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Forecast clues are evident in reported data. Information gleaned from 500-mb weather charts gives valuable insight to coming fronts. Surface precipitation forecast map that also shows the 1000-500 mb thickness (decameters). Note the 540 dm (5400 m) line extends into the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, indicating a possibility of mixed precipitation over the northern Gulf, and mostly snow in precipitation areas further north. The second factor is curvature vorticity. When air is forced to flow in a curved path, eg, around a high or low, it has vorticity. Air flowing anticlockwise, such as around a low, will have positive vorticity, while air curving clockwise will have negative vorticity. The magnitude of the positive or negative vorticity will rise with increasing curvature. Shear vorticity is the last of the 3 factors. In the sense of 500-mb vorticity, this is horizontal shear, or the change in windspeed as viewed moving outward from the center of a trough or ridge. Positive shear vorticity is encountered when winds are increasing away from the trough (or ridge) center. Negative shear vorticity is present when the winds decrease with distance from the center of the trough or ridge. Overall vorticity at 500 mb is the sum of each of the vorticities—Earth, curvature and shear. So the more of these are positive, and the greater their positive magnitude, the more positive will be the overall vorticity. The most positive values of vorticity are often indicated on 500-mb charts by a small "x." These values are normally found around the base of sharp troughs—generally slightly southeast of the trough center. The lowest (or least positive, in most cases, since the positive Earth vorticity dominates the equation) vorticity values normally occur in the crest of a ridge. Vorticity and divergence Positively tilted trough in the 500-mb flow over the eastern US. This deep trough exhibits positive vorticity just off the Atlantic coast of Florida, indicating strong divergence aloft and the likelihood of significant convective activity. The LND (500-mb) vorticity provides an indication of the overall vorticity of the troposphere (which is least near the surface and greatest at jet stream levels). The greater the positive LND vorticity, the greater the overall divergence and the more dynamically unstable the troposphere becomes. However, the greatest divergence does not occur directly above the maximum vorticity (vort max)—rather, it occurs downwind of it. On a 500-mb chart, draw a line along the trough axis—then draw a line perpendicular to that axis, through the middle of the vort max. Your top right quadrant will be the region of greatest positive vorticity advection—the location where the positive vorticity will migrate, and thus the location of the greatest divergence aloft. Similarly, the upper left quadrant will be the region where the greatest negative vorticity advection will take place—and, correspondingly, the greatest convergence of air in the upper tropospheric levels. Divergence aloft means that air will be lifting and cooling throughout the upper levels of the troposphere, raising pressure height and making the environment more unstable, since air being lofted from the surface will be better able to stay warmer as it cools than the air in the upper levels. When compared with a surface map, a surface low that resides beneath that upper right quadrant stands the best chance for strengthening, as does a surface high that rests beneath the upper left quadrant of the LND vort max. Surface pressure centers that do not reside beneath supportive upper air conditions are unlikely to be strengthened, and are often likely to dissipate as conditions equalize in the lower levels. But vorticity alone won't provide the entire picture about the potential for adverse or severe weather. Fortunately, other aspects of the 500-mb chart can help with this. For one, the tilt of a trough in the 500-mb flow pattern has significant implications for generating clouds, storms and precipitation. When you draw a line along the axis of a trough, examine whether it is oriented from northeast to southwest (positively tilted), is straight north-south (neutrally tilted), or tilted from northwest to southeast (negatively tilted).
Video coding format A video coding format (or sometimes video compression format) is a content representation format for storage or transmission of digital video content (such as in a data file or bitstream). It typically uses a standardized video compression algorithm, most commonly based on discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding and motion compensation. Examples of video coding formats include H.262 (MPEG-2 Part 2), MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10), HEVC (H.265), Theora, RealVideo RV40, VP9, and AV1. A specific software or hardware implementation capable of compression and/or decompression to/from a specific video coding format is called a video codec; an example of a video codec is Xvid, which is one of several different codecs which implements encoding and decoding videos in the MPEG-4 Part 2 video coding format in software. Some video coding formats are documented by a detailed technical specification document known as a video coding specification. Some such specifications are written and approved by standardization organizations as technical standards, and are thus known as a video coding standard. The term 'standard' is also sometimes used for de facto standards as well as formal standards. Video content encoded using a particular video coding format is normally bundled with an audio stream (encoded using an audio coding format) inside a multimedia container format such as AVI, MP4, FLV, RealMedia, or Matroska. As such, the user normally doesn't have a H.264 file, but instead has a .mp4 video file, which is an MP4 container containing H.264-encoded video, normally alongside AAC-encoded audio. Multimedia container formats can contain any one of a number of different video coding formats; for example the MP4 container format can contain video in either the MPEG-2 Part 2 or the H.264 video coding format, among others. Another example is the initial specification for the file type WebM, which specified the container format (Matroska), but also exactly which video (VP8) and audio (Vorbis) compression format is used inside the Matroska container, even though the Matroska container format itself is capable of containing other video coding formats (VP9 video and Opus audio support was later added to the WebM specification). Distinction between "format" and "codec" Although video coding formats such as H.264 are sometimes referred to as codecs, there is a clear conceptual difference between a specification and its implementations. Video coding formats are described in specifications, and software or hardware to encode/decode data in a given video coding format from/to uncompressed video are implementations of those specifications. As an analogy, the video coding format H.264 (specification) is to the codec OpenH264 (specific implementation) what the C Programming Language (specification) is to the compiler GCC (specific implementation). Note that for each specification (e.g. H.264), there can be many codecs implementing that specification (e.g. x264, OpenH264, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC products and implementations). This distinction is not consistently reflected terminologically in the literature. The H.264 specification calls H.261, H.262, H.263, and H.264 video coding standards and does not contain the word codec. The Alliance for Open Media clearly distinguishes between the AV1 video coding format and the accompanying codec they are developing, but calls the video coding format itself a video codec specification. The VP9 specification calls the video coding format VP9 itself a codec. As an example of conflation, Chromium's and Mozilla's pages listing their video format support both call video coding formats such as H.264 codecs. As another example, in Cisco's announcement of a free-as-in-beer video codec, the press release refers to the H.264 video coding format as a "codec" ("choice of a common video codec"), but calls Cisco's implementation of a H.264 encoder/decoder a "codec" shortly thereafter ("open-source our H.264 codec"). A video coding format does not dictate all algorithms used by a codec implementing the format. For example, a large part of how video compression typically works is by finding similarities between video frames (block-matching), and then achieving compression by copying previously-coded similar subimages (e.g., macroblocks) and adding small differences when necessary. Finding optimal combinations of such predictors and differences is an NP-hard problem, meaning that it is practically impossible to find an optimal solution. While the video coding format must support such compression across frames in the bitstream format, by not needlessly mandating specific algorithms for finding such block-matches and other encoding steps, the codecs implementing the video coding specification have some freedom to optimize and innovate in their choice of algorithms. For example, section 0.5 of the H.264 specification says that encoding algorithms are not part of the specification. Free choice of algorithm also allows different space–time complexity trade-offs for the same video coding format, so a live feed can use a fast but space-inefficient algorithm, while a one-time DVD encoding for later mass production can trade long encoding-time for space-efficient encoding. The concept of analog video compression dates back to 1929, when R.D. Kell in Britain proposed the concept of transmitting only the portions of the scene that changed from frame-to-frame. The concept of digital video compression dates back to 1952, when Bell Labs researchers B.M. Oliver and C.W. Harrison proposed the use of differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) in video coding. The concept of inter-frame motion compensation dates back to 1959, when NHK researchers Y. Taki, M. Hatori and S. Tanaka proposed predictive inter-frame video coding in the temporal dimension. In 1967, University of London researchers A.H. Robinson and C. Cherry proposed run-length encoding (RLE), a lossless compression scheme, to reduce the transmission bandwidth of analog television signals. The earliest digital video coding algorithms were either for uncompressed video or used lossless compression, both methods inefficient and impractical for digital video coding. Digital video was introduced in the 1970s, initially using uncompressed pulse-code modulation (PCM) requiring high bitrates around 45–200 Mbps for standard-definition (SD) video, which was up to 2,000 times greater than the telecommunication bandwidth (up to 100 kbps) available until the 1990s. Similarly, uncompressed high-definition (HD) 1080p video requires bitrates exceeding 1 Gbps, significantly greater than the bandwidth available in the 2000s. Practical video compression was made possible by the development of motion-compensated DCT (MC DCT) coding, also called block motion compensation (BMC) or DCT motion compensation. This is a hybrid coding algorithm, which combines two key data compression techniques: discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding in the spatial dimension, and predictive motion compensation in the temporal dimension. DCT coding is a lossy block compression transform coding technique that was first proposed by Nasir Ahmed, who initially intended it for image compression, while he was working at Kansas State University in 1972. It was then developed into a practical image compression algorithm by Ahmed with T. Natarajan and K. R. Rao at the University of Texas in 1973, and was published in 1974. The other key development was motion-compensated hybrid coding. In 1974, Ali Habibi at the University of Southern California introduced hybrid coding, which combines predictive coding with transform coding. He examined several transform coding techniques, including the DCT, Hadamard transform, Fourier transform, slant transform, and Karhunen-Loeve transform. However, his algorithm was initially limited to intra-frame coding in the spatial dimension. In 1975, John A. Roese and Guner S. Robinson extended Habibi's hybrid coding algorithm to the temporal dimension, using transform coding in the spatial dimension and predictive coding in the temporal dimension, developing inter-frame motion-compensated hybrid coding. For the spatial transform coding, they experimented with different transforms, including the DCT and the fast Fourier transform (FFT), developing inter-frame hybrid coders for them, and found that the DCT is the most efficient due to its reduced complexity, capable of compressing image data down to 0.25-bit per pixel for a videotelephone scene with image quality comparable to a typical intra-frame coder requiring 2-bit per pixel. The DCT was applied to video encoding by Wen-Hsiung Chen, who developed a fast DCT algorithm with C.H. Smith and S.C. Fralick in 1977, and founded Compression Labs to commercialize DCT technology. In 1979, Anil K. Jain and Jaswant R. Jain further developed motion-compensated DCT video compression. This led to Chen developing a practical video compression algorithm, called motion-compensated DCT or adaptive scene coding, in 1981. Motion-compensated DCT later became the standard coding technique for video compression from the late 1980s onwards. Video coding standards The first digital video coding standard was H.120, developed by the CCITT (now ITU-T) in 1984. H.120 was not usable in practice, as its performance was too poor. H.120 used motion-compensated DPCM coding, a lossless compression algorithm that was inefficient for video coding. During the late 1980s, a number of companies began experimenting with discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding, a much more efficient form of compression for video coding. The CCITT received 14 proposals for DCT-based video compression formats, in contrast to a single proposal based on vector quantization (VQ) compression. The H.261 standard was developed based on motion-compensated DCT compression. H.261 was the first practical video coding standard, and was developed with patents licensed from a number of companies, including Hitachi, PictureTel, NTT, BT, and Toshiba, among others. Since H.261, motion-compensated DCT compression has been adopted by all the major video coding standards (including the H.26x and MPEG formats) that followed. MPEG-1, developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), followed in 1991, and it was designed to compress VHS-quality video. It was succeeded in 1994 by MPEG-2/H.262, which was developed with patents licensed from a number of companies, primarily Sony, Thomson and Mitsubishi Electric. MPEG-2 became the standard video format for DVD and SD digital television. Its motion-compensated DCT algorithm was able to achieve a compression ratio of up to 100:1, enabling the development of digital media technologies such as video-on-demand (VOD) and high-definition television (HDTV). In 1999, it was followed by MPEG-4/H.263, which was a major leap forward for video compression technology. It was developed with patents licensed from a number of companies, primarily Mitsubishi, Hitachi and Panasonic. The most widely used video coding format as of 2019 is H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. It was developed in 2003, with patents licensed from a number of organizations, primarily Panasonic, Godo Kaisha IP Bridge and LG Electronics. In contrast to the standard DCT used by its predecessors, AVC uses the integer DCT. H.264 is one of the video encoding standards for Blu-ray Discs; all Blu-ray Disc players must be able to decode H.264. It is also widely used by streaming internet sources, such as videos from YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo, and the iTunes Store, web software such as the Adobe Flash Player and Microsoft Silverlight, and also various HDTV broadcasts over terrestrial (Advanced Television Systems Committee standards, ISDB-T, DVB-T or DVB-T2), cable (DVB-C), and satellite (DVB-S2). A main problem for many video coding formats has been patents, making it expensive to use and/or potentially risking a patent lawsuit due to submarine patents. The motivation behind many recently designed video coding formats such as Theora, VP8 and VP9 have been to create a (libre) video coding standard covered only by royalty-free patents. Patent status has also been a major point of contention for the choice of which video formats the mainstream web browsers will support inside the HTML5 video tag. The current-generation video coding format is HEVC (H.265), introduced in 2013. While AVC uses the integer DCT with 4x4 and 8x8 block sizes, HEVC uses integer DCT and DST transforms with varied block sizes between 4x4 and 32x32. HEVC is heavily patented, with the majority of patents belonging to Samsung Electronics, GE, NTT and JVC Kenwood. It is currently being challenged by the aiming-to-be-freely-licensed AV1 format. As of 2019, AVC is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression and distribution of video content, used by 91% of video developers, followed by HEVC which is used by 43% of developers. List of video coding standards \|Basic algorithm\|\|Video coding standard\|\|Year\|\|Publisher(s)\|\|Committee(s)\|\|Licensor(s)\|\|Market share (2019)\|\|Popular implementations\| \|DCT\|\|H.261\|\|1988\|\|CCITT\|\|VCEG\|\|Hitachi, PictureTel, NTT, BT, Toshiba, etc.\|\|N/A\|\|Videoconferencing, videotelephony\| \|Motion JPEG (MJPEG)\|\|1992\|\|JPEG\|\|JPEG\|\|N/A\|\|N/A\|\|QuickTime\| \|MPEG-1 Part 2\|\|1993\|\|ISO, IEC\|\|MPEG\|\|Fujitsu, IBM, Matsushita, etc.\|\|N/A\|\|Video-CD, Internet video\| \|H.262 / MPEG-2 Part 2 (MPEG-2 Video)\|\|1995\|\|ISO, IEC, ITU-T\|\|MPEG, VCEG\|\|Sony, Thomson, Mitsubishi, etc.\|\|29%\|\|DVD Video, Blu-ray, DVB, ATSC, SVCD, SDTV\| \|DV\|\|1995\|\|IEC\|\|IEC\|\|Sony, Panasonic\|\|Unknown\|\|Camcorders, digital cassettes\| \|H.263\|\|1996\|\|ITU-T\|\|VCEG\|\|Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Panasonic, etc.\|\|Unknown\|\|Videoconferencing, videotelephony, H.320, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), mobile video (3GP), MPEG-4 Visual\| \|MPEG-4 Part 2 (MPEG-4 Visual)\|\|1999\|\|ISO, IEC\|\|MPEG\|\|Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Panasonic, etc.\|\|Unknown\|\|Internet video , DivX, Xvid\| \|DWT\|\|Motion JPEG 2000 (MJ2)\|\|2001\|\|JPEG\|\|JPEG\|\|N/A\|\|Unknown\|\|Digital cinema\| \|DCT\|\|Advanced Video Coding (H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC)\|\|2003\|\|ISO, IEC, ITU-T\|\|MPEG, VCEG\|\|Panasonic, Godo Kaisha IP Bridge, LG, etc.\|\|91%\|\|Blu-ray, HD DVD, HDTV (DVB, ATSC), video streaming (YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo), iTunes Store, iPod Video, Apple TV, videoconferencing, Flash Player, Silverlight, VOD\| \|Theora\|\|2004\|\|Xiph\|\|Xiph\|\|N/A\|\|Unknown\|\|Internet video, web browsers\| \|VC-1\|\|2006\|\|SMPTE\|\|SMPTE\|\|Microsoft, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, etc.\|\|Unknown\|\|Blu-ray, Internet video\| \|Apple ProRes\|\|2007\|\|Apple\|\|Apple\|\|Apple\|\|Unknown\|\|Video production, post-production\| \|High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265 / MPEG-H HEVC)\|\|2013\|\|ISO, IEC, ITU-T\|\|MPEG, VCEG\|\|Samsung, GE, NTT, JVC Kenwood, etc.\|\|43%\|\|UHD Blu-ray, DVB, ATSC 3.0, UHD streaming, High Efficiency Image Format, macOS High Sierra, iOS 11\| \|Versatile Video Coding (VVC / H.266)\|\|Unknown\|\|JVET\|\|JVET\|\|Unknown\|\|N/A\|\|N/A\| Lossless, lossy, and uncompressed video coding formats Consumer video is generally compressed using lossy video codecs, since that results in significantly smaller files than lossless compression. While there are video coding formats designed explicitly for either lossy or lossless compression, some video coding formats such as Dirac and H.264 support both. Uncompressed video formats, such as Clean HDMI, is a form of lossless video used in some circumstances such as when sending video to a display over a HDMI connection. Some high-end cameras can also capture video directly in this format. Intra-frame video coding formats Interframe compression complicates editing of an encoded video sequence. One subclass of relatively simple video coding formats are the intra-frame video formats, such as DV, in which each frame of the video stream is compressed independently without referring to other frames in the stream, and no attempt is made to take advantage of correlations between successive pictures over time for better compression. One example is Motion JPEG, which is simply a sequence of individually JPEG-compressed images. This approach is quick and simple, at the expense the encoded video being much larger than a video coding format supporting Inter frame coding. Because interframe compression copies data from one frame to another, if the original frame is simply cut out (or lost in transmission), the following frames cannot be reconstructed properly. Making 'cuts' in intraframe-compressed video while video editing is almost as easy as editing uncompressed video: one finds the beginning and ending of each frame, and simply copies bit-for-bit each frame that one wants to keep, and discards the frames one doesn't want. Another difference between intraframe and interframe compression is that, with intraframe systems, each frame uses a similar amount of data. In most interframe systems, certain frames (such as "I frames" in MPEG-2) aren't allowed to copy data from other frames, so they require much more data than other frames nearby. It is possible to build a computer-based video editor that spots problems caused when I frames are edited out while other frames need them. This has allowed newer formats like HDV to be used for editing. However, this process demands a lot more computing power than editing intraframe compressed video with the same picture quality. But, this compression is not very effective to use for any audio format. Profiles and levels A video coding format can define optional restrictions to encoded video, called profiles and levels. It is possible to have a decoder which only supports decoding a subset of profiles and levels of a given video format, for example to make the decoder program/hardware smaller, simpler, or faster. A profile restricts which encoding techniques are allowed. For example, the H.264 format includes the profiles baseline, main and high (and others). While P-slices (which can be predicted based on preceding slices) are supported in all profiles, B-slices (which can be predicted based on both preceding and following slices) are supported in the main and high profiles but not in baseline. References and notes - The term "video coding" can he seen in e.g. the names Advanced Video Coding, High Efficiency Video Coding, and Video Coding Experts Group - Thomas Wiegand; Gary J. Sullivan; Gisle Bjontegaard & Ajay Luthra (July 2003). "Overview of the H.264 / AVC Video Coding Standard" (PDF). IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS FOR VIDEO TECHNOLOGY. - "SERIES H: AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS : Infrastructure of audiovisual services – Coding of moving video : Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services". Itu.int. Retrieved 6 January 2015. - "Front Page". Alliance for Open Media. Retrieved 2016-05-23. - Adrian Grange; Peter de Rivaz & Jonathan Hunt. "VP9 Bitstream & Decoding Process Specification" (PDF). 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"Introducing HEIF and HEVC" (PDF). Apple Inc. Retrieved 5 August 2019. - "HEVC Patent List" (PDF). MPEG LA. Retrieved 6 July 2019. - "ISO Standards and Patents". ISO. Retrieved 10 July 2019. - Davis, Andrew (13 June 1997). "The H.320 Recommendation Overview". EE Times. Retrieved 7 November 2019. - IEEE WESCANEX 97: communications, power, and computing : conference proceedings. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. May 22–23, 1997. p. 30. ISBN 9780780341470. H.263 is similar to, but more complex than H.261. It is currently the most widely used international video compression standard for video telephony on ISDN (Integrated Sevices Digital Network) telephone lines.CS1 maint: date format (link) - "Motion JPEG 2000 Part 3". Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG, and Joint Bi-level Image experts Group, JBIG. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2014. - Taubman, David; Marcellin, Michael (2012). JPEG2000 Image Compression Fundamentals, Standards and Practice: Image Compression Fundamentals, Standards and Practice. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9781461507994. - Swartz, Charles S. (2005). Understanding Digital Cinema: A Professional Handbook. Taylor & Francis. p. 147. ISBN 9780240806174. - "VC-1 Patent List" (PDF). MPEG LA. Retrieved 11 July 2019. - "HEVC Advance Patent List". HEVC Advance. Retrieved 6 July 2019. - Bhojani, D.R. "4.1 Video Compression" (PDF). Hypothesis. Retrieved 6 March 2013. - Jaiswal, R.C. (2009). Audio-Video Engineering. Pune, Maharashtra: Nirali Prakashan. p. 3.55. ISBN 9788190639675. - Jan Ozer. "Encoding options for H.264 video". Adobe.com. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
372 J Seismol (2006) 10:371–388 plausible explanation. The idea that earthquakes maycause damage in caves is, thus, probably as old asthe idea that earthquakes are caused by cave collapse.Becker (1929) gives one of the ﬁrst descriptions of cave damage possibly caused by an earthquake. How-ever, not before the 1950s and 1960s did speleol-ogists take again an interest in this research sub- ject, particularly in Slovenia (Gospodariˇc, 1968; 1977)and in Germany (Schillat, 1965, 1976, 1977). In the1980s and early 1990s, pioneering studies by Italianspeleologists (Forti and Postpischl, 1984; Postpischlet al., 1991) attracted much interest amongst Earthscientists not particularly involved in karst and caveresearch. Since then speleoseismology, i.e the inves-tigation of traces of earthquakes in caves, has gath-ered momentum in those European countries mostlikely to have historic and prehistoric strong earth-quake archives (Delaby, 2001; Forti, 2001; Gilli,1995a, 1996; 2004; Gilli et al., 1999; Lemeille et al.,1999).In recent years speleology has made signiﬁcantprogress in the understanding of processes that causedamageincaves.Withthisimprovedknowledge,manyobservations originally thought to be caused by earth-quakes are presently attributed to non-seismic pro-cesses(Gilli,1999,2004;KempeandHenschel,2004).Whateverthereasonsarefortheobserveddamage,thefundamental problem clearly addressed by Forti andPostpischl (1984) still remains: “The geological, mor-phological and speleogenetic analyses can be useful indistinguishing the various types of collapses that maybe present in caves, even if such analyses will neverbe able to give a deﬁnitive certainty as to their cause”.Followingearthquakeresearchpractice,itispossibletoovercome such uncertainties using an approach called‘integrated paleoseismology’ (Becker et al., 2005),based on studies of traces of strong historic and pre-historic earthquakes in different geological archives,including cave archives. Applied on a regional scale,the comparison of the results from the different geo-logicalarchivesmaycompensatefortheshort-comingsof individual archives, improving the reliability of theinterpretations of the data. Caves themselves are al-ready multi-archives to which the concept of ‘inte-grated paleoseismology’ can be applied. In this work we present a critical review of key aspects of speleo-seismology and concepts arising from multidisci-plinary paleoseismological studies in Switzerland andelsewhere. Eye-witness accounts of earthquake effects The direct approach to study the effects of earthquakesin caves is the evaluation of eye-witness accounts.Fortunately, it rarely happens that speleologists are incaves just at the time of strong earthquake shocks.However, the few well documented observations andan internet inquiry amongst cavers (Gilli and Delange,2001) supply vital information. In most cases nothingis felt and speleologists are sometimes very surprisedto hear that during their stay in a cave a strong earth-quake occurred (Audra, 1999; Renault, 1970). In somecases speleologists heard unusual noises: (1) a “thun-derbolt”intheBuddhacave,GrandCanyon,duringtheM 5.2 Flagstaff earthquake, Arizona, in 1952, and (2)the same sound in a cave in Papua New Guinea duringa M 5.1 earthquake (Audra, 1999). (3) a noise simi-lar to a “Boing 747 jet engine” in the Church cave,Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada, duringa M 5.5 earthquake in 1974, and (4) a “howling asfrom a wounded animal” in the Frasassi cave in Um-bria, Italy, during the M 5.6 Assisi earthquake of 26thSeptember, 1997. Most frightening was probably theexperience of a caver who was trying to pass througha narrow shaft in the Churchill cave (USA) in autumn1974 when the cave was struck by an M 5 earthquake.The caver felt something like a “vibro-massage”. OnMay 22nd, 1995 in Dimnice cave, Slovenia, caversfelt a M 4.0–4.2 earthquake at an epicentral distanceof 20–30 km. Although this earthquake did not trig-ger any damage or rock falls in the cave, they felt theground shaking, an air blow, heard a noise and couldsee ﬂuctuations in water levels (zumer, 1996). Dur-ing the M 4.9 Bovec earthquake of July 12th, 2004 inSlovenia, a guide in Postojna cave heard a noise “sim-ilar to a by-passing train, coming closer and becominglouderandafterpassingdisappearing”(S.ˇsebela,pers.,comm., 2005). The only observations of cave collapseand severe damage known to the authors come fromthe Shepran cave, Bulgaria during the 7.0 Chirpanearthquake of 1928, about 55 km SW of the epicentre(Kostov, 2002). Post-earthquake damage observations There are only a few published cases of observationsfrom caves visited immediately after an earthquake.In general, changes have not been reported, even in
A technology with the potential to increase the lithium-ion storage capacity of advanced batteries by eight times has been awarded a $240,000 grant from the University of California's Discovery Proof-of-Concept Grant program to accelerate its entrance into the marketplace. This project is led by Gao Liu (Principal Investigator) and Vince Battaglia (co-PI) in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Developed by Gao Liu, the technology is a conductive polymer binder that significantly improves the performance of electrodes in silicon composite electrodes. Silicon is a high energy-capacity material for negative electrodes that also has a long life cycle in batteries. Lithium ion batteries with silicon electrodes could have up to 25 percent higher energy storage capacity than current batteries, and a longer product lifetime through many cycles of charging and discharging. Given the equivalent vehicle weight, this means that an electric vehicle could travel 25 percent farther on one charge. The technology could lead to EVs with a 250-mile per charge range. "Silicon is a very promising material as a negative electrode [anode] for batteries," says Liu." It has ten times the capacity of graphite. The problem is that silicon is not stable. Its volume increases and decreases as electric charge travels to and from the electrode." With existing binders, the pathway of the electric current will breach as the silicon expands, preventing the charges from moving—like breaking an electrical circuit. "Our conductive polymer binder is very effective in lithium-ion batteries," says Liu."As it expands and contracts, it holds the silicon particles together, maintaining the conductive path." "The conductive polymer binder," adds Liu, " cannot only be used with our silicon electrode, but with other battery chemistries and technologies as well. Many other battery-related applications are possible with this binder." The research work that led to the technology has been funded by the Battery for Advanced Transportation Technologies program (BATT) of the Office of Vehicle Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy. The BATT program continues to fund the basic research. The UC Discovery Fund is designed for technologies that have already demonstrated successful results in the research environment and are poised for commercialization but are in need of a specific, targeted demonstration, test result, or prototype. The Technology Transfer Department's Shanshan Li worked closely with Liu to clarify the potential market applications and barriers to commercialization, as well as to develop tangible development milestones that will most likely attract commercial interest to license the technology. "The technology has generated high-profile interest from battery manufacturers, suppliers, and investors," says Liu."But we identified two primary barriers to commercialization: providing a large quantity of samples for testing, and optimizing the performance of the electrode in battery systems. The UC Discovery Proof-of-Concept Grant serves an important role in making the lab-to-market transition of this technology possible." Unlike the other UC Discovery grants, the Proof-of-Concept program does not require matching industry funds. However, for Berkeley Lab researchers, applying for the grant would have been impractical because the fund only covers the direct cost of research. In collaboration with Berkeley Lab leadership, The Technology Transfer Department found a way to use the licensing royalty funds to cover the indirect cost, making it possible for Berkeley Lab researchers like Liu to apply. Read the UC Discovery Grant press release. For more information on the technologies, "conductive binder for lithium ion battery electrode" and "silicon composite electrode for advanced lithium ion batteries," see the Berkeley Lab Technology Transfer website. Read a story about Proof-of-Concept grants here. A new policy brief on the value of energy performance and green attributes in buildings, authored by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Elizabeth Stuart, is available. Labels, certifications, and rating systems for energy efficiency performance and "green" attributes of buildings have been available in the U.S. for over 10 years, and used extensively in the European Union and Australia for longer. Such certifications and ratings can make energy efficiency more visible, and could help spur demand for energy efficiency if these designations are shown to have a positive impact on sales or rental prices. This policy brief discusses the findings and methodologies from recent studies on this topic and suggests recommendations for future research. Although there have been just a handful of studies within the last 10 years that have investigated these effects, a few key findings have emerged. Download "The Value of Energy Performance and Green Attributes in Buildings: A Review of Existing Literature and Recommendations for Future Research" [PDF]. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is collaborating with NASA's Ames Research Center to develop what may be the "greenest," highest-performing building in the federal government. The building, dubbed "Sustainability Base," will feature NASA-developed control and Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) technologies in a "closed-loop," sustainable building that uses NASA energy- and water-conserving technologies and draws on regional resources, such as natural lighting and the cool night air. To help integrate NASA's "smart system" technologies, the Building Technologies Department at Berkeley Lab developed a Building Information Model (BIM) to serve as the repository for the building's systems information during its life cycle. In addition, Berkeley Lab developed an energy-performance simulation model to optimize the building's energy operations, using data from the BIM. These tools will help NASA Ames monitor the building's performance for maximum efficiency and make suggestions for potential performance improvements. In addition, Berkeley Lab will provide advice regarding the new building's overall performance assessment. Data collected from the building will also provide information that will lead to better calibration and validation of the EnergyPlus simulation model and support the construction of future energy-efficient office buildings. "It's a win-win situation for everyone when federal agencies work together sharing technologies and developing better business practices," said Steve Selkowitz, head of Berkeley Lab's Building Technologies Department. For more information about Sustainability Base, please visit the NASA Sustainability Base website. For more information about LBNL's Building Science program visit the Environmental Energy Technologies Division website.
The best way for teens to enjoy a nice smile and healthy teeth is to continue the good oral habits started early in childhood. Whether or not you wear braces or other orthodontic treatment, it is important to: Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque. Plaque is the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease. Floss daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and below your gumline. If plaque is not removed daily, it can harden into tartar: an unsightly, hard yellow build-up. Limit sugary or starchy foods and drinks, especially sticky snacks. Visit the dentist regularly for professional cleanings and check-ups. In addition to helping teeth last a lifetime, a clean mouth simply makes you feel good. It also gives you fresher breath and a nicer looking smile.
Harvard Researchers Design Wearable Robot Which Could Aid Military By 2016 A wearable robotic exosuit could be aiding soldiers and cerebral palsy patients by the year 2016 thanks to work being carried out at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biological Engineering. The Soft Exosuit project initially got off the ground two years ago thanks to an initial $2.6million contract from DARPA. Earlier this week, that contract was extended with DARPA committing to a further $2.9million, heightening hopes that the Soft Exosuit can become a reality. Weighing just 13 lbs, the Soft Exosuit will be able to help soldiers carry a significant weight over medium distances. "Wearable robots that aim to help people who suffer from mobility issues are typically heavy and rigid," said Wyss's Conor Walsh. "The current Soft Exosuit prototype is intended to be worn under clothing and weighs about 13 pounds with most of the weight being centered at the waist - a part of the body where humans can easily carry weight. It's really aimed at that kind of segment of the Army that would have to go on a three or four mile march or even longer while carrying a load of over 100 pounds." However, Walsh hopes that within the next couple of years the suit could start to change the lives of people whose movement has been limited by disease as well as those in the Army. It is expected that clinical trials of the Soft Exosuit could begin for patients suffering from illnesses like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis by 2016 and Walsh hopes that, with further development, it could eventually offer a far more cost-effective alternative to the rigid exoskeletons used today at a cost of around $70,000. (Credit: Wyss Institute) There are currently 20 team members working on the development of the suit, with half of that number coming from DARPA itself. Funding of the project forms part of DARPA's Warrior Web Program, which hopes to develop the technologies necessary to prevent the types of musculoskeletal injuries that have become far too common in combat forces. For more information on the project, visit the http://wyss.harvard.edu/.
Precast concrete is a construction method that can be used to create a wide variety of building materials by pouring concrete into a mold (which is often reusable) in a factory setting, and then curing and finishing the dried concrete forms before transporting them to a construction site for use. Precast concrete panels and walls are commonly used in all kinds of construction projects because precast concrete has many advantages over concrete poured at the site. The following are some of those advantages. The main improvement of precast concrete over standard concrete is uniformity and quality assurance. When standard concrete is used, there are many factors at the project site that can negatively affect the quality of the finished concrete forms. For instance, fluctuations in the temperature and humidity from day to day can result in uneven curing times and results – to say nothing of the possible effects of precipitation and other contaminants, such as dirt. Additionally, the workers pouring the concrete or building the forms may have varying degrees of experience and skill. Precast concrete from a plant, where the conditions are always the same and the workers are specialists that do nothing but work with concrete, eliminates all of these vulnerabilities. And on top of that, the molds are created with an eye to reuse, so they are better built (and more cost-effective). In addition to quality control, precast concrete saves time (and thus money) by arriving at the construction site ready to be used. Rather than waiting for the concrete to cure before work is able to proceed, work can continue without interruption as the premolded forms are lifted into place. And each piece will have been created to the exact specifications necessary. One after the other, they will fit perfectly. Precast concrete is highly durable and very strong. Studies have shown that precast concrete actually gets stronger as it ages, and that it has a lifespan of well over 100 years. Additionally, concrete is highly resistant to chemicals and fire, and is very low maintenance. Concrete is also an effective sound barrier. But precast concrete is more than just a strong partner for any builder – it can also have a pretty face, too. Many hues and textures can be applied to the concrete, and the shapes it can take are virtually endless. Curved surfaces are no problem. And each piece that comes from the mold will be identical to all the others. From walls to steps, from traffic barriers to bridge materials, in sports arenas and parking garages and all sorts of buildings in between, the uses for precast concrete are limited only by the imagination of the architects designing with them. John G. Stone is a freelance blogger who specializes in landscaping renovations and similar issues. He has a particular interest in uses for precast concrete, such as precast concrete panels and walls.
What is the limit of the conductor cross section when paper insulation is used? A. 50 mm2 B. 250 mm2 C. 600 mm2 D. 1200 mm2 Right Answer: C. 600 mm2 Share : January 16, 2018 Hassan Ali Electrical Engineering Total 1 Votes: 0 1 Tell us how can we improve this Mcqs? Captcha: + = Verify Human or Spambot ? Related Mcqs Check Below -Flat rate tariff is charged on what basis?Gauss’s law is applicable for?If two conductors carrying currents in opposite direction are placed parallel to each other then the magnetic field set up by the conductors?
