insecure households. To deliver food the government relies on unemployed youth who are part of Street Committees.
Government aid provided to people who are food-insecure varies. For example, between 2016 and 2017 the government spent $304 million on its drought program but only $5 million in 2017-2018 because the impact of the drought was lower. To provide malnourished children with food, the government uses a program called the School Feeding Programme. In 2017 they fed 377,521 students. According to the government, providing students with food helps limit the school dropout rate among students who live in poverty. The World Food Program is also helping the government fight malnutrition in children by providing Namibia with technical assistance; the group also helps the country with both policy and strategic guidance.
Furthermore, to help farmers, the government work also extends to provide them with 162 tractors to aid in the cost of plowing for communal farmers.
Although Namibia faces the constant threat of drought, the government and its partners are dedicated to providing nutritious food to many families in need.
– Joshua Meribole |
Niger ranks dead last out of 187 countries on the 2014 Human Development Index. With a very high fertility rate and very low life expectancy, Niger exemplifies a country that is in crippling poverty. Its location renders the country landlocked and adjacent to the Sahara Desert, leaving few resources, especially food, available. This leads to severe malnutrition in Niger.
The World Food Programme estimates that there are around 2.5 million people living in Niger that are chronically food-insecure and unable to meet the basic requirements of nutrition even when their agricultural production is at its normal capacity. In 2005 and 2010, agricultural production took hits and the country fell 14 percent short of the usual outcome each time. For a country finding it hard to function at the average level, this was detrimental, especially for the children of Niger.
Children under the age of five are often the most susceptible to opportunistic diseases caused by malnutrition. Diarrhea and skin and respiratory infections are commonly linked to malnutrition. It is estimated that nearly 331,000 children under the age of five in Niger will need to be treated for malnutrition.
UNICEF and the WFP are working together to help alleviate the malnutrition in Niger.
UNICEF is providing a blanket feeding program that is targeted for children and lactating women in the worst affected areas in Niger. One first-hand account of this program is that of a 19-year-old mother and her 19-month-old son.
Hanatou Hassan brought her son, Boubakar, to a feeding center run by UNICEF. The workers said Boubakar was so thin and weak that he couldn’t keep his head up. When admitted, Boubakar was given two nutrient-rich formulas in order to return him to health. After two weeks, Boubakar was able to breastfeed again and was also able to go back to his parents. When the father came to get his son, he said he couldn’t even recognize Boubakar they had done so well with him.
The WFP aims to strengthen the resilience of the chronically vulnerable and at risk communities by ensuring there is a safety net for all the areas that are affected by seasonal periods of constrained access to food. The Under a Protracted Relief and Rehabilitation Operation, or PRRO, created by the WFP, implemented the following programs:
- Food for Assets activities promoting land regeneration
- Water harvesting/irrigation activities towards increased local production
- Year-round Targeted Supplementary Feeding for moderately acute malnourished children ages six-59 months and pregnant/nursing mothers
Niger is in a worrisome state. Its location prevents them from conducting many types of trade and their economic and agricultural systems are very fragile. Through the programs described above, UNICEF and the WFP may be able to take down acute malnutrition in Niger and maybe even all malnutrition in Niger.
– Erik Nelson |
What are Bryophytes?
Bryophyta, the division of green plants, refers to embryophytes which in literal terms, are land plants, especially the non-vascular ones. This division includes-
- Mosses – class Bryopsida
- Liverworts – class Marchantiopsida
- Hornworts – class Anthocerotopsida
The only prime feature of a bryophyte is that it does not have true vascular tissue. Some do have specialized tissues which are used to transport water, but are not considered to be a true vascular tissue due to the lack of lignin.
Bryophytes are believed to evolve from charophytes and are considered to have been the first true plants to have ever evolved.
Characteristics of Bryophytes
As stated before, the defining feature of bryophytes is that they are non-vascular plants. Other important bryophytes characteristics are as follows:
- Plants in this category do not have roots but have crude stems and leaves.
- They have “rhizoids” instead of roots which helps the plant to anchor to surface.
- These roots or rhizoids do not absorb nutrients like other usual plant roots.
- Mosses release spores from their leaves which travels by water and make new mosses in new locations.
- Water is very essential for mosses to grow and spread. They can entirely dry out and survive. When in contact with water, they again revive and continue growing.
The life cycle of Bryophytes is like all the other land plants (embryophytes) with alternation of generations. A haploid gametophyte cell contains a fixed number of unpaired chromosomes. It gives rise to diploid sporophyte, which, however, contains twice the number of paired chromosomes. Diploid zygotes formed by the fusion of haploid sperm and eggs produced by gametophytes. Diploid zygotes grow into a sporophyte.
Sporophyte Characteristics of the three groups of Bryophytes
|Capsule form||Simple||Differentiated (operculum, peristome)||Elongated|
|Dehiscence||Longitudinal or irregular||Transverse||Longitudinal|
|Dispersion of spores||Elaters||Peristome teeth||Pseudo-elaters|
|Maturation of spores||Simultaneous||Simultaneous||Graduate|
|Structure||Small, without chlorophyll||Large, with chlorophyll||Large, with chlorophyll|
Bryophytes are an informal division that consists of 3 groups of non-vascular plants, namely mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Prominent bryophytes characteristics are the absence of true roots stems and leaves. Furthermore, rhizoids perform the function of roots, essentially anchoring the plants into the surface. Though, rhizoids do not absorb nutrients like traditional plant roots.
An environment that is high in moisture or proximity to a waterbody is very essential for mosses to grow and spread. However, some species of mosses are also known to survive in arid and semi-arid environments like deserts. In such cases, they can entirely dry out and enter a state of suspended animation. When they come in contact with water again, they revive and continue growing. For more information on bryophyta or any other related topic, explore BYJU’S Biology. |
Growth Trends for Related Jobs
The history of gender discrimination in the workplace is characterized by failed political maneuvers and unfair wage practices. The laws enacted by the federal government to prevent wage discrimination have allowed women workers to raise income over time but a gulf still exists between the pay of women versus men performing similar work. Employers must develop proactive strategies to combat discrimination and create a permissive and equal working environment.
The Equal Pay Act
Prior to 1963 it was legal for a business to pay a woman performing similar work as a man a lower wage. It was also rare to find a woman in a position of authority in a workplace. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required gender equality for payment of wages. From that point forward it was illegal for an employer to pay a woman a lower wage than a man simply because of her gender. A woman who suffers discrimination under the terms of this law may sue her employer in civil court to recover lost wages and punitive damages.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
A year later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 granted equal rights to women in all areas of employment. Discrimination of any kind in the workplace based on gender was now illegal. According to Julia Lamber, professor of law and Dean for Women's Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington, the addition of women into the Civil Rights Act was a political maneuver intended to kill the Civil Rights bill. The ploy, created by Virginia Representative and civil rights opponent Howard Smith, backfired allowing gender equality in the workplace.
1991 Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act wasn't amended until 1991 when the federal government moved to include sexual harassment in the law's statutes. This revision allowed women to sue employers who permitted a climate of sexual harassment in the workplace for compensatory and punitive damages in court. This amendment to the Act did not stop sexual harassment in the work but it did serve to empower women to fight back against the behavior.
Employers in the modern world must work diligently to create a workplace environment free from discriminatory practices and harassment. According to the American Historical Association's website, a workplace based on equality begins with management creating inclusive sociable networks between coworkers. Coworkers of both genders should not feel left out company meetings, information and formal/informal decision making processes. The workplace should be free of harsh language and unprofessional dialogue. Policies on workplace harassment and gender discrimination should be given to each employee so expectations of conduct and interaction are understood as well as the penalties for violating these expectations. |
Remember this guy?
Sam Walton started Walmart with core beliefs and vision for a wholesome, American grown business. Walmart was about great customer service, products ‘Made in America’ and treating their employees well.
But, times have changed.
Do you remember these ‘Made in the USA’ signs and labels?
This was the early years of their boom while Sam Walton was still alive; fast forward 15-years, and this is what Walmart looks like:
- The average U.S. family now spends more than $4000 a year at Wal-Mart.
- In 2010, Wal-Mart had revenues of 421 billion dollars. That amount was greater than the GDP of 170 different countries including Norway, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates.
- If Wal-Mart was a nation, it would have the 23rd largest GDP in the world.
- Wal-Mart now sells more groceries than anyone else in America does. In the United States today, one out of every four grocery dollars is spent at Wal-Mart.
- Amazingly, 100 million customers shop at Wal-Mart every single week.
- Wal-Mart has opened more than 1,100 ”supercenters” since 2005 alone.
- Today, Wal-Mart has more than 2 million employees.
- If Wal-Mart was an army, it would be the second largest military on the planet behind China.
- Wal-Mart is the largest employer in 25 different U.S. states.
- According to the Economic Policy Institute, trade between Wal-Mart and China resulted in the loss of 133,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States between 2001 and 2006.
- The CEO of Wal-Mart makes more in a single hour than a full-time Wal-Mart associate makes in an entire year.
- Tens of thousands of Wal-Mart employees and their children are enrolled in Medicaid and are dependent on the government for healthcare.
- Between 2001 and 2007, the value of products that Wal-Mart imported from China grew from $9 billion to $27 billion.
- Sadly, about 85 percent of all the products sold at Wal-Mart are made outside of the United States.
- It is being reported that about 80 percent of all Wal-Mart suppliers are in China at this point.
- Amazingly, 96 percent of all Americans now live within 20 miles of a Wal-Mart.
- The number of “independent retailers” in the United States declined by 60,000 between 1992 and 2007.
- According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Wal-Mart spent 7.8 million dollars on political lobbying during 2011. That number does not even include campaign contributions.
- Today, Wal-Mart has five times the sales of the second largest U.S. retailer (Costco).
- The combined net worth of six members of the Walton family is roughly equal to the combined net worth of the poorest 30 percent of all Americans.
This is a mix of success and failure.
Most would agree that Walmart has become a necessary evil for most Americans. In fact, even Walmart is beginning to understand the error of its ways as it attempts to bring back ‘Made in America’:
“… the giant retailer could play a part in the manufacturing rebound that is taking place in the U.S. with its promise to buy $50 billion more U.S. made goods over the next decade for its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores.
Although $50 billion is a lot of goods, it’s about 10% of what Walmart will sell this year at retail.”
It would seem as though there was a shift in Walmart’s vision and goals, leading to some ugly realities.
Church technologists can learn a lot from Walmart.
Driven so much by profits and customer demands, Walmart’s decision makers changed their target. Their goals changed. Their vision transformed.
Many of us start out in Church tech very well intentioned. We have big hopes and dreams and a healthy vision. But as time goes by, demands weigh us down and our focus shifts, we’re purchasing equipment that we don’t need, looking to technology for all the answers and idolizing our gadgets and gizmos.
Knowing is Half the Battle
[Video via YouTube]
It’s true, knowing is half the battle. Now, let’s tackle the other half of the battle!
I propose we work together to craft a mission statement, a motto, a kind of vision for all Church Tech. Maybe it’s a sentence, maybe it’s a paragraph, so tell me:
What should be a part of the Church Tech motto or vision statement?
If we could craft something awesome, perhaps it will help us stay on track. The world is driven for the latest and greatest of everything. I think Church tech can challenge that paradigm. Care to try?
[Image via ZAmazon & Mac Rumors] |
The main piece of legislation to uphold human rights in the UK is the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA). The act gives effect to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in UK law.
Although there is no direct connection between the UK’s membership of the ECHR and membership of the EU, Brexit could affect the protection of human rights in the UK. This is due to the decision to stop the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights having effect after the UK leaves the EU.
What is the European Convention on Human Rights?
The ECHR is an international treaty the UK signed in 1950. States that signed up committed to upholding certain fundamental rights, such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and the right to freedom of expression. The HRA enables people to bring cases in UK courts in order to uphold their ECHR rights.
Brexit will have no direct impact on the UK’s obligations under the ECHR. However, the UK’s commitment to the ECHR may still have a role to play in determining the future relationship with the EU.
