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Tuesday, July 27, 2010
So, HFCS is a sweetener. The main component of HFCS is fructose which is a naturally occurring sugar, typically in something like corn. However, nothing in nature comes with high fructose corn syrup. That means that it needs to be made in a laboratory somewhere. And, we all should know that if something needs to be made in a lab, it's generally not good for you.
The problem with the process of making HFCS is that you need to use different chemicals to extract the fructose from the corn and concentrate it to become high fructose corn syrup. One of those chemicals that is used is (wait for it) Mercury! Yep, the toxic metal that is liquid at room temperature and is being taken out of vaccines because it's so toxic. There was a study recently published in the Environmental Health Journal in 2009 showing that mercury is found to be more than elevated (in some cases more than 10 times greater than a serving of some fish) in some batches of HFCS, even "organic" HFCS.
But it's not all that bad since HFCS comes from corn and corn is all natural like the commercials say. Right? Typically, the corn that is mass produced for uses like HFCS or corn starch or other corn products comes from a Genetically Modified version of corn. In these cases, the corn has typically had its DNA changed to incorporate pesticides and other toxic chemicals. That means that it doesn't matter how much you wash it, the toxic chemicals won't come off, the chemicals are in their genes. There's a very eye-opening documentary about that the genetic modification of food, specifically corn, titled "The Future of Food", which goes into much more depth than I can (it can currently be seen for free on Hulu.com here http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food).
Just some things to keep in mind next time you go to the grocery store. And just so you know, HFCS is a lot more prevalent than you might think, so read your labels.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
It's what our bodies are made up of, besides a little carbon and nitrogen here and there. It may be hard to imagine that more than 70% of our bodies are H2O since we aren't just rippling and floating our way through life, but water is needed in more functions than you might think. It's what our skin needs to stay pliable and taught. It's what our cells need to stay inflated and functional. It's what our lungs and air passages need to stay open and mucousy. There are plenty of other functions to list, but the list would get way too long for entertainment purposes.
So, since we have so much water in us, we probably don't need to add anymore right? Wrong. We lose a lot of our water through everyday activities from breathing to sweating to using the restroom to evaporation. I recently read a medical article stating that the amount of water that we "need" is far less than what we thought. I believe that they suggested that we only need 8 ounces of water per day to survive. But we're not just here to survive are we? We are here to thrive. And in order to thrive and allow your cells and skin and lungs and all other parts of your body to function at their highest capacity, you need way more water than only 8 ounces per day. So, in order to keep pace with all of the water that we lose during the day, you should be drinking at least 64 ounces per day (that's about 8 glasses of water). And that's just water, not any of that other stuff.
But pop and juice and beer and milk are mostly water right? They are. But they also have plenty of other fillers in them. Most other drinks have sweeteners in them whether they are synthetic like high fructose corn syrup (that's a whole other topic) to the lactose found in milk. The problem is, most of that other stuff found in "tasty" drinks, including sweeteners, can have the opposite effect of water. Caffeine, alcohol, and sugar can make you dump water. Plus, you are still adding all of that unnecessary stuff to you body. So, just stick to the water to get your 64 ounces.
The best way to make sure you get enough water during the day is to keep water right in front of you. That way you will be reminded every time you see your glass or Nalgene or stainless steel bottle. In fact, you probably got a little thirsty just reading this. So if you haven't already, get a reusable water bottle and bring it with you to work, school, outings, wherever. Just make sure you try to get that 64 ounces. Your body deserves it.
Monday, July 12, 2010
I know that as a kid, I was all over the place running around, falling, and getting bumps and bruises. (In fact, it's been said that you fall more times in the first 4 years of your life than you do the rest of your life!) Yeah, it may have hurt a little bit for a short time as a kid and maybe gave some outward appearance of minor bodily damage. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Anytime someone falls, bumps into something, gets hit, or anything like that, there's the potential for minor damage to the spine. And over time, that minor spinal damage can add up and lead to things like chronic low back pain, headaches, weakness, asthma, indigestion, and a whole lot of other problems in the future.
The falls and bumps and bruises aren't usually even the most traumatic thing to happen to a kid. Actually, one of the most traumatic events that anyone could go through in their entire life is the birthing process, especially if it was a non-natural process or if the doctors needed to yank and pull on you on the way out. Think about it. How often do you have someone pulling and twisting on your head with multiple pounds of force? Not very often. But most people had this done to them when they weren't even 1 minute old! Now I don't know about you, but based on that, I think that a good deal of damage can be done to an infant's spine in the birthing process.
Those are some of the main reasons why we have a Kids Day. It's important to get those stresses out of the spine especially during the growing periods. That way, we can help prevent some more serious issues down the road and hopefully add some quality to those little lives.
My wife and I just recently had our first child, and one of the first things I did was check his spine because I know how important it is for a child's development to have everything in working order.
So if you thought chiropractic was only for treatment following a car accident or to get rid of that chronic low back pain or crick in the neck, hopefully this was able to show why all people should at least get their spines checked, especially kids.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have all learned to appreciate when the sun is out. And now that summer is fully upon, that means that we will be getting more and more sunshine. But don't let all of those sunscreen lotion commercials fool you, a little bit of unprotected sunlight for our skin is just what our bodies need.
That's right, it's OK to get some sun without putting on sunscreen. But just like everything else, in moderation. Of course you don't want to lie out in the sun for 6 hours without any protection! You may be wondering, doesn't the sunlight still hit your skin even when wearing sunscreen? It does, but sunscreen blocks the UVA and UVB rays that the sun emits, which is a good thing when you're out in the sun for multiple hours. But those UVA and UVB rays are what our bodies use to synthesize Vitamin D. And Vitamin D is essential for hundreds of different vital processes in our bodies every single second of the day from skin health to energy levels and many more. Therefore, it's not just OK to get some unblocked sun, it's crucial!
So, how much unprotected sun is enough without getting too much?
One rule of thumb is to get at least 15 minutes of unblocked sun on your completely bare legs, arms, and head. Now, I know that my skin can handle a little bit more sun than that, so I usually go at least a half an hour before putting on some sunscreen. It's your judgment call based on your history. Some people burn really fast, others don't seem to burn at all. Just remember, it's all about using common sense and don't forget, a little bit of unprotected sunshine goes a long way toward your overall health and wellness.
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Ground-Source Heat Pumps
Publication Number: PAR-00005
Author/Sponsor: Alaska Center for Energy and Power
A ground-source heat pump (GSHP) transfers energy to and from a ground or water source to provide heating and/or cooling. This publication provides basic information on how a heat pump works and looks at the possible use of ground-source heat pumps in Alaska.
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Daniel Coates who works a our studio is a Sound Healer and has put together this interesting information about the power of sound. This is Part II
Recording Studio: Entrainment
In 1665 a Dutch scientist Christian Huygens, ‘discovered’ the principle of ‘entrainment’. This principle states that whenever two or more oscillators in the same field are pulsing at nearly the same rate, they tend to lock in and begin pulsing at exactly the same rate. The powerful rhythmic vibrations from one source will cause less powerful vibrations of another source to lock into the vibration of the first source. This can be demonstrated in a recording studio with two tuning forks. Put two tuning forks of the same note next to each other and strike one of them and the other tuning fork will vibrate as well.
Systems theory states that; “the less diversity there is in a system the more energy it will conduct.” It takes less energy to pulse in cooperation that in opposition. The composer Paul Hindemith said “People who make music together in a recording studio cannot be enemies, at least while the music lasts!”
Nature seeks the most efficient state. We see the law of entrainment in action when birds fly together in migration; they will flap their wings together and glide at the same time to save energy. Women who work or live together will often find that their menstrual cycles will synchronize.
Itzhak Bentov illustrates this phenomenon in his book ‘Stalking the Wild Pendulum’. If you place a number of grandfather clocks on a wall with pendulums all swinging at different rates within a few hours all the pendulums will be swinging at the same speed!
The principle of entrainment can be experienced when one sings in a choir. If you are singing next to someone in a recording studio with a strong voice it is easy to sing your part. If the person with the strong voice is singing a different part to you it becomes much harder to hold your part in the recording studio
If you sing a strong clear harmonious sound to a person who is sick or out of balance their body will lock into your powerful healing sound. The principles of resonance and entrainment are both at work in a sound healing treatment.
Recent scientific research has identified specific sound frequencies, which relate to different parts of the body. Therapeutic application of the appropriate sound frequencies can help disorders in those parts of the body.
If a part of our body is out of balance we can retune it like tuning a piano. in a recording studio If a piano is out of tune, do we drug the offending key or rip out the offending piano wire? This is precisely what we do to the human body.
Rudolph Steiner said: – There will come a time when a diseased condition will not be described as it is today by physicians and psychologists, but it will be spoken of in musical terms, as one would speak of a piano that was out of tune.
Recording Studio: Intention
Jonathan Goldman in his book ‘Healing Sounds – The Power of Harmonics’ says: – “When we have learned techniques for harmonic toning, the human voice is able to create nearly every frequency, at least within the bandwidth of audible frequency”.
Jonathan offers the simple formula: – “Frequency plus Intention equals Healing”. If we can find the right sound frequency coupled with the right intention then healing will occur.
Intention is another important principle underlying the way sound healing works. If we sing a pure sound to another person with a pure intention then healing will occur.
Every action we perform has a conscious or unconscious intention behind it. We can see the principle of intention at work when a mother sings her baby to sleep. In a Sound Healing treatment, the sound carries our intention to the person receiving treatment.
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"These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel"
The book of Devarim, (Deuteronomy), opens as Israel's forty year journey through the desert concludes. Devarim, meaning "words," taken from the book's opening verse, "These are the words of Moshe..." is a most appropriate title for the book, as the entire book is comprised of Moshe's farewell address to his people. These word were spoken from the first day of the month of Shvat, and concluded on the seventh day of the following month of Adar, the day of Moshe's death.
Moshe has by now internalized the fact that he himself will not be entering into the land of Israel, as per G-d's decree. We all face disappointments in life, some of them so severe that they are unfathomably difficult to accept and even more difficult to move beyond. Yet even with our own personal histories of disappointments to reference, it is hard to imagine the magnitude of Moshe's disappointment. He himself makes mention of it in the book of Devarim, and it was he himself who admits that he only desisted from petitioning G-d to repeal His decree, after G-d rebuked him for doing so. (ibid 3:26)
From the initial description of Moshe's birth and childhood, as recorded in the book of Exodus, we have been acquainted with a person, whose strengths and weaknesses make him a very recognizable human being. Now, for the first time since he received his prophetic calling, Moshe, (who initially demurred due to his inability to express himself through speech), is communicating at length to the people his own thoughts and prayers. Yes, he still has many commandments to convey, but much of the book of Devarim is made up of Moshe sharing his own thoughts and insights with Israel.
No prophet or leader has ever risen with the stature of Moshe rabbenu, (Moses our master), yet, remarkably, in his foibles and in his disappointments he is extraordinarily approachable. But perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from Moshe's example in the book of Devarim is how he dealt with disappointment. By his own admission the disappointment of not being able to lead his people into the land of Israel was almost more than he could bear. And he makes it clear in the early verses of Devarim that he assigns some responsibility for his punishment to the people themselves, for the lack of faith they revealed in the incident of the spies. (ibid 1:37) But Moshe soon gathers himself together and delivers, literally, the speech of his lifetime. He chastises and he exhorts the people of Israel. He points out their shortcomings and he praises their strengths. He describes the unparalleled beauty of the land which they are to inherit and instructs them as to how they are to enter the land, conquer it and apportion it to all the tribes. In short, Moshe has come to the conclusion that, if he can't be the one to physically lead Israel into the land, he will do all that is in his power, limited only by the shortness of days remaining to him on this earth, to prepare the people, and push them from behind, as it were, into the land of Israel.
A fundamental, time-honored tradition of basic training in the Israeli army involves a series of marches, ever increasing in length, in which the recent inductees carry upon their persons all their army-assigned equipment. The stronger ones have the task of carrying not only their personal ordnance, but also the supplies that belong to the entire division. As the marches increase in length and stretch out from before sunset to after sunrise, they become, naturally, increasingly difficult to perform. Soldiers who are assigned the stretchers will inevitably be carrying upon their shoulders fellow soldiers who have sustained injuries or have succumbed to sheer exhaustion. But the very strongest soldiers, the ones leading the pack, are ordered by their commanders to go all the way to the back to help the stragglers whose strength is failing. There they are to do whatever is necessary to keep their comrades moving forward, to keep them in eye contact of those who have moved on ahead, and to prevent them from being separated from the unit. They take their fellow's equipment upon themselves to lighten their load, they push them from behind, they pull them from in front, and if need be, they throw them over their shoulders and carry them to the finish line.
Perhaps this was the real nature of Moshe's punishment: G-d's commandment not to lead Israel into the promised land from the front, but to ensure their entrance from behind. How fitting that Moshe, described by Torah as the most modest man on the face of the earth, would take upon himself so humbling a task. To cede the glory, as it were, but to make certain that the people whom he brought out of Egypt would make it into the land of Israel, even if he himself wouldn't. From standing before Pharaoh, to leading Israel out of Egypt, across the Sea of Reeds and to the foot of Mount Sinai, Moshe's leadership is unparalleled in the annals of mankind. But it is how Moshe dealt with what he could not achieve, and in spite of the disappointment entailed therein, that may well be Moshe's finest moment. This is the book of Devarim.
Tune in to this week's TEMPLE TALK, as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven, in the subdued spirit of the solemn days leading up the the ninth of Av, speak of Moses' words of rebuke and words of love that he expresses to Israel as we open the book of Deuteronomy. How appropriate to the nature of the month of Av!
As the month of Av begins, the perennial housing shortage in Israel is once again making waves as protesters are taking to the streets. It is a very serious issue, indeed. But this year's self-appointed, righteously indignant ringleaders are the very same people representing the very same organizations that exactly six years ago orchestrated and applauded the forced homelessness of ten thousand Jewish souls from Gush Katif. Yes, these are the same folks that fight to destroy every Jewish house, kindergarten, synagogue or gazebo that a Jew, any Jew, dares to build in Judea and Samaria. Yes, these are the very same self-indulgent cadres that wage war against Jewish neighborhoods in the heart of Jerusalem. And yes, these are the very same hire political guns who DO NOT WANT TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR HASHEM! These would-be architects of a G-dless world possess a mixed-multitude of college degrees, but anyone who has taken Housing 101 knows that the root and the cause of all our housing ailments is in the fact that we still have not solved our Creator's housing problem. The prophet Chaggai said it best: "Is it a proper time for you yourselves to sit in your ceiled houses, when this house is in ruins?" Tough words of rebuke, but uttered with love in our hearts!
Next week, G-d willing TEMPLE TALK will be recorded on Tish'a b'Av after the Rabbi and Yitzchak have paid an early morning visit to the Temple Mount.
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2.2.b Frame Relay connection Types
Frame-Relay support point-point and multipoint connection types.
In point-to-point connection type, a single sub interface establishes a PVC connection to another physical interface or sub-interface.
In multipoint connection type, a single sub-interface is used to establish multiple PVC connections to several physical interfaces or sub-interfaces. In multipoint Frame-Relay network, split horizon rule is applicable to broadcast traffic.
Another important thing to note when configuring Frame-Relay using sub-interfaces: The physical interface on which sub-interfaces are configured would not be assigned any IP address. Even if one is assigned, it should be removed prior to configuring Frame-Relay. Note that if an IP address is assigned to a physical interface, the sub-interfaces defined within the physical interface will not receive any frames.
The correct command syntax is:
Router1(config-if)# frame-relay map <protocol> <protocol-address> <dlci> [broadcast][ietf | cisco]
Here, the protocol-address specifies the destination network protocol address.
Example: Router1(config-if)# frame-relay map ip 192.168.36.9 200
The following are true about Multipoint, and point-to-point Frame-Relay configuration at sub-interfaces:
1. In multipoint, all interfaces use same subnet, whereas, in point-to-point each pair requires its own subnet.
2. No IP address is defined at the physical interface, if sub-interfaces are used for frame-relay configuration.
3. Point-to-point sub-interfaces act as point-to-point leased lines.
Characteristics of Frame-Relay point-to-point subinterface:
Only one DLCI can be configured per point-to-point subinterface.
The command "frame-relay interface-dlci" associates the selected point-to point subinterface with only one DLCI.
Sub-interfaces were originally created to take care of split-horizon issues from distance vector routing protocols over non-broadcast multiple access networks, because split horizon prevents routing updates received on one interface from retransmitting out onto the same interface. This is true even if the routing update is received on one frame relay PVC destined out to another frame relay PVC. By partitioning the frame relay network into numerous point-to point networks using subinterfaces; each new point-to-point subnetwork gets their own network number assigned. Therefore, the routed protocol views each subnetwork as if it was located on a separate interface.
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A vast majority of pest managers undertake rodent control in their daily work but not many of them undertake the work with the right attitude. Far too many simply “throw around a few baits” and hurriedly move on to the next job thinking that they are fulfilling the terms of their rodent job with the client. They don’t have the necessary “killer instinct” which is mandatory and the reason why Crunch Pest Control have a reputation as experts in the field.
All Australian rodents belong to the single family, Muridae. The three pest species belong to the subfamily, Murinae. It is not uncommon for native species such as bush rats and various species of mice to be found in people’s backyards, so it is imperative that Crunch Pest Control identify the animal’s species before undertaking a control programme. There are three pest rodents that Crunch Pest Control treat and are of the following:
Rattus rattus (Roof Rat, Black Rat, Fruit Rat, Tree Rat, Ship Rat, Alexandrine Rat)
The roof rat is the smaller of the pest rats and is of slighter build. It has a more pointed snout, large prominent ears and a tail slightly longer than its body length. It normally live 9-18 months and may have 4-5 litters per year (each with 6-8 young). The young achieve sexual maturity at 3-4 months.
Rattus norvegicus (Norway Rat, Brown Rat, Sewer Rat, Laboratory Rat)
The Norway Rat is the larger of the two pest rats and has a thickset body, blunt snout, small close-set ears and a tail slightly shorter than its body length. It normally lives 9-18 months and may have 5-6 litters per year (each with 8-10 young). The young achieve sexual maturity at 3-4 months which demonstrates their high reproductive potential.
Mus domesticus (or Mus Musculus or Mus Musculus Domesticus)
The House Mouse is small and has rather large ears, a pointed snout and a tail at least as long as its body length. House mice living indoors are usually a darkish grey colour, with lighter grey on the belly, while those living outdoors tend to a more sandy or yellow-brown colouring. They tend to live for about one year and may have 6-10 litters per year (each with 5-6 young). The young achieve sexual maturity at about 6 weeks.
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Imagine for a moment that Congress woke up one morning, realized that the United States was suffering from a paralyzing long-term unemployment crisis, and, in a moment of progressive pique, decided to create a welfare program aimed at middle-aged, blue-collar workers.
The one thing everybody could probably agree on is that it should help all those jobless 50-somethings find employment, right?
Well, as NPR's Planet Money argues in an eye-opening story, it turns out there already is a "de facto welfare program" for those struggling Americans. The problem is, instead of getting the unemployed back on their feet, it pays them to give up work for good.
I'm talking about Social Security's disability insurance program, which over 20 years has quietly morphed into one of the largest, yet least talked about, pieces of the social safety net. Since the early 1990s, the number of former workers receiving payments under it has more than doubled to about 8.5 million, as shown in Planet Money's graph below. More than five percent of all eligible adults are now on the rolls, up from around 3 percent twenty years ago. Add in children and spouses who also get checks, and the grand tally comes to 11.7 million.
That rapid, under-the-political-radar expansion has turned the program into a massive budget item. As of 2010, its monthly cash payments accounted for nearly one out of every five Social Security dollars spent, or about $124 billion. In 1988, by comparison, it accounted for just one out of eight Social Security dollars. Because disabled workers qualify for Medicare, they also added $59 billion to the government's healthcare tab.
Are disabilities just becoming more common? According to economists such as MIT's David Autor, the evidence says no. The workforce is indeed getting older, and thus more ailment prone. But Americans over 50, who make up most disability cases, report much better health today than in the 1980s. And demographers have found that the percentage of Americans older than 65 suffering from a chronic disability has fallen drastically since then. In the end, economists Mark Duggan and Scott Imberman estimate that, at most, the graying of America's workers explained just 4 percent of the increase in the rate of disability program participation for women, and 15 percent for men, through 2004.
Instead, it seems two things have happened: Qualifying for disability got easier, and finding work got harder. As the Planet Money piece puts it, "there's no diagnosis called disability." According to the letter of the law, disability recipients must prove they are too physically or mentally impaired to hold a job. And early in the program's life, the most commonly reported ailments were easy-to-diagnose problems such as heart-disease, strokes, or neurological disorders. But after the Reagan administration began trying to thin out the program's rolls in the early 80s, an angry Congress reacted by loosening its criteria. Suddenly, subjective measures like self-reported pain or mental health problems earned more weight under Social Security's formula. Today, the most common diagnoses are musculo-skeletal issues, such as severe back pain, and mental illnesses, such as mood disorders -- health problems where the line between a disability and a mild impairment is far blurrier.
Just as the bar for disability fell, the economy turned on the working class. Factories laid off their assembly workers. The service sector picked up the slack. Wages stagnated for anyone without a college diploma. These changes have made disability more attractive for reasons both obvious and subtle. Although program's payments are small -- the average benefit is a bit over $1,000 per month -- they're not much worse than a minimum wage job. Better yet, they're indexed to inflation, meaning they sometimes rise faster than wages, and come with generous government healthcare. For former blue-collar workers who feel they've lost all hope of finding employment, or who don't want to spend their last years leading to retirement standing all day at McDonald's, disability isn't a bad offer.
It's little surprise then that, as MIT's Autor notes, disability applications tend to rise and fall with the unemployment rate (as shown in his chart below), or that most applications come from workers who have recently lost jobs.
If you're a conservative, the reasons to worry about all this are obvious. There are probably a couple million people who could work if absolutely necessary, and are instead choosing to subsist on taxpayer money. The system, from that perspective, is simply being abused.
But the failures here should be obvious to liberals, too. If the job market is so miserably weak that these workers cannot find jobs -- that they are choosing to live in government-guaranteed poverty rather than take a chance on the labor market -- we need to find a better solution than paying them to sit while their skills atrophy. As of now, that's all we seem to be doing. Despite Clinton-era changes to the program that made it possible for participants to ease back into the work force without losing all their benefits, less than one percent of Americans who go on disability ever leave the program.The surge in the numbers of Americans who are now living off of Social Security's disability insurance program is troublesome. But it reflects the harsh reality of an ongoing jobs crisis that is leaving millions of people unemployed or under-employed, barely scraping by, desperate to find work or better jobs.
Moreover, that program, is headed for bankruptcy. As of last year, Social Security's disability trust fund was on pace to run dry by 2016, which would lead to an automatic 21 percent benefit cut affecting all of the program's participants, including the millions who truly can't work because of their impairments.
Like I said, even if we wanted a new welfare program for the struggling poor, this wouldn't be the way to run it.
Conservatives will point out that incentives are all wrong but liberals will point out the real problem is gross inequality, lack of jobs and affordable healthcare as the U.S. government panders to the financial elite, like big banks and rich private equity fund managers who made off like bandits in the fiscal cliff deal, leaving millions of people struggling in this economy to collect disability checks.
But what really worries me is that even those Americans who are working and managing to save something on the side, their retirement dreams are evaporating, and many of them will likely have to enroll in this "de facto welfare program" before they reach retirement age.
And the real losers in all this are the unemployed, under-employed and especially persons struggling with a disabling condition who need this insurance program to survive. As the program heads for bankruptcy, they will get hit harder than anyone else.
Also, one of the comments to the Atlantic article above struck me:
Keep in mind that some disabled people WANT to work but employers are less than willing to make accommodations. I'd love to work. I HAVE worked. I'm currently in school so that I can get a great job. The problem is that most employers aren't willing to work around my "absences" related to my illness. They hear chronic, frequent atypical migraine and freeze up. If more employers were open to telecommuting and flexible work hours, there would be less of a need for disability for pain related absences for people who WANTED to work.The sad fact is that far too many employers treat persons with disabilities as a liability instead of an asset. I bet you many truly disabled people on Social Security's disability program would much prefer to work for an employer who can accommodate their disability and recognize the value they can bring to their workforce.
Finally, while I'm happy to see the unemployment rate for people with disabilities dropped to a four-year low as the job market improves, the latest from Allsup points out the discrepancy in the unemployment rate between people with disabilities and those with no disabilities is concerning:
The fourth quarter 2012 unemployment rate for people with disabilities dropped to its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2008. The number of people with disabilities applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) also reached a four-year low, according to a study by Allsup, a nationwide provider of SSDI representation and Medicare plan selection services.
While this may seem to indicate that the worst of the economic crisis has passed, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was still 70 percent higher than for those with no disabilities during the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the Allsup Disability Study: Income at Risk. The full study is available at http://www.allsup.com/Portals/4/allsup-study-income-at-risk-q4-12.pdf
Specifically, the unemployment rate averaged 12.4 percent for people with disabilities and 7.3 percent for people with no disabilities during the fourth quarter of 2012. This compares to 13.7 percent for people with disabilities and 7.9 percent for people with no disabilities during the third quarter of 2012. These figures are based on non-seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"The discrepancy in the employment rate between people with no disabilities and people with disabilities is concerning," said Tricia Blazier, personal financial planning manager for Allsup. "If more people with disabilities capable of working were provided the opportunity to do so, the trust fund for the Social Security disability program would be stronger. These individuals would be paying into the trust fund just as other workers do."