1. A disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment. By dictionary definition infertility is a disease. Something in your reproductive system is not functioning properly either from genetic or developmental error. In some cases toxins or hormones that have made their way into our bodies can effect our reproductive health as well. A majority of people if asked would not consider infertility to be a disease...they're wrong. Some people who face infertility have no "true" diagnosis, all their tests have come back with in normal range and their Dr can find no reason for them to not be getting pregnant. Infertility: The Disease... Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed As I sit here preparing to write this I have to keep reminding myself to keep my emotions and especially my anger in check, so this will be short. Infertility affects 7.3 million people of childbearing age in the United States alone! 1 out of every 8 couples is effected by infertility. Infertility is STRESSFUL! There are a ton of tests and procedures and meeting that have to happen. Stress does NOT make one infertile! To say so or to believe so is ignorant and insulting. IVF is not as easy as people seem to think it is. It is not a decision to be made lightly. It is a very expensive procedure that most insurance companies and plans do not cover and still has risk of not taking. Adoption is an option but it can still be expensive and until you are ready to accept that your journey is "over" it's not an option most people just jump into. Infertility can make one feel isolated and alone, because so few people are open about their struggle with it, because so many people are so quick to dismiss it or (inadvertently) belittle it, because so many people assume that they are "infertile" when in fact they are not. You don't want to be open about things that hurt you when nobody around you gives you the support you are actually looking for. But that further perpetuates the problem of people not understanding. Infertility can be over come (not in 100% of the cases, but a lot of couples after test, treatments, and procedures are blessed with the long awaited baby their hearts have been aching for!). So that's all I'm going to write about for now, as I said I have a difficult time keeping my emotions in check right now. To all those out there struggling with/to over some infertility you have my love.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, which can cause both physical and emotional pain and upset. It starts off as an abnormal bending of the spine but eventually advances to cause deformity, which in turn can interfere with correct function of the heart, lungs and many other vital organs in the body. Scoliosis tends to affect mainly girls between the ages of 8 and 18, but does affect boys too. The cause varies greatly. Sometimes you are born with this spinal deviation (congenital), sometimes it can be caused by habitual reasons, such as poor posture, distorted head or hip position. In many cases the cause is still unknown. In the beginning, scoliosis is easiest to correct, there are rarely symptoms. You may notice that one shoulder or hip is higher than the other. Back pain and leg pain may also be present, but this is normally dismissed as ‘growing pains’. This is the worst thing to do, neglect is the biggest danger. Early detection is critical as if left untreated, scoliosis can worsen, and in severe cases surgery is needed. This surgery is rather invasive and involves attaching steel rods to the spine to force it to straighten. It may seem like there is not much you can do, but there is always hope! Chiropractic has helped many young women (and men) reclaim their health, posture and self-esteem. The chiropractors can detect scoliosis in the spine in it’s early stage and begin corrective action immediately. When the chiropractor adjusts the spine, it improves the function of nerves and muscle tissue in the body, strengthening them and improving posture and general well-being. Tips to help prevent habitual scoliosis: - Always ensure your children use both straps of their rucksack and that the load does not exceed 15% of their body weight. - Get children checked by a chiropractor as early as possible, chiropractic is safe and effective from birth. We always check children’s spines for free! Nicola Rathborn, Chiropractic Assistant I do hope you enjoyed this. If you did please like our blog, copy and paste the page and share it with your family and friends, like our facebook page GOOGLE PLACES Google Reviews and our LinkedIn and twitter page. We also have youtube videos for you to see. Thank you for reading our blogs. If you have back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headaches, leg pain, shoulder pain we would love to help you. Give Dr Luke Mulvihill or ring or email us. We are based in Crawley West Sussex UK. OR if you have any questions? Check out our FAQ’s page. We look at all aspects of your health and we have many blogs on diet and nutrition as well. Do check these out Acid/Alkaline in your foods and how it is linked to Osteoporosis, protein in vegetables so you don’t have to eat so much meat, and another is on the eating healthily Pyramid and we have so many more for you to check out. FINALLY….. Remember……the purpose of chiropractic is to locate and correct areas of the spine that interfere with the normal nervous system control of your body. Because the intervertebral discs are so close to the spinal cord and nerve roots, disc involvement is common in chiropractic cases. Spinal adjustments help to restore correct motion and position of the misaligned spinal bones and if caught before permanent damage occurs, disc tissue often returns to a more normal size and shape. Chiropractic first. Risky drugs second. Surgery last. We look at all aspects of your health and we have many blogs on diet and nutrition Do check these out Acid/Alkaline in your foods and how it is linked to Osteoporosis, protein in vegetables so you don’t have to eat so much meat, and another is on the eating healthily Pyramid and we have so many more for you to check out. Also to have more education see this link on youtube Hungry for change
SATURDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Feel the blues in the winter? You might blame seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that's thought to be driven by weather and the time of year. Now, a new study raises questions about whether this condition is as common as researchers have believed. "It is clear from prior research that seasonal affective disorder exists," study lead author David Kerr, an assistant professor in the School of Psychological Science at Oregon State University, said in a university news release. "But our research suggests that what we often think of as the winter blues does not affect people nearly as much as we may think." Kerr and colleagues analyzed the results from surveys given to more than 550 people in Iowa and more than 200 people in Oregon who answered questions about depression over years. Researchers tried to link the answers to changes in weather conditions, such as the amount of sunlight. "We found a very small effect during the winter months, but it was much more modest than would be expected if seasonal depression were as common as many people think it is," Columbia University researcher Jeff Shaman, a study co-author, said in the news release. "We were surprised. With a sample of nearly 800 people and very precise measures of the weather, we expected to see a larger effect." People who think they suffer from seasonal affective disorder should get help, Kerr said. Effective treatments include antidepressants, cognitive behavior therapy and exposure to light. "Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for depression, whether or not it is seasonal," he said. "Cognitive behavior therapy stands out because it has been shown to keep seasonal affective disorder from returning the next year." The study appears in the Journal of Affective Disorders. For more about seasonal affective disorder, try the U.S. National Library of Medicine. SOURCE: Oregon State University, news release, Aug. 27, 2013 Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
\|H02AB09 (and others) \|Oral tablets, intravenously, topical Cortisol, known in medical use as hydrocortisone, is one of the major steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal gland of mammals. Cortisol is a vital hormone and is sometimes known as the stress hormone in humans, as it is involved in the body's natural response to physical or emotional stress. Cortisol increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and suppresses the immune system (immunosuppressive action). It promotes breakdown of glycogen, lipids, and proteins, and reduces protein levels in most body cells (excluding the gastrointestinal tract and the liver). Cortisol reflects the intricate coordination of systems in the body. When there is a stressful situation, such as illness, fear, pain, or physical exertion, a whole series of impacts take place that lead to production of cortisol. These include the release of a hormone from the hypothalamus, that stimulates the pituitary gland to produce yet another hormone, that stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol, which can then act to help the body deal with the stress. When the stress is removed, the body returns to homeostasis. This is but one example of many systems harmoniously working together, with each gland providing a function in service to the body, even if its impact is in a distant location. When this intricate harmony breaks down, albeit rarely, then diseases such as Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease may result. In pharmacology, the synthetic form of cortisol is referred to as hydrocortisone, and is used to treat allergies and inflammation as well as cortisol production deficiencies. When first introduced as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, it was referred to as Compound E. Like cortisone, cortisol is a corticosteroid, a term that refers to steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of the body. Among corticosteroids, cortisol and cortisone are classified as glucocorticoids, a group that controls protein, fat, carbohydrate, and calcium metabolism. (Mineralocorticoids, the other group of corticosteroids, regulates salt and potassium levels and water retention.) The chemical formula for cortisol is C21H30O5. Under conditions of stress, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released by the hypothalamus. After traveling to the pituitary gland, CRH stimulates the production adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or corticotropin) through cleavage of the large glycoprotein pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). ACTH then travels to the adrenal cortex, via the bloodstream, stimulating cortisol to be produced and released. Cortisol then is transported to tissues. The main function of ACTH, a polypeptide hormone, is to stimulate the adrenal glands to release cortisol in response to stress. In normal release, cortisol (like other glucocorticoid agents) has widespread actions that help restore homeostasis after stress. (These normal endogenous functions are the basis for the physiological consequences of chronic stress—prolonged cortisol secretion.) - It acts as a physiological antagonist to insulin by promoting glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen), breakdown of lipids (lipolysis) and proteins, and mobilization of extrahepatic amino acids and ketone bodies. This leads to increased circulating glucose concentrations (in the blood). There is a decreased glycogen formation in the liver (Freeman 2002). Prolonged cortisol secretion causes hyperglycemia. - It can weaken the activity of the immune system. Cortisol prevents proliferation of T-cells by rendering the interleukin-2 producer T-cells unresponsive to interleukin-1 (IL-1), and unable to produce the T-cell growth factor (Palacios and Sugawara 1982). It reflects leukocyte redistribution to lymph nodes, bone marrow, and skin. Acute administration of corticosterone (the endogenous Type I and Type II receptor agonist), or RU28362 (a specific Type II receptor agonist), to adrenalectomized animals induced changes in leukocyte distribution. - It lowers bone formation, thus favoring development of osteoporosis in the long term. Cortisol moves potassium into cells in exchange for an equal number of sodium ions (Knight et al. 1955). This can cause a major problem with the hyperkalemia of metabolic shock from surgery. - It helps to create memories when exposure is short-term; this is the proposed mechanism for storage of flash bulb memories. However, long-term exposure to cortisol results in damage to cells in the hippocampus. This damage results in impaired learning. - It increases blood pressure by increasing the sensitivity of the vasculature to epinephrine and norepinephrine. In the absence of cortisol, widespread vasodilation occurs. - It inhibits the secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), resulting in feedback inhibition of ACTH secretion. Some researchers believe that this normal feedback system may break down when animals are exposed to chronic stress. - It increases the effectiveness of catecholamines. - It allows for the kidneys to produce hypotonic urine. In addition to the effects caused by cortisol binding to the glucocorticoid receptor, because of its molecular similarity to aldosterone, it also binds to the mineralocorticoid receptor. (It binds with less affinity to it than aldosterone does, but the concentration of blood cortisol is higher than that of blood aldosterone.) Most serum cortisol, all but about four percent, is bound to proteins including corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), and serum albumin. Only free cortisol is available to most receptors. ACTH production is related to the circadian rhythm in many organisms, with secretion peaking during the morning hours. Thus, the amount of cortisol present in the serum likewise undergoes diurnal variation, with the highest levels present in the early morning, and the lowest levels present around midnight, three to five hours after the onset of sleep. Information about the light/dark cycle is transmitted from the retina to the paired suprachiasmatic nuclei in the hypothalamus. The pattern is not present at birth (estimates of when it starts vary from two weeks to nine months (Weerth et al. 2003). Changed patterns of serum cortisol levels have been observed in connection with abnormal ACTH levels, clinical depression, psychological stress, and such physiological stressors as hypoglycemia, illness, fever, trauma, surgery, fear, pain, physical exertion, or extremes of temperature. There is also significant individual variation, although a given person tends to have consistent rhythms. Bioynthesis and metabolism Cortisol is synthesized from pregnenolone (sometimes progesterone, depending on the order of enzymes working). The change involves hydroxylation of C-11, C-17, and C-21, the dehydrogenation of C-3, and the isomerization of the C-5 double bond to C-4. The synthesis takes place in the zona fasciculata of the cortex of the adrenal glands. (The name cortisol comes from cortex.) While the adrenal cortex also produces aldosterone (in the zona glomerulosa) and some sex hormones (in the zona reticularis), cortisol is its main secretion. The medulla of the adrenal gland lies under the cortex and mainly secretes the catecholamines, adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine), under sympathetic stimulation (more epinephrine is produced than norepinephrine, in a ratio 4:1). The synthesis of cortisol in the adrenal gland is stimulated by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); production of ACTH is in turn stimulated by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), released by the hypothalamus. ACTH increases the concentration of cholesterol in the inner mitochondrial membrane (via regulation of STAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory) protein). The cholesterol is converted to pregnenolone, catalysed by Cytochrome P450SCC (side chain cleavage). Cortisol is metabolized by the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase system (11-beta HSD), which consists of two enzymes: 11-beta HSD1 and 11-beta HSD2. - 11-beta HSD1 utilizes the cofactor NADPH to convert biologically inert cortisone to biologically active cortisol. - 11-beta HSD2 utilizes the cofactor NAD+ to convert cortisol to cortisone. Overall the net effect is that 11-beta HSD1 serves to increase the local concentrations of biologically active cortisol in a given tissue, while 11-beta HSD2 serves to decrease the local concentrations of biologically active cortisol. An alteration in 11-beta HSD1 has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity, hypertension, and insulin resistance, sometimes referred to the metabolic syndrome. An alteration in 11-beta HSD2 has been implicated in essential hypertension and is known to lead to the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (SAME). Diseases and disorders - Hypercortisolism: Excessive levels of cortisol in the blood result in Cushing's syndrome. - Hypocortisolism, or adrenal insufficiency: If the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient amounts of cortisol. Addison's disease refers specifically to primary adrenal insufficiency, in which the adrenal glands themselves malfunction. Secondary adrenal insufficiency, which is not considered Addison's disease, occurs when the anterior pituitary gland does not produce enough adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to adequately stimulate the adrenal glands. Addison's disease is far less common than Cushing's syndrome. The relationship between cortisol and ACTH is as follows: \|Primary Hypercortisolism (Cushing's syndrome) \|Secondary Hypercortisolism (pituitary, Cushing's disease) \|Primary Hypocortisolism (Addison's disease) \|Secondary Hypocortisolism (pituitary) As an oral or injectable drug, cortisol is also known as hydrocortisone. It is used as an immunosuppressive drug, given by injection in the treatment of severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis and angioedema, in place of prednisolone in patients who need steroid treatment but cannot take oral medication, and peri-operatively in patients on long-term steroid treatment to prevent an Addisonian crisis. Hydrocortisone is given by topical application for its anti-inflammatory effect in allergic rashes, eczema, and certain other inflammatory conditions. Brand names include Aveeno®, Emocort®, Epifoam®, Sigmacort®, Hyderm®, NovoHydrocort® Cortoderm®, Efcortelan®, Fucidin-H®, Cortizone-10®, Cortaid®, and Lanacort® It may also be injected into inflamed joints resulting from diseases such as gout. Compared to prednisolone, hydrocortisone is about ¼ of the strength (for the anti-inflammatory effect only). Dexamethasone is about 40 times stronger than hydrocortisone. Nonprescription 0.5 percent or one percent hydrocortisone cream or ointment is available; stronger forms are prescription only. ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees - de Weerth, C., R. Zijl, and J. Buitelaar. 2003. "Development of cortisol circadian rhythm in infancy." Early Human Development 73(1-2): 39-52. - Freeman, S. 2002. Biological Science. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0132187469. - Guyton, A. C., and J. E. Hall. 2000. Textbook of Medical Physiology 10th edition. W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN 072168677X. - Knight, R. P., D. S. Kornfield, G. H. Glaser, and P. K. Bondy. 1955. Effects of intravenous hydrocortisone on electrolytes of serum and urine in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 15(2): 176-181. - Palacios, R., and I. Sugawara. 1982. "Hydrocortisone abrogates proliferation of T cells in autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction by rendering the interleukin-2 Producer T cells unresponsive to interleukin-1 and unable to synthesize the T-cell growth factor." Scand J Immunol 15(1): 25-31. \|Hormones and endocrine glands - edit Hypothalamus: GnRH - TRH - CRH - GHRH - somatostatin - dopamine \| Posterior pituitary: vasopressin - oxytocin \| Anterior pituitary: GH - ACTH - TSH - LH - FSH - prolactin - MSH - endorphins - lipotropin Thyroid: T3 and T4 - calcitonin \| Parathyroid: PTH \| Adrenal medulla: epinephrine - norepinephrine \| Adrenal cortex: aldosterone - cortisol - DHEA \| Pancreas: glucagon- insulin - somatostatin \| Ovary: estradiol - progesterone - inhibin - activin \| Testis: testosterone - AMH - inhibin \| Pineal gland: melatonin \| Kidney: renin - EPO - calcitriol - prostaglandin \| Heart atrium: ANP Adipose tissue: leptin, adiponectin Target-derived NGF, BDNF, NT-3 New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
The internet is a frightening place in which anyone can interact with anyone on the planet no matter where their physical locations are. Greater things are possible each year, and this suggests that advancements we can’t yet comprehend or imagine will one day be commonplace down the line. Technology is heading in a direction which should allow users to meet up in virtual places online, and this is likely to open up a whole new world for hackers. The question is, how far will the cyber criminals be able to go in the future? Will they be able to tap into and steal people’s thoughts and feelings? Right now, internet users know where they stand. There are common risks to be aware of such as phishing scams and in-game hacking. Users are aware that giving their card details to too many sites is unwise, and they know to use review sites in order to stay safe. For example, players looking for a credible online casino to play at would check out trustworthy sites that recommend the best operators. They also know that it is worth investing in some protection programmes for their PC. Anti-virus software is now so advanced that it warns against opening certain webpages that may be unsafe. But the internet and the way we use it is evolving, and hackers are always trying to get one step ahead of innovations. Cybercrime has become particularly sophisticated in the past five years, and this has coincided with a number of innovations which have been designed to make things even more accessible to users. Things such as the Cloud, cryptocurrency, and the rise of mobile gaming have opened up new avenues for hackers. In the past, banking Trojans were the most advanced form of hacking. But in a short space of time in the evolution of hacking there are now much bigger threats such as cryptomining. In fact, in 2018, 42 percent of organisations globally had been attacked by cryptomining malware. The current trajectory of technology suggests that in a few years’ time virtual reality will be a major platform. The combined virtual and augmented reality market is expected to be worth $209.2 billion in 2022, and this projection highlights just how ingrained it will become in people’s everyday lives. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook is a huge advocator of the new tech, and he wants chatrooms on the social networking site in VR. If this comes about, what would be the next logical progression in technology? It seems reasonable to assume that people would one day be able to upload their thoughts and feelings to the internet. This suggestion seems crazy and fitting for a sci-fi movie, not for real life. The thing is, things we have now were once laughed at in the same way. If the ability to have a part of one’s brain existing online does come to pass, the opportunities for hackers would be endless. They may even be able to steal people’s thoughts and feelings, or have the power to control how people think. This will undoubtedly lead to complete and utter chaos.
New research by scientists at the University of Georgia has shown, for the first time, that an African Grey parrot can develop a deeper understanding of the soundswhich we hear as wordsthan researchers previously thought. Although these parrots have been known for centuries to pet owners as gabby, long-lived companion animals with repertoires of dozens or even hundreds of words, this is the first demonstration that it is within the abilities of a nonhuman, nonprimate, nonmammal species that has been raised with a responsive human conversational partner in a home rather than a lab to use a variety of speech and nonword sounds in a deliberate, contextually relevant fashion. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology. Most of the information we have had about speech in this species of parrot has been anecdotal, said Erin Colbert-White, a doctoral student in psychology at UGA and lead author of the research. What we found out in this work, though, is that the speech and nonwords of the bird we studied vary with social context, indicating a level of understanding that goes beyond vocal imitation and approaches functional use. Other authors of the paper are Dorothy Fragaszy, professor of psychology, director of UGAs primate behavior laboratory and chair of the universitys behavioral and brain sciences program; and Michael Covington, associate director of UGAs Institute for Artificial Intelligence. The team studied a companion-animal African Grey parrot named Cosmo, which lives with Betty Jean Craige, University Professor of comparative literature and director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts at UGA. To our knowledge, the current study is the first to investigate the effects of social context on parrots spontaneous vocalizations, said Fragaszy. In order to study how this works, the team videotaped Cosmo, a female, in four distinct social contexts. In the first context, Craige began recording Cosmo and left her house for the duration of the session. In the second, Craige sat in the room with Cosmo and interacted with her as normal. The third saw Craige in an adjacent room interacting with Cosmo normally by voice. Finally, the fourth context saw Craige and Colbert-White in the same room with Cosmo but reading to each other from online blog entries to simulate dialog and ignoring Cosmo (not interacting with her, making eye contact or any gesturing toward her). We split each transcription into separate text files according to the speaker, said Colbert-White. We then compiled the Cosmo text files to create one large Cosmo corpus that could be divided according to the social context. The results showed that Cosmos spontaneous vocal production changed significantly across the four social situations. They also indicated that Cosmos vocal production is largely affected by the presence and responsiveness of the social partners in her environment. Cosmo is already well-known among parrot-lovers, both for her often hilarious You Tube recordings and as the subject of Craiges 2010 book "Conversations with Cosmo: At home with an African Grey Parrot." Cosmo merits serious scientific study for having learned to communicate and think in English, said Craige. She obviously has high intelligence, and she has a wonderful sense of humor; however, among African Grey parrots kept as pets, Cosmos ability to speak meaningfully is not unusual. What is unusual is the scientific attention to it. Erins paper is important because it represents scientific examination of a parrots acquisition of human speech in a social setting. While the new information about Cosmos abilities helps stress the important role that socialization plays in learning to communicate, much more study remains, Covington said. We cant presume the parrots words mean what they would mean in English, he pointed out.They sound like human words, and theyre produced in situations where humans would say similar things, but we have to experiment to find out what they actually mean to the parrot. I really want to know whether Cosmo has sentence structure, he added.Are the words just piled together, or do they have relations like subject and object?Well have to do more experiments, probing deeper to find out. While the new research suggests that a primate or even mammalian brain may not be necessary for an individual to develop aspects of vocal communication competence, Craige has known since she bought the domestically hatched and raised bird from a pet store in 2002 that Cosmo had her own special qualities. Cosmo and I chat constantly, Craige said. She asks me, Where Betty Jean gonna go? And she tells me what she wants to do: Cosmo wanna go in a car, please? or Cosmo wanna stay home. When Im out of sight, I hear her mutter to herself, Cosmo wanna a shower, as she heads toward the dogs water bowl for a bath.The other day when she accidentally dropped her cashew, she exclaimed, No more! I believe that she has learned to speak meaningfully because I speak directly to herclearly, and in a simplified Englishand she knows I expect her to respond. She knows she is an important member of the household. Explore further: Using mathematics to identify the good guys
Packing Density of Aggregate In a unit volume filled with particles, packing density, or packing degree is the volume of solids in this unit volume and is equal to one minus the voids. The packing density of aggregate gives an indication of how efficiently aggregate fill a certain volume and for that reason is such an important concept in concrete technology. If a high volume of particles can be packed in a certain volume, the necessity for binder, which usually is much more expensive, to fill the voids and glue particles will be decreased. Vs = volume of solids Vt = total volume = volume of solids plus volume of voids e = Voids = volume of voids over total volume The packing density is a function of the combined effect of shape, texture, and grading of the components. Besides grading, the shape factor and the convexity ratio are the major factors affecting packing density. Determination of Packing Density The packing density of individual aggregate in a volume fraction of total aggregate or over all aggregate is determined from its maximum bulk density of mixture and specific gravity from the following relation. Packing density = (Bulk density x Weight fraction) / Specific gravity The packing density or packing degree not only depends on the aggregate characteristics, but also on the compaction method and on the dimensions of the container. If the sample is just poured, the packing density will be lower than that corresponding to a sample tapped with a rod or a sample vibrated. Unfortunately, a correlation among packing densities obtained using different compaction methods has not been established, as it depends on the size, shape, and texture of the particles. In fact, it is possible that a crushed aggregate has a lower loose density than a rounded one, while the vibrated density could be the opposite. The packing density could be evaluated in air (dry packing), or in water or any other liquid. As for particles retained in the No 200 sieve (i.e., 75 micron), dry packing, either in oven dry or in SSD state, has been used successfully to predict concrete behavior. On the other hand, due to the important effect of inter-particle forces, dry packing could not be a good indicator of the actual behavior of very fine particles (passing No 200 mesh) under the saturated conditions found in fresh concrete. In fact, water demand tests have been proposed to measure the packing density of powders such as cement, fly ash, and aggregates particles less than 75micron. In concrete mixtures, theoretically, the higher the packing density of aggregates the less paste or the less the water required for given workability. As cement is the costliest large component of concrete, and as cement paste is responsible for shrinkage, heat development, and some durability problems, optimization calls for concrete that complies with all the specifications using, within limits, the least cement. The best concrete mix with required workability typically came from the densest packing of sand and coarse aggregate. One of the objectives of optimization of concrete mixtures is to combine available aggregates in such a way that maximum or near maximum packing degree is obtained while maintaining an acceptable level of workability.
As Armies became increasingly mechanised the need for efficient fuel distribution systems became urgent. Bulk fuel was transported in fuel tankers and the 55 gallon drum used as an intermediate storage vessel. Neither of these methods were suitable for use closer to the combat area, the fuel tanker was vulnerable to enemy fire and the drum could not be manhandled or carried easily on smaller vehicles or in aircraft. In the Desert War by Alan Moorhead he describes the British Army petrol can is less than glowing terms; The Germans designed what appears to be the best (petrol) container for the desert – flat, solidly built holding five gallons – it could be used over and over again, Known to use as the Jerrycan. The great bulk of the British Army was forced to stick to the old flimsy four gallon container, the majority were only used once. We could put a couple of petrol cans in the back of a truck, two hours of bumping over desert rocks usually produced a suspicious smell. Sure enough we would find both cans had leaked. This was a criminal waste of a very precious resource and very dangerous, diesel was not widely used with volatile petrol being the norm. It also caused considerable problems when carried on ships. In the book Christmas in Archangel: A Memoir of Life in the Merchant Navy 1939-1945 by Ivan Hall describes what happened when they were damaged in the hold of a ship; Number one hold smelled ominously of petrol and when the tween deck hatch covers were removed it was overpowering, clearly a problem. No smoking notices were went up, no Army boots were allowed and all fire precautions that the Army and we could muster were put in place. Those working in the hold soon began to suffer from nausea and had to be hauled out. Clearly there was petrol awash in the bottom of the hold from the crushed tins. We had no facility to pump it out, petrol vapour in the ships pipelines could be lethal. Nor could the Army provide any solution. To get out the tins that were intact, the technique finally used was for four squaddies in plimsolls to stand on the edges of a square wooden pallet and craned into the hold. There they would stack as many cans on the tray in as short time as possible as they could – usually a couple of layers – and immediately craned out before they succumbed, whereupon another group of four take their place. They deserved medals. In use with the British Army were two designs holding 2 and 4 gallons respectively. The smaller container was sturdy but very expensive so consequently, the 4 gallon container was much more widely used. It was constructed of pressed tin plate and because of the insubstantial construction were nicknamed flimsies. The single sharp edged handle, lack of expansion dimples and screw cap further conspired to make it an epic ergonomic failure. The Afrika Corps, on the other hand, were able to use their Wehrmachtkanister, as described above a wholly superior product. Not only was it sturdy it was also cleverly designed, the handle for example, enabled carriage by one man or two. In a bucket brigade style line the handle design allowed very quick movement and it was so designed that two empties could be carried in one hand. The spout could even be opened with one hand without tools and the can shape was such that an air pocket remained, enough to make sure a fully laden can floated if dropped in water. It was also fitted with a plastic liner. The development of the Wehrmachtkanister is worthy of a post on its own but they were designed in 1937 by the chief engineer (Vinzenz Grünvogel) of the firm Müller of Schwelm, go Google him! Fuel leakage and wastage in North Africa was enormous, estimated by General Auchinleck as being over 30%. Despite the usual bureaucratic indifference sufficient ‘liberated’ German containers and British built Jerrycans (over 2 million) were ready for the latter stages of the allied offensive. The US Army would also adopt the German design after studying reports from the Eighth Army in North Africa although it had reportedly rejected the original German design. They were used extensively during the liberation of Europe but many Allied troops were somewhat less than disciplined with returning the empties, this resulted in an acute shortage as they were strewn across Northern France, used as stepping stones in mud or for almost anything other than transporting fuel. The US Army even resorted to offering prizes to French schoolchildren for the recovery of empty jerrycans, over a million were recovered by this method alone. Mechanical filling and handling devices were designed including a device called the ‘Rotary Cow’ which could fill 720 cans per hour. To appreciate the scale of the tactical fuel operation, by October 1944, the allies were moving over a million gallons a day, most of it in jerrycans, to the advancing armies. Commenting on the Jerrycan, President Roosevelt said; Without these cans it would have been impossible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitz of 1940. Sven at Defense and Freedomcites the German fuel can as a small innovation but one that had a large impact; The use of petrol cans and barrels instead of dedicated tankers also had a huge effect on logistical demands. Fuel demand varies a lot between heavy fighting (breakthrough) and rapid movement (pursuit, exploit) phases. This wasn’t well-understood till well into WW2. A simple truck could load either ammunition, fuel or almost any other supplies while dedicated fuel trucks couldn’t even load drinking water. This specialisation disadvantage persists till today and suggests that an army should have enough dedicated vehicles for basic supply needs and versatile carriers for the additional, situation-specific supply needs. Their impact should not be underestimated in any way. Colour and stamping are used to denote contents, red for petrol or CIVGAS, blue for DIESO etc We still use jerry cans today but there have been some changes. Most metal cans have been replaced with the plastic variety, for both fuel and water and whilst they are used for small plant, UAV’s and generators for example, vehicle use is limited to those operating beyond the reach of the tankers and other bulk fuel systems. With the increasing fuel consumption of modern equipment and the greater sophistication of bulk handling equipment like the UBRE POD’s and its replacement, the Unit Support Tanker and the Oshkosh Close Support Tanker, Jerry Cans for fuel are used much less. The RAF, RN and Army air Corps no longer routinely use them for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters but use bulk tankers instead like the Oshkosh Tactical Refueller or MAN truck pictured below. Oh look; another type of truck for the MoD to manage but that’s another story. The Oshkosh Tankers replaced the Multidrive tankers, click here for a detailed look. Replacing the fuel drum in many applications is the Mk5 Portable Fuel Container The 20L plastic water carrying jerrycan, familiar to many, even has a role to play in Army fitness standards In moving to bulk refueling equipment on specialist vehicles we have no doubt improved efficiency, reduced personnel requirements and created an altogether simpler, safer and compliant system but it has a very simple downside. Jerry Cans or other containers can be carried on any vehicle but bulk fuel ties the Army to specialist vehicles, we only have 81 UST’s for example. An interesting trade-off between efficiency and operational resilience. A few older TD posts on tankers etc;
New Site Shows Forests Aren't Just Timber: Think Mushrooms, Ginseng and Sugar By Lauren Chambliss, Cornell University April 3, 2007 From understory to canopy, the millions of acres of forests that cover much of New York have untapped potential to provide popular products for consumers and generate additional income for landowners. A new Cornell online resource center can help forest owners learn to cultivate economically viable and environmentally sustainable crops other than timber. The How, When and Why of Forest Farming Resource Center (HWWFF) uses video clips, Web text and images, PowerPoint presentations and text files to provide a one-stop shop for farmers, landowners, researchers, natural resource managers and agencies to work together to create thriving agro-ecosystems out of forest lands. "Many landowners question how to afford to have so much forest land and pay taxes on it," said Louise Buck, co-coordinator of the program and senior extension associate in Cornell's Department of Natural Resources. In New York, gourmet mushrooms, maple sugar and such medicinal herbs as American ginseng and goldenseal are among the products that have the highest potential for producing additional income. Forest log-grown shiitake mushrooms, for example, which are considered epicurean delights, sell for two to eight times more per pound than the more widely available commercially grown version. Like many new enterprises, working with forest ecosystems to create economically viable crops requires a high level of commitment. For log-grown mushrooms to thrive, for example, tree selection is important, and inoculation, monitoring and harvesting have to be properly timed. Mushroom farming is just one of the seven "learning units" highlighted on the new online resource center, which was instituted by Paul Treadwell, information technology team leader for Cornell Cooperative Extension. The HWWFF Web site, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension program, provides information on forestry farming 11/24/2007 latform for different audiences, from educators with extensive knowledge to forest owners who have great interest but little know-how. Landowners can research how to evaluate soil quality, existing vegetation, pests, drainage and other factors to determine which crops would be most suitable for their particular forest. Natural resource educators can tap into course content for forest resource management, while maple sugar farmers can learn to cultivate American ginseng, a crop that thrives in the understory of maple forests. "Landowners are interested in cultivating their forests and making things happen with sustainable agroforestry, rather than just harvesting them for timber," said Buck. "The idea is catching on." The HWWFF Resource Center can be viewed at http://hwwff.cce.cornell.edu. The Web site periodically will be updated with results from ongoing research, funded by federal grants from Cornell's Agricultural Experiment Station to improve forest farmers' success with new crops.
Scientists: We’ve cracked wheat’s genetic code British scientists have decoded the genetic sequence of wheat -- one of the world’s oldest and most important crops -- a development they hope could help breed better strains of the global food staple. Wheat is grown across more of the world’s farmland than any other cereal, and researchers said Friday they’re posting its genetic code on the Internet in the hope that farmers can use it as a tool to help improve their crops. University of Liverpool scientist Neil Hall said that the code would serve as "the reference -- the starting point that new technology and new science can be built upon." He said that, for example, the information could help farmers better identify genetic variations responsible for disease resistance, drought tolerance and yield. Although the genetic sequence being published Friday remains a rough draft, and additional strains of wheat need to be analyzed for the work to be truly useful, Hall predicted it wouldn’t take long for his work to make an impact in the field. "Hopefully the benefit of this work will come through in the next five years," he said. Among the potential benefits: lower prices for bread and greater food security for the world’s poor. Wheat is a relative latecomer to the world of DNA mapping. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the date the human genome was laid bare. Other crops have had their genetic codes unscrambled within the past few years -- rice in 2005, corn in 2009, and soybeans earlier this year. The reason, Hall said, was that wheat’s genetic code is massive -- far larger than corn or rice and five times the length of the one carried by humans. Strains such as the Chinese spring wheat analyzed by Hall’s team carry six copies of the same gene (most creatures carry two.) Wheat in general has a tangled ancestry, tracing its descent from three different species of wild grass. But techniques have improved dramatically over the past decade, and scientists were able to complete the sequence in about a year. The cracking of wheat’s code comes at a time when prices have zoomed up in the wake of crop failures in Russia. Concerns over climate change, water shortages and population growth have loomed in the background for years. Wheat physiologist Matthew Reynolds, of the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, said he hoped the sequence would help create crops better able to meet those challenges. "Such varieties are crucial to meet increased demand from growing and more prosperous populations, confront the challenges of climate change and looming scarcities of land, water, and fertilizer, and avoid global food shortages and price spikes that particularly harm the poor," he was quoted as saying by the BBC. But he told the broadcaster that improved crop management techniques could be just as important as genetic advances. Article from: ctv.ca
June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, is the day that commemorates the June 19th, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas (two and a half years after slavery was abolished more broadly in the United States through the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and six months before the 13th Amendment in December 1865 made slavery unconstitutional.) It is a day to celebrate freedom and also to remember the genocide of enslaved Africans and African Americans. This week, Congress passed a bill designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday. We understand and honor that federal recognition of this holiday is meaningful to many people, especially those activists from Galveston who have been working to achieve this goal for many years. We also know that federal recognition of Juneteenth without meaningful reparations in support of Black peoples’ freedom, health, safety, and sovereignty is a symbolic gesture designed to quell and co-opt protest. We encourage readers of all ages to learn the specific history of Juneteenth, and explore the many ways different communities have honored the spirit of the day. Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history. The day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth. Email or call for price. “Powerful storytelling and immersive art.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph.” —Publishers Weekly “Nolen's lively prose style recalls the richness of the oral tradition in this tale of triumphant courage and abiding hope.” —The Horn B Help kids ages 6 to 9 discover the life of Harriet Tubman--a story about courage, bravery, and freedom A comprehensive, entertaining look at heroes, heroines, and critical moments from African American history -- from the slave trade to the Black Lives Matter movement -- by award-winning author Jabari Asim. A 2021 Newbery Honor Book In a moving, lyrical tale about the cost and fragility of freedom, a New York Times best-selling author and an acclaimed artist follow the life of a man who courageously shipped himself out of slavery. What have I to fear? My master broke every promise to me. I lost my beloved wife and our dear children. Email or call for price. In 1998, The New Press published Remembering Slavery, a book-and-tape set that offered a startling first-person history of slavery. A riveting collection of the hardships, hairbreadth escapes, and mortal struggles of enslaved people seeking freedom: These are the true stories of the Underground Railroad. Featuring a powerful introduction by Ta-Nehisi Coates In Lose Your Mother, Saidiya Hartman traces the history of the Atlantic slave trade by recounting a journey she took along a slave route in Ghana. Following the trail of captives from the hinterland to the Atlantic coast, she reckons with the blank slate of her own genealogy and vividly dramatizes the effects of slavery on three centuries of African and African American history. A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! Email or call for price. Racism and discrimination have choked economic opportunity for African Americans at nearly every turn. At several historic moments, the trajectory of racial inequality could have been altered dramatically. Perhaps no moment was more opportune than the early days of Reconstruction, when the U.S. From award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes a remarkable picture book biography of William Still, known as Father of the Underground Railroad. Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah Commentary by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller This Modern Library edition combines two of the most important African American slave narratives—crucial works that each illuminate and inform the other. Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction Winner of the Stowe Prize Winner of 2022 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism PEN America 2022 John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist A New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021 In the late 1930s, the federal government embarked on an unusual project. As a part of the Works Progress Administration's efforts to give jobs to unemployed Americans, government workers tracked down 3,000 men and women who had been enslaved before and during the Civil War. The workers asked them probing questions about slave life. What did they think about their slaveholders? A new historical anthology from transatlantic slavery to the Reconstruction curated by the Schomburg Center, that makes the case for focusing on the histories of Black people as agents and architects of their own lives and ultimate liberation, with a foreword by Kevin Young Email or call for price. A Best Book of 2021 by NPR and The Washington Post Part graphic novel, part memoir, Wake is an imaginative tour-de-force that tells the “powerful” (The New York Times Book Review) story of women-led slave revolts and chronicles scholar Rebecca Hall’s efforts to uncover the truth about these women warriors who, until now, have been left out o NEW YORK TIMES • 10 BEST BOOKS OF 2021 New York Times • Times Critics Top Books of 2021 New York Times Bestseller NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A renowned historian traces the life of a single object handed down through three generations of Black women to craft a “deeply layered and insightful” (The Washington Post) testament to people who are left out of the archives. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A chorus of extraordinary voices tells the epic story of the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present—edited by Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist, and Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire. 2021 NAACP Image Award Nominee: Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction Honorable Mention for the 2021 Organization of American Historians Darlene Clark Hine Award In the bestselling tradition of The Notorious RBG comes a lively, informative, and illustrated tribute to one of the most exceptional women in American history—Harriet Tubman—a heroine whose fearlessness and activism still resonates today. Harriet Tubman is best known as one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. New York Times Bestseller • TIME Magazine’s Best Nonfiction Book of 2018 • New York Public Library’s Best Book of 2018 • NPR’s Book Concierge Best Book of 2018 • Economist Book of the Year • SELF.com’s Best Books of 2018 • Audible’s Best of the Year • BookRiot’s Best Audio Boo Groundbreaking look at slaves as commodities through every phase of life, from birth to death and beyond, in early America The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society. “Stony the Road presents a bracing alternative to Trump-era white nationalism. . . . In our current politics we recognize African-American history—the spot under our country’s rug where the terrorism and injustices of white supremacy are habitually swept. “Ellison sought no less than to create a Book of Blackness, a literary composition of the tradition at its most sublime and fundamental." —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., TIME Who are we, and where do we come from? The fundamental drive to answer these questions is at the heart of Finding Your Roots, the companion book to the PBS documentary series seen by 30 million people. As Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. The pioneering work in the study of the role of Black Americans during Reconstruction by the most influential Black intellectual of his time. This pioneering work was the first full-length study of the role black Americans played in the crucial period after the Civil War, when the slaves had been freed and the attempt was made to reconstruct American society. A groundbreaking history demonstrating that America's economic supremacy was built on the backs of enslaved people Winner of the 2015 Avery O. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for HistoryThe unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman's fight for justice--and reparations Howard Fast makes superb use of his material. ... Aside from its social and historical implications, Freedom Road is a high-geared story, told with that peculiar dramatic intensity of which Fast is a master. -- Chicago Daily News. #1 New York Times Bestseller Winner of the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium Octavia E. Butler’s bestselling literary science-fiction masterpiece, Kindred, now in graphic novel format. The crucial, empowering, #1 New York Times bestselling exploration of racism—and antiracism—in America. This is NOT a history book. This is a book about the here and now. A book to help us better understand why we are where we are. A book about race. This young adult adaptation of the New York Times bestselling White Rage is essential antiracist reading for teens. An NAACP Image Award finalist A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A NYPL Best Book for Teens Email or call for price. Named to Bank Street College of Education’s prestigious 2016 Best Children’s Books of the Year with a star for outstanding merit. Named to Bayviews Outstanding List (online journal for the Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California (ACL)) THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This chapter book edition of the groundbreaking #1 bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America Henry Louis Gates, Jr. presents a journey through America's past and our nation's attempts at renewal in this look at the Civil War's conclusion, Reconstruction, and the rise of Jim Crow segregation.This is a story about America during and after Reconstruction, one of history's most pivotal and misunderstood chapters. Building on the brilliance of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, the newest installment in the Fighting for Justice series introduces young readers to another real-life champion for civil rights: Bridget "Biddy" Mason, an African American philanthropist, healer, and midwife who was born into slavery. Ana & Andrew are excited when Grandma comes to stay. During her visit, the family tours the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and learns about important African American achievements. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO. Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree. Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black A window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston. Remember is a unique pictorial and narrative journey that introduces children to a watershed period in American history and its relevance to us today. This beautiful 80-page hardcover picture book is a Coretta Scott King Award winner. Email or call for price. Enslaved African Americans longed for freedom, and that longing took many forms--including music. Drawing on biblical imagery, slave songs both expressed the sorrow of life in bondage and offered a rallying cry for the spirit. Newbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a person with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away. Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 A young slave girl witnesses the heartbreak and hopefulness of her family and their plantation community when her brother escapes for freedom in this brilliantly conceived picture book by Coretta Scott King Award winner James E. A Caldecott Honor BookA Coretta Scott King Award Winner In this award-winning book, acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford and bestselling artist Kadir Nelson offer a resounding, reverent tribute to Harriet Tubman, the woman who earned the name Moses for her heroic role in the Underground Railroad.
Nature's Chemicals: The Natural Products that Shaped Our World Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub Natural Products (NPs) is the term used to describe the hundreds of thousands of chemical compounds or substances that are continually produced by living organisms (plants and microbes). Hundreds of millions of tons of these chemicals are generated annually, and the trade in just a few of these has dominated human economic activity for thousands of years. Indeed the current world geopolitical map has been shaped by attempts to control the supply of a few of these compounds. Every day of our lives each human spends time and money trying to procure the NPs of their choice. However, despite their overwhelming influence on human culture, they remain poorly understood. Yet a knowledge of NPs can help in our search for new drugs, further the debate about GM manipulation, help us address environmental pollution, and enable a better understanding of drug trafficking. Nature's Chemicals is the first book to describe Natural Products (NPs) in an evolutionary context, distilling the few simple principles that govern the way in which organisms (including humans) have evolved to produce, cope with, or respond to NPs. It neatly synthesizes a widely dispersed literature and provides a general picture of NPs, encompassing evolution, history, ecology, and environmental issues (along with some deeper theory relevant to biochemistry), with the goal of enabling a wider section of the scientific community to fully appreciate the crucial importance of Natural Products to human culture and future survival. limited opportunity to cope with toxic substances by dilution (the basic mechanism common to organisms with an excretion system with a route to isolating the excreted material or excreting it into a large volume of water). This thought leads to the idea that maybe evolutionary arguments about the role of individual NPs in The Chemical Interactions between Organisms 179 microbes are too narrow and inappropriately focused. It might be more productive to think about the advantages that the about the properties of some NPs that had notable effects (often published in specialised medical journals or cell biology journals). Towards the end of the twentieth century, this fragmentation actually increased as more biologists took an interest in NPs but they tended to publish their work in even more specialist journals, journals often targeted at even smaller groups.1 However, in this chapter, we shall leave the wealth of detail in the background and try to show how the few people thinking chemical tested in isolation and the Laws of Mass Action will apply to each chemical interacting with the protein with which it interacts. There are other such scenarios that can be proposed. Evidence exists for both additive and synergistic actions.29 There is nothing magical about mixtures. The effects of mixtures can be explained in terms of the actions of the individual chemicals, all of which obey the usual physicochemical laws.30 So how do these arguments apply to the evolution of NPs? Chapter 7 for further information on the developments of Ehrlich’s ideas and the pharmaceutical industry). It was to take decades before Ehrlich’s ideas on selective toxicity were to inﬂuence the growing agrochemical and veterinary industries. By the 1930s, however, a number of companies soon found synthetic chemicals that would selectively kill plant pathogenic fungi or would control the insect pests of plants and animals. The 1930s was also the period of discovery of some extremely highly different insect species but most insects will simply visit en route for some other destination and have no meaningful interaction with the majority of plant species they encounter because many insect species are specialists that have no interest in any organism other than the few they have evolved to interact with. A cabbage white butterﬂy ﬂitting around the garden is not enjoying the scents or ﬂavours of all the plants it encounters; it is simply seeking brassica plants in what must seem to it
Screen Video Recorder is an application used for recording what is currently happening on the computer screen. The program has the ability to record the activities, like streaming video, audio, texts currently being typed, and mouse hovers. The output video of the screen activity can be saved in either AVI or WMV format. This software is useful when making video tutorials and other instructional materials. Screen Video Recorder's interface puts all the important functions at the upper portion of the window. When the user is ready to record, he can simply click the "Record" button. Playing back the recorded file can be done by clicking the "Play" function. The program's five settings can be configured for maximum control over the recording. One of the settings that can be adjusted is the screen region. When a range is selected, only activities on that part of the computer’s screen will be recorded by the software. A hotkey can also be identified. This is a keyboard shortcut that the can press to control the application’s record button. Additionally, the user can choose to exclude some activities from being recorded. These can be specified on the options menu. The program comes with a manual to help users who may need assistance.
Nobel laureate who discovered the chemical structure of antibodies. Born on July 1, 1929, in Queens, NY, USA, he died from complications of Parkinson's disease on May 17, 2014, in La Jolla, CA, USA, aged 84 years. “The ideal of science is to provide the simplest account possible of the facts of the world”, Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman wrote in The Brain, a book he edited with Jean-Pierre Changeux. During his career, Edelman strived to account for the diversity he observed by applying Charles Darwin's principles of variation and selection to questions ranging from how the immune system works to the construction of the nervous system to the origins of consciousness. As a graduate student in the late 1950s, Edelman was intrigued by the specificity of antibodies that are the foundation of the human immune system. He and his colleagues at the Rockefeller University discovered that immunoglobulin G, an antibody found in blood, comprises “heavy” and “light” chains. Drawing on his medical training and experience, Edelman realised that the serum of patients with multiple myeloma contained large amounts of immunoglobulins with the same sequence and offered him a source for immunoglobulin. He purified the proteins from these cancerous cells and determined the sequence of the more than 1300 aminoacids that form the chains. At the time, scientists were perplexed by the diverse responses of the human immune system. Linus Pauling had proposed that antibodies fold around the antigen and, once the antigen dissociates from the antibody, the protein is moulded in such a way that it could recognise and bind similar antigens. Edelman countered that antibody diversity stems from regions of the molecule that vary due to errors that arise during cell division; when a particular antibody recognises an antigen, he posited, it is produced en masse to target the invading agent. His findings “cracked open the door in terms of understanding the diversity of antibodies”, says Michel Nussenzweig, a professor of molecular immunology at the Rockefeller University in New York. In 1972, Edelman shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with British scientist Rodney Porter, “for their discoveries concerning the chemical structure of antibodies”. “The idea that variation is not noise but is rather the substrate for the emergence of biological form and function provides an underlying theme that is central to and defining of what I have called the sciences of recognition”, Edelman wrote in The Journal of Biological Chemistry in 2004. Darwin's principles of selection and variation were the themes of Edelman's work and he went on to extend them to questions in embryology and neurobiology. He described how nerve cells connect during embryonic development via surface molecules to form the nervous system. Edelman originally hoped to be a violinist but pursued science and received a bachelors degree in chemistry in 1950 from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. 4 years later, he earned a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and, after an internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, he served in the US Army Medical Corps. In 1960, he received a doctorate in chemistry from the Rockefeller University, where he spent the next 30 years. In 1981, he founded the Neuroscience Institute at the Rockefeller University, which moved to La Jolla 10 years later when he became a professor at the Scripps Research Institute there. In the late 1970s, Edelman turned his attention to the brain. He believed that Darwin's idea that structures and organisms emerge from competition of different individuals in a population held the key to how the mind works. “I hold this notion to be central, not only in considering how the brain has evolved, but also in thinking about how it develops and functions“, he wrote in a 2004 book Wider Than the Sky: The Phenomenal Gift of Consciousness. His “theory of neuronal group selection”, or neural Darwinism, was “a bold effort”, says colleague and coauthor Giulio Tononi, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who studies sleep and consciousness. Edelman's theory of “neural Darwinism” was controversial. Scientists considered the brain analogous to a computer and were looking for algorithms to describe how it processed information. “Edelman proposed that the world is interpreted through the brain's repertoire of values and experiences”, says Tononi. “He had an enormously powerful biological imagination and equally extraordinary intuition.” Edelman is survived by his wife, Maxine Morrison Edelman, and three children, Eric, David, and Judith.