Plans to replace or amend the Human Rights Act
It has been a long-standing Conservative Party policy to repeal and replace the HRA. This was obstructed by the Liberal Democrats during the Coalition Government of 2010-2015, and interrupted by the result of the 2016 EU referendum.
The Conservatives’ 2017 manifesto stated the party would not replace or repeal the HRA while the process of Brexit was underway, but would consider “our human rights legal framework” once the UK had left the EU. The 2019 manifesto proposed to “update the Human Rights Act and administrative law to ensure that there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our vital national security and effective government.” It also committed to setting up within a year a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission to make proposals.
The Labour, Liberal Democrat, and SNP manifestos committed to retaining the HRA.
What is the European Charter of Fundamental Rights?
In contrast to the ECHR, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights (‘the Charter’) is part of EU law. Under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 it will cease to apply when the UK leaves the EU. The May Government argued this would not impact human rights protections in the UK. This is because the Charter did not create new rights, but codified rights and principles that already existed in EU law, and these would continue to apply as ‘retained EU law’ in the UK.
The Charter brings together the fundamental rights of everyone living in the EU, including the rights protected by the ECHR, the constitutional traditions of the Member States, and the rights contained in other international conventions to which the EU or its Member States are parties.
The EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 states that the Charter is not part of domestic law on or after exit day. When the bill was going through Parliament, the Government gave assurances there would be no reduction in rights as a result. It published a ‘right by right analysis’ which sought to identify other sources for the rights conferred by the Charter.
Commentators at the time, including the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, questioned this assertion. It was noted that the Charter enables individuals to bring legal action to strike down domestic legislation that is incompatible with a fundamental right, which is not possible under the ECHR.
Further, although the Charter reaffirmed rights which existed at the time it came into force, its application has led to the development of new rights, for example the ‘right to be forgotten’ which derived from existing rights to private life and personal data.
The role of human rights in the UK’s future relationship with the EU
The EU has committed to respecting and promoting human rights and democracy through its external action. It is common for human rights to be incorporated into bilateral trade agreements with the EU by way of an ‘essential elements’ human rights clause that enables one party to take appropriate action in the case of serious breaches by the other party.
The revised Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the UK, of October 2019, sets out “core values and rights” as a basis for cooperation. It states that the future relationship should incorporate the UK’s continued commitment to “respect the framework” of the ECHR.
Human rights are likely to play a particularly significant role in any future agreement on security cooperation. Cooperation within the EU on criminal justice and security is based on the principle of ‘mutual recognition’ of decisions taken by Member States, underpinned by trust in the integrity of those decisions and the treatment of individuals. This trust is largely founded on adherence to ECHR standards.
If future security cooperation is to come anywhere near current levels of cooperation, it is likely that the UK will need to commit to ongoing adherence to these standards. The Political Declaration proposes a “broad, comprehensive and balanced security partnership” underpinned by continued adherence to the ECHR.
- Human Rights Protections in International Agreements, Joint Committee on Human Rights
- The human rights implications of Brexit, Joint Committee on Human Rights
Insights for the new Parliament
This article is part of our series of Insights for the new Parliament. This series covers a range of topics that will take centre stage in UK and international politics in the new Parliament. |
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on 10-18-201605:29 PM - edited on 03-08-201901:09 PM by SydneyF
Truncated data is usually defined as numeric rounding or cut off, string shortening, or datum deletion - essentially any time information is lost. Since, as analysts, our insights are only as good as our data, we usually find ourselves trying to preserve the integrity of data as we’re processing it. That’s not to say we can’t also optimize our resources usage when our data will allow for it.
While keeping your data types as small as possible is important, and can serve to shorten run times, it is even more important to understand what data types are most accommodating to your data and in what situations they can be shortened without truncation. If you’ve ever seen Office Space, you understand just how important even fractions of a cent are – and accuracy doesn’t just apply to financial data.
To avoid truncation in your data you have to first explore your data types in the context of your analyses. What data types and sizes did you receive the data in and why? What format would we like to see our results in? Are there opportunities to reduce memory usage between those two? And finally - what operations will we perform on the fields in our workflows that may impact each data type and size? The answers to these questions will be unique to each dataset, but once they’re addressed you can use the same techniques to keep your data both optimized and accurate.
Start by identifying the data types that most closely fits your fields based on the questions above. If you want Alteryx’s best guess, try using the Auto Field Tool to assign optimized data types and sizes automatically. While this tool is immensely helpful, be sure to check that the output is not truncating data or leaving it in a form less conducive to your downstream analyses – the Auto Field Tool doesn’t know the answers to your questions above. You can have the best of both worlds by adjusting the assignments from the Auto Field Tool, where necessary, by placing a Select Tool (master it here) just afterwards. You’ll then have suggestions and be able to change the less accurate/accommodating assignments by hand. Some things to consider:
If performing string operations later in your workflow that may increase their length, pay close attention to see if they are being truncated after that maximum string value is reached. String and WString (accepts Unicode characters) types are set length and will drop any characters that exceed their size. On the other hand, V_string and V_WString (accepts Unicode characters) are of variable length, and will adjust to accommodate strings after assignment.
Numerics may seem the most intuitive of the bunch, but pay close, close attention to the precision of each type so as to avoid unintentional rounding. Fixed Decimal is the only type to have an adjustable length – the rest may force your data to fit if not assigned to the correct type.
Dates are not always input in the standard ISO format yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS, and may require some converting in order to handle them as Date/Time types in the Designer (this is important when trying to sort or filter by date or apply Date/Time functions in formulas). Any other date format will be interpreted as a string, and treated as such, unless converted using the DateTimeParse() function, the DateTime Tool, the Parse Dates Macro, or the fan favorite BB Date Macro. If you need to return to your original formatting, or simply prefer another, you can always convert your dates back into another format string after they’ve been processed using the DateTimeFormat() function or the DateTime Tool. |
The economic model of our current era is linear. We take resources from nature, make them into a product and then throw the item away when we’re done with it. The result? Overflowing landfills, trash filled waterways and, too often, toxic waste. This rampant waste of resources poses an existential threat to the world as we know it. A circular economy uses as few resources as possible in product creation; keeps resources in circulation for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use; then recovers and regenerates products and their components at the end of their service life. Embracing circular economy principles is perhaps the most essential initiative we can undertake as a global society. We believe it is the only way forward if we want to sustain humankind.
–Intentional Design: Embracing the Circular Economy, Cornerstone Capital Group, October 2019
Amidst these difficult times, we are pleased to see that the European Union has moved forward with a bold, comprehensive plan to embrace the circular economy. The new Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted on March 11, 2020, focuses on the design and production of a circular economy. It aims to ensure that the resources used are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible. The introduction of this new framework follows the December 2019 European Green Deal, which set a roadmap towards a climate-neutral circular economy.
We believe this is an important, proactive policy development that could serve as a model for government entities in other regions. The framework offers some specific guidelines for various economic sectors and lays the groundwork for strong rules and restrictions. We are especially encouraged by the proposals for sectors such as electronics, food and packaging—areas of the economy that tend to generate the most waste.
We recognize that these are recommended guidelines. Actual legislation still needs to be formulated and passed. Given the current coronavirus pandemic, we suspect that implementation of any legislation will likely be delayed due to the pandemic’s negative economic impact globally. Looking out longer term, however, we believe this type of legislation will be beneficial for the economy and the environment.
Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said: “To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, to preserve our natural environment, and to strengthen our economic competitiveness, requires a fully circular economy. Today, our economy is still mostly linear, with only 12% of secondary materials and resources being brought back into the economy…With today’s plan we launch action to transform the way products are made and empower consumers to make sustainable choices for their own benefit and that of the environment.”
The EU Circular Economy Action Plan:
1) Propose legislation on a Sustainable Product Policy, to ensure that products placed on the EU market are designed to last longer, are easier to reuse, repair and recycle, and incorporate as much as possible recycled material instead of primary raw material. Single-use will be restricted, premature obsolescence tackled, and the destruction of unsold durable goods banned.
2) Empower consumers so they have access to reliable information on issues such as the reparability and durability of products to help them make environmentally sustainable choices.
3) Focus on the sectors that use the most resources and where the potential for circularity is high. The Commission will launch concrete actions as shown in the table below:
Virginijus Sinkevičius, commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, said. “The new plan will make circularity the mainstream in our lives and speed up the green transition of our economy. We offer decisive action to change the top of the sustainability chain–product design. Future-oriented actions will create business and job opportunities, give new rights to European consumers, harness innovation and digitalization and, just like nature, make sure that nothing is wasted.”
The full EC report can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/new_circular_economy_action_plan.pdf |
The Most Amazing Suitcases of The World
Choose and Look HERE:
Guinea, authoritatively the Republic of Guinea, is a west-beach front nation in West Africa. Some time ago known as French Guinea, the cutting edge nation is in some cases alluded to as Guinea-Conakry so as to recognize it from different nations with "Guinea" in the name and the eponymous district, for example, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. The sovereign territory of Guinea is a republic with a president that is legitimately chosen by the general population and is head of state and head of government. The unicameral Guinean National Assembly is the administrative body of the nation, and its individuals are additionally straightforwardly chosen by the general population. The nation is named after the Guinea area. Guinea is a customary name for the area of Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea. It extends north through the forested tropical locales and finishes at the Sahel. The English expression Guinea comes straightforwardly from the Portuguese word Guinﾃｩ, which developed in the mid-fifteenth century to allude to the grounds possessed by the Guineus, a conventional term for the dark African people groups underneath the Senegal River, rather than the 'brownish' Zenaga Berbers, above it, whom they called Azenegues or Moors. Guinea is a transcendently Islamic nation, with Muslims speaking to 85 percent of the populace. Guinea's kin have a place with twenty-four ethnic gatherings. French, the official language of Guinea, is the fundamental language of correspondence in schools, in government organization, and the media, yet more than twenty-four indigenous dialects are additionally spoken. Guinea's economy is to a great extent reliant on farming and mineral creation.
245,836 km2 (77th)
Conakry is the capital and biggest city of Guinea. A port city, it fills in as the monetary, budgetary and social focal point of Guinea. Initially arranged on Tombo Island, one of the ﾃ四es de Los, it has since spread up the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula. Conakry was initially settled on the little Tombo Island and later spread to the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula, a 36-kilometer (22 mi) significant lot of land 0.2 to 6 kilometers (660 to 19,690 ft) wide. The city was basically established after Britain surrendered the island to France in 1887. In 1885 the two island towns of Conakry and Boubinet had less than 500 occupants. Conakry turned into the capital of French Guinea in 1904 and thrived as a fare port, especially after a railroad (presently shut) to Kankan opened up the inside of the nation for the expansive scale fare of groundnut.
'Work, Justice, Solidarity'
Vernonia is a variety of around 1000 types of forbs and bushes in the family Asteraceae. A few animal types are known as ironweed. A few animal varieties are eatable and of financial esteem. They are known for having serious purple blossoms. The sort is named for the English botanist William Vernon. There are various particular subgenera and subsections in this variety. A few types of Vernonia are eaten as leaf vegetables. Regular names for these species incorporate bitterleaf, onugbu in the Igbo language, ewuro and ndole. They are normal in most West African and Central African nations. They are a standout amongst the most generally devoured leaf vegetables of Nigeria, where the onugbu soup is a neighborhood delicacy of the Igbo individuals, and of Cameroon, where they are a key element of Ndolﾃｩ. The leaves have a sweet and harsh taste. They are sold crisp or dried, and are a normal fixing in egusi soup. is a key fixing in ndolﾃｩ, a national dish of Cameroon.
Enrich your Knowledge!
*sources: Wikimedia Commons , google images |
Of Free Will.
Chapter 9, Paragraph 2.
“Man in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power, to will, and to do that which was good, and well-pleasing to God;…”
There was a time when man freely chose to do good, and was capable of doing it. Pleasing God was an ability that Adam had without the intervention of a mediator. Such an ability is foreign to us, and hard to comprehend. How could Adam do good without relying on the work of the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be upright without redemption?