Beginning in 2013, the projected assets of the Disability Insurance Trust Fund will fall below 100 percent of the annual costs, according to the 2012 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds (2012 OASDI Trustees Report). The DI Trust Fund is projected to exhaust its reserves in 2016.
At that time, revenues from payroll taxes will cover only 79 percent of benefits. This means there would be a 21 percent cut in benefits to the millions of people with disabilities so severe they are unable to work, as well as to their families. At year-end 2012, more than 8.8 million disabled workers received an average monthly benefit of $1,130.34, and nearly 2.1 million children and spouses of disabled workers relied on average monthly benefits of nearly $334.
SSDI Applications Continue to Decline
While the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is still significantly higher than for people with no disabilities, the number of people with disabilities applying for SSDI has declined for the second year in a row.
The Allsup Disability Study: Income at Risk shows that 638,223 people with disabilities applied for SSDI during the fourth quarter of 2012, down from 726,026 for the previous quarter. The quarterly number of applications has not dropped below this level since the fourth quarter of 2008, when there were 577,306 applications.
In 2012, 2.82 million people filed SSDI applications, compared to 2.88 million in 2011. Applications are now down 3.92 percent from the record high of nearly 2.94 million SSDI applications in 2010. The average age of people applying for SSDI is 53.
"The average age of SSDI applicants is about midway in the baby boom generation, so it's likely SSDI applications will remain elevated," Blazier said. "Because of this, more is needed to educate people with severe disabilities about their SSDI benefits. It's also important people understand their options for rejoining the labor pool if their condition improves in the future."
Many people confronted with a disabling condition wait longer than they should to apply for SSDI benefits. Often, Social Security disability applicants must wait several months or years before they receive their benefits. For example, nearly 1.89 million SSDI claims are pending with an average cumulative wait time of more than 800 days, according to Allsup's analysis of the Social Security disability backlog.
Blazier recommends individuals understand the following:
1. Who is covered by Social Security disability insurance?
To be covered, a person must have worked and paid into the SSDI program through payroll taxes (FICA) for five of the last 10 years. They also must be disabled before reaching full-retirement age (65-67) and must meet Social Security's definition of disability. Generally, this means being unable to work because of a verifiable mental or physical impairment expected to result in death, or which has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 12 months.
2. When should someone with a severe disability apply for SSDI benefits?
Anyone with SSDI coverage who is unable to work because of a severe disability expected to last 12 months or longer or is terminal should apply as soon as possible. It can take two to four years to receive benefits, during which time many people struggle financially as a result of lost income and, often, mounting healthcare costs. The sooner someone applies the sooner he or she may begin to receive monthly benefits. They also are eligible for Medicare 24 months after they start receiving SSDI cash benefits.
3. Is SSDI representation needed?
Individuals can apply for SSDI on their own. However, there are several advantages to having a Social Security disability representative. This is especially true at the initial application. For example, more than half of Allsup claimants are awarded benefits at the initial application level compared to just 34 percent nationally.
4. Can someone with SSDI benefits ever return to work?
Yes. If a person's condition improves to the point where they can return to work, Social Security offers a trial work period, which allows someone to test their ability to work over at least nine months and receive full SSDI benefits no matter how high their earnings. In addition, Social Security's work incentives include the extended period of eligibility, which lasts 36 months. Once someone's benefits stop because they have substantial earnings, they still have five years in which benefits can be reinstated without going through the SSDI application process again -- if they must stop working because of their disability. This is known as expedited reinstatement. Additionally, it's possible to continue Medicare coverage for up to 93 months.
Individuals can determine their Social Security disability benefits using Allsup's free online Social Security benefits calculator. For a free evaluation, or for more information about eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, contact Allsup's Disability Evaluation Center at (800) 678-3276.
Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, Medicare and Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services for individuals, employers and insurance carriers. Founded in 1984, Allsup employs more than 800 professionals who deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. The company is based in Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis. For more information, go to http://www.Allsup.com or visit Allsup on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Allsupinc.I provided the information above for people who are confronted with a disabling condition and need help applying for disability insurance. If you're confronted with a disabling condition, inform yourself and know that you have every right to collect disability insurance and even work during this time if you feel capable.
Below, Fox News hypes the high number of people receiving federal disability benefit payments to push myths about the program and suggest many recipients are "moochers" and "takers." In fact, a majority of applicants are denied benefits, and experts agree the higher levels of disability recipients are a direct result of the recession and an increased number of women receiving benefits (if video doesn't work, click here).
And CNBC's resident claptrap, Rick Santelli, screams it's all about incentives, propagating more myths on Social Security's disability program. If you want to know the truth, read this comment on Media Matters for America.
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Spin models are simple statistical models of real systems, such as magnets, which exhibit the same behavior and hence provide an understanding of the physical mechanisms involved. Despite their apparent simplicity, most of these models are not exactly soluble by present theoretical methods. Hence, computer simulation is used. Usually, one is interested in the behavior of the system at a phase transition; the computer simulation reveals where the phase boundaries are, what the phases on either side are, and how the properties of the system change across the phase transition. There are two varieties of spins: discrete or continuous valued. In both cases, the spin variables are put on the sites of the lattice and only interact with their nearest neighbors. The partition function for a spin model is
with the action being of the form
where denotes nearest neighbors, is the spin at site i, and is a coupling parameter which is proportional to the interaction strength and inversely proportional to the temperature. A great deal of work has been done over the years in finding good algorithms for computer simulations of spin models; recently some new, much better, algorithms have been discovered. These so-called cluster algorithms are described in detail in Section 12.6. Here, we shall describe results obtained from using them to perform large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of several spin models-both discrete and continuous.
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Biodiesel is a promising candidate as an alternative clean fuel due to its distinctive properties such as non-toxicity, low-sulfur content, easy biodegradability, renewable and low harmful gas emissions [1, 2]. In recent years, production processes and technologies for biodiesel have been relatively mature and promising . However, it has some disadvantages that hinder its large-scale production, such as high product cost , and low reaction rate .
Many catalytic systems have been reported for the transesterification reaction of rapeseed oil and methanol, such as acid catalysts, alkali and enzymes [6, 7, 8]. In homogeneous acid or alkali catalyzed biodiesel productionss, the catalyst is characterized by high catalytic activity and catalytic rate, but the post-treatment is complicated . Transesterification reactions using enzyme catalysts have been established to simplify the separation process of catalysts from products. However, enzyme catalysts are susceptible to poisoning and exhibit low selectivity . Among them, heterogeneous acid base catalysts have attracted much attention because they can overcome the problems posed by other catalysts [11, 12]. CaO is a commonly used basic catalyst for transesterification reactions, which is attributed to its cost-effectiveness, high activity, superior basicity, and easy availability of raw materials [13, 14]. Liu et al. described the transesterification process for the conversion of soybean oil to biodiesel using CaO as a solid catalyst. The reaction was carried out using a 1:12 molar ratio of soybean oil to methanol, a catalyst concentration of 8 wt% (in terms of oil weight) at a temperature of 65 °C within a reaction time of 3 h, and a 95% yield of biodiesel. Tang et al. reported that nano-CaO with different particle sizes and crystallinity was prepared by sol–gel method, which exhibited better catalytic performance than commercial CaO for biodiesel production under the same reaction conditions. The best reaction was achieved at 1:1:8 molar ratio of oil to DMC to methanol, 5 wt% nano-CaO catalyst (calcined at 800 °C), and, 65 °C reaction temperature, and the fatty acid methyl ester yield exceeding 4 h was 92%, which is 2 h shorter than that of commercial CaO. Degfie et al. prepared nano-CaO via thermal decomposition and used it as a catalyst to valorize waste cooking oil to biodiesel. It was revealed that the highest conversion of 96% was obtained at optimized reaction conditions of 50 °C, methanol/oil ratio of 8, and catalyst dosage of 1 wt% with a reaction time of 90 min. Another notable source of CaO for biodiesel synthesis could be derived from waste shells. Eggshells and aquatic shells have been widely reported as renewable and inexpensive CaO sources to replace rapidly depleting chemicals. Santos et al. developed micro-structured CaO from chicken eggshells by calcination at 850 °C for 3 h and then used it for biodiesel synthesis from soybean oil. They reported a yield of 84.53% at a catalyst loading of 5 wt%, which is lower than some other studies that used chicken, oyster, duck, or ostrich shells. Apart from this, doped and loaded versions of other modified CaO-based catalyst materials have also been reported. Maryam et al. reported the doping of CaO derived from calcined eggshells with Na–K using a wet impregnation method to improve the catalytic activity at low reaction temperatures and to shorten the reaction time. The effect of different Na/K molar ratios was investigated on biodiesel yield from canola oil, and the highest FAME yield of 97.6% was obtained under optimal reaction conditions. Moradi et al. described the use of CaO/SiO2 as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production from corn oil. The transesterification reaction was carried out in the presence of corn oil, methanol (methanol to oil molar ratio of 16:1) and 6 wt% of catalyst (in terms of oil) at 60 °C for 8 h. The catalyst loading of 70%, calcination temperature of 650 °C and acid to water ratio of 0.5 were optimal values, and the purity and conversion of biodiesel produced were 98.5 and 85.6%, respectively. MacLeod et al. evaluated four alkali-doped metal oxide catalysts, LiNO3/CaO, NaNO3/CaO, KNO3/CaO, and LiNO3/MgO, for biodiesel production from rapeseed oil. The results show that there is a correlation between base strength and catalyst performance, and that the alkali-doped metal oxide catalysts are promising catalysts having short reaction times.
Here we investigated a series of supported solid base catalysts that were prepared by impregnating CaO with different chloride salts, as well as their catalytic applications in the transesterification of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production. The influence of various process parameters, such as. kinds of active components, reaction temperature, catalyst dosage, and reaction time, were investigated in detail.
Refined rapeseed oil was purchased from JianXing Agriculture Technology Group Co., Ltd. (Xi’an, Shaanxi) Calcium oxide was purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd. Kalium chloratum, methanol, cyclohexane, were purchased from TianLi Chemical Reagent Ltd. (Tianjin) Methyl heptadecanoate was purchased from Sigma. All chemicals were of analytical reagent grade were used without pretreatment.
2.2. Catalyst preparation
The supported solid base catalysts were prepared using a well-known immersion method based on the supporter CaO. The CaO support was pretreated into a muffle furnace for calcination at 600 °C for 6 h according to the previous results as suggested by Mohammed’s , and then impregnated with the prepared solutions of different chloride salts at room temperature. After 12 h, the resulting pre-catalyst was immediately dried in an oven at 110 °C for 5 h and then calcined under a specified time and temperature conditions.
2.3. Catalytic testing
Amount of rapeseed oil and methanol were added in a three-necked round-bottomed flask equipped with a reflux condenser and a thermometer, and the catalyst was added under stirring. Then the mixture was heated to refluxing temperature of methanol (65 °C) under stirring. The catalytic performance was evaluated by analyzing the sample taken out from the reaction mixture every 1 h. All samples were treated by centrifugation for the separation of catalysts, and the excess methanol in the samples was distilled off under vacuum.
2.4. Characterization of catalysts
The particle sizes and shapes of the prepared catalysts were examined using SEM (JSM-6390A, HI2TACHI). Adsorption isotherms of nitrogen on the prepared catalysts were obtained using an automated volumetric adsorption apparatus (ASAP2010, Micromeritics). Samples were evacuated at 300 °C for 2 h before exposure to nitrogen gas at 77 K. The BET surface areas were calculated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller equation. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of carbon dioxide was carried out using ChemiSorb2750 instrument (Micromeritics). The temperature of the sample was increased to 850 °C at a ramping rate of 10 °C/min and the desorbed carbon dioxide was detected using a thermal conductivity detector.
2.5. Pretreatment of biodiesel
If vegetable oil contains free fatty acid (FFA), it will react with homogenous base catalysts to form soap and water . NaOH was used to remove free fatty acid from raw rapeseed oil. After multiple washings with water, then cyclohexane was used to remove remain water and the refined rapeseed oil was obtained.
The transesterification reaction was carried out in a 100 mL flask with a three-necked, round-bottomed, and thermometer. Rapeseed oil and methanol were first mixed under magnetic stirring and then heated to the reflux temperature of methanol in a water bath. The reaction occurs after adding the amount of catalyst into the mixture. After the desired time, the catalyst was separated by centrifugation and unreacted methanol was separated from the supernatant by vacuum distillation. Then the purified samples were collected for analysis.
Samples, 1 μL, were analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with HP-INNOWAX (30 m × 0.15 mm) column with a flame-ionization detector and N2 as carrier gas. The column was maintained at 100 °C for 1 min, then increased at 20 °C/min to 240 °C and maintained for 1 min. Detector and injection temperature were 280 °C and 320 °C, respectively. The yield of biodiesel was calculated by the flowing equation given by Leung and Guo .
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Transesterification of rapeseed oil to biodiesel
3.1.1. The catalytic performance of different catalysts
According to previous studies, it was observed that the introduction of Cl not only increased the number of base sites, but also significantly changed its base strength . In our study, biodiesel was prepared by the catalysis of CaO supported with different active components, namely KCl, AlCl3, NH4Cl, FeCl3, and LiCl. The results are shown in Figure 1. As shown, all supported catalysts catalyzed the transesterification reaction of rapeseed oil. Among them, KCl/CaO showed the best catalytic activity under the same reaction conditions. The optimal performance was obtained when KCl/CaO was used as a catalyst, with 98.4% of yield to biodiesel, which was 15.1% higher than commercial CaO. However, Reyero et al. studied the heterogenization of biodiesel synthesis over CaO catalysts and found that Ca-glyceroxide possessed appreciable basicity and could increase the yield of biodiesel to about 83.4% within 2 h reaction time. The results suggest that active components have an important influence on the catalysis of CaO. The performance of the catalyst was significantly improved with the addition of KCl, which could appropriately modify the pore structure and inner surface area of CaO. The specific reason for this needs to be further studied and will be explained in detail later. Based on the results, KCl/CaO was used for further experiments.
3.1.2. The influence of molar ratio
One of the most important parameters affecting the transesterification process is the molar ratio of the reactants . Theoretically, the biodiesel yield can reach a maximum when the molar ratio of methanol to rapeseed oil at 3:1. However, more methanol was introduced to keep the equation shifted to biodiesel production. The effect of the molar ratio of methanol to rapeseed oil was examined and the results are shown in Figure 2. The biodiesel yield tended to increase with increasing amount of methanol, and reached a maximum of 98.4% when the molar ratio of methanol to oil was 15:1. In contrast to Huang’s study , the biodiesel yield reached only 97.8% at the same molar ratio of methanol to oil. It was also observed that when the molar ratio of oil to methanol was increased to 20:1, the yield of biodiesel decreased remarkably due to dilution effect. Hence, the optimum operating ratio for conversion will be 15:1.
3.1.3. The influence of calcination temperature
Calcination temperature was found to be of great importance in the preparation of catalysts with high catalytic activity . The effect of calcination temperature on biodiesel yield is depicted in Figure 3. Increasing the calcination temperature leads to an increase in biodiesel yield due to the appearance of active sites derived from the decomposition of chloride salts at higher temperatures. The most favorable yield of biodiesel at 2.5 h was 98.3% when the reaction was carried out by calcination of the catalyst at 600 °C. However, when the catalyst was calcined above 600 °C, the excessively high temperature led to CaO sintering, resulting in a decrease in the biodiesel yield. These results indicate that the catalyst activities strongly depend on the calcination temperature and that a suitable calcination temperature is beneficial to the performance of the in terms of flavor and appearance. The optimal calcination temperature was set at 600 °C. In a similar study, Chen et al. reported a biodiesel yield of about 90% using CaO/MgO/Fe3O4 calcined at 600 °C as a catalyst.
3.1.4. The influence of loading amount of KCl
Considering that the highest catalytic performance was exhibited over KCl/CaO, the loading amount of KCl was further considered for evaluating the reaction parameters. As illustrated in Figure 4, the catalytic activity was increased by increasing the amount of KCl from 1% to 15%. While increasing the amount of KCl further, the yield of biodiesel did not increase but decreased significantly due to the excess of KCl covering the active sites on the CaO surface. Therefore, the optimum amount of KCl in this reaction is 15% by weight of CaO. In contrast to Tang’s study , it was found that KCl/CaO impregnated in a 15% KCl solution for 12 h and calcined at 600 °C gave the best performance with the highest yield of 96.4%, where there was an appropriate dispersion of CaO particles with strong basic sites.
3.1.5. The influence of catalyst amount
The influence of catalyst amount on the catalytic performance of rapeseed oil transesterification to biodiesel was investigated from 1% to 15%, and the results are shown in Figure 5. From the results, it can be seen that the yield of biodiesel gradually increased with an increase in catalyst weight, and reached the highest value of 98.4% at 10% catalyst usage. Oliveira et al. reported that the obtained catalysts were tested at the following reaction parameters: 20:1 methanol:oil molar ratio; 10% of catalyst amount; 60 °C temperature for 5 h, with the highest yield (92.2%) to be obtained. Whereas the yield of biodiesel decreased to some extent as the catalyst amount was increased to 15%. The results clearly indicate that a sufficient number of basic sites are required to catalyze the completion of the reaction . This decreasing trend was attributed to the formation of soap in the presence of large amounts of catalyst, which increased the viscosity of the reactants and lowered the yield of esters .
3.1.6. The influence of reaction time
Figure 6 illustrates the influence of reaction time on the yield of biodiesel, which varies in time from 10 to 180 min at reflux temperature. From the results, it can be found that the yield of biodiesel initially increases with increasing reaction time , with a maximum yield of 98.3% at the time when the reaction was carried out at reflux temperature for 2.5 h. Whereas, in Wen’s study , they prepared the KF/CaO nanocatalyst by impregnation method and used it to convert Chinese tallow seed oil to biodiesel. The optimum reaction conditions were 12:1 alcohol to oil molar ratio, 4 wt% catalyst loading /w of oil, 65 °C reaction temperature, and 2.5 h reaction time resulting in 96.8% biodiesel yield. Further extension of the time to 4 h did not result in an increase in biodiesel yield, but indicated a slight decline in the stage of side reactions that appeared, such as the decomposition of glycerides.
3.2. Catalyst characterization
3.2.1. FT-IR spectrum of different catalysts
FT-IR patterns of the KCl/CaO catalyst and CaO are shown in Figure 7. The broadband in the 3200–3600 cm−1 region is attributed to the –OH stretching vibrations of the surface hydroxyl groups. The peaks observed at 1625, 1450, and 876 cm−1 could be due to vibrations. The main reason for the formation of –OH and is the absorption of CO2 and water from the air by the catalyst . The presence of KCl obviously reduces the intensity of –OH, which indicates that the formation of KCl/CaO not only enhances the stability of CaO in air, but also makes it well active.
3.2.2. SEM results
The morphologies of CaO before and after support were studied using SEM images. As shown in Figure 8, the surface morphology of CaO particles changed greatly after being supported, and their morphology changed from flocculent particles to spherical granules. The results indicated that the active components could be dispersed on the surface of the catalyst . After loading with KCl, the catalysts were larger in size, with good particle dispersion and exhibited excellent catalytic performance. The EDX analysis of the surface (inserted in b) confirms the composition of the materials. From the results, the amount of KCl over KCl/CaO was found to be lower than the supporting amount, thus indicating the leaching of KCl during the catalyst preparation process.
3.2.3. N2 physisorption
The structural properties of the catalysts were determined by N2 adsorption–desorption. As can be seen in Figure 9, the isotherms are typically type II, presenting upward at first and slightly concave upward later in the curve. The curve for CaO seems to overlap, and it may have a cylindrical hole but closed at one end. In contrast, KCl/CaO may have a cylindrical hole open at both ends, or possibly in the shape of an ink bottle. A comparison of the two hysteresis curves of the catalyst suggests that KCl/CaO may exhibit a regular and orderly structure. The unique structure of KCl/CaO may help to improve the catalytic activity.
The textural structure and basicity of the samples are summarized in Table 1. It can be found that the surface area and total pore volume of CaO and KCl/CaO gradually decreased from 37.69 to 28.9567 m2/g, respectively. However, the pore size of CaO particles improved greatly from 61.584 to 126.7323 nm upon the addition of KCl. These results indicate that the higher the activity of the catalyst, the larger the average pore diameter of the catalyst. This suggests that the average aperture increases obviously with the addition of KCl, which may be beneficial for the reactive molecules to better access the active sites of the catalysts.
Pore structure properties of different supported catalysts
|BET surface area (m2∕g)
|Total pore volume (cm3∕g × 102)
|Average pore diameter (nm)
3.2.4. Basic properties
Solid base catalysts have better catalytic activity for the transesterification of rapeseed oil to biodiesel if they have strong basicity and more basic sites . The improvement of catalyst performance should contribute to the formation of methoxyl on the active basic sites of solid catalysts. To find out the basic strength and the number of basic sites, TPD was performed on the calcined catalysts, and the results are shown in Figure 10. No desorption peaks were observed below 200 °C, indicating that both samples are not weakly basic. The desorption peaks appeared in the high temperature range from 600 to 800 °C, attributed to strong basic sites, and the peaks shifted to the high temperature range over KCl/CaO, indicating that the suggested that KCl modified CaO has stronger basic sites, with the CO2 desorption peak appearing at 758 °C. This fact would confirm the presence of strong basic sites in KCl/CaO as well as explain the high catalytic activity observed when it was used as a catalyst for the transesterification of rapeseed oil. Under the same reaction conditions, CaO exhibited a FAME yield of 61.2%, whereas the yield of FAME relative to KCl/CaO was more than 98%.
3.2.5. XRD results
The XRD patterns associated with KCl/CaO and CaO are shown in Figure 11. The characteristic XRD lines of CaO appeared with relatively low intensity, while a significant KCl crystallographic diffraction intensity was observed after modification with KCl, indicating that the presence of KCl limits the sintering of CaO particles. Since CaO is known to have a very high basicity, it is considered to be the main basic site responsible for transesterification. The more dispersed the CaO particles are, the higher the amount of FAME yield. Furthermore, weak peaks of CaCO3 could be detected, indicating the presence of amorphous carbonates and a slower carbonation process of CaO compared to rapid hydration. The results are in agreement with the data reported by Granados .
The transesterification reaction of rapeseed oil with methanol was carried out using modified CaO with various chloride salts. Improvements were made by adding alkali metals to eggshell-derived CaO, and these catalysts typically require almost longer reaction times and high temperature, which can result in spending more time, energy, and cost. The influence of metal types has been investigated and the greater activity of KCl/CaO relative to other modified CaO can be explained by the presence of CaO with a higher concentration of super-basic sites not present in CaO. The novel solid basic catalysts showed high activities for biodiesel production with yields exceeding 98%. The structural properties and performance of these catalysts in biodiesel production from rapeseed oil were investigated and the reaction conditions were optimized to see if biodiesel could be produced under milder conditions (i.e., at a lower price) in the presence of these catalysts. Finally, the stability of the catalysts with the highest yields was also examined. CaO was found to possess the advantages of high basicity, high pore volume and good dispersion.
Conflicts of interest
The authors confirm that this article content has no conflict of interest.
This work was supported financially by National Science Foundation of China (21763030) and Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi University. We also thank the Center of Advanced Analysis and Testing at Xi’an Shiyou University for their work.
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Electric vehicle batteries are used to power the electric motors of battery electric vehicles (BEV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). EV batteries are made up of numerous cells put into a frame to provide protection from external shocks such as heat or vibration called module. Several modules combined with a BMS (Battery Management System) and a cooling device that controls and manages the battery’s temperature, voltage, etc., are called a battery pack.
Meticulous Research, in its latest publication on the EV batteries market, states that the market will grow at a CAGR of ~26% from 2021 to 2028 to reach $175.11 billion.
The growth of this market is backed by factors such as increasing adoption of EVs worldwide, decreasing battery prices, and increasing investment by leading automotive OEMs to secure the battery supply chain for their future electric vehicles. Increasing adoption of electric mobility in emerging economies, growing investments in developing lithium-ion battery capacity, and growing deployment of battery-as-a-service provide significant growth opportunities for the EV batteries market.
To provide efficient analysis, Meticulous Research® has segmented this market based on type (lithium-ion batteries, sealed lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, ultracapacitors, solid state batteries, and other batteries), capacity (less than 50 kWh, 51 kWh to 100 kWh, 101 kWh to 300 kWh, and more than 300 kWh), bonding type (wire and laser bonding), form (prismatic, cylindrical, and pouch), application (electric cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, e-scooters and motorcycles, and e-bikes), end user (electric vehicle OEMs and battery swapping stations), and geography (Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).
Download Research Report Sample @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5210
Based on type, the lithium-ion battery segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to their higher energy density, compactness, durability, and lightweight. Various automotive OEMs are partnering with battery OEMs to developed lithium-ion batteries, secure battery supply chain for their existing and upcoming electric vehicles, and achieve technology leadership in EV batteries.
Based on capacity, the 51kWh to 100kWh segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to increasing initiatives by leading automotive OEMs to launch long-range and more powerful electric cars, increasing adoption of electric cars in developing economies, and targets set by governments across the world to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030.
Based on bonding type, the wire bonding segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the high reliability of wire bonding technology, low production cost, better thermal relief properties, lesser scrap production, and easy replaceability of faulty wire bonds. Wire bonding can handle extreme temperature ranges, shock, and vibrations over increasingly longer lifetimes. Wire bonding is increasingly used for applications such as battery cell-to-cell connections, battery cell-to-busbar connections, and battery management system (BMS) interconnects.
Based on form, the prismatic segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is attributed to factors such as a very thin profile providing better space utilization, allows flexibility in battery design, and high-power quality. Prismatic cells offer better layering options than other types of cells, due to which they are commonly used in critical applications like EV batteries. Prismatic cells are highly stable since they are encased in steel or aluminum casing.