Interference of Stress Waves (Spalling) simulated with FEM This page has opened to public since 16 June 2006. All Rights Reserved by Dr. Shinozuka, Jun. When an impact speed of a projectile toward a target is high (high speed or ultra high-speed), there is a possibility that the surface of the target in the opposite side of impacted surface is fractured (damaged). This phenomenon is referred to as "Spalling". Spalling is induced by the interferences of stresses waves. The follwing animation shows one of examples simulated. The simulation were performed by using of a FEA. The FEM is a dynamic nad thermo elastic plastic FEM (RdynFem) that I have developed. A projectile collides with a target at high speed (ultra high-speed). The material properties of both projectile and target are the same. When an impact speed is fast, a projectile is violently deformed plastically as shown below. A compressive stress wave propagates into both of projectile and target from the begining of the impact. Let's look at the stress wave propagating in the target. When the compressive stress wave reaches at the free surface opposite to the impacted surface, it reflects as tensile stress. The compressive stress traveling the impacted surface meets with the tensile stress reflected with the free surface. As seen in "Propagation of Elastic Stresses Waves", compressive or tensile stresses remain if the lengths of the input and output bars differ. The position that the tensile stress is generated by interferences of stresses first does not depend on the length of the output bar. The distance from the free surface to the position is equal to the length of the input bar. Spalling (fracture) occurs when the tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the bar. Thus it is likely that the spalling occurs at that position (near the free surface). The stress propagates three dimensional in general cases. The situation of the contact surface changes due to the plastic deformation. Therefore, it may be difficult to detect the position where the spalling occurs and it may be difficult to detect the situation because it depends on stresses waves, if a complex shape is considered. We need a numerical simulation such as a finite element analysis. Let's pay attention to the right hand side of the target material. Red color indicates a tensile stress, while blue color indicates a compressive stress. You can see the region that colored strong red appears in the right hand side of the target after the compressive stress reflected with the free surface first. Left hand side shows a stress of horizontal component, while right hand side shows the mean normal stress (when the value of the mean normal stress is a negative, it is called the hydrostatic stress). These results were simulated with FEM software "RDynFem" that has been developed by Dr. Shinozuka, Jun.
Remember Defense Distributed? These are the guys who started the WikiWeapon Project that sought to create a 3D printed gun after HaveBlue, a gunsmith, proved it was technically possible by successfully firing a gun that had a 3D printed lower receiver. The group successfully replicated the original experiment, but it only kind of succeeded. On the WikiWeapon dev blog, the creators detail their experience in crafting a gun from HaveBlue's original reinforced AR-15 lower receiver blueprint. The team combined the plastic lower receiver with a standard AR five seven upper for the complete rifle below: The team noted that the gun looked sturdy enough, but were concerned with the dexterity of the buffer ring. In the end, it was the offending piece that led to the 3D printed lower fracturing after six shots. This was just the first of many tests as Defense Distributed works towards its goal of making an entire gun with only a 3D printer. Is it possible? Probably not at the moment, but it's one of the most intriguing 3D printing projects in recent memory. It's already attracted a fair bit of criticism, and it will force people to rethink gun laws if the project proves successful in the future. Isn't that point of 3D printers though - to challenge our preconceptions of what can and can not be made? You may not agree with the idea behind Defense Distributed's ambitions, but it's an important piece in the ever evolving puzzle of 3D printing.[h/t: Wired]
The boot sequence for a machine typically starts with the BMC (baseboard management controller) or PCH (platform controller hub). In the case of an Intel CPU, the Intel Management Engine runs in the PCH and starts before the CPU. After configuring the machine's hardware, the BMC (or PCH, depending on the system) allows the CPU to come out of reset. The CPU then loads the boot (unified extensible firmware interface, UEFI) firmware from the SPI (serial peripheral interface) flash. The boot firmware then accesses the boot sector on the machine's persistent storage and loads the bootloader into the system memory. The boot firmware then passes execution control to the bootloader, which loads the initial OS image from storage into system memory and passes execution control to the operating system. For example, in popular Linux distros, GRUB (derived from Grand Unified Bootloader) acts as the bootloader and loads the operating system image for the machine. This is much like a relay race where one team member passes a baton to another to win the race. In a relay race, you hopefully know the members of your team and trust them to do their part for the team to get to the finish line. With machines, this chain of trust is a bit more complex. How can we verify that each step in the boot sequence is running software we know is secure? If our hardware or software has been compromised at any point in the boot sequence then the attacker has the most privilege on our system and likely can do anything they want. The goal of a hardware root of trust is to verify that the software installed in every component of the hardware is the software that was intended. This way you can verify and know without a doubt whether a machine's hardware or software has been hacked or overwritten by an adversary. In a world of modchips,16 supply chain attacks, evil maid attacks,7 cloud provider vulnerabilities in hardware components,2 and other attack vectors it has become more and more necessary to ensure hardware and software integrity. This is an introduction to a complicated topic; some sections just touch the surface, but the intention is to provide a full picture of the world of secure booting mechanisms. Trusted platform module (TPM). A TPM is a standard for a dedicated microchip designed to secure hardware through integrated cryptographic keys. TPM was standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 2009 as ISO/IEC 11889.9 The TPM is typically installed on the motherboard of a computer, and it communicates with the remainder of the system by using a hardware bus. A TPM has the following features:18 - A random number generator; - A way to generate cryptographic keys; - Integrity measurement; - Wrapping/binding keys; and, - Sealing/unsealing keys. Integrity measurement. Measurement is the process by which information about the software, hardware, and configuration of a system is collected and digested. At load-time, the TPM uses a hash function to fingerprint an executable and its configuration. These hash values are used in attestation to reliably establish code identity to remote or local verifiers. The hash values can also be used in conjunction with the sealed storage feature. A secret can be sealed along with a list of hash values of programs that are allowed to unseal the secret. This allows the creation of data files that can only be opened by specific applications. Attestation reports the state of the hardware and software configuration. The integrity measurement software in charge of creating the hash key used for the configuration data determines the extent of the summary. The goal of attestation is to prove to a third party that your operating system and application software are intact and trustworthy. The verifier trusts that attestation data is accurate because it is signed by a TPM whose key is certified by the certificate authority (CA). TPMs are manufactured with a public/private key pair built into the hardware, known as the endorsement key. The endorsement key is unique to a specific TPM and is signed by a trusted CA. The trust for attestation data is dependent on the trust for the CA that originally signed the endorsement key. Attestation can reliably tell a verifier what applications are running on a client machine, but the verifier must still make the judgment about whether each given piece of software is trustworthy. Wrapping/binding a key. Machines that use a TPM can create cryptographic keys and encrypt them so that they can only be decrypted by the TPM. This process, known as wrapping or binding a key, can help protect the key from disclosure. Each TPM has a master wrapping key, also known as the storage root key, which is stored within the TPM itself. The private portion of a storage root key, or endorsement key, that is created in a TPM is never exposed to any other device, process, application, software, or user. Sealing/unsealing a key. Machines that use a TPM can also create a key that has not only been wrapped but is also tied to certain platform measurements. This type of key can be unwrapped only when those platform measurements have the same values that they had when the key was created. This process is known as sealing the key to the TPM. Decrypting the key is called unsealing. The TPM can also seal and unseal data that is generated outside the TPM. With this sealed key and software, you can lock data until specific hardware or software conditions are met. Custom silicon. It is important to note the limitations of TPMs and some solutions to those. TPMs can attest the firmware running on a machine is the firmware we want to run, but there is no mechanism in a TPM for verifying that the code is secure. It is up to the user to verify the security of the firmware and to ensure it does not contain any backdoors, which is impossible if the code is proprietary. When booting a machine securely, you want the first instruction run on that machine to be the one you would expect to run. A TPM is insufficient for verifying the actual bits of code to be executed are secure, so a few companies created their own silicon for expanding on the security of TPMs. For Google's infrastructure as well as Chromebooks, Google expanded on the security of the TPM with their own chip Titan. Google open sourced5 a version of Titan14 (with both specs and code), which is under active development, in October of 2019. In creating Titan, Google added two new features that did not exist with TPMs: first-instruction integrity and remediation. First-instruction integrity allows verification of the earliest code that runs on each machine's startup cycle. Titan observes every byte of boot firmware by interposing itself between the boot firmware flash (BIOS) of the BMC (or PCH) and the main CPU via the SPI bus. Therefore, the boot sequence for a machine with a Titan chip is different from a normal boot sequence. The boot sequence with Titan is as follows: - Titan holds the machine in reset. - Titan's application processor executes code from its embedded read-only memory (boot ROM). - Titan runs a memory built-in self-test to ensure all memory (including ROM) has not been tampered with. - Titan verifies its own firmware using public key cryptography and mixes the identity of this verified code into Titan's key hierarchy. - Titan loads the verified firmware. - Titan verifies the host's boot firmware flash (BIOS/UEFI). - Titan signals readiness to release the rest of the machine from reset. - The CPU loads the basic firmware (BIOS/UEFI) from the boot firmware flash, which performs further hardware/software configuration. - The rest of the standard boot sequence continues. Holding the machine in reset while Titan cryptographically verifies the boot firmware, Titan enables the verification of the first instruction. Titan knows what boot firmware and OS booted on our machine from the very first instruction. Titan even knows which microcode patches may have been fetched before the boot firmware's first instruction. Remediation. What happens when we need to patch bugs in Titan's firmware? This is where remediation comes into play. In the event of patching bugs in the Titan firmware, trust can be reestablished through remediation. Remediation is based on a strong cryptographic identity. To provide a strong identity, the Titan chip manufacturing process generates unique keying material for each chip. The Titan-based identity system not only verifies the provenance of the chips creating the certificate signing requests (CSRs), but also verifies the firmware running on the chips, as the code identity of the firmware is hashed into the on-chip key hierarchy. This property allows Google to fix bugs in Titan firmware and issue certificates that can only be wielded by patched Titan chips. The Titan-based identity system enables back-end systems to securely provision secrets and keys to individual Titan-enabled machines, or jobs running on those machines. Titan is also able to chain and sign critical audit logs, making those logs tamper evident. This ensures audit logs cannot be altered or deleted without detection, even by insiders with root access to the relevant machine. Microsoft open sourced11 the specs for their chip, Cerberus. (At the time of writing this article, only the specs have been open sourced). Like Titan, Cerberus interposes on the SPI bus where firmware is stored for the CPU. This allows Cerberus to continuously measure and attest these accesses to ensure firmware integrity and thereby protect against unauthorized access and malicious updates. Apple is a poster child for secure booting devices. Most people remember when the FBI wanted a backdoor into iPhones and Tim Cook refused.10 Between Macs, iPhones, and Chromebooks, an industry standard for products includes security by default. For Apple machines, secure boot is done with their T2 chip,1 Ivan Krstić of Apple gave a talk at Black Hat12 detailing the boot process for a Mac with Apple's T2 chip. Unlike Titan and Cerberus which interpose on the SPI flash, T2 provides the firmware and boots the CPU over an eSPI (Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface) bus. Apple's requirements for T2 were the following: - Signature verification of complete boot chain. - System Software Authorization (server-side downgrade protection). - Authorization "personalized" for the requesting device (not portable). - User authentication required to downgrade secure boot policy. - Secure boot policy protected against physical tamper. - System can always be restored to known-good state. The boot sequence for a machine using a T2 chip is as follows: - The machine is powered on. - T2 ROM is loaded and executed. - T2 ROM passes off to iBoot, the bootloader. - The bootloader executes the bridgeOS kernel, the kernel for the T2 chip. - The bridgeOS kernel passes off to the UEFI firmware for the T2 chip. - The T2 chip then allows the CPU out of reset and loads the UEFI firmware for the CPU. - The UEFI firmware for the CPU then loads macOS booter, the bootloader. - The macOS booter then executes the macOS kernel. One important design element of the T2 chip is how Apple verifies the version of MacOS running on a computer. T2 verifies the hash of MacOS against a list of approved hashes for running. Apple is in a unique position to have this level of verification since they own the entire stack and prevent users from running any other OS on their devices. If you would like to go deeper on the internals of the T2 chip, I would suggest reading the slides for Ivan Krstić's Black Hat talk.12 Platform firmware resiliency. Chip vendors are investing in platform firmware resiliency (PFR) based on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.15 These guidelines focus on ensuring the firmware remains in a state of integrity, detecting when it has been corrupted, and recovering the pieces of firmware back to a state of integrity. PFR addresses the vulnerability of enterprise servers that contain multiple processing components, each having its own firmware. This firmware can be attacked by hackers who may surreptitiously install malicious code in a component's flash memory that hides from standard system-level detection methods and leaves the system permanently compromised. The PFR specification is based on the following principles: - Protection: Ensures firmware code and critical data remain in a state of integrity and are protected from corruption, such as the process for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of firmware updates. - Detection: Detect when firmware code and critical data have been corrupted. - Recovery: Restore firmware code and critical data to a state of integrity in the event that any such firmware code or critical data are detected to have been corrupted, or when forced to recover through an authorized mechanism. UEFI Secure Boot21 is designed to ensure that EFI binaries that are executed during boot are verified, either through a checksum or a valid signature, backed by a locally trusted certificate. When a machine using UEFI Secure Boot powers on, the UEFI firmware validates each EFI binary either has a valid signature or the binary's checksum is present on an allowed list. Counter to the allow list is a deny list that is also checked to ensure no binary's checksum or signature exists on it. Users can configure the list of trusted certificates and checksums as EFI variables. These variables get stored in non-volatile memory used by the UEFI firmware environment to store settings and configuration data. Attestation can reliably tell a verifier what applications are running on a client machine, but the verifier must still make the judgment about whether each given piece of software is trustworthy. The UEFI kernel is extremely complex and has millions of lines of code. It consists of boot services and runtime services. The specification19 is quite verbose and complex. The UEFI kernel is a common vector for many vulnerabilities since it has some of the same proprietary code used on many different platforms. The UEFI kernel is shared on multiple platforms, making it a great target for attackers. Additionally, since only UEFI can rewrite itself, exploits can be made persistent. This is because UEFI lives in the processor's firmware, typically stored in the SPI flash. Even if a user were to wipe the entire operating system or install a new hard drive, an attack would persist in the SPI flash. Intel's Boot Guard. Boot Guard is Intel's solution to verify the firmware signatures for the processor. Boot Guard works by flashing the public key of the BIOS signature into the field programmable fuses (FPFs), a one-time programmable memory inside Intel Management Engine (ME), during the manufacturing process. The machine then has the public key of the BIOS and it can verify the correct signature during every subsequent boot. However, once Boot Guard is enabled by the manufacturer, it cannot be disabled. The problem with Boot Guard is that only Intel or the manufacturer has the keys for signing firmware packages. This makes it impossible to use coreboot, LinuxBoot, or any other equivalents as firmware on those processors. If you tried, the firmware would not be signed with the correct key, and the failed attempt to boot would brick the board. Matthew Garrett wrote a great post about Boot Guard that highlights the importance of user freedom when it comes to firmware.4 The owner of the hardware has a right to own the firmware as well. Boot Guard prevents this. In the security keynote at the 2018 Open Source Firmware Conference,6 Trammel Hudson described how he found a vulnerability to bypass Boot Guard, CVE-2018-12169.3 The bug20 allows an attacker to use unsigned firmware and boot normally, completely negating the purpose of Boot Guard. Because Boot Guard is tied to the CPU, it does not have the control that a custom silicon hardware root of trust has when it comes to other firmware for components in the system. System transparency. Mullvad wrote up a paper on what they call system transparency (ST),17 which is aimed at facilitating trust for the components of a system by giving every server a unique identity, limiting the attack surface and mutable state in the firmware and allowing both owners and users to verify all software running on a platform starting from the first instruction executed after power on. ST accomplishes these goals by following seven principles: - A key ceremony of each server to bind the server's unique identity with a difficult-to-forge physical artifact like a video. - Physical write-protection of the firmware. Writable code sections are a mutable state, so ST limits the possible changes to this critical piece of code. Read-only code also serves as a root of trust for all other software-enforced security mechanisms. - Tamper detection. Attackers cannot be stopped from changing the content of the firmware flash by replacing the actual chip. So, violations of the physical integrity of the server hardware need to be detectable. - Measured boot. ST has the goal to give all parties insight into what code was run as part of the system boot. A measured boot in combination with remote attestation allows third parties to acquire a cryptographic log of the boot. - Reproducible builds. Ensures that if a binary artifact is built once, it can be built again and again and produce the same artifact. This establishes a verifiable link between the human-readable code and the binary that was attested using the measured boot mechanism. - Immutable infrastructure. System transparency only works when changes to the operating system are limited. Allowing somebody to log into the system and make arbitrary changes invalidates all guarantees of a measured boot. - Binary transparency log. All firmware and OS images that can be booted on a system are signed by the system's owner and are inserted into a public, append-only log. Users of the system can monitor this log for new entries and catch malicious system owners booting backdoored firmware on new servers. The Importance of Open Source Firmware It is clear that securing the boot process with a hardware root of trust has various implementations throughout the industry. Without open source firmware, the proprietary bits of the boot process are still lacking the visibility and audibility to ensure our software is secure. Even if we can verify through a hardware root of trust that the hash of proprietary firmware is the hash we know to be true, we need visibility to the source code for the firmware for assurance it does not contain any backdoors. Through this visibility we can also gain ease of use in debugging and fixing problems without relying on a vendor. Firmware is scattered throughout motherboards of machines and their components; it is in the CPU (central processing unit), NIC (network interface controller), SSD (solid-state drive), HDD (hard-disk drive), GPU (graphics processing unit), fans, and more. To ensure the integrity of a machine, all these components must be verified. In the future, these custom silicon chips will interpose not only on the SPI flash but also on every other device communicating with the BMC. If you would like to help with the open source firmware movement, push back on your vendors and platforms you are using to make their firmware open source. Thank you to Ivan Krstić, Matthew Garrett, Kai Michaelis, Fredrik Strömberg, and Trammell Hudson for their research and work in this area, which helped me to write this article. Security for the Modern Age Simulators: Virtual Machines of the Past (and Future) Automating Software Failure Reporting 1. Apple. Apple T2 Security Chip, 2018; https://www.apple.com/mac/docs/Apple_T2_Security_Chip_Overview.pdf 2. Cimpanu, C. Hackers can hijack bare-metal cloud servers by corrupting their BMC firmware; https://zd.net/2MyXFLI 3. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, 2018; https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2018-12169 4. Garrett, M. Intel Boot Guard, 2015; Coreboot and user freedom; https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/33981.html 5. Google Open Source Blog. OpenTitan—Open sourcing transparent, trustworthy, and secure silicon; https://opensource.googleblog.com/2019/11/opentitan-open-sourcing-transparent.html. 6. Hudson, T. Open Source Firmware Conference's Security Keynote; https://trmm.net/OSFC_2018_Security_keynote#Boot_Guard 7. Hudson, T. Thunderstrike EFI bootkit FAQ; https://trmm.net/Thunderstrike_FAQ#Does_anyone_actually_use_evil-maid_attacks.3F 8. Intel. Intel Data Center Block with Firmware Resilience, 2017; https://intel.ly/2POBjXj 9. ISO/IEC 11889-1:2009. Information technology—Trusted platform module; https://www.iso.org/standard/50970.html. 10. Kahney, L. The FBI wanted a back door to the iPhone. Tim Cook said no. Wired (Apr. 16, 2019); https://www.wired.com/story/the-time-tim-cook-stood-his-ground-against-fbi/. 11. Kelly, B. Open Compute Project—Project Cerberus Security Architecture Overview Specification, 2017; http://bit.ly/2sts9aO. 12. Krstic, I. Behind the scenes of iOS and Mac security, 2019; https://ubm.io/34rrmnY 13. Lattice Semiconductors. Universal Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR)—Servers; http://www.latticesemi.com/Solutions/Solutions/SolutionsDetails02/PFR. 14. OpenTitan. Introduction to OpenTitan, 2019; https://docs.opentitan.org/. 15. Regenscheid, A. Platform firmware resiliency guidelines. NIST Special Publication 800-193, 2018; https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-193.pdf. 16. Robertson, J., Riley, M. The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies, 2018; https://bloom.bg/2PY108V 17. Strömberg, F. System transparency, 2019; https://mullvad.net/media/system-transparency-rev5.pdf. 18. Trusted Computing Group. TPM main, part 1, design principles, 2011; http://bit.ly/36GDQcK. 19. UEFI; https://uefi.org/specifications 20. Wang, J. Bug 1614 (CVE-2019-11098) - BootGuard TOCTOU vulnerability; https://bugzilla.tianocore.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1614 21. Wilkins, R. 2013. UEFI secure boot in modern computer security solutions; http://bit.ly/362a4Q2 Copyright held by author/owner. Publication rights licensed to ACM. Request permission to publish from [email protected] The Digital Library is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2020 ACM, Inc.
General description of the EU project Aquaterra As one of the first environmental Integrated Projects in the EU Framework Programme 6, 'AquaTerra' is active since the 1st of June 2004 for a time period of 5 years. It has 45 partner organisations in 12 EU countries as well as in Romania, Switzerland and Serbia and hosts university partners, small to medium enterprises and environmental protection agencies. Its objectives are: - To provide better understanding of the river-sediment-soil-groundwater system at various temporal and spatial scales - To provide the scientific basis for improved river basin management - To develop specific tools for water and soil quality monitoring - To develop integrated modelling for impact evaluation of pollution as well as climate and land-use changes for definition of long-term management schemes These objectives will be achieved through 10 sub-projects with BASIN investigating selected sites in five contrasting European river basins (Brévilles, Ebro, Meuse, Elbe and Danube). This sub-project concentrates on soil-groundwater-river as well as floodplain-sediment-river interactions. Building on this, BIOGEOCHEM investigates soil-filter and transport functions, the fate of pollutants in soils and sediments in order to determine impacts on water quality. This work combines with FLUX that investigates transport and turnover of inorganic and organic solids and solutes in order to evaluate effects of changes in land use. It is also linked to HYDRO that investigates impacts of climate change on the water cycle through water balance and quality parameters. A further sub-project, TREND, will yield improved understanding in soil and water quality trends by extrapolating from the past to the future and by recognising adverse trends. In collaboration with the above modules, MONITOR will develop and validate new analytical techniques by focussing on emerging compounds such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides in the environment and by providing new protocols for non-regulated pollutants. Results from the above subprojects will be used in COMPUTE to model fate and transport of pollutants at different scales. EUPOL and INTEGRATOR disseminate results to be used in future environmental EU policies and integrate the results of the various AquaTerra sub-projects. Finally, KNOWMAN disseminates results to scientific and stakeholder communities through workshops, seminars, publishing activities and summer schools. In this manner, AquaTerra will meet the challenge of integrated modelling of the river-sediment-soil-groundwater system and will offer advanced tools for the management of catchment areas and river basins in the context of global change. More information can be found on the website Aquaterra AquaTerra: Workpackage Trend Within this European framework the sub-project TREND focuses on: - understanding the temporal variability of floodplain soil parameters, relating land-use and soil erosion to these parameters and the effect on soil and sediment ecological functioning - understanding the temporal variability of micropollutant concentrations in floodplain soils and sediments due to inundations, and address bioavailability to soil (Lumbricidae) and sediment (benthic) biota - understanding resilience of natural cycling processes in soils and sediments, towards perturbation, contamination and inundation, taking organic matter mineralization as the model functional process to investigate this phenomenon - developing Integrated Quality Indicators (IQI), indicative for trends in ecological functioning in sediments Previous research has demonstrated that the health of earthworms can be assessed relatively easily using the so-called neutral red retention assay, applied to coelomocytes taken from the body cavity. This assay, which measures the stability of the lysosomal membrane and hence cell viability, has shown to be a very reliable sublethal and sensitive indicator, which is well correlated with the level of total sediment pollution. The advantage is that the test can be done using animals collected directly in the field. There is a need for extending the scope of the assay by (1) establishing causal links with the bioavailability of sediment pollution, (2) performing an ecological calibration, relating the neutral red assay to the bioturbating and mixing function of earthworms, (3) investigating the variability of the assay in space and time, and (4) developing an energy-budget based model by which ecological functions of earthworms may be predicted under different scenarios. A set of study sites will be chosen, in conjunction with the sites selected by other partners, at different places in the river basins and NRRT tests will be done repeatedly at one site and along several sites, using selected species of earthworms. At each site inventories will be done of bioavailability of soil pollution and earthworm activity. Duration: 4 years (June 2004-May 2008) Participants: Anton Poot, Bart Koelmans (WUR); Eric Bleeker, Kees van Gestel (VU), Jos Brils, Diana Slijkerman (TNO), More information can be found on the website Aquaterra AquaTerra: Contribution AEW 'Temporal and spatial trends in micropollutant bioavailability (PhD Project Anton Poot)' Contaminants in aquatic sediments are only partly available for transport or uptake by biota. This means that transport risks and ecological risks of for instance trace metals and organic micropollutants depend on the mobile or bioavailable fraction. The past years several methods have been developed to quantify these fractions and they have been tested mainly in laboratory settings. For proper assessment of risks, however, important questions are, (a) whether these methods can be used in situ and (b) whether in situ bioavailability and mobility changes can be expected on a temporal scale, under anticipated climate scenarios, and what the main differences and implications are for the five cachments addressed in Aquaterra. The temporal changes will be addressed mainly for trace metals in the Meuse catchment where redox changes play a role. For organic contaminants we will include samples of several catchments and have a special look at the effects of carbonaceous materials (soots, chars) on bioavailability and mobility. Further info contact [email protected] or [email protected]
“I would like to pass down one type of philosophy: the Japan-South Korea Model for Reconciliation, Prosperity and Peace,” said Dr. Kizo Ogura, a professor at the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies at Kyoto University, at a recent two-part online seminar hosted by Global Peace Foundation Japan. The theme of the seminar, “A New View of Humanity to Build East Asia,” addressed the complex and evolving relationship between Japan and South Korea. Dr. Ogura described a new idea of “multi-subjectivism” for developing peaceful relationships. He said that people of oppressed countries perceive modern times as an era of resentment and that “the identities of all ‘other-related people’ are included in multi-subjectivism.” Japanese people need to be more aware of their perceptions, Dr. Ogura urged. If people accept the significance of a particular viewpoint, especially in Japan and Korea, they can avoid extreme misunderstanding about the other and instead find a lot of similarities. It is important to understand that Japan tried to impose the unique identity of Japan onto Korean people when Japan annexed Korea, he said. Although Japan and South Korea had such difficult experiences in the past, the lessons learned by the two countries could benefit other parts of the world, he emphasized. “Efforts by both countries were made to try and resolve historical issues. It is important to recognize the amount of reconciliation that has been made” since the end of the colonial era. Still, many Japanese people feel anxious and unsettled because they don’t know where South Korea and the Korean Peninsula would be headed, Dr. Ogura said. He pointed out that TV programs often highlight Japan-South Korea’s deteriorated relations, which mainly feature some politicians’ viewpoints. He said that such information doesn’t reflect Japan-South Korea relationships, which are multi-layered among people of both countries. He gave credit that people from different backgrounds from both countries have made efforts to build up bilateral relations. The online seminar was hosted on March 27 and May 8, 2021. Dr. Kizo Ogura has researched Eastern Philosophy and comparative civilization and served as a lecturer for the NHK Educational Television Korean Course and an executive committee member for the Japan-Korea Friendship Year 2005. View the seminar recordings below:
For the more information about the geologic resources of the National Park Service, please visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/. Paleontology Education and Outreach Fossils discovered on the nation's public lands preserve ancient life from all major eras of Earth's history, and from every major group of animal or plant. In the national parks, for example, fossils range from primitive algae found high in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, to the remains of ice-age animals found in caves at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Public lands provide visitors with opportunities to interpret a fossil's ecological context by observing fossils in the same place those animals and plants lived millions of years ago. Learn about our nation's fossils at home or in the classroom with these activities. They were developed by education specialists in the National Park Service, fossil sites, or museums across the country. Some of the activities have a site-specific element that can be adapted for use at home or in the classroom. In some cases, a virtual site visit may be possible using online resources. Always check with a local park, fossil site, museum to see what opportunities might be available in your neighborhood. If you find one you like, you can share it with us here at the Geologic Resources Division. The Junior Paleontologist program engages young people in activities that allow them to discover the significance of fossils and the science of paleontology, and introduces them to the national park system and to the mission of the National Park Service. Learn more... Learn about our nation's fossils at home or in the classroom with these paleontology themed activities. Some of the activities have a site-specific element that can be adapted for use at home or in the classroom. Learn more... Views Paleontology Module Explore the world of paleontology through Views of the National Parks, a multimedia educational program. Learn about fossils, how they form, the scientists that study them, and the national parks which preserve them. Learn more... National Fossil Day™ National Fossil Day is a celebration organized by the National Park Service and the American Geosciences Institute to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. Learn more... Earth Science Concepts: Geologic Time The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. Learn about geologic time through interactive activities and modules. Learn more... Official State Fossils A great place to start learning about fossils is right in your "backyard", with your official state fossil. Learn more... - USGS Science Education - Next Generation Science Standards Organized by Topic - Denali: A Wild Classoom - Florissant Fossil Beds' Paleontology Curriculum Materials Last Updated: January 27, 2014
Multicast DNS is a way of using familiar DNS programming interfaces, packet formats and operating semantics, in a small network where no conventional DNS server has been installed. Multicast DNS is a joint effort by participants of the IETF Zero Configuration Networking (zeroconf) and DNS Extensions (dnsext) working groups. The requirements are driven by the Zeroconf working group; the implementation details are a chartered work item for the DNSEXT group. Most of the people working on mDNS are active participants of both working groups. While the requirements for Zeroconf name resolution could be met by designing an entirely new protocol, it is better to provide this functionality by making minimal changes to the current standard DNS protocol. This saves application programmers from having to learn new APIs, and saves application programmers from having to write application code two different ways one way for large configured networks and a different way for small Zeroconf networks. It means that most current applications need no changes at all to work correctly using mDNS in a Zeroconf network. It also means that engineers do not have to learn an entirely new protocol, and current network packet capture tools can already decode and display DNS packets, so they do not have to be updated to understand new packet formats.
Dividing with decimals is a bit difficult. These days, most teachers don't mind much if you use a calculator. But it's good to know how to do it yourself, too, and you always need to be good at estimating the answer, so you can make sure the calculator's answer is reasonable. Recall that in the problem , also written is called the dividend , is the divisor , and is the quotient . Step 1: Estimate the answer by rounding . You'll use this estimate to check your answer later. Step 2: If the divisor is not a whole number, then move the decimal place places to the right to make it a whole number. Then move the decimal place in the dividend the same number of places to the right (adding some extra zeros if necessary.) Step 3: Divide as usual. If the divisor doesn't go in evenly, add zeros to the right of the dividend and keep dividing until you get a remainder, or until a repeating pattern shows up. Step 4: Put the decimal point in the quotient directly above where the decimal point now is in the dividend. Step 5: Check your answer against your estimate to see if it's reasonable. Step 1: Since the divisor is greater than the dividend, we will get an answer less than . Since is about one tenth as big as , we expect an answer close to . Step 2: The divisor is not a whole number, so move the decimal point one place to the right to make it a whole number. Move the decimal point in the dividend one place to the right also. Step 3: Divide normally, adding extra zeros to the right of when you run out. Step 4: Put the decimal point in the quotient directly above the decimal point in the dividend. We get . Step 5: Compare with your initial estimate. is close to , so we're good! Sometimes, it's easier to use mental math to solve a decimal division problem. This is a good strategy when you can see that if you move the decimal points around, you can change the problem into one you've memorized the answer to. We know that . If the dividend is decreased by a factor of , then the quotient will also decrease by a factor of . And if the divisor is increased by a factor of , then the quotient will decrease by a factor of . So, the answer is .
The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius). The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin
Cree poet Neal McLeod has gathered together essays by, and interviews with, various Indigenous poets and trusted non-Indigenous readers on the subject of Indigenous poetics. Many of the contributors express discomfort with the latter word, however. When asked to “define Indigenous poetics,” Chippewa poet and publisher Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm replies “I’m sort of hung up on that whole concept of poetics and what does it mean in an Indigenous context” (266). Métis poet and Canada Research Chair Warren Cariou notes the word’s origin in Aristotle, “a drawer of boundaries,” and adds “Sometimes that makes me wish Indigenous artists had a different word for the thing he defined as poetics” (31). Onondaga scholar David Newhouse begins with the disclaimer “Poetics – and particularly Indigenous poetics – has not been a part of my formal education, which has been primarily in the sciences and social sciences. I am more comfortable with the knowledge paradigms and truth traditions embedded in them than I am with the interpretative and hermeneutic underpinnings of the humanities” (73). The sciences, of course, and European notions of objective truth, have their origin in the categorizings of Aristotle. Many other contributors avoid using the word altogether. Those who use it most often employ it as a synonym for philosophy or world view – “the voices of our ancestors” (Tasha Beeds 65), “ways of knowing” (Christine Sy 187 – who also writes of a “poetics of personal decolonization” 185), a “praxis” that resides “not only in our cultural and spiritual inheritances and legacies but also our intellectual and narrative traditions (James Sinclair 208). “When we sing, the bones of our ancestors hear our songs and they work their way to the surface of the land, singing themselves up” writes Lee Maracle (305). In his 1997 study of Maurice Blanchot, Gerald Bruns contemplates the origins of Aristotle’s terms poesis and poetics, and suggests that they were part of an unsuccessful strategy of containment, a way of domesticating an unruly
Hydroponic growing with only organic materials has a lot of benefits. It can make your food free from pesticides, make each food denser in “dry” material, and help the environment. But like any kind of specialty growing, it comes with its own set of rules. If you have been growing hydroponically for a while, and would like to start using only organic plant nutrients and use organic means to deal with pests, you are going to have to learn how to deal with these new materials properly. pH Regulation – Organic plant nutrients usually cause nutrient solutions to become more alkaline, so you should measure pH very carefully when using these nutrients. You shouldn’t, however, make adjustments immediately after using these products. It may take up to two days for the pH of your nutrient solution to settle after adding the nutrients. So if you make the pH adjustments immediately after adding new materials, you may be unintentionally overcompensating, and be forced to “yo-yo” your pH for days afterward to get it back to safe and optimal levels (about 5.6 for hydroponic systems), which might cause harm to your plants. Only adjust your pH with very high-grade pH adjusters designed specifically for hydroponics. Add Beneficial Microbes – Organic materials give an ideal environment for beneficial microbes to grow and thrive in your hydroponic system. So you should also invest in a root booster that contains these beneficial bacteria and use it simultaneously with your organic plant nutrients. They will protect your roots and make the nutrients easier for you plant to absorb. Oxygen – Keeping your reservoir well oxygenated has several benefits. Firstly, it helps keep unpleasant odors coming from your tank to a minimum. Since your roots need oxygen, this can also help improve the health of your plants and your roots. Too little oxygen in the nutrient solution may cause root rot. The best way to oxygenate your tank while using organic plant nutrients is by using an air pump. The alternative, using hydrogen peroxide, also works very well in preventing root rot, but it will probably kill any beneficial microbes you may have added to your system. Change Nutrients During Different Plant Stages – Don’t assume that the same nutrient levels will continue to benefit your plants as your plant develops. Typically, your solution should be more concentrated during the vegetative stage and slightly less concentrated ruing the flowering stage. Check with the nutrient manufacturer for precise mixing directions. Keep System Clean – While organic plant nutrients can certainly be a boon to plant development, they also are more prone to clogging your system, and that likelihood increases the more complex and intricate you system is. Make sure to regularly clean out your pump and remove any residue that builds up. You should also make certain to completely replace or thoroughly clean your medium after growing season. Keeping a clean and sanitized system won’t just help with nutrient uptake and prevent system malfunctions, it will also minimize the smells that can sometimes occur due to the buildup of organic materials.
White balance is the cornerstone of color management. Although most modern digital cameras have excellent auto white balance nothing compares to customizing your camera’s white balance manually. Before demystifying the process of white balancing your camera manually it is important to understand the fundamentals of what white balancing is; and its importance in creating superlative images. White balance first introduce was first introduced to us when video cameras replaced movie (film) cameras . Since the vidicon tube and eventually the CCD and CMOS chips are electronic they require a reference point for color. The positive primary colors are Red, Green and Blue; when equal amounts are combined (see RGB Spectrum diagram) they create white. Negative primary colors are Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, which when combined make black (CMYK). With digital cameras capturing RGB file information you can see why white is the reference point. The white point is used to adjust and render specific colors – particularly neutral colors – correctly; hence, the general method is sometimes called gray balance, neutral balance, or white balance. Color balance changes the overall mixture of all colors in an image. Before digital cameras were introduced, we used emulsion based films not sensors to capture images. There are only two types of film, positive and negative. Yes, photography is algebraically based! Both produced first in black and white and then color. Most people are unaware, but positive color film (slide film) goes through two development stages; and, although it is a color film, after the first development is completed the film looks like a black and white negative. Light Balancing Correction Filters Unlike most of today’s cameras that are programmed to do the thinking for you; photographers used to rely on film type for for light sensitivity (ISO/ASA) and color management that was far more complex than today as your choice was film balanced for either daylight (5500 degrees kelvin) or tungsten light (3200 degrees Kelvin). This means if the film you were exposing doesn’t match the type of light you are using you would have to correct the color by placing a filter over your light source or your lens. When shooting daylight film with a florescent light source you need either a purple FL-W or FL-D florescent conversion filter. This will correct the nasty green cast of florescent lights; and can be used to turn an otherwise gray sunset an exciting violet. If you were shooting tungsten film with florescent light you would use an FL-B filter. So, how do you white balance? Obviously in today’s world we can correct color temperature quite easily with the proper image editing software, and with the use of a Promaster White Balance Lens Cap Filter. Like any other white balancing filter it is much easier to use than you would think. Simply place the filter on your lens in place of the lens cap and aim the camera to the area you are going to be photographing and fire the shutter. Now select your camera’s setting to Custom White Balance and select the image you created with the filter and click ok. Remove the lens cap and begin exposing images with great color balance!
The Real Costs is a form of eco-visualization that responds in real-time to web-based queries and provides a graphic description of the ecological impact of travel decisions. The project consists of an open-source Firefox web browser plug-in that inserts CO2 emissions data into airplane travel e-commerce websites such as Orbitz.com, United.com, Delta.com, and so on. Like the nutritional information labeling included on food packaging, this plug-in provides emissions information that is otherwise excluded from travel websites. Instead of a search for travel returning the cost in dollars, The Real Costs informs travellers of the cost of their journey in carbon emisssions and the number of tree-years required to offset it, along with comparative carbon footprint information for other forms of travel. Another graph shows per-capita carbon output by country, with the US off the chart. Artist Michael Mandiberg explains that "The objective of The Real Costs is to increase awareness of the environmental impact of certain day-to-day choices in the life of an Internet user. By presenting this environmental impact information in the place where decisions are being made, I hope to impact the viewer, encourage a sense of individual agency, start ongoing discussions, and provide a set of alternatives and immediate actions. In the process, the user/viewer might even consider a personal transformation from passive consumer to engaged citizen."
Mindfulness and Music Mindfulness is a buzzword in modern society, but what exactly does it refer to? I love Vietnamese zen master Thich Nhat Hanh'ss definition of mindfulness, "keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality." For me, that means being aware of my body, my breath, thoughts, actions, and interactions with the world. That may sound simple, but we live in a time of mindLESSness. Ex. People walk, drive, and eat while looking at their phones or tablets, ignoring people around them, other cars, the food they're eating, or where they're walking. We go out to eat and people put their phones on the dinner table. Our phones are also getting more and more distracting- more "updates," "reminders," "notifications," and so forth. Our digital distractions prevent us from interacting with the world around us wholeheartedly, or at least noticing when things are happening. Musicians are by nature, training mindfulness, attention, and mental focus when they practice their instrument, rehearse, and teach others. When you perform a recital, play an audition, or even play in studio class, you are probably quite aware of your body, the music, the space, and your breath. What if you could apply more of that attention on a daily basis? We've seen musicians who have astounding attention and mental focus- conductors who conduct hefty works without a score, pianists playing challenging works without music, singers sustaining difficult operatic roles, and performances of contemporary music. We've also experienced the opposite- when you can't focus on practicing, when you're attention is on your email inbox, your to-do's, cleaning, eating, or just about anything else. In yoga and many meditation disciplines, the study of mindfulness is called a practice. The daily practice of musicians is very similar- it's an exploration of mindfulness in application to creating sound. Mindless practice might be running through repertoire without really noticing what happened, or repeating a passage over and over again with the same objective, playing scales while watching TV or reading (something many kids, including myself did), or just being unable to focus on the task at hand. I'll talk a bit more about this next time, but can you "keep your attention focused on the work," whether it is practicing, orchestra rehearsal, teaching, an admin task, or listening? How often does your mind wander while practicing? While at rehearsal? How can you bring your attention back?