Thomas Boston, in Human Nature In Its Fourfold State, says thus: “[God] did not first make him, and then make him righteous, but in the very making of him, He made him righteous.” Boston explains that Adam had perfect knowledge of God’s law, and what God required of him; Adam’s will was inclined to be in line with the will of God; and that his affections were pure and holy. No war against sin raged within Adam and Eve in their pre-fallen state.
Everything Adam and Eve did before the Fall was done in keeping with God and His law. They tended the Garden of Eden and ruled over the creatures with incredible wisdom, for it was not tainted with sin. Guilt was unknown; all pleasures of the world were acceptable and delightful. Their character was above reproach. They were the glorious creation of God.
“Had Adam stood, none would have quarrelled with the representation.” -Thomas Boston
Questions to Consider
- What do you think Adam and Eve were like before the Fall? |
Joseph Day (1855 in London - 1946) trained as an engineer at the School of Practical Engineering at Crystal Palace in London.
He began work at Stothert and Pitt in Bath, and in 1889 designed the two-stroke engine as it is widely-known today (in contrast to the two-stroke engine designed by Dugald Clerk), the Valve-less Two-Stroke Engine.
In 1878 he started his own business, an iron foundry making cranes, mortar mills and compressors amongst other things. Interestingly he advertised a new design of "valveless air compressor" which he made on licence from the patentee, Edmund Edwards.
By 1889, he was working on an engine design which would not infringe the patents that Otto had on the four-stroke, and that he eventually called the Valveless Two-Stroke Engine. In fact there were two flap valves in Joseph Day's original design, one in the inlet port, where you would probably find a reed valve on a modern two stroke, and one in the crown of the piston, because he did not come up with the idea of the transfer ports until a couple of years later. He made about 250 of these first two-port motors, fitting them to small generating sets, which won a prize at the International Electrical Exhibition in 1892.
It was one of Joseph Day's workmen, Frederick Cock, who made the modification which allowed the skirt of the piston to control the inlet port and do away with valves altogether, giving rise to the classic piston ported two stroke. Only two of these original engines have survived, one in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, the other in the Science Museum in London.
The first American patent was taken out in 1894, and by 1906, a dozen American companies had taken licences. One of these, Palmers of Connecticut, managed by entrepreneur Julius Briner, had produced over 60,000 two-stroke engines before 1912. Many of these early engines found their way into motorcycles, or onto the back of boats.
His company in Bath was a general engineering one, and his engines were a sideline. Much of his money came from the manufacture of bread making machinery, and the prices of wheat were very turbulent around the turn of the Century. The profitability of Day's factory fluctuated just as wildly. These were early days for the idea of the limited company, and shareholders, then as now, could panic and bring down a company that they thought to be under threat. The problem was made worse by the publication of rumours, or the deliberate orchestration of publicity campaigns in the press.
Joseph Day, suffered from his involvement with both of the aforementioned, with the result that his firm was driven into bankruptcy. A flurry of lawsuits followed, with Day as both plaintiff and defendant. The Treasury Solicitor even tried to have him extradited from the USA where he had gone to try to sell his US patents in order to raise money. The case was eventually settled when the jury found that Day had no case to answer, but it all came too late, and he went into virtual retirement by the seaside. The development of his engine then passed to his licence holders in America, whose royalties restored his finances sufficiently to allow him to launch a spectacular new venture after the First World War.
This new enterprise was the exploration for oil. Unfortunately he was looking for it in Norfolk in the east of England. A second financial disaster was the last straw, and Joseph Day disappeared from public view between 1925 and his death in 1946. His obscurity was so complete that a mere five years after his death, the Science Museum made a public appeal for biographical information about him - with no apparent result.
If you have further information or a query related to this page, please contact us |
This is another in a series of posts about how one could find mathematics in the world around us.
My son loves to play with train tracks. A few days ago, while playing with his train tracks, he observed, "Daddy, I can’t turn a train around." I asked him what he meant. "No matter which way I go on this track, I can’t get my train to start facing in the other direction. I’d have to pick it up, but that’s cheating." (Note: I’m paraphrasing here)
Observations like this are mathematical observations about the world. He has abstracted from his train tracks to a property of his train tracks, specifically the direction his train is able to travel. He has then attempted, and I watched him do this, to verify this statement is true by running his trains around the track in every possible comination.
My wife and I spoke about this later, and she came to the observation that in order to be able to turn around his train on the track (without "cheating" by lifting it up), he needs a closed loop with a single entrance and exit point included in his track somewhere, and this entrance and exit point has to connect to the rest of the track in a certain way. So I asked the question, does he have the right track to be able to create a closed loop? If you look at the picture above, you may be able to answer this question yourself.
The area of mathematics that deals with these kinds of issues is called graph theory, and it was invented by Euler for a very different purpose many years ago. It is unfortunately not in most school curriculums, but it is certainly an interesting area of exploration, and one which is accessible to students. |
(Natural News) Chemotherapy is not medicine; it is not a therapy at all. A new study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology lambastes chemotherapy for causing mitochondrial dysfunction in patients’ muscles. This is not some simple side effect. This is a direct debilitating effect inflicted on patients, a condition that causes fatigue, weakness, oxidative stress, and muscle wasting in patients. The research, conducted at the University of Vermont, finds that breast cancer patients are harmed by the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and paclitaxel. These are the so-called medications that are commonly used post-surgery in breast cancer patients.
The mitochondria are the energy center of the cells. Cancer treatment should maximize the energy production of cells, not restrict it. Maximizing mitochondrial energy production is one of the keys for a healthy cancer recovery. Breast cancer drugs are literally creating the conditions for future cancers to develop and take hold. (Related: Chemotherapy found to increase the number of tumor cells circulating in the blood, spreading it to previously unaffected areas.)
Chemotherapy drugs destroy mitochondria of healthy cells, initiating chronic disease conditions
To get a better understanding, the University of Vermont research team compared muscle fibers from women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer post tumor removal. Compared to a healthy control group, these women experienced pronounced muscle loss, indicated by a lower cross sectional area of muscle fibers. Next, the researchers applied chemotherapy drugs to mouse muscle cells and studied their mitochondria. The mitochondria were significantly reduced in number and oxidative stress was discovered along with atrophy. The researchers found that doxorubicin and paclitaxel inflict severe oxidative stress which damages cells, restricts mitochondrial energy production, speeds up cell death, and initiates the conditions for chronic diseases.
According to the researchers, this study explains why there is a “high prevalence of fatigue and functional disability across all cancer types, including those not typically characterized by cachexia, (muscle wasting) such as breast cancer.” It’s not the cancer that patients are fighting. Patients are fighting against the direct debilitating effects of chemotherapy drugs.
Cancer research is moving away from toxic chemotherapy agents
Fortunately, researchers around the world are studying treatment options that enhance mitochondrial energy production for healthy cancer recovery. Researchers from the University of Salford found that matcha green tea effectively kills breast cancer cells by shifting the cancer cells toward a “quiescent metabolic state.” Matcha green tea targets cancer stem cells and suppresses their oxidative mitochondrial metabolism while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
Likewise, an herb native to Europe, Asia and North Africa shows promise for treating breast and prostate cancers. Researchers from the University of Washington found that sweet wormwood, combined with iron, effectively targets cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The researchers used naturally-occurring holotransferrin to carry iron into the cancer cells. Breast cancer cells have up to fifteen times more iron receptors than surrounding cells and have a hard time disposing of free-floating iron. Wormwood’s active ingredient, artemisinin, reacts with the iron, prompting the cancer cells to die.
Furthermore, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that resveratrol, a natural compound found in grapes, pomegranates, blueberries and cranberries, can reduce tumors of the colon. When combined with an anti-inflammatory drug called sulindac, the anti-cancer effects of resveratrol were most prevalent, and the combination therapy did not harm healthy cells.
The most common chemotherapy agents for breast cancer are destroying the lives of patients, initiating chronic disease, and killing people off slowly and expensively. For more articles on cancer research and the dangers of chemotherapy, visit Chemotherapy.News.
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The Weed Problem
Weeds grow in gardens, whether we like it or not. They compete with plants and lawn grass for water and nutrients, and they grow everywhere, making the garden less attractive. To solve this problem, they must be removed.
However, for various reasons, weeds often grow back. Here are some of the most common reasons:
- They were not removed completely, and part of their roots stayed in the soil. The left-over roots allow them to grow again.
- The garden is surrounded by woods or non-landscaped areas that contain a lot of weeds, and their seeds get carried by wind or birds to residential yards.
- If they were not completely removed (all the weeds and all their roots), this makes it easier for them to return.
- They might reappear because the lawn is not dense enough and the empty spots invite weeds to settle down and spread.
The question is how do we remove weeds effectively? And, once removed, how do we prevent them, as much as possible, from growing back? The following describes the different methods of removing weeds and preventing them from growing back for some time.
The following are different techniques to remove weeds:
- Pulling by hand
- Removing with a hoe
- Using a chemical product
The best time to remove weeds is when the soil is damp and moist. The day after it has rained is a great day for weeding. Damp soils are loose and make it easier to remove them with their roots. Otherwise, you may run the risk of leaving the roots because they are stuck in the soil. If the soil is hard and no rain is forecasted in the next few days, consider hosing down the area with water and let the dirt soak overnight before you start.
Pulling Weeds by Hand
The best way, though the hardest, is to pull the weeds by hand. Keep in mind that for this method to be effective, you should remove the whole plant with its roots. For weeds with shallow roots, you can just hold the plant by its stem and pull gently. For those with deeper roots, such as dandelions, you need to take some extra care when removing them. You can use a small hoe to dig in the soil around the stem to loosen the soil, then get a firm grasp of the stem and pull. You may need to dig deeper and try pulling several times until you get the entire root out successfully.
Pulling Weeds With a Gardening Tool
Pulling weeds by hand is time-consuming, back-breaking work. An alternative is to use gardening tools to help. For shallow-rooted weeds, you can use a regular garden hoe, but for deep-rooted ones, I recommend you use a special tool called a winged weeder.
To remove weeds with the winged weeder, place the bottom tip of the blade right next to the stem and press down vertically to push the blade into the soil and then tilt the weeder downwards towards the ground to pull the whole root out. Repeat this operation as necessary. Note that using this tool is more time-consuming than using a regular hoe as you need to individually remove each unwanted plant, but it works better for deeper roots.
You can purchase these tools from any hardware store.
Using a Chemical Weeding Product
If there are too many weeds to remove manually or with a hoe, you can use a weed killer made of chemicals and spray the chemical directly on each weed. It's not environment-friendly, so use only if it is absolutely necessary. Some, like Ortho's Weed-B-Gon, kill many weeds including dandelions, crabgrass, and clover. This product does not damage the lawn. Or you can purchase the concentrate, mix it with water, then spray where needed.
After spraying, you can see results in a day or so. After they die, you'll have remove them by hand, which is difficult, but much easier than pulling a live weed.
A downside of these chemicals is that they may not kill the weeds entirely. The chemical only kills what it touches, and if it was not sprayed sufficiently, the weed may not die, so make sure to cover all unwanted plants sufficiently.
To make your weed removal efforts long-lasting, you can take some proactive measures to delay unwanted plants from growing back again by using chemical products or by laying down landscape fabric. Both of these methods are described in detail below.
Using a Weed Preventer
You can use weed preventer granules, such as Preen, to prevent weeds from growing for a temporary period of about three months. Some bottles come with a handy dispenser that enables you to spread the granules around plants, bushes, and trees.
Some weed preventers also come with a fertilizer for plants, so you get both benefits.
Using a Chemical Lawn Fertilizer With Weed Control
A fertilized lawn has fewer weeds since a healthy lawn is dense and leaves little space for unwanted plants to grow. Therefore, both fertilizing your lawn and spreading a weed preventer help control weeds. There are some products available that combine lawn fertilizers with weed control, such as Scott's Turf Builder with Weed Control.