Based on application, the electric cars segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to growing concerns regarding the negative environmental effects of vehicular emissions, supportive government initiatives to decarbonize transportation, and increasing efforts by major automotive OEMs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Battery OEMs are increasingly investing in the R&D of new battery technologies for reducing the car’s battery size cost-effectively and improve its performance and power to weight ratio.
Speck to our Analyst @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5210
Based on end user, the electric vehicle OEMs segment is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to increasing consumer adoption of EVs for personal use, increasing investment by automotive OEMs in EV battery manufacturing capacities to create a secure supply chain for their future electric vehicles, and increasing launch of new EV models by automotive OEMs. Moreover, all major EV OEMs currently cover batteries in warranty for 8 to 10 years, due to which customers buy replacement batteries for older EVs from OEMs, further supporting the battery demand by EV OEMs.
Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for the largest share of the EV batteries market in 2021. The large share of this market is mainly attributed to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles in this region, a growing number of start-ups offering numerous battery solutions, a higher concentration of lithium reserves in China, the leadership of China in global EV battery manufacturing capacities, a higher concentration of global EV battery OEMs in the region, and increasing investment by leading battery OMEs for setting up battery manufacturing capacities in emerging economies of the region such as Thailand, Indonesia, and India.
The report provides competitive intelligence in terms of financials, growth strategies, product portfolios, and geographical presence for some of the key players operating in this market, including SK Innovations Co. Ltd. ( South Korea), LG Chem, Ltd (South Korea), Farasis Energy (GanZhou) Co., Ltd. (China), SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (China), BYD Company Limited (China), Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. (South Korea), GS Yuasa International Ltd. (Japan), Vehicle Energy Japan Inc. (Japan), Northvolt AB (Sweden), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) (China), A123 Systems, LLC (China), Exide Industries Ltd. (India), Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (Japan), E-One Moli Energy Corp. (Taiwan), StoreDot Ltd. (Israel), NOHMs Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Lithium Werks B.V. (Netherlands), Faradion Limited (U.K.), and QuantumScape Corporation (U.S.).
Company Name: Meticulous Market Research Pvt Ltd
Contact Person: Khushal Bombe
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 646-781-8004
Address:1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S.
Country: United States
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Lead-Acid Battery Recycling
Estimated Population at Risk:
Lead-acid batteries are rechargeable batteries that are widely found throughout the world and are commonly used in motor vehicles. These batteries are made up of lead plates and sulfuric acid that are contained within a plastic cover. The lead plates are perfect for use in batteries because of their ability to be recharged multiple times. After sustained use, the lead plates eventually weaken and are no longer able to store energy.46 Used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) are either discarded or recycled. Because of the toxic materials within these used batteries, the Basel Convention has included ULABs on its list of materials classified as “hazardous waste.”47
Populations estimates are preliminary and based on an ongoing global assessment of known polluted sites.
Though the lead plates in a ULAB have been exhausted, this does not mean that the lead within the battery cannot be reused. In fact, most new lead-acid batteries contain up to 80% recycled, purified lead – making recycled lead a very valuable material.48 Because of the success of recycled lead, the market for extracting and reselling used lead has grown substantially, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Though high-income countries have developed safe and effective processes for the reclamation of lead from ULABs, the recycling process that occurs throughout much of the rest of the world is far less developed and regulated.
Unregulated recycling industries and informal methods of extracting lead – often conducted in homes or backyards – can lead to high levels of environmental lead contamination. These processes usually involve breaking the ULABs open by hand or with an axe, which can lead to direct dermal contact with lead and the improper release of battery acid into the surrounding soil. Pieces of the broken batteries are then left on the ground where they are exposed to the elements and can possibly spread toxins to people through dermal contact. Once the batteries are broken open, parts of the battery must be melted in order to recover the secondary lead. This process is frequently performed in homes and over informal kitchen stove flames. Lead-oxide, which accounts for 40 percent of the lead weight in each battery and is a particularly bio-available form of lead, is often improperly disposed of and left out in the open.
On an annual basis, nearly 6 million tons of lead are used around the world, with over 4 million tons used in lead-acid batteries. Substantial quantities of this lead consumption come from recycled materials and ULABs, which, when done properly, is a very effective industry in terms of reducing lead pollution and the need for mining of virgin ore material. Recycling of secondary lead, however, when done without proper regulations or safety measures, can be very dangerous and can lead to high levels of toxic exposure for both those directly involved and for surrounding communities.
Because of the growing market for secondary lead, many low- and middle-income countries have begun to buy ULABs in large quantities in order to recover and resell the material. Many of the ULABs originate in industrialized countries and are shipped long distance in order to be recycled.49 Today, ULAB recycling processes occur in nearly every city in low- and middle-income countries, with many of the recycling and melting operations taking place in densely populated urban settings.
A large amount of the recycling processes in these countries, both small- and large-scale, is done with little knowledge of the health impacts these processes have. In many places, there are no environmental or health regulations that govern recycling, and lead is often released into the environment in very high quantities. Informal recycling is also disproportionately performed by people living in conditions of poverty who may not have other viable means of income and who are often unaware of the dangers posed by these operations. Currently, the Blacksmith inventory estimates that almost 1 million people are affected by lead pollution from ULAB recycling, with the most severe problems observed in South America and South Asia.
The informal recycling processes for ULABs can subject people to various forms of toxic exposure. The most frequent and common way that people are exposed to lead contamination is through lead particulates from the battery acid. During the breaking process, battery acid can easily leak into the soil or enter ground and surface water systems that are used for bathing and drinking. Lead toxins can also be inhaled during the melting of the lead plates, which allows the metal to enter into the respiratory and circulatory systems. Excess lead dust from this process can also be transported on clothing and can accumulate inside houses on bedding, furniture, and even food. Dry soil that is contaminated with lead particulates also poses the hazard of spreading lead dust throughout a community, where it can easily be inhaled or touched.
Young children are particularly at risk of lead exposure because of typical hand-to-mouth behavior. Because so many lead battery scraps are left out in the open, children often play in or around these dump sites and can inadvertently pick up stones or soil contaminated with lead, and even bring these objects back to their homes. The most frequent form of lead exposure for children is ingestion, as lead toxins can enter directly into children’s bodies through lead dust–covered hands, food, or toys that are either eaten or brought in contact with the mouth.
Please see health effects from lead on page.
What is Being Done
Though the problems associated with informal ULAB recycling processes and lead poisoning are well documented and recognized under the Basel Convention Secretariat, these practices continue to occur on a very large scale throughout the developing world. Much of the informal ULAB recycling is very small-scale and difficult to regulate or control, but progress can be made through cleanup, outreach, policy, and education.
Blacksmith’s Lead Poisoning and Car Batteries Project (formerly the Initiative for Responsible Battery Recycling) is currently in place in eight countries, including Senegal (with co-funding from Green Cross Switzerland), the Dominican Republic, India, and the Philippines. The Project aims to end widespread lead poisoning from the improper recycling of ULABs, and consists of several different strategies and programs, with the most important priority being the health of children in the surrounding communities. The multi-faceted system for mitigating and eliminating lead exposure and informal recycling consists of the following approaches: 1) the blood levels of children in recycling areas are monitored and treatment is provided to those with significantly high blood lead levels; 2) education and avoidance programs are implemented in communities surrounding recycling operations to inform community members of the dangers posed by improper ULAB recycling and to provide helpful advice on how to avoid exposure through inhalation, contact, and ingestion; 3) soil that is already contaminated with legacy lead particulates is either removed or is buried and covered with non-polluted top soil in order to avoid further toxic exposure; 4) programs and discussions take place with local governments and NGOs in order to implement sound policy for regulating and controlling problems associated with informal recycling and exposure; and 5) projects are undertaken with various community members and stakeholders to help create alternative economic opportunities.
Example – DALY Calculations
A small town outside of Manila in the Philippines contains a closed battery manufacturing plant and a ULAB recycling facility. Though the plant is guarded, scavengers still sneak in to recover material that may contain reusable lead. This practice, along with waste and toxic spillage from the other recycling facilities, has lead to high levels of lead contamination in the area, and many people are growing their food in soil with high lead pollution. Blacksmith samples found 193,880 parts per million of lead in the soil, which is over 400 times the health standard. Blacksmith estimates that 15,000 people are at risk of exposure to lead in this area.
DALYs associated with adverse health impacts from lead exposure at this site are estimated to be 319,817 for the estimated exposed population of 15,000. In other words, the 15,000 affected people at this site will have a collective 319,817 years lost to death, or impacted by disease or disability. This comes out to 21 years lost or lived with a disability per person.
: “Used Lead Acid Batteries: Factsheet.” Department of the Environment and Heritage. Australian Government. August 2005. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/chemicals/hazardous-waste/publications/lead-acid-fs.html.
: “The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.” Basel Convention. United Nations Environment Programme. Available at: http://www.basel.int/text/17Jun2010-conv-e.pdf.
: “Batteries.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed on August 25, 2011. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/battery.htm.
: Trade and Environment.“A Teaching Case: The Basel Ban And Batteries.” Accessed October 14, 2011. Available at: http://www.commercialdiplomacy.org/case_study/case_batteries.htm.
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The cutting edge. (software for simulating dissection and vivisection) (Column) (Buyers Guide)
by Steven Anzovin
If you took high-school biology, you probably remember pithing a frog and seeing for yourself the number of chambers in the heart of a fetal pig. Hundreds of thousands of frogs and pigs are still dissected by students in public schools every year. The animals cost millions of dollars. According to Beyond Dissection, a handbook published by the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (333 Washington Street, Suite 850, Boston, Massachusetts 02108; 617-523-6020), three years of preserved bullfrogs for three biology classes can cost as much as $1,069.
PCs can provide a cheaper, cleaner, and more pleasant alternative to dissection. Clever computer software is being used in more and more biology classrooms to simulate the experience of vivisecting or dissecting laboratory animals. Using a color-capable computer and a mouse (the computer kind, that is), students can uncover layer by layer the anatomies of earthworms, bullfrogs, and even human beings without having to kill and cut a real animal--an experience that turns many students away from further study in biology. Dissection programs also provide detailed information on each anatomical feature, and many include animations, quizzes, games, or other learning aids.
To take one example, a program called Operation Frog (Scholastic Software, P.O. Box 7502, 2931 East McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102; 800-541-5513) simulates an American bullfrog for junior-high biology classes. It offers step-by-step dissection of a simplified frog--just one set of muscles and no bones--but plenty of interesting related activities, including animations and digitized photos. The program costs $79.95 for the Apple II version and $89.95 for the DOS version and can be used over and over again. Operation Frog allows students to go at their own pace, rather than having to keep pace with the class. And after students have taken the frog apart, they can put it back together, something that the best biology teacher in the world can't do with a real frog.
There are some other advantages, too. Using simulations instead of real animals reduces exposure to nasty chemicals like formaldehyde. Maybe best of all, students can't cut each other with software scalpels (the way a couple of kids did with real knives in my high school during an argument over who would get to cut the pig first).
No one claims that computer simulations duplicate the details of living organisms or that they can give students a feel for the inside of a body. Serious students of biology and medicine still must work with real specimens. But do the millions of schoolchildren who perform vivisections and dissections every year need the real thing? Students retain as much or more knowledge from slide shows and even boring biology lectures as they do from dissection. So dissection simulation may be one of the few cases where a computer experience is better than life.
As yet, there's no software that simulates the anatomy of the rats, rabbits, cats, or fetal pigs used for dissection, but you can definitely get into frogs, worms, and people.
Frog Dissection (Cross Educational Software, 504 East Kentucky Avenue, Ruston, Louisiana 71270; 318-255-8921; $29.95) is another inexpensive bullfrog anatomy tutorial with color graphics, step-by-step dissection, definitions of structures, and many review questions. Meanwhile, the anatomy, digestion, reproduction, and sensory apparatus of the lowly earthworm can be investigated with The Worm, a simulation from Ventura Educational Systems (910 Ramona Avenue, Suite E, Grover City, California 93433; 800-336-1022; $59.95). Bodyworks: An Adventure in Anatomy, from Software Marketing (9830 South 51st Street, Building A131, Phoenix, Arizona 85044; 800-545-6626; $79.95) shows the human body in colorful detail, with accurate graphics and online text articles about each body part.
For more information, contact the National Association of Biology Teachers, 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 19, Reston, Virginia 22090; (703) 471-1134.
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One of the most common questions we are asked by parents of our teenage patients is ‘At what age should a child be seen by an orthodontist?’ They may have a younger child at home and are worried about possible undetected and developing orthodontic problems.
The American Association of orthodontists recommends that all children should see an orthodontist by the age of seven. At this age the incisor teeth should have started to erupt and the first permanent molar teeth should already have erupted and established contact with each other. However, only a small percentage of children will actually require treatment at this age.
Early or ‘Two phase’ treatment is orthodontic treatment before all of the permanent teeth have erupted. We use this approach if we feel that waiting may cause a more difficult treatment plan or a less desirable outcome.
“Overall the service from Peter and his team in providing orthodontic treatment to our daughter Emma Kate was excellent. From our first consultation, each step of the process was clearly explained and we are informed through the process of progress made and importantly any issues arising. All staff members were professional and friendly in their dealings with us. When treatment was completed we were more than satisfied with the outcome. We recommend Peter and his team highly.”
– Kieran B.
The fundamental questions we ask when evaluating a patient for early treatment are:
- 1. If I don’t treat now, will I miss a window of opportunity that will affect his/her outcome?
- 2. If I do 2 phases of treatment on this patient, will I achieve a better and/or more stable outcome than treating with one phase?
- 3. Will the patient look/function any differently at 18 if I treat in 1 phase versus 2 phases?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then early treatment may be indicated. Orthodontic problems that are typically treated with early phase treatment include cross bites or narrow palates, open bites, under bites and prominent and spaced upper teeth that would be at a greater risk of trauma.
Early treatment can vary from as little as three to six months but is usually up to a year of treatment time. At the end of this phase of active treatment the child’s developing dentition is monitored by the orthodontist until the permanent teeth have erupted. Once all of the permanent teeth have erupted, there will generally be a second or additional phase of treatment to achieve the best outcome.
At Keenan Orthodontics, when a child is initially assessed for possible early treatment, a panoramic x-ray of the teeth and jaw is taken to determine if there are any missing or extra teeth present, the position of the unerupted teeth and the roots and shape of the teeth. If treatment is indicated we will discuss why and what is specifically needed. If orthodontic problems are evident but no early treatment is indicated, we will continue to monitor your child’s teeth and jaw development, at no fee, until the appropriate time for treatment. This allows us to begin treatment at precisely the right time to guarantee the best results.
If you have a child seven years or older that has not yet been evaluated by an orthodontist, please feel free to contact our office. We look forward to working together with you and your family, creating smiles that last a lifetime.
Keenan Orthodontics provides the highest quality orthodontic treatment. From stylish coloured braces to Invisalign, no matter what your orthodontic issue is, our team is here to help. We strive to provide caring and affordable orthodontics in a friendly environment, for all our patients, at our Galway and Castlebar offices.
We are committed to ensuring that every patient has an exceptional experience on their way to their dream smile.
What is the advantage of two-phase orthodontic treatment?
Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a very specialized process that encompasses tooth straightening and physical, facial changes. The major advantage of a two-phase treatment is to maximise the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, esthetic result that will remain stable throughout your life.
What if I put off treatment?
The disadvantage of waiting for complete eruption of permanent teeth and having only one phase of treatment for someone with a jaw discrepancy is facing the possibility of a compromised result that may not be stable.
First Phase Treatment: Your foundation for a lifetime of beautiful teeth
The goal of first phase treatment is to develop the jaw size in order to accommodate all the permanent teeth and to relate the upper and lower jaws to each other. Children sometimes exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper and lower jaw that is growing too much or not enough can be recognised at an early age. If children after age 6 are found to have this jaw discrepancy, they are candidates for early orthodontic treatment.
Planning now can save your smile later
Because they are growing rapidly, children can benefit enormously from an early phase of orthodontic treatment utilising appliances that direct the growth relationship of the upper and lower jaws. Thus, a good foundation can be established, providing adequate room for eruption of all permanent teeth. This early correction may prevent later removal of permanent teeth to correct overcrowding and/or surgical procedures to align the upper and lower jaws. Leaving such a condition untreated until all permanent teeth erupt could result in a jaw discrepancy too severe to achieve an ideal result with braces.
Making records to determine your unique treatment
Orthodontic records will be necessary to determine the type of appliances to be used, the duration of treatment time, and the frequency of visits. Records consist of models of the teeth, x-rays, and photographs.
In this phase, the remaining permanent teeth are allowed to erupt. A successful first phase will have created room for teeth to find an eruption path. Otherwise, they may become impacted or severely displaced.
Monitoring your teeth’s progress
In other words, at the end of the first phase of treatment, teeth are not in their final positions. This will be determined and accomplished in the second phase of treatment. Selective removal of certain primary (baby) teeth may be in the best interest of enhancing eruption during this resting phase. Therefore, periodic recall appointments for observation are necessary, usually on a six-month basis.
Second Phase Treatment: Stay healthy and look attractive
The goal of the second phase is to make sure each tooth has an exact location in the mouth where it is in harmony with the lips, cheeks, tongue, and other teeth. When this equilibrium is established, the teeth will function together properly.
Movement & Retention
At the beginning of the first phase, orthodontic records were made and a diagnosis and treatment plan established. Certain types of appliances were used in the first phase, as dictated by the problem. The second phase is initiated when all permanent teeth have erupted, and usually requires braces on all the teeth for an average of 24 months. Retainers are worn after this phase to ensure you retain your beautiful smile.
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As one school year winds down, its good to start thinking about the next year. Perhaps you have a child who will simply be moving from one grade to another in the same school. Maybe your child is facing a more dramatic transition such as:
- Starting Preschool for the first time
- Entering Kindergarten
- Moving from Elementary to Middle School
- Beginning High School
It is time to move from thinking to planning! Take steps to make this transition as smooth as possible by gathering information about what might be coming up, and sharing important information about your child with the right people.
If your child is staying at the same school, find out what might be different for the coming year (e.g. class size, number of teachers/aides, daily schedule, curriculum, meal times, etc.). Each of these factors could impact your child and may require some changes in how your child’s needs are met. You might also want to speak with the Principal about the classroom environment and/or teacher styles that are likely to be successful or unsuccessful for your child. Hopefully the Principal will use this information to make a good match when class assignments are made.
If your child is moving to a new school, you will still want to know the things mentioned above, PLUS:
- Visit the new school to check out the physical layout and ask about a typical day
- Think about any possible barriers or challenges that your child might have in the new setting
- If your child is entering middle or high school, ask about required courses and any options that may exist. Some courses are offered at multiple difficulty levels, and there may be other ways to help make sure that your child gets a course schedule that will work for him/her
- Request a transition IEP meeting to discuss and make decisions about any changes that may be needed in the accommodations, modifications, supports, services and/or goals
- For many children, it is helpful for them to have an opportunity to walk through the new school and possibly see their classroom(s) and meet their teacher(s) sometime before school starts. There may also be other steps that you can to help make this transition a smooth one.
Most importantly, stay positive and help your child feel good about the upcoming school year!
It’s report card time and time to see how the first half of the school year went. If your child’s report card reflects solid grades and good work habits, some sort of celebration is in order. One of my co-workers learned that her daughter earned a 96 in an advanced math class. She offered to buy ice cream, but her daughter wanted her bedroom painted instead. Fair enough!
If, on the other hand, you were disappointed in your child’s progress or performance, there is still time to turn things around. You and your child can press the reset button by looking for ways to improve on things that you have been doing. Think about changes that can be made on many possible levels.
- If your child has poor sleeping habits, try establishing a bed-time routine that gradually steps down the amount of activity and stimulation in the household. A well-rested brain functions better.
- If your child wastes time in the evening and then stays up late doing homework, set a firm cutoff time to stop working, shut down the computer and place everything in the backpack (which will “live” in a designated spot in another room). Then start winding things down toward bedtime. Provide prompts and reminders earlier in the evening to serve as fair warning. It may take a couple of incomplete assignments or disappointing test grades to get the real message across. Don’t cave in though, because it is essential that students develop good work habits, including learning how to effectively manage their time, if they are going to be able to sustain their success throughout the school and college years. Showing up for class exhausted and inattentive will eventually take its toll. Throwing together projects at the last minute and cramming for tests will also lead to poorer quality results that your child will take less pride in. I know this first-hand from my experience as person who went through school with undiagnosed ADHD.
- If your child is overwhelmed by an over-packed schedule that doesn’t leave enough time for schoolwork and “down time,” consider taking a break from one of the activities. Unless your child is talented enough that a sport or cheerleading scholarship is a real possibility, they might be better off burning the candle from only one end. Keep the activities that give them joy, and set aside those that are on the schedule just because of habit.
- If your child has an IEP or Section 504 accommodation plan, review it to see if it adequately addresses her current needs. It might be time to update the accommodations and supports to match performance expectations that tend to get higher each year. Get your child’s input so that any changes are going to be ones that they think will be helpful and will cooperate with.
- Re-establish lines of communication with teachers and other school staff. If your child will have different classes for the 2nd semester, there may be new teachers who may not be aware of his special needs or the fact that you are a concerned and involved parent who expects to be considered an equal part of your child’s educational team. Set a positive tone and let them know that you are looking for this semester to be better than the last one.
- Look for any other areas where a change for the better might be possible: diet and nutrition, general health and well-being, mental health, organization (personal and/or household), social skills, etc. Consult with trusted friends, family and professionals to see if they have any suggestions.
If things are going great, keep doing what you are doing. If not, try something different that might lead to better results. Remember, there can be no growth without change!
For students in middle and high school it is extremely important for parents to keep up with the courses that they are taking. The classes should offer the right amount of challenge (not too easy, not too hard). They should be preparing your child for whatever their goals are for life after high school. More importantly, the courses need to be chosen so that they meet the graduation requirements for your school system. With many schools using computer programs to create schedules for students, it’s not hard for the needs of individual students to be overlooked.
For many students who have disabilities, course selection is even more critical. For some students it will be important to make sure that they are placed in the course sections that are co-taught by both regular education and special education teachers. This can offer real-time assistance and support to help students be successful with grade-level material. The co-taught classes can be selected in the areas most likely impacted by the student’s disability. Sometimes the assumption is made that, because the student has an IEP, they should automatically be placed in the lowest level course available. This approach would keep many students from building on their strengths to reach their full potential. Students who need support in some subjects can also take typical or even honors classes in subjects that are areas of strength for them.
These days, most high schools are using block schedules that cover the entire content of a course during a single semester. It may be important to make sure that the courses that will be most challenging for your child are not all piled into the same semester. With thoughtful planning, the school can create a schedule that spreads the work load out more evenly. For example, your child can take two really hard classes at the same time plus a support class and an elective in an area of interest. This kind of planning from the very beginning will usually allow students to complete all of their graduation requirements within 4 years so they can graduate with their peers. Even if they have to pick up a summer class or return for an extra semester, the goal is that the student experiences success and gains knowledge that will help them throughout their life. The extra time will be well spent.
Parents also need to look out for other kinds of scheduling problems:
- Make sure that courses are taken in the right sequence. The level1 course should come before the level 2 course.
- Make sure that your child is not assigned to a course that they have already successfully completed. With rare exceptions, they will not earn course credit the second time around.
- Make sure that your child was not placed in an elective course that they have no interest in, or one that is a poor fit, just because there was space in that class. Forcing an extremely shy kid to take a drama class will probably not end well.
- Make sure that your child is on track to graduate when expected. Your child could be taking math and science classes that are counted as “electives” that do not meet the graduation requirements for that subject area. If your child comes up short by missing even a single graduation requirement, they will not get a diploma. At least once a year have your child’s guidance counselor review the courses that your child has taken and compare them to the courses required for graduation.
Read your child’s class schedule carefully as soon as you get it. If you see anything on that doesn’t look right, contact staff at the school immediately. Go to the school in person if you need to. The sooner any problems are corrected, the easier it will be for your child, and the better their educational experience will be.
We sometimes get calls from parents of high school students that are concerned that their child is doing poorly in school for one reason or another, and as we try to get to the root of the problem, we may ask the parent what classes the student is taking. I am dismayed, but no longer surprised, by the number of parents who cannot answer that question. If parents don’t know the courses that their child is taking during a given semester, then it very likely that they also don’t have a good understanding of where the child stands with regard to meeting the requirements to graduate with a diploma.
In North Carolina there are two courses of study (COS) that lead to a high school diploma: the Future-Ready Core Course of Study and the Future-Ready Occupational Course of Study (OCS). Each COS has it’s own specific set of requirements, which must be met completely before the student will be able to receive a diploma. The decision about which COS is the most appropriate for a particular student is usually made late in the 8th grade year, and parents need to ask as many questions as necessary to understand what will be expected of their child. But that’s just the beginning!
Parents and students should periodically check to see which graduation requirements have been met and which are still outstanding. In most schools, the guidance counselors will meet with each student at least once a year, especially as courses are being selected for the following year. What’s surprising to many parents is that a lot of schools do not routinely involve parents in this process. The parent may have to initiate contact with the counselor and ask to have an unofficial transcript sent home, or maybe schedule a face-to-face meeting with the counselor to see where things stand. Every school system will have it’s graduation requirements available on it’s website and in any high school planning guide that they may publish (you may have to ask for a copy in order to get one).
Think about how much time the student has left in school, and which courses have to be taken before the student will be allowed to take a needed, or desired, course (those are called “prerequisites”). Are there any tests or projects that are stand-alone graduation requirements? If your child plans to go to college, are they taking the courses that will meet the college or university’s admission requirements? Is the student taking, but failing course after course, ending up with very few credits toward graduation? Are they taking remedial courses that they pass, but only count as elective credits? Is the student taking career-technical classes that have nothing to do with their career goal or area of interest? If the student is on the OCS, do they have the required number of hours for each type of work experience? If not, what’s the plan for accomplishing by the time graduation is expected? Who can help with this?