Class 12 FREE Online practice paper 2 english READING [20 marks] 1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (1) We have been brought up to fear insects. We regard them as unnecessary creatures that do more harm than good. Man continually wages war on them, for they contaminate his food, carry diseases, or devour his crops. They sting or bite without provocation; they fly uninvited into our rooms on summer nights, or beat against our lighted windows. We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths, Reading about them increases our understanding without dispelling our fears. Knowing that the industrious ant lives in a highly organised society does nothing to prevent us from being filled with revulsion when we find hordes of them crawling over a carefully prepared picnic lunch. (2) No matter how much we like honey, or how much we have read about the uncanny sense of direction which bees possess, we have a horror of being stung. Most of our fears are unreasonable, but they are difficult to erase. At the same time, however, insects are strangely fascinating. We enjoy reading about them, especially when we find that, like the praying mantis, they lead perfectly horrible lives. We enjoy staring at them, entranced as they go about their business, unaware (we hope) of our presence. Who has not stood (3) in awe at the sight of a spider pouncing on a fly, or a column of ants triumphantly bearing home an enormous dead beetle? Last summer, I spent days in watching thousands of ants crawling up the trunk of my prized peach tree. The tree has grown against a warm wall on a sheltered side of the house. I am especially proud of it, not only because it has survived several severe winters, but because it occasionally produces luscious peaches. During the summer I noticed that the leaves of the tree were beginning to wither. Clusters of tiny insects called aphis were to be found on the underside of the leaves. They were visited by a large colony of ants which obtained a sort of honey from them. I immediately embarked on an experiment which, even though it failed to get rid of the ants, kept me fascinated for twenty four hours. I bound the base of the tree with a sticky tape, making it impossible for the ants to reach the aphis. The tape was so sticky that they did not dare to cross it. For a long time, I watched them scurrying around the sticky tape without being able to do anything about it. I got up early next morning hoping to find that the ants had given up in despair. Instead, I saw that they had discovered a new route. They were climbing up the wall of the house and then on the leaves of the tree. I realised sadly that I had been completely defeated by their ingenuity. The ants had been quick to find an answer to my thoroughly unscientific methods! On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete any ten of the statements given below with the help of options that follow: [1 x 10 = 10] (a) Man fears and regards insects unnecessary because: (i) they are our enemy. (ii) they do more harm than good. (iii) they are what nightmares are made of. (iv) they are too tiny. (b) Even though ants live in a highly organised society, yet : (1) many find hordes of them. (ii) many find them the most disorganised. (iii) they come uninvited. (iv) they create chaos. (c) Insects fascinate us when : (i) they talk to us. (ii) they bite us. (iii) we read about and observe them. (iv) we live in dread of them. (d) The peach tree was a prized possession of the narrator because: (i) it had grown against a warm wall. (ii) its leaves were infested with aphis. (iii) it was visited by ants. (iv) of its luscious fruits and long life. (e) The new route discovered by the ants was through: (i) a wall (ii) a staircase (f)The author calls his method …….. . (g) Man continually wages war against insects because they (i) sting or bite (ii) carry diseases (iii) contaminate food (iv) all of these (h) The writer says that bees have (i) become more friendly (ii) become extinct (iii) uncanny sense of direction (iv) irritating buzz sound (i) Which word in para-1 means same as ‘ make disappear’? (j) Which word in para-2 means same as becoming involved’? (k) The meaning of scurrying as given in para-3 is (i) to move quickly (ii) to have fun (iii) to avoid (iv) to sing 2. On the basis of your understanding of the passage, complete any ten of the statements given below with the help of options that follow: [1 x 10-10] (1) There is now no denying that the new government takes office amid a clear economic slowdown. The first macro data set released showed an under-performing economy with GDP growth falling to 5.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 and pulling down the overall growth for the fiscal to a five-year low of 6.8%. Growth in gross value added (GVA), which is GDP minus taxes and subsidies, fell to 6.6% in 2018-19, pointing to a serious slowdown. If further confirmation were needed, the growth in core sector output – a set of eight major industrial sectors fell to 2.6% in April, compared to 4.7% in the same month last year. And finally, unemployment data, controversially suppressed by the Union government so far, showed that joblessness was at a 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18. These numbers highlight the challenges ahead in drafting the Budget for 2019-20. The economy is beset by a consumption slowdown as reflected in the falling sales of everything from automobiles to consumer durables, even fast moving consumer goods. Private investment is not taking off, while government spending, which kept the economy afloat during the last NDA government, was cut back in the last quarter of 2018-19 to meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.4%. (2) The good news is that inflation is undershooting the target and oil prices are on the retreat again. But the rural economy remains in distress, as seen by the 2.9% growth in agriculture last fiscal; the sector needs a good monsoon this year to bounce back. Overall economic growth in the first quarter of this fiscal is likely to remain subdued, and any improvement is unlikely until the late second quarter or the early third. There are not too many options before the new Finance Minister. In the near term, she has to boost consumption, which means putting more money in the hands of people. That, in turn, means cutting taxes, which is not easy given the commitment to rein in the fiscal deficit. (3) In the medium term, Ms. Sitharaman has to take measures to boost private investment even as she opens up public spending again. These call for major reforms, starting with land acquisition and labour, corporate taxes by reducing exemptions and dropping rates, and nursing banks back to health. On the table will be options such as further recapitalisation of the ailing banks, and consolidation. The question, though, is where the money will come from. With tax revenues likely to be subdued owing to the slowdown, the Centre will have to look at alternative sources such as disinvestment. There may be little choice but to go big on privatisation. A rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India, widely expected this week, would certainly help boost sentiment. But it is the Budget that will really set the tone for the economy. (a) The new government began its session when there was …….. . (iv) economic slowdown (b) In the fourth quarter of 2018-19 the GDP growth fall to (c) Growth in gross value added is (i) GVA+ GDP (iii) GDP + subsidies (iv) GDP taxes and subsidies (d) Unemployment went at a 45-year high in (iv) all of these (e) The slowdown shows fall in the sales of ………. . (iii) consumer durables (iv) both (ii) and (iii) (f) What does agriculture need to prosper in 2018-19? (i) Good seeds (ii) Good monsoon (iii) Good finances (iv) Good policies (g) …………………. is a suitable choice to bring economy back to its better position. (ii) Tax payment (h) Which word in the para-1 means same as ‘monetary’? (i) Which word in para-2 means same as ‘improvement’? (j) What is the meaning of the word ‘beset’ as given in para-1? (k) What is the meaning of the word ‘exemption’ as given in para-3? SECTION- [16 marks] 3. You are the General Manager Bharat Pharma Ltd. Draft an advertisement for your company for the post of an accountant. Mention your requirements: qualification, experience and other necessary details. You are General Manager of Ivy Software Solutions, Agra Cantt, Agra. You need a software engineer for your organisation. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in The Times of India under the classified columns. 4. As Secretary of the Literary Club of St. Anne’s School, Ahmedabad, draft a formal invitation in not more than 50 words for the inauguration of the club in your school. You have received an invitation to be the Chief guest for the annual function in Sunshine Glory Public School. Send a reply in not more than 50 words confirming your acceptance. You are Kailash/Kavita. 5. Your friend was going to accompany you and your family on a trip to Jodhpur. However due to some unavoidable circumstances, she/ he could not go with you on the trip. Write a letter to your friend in 120-150 words, telling him/her about the places you went, the things you did, the food you ate, etc. you are Neel/ Nikki, D-41, Udyog Vihar, Ambala. You are Apoorva/Asha, Sales Manager of Bharat Publishers Limited, Dehradun. You have received a letter from the Librarian of Wisdom Public School, Mussoorie who placed an order for books with your company two months ago on behalf of the school, expressing concern over the undue delay in the supply from your end. Write a suitable reply giving reasons for the undue delay and promising the delivery of the books at the earliest. (120-150 words) 6. Robotics Society of Father Angel School, Delhi organised competition-cum-exhibition, to showcase some amazing new inventions. Schools from all over India had participated in it. As a reporter from ‘The Education Times, write a brief report in 120-150 words on the same, to be published in the newspaper. You are Bala/Sunita, a teacher and social worker. You are happy with the recent introduction of scholarships by the Government to promote education of girls. But you feel that it is not enough. Write an article in 120-150 words on how the education of girls can be promoted by providing them with the required physical, economic and emotional back-up. SECTION-C [44 marks] 7. Read the given extract and answer the given questions in any two of the prose extracts: [1×8=8] (a) Yes, it was a white man. The wet cap fell away and there was his wet yellow hair, long, as though for many weeks it had not been cut, and upon his young and tortured face was a yellow beard. He was unconscious and knew nothing that they did for him. (1) Name the chapter from which the above extract is taken. (a) The Third Level (b) The Enemy (c) On the Face of it (d) Deep Water (ii) Who is being talked about in the given lives? (a) A doctor (b) A major general (c) An American soldier (d) A servant (iii) Who are they’ in the last line? (a) Some doctors (b) Dr. Sadao and his wife (iv) What is the meaning of the word ‘unconscious’ in the last line? (b) He shook his head in growing despair and turned on the senior prison officer. “As for you, Jackson! How long have you been pretending you’ve got a brain, eh? Well, I’ll tell you something, Jackson. Your skull’s empty. Absolutely empty!” (i) Who is the author of chapter of given extract? (b) Colin Dexter (c) Susan Hill (d) Jack Finney (ii) Who is ‘he’ in the first line? (c) The Governor (iii) Why is ‘he’ angry? (a) Because Evans fled away. (b) Because it was very late. (c) Because Sadao treated the American soldier. (d) None of these (iv) What is the meaning of the word ‘despair’? (c) The world had, of course, never been very kind to him, so it gave him unwanted joy to think ill of it in this way. It became a cherished pastime of his, during many dreary ploddings, to think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait. (i) What is the name of the chapter? (a) The Rattrap (b) Lost Spring (d) The Last Lesson (ii) The world has not been kind to (a) the crofter (b) the peddler (iii) What was the favourite passtime of ‘him’? (a) To daydream (b) To protest (c) To think ill of the world (d) To make rattraps (iv) What is the meaning of the word snare? 8. Read the given lines of the poem and answer the questions of any one of them. [1 x 4 = 4] (a) Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool Find even the ivory needle hard to pull. The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band Sit heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand. (i) Name the poem and the poet. (a) Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda (b) Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by John Keats (c) Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich (d) My Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das (ii) The weight Aunt Jennifer feels on her finger is of (c) wedding ring (iii) It is called massive weight because (a) it is an oppressive marriage (b) she feels trapped (c) tigers are heavy (d) both (a) and (b) (iv) What is Aunt Jennifer making with the wool? (a) Wedding Ring (b) Break O break open till they break the town And show the children to green fields, and make their world Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues Run naked into books the white and green leaves open History theirs whose language is the sun. The word ‘they’ refers to (d) all of these (ii) The slum children can acquire proper education by (a) going to private school (b) breaking mental barriers (c) breaking physical barriers (d) both (b) and (c) (iii) The children deserve freedom to explore a world where (a) the sky is blue (b) there is golden sand (c) there are green fields (d) all of these (iv) The poet of these lines is (a) Kamala Das (c) Robert Frost (b) Stephen Spender (d) Adrienne Rich 9. Answer any eight out of ten given questions. [1 x 8 = 8] (1) What was the proposal made by landlords? (2) What does the poet want each one of us to practice? (3) Where does Roger Skunk’s mother hit the wizard? (4) Who are mighty dead? (5) Who occupied the last benches of the class? (6) How much Saheb used to get in garbage sometimes? (7) Where does the crofter used to work? (8) “Like that of a corpse” which figure of speech is used in the phrase? (9) Describe the walls of the classroom. (10) What was the ideal place for Douglas to learn swimming? 10. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words each : [2 × 5 = 10] (1) Why are the ragpickers of Seemapuri always barefoot? (2) Gandhiji stayed at Professor Malkani, a government school teacher’s house for two days. Why did he call it an extraordinary thing? (3) With what does Kamala Das compare her mother? What does that signify? (4) What is the sadness that Pablo Neruda refers to in the poem? What will interrupt it? (5) How did Edla persuade her father to let the peddler stay in their home till Christmas? (6) Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming? 11. Answer any two out of the given questions. [2 × 2 = 4] (1) Is Roger Skunk happy being changed back to his original smell? Give reasons to support your answer. (2) Did the clues left behind on the question paper put Evans back in jail again? How do we know that? (3) How did the wizard help Roger Skunk? 12. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (i) “I used every way I know to overcome this fear.” Did Douglas ever overcome his fear of water? How? Give details. (ii) Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life? 13. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (i) Derry was a different boy before he met Mr. Lamb. In him, Derry found a friend and inspiration. How did Mr. Lamb try to give courage and confidence to Derry? (ii) How did Jo want the Roger Skunk story to end? Why? 1. (a) (ii) 2. (a) (iv) Ivy Software Solutions, renowned leaders of computer products requires a software engineer for their company. The candidate should be B.E. in computer software with at least two years’ experience in a prestigious firm. Salary and perks no constraint for the right candidate. Apply within 10 days along with a detailed bio-data to the General Manager, Ivy Software Solutions, Agra Cantt, Agra. - St. Anne’s School, Ahmedabad Invites the students, teachers, and staff members to the Inauguration of Literary Club on Monday, 18 March, 20xx 10:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Famous writer and poet Mr. Vikram Seth shall grace the occasion with his presence. Secretary, literary Club (Please be seated by 10:00 A.M.) - Bharat Publishers Limited 1st March, 20xx Wisdom Public School Subject: Reply to Letter of Complaint I am writing to you in reference to your letter of complaint regarding your last order. I understand you had placed the order two months back and there has been an undue delay in the supply from our end. We regret the inconvenience you had to face. Due to change in syllabus w.e.f. the current academic year, all the coursebooks are in the process of getting updated. Some old lessons have made way for new lessons with improved work exercises to benefit the students. Please know that the books you ordered fall under the new syllabus and are currently in publication, hence, the delay. You are our valued customer. Therefore, I request you to be patient for a little longer. I assure you that the latest edition of the books you will be supplied to you at the earliest. Once again, I apologise for the inconvenience. Thank you for cooperating with us. - A Holistic Approach Towards Girls’ Education Education of girls must be made relevant to them with physical, economic and emotional back-up. Physical Back-up: Young mothers must be enabled to return to school. Schools must be located closer to children’s home. Also, their education must be free of all biases, especially the school books, and from their teachers and parents. Local community must be made aware of the importance of girls’ education. Economic Back-up: Educated girls must be encouraged to be economically independent. The government must create job opportunities, which pay substantial wages to them. With economic back up they can look after their family in a better way. Emotional Back-up: A girl child must be made to feel equal to her brothers and other boys. She must be encouraged to actively participate in her own education. This will help develop her self esteem and self confidence. School authorities must ensure a safe environment for the girl child and protect her from all physical, sexual or mental harassment. Scholarships introduced by the government will encourage girls from underprivileged families to come forward and accept an education. However, unless there is a holistic approach towards girls’ education, that support is not enough for her to face and fight for her right in a patriarchal society. 7. (a) (i)-(b) (ii)-(c) (iii)-(b) (iv)-(d) (b) (i)-(b) (ii)-(c) (iii)-(a) (iv)-(d) (c) (i)-(a) (ii)-(b) (iii)-(c) (iv)-(a) 8. (a) (i)-(c) (ii)-(c) (iii)-(d) (iv)-(c) (b) (i)-(d) (ii)-(d) (iii)-(d) (iv)-(b) - (1) The landlords made the proposal of 25% share. (2) The poets wants each one of us to practice silence. (3) Roger Skunk’s mother hit the wizard on his head. (4) The mighty dead are the great people of the world including our ancestors. (5) The old people of the village occupied the last benches of the class. (6) Sometimes Saheb used to get a ten rupee note in the garbage. (7) The crofter worked at Ramjö Ironworks. (8) The figure of speech used here is simile. - (1) There can be two explanations for why the ragpickers of Seemapuri are always barefoot. First, it is like a tradition for them to not wear chappals. Second, it is an excuse to overlook a perpetual state of poverty. (2) In those days, Indians residing in smaller localities were scared to sympathise with advocates of ‘Home Rule? Therefore, Gandhiji found it extraordinary that Professor Malkani, a government employee, provided him with accommodation. (3) Kamala Das compares her aging mother to a corpse with ashen face and to the pale and waning winter moon. This signifies that her mother is as old as she looks. (4) Edla pointed out that the peddler walks the whole year long and is always afraid of being arrested. Since he has never been welcomed into anybody’s home before, she wants him to enjoy at least one day in peace. She also tells her father that morally they ought not to turn away someone whom they have invited for Christmas and promised Christmas cheer. (5) Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA pool because unlike the Yakima river, which was treacherous and had drowned many, the pool was safe. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet deep at the other end. There too, the fall was gradual. - (2) No, the clues left behind on the question paper did not put Evans back in jail again. Although the Governor was able to catch hold of Evans at the Golden Lion with the help of the clues, however, he handed him over to the prison guards without checking their IDs. The guards turned out to be Evans accomplices who help him escape once again. (3) Roger skunk was very unhappy because he smelt bad and had no friends. The wizard made his foul smell go away with the magic spell, gave him the beautiful smell of roses and helped him have many friends. - (i) Although it took many years for Douglas to overcome his fear of water, but he finally did. For a long time the fear remained with Douglas, crippling him, every time he wanted to go canoeing or fishing. Finally, he decided to get an instructor and learn how to swim. Bit by bit, the instructor turned Douglas into a swimmer. Initially, he put a belt around Douglas and the attached rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool until Douglas began to relax in water. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. They practised this until Douglas stopped panicking on putting his head under water. Then Douglas learnt to kick in the water. At first, he was terror-stricken, but continuous practice with his instructor made Douglas lose his fear of water and emerge as a confident swimmer. To make sure that he conquered the old terror, his fear of water, he decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Even though he swam with minimum anxiety, a little doubt remained within him. Next, he dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Having swam in the lake without any fear or panic attack, Douglas realised that he had finally conquered his fear. (ii) Refer to answer 30, page no. 220. - (i) When Mr. Lamb found Derry in his garden, he did not make him go away. Instead, Mr. Lamb welcomed Derry in a cheerful way accepting him as he was. Although Derry behaved rudely with him, he remained calm and cordial as if Derry’s bad temper and defiance did not bother him at all. Derry was always angry and bitter because one side of his face was burnt. His face seemed to scare everybody. He withdrew himself from the society because of which he lacked courage and self confidence. Mr. Lamb’s behaviour towards Derry was completely different from others. He told Derry that it’s important to see how one is inside than how one looks on the outside. He inspired Derry with love for life and told him one cannot go through life being scared and alienated. Mr. Lamb asked Derry to enjoy simple joys of everyday living with people around and nature, ignoring the unpleasant. He initiated courage and confidence in Derry by telling him not to brood over limitations but count his blessings. (ii) In Jack’s version of the story, Roger Skunk’s mommy hits the wizard on his head with her umbrella, and told him to cast a reverse spell on Roger Skunk and give him his original smell back. However, Jo did not agree with this ending and suggested an alternate end for the story. According to her, the wizard should have hit mommy back and not change Roger Skunk. To Jo, the wizard was a good person who helps ‘Roger skunk’ when he was in trouble and seeking a way out. Witnessing Mommy Skunk’s actions, Jo felt that ‘stupid Mommy’ should have been punished for her unkind behaviour towards the kind wizard. She believed that Mommy Skunk was imposing her will both on Roger Skunk and the wizard without considering her son’s fear of not getting accepted by his peers. Jo also thought that Roger Skunk should be allowed to choose his own life even if it meant to get rid of the stink.
Programs focused on self-directed, outdoor play with the goal of strengthening kids’ connection to nature and deepening their respect for the earth. Connecting kids to nature through play The objective of EarthPLAY is to put self-directed outdoor play back into the lives of children as a natural part of their day-to-day lives. EarthPLAY encompasses a broad spectrum of projects that address play provision in schools, childcare centres, parks, streets and other community green spaces, highlighting the importance of freely chosen outdoor play as a vital determinant of health and social wellbeing. We thank our core sponsor, TD Friends of the Environment Fund, for supporting the integration of EarthPLAY into Earth Day Canada. Bring Outdoor Play Back to Your Neighbourhood! Create a space where your child can explore, get their hands dirty and be creative. Mud kitchens can provide hours of fun — and all you need is some soil, water, and a few easy-to-find items such as pots, pans, spoons, even old appliances. Mud kitchens are a great opportunity for children to imagine, discover and “cook” for their friends and family. Did somebody order a mud pie? For more information on the health benefits of dirt, click here. Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Across Canada, fewer than 20% of children get outside and active at recess — and recess is often the only a child has in his/her daily routine to get outdoors and engage in unstructured free play. Teachers paroling the schoolyard are often assigned the job of monitoring and removing all forms of risk, thereby negating much of the opportunity for play. This can result in behavioural issues that detract from socializing and learning. Earth Day Canada has launched a program called Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) to work with schools and boards (teachers, parents, administrators, daycare staff, and trustees) to support enriched outdoor play opportunities during kindergarten play time, recess, lunch, before and after-school. In an OPAL schoolyard, kids engage in self-directed play choosing from an abundance of loose parts (shovels, buckets, cardboard boxes and tubes, spare tires, fabric, rope, water, straw, logs, etc.) to build and create their own playgrounds and imaginary worlds. OPAL schools engage more children in outdoor active play, reduce the number of reported incidents to the office, and support social inclusion and a broadened network of friends. Testimonials from teachers and principals from one of our OPAL schools can be found here. Earth Day Canada is hiring youth and adults from local communities to help facilitate our outdoor play programs. Several other members of the newly formed organization Outdoor Play Canada are seeking trained play-workers as well. This is an emerging vocation in our country, but is a well-established profession in many other parts of the world. If you are interested in becoming a play-worker, email [email protected]. Youth Outdoor ParkPLAY Meet-Ups Earth Day Canada is hoping to pilot regularly scheduled outdoor youth meet-ups in local parks during the evening hours. The meet-ups would be staffed by trained play-workers with expertise in animating conversation and play for this age group. There is little that is physically or mentally stimulating for kids over the age of 7 in most park playgrounds, which rely on a standardized assortment of risk-free slides, monkey bars and swings. Earth Day Canada is working to bring an enriched outdoor play model to our local parks, one that prioritizes Adventure Playgrounds — these offer very different play opportunities for children of all ages. Adventure Playgrounds are curated wild spaces dedicated to child culture. The space itself is usually open, with few or no fixed play structures other than those built by the children themselves. An on-site storage shed provides tools, building materials, art supplies and a host of upcycled loose parts the children use to build their own play spaces and imaginary worlds. They are staffed by trained play-workers, who are there to support — but not direct — the children’s play. The children decide what they want to do and plan how they will do it, learning valuable skills along the way. Many recreation centres and municipal agencies are interested to learn how they can support outdoor, unstructured free play within their facilities. Earth Day Canada is working with several such partners in the delivery of our POP-UP Adventure Playground program. The POP-UPs and the follow-up consultations provide a hands-on opportunity for our partners to learn about “loose parts” play, the role of the “play-worker”, and risk reframing. StreetPLAY is a simple idea – open up our local neighbourhood roads to children and youth so they can connect with friends and play right outside their front door. This type of play transforms residential neighbourhoods into vibrant (and often spontaneous) play spaces, offering social and physical infrastructure in a readily available setting. Currently, street play is illegal in most cities worldwide, but municipalities are gradually revising policies and by-laws to support readily available play on local roads. Learn about Earth Day Canada’s Toronto StreetPLAY Pilot Project here. Earth Day Canada is not currently working directly with any daycare providers, however, daycares that are situated within schools and recreation facilities will benefit from our outdoor play programs in these locations. See pop- up windows for Schools and Recreation Centre for more information. Daycare providers are encouraged to check out earthplay.net for ideas on providing enriched outdoor play at a wide range of daycare facilities. Small Parks and Local Gathering Spaces POP-UP Adventure Playgrounds Earth Day Canada is currently hosting a series of POP-UP Adventure Playgrounds in parks across the GTHA. A POP-UP Adventure Playground is a one-day event to showcase the possibilities of outdoor, child-directed adventure play using “loose parts” in urban green spaces. The POP-UPs are staffed by trained play-workers who model best practices in terms of supporting children’s play (without directing it). Earth Day Canada’s POP-UP Adventure Playground program stimulates local, community-guided involvement in enriched outdoor play and offers an affordable way to animate local green spaces for children ages 3 – 13. Parent-led Play Co-ops Some parents have begun forming casual groups or co-ops for the purpose of organizing regular pop-up play events in their local communities. A co-op, such as the Toronto Free Play Co-op, will rely heavy on community volunteers to ensure the local children and youth have access to unstructured, self-directed play outdoors on an ongoing basis. If you’re interested in joining or starting a parent-led play co-op, contact [email protected]. Adventure play in action! Get a close-up look at what adventure play in a school looks like, and hear what kids have to say about why they love it! This comes from the Parish School, a huge champion of child-directed, outdoor play. - It fosters a meaningful connection to the environment. The more time children and youth spend playing in nature, the more likely they are to grow into adults who are motivated to protect it. - It promotes health and wellbeing. The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth calls for “an increased investment in natural play spaces in all neighbourhoods” and explicitly asks federal and provincial governments to find ways to improve children’s access to risky active play in nature and the outdoors. - It’s a child’s right.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Canada in 1991, affirms children’s right to self-directed play and unstructured leisure time. It also highlights data showing that our children are suffering from a deficit of outdoor activity and play. EarthPLAY for Schools We believe all children should be free to play outdoors during recess, lunch and after school, and should be provided with enriched materials to explore their imaginations, their physicality, their friendships and the world around them. - EarthPLAY aims to expand the Outdoor Play and Learning program to school boards across the country in order to better facilitate students’ access to self-directed outdoor play during recess, lunch, and after school. - We also support increasing the amount of school time allocated to play on a daily basis in elementary, middle and high schools. - To ensure outdoor, child-directed free play is established as a core pillar of environmental education, alongside environmental literacy and stewardship. Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Pilot Project Earth Day Canada is in the midst of a pilot project to bring Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) to six diverse school communities within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), working with teachers, parents, administrators, daycare staff, and other educators to develop a play implementation plan for outdoor time (kindergarten play time, recess, lunch, before and after-school). The children will engage in self-directed play with loose parts (tools, cardboard boxes and tubes, spare tires, fabric, rope, water, hay, logs, etc.), boosting their sense of agency and creating a more inclusive and reciprocal social environment. EDC is working with the TDSB on two board-led initiatives, Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) and Playground Improvement, and will convene its own Play Advisory Committee to provide input on systemic barriers encountered. Lessons learned throughout the pilot project will be disseminated through 2 public symposiums, social media, workshops and presentations. Evaluation will be ongoing in collaboration with Ryerson University and People for Education. STEM – Adventure Play for Ingenuity Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum is taught at all levels in elementary schools across Canada. Adventure play with loose parts is an excellent way to deliver STEM education as the children naturally engage in all levels of inquiry through their play. Our STEM-focused adventure play program offers outdoor, loose-parts play that educators can use as the “hands-on” portion of their STEM units. They can then follow-up in the classroom with activities that build on what the children experienced in the playground. OPAL webinar series Stay tuned for our OPAL webinars, launching in January, 2017! These will help you: - Learn more about creating a ‘Policy for Play’ in your school; - Explore how to balance risks and benefits in a dynamic outdoor play space; - Discover strategies to create a school culture that values self-directed outdoor play; - Learn how to overcome challenges: access and inclusion, inclement weather, etc.; - Explore staffing, stewardship and supervision based on play-worker principles. ARE YOU A TEACHER OR A PARENT LOOKING TO GET STARTED NOW? Here are some simple steps you can take to start the process of improving outdoor play at your school. - Know the facts. Download information about the benefits of play, and learn how other schools are creating rich environments for outdoor, child-led play during recess, lunch and after school. Download our handout for parents, which includes advice for supporting better outdoor play in schools. - Request a meeting with your schools’ parent council or principal to discuss the research and current play opportunities at your school. - Start small, think big. Many issues in the schoolyard can affect the richness of your child’s play at school – policies regarding playing in all weather, restrictions on where students can play, and what they can play with. Choose one, easy area to focus on first (i.e. adding shovels and buckets to an existing sand pit) and let the momentum for better play build from there! EarthPLAY in the News CBC-Radio (June 20, 2016) Earth Day Canada’s Director of Play, Brenda Simon, speaks to CBC host Gill Deacon about her experience touring adventure playgrounds in Europe and what Canadians can learn from this. Metro (June 10, 2016) Earth Day Canada President Deb Doncaster speaks alongside local councillor Joe Cressy about the importance of creating opportunities for unstructured play in Toronto. Get in touch! For more information on the Outdoor Play and Learning Pilot Program or to inquire about hosting a POP-UP Adventure Playground, please email [email protected] or call Earth Day Canada at 416-599-1991 and ask to speak with a member of our Play team.
“Blockchain technology and smart contracts are creating opportunities that will provide an immeasurable impact on our financial systems.” – Andrei Poliakov, CEO Coinberry Limited Smart contracts are computer programs or transaction protocols that are intended to automatically execute, control, or document legally relevant events and actions according to the terms of an agreement. The objective of smart contracts is to reduce the intermediaries, resulting in reduced risks of fraud, less operational costs, lesser risks of exceptions, etc. Smart Contracts are more of a “set of promises, specified in digital form, including protocols within which the parties perform on these promises”, as termed by the proposer Nick Szabo. Smart contracts were first proposed in the late 80s’ but are now booming with their impact in blockchain technology. Smart Contract Salient Features - Autonomous – Smart contracts work on their own as a predefined set of rules and so are available to service 24/7 all year round. - Accurate – Smart contracts are always accurate as they are well defined and well tested and there is no human interaction involved during the operation thus reducing the 15% human error risk too. - Fast – Smart contracts are really fast, compared to classical processing techniques. They process tasks automatically with software and the internet, saving a lot of time. They will complete the whole processing within the blink of your eyes. There will be no manual processing. - Interruption free – Smart contracts process so fast that the user needs not to wait for the process to complete and proceed. They provide results in the blink of an eye. - Trustless – since smart contracts remove the intermediate people, they make the system more trustworthy. Implying fewer interactors builds more trust. - Cost reduction – Smart contracts reduce operational costs as they reduce the number of people required to do a certain job as these are all automated. Smart contracts are proving a positive impact on the way we perform routine jobs. Some of which are: - Record Storing – Smart contracts can record data according to the digital standards and encryption. Not only that but they can also release, renew, or moderate it as per the need. Not only store data but can automatically remove unusable data as per set rules. - Voting systems – We have doubts about rigging in polling for the elected governments as there are manual systems that can easily benefit one and damage the other. Some digital solutions are there but are not usable at large scales. Smart contracts come with a ledger-protected voting system that provides a better standard of encryption and computing that is not possible to hack entirely, assuring the best results. - IoT Networks – Smart contract blockchain combined with the Internet of Things networks, makes it more efficient and stronger. They make a perfect blend of hardware and software, making them more user friendly for our daily lives. - Supply Chain Management – Supply chains running via smart contracts are more manageable, traceable, and easy to use as the data is error free and there is no chance of it being tempered.
The most important aspect of the entire study process is to be sure that you will have enough time to prepare for the exam. This means that you should make sure that you will have enough hours of study in order to prepare for the examination. When you are taking an exam, you should be very serious with it, because this is your last chance to prove yourself. It is not easy to be successful when you fail the last time you took the exam. Many people assume that they should work hard all the time and they should not take time off work. This is not a good idea at all because it will reduce the chances of you being able to do your work well. Instead you should take lots of time off during the summer and then you should work even harder during the months when you are working. Studying during the winter is also another good idea, because you will have a lot of time to study. It is important that you know how much time you have left in a day so that you can plan your studies according to it. The first thing that you need to do is to fix your mind on the subject that you want to study. You will be able to choose between reading, writing and math. You may have problems in one or more of these subjects, but if you cannot find the other ones that are included then you should choose another subject. The most common subjects that are studied include reading, writing and arithmetic. Once you know what you want to study, it will be easier for you to decide what tools you will need for the study. After you have fixed your goals for the entire year, you should start working on your study habits. You should start reading books from the topics that you decided to study. Reading a lot of books is an important part of learning how to pass the exams, especially when you have no teacher to guide you. Try to find as many books as possible that will help you understand the subjects that you have chosen to study. Then you should start working on your practice exam. This is an important tool to help you pass the exam. There are many different types of practice tests available on the Internet. You should choose one that is similar to the actual exam. You can do plenty of practice tests until you become familiar with the questions that will be asked on the real test. When you get familiar with the exam you will not feel like you are being tested so much and you will be able to pass the test easily. Finally, after you work on all the other material you should start studying for the actual exam. You will want to make sure that you set the time in your day to complete the work that you have put aside. If you work in a busy office you may find that your exam is on a Friday evening, but you should make plans to complete the material before then. These are some tips that can help you pass your Comptia exam. Remember that it may take you some time to get through all of the material that you need. It is not impossible to pass the exam, but you will find that it can be a challenge if you don’t have the right information or if you don’t work hard. Take advantage of free practice tests that are available online before the exam. This will help you become familiar with the type of questions that you will face on the actual exam.
Please note: This information was current at the time of publication. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education website. Information from Your Family Doctor Am Fam Physician. 2014 Sep 1;90(5):online. See related article on genital warts. What is a genital wart? A genital wart is a small growth on the skin on or around the genitals or anus. They are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). There are many types of HPV. Some cause warts on the skin or genitals, but are not harmful. Others can cause infections that may lead to cancer of the cervix, penis, anus, throat, or mouth. Who is at risk of genital warts? All sexually active people are at risk. Unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners increases the risk. A weakened immune system also increases the risk. How can I tell if I have genital warts? You may not have any symptoms, or you might have skin-colored, pink, or brown lesions around the genitals (penis, vulva, vagina, or anus). They may or may not itch, bleed, or interfere with going to the bathroom or sex. You should see your doctor if you think you might have genital warts. He or she will examine you, but no special tests are needed. How are genital warts treated? Treatment is based on what you and your doctor think is best. Genital warts are not dangerous, so you might choose not to treat them. Another option is a prescription cream that you apply for a few months. Your doctor can freeze or cut the warts off, or use a laser to remove them. This might take more than one visit. No treatment gets rid of all warts every time. Even if no warts can be seen, there may be areas of the skin that are infected with HPV. This can cause warts to develop later. Genital warts can occur more than once. How can I prevent genital warts? If you are younger than 26 years, you can get the HPV vaccine (Gardasil). This is a series of three shots that decreases your risk of genital warts and HPV-related cancers. If you are sexually active, use barrier protection such as condoms. Condoms decrease the spread of HPV but do not stop it completely. Where can I get more information? AAFP's Patient Education Resource American Sexual Health Association This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Family Physicians. This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP. Contact [email protected] for copyright questions and/or permission requests. Want to use this article elsewhere? Get Permissions
Solving a 30-year-old problem in massive star formationJanuary 27, 2014 in Astronomy & Space / Astronomy An international group of astrophysicists has found evidence strongly supporting a solution to a long-standing puzzle about the birth of some of the most massive stars in the universe. Young massive stars, which have more than 10 times the mass of the Sun, shine brightly in the ultraviolet, heating the gas around them, and it has long been a mystery why the hot gas doesn't explode outwards. Now, observations made by a team of researchers using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), a radio astronomy observatory in New Mexico, have confirmed predications that as the gas cloud collapses, it forms dense filamentary structures that absorb the star's ultraviolet radiation when it passes through them. As a result, the surrounding heated nebula flickers like a candle. The findings, made by scientists working at Agnes Scott College, Universität Zürich, the American Museum of Natural History, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, European Southern Observatory, and Universität Heidelberg, were published recently in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "Massive stars dominate the lives of their host galaxies through their ionizing radiation and supernova explosions," said Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, a curator in the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Astrophysics and an author on the paper. "All the elements heavier than iron were formed in the supernova explosions occurring at the ends of their lives, so without them, life on Earth would be very different." Stars form when huge clouds of gas collapse. Once the density and temperature are high enough, hydrogen fuses into helium, and the star starts shining. The most massive stars, though, begin to shine while the clouds are still collapsing. Their ultraviolet light ionizes the surrounding gas, forming a nebula with a temperature of 10,000 degrees Celsius. Simple models suggest that at this stage, the gas around massive stars will quickly expand. But observations from the VLA radio observatory show something different: a large number of regions of ionized hydrogen (so-called HII regions) that are very small. "In the old theoretical model, a high-mass star forms and the HII region lights up and begins to expand. Everything was neat and tidy," said lead author Chris De Pree, a professor of astronomy and director of the Bradley Observatory at Agnes Scott College. "But the group of theorists I am working with were running numerical models that showed accretion was continuing during star formation, and that material was continuing to fall in toward the star after the HII region had formed." Recent modeling has shown that this is because the interstellar gas around massive stars does not fall evenly onto the star but instead forms filamentary concentrations because the amount of gas is so great that gravity causes it to collapse locally. The local areas of collapse form spiral filaments. When the massive star passes through the filaments, they absorb its ultraviolet radiation, shielding the surrounding gas. This shielding explains not only how the gas can continue falling in, but why the ionized nebulae observed with the VLA are so small: the nebulae shrink when they are no longer ionized, so that over thousands of years, they appear to flicker like a candle. "These transitions from rarefied to dense gas and back again occur quickly compared to most astronomical events," said Dr. Mac Low, a curator in the Museum's Department of Astrophysics. "We predicted that measurable changes could occur over times as short as a few decades." The new study tested this theory with a 23-year-long experiment. The researchers used VLA observations of the Sagittarius B2 region made in 1989 and again in 2012. This massive star-forming region located near the Galactic center contains many small regions of ionized gas around high-mass stars, providing a large number of candidates for flickering. During this time, four of the HII regions indeed significantly changed in brightness. "The long term trend is still the same, that HII regions expand with time," De Pree said. "But in detail, they get brighter or get fainter and then recover. Careful measurements over time can observe this more detailed process." Provided by American Museum of Natural History "Solving a 30-year-old problem in massive star formation" January 27, 2014 https://phys.org/news/2014-01-year-old-problem-massive-star-formation.html
Economics is the social science which studies economic activity: how people make choices to get what they want. It has been defined as "the study of scarcity and choice" and is basically about individual choice. It also studies what affects the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in an economy. Investment and income relate to economics. The word comes from Ancient Greek, and relates to οἶκος oíkos "house" and νόμος nomos "custom" or "law". The models used in economics today were mostly started in the 19th century. People took ideas from the field of political economy because they wanted to use an empirical approach similar to the one used in the natural sciences. Subjects and objects in economics[change \| change source] The subjects in economic study are households, business companies, the government (the state), and foreign countries. Households offer their "factors of production" to companies. This includes work, land, capital (machines, buildings) and information. They get income which they use to buy or 'consume' goods. Business companies produce and sell goods and buy factors of production from households and from other companies. The state or public sector includes institutions and organisations. The state takes some of the earnings from the business companies and households, and uses it to pay for "public goods" like streets or education, to be available for everyone. The last subject is foreign countries. This includes all households, business companies and state institutions, which are not based in one's own country. They demand and supply goods from abroad. The objects in economic study are consumer goods, capital goods, and factors of production. Consumer goods are classified as "usage goods" (for example, gasoline or toilet paper), as "purpose goods" (for example, a house or bicycle), and as "services" (for example, the work of a doctor or cleaning lady). Capital goods are goods which are necessary for producing other goods. Examples of these are buildings, equipment, and machines. Factors of production are work, ground, capital, information, and environment. General economic rules[change \| change source] - All people have to decide between their options. - The cost of goods is what a person gives up for the goods. - When a person gives up something (like money) to get a good, he also gives up other things that he could have gotten instead. The true cost of something is what you give up to get it. This includes money, and the economic benefits (utility) that you didn't get because you bought or did that thing and can no longer buy or do something else. This is called opportunity cost. - People react to incentives. Making an option more attractive will make more people choose it. - Trade can make everyone better off. - Markets are usually good for the organisation of economic life. In the free market, goods will be shared by people and companies making small decisions. The “invisible hand” of the market (Adam Smith) states that if everyone tries to get what they want, everyone will be as well-off as they could possibly be. - Sometimes prices do not fully show the cost or benefit to society. For example, air pollution is bad for society, and education is good for society. The government can put a tax (or do something to reduce sales) on items that are bad for society. It can also support (like giving money for) items that are good for society. - The living standard of a country depends on the skills to produce services and goods. Productivity is the amount of the produced goods divided by total working hours. - When there is an increase in the total money supply, or when the cost to produce things rises, prices go up. This is called inflation. History[change \| change source] - 18th century analysis of wealth - classical economics - Marxist economics - Austrian economics - neoclassical economics - welfare economics Economists are strongly influenced by the times they live in. For example, Karl Marx lived in a time where workers' conditions were very poor, and John Maynard Keynes lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. Today's economists can look back and understand why they made their judgements, and try to make better ones. Branches of economics[change \| change source] Macroeconomics is about the economy in general. For example, if a country's wealth goes up or if millions of people become unemployed, those are things that macroeconomists study. Microeconomics is about smaller and more specific things such as how families and households spend their money. There are a number of other branches of economics: - Behavioral economics - Business economics - Constitutional economics - development economics - ecological economics - economic geography - environmental economics - energy economics - financial economics - industrial economics - information economics - international economics - labor economics - managerial economics - mathematical economics or econometrics - resource economics - urban economics - public economics - descriptive, theoretical and policy economics - monetary economics Famous economists[change \| change source] Famous economists in history include: - Adam Smith (considered to be the father of economics; he supported free markets). - Thomas Malthus (he wrote about how a high population can affect the economy badly). - Karl Marx (he wrote a book called The Communist Manifesto; he supported communism). - John Maynard Keynes (he created a popular economic theory called Keynesian economics). - Milton Friedman (he wrote a lot about monetarism and the money supply). Related pages[change \| change source] References[change \| change source] - Krugman, Paul; Robin Wells (2012) Microeconomics: Second Edition in Modules Worth Publishers page 2 - Harper, Douglas (November 2001). "Online Etymology Dictionary — Economy". http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=economy. Retrieved October 27, 2007. - Clark, B. (1998). Political-economy: A comparative approach. Westport, CT: Preager. Other websites[change \| change source] \|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Economics\|
Stonehenge is a Neolithic / Bronze Age monument located on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, southern England. The first monument on the site, began around 3100 BCE, was a circular ‘henge’ earthwork about 360 feet (110 metres) in diameter, a 'henge' in the archaeological sense being a circular or oval-shaped flat area enclosed by a boundary earthwork. This structure probably contained a ring of 56 wooden posts (or possibly an early bluestone circle), the pits for which are named Aubrey Holes (after the 17th century local antiquarian John Aubrey). Later, around 3000 BCE (the beginning of Stonehenge Phase II), some kind of timber structure seems to have been built within the enclosure, and Stonehenge functioned as a cremation cemetery, the earliest and largest so far discovered in Britain. Phase III at Stonehenge, beginning around 2,550 BCE, involved the refashioning of the simple earth and timber henge into a unique stone monument. In the first stage, two concentric circles, (sometimes known as the ‘Double Bluestone Circle’), of 80 ‘bluestone’ (dolorite, rhyolite and tuff) pillars were erected at the centre of the monument, with a main entrance to the North East. These bluestones, weighing about 4 tons each, originate in the Preseli Hills, in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, and were probably transported from there to Salisbury Plain over a route at least 185 miles long (see the chapter on Preseli). Apart from the bluestones, a 16.4 foot long greenish sandstone slab, now known as the Altar Stone, was brought to Stonehenge from somewhere between Kidwelly, near Milford Haven on the coast to the south of the Preseli Hills and Abergavenny, in southeast Wales. It is thought that that the north eastern entrance to the enclosure was remodelled during Phase III so that it precisely aligned with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset of the period. Outside this entrance another feature, known as the Avenue, was added to the Stonehenge landscape. The Avenue (probably a ceremonial pathway) consists of a parallel pair of ditches and banks stretching for 1.5 miles from Stonehenge down to the River Avon. It had previosuly been thought that around 2,400 BCE the bluestones were dug up and replaced by enormous sarsen blocks brought from a quarry around 24 miles to the north on the Marlborough Downs. However, recent work lead by Mike Parker Pearson, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield has suggested redating the sarsen phase to 2640-2480 BCE, which would obviously affect the chronology of the site significantly. Thirty of these huge sarsens, each around 13.5 feet high, 7 feet wide and weighing around 25 tons, were set up in a 98 foot diameter circle. On top of these were placed smaller sarsen lintels (horizontal stones) spanning the tops and held in place by ‘mortice and tenon’ joints. Within this sarsen circle a horse-shoe shaped setting of 15 more sarsens, making five trilithons (two large stones set upright to support a third on their top) was erected. Somewhere between 2280 and 1900 BCE, the blue stones were re-erected and arranged at least three times, finally forming an inner circle and horseshoe between the sarsen circle and the trilithons, mirroring the two arrangements of sarsen stones. This arrangement is essentially the monument that we see the remains of today. Between 2030 and 1520 BCE a double ring of oblong pits, known as the Y and Z holes, were dug outside the outermost sarsen circle, possibly to take another setting of stones. However, there is no evidence that the holes ever held stones or wooden posts and they were eventually allowed to silt up naturally. The Y and Z holes seem to mark the end of significant activity at the site and after c. 1520 BCE there was no further construction at Stonehenge, and the monument appears to have been abandoned. But why was Stonehenge built and was was it used for? As mentioned above, the monument certainly functioned as a cremation cemetery early in its history, probably for the burial of elite members of clans or prominent local families. The presence of a number of burials around Stonehenge which exhibit signs of trauma or deformity have suggested to some researchers, among them Professor Timothy Darvill of Bournemouth University, that the monument was a place of healing, akin to a prehistoric Lourdes. Other researchers, such as Professor Mike Parker Pearson, head of the Stonehenge Riverside Project at the University of Sheffield, believe that Stonehenge functioned as the domain of the dead in a ritual landscape that involved sacred processions to the nearby henge monument of Durrington Walls. But it would be wrong to attempt to define a single use for Stonehenge. The function of the monument probably changed many times over its 1500 year history as different peoples came and went in the surrounding landscape, and the nature of society changed irrevocably from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
Social Studies 6, Outcome 1: Students will explore the concept of culture and demonstrate an understanding of its role in their lives inclusive of Acadians, African Nova Scotians, Gaels, Mi’Kmaq and additional cultures. Social Studies 6, Outcome 4: Students will examine how traditions relate to culture in a region, inclusive of Acadians, African Nova Scotians, Gaels, Mi’Kmaq and additional cultures. To define the words "superstition" and "folk belief" with cultural sensitivity. Theorize why they exist and conduct a poll to determine the level of belief amongst people. 2 hours (over 2 or more days) - be able to define what a superstition is in their own words - appreciate why some people would prefer to use the term "folk belief" - name some superstitions from their own cultures - theorize why certain folk beliefs exist - conduct a poll of people's beliefs in superstitions, record and present their findings - As a class, discuss what we mean by "superstition" - Introduce the term "folk belief" and discuss why this term is preferred by some. - As a class, make a list of some superstitions or folk beliefs that we know of. Discuss whether we place any credence in them or not. - Read the section titled "Folk Beliefs" from the main website. - Are there any common themes in Gaelic folk beliefs? - In groups, discuss why certain beliefs are held and persist even though they seem irrational. - Discuss our ideas. - Download What Are Your Beliefs? (17 KB PDF) and discuss how you will carry out the survey. - Students carry out survey at home and record their findings on Appendix 1. Review and Reflection - Students convert their findings to percentages. - Students present the findings of their survey to the class. - What other data could we have collected? ie: Do more women than men hold these beliefs? - What did we learn from the data we've recorded?