By the way, it is recommended that you fertilize your lawn twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall.
Natural Weed Prevention Using Landscape Fabric
A chemical can help prevent weeds from growing for only a few months, after which they will reappear if you don't reapply the chemical. For longer-lasting results, you can use landscape fabric, which prevents them from growing for several years. Landscape fabric blocks the sun from the covered area, preventing unwanted plants from growing, although it still allows air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the soil. You can cut holes in this fabric to allow certain plants to live happily.
Use landscape fabric on any area that you don’t want weeds to grow on, large or small, such as a flower bed or a narrow alley that is difficult to mow. Rolls of this material can be purchased from hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowe's or in the garden section of a grocery store.
When laying down the landscape fabric, there are several steps you need to follow. The following video shows how to lay down landscape fabric around plants, and it is followed by steps that describe how to completely cover an alley.
Video: Easy Gardener Weedblock
Step 1: Remove All Weeds
Before laying down the landscape fabric, you need to remove all unwanted vegetation. In this case, the area has been cleared of both grass and weeds. For flower beds, you will want to remove all the weeds but leave the plants you want to keep.
Step 2. Roll out the Landscape Fabric
Unroll the landscape fabric, cut it to fit, then lay down the pieces. You may want to affix the edges with rocks or pegs. If the area you are covering is wider than the width of the fabric, use several overlapping pieces to completely cover the section. If you are accommodating flowers or bushes, cut an x-shaped opening above the plant's location and then pull it down over the desired plant.
Step 3. Cover With Mulch
The last step is to cover the fabric with mulch. The weight of the mulch will keep the fabric in place and also serves as decoration.
This article covered the different solutions for dealing with weeds in your garden. Depending on your needs, you can choose the one that applies best to your situation. I hope this article will help you keep your garden beautiful!
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Phil Harvey on February 03, 2020:
Prevention is indeed better than cure. Weeds can be very frustrating if you let them dominate and take over your garden. However, with the insights provided herein, you can make your work easier by ensuring that your garden has as little weeds as possible at any given time for your convenience.
Michael Briansky on December 16, 2019:
Removing weeds from my garden has never been a problem for me, as I love weeding my garden. The problem was how to prevent these weeds from growing back again. Here, I learnt of the reason why weeds grow back after a short time and hoe to prevent this from happening.
Linda Moscetti on October 09, 2018:
What Plants are good ground cover?
Gene on July 20, 2017:
Excellent article and explanation regarding keep the weeds out of the garden. Thank you for your Best Advice.
CheriDonna on July 04, 2016:
Preen has never worked for me. In fact, the company has sent me a refund. To make sure dandelions don't scatter their "fluff" pull off the stems and buds; at least this control some of them. Even new grass seeding has weeds. Even Roundup Weed-Be Gone by Scott doesn't work here. I received refunds from them. Miracle Grow has also refunded me for product. I would have much rather had products working than receiving rebates. I've been cutting "all the green" on our property...looks better than weeds and is much easier on the back.
Eugene Brennan from Ireland on March 08, 2014:
A propane or butane blow torch such as the ones used for torching on felt is also a useful way of controlling weeds in gravel driveways. Kerosene flame guns are also available and specially made for this task. Of course care needs to be taken when using these burners near flammable material such as long dry grass and conifers (which have oil in their leaves).
Flame guns are effective against annual weeds, but perennial weeds, especially deep rooted ones such as dandelions will grow back.
Elizabeth on September 16, 2013:
My grandmother taught me this along time ago, you wrap a cucumber up and make sure no air gets in. wrap it up in something plastic then let it sit for days then when rotten pinch a hole and pour it on the weeds. it kills them and they don't grow back. right after that make sure to also pour salty rotten water right at the roots and you'll never have a problem with weeds again.
rose on October 04, 2012:
what do you need to weed proof your garden
Mary Craig from New York on June 18, 2012:
You have some good, basic garden information. I agree prevention is the best way to control weeds! I linked your hub to a new one I wrote on weed control.
Voted your hub up and useful. |
* Meteoric water
- is water in circulation
* Connate water - "fossil" water, often saline.
* Juvenile water - water that comes from the interior of the earth.
* Surface water - water in rivers, lakes, oceans and so on.
* Subsurface water - Groundwater, connate water, soil, capillary water
* Groundwater - exists in the zone of saturation, and may be fresh or saline.
The movement of water is referred to as the global water cycle (hydrologic cycle). Precipitation, evaporation/transpiration, and runoff (surface runoff and subsurface infiltration) are the primary phases in the hydrologic cycle. The global water budget is based on the recycling (movement, storage, and transfer) of the Earths water supply.
The direct process by which water changes from a liquid state to a vapor state is called evaporation. In transpiration, water passes from liquid to vapor through plant metabolism. Plants are classified as hydrophytes, phreatophytes, mesophytes, or xerophytes. Hydrophytes take their nutrients directly from the water. Mesophytes are plants that grow under well-balanced moisture supplies. Xerophytes are plants that are adapted to dry conditions. Phreatophytes are long rooted plants that absorb water from the water table or directly above it. Golden tamarisk and mesquite are phreatophytes.
Much Water is There In and On the Earth?
The volume of the Earths water supply is about 326 million cubic miles. Each cubic mile is greater than 1 trillion gallons. Although water is abundant on a global scale, more than 99% is unavailable for our use. A mere 0.3% is usable by humans, with an even smaller amount accessible! The oceans, ice caps, and glaciers contain most of the Earths water supplies. Ocean water is too saline to be economically useful, while glaciers and icecaps are "inconveniently located." Click here to see a chart with these data.
Surface water supplies, primarily river runoff, are about 300 cubic miles. That means we have about 1/10,000th of 1% to use! Conservation is important!
Surface runoff plays an important role in the recycling process. Not only does it replenish lakes, streams, and groundwater; it also creates the landscape by eroding topography and transporting the material elsewhere.
A stream typically transports three types of sediment- dissolved load, suspended load, and bed load. Chemical weathering of rocks produces ions in solution (examples- Ca2+, Mg+, and HCO3+). Hence, a dissolved load. High concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg+ are also known by another name - hard water. Some of you may be very familiar with hard water! Take a look at some water chemistry.
Suspended sediment makes water look cloudy or opaque. The greater the suspended load, the muddier the water. Bed load (silt- to boulder-sized, but mostly sand and gravel) settles on the bottom of the channel. Bed load sediment moves by bouncing or rolling along the bottom. The distance that bedload travels depends on the velocity of the water.
Affecting Surface Runoff
Several factors can affect surface runoff. The extent of runoff is a function () of geology, slope, climate, precipitation, saturation, soil type, vegetation, and time. Geology includes rock and soil types and characteristics, as well as degree of weathering. Porous material (sand, gravel, and soluble rock) absorbs water far more readily than does fine-grained, dense clay or unfractured rock. Well-drained material (porous) has a lower runoff potential therefore has a lower drainage density. Poorly-drained material (non-porous) has a higher runoff potential, resulting in greater drainage density. Drainage density is a measure of the length of channel per unit area. Many channels per unit area means that more water is moving off of the surface, rather than soaking into the soil.
Drainage basins or watersheds have different shapes and sizes. Large drainage basins are usually divided into smaller ones. Size and shape have a direct effect on surface runoff. Refer to Module 3 to see information about drainage basins.
Type of Drainage Basin Has the Greatest Effect on Surface Runoff?
Long, narrow drainage basins generally display the most dramatic effects of surface runoff. They have straight stream channels and short tributaries. Storm waters reach the main channels far more rapidly in long narrow basins than in other types of basins. Flash floods are common in long, narrow drainage basins, resulting in greater erosion potential.
Topography (relief) and slope (gradient) are additional factors affecting water velocity, infiltration rate, and overland flow rate. Water velocity, infiltration rate and overland flow rate affect surface and subsurface runoff rates.
Climate is also important. Precipitation (type, duration, and intensity) is the key climatic factor. Infrequent torrential downpours easily erode sediment-laden topography, while soft drizzly rain infiltrates the soil.
Vegetation aids in slope stability. Removal of vegetation by fire, clear-cutting (logging), or animal grazing often results in soil erosion. The eroded material is washed into streams, adding to the sediment load.
There are three runoff paths that water follows to reach a stream channel- throughflow, overland flow, and groundwater flow.
Throughflow is a shallow subsurface flow that occurs above the groundwater table. A major requirement for throughflow is a good infiltration capacity. Throughflow commonly occurs in humid climates containing thick soil layers and good vegetation cover. In such locations, saturated soil conditions result in surface runoff (overland flow).
Overland flow occurs when precipitation exceeds infiltration rates. Overland flow is common in semi-arid regions, sparsely vegetated and/or disturbed areas, and locations containing dense, clay-rich layers.
Water /Groundwater Interaction
Surface streams have an effect on the groundwater table. Influent streams recharge groundwater supplies. Influent streams, located above the groundwater table, flow in direct response to precipitation. Water percolates down through the vadose zone to the water table, forming a recharge mound.
Effluent streams are discharge zones for groundwater. Effluent streams are generally perennial (flow year round). Groundwater seeps into stream channels, maintaining water flow during dry seasons.
The Big Lost River in Idaho is a good example of an intermittent, ephemeral influent stream. Natural flow of the Big Lost River terminates in the Big Lost River Sinks, located on the INEEL. But, local irrigation now diverts the Big Lost River from its natural terminus
Groundwater supplies 30% of the water present in our streams. Recall that effluent streams act as discharge zones for groundwater during dry seasons. This phenomenon is known as base flow. Groundwater overdraft reduces the base flow, which results in the reduction of water supplied to our streams.Equally important is water quality. Salinity, a by-product of water flowing over salt beds, salt springs, and irrigation and evaporation, increases with distance downstream. |
In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to draw a skull using a computer. Start by drawing a circle for the head and a rectangular shape at the bottom. Draw a line in the center as a guideline. Then draw the eyes, nose and mouth. Now outline the skull and add the details. Shade in the eye sockets, nose and mouth. Now you can erase the guideline. Start coloring the skull to a preferred color. Then add in a darker color around the skull to shade it. Finally, outline the skull and color the background. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy drawing on the computer and want to learn how to draw a skull.
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How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home From Germs, Viruses and Prevention Methods:
What is cleaning:
Cleaning alludes to the expulsion of germs, earth, and contamination’s from surfaces. Cleaning doesn’t eliminate germs, yet by evacuating them, it brings down their numbers and the danger of spreading contamination.
What is disinfecting or sterilizing:
Sterilizing alludes to utilizing synthetic compounds to eliminate germs on surfaces. This procedure doesn’t really clean messy surfaces or evacuate germs, yet by eliminating germs on a surface in the wake of cleaning, it can additionally bring down the danger of spreading disease and infection.
practice routine cleaning of often contacted surfaces (for instance: tables, door handles, light switches, handles, work areas, toilets, fixtures, sinks) with household cleaners and EPA-enrolled disinfectants that are suitable for the surface, adhering to name guidelines. Names contain guidelines for protected and powerful utilization of the cleaning item including safety measures you should take while applying the item, for example, wearing gloves and ensuring you have great ventilation during utilization of the item.
Household members should be cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces on a daily bases in common areas such as tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, remotes, light switches, handles, desks, toilets and sinks.
In the bedroom/bathroom dedicated for an ill person: consider reducing cleaning frequency to as-needed (e.g., soiled items and surfaces) to avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person.
If someone at home is sick, dedicate a bedroom and bathroom for them. Reduce the cleaning frequency to as needed bases. You should avoid unnecessary contact and keep a far distance as much as possible with an ill person unless needed.
Buy extra cleaning supplies specifically for a ill person to use on their own if possible. These supplies could be tissues, paper towels, cleaners and disinfectants.
If you do not have an extra bathroom, what you will need to do is clean the bathroom after every use of the ill person. If this is not possible hire a cleaning company to help. The main areas to clean are any high-touch surfaces.