In some cases, parents and students have made a 5-year plan for high school, only to be told that the student MUST graduate at the end of four years. When this happens, there has often been inadequate planning for the student’s transition to adulthood and nothing is in place to support them once they leave school. Spacing the required courses out over a longer period of time can buy the student more time to work on transition goals, further develop their skills, and have experiences that will give them a better chance for success as an adult.
The bottom line is that parents need to stay on top of their student’s progress throughout the high school years. There is a High School Planner available at www.cfnc.org that can help parents and students keep track of graduation requirements that have been, or still need to be met. A similar tool may be available through the high school. Once again, the guidance counselor will be the key contact for this entire process. Establishing a good working relationship with that counselor can only work in your child’s best interest, so it’s well worth the effort.
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After attending one of my workshops French teacher Karen Olsen made a maravilla for her AP class. The maravillas are an approach to presenting short videos and authentic resources in a way that is compatible with a CI classroom. These presentations are quick, cleverly scaffolded and use attractive media to prepare students to improve their reading skills. Each maravilla has four parts: (1) a captioned picture talk led by the teacher, (2) a captioned authentic video, (3) a reading and finally (4) a Write & Discuss activity. To see a full description which describes the role of the teacher in each of these four parts please check out this blog post in which I describe a maravilla in Spanish.
Download the Marvelous Thing that Karen created in French:
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We assert that the key to social justice is the equitable distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally, to meet basic human needs unconditionally, and to ensure that all citizens have full opportunities for personal and social development. We declare that there is no social justice without environmental justice, and no environmental justice without social justice.
- a just organization of the world and a stable world economy which will close the widening gap between rich and poor, both within and between countries; balance the flow of resources from South to North; and lift the burden of debt on poor countries which prevents their development.
- the eradication of poverty, as an ethical, social, economic, and ecological imperative
- the elimination of illiteracy
- a new vision of citizenship built on equal rights for all individuals regardless of gender, race, age, religion, class, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, disability, wealth, or health
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‘I worked with a panel of supervisors to create experiments that would reveal how the South American Opossum recovers from spinal injury. I observed and documented the recovery process under a microscope and through movement testing.
The opossum was chosen because it is a marsupial. Marsupials are born at a very immature stage of development.
The reason we use them for this kind of work is that you can study developmental stages that you would only have access to in a mouse or a rat from within the womb of the mother.
Early experimentation is useful for spinal study because in immature animals the spinal cord is still developing.
‘These opossums recovered very well from their injury, regaining something like 90 per cent of their movement as mature animals, which is amazing.’
Nerve cells can grow through an injury site partly because the younger animal does not develop large amounts of scar tissue when injured.
The animal also displays early growth characteristics, such as neuroplasticity, which help nerves to grow again after they have been cut.
A grown opossum has a strong inflammatory response to injury, which creates scar tissue. It is very difficult for nerves to grow through a scarred area.
To make things more complicated, nerve cells are already formed in a grown opossum. When an established nerve is cut it is very unlikely to grow again. This is also the case for humans.
In my experiments I worked with seven-day-old and 28-day-old opossums.
The spinal cords of test animals were cut with very fine scissors to create a spinal injury similar to what happens when a human spinal cord is severed in an accident.
When the spinal cord was cut seven days after birth the nervous tissue showed a remarkable tendency to reform and reconnect over the injury site.
These opossums recovered very well from their injury, regaining something like 90 per cent of their movement as mature animals, which is amazing. Unfortunately this is nothing like what we see in human recovery.
When the spinal cord of the opossum was cut 28 days after birth there was no re-growth of nervous tissue through the injury site.
This is more like what happens in a human injury. For humans such an injury will generally mean irreversible, severe paralysis.
For the opossum you would expect this lack of nerve tissue growth to result in very poor function, but it turned out they could move quite well.
In these cases it looked like the opossum relied on its propriospinal system for movement recovery. I was particularly interested in observing this aspect.
A propriospinal neuron is contained entirely within the spinal cord and does not start out in the brain. These neurons are used for organization between spinal segments.The spinal cord has two neural systems. One is supraspinal, meaning “from the brain down”, and the other is propriospinal, meaning “contained within”.
When you perform any task that involves your spinal cord, so any body movement at all, the brain does not control all the processes that make up that movement.
‘We hope this understanding may lead to effective therapies for human recovery, but the slow nature of this research means that any human application is still decades away.’
Your brain gives the order to walk, but it is the propriospinal neurons that handle timing, lifting the feet and muscle coordination in a system called the central pattern generator.
A lot of body movement is directed by information from the outside world that reaches the nervous system through receptors. For example, if your feet sense a sharp rock you will not put your full weight on it.
It seems that the opossum can still receive information via these receptors despite spinal injury. Unfortunately humans with a spinal injury do not recover the use of their propriospinal system to a sufficient degree for sensory information to allow them to walk and bear their own weight.
My plan is to learn more about how the opossum uses its propriospinal system for movement after injury.
We hope this understanding may lead to effective therapies for human recovery, but the slow nature of this research means that any human application is still decades away.
I’m heading over to New Mexico soon to continue with this study in one of only four laboratories in the world that work with the South American Opossum. I will be joining a team of researchers to look further into how the recovery process in the opossum works.’
Benjamin Wheaton’s thesis is titled: “Recovery from complete spinal transection in the developing opossum, Monodelphis domestica.”
*My PhD is an irregular series in which The Citizen speaks with recent Melbourne University PhD graduates.
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Even as we grow older your body age, from your skin and joints to organs and muscles, but our eyes age too. While we are young the lenses within the eyes, referred to as natural crystalline lens, is see-through and flexible, and can focus freely from near far. People of every age group may need the application of glasses to assist them to see distance or closer, however when we are younger rise because of the model of a person’s eye.
From round the ages of 40 the natural crystalline lens sets out to get cloudy and much more ridged, because of this the lens can’t focus and also it used to. This issue is known as presbyopia. Everyone’s eyes age at different speeds, however the older we the greater the lenses cloud and grow more unfit, and the odds of needing help reading or with near vision grows more apparent, and for many elderly people cataracts learn to develop.
When Do you need to See an Ophthalmologist or Eye Clinic?
While much of the population wear glasses from a early age and can regularly see an ophthalmologist or visit a close look clinic, you can find signs search out for as you receive older to suggest you will want to go to a specialist for reading or near vision solutions;
Helpless to read or do other close tasks and finding you are receiving to go things even further to read or see detail.
That you start to get headaches when reading or doing close tasks.
Discovering it difficult to read details in it in low light.
Developing achy eyes when reading or doing close tasks.
The aforementioned signs would mean that you should be seen to experience a thorough eye exam and discuss reading or near vision solutions.
Reading and Near Vision Solutions
There are many options you could be able to choose from in relation to considering reading and near vision solutions.
Off the Shelf Reading Glasses – they are reading glasses that you can buy for the most part supermarkets or pharmacies, as well as other shops now too. They can be inexpensive and may function as the first ‘quick fix’ you buy when first noticing you need help with near vision. Even though they might be a great choice first of all, specifically if you are waiting for an appointment to view a watch specialist, they may not fully correct your vision. Off the shelf reading glasses cannot correct if you have some other reading prescription in every eye plus they cannot correct any astigmatism you could have. When they may be a good interim option, you should make sure you visit an eye fixed clinic for the full eye exam.
Prescription Reading Glasses – they’re glasses which have been customized by an optician to suit with your reading/near vision prescription. They’ll consider any differences in eye strength, astigmatism, and will nicely fit your face.
Bifocal or Trifocal Glasses – these glasses are for folks that need glasses for near, intermediate, and distance vision. A lot of people do not like the need to use multiple set of two glasses and achieving bifocal glasses will correct near vision and distance vision, and trifocal glasses correct near vision, intermediate vision, and distance vision. Both choices are completely customised to you personally plus your eyes.
Nowadays many people find glasses inconvenient and locate they don’t really fit in with their lifestyle, there is however a fix with this, surgical treatment to fix near vision and/or cataracts called refractive lens exchange. Botox injections is extremely comparable to cataract surgery, the place that the natural crystalline lens is removed using phacoemulsification and a new artificial lens is inserted as an alternative. In case you have a cataract this action will be called ‘cataract surgery’, but if you have this treatment purely for vision correction it’s known as ‘refractive lens exchange’ and may take away the growth and development of cataracts later on.
There are several different lens options which can be implanted as well as the one chosen is decided from your ophthalmologist ingesting to account suitability, lifestyle, plus your expectations. Each of the lens options come in a number of strengths or might be customised for the eyes and you will find also options, called toric lenses, that may, with the below solutions, will correct any astigmatism you may have.
Monofocal – a monofocal lens implant is used to improve distance vision only, where after surgery you will still need the using reading glasses. That is used for those that simply want to eliminate cataracts and/or are pleased to carry on using reading glasses.
Monofocal Monovision – that’s where a monofocal lens of strength is placed in each eye, one eye will likely be corrected for distance and one eye corrected to read by. Although some people really start this configuration, others cannot tolerate the gap. This option should invariably be tried along with you first using either contact lenses or even a demonstration in clinic.
Trifocal or Extended Range – these lenses can correct near, intermediate, and distance vision and are liked by people who desire to be glasses free whenever possible.
All the above choices just an understanding so if you are considering any of the options, whether surgical you aren’t, you ought to attend for any full eye examination using a trusted eye clinic. If you’re planning on surgical options, getting a meeting having a trusted ophthalmologist, who’ll undergo benefits, risks, and alternatives, is suggested.
For more information about mobile opticians please visit site: check it out.
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(W)Archives: Germany’s Violation of Belgian Neutrality in 1914
One of the twentieth century’s biggest mistakes took place one hundred years ago tomorrow. On that day, August 2, 1914, the German ambassador in Belgium delivered an ultimatum from his government. Germany demanded that neutral Belgium allow free passage of the German army on its way to invade France. This remarkable document can be read in translation thanks to the members of the World War I Military History List and Brigham Young University’s library.
The violation of Belgian neutrality was a key aspect of the Schlieffen Plan, the German plan for a war with France. The plan assumed that Germany would face a coalition of France and Russia and in the summer of 1914 this assumption was proving true. In such a war, the German General Staff desired a speedy resolution in the west so that it could move its forces back east in time to deal with the enormous but slow-mobilizing Russian army. Years of staff work showed that a speedy victory in the west could only be obtained by enveloping the entire French army early in the war and annihilating it. In turn, that could only be accomplished with a giant turning movement anchored on the German far left, opposite the French fortress on the Franco-German border. In this vast maneuver, the last German soldier on the right “would “brush the [English] Channel with his sleeve,” as Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen allegedly put it. Geography dictated that this could only be done if German forces passed through Belgium.
Of course, the Germans hoped not to have to fight their way through Belgium. Hence, the not-so diplomatic note. In it, the Germans mendaciously claimed that intelligence showed that the French were about to march through Belgium on their way to attack Germany. Germany, then, demanded the right to transit Belgian territory and added that if Belgium agreed, the German government would “purchase all necessaries for her troops against a cash payment, and…pay an indemnity for any damage that may have been caused by German troops.” On the other hand, if Belgium should resist then Germany would “to her regret, be compelled to consider Belgium as an enemy.”
If you looked closely, as the German planners had done, it all made perfect sense. If you stepped back and took a broader view, one that encompassed politics and the psychology of war, it was courting disaster. Throw in some Clausewitzian friction, and it looked even worse.
It is hard to count all the blunders that the ultimatum encapsulated or enabled. To begin with, Belgium defiantly refused to play the part that the German planners had written for it. In fact, Belgium put up a stiff resistance to the German attack that followed the ultimatum, notably at the fortress city of Liege, and thereby threw the invaders badly off their timetable. Then, the Belgian army under the leadership of King Albert I held on doggedly to a small corner of the country all the way until the Armistice in 1918, linking their lines to those of the other Allies. It was a small but significant and abundantly heroic effort.
Furthermore, Britain had guaranteed Belgian neutrality. Though German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg famously dismissed the British guarantee as a “scrap of paper,” Britain actually honored its commitment and went to war against Germany. To German planners, this seemed to be no particular problem; they were not impressed with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). At only six divisions, it was tiny. And since the British army had not fought in Europe since the Crimean War, the Germans expected it to be rusty. This was a horrible miscalculation on both the tactical and strategic levels. To begin with, the BEF dealt the Germans a sharp blow in their first encounter, the Battle of Mons. Later, as the war dragged on, the six division British force inexorably grew to five full armies in France, comprising troops from across the entire British Empire.
An additional set of German mistakes were political. The behavior of the German army in Belgium played directly into the hands of Allied propagandists. The German troops were jumpy, knowing what the French partisans had done to their grandfathers during the Franco-Prussian War, and saw franc-tireurs behind every bush. As a result they killed some 5500 Belgian civilians during 1914, most of them in August. British politician (and later Prime Minister) David Lloyd George alleged that for every Belgian soldier the Germans killed, they also killed three Belgian civilians. In addition, the Germans torched thousands of buildings, including the University of Louvain’s library with its invaluable collection dating back to the medieval period , and routinely used civilians as human shields. In other words, the behavior of the German army played directly into the hands of Allied propagandists. The Toronto World reported that “every infamy known to barbarians was perpetrated” at Louvain. Even the neutral United States, which did not really have a dog in the fight at this point, was outraged by what happened at Louvain. A New York Tribune reporter visited the city and filed a story under the headline: “Germans Sack Louvain; Women and Clergy Shot.” The German Embassy in the Washington issued a profoundly ill-advised official statement that “Louvain was punished by the destruction of the city.”
Despite all these blunders, Germany managed to hold on for more than four years of war, but it could have been even worse for that country. The Netherlands, which had remained neutral, provided a trade outlet to the rest of the world and thereby helped Germany to hang on for as long as it did. Early versions of the Schlieffen Plan, however, had called for the German army to violate not just Belgium but also the Netherlands. That plan would have been tactically even more convenient for the army but, Schlieffen’s successor as the Chief of the General Staff, Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, recognized the possibility that Germany would need the Netherlands as a “wind pipe” in the event of a protracted war. For a moment, then, the German General Staff saw the strategic forest and not just the tactical trees. The tragedy for Germany and the world was that that moment was fleeting.
Mark Stout is a Senior Editor at War on the Rocks. He is the Director of the MA Program in Global Security Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C.
Photo credit: internetarchivebookimages
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THG Thankful Thursday – Pumpkins
They are everywhere! They are decorations for the season, carved or painted, lit up for Halloween, gracing tables and tablescapes for Thanksgiving, and picked up in your local grocery store, roadside farm stand, or favorite pumpkin patch! Coming in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, pumpkins are THE fall must-have. But beyond all that, they are good for you! And I don’t mean as in the “makes you happy and puts a smile on your face” kind of good. I mean as in “superfood, nutrient-dense, antioxidant” kind of good. It provides a wide variety of vitamins and minerals but is low in calories……….before you add the sugary yumminess that creates a delicious pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread or latte drinks.
Let’s start with “Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?” The answer is “Yes.” By definition, a pumpkin is a large, round, orange-yellow, edible fruit with many seeds. A pumpkin is a fruit, because it is the edible plant structure of a mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually eaten raw. Although, due to it’s lack of sweetness, it is often popularly called a vegetable, much like tomatoes, beans, green peppers, etc. In cooking, it is also viewed and often consumed as a vegetable. Either way you look at it, it is still a valuable addition to your diet.
Pumpkin, as a part of your diet, can provide the following health benefits:
- The potassium in pumpkins has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure
- The antioxidants could help prevent degenerative eye disease
- Pureed pumpkin can be used as a substitute for butter and oil in baking recipes
- Pumpkin is a great source for beta-carotene (yes, the same one found in carrots) which can reduce the risk of developing certain kinds of cancer and diabetes, prevent against asthma and heart disease, slow down aging, and is linked to healthy skin and hair, increased energy and a healthy BMI
- It is a powerful source of fiber, at 3-7 grams of fiber per serving.
- Pumpkin puree retains most of it’s benefit in fresh or canned form
Given all these amazing benefits, we can enjoy it in a plethora of ways during the fall season and, thanks to availability of canned pumpkin, throughout the year. Here are just a few examples for consuming this super-fruit………or super-vegetable.
- hot and cold drinks
- pie (duh!)
So, take full advantage of this in-season produce; the quantity and variety, and enjoy the healthiest flavor of fall………….pumpkins!
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Adults usually have the right to decide whether to go to the hospital or stay at the hospital. But if they are a danger to themselves or to other people because of their mental state, they can be hospitalized against their will. Forced hospitalization is used only when no other options are available.
What is forced hospitalization?
Forced hospitalization means keeping someone in the hospital against his will. It’s also called involuntary confinement or civil commitment. In French, it’s called “la garde en établissement.”
Unless the situation is urgent, a judge’s permission is needed to keep someone at the hospital against their will. Patients can challenge their forced hospitalization.
Types of forced hospitalization?
There are three types of forced hospitalization:
This is used in emergency situations for people who present a grave and immediate danger to themselves or to others because of their mental state. They can be kept in the hospital against their will for up to 72 hours without permission from a judge. To learn more, read our article Forced Hospitalization in Emergencies (72 hours).
This is used to keep people in the hospital for a psychiatric exam. A judge’s permission is needed. People cant be kept up to 144 hours. To learn more, read our article Forced Hospitalization for a Psychiatric Exam.
This is when two psychiatrists decide someone should stay in the hospital because they present a danger to themselves or others. A judge’s permission is needed. The judge decides how long they can be kept in the hospital. To learn more, read our article Forced Hospitalization After Psychiatric Exams.
People who are hospitalized against their will have the right to refuse treatment, except in emergencies, for hygiene or if treatment is authorized by a court.
Being a danger to themselves or to others is the only reason people can be hospitalized against their will. Danger can mean different things, depending on the situation. It is evaluated by looking at a person’s current behavior and overall situation.
Having a mental illness doesn’t automatically make someone dangerous. Also, people aren’t necessarily dangerous just because of their past behaviour, need for care, inability to make their own decisions, strange behaviour or because they are bothering other people.
Forced hospitalization should not be used just because a person would benefit from treatment or supervision. There must always be an element of danger.
For the court to allow people to be hospitalized against their will, the danger must be:
- caused by their mental state
- real (clear and based on specific actions, words and attitudes)
- likely (the risk of danger must be high)
- about serious harm to someone
- happening now or very soon
For the hospital to keep people against their will without going to court (Forced Hospitalization in emergencies (72 hours)), the danger must be even more serious. It must be grave and immediate. This means the situation is so urgent that waiting for a court order would likely result in very serious harm.
For example, people have been forced to stay at the hospital in these situations:
- they tried to kill themselves
- they threatened to kill someone else
- their mental state makes them unable to do things that are necessary to keep them alive, like following treatment for a physical health problem
When can patients leave the hospital?
It depends on the situation:
- as soon as a doctor decides they no longer need to stay at the hospital
- after 72 hours if they are kept at the hospital without a court order (read our article on Forced Hospitalization in Emergencies (72 Hours))
- when a court decides they should be released
- if the hospital doesn’t do a psychiatric exam after 21 days and every three months after that
The hospital must tell patients as soon as they can leave the hospital. Patients will often be told in French “La garde est levée.” That means they can go home.
If the patient is under 18, the hospital must tell the parent or person acting as the parent or the guardian (tutor) in writing when the patient is being released. If the patient has a legal representative (mandatary or tutor), the hospital must inform the mandatary or tutor in writing.
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Ecitizens of the world
It's a fallacy to think that children are not interested in politics or are unaffected by major world events. I can remember as a child cowering under the table when the 1962 Cuban missile crisis appeared on my parents'
television screen. War, conflict, poverty, homelessness and the environment are just some issues that are important to many children, even those living in comfortable Western societies. You don't need me to tell you that we are living through a turbulent period. September 11, the Afghan War and the conflict in Iraq have all made the world seem a less safe place, so what impact must these be having on children as they are bombarded with images on their TV screens and on the front of newspapers? Children know a lot more about what is happening on a global basis than we often give them credit for. However, they often find it difficult to articulate their thoughts and feelings, especially face-to-face with an adult.
Despite living in an information age of 24-hour news programmes, the internet and teletext, there is still a lot of ignorance about other people's cultures and there is a lack of understanding about how others live. Teachers are reporting increased tension both in the classroom and the playground as a result of the current conflicts. There has been a rise in religious intolerance. There has been an increase in bullying. There has been a growth of racism. It's a truism that much of the mistrust in our world is due to ignorance and lack of understanding. It's also a failure of people to consider alternative points of view. That's why I believe ICT can be a force for good, because it makes it easier to communicate with others across both time and distance.
Of course, with citizenship now being part of the curriculum, a number of schools have already forged links with overseas institutions and that's a good thing. But I'm more interested in people talking to each other and discovering more about each other rather than simply working together on curriculum-based projects. That is why MirandaNet has established the World Ecitizens Fellowship (WE) - a non-profit making organisation that aims to promote understanding of other cultures and customs, especially among younger people. We now have 25 WE chapters in places such as Africa, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Japan, the USA as well as the UK.
The projects involve communities working together towards conflict resolution. Collaborations focus on joint activities like developing creativity, communication and life and thinking skills. To support these projects MirandaNet Fellows have developed a web-based learning environment. This website provides a place where World Ecitizens can join together to envision a sense of a shared future; create a sense of shared history; and capture and share learning experiences. It is a safe learning space, which we see as a rich and exciting resource for community exchange and international understanding.
Since the WE environment was set up last January, communities and classes of young people have produced posters, video clips and comic strips about citizenship issues of their choice. Some young people have worked with artists and writers in residence. In one project exploring homelessness, children from East London produced a graphic novel and a video highlighting the issues they had researched.
The publishers of cult comic 2000AD worked with schools and homeless charities. Two freelance cartoonists were involved, as were film-makers from Kushti Moving Image. These young artists were keen to lend their skills to help the children communicate effectively, and they were impressed by the children's professional approach.
The George Mitchell School in London examined a variety of citizenship themes such as social exclusion and immigration. Holy Cross Convent School in Kingston upon Thames has established collaborative internet and video-conferencing links with the Ikeda Junior High School in Osaka, Japan, allowing them to share each other's culture through sound and video.
The World Ecitizens website started with UnITy, a project supported by Domex and the Department for Education and Skills, in which UK teachers and students collaborated within schools, across the wider community and internationally to begin building a knowledge base and communication hub with children from the UK, Portugal, Ireland, Bangladesh and China. In these projects, children are getting the opportunity to think about how the world can be made a better place.
It's ironic that in today's so-called global village, the world seems more divided than ever. With ICT we have the opportunity to bridge cultural and political divides; to help bring young people together to share thoughts, ideas, hopes and aspirations. If we can help spread the message that all of us are citizens of the same planet and that we all share a common humanity, then many of the barriers that divide us can be broken down. What could be a better use for ICT?
Christina Preston is the chair of MirandaNet, a fellowship of interested parties in education which includes Microsoft, Toshiba. Promethean and the Institute of Education, University of London. She was was talking to George Cole.
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While some people blame their teeth for being more prone to cavities on genes, there usually remain other reasons for this tooth problem. Following are some of the factors that make you more likely to get cavities:
If you have had cavities in the past, it makes sense why you are more likely to keep getting cavities until you make some changes for good.
FREQUENT SUGAR CONSUMPTION:
Sugar provides a great source of fermented carbohydrates to the bacteria, something they love and live for. Frequent sugar consumption results in these bacteria producing a surplus of cavity-causing acid that will eventually erode away the teeth.
BAD FILLINGS AND/OR CROWNS:
Poorly crowned or filled teeth facilitate the buildup of plaque and bacteria where you cannot reach during the brushing and flossing routine.
Lack of saliva production in the mouth leads to it becoming dry, and this condition is medically known as xerostomia. A dry mouth encourages the buildup of bacteria and plaque, since food debris and acid are not properly washed away due to less saliva. These bacteria then feed on the food bits and sugars, converting them into acid plaque that leads to cavities.
RADIATION TREATMENT AND CHEMOTHERAPY:
Radiation treatment or chemotherapy in the neck or head area can decrease the salivary flow, leading to oral problems that amplify the risk of getting cavities.
Although braces play a major role in straightening and beautifying your teeth, they can also simultaneously making them more prone to cavities. This is because braces make brushing harder and flossing nearly impossible. This improper oral hygiene routine eventually gives way to cavities.
EXPOSED ROOT SURFACES:
The root of the teeth gets exposed in case of receding gums, where the protective enamel coverage is absent. This leads to the dentin (which makes up the roots) dissolving at a higher PH in contrast to the enamel, which means that weak acids will eat away the roots and make the teeth more vulnerable to cavities.
These are some of the reasons why you may have a higher risk of cavities.
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If you have diabetes, you need to know a few things about how to live in spite or your disease. Here are some tips to help you.
Do something every day that makes you happy. Stop spending all your time thinking about diabetes. Make a conscious effort every day to do an activity you enjoy.
See your doctor when you should. It is important that you keep your doctor appointments. A lot of people think that they can simply test their blood at home, but the truth is that your doctor has more knowledge and better tools to track your diabetes. Not only that, but your doctor can help you monitor yourself for complications of diabetes. You may need to see other doctors as well. For example, it’s a good idea to see an eye doctor regularly, as diabetes can sometimes lead to eye problems. Regular doctor visits help you to catch complications early.