What is Social Science All About? Social Science is the study of the characteristics, changes, causes and consequences of human behavior in groups. It provides an understanding of the structure and dynamics of social systems from small interactions to entire societies and world systems. Students are trained to evaluate the effects of gender, ethnic background, social class, religion, and community on an individual or group. The sociological perspective is crucial for success in today's multicultural and multinational work environments. Thus, a background in social science is valuable preparation for careers in almost any modern organizational setting. Graduates apply their knowledge and skills across a wide variety of occupations and professions including recreation, law enforcement, and human services. They are also prepared for graduate and professional school programs in areas such as law, public policy, business, social work or psychology. Sampling of Skills Needed Research - research methods, research theory, statistics, evaluating evidence, examining electronic data sources. Critical Thinking - ability to think conceptually, understanding components of complex problems. Communication - writing, teaching, speaking to groups, presenting research findings, reading critically. Human Relations - understanding human relationships, diversity, and identifying cultural/social considerations, crisis intervention, and counseling. Managing, promoting, selling, analyzing, interpreting, editing, advising, organizing, problem solving or conflict resolution and detail orientation. Students majoring in sociology have a wide variety of career options in such fields as social service, mental health, politics and government, criminal justice, medical care and public health, business and education. Some Types of Employers - US and State Governments - K-12 Schools - Businesses & Corporations - Law Firms - Publishing Firms - Non-profit/Community Service organizations SAMPLING OF JOBS Research Worker, Social Worker - plans, organizes, and conducts research for use in understanding social problems and for planning and carrying out social welfare programs. Sociologist - collects and analyzes scientific data concerning social phenomena, such as community, associations, social institutions, ethnic minorities, social classes, and social change. Clinical Sociologist - develops and implements corrective procedures to alleviate group dysfunction's: confers with individuals and groups to determine nature of group dysfunction.Some other related occupations: - Policy Analyst - Training & Development - Research Scientist - Human Resources - Market Research - Research Analyst - Public Health Educator - Community Organizer SOURCES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION Encyclopedia of Careers What Color is Your Parachute? Federal Jobs for College Graduates College, Knowledge, and Jobs The Complete Job Search Handbook American Sociological Association Home Page is http://www.asanet.org. Salaries range greatly from one occupation, position, and work setting to another. According to the Summer 2008 NACE national salary survey for Bachelor's Degree Candidates in Social Science, the average salary was $38,910. American Sociological Association 1307 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 North Central Sociological Association Dean A. Purdy, Executive Officer P.O. Box 291 Bowling Green, OH 43402
Parents are being warned that cases of a nasty and very infectious vomiting bug that sweeps through schools is on the rise. Public Health England say people must be vigilant to avoid the spread of Shigellosis. It is so contagious that people can still carry it a week or two after it has gone away. The disease is caused by a specific group of bacteria called Shigella and most commonly manifests in schools. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramping, fever and nausea and it can last up to a week. Public Health England consultant Dr David Kirrage said people need to practice good infection control, reports Birmingham Live. "Effective hand washing is also helpful in controlling norovirus and flu, which are also in circulation at this time of year and which could account for some of the cases we are seeing," he said. "So people should wash hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and warm water, particularly after using the toilet, changing children's nappies and before preparing or eating food." What is the Shigella virus? Shigellosis - also known as Shigella or bacillary dysentery - is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella, which is closely related to Salmonella. Shigella Sonnei is the most common type - making up two thirds of cases. How contagious is Shigella? Very. The germs are present in stools of infected people while they have diarrhoea and for up to a week or two after it has gone away. Exposure to even a tiny amount of contaminated matter can cause infection. Anyone can catch it, but it's more common in children, especially in schools or environments where a lot of children mix. What are the symptoms of Shigella? Among the nasty effects of shigella or shigellosis are: - Chronic diarrhoea - Painful stomach cramps - High temperature (fever) - Frequent bouts of watery diarrhoea are the main symptom - Vomiting may also occur - Blood or mucus in your stools The symptoms tend to last for around five to seven days and usually begin within three days of coming into contact with Shigella. The diarrhoea can often lead to dehydration as well. What foods are associated with Shigella? Food Safety says there's a wide range of foods that can be contaminated from salads to sandwiches. Chopped turkey, rice balls, beans, pudding, strawberries, spinach, raw oysters, luncheon meat and milk are also problems. People with mild shigellosis may need only fluids and rest. Anti-diarrhoea medications should be avoided. How is it treated? Antibiotics can be useful for severe cases of shigellosis because they can reduce the duration of symptoms. However Shigella is often resistant to antibiotics. Tell your healthcare provider if you do not get better within a couple of days after starting antibiotics. He or she can do additional tests to learn whether the strain of Shigella is resistant to the antibiotic you are taking. How can I reduce my risk of getting it? Practising good hand-washing is key here. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food or eating, after going to the toilet and after changing nappies. If you have the infection, avoid preparing food for others and wash your hands frequently. It is advisable to stay at home until you have been symptom-free for 48 hours.
In some countries where the majority of population holds the religious values, political issues are somewhat influenced by religiosity, despite other possible factors. During the election campaign—regional or presidential campaign—it is noted that in some area, the priests suggest their audience to vote/against particular candidate for the election. Religion is considered as the smoothest way to persuade the masses, since the priests have power to gather people and deliver their messages to them whereas the people honor the priests. This post is intended for the first week in assignment in Data Visualization course in Coursera and particularly to fulfil my own curiosity about the influence of religiosity and political issues that happened elsewhere in the world. After looking at the provided dataset, I am interested to dig deeper the Outlook on Life Surveys 2012 dataset. This dataset studies about factors that influence political and social attitudes in US. Here I want to know whether religiosity influence political and social attitudes in US through digging the survey results from 2295 participants. There are 12 survey questions about religiosity. Continue reading “First Week Assignment”
Sometimes, the dentist would recommend a dental extraction as the only option to treat a dental issue. Dental extraction or tooth extraction implies removing either a single tooth or a couple of teeth via surgical means. Dental extraction is often considered as a last resort in cases where no other form of dental treatment would prove to be effective. These include instances wherein the tooth to be treated is too damaged and cannot be repaired at all or cases wherein the teeth need to be properly aligned in order to fit braces or dentures. Dental extractions fall into two main categories; the simple extractions that are usually done by a dentist and involve extracting teeth that are visible and easy to reach, and the surgical extractions that are usually done by oral surgeons and involve extracting teeth that are hard to reach, remain below the gum line or break off below the gum line. Dental Extraction Side Effects Even though a dental extraction procedure would effectively treat certain dental issues and provide relief from the effects accompanying the same, it comes with its own share of risks and side effects that one needs to be completely aware of before giving consent to the process. Immediate Effects on the Teeth Dental extraction would leave a gap in the place of the tooth that was extracted. With time, the adjacent teeth would start moving towards this space, thus creating spaces between themselves in the process. The gaps thus formed in between the teeth can accumulate food particles, debris and other unwanted impurities over a period of time. These gaps would also be hard to clean and so would turn into breeding grounds for bacteria which would eventually cause a series of dental issues like dental cavities, dental calculus, tooth abscess, roof recession, teeth pain, teeth mobility and gingival inflammation etc. In most cases of tooth extraction, a blood clot would naturally form in the space left by the extracted tooth. This would occur as soon as the tooth is extracted and is the body’s natural reaction to the sudden exposure of the nerves below the tooth. The formation of the blood clot in the hole helps to hide these nerves, thereby reducing pain and stimulating a speedier recovery. In certain rare cases though, the blood clot may not form or would get dislodged from the space. If this occurs, the socket that held the tooth would become dry and expose the underlying nerves. This in turn would cause excruciating pain (enough to give you fever) in the area followed by inflammation of the gums surrounding the dry socket. In addition to causing extreme pain and discomfort, dry sockets after a dental tooth extraction can also cause bad breath and can leave a bad taste in the mouth. The dentist would usually cover a dry socket with a medical dressing in order to facilitate quick healing. It is also customary for him/her to ask you to refrain from smoking or drinking with straws for a few days after the procedure in order to let the socket heal and close up properly. Failure to do so would also lead to the formation of dry sockets after a dental tooth extraction. Infection in the Socket The hole left in your mouth in the place of the extracted tooth would be prone to infection. And the risks of the same would increase if food particles, debris or bacteria enter the hole. As soon as an infection sets in, the person in question would start experiencing symptoms like severe discomfort and pain in and around the infected extraction site, swelling in the area, or excessive bleeding at the extraction site etc. Discomfort and Pain in the Jaw Joint In some cases, a person who has just undergone a dental extraction procedure would tend to develop pain and discomfort in his/her jaw joint. While this is not necessarily caused by the extracted tooth or the empty socket, the pain in the jaw joint would arise due to the pressure applied on the jaws during the procedure. Jaw joint pain can also be caused by the analgesic injections which would cause inflammation in the jaw muscles. A complex dental extraction procedure would also require the individual in question to keep his/her mouth wide open for longer intervals. Jaw joint pain is usually experienced as a mild throb in the jaw when chewing or opening the mouth wide (for example, yawning). The pain would usually subside on its own after a few days. In certain rare cases, it is possible for the jaw to be fractured while extracting a tooth. The fracture can be attributed to the excess pressure applied on the jawbone during a dental extraction procedure, and is more common in individuals who have a weak jaw bone, thinning bone tissue, or osteoporosis. Jaw fracture is also prevalent in older patients. Again a rare side effect of a dental extraction procedure, nerve damage is said to occur when the dentist accidentally cuts or damages a nerve while extracting the tooth/teeth. Chances are high if the procedure is done by an inexperienced dentist. In this case, damage to the underlying nerves during a dental extraction procedure can cause numbness in and around the extraction site. While in some cases the numbness would take a period of over 6 months to heal completely, in others the numbness would be permanent and the individual in question would lose sensation in the area completely. Other Possible Side Effects of Dental Extraction Dental extraction procedures can also lead to certain side effects in the gastrointestinal tract. And these side effects usually arise due to the loss of teeth function in and around the extraction site. It is a known fact that both the upper and lower teeth are needed for proper mastication of food. In the event an upper or lower tooth is extracted, the tooth opposite to it would meet only an empty space while biting, chewing etc. and so would lose its function as well. If more than one tooth is extracted at the same time, it would affect all the other teeth facing the extracted ones. This in turn would cause issues like bad bite and improper mastication of food. And that would cause side effects like abdominal gas, stomach pain etc. when the partially chewed food enters the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.
Under the right conditions, quantum interference of different pathways for excitation of energy levels in an atom can lead to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). When this happens, an otherwise optically active atomic transition is converted into a “dark state” that does not absorb photons, making the atomic medium transparent to light. This phenomenon has been demonstrated experimentally over the past two decades in atomic and molecular gases, solid-state materials, and microscopic systems such as quantum dots. Now, Abdufarrukh Abdumalikov and colleagues at RIKEN and NEC Nano Electronics Research Labs in Japan and Loughborough University in the UK report in Physical Review Letters their success in achieving EIT in a macroscopic artificial atom. Although feasible, obtaining strong coupling of electromagnetic modes and individual molecules or quantum dots is difficult, so structures made with superconducting circuits in the form of transmission lines are a possible approach. The system studied by Abdumalikov et al. consists of a micron superconducting loop, broken by Josephson junction devices, which exhibits a ladder of atomlike energy levels with transition frequencies in the microwave range. Application of a control signal coupling two energy levels induces EIT, as observed in measurements of reflection and transmission of a probe signal. With modulation approaching , the EIT effect in a macroscopic artificial atom may find use as a switchable microwave mirror. – David Voss
See Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economics (reprint, Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1997). Arthur Cecil Pigou Arthur C. Pigou, a British economist, is best known for his work in welfare economics. In his book The Economics of Welfare Pigou developed alfred marshall’s concept of externalities, costs imposed or benefits conferred on others that are not taken into account by the person taking the action. He argued that the existence of externalities is sufficient justification for government intervention. If someone is creating a negative externality, such as pollution, for instance, he is engaging in too much of the activity that generated the externality. Pigou advocated a tax on such activities to discourage them. Someone creating a positive externality—say, by educating himself and making himself more interesting or useful to other people—might not invest enough in education because he would not perceive the value to himself as being as great as the value to society. Pigou advocated subsidies for activities that created such positive externalities. These are now called Pigovian taxes and subsidies, respectively. Pigou’s analysis was accepted until 1960, when ronald coase showed that taxes and subsidies are not necessary if the people affected by the externality and the people creating it can easily get together and bargain. Adding to the skepticism about Pigou’s conclusions is the new view, introduced by public choice economists, that governments fail just as markets do. Nevertheless, most economists still advocate Pigovian taxes as a much more efficient way of dealing with pollution than government-imposed standards. Pigou studied economics at Cambridge and lectured at Cambridge until World War II. In 1908, at the age of thirty, he was appointed to Marshall’s chair in economics. Pigou taught straight Marshallian economics, often insisting to his students that “it’s all in Marshall.”1 Pigou was throughout his life an avid free trader. 1912. Wealth and Welfare. London: Macmillan. 1914. Unemployment. New York: Holt. 1921. The Political Economy of War. New York: Macmillan. 1932. The Economics of Welfare. 4th ed. London: Macmillan. Available online at: http://www.econlib.org/library/NPDBooks/Pigou/pgEW.html 1933. The Theory of Unemployment. London: Macmillan. 1950. Keynes’s General Theory: A Retrospective View. London: Macmillan. Return to top Related CEE Articles: Related CEE Biographies: Related Econlib Resources: Greg Mankiw on gas taxes, Keynes, and macroeconomics. EconTalk Podcast, including the Pigou Club and Pigouvian taxes. Mike Munger on Subsidies and Externalities. EconTalk podcast with discussion of Pigou and Coase
Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word I'm going to be sick! He was violently sick over the side of the boat. People with eating disorders often make themselves sick. The thought of seeing him gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. This is the British English definition of sick. View American English definition of sick. to kill someone in a violent way
(Scientific Name: Hydnum repandum ) Irregular in shape, the Hedgehog fungus has an indented or funnel-like cap that ranges in size from 1 inch to over 5 inches in diameter. Beneath the cap are small protruding teeth-like spines rather than gills and pores that commonly grow on other fungi, hence the name Hedgehog. From white to orange in color, the outer skin of the Hedgehog Fungus covers an inner flesh that is bright white in color and emits a sweetly aromatic smell. Since the Hedgehog texture is somewhat dry, it is best to slow cook this fungus. It can be served with meat, fish and poultry dishes or it can be used as an ingredient with vegetables, soups, stews, pasta, and sauces. It is also good when slow cooked in butter, providing a delicate earthy flavor. When eaten raw, the taste is somewhat peppery and bitter. The Hedgehog Fungus is best served when fresh rather than when preserved and should be eaten within 10 days after harvesting for the best flavor. It has a flavor similar to a chanterelle mushroom, which can be used as a substitute if necessary. The Hedgehog Fungus may also be referred to by its French name, "pied du mouton" which translates to sheep's foot.
Hi, all 1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data A plain is flying at a constant velocity v=3 km/s at a constant height above the surface of the Earth, from point A on a Latitude which forms an angle of 20 degrees with the North Pole, to point B which is 5 km north to A. Assuming that B is very close to A so that 20 degrees angle does not change. At which angle theta does the pilot have to point the airplane relative to the straight line between A and B so that the plaine reaches point B exactly? (The answer must be in mdeg). 2. Relevant equations All the forces along the Z -axis are ballanced, the velocity is along the X-axis. 3. The attempt at a solution I separated the velocity into two components: North and into the Earth center. Any diversion in the plain's path is due to Coriolis acceleration so I got something like this: I get the time it takes for the plain to travel from dividing the distance 5 km by the velocity component which results in 5/3cos(20)cos(theta). The velocity component we have from the theta angle is opposite to the Coriolis acceleration so that the diversion distance must be 0. Afte plugging the time into the distance equations I get the final result of : sin(theta)=(7.27exp-5)(5/3cos(20)) Unfortunately this is somehow wrong. What am I doing wrong? What am I missing? Why must this be so hard? Thank you.
IEW creates my absolute favorite writing curriculum because they teach writing in bite-size pieces. This year I decided to try Structure & Style with my fourth grader. This is his introduction to formal writing, so I wanted the best for him! In this video, I show you how it’s set up and how I’m using it in our homeschool. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links. See my disclosure for more information.) If you’re interested in trying it out you can order it here. Pin this image to come back later!
The tide of unaccompanied migrant children continues to flow through our borders. This week, UNICEF released a new report which details the risky journey that children take to enter the United States. As UNICEF notes, in the first six months of 2016, almost 26,000 unaccompanied migrant children were encountered on the US border with Mexico. Thousands more never made it to the border – they were “apprehended, kidnapped, trafficked, murdered, or [fell] victim [to] the harsh environment along the way.” Although these numbers are down from their peak in 2014, they still represent a significant humanitarian challenge for the United States. Congress has already allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to address the root causes of this crisis and assist the unaccompanied children who make it into the country. Yet they keep coming. One of the thorniest issues facing Federal agencies is how to establish the true identities of unaccompanied children, allowing the government to make an informed decision about their welfare. The vast majority of unaccompanied migrant children arrive with no paperwork. This is often by design – passports or national ID cards would establish a country to send the children back to. In these situations, the responsibility belongs with the Department of Homeland Security and the court system to create an identity from scratch. That identity then becomes the basis for action – release to a parent or relative in the United States, return to their home country, housing in a temporary facility, etc. Under normal conditions, fingerprints are the standard for establishing and verifying identity in US border control procedures. By law, adults are required to submit their fingerprints upon entry to the United States. This allows authorities to link people to identity documents – a critical tool for combatting fraud. DHS policy waives this requirement for children under fourteen, however. Part of this is due to the changes which slowly occur in the fingerprints of children, making them unreliable for long-term identification purposes. The lingering association of fingerprinting with criminality also makes the “optics” of this politically challenging – although the widespread use of fingerprints in consumer phones may be eroding that association. In the standard border control environment, it makes sense to exempt children under fourteen from the fingerprinting requirement. Yet in this special circumstance, fingerprinting children may be a necessary measure to protect their safety and well-being. In the absence of reliable documentation or biometric records, the child’s immigration file becomes their only form of identification. As they progress through court procedures and housing centers, there is currently no way to confirm that unaccompanied migrant children are who their file says they are. There is no way for authorities to confirm that the right children are being housed in the right facility, released to their parents, or even returned to the right country. When the welfare of these children is at stake, the certainty of biometrics as a form of identity has distinct advantages. For adults, the judicial system currently uses irises – the most accurate biometric identifier – to ensure that the right people are being arraigned, transferred, or released. A similar system could be put in place to secure the welfare of these vulnerable children and maintain the fidelity of their identities. Creating this identity management system would be relatively inexpensive, but it would require a great deal of interagency cooperation to manage. Questions of privacy, access, and use would have to be carefully thought through. Yet at a basic level, the investment has a clear payoff – it would ensure that no unaccompanied migrant child slips through the cracks.
Records of the Spanish Governors of Puerto Rico (Record Group 186) Table of Contents Established: With the appointment of Ponce de Leon as governor, by King Ferdinand II of Aragon, 1509. Abolished: With the cession of Puerto Rico by Spain to the United States, specified in Article II of the Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish-American War, signed December 10, 1898, and entered into force April 11, 1899. Finding Aids: Preliminary Inventory in National Archives microfiche edition of preliminary inventories. Article VIII of the Treaty of Paris, 1898, divested Spain of any rights to official records relating to Puerto Rico, and directed that such records be "carefully preserved." Accordingly, between June 1899 and March 1900, U.S. authorities in San Juan, in consultation with the Puerto Rican scholar, Cayetano Coll y Toste, sent the executive archives and library of the former Office of the Governor to the Library of Congress (LC) for the purpose of examination and disposition. The records measured 1,000 cubic feet and covered the approximate period 1750-1898. LC officials, having examined the records, retained the library materials for integration into the LC's collections, and sent all but 130 cubic feet of the archival records back to Puerto Rico. (Many of the returned archival records were destroyed in a 1926 fire that gutted the Historical Archives in San Juan.) The archival records remaining in LC custody were transferred to the National Archives in 1943. In accordance with a joint resolution of August 21, 1957 (71 Stat. 400), the archival records were transferred from the National Archives to the Archives of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, with the National Archives accessioning microfilm copies of selected portions of the records. In 1978, the LC located two additional volumes of archival records and transferred them to the National Archives. These two volumes constitute the only paper records of this record group; they are not at present available as a microfilm publication. Language Note: All records are in Spanish. Textual Records: Microfilm copy of royal orders and decrees (Reales ordenes, 1792-93, y reales ordenes y decretos, 1767- 1854), 1767-1854 (1 roll). Microfilm copy of the case file on the rebellion of Lares (Expediente sobre la rebelion de Lares), 1868- 69 (6 rolls). Slave schedules (Registro central de esclavos), two volumes on paper, 1872 (1 lin. ft.); and on microfilm, 1872 (8 rolls). Microfilm copy of records concerning foreigners in Puerto Rico (Extranjeros in Puerto Rico), 1872-80 (19 rolls). Microfilm Publications: T1120, T1121, T1122, T1170. Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995. 3 volumes, 2428 pages. This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.
One of the bedrock areas of agreement in this country, for at least the last century, has been that education is a core commitment of our society. We might disagree about exactly what subject matter should be taught in schools, or about which governments (federal, state, or local) should finance education, but we have rarely wavered in our recognition that universal education is a right, and that higher education is a priority, for the sake of the country’s current and future well-being. This broad agreement has been based in part on civic ideals, on the recognition of the role of education in creating citizens who understand how our democracy works. It has also been based on the recognition that education improves our economy, with educated citizens also being more productive workers. It would be difficult to imagine a more “mom and apple pie” area of agreement, across the political spectrum, than the subject of education. That is, until recently. If Economics Teaches Us Anything, It Is That Education Leads to Prosperity In recent columns on Verdict (here and here), I have described the limited effectiveness of economists in providing policy advice. We economists often earn our reputation for being disconnected from reality, and for being unable to agree amongst ourselves. Some economic concepts are so fundamental, however, that there is very little room for debate. One among that very small set of concepts is the tenet that an educated population is an essential prerequisite for national prosperity. When I was in graduate school, one of my professors was a prominent voice against the idea that government could intervene to improve the path of the economy. I, along with a large majority of economists, disagreed with him about that. Notwithstanding his commitment to small government, however, this economist also produced research showing that economic prosperity is importantly dependent upon the education of a country’s people. This is—or, at least, once was—considered a universal truth, by all economists of all ideological stripes. How do we know that education is so important? The countries in the world that have become prosperous fall into two categories. The first category includes those nations that have possessed (or acquired by force) large amounts of a valuable natural resource. Countries that have been fortunate enough to find themselves sitting on large reserves of gold, oil, rich farmland, and so on, have an obvious advantage over those that are not so fortunately endowed. The second group of countries—a much larger one—is composed of countries that have educated their citizenry into prosperity. Nearly all of the countries that have long been the wealthiest in the world reached, or have maintained, that status by having universal pre-college education, along with a strong commitment to higher education. Even the most resource-poor countries of Northern and Western Europe have enjoyed much higher living standards than many resource-rich countries that do not devote themselves to educating their young people. Countries that want to become great have learned that economic dominance is predicated upon the creation of a system of high-quality education. Consider Japan: It possesses few natural resources, consists of a handful of densely-populated islands that are remote from Europe and the United States, and came out of the Second World War with its industrial base all but destroyed. Even so, the Japanese people committed themselves to building a first-class education system. The result was decades of impressive economic growth, during which Japan became an economic power and the world’s second-largest economy (only recently surpassed by China, which has a population ten times the size of Japan’s, and is building an impressive education system of its own). Japan’s stagnation in recent years has been caused by other factors, especially the aging of its population, that are beyond the power of even an excellent education system to reverse. Other countries have wisely followed Japan’s lead. Taiwan, for example, is another resource-poor nation that has become an economic powerhouse. Indeed, a Taiwanese diplomat recently wrote that “Taiwan’s economic achievement is based on education. [We] believe that education is the bedrock of a nation’s competitiveness.” One would think that no one would argue with that contention. Who Should Pay for Education? Everyone Who Benefits From It—That Is, All of Us Even if all of the evidence points to the importance of education in achieving economic prosperity, however, one could disagree about who should pay for it. Becoming better-educated, after all, will benefit a person through higher income and better job opportunities. If we trust people to choose how to make themselves happy—by buying as much, say, ketchup as they want, and no more—then why do we not simply allow them to buy as much education as they desire, paying out of their own pockets? The latest census data show that those with high school educations earn about $50,000 per year, while those with college educations earn about $94,000 per year. Why should we not trust people to go after this economic bonanza, without anyone else’s help? The answer, again, comes from the most basic economic principles. Education is good not just for the person who becomes educated, but also for everyone around her. When citizens are more productive, they are able to contribute to the economy in ways that benefit others far beyond the salaries that they receive. They also become much less likely to need public assistance (when the economy is not in a slump), to commit criminal acts, and so on. Economists call these beneficial aspects of education “positive externalities,” because so many of the good things that education creates are enjoyed by others—people who are “external” to the individual who is deciding how much money to spend on education. This is why it is important for a country’s people, acting together through their government, to increase the amount of spending on education beyond what individuals would choose to spend on their own. Again, this is about as uncontroversial an economic proposition as one could find. We can disagree about how heavily education should be subsidized, but we have never before disagreed with the foundational idea that education should be subsidized. That is one reason why people were so dismayed earlier this month when Republican Presidential front-runner Mitt Romney seemed to abandon the very idea that education should be subsidized by the government. Answering a question from a young man who expressed concern about his ability to afford higher education, Romney reportedly responded: “It would be popular for me to stand up and say I’m going to give you government money to pay for your college, but I’m not going to promise that. . . . And don’t expect the government to forgive the debt that you take on.” Why would we not want to give a promising young person “government money” to go to college? And why would we not want to reduce the debt loads of people who have paid for college by taking out loans? Failing to do so does not merely punish the individuals who cannot afford college, but also robs the rest of us of the opportunity to share in the prosperity that is possible when young people are enabled to reach their potential. For Romney’s new position to be correct—that is, for him to accurately say that there should be no “government money” provided to higher education—we would have to believe that there are simply no positive externalities from higher education to justify the assistance. Until very recently, it was simply a given that American politicians would support education, both pre-college and at the university level. Subsidized college loans—Pell Grants—received broad bipartisan support. The program was generally underfunded, but it still managed to send millions of young people to college who otherwise could not have attended. Yet even funding for Pell Grants is now under attack. The Republicans’ Disdain for Education: Sowing Social Discord for Political Advantage America’s most extreme conservatives have a problem. After years of dominating the political debate, making the tax system less progressive and enabling the wealth in the country to become increasingly concentrated among a tiny elite, they have been surprised by the power of the populist response embodied in the Occupy Wall Street protests. Even though most Americans never joined the protests, they quickly understood the reality of “the 1%” and “the 99%.” How to respond? Divide and conquer, of course! The vast majority of the population—the very people for whom education would provide such a boon—is in an understandably foul mood, due to the extended pain of the Great Recession and its aftermath. If that anger can be redirected away from the wealthy and toward a false bogeyman, then the power of the 99% will be effectively neutralized. We therefore hear Romney make snide remarks about “the faculty lounge,” while his opponent Rick Santorum dismisses President Obama’s call to expand opportunities to attend college as mere snobbery. The idea, of course, is that “regular folks” in the population should not trust educated people. Anti-intellectualism is alive and well on the campaign trail. This attack on educators is especially absurd when leveled against professors at non-Ivy League universities, and even at public school teachers. Yet a recent editorial by a former university chancellor argues that faculty at non-elite universities—indeed, at community colleges—are overpaid and underworked. He cites the example of full professors at Maryland’s Montgomery College, who earn the princely sum of $88,000 per year (less than the average for all Americans with a college degree), but who supposedly only work half as much as “their non-academic peers.” The absurdity of these factual claims has been exposed elsewhere. My point here is simply that we have reached the point where the American people are being told to turn their anger against highly-educated people who perform some of the most important work in the country—educating a group of students who, in many cases, belong to the first generation in their families to attend college. We claim to pride ourselves on “equality of opportunity,” but if the people who are essential to preparing young people to seize those opportunities can be painted as somehow coddled—magically teaching their courses without ever taking the time to prepare to teach those course, or ever really “working” at all—then suddenly we are arguing about how to take away those supposedly cushy jobs. This may be a winning political strategy, but it is disastrous for the long-term health of the country. What About “Indoctrination”? The Content of Higher Education Shows Up in the Economic Benefits of a College Degree—and Other Countries Pay Attention Even before the recent attacks on solidly middle-class educators emerged, there has always been an important element of the culture wars in the attacks on higher education. Mr. Santorum is only the most recent cultural conservative to attack colleges for supposedly “indoctrinating” students in liberal dogma. Americans are apparently meant to believe that their tax money is being ill-spent on subsidizing higher education, because their children are being inculcated with nothing but airy-fairy, lefty political cant. That argument is, again, based on nothing more than the wild fantasies of those with a broader political agenda. Rather than refuting the argument by describing what goes on inside America’s college classrooms, however, we can simply look at what comes out of them. Even if it were true that colleges are incubators of liberalism, they are obviously doing something right. America’s hard-headed businessmen and businesswomen—people who are interested in making a profit—find it worthwhile to recruit America’s college graduates, and to pay them much more than they would pay a high school graduate. How to explain the salary difference? Unless we believe that the market system is completely broken—and has been for decades—we ought to conclude that American colleges and universities are creating graduates who provide economic value. In addition, those other countries that have educated themselves into prosperity (in many cases, to the point where their living standards are now higher than in the United States) have long sent their most promising students to American universities. Our system of higher education—both our public colleges and universities, and our private universities that educate students who take out publicly-subsidized loans—is still the envy of the world. That asset can, however, be squandered. In the 1980’s, British politicians savaged that country’s once-excellent university system, turning it into a mere shadow of its former self. American politicians have been doing the same here for decades, leading to a pronounced decline in our advantage over other countries. It is not too late to save ourselves, but the trends are running decidedly in the wrong direction. The fact is that any large institution can be improved, and American higher education is no exception. Reasonable people can and do work together every day, to try to figure out the best way forward for our colleges and universities. That work should continue. Turning one of America’s greatest resources into a political punching bag, however, is a dangerous and self-destructive game. And it is a game that the people of the United States can ill afford to play.
A selection of articles related to umhlanga day. Original articles from our library related to the Umhlanga Day. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Umhlanga Day. - What day are you born on? - The day of the month on which the you were born - regardless of which month or year it is - is a key numerological indicator, providing an excellent "thumbnail sketch" of standout traits. It strongly influences your Life Path and is helpful in... Symbology >> Numerology - King James Bible: Leviticus, Chapter 23 - Chapter 23 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 23:3 Six days shall work be done:... Old Testament >> Leviticus - The Sacred Wheel: The Sabbats - The Wheel of the Year honors the never ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It expresses the belief which Pagan religions hold that time is circular, not linear. The Sabbats are derived from the rich traditions of seasonal festivals as celebrated by... Paganism & Wicca >> Holidays - Samhain, The Celtic New Year - Samhain (pronounced Sowain, Sah-uin, or Sahm-hayn) is also called the Celtic New Year, The Third harvest, All Hollows Eve, the Day of the Dead, and of course Halloween. There are many more names for Samhain, but rather then having a different meaning, they... Holidays >> Samhain - King James Bible: Numbers, Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 7:1 And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; 7:2 That... Old Testament >> Numbers - Litha, The Summer Solstice - Litha is also known as the summer solstice, Midsummer, All Couples Day, and Saint John's Day. Litha is one of the fire festivals and occurs on the longest day of the year. This is the time of year when the sun reaches its highest apex, at the Tropic of Cancer.... Holidays >> Mid Summer - King James Bible: Exodus, Chapter 12 - Chapter 12 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the... Old Testament >> Exodus Umhlanga Day is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Umhlanga Day books and related discussion. Suggested Pdf Resources - Umhlanga Rocks Surf Lifesaving Club GOLF DAY - Umhlanga Rocks Surf. Lifesaving Club. Since 1953. - to Download the Umhlanga - Umhlanga Tourism Information Centre - and surfing within walking distance of the Umhlanga village centre. - Access 2 Africa Safaris 12 Day Highlights,Safari and Culture,South - DAY 4. A unique and captivating day begins. - Chimhavira brings you three countries in 14 days - Day 8. Mkuza National Park. - South Africa. - Umhlanga Broch new. Doc - A history of hospitality. Originally home to San hunter-gatherers, the area south of the Tugela. Suggested News Resources - 50 cattle to feed Umhlanga maidens - The maidens from the SADC countries are expected to add a different flair to the main Umhlanga day on Monday, where they will be donned in their traditional regalia and would dance among the local maidens to spice up the event. Suggested Web Resources - Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Umhlanga is a residential, commercial and resort town north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. - Swaziland National Trust Commission - Swazi Culture - The - The Umhlanga Or Reed Dance. By Richard M. Patricks, SNTC. - Spirit and Soul - 6 Senses Day Spa - Umhlanga,Durban - Spirit and Soul ladies day spa is situated minutes away from the office parks at uMhlanga, Durban. - Mangwanani Sibaya , Day Spa - Umhlanga Rocks - Health Spa Guru - Mangwanani Sibaya is a destination or day spa in Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site. Umhlanga Day Topics Related searcheshydroponics oasis root cubes the exorcist trivia list of countries receiving snowfall talk talk singles tim dj timmy tim mosley
Sometimes merely focusing on communicating with your team isn't enough. Why? Because the intention you set forth is often misunderstood by your audience. The gap between what you mean to communicate and what is actually communicated is known as the Perception Gap. What is a Perception Gap? Simply put, a perception gap occurs when the intention you set forth and communicate is misunderstood by your audience -- bosses, peers, subordinates, clients, partners, and even friends. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. There are seven different forms of human communication: spatial, linguistic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and logical-mathematic. While communicating a step-by-step list would work well with a logical-mathematic communicator, the conversation has a high probability of being misunderstood by a spatial communicator, who leans heavily on interconnected ideas. On the other hand, intrapersonal communicators need time and space to digest what has been communicated to them, in contrast to interpersonal communicators who prefer a group discussion. Every person has a different primary and secondary communication form in which they best grasp and retain information. Consequently, you may run into trouble when your communication style strays far from another's primary and secondary communication style. That "trouble" is the Perception Gap. Let's take a look at an example. Example of a Perception Gap Here is a perfect example: Manager Mike calls a meeting with a team member. The team member enters Mike's office. Mike shuts the door, and says bluntly: "We are behind on the deadline for our big project. I need you to get everything completed and on my desk by the end of this week, no exceptions. I know I can count on you. " Mike then opens the door, ushers the team member out and shuts the door. The team member, not understanding Mike's personality and communication style, leaves Mike's office thinking, "My boss is a jerk. He doesn't understand or care what the cause of our project delay is; I really need to ask him an important question about the deliverable, but the heck with it now." In this example, the Perception Gap is clear: the boss, Mike, simply intended to communicate urgency and actually called in his top team performer to get the job done on time. However, the team member interpreted Mike's communication as hostile and blaming, the impact being an erosion of trust. Consequently, good communication is thwarted, and the chances of the project being completed on time are now slim to none. Results of a Perception Gap Thwarting good communication is just the beginning of the problems a Perception Gap can incite. What comes next is the domino effect of a Perception Gap, which can be harsh: small misinterpretations grow into large misunderstandings, which grow into erroneous stories, which ultimately erode trust, credibility and transparency, all of which negatively impact performance. It's amazing how a simple conversation can have such a negative effect on not only performance, but on relationships as well. It's important for managers to be aware of how they are communicating, in relation to whom they are communicating with. Get to know your team member's communication styles and aim to communicate in a manner that they are more likely to receive accurately and positively. But how should managers handle a Perception Gap if one arises? How to Deal with a Perception Gap When it comes to a Perception Gap, clarity is the best defense. So make it a habit to reach out to people in the moment, or soon after the fact and ask, "Here's how I intended that message to be understood...how did you receive it?" This requires strong self-management, so be sure that you're open and ready for the answer to your question, whatever it may be. For example, your intention may have been to effectively get through the agenda in 45 minutes, so that everybody can leave work on time. Yet the feedback suggested you were curt and abrupt. While this feedback may have triggered an emotional response in you, a self-aware leader will thank the person for her feedback, accept the feedback, ask some clarifying questions and aim to minimize the gap in future meetings. Here are some specific tips for preventing Perception Gaps. Tips for Preventing a Perception Gaps Managers can take the following steps BEFORE they start communicating in order to lessen the likelihood of a potential Perception Gap. - At the beginning of a call or meeting, state: "My intention for this meeting/call is X." That way, the team or team member can frame the meeting content within the stated intentions. - At the end of the meeting or call, ask for feedback by saying "My intention for this meeting/call was X. How did I do?" This reiterates your intention to the team, and creates a welcoming environment for clarifying questions. - Listen carefully to the reply to see if there is a Perception Gap. It's a good idea to get in the habit of taking the above three steps before any communication takes place with your team. Unfortunately, communication may fail anyway. If that happens, here is how to deal with a Perception Gap. Tips for Managing a Perception Gap Here are the two steps for managing Perception Gaps. 1. Ask yourself four questions: - What communication method was used? Remember the seven different forms of human communication mentioned earlier. Identify the communication style that was used in this situation and consider if that communication style was appropriate for those being communicated to. - How was my communication received and perceived? The feedback received from stating, "My intention for this meeting/call was X. How did I do?" will provide helpful insight into how others have received and perceived the intended communication. - What might the other party's story be? With the seven forms of human communication in mind, managers can use feedback to understand the perspective of the other party. - What could happen if I don't address the gap? Asking this question will help you look to the future and importance of the current relationship. 2. Clarify the Perception Gap in a compassionate, non-threatening way. It's easy to make the other person "wrong", saying something like, "What's wrong with you? Why don't you understand what I'm saying?" Yet it's important to remember that the person is a human being with worries that extend outside of work. So approach them with openness and find out where the communication gap occurred by saying something like "It seems I wasn't clear. Let's start again. What did you understand so I can fill in the blanks for you?" Then listen carefully and address the situation as quickly as possible. It is important to be compassionate, and actively non-threatening. Do you have your own tricks for mitigating Perception Gaps? What has been your experience in managing Perception Gaps? Let's communicate about it. Please send me a tweet, leave a comment below, or write me an email.
let’s take a close look at top 10 most celebrated annual holidays out of them. 1. Spring Bank United Kingdom Spring bank holiday in united kingdom, also known as the late may bank holiday, could be a time for people in the uk to have daily off work or school. It falls on the last Monday of might but it accustomed air the Mon once Pentecost. for many individuals the spring bank holiday may be a pleasant day off work or school. Some people favor to take a brief trip or vacation. Others use the time to steer within the country, catch up with family and friends, visit garden centers or do home maintenance. However, in some parts of the uk, there are some customs associated with today. Vasanta or Basant is one of the six ritus (seasons) corresponding to spring. In Punjab India Vasant is widely known as most auspicious pageant than the other. individuals from all over India gathered here to feel the purity of this spring season.Vasant Panchami has its own joy and pleasure. every year Kite festival is celebrated in many states of India. this is often cultural festival and commonly celebrated in India and Pakistan on same days. Easter is a Christian festival and vacation celebrating the resurrection of Christ on the third day once his crucifixion at Calvary as delineated within the new testament. it’s the culmination of the passion of Christ, preceded by season, a forty-day period of abstinence, prayer, and penance. The last week of season is named holy week, and it contains the times of the Easter Triduum, as well as Holy Thursday, commemorating ceremonial and the last supper, as well as good Friday, ceremony the crucifixion and death of Son. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday. 4. Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the most vital of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it’s additionally known as the Spring festival, the literal translation of the trendy Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year’s Day itself, the first day of the primary month of the Chinese calendar, to the lantern festival on the 15th day of the first month, creating the festival the longest within the Chinese calendar. because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often spoken as the “Lunar New Year”. Deepavali (Diwali) called the “festival of lights,” is primarily a 5 day Hindu festival that starts on Dhanteras, celebrated on thirteenth day of avatar paksha of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on Bhaubeej, celebrated on second day of Shukla paksha of the Hindu calendar month Kartik. in the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-november. Diwali is an official vacation in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, island & island, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. 6. Valentine’s Day This is a holiday everyone knows and celebrates, but not several know its origins, we posted before some superb Facts about Valentine’s Day and a few ways that to celebrate this romance full day. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 each year. it’s celebrated in many countries around the world, though it remains a working day in most of them. it’s one in all the most celebrated holiday around the world second to New Year’s Day. also Valentine’s Day is the second most popular card-giving holiday (only Christmas is more popular). 7. Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha (the greater Eid, Bakrid), is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honour the disposition of the prophet ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismā’īl (Ishmael)a as an act of submission to God’s command and his son’s acceptance to being sacrificed, before God intervened to provide abraham with a Lamb to sacrifice instead. within the lunar Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. in the international Gregorian calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting some 11 days earlier each year. 8. Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fast (sawm). The religious Eid may be a single day and Muslims are not permitted to fast that day. the holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the primary day of the month of Shawwal. this is a day where Muslims around the world try and show a common goal of unity. This is an annual and wide observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world. it’s the day when Jesus was born, therefore it’s celebrated as a very happy vacation, because according to Christianity , Son came to save lots of people’s souls from hell and help them repent and gain the redemption of the soul. Christmas may be a civil vacation in several of the world’s nations is widely known by an increasing range of non-Christians and is an integral a part of the Christmas and holiday season. 10. New Year New Year is certainly the oldest celebrated holiday, though it wasn’t always starting on the 1st of January. The celebration of the New Year began with people from Babylon, 4000 years ago! They celebrated it during the new phase of the moon. However, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year’s Day is the closest thing to being the world’s only actually global public holiday, typically celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the New Year starts.