To clean surfaces you will need to have and wear disposable gloves to clean and disinfect surfaces. You should not use the same gloves after one use. If you have re-usable gloves, dedicate those gloves for cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and do not use it for anything else or anywhere else. Once you have cleaned with the gloves on, remove the gloves and clean hands with soap and water for 20-30 seconds.
How to clean and disinfect:
Cleaning is different than disinfecting. Cleaning should be done before disinfecting. If you see a dirty surface or if a surface gets dirty, use detergent or any soap and water before disinfecting.
When it is time to disinfect, use diluted household bleach solutions, and alcohol solutions that are least 70% alcohol for disinfection’s.
For disinfectants: Never use a expired alcohol solution based product. Never mix bleach with ammonia as this can be very toxic.
How to properly dilute and prepare a bleach solution:
Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
For carpeted floor, rugs, drapes and other soft porous areas remove the contamination if it is present and then clean with cleaners that are used for these types of surfaces.
Clothing, towels, linens and other laundry items of such:
Make sure to wear and use disposable gloves when touching these types of surfaces as well, especially from an ill person. Remember to use different gloves and not to use these gloves for anything else. If you do not have gloves, wash your hands with soap after.
– Do not aggressively shake or throw the dirty clothes around, as this can spread any virus or bacteria around.
-Use the warmest settings for your washing water settings and drying machines. You need not to caution about laundering with an ill person’s clothes. You can put all laundry together.
Washing Hands and Hygiene for preventative measures:
- Wash hands as often as possible, and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose.
- Immediately wash hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing one’s nose.
- Right before preparing and eating food or drinks.
- After touching or being in contact with pets and animals.
- Before and after providing care for a person who needs assistance (eg child)
Although this is advice to take for any virus outbreak such as the coronavirus covid 19 Edmonton, we do not make any claims that guarantee the removal and disinfecting of the virus. For more information please visit: |
Literature Review of iKBE Competencies and Systemic Modelling
Historically, the main skills engineers need to have are technical disciplinary content knowledge and technical competency; however, concerns of needs of engineers for a variety of non-technical skills can be traced to the early 1980s (Wearne 1984). Engineering in particular and other relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields in general are the most critical sciences for a nation to consider while seeking for or maintaining a Innovation and Knowledge-Based Economy status (NAE 2005, 2004; NRC 2007; Pinelli and Haynie 2010). In this context, the talent and skills requirements of current and future engineers as well as necessary relevant reforms in engineering education curriculum have become a hot topic of investigation during the last 10-15 years. Numerous studies and policy reports have been published mainly in developed countries or emergent economies, such as USA (Duderstadt 2008a), Australia (Rabl and Hillmer 2012), UK (Spinks et al. 2006), Canada (Chan and Fishbein 2009), Malaysia (Abdullah et al. 2007), India (Mishra 2010), and Thailand (Sunthonkanokpong 2011). The majority of studies have investigated needed talent in engineering in general; however, some research has had a more microscopic level, focusing on the required skills in a specific domain of engineering. For instance, studies have been published on skills required in transportation engineering (Skills and They 2009), mechanical engineering (2028 Vision for Mechanical Engineering: A report of the Global Summit on the Future of Mechanical Engineering 2008; Danielson 2011), engineering management (Dudman and Wearne 2003), and civil engineering (ASCE 2007). These studies continue to emphasize that technical content knowledge and competencies are essential for any engineer; however, in addition to being well grounded in mathematics and science, twenty-first-century engineers should be well shaped in broader knowledge base and diverse personal/interpersonal key skills. Such attributes and skills may include the following: teamwork, communication,
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 9
M. Abdulwahed and M.O. Hasna, Engineering and Technology Talent for Innovation and Knowledge-Based Economies,
inter/multidisciplinary knowledge, analytical thinking, ingenuity, creativity, technological innovation, business and management skills, leadership, ethics, professionalism, as well as understand work strategies (Anderson et al. 2005; Sheppard et al. 2004; Swearengen and Barnes 2002; Shuman et al. 2005).
This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive literature review on needed skills for graduate and future engineers, in the context of generic skills and employability needs in knowledge-based societies and economies. The review spans over a diverse range of relevant studies, reports, books, conference proceedings, and journal articles. The review findings and contributions can be coined in three main folds: 1—a conceptual ontological framework of engineering skills in the context of generic—and employability—skills of KBSs and iKBEs citizens and workforce, 2 —the development of a model of driving forces for focus on shift of needed skills and attributes of engineers, and 3—a global set of 22 mutual common skills, but different in topology, between engineering and generic competencies. |
(A Lecture to Communication Engineers, 1957)
Professor Wiener has already made the distinction biology requires between the disparate sciences on which it rests. Strictly physical sciences are necessary for an understanding of the physics and chemistry of living systems in the same sense in which they serve engineering. They are as insufficient for the biologist as for the engineer. Both must distinguish work from energy and signal from noise. Both seek purpose incorporated in mechanism by inverse feedback. Both are concerned with securing reliable output from complex digital computers. The engineer’s machines are built to his own specification. He knows what they are to do and how they are to do it. The biologist has to find out these things for himself. Nevertheless the engineer has troubles. Despite his knowledge of the theories of entropy, of information, of games — and of multiple closed-loop servosystems — he finds it hard to insure a usable output from his most complex digital computers. Then he turns to his puzzled friend — the biologist — and asks “How does nature do it?”
The answer is neither obvious nor trivial. If you will be patient with me I shall attempt it, beginning with the simplest to describe the most complex of natural objects. You will then see that what it does, what it is, and how it comes to be are inseparably related in the question itself: “How does nature stabilize a usable output of complex computers?”
The ultimate disparate particles of physics are defined by their trajectories in electric, magnetic and inertial fields. The number of kinds of particles, alike except that one is the mirror image of the other, on meeting, annihilate each other. This reduces the number of kinds of particles that endure in our world. The strong forces that these compatible particles exert upon each other determine configurations some of which are sufficiently stable for the chemist to call them atoms. Atoms again differ discretely in kind. Their complex but weaker fields of force permit only certain configurations of atoms some of which persist long enough to be identified as molecules. The still weaker and still more complicated fields of force of some molecules suffice to promote the formation of more molecules of the same kind. One class of these autocatalytic reactions is Life. Its reproductive molecules are extremely large and correspondingly complex, but its bonds are not strong enough to insure a long mean half-life, and its fields are too weak to compel perfect reproduction on all occasions. A few times in a hundred thousand the product is discretely different. We call it a mutant. When in its environment it is a stronger catalyst than the original molecule it replaces the original. Such is evolution.
Step by step, matching changes in molecular structure to dissimilar environments, there have evolved some hundreds of thousands of dissimilar self-reproducing gigantic molecules. To specify a particular kind, therefore, requires a hundred thousand “yes or no” decisions — or binomial digits (we say 105 bits). This much information has to be transmitted from the parent molecule to its offspring with only three errors in a hundred thousand.
To specify a babe at birth takes only some 107 bits. This is carried in man’s genes, which are patterns of fields of these still larger molecules. More mistakes occur, yet the product is often viable — a certified suckling. Such is the hard core of our inheritance — 107 bits of information computed and recomputed by molecules with a mean half-life of a few hours.
How has nature stabilized this biological computer to insure a usable output? By using discrete ultimate disparate particles to make disparate atoms, by using stable disparate atoms to make discretely dissimilar molecules. Time and chance remove the unstable. The steps are discrete. Intermediate forms or states do not exist or are so brief as to remain negligible. This we imitate in our digital computers. It is the chief source of their stability, the reason we can combine them indefinitely. Nature has her own metric. She has only to count disparate things. The parts fit and stick or the whole does not endure. It is the same in reproduction. All deviants that do not produce a usable output are promptly annihilated. What is left, what endures, what we find living are only those discretely different discrete processes that do work, and only in those places where they do work. When something new works better it supplants them. So much for our molecular computers — digital devices selected for stability of output matched to their jobs. Obviously it is an oversimplification.
Molecules determining heredity no longer reproduce except in special environments called cells. Within them the reproductive reaction determines the production of other catalysts called enzymes. These, their substrates, and their products constitute a well-regulated factory. The visible parts of cells, their organelles, consist of ordered molecular layers, liquid crystals, polymers and gels some of which are of remarkably fixed form and size and even position, while others grow, move, stretch, and divide in complicated patterns. Each of these factories is dynamically stable and thus potentially immortal so long as it receives proper stuff and energy. Yet any kind of cell would have been annihilated if, on reaching sufficient size, it did not divide into viable cells some of which reproduced again.
We know comparatively little of the negative feedbacks at these chemical and colloidal levels that determine the dynamic stability of cells. Such things as the ratio of surface to volume determining concentrations of substrates and the accumulation of end products inhibiting reactions are fairly clear. They resemble the stability of cathode coupling or other degenerations in amplifiers or those in well-regulated power packs.
Cells are irritable — that is, they make a response which is not proportional to the stimulus. Up to some threshold of applied chemical, electrical, or mechanical stress they remain in a stable state, but beyond threshold they act suddenly differently, even though they later return to their stable state. In this they resemble the nonlinear circuit elements we employ in building digital computers.
When cells divide into irrevocably dissimilar cells but remain together to their mutual advantage they produce metazoa. There is a division of labor so that the products of each promote the other. With increase of size there develop systems of transportation of mechanical stresses, of heat, and of substances. Finally a nervous system arises. Its sole job is the transport of information. It does no mechanical or chemical work. Its highly specialized cells, called neurons, are kept in a closely controlled environment and in us may live as long as we do. When one dies it cannot be replaced and, since no two have just the same connection, no other does its job.
It is the propagated discrete responses of these neurons that are excited by sense organs or by impulses of other neurons. Their arrangement in space and time constitute the signals through the system whose output to muscles and glands controls their reactions. When one speaks of biological computers he is usually thinking of this nervous system — most developed in man. It contains about a tenth of all his cells and consumes nearly one-seventh of all his power when at rest. Let us look at its components, its subassemblies and its general organization.
A neuron has fronds, body, and a long, thin taproot, or axon, which ends via rootlets on other neurons or in muscles and glands. The surface of a neuron is a membrane so thin that its capacity is more than a micro-farad per square centimeter. Inside is a conductor with a specific resistance greater than that of sea water. Metabolism keeps its outside seven hundredths of a volt positive to its inside. The resistance of its membrane is high until the voltage through it falls to about one-third its resting value, when it suddenly drops to a small fraction of the resting resistance. Then current flows in freely — reducing the voltage of the adjacent membrane, which, in turn shorts out, allowing the impulse to be propagated as a smoke ring of current along the axon. The velocity of propagation is fixed by the distributed resistance, capacity, and battery. Thus a neuron and its axon is a distributed digital relay the size of whose impulse is determined locally, quite independently of the strength of the stimulus that evoked it. The factor of safety for continued propagation along a uniform cylinder is about ten, but at branch points it is far lower, and the continuation of the impulse depends on other impulses in neighboring fibers or cells. Thus branch points permit gating of impulses by impulses. Convergence of impulses on cell bodies is generally necessary for adequate excitation to start an impulse in them, and impulses passing the body to end in the branches generally raise its threshold. This is a second mode of gating impulses by impulses. Either would be sufficient to insure that neurons as coincidence detectors were suitable components for our logical, or digital, circuit actions. Nets of these neurons constitute the subassemblies of the nervous system.