Talk to people who have diabetes. Other people have diabetes and are living life too. You aren’t the only one. Joining a community of diabetics can keep you up to date on the latest medications, give you moral support when you need it, and can help you feel better about living life with this disease. You can get ideas and tips about things you can do to make life better, and when you feel better, you can help others to feel as good as you do. You can join an online forum if you are uncomfortable at first going to a local support group.
Tell your family and friends what you are going through. People who don’t have diabetes may try to understand what you are going through, but they do not know what you are going through unless you tell them. Explain to them why holiday meals are a challenge, for example, or why you don’t want to go out drinking with them. They may be willing to make adjustments for you so that you feel more comfortable and are happier with them.
Take up a new hobby. A new hobby occupies your mind and makes you feel excited. When you have diabetes, it can seem like your day revolves around your disease. Don’t let that happen. Take up something new so that you can spend your free time learning about it and focusing on that.
Look for role models with diabetes. As an adult you may think you are too old to have role models, but that is not true. When you feel like your life is too hectic and that taking care of your disease is too much of a problem, look around to find people who are dealing with diabetes and still having a great life, such as Oscar winner Halle Berry.
There are many challenges when you have diabetes. However, you must decide to be bigger than those challenges. You must step up to the plate and take charge of your life. Diabetes is just one part of you. You have to make sure you don’t let it become all of you.
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Materials and their Uses
Location: Materials and Masters
Raw materials range from minerals and rocks found in the earth, to living and growing things on the surface. Many have an intrinsic beauty and can take different forms; volcanic obsidian, for example, is made of silica (glass) but so is the exoskeleton of the Venus Flower Basket sponge. Materials have been creatively transformed by people over the centuries into a huge range of useful and decorative items.
Items on display include:
- Venus Flower Basket
South Indian shield made of rhino hide. To provide protection at the same time as sufficient transparency to allow one to see the enemy. Acquired by Stephen Rumbold Lushington in Madras during the nineteenth century.
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A previous blog post covered factors to consider when renovating a castle, windmill or any building with historical heritage, and another post discussed the art of converting non residential buildings into unique homes. In this post we look at three more examples of unusual renovations, letting you know what was involved and what was learned along the way.
1. Methodist Chapel, Stokesby, Norfolk
This small, 150m² chapel in the Domesday-listed village of Stokesby was constructed in 1907, when the Methodist society which built it was already in decline. After closing and reopening a number of times over the next century, the chapel closed definitively in 2002 and is now a private house, whose stained glass windows are ironically a modern addition.
A prime consideration in converting the chapel into a domestic dwelling was how to make the most of its somewhat limited space. Another was how to distinguish the property from others (beyond its architectural uniqueness) so as to raise its market value. The choice of heating and hot water system went a way to answering both needs. A compact, renewable-technology heat pump system, combined with underfloor heating, means that less interior space is occupied by units and wall-mounted radiators – and the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of the property are outstanding. “The installation of … renewable technology provided the property with added marketing value through the positive environmental credentials” says the Cambridge Renewable Energy Centre.
2. Wray Common Windmill, Reigate, Surrey
The latest renovation of the grade-II-listed Wray Common Mill in the historic town of Surrey took place in 2004 and wasn’t actually a conversion for residential use, since this had been carried out in the late 1960s. By 2004, however, the early-nineteenth-century windmill had fallen into disrepair and a thoroughgoing restoration was required if it were to be inhabitable once more.
The tar with which the external walls, in common with many windmills, was coated had deteriorated and needed to be removed. The internal walls also needed to be stripped and the whole mill dehumidified. A new coating of tar was then applied to the outside and a layer of waterproofing plaster membrane to the inside – applied diagonally and spiralling up the walls, to allow for the mill’s conical shape and minimise cutting and joining. Consultancy was required throughout the project, both to ensure that modifications were in keeping with the building’s listed status, and to bring the external appearance back in line with how it would have looked originally.
3. Astley Castle, Warwickshire
In 2013, the restoration of Astley Castle won the Royal Institute of British Architect’s (RIBA) Stirling Prize – touted on the RIBA’s website as ‘the world’s most prestigious architecture prize’. The so-called castle is actually a manor house dating back to the 12th century, rebuilt in the 16th century – and then burnt down in 1978, after which it remained as a ruin for the next 30 years.
The crumbling ruins are still very much there, but within them now stands a modern two-floored house which functions as a holiday let. One thing that might be learned from Astley Castle’s deft combining of ancient and modern styles is that however sensitively this is done, you can’t please all people all of the time! When it comes to restoration, the heritage lobby is for restoring such buildings very faithfully with reference to a particular moment in time, while others are ready to allow a delicate blend of old and new – Astley Castle has come in for criticism and approval from both sides.
[Photo by hotblack]
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Can you get STDs even if you’re a virgin?
Yes. There are many different beliefs about what losing one’s virginity means. Most people agree that women and men lose their virginity the first time they have penile-vaginal intercourse. Many people also believe that two women or two men can lose their virginity through oral or anal intercourse.
Many sexually transmitted infections can be passed through oral sex and anal sex as well as vaginal intercourse, and some infections can also be passed by skin-to-skin contact.
Unprotected oral sex puts both partners at risk for a number of sexually transmitted infections, whether they are giving or receiving genital stimulation. The ones most likely to be transmitted this way are gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis B. Chlamydia and the human papilloma virus (HPV) are less likely to be transmitted by oral sex. HIV is rarely transmitted in this way.
Oral sex is safer sex than vaginal or anal intercourse. To further reduce risk, use a condom to cover the penis, or a Sheer Glyde dam, plastic wrap, or cut-open condom to cover the vulva or anus.
Latex and female condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections during vaginal and anal sex. They also provide good protection against pregnancy.
It’s possible for someone to carry an infection and not show any symptoms. That’s why many people unknowingly pass infections along to their partners.
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My advocacy plan
What do you think?
Before you get started, think about how you would answer the following questions.
- How do you decide what movie to go to in your group of friends?
- What would you do if you received the wrong order at a restaurant?
- How do you ask for what you want?
- What laws protect students with disabilities?
Be an advocate
Part of getting older and gaining independence means becoming a “self-advocate.”
What does self-advocacy mean?
It means speaking up for yourself and communicating what you need to others. It involves knowing your strengths and weaknesses, knowing what your rights are and effectively communicating through speaking and listening.
These advocacy skills are needed in many aspects of life (i.e., in school with your teachers, at home with your family, at work with your boss and co-workers and with your friends). Advocacy skills are equally important in college.
What doesn’t it mean?
Being a self-advocate does not mean that you will always get what you want. However, many times, effective communication does change the behavior of others.
Self-advocacy involves effective communication. Using assertive communication to advocate for our wants and needs can help us achieve our goals, help us feel good about ourselves, develop positive relationships with others built on respect and support our decision-making abilities.
There are three types of communication — passive, aggressive and assertive.
- Passive communicators never stand up for what they want or need and are often afraid of hurting others’ feelings or being rejected.
- Aggressive communicators, on the other hand, may be impulsive, bold and overbearing. They may even include sarcastic or belittling comments to communicate.
- Assertive communicators express both positive and negative thoughts and ideas in a clear, direct way, without stepping on anyone’s toes. Effective self-advocacy involves assertive communication.
Here are some tips to help you communicate assertively.
- Use “I” statements and consider the feelings of others.
- Be conscious of your tone of voice. Be firm and calm but nice.
- Stick to the facts.
- Be respectful of others’ opinions and feelings.
- Use appropriate body language such as make eye contact, face the individual you are talking with and have a pleasant but serious facial expression.
- Listen to the individual you are talking with about their opinions or feelings.
What are your rights?
As an individual with a disability, you are protected under three laws. It is important to know your rights in order to ask for what you want and require.
The Individuals with Disability Education Act is the law stating students with disabilities in high school have the right to a free and appropriate education where you will get appropriate special education services.
In college, qualified students with disabilities are eligible for services and are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. There are no special education classes in college, but students with disabilities can receive accommodations. Accommodations are modifications or adjustments to help you perform tasks. For example, one type of accommodation in college is receiving extended time on exams.
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February 29, 2012
In an age where modern technology rules, some parents may have purchased active video games — or exergames — for their children, hoping that these would get them moving. New research shows that these hopes were fleeting. Owning these games did not help children exercise more, the LA Times reported.
The new study, published in Pediatrics online on Monday, included 78 children ages nine to 12 whose BMI put them at risk for adult obesity. None of these kids' homes had owned exergames or a Nintendo Wii console before.
Some of the children selected two active video games — Wii Sports, Wii Fit Plus, EA Sports Active or Dance Dance Revolution, Active Life-Extreme Challenge. Others, in a control group, chose inactive video games — Madden NFL 10, Mario Kart Wii or Super Mario Galaxy, for example.
In order to best imitate real life, the researchers did not provide any instruction on how to play these games or for how long for over 13 weeks.
After the first, sixth, seventh and 12th weeks, there were no differences in physical activity levels between the children who played the active and inactive games.
Maybe this isn't surprising. If you've played any of the active games, you may have discovered that you can get away with moving very little. Many can attest that Wii Tennis can be played with just the flick of the wrist!
ACE-Sponsored Research on Wii Fit and Wii Sports
In fact, an ACE-sponsored research study on Wii Sports found that the benefits that could come from these exergames would only result from imitating the actual real movements of the sports as much as possible.
And another ACE-sponsored research study on the effectiveness of the Wii Fit found that while some movement is better than nothing, the intensity of the exercise was "underwhelming."
While ACE did calculate the physiologic responses — including calories burned — after playing both Wii Fit and Wii Sports, the study was done in a lab setting. Researchers taught the participants to mimic the real sport — unlike the researchers of the Pediatrics study.
In real life, children aren't burning the calories they could be while playing these exergames. Lead author of the study, Tom Baranowski, told the LA Times that "simply having those active video games available on the shelf or at home doesn't automatically lead to increased levels of physical activity in children."
ACE's Recommendations on Using Exergames and For Parents:
ACE recommends that in order to meet a healthy level of physical activity, the Wii games must be a supplement to regular exercise. And since parental involvement is key in helping children manage weight, it might mean parents will have to encourage their kids to mimic the real-life sport movements, or also take them out to play the real sport.
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Controlling vegetation in utility rights of way is essential for meeting Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) guidelines and ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to protect public safety. One challenging brush species in the Southwest is mesquite. The plant’s hardiness and easy seed distribution by wildlife make it exceptionally hard to control.
Mesquite is extremely invasive, quickly overtaking land and crowding out desirable vegetation. It can be identified by its narrow, compound leaves, which are 2 to 3 inches long and sharply pointed.
Mesquite is also drought-tolerant and can switch water sources easily. It pulls water through a taproot that can stretch nearly 200 feet or from supplies closer to the soil surface.
Overgrown mesquite rapidly creates hazards and interferes with utility infrastructure. Most mesquite plants are shrub-sized, but older individual plants with hardwood trunks can reach heights of 20 feet or more. Adding to the difficulty, new growth has tough, needle-sharp thorns up to 3 inches long and mesquite can regenerate from a piece of root left in the soil, making thorough control even more critical.
Utility managers must find ways to control mesquite quickly and effectively, while preserving a healthy grass understory. This adds to crew demands and to costs, since it may require potentially dangerous hand-cutting.
Fortunately, newer herbicide options provide better answers for mesquite control and offer both improved control and selectivity. DuPont™ Streamline® herbicide delivers reliable control of mesquite in a single product while preserving desirable native grasses. Streamline® also controls other difficult weed and brush species, including boxelder, hackberry, huisache and cottonwood.
In a recent trial near Childress, Texas, Streamline® was used on land with heavy mesquite coverage. Plants were 4 to 6 feet tall and had not been treated or mowed. The trial tested Streamline® at 11.3 ounces per acre. All treatments were applied in late July as a broadcast spray in water at 15 gallons per acre and included methylated seed oil (MSO) at 1 percent v/v.
The results demonstrated that, when applied at the 11.3 ounces per acre rate, Streamline® provided exceptional control – providing 92 percent mesquite control more than two years after treatment.
Spraying Tips for Successful Control
- To successfully control mesquite, apply Streamline® in late spring to late summer and only in non-crop areas.
- Ideal spraying dates vary by region and depend on proper soil temperature (about 75 degrees or higher) and height and maturity of mesquite. Apply to plants that are 12 to 18 inches with dark green leaf color and healthy foliage.
- Apply when mesquite is producing carbohydrates and sending them to the roots for storing over the winter so the spray will be carried to the roots.
- Since mesquite leaves produce the food source and send it to the root zone, it is important to eliminate basal buds. Mechanical control will only activate basal buds, triggering more plant growth.
For more information on maintaining clear rights of way and increasing site safety through effective mesquite control, visit landmanagement.dupont.com.
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Anandamide, also known as arachidonylethanolamide or arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA, is a naturally occurring endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter found in the brain of animals, as well as other organs. It was isolated, and its structure elucidated by William Devane and Lumír Hanuš in the Laboratory of Raphael Mechoulam, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1992. The name is taken from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means "bliss", and amide.
Anandamide's effects can be either central, in the brain, or peripheral, in other parts of the body. These distinct effects are mediated by the CB1 receptor in the nervous system, and the CB2 receptor in the periphery. The latter is mainly involved in functions of the immune system.
These receptors are part of the largest known family of receptors, the G protein-coupled receptors, which - in this case - has a distinctive pattern in which the receptor molecule spans the cell membrane seven times over. The CB1 receptor is one of the most numerous in the nervous system.
Anandamide receptors were originally discovered as being sensitive to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), which is among the psychoactive cannabinoids found in cannabis. The discovery of anandamide came from research into CB1 and CB2, as it was inevitable that a naturally occurring (endogenous) chemical would be found to affect these receptors.
Anandamide receptors have been shown to be involved in the management of short term memory. Studies are under way to explore what role anandamide plays in human behavior, such as eating and sleep patterns, and the part it plays in pain relief.
Anandamide is also important for implantation of the early stage embryo in its blastocyst form into the uterus. Therefore cannabinoids like Δ9-THC might interfere with the earliest stages of human pregnancy.
Moreover, anandamide is thought to be an endogenous ligand for vanilloid receptors (which are involved in the transduction of acute and inflammatory pain signals), activating the receptor in a PKC-dependent (protein kinase C-dependent) manner.
Endogenous and dietary sourcesEdit
Endogenous cannabinoids occur in minute quantities in cocoa (fermented Theobroma cacao) beans, in sea urchin roe, and in chocolate, though there is some controversy over whether they have any effects on the body in these quantities.
The human body synthesizes anandamide from arachidonic acid (AA) and ethanolamine. Studies of piglets show that dietary levels of AA and other essential fatty acids affect the levels of anandamide and other endocannabinoids in the brain.
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- ↑ Sinan Bir L, Ercan S. Effects of intrathecal anandamide on somatosensory evoked responses in rats. Exp Neurol. 2006 Feb;197(2):386-390. PMID 16289169
- ↑ Piomelli D. THC: moderation during implantation. Nat Med. 2004 Jan;10(1):19-20. PMID 14702623
- ↑ Bisogno T, Ventriglia M, Milone A, Mosca M, Cimino G, Di Marzo V. Occurrence and metabolism of anandamide and related acyl-ethanolamides in ovaries of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1997 Apr 21;1345(3):338-48. PMID 9150253
- ↑ WA Devane and J Axelrod, Enzymatic Synthesis of Anandamide, an Endogenous Ligand for the Cannabinoid Receptor, by Brain Membranes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol 91, 6698-6701, http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/14/6698
- ↑ Alvin Berger, Anandamide and diet: Inclusion of dietary arachidonate and docosahexaenoate leads to increased brain levels of the corresponding N-acylethanolamines in piglets, PNAS, May 22, 2001 vol. 9, no. 11, http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/11/6402
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).|
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What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this fact-based "feel good" drama focuses on a determined man's unflagging quest to receive credit for his invention. Ultimately, it's heartening to see how far he gets, though some scenes may be overwhelming for very young children (for example, when the main character has a nervous breakdown). At times, the protagonist seems neglectful of his marriage and kids, but overall they're close and supportive. There's some swearing (including "s--t" and one use of "f--k"), social drinking, and smoking, but there's no violence or age-inappropriate sexual content.
- Families can talk about why Robert Kearns' story made a good subject for a movie. How accurate do you think the film is? Why might filmmakers bend the truth when making a movie based on real life? How could you find out more about Kearns if you wanted to? Also, why do you think his struggle took over his life? Why was it so important to him to get credit? Did he go too far? What were the consequences of his obsession? What makes someone an inventor? Was his idea stolen, or are the facts of the case not cut and dried?
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Column: Are phones and tablets harming our children's eyesight?
PUBLISHED: 15:09 23 February 2018
Kids seem to spend endless hours on smartphones, games consoles, computers and tablets these days. Is it harming their eyesight?
There has been a massive rise around the globe in short-sightedness, or myopia, over recent decades. One theory is that lack of natural light seems to be the key issue. This is a side effect of children spending more time indoors on electronic devices, rather than playing outside in natural light. Therefore the concern is that all close work - like playing with tablets and phones - carries the potential that it could make children more short-sighted.
Trying to stop screen use, however, is probably an unrealistic aspiration. Children are expected to do their school homework on laptops and tablets and they do their searches for background information on computer screens. So it is unlikely that we will be reducing screen use, really, in years to come.
The best thing to do, is to get children playing outside as much as possible. On average across the week, two hours a day outdoors would be beneficial. A healthy diet is also an area where families can help with eyesight. Oily fish, fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables are especially good for the eyes.
Regular eye examinations are also vital and are funded by the NHS for under 19s in full time education.
Signs that your child may be short-sighted include needing to sit near the front of the class at school because they find it difficult to read the whiteboard; sitting close to the television; complaining of headaches or tired eyes and regularly rubbing their eyes.
Short-sighted eyes are slightly too long, which means light rays focus in front of the retina, at the back of the eye, so distant objects appear blurred, but close objects are seen clearly. This is solved by wearing spectacles or contact lenses which refocus the light to the correct point and will easily be determined through an eye examination by your local optometrist.
Rene Moor BOptom MCOptom
Observatory The Opticians
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Universe Secret will be Revealed after the Collision of Two Neutron Stars
Even if it is not completely clear, but there is an indication that there was a major collision within the universe and it would soon work to remove the mysteries of the origin of the universe. It will also show how gold is built. Astronomers from around the world responded rapidly to this signal.
Captured in binoculars, this signal was received by scientists in August, which was revealed on Monday. It has been found that there was a great deal of collision between two neutron stars. This incident was described by David H. Ritz of the California Institute of Technology as a “spectacular display of firecrackers in the universe”.
The light produced by collision and the energized energy helped scientists to explain how gamma rays explode, and in what speed the universe is expanding, and where the heavy elements like platinum and gold come from.
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Specific skills and knowledge demonstrated by the task:
Alignment with Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Alignment with National Science Education Standards
Students' ability to describe and interpret, using the different
wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. the different images
generated by observation of the Crab Nebula and the supernova that
4F- Motion (9-12)#3: …A great variety
of, radiation is in the form of electromagnetic waves: radio waves,
microwaves, radiant heat, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays,
and gamma rays. These wavelengths vary from radio waves, the longest, to
gamma rays, the shortest....
Standard B Physical Science: Interactions of Energy
and Matter#2 …Electromagnetic waves include radio waves,
microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation,
x-rays, and gamma rays…
Students' ability to describe how technology has extended our senses to
help us learn more about the universe.
sophisticated technology is used to learn about the universe. Visual,
radio and X-ray telescopes collect information from across the entire
spectrum of electromagnetic waves; computers handle an avalanche of data
and increasingly complicated computations to interpret them....
Standard A- Inquiry (9-12)- Understandings About
Scientific Inquiry- Scientists rely on technology to enhance the
gathering and manipulation of data. New techniques and tools provide new
evidence to guide inquiry and new methods to gather data, thereby
contributing to the advance of science.
Students' ability to accurately represent the vast scale of the
interstellar space, through the relationship between the distance of the
Crab Nebula from the Earth, and the time it takes for the light to
travel that distance.
4A- universe (9-12)#2: …Light from the
next nearest star takes a few years to arrive. The trip to that star
would take a rocket ship thousands of years. Some distant galaxies are
so far away that their light takes several billion years to reach the
Earth. People on earth, therefore, see them as they were that long ago
in the past.
Unifying Concepts and Processes- Constancy, Change,
and Measurement- concepts of scale including speed of light.
Students' ability to accurately represent the supernova process within
the life cycle of stars, and to describe the nature of the matter
ejected from the supernova.
4A universe (9-12)#2 … Eventually, some
stars exploded producing clouds containing heavy elements from which
other stars (and presumably planets orbiting them) could later condense.
The process of star formation and destruction continues.
Standard D: Earth and Space- The Origin and Evolution
of the universe- Stars produce energy from nuclear reactions,
primarily the fusion of hydrogen to form helium, These and other
processes in stars have led to the formation of all the other elements.
Students' skill in constructing 3 analogies, making the distance, the
energy released, and the physical size of the nebula, more easily
11B Models (See Essay p267) "Conceptual models are tools for learning about the things they are meant to resemble. Imagery, metaphor, and analogy are every bit as much a part of science…"
Unifying Concepts and Processes- Evidence, Models,
and Explanation- (mental constructs)…tentative schemes or
structures that correspond to real objects, events, or classes of
events, and that have explanatory power.
Students' ability to integrate information and images into a piece that
communicates science to the general public.
12D Communication Skills (see Essay p 295)
Translating scientific ideas to the general public.
Standard A: Inquiry-
Communication:…accurate and effective communication
including expressing concepts, reviewing information, summarizing data,
using language appropriately, developing diagrams and charts…
Students' ability to describe historical and cultural contributions to
1C The Scientific Enterprise (9-12)#1 The
early …Chinese [and Native American] cultures are responsible for
many scientific ideas…
Standard G: History and Nature of Science- Historical
Perspectives #1: In history, diverse cultures have contributed
scientific knowledge …
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The sweet, unique taste of chocolate is loved around the world. Even people in ancient times found it incredibly alluring. Chocolate was first discovered and eaten by the Olmecs around 2,000 BCE. The cacao trees, which only grow in tropical climates such as where the Olmecs lived, grow pods with bitter beans. No one is sure how or why, but the Olmecs devised a way to make the cacao beans edible. The process is still used today, and it involved drying, fermenting, roasting, and grinding the beans. The Olmecs mixed the ground cacao beans with other ingredients to form a thick, liquid drink that was revered by generations of peoples to come.
This method of preparing the cacao bean was passed down to the Mayans and the Aztecs, who viewed the concoction as sacred. The dark elixir was mixed and drank for rituals, including blood sacrifices. When the Europeans came to the Americas, they gave chocolate the Latin name Theobroma cacao, which means “food of the gods,” showing the perception that chocolate was incredibly valuable to the Aztecs.
Click here for more.
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Two parasitic wasp species show similar memory consolidation patterns in response to rewards of different quality, providing evidence that the reward value affects the type of memory that is consolidated. The full results are reported Aug. 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
The researchers, led by Marjolein Kruidhof of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, tested how wasps store scents associated with situations of low reward (egg-laying into a inferior-quality host species that lays single eggs) versus high reward (egg-laying into a superior-quality host species that lays egg clusters) in their brain.
They found that both wasp species behaved similarly, retaining memory for the scent associated with the high reward scenario to a greater extent compared to the low reward scenario.
They write that this behavior makes sense given the energetic cost of consolidating shorter-lasting memory forms into long-term, consolidated memories, which may only be advantageous if the benefit is sufficiently high.
Explore further: Study shows even newly hatched chicks have a left to right number space map (w/ Video)
More information: Kruidhof HM, Pashalidou FG, Fatouros NE, Figueroa IA, Vet LEM, et al. (2012) Reward Value Determines Memory Consolidation in Parasitic Wasps. PLoS ONE 7(8): e39615. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039615
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the public health emergency for this assignment is H1N1 outbreak US 2009/10
Read the CDC document entitled Public Health Preparedness( attached below ) : Mobilizing State to State. There are nine preparedness goals in the background section.
write a 3000-word paper that briefly describes the incident and then how and why aspects of the incident were handled well or could have been handled better according to this document. Each of the nine main goals of the CDC document must be addressed in your paper. If a particular one does not apply, state why (with a detailed enough explanation to support your opinion) and move on. I expect that you will be able to discuss or cite relevant topics. Do not include irrelevant extraneous material. The paper should utilize APA format.
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August 15 is Independence Day, a national holiday in India. It celebrates the day in 1947 when India gained its independence from British rule. (Pakistan was partitioned on that same day.) India is an enormous country, second only to China in population, and its culture is more than four thousand years old. It has inspired artists throughout history. It is no wonder that fiction set in India or with Indian protagonists is popular and plentiful.
While pulling together this list, I was surprised by how many titles immediately came to mind. The slightest amount of research provided a dozen more. If you are curious about India, and would like to explore it through fiction, there are plenty of options for you.
A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master is an appropriate title to begin with since it focuses on August 15, 1947. Bilal’s father is dying, and Bilal is determined not to let him know about the upcoming partition, feeling that it will break his heart and hasten his death. Bilal enlists the aid of his closest friends and they devise elaborate schemes to keep people from his father’s bedside. Of course this backfires as the lie grows. Seeing these events through the eyes of a young teen help readers who do not know about this part of history. We learn alongside the main character.
Anila’s Journey by Mary Finn
Many of the British and Irish men who found themselves in Colonial India either brought their families with them, or started families while there. Of course some men started families … inadvertently. Half-Irish, half-Indian Anila is on her own after her father disappeared and her mother died. Anila is a talented artist and, against the odds, secures a job as an illustrator for a gentleman scientist traveling up the Ganges River. Women were not allowed much freedom in Colonial India, so Anila’s job was unusual, to say the least. She travels with the naturalist, drawing the flora and fauna he discovers and seeking out her missing father. Readers not only get a glimpse of what life was like for a woman in late 18th century India, but also of the beauty of the landscape.