Fire retardants. When I started reading up on them, it was during my research into mattresses and bedding. Fire retardants came into being when our society was a heavily smoking society, and people smoked all over the place. It was absolutely mind-boggling to find out that baby mattresses and kids pajamas are laced with fire retardants – presumably to protect them in case of fire – but how often does a fire happen? (I’m also just imagining moms and dads smoking while rocking their babies to sleep – I don’t know about you, but I have never seen that happen in this decade!) So in protecting our kids from a fire that may or may not happen, we are instead exposing them daily to these toxic fire retardants! Agh! Thankfully, Healthy Child Healthy World put together an easy resource: Guide to Fire Retardants in Children’s Products. This short guide summarizes the information really well, and provides easy ways for parents to reduce their kids’ exposure. This fact really disturbed me: A 2014 study by EWG and Duke University found that every mother and child tested showed evidence of exposure to a cancer-causing fire retardant; on average, the children had five times greater exposure than the mothers. Just think about our babies and kids touching toys and furniture and car seats – and putting their hands in their mouths! Change pads, nursing pillows, anything with padding, are all made from polyurethane foam which off-gasses cancer-causing toxins. It can seem daunting, but this resource is a great start. To find out how your baby gear rates in terms of fire retardants and toxins, search for them in databases. Children’s pajamas are another culprit for fire retardants, but there are lots of alternatives without them.
Donald Trump recently unveiled a new child care plan whereby the government will force employers to give time off to new mothers in exchange for some shuffling of the tax code. Mothers do tend to benefit from such schemes but they also end up paying for their time off in other, indirect ways like lower wages. Forcing employers to pay their female employees to take time off decreases the labor demand for child-bearing age women and increases their supply, thus lowering their wages. Economist Larry Summers, former Director of the National Economic Council during President Obama’s first administration, wrote a fantastic paper explaining this effect. Many firms have maternity leave policies that balance an implicit decrease in wages or compensation for working-age mothers with time off to care for a newborn. The important point about these firm-specific policies is that they are flexible. Some women want a lot of time off and aren’t as sensitive to the impact of their careers while others want to return to work immediately. A one-size fits all government policy will remove this flexibility. Regardless of the merits or demerits of Trump’s plan, economists Patricia Cortes and Jose Tessada discovered an easier and cheaper way to help women transition from being workers to being mothers who work: allow more low-skilled immigration. In a 2008 paper, they found: Exploiting cross-city variation in immigrant concentration, we find that low-skilled immigration increases average hours of market work and the probability of working long hours of women at the top quartile of the wage distribution. Consistently, we find that women in this group decrease the time they spend in household work and increase expenditures on housekeeping services. The effect wasn’t huge but skilled women did spend less time on housework and more time working at their job. Younger women with higher educations and young children would be the biggest beneficiaries from an expansion of childcare services provided by low-skilled immigrants. There are about 5.4 million working-age women with a college degree or higher that also have at least one child who is under the age of 8 (Table 1). Almost 78 percent of them are employed, 2 percent are unemployed looking for work, and 21 percent are not in the labor force.
Legislatures can't force people to be kind to each other, but they can require government employees not to be cruel. This is, in part, why Rhode Island's General Assembly recently passed a Homeless Bill of Rights [PDF]. A simple guide for the perplexed bureaucrat or police officer, the Homeless Bill of Rights is a list of the seven fall-back positions that all of the state and municipal authorities have to take when dealing with homeless people. Recognizing that, in some states, police forbid and arrest homeless people for sitting on sidewalks and resting on park benches, the first provision declares that homeless people have "the right to use and move freely in public spaces" without being treated differently than other members of the public who are in those places. If little children can nap on park benches and bus commuters can sit on the sidewalk until their ride comes, then so may homeless people. Because some government service agencies require people to identify where they live in order to, for example, receive food or renew a professional license or government-granted permit, the second provision asserts that homeless people have "the right to equal treatment by all state and municipal agencies." The agencies will need to modify their rules, perhaps to allow e-mail addresses for official communications and to accept a letters of proof from non-profit agents or business owners who can attest to the homeless applicant's actual presence in the state. Lest an employer be tempted to deny someone a job on the assumption that the applicant, who has listed "none" or else written "c/o homeless shelter" as his address might not stick around, the third provision in the Bill of Rights prohibits employers from using the lack of a permanent address as a basis for either firing or not hiring someone. Also, if a hospital or urgent care center is inclined to refuse treatment for patients who can't supply a street address for billing purposes, this bill of rights says the medical facility does not have that option. Everyone knows that voter registration is connected with location of residence because the number of legislative representatives is allocated according to how many people are in need of representation. But there can be ways for even transient homeless people to declare themselves residents of a voting district where they live; it just means that the state election authority needs to make a rule and a form to facilitate such declarations. Rhode Island's Homeless Bill of Rights calls for homeless people to be able to register to vote, receive a voter identification document to present at the polls and submit their votes. So, in that state, the election authority has to figure out how to register and document the voters who do not have permanent housing. Shelters sometimes offer job counseling or facilitate indigent medications and health supplies or provide information and referrals directing clients to local social services. In doing that work, they acquire a lot of personal information about their clients — information that might interest somebody trying to investigate a particular homeless person. It might even be possible to profit from selling that information, but the Homeless Bill of Rights requires that any personal facts collected by shelters about their clients must be kept confidential. When homeless people live outside, instead of in shelters, they run the risk of losing their possessions in "homeless sweeps" when sanitation crews or other public authorities are deputized to empty out homeless encampments. That is a type of government seizure of personal property. Since their belongings are out in the open, they are also at risk of having it searched and seized by the police because, normally, possessions that are outside in public view are not considered private. Police only have to get a search warrant to look in places where someone would have "a reasonable expectation of privacy" like a house or the closed compartments of a car. Homeless people living in vehicles have a lot of their things easily visible where police can see them without having to open a compartment. In Rhode Island, because of the capstone Homeless Bill of Rights provision proclaiming that every homeless person has "the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her personal property to the same extent as personal property in a permanent residence," those search and seizure risks are alleviated. There are many ways to implement these provisions. Municipalities might enact ordinances to deal with some of them and there will be new regulations from state agencies. Other provisions might only require changes in policy manuals, or the revision of procedures for information collection and the operation of certain types of databases. All of the substantive matters, such as sanitary conditions in shelters and ID laws for auto insurance, will be handled according to each government entity's range of responsibilities. Variable though the substance of government responsibility might be, from now on it will always be premised on these fundamental rights set forth in the Homeless Bill of Rights. That perpetual assurance is the second reason for Rhode Island's adoption of the bill. Having visited, in January 2011, an overcrowded, unsanitary and wholly inadequate shelter in Cranston that was housing ten percent of the state's homeless population yet did not even have food available, Senator John Tassoni, chairman of the Rhode Island Senate's Committee on Housing and Municipal Government, immediately convened hearings to collect facts about what was happening with the state's homeless population and how they were being served. He crafted the bill to address the common themes of government actions that arose in those hearings: denials of access due to a lack of street address, unjust and substandard treatment and arbitrary property seizures, among other issues. In March 2011, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, informed by the hearing revelations, re-activated [PDF] the state's Interagency Council on Homelessness. Associated with the federal agency of the same name, this state council exists to convene representatives from various executive branch agencies working with the homeless and coordinate their work, making access to services more efficient and effective for homeless people. Had there been a Homeless Bill of Rights already in place a few years ago, the previous council would likely not have been disbanded. It took just a year and a half from the senator's shelter visit to the passage of Rhode Island's Homeless Bill of Rights. That is fast action indicative of a state government's awareness that it was just not treating people right and that it needed a permanent set of standards. Linda Tashbook is the Foreign, International and Comparative Law Librarian at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She serves as a homeless advocate, for which she received the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Attorney Pro Bono Award in 2011. She is also the author of the Homeless Law Blog. Suggested citation: Linda Tashbook, Rhode Island's Homeless Bill of Rights, JURIST - Forum, July 4, 2012, http://jurist.org/forum/2012/06/linda-tashbook-homeless-rights.php. This article was prepared for publication by Caleb Pittman, head of JURIST's academic commentary service. Please direct any questions or comments to him at [email protected]
\|\| Home. \| Universe Galaxies And Stars Archives. \| \| \|\| Universe \| Big Bang \| Galaxies \| Stars \| Solar System \| Planets \| Hubble Telescope \| NASA \| Search Engine \|\| Pan Clearing a Gap in Saturn's Rings. If you want to understand what causes the gaps in Saturn's rings, just look at this picture. The bright object in the middle of Saturn's Encke gap is one of its moons: Pan. The tiny Moon is only 26 km (16 miles) across, but its minor gravity can clear out the ring particles. Cassini took this image on October 27, 2006 when it was 385,000 km (239,000 miles) from Pan. This Cassini spacecraft view of Pan in the Encke gap shows hints of detail on the moon's dark side, which is lit by saturnshine - sunlight reflected off Saturn. Pan (26 kilometers, or 16 miles across) cruises the Encke gap (325 kilometers, or 200 miles wide) with several faint ringlets. This view looks toward the lit side of the rings from about 52 degrees below the ringplane. The sunlit portion of Pan is partly overexposed. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Oct. 27, 2006 at a distance of approximately 385,000 kilometers (239,000 miles) from Pan and at a Sun-Pan-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 86 degrees. Image scale is 2 kilometers (1 mile) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org. Original Source: NASA/JPL/SSI Print Version - Print Article Universe - Galaxies and Stars: Links and Contacts \|\| GNU License \| Contact \| Copyright \| WebMaster \| Terms \| Disclaimer \| Top Of Page. \|\|
back to Health & Wellness Prion Diseases Learning Center Prion Diseases is an important category of health concerns, with 2 topics, including: Kuru, Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) Kuru is a disease of the nervous system. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a form of brain damage that leads to a rapid decrease of mental... back to top
Though long inhabited by a succession of independent tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically come under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. - Kyrgyzstan is a land locked country. - Kyrgyzstan has largest boundary with Kazakhstan which is approximately 1224 km. - Kyrgyzstan has shortest boundary with China which is approximately 858 km. - The largest river in Kyrgyzstan is Syr Darya which is 3080 km. - The largest export partner of Kyrgyzstan is Kazakhstan. - The largest import partner of Kyrgyzstan is China. - There is 1 seaport in Kyrgyzstan. Tourist Attraction#Horses are essential in the rugged mountains that cover some 75 percent of Kyrgyzstan. - The famous dishes of Kyrgyzstan are Beshbarmak, Laghman, Kuurdak etc. - Text marked as italic is taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan unter CC
Jordi Savall i Bernadet (Catalan:[ˈʒɔrði səˈβaʎ i βərnəˈðɛt]; born August 1, 1941) is a Spanishconductor, viol player, and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for reviving the use of viol family instruments (notably the viola da gamba) in contemporary performance and recording. His characteristic repertoire features medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music, although he has occasionally ventured into the Classical and even the Romantic periods. Luis de Milán (also known as Lluís del Milà or Luys Milán) (c. 1500 – c. 1561) was a SpanishRenaissance composer, vihuelist (a forerunner to the baroque guitar), and writer on music. He was the first composer in history to publish music for the vihuela de mano, an instrument employed primarily in the Iberian peninsula and some of the Italian states during the 15th and 16th centuries, and he was also one of the first musicians to specify verbal tempo indications in his music. He probably lived all his life in Valencia, though details are sketchy at best. He seems to have been employed by the ducal court until around 1538. In 1535 he published his first book, a parlor game with music, entitled El juego de mandar; in the next year he published what was to be his most important book, Libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El maestro. This book was dedicated to King John III of Portugal; this dedication, and the existence of six villancicos which Milán wrote in Portuguese, suggest that he may have traveled to that country and spent some time there.
May 21, 2012 Book Review: First Grade Technology Textbook First Grade Technology: 32 Lessons Every First Grader Can Accomplish on a Computer by Structured Learning IT Teaching Team My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m often asked what books I’d recommend for teaching technology in the classroom. Each year about this time, I do a series of reviews on my favorite tech ed books. If you’re already looking ahead to next year’s technology curriculum and want to fix some of this year’s problems, I suggest you consider the seven-volume K-6 technology curriculum series that’s used in hundreds of school districts across the country (and a few internationally). It’s skills-based, project-based, aligned with NETS national standards and fully integratable into state core classroom standards. The second in the series, the 63-page First Grade Technology: 32 Lessons Any First Grader Can Do, is the Fourth Edition (Structured Learning 2011), updated to MS Office 2007/10, available in print or digital, and perfect for Smartscreens, iPads, laptops. It includes many age-appropriate samples, reproducibles, Web 2.0 connections, thematic websites, and how-to’s. Because I edited this book, I made sure it includes pieces that I as a teacher knew to be critical to the classroom: - PDF version is in full color - PDF version has active links so you can click through to enrichments when required for student-centered learning - each lesson summarizes a 45-minute class period–usually 2-3 activities, arranged temporally throughout the year for ease of understanding by students. For example, a lesson is likely to include 2-3 activities from among typing practice, student presentations, project that ties into core class activity, problem-solving that assists with 1:1 initiatives - each lesson is aligned with NETS standards - each lesson includes required vocabulary - each lesson provides integrations to core classroom units and topics - each lesson includes trouble-shooting solutions to the problems most likely to come up in the classroom - each lesson includes enrichments for those precocious students who finish the lesson and want more - includes a list of websites (PDF has active links, print version goes to Ask a Tech Teacher Great Websites). Both print and PDF can access a webpage on Ask a Tech Teacher that is updated yearly with new websites by grade level and category - there’s a help link (to this blog) to a teacher using the curriculum will help you through the prickly parts of a lesson plan. This is FREE–no charge. - Where lessons center around purchased software, the authors made an effort to offer free alternatives. For example, instead of KidPix, teachers can use TuxPaint. Instead of Type to Learn, teachers can use a list of online keyboarding websites like Dance Mat Typing and Typing Web - If you buy the print book, the PDF is discounted - includes pedagogy articles to help think through critical issues like keyboarding, use of the internet, how to use wikis in classrooms, and more - includes wall posters covering critical technology issues (like mouse skills) Here’s the Amazon blurb: The choice of hundreds of school districts, private schools and homeschoolers around the world, this seven-volume suite is the all-in-one solution to running an effective, efficient, and fun technology program for kindergarten-sixth grade (each grade level textbook sold separately) whether you are the lab specialist, IT coordinator, or classroom teacher. Each volume includes step-by-step directions for a full year of projects, samples, grading rubrics, reproducibles, wall posters, teaching ideas from a working technology lab. Aligned with ISTE national technology standards, the curriculum follows a tested timeline of which skill to introduce when, starting with mouse skills, keyboarding, computer basics, and internet/Web 2.0 tools in Kindergarten-First; MS Word, Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Earth, internet research, email, Web 2.0 communication tools, and Photoshop in Second-Sixth. Each activity is integrated with classroom units in history, science, math, literature, reading, writing, critical thinking and more. Extras include wall posters to explain tech concepts, keyboarding standards, discussion on integrating Web 2.0 tools into the classroom curriculum, and an Appendix of hundreds of online websites to support classroom subjects (accessed through provided internet address or embedded links in pdf version of book). Whether you are an experienced tech teacher or new to the job, you’ll appreciate the ability to get help from active technology teachers who are using the program through the online blogs and wikis. Here are comments from users of the K-6 series: Finally, I discovered a sequential technology lesson plan that rips through a diverse selection of applications. As an elementary school teacher and homeschool parent, I appreciate this single curriculum covering K-6th grades. While creating outrageously fun projects, students unknowingly learn MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, Google Earth, Photoshop, keyboarding, and problem-solving among many others plus acquire the ability to combine the applications for report and research projects. My students are highly motivated to finish other assignments so that they can get to the computers. The lessons are fun, age-appropriate and content-appropriate. The lessons are fun and are self-directed to the extent that the child can read and is self-motivated. I am thankful for such a simple yet a gem of a product. Highly recommended! This workbook is a great tool for helping your primary school student learn hands on skills for the computer. Typing exercises, key hardware terms and other activities are included and can be used pretty independently by the student. It’s been a great tool for our 3rd grader and supplements the activities given in class. Would definitely recommend! –B Johnson, parent My daughter is using this as a text in her computer class at school. The lessons are easy to follow and informative. She has learned a lot so far this year. Any questions? Post them to comments. I’ll answer them! Where to purchase: - Amazon.com (print books) - Teachers Pay Teachers (ebooks) - Scribd.com (ebooks) - Publisher’s website (print, ebooks, specials, sets) Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-sixth grade, creator of two technology training books for middle school and three ebooks on technology in education. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blogger, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she’s editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
These guiding principles for quality early primary programs were originally included in a 1997 position paper of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (Outside Source) and are excerpted from Chapter 1 of First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education. - Domains of children's development—physical, social, emotional, and cognitive—are closely related. Development in one domain can limit, facilitate, or influence development in other domains (Sroufe, Cooper, and DeHart 1992; Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren 1993). Because the domains are interrelated, curriculum planning is critical to help young children make meaningful connections across domains and across related subject-matter disciplines. occurs in a relatively orderly sequence, with later abilities, skills, and knowledge building on those already acquired. Research studies indicate that relatively stable, predictable sequences of growth and change occur in children during the first nine years of life (Piaget 1952; Erikson 1963; Dyson and Genishi 1993; Case and Okamoto 1996). Predictable changes occur in all domains of development—physical, emotional, social, language, and cognitive—although the ways in which these changes are manifest and the significance attached to them may vary in different cultural contexts. proceeds at varying rates from child to child as well as unevenly within different areas of each child's functioning. Each child is unique, with an individual pattern and timing of growth and an individual personality, temperament, learning style, and family and life experiences. Age is only a crude index of developmental maturity. Recognition that individual variation is expected and valued requires that educators, while having high expectations and standards for all children, be flexible in the ways in which students reach these expectations. Rigid group-norm expectancies can be especially harmful for children with special learning and developmental needs (National Education Goals Report 1991; Mallory 1992; Wolery, Strain, and Bailey 1992). - Early experiences have both cumulative and delayed effects on a child's development; optimal periods exist for certain types of development and learning. If an experience occurs occasionally, it may have a minimal effect; however, positive or negative experiences occurring frequently can have powerful, lasting effects (Katz and Chard 1989; Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren 1993; Wieder and Greenspan 1993). For example, when children have or do not have early literacy experiences, such as being read to regularly, their later success in learning to read is affected accordingly. Recent research studies on brain development (Shore 1997) are also contributing to this knowledge base by showing critical intervention periods and experiences. proceeds in predictable directions toward greater complexity, organization, and internalization. Learning during the early childhood period proceeds from the concrete to the abstract (Bruner 1983). The earliest form of symbolic representation in childhood is play, which begins at about 18 months of age and becomes increasingly complex through the primary years. Children learn to use their imagination and mental imagery to represent ideas, objects, and situations; for example, the block of wood "stands for" the telephone. and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts. Children's development is best understood within the sociocultural context of the family, educational setting, community, and broader society (Vygotsky 1978; Bronfenbrenner 1979; Forman, Minick, and Stone 1993). These various contexts are interrelated and have an impact on the developing child. For example, a child in a loving, supportive family within a healthy community may be affected by the biases of the larger society, such as racism or sexism, and may show the effects of negative stereotyping. Culture is defined as the customary beliefs and patterns of and for behavior, both explicit and implicit, that are passed on to future generations by the society they live in and/or by a social, religious, or ethnic group within it. Therefore, culture plays a role in the development of all children. Sensitive teachers realize that their own cultural experiences shape their perspective and that multiple perspectives, in addition to their own, must be considered in planning programs for children (Bowman 1994). The goal is that all children learn to function well in the society as a whole and move comfortably among groups of people who come from both similar and dissimilar backgrounds. For maximum social development, children must be provided with opportunities to expand language in positive ways as they interact with other children and adults. - Children are active learners, drawing on direct physical and social experience as well as on culturally transmitted knowledge to construct their own understandings of the world around them. Children learn as they actively strive to make meaning out of their daily experiences, observations, and interactions with materials, children, and adults (Dewey 1916; Piaget 1952; DeVries and Kohlberg 1990; Gardner 1983). After children have formed their own hypotheses about life around them, they observe and reflect on their observations, ask questions, and formulate answers. When children's models are challenged by new experiences, they adjust the models or alter their mental structures to account for the new information. Teachers' encouragement of children to reflect on their experiences and activities deepens their knowledge and understanding (Copple, Sigel, and Saunders 1984). In recent years, discussions of cognitive development have become polarized regarding whether children's development precedes learning or whether learning precedes development. Current attempts to resolve this apparent dichotomy acknowledge that both theoretical perspectives are essentially correct in explaining aspects of cognitive development during early childhood (Seifert 1993; Sameroff and McDonough 1994). Strategic teaching can enhance children's learning; yet direct instruction may be ineffective if it is not attuned to the cognitive capacities and knowledge of each child at that point in development. Because active learning is time intensive, group instruction and student-choice periods need to be long enough for children to handle and observe materials, have in-depth intellectual experiences, negotiate problems, and use language. When children are truly engaged, even young children have long attention spans. The teacher's challenge is to provide experiences that relate well to each child but are also novel. and learning result from interaction of biological maturation and the environment, which includes both the physical and social worlds that children live in. Human beings are influenced by heredity and environment, both of which are interrelated. Current theory is that development is the result of an interactive process between the growing, changing individual and his or her experiences in the social and physical worlds (Scarr and McCartney 1983; Plomin 1994a, 1994b). For example, a disability—inherited or environmentally caused—may be ameliorated through systematic, appropriate intervention. The teacher does not wait for children to mature or "be ready" for particular skills, concepts, or knowledge, but instead stimulates development through rich, organized, appropriate activities and environment and through time for children's reflection about these experiences. - Play is an important vehicle for the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children, and a reflection of their development. Play gives children opportunities to understand the world, interact with others in social ways, express and control emotions, develop their symbolic capabilities, practice newly acquired skills, solve complex problems, develop their imagination, and extend language (Piaget 1952; Vygotsky 1978; Fein 1981; Fein and Stork 1981; Smilansky and Shefatya 1990; Fromberg 1992; Van Hoorn et al. 1993). Research studies demonstrate the importance of sociodramatic play as a tool for learning curriculum content with four- through six-year-old children. Children's language and literacy skills can be enhanced when teachers provide a thematic organization for play; offer props, space, and time; and become involved in the play by extending and elaborating on the children's ideas (Levy, Schaefer, and Phelps 1986; Schrader 1989, 1990; Morrow 1990; Levy, Wolfgang, and Koorland 1992). advances when children have opportunities to practice newly acquired skills and when they experience a challenge just beyond the level of their present mastery. Research studies demonstrate that children should negotiate learning tasks successfully most of the time if they are to maintain motivation and persistence (Lary 1990; Brophy 1992). Faced with repeated failure, many children stop trying. Most of the time, teachers should give young children tasks that require effort to accomplish and present content at the children's level of understanding. At the same time, young children need opportunities to work at their "growing edge" (Berk and Winsler 1995; Bodrova and Leong 1996). In giving a child a task just beyond his or her independent reach, the adult and more competent peers contribute significantly to a child's development as they provide "scaffolding," or a supportive structure that allows the child to take the next step (White 1965; Vygotsky 1978). For example, two children play with a peg board with pegs of graduated heights. One discovers and shows her friend that the pegs can be inserted like steps. They take out the pegs, and the second child successfully arranges them sequentially from shorter to taller. - Children demonstrate different modes of knowing and learning and different ways of representing what they know. Human beings come to understand the world in many ways and have preferred modes of learning and expressing that learning. Research studies by learning theorists and developmental psychologists have described children's use of various modalities to learn (Witkin 1962; Gardner 1983). While the classroom environment and curriculum should be individualized to maximize the various intelligences, this approach should not be interpreted to mean that every classroom lesson should necessarily represent all modes of learning. - Children develop and learn best in the context of a community where they are safe and valued, their physical needs are met, and they feel For young children school becomes a home away from home. Optimum development will occur when teachers create an environment in which the children and their families feel welcome, loved, and accepted and where all children's approaches to materials, ideas, and people are respected (Ramsey 1987). Because children's physical health and safety are too often threatened in society, schools should work with other agencies to ensure that children have adequate health, safety, nutrition, mental health, and social services to optimize their development (Caring Communities 1991; Head Start Performance Standards 1996). To plan and provide an environment in which children of all ages learn to feel safe and respect others, teachers plan activities that encourage children to see themselves as productive members of society, to see others' points of view, to cooperate with others, and to confront discrimination and injustice. Crucial to the success and validity of a comprehensive approach to valuing diversity is the teacher's attitude of respect for the cultures of those in the classroom and communication with families.
In heraldicblazon, a chief is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the top edge of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by the chief, ranging from one-fourth to one-third. The former is more likely if the chief is uncharged, that is, if it does not have other objects placed on it. If charged, the chief is typically wider to allow room for the objects drawn there. The chief is one of the ordinaries in heraldry, along with the bend, chevron, fess, and pale. There are several other ordinaries and sub-ordinaries. Variations of chief The chief may bear charges and may also be subject to variations of the partition lines. The chief may be combined with another ordinary, such as a pale or a saltire, but is almost never surmounted by another ordinary. The chief will normally be superimposed over a bordure, orle and tressure, if they share the same shield. The Chief was a success, dubbed "Extra Fast-Extra Fine-Extra Fare" though it failed to relieve traffic on the California Limited. The Chief became famous as a "rolling boudoir" for film stars and Hollywood executives. In 1954 the Chief reduced its schedule to equal its cousins, the Super Chief and El Capitan, and would ultimately drop the extra fare requirement as well. The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder and represents the clan as well. In the Scottish clan system, the term chief denotes a greater chief than that of a chieftain. In consequence, branch chiefs (heads of branches of a clan) are designated chieftains. Scottish clans who no longer have a clan chief are referred to as armigerous clans. Functions of the clan chief Historically the principal function of the chief was to lead his clan in battle on land and sea. The chief and the chieftain were at one time in the Scottish Highlands influential political characters, who wielded a large and often arbitrary authority. However, none of this authority now remains. Highland chiefship or chieftainship in the modern sense is no more than a high social dignity. The existence of chiefship and chieftainship has been recognized by Scottish law, however, the disarming of the Highland clans after the 1745 Jacobite rising effectively eliminated clanship from ordinary civil or statutory law. Most notable was the Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act, of 1746 that abolished traditional rights of jurisdiction afforded to Scottish clan chiefs. School!!(スクール!!,Sukūru!!) is a Japanese television series which premiered on Fuji TV on January 16, 2011. It was aired on Fuji TV's Sunday 9:00pm slot "Dramatic Sunday" in the 2011 winter drama season. The story is about Shingū Elementary School which is beset by a lot of problems. Seichiro Naruse, a construction worker whose company closed down, suddenly becomes the principal of his old school. He must save the school from closing down. The construction company he was working in went bankrupt and he was appointed as the civilian principal of the Shingū Elementary School. Having devoted 20 years in the construction industry, he has no teaching license. He takes up the job in order to keep a promise he made with his former teacher and ex-principal Takeichi. Nonetheless, he has a cheerful personality and takes positive action at every turn, and he frequently describes himself as a "X X demon". He was greatly appalled by the appearance and the change in his alma mater, which was struggling to change the status quo. In the last episode, Shingū Elementary School narrowly avoided closing down, but at the same time, he resigned to take responsibility for the incident that was caused by Akira Hara in the school. Bleach was well received by critics, but failed to chart in the U.S. upon its original release. The album was re-released internationally by Geffen Records in 1992 following the success of Nirvana's second album, Nevermind (1991). The re-release debuted at number 89 on the Billboard 200, and peaked at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart and 34 on the Australian albums chart. In 2009 Sub Pop released a 20th anniversary edition of Bleach featuring a live recording of a Nirvana show in Portland, Oregon from 1990 as extra material. Since its release in 1989, Bleach has sold over 1.7 million units in the United States alone. It is Sub Pop's best-selling release to date. Following the release of its debut single "Love Buzz" on Sub Pop in November 1988, Nirvana practiced for two to three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album, even though Sub Pop had only requested an EP. The main sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording Studios in Seattle, with local producer Jack Endino. The album's dedication reads "To Sam", which is a nickname for Stanley August Miesegaes, the Dutch millionaire who supported the band financially from 1969–72. Background and recording After the failure of their first two albums and an unsuccessful tour, the band broke up, and Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson recruited new members, drummer Bob C. Benberg, woodwinds player John Helliwell, and bassist Dougie Thomson. This new line-up were sent by their record label, A&M, in particular A&R man Dave Margereson (who would become their manager for the next ten years) to a seventeenth-century farm in Somerset in order to rehearse together and prepare the album.
Kelly Slivka/The Whale Center of New EnglandA humpback whale alongside the bow of a whale-watching boat in the Stellwagen sanctuary. As I wrote this week in a story about the humpback whales that summer off New England, one of the main reasons researchers want to learn about the humpbacks is so that the whales can be better protected from human activities like fishing and boating. The rich food web that supports humpback whales that feed in and around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary draws other predators like haddock and cod, too, which are targets of area fisheries. Many of the fisheries set nets out in the water, and whales sometimes get caught in these nets and die. So the researchers started using tags to learn how deep humpback whales tend to dive and how they move their bodies while diving. They’ve also focused their research on a small fish called sandlance, which humpback whales love to eat. If the scientists can figure out how the whales’ prey behaves, they can predict the large-scale movements of the whales as they follow their food. “The sandlance seem to do the best job of predicting where the whales are and why they’re there,” said Elliott Hazen, who has studied sandlance aggregations around the sanctuary since 2006. “The better we can understand what the whales are doing, the better we change our usage of the ocean to reduce the whales’ risk,” he added. ReutersScapegoats? A herd of young gray seals on Hay Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia. The codfish catch is declining, and nets are coming up empty. What to do? For some, the answer is to kill the marine mammals that compete with humans for fish. In Canada, where a resurgent population of Atlantic gray seals is being held responsible by fishermen for the failure of cod stocks to bounce back, the fisheries department’s Science Advisory Secretariat last year proposed an experimental cull of 73,000 of the 350,000 gray seals estimated to live on the country’s east coast. Once valued for their oil, gray seals were nearly wiped out by hunting pressures, and the population has been rebuilding only slowly. There is very little commercial hunting of gray seals because there is almost no market for them, in contrast to baby harp seals, which have been prized for their fur (although that market is drying up). But the seal’s gradual comeback has coincided with the collapse of what was once one of the world’s great fisheries, the Canadian codfish stock, which has been moribund since 1992. This environmental and commercial calamity cost thousands of people their jobs and decimated fishing communities. Some fishermen — and, conservationists argue, politicians pandering to them — see a zero-sum equation at work: more seals, fewer fish. A bluefin tuna cage trawling the Mediterranean. Regulators are supposed to ensure that countries do not exceed fishing quotas in their waters, but a thriving black market in illegally fished bluefin persists. The United States and the European Union announced a bilateral agreement on Wednesday on combating illegal fishing, saying that the practice deprives legitimate fishermen and coastal communities of billions of dollars of revenue each year. Jane Lubchenco, the administrator of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and Maria Damanaki, the European Union’s commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, announced the deal in Washington. The pact calls for cooperation on adopting effective management measures in regional and international organizations to combat illegal fishing and promoting tools that prevent illegal fishing operators from benefiting economically from their activities. The United States and the European Union will also share information on illegal fisheries and “promote the sustainable use of fisheries resources while preserving marine biodiversity,’’ the two sides said. Policymakers argue that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing — known as “I.U.U.” fishing or pirate fishing — makes a mockery of national and international laws meant to ensure fish stocks are managed in a sustainable manner. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Bluefin tuna at a wholesale fish market last week. Vessels from six nations, including Italy, engaged in illegal fishing on the high seas in 2009 and 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported to Congress on Wednesday. The report details the widespread use of illegal driftnets, overfishing of stocks protected by international quotas and the unlawful use of spotting planes to catch increasingly rare bluefin tuna, among other violations. Also cited for violations were vessels from Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Portugal and Venezuela. A 2006 amendment to federal fisheries law requires NOAA to investigate and report to Congress on nations whose fleets engage in illegal and unregulated fishing, and to work with violators to bring them back into compliance. Countries that fail to address complaints after two years can be subject to economic sanctions. Six nations cited in last year’s report — China, France, Libya, Italy, Panama and Tunisia — have taken steps to crack down on unlawful fishing and have been certified as back in compliance with international law, the report said. Jennifer Zdon for The New York Times Aaron Greco took his new boat out in Bayou Terre Aux Boeufs, La., with a reporter in tow. My article in Friday’s paper, “A Son of the Bayou, Torn Over the Shrimping Life,’’ is a coming-of-age story with the BP oil spill as its backdrop. For this guest post here on the Green blog, I considered riffing on various environmental angles. I could write about how the Obama administration is paving the way for deep-water drilling to resume in the Gulf of Mexico, even as the presidential spill commission warned this week that a similar accident could well occur without significant reform. Or I could mention the recent report from the Congressional Research Service noting that, even if the vast majority of the oil has been removed from the gulf as the government has long since reported, more than two million barrels remain. Or I could link to documentation of how our apparent preference for cheaper shrimp than the ones caught in the wild by fishermen like the Grecos has spurred the destruction of millions of acres of mangroves that serve as natural protection for wildlife in Asia and South America. Read more… National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The endangered Steller sea lion. To protect the declining population of the western Steller sea lion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will restrict commercial fishing for Atka mackerel and Pacific cod, the animal’s main source of food, off parts of the Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands. The decision, announced on Wednesday, comes as the agency mulls whether to remove the closely related eastern Steller sea lion from the threatened and endangered species list. Scientists with the agency said they were acting because the adult populations in some areas of the western Aleutians had declined as much as 45 percent between 2000 and 20008, with a probable cause being a shortage of food. A sea lion, which can be light brown, reddish or almost blond, may commonly weigh 1,500 pounds (males) and eat about 6 percent of its body weight daily in fish. Read more… Associated Press A banner that was posted on a bridge over the Seine during the fisheries conference in Paris. International fisheries negotiators dashed hopes for protection of the bluefin tuna over the weekend in Paris, agreeing to leave fishing quotas for the endangered fish essentially unchanged next year. Conservationists did claim small victories in measures to protect sharks and turtles, however. As I wrote in Sunday’s paper, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, voted to reduce the total allowable bluefin catch in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean next year to 12,900 tons from 13,500 tons. The western Atlantic catch was cut to 1,750 tons from 1,800 tons. Conservationists had been calling for a much sharper reduction — even a moratorium — and a ban on fishing during the spawning season. (More on that in a moment.) The picture on shark conservation was not quite so bleak. “If you’re looking just at sharks, then this meeting was a great success,’’ said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson, a marine scientist with the environmental group Oceana. The commission approved a ban on taking oceanic whitetip sharks, a step that means the fish will be protected “in all of the Iccat convention area, meaning the entire Atlantic Ocean,” Ms. Wilson said. Read more… Citing an “abundance of caution,” federal officials shut down more than 4,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico to deepwater shrimping last week after a commercial shrimper hauled in a catch of royal red shrimp and found numerous tar balls in his net. Royal red shrimp inhabit waters deeper than 600 feet and are caught by trawling, or dragging nets across the seafloor. The tar balls may have been picked up this way, authorities said. “We are taking this situation seriously,” Roy Crabtree, southeast regional administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service, said in a statement. “This fishery is the only trawl fishery that operates at the deep depths where the tar balls were found, and we have not received reports of any other gear or fishery interactions with tar balls.” The royal red shrimp caught along with the tar balls showed no sign of contamination in preliminary testing, leading some scientists to question whether the closings were an overzealous response to the situation by the federal authorities. Read more… International fisheries officials have barely started their meeting to decide the fate of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna, but the European Union may have already torpedoed efforts to lower a hotly contested limit this year. Associated Press A bluefin tuna at a Paris market. As I noted on Tuesday, Europe had a real problem on its hands going into the first day of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, which started in Paris on Wednesday and runs through Nov. 27. The 27-member European Union is supposed to adopt a common position and vote as a bloc, and France, Spain and Italy — the key Mediterranean bluefin fishing nations -– were arguing, over the advice of Iccat scientists and even the European Union fisheries minister, Maria Damanaki, that the quota should stand at 13,500 tons again in 2010. The fishing nations have carried the day. Ms. Damanaki said late Wednesday in a statement that a position had been reached by European ministers, though not the one she advocated for at least a halving of the quota. Read more… Reuters Vehicles lined up for diesel fuel near a gas station in Yunnan Province on Sunday. Surging demand for diesel fuel leads to shortages of the fuel throughout China. The Chinese government is rationing electricity with the goal of meeting energy efficiency and environmental goals by the end of the year, spurring demand for diesel-powered generators. [Financial Times] India’s demand for oil and other hydrocarbon fuels will climb 40 percent by 2020, the country’s prime minister, Manmohan Singh, says in an address in New Delhi. [AutoBlog] More than 99.6 percent of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico are now open to fishing, federal officials said Monday. The most recent area cleared for fishing is as close as 10 miles to the BP wellhead that released a massive spill. [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Money from the stimulus package for high-speed rail will be distributed elsewhere if states cancel the rail projects financed by the grants, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says. Two recently elected Republican governors have vowed to kill rail projects funded by the stimulus package, saying they would rather spend the money on roads. [Washington Post] Miami sees its first locally acquired case of dengue fever in 50 years, according to health officials. [Palm Beach Post] Fred Upton, the Michigan Republican considered the leading candidate to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee in next year’s Congress, petitions Carol Browner, a White House energy adviser, for details on changes staff members in her office made to an Interior Department report on offshore drilling in May. The report was used to support the case for a deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in the midst of the BP spill. [The Hill] Reuters As rain pounded Port-au-Prince on Sunday night, officials urged Haitians living in crowded tent camps to seek new shelter from an approaching storm. Tropical Storm Tomas churns through the Caribbean on a path that could batter Haiti with heavy rain and strong winds and pose a major threat to the one million homeless survivors of last January’s earthquakes. Over the weekend, the storm wrecked havoc on St. Lucia and other Caribbean islands. [Reuters] The Marshall Islands, a chain of low-lying atolls and islands in the South Pacific, plans to build a massive seawall to guard against rising sea levels. The country’s small expanse of dry land sits no more than three feet above the high tide mark, making it extremely vulnerable to flooding and erosion. [Agence France-Presse] Global photovoltaic installations will eclipse 15 gigawatts in generating capacity by the end of this year and reach 25 gigawatts by 2013, a new solar industry report estimates. [GreenTech Media] London, Toronto and New York City sign up for a new initiative to create a public database tracking carbon dioxide emissions and climate policies for individual cities. [Business Green] Sierra Leone will bar foreign-owned fishing ships from its international shipping registry, the country’s fisheries minister says. The move is intended to curb rampant illegal fishing by ships flying so-called “flags of convenience” from the West African nation. [Reuters] Scientists discover million-year-old sand grains in the vast Namib Sand Sea in Namibia; the ancient grains and other sediments could shed light on past climate changes, scientists suggest. [Live Science] Scientists in Europe have bred Atlantic bluefin tuna in captivity, and without using hormones, potentially boosting stocks of a fish that has become endangered because of huge demand for sashimi and sushi in Japan and other countries. “If the results of this research can ultimately be commercialized, it can improve food supplies and contribute to economic growth and employment while also helping to ensure a sustainable management of bluefin tuna,” Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Union’s commissioner for research, said this week. Concern has grown over the health of the species because too many bluefin are being caught before they get the chance to breed. The migrating wild fish are caught, then fattened in floating cages before they are killed. Ms. Geoghegan-Quinn’s department at the European Commission has given nearly 3 million euros to the research project, called Selfdott, for self-sustained aquaculture and domestication of thunnus thynnus, and coordinated by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. The commission said the breakthrough without using hormones was the first of its kind in Europe, and possibly in the world, and that it represented important progress for the aquaculture industry because more consumers are asking for foods raised naturally. Read more… With oil from the BP blowout continuing to dissipate, the federal authorities reopened more than 5,000 square miles of commercial and recreational fishing waters in the gulf on Tuesday. At their closest point, the reopened waters lie about 115 miles northeast of the now-capped wellhead. According to experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, testing showed fish from the area, off the Florida Panhandle, to be free from contamination from the spill. “We are confident that gulf fish from this area is safe to eat and pleased that recreational and commercial fisherman can fish these waters again,” NOAA’s administrator, Jane Lubchenco, said in a statement. Nearly 53,000 square miles of federal waters in the gulf remain closed to fishing due to the spill. July was the hottest month ever for Las Vegas; every day broke triple-digit temperatures. [LVRJ] Food crops can absorb pharmaceuticals and other consumer chemicals through irrigation with treated sewage, a study finds. [ACS] Coal miners challenge the stance of Rand Paul, a Senate candidate from Kentucky, that “Washington bureaucrats” have no business regulating the state’s mines. “I think we depend on federal legislation to keep us safe in the mines,” one mine worker says. [AP] Federal regulators propose shutting down cod and mackerel fishing in 130,000 miles of Alaskan waters to halt a dramatic decline in sea lion populations. [LAT] To shift population growth away from overcrowded coastal cities, China moves to urbanize its vast interior — but some say the gambit may backfire. [Reuters] Haiti braces for an active hurricane season. [IPS] Associated Press A shrimp boat in an area of the gulf that was not closed to fishing. In a rare bit of good news for the Gulf Coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that it is reopening more than 26,000 square miles of federal waters in the gulf to commercial and recreational fishing. The waters reopened represent roughly one-third of the total area that had been closed to fishing because of the oil spill and lie southeast of BP’s blown-out well. About 25 percent of federal waters in the gulf and thousands of square miles of state waters remain off limits. Monitoring by NOAA and the Coast Guard found that the reopened area had been oil-free since mid-June, with trajectory models showing the region at low risk of being affected by oil in the future. Fish caught in the area showed no sign of contamination. The waters had been closed in early June when a light sheen was observed drifting southeast from the well site, raising fears that substantial amounts of oil might enter a strong ocean current that could carry it toward the Florida Keys. That scenario did not materialize, NOAA’s administrator, Jane Lubchenco, said at a media briefing on Thursday. Read more…
Wetlands and associated riparian areas are important to most of our wildlife species, but they are very important to humans and their activities as well. Many people do not realize that the stream flow patterns we see today reflect widespread wetland removal, which has left us with unnaturally high flows in spring and lower low flows in summer, all of which means we have less water for irrigation and fish in summer but have more bank erosion and flooding in spring. Wetlands also filter water, reducing pollution, and provide some of the most diverse, yet limited, habitat. Most animals use wetlands and riparian areas at some point in their life cycle, yet wetlands only cover approximately one percent of the landscape. Restoration of wetlands, floodplain connectivity, and in-stream habitat complexity (think: “speed bumps” for strong flood flows) is needed to get these needed benefits back. Wetlands are components of many types of projects, such as wetland delineations and permitting for infrastructure construction or improvements, incorporating natural corridor and wetland habitat in development or stormwater projects, and restoring wetlands to protect water quality or important wildlife habitat. Great West Engineering provides all aspects of wetland assessment, restoration, and management to identify potential project limitations and to design and permit projects that protect natural resources while meeting clients’ needs. Our wetland services include: Wetland delineation and mapping, wetland functional assessments and mitigation design, and mitigation compliance monitoring. Our services in aquatic resources also include stream, wetland, and floodplain permitting and restoration, aquatic habitat condition assessment and restoration, non-traditional restoration designs such as Stage Zero restoration and Low-tech Process-Based Restoration, aerial imaging, monitoring, and mapping of wetlands and ecosystem response to restoration. One example of Great West’s wetlands work is an extensive wetland delineation and mitigation project for a new water intake and pipeline for the City of Laurel. Great West Engineering delineated wetlands to support permitting and design of the new water intake and pipeline. Our team also developed a wetland mitigation design that allowed the client to avoid all but minimal wetland credit purchase cost by salvaging seedbed and plant materials from existing wetlands in the construction zone and spreading the wetland materials to the recontoured wetlands post-construction. Great West conducted post-restoration monitoring to document pre-and post-construction contours and the recovery of wetland communities. Before: Headcut and channel incision are drying out the lower floodplain After Phase 1 of construction: Low-tech stream restoration techniques return water to the low floodplain In a project of an entirely different nature, Great West Engineering is providing the technical lead for a pilot study of low-cost stream and wetland restoration techniques in the northern prairie landscape, planning and overseeing construction of projects on BLM land in four counties in east-central Montana. This innovative and wide-reaching project has multiple objectives: Test site-appropriate and low-cost methods to mitigate head cutting (where streams erode downward at a nick point) and prevent loss of riparian rangeland; reconnect degraded stream channels and floodplain pastures; improve sage grouse chick survival by maintaining green riparian vegetation longer in summer; increase duration and extent of stream flow; and demonstrate potential tools for riparian restoration and channel protection to local stakeholders. This project involves a great mix of partners, including Bureau of Land Management, National Wildlife Federation, Montana Trappers’ Association, Montana Conservation Corps, University of Montana, U.S. Geological Service, and local volunteers. Great West has completed wetland mapping, assessment, and restoration projects throughout Montana, as well as in neighboring states. We have the experience to navigate the challenges and identify the opportunities wetlands and aquatic resources can lend to projects and are committed to responsible management of these valuable resources. To find out more about our wetland services or how we can help your community contact us today. The City of Glendive provides water to residents, businesses, and commercial users. On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Act. Improving the world in which we live and work has been part of our DNA for over three decades.