Man starts life as a string of subassemblies called segments. In lower segmented forms of life each segment is virtually autonomous. Its own inputs inform it of the length and tension of its muscles, the position and motion of its joints, and the pressures, temperature, and so forth, of its surface. Its central computer sends forth the orders for its muscles and glands. These closed loops — or reflex arcs — are inverse feedbacks, and the whole segment is a multiple closed-loop servosystem. Its gains and phase relations prevent cramping and schizogenic oscillations. It needs no information from adjacent segments that it cannot pick up from the mechanical effects they produce in its own segment — which it detects by its own receptors. In higher forms this is no longer possible, for several segments cooperate in control of a single limb. Signals have to pass to adjacent segments by nervous channels. This sort of organization is like that of a naval fleet from the days of Greece through the battle of Jutland. Each ship of the line is a self-sufficient segment which can just signal to the next in line. Now it is outmoded, yet it is surprising to see a dog whose spinal cord has been divided in the small of his back. The hind legs sit, stand, walk, run, hop, and gallop in harmony with the forelegs although there is no nervous connection. This bespeaks the extent to which those subassemblies are stabilized independently to insure a usable output. They are servosystems whose central circuit actions are of the logical kind. To match the dynamic variables of its own world, each segment codes as repetition rate the logarithm of intensity or its first derivative at each receptor, and by use of parallel channels it enjoys the stability of averages of impulses per second in modulating lengths and tensions of muscles. Both tricks depend on redundancy — one of code, the other of channel. Its other trick is anatomical. By keeping axons essentially parallel, it maps its peripheral organs onto its arrays of central relays so that neighborhood is projected to neighborhood with appreciable overlap. This preserves the topological relations of the input through the calculation. If mistakes occur in local connections or local thresholds, or scattered cells die, the errors are of little importance. In this it resembles an analog device, like a slide rule, where the error is in the last place, rather than a digital device, like an adding machine, wherein any digit may be affected.
Let us return to the organization of the fleet for battle, where the first in line are first to sight the enemy. The front segments of animals develop distance receptors, nose, tongue, eye, and ear. To pull the fleet together promptly they must inform all segments. This the earthworm does by giant axons formed of short thick butt-jointed axons. Our ancestors did it differently. They developed paths from all distance receptors and from all segments to a net in the brain stem, and from it to all parts of the central nervous systems. This central net, called the reticular formation, is organized like a modern battle fleet. Its large cells each receive information from many or all distance receptors and segments and relay information to them. In the reticular formation each cell is like a ship in which information from many ships pours into its communication center. Whatever ship is in possession of most crucial information can commit the fleet to action. Yet no one ship is essential. When it sinks or another has more crucial information the command shifts, but the fleet remains coordinated with a usable output. Let us call this kind of stability “redundancy of potential command.” It is not enjoyed by any man-made computer except the fleet. This reticular formation controls vigilance, attention, programs automatically associated movements, and commands the structures that bring to rest at the proper place whatever part of the body is put in motion. It sets levels of threshold of cells in the spinal cord and so stabilizes the total complex of multiple closed-loop servosystems which, though singly stable, might jointly cramp or oscillate.
Finally, it seems to be essential for another kind of stability, closely related to, possibly responsible for, conditioning and learning. Ashby was first to describe this in his book “Design for a Brain”, where he calls it “ultrastability”. A servosystem for flying a plane straight and level will crash it promptly if the wires to one aileron are crossed to produce the wrong motion. Similarly, if we cross nerves to the flexors and extensors of a leg the reflexes work the wrong way. The reticular system takes care of this by switching its effective connections, by changing thresholds of relays, or making new anatomical connections until it finds a stable configuration that produces a useful output. Though the reflexes are reversed the animal learns to use it normally.
Note how closely ultrastability resembles adaptation of evolution. To date it has scarcely been used in machines to play chess, to fly airplanes, or to control industrial processes.
The search for other means of securing stable performance in complicated computers continues. Shannon found it in hammock nets of switches that close a path through them, but these are not like neurons. Von Neumann, in his “Toward a Probabilistic Logic,” using a majority organ as output to chains of neurons in parallel, found that, to get a practically perfect performance, the neurons had to be far better than we can expect of those in our brains. He kept prodding me to find another kind and after years of search I now have it. The circuits enjoying what I call “logical stability” are composed of three logical units, or neurons, instead of one. They receive all-or-none signals from two sources on each of two neurons, each of which signals to the third. Each neuron computes some logical function of its input; thus the output is any desired logical function of the input to the net. This is a redundancy of neurons, for each such function can be computed by a single neuron instead of a triple. The advantage of a proper triple for a prescribed function is that it can preserve the same output for the same input under a common change of threshold sufficient to alter the logical function computed by each component neuron. At least 5 per cent of all triples that compute significant functions enjoy this stability, which is of importance in biological computers like brains, when general shifts of threshold must occur. So far I have investigated logical function of only two arguments, that is, neurons of two inputs. I hope that Walter Pitts will generalize the theory for those of every finite number of arguments (or inputs). Logical stability is too new a discovery for us to say more about it. Dr. Lettvin and I will certainly seek it experimentally in the neuron system.
There is almost certainly another kind of stability to be sought in game theory founded by von Neumann and now pursued by Dr. Schutzenberger in Prof. Wiesner’s Laboratory at M.I.T. Dr. Schutzenberger, Dr. Lettvin, and I are all psychiatrists. We would like to assure you that by no means do all biological computers have a stable or useful output. Professionally, we are concerned with those that do not. Hence we are happy to be in the Research Laboratory of Electronics. We belong among communication engineers. In fact, that is why I am here today.
Let us now return for a look at biological functions that give us a new digital stability. Many natural actions are organized by the nervous systems so that they occur in toto or not at all. Each such organization has a threshold - swallowing, coughing, sneezing, yawning, defecating, urinating, and sexual orgasm are such acts. Each is triggered by its adequate stimulus — and enjoys the stability this entails.
At this point we must pause for an antique distinction. William Occam who would not let us multiply our entities beyond necessity insisted that man thinks in two kinds of terms; natural terms, which he shares with beasts, and conventional terms, enjoyed by man alone. What we have said so far applies to thinking in any terms by man and beast. But language is a convention. Its elements, phonemes and morphemes, are carried by redundant signals, and each has its discrete or digital characteristics. It may be much distorted without losing its identity. The same goes for words and for sentences and for propositions. Moreover, there is a redundancy in their successions, witnessed by Shannon’s study of transitional probabilities. Yet no increase in the numbers in series related by maximizing the probabilities tends to produce sentences from strings of words. Its compelling unity is its own, like that of a cough or a sneeze, and it has a correspondingly high probability of being a usable output. Yet it is only logic and arithmetic that meet David Hume’s requirement of one-to-one correspondence to determine equality. Hence it is only in these terms that we may argue correctly through indefinitely many steps. This brings us to man-made digital computers as an outcome of the stable, the usable, and the countable items of language — man’s conventional terms. One has only to put pebbles in pots to calculate.
These computing machines are merely substitutes for putting pebbles into pots. If man had not invented a radix, and its positional notation that a pebble in one pot was worth 10 or 2 in the next, his errors, and those in his machines, would have tended to be in the least significant place. In handling this kind of information man can only process about 25 bits per second. His machines can do a million times as much, and with fewer errors. They do nothing that he could not do, but faster and better. Thus their action is stabilized for a highly usable output. At this, their simple game, they beat their inventor, because their task is simpler than that of the biological computer that produced them. If you want to see how much more stable and usable their output, you have only to try to multiply two six digit numbers mentally. Surely man has not evolved any decent arithmetical organ within his head. Presumably he never will.
In closing let me rehearse the sources of stability in biological systems that insure a usable output.
From the ultimate particles of physics, through disparate atoms and disparate molecules, through organelles and cells, through cell assemblies in segments and in those for natural acts, through language, logic and arithmetic, even in his digital computing machine, again and again we see the stability insured by thresholds for discrete processes.
These have been selected from discrete mutants by evolution so that only those that work survive.
Many levels are stabilized by negative feedback including the inverse feedback to many or all components of multiple closed-loop servosystems.
Every part of the nervous system has redundancy of information, redundancy of coding, redundancy of parallel channels.
These channels are so organized as to preserve the topology of the input within the computer by projecting neighborhood into neighborhood, thus preserving a usable output under perturbation of signals, perturbation of threshold, local perturbation of connection and even scattered loss of channels. There is no positional notation of a radix, and errors remain in the least significant place.
The quasi-autonomous stable subassemblies are linked through the core of the brain like a modern battle fleet; that is, with “redundancy of potential command”.
Gross failures and gross misconnections of the parts initiate internal switching in this central net until a usable output is found and persists. This is Ashby’s “ultrastability” — which resembles evolution and may account for the learning of skilled arts.
There exists the possibility of “logical stability”, which is a retention of the same output for the same input despite a general shift of threshold sufficient to alter the circuit action of every component.
All these devices for securing a stable, usable output underlie thinking in natural and conventional terms by biological computers.
This is how nature has done it.
For further research:
Wordcloud: Action, Atoms, Axon, Biological, Called, Cells, Central, Channels, Closely, Complex, Computers, Connection, Determine, Digital, Discrete, Disparate, Engineer, Enjoys, Errors, Fleet, Function, General, Impulses, Information, Input, Insure, Logical, Machines, Man, Molecules, Nature, Nervous, Net, Neurons, Organization, Output, Particles, Produce, Products, Redundancy, Segments, Servosystems, Signals, Stability, Stable, System, Terms, Threshold, Usable, Work
Keywords: Computers, Wiener, Output, Information, Entropy, Systems, Looms, Servosystems, Symposium, Sciences
Google Books: http://asclinks.live/d407
Google Scholar: http://asclinks.live/ojch |
“Two years later, the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute. He came to Jerusalem with a large force. Deceitfully, he spoke peaceable words to them so that they believed him. However, he suddenly fell upon the city as he dealt it a severe blow. He destroyed many people of Israel. He plundered the city as he burned it with fire. He tore down its houses and its surrounding walls. They took captive the women and children. They seized the cattle. Then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers as it became their citadel. They stationed there a sinful people, men who were renegades. These strengthened their position. They stored up arms and food. They collected the spoils of Jerusalem and stored them there. They became a great menace.”
Around 167 BCE, King Antiochus IV again attacked Jerusalem. This time he sent mercenaries with a leader who was to collect tribute for the king. Instead of just collecting the tribute, he and his men attacked the city of Jerusalem. They killed people and plundered the city. They destroyed the houses and walls. They took the women, children, and cattle. Somehow, then they rebuilt the wall around the city of David and made it a citadel or fortress. Here they put those renegades, those terrible Jews who sided with Syria. They collected the spoils of Jerusalem and stored them there. This citadel will become the home of the army garrison for controlling Judea. |
The report focuses on how low powered, low frequency RFID reader is able to detect and identify the RF Tag at a greater distance with the assistance of the RF power system.
The reading range of a 13.56 MHz is RFID system is around 3cm with passive tags. In order to increase the distance to a more usable range, an amplification system needs to be built. The chosen system is a wireless power transfer system. The system is designed to transmit an amplified sine wave at 13.56 MHz to the transponder. This will theoretically allow the transponder have enough available energy to sends its coded information a distance farther than 3 cm. The power that is transmitted is a generic signal that places the transponder in an amplified standby state. When the transceiver sends its information to the transponder it turns on and transmits the bits programmed into it. It has the power of the both the generic signal and the transceivers.
In order to give the transponder a useable system, the correct frequency needs to be generated. An oscillator circuit was built and produced a frequency at 13.57 MHz. The oscillator uses a crystal with a frequency of 13.48MHz which was tuned using inductors and capacitors. The Peak to Peak voltage produced was 688 mV with a 5V power supply. Figure 3 shows the schematic for the oscillator, it should be known that the two op-amps represent the LM373 IC which was not available in the PSPICE catalog of parts.
Visit Here for more. |
Science & Scholarship in Poland reports that an international team of researchers has found traces of a 7,000-year-old long house in Moldova. Similar houses, built by what is known as the Linear Pottery culture, have been found in other parts of Europe, but this is the first one to be found in Moldova.
Such long houses were made of wooden posts driven into the ground to support wattle-and-daub walls topped with gabled roofs.
“Commonly, on both sides of the houses we discover cavities from which clay was taken to cover the walls,” said Maciej Debiec of the University of Rzeszów and the University of Regensburg.
Early European farmers are thought to have lived in long houses with their animals. Debiec and his team will return to the newly discovered site this spring for further investigation.