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
Another look at girls’ lives in India, this time from the 1970s. Tomboy Asha, her beautiful sister Reet, and their mother must live with Asha’s uncle when their father travels to America looking for work. Asha loves to play sports, read books, and be free. But when she turns 16, her freedom is curtailed as she is expected by her uncle to become more ladylike. And when it appears her family will remain in their uncle’s home, she must abide by his strict rules. Asha is a feminist, even if she doesn’t call herself that, and Perkins beautifully captures the struggles of a young woman searching for her own center.
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (2009 Best Books for Young Adults)
Almost a companion piece to The Secret Keeper, this first novel also looks at an unconventional girl whose father allows her freedoms her fellow young women do not enjoy. When Vidya’s father is injured and can no longer care for their family, they move in with her traditional, conservative grandfather. Vidya fights against the constraints placed on her by society and by her family, all while World War II rages around them. Her father is a follower of Gandhi and his non-violent teachings seem to clash with everyday life in 1941 Bombay.
These titles are just a tiny sample of what is out there. I didn’t even get to mention Life of Pi, The God of Small Things, The Jungle Book, Interpreter of Maladies, Midnight’s Children, A Suitable Boy, Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet, Brick Lane…
— Geri Diorio, currently reading The Mauritius Command by Patrick O’Brian
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- 2015 Hub Reading Challenge Check-In #19 - June 21, 2015
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- The Glorious 25th of May & Terry Pratchett - May 25, 2015
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Fast-changing Arctic and North Atlantic conditions bring route risks
Climate change is impacting ice hazards for shipping, freeing up new trade routes in some areas, while increasing the risk of ice in others. More information on the Safety and Shipping Review 2018.
There was another milestone for Arctic shipping in early 2018 when a specially-designed LNG tanker became the first commercial ship to travel the Northern Sea Route in winter and without the assistance of an ice breaker. The Eduard Toll successfully journeyed from South Korea to Montoir, France via northern Russia, shaving around 3,000 nautical miles off the traditional transit via the Suez Canal.
It followed the transit in August 2017 of another specially-designed tanker, the Christophe de Margerle, which became the first merchant ship to sail across the Arctic Ocean without the aid of an icebreaker. It took just 19 days to reach South Korea from Norway, almost a week faster than going via the Mediterranean.
Arctic ice has been thinning and retreating over the past 40 years, bringing new opportunities for shipping, but also serious environmental concerns. Research shows the mean center of shipping activity moved 300km north and east— closer to the North Pole—over a seven-year span.
As a result, a growing number of vessels are sailing in Arctic waters. For example, cargo volumes on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) increased by nearly 40% to 9.7 million tons in 2017, the biggest annual volume ever, according to the Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport. This is expected to rise to 40 million tons by 2022, reflecting the development of oil and gas fields, and 70 to 80 million tons by 2030. “Climate change could open up new shipping routes in the Arctic, such as the North West Passage, and routes across Russia and Canada. These routes will have advantages as well as disadvantages. For example, a collision in a remote hostile environment like the Arctic could prove challenging, and would be a long way away from salvage teams,” says Volker Dierks, Head of Marine Hull Underwriting, AGCS Central & Eastern Europe.
In February 2018, China announced plans for an “Arctic Silk Road” by developing shipping lanes opened up by global warming. China said it would encourage infrastructure development and conduct commercial trial voyages in Arctic waters, with plans to build its first Polar expedition cruise ship by 2019.
At the beginning of 2017 the International Code of Safety for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) came into force. The code introduces mandatory requirements for shipping in Polar regions, principally relating to ice navigation, manning and ship design.
“The Polar Code continues to be refined,” says Captain Andrew Kinsey, Senior Marine Risk Consultant, AGCS. “Arctic conditions are fast-changing and the normal International Maritime Organization review updates are too slow. For these new shipping routes we need to find faster ways to disseminate information and the lessons of successful transits.”
Ships operating in Arctic waters are bound by the Polar Code, but ice is also posing a significant hazard for shipping elsewhere.
Outside the Arctic and Antarctic, a number of so-called conditional areas also carry a higher risk of ice, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Alaska, Sakhalin, Russia and the Baltic Sea. Trading in these areas has also been increasing with global warming.
There is also a threat of ice hazards in more southerly shipping routes from icebergs. At the end of 2017, the US Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol warned shipping companies that an unusual number of icebergs were drifting into shipping lanes. It found that over 1,000 icebergs had drifted into North Atlantic shipping lanes in 2017, marking it the fourth consecutive season where the danger has been classified as “extreme”.
“Such extraordinary conditions require complementary training for crew, as well as additional routing support,” says Arnaud Gibrais, a Senior Marine Risk Consultant at AGCS, based in Paris.
“A melting Arctic could lead to an increase in icebergs affecting trade routes, although this has not yet been a problem for the major north, south, east or west shipping lanes. But this might become more of an issue in the future,” adds Dierks.
Climate researchers at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg have also claimed more Arctic sea ice is entering the North Atlantic Ocean, increasing the level of hazard for ships in late spring. Arctic sea ice blocked normally open areas of ocean around Newfoundland in May and June 2017. The ice cover trapped many ships and even sunk some boats when it punctured hulls, the research found.
NASA Earth Observatory
Safety4Sea.com, Record cargo volumes shipped on Northern Sea Route in 2017, January 2018
Reuters, China building up Arctic Cruise Ship For Polar Silk Road, March 2018
GCaptain, Ice Patrol, More Than 1,000 Icebergs Drifted Into N.Atlantic Shipping Lanes in 2017, December 2017
University of Manitoba, Arctic Sea Ice Becoming A Spring Hazard For North Atlantic Ships
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty South Africa (Pty) Ltd
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The advantages of Broadband Radar
What distinguishes Broadband Radar from Pulse Radar?
Broadband radar differs from traditional pulse radar in that a broadband antenna transmits data during the measuring process without interruption while receiving data at the same time. This is however not the case with pulse radar systems, as pulse radar transmits individual pulses while waiting to receive their echoes. A broadband radar antenna is aided by semiconductor technology within its interior, as well as two separate receiving and transmitting antennas which send and receive signals with varying frequencies to represent a visual representation of different heights and depths without having to use a great deal of energy. Depending on how the dispatched tone/signal changes in its trajectory from forth and back to the object, the radar system can detect where and at what distance the potential target is. On the other hand, traditional radar is generated and sent with great force by magnetrons as an electromagnetic pulse, while waiting for a signal to return in order to locate a specific target.
The benefits of Broadband Radar
1 Clear representation of the immediate area
"The difference between pulse radar and Broadband technology can be illustrated quite simply: the electromagnetic pulse of pulse radar is like a loud cry, upon which an echo follows when a target is present, which may reflect that tone. Although the cry is loud, it might be drowned out by all of the other sounds in its immediate vicinity. This may cause objects to look distorted at close range on conventional radar screens. Additionally, mapped faults or targets might not be displayed if you are working with suppression functions.
Broadband Radar, on the other hand, doesn’t “cry out”, but rather whispers and listens continuously, as to not suppress the sounds of targets at close range. Thus, there are no blind zones, as is the case with conventional radar systems. Believe me when I say that you will never see such a clear view of other ships at close range while using a normal radar system!" Explains: SVB electronics specialist, Eugen Wojszczyk.
This provides yet another reason to buy a (Broadband) radar system, which will improve collision avoidance at sea and clearly identify obstacles in severely restricted visibility.
2 Fast power-on and start-up
Another advantage of this new technology compared to the pulse radar, is its ability to quickly power-on and start-up. Broadband Radar doesn’t require a warm-up period of 2-4 minutes, as conventional radars do, immediately providing crystal clear radar targets. This feature is very useful in certain conditions, such as sudden fog.
3 Reduced health hazards caused by radiation
The following brands: Simrad, B&G and Lowrance advertise that their Broadband antennas only emit 1/5 of the radiation of an average mobile phone, which makes them much more compatible on-board than conventional pulse radar systems. By comparison: a conventional radar system requires about 2000 watts of power, in order to transmit its signal. On the other hand, new Broadband technology uses only about 200 mW to produce the same signal. Thus, you can mount your new Broadband Radar Antenna on to any point on board, without having to search for the antenna’s blind zone.
4 Detection of weather / storm fronts
"One big difference between NAVICO's first 3G BROADBAND antenna and their new 4G technology is the assessment of storm fronts, rain and other weather conditions, whereby 4G technology can identify these systems much more precisely. Even storms which are located 12 nautical miles away are displayed clearly and distinguished from other signals." Says: SVB electronics and networking specialist, Felix Willenbruch.
5 Good resolution at far range
Unlike conventional radar systems, new broadband systems barely indicate any radial deformations and distortions, so that ships and other targets can be accurately identified within a wide radius. The new 4G antenna, the successor to the 3G antenna by NAVICO also promises 50% more coverage than its predecessor, while being able to clearly locate targets up to a distance of 32 nautical miles.
Warning: A disadvantage of Broadband Technology is that it can’t locate and identify so-called radar beacons (RACONS), SART signals, and RTE's. This applies to both 3G and 4G NAVICO radar antennas.
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Bioinformatics at Biosafe Ltd is optimized for the analysis of safety aspects of microbial genomes.
Bioinformatics at Biosafe Ltd is focused on analyzing the safety aspects of microbial genomes on behalf of companies who develop microbial products into the food chain. They may be production organisms for amino acids, enzymes or vitamins, or live micro-organisms. Many of the products will be evaluated by
the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Whatever the purpose, safety means the absence of acquired antimicrobial resistance genes, genes for toxins and virulence factors. We occasionally also describe the genetic modifications in detail or search for secondary metabolite biosynthesis clusters. The genome is used for unequivocal taxonomic identification at the species level, which is essential in granting the QPS (qualified presumption of safety) status for a microorganism. Sometimes this analysis leads to the description of a new species.
The use of whole genome sequence (WGS) – what and when?
Whole genome refers to both chromosome(s) and plasmids. If it is unclear whether or not the microorganism carries plasmids this should be explored. The DNA extraction and sequencing method will be selected accordingly.
According to The Guidance on microorganisms used as feed additives or as production organisms (EFSA FEEDAP Panel, 2018), WGS is required for bacteria and yeasts. For fungi, WGS should be used for identification if available.
Proper taxonomic classification of a microbe is the basis of safety analysis. The most important level of classification is the species level, which is also the basis for assigning a microbe a Qualified Presumption of Safety status (QPS). EFSA maintains and develops a list of QPS microorganisms for food or feed use. Currently the list contains many bacteria and yeasts but excludes e.g. filamentous fungi. Whenever a new species is introduced by an application submitted to the Commission and forwarded to EFSA, the QPS working group can assess its safety and conclude on its possible inclusion in the QPS list. The assessment is based on taxonomic identification, body of knowledge, possible pathogenicity (or other safety concerns) and the use of the microorganism. The QPS concept is also applicable to genetically modified microorganisms used as production strains.
Sometimes it is important to identify the species at the strain level – such as in the case of E. coli K-12. Although E. coli is not QPS, K-12 strains have a long history of safe use and are generally considered as safe, provided that genes of concern are not introduced in the genome.
The increase of genome sequence information has brought a lot of confusion for taxonomic classification in some genera, such as Bacillus, Lactobacillus and Streptomyces. It has been proposed, for instance, that Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum should be recognized as a novel taxon distinct from Bacillus subtilis. Novel species can sometimes be particularly problematic for the interpretation of MIC values and may require extra scientific justifications.
The most widely used means for taxonomic classification, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, is often not sufficient for species identification. Biosafe uses multiple approaches to taxonomic classification purposes, such as average nucleotide identity (ANI), phylogenomics or housekeeping genes.
Genome screening for antimicrobial resistance genes and genes for toxins and virulence factors
The genome should be interrogated searched for genes conferring resistance to antimicrobials relevant for their use in humans and animals (Critically or Highly important antimicrobials, WHO). Biosafe Ltd uses several databases to screen the genomes in an in-house pipeline. This genome-based prediction is then assessed together with the results from phenotypic testing to draw final conclusions.
Biosafe Ltd was among the first ones to apply whole genome sequencing (WGS) in the microbial safety assessment for the dossiers submitted to EFSA evaluations. We are constantly improving our analysis pipeline and the clarity of the reports. Our experience on dozens of genomes gives us a good perspective to interpret the results. For example, it is much easier to detect acquired antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes after examining many genomes of the same species.
Almost all microbial genomes have matches to genes in the AMR databases, i.e. to genes that potentially contribute to AMR. Most of these are intrinsic genes, often efflux pumps, which do not necessarily confer resistance. In the case of production microorganisms, it is important that the acquired resistance genes are not transferred into the product. In case of viable microorganisms as products, the acquired functional AMR genes are considered a hazard.
The presence of genes encoding virulence factors may trigger further phenotypic testing (cytotoxicity tests ).
Genetically modified microorganisms (GMM)
In the case of GMMs, WGS should be used to characterize the structure of the genetic modification. This is mandatory for bacteria and yeasts and recommended for filamentous fungi.
Biosafe Ltd follows in detail the EFSA FEEDAP Panel guidance (2018) to characterize the GMM. To do this, we work in close collaboration with the customer, as a proper characterization requires knowledge of the strain history and genetic modifications. Importantly, the WGS is also used to explore if genes of concern were introduced into the genome. This information is necessary for the analysis of the presence of DNA from the production strain in the fermentation products.
Biosafe Ltd also offers comprehensive sequencing services in collaboration with our sequencing partners. We sequence microbial genomes, plasmids or individual genes based on the particular needs. All sequencing projects are unique and designed in collaboration with the customers to answer their specific needs. The sequencing platform is also selected on a case-by-case basis.
How do we work?
We can help you during the planning of a WGS study, during genome analysis for EFSA, FSANZ or other regulatory purposes, or during the publication phase of a new microorganism. You are welcome to contact us to learn more.
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Pupil Premium Statement
The Pupil Premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. The aim is to increase social mobility, attainment and progress.
The Government believes that schools should decide how the Pupil Premium is allocated and spent. It is felt that Head teachers are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for individual pupils within schools. Therefore schools are required to utilise this funding to improve the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority groups, individual pupils and resources. Limited funding and resources means that not all FSM children will receive intervention and additional support at the same time.
From September2012, schools are required to publish online information about how they have used the Pupil Premium funding. This will ensure that parents and others are made fully aware of the attainment of pupils covered by the additional funding.
Whilst the Governing Body appreciate that some parents and carers may feel that they are being unfairly treated, parents need to understand that this is a Government funding requirement and that all schools must choose how this money is spent on disadvantaged pupils.
As a school we work hard to ensure that the maximum number of pupils benefit from the funding. All pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium funding receive additional support and resources. We actively promote equality of opportunity for all staff, governors, pupils and parents, creating a harmonious learning community where all succeed.
We have a clear, strategic approach to the use of specific Pupil Premium funding and plans are integrated into wider school support and improvement systems. These are monitored and evaluated regularly and in depth data analysis ensures that the correct support and strategies are identified to maximize progress.
Strong leadership systems ensure that Pupil Premium funding has the necessary impact. All matters relating to the Pupil Premium are reported to the governors via the School Development, Resources and Finance Committees, ensuring that the school is held to account for the impact of spending.
To ensure that the disadvantaged gap remains closed by addressing inequalities and raising the attainment of those students in low-income families.
What we expect to see.
Targeted additional support strategies which result in every pupil, however financially disadvantaged, being able to have full access to the curriculum and all extra-curricular experiences. All pupils who are currently underperforming because of the impact of their disadvantaged background will make improved progress leading to the narrowing of any attainment gaps.
Main Barrier to attainment, achievement and progress.
Some of our disadvantaged pupils start school below national expectations as a result of limited experiences and opportunities. In order to address the gaps in development and attainment we direct a range of resources, support, interventions, programmes and strategies for children and their families.
Barriers and challenges faced by some of our disadvantaged pupils are many and varied. There barriers often increase in complexity as the children get older.
Barriers may include:
Poor language and communication skills.
Limited life experiences and opportunities
Poverty and limited financial resources
Stressful and complex home background/circumstances
Lack of employment and historical unemployment
Low self-esteem and lacking in self confidence
Poor mental health
Poor nutrition and routines
Poor quality housing
Limited access to technology
Limited involvement in education
Low expectations and limited aspirations for themselves and their children
Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.
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By Daniel Dunaief
The Museum of Natural History in New York City features a slice of a 1,400-year-old sequoia tree that was cut down in California in 1891. The cross section of the tree offers a testament to history on its inside. That’s where the tree rings that grow every year mark the passing of another year. As it turns out, humans have something in common with trees. While people may not have rings in bones that an observer can see, they do have age-related changes in their genetic material, or DNA.
Human genes go through a process called methylation in which a methyl group comprised of a carbon and three hydrogens attaches to DNA. Methylation upstream of a gene generally reduces transcription, or the copying of that gene into messenger RNA that can then begin the process of building proteins.
Using broad time-based methylation changes, Shyamalika Gopalan, who is earning her doctorate at Stony Brook University in the Department of Ecology and Evolution, recently received a three-year grant from the Department of Justice to refine an understanding of methylation and aging. The DOJ would like to use this kind of analysis to gather more information from a scene at which the remaining clues include DNA that isn’t in one of its databases.
Gopalan isn’t the first scientist to study genetic methylation and aging. Other scientists have used blood, saliva and other tissues. She is starting with one type of tissue in the bone. “I’m trying to make” the analysis “more specific to bones,” she said. She doesn’t know how much variation she will find in the age-related methylation patterns depending on ethnicity and lifestyle. “It does appear that some sites are remarkably ‘clock-like,’” she said. “It is these types of sites I’m hoping to find and use in my research.”
Gopalan explained that millions of sites can be methylated. She’s hoping to hone in on those that act more like a clock and that change in a linear manner with time. She’s not sure how many sites she’ll use and said some changes in methylation involve removing methyl groups. “Some methylation increases and some decreases,” she said. “If you know the pattern with age at any site, you can start to build an estimate from those.”
Methylation occurs with age for several possible reasons. “A major theory for these changes in methylation level with age is that the epigenetic patterns are drifting from the optimum,” she said. “This may explain some, or even most, of the changes we observe, but I don’t think it is universally true for all sites in the genome.” Still, there probably is a biologically relevant reason why some of these sites are changing, she suggested.
Gopalan said we know that these methylation patterns are crucial in early development, from conception to birth and she suggested it probably doesn’t completely stop changing there. Some sites are probably regulated throughout life.
Gopalan is hoping to have the bone data prepared by this summer and then believes she’ll be able to get methylation types and start working on a computer algorithm to build a predictor for the next year. After her initial work, she will also shift to saliva and blood.
Like a scene from “Law & Order” or other crime shows, the DNA methylation test may be another clue for police officers or prosecutors to use to rule in or out potential suspects from a crime scene where DNA, but not a driver’s license, is left behind. If the genetic material is not in a database, “you could build a profile and it could be useful for narrowing down suspects,” Gopalan said. At this point, she is taking data for people of age classes but with different ethnicities and lifestyles and comparing them to people of a different age with a similar range of backgrounds and lifestyles.
Gopalan is using samples from medical schools around the New York area, borrowing from anatomy departments where people have donated their bodies to research or teaching. More broadly, she is interested in studying diverse populations, especially in Africa. She has worked with her thesis advisor Brenna Henn, exploring methylation from two different populations. These are the ‡Khomani San of South Africa and the Baka of Cameroon.
Gopalan was interested in working with methylation as a biomarker for aging when she came across this funding opportunity from the DOJ. “It was a good fit for what I had already been studying,” she said, adding that she hopes this method will be used in the future in forensics to assist in criminal investigations.
Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor of primate genomics at Stony Brook and the chair of her thesis committee, described Gopalan as an “intellectually engaged student who is always eager to absorb information.” Veeramah explained in an email that he thinks “there is scope for this work to transition from basic research” to an application “in criminal forensics and related areas. It will certainly require more work and testing.”
Gopalan has been at SBU for over three years. She lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and commutes about 90 minutes each way most days. She enjoys the beaches, farms, apple picking and the natural beauty of the area. Gopalan would like to continue to perform research after she earns her doctorate, whether that’s with a company, a research institution or with a university. She is excited about extracting and working with DNA, particularly from archeological sites. These samples “come from a field and, once you dust them off, it makes it personal. This is a part of a story.”
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Immune cells in the lungs provide a rapid counterattack to bloodstream infections, a new study in mice finds. This surprising discovery pegs the lungs as a major pillar in the body’s defense during these dangerous infections, the researchers say.
“No one would have guessed the lung would provide such an immediate and strong host defense system,” says Bryan Yipp, an immunologist at the University of Calgary in Canada. Yipp and his colleagues report their findings online April 28 in Science Immunology.
The work may offer ways to target and adjust our own immune defense system for infections, says Yipp. “Currently, we only try to kill the bacteria, but we are running out of antibiotics because of resistance.”
The research uncovers some of the mechanisms that drive the rapid activation of neutrophils, says immunologist Andrew Gelman of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “This is critical in removing bacteria from sequestered spaces in the lung,” he says.
Generally, clearing bacteria out of the bloodstream falls to macrophages that reside in the liver and the spleen. But macrophages aren’t found in vessels of the lungs. So the lungs’ blood vessel network gives pathogens a place to hide and escape the body’s usual removal efforts.
In mammals, neutrophils hang out in the lungs’ bloodstream more than in blood vessels that wind through other tissue. Past research has indicated that a dearth of neutrophils puts an individual at risk for a bloodstream infection. It wasn’t clear, though, how they were providing a defensive role in the blood, says Yipp.Yipp and his team used confocal pulmonary intravital microscopy to view how cells and pathogens behave in living mouse lungs. The researchers found that about a third of the neutrophils seen in the mouse lung sample were crawling about three to four cell lengths along the walls of the capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the lungs. When the researchers added LPS, a molecule found in the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli , almost all of the neutrophils began crawling, and they traveled more than twice as far as before.
One of the proteins needed for neutrophil crawling, CD11b, allows the immune cells to move along as though on a tank tread, says Yipp. After LPS was added, the neutrophils in a mouse lung deficient in CD11b crawled about a third of the distance as the neutrophils in a normal mouse lung.
In another experiment, the researchers injected fluorescent E. coli into a mouse. Within 10 minutes of the bacteria reaching the lungs, the neutrophils started to crawl toward the bacteria and gobble them up, a process called phagocytosis. The neutrophils captured the majority of the bacteria within an hour of injection, says Yipp.
Gelman says it’s now clear that neutrophils are good at removing bacteria from the lungs’ capillaries. The next step is to “show the actual biological impact” — how this system controls a bacterial infection and improves survival, he says.
For patients with depressed immune systems, the finding may eventually provide a way to battle bloodstream infections, Yipp says. But, he notes, “with all infections, part of the concern is that the inflammatory response can become too exuberant, which leads to tissue damage, as in septic shock,” and lung failure. In those cases, learning how to dampen the lungs’ immune response could help, Yipp says.
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Last September, NASA officials were confident the Voyager 1 probe had passed into interstellar space. They weren’t 100% positive, though. Today, they are.
What makes researchers so sure today? Radiation from the sun described as a “tsunami wave” enabled scientists to calculate exactly how far away the Voyager 1 spacecraft is from Earth. The spacecraft sits over 11 billion miles from Earth and continues its trek into the unknown everyday.
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Happy (American) Labor Day from Biblio!
Even though approximately 40% of Americans will be working on Labor Day, we hope you all get to enjoy some of the last bit of summer before that nip of fall hits the air.
The plight of the working man and woman has long been a focus in literature, and we have collected some amazing works of fiction that showcase the struggles and triumphs of various labor movements. Many of the books featured below are classic works of American and European literature, and there are many rare and antique books that could be included. Even though these books were written decades ago, they continue to hold special significance in the ongoing discussion of labor rights and organizing political power in our societies. The passion these authors so clearly hold for their fellow person is truly inspiring, and if you are interested at all in worker’s rights, you would be captivated by any of the books listed below:
Wired has a great article on labor issues explored in fantasy and science fiction, and has particularly powerful words to say about labor issues that can be found even in works like Harry Potter, writing, “Using a powerful-yet-oppressed magical people like the house elves to explore those issues, in addition to having a character like Hermione who is staunch in her activist beliefs even while derided by her all-magical classmates, allows kids (and adults!) to draw a clear and powerful parallel between the fantasy they love and the realities they are forced to confront in their everyday lives.”
We at Biblio hope you and your family have a fun and safe Labor Day today!
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Fort Lee, N.J., is home to the second-worst traffic bottleneck in the country according to the American Transportation Research Institute.
This ongoing pain point was evident during the evaluation of a bridge handling 63,000 vehicles every day and serving as a connector to the nearby George Washington Bridge.
Principal arterials U.S. Rte. 1/9 and Rte. 46 cross over Jones Road in Fort Lee Borough via a 60-ft-long single-span bridge. Structurally deficient and deteriorating at a costly rate, the 87-year-old bridge did not meet growing traffic demands. As a result, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) faced a serious dilemma—how to fix a bridge that feeds heavy commuter traffic into a major thoroughfare and serves a tight-knit local community, without adversely impacting motorists.
NJDOT’s contracted project team developed an innovative maintenance and protection of traffic (MPT) plan and used time-saving accelerated bridge construction (ABC) techniques for the $4.3 million federally funded bridge reconstruction. ABC methods incorporate combinations of innovative designs and construction techniques to minimize the amount of time traffic is disrupted during construction. Many ABC projects, including this one, incorporate prefabricated bridge components that are shipped and assembled on-site. The prefabrication significantly reduces on-site construction time, resulting in shorter traffic disruptions compared to traditional bridge construction methods.