Target: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Goal: Stop the production and development of genetically engineered trees Lumber and paper companies have recently begun to genetically engineer trees to enhance certain properties and make the trees more conducive to their business. However, these unnatural trees could easily contaminate native ecosystems and spread their genetically engineered genes into wild environments, leading to negative and irreparable consequences on the environment and the earth as a whole. Lumber and paper producers are genetically engineering trees to withstand colder climates, grow faster, and to become easier to break down for processing. However, the potential effects of these altered trees could be devastating to natural ecosystems. The Center for Food Safety recently released a study showing the harmful side effects of large genetically engineered tree plantations replacing forests in America. One of the main negative consequences of GE tree plantations is that GE trees can easily spread their genes to non-GE trees and forever contaminate them. Once a few trees in a native ecosystem are contaminated, the number of contaminated trees will only increase. The GE trees are modified to resist insects, grow faster, and have reduced lignin, all of which would devastate ecosystems by destroying the natural balance between plants and animals. Dr. Martha Crouch, an expert on biotechnology, agriculture, and the environment, stated that, “Commercializing unproven GE trees is too big of a risk to take with so much at stake. Monocultures of GE trees could not only replace complex native forests, but GE trees could also escape from plantations where they could disrupt longstanding relationships between species.” The commercialization of GE trees would also add to the use of herbicides and pesticides and increase the use of water. The company ArborGen is attempting to start field trials of GE eucalyptus trees in the southeastern United States. The trees were genetically engineered in New Zealand, but ArborGen was not allowed to begin field trials as New Zealand recognized that the risks were too great. Therefore, the trials will start in the U.S. where companies can get away with most GE endeavors. The public is largely against the proposed plan of ArborGen, but the corporations pushing the plan have far more power and influence with the government. Help us stop this harmful plan, which would further ingrain the current industrial, unsustainable, and anti-nature paradigm. Say no to genetically engineered trees before it’s too late. Dear Secretary Vilsack, The commercialization of genetically engineered trees would have many harmful consequences on the environment. GE tree plantations would easily spread GE genes and contaminate native ecosystems, damaging the trees with traits such as resistance to insects and reduced lignin. Ultimately, GE trees would upset the natural balance in an ecosystem and disrupt relationships between species. Once a few trees become contaminated in a forest, the number of GE trees in the native ecosystem will only grow. This will be devastating for the environment and greatly reduce biodiversity. GE tree plantations will also increase the use of herbicides, pesticides, and water. New Zealand rejected the ArborGen field trials of GE eucalyptus because of the damaging consequences it would inevitably have. Now ArborGen will conduct these trials in the U.S. and our country will face the same harmful effects. Please do not allow genetically engineered trees to become commercialized and stop the ArborGen proposal of GE eucalyptus plantations in the southeastern United States. [Your Name Here] Photo Credit: CFS via Wikimedia Commons
Treating Fleas on Cats The goals of treating cats infested with fleas are to eliminate the flea population on the cats and from their immediate living environment, and to provide as much relief, as quickly possible, from the itchiness, pain and discomfort that accompany flea bites. While prevention is the best cure for fleas, there are a number of good available treatment options. Determined owners should adopt an integrated flea management program that treats not only the cat, but also its immediate environment. The affected cat and all other animals in the household must be treated. Pets can be treated with topical pesticides in the form of shampoos, liquids, foams, sprays, powders, dusts and dips. Some of these only kill adult fleas after they bite the cat, while others kill fleas by direct contact. Some prevent eggs from maturing and hatching, while others kill the eggs, larvae and adults. Some flea treatments even control other parasites, including lice, mites, ticks, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and/or heartworms. Oral medications are also available to kill fleas. A flea comb can be used to remove adult fleas, especially from short-haired cats; the fleas should be killed immediately by putting them into a sealable container with a bit of liquid detergent or rubbing alcohol. Corticosteroids and antihistamines may be prescribed to help relieve the itchiness and other bothersome symptoms that accompany a heavy flea burden. These can be given orally or, if necessary, by injection. Organic flea treatments may benefit some cats live in cool, dry climates. These treatments include essential oil applications and dietary supplements. Cat owners should consult a veterinarian before using flea-control products, because they vary widely in safety, method of action and effectiveness. Some should not be used on kittens or pregnant queens. Some are toxic if ingested in large amounts, which can happen when a cat grooms itself after the products are applied. Another critical aspect of flea control is to eliminate the reservoir of fleas maturing in a cat’s house and yard. Over 90% of the flea population is free in the environment in the form of tiny eggs, larvae and pupae at any given time. Thorough mechanical cleaning of all floor surfaces by sweeping, mopping and/or vacuuming is a good place to start. Insecticidal carpet shampoos, sprays, powders and foggers are widely available over-the-counter. Bedding and housing should be cleaned or replaced. Several different insect growth regulators are available in liquid spray or powder dust forms. These essentially prevent eggs, larvae and pupae from maturing into adults. Professional exterminators offer a number of services to eliminate fleas and may be especially helpful in cases of heavy infestation. The yard should be treated as well, including any kennels, runs, pens, dog houses, cat houses, patio furniture, decks, carpeted cat furniture, kitty climbing towers and all preferred pet napping spots. The outlook for cats infested with fleas is quite good, as long as effective flea control is established and maintained. This requires patience and tenacity on the part of cat owners. Kittens, older cats and cats with underlying medical conditions have an increased chance of developing life-threatening anemia and secondary bacterial infections from severe flea infestations. Products that contain permethrins are toxic to cats. They can cause seizures, tremors and other severe neurological disorders. Many anti-flea products for dogs, including over-the-counter products, contain permethrin and should not be used on cats. Some cats have developed toxicity just from snuggling up to a dog that has been treated with a product containing permethrin.
Being able to put your arm around the shoulder of a friend who is upset and giving them a squeeze may not seem like a significant skill, but it is. Most humans are so good at judging the level of force they exert on others that accidently crushing or bashing someone in such a situation is rarely a problem. For amputees fitted with prostheses such things are not so easy. What they need, of course is that their artificial limbs should have a sense of touch. And that may soon be possible, thanks to some astonishing experiments carried out by a group based at the University of Chicago. Prosthetic limbs have been going through a bit of a revolution of late. It was not that long ago that the best an amputee could hope for was a cable-controlled pincer hook. Now a person who loses a hand can get a robotic replacement with fully working fingers that allows them to grip and manipulate objects and manage complicated tasks like tying shoelaces or dealing playing cards. This rapid development has been a by-product of the telecommunications revolution, which by making the smartphone a mass-market item has leveraged both the production of cheap superfast silicon chips, and the price of the lithium batteries used to power them. The computer processors in robotic prostheses are used to monitor the electrical signals of the arm muscles and to translate them into the mechanical movement of joints and fingers of the prosthetic hand, while the lightweight battery provides the considerable power needed (see the i-limb). But there is one aspect of the smartphone that has not yet been incorporated into prosthetic limbs: touch sensitivity. The screens of almost all smartphones have a sense of touch, bestowed on them by a transparent conducting layer made of indium tin oxide, which is continuously monitored by the chip inside the phone. When it detects changes in the electrical activity of that layer, the processor checks to see if they match those of a human finger and reacts accordingly. Thus, as you move your finger on the screen you can scroll a webpage or flick through emails. Importantly, the movement you see on the screen matches what you feel in your hand. Prosthetic fingers and thumbs do not have a sense of touch, and so amputees have to rely on their visual sense to guide the forces exerted by their prosthetic hands. This is not only inconvenient but annoying, because force feedback, as it is called, is what gives the human sense of touch such sophistication. It is what allows us to gently clink champagne glasses without crushing them, give someone a passionate kiss without bruising them, or increase the grip on a box slipping out of our grasp. In each case we use force feedback to guide our actions, a skill we all learnt the hard way as infants, smashing and crashing our way through childhood. To give prosthetic hands such force feedback first requires them to be able to detect force. The technology that works on the flat and hard mobile phone screens has to be adapted to the soft, deformable and multiple curved surfaces of a prosthesis – a considerable challenge. Many scientists from around the world are working on developing such materials, including myself, as part of the Light.Touch.Matters team. We are developing a mouldable plastic material containing piezoelectric powder that can sense pressure at any point on the surface by turning it into an electric voltage. It is recognised, however, that even if we succeed in detecting the pressure associated with contact, there is a bigger hurdle to overcome. The electric signals then have to be translated into the physiological language of the body. In other words, these electric voltages have to be plugged into the nervous system and interpreted in the brain as a sense of touch. The feasibility of achieving this was in doubt until a Chicago University research group had a go at doing it and succeeded. The Chicago scientists reported results of experiments in which electrodes were attached to the nerves of a monkey's hand and, purely by manipulating the voltages, they were able to replicate the perception of physical pressure associated with holding things, showing that the brain is interpreting the simulated nerve signals as touch. This is astounding because it indicates that integrating prostheses into the nervous system is possible, and so opening the door to robotic devices with force feedback and touch sensitivity. The technology has wider implications, since our sense of touch is deeply associated with our feeling of embodiment. You only have to recall the last time you slept awkwardly and woke up with a "dead arm" to appreciate this. If prostheses gain a sense of touch, their philosophical status as "lifeless" may have to be revised.
The good news for Santa is that reindeer, a species found throughout Arctic regions of the world, seem to be hanging on pretty well despite global warming shrinking their habitat. But the bad news is that some populations appear to be doing worse than others. Among the most threatened may be a small population of fewer than 1,000 animals in northern China, according to a study in the December Journal of Nature Conservation. Xiuxiang Meng of Renmin University of China in Beijing and colleagues combined a literature review, interviews with reindeer herders and surveys of the animals into a comprehensive tale of the reindeer’s history in China. China’s reindeer aren’t completely wild. In fact, they are a semi-domesticated population herded by the Ewenki, an indigenous group that originated in Siberia. The reindeer arrived in northeast China in 1654 when the Ewenki and their animals migrated into the Mt. Daxing’anling region. Traditionally, the Ewenki are nomadic, but in 1957 the Chinese government put an end to that lifestyle, settling the Ewenki and about 600 reindeer in the Qiqian region, near the Russian border. But as China’s relationship with Russia deteriorated, the Ewenki were moved again, with about 900 reindeer, a bit south to the Mangui region in 1965. Since the mid-20th century, the number of reindeer in China has fluctuated, from a high of 1,080 in 1982 to a low of 463 in 1998, and since 2010, there have never been more 840 individuals, the population size in 1970. Some years saw huge losses. For example, 145 reindeer were lost to predation, disease and other causes in 1976. And an attempt at captive breeding in 2003 was a complete failure, with 200 reindeer dying in August and September of that year. The researchers estimate that some 200 to 300 animals die from various causes every year. The population faces several problems: The reindeer have become heavily inbred within the last several decades, and many calves are born with congenital deformities. Poachers kill reindeer for their antlers, which are used in Chinese medicine and perfumes. As many as a third of calves are killed each year by predators such as bears, wolves and lynx. And human herders, who once would have protected the reindeer and tracked down lost animals, are now few in number. In October 2012, the researchers counted only 33 Ewenki herders, and none under the age of 30. “Young men find it difficult to adjust to the isolation of the forested mountains, and consequently there is a general lack of young men to perform this task,” the researchers note. Some Ewenki have moved their herds closer to downtown areas, where they can take advantage of links to the tourism industry. But this has placed their reindeer in areas were there is not as much lichen (aka reindeer food) or clean water. These reindeer are probably stressed, the scientists suggest. And they’re losing numbers to cars, ingestion of plastic bags and tourists who buy the animals to eat or keep as pets. There are a few positive notes in the study: The reindeer have been placed in the second category of the Chinese State Key Protected Wildlife List, which means the animals can’t be captured or killed without permission or punishment. Twenty-nine reindeer from outside the country were brought in to increase the population’s genetic diversity. And there are now efforts to artificially inseminate the animals, which should also help to alleviate the inbreeding problem. With these and other efforts, China’s reindeer may hang on for many Christmases to come.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 The amount of K-Cups Trashed in Landfills Could Wrap Around the Planet 10 times. Brewing coffee has changed dramatically over the years. Coffee no longer represents a time to gather with family, take a break, and recharge. Instead it’s about getting caffeinated as quickly and efficiently as possible to do more and more work. This excessive, on-the-go, convenience model of coffee consumption is creating more and more waste -- and big problems for our environment. Nothing is more emblematic of this culture shift and waste problem than Keurig Green Mountain company’s plastic, single serve K-cups. Designed specifically for the Keurig brand coffee brewer, these white plastic pods with aluminum foil lids create a single cup of coffee with the press of a button. After the coffee is brewed, the pod is designed not to be reused, composted, or recycled - but to be thrown in the trash. Keurig Green Mountain company is widely recognized as the pioneer of these single serve pods - but there’s nothing pioneering about trashing the planet with excessive waste! K-Cups may be small in size, but the waste is adding up fast. The amount of K-Cups trashed into landfills as of today could wrap around the planet more than 10 times! More broadly, almost 25% of American homes owned a single cup brewing machine. That’s over 75 million homes brewing single use pods like K-cups everyday, multiple times a day. This means that tens of billions of non-reusable, non-recyclable plastic pods have ended up in landfills thanks to companies like Keurig - and that number is exponentially growing as more companies join the industry. Keurig Green Mountain Company’s President and CEO Brian Kelley said, “We have to think about sustainability in everything we do.” In response to backlash from consumers about the wastefulness of K-Cups, Keurig says that they have a commitment to make K-Cups out of #5 polypropylene plastic by 2020 so they can be recycled in most areas. While recycling is important, only a mere one third of major recycling programs accept this kind of plastic. The K-Cups that don’t get recycled will take thousands of years to decompose in a landfill and will contribute to our growing problem of plastic pollution. Worst of all, as Keurig tries to live up to its motto to “brew a better world”, their short term environmental solution is to incinerate K-Cups! Through their Grounds to Grow On program they encourage their customers to mail their empty K-Cups back to Keurig where the plastic pods and aluminum tops are burned in energy incinerators. Incinerating trash is known to waste lots of energy and to put harmful, cancer causing toxins into our air, water, and soil. The best way to address these problems is to use existing technology to make K-Cups reusable or compostable instead. We’ve seen this problem before - from microbeads to plastic water bottles to styrofoam cups - and we know better. We won’t let the notion of “convenience” be a marketing scapegoat for billion dollar corporations to trash the planet and get away with it. Keurig Green Mountain Company has an obligation to do right by the planet and its people. That means taking responsibility for its products’ waste all the way until the end of their life cycle. Green Mountain should stop greenwashing. One of the first ways they can do that is by making the K-cup reusable and compostable. The practice of brewing and drinking coffee may have changed over the years - and it certainly will change further with time. But one thing that will never change is each generation’s dependence on a healthy planet. By Willard “Woody” Michels Guest Blogger A couple years ago a man named Gabriel Sherman wrote a book, “The Loudest Voice in the Room.” Th... Have you ever returned home from a trip claiming you “need a vacation to get over your vacation?”. You wouldn’t be the only one! And th... — things said or done; things left unsaid or undone. Paths that weren’t followed; opportunities missed due to fear or insecurity. The list i... The cross-country road trip is as American as apple pie. Which is why it’s so ironic that the latest motorhome innovation comes from ov...
This what the attachment was Scholarly Article Review Instructions For this assignment you will review a single scholarly article in the APUSOnline Library and summarize what it says about the specific topic that has been identified in the Assignment section of the classroom. This 2-3 page paper must be a review of scholarly research, not commercial Psychology Today, Wikipedia or WebMD style publications or self-help or parent support organization material (the latter is very valuable to families in need of easy to digest and access information, but isn’t applicable to this assignment). The introductory paragraph will give a brief description of the topic and the article that you will be reviewing. The article summary will include the following: • Discussion of the focus of the research • Description of the hypothesis of the study • Description of how the study was conducted including the population that was studied, the methodology used (i.e. naturalistic observation, experiment, case study, survey, etc). How the data was collected and analyzed • Description of the results of the study Your review/discussion of the article will include A discussion of the way the research was conducted and potential impact on results (e.g. problems with the study methodology that might have affected its validity and/or generalizability). A description of three ideas inspired in you by the article. A description of the use, impact, or potential the research might have. For this type of academic paper scholarly publications from the APUS online library must be used. Why is the APUS online library required? Scholarly sources are found in academic journals (The Journal of… is a good tip for identifying these) and the APUS online library has a very large set of holdings and a staff of librarians to assist. You can connect with both by clicking the Library link while logged into your classroom. Other university libraries also carry such journals but online access is frequently restricted to those universities’ enrolled students. Hard copies from traditional “brick-and-mortar” libraries cannot be used unless you can also provide an online copy to verify the article’s existence in digital format. This is because your instructor needs to be able to verify that you are using actual published journal articles, the journals they are published in, their dates of publication and their authors.Although some of the following may be accessed through links in the APUS online library, popular magazines, Wikipedia, About.com, Ask.com, newspapers, blogs or other opinion-based publications may not be used. Not all articles found in the databases are scholarly. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of a resource, check with your instructor before using it for your assignment. The source for your article must be cited in the paper body and listed in APA style in a page entitled “References” attached separately to the end of your paper. (HINT: since this is a review of a single scholarly article, your reference page will only contain only SINGLE source. Do not incorporate any information outside of this SINGLE source.) The Online Library contains and excellent discussion on identifying scholarly articles in the Tutorial and Student Studies Center. APA style can be a bit like learning a second language. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/apa/index.html is an excellent practical, how-to guide to this formatting style. Your classroomResources folder also contains APA formatting guides. You don't need to have an abstract, as is typically required for APA style, for this paper but you must include an APA formatted cover page in addition to the References page mentioned above. The 2-3page requirement does not include the cover or reference pages and the paper must be formatted in Times New Roman or Arial font no larger than size 12 with 1” margins on all sides of the paper body and double spaced. Length compliance is determined using these formatting rules in grading the work. Formatting will be checked on your instructor’s end and a paper that falls short of the required length submitted in large font or with wide margins will receive a point deduction of 10% for each missing page. Be careful to check your work for proper formatting and other instructions compliance before submitting. Revisions cannot be allowed after students are notified via grading feedback of these problems. Your paper must be written at a college level. This means a minimum amount(nobody often achieves perfection) of spelling and grammar errors that don’t get in the way of following your points; no use of personal first or second person pronouns (“I” or “you”) in your article summary; no personal story sharing or creative writing style wording (papers that begin with a question or “Imagine for a moment that…” or “Webster’s Dictionary defines _____ as…” style openers are fine for some courses but not for this assignment. Simply start with, “This paper focuses on ________” with the topic of your paper in the blank space, and then move on to summarizing the findings of the publication you cite in the paper and the other required elements). The 2nd part of your paper will include your review/discussion of the article as outlined previously. This section of your paper may include first person writing. Please be sure that your article summary is clear and distinct from your review of the article. Do not intermingle the two sections of your paper.
For at least 5,000 years before Europeans arrived in North America, Native Americans periodically set vast swaths of New England on fire. Settlers brought the practice to a halt by the mid-18th century. But today conservationists are again burning the forest to restore the ecosystem and dampen the fire risk to some towns. Tim Simmons is a restoration ecologist with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program in Westborough. Speaking of the early Native Americans, Simmons said fire “was sort of a Leatherman [or multi-tool] of their time. They used it for everything.”
Kirchner v Venus (1859) Kirchner v Venus (1859) is early English Law case precedent that defined Freight as the reward payable to the carrier of for the safe carriage and delivery of goods". It is a key decission in the history of Ship owners Lien for freight. The case was an action bought in trover for the release of goods being held in Lein for failure to pay. Facts of the Case The respondents were having seven shipments sent by Kirchner from Liverpool, England to Sydney, Australia. The customer was declaired bankrupt before the goods arrived and failed to pay. The shipping firm sought a lien of £317 16s 4d on the goods to enforce payment. Stephens CJ found against the ship owners saying A party has no right to claim possession of a chattel inconsistent with the terms of the contract. The decission also found that where the parties make specific reference to payment that is not freight the the question as to whether Lein exists or not is depended on the terms in the contract and the court can not assume one that is not in the contract. This article "Kirchner v Venus (1859)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Kirchner v Venus (1859). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
Card Skimming is not new, but the technology that makes it possible is evolving. Would you be able to identify an ATM rigged with skimming devices? Let’s start with what is Card Skimming actually is. Skimming occurs when thieves attach devices to ATMs that capture your card number and PIN. While there are several versions of skimmers the basic components are: - A card reader attachment or “skimmer” - A keypad overlay - A hidden video camera The main component is the skimmer, which is a small device that fits over the card slot or in some cases inside the card slot itself. As you insert your card, the device reads you magnetic strip and records the information as it enters the ATM. Everything functions normally, but your card has now been copied. The second component is either a keypad overlay or a video camera that captures your PIN (Personal Identification Number). The overlay is often hard to detect. It simply lies on top of the original keypad and records the PIN numbers as you type. Because the pressure is enough to pass through the overlay and engage the real keypad underneath, the transaction can easily go unnoticed. This method guarantees accurate capture of the PIN. The alternative to the keypad overlay is a tiny video camera hidden somewhere on or near the ATM. The camera records the user as they type their PIN sequence. The copied or “skimmed” data is then programmed onto bogus blank ATM cards. When matched with the recorded PIN, thieves can now use the fake cards at ATMs to withdraw cash or make purchases. Basic skimmer devices record the copied data on the device itself. This means the thief must return to the ATM to retrieve the skimmer device. Newer skimmer devices have the ability to transmit the copied data wirelessly. So how do you know if the ATM you are about to use has a skimmer device? - Most card skimmers are affixed to the ATM. If the card reader looks different than the rest of the machine, try to jiggle it. If it moves or seems to protrude away from the machine, it may be a skimmer. - Look for tiny cameras above or near the keypad. They can be as small as a pin hole. Check for molded pieces of plastic that don’t match the rest of the machine. They could be hiding a camera inside. - Does the keypad seem too thick? If you use the same ATM frequently you may notice that the keypad looks or feels different. - Look for parts or panels that don’t seem to fit correctly or don’t match the rest of the machine. - A quick image search for “card skimmers” on your favorite internet browser will produce hundreds of photos of skimming devices. How you can avoid skimmers. - Frequent the same ATM when you need cash. The more often you use it, the more likely you are to notice when something seems wrong. - Use your hand to cover your keystrokes as you type your PIN sequence. While this will make it difficult for a camera to capture your number, you may still be vulnerable to a keypad overlay. - Beware of unbranded ATMs when possible. Dummy ATMs can be set up in high traffic areas where cash is needed quickly. You may scan your card and enter your PIN only to get an error message that the machine is not working properly. Odds are you just got “Skimmed”. - Use ATMs in trusted places such as Banks & stores where surveillance cameras are present and might deter a thief trying to place a skimmer. Card Skimming is relatively cheap and has a high payoff, so it is likely going to be around for a while. But, now you know what to look for and can avoid being skimmed.
Employability is defined as the set of achievements or skills in an individual that makes him/her more likely to be employed or be successful in their employments. The theory of employability implies the process of moulding the educated individual into an employable candidate by identifying their skill set. It provides appropriate training and equips the candidate so as to place them directly into the workforce, thus enabling their achievement of lucrative employment. The employability of job pursuers needs to be improved so that they can acquire positions according to their job profiles. Kozhikode district has two Employability Centres in Nilambur and West Hill, both of which have provided job opportunities to more than 7,500 people as of August 31st, 2015. They aim at bridging the gap between the employers and the job seekers through efficient training and aptitude tests. Local Self-Government Institutions work at the village and district level. This system encourages an expansion of democracy and implements a direct and representative democracy thereby faciliting harmony. The state of Kerala is divided into 6 Corporations, 87 Municipalities, 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats and 941 Grama Panchayats. The three-tier system with the presence of elected bodies at the village, taluk and district levels came into being following the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution. Local Self-Government Institutions are regarded as effective agencies for the realization of developmental programmes. The Grama Sabhas are responsible for the identification and implementation of developmental programmes. At the grass-roots level, the Local Administration department plays an important role in the implementation and formulation of developmental work. This is because of the decentralization of power. The Town and Country Planning Department, Commissionerate of Rural Development, Directorate of Urban Affairs and the Panchayat Directorate are the most significant departments involved in the smooth functioning of Local Administration.
This is an excerpt from Dr. Fuhrman’s book Eat For Health. All fish contain high levels of pollutants–even salmon. But, recent studies showed dangerous chemicals were ten-times higher in farm-raised salmon as compared to wild salmon. If you’re going to eat salmon, wild salmon is a better choice. Since there are growing concerns about the high pollution and artificial colors used in farm-raised salmon, wild salmon has become more desirable and its prices have gone up. However, a 2005 article in The New York Times reported that most fish labeled as wild Pacific or Alaskan salmon is just farm-raised salmon with a lying label. The New York Times tested salmon that was labeled as wild and sold in eight New York City stores and found that most of the fish was farm-raised, not wild.1 They were able to tell the farm-raised from the wild salmon because of the presence of an artificial, pink food dye manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Hoffman-La Roche. The company distributes their trademarked SalmoFan, which is similar to paint store swatches, so fish farmers can choose among various shades to make salmon have a pink-orange color. Salmon in the wild have that color naturally from eating pink crustaceans, but the commercially raised fish have a grey flesh from eating fishmeal. Europeans are suspicious of the dye, which was linked to retinal damage in people when taken as a sunless tanning pill. Numerous studies also have found surprisingly high levels of PCBs and dioxin in farm-raised salmon. American health officials’ response was that this level of contamination should not stop consumers from eating salmon, but why should you unnecessarily expose yourself to known toxic carcinogens? If you eat salmon, eat only the wild Alaskan variety. If you eat fish once a week, use mostly the lower fat, less contaminated fish, such as tilapia, flounder, scallops, trout, or sole, but I urge you to eat fish infrequently since eating too much can promote heart disease, cancer, and atrial fibrillation.
A key to accurately interpreting Scripture is to consider what kind of genre the particular book or passage is written in. For instance, how we interpret the meaning behind the Psalms is different from how we might interpret something from II Chronicles. This is because the two books are written in completely different literary genres. The Bible is a collection of many books telling one unified story, and these books are written in different styles. It’s a little like walking into a bookstore and seeing different categories of books such as history, biography, poetry, and non-fiction. When you peruse these different types of books, you will have different expectations as you read them. The following genres are represented Scripture: Narrative (comprises 43 percent of the Bible) Poetry (comprises 33 percent of the Bible) Discourse (comprises 24 percent of the Bible) In the following video, the Bible Project explains why these particular genres are important and why God chose them to communicate the greatest story ever. Enjoy, study, and be changed.
By Ronald D. Quinn, PhD. In 1810, Alejandro Malaspina died in relative obscurity. He was a Genoese navigator who explored the New World, and accomplished much in loyal service to Spain. Yet, very few people would recognize his name, and fewer would have any idea what he did. Even though he was a world explorer, nothing is named for him except a few streets and schools in New Zealand and British Columbia, plus a glacier and mountains in British Columbia and Yukon Territory. This paper outlines who he was and what he did, set in the context of 18th Century geopolitics, and the nature of his fall from royal grace. The story contains all the elements of a good story; the characters exhibit idealism, ambition, loyalty, hubris, greed, treachery, all connected with the downfall of an exceptional person. Spain on the World Scene Five centuries ago Spain swiftly became a leading world power by assembling the first modern global colonial empire. The empire derived its wealth from New Spain (Mexico) and Peru, where enormous amounts of gold were looted from the conquered Aztec and Inca civilizations. This sudden influx of wealth led to El Siglo de Oro, which was literally and figuratively the Golden Century when Spain reached a zenith of world cultural and political power. A century later, after the destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the nation slipped into a long and relentless political decline while the strength of perennial rivals, England and France, grew. As the gold played out in the colonies, Spanish monarchs propped up the government and military with a steady flow of silver mined in the northern portion of what is now Mexico. Protection of the northern frontier became an important element of colonial policy. By the mid-18th Century Spain was increasingly concerned about encroachment by Britain, Russia, and restless colonial Americans upon land they considered theirs in Alta California, the entire Pacific Coast north to Alaska, as well as the great heart of the continent, the Louisiana Territory. These worries were the impetus for the overland colonization of Alta California and the securing of the frontier in Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora, activities that occupied much of the life of Juan Bautista de Anza and his father before him. Spain also wanted a general assessment of its colonial empire around the Pacific, and its colonial competitors. Alejandro Malaspina conceived, promoted and executed the Pacific study, arriving in Alta California 15 years after Anza. Alejandro Malaspina was born in 1754 in the feudal enclave of Lunigiana in what has become northern Italy. He was the second son in family that was aristocratic on both sides, which had been politically and economically powerful in the region since the Middle Ages. His older brother inherited the title and other family possessions. Young Alejandro was exposed to the ideas of the Enlightenment when he attended Clementine College in Rome. These modern ideas shaped much of his thought, and his future. In 1773, he was inducted into the Order of Malta, a venerable organization that had ruled the Mediterranean island of Malta for 300 years. A year later the young knight entered the Spanish navy, and by the age of 26 he was commanding ships in naval battles. He fought in the siege of Gibraltar in 1782, and from 1786 through 1788 he commanded a ship that carried freight to the Philippines, and circumnavigated the globe. It was on this sailing that he formulated the idea of a grand voyage of discovery to the Spanish colonial empire of the Americas and the Pacific, with visits to the growing colonies of Great Britain and Russia. The purposes of the voyage were twofold. The first was to collect new and more accurate navigational information for naval charts, to gather broad scientific information about the biological and physical characteristics of all places visited, to collect samples of the flora, fauna, geology, and to gather information and collect artifacts from the cultures of indigenous peoples. The second purpose was to investigate the economic, social, and political conditions of the Spanish colonies, in the interest of modernizing and improving their stability and productivity. Planning the Voyage of Discovery When Malaspina returned from the voyage around the world he successfully persuaded his Bourbon King and Queen to authorize and finance a Spanish Voyage of Discovery. His thinking was influenced, indeed organized, by the ideals of the Enlightenment. He thought the path to improvement of human affairs was through direct observation of the world, which would then inform systematic thought and productive behavior. These beliefs were often in opposition to traditional beliefs and actions, which were rooted in unquestioned acceptance of authority. When new discoveries and conclusions conflicted with old ways and beliefs, then enlightened thinkers would reject the old and accept the new. Among Spanish intellectuals of his time, and indeed even within the court of King Carlos III, the ideas of the Enlightment, La Ilustración, were influential. It was the perfect moment for Malaspina’s grand proposal. He had three justifications for the project. The first was that Spain needed to catch up with England and France, which had already completed and published the results of successful voyages of world exploration by Captains Cook and La Pérouse. The second reason was that he believed that Spain, in its own interest, must improve its governance of its colonies. The third reason was to snoop on the new and expanding colonies of the Russians and British in the Pacific, an ocean that had been the almost exclusive colonial domain of Spain. He thought that these new foreign colonies could become threats to Spanish interests. Malaspina immediately busied himself building two new ships to his specifications, outfitting them with the most modern equipment available, and carefully recruiting a crew of seamen, officers and scientific specialists. He devoted careful attention to supplies, equipment, food, and the hygiene and welfare of the crew. Each corvette, a small and lightly armed war ship, was 120 feet in length, weighing 306 tons, carrying a crew of just over 100. He named them Descubierta (Discovery) and Atrevida (Daring, Bold), names that proclaimed he intended to go forth boldly where no explorer had gone before. Malaspina’s ships departed Cádiz on July 30, 1789, bound south where they passed the Canary and Cape Verde Islands, and then the long crossing of the Atlantic to Montevideo. From this point forward for the duration of the voyage both ships made careful observations of the exact locations of sailing landmarks, river and harbor geography, ocean depths, and other geographical details that would be of importance for navigational charts. They rounded the Horn and proceeded north to Valparaiso and other destinations in Chile. For the most part they closely followed the coastline north, gathering navigational data as they went, with prolonged stops in the Viceroyalty of Peru and then Acapulco, New Spain. They used the time spent in these two anchors of the Spanish Empire in the Americas for refitting and resupplying the ships and for examining colonial conditions and governance. They were, in effect, government inspectors. While in New Spain Malaspina received extraordinary orders that he was to divert his voyage away from its planned course, which next included the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), and instead proceed directly to the northwestern coast of the continent. The purpose was to search for the Northwest Passage, the legendary waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the northern reaches of North America. It seems extraordinary that after 300 years of searching, Europeans were still seeking a large geographic feature that was nonexistent. The original reason that Spain commissioned Columbus to cross the Atlantic was to find a direct oceanic route to Asia. Columbus was followed by many other intrepid navigators from Spain, England, Portugal and France, all sponsored by monarchs eager to gain advantage in the competition for the lucrative trade with China. Fame, and more importantly fortune, awaited the nation that found the route. Why did Spain take this action, on the flimsy weight of an account written 200 years earlier? They did so for the same reason that they sent explorers again and again into the American Southwest and other unexplored portions of North America in search of non-existent gold. They wished it to be true. Malaspina moved far out from the coast of Mexico and turned directly north, proceeding all the way to Mulgrave (Yakutat) where they stopped for a few weeks to resupply and to take smaller boats to search for the Northwest Passage. They soon encountered a tidewater glacier, a wall of ice occupying the entire valley and calving off icebergs into the sea. They buried a bottle with a record of the visit, claiming the area for Spain, and returned to Mulgrave. There they had extensive contact with Tlingit Indians, from whom they collected information and cultural artifacts. Near the end of their stay, while Malaspina was away, there was a brief armed confrontation between the crew and Tlingit over a missing coat. Trouble was quickly diffused, but soon thereafter the ships departed even though not all planned tasks had been completed. They continued westward as far as Prince William Sound, approximately the same latitude as present day Anchorage. The expedition then turned directly south, ahead of the waning summer and anchored at Nootka, a Spanish outpost on the outer shore of north Vancouver Island. After a brief stay, they followed the coast southward to Monterey, mapping important navigational landmarks all the way. The fortnight spent there was Malaspina’s only direct contact with the new colonies of Alta California, at the very place where Anza had brought the first civilian colonists 15 years earlier. Once ashore, they established an observatory for scientific measurements, and the artists and biologists busied themselves with collections. Thus we have drawings of the harbor, presidio, the Missión Carmelo, and detailed paintings of several distinctive California birds. Two of the signature trees of California, the Coast Live Oak and the Valley oak received scientific description. Malaspina, like millions of visitors who have followed him, was much taken with the natural beauty of coastal California. He wrote “We cannot abandon the description of the pleasant coasts of Monterey without a slight sketch of the beautiful appearance that nature gave it upon our first view of the port … when the sun’s brilliance and the leafy foliage of the surrounding country joined with the soft zephyrs of the sea breezes”. His visit also marked the first American who came to California to stay. Ship’s artilleryman John Green, a Presbyterian from Boston who had been ill with dropsy (edema) for some time, died there. He converted to Catholicism and was given Catholic burial at the presidio chapel. Missión Carmelo is the burial site for Fathers Junípero Serra and Juan Crespí, who were already at rest in the chapel at nearby Missión Carmelo. When the two ships left Monterey they parted, with one sailing directly to Acapulco and the other to the Spanish naval shipyard in San Blas. Commander Malaspina had carried out the royal orders admirably, completing detailed naval charts from Alaska to Central America, and verifying that there was no passage to the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific. That put to rest for the last time 300 years of speculations, myths, and lies about North American geography. The naval charts were valuable because they provided greater understanding and security for the trans-Pacific route of the Manila Galleon and other commerce among the Spanish global empire. There was no longer time for Malaspina to carry out his original plan of circumnavigating the globe and visiting the far eastern reaches of the Russian Empire. After completing his investigations in Mexico he sailed directly west across the Pacific to the Philippines, and thence south across the equator to the new British colonies of New Zealand and the convict settlements in what would come to be called Australia. His final, exotic, stop in the South Pacific was the Tonga Islands. At that point, he was uneasy about the effect on his crew of their languorous layover in what must have seemed paradise, a resort for tired and yearning sailors. Malaspina felt that discipline was breaking down. He wrote, “Yet the clash of the commander with the subordinate officers had to be quite frequent, to say the least.” He decided to proceed directly back east across the Pacific to Peru, there to replenish and reorganize, and then return to Spain as quickly as possible. The expedition had been out for more than four years, had accomplished a formidable list of goals, and it was time to go home. The ships arrived in Cádiz in September 1794, after 62 months away. Malaspina and Court Politics Before the Voyage of Discovery had returned to Spain, Malaspina had written to a friend, “I have finally been able to complete mi idea cabal of America”, meaning that he had arrived at a model for the comprehensive revision of organization and governance for the Spanish colonies in the New World. As we shall see below, he had sown the seeds of his destruction. He concluded that the vast Spanish Empire was too large and weak to be properly defended against rival colonial empires, and that some colonies were costing more than they were worth. He thought that the authoritarian system of governance was not only inefficient, but also destined to collapse under the grievances of resentful and hostile colonial people. Their complaints included the same ones as British colonial America; the necessity of sending all raw commodities to Spain, the requirement that all finished goods be purchased from Spain, and that there be no trade between colonies and any country other than Spain. He used the very recent American Revolution as an example of what could, and in fact did, happen to the Spanish Empire a short 15 years later. When Malaspina arrived home, he was surprised and dismayed by the changes that had occurred in his absence. The French Revolution had happened next door, and France had declared war on Spain, because Spain had decried the overthrow and execution of Louis XVI. The government of Spain had changed too. Carlos III, who had supported the idealistic goals of the Voyage of Discovery, had died and been succeeded by his son, the indolent Carlos IV. Malaspina’s mood was dark when he asked permission to come to Madrid to report to the King. He wrote of “the sad destiny that surrounds us”. In the company of other members of the great voyage, Malaspina reported his discoveries and conclusions to the King and Queen. He had formulated plans to write a comprehensive report of his findings in seven volumes, divided by subject. He wrote later that the royals “were infinitely disposed to listen”, but that he was being obstructed by the King’s chief minister, Manuel Godoy, whom Malispina took to privately calling “The Sultan”. Manuel Godoy had been recently appointed chief minister to the King. He had extraordinary influence over Carlos IV, apparently via his intimate relationship with Queen Maria Luisa. The lethargic new King had little interest in governing, but Maria Luisa was energetic and strong willed. The King was content to let her have her way, leaving him more time for hunting. Godoy, who was young and attractive, worked his unbounded ambitions on the King through the Queen. He quickly accumulated titles, power, and vast wealth, while managing the flow of information through the court. Realizing that Godoy was obstructing him, Malaspina wrote to the King. He gave these papers, which apparently outlined his ideas about Spanish colonial policy, to the sympathetic Naval Minister, Antonio Valdés, and asked him to pass them on to His Majesty. Valdés gave them instead to Godoy, who told Valdés to correct Malaspina and instruct him to burn the documents and confine his reports to naval matters and physical discoveries. The message was quite clear, keep your nose out of politics. Malaspina did not get the message, or he chose to ignore it. Just two weeks later, he sent a letter directly to Godoy with his recommendations for a peace treaty with France. This was clearly Godoy’s business, a war he had strongly advocated, and which he was charged with ending. It is hard to imagine how Malaspina, with all his abilities and insight, could have been so obtuse to the court politics of the absolute monarch he served and professed to love. His writings, in his more optimistic moments, make it clear that his only interest was to improve the strength and general welfare of Spain and its colonies, and he was sure he was correct about the urgency of changing colonial policies. The ideals of the Enlightenment, that were such a powerful motive for the Voyage of Discovery, would have dictated an open examination of the facts that would inevitably lead to correct action. Perhaps for all his strengths he was at the core a naïve idealist. On the other hand, he was born an aristocrat, was well educated, and through his accomplishments quickly rose to positions of command in the navy. This background would foster good manners and tact, and others said as much about him. Head of Naval Affairs Valdés said, “By reason of his knowledge, his family, the nobility and elegance of his person and his manners, his self- assured presence, affability, firmness of character and talent in moving in society, Malaspina was foremost in our armada, and the only one in command”. Perhaps he was just stubborn. As the months went by, he continued to write about disorder in the Spanish government, while his assigned business was to write narratives of the voyages. Even so, he wrote, “Without having discussed the position of our colonies, how can the determination of measures for their defense be attempted? Finally, without knowing America, how is it possible to govern it?” He continued to stay near the court, even though that was unnecessary for him to write the voyage narratives. He began to think about retiring to his native Italy, and asked for and received a leave with pay to travel there. Perplexingly, at the same time he was given leave he wrote to the Queen and asked that the King replace the entire royal cabinet, including his nemesis Godoy. The person he chose to carry the letter to the Queen apparently gave it instead to Godoy. Four days later he was arrested, as were others who were implicated in the conspiracy to deliver the letter. Five days later, the State Council decided unanimously that Malaspina would be stripped of his military rank and sentenced to ten years and a day in the prison of San Antón. The proceedings were halted long enough to make it clear to the Council that His Majesty wished a unanimous decision. The entire thing took an hour. Commander Malaspina was shipwrecked on rocky shoals of his own making. San Antón is a gray, forbidding structure at La Coruña, located at the extreme north of the Iberian Peninsula. It is on an island in the city harbor, an area known as el fin del mundo, The End of the World. In prison, Malaspina continued to be certain of his innocence, and was sure he could prove it if only given the opportunity. He continued to write about philosophy, economics, and Spanish prospects in the world. He had an interest in problems associated with exchanges made between different currency systems, and he wrote a treatise on the history of Spanish coinage from the time of the Carthaginians. That document was finally published in 1990. The epic volumes about the Voyage of Discovery that he was writing when he was arrested were suppressed, with many materials scattered or lost. Only one of the proposed seven volumes was published, and in that book Malaspina’s name was never used. Neither the political changes he sought, nor the prestige that would have come to him and Spain because of his voyage, were ever realized. Fortunately, many of the journals kept of the voyage were produced in multiple copies, and some of these that were taken out of the country survived. Some scientific and ethnographic material has been brought back to light in Spanish museums. A second volume about the voyage was edited and published in Spain in 1885. Over the past 20 years, interest in Malaspina and the Voyage of Discovery has increased, and scholars have discovered and organized enough information to publish a more complete picture of the man and his life. Malaspina was released from prison after seven years by a reluctant Spanish government. By that time, Napoleon was exerting military and economic pressure on Spain, and it was Napoleon who secured Malaspina’s release. He was threatened with arrest if he ever set foot on Spanish soil, so he boarded a ship at La Coruña and circled the Iberian Peninsula by sea, past the familiar Straight of Gibraltar and through the Mediterranean to reach his Italian birthplace of Lunigiana. He lived a relatively quiet life there for another seven years until his death at age 57 in 1810. This final stage of his life was lived under Napoleonic rule. Less than a year after his death the revolt of the American Spanish colonies that he had foretold began in Mexico, and the empire dissolved. Carlos IV, Maria Luisa, and Manuel Godoy all died in exile. Andrew, David; Ferrnandez-Armesto, Felipe; Novi, Carlos; and Glyndwr Williams, eds., 2001. The Malaspina Expedition, 1789 – 1794; Journal of the Voyage by Alejandro Malaspina. V. 1; Cadiz to Panama. The Hakluyt Society, London, UK. 338 pp. Andrew, David; Ferrnandez-Armesto, Felipe; Novi, Carlos; and Glyndwr Williams, eds., 2003. The Malaspina Expedition, 1789 – 1794; Journal of the Voyage by Alejandro Malaspina. V. 2; Panama to the Philippines. The Hakluyt Society, London, UK. 511 pp. Cutter, Donald C. 1960. Malaspina in California. John Howell – Books, San Francisco, California. 96 pp. Kendrick, John, 2003. Alajandro Malaspina; Portrait of a Visionary. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington. 200 pp. Olson, Wallace, 2004. The Spanish Exploration of Alaska, 1774 – 1792. Heritage Research, Auke Bay, Alaska. 48 pp. Vaughan, Thomas; Crownhart-Vaughan, E.A.P; and Mercedes Pauau de Iglesias, 1977. Voyages of Enlightenment: Malaspina on the Northwest Coast. Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon. 61 pp.