They expect the Moldavian long house will be similar in size to other structures built by the Linear Pottery culture, or about 65 feet long 20 feet wide.
The team has found two additional sites in Moldova where additional long houses may have stood. |
India (IAST), also called the Republic of India (IAST), is a country in South Asia.
Municipal governance in India has existed since the year 1688, with the formation of Madras Municipal Corporation, and then Calcutta and Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1726.
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India.
Trade involves the transfer of goods or services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money.
A trader is person or entity, in finance, who buys and sells financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, commodities, derivatives, and mutual funds in the capacity of agent, hedger, arbitrageur, or speculator. |
Popular Science Monthly/Volume 35/May 1889/Growth of the Beet-Sugar Industry
|GROWTH OF THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY.|
THE statistics collected from the sugar-producing countries show that more than one half of the world's sugar is derived from the beet-root; and it is known that the consumers of sugar in the United States often make daily use of it in their households without suspecting that they are contributing to the support of the peasantry and wage-earners of continental Europe.
Whenever the history of the beet-sugar industry shall have been written, it will prove interesting and instructive to the student, as an achievement of science, and will present a problem to the political economist of grave import in its reflection on the future business possibilities. It is a matter of historical record that for many years, in the early part of the present century, continental Europe worked almost hopelessly to produce a sugar-yielding plant which would thrive in its northern climate and supply the sugar it consumed.
Chemistry had demonstrated that the beet-root—as well as other forms of plant-life—contained a solution of sugar identical with that found in the cane-plant of the tropics; but the amount of sugar extracted was so inconsiderable as to preclude the hope of obtaining a supply from that source, unless new discoveries should make it possible to increase the saccharine product.
Schools of instruction were established for imparting special information in the cultivation of the beet and the extraction of the saccharine principle. And costly experiments and researches were made.
Scientific men were rewarded, subsidies were granted, and factories were built, but sugar was produced only at extravagant cost; and, as a financial venture, without other considerations, it proved a stupendous failure. The industry was abandoned in France with the fall of Napoleon, but was continued in a moderate way by some of the continental states without a profitable result, until about twenty years ago, when the possible war complications of that period—which afterward culminated in the humiliation of France—forced Germany to rehabilitate her agricultural industries, from which the armies of the empire were chiefly supplied. Her lands were worn under a thousand years of tillage without rotation of crops, and had more recently become unprofitable and valueless under the vain attempt to produce the staple crops of grain in competition with the rich prairies of our Northwest, and her farmers were emigrating to America. The soil was not exhausted, as many have supposed, but, like our own farms in New England, laboring at present under the same difficulties, required a diversity of culture and new fertilization. Their previous experiments had shown that the beet-root, depending largely for its growth upon the atmosphere, did not exhaust the soil, as was the case in the cultivation of grain, but, in rotation with the staple crops, like wheat, barley, and rye, it left the land richer for the following crop. Besides, the beet-root was peculiarly a product of the temperate zone—indigenous to the latitude of northern France and Germany, requiring fair skies, sunlight, and long seasons, for the full perfection of its growth for sugar-making purposes. It could not be raised profitably for saccharine extraction on the sea-coast, as it easily absorbed saline matters, or in the dark and damp places of England, or in the higher latitudes, where the season is too short to ripen the plant to perfection, any more than it would thrive in the hot climate of the South.
A new system of excise duties was established which induced the farmer to enter into the growing of beets on a larger scale, and bounties were given to attract capital into the construction of factories for the manufacture of beet-sugar. This excise tax, not unlike that of our own internal revenue collection on whisky and tobacco—where the consumer pays the tax—was equal to two and a half cents per pound on the sugar extracted from the beet. To the sugar exporter the tax was returned, and there was also paid a bonus which assumed the character of an export bounty.
Under these conditions an enormous increase of sugar production and a rapidly augmented exportation of sugar followed. The farmer commenced a new system of fertilization that produced larger crops, and began with energy to develop from the soil the nitrogen which the chemists had found to be so much needed in the cultivation of the beet-root. He made more manure on the farm by feeding his cattle with the pulp, received from the factories that had sprung up like magic a residuum derived from the chemical processes in the extraction of sugar containing all the salts and elements remaining, thus giving a new impulse to cattle-raising and dairy products from its rich fodder.
Gathering from twenty to twenty-five tons of beets from an acre, each ton yielding from one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds of sugar, which gave him three times the profit that he had hitherto derived from the cultivation of wheat, rye, barley, and the staple crops, leaving the land better prepared to receive the annual plant in its rotation with the beet, he found the value of his farm increasing enormously, and his prosperity phenomenal, as the swarms of peasants—men, women, and children—flocked to his growing fields or followed the harvesting, while full employment was given to the general wage-earner and the artisan.
New employments and collateral industries increased in the same ratio; railroads were projected and built to transport the beet-root from the interior farms to the great factories scattered for hundreds of miles throughout Germany, long trains of platform-cars, often numbering fifty to sixty, piled full of white sugar-beets, met the eye of the traveler during the harvesting season, and speculation ran high with the fabulous profits of the sugar manufacturers.
Subsequently the attempt to manufacture beet-sugar in the Southern United States met with signal failure. Later, beet-sugar factories were started in the Northern States, in the latitude of Germany, where the soil and meteorological conditions were equal to the best of beet-growing sections on the Continent; to which was added the long Indian summer, which can not be approached by any country in its advantages for maturing the plant. To these factories, erected in different sections of the North, subsidies were granted and bounties were given by several of the States in which they were located, fostered and assisted by the Agricultural Bureau and experimental stations of the Government; yet they were overcome by the same difficulties that had for fifty years and more confronted their foreign pioneers, and they, one and all, came to grief in their attempts to manufacture sugar from the beet-root at a profit, for the metamorphosis of the plant and the sugar-beet process had not yet been developed.
But during the last decade great discoveries have been made in the cultivation of the root, as well as in the methods for the extraction of the solution of sugar by ingenious mechanical devices, and the sugar-beet of to-day bears no resemblance to that of the past century, either in its form or the minerals it contains; and the saccharine principle has been increased a thousand per cent above the extraction of one per cent secured by the early experiments of Archaud in the days of the first Napoleon. Forty years afterward the chemists found their experimentation had increased the product to six per cent only, and a quarter of a century later the highest attainable result proved that it required twelve and a half parts of beet-root to produce one part of grain sugar, about one eighth per cent of the whole, which was the basis on which the German excise duty was established; yet last year the statistical organ of the German Empire reports an average extraction of thirteen per cent. The employment of an ingenious contrivance known as the "diffusion battery"—though simple in its conception, nevertheless illustrates well-known laws of chemical science in the transfusion of liquids, and successfully opens the membranous walls of the sugar-cells of the plant, giving a higher grade of juice, with less gummy, nitrogenous, and fibrous impurities, at less cost than by the old methods of mechanical pressure—has in no small degree contributed to this result. It had taken three quarters of a century to develop the chemistry and the mechanical adjustment of the sugar-beet processes, and even now we notice that the progress in this direction is great.
Meantime France, Belgium, Austria-Hungary, Poland, Russia, and other countries in continental Europe, after a series of unsuccessful attempts, resumed the manufacture of beet-sugar, and by a system of subsidies, bounties, and drawbacks, notwithstanding the many climatic and meteorological difficulties, produced a large quantity of sugar, but little as compared with Germany, as is shown by the following table, estimating the production of beet-sugar in the year 1885:
|Russia and Poland||387,000||"|
|Holland and other countries||50,000||"|
The entire production of cane-sugar in Cuba, Java, Brazil, Peru, British India, Egypt, Manila, Louisiana, and other cane-sugar producing countries, during the same period, did not exceed 2,260,100 tons, or less than one half of the world's sugar production.
The simple and inexpensive methods adopted in the German factories have made the beet-sugar manufacture one of the most profitable of industries, and the work goes on day and night, at a prime cost for conversion of two dollars per ton of beets, or one cent per pound of sugar, not estimating the cost of the beet-root, but including labor and all materials used, like coal, coke, lime, charcoal, wear and tear, and interest on the invested capital. The monthly disbursements of such an establishment exceed sixty thousand dollars, and give employment to thousands of wage-earners in direct and collateral industries. One sugar corporation in France reported a net profit derived from the manufacture of beet-sugar a few years ago of two millions of dollars, and the season did not extend beyond one hundred and twenty days. Under these new conditions the production of beet-sugar in continental Europe has doubled in the last decade; and, after the home populations are supplied, the surplus is exported to Great Britain and the United States, reducing the price of sugar in the markets of the world more than fifty per cent.
The sugar-refineries of this country use the beet-and cane-sugar indiscriminately in the manufacture of the block sugar of commerce, and the family grocer sells the imported refined beet-sugar at a price from twenty-five to fifty per cent above the price of cane-sugar.
Before our late war, Louisiana produced more sugar than Germany; and although the beet-sugar industry in the latter country was greatly stimulated by the high prices of sugar prevailing, incident to the entire destruction of the cane-sugar industry of the United States, yet as late as 1875 the empire produced only twenty-five hundred tons, while for the year 1888 a production of one million three hundred thousand tons of sugar and saccharine resultants is recorded.
If the increasing production of continental sugar continues in the same ratio as in the past, it needs no prophet to foretell the future of the cane-sugar colonies. Even now the English market can not afford to take colonial cane-sugar, although it is admitted free of duty. The English refining factories, which represent an investment of fifteen or twenty millions of dollars, and have hitherto supported a large population of wage-earners, are being closed, from the competition with continental sugar.
These questions are attracting the attention of all the governments of Europe; and while a number of members of the British Parliament tried to find compensation for the losses of the cane-sugar colonies, and the destruction of the British sugar-refineries, in the circumstance that the consumers of sugar in Great Britain saved fifty-five millions of dollars annually, in the reduced cost of an article of prime necessity of which the consumption had increased thirty-three per cent within a few years; yet an international congress was determined upon, for the purpose of doing away, if possible, with all bounties on sugar manufacture.
This grave question was presented, in all its bearings, to the Parliaments, Finance Ministers, Boards of Trade, and Chambers of Commerce of many of the Continental Governments, but at the gathering in London the proposition met with little or no favor.
After the adjournment of the congress the German Empire announced a new excise duty, which took effect last August, involving all the principles of the old duties, and increased the "material and consumption" tax on beets to three cents per pound on sugar as against two and a half cents per pound previously, and fixed the export bounty at two cents and two and a half cents per pound on raw and refined sugar respectively.
During the past year large capital has been attracted toward the development of the sugar-beet industry in the United States on the Pacific coast. Although that section of the country, with its peculiar surroundings, does not generally present the meteorological and climatic conditions necessary to secure the best results in the cultivation of the beet-root for sugar-making purposes, yet a factory was started last October, with equipment and machinery capable of reducing three hundred and fifty tons of beets per diem, and has proved a great financial success. A full supply of beets, cultivated by the wheat-growers of California, kept the works fully employed, and a boom was given to the town of Watson ville. The factory consumes seven tons of lime daily in the chemical processes of extracting the sugar, which is distributed pro rata to the grower of beets free, and can be returned to the soil. Besides, the farmers averaged over eighty dollars per acre for their beet products, while the recent report of the Agricultural Bureau estimates the returns from the total production of the five principal crops—oats, corn, rye, barley, and wheat—in the United States to be less than twelve dollars per acre as an average.
The beet-root, deriving its fertilization from previous crops of annuals, can not rotate effectually with the cereals, except in the third season; and of course the comparative estimate of increased profit over wheat is not as large as it would be if the plant admitted of continuous culture, and thus may be misleading.
When we take into consideration the elements—organic and mineral—of which all plants are composed, and that each variety requires for its perfect development certain meteorological conditions, peculiar characters of soil, and combinations of the various leading constituents of plant-food, which have enlisted the energies of scientists for years in continued investigation, we are struck with admiration and wonder at the progress of agricultural chemistry—not only in revealing the chemicals as they exist, replacing them in the soil when exhausted by cultivation, but in transforming a root and making almost a new creation, by extracting the noxious minerals which had retarded its development, with simply special culture.