“This ABC project demonstrates how stakeholder collaboration, combined with innovative design, construction, and traffic maintenance planning, can alleviate workday and school district travel congestion while also prioritizing the safety of travelers,” said Jay Jeyamohan, project manager for NJDOT.
The 87-year-old bridge over Jones Road was structurally deficient and did not meet growing traffic demands.
Design meets needs
The U.S. Rte. 1/9 & 46 bridge supports four lanes of highway traffic over a local road. Constructed in 1930, the existing bridge was a single-span structure consisting of concrete-encased steel beams supported on full height abutments. While the two outer fascia girders were oriented parallel to the centerline of the bridge, all interior stringers were oriented orthogonally to the highly skewed (30°) abutments. Several stringers were framed into the sides of the existing fascia girders, creating a stringer/floorbeam configuration. NJDOT classified the bridge as structurally deficient because its deck was in an advanced state of deterioration caused by many years of service. To remedy that classification, NJDOT contracted with Gannett Fleming to design the required improvements. NJDOT awarded the construction contract to the joint venture of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc. and Joseph M. Sanzari Inc.
NJDOT chose to address the deficient bridge deck through an entire superstructure replacement, while maintaining the current footprint and repairing the substructure. A complete superstructure replacement also provided an opportunity to realign the new beams with the roadway above to eliminate the stringer/floorbeam configuration and simplify future deck replacements.
Traffic demands and site constraints eliminated the possibility of a full closure during construction, so a staged half-width replacement scheme was required. Half-width construction is very difficult when the existing beam lines do not align with the supported roadway above, as the beam lines cross the staging lines. To overcome this problem, temporary supports would need to be provided under all beams that cross the staging line. This would allow them to be cut along the staging line such that the portion of the beam located in the work zone could be removed while the portion on the opposite side of the staging line could temporarily remain in service to support the roadway above.
It was clear early in design that the proposed half-width scheme would adversely affect roadway capacity during construction. In addition, all work would have to take place during the summer to accommodate the public school located adjacent to the bridge site. The project team devised an ABC solution to minimize the on-site disruption.
The replacement superstructure consisted of seven prefabricated superstructure units (PSUs), with each unit comprised of two rolled-steel beams connected by a precast concrete deck. Gannett Fleming designed and detailed the PSUs to orient the new beams parallel with the roadway, simplifying the bridge framing and better accommodating future maintenance operations. Other innovations used to accelerate construction included the advanced construction of concrete pedestals on the abutment seats prior to staged construction operations, and attachment of the bearings to the steel beams prior to arriving at the site. The team rehabilitated the existing abutments in order that they remain in service.
Combining PSUs with temporary supports allowed the existing superstructure to be replaced with minimal impact to traffic. NJDOT reduced the traffic lanes on the mainline highway only two weekends during replacement thanks to staged operations. The weekend operations took place during the summer of 2017 when school was not in session. Although the need for temporary supports required implementation of a full detour for the roadway below, it was not considered a significant impact to the local community because of the bridge’s location in a highly urbanized area. Alternate routes around the project site were very short.
The project consisted of four main construction stages. Stage 1 included preparatory work necessary to support the upcoming weekend lane closures, including the installation of the temporary supports below existing beams crossing the staging line, the construction of new pedestals on the existing abutment seats and utility relocations. During stage 2 the project team replaced the north side of the bridge over one weekend while maintaining two lanes of Rte. 1/9 northbound and Rte. 46 eastbound on the south side of the bridge. Stage 3 occurred the following weekend, during which time the project team replaced the south side of the bridge while maintaining one lane of Rte. 1/9 northbound and Rte. 46 eastbound on the north side of the bridge. Keeping the northbound lanes continuously open and maintained during construction allowed typical George Washington Bridge traffic to flow. Route 1/9 southbound and Rte. 46 westbound were closed over both weekends, and travelers used I-95 southbound as a detour route. Thanks to strategic coordination with the New Jersey Turnpike, I-95 accommodated the rerouted traffic over the two weekends.
Cleanup and restoration work comprised off-peak hours in stage 4.
Site constraints eliminated a full-closure possibility during construction, so a staged half-width replacement scheme was required.
Extensive coordination was necessary among the design, construction and inspection teams, third-party utility companies, two local boroughs, the Fort Lee School District, and state transportation agencies. NJDOT required a collaborative design and construction approach that impacted the fewest travelers possible because the bridge is located beside an elementary school, near a daycare, and within a residential area.
NJDOT’s Public Information Center encouraged community involvement and enabled residents to receive pertinent project updates through presentations and open houses. Satisfying the superintendent of Fort Lee School District was of upmost importance to the project team, as the elementary school is less than 100 yd from the project site and adjacent to the bridge. The school district expressed relief at the project team’s decision to use ABC because traditional construction methods would have hindered access to the elementary school. Instead, construction took place during the summer months to avoid the need to reroute school buses or inconvenience teachers and families.
To best serve residents and visitors while implementing the MPT, the project team worked with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and Transcom, a coalition of 16 transportation and public safety agencies in the tri-state region. Together, the agencies and the project team identified six routes motorists could take to avoid the 1/9 & 46 bridge during construction.
The project team installed dynamic and variable message signs throughout the impacted area to enhance motorist awareness of alternate routes during the construction phase and notified travelers in advance of all traffic pattern changes.
This successful collaboration demonstrates the benefit to working diligently with the public across numerous organizations.
U.S. Rte. 1/9 & 46 are principal arterials that cross over Jones Road in Fort Lee, N.J., via a 60-ft-long single-span bridge.
Members of the community expressed their desire to preserve the charm of the existing bridge. The project team was able to maintain the architectural features that were most visible from Jones Road by rehabilitating the existing abutments. This included the abutment wall scoring as well as the ornamental treatments located at the abutment corners. Since the existing bridge’s fascia beams were parallel to the mainline, the reconfigured framing was not obvious on the façade of the reconstructed bridge. However, the project team found it necessary to incorporate form liners on the outside of the new parapets to replicate the existing bridge balustrades. These measures provided the community with a design that achieved traditional aesthetic appeal and met New Jersey Historic Preservation Office requirements.
Given its importance to the community and its proximity to the George Washington Bridge and Manhattan, the bridge over Jones Road presented a critical challenge to NJDOT. The need to preserve the historic charm of the bridge, heed stakeholder concerns about access to the school and surrounding community, and reduce the impact in the already-congested New York suburb, led to the decision to use ABC techniques. NJDOT completed the Rte. 1/9 & 46 bridge over Jones Road superstructure replacement project in October 2017.
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Intriguing Opposites: Interactive Concept Books
Ever feel pressured to not just let your child learn through play? Society puts a lot of pressure on parents to teach their children in formal and easy to measure ways.
But children learn the most when it is part of their everyday experience or related closely to something they are interested in even if you can't show your neighbor a completed worksheet. There is no need to separate learning from play or your day to day routines- it is all learning for a young child. So prepare your child for school the best way possible- lots of play, lots of talking, and lots of reading!
When books are fun and interactive, they are a great way to help teach your child basic concepts, such as opposites. Both of my books, Art Parts: A Child’s’ Introduction the Elements of Art and Orchids, explore opposites as they relate to art and plants. However, because two books are never enough here are a few more recommendations.
Corina Fletcher wrote two wonderful ones: Up Down Across and Small Smaller Smallest. These wonderful board books pull open to reveal hidden examples of each of the concepts. Beautifully illustrated with bright images, these books will enthrall any child.
Animal Opposites by Nicola Killan looks at opposites through animals. This lift the flap book keeps children engaged and guessing at what is under the flap.
Explore more types of opposites with Opposites by Xavier Deneux. Another sweet board book, but it has some unusual opposites in it.
Finally, read Exactly the Opposite and Is it Smaller? Is it Larger? by Tana Hoban. Using gorgeous photography to illustrate each of concepts that connect with children’s experiences, these books encourage children to find the opposites and things of different sizes in their world.
After reading these books, find opposites and the other concepts that are all around you. Look for opposites beyond big and little, and add vocabulary. For example, look for wide and narrow, bright and dark, plenty and not enough.
Make your own opposites book by letting your child draw or take pictures of opposites. Have your child dictate the text for the book. Now that is a wonderful treasure to show off your child's learning to your neighbor or Grandma!
As always, I hope you enjoy these recommendations. Feel free to share with credit to Words Reflected and Kim Bogren Owen on Facebook, your website, or in your newsletter. Please add your recommendations for additional books about concepts in the comments.
(This blog uses the Amazon affiliate program so when you click on the title and purchase through Amazon, you are supporting us! If you don't purchase through these links, please, be sure to support your local, independent bookstore or find them at your library!)
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All-day sitting: Beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending around 4 p.m., one-day sittings are an opportunity to practice zazen intensively, listen to a Zen lecture (teisho) and receive dokusan or private instruction from the teacher. All-day sittings end with a chanting service, after which there is a short work period and refreshments.
Bodhisattva: Sanskrit word meaning wisdom (bodhi) being (sattva). An awakened person who, having dedicated himself or herself to helping all living beings attain enlightenment, postpones his or her own supreme liberation for the sake of others.
Buddha: A Sanskrit word meaning either (1) ultimate truth or reality or (2) one who has awakened to the true nature of existence, that is, a person who knows who and what he or she is. "The Buddha" refers to the historical person, Siddhartha Gautama, who was born around the year 563 B.C. After his enlightenment at the age of 35 he became known as Shakyamuni Buddha.
Dharma: Sanskrit word meaning (1) the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and (2) universal Law, or Truth. With small 'd' usually means phenomena or things of existence.
Dharma Heir: A Zen disciple who has reached a high degree of spiritual attainment and has been given permission to teach and transmit the teaching to his or her own successors.
Disciple: A student who has formally requested to practice Zen Buddhism with a particular teacher as a life-long commitment.
Dokusan/Private Instruction: A private meeting between teacher and student in a room set aside for this purpose (the dokusan room). During dokusan (for formal students of the Roshi) a student may bring up any matter or question directly relating to his or her practice. In private instruction (for trial members and non-students), a person can also bring up matters not directly relating to practice. Dokusan and private instruction are strictly confidential.
Enlightenment: Also called awakening, self-realization, kensho, satori. This is the experience of seeing into one's true nature and awakening to the fundamental perfection of all existence. There are many different degrees of realization.
Gassho: The gesture of raising the hands palm to palm to indicate respect, gratitude, humility, or all three.
Han: A wooden block hit with a mallet to notify sitters that zazen is about to begin. On the back of the han appear the following words of the Buddha:
Great is the matter of birth and death
Life flows quickly by
Time waits for no one
Wake up! Wake up!
Don’t waste a moment!
Hara: The center of energy four fingers below the navel. This is where the mind is focused during zazen.
Inkhin bell: Bell used to signal the beginning and end of formal rounds of zazen and kinhin.
Jukai: Ceremony of receiving (ju) the Buddhist Precepts (kai). This is a formal initiation into Buddhism, making one a member of the Buddha's family.
Karma: A complex doctrine fundamental to the teachings of Buddhism meaning action and its fruits, the continuing process of cause and effect. From a moral standpoint, karma implies that people are the architects of their own destiny, for what they sow, they will reap. Karma is not the same as fate, for it is made and changed by ourselves.
Keisu: Bowl-shaped gong used in chanting services.
Kinhin: Walking zazen or zazen in motion done between periods of sitting.
Kotsu: Wooden scepter of Zen teachers given to them by their teacher when they have been granted permission to teach. Has an s-shaped curve, like a human spinal column.
Lotus: In Buddhism, the lotus flower is symbolic for the purity and perfection intrinsic in all beings. A lotus begins its life in mud, yet grows upward, blossoming after it has gone beyond the surface of the water. Similarly, humans, mired in the darkness of ignorance, display their true qualities of wisdom and compassion once they have transcended their desires, anger and ignorance. The lotus position is a cross-legged posture used by some people when doing zazen.
Mokugyo: Literally wooden fish. An elaborately carved wooden drum struck with a padded wooden stick during chanting services. Fish, since they never sleep, symbolize the alertness and watchfulness needed to attain Buddhahood.
Monitor: Person responsible for running sittings. General questions about zendo etiquette may be addressed to the monitor.
Precepts: There are 16 Precepts in Buddhism. These are comprised of the Three Refuges (placing one's trust in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), the Three General Resolutions (to avoid evil, do good and liberate all sentient beings), and Ten Cardinal Prohibitions:
- Not to kill but to cherish all life.
- Not to take what is not given but to respect the things of others.
- Not to engage in improper sexuality but to live a life of purity and self-control.
- Not to lie but to speak the truth.
- Not to cause others to take substances that confuse the mind nor to do so oneself but to keep the mind clear.
(precepts continued in next column…)
(…precepts continued from previous column)
- Not to speak of the misdeeds of others but to be understanding and sympathetic.
- Not to praise oneself nor disparage others but to overcome one's own short-comings.
- Not to withhold spiritual or material aid but to give them freely where needed.
- Not to indulge in anger but to exercise self-control.
- Not to revile the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) but to cherish and uphold them.
Rakusu: Garment worn over the sitting robe by those who have practiced zazen for several years and have taken Jukai. The rakusu is symbolic of the Buddha's robe.
Roshi: Literally venerable (spiritual) teacher. This is the title of a mature Zen teacher, who may be a monk, priest, layperson, male or female. The function of a roshi is to guide and inspire his or her students along the path to self-realization.
Sangha: The community of those who practice the Buddha's teachings. In a narrow sense, those who practice at a particular Center. In a wider sense, all Buddhist practitioners everywhere.
Sensei: Literally any type of teacher. In this country many Zen teachers use the term Sensei rather than Roshi.
Sesshin: A two- to seven-day residential period of intensive zazen practice. The daily schedule begins at 4:00 a.m. with wake-up and ends at 9:30 p.m. Two- to three-hour blocks of zazen and kinhin with dokusan. Teisho, chanting, meals, work periods and rest periods are also part of the strict daily schedule.
Student: Someone who has made a formal commitment to practice Zen Buddhism with a particular teacher.
Teisho: A formal talk which is a presentation of a Zen teacher's experiential understanding of Buddhism. Unlike a sermon or lecture, which has didactic overtones, it is a direct demonstration of the teacher’s insight. In Zen parlance, a teisho comes from the hara.
Zazen: Literally za (to sit) zen (one-pointed concentration or absorption). Thus, to do zazen is to sit with the mind intensely focused. This is the type of meditation taught in the Zen sect of Buddhism and is the cornerstone of a Zen Buddhist's spiritual practice.
Zendo: Room where zazen is practiced; the meditation room.
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Milgram's Experiment on Obedience to Authority
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority was a string of psychological and sociological experiments. Performed by Stanley Milgram, a Yale University psychologist, the experiment analyzed the willingness of the participants in the experiment to obey authority figures. These authority figures told these study participants to behave in such a way that opposed their own conscience. Milgram would talk about his experiment in two publications: in a journal article in 1963 and then in his own 1974 book entitled Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. His experiment was started as a reply to Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann’s answer, at his trial, that he and his cohorts were just obeying orders regardless of what their own beliefs might have been.
The goal of Milgram’s experiment was to determine if people would follow orders if given them by an authority figure, even if said orders would violate their personal sense of morals. The experiment by Milgram involved three people: the volunteer subject, an actor who Milgram had hired (who the subject did not know was an actor), and the scientist who was administering the experiment. The volunteer subject was termed the teacher, the actor was termed the learner, and the scientist was the authority figure. Slips of paper were drawn to decide the roles for the subject and the actor, yet the slips were drawn in such a way that the subject would always be the so-called teacher in the experiment.
The experiment began by separating the subject and the actor into different rooms where they could hear one another but not see each other. The subject was presented some word pairs that he or she was tasked with teaching the learner. The subject would receive an electric shock from the electro-shock generator and was told that those kinds of shocks would be administered on the actor (the learner) if he or she failed to answer correctly. In reality, the actor would not be shocked, but the subject was unaware of this.
The experiment proceeded by the subject reading a list of word pairs and four possible corresponding answers to the actor in the next room. The actor would hit a button to indicate his reply, and if the reply was wrong, the subject was instructed to administer an electric shock to the actor. The voltage would increase by 15 volt increments for each incorrect reply indicated by the actor. If the actor answered correctly, no shock would be administered.
In the other room, the actor established a tape recording that was integrated with the electro-shock generator. For every shock level, the tape recorder played sounds of painful cries that were pre-recorded. After a certain number of increases of voltage, the actor began to bang on the shared wall from the room next door, complaining of pain and a heart condition. After several instances of increasingly agonizing cries, the actor would discontinue banging on the wall and become silent. As a response to silence, the teacher was told to administer a shock as they would for an incorrect answer.
When this point was reached, the subjects began to express discomfort with what they were doing and tried to check on the actor. Most importantly, though, many would still continue on with the experiment and with higher doses of voltage, even though they may have begun to question the experiment or even wanted to stop the experiment, some thinking they had killed the learner. At this point, the scientist (authority figure) would verbally prod the subject by first asking him or her to continue, then telling the subject the experiment had to continue, then telling the subject it was essential he or she continue, and finally that the subject had no choice but to go on. The experiment was stopped if the subject still protested after all four verbal prods, otherwise, the experiment was only stopped after the subject administered the highest 450-volt electric shock three times in succession, a fatal voltage, the subject was told.
Prior to doing the experiment, Milgram polled Yale University psychology majors as well as fellow Yale psychologists to attempt to predict the conduct of the 100 test subjects. Both demographics believed only a very small amount of volunteer subjects would actually be willing to impose the highest amount of voltage. However, the first round of Milgram’s experiments proved them all wrong as a decisive majority of 65 percent of all volunteer subjects were actually prepared to inflict the highest amount of voltage.
The feedback to this study was largely not positive at the time it was first conducted in the post-World War II era. One of the reasons cited was the fact that the volunteer subjects were forced to endure a certain degree of psychological torture. However, this experiment’s value endures up to this day because it confirms some very disturbing aspects of human behavior that are innate in many people. One, it confirmed that people (in general) want to leave decision-making up to the group and its ensuing hierarchy, especially if they feel they lack the expertise to make decisions. Two, it confirmed that people will typically not take full responsibility for their actions, choosing instead to view themselves as only instruments of the authority figure’s will.
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http://www.smsmarketingservice.com/other/milgrams-obedience-authority.html
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With this astronomical clock you will learn why the days are getting shorter, when it gets dark and when it gets light again. Simulate the course of the sun in the past, present and future. As a photographer, you will find out when the sky is particularly blue or golden. The hunter uses this Sunclock to check when night hunting is prohibited. A sun compass shows the direction where the sun rises and sets. A special map of the world shows the area over which the sun is currently located and in which areas it is day or night. This and other interesting information is clearly displayed on a unique dial with a double number ring:
– Sunrise, high peak and sunset
– Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight
– Position of the sun over the Northern and Southern Hemisphere
– Blue and golden hours for photographers
– Compass with reference direction to 1200 cities such as New York, Berlin, …
– Sun compass with horizontal direction to the sun, sunrise and sunset
– Second time zone
– Solar compass
– Islamic prayer times (7 calculation methods) and Tahajjud (voluntary night prayer)
– Temporal hour (elastic hour, Hebrew hour)
– Beginning of the Sabbath
The times are displayed either on a classic 24-hour dial, an Am / Pm dial with 2 × 12 hours or on a unique double dial with 12 and 24 hours.
Sunclock won’t drain the battery!
It can be used as a program (app), background (wallpaper) or control element (widget).
The location is required to calculate the astronomical data. It is set via the internal GPS receiver, an integrated city table or manually.
The time and date can be simulated by swiping across the screen. In this way, the cosmic rhythms and conditions of the sun in the course of the day and year can be discovered and studied for every place on earth. This simulation can also run automatically as an animation.
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CC-MAIN-2022-21
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https://az2apk.com/sunclock-sunrise-sunset-golden-and-blue-hour-apk/
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en
| 0.900932 | 397 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The TPS History Detectives look at 12th JanuaryFriday, January 12, 2018
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY ... 12th January
Each Tuesday the intrepid team of TPS History detectives meet to delve into the past and research famous events to coincide with the publishing date of The Courier that week. They have only one hour to research, write and illustrate their articles. We hope you enjoy them and discover some fascinating bits of History.
Joanna Hall-Tomkin, Head of History and Pastoral Head Years 5&6
The National Trust is founded 1895
The idea of the National Trust is born when Octavia Hill, one of the founders, is asked to help preserve Sayes Court garden in south east London. Within a few weeks of the National Trust being registered under the Companies Act, they were given their first place: five acres of cliff top at Dinas Oleu in Wales. They acquired their first nature reserve with the purchase of two acres of Wicken Fen, near Cambridge.
The National Trust currently owns over 350 heritage properties, which includes many historic houses and gardens, industrial monuments, and social history sites. Most of these are open to the public, usually for a charge. Others are leased, on terms that manage to preserve their character. The Trust is one of the largest landowners in the United Kingdom, owning over 247,000 hectares (950 sq mi) of land, including many characteristic sites of natural beauty, most of which are open to the public free of charge.
1948 Supermarket Sweep!
On this day in history the first supermarket in Britain was opened in east London in Manor Park by the London cooperative society. Housewives queued in the bitter cold outside the Manor Park store on opening day. Legend has it they were transfixed by the wide selection. It was different to the other shops because it had such a variety of goods. In addition, people served themselves, which was a real novelty!
Royal Astronomical Society 1820
On this day in history in 1820, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) was founded by Sir John Fredrick Herschel.
The aim of the society was the collection, reduction and publication of observations and astronomical tables. The founders intended to reward research and its gold medal is still the biggest accolade in the astronomical world.
At first it was not open to women until 1835, when two women were elected honorary members, their names were Caroline Herschel and Mary Somerville and they were elected due to them winning the Royal Astronomical Society gold medal.
There are roughly 35,000 bound items in their library, including manuscripts, journals and maps. Since 1922 the society has published journals in the related field of geophysics.
The highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society is its Gold Medal, which can be awarded for any purpose but most frequently recognises extraordinary lifetime achievement. Among the recipients best known to the general public are Albert Einstein in 1926, and Stephen Hawking in 1985.
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https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/news-events/blog/the-tps-history-detectives-look-at-12th-january/
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| 0.972023 | 606 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Erosion of organic carbon from the Andes and its effects on ecosystem carbon dioxide balance
By K. E. Clark, R. G. Hilton, A. J. West, A. Robles Caceres, D. R. Gröcke, T. R. Marthews, R. I. Ferguson, G. P. Asner, M. New, Y. Malhi • 2017
Productive forests of the Andes are subject to high erosion rates that supply to the Amazon River sediment and carbon from both recently photosynthesized biomass and geological sources. Despite this recognition, the source and discharge of particulate organic carbon (POC) in Andean Rivers remain poorly constrained. We collected suspended sediments from the Kosñipata River, Peru, over 1 year at two river gauging stations. Carbon isotopes (14C, 13C, and 12C) and nitrogen to organic carbon ratios of the suspended sediments suggest a mixture of POC from sedimentary rocks (POCpetro) and from the terrestrial biosphere (POCbiosphere). The majority of the POCbiospherehas a composition similar to surface soil horizons, and we estimate that it is mostly younger than 850 14C years. The suspended sediment yield in 2010 was 3500 ± 210 t km−2 yr−1, >10 times the yield from the Amazon Basin. The POCbiosphere yield was 12.6 ± 0.4 t C km−2 yr−1 and the POCpetroyield was 16.1 ± 1.4 t C km−2 yr−1, mostly discharged in the wet season (December to March) during flood events. The river POCbiosphere discharge is large enough to play a role in determining whether Andean forests are a source or sink of carbon dioxide. The estimated erosional discharge of POCpetro from the Andes is much larger (~1 Mt C yr−1) than the POCpetro discharge by the Madeira River downstream in the Amazon Basin, suggesting that oxidation of POCpetro counters CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering. The flux and fate of Andean POCbiosphere and POCpetro need to be better constrained to fully understand the carbon budget of the Amazon River basin.
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CC-MAIN-2017-39
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http://acdi.uct.ac.za/publications/erosion-organic-carbon-andes-and-its-effects-ecosystem-carbon-dioxide-balance
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| 0.91131 | 470 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Volume 51, Issue 10 p. 1262-1278
This guideline advises on the management of patients with egg allergy. Most commonly egg allergy presents in infancy, with a prevalence of approximately 2% in children and 0.1% in adults. A clear clinical history will confirm the diagnosis in most cases. Investigation by measuring egg specific IgE (by skin prick testing or specific IgE assay) is useful in moderate – severe cases or where there is diagnostic uncertainty. Following an acute allergic reaction, egg avoidance advice should be provided. Egg allergy usually resolves, and re-introduction can be achieved at home if reactions have been mild and there is no asthma. Patients with a history of severe reactions or asthma should have reintroduction guided by a specialist. All children with egg allergy should receive the MMR vaccine. Most adults and children with egg allergy can receive the influenza vaccine in primary care, unless they have had anaphylaxis to egg requiring intensive care support. Yellow Fever vaccines should only be considered in egg allergic patients under the guidance of an allergy specialist. This guideline was prepared by the Standards of Care Committee (SOCC) of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) and is intended for allergists and others with a special interest in allergy. The recommendations are evidence-based. Where evidence was lacking, consensus was reached by the panel of specialists on the committee. The document encompasses epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and co-morbid associations.