As one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals, Dragon Boat Festival (duān wǔ jié) falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on Chinese lunar calendar, which is May 30th this year. With more than 2000 years of history, it enjoys great popularity all over China. Dragon boat racing, eating sticky rice dumplings, hanging wormwood plants, and wearing medicine sachets are all among the cultural activities to celebrate the traditional festival. One week before Dragon Boat Festival, TIS Chinese Department jointly hosted an event of “Getting to Know TCM and Making TCM Sachets” with professionals from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Two TCM professional from the university came to our school to introduce basic TCM theory and knowledge to our students. Students had a great opportunity of getting to feel, touch and smell 8 kinds of common herbal medicine. Recognizing the different kinds of medicine through games, the students all enjoyed mixing them together with hands and putting them into bright and beautiful medicine sachets. They also tasted the traditional snack on the special holiday, sticky rice dumplings (zòng zi). The students got to know more about the Dragon Boat Festival and traditional Chinese medicine.
Quality Primary Schooling an Open Global Challenge Keywords:Quality Schooling, Learning Environment, Curriculum, Evaluation System, Quality indicators AbstractThis article draws upon research undertaken for exploring those factors and indicators which directly or indirectly influence the primary schooling quality and explores the efforts and steps taken by UNESCO, Education For All(EFA), and WORLD DAKAR FORUM and most recently by Mellinium Development Goal(MGD) announced for 2015 as well. Relevant Data were collected from the above mentioned forums and from the teaches, head teachers, parents, policy makers, stake holders and learners to some extent, their views, expert opinions, expressions thoughts were filtered and international seminars announcements were also taken as model. At the end common view point was developed about the quality enhancing factors especially at primary level of schooling Copyrights for articles published in AJHSS are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
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The book prepares students for careers in today's public service, whether in government or nonprofits. Each chapter teaches the public service context, essential. Curriculum Essentials are new resources designed to provide a quick start to the Manitoba curriculum for Government of Manitoba Learning Resource Centre (formerly the Manitoba Text Book Bureau) using the following stock numbers. Learn more about what the TCI high school history textbooks have to offer. Power, Politics, and You actively connects government to the everyday lives of high. The definitive textbook on EU politics and governance, now in its 8th edition, has been thoroughly updated throughout to take into account the ongoing. A yearly payment to help with energy costs to run medical equipment or medically required heating or cooling. AP Comparative Government and Politics: An Essential Coursebook, Seventh Edi- tion No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by. Social Studies Techbook™ is a highly engaging digital textbook covering social studies textbook include U.S. History, World History, Civics and Government. We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution Upper Elementary. Student Book. Purpose of Lesson. This lesson will help you understand why the Founders. So the U.S. government negotiated a series of treaties (agreements between governments) with him first passed through the ledger book, which is why this drawing is torn. . What two essential truths did the U.S. govern- ment recognize in. Learn about various forms of government throughout history and the world. From The New Book of Knowledge. Grades . retain their sovereignty, delegating to the central government only those powers that are essential for its maintenance. Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science presents information that is deemed important for individuals and communities to know and. BVT Publishing is a national publisher of affordable college textbooks. Students use our products on hundreds of campuses across the country. A number of other essential processes of modern democracy likewise require Individual citizens depend on government for protection of their physical person. When to book your car theory test, what to take with you, how the multiple-choice The Highway Code · Know your traffic signs · Driving - the essential skills.148 :: 149 :: 150 :: 151 :: 152 :: 153 :: 154 :: 155 :: 156 :: 157 :: 158 :: 159 :: 160 :: 161 :: 162 :: 163 :: 164 :: 165 :: 166 :: 167 :: 168 :: 169 :: 170 :: 171 :: 172 :: 173 :: 174 :: 175 :: 176 :: 177 :: 178 :: 179 :: 180 :: 181 :: 182 :: 183 :: 184 :: 185 :: 186 :: 187
We recentlly used these animations for a presentation and realized that this post is so incredibly old that we call everything Rapid Prototyping. In the years since this was written, the industry has shifted to using the terms 3D Printing and Additive Manufaturing. So we went through and updated it so people can find it easier in search engines. Additive Manufacturing has changed a lot since these were made and we do hope to soon update these animations, and add new technologies we did not cover. – Eric Miller 11/8/2019 Every once in a while we get asked to go out and do presentations on 3D Printing. As part of that, we like to explain the four most common. Additive Manufacturing technologies: SLA, SLS, FDM, and Polyjet. No matter how many hand gestures we use people just don’t seem to get it unless we show an animation. So we thought it would be good to share those with the community so that they can either learn about the basics of the technology or use these to help educate others. They are crude, we are engineers and not artists. But they get the point across and should help people understand Additive Manufacturing better. They are in the form of animated GIF’s, so you can put them on a website or throw them in a PowerPoint and you don’t need a viewer or special software to view them. Click on the images to get the larger version. Then right-mouse-button to download to your computer. Use as you see fit, just remember to mention where you found them: P – A – D – T.
The Russian population of Panthera tigris altaica (most located in Primorye territory, with a smaller population in Khabarovsk) have come under increased poaching pressure in recent years as political and economic change has swept over the region. The threats to P. t. altaica are the loss of habitat and reduction in numbers of its prey also due to habitat loss. Deliberate poisoning by farmers as they are considered a threat to livestock. Poaching and hunting: often for trading of their skins and bones, blood and other body parts traditionally thought to have medicinal properties. In China, until the mid 1960s, the elimination of tigers was encouraged as they were a threat to agricultural and pastoral progress. Tigers in Russia in 1994 numbered only 150-200. A comprehensive census in the mid-1980s estimated a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 430 tigers. Panthera tigris altaica is considered as "Critically Endangered" by the IUCN Red List. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 1".
A Follow-Up on the Oil-Climate Index: Breaking Down the Rankings A couple of weeks ago, we posted an update on the Oil-Climate Index (OCI) here, which was launched by researchers at the University of Calgary, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Stanford University, to compare the environmental impact of different types of oil. The index compares 30 global crudes, taking into consideration how each is drilled, refined, shipped and burned. The OCI is intended to be a transparent tool for investors, policymakers, industry, the public, and other stakeholders to compare crudes and assess their climate consequences before development decisions are made as well as once operations are in progress. Below we break down how a selection of Canadian crudes compared, the role of data transparency in these types of comparisons, and what is being done in the Canadian oil sands to reduce GHG emissions. Canadian oil sands are among the most GHG intensive Six Canadian crudes were included in the index, including: Suncor Synthetic H (SCO), Suncor Synthetic A (SCO), Syncrude Synthetic (SCO), Cold Lake (Dilbit), Midale, and Hibernia. The GHG emissions intensities of all oils assessed (grouped by reservoir category) are shown in the chart below. Canadian oils belonging within each category are indicated on the chart. Source: Adapted from Figure 1 in the OCI report. Canadian oil sands crudes are listed in the highest emitting category, ‘extra-heavy’. This category also includes Venezuelan extra-heavy crude oil. Other Canadian oils assessed, including Midale and Hibernia, fall within categories at the middle or low end of the overall GHG range shown in the figure. Crude oils included within each category are listed in the table below. Source: Table 2 in the OCI report. Canadian energy companies are leaders in transparency It should be noted that a lack of data availability limited the number of crude oils that could be assessed in the index. Oil sands producers and other Canadian oil producers generally provide the high-quality, consistent, and accessible data required by the OCI methodology. Lifecycle GHG emissions: How Canadian crudes fared The chart below presents the results of the GHG emissions assessment for the 30 crude oils benchmarked. Results are broken down by upstream (extraction), midstream (refining), and downstream (end-use) emissions. Of the oils assessed, Canadian oil sands crudes are first (Suncor Synthetic H), third (Syncrude Synthetic), seventh (Suncor Synthetic A), and eleventh (Cold Lake) most emissions intensive. However, it should be noted that this ranking changes slightly depending on whether emissions intensity is expressed in terms of barrels of oil (bbl) or energy content of oil (MJ). When expressed in terms of energy content, China’s Bozhog is the most emissions intensive crude, followed by Suncor Synthetic H. Other Canadian crudes assessed (Midale and Hibernia) fall in the middle- to low-end of the emissions intensity chart shown below. Source: Adapted from Figure 12 in the OCI report. GHG performance: What is being done to address oil sands emissions? There are a number of initiatives under way to reduce the GHG footprint of the oil sands sector. Individual producers typically have GHG management plans and invest in energy efficient technologies and processes. Producers also come together under Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), which is focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in the oil sands through collaborative action and innovation. COSIA’s GHG Environmental Priority Area (EPA) is investigating ways to reduce energy use and associated GHG emissions through the development of innovative technologies. Other Canadian organizations such as Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC) and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) support development, testing, and commercialization of clean technologies, some of which are applicable to the oil sands sector. These are just a few of the efforts underway and many other individuals and organizations are working on solutions to reduce GHG emissions in the oil sands. What are your thoughts on transparency and emissions performance in the oil and gas sector globally? Written by: Phil Oakley – Consultant ([email protected]) Edited by: Alex Carr – Senior Associate ([email protected])
These two alphabet posters can be used as a friendly assessment tool for: Common Core State Standard RI.K1d and L.1.1a Simply have students point to the upper and lowercase letter that you ask for. Circle the ones they get incorrect & jot down what letter they said it was. Put student's name and the date at the top. This also works well as a quick, easy and fun way to whole-group assess as well. Play "I Spy a Letter". Call out a letter. Students place a paperclip over the picture then raise their hand. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. As a lesson, students will enjoy coloring this place mat as the pictures are small. After they complete their picture, sing the ABC song and have them point to the letters as you sing. This FREEBIE is part of my big Paperclip Pals Alphabet Packet on TpT. For your convenience, I've enclosed a preview.
Molecular surveillance for lymphoproliferative disease virus in hunter-killed wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) from the eastern United States Thomas, Jesse Michael MetadataShow full item record Three avian retroviruses can cause lymphoid tumors in galliforms, including avian leukosis virus, reticuloendotheliosis virus, and lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV). Historically, LPDV was considered a poultry pathogen of minor importance. However, in 2009, LPDV was first detected in three wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) with evidence of lymphotumoral disease. Currently, little is known about the epidemiology, natural history, transmission, or pathobiology of LPDV. To begin to address these gaps, we surveyed asymptomatic hunter-killed wild turkeys for evidence of LPDV proviral DNA. Overall, 1,164 wild turkeys were tested from 417 counties throughout 17 states, detecting 564 positives for a prevalence estimate of 47%. Paired liver, spleen, and bone marrow samples were also screened (n=35) to determine the best tissue to target for future diagnostic and surveillance efforts. Of these tissues, bone marrow was the most efficient. These results suggest subclinical LPDV infection is common in wild turkeys throughout the Eastern United States.
The southwestern state of Kerala has been facing the worst monsoon season since 1924, causing severe flooding and landslides especially in the northern part of the state, where eight districts remain on red alert. As of 14 August, over 60,000 people have been evacuated to some 500 relief camps across the state, and 39 deaths have been reported. Beginning 8 August and as 14 August, this is the second major flood in Kerala this monsoon season, and the impact is greater than in July, when over 34,000 people were displaced in 265 relief camps. The affected population is in need of food, shelter, NFI, WASH, and health assistance. Emergency national and international response has been prompt and coordinated; however, longer-term assistance is likely to be needed in the aftermath of the floods.
INTRODUCTION: 1.1. OVERVIEW: Sleepdisturbance and fatigue are among the most frequent and persistent complaintsreported by pregnant women. Approximately 60%of pregnant women during the last trimester report being fatigued, and morethan 75% complained of disturbed sleep, decreased vigilance, and a need to napduring the day. Prenatal sleep disturbance and fatigue have separatelypredicted prolonged labour and caesarean delivery. These complications mayaffect both the mother and the infant both in short and long term.1 Sleep disturbances, a commoncomplaint in pregnancy, can result from myriad physiological, hormonal,vascular, and metabolic changes. Sleep disturbances, a common complaint in pregnancy,can result from myriad physiological, hormonal, vascular, and metabolicchanges. In a recent poll from the National Sleep Foundation, over79% of women reported that their sleep was different during pregnancy than atany other time; however, no distinction was made as to which aspect of sleepthe women were describing. Empirical studies suggest that upto 25% of pregnant women report significant sleep disturbance in the firsttrimester, with rates climbing to nearly 75% by the third trimester. While itis accepted that sleep progressively worsens across the gestational period, ourcurrent knowledge relies heavily on a small handful of reports with one or twoassessments and a broad range of measurements.2 Studies showed a gradual Restlessleg syndrome risk increase with the number of pregnancies. However, this tendsto settle during the post-partum period.7 as a sleep disorder, withsignificantly reduced sleep time in the third trimester, 5 there is risk ofimpaired function during the day, and risk of unfavourable influences on theduration and mode of delivery with increased likelihood of operative delivery. 3 Postpartum depression is anincreasingly recognized public health problem with far-reaching consequencesfor both infants and mothers. Changes in sleep during pregnancy have beenhypothesized as a modifiable risk factor for the development of postpartum depression.Poor sleep may serve as not only a marker of impending depression but also as acontributing cause.4 GAP:Pakistanipregnant women are mostly housewives and have to do a lot of household workeven in pregnancy which can lead to sleep disturbance. This issue is not beingaddressed in Pakistan and there is very little data available on sleepdisorders in Pakistani pregnant women. 1.2. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is toidentify sleep disturbance in pregnant women of Lahore 1. 3. RATIONALE:This study will help to educatepregnant women that sleep disturbance in pregnancy can lead to variousdisorders, as it is an issue not being addressed in our society the knowledgeof sleep disturbance in pregnant women will initiate awareness programs forpregnant women to resolve this issue. 1.4. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI): is a reliable self-rated questionnaire thatevaluates sleep quality. The PSQI comprises of seven components including;sleep parameters, latency, duration, efficacy, bedtime problems, consumption ofsleep medication and hindrance in daily function, each assesses a specificclinical feature of sleep habits over a one-month period. The points for eachelement range from 0 to 3, 3 being the highest while 0 the lowest, these scoresfrom each component are added into the total score, also known as the globalscore ranging from 0-21 the highest indicating the worst sleep and scoregreater than or equal to 5 point out poor sleeping qualities. PSQI holds a validity of 94% and reliability of 72%.5 and the value of Cronbach’s alpha is found tobe 0. 736 by Md. Dilshad Manzar et al.6 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Mindellet, al. 2015 This was a prospective, cohortstudy of healthy nulliparous women, recruited between 6 and 20 weeks ofgestation, who completed a baseline sleep survey at enrollment with follow-upin the third trimester. The survey was composed of the following validatedsleep questionnaires: The study concluded that Sleep disturbances are prevalentamong healthy nulliparous women and increase significantly during pregnancy.7 Naghi, I., et al., 2011 Inthis study, the relationship between sleep quality and type and duration oflabour has been evaluated. A total of 88 pregnant women completed thePittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire three times during their last 3 weeks ofpregnancy at their prenatal visits and once postpartum it was found that womenwith sleep problems experience longer labour duration and are more likely toundergo a caesarean section.8 Zafarghandi,N. , et al.,2012 The aim of this study was toassess the effects of sleep duration and its quality on labor and fetal outcome.In a cross sectional study, primigravida women with singleton pregnancy(gestational age > 37 weeks) were recruited. The study concluded that Sleepduration and quality of sleep can affect the type of delivery, length of laborstages, as well as neonates’ Apgar score and birth weight. Such predictors oflabor and fetal outcome should be assessed during prenatal evaluations.9 Faisal-Cury, A., et al., 2009 The aim of this study was toexamine the relationship between sleep disturbance in pregnancy and persistentCMD among low-income pregnant women living in Brazil. This was a prospectivecohort study conducted with pregnant women recruited from public primary careclinics in São Paulo, Brazil. In this sample of low-income pregnant womenliving in Brazil, the presence of sleep disturbance during pregnancy wasassociated with persistent common mental disorder in the postpartum period.Identification of sleep disturbance in pregnant women with CMD will beimportant in order to recognize those women at higher risk of persistent CMD inthe postpartum period10 Delia,H. G., & James, J. (2016). Duringpregnancy, women typically see a disruption in sleep and an abnormal amount ofabdominal fat accumulation. The purpose of this studyis to determine if there is a relationship between sleep disturbance, qualityor quantity and the accumulation of abdominal fat during pregnancy. Theconclusion of the study was there isa negative relationship between sleep disturbance and the accumulation ofabdominal fat (IAAT) independent of the influence of overall adiposity. Theseresults indicate that low sleep disturbance is strongly associated with lowerabdominal fat during pregnancy.11 Okun, M.L., 2009 thisstudy proposed a model linking sleep disturbances in early gestation to adversepregnancy outcomes via increased inflammation. Specifically, proposed a feedforward loop between sleep disruption and inflammation during a critical periodof early pregnancy when inflammation can act to inhibit the trophoblastinvasion and associated remodelling of maternal blood vessels that perfuse theplacenta. Assessing sleep disturbances as a risk factor for adverse outcomescould provide a target for intervention especially since sleep problems areamenable to treatment.12Micheli, K., et al.,2011 The findings of this study suggest that womenwith severe snoring in late pregnancy have a higher risk forfetal-growth-restricted neonates; and women with sleep deprivation have ahigher risk for preterm births. The mechanisms underlying these associationsremain unclear.13 3. MATERIALAND METHODS 3. 1. STUDYDESIGN:ACross sectional Survey 3.2. SETTING:Datawill be collected from Gynaecological wards of Government and Private Hospitalsof Lahore 3. 3. DURATION:Studywill be completed in 3 months after the approval of synopsis 3.4. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:3.5. SAMPLE SIZE/COLLECTION: X ? Z (C/100)2 r (100-r) n ? N x/((N-1)E2 + x) E ? Sqrt(N – n) x/n (N-1) Inthis formula:N?Population sizen? SamplesizeE? Marginof errorr?Fraction of responseZ (c?100)? critical value for the confidence levelc. Thevalues which put in this formula are:· Error Eis = 5%· Levelof confidence c is = 90%· Populationsize is = 20,000· Andthe response rate is = 85% 3.6. ELIGIBILITYCRITERIA:3.6.1. InclusionCriteria:Pregnant women with gestation age less than 37 weeks will be included3.6. 2. ExclusionCriteria:PregnantWomen with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or those who needed emergencycesarean section will be excluded 3.7. DATACOLLECTION PROCEDURE:It is a cross sectional study. The data will be collectedfrom the pregnant women of Lahore from government and private hospitals. Dataof women who completely fulfil the inclusion criteria will be included in thestudy. An informed consent will be taken, and the purpose of the study will beclarified in detail to the women. 3.8. DATACOLLECTION TOOLS:PSQIis a questionnaire with self-rating which will be adopted to assess the sleepdisorders of pregnant women. 3.9. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION:Datawill be collected from pregnant women of Lahore only after an informed consentand the safety of the collected data will be ensured. The ethical committee ofAzra Naheed Medical College will approve the execution of this study inHospitals and Gynaecological wards. Data collection will not affect theparticipant’s ethical values and the researcher will also abide by professionalmorality. 3.10. STATISTICALANALYSIS: Allcollected data will be entered via computer software SPSS version 21 which iswhere it will also be calculated. For categorical variables frequency andpercentage will be used and for discrete variables mean and standard deviationwill be used. REFERENCES: 1. Tsai,S.-Y., et al., Daily Sleep and FatigueCharacteristics in Nulliparous Women during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy.Sleep, 2012. 35(2): p. 257-262.2. Okun, M.L. , C.D. Schetter,and L.M. Glynn, Poor Sleep Quality isAssociated with Preterm Birth. Sleep, 2011. 34(11): p. 1493-1498. 3. Balendran, J., etal., A common sleep disorder inpregnancy: Restless legs syndrome and its predictors. Australian and NewZealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2011. 51(3): p. 262-264.4. Park, E.M. , S.Meltzer-Brody, and R. Stickgold, Poorsleep maintenance and subjective sleep quality are associated with postpartummaternal depression symptom severity. Arch Womens Ment Health, 2013. 16(6): p. 539-47.5. Farrahi Moghaddam,J. , et al., Reliability and validity ofthe Persian version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-P). SleepBreath, 2012. 16(1): p. 79-82.6. Manzar, M.D. , etal., Validity of the Pittsburgh SleepQuality Index in Indian University Students. Oman Med J, 2015. 30(3): p. 193-202.7. Mindell, J.A., R.A. Cook, and J. Nikolovski, Sleep patternsand sleep disturbances across pregnancy. Sleep medicine, 2015. 16(4): p. 483-488.8. Naghi, I., et al., Sleep disturbance in late pregnancy and typeand duration of labour. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2011. 31(6): p. 489-491.9. Zafarghandi, N., etal., The effects of sleep quality andduration in late pregnancy on labor and fetal outcome. The Journal ofMaternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 2012. 25(5): p. 535-537.10. Faisal-Cury,A. , et al., Common mental disordersduring pregnancy: prevalence and associated factors among low-income women inSão Paulo, Brazil. Archives of women’s mental health, 2009. 12(5): p. 335.11. Delia,H. G. and J. James, Sleep Quality, But NotQuantity, is Associated with Reduced Abdominal Fat Accumulation DuringPregnancy. 2016.12. Okun,M.L., How Disturbed Sleep May Be a RiskFactor for Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes A Hypothesis. 2009. 64(4): p. 273-80.13. Micheli,K. , et al., Sleep patterns in latepregnancy and risk of preterm birth and fetal growth restriction.Epidemiology, 2011. 22(5): p.738-744. 4. APPENDICIES 4. 1. APPENDIX1CONSENTFORMRespectedparticipant, the study you are going to participate is”Sleepdisturbance in pregnant women of Lahore” Pleasegive approval of your participation by filling the following form.· I confirm that I haveread and understand the information for the study.· I understand thattaking part in voluntary that I am free to withdraw any time, without givingany reason.· I agree to take part inthis study and researcher having the following personal detail for the purposeof contacting me directly to arrange a research interview Name: _____________________________________________Gender: ____________Age: ______________ Date: _________Phone No: _____________________________________________Address: _____________________________________________Signature: ______________________________________________ 4.2. APPENDIX 2QUESTIONNAIRE DEMOGRAPHICS: Name____________________________Date__________________SleepQuality Assessment (PSQI) Whatis PSQI, and what is it measuring? The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is aneffective instrument used to measure the quality and patterns of sleep inadults. It differentiates “poor” from”good” sleep quality by measuring seven areas (components): subjective sleepquality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleepdisturbances, use of sleeping medications, and daytime dysfunction over thelast month. INSTRUCTIONS: The following questions relate to your usual sleephabits during the past month only. Youranswers should indicate the most accurate reply for the majority of days and nights in the pastmonth. Please answer all questions. During thepast month, 1. Whenhave you usually gone to bed? ____________________________________ 2. Howlong (in minutes) has it taken you to fall asleep each night? ____________________________________ 3. Whattime have you usually gotten up in the morning? ____________________________________ 4. A.How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night? ____________________________________ 5. During the past month, how often have you had trouble sleeping because you Not during the past month (0) Less than once a week (1) Once or twice a week (2) Three or more times a week (3) A. Cannot get to sleep within 30 minutes B. Wake up in the middle of the night or early morning C. Have to get up to use the bathroom D. Cannot breathe comfortably E. Cough or snore loudly F. Feel too cold G. Feel too hot H. Have bad dreams I. Have pain J. Other reason (s), please describe, including how often you have had trouble sleeping because of this reason (s): 6. During the past month, how often have you taken medicine (prescribed or “over the counter”) to help you sleep? 7. During the past month, how often have you had trouble staying awake while driving, eating meals, or engaging in social activity? 8. During the past month, how much of a problem has it been for you to keep up enthusiasm to get things done? 9. During the past month, how would you rate your sleep quality overall? Very good (0) Fairly good (1) Fairly bad (2) Very bad (3) B. How many hours were you in bed? ____________________________________ Scoring Component 1 #9 Score C1 ___________ Component 2 #2 Score (<15min (0), 16-30min (1), 31-60 min (2), >60min (3)) + #5a Score (if sum is equal 0=0; 1-2=1; 3-4=2; 5-6=3) C2 ___________ Component 3 #4 Score (>7(0), 6-7 (1), 5-6 (2), <5 (3) C3 ___________ Component 4 (total # of hours asleep) / (total # of hours in bed) x 100 >85%=0, 75%-84%=!, 65%-74%=2, <65%=3 C4 ___________ Component 5 # sum of scores 5b to 5j (0=0; 1-9=1; 10-18=2; 19-27=3) C5 ___________ Component 6 #6 Score C6 ___________ Component 7 #7 Score + #8 score (0=0; 1-2=1; 3-4=2; 5-6=3) C7 ___________ Add the sevencomponent scores together __________________ GlobalPSQI _______________ A total score of"5" or greater is indicative of poor sleep quality. If you scored”5″ or more it is suggested that you discuss your sleep habits with ahealthcare provider
The Effects of Environmental Factors on Cancer Prevalence Rates and Specific Cancer Mortality Rates in a Sample of OECD Developed Countries Keywords: cancer, environmental, cancer prevention The effects of environmental factors on international cancer prevalence and mortality rates are analyzed empirically. Using data from 30 OECD developed countries for the year 2002, a regression equation is estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS). This study uses environmental factors that have been suggested by other studies to have significant effects on cancer risk. A control variable for economic growth is also included. The dependent variables include cancer prevalence rates as well as mortality rates for cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, lung, and prostate. Independent variables are lagged to account for the long latency period of cancer. The independent variables can be placed into four categories: air pollutants, nutrition, lifestyle (all of which are considered to be environmental factors), and economic. The results indicate a strong association between cancer rates and total fat intake and fruit and vegetable consumption. Smoking was also found to be statistically significant for cancers of the lung, breast, and colon.
Explore South Africa’s tumultuous history from the early interactions between white European settlers and native African tribes to the implementation of apartheid and the long struggle for democracy. Explore our online resource on the Indian Residential Schools and their long-lasting effects on Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. Explorez nos ressources en ligne sur les pensionnats autochtones et leurs effets à long terme sur les Peuples Autochtones au Canada. Watch this conversation with journalist and author Eli Saslow to learn how white-supremacist ideas migrated from the far-right fringe to the streets of Charlottesville and beyond. Learn about our Teaching An Inspector Calls Unit, which provides all of the resources and strategies for you to deliver this titan of texts in an academically rigorous, thought-provoking, and compassionate way. How can students effectively leverage the power of digital tools to make civic change? Join us for a conversation with Henry Jenkins, Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education at the University of Southern California, where we discuss the relationship between technology, learning, and civic engagement. Explore how to help define your school's vision of advisory programmatically and consider how advisory helps to build community within the classroom and school at large. During this webinar, we discuss practical tools and strategies that encourage students to make authentic connections between Jewish holiday content and Facing History themes encountered in the classroom.
The Greta Oto or the glass-winged butterfly, is a butterfly that has attractive transparent wings with an opaque lining along the edges. It is mainly been found in Mexico and along the panama Islands. One of the surprises it has for people who study the lives of these organisms is that there are some debates about where it lays its eggs. Some have pointed to some grounds around the places where it is found. But evidence has pointed to the fact that it lays its eggs on the leaves of plants. A fully developed adult can easily be seen in the groups when time comes for migration. They have been known to migrate for long distances as compared to other species of butterflies. When the glass winged butterfly lays eggs, the caterpillar that later develops from the larva is considered to be toxic. For this reason, this caterpillar is not eaten by predators. In fact, even a fully grown butterfly is considered to be toxic and is not eaten too. This is mainly attributed to its feeding on toxic vegetation by the male butterflies. These males use the chemicals from such plants to develop features that attract females. In fact, this is one feature which has helped in marking its survival amongst a series of possible predators. The wings of a glass winged butterfly have been estimated to be between 56milimeters to 61 millimeters. The body of this amazing butterfly is also something intriguing enough to capture even the attention of the busiest individual. First, it has those elegant translucent wings with edges ranging in color from brown to red or generally opaque. But the body is completely dark in color. The feature of having colorless wings seems to have been so distinctive that its Spanish name is espijitos which, when translated, in English literally means little mirrors. Perhaps that is why even in many other languages that have attempted to give is unique names have all ended up having something to say about the main feature.
Send the link below via email or IMCopy Present to your audienceStart remote presentation - Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present - People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account - This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation - A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation - Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Make your likes visible on Facebook? You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. Transcript of Iceland Presentation 1491-m-high Hekla is one of Iceland's most known and active volcanoes. It has frequent eruptions that start with an explosive start up producing eruption plumes, then lava fountains and accumulates in large lava flows. We will be seeing this mountain from afar on our escorted tour in July. Eiríksjökull (Icelandic for "Eirík's glacier") is a glacier in Iceland, with an area of 22 square km (8.5 sq mi) reaching a height of 1,675 m (5,495 ft), rising over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above its surrounding. We will also see this in our escorted tour in July. A river in northern Iceland, and a great place for sightseeing! It originated from glaciers in the Tröllaskagi peninsula. It also was used as a power supply, and it formed the sandbank of Odderyi! One of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, also known as Golden River, it is stunning. The water plunges into a crevice, but you can't see it, so it st looks as if a mighty river is simply vanishing into the Earth. Plate Bounderies of Iceland -Iceland lies on the divergent boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate -Lies above a hotspot, known as the Iceland Plume -The Iceland plume is believed to have caused the formation of iceland itself -Iceland is characterized by repeating volcanic and geothermal phenomena, such as geysers -A volcanic eruption happened during September 2014! -Earthquakes can happen very often in Iceland, so you may feel an earthquake in Iceland -There was an Earthquake warning made in Hengill Volcano on May 20th, 2015 -They can be very dangerous in Iceland, or just very little danger Map of Iceland The Vatnajökull glacier takes up one twelfth of Iceland. To give us Americans an idea of what it looks like, it is bigger than the state of Connecticut. Here, you could go ice climbing, a very adventurous and exciting adventure. The Glera River Volcano Safety Tips • Stay away from active volcanoes. • If you live near an active volcano, keep goggles and a mask in an emergency kit, along with a flashlight and a working, battery-operated radio. • Know your evacuation route. Keep gas in your car. If a Volcano Erupts in Your Area • Evacuate only as recommended by authorities to stay clear of lava, mud flows, and flying rocks and debris. • Avoid river areas and low-lying regions. • Before you leave the house, change into long-sleeved shirts and long pants and use goggles or eyeglasses, not contacts. Wear an emergency mask or hold a damp cloth over your face. • If you are not evacuating, close windows and doors and block chimneys and other vents, to prevent ash from coming into the house. • Be aware that ash may put excess weight on your roof and need to be swept away. Wear protection during cleanups. • Ash can damage engines and metal parts, so avoid driving. If you must drive, stay below 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour The Conclusion Part 1 -We think earthquakes can occur rather very quickly, as for volcanoes, they can occur also the same way, because these events keep occurring in Iceland We suggest that you learn how to be safe during an earthquake and/or volcano eruption, so you can be safe and still enjoy our tours. Our Volcano Safety Tips are what we can give you tips on, but make sure you know how to be safe during eruptions or earthquakes, before you go on our tour. We also suggest leaving very valuable valuables at home, so they do not get destroyed or lost. Have fun on your trip! Here in all of these mountains and volcanoes, you could: 1. Go whale watching 2. Go hiking all the wonderful mountains 3. See the Northern Lights between September and April 4. Go ice climbing on the Vatnajökull glacier 5. Or just spend the day in a geothermal spa or pool What you could do: What to bring: First, you will need layers and layers of clothes. Iceland doesn't have its name for no reason! Second, you would need good shoes. This is because during the hiking trips, your shoes would be worn out from running. Then you would need to bring sunglasses. Here in Iceland, the sun shines for 19 hours a day! Remember to bring your swimsuit. Places like Blue Lagoon have geothermal spas and pools. So relaxing!!! And finally, to carry all these essentials, bring a backpack!!! Iceland is a very cool place to visit, and there are many cool sights to see and fun activities to do. But be cautious, because a geologic event, like a volcanic eruption or earthquake can happen at almost any time. This trip would also be physically demanding, and please, read the safety precautions before going on this tour. Earthquake Safety Precautions 1. Stay away from anything that could fall over 2. Take cover in a safe place 3. Don't go outside until the earthquake stops 4. Get under something sturdy to protect yourself from falling objects 5. Use your arms to protect your head and neck Extreme Eco-Adventure Activities There are some really cool things you can do in Iceland. You can go to a geothermal spa, scuba diving, boat tours and more in Iceland! See the pictures in the next few slides of our customers doing those activities! You can go scuba diving in Iceland. You can go snowboarding on an Iceland tour. You can take a boat tour in Iceland. As you can see here it is near one of Iceland's glaciers. Or you could take a boat tour in just a regular lake and see the sea animals. The Iceland Region These are some pictures of the Iceland reigon Conclusion part 2 Iceland is a great place to visit, with great sights to see and a great place to do fun activities. But there are the geologic events that can happen as well, so be careful! We hope that you would enjoy this wonderful experiences to enjoy with your friends and family. See you there!!! Divergent Boundary- A tectonic plate boundary in which tectonic plates spread apart. By the way, this tour is $777, which is quite cheap for a tour. We provide a 24 hour emergency service, but please stay away from any harm. Our insurance covers all injuries. This is a 10 day and 9 night trip, so get packed up!!! We do provide living essentials, but that would be at a separate cost. This tour does not include the flight cost, but would get a $200 gift card if you book your flight on Delta Airlines. Here, you would also get a FREE rental car for 9 of the days you are here. This trip is only 3 hours, whereas the normal trip would be 5 hours and 30 minutes. This is a 200% guarantee that you WILL like this tour. We hope you enjoy this tour of the glorious Iceland!!!

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