It is admitted that the new appliances of steam and electricity and the inventions of the past quarter of a century have changed the commerce of civilization, but, as economic factors, these can scarcely prove more far-reaching in their influence than those discoveries of science, in the same period, which have made it possible to open a new industry in a northern latitude for the manufacture of an article of prime necessity, whose habitat has been for a century in the tropics.
The chemists have found that the four principal elements which enter into plant-life are met every day, only under other names and slightly different forms. Nitrogen in one form is the ammonia of commerce. Potash is simply lye from wood-ashes. Phosphoric acid is ground bones dissolved in acid; and lime is seen everywhere. These represent the necessary nutrition of the beet-root when the climatic conditions are favorable; but if they exist in insoluble combination, they will be useless in the economy of nutrition, or if in form suitable for similation, but excessive in quantities, they will stimulate the plant to abnormal growth, unsuited to its desired perfection.
The scientists have shown us how to cultivate the beet for sugar making; that soils charged with mineral salts are injurious to its development for that purpose; that, in fact, the beet easily absorbs saline matters, while the alkaline salts constitute one of the greatest obstacles to sugar extraction. They say new ground, or that lately cleared of forest, should not be applied to the culture of the beet, but the land used for this purpose should have been under continued cultivation at least ten or fifteen years for the removal of the nitrates and the organic matter containing nitrogen, which are always present in new soils, and exert an injurious influence on the quality of the root.
We now have elaborate tables of analyses of soils to show the chemical composition of those most favorable to the culture, as well as to the physical character which render them best suited to the cultivation of the beet, their porosity and subsoil conditions.
Unless the supply of the elements of plant-food is continuous and regular, a purely sandy soil would be undesirable. If no means are provided for the removal of surplus water which may be found in a purely clay soil, or to so improve its condition as to admit of free circulation of air as well as water, it will be too heavy, and become absolutely useless. The same is true of purely calcareous soil, since the same unfavorable conditions would prevail, though perhaps to not quite the same extent. Such soils would also be unsuited to the plant itself, because they would not admit of the free progress of the tap-root nor of the lateral fibrous roots in their search for nutrition. These conditions have a powerful influence upon the ultimate yield of sugar from the surface cultivated.
But if the sandy soil be mixed with either or both of the others, and with humus—pulverulent brown earth—in suitable proportions, the conditions most favorable to the maintenance of a regular and plentiful supply of food, the healthy condition of the root and its consequent normal development will be assured.
The beet-root, as a biennial plant, enters readily into rotation with annual plants, and with those plants known to exhaust the soil. It precedes barley, wheat, rye, and oats, and prepares the soil in a marvelous manner for cereals, the subsequent fertilization of which prepares the soil for the beet. The land must not receive fertilizing treatment during the season of the growth of the beet-root, but must be well prepared—not too light, not too moist; it should be warm, rich in humus, deep and free from stones, like a garden. The form of the beet desired for greater sugar extraction would, with this physical condition, be long and tapering.
In this collection of data, derived from the best authorities in Europe, where the cultivation of the beet is best managed, it will not be possible to speak of the meteorological conditions necessary to the perfect growth of the root for sugar-producing purposes, except to say that the principal conditions to be studied in this connection are those of the temperature and moisture with which the plant may be surrounded. The amount of moisture at the disposition of the plant, at all seasons of its growth, is the most important factor in its normal development. Temperature has an influence: if it be too low or too high, it has the same power of evil as a deficiency of moisture. Various sections of the United States north of Mason and Dixon's line, where the rainfall is regular, like New England, with its long Indian summer, present all the conditions to produce the sugar-beet to perfection.
The cultivation of the root, and the latest approved processes for extracting the sugar, will be considered hereafter. |
By Alejandro Herrera | October 04, 2019
A good way to think of Purple Teams is that they are a mixture of Red or sword, and Blue or shield teams in pentesting processes. They are professional hackers that simulate attacks and protect an organization’s information.
In cybersecurity, organizations should understand that a Purple Team is a communication bridge that allows Blue and Red Teams to work together in a simulated cyberattack. The main goal is to help improve organization security posture. In other words, they can help coordinate and increase the effectiveness of both teams. We have to be careful with the implementation and execution of a Purple team , as Julian Arango says:
" In some cases, this interaction can propitiate malfunctions inside the organizations, especially when the affected parties are biased by their interest and can manipulate or conduct the results of a pentest.”
Important features are :
Analyze: They analyze the behavior and interactions between the Red and Blue Teams. Throughout the process, they can also generate recommendations, suggestions, and improvements for both parties. However in practice, if there are not well-defined cybersecurity objectives and there are personal interests regarding the test outcome, it is likely that there will be a conflict of interest. The organization can then encounter a variety of problems including tampering of pentesting outcomes and lack of blindspot detection , among others.
Detection: How the Red Team can bypass the detection capabilities of the Blue Team.
Remedial Actions:: They can suggest fixes to avoid vulnerabilities.
Transfer: Ultimately a company derives the maximum value from a Purple Team exercise by applying the new knowledge it acquires, while at the same time, ensuring stronger defenses to guard its information.
When Red and Blue Teams get out of sync with each other and/or have cooperation issues, it’s time to consider using a Purple Team. Some common causes that signal the need for a Purple Team are :
Bad Politics: Bad organizational politics does not encourage a good flow of internal information within an organization. An organization may evaluate the success of the Red Team by the amount of failed controls from the Blue Team, while the success of the Blue Team may be evaluated by the number of alerts. Therefore, partners may not be motivated to share information.
Slow Feedback Loop: Needed information moves too slowly between the Red and Blue Teams or, in some cases, does not even move at all. There is poor communication between the teams.
Mindset: Each team works separately to obtain its objectives. For instance, the Red Team enhances offensive exploit. The Blue Team enhances defensive findings. This mindset can weaken and damage the overall security system of an organization.
Arrogance: Each team believes they are superior to the other team, and therefore, neither team recognizes the need to share information between them.
Restricted: The Red Team is pulled inside the organization and becomes restricted, ultimately resulting in a catastrophic reduction in its effectiveness.
Bad Design: The Red Team and Blue Team are not designed to interact with each other continuously, as a matter of course. Therefore, lessons learned on each side remain within each team but are effectively lost to the other.
Separate Efforts: Information security management does not see the Red and Blue Teams as cooperating partners within the same work project. There are no shared metrics between them.
If your organization has one or more of these issues, a Purple Team could be your solution. Rather than considering it as a separate group of people, organizations should consider a Purple Team as a bridge facilitating maximum effective communication between Red and Blue partners.
It is not, under any circumstances, recommended that an organization use a permanent and separate Purple Team as intermediaries between the Red and Blue Teams. This would not solve the underlying problem, which is a breakdown in communication and collaboration between these teams.
We need to improve communication and cooperation between teams. The following techniques can be used to accomplish both of these.
Team Engagement: A third party analyzes how the Red and Blue teams regularly communicate and cooperate. Based on this analysis, the third-party makes recommendations. This measure is momentary and finite. The main goal of this technique is : to make the communication process smoother and to ease knowledge transfer.
Team Exercise: Both teams are monitored in real-time to see how they work. The main goal of this technique is : to evaluate your security controls and ability to detect attacks, to compromise, for lateral movement, to command and to control communications, and data exfiltration. This technique enriches and validates the detection mechanisms used in situ and helps to identify and reduce cyber attack paths.
Team Meetings: Periodically, Red and Blue Teams meet to share knowledge and give feedback about attacks and defenses used in the pentest process.
Appropriate implementation will create a better flow of information between Red and Blue Teams which means, Red Team will learn how Blue Team is detecting and mitigating their offenses, and Blue Team will understand how Red Team is bypassing their defenses. This loop of enhanced communication and knowledge sharing between teams improves the organization’s security posture.
A Purple Team should be understood as a temporary intermediary facilitating communication and collaboration between Red and Blue Teams, allowing information to flow in a continuous loop which enhances the abilities of both teams. Under no circumstances should it be used as a permanent group to mediate the relationship between a Red and Blue Team. |
We are more relaxed in all our subjects, secular language arts curriculum included. We have used two different curricula throughout our homeschooling journey, but there are many more, and there are some great apps available to use as well.
Secular Language Arts Curriculum
I think before we confuse anyone we should get a few things straight, like what is secular curriculum, and what is language arts.
Secular curriculum only discusses religious beliefs from an anthropological perspective. It is not faith-neutral (this becomes important especially when discussing science and history curricula). It does not posit biblical/religious beliefs as historical fact.
Language arts curriculum is the study of grammar, composition, spelling, and (sometimes) public speaking, typically taught as a single subject.
What is Secular Language Arts Curriculum?
Secular language art curriculum is curriculum, textbooks, workbooks/sheets, and other materials that do not contain religious material.
Secular Language Arts Curriculum for You
We have used BookShark language arts levels, k, 2 and 2 advanced. The program we are using, and LOVING now is Grammar Galaxy. You have the opinion of printed books, or digital with Grammar Galaxy, and she is coming out with audiobooks for the lower levels which is great for giving your child more independence and yourself some more time.
All About Learning Press
Offers courses in reading and spelling for preschool through grade 7.
Blossom and Root
Currently K-3 with 4th grade coming in 2020. A secular, nature based program that includes language arts, nature study, and art.
A workbook based program where students solve problems through space “missions.” Note: you will see a dedication to God in these books, but the rest of the material and educational content is secular. You can read a review of this curriculum here.
Soaring with Spelling, Winning with Writing, Growing with Grammar, and Digging into Diagramming. Grammar, spelling, and writing curriculum for grades 1-8. For Canadian homeschoolers.
Logic of English
Offers reading, phonics, spelling, and handwriting instruction for ages 4-7 with a second package for struggling readers ages 8 and up.
WriteShop Primary and Junior
Kindergarten through 6th grade writing curriculum. *Note: Per the website “WriteShop Primary and WriteShop Junior are free of religious references. WriteShop I and II contain occasional religious references.”
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Bed bugs survive on human blood. Their antenna feels the heat coming out of our body and smells the direction of carbon dioxide. Slowly, these creepy creatures crawl on our bed while we are asleep and bite us without knowing, as their antennae has some kind of anaesthetic feeling, and suck blood as much they require.
It is said that during ancient times, bed bugs survived in caves and fed on bat’s blood and never came out from their hiding place. So how do you think this probleme de punaise de lit started in our society? Scientists say that when humans entered their cave and left to come out, they carried these bed bugs with them to the outside world.
Bed bugs multiply quickly therefore, it is essential to contact an expert who can handle this mess skilfully. They examine the entire house such as sofas, beds, tables, cracks, switch boards to find all places where there is a possibility of bed bugs hiding.
Here are some more benefits of appointing a bed bug destroyer company-
- They are well equipped with latest chemicals and machines like baits, traps, fogging equipment etc. that aren’t hazardous on human kind but, people are still suggested to stay away from the places where these pesticides are sprayed.
- They have experience of many years and thus they can easily detect bugs as they are aware of their favourite places. Also, only they know the right way of using harsh chemicals and equipments properly.
- After dealing with bed bugs they ensure that they leave the house after cleaning the mess, if that includes removing those dead bugs as well.
- Before leaving your house, they will provide you with advice to maintain a house without bugs. They always have simple solutions that can be managed in your daily job.
- Removing bed bugs can become a tedious job for you as you’re not expert in this field, but an exterminator handles it professionally and faster than you can, as they’ve been in this profession for years.
- Keeping harsh chemicals at home can be risky therefore, calling a pest control agency is always safe as they carry their own chemical and before leaving remove all hazardous things from your house.
- Apart from all these things, the service is cheaper than the furniture that is being destroyed by the bugs.
These dirty, smelly and untidy creatures are now always looking for an opportunity to feed on us. Now this insect has spread worldwide, all you have to do is visit an untidy place and you can carry them home on your clothes. |
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