Food, egg, allergy, anaphylaxis, diagnosis, aetiology, management, adrenaline, epinephrine, BSACI, SOCC
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CC-MAIN-2022-40
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https://www.bsaci.org/guidelines/bsaci-guidelines/egg-allergy-2021/
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| 0.938318 | 343 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Unsafe abortion continues to be a major cause of maternal mortality and disability—accounting for 13% of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide.1 Every year, 47,000 women die because of unsafe abortion and millions more face injuries, including hemorrhage, infection, chronic pain, secondary infertility and trauma to multiple organs. Of the 38 million abortions performed annually in developing countries, more than half are unsafe (56%); in Africa and Latin America, virtually all abortions are unsafe (97% and 95%, respectively).1 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an unsafe abortion as one performed by an individual without the necessary skills, or in an environment that does not conform to minimum medical standards, or both.2
A holistic approach to reducing the number of abortions that are unsafe and minimizing the consequences of those that still take place has at least three major components. First, improving access to quality family planning services to prevent more unintended pregnancies in the first place would mean fewer abortions overall— including those that are unsafe—because almost all abortions are preceded by an unintended pregnancy.1 Second, ensuring that safe abortion care is more widely available would mean fewer women would need to resort to unsafe, usually clandestine alternatives. Finally, enhancing the quality and availability of comprehensive postabortion care—including treatment for the complications associated with incomplete abortions—would substantially mitigate the harms that too often result from unsafe procedures.
Of these three, the one that is least constrained by politics and culture is postabortion care, so it should be the area with the most potential for progress. Yet, postabortion care services remain incomplete, inferior or altogether unreachable for too many women in developing countries.
Elements of Postabortion Care
According to the most recent estimates, 8.5 million women annually faced injuries from unsafe abortions that required medical care, while only three million received treatment.3 Almost all unsafe abortions—98%—take place in developing nations, because the majority of such countries severely restrict legal abortion, which results in women’s reliance on clandestine procedures.1
Postabortion care encompasses a set of interventions to respond to the needs of women who have miscarried or induced an abortion. Over time, the view among medical and public health experts has evolved to define postabortion care services to include a comprehensive package of public health interventions beyond those oriented primarily around emergency medical treatment. Indeed, in 2002, the Postabortion Care (PAC) Consortium updated its model of postabortion care to include five essential, interrelated elements: treatment, family planning services, counseling, other reproductive and related health services, and community and service provider partnerships.4 The consortium represents international nongovernmental organizations with expertise in reproductive health and is the leading international forum for information and advocacy on postabortion care.
Both incomplete and unsafe abortions can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, so postabortion care services traditionally have centered around providing medical treatment. This entails use of high-quality methods such as manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) techniques or drugs such as misoprostol to complete incomplete abortions and halt bleeding. WHO strongly recommends the use of MVA over other surgical methods such as dilation and curettage (D&C),2,5 because MVA is safer, more cost-effective, less painful, less resource-intensive (no need for operating rooms or regular electricity) and can be performed by midlevel health providers at the primary care level (instead of physicians at tertiary facilities such as hospitals). As a result of broader MVA use, the accessibility, sustainability and quality of postabortion care services has increased. More recently, WHO has come to strongly recommend the use of misoprostol as a nonsurgical alternative.
Another key element of postabortion care is timely access to family planning services, including a broad choice of contraceptive methods to help space births, prevent future unintended pregnancies and avert unsafe abortions. Ideally, women would receive such family planning services at the time of postabortion care, rather than through referral. Counseling—a related but separate element—not only includes postabortion family planning education, but identification of the broader range of other physical and emotional health needs and concerns of the patient, to be addressed directly by the same provider or through referral to an accessible facility. Another affiliated component calls for linkages with additional reproductive and related health services available on site or through referral, including STI prevention, diagnosis and treatment; gender-based violence screenings; nutrition education; infertility counseling; hygiene education; and cancer screenings. Such linkages are important to ensuring that women’s broader sexual, reproductive and other health needs also are met.
Finally, this postabortion care construct recognizes that strong partnerships among community members and health care providers are critical to preventing unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion, to mobilizing resources so that women can obtain appropriate and timely care, and to ensuring that health services are responsive to community needs. Without community outreach and participation, efforts to prevent and treat unsafe abortion and to advocate for positive change will remain limited.
Current Challenges to Care
A multitude of practical and interrelated problems interfere with the availability of model postabortion care, including those involving cost, quality, access, supplies, provider training, stigma, and lack of treatment protocols and policy guidelines, to name a few. Several recent country-level analyses conducted by the Guttmacher Institute highlight some specific challenges and their impact on women, their families and communities.
One common set of problems revolves around disparities in access to abortion-related services. In Rwanda, where abortion is legally restricted and access to safe abortion care is limited, poor and rural women are particularly likely to develop abortion complications (see chart).6 That likely stems in large part from a reliance on self-induced abortion, rather than abortions obtained from trained providers. Moreover, women who experience complications also face problems in access to postabortion care. Among all Rwandan women who suffered abortion complications and needed medical care, 30% did not receive it from a health facility, likely because not enough facilities were equipped to provide postabortion care and because many women wanted to avoid feeling stigmatized or mistreated as they often are when they do show up for care. The disparity between poor women and nonpoor women was stark, however: Some 38–43% of poor women did not obtain facility-based treatment, compared with 15–16% of nonpoor women.6 Poor women are also more likely to entirely forgo necessary medical care when facing abortion complications than their nonpoor counterparts. These women are especially likely to suffer debilitating consequences.
Although postabortion care literally can be life-saving, or at least critical to preventing serious illness or disability, obtaining that care often represents a significant economic burden, especially at the individual and family level. In Uganda, for example, Guttmacher found that the majority of women surveyed who had received treatment for unsafe abortion complications had experienced a decline in financial stability from the costs of their postabortion care: Some 73% had lost wages, 60% had had children deprived of food or school attendance or both, and 34% had faced a drop in the economic stability of their household.7 At the national level, the costs are also significant: An estimated $14 million is spent each year to treat the complications of unsafe abortion in Uganda.8
The costs of postabortion care can be mitigated in part by ensuring that health care facilities that provide treatment utilize the most current standard of care according to WHO—which is also less expensive than traditional treatment—and that such treatment protocols are delineated through national guidelines. In Colombia, for example, Guttmacher found that postabortion care services are significantly more costly at higher-level medical facilities (an average cost of $200 per patient) than at primary-level specialized facilities ($45), largely because of the former’s reliance on D&C, which is a more expensive and invasive procedure than alternatives, and is also less safe.9 The cost, coverage and quality of postabortion care could be vastly improved if misoprostol or MVA were more commonly used, and if nonspecialized providers were encouraged and trained to provide services.
Paths to Progress
Technical experts and advocates are advancing a number of recommendations to improve and scale up postabortion care, which range from education to address stigma and provider bias, to developing national medical protocols on postabortion care, to ensuring adequate and appropriate supplies and equipment. Meanwhile, two interventions in particular deserve increased attention, priority and resources because of their high-impact potential for protecting women’s health and saving lives: integrating family planning services into postabortion care and incorporating misoprostol into first-line treatment. The former should have been easier to accomplish than it has been, but instead has been a major challenge ever since postabortion care first appeared on the global health agenda more than two decades ago. The latter represents an important, relatively new treatment option with the potential to substantially expand the availability of services.
Because contraceptive use dramatically reduces the risk of future unintended pregnancies, repeat unsafe abortions, and maternal health complications and deaths, it plays a critical role in postabortion care. Even so, integration of family planning into postabortion care is uneven and difficult, for reasons ranging from shortfalls of contraceptive commodities to lack of provider knowledge and training at all tiers of the health system—especially the primary care level.
Unanimity about the importance of family planning in postabortion settings is apparent in expert policy statements and guidelines. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has designated postabortion family planning as one of several proven high-impact practices in family planning. This label signifies its ability to maximize USAID family planning investments overall.10 In 2013, a group of key donors, medical associations and health organizations—the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), International Confederation of Midwives, International Council of Nurses, USAID, White Ribbon Alliance, United Kingdom Department for International Development, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—issued a joint consensus statement on their commitment to ensuring that “voluntary family planning counseling and services are included as an essential component of post abortion care in all settings.”11
These and other experts have identified several best practices and recommendations to better incorporate family planning into postabortion care. First and foremost, family planning counseling, services and supplies should be provided at the same time and place as postabortion treatment. Women in these situations are more likely than those who are referred for services elsewhere to choose and use a method of contraception.10 Having a wide range of contraceptive methods available, including long-acting methods, is very important to protecting the ability of women to make informed choices and helping them select the method that best meets their needs and life circumstances. Almost all methods can be used immediately after postabortion care. Methods that are unavailable at primary-level facilities should be available elsewhere by direct referral. Similarly, referrals or other procedures should be in place to ensure that women can obtain ongoing contraceptive supplies if they choose methods that require additional or routine follow-up.
Expert recommendations also suggest shifting tasks to midlevel providers, who play an important part in expanding delivery of postabortion care. Training of providers in skilled postabortion counseling—including about family planning and STIs—goes hand-in-hand with recommendations for shifting tasks to lower-level or less specialized health providers, such as midwives, nurses and other staff. A broad range of providers can help ensure that postabortion family planning services are offered at all tiers of the health system, including through community-based counseling and outreach. Also important is the development of national guidelines on postabortion care that clearly address integrated family planning services.
Often hard to address but still essential to overcome are the social and cultural impediments to postabortion care. For example, a regularly overlooked recommendation is engaging men in postabortion family planning counseling. Many women would prefer that their partners be part of the decision-making process, but providers concentrate their counseling and services on women.10
Although efforts to improve postabortion treatment in the 1990s focused mostly on expanding MVA use, the last decade has seen a push by public health experts and advocates for misoprostol. As a highly effective medical method of treating incomplete abortions, misoprostol may be used where surgical methods such as MVA are unavailable or to complement existing MVA services.
Originally marketed to treat gastric ulcers, misoprostol now has multiple uses, primarily in the area of obstetrics and gynecology. Because the drug contracts the uterus, it can reduce bleeding and, therefore, has proven highly valuable in preventing and treating postpartum hemorrhage—the top cause of pregnancy-related death in developing countries.12 It is also utilized to induce labor, as well as to perform a medication abortion; as an abortifacient, misoprostol is often combined with mifepristone, otherwise known as RU-486. Misoprostol’s ability to evacuate the uterus makes it also effective for treatment of incomplete abortions.
Misoprostol’s favorability among providers derives from its many advantages for a low-resource setting. Research shows it to be a safe and effective postabortion treatment method. It is inexpensive, does not need refrigeration and can be taken orally by tablet. Because of its simplicity, it may be administered practically anywhere by midlevel providers with no surgical training. As such, misoprostol has the potential to lower health costs and, more importantly, make postabortion care more available to women in their communities.
Medical bodies such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, FIGO and WHO have recommended misoprostol in postabortion care as an important intervention to reduce maternal mortality. In 2009, WHO added misoprostol to its model list of essential medicines—which provides guidance to nations on what medicines to stock—because of the drug’s track record of safety and effectiveness in treating complications of unsafe abortion.5 Two years later, WHO endorsed misoprostol again by placing it on the organization’s list of highest priority medicines to save mother’s and children’s lives.13
Despite the clear benefits of promoting misoprostol in postabortion care, the medicine has faced numerous political, bureaucratic and social barriers to gaining widespread acceptance. Among the toughest hurdles for misoprostol proponents is getting regulatory approval of the product in individual countries, which is an important precursor to making it more available in both the public and private market. Even though it is now available through the black market or used off-label in many developing countries, regulatory status—specifically for treatment of incomplete abortion—is still necessary to legitimize the drug among providers and consumers. In addition, to support an environment of safety standards and quality, misoprostol needs to be incorporated into medical protocols by governments and health professionals in-country.
Such standardization would go a long way in tackling the related challenges of provider preferences, differences and attitudes in treatment. Many providers are still relying on disfavored surgical methods or are otherwise reluctant to use misoprostol—for some, because of its alternative identity as an abortifacient. Punitive and restrictive abortion laws create disincentives and can stigmatize both providers and patients using misoprostol—even though postabortion care itself is generally legal.
Indeed, providers’ persistent bias against abortion and the women who rely on it has impeded the provision of dignified and respectful health care. Experts note the need for further education to sensitize both providers and community members that all women deserve health care without stigma or biased treatment, no matter who they are (young or old, married or unmarried) or what type of service they are seeking (abortion-related or not).
Running into Politics
Clearly, one of the biggest challenges to scaling up the use of misoprostol as a treatment option—and to delivery of postabortion care overall—is the association with abortion. Indeed, the skills, supplies and training that providers need to provide postabortion care are essentially the same as those needed to provide safe abortion care itself. This has presented a special dilemma for the United States, as postabortion care is an important, legitimate and widely supported (even by antiabortion activists) aspect of the U.S. reproductive health program overseas, while U.S. law prohibits support for abortion services in most circumstances.
The 1973 Helms amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act prohibits U.S. funds from paying for abortion when used “as a method of family planning.” Importantly, this prohibition has never been interpreted—by antiabortion and prochoice administrations alike—to preclude USAID from including postabortion care programs within its global health portfolio. For example, the issue was raised in the context of the global gag rule, which disqualified foreign nongovernmental organizations from eligibility for U.S. family planning aid if they used non-U.S. funds to provide or advocate for access to safe abortion care. During 2001–2009, the last time the global gag rule was in effect, the antiabortion administration of George W. Bush made it clear that “treatment of injuries or illnesses caused by legal or illegal abortions, for example, post-abortion care” were explicitly permissible.14 When President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, he rescinded the global gag rule. Almost every year since then, antiabortion leaders in Congress have tried to legislate the gag rule back into effect (to no avail), but have continued to support postabortion care.
At the international level, 179 countries agreed to address the impact of unsafe abortion at the 1994 United Nations (UN) International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), a seminal meeting that shifted the global development discourse toward meeting the reproductive health, rights and needs of women. The ICPD signatories recognized that “In all cases, women should have access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion. Post-abortion counseling, education and family-planning services should be offered promptly, which will also help to avoid repeat abortions.”15 Subsequent UN conferences on women’s rights, such as the 1995 Beijing Conference and the ICPD+5 Conference in New York, reaffirmed this international consensus on postabortion care. Most recently, in a report reviewing progress on ICPD implementation, the UN Secretary-General urged governments to take concrete measures to minimize abortion-related complications and fatalities by providing nondiscriminatory postabortion care that meets WHO guidelines.16
For its part, USAID has been supporting postabortion care programs since 1994 in over 40 countries. The USAID approach condenses the PAC Consortium model into three elements: emergency treatment; family planning counseling and services, STI evaluation and treatment, and HIV counseling and referrals; and community empowerment. Its major objective is to increase availability of postabortion care “with particular emphasis on [family planning] counseling and services.”17 This particular focus capitalizes on USAID’s strength in the reproductive health field, where historically it has been the world’s single largest donor for contraceptive services with a long history of deep expertise. It also provides a plausible way for the United States to avoid any appearance of getting too close to the line between postabortion care and safe abortion care.
Even though the United State is one of the world’s leading supporters of postabortion care activities, the depth and breadth of the U.S. involvement is limited as it tries to walk that line between actively promoting postabortion care while carefully avoiding support for abortion itself. One manifestation of that line is the decision by USAID to not buy critical supplies such as MVA kits and misoprostol tablets because they can be dually used to perform postabortion care and safe abortion care services. As a result, USAID’s commitment to postabortion care—as important and strong as it is—can only go so far.
For some time to come, politics undoubtedly will continue to dictate to USAID and other key players that ensuring access to comprehensive, quality postabortion care must operate on an entirely separate track from providing or facilitating access to safe abortion services. The global debate will rage on about the importance of recognizing access to safe abortion as the critical and necessary public health intervention that it is—one that enables women to avoid seeking risky, clandestine care. In the meantime, broad-based support already exists for helping women who suffer from the consequences of unsafe abortion. Policymakers, providers of care and donors can do much more to expand investment in comprehensive postabortion care. This includes making treatment safer, easier and more accessible with greater reliance on misoprostol, and ramping up postabortion contraceptive care to help women avoid another unintended pregnancy.
1. Guttmacher Institute, Facts on induced abortion worldwide, In Brief, 2012, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_IAW.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
2. World Health Organization (WHO), Safe Abortion: Technical and Policy Guidance for Health Systems, second ed., Geneva: WHO, 2012, <http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/70914/1/9789241548434_eng.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
3. Singh S, Hospital admissions resulting from unsafe abortion: estimates from 13 developing countries, Lancet, 2006, 368(9550):1887–1892.
4. Postabortion Care (PAC) Consortium, PAC model, no date, <http://pac-consortium.org/index.php/pac-model>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
5. World Health Organization (WHO), Unedited draft report of the 17th expert committee on the selection and use of essential medicines, Geneva: WHO, 2009, <http://www.who.int/selection_medicines/committees/expert/17/WEBuneditedTRS_2009.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
6. Basinga P et al., Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion in Rwanda: Causes and Consequences, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2012, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/unintended-pregnancy-Rwanda.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
7. Sundaram A et al., Documenting the individual and household-level cost of unsafe abortion in Uganda, International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2013, 39(4):174–184, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3917413.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
8. Vlassoff M et al., The health system cost of post-abortion care in Uganda, Health Policy and Planning, 2014, 29(1):56–66, <http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/1/56.full.html>.
9. Prada E, Maddow-Zimet I and Juarez F, The cost of postabortion care and legal abortion in Colombia, International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2013, 39(3):114–123, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3911413.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
10. High Impact Practices in Family Planning (HIP), Postabortion Family Planning: Strengthening the Family Planning Component of Postabortion Care, Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development, 2012, <http://www.fphighimpactpractices.org/sites/fphips/files/hip_pac_brief.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
11. Postabortion Care (PAC) Consortium, Post abortion family planning: a key component of post abortion care, 2013, <http://www.pac-consortium.org/attachments/article/69/PAC-FP-Joint-Statement-November2013.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
12. World Health Organization (WHO), WHO Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage, Geneva: WHO, 2012, <http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/ 10665/75411/1/9789241548502_eng.pdf>, accessed Mar. 4, 2014.
13. World Health Organization (WHO), Priority life-saving medicines for women and children, 2012, <http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75154/1/WHO_EMP_MAR_2012.1_eng.pdf>, accessed Feb. 21, 2014.
14. Executive Office of the President, Restoration of the Mexico City policy, Federal Register, 2001, 66(61):17303–17313, <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2001-03-29/pdf/01-8011.pdf>, accessed Aug. 27, 2013.
15. United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN), Report of the ICPD, 1994, <http://www.un.org/popin/icpd/conference/offeng/poa.html>, accessed Feb. 21, 2014.
16. United Nations Economic and Social Council, Commission on Population and Development, Framework of actions for the follow-up to the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) beyond 2014, 2013, <http://icpdbeyond2014.org/uploads/browser/files/sg_report_on_icpd_ operational_review_final.unedited.pdf>, accessed Mar. 4, 2014.
17. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Postabortion Care Global Resources: A Guide for Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation, Washington, DC: USAID, 2007, <http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADU081.pdf>, accessed Feb. 16, 2014.
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Mission and Goal
Annual Research Reports
New Paper Highlights
Our Technical Bulletin For Sale
Museum: Aranya Vithika
Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar, Hon’ble Minister Forest, planning, economic and statistics departments of Govt. of M.P. on 24
February, 2018 inaugurated the forest museum established in the administrative block of the institute. This museum has been named
which showcases the different aspects of forests of M.P. The forest diorama representing the food chain of ecosystem, panels representing various form, utility, threats etc. of forests, specimens of various wood types and plant fossils are kept for public view. Structure and activities of S.F.R.I is also exhibited through electronic media like touch screen and T.V.
This museum has been opened with an aim of making people aware of the various activities of forest and S.F.R.I. This museum will be open for the public during the office hours of the institute and entry to it is free of cost.
This museum has been renovated and upgraded with the financial support of the 13
Finance Commission. The museum has been named as
which means a gallery of forest. In the museum following items are displayed:-
There is a big diorama showing the ecological food chain of jungle. This diorama also indicates the role of different animals in a terrestrial ecosystem. A pair of “Hard Ground Barasinga” the state animal of Madhya Pradesh is also exhibited in this diorama.
34 panels are displayed in the museum, which highlight the importance, threats, conservation status of forest and showcase an array of NTFPs. Some of the panels give information about the services and achievements of the Institute.
Fruits and seed displ
Fruits and seeds of a large number of important medicinal plant species have been displayed in the museum.
27 wooden planks and 29 wooden blocks of important forestry tree species are displayed. This will help in identification of grains/texture and natural color of the wood of these species.
Plant fossils have been collected from various part of Madhya Pradesh. These fossils are displayed in the museum.
Table top diorama of Sal Borer
Different stages of sal borer larvae showing life cycle of Sal Borer (
) and how it damage sal wood is displayed.
Information regarding the institute and various activities of different research branches of the institute are displayed in the TV and touch screen system. Photographs as well as brief information of different research branches are displayed. The touch screen contents are displayed in both Hindi and English language.
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Dragonflies and damselflies are among the largest and most colourful insects. They are carnivorous and can hunt prey while flying about. They breed in water. The eggs hatch into a brown nymph which spends up to four years in the water before emerging as the colourful adult. Both are belong to the order Odonata. Order Odonata divide into three suborders: Zygoptera, the damselflies; Anisoptera, the dragonflies; and Anisozygoptera, a group somewhere in between the two. The Anisozygoptera suborder includes only one or two living odonates.
Dragonflies and damselflies are large or moderate sized predaceous insects. The body is long, often slender. The head is big with very large and prominent eyes. The antennae are thin and very short. They have four wings which are approximately the same size. The wings are membraneous with many veins. They have six legs with hooks. Hooks are also found on the tail end of males for clasping females. Nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies are aquatic.
How to differentiate between these two suborders? Here is some information that you can use to identify whether it is dragonflies or damselflies.
i. Dragonflies are big and acrobatic in flight. They like to attract attention. Damselflies are small and dainty and only fly short distances.
ii. Dragonfly resting or feeding holds its four wings straight out from its body. Damselflies at rest hold their wings folded or slightly spread, but close to their bodies.
iii. The fore and hind wings of a damselfly are the same shape. They all have narrow bases at the point of attachment to the abdomen. The wings of a dragonfly are different shapes. The fore wings have narrow bases while the hind wings are wide at the base.
iv. The aquatic nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies are also different. Nymphs of the damselflies have three tails like projections. These are gills, and are absent in dragonfly nymphs.
Hope this info will help those who did not know about this pretty insects. This three photos are the best shots that i ever did for a dragonflies. I never success to capture any of their photos before. I was lucky that this guy did not move while i am trying to get closer to him. Next time i will try to get a photos of damselflies but i know it will be more difficult to get. Till then!!
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Dunton Green History
Dunton Green has a population of approximately 2,500 inhabitants. It is about 26 miles from the centre of London and it lies two and a half miles north east of central Sevenoaks in Kent. Adjacent parishes are Riverhead, with which it is combined to form an electoral ward; Chevening, Halstead, Otford and Sevenoaks Town.
Dunton Green separated from Otford to become a parish in its own right in 1908.
Miners, rich industries and a busy main road have all shaped the history of Dunton Green. In the 1860s, miners left their mark on the village when they arrived to construct Polhill railway tunnel. Two houses were converted into The Miners Arms pub for their arrival, and the drunken 'navvies' often caused disorder in the village.A water-powered corn mill, brickfields and a chalk quarry make up Dunton Green's industrial past.
The clay soil was ideal for making bricks, and in the 17th century, it is recorded that the village supplied Knole house with tiles. Longford Mill once dominated the area opposite The Miners Arms, but the gushing water that once turned the wheel is all that remains of this ancient technology.
A lido, known locally as the lagoon, was built at the mill in 1930 and was enjoyed by villagers for 22 years.
The road that slices through Dunton Green has been a headache for villagers for the past century.In 1909, the parish council sent a letter to the Home Secretary calling for an army patrol to be stationed in the village to exert some control over the "illegal and reckless driving of motor cars". On another occasion, villagers campaigned for an 8mph speed limit. But the traffic through the village did please the traders, who thrived in Dunton Green.
London Road was lined with wheelwrights, blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers and shoemakers in the mid-19th century. The main road has also moulded the village's character over the centuries, with houses hastily built to accommodate Polhill miners and other settlers.
Dunton Green's collection of buildings once earned it the title of one of the ugliest places in Kent! But the village is also scattered with appealing architecture, including St John's Church, which was built in 1890 with local bricks, the 1851 village hall, which was once a school, and the grand, white brick Broughton House.
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Background and Aims
In the diverse, multicultural world we live in, we want to encourage our learners, all of whom are growing up British, to better understand the society they live in and their place within it.
In 2014, the Coalition Government issued guidance on what it called “fundamental British values”, defined as ‘democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs’ as well as an understanding of British history heritage and traditions. At Fell Dyke Community Primary School we believe that all these ideas are important and valuable, not just in Britain but for many people all around the world. This document outlines the various ways in which we maintain and uphold them.
At Fell Dyke we recognise the importance of learners gaining an understanding of how decisions are made at a local and national level. Throughout our curriculum we encourage debating and discussion of important issues. We have a School Council, elected by the children in the school and entrusted with decision-making powers. This ensures children can see the connection between the vote they cast and the way in which it shapes their environment.
Fell Dyke Community Primary School has a clear and consistent behaviour policy based on a set of school rules. The “going for gold” system in classes and three-stage system for escalation of more serious incidents reinforce these rules. Teachers work with their classes at the beginning of the school year to support their children to take ownership of the rules and, by extension, their own behaviour.
Legal issues surrounding substance abuse including illegal drugs as well as knife crime, anti social behaviour and sexual relationships are discussed in Year 6 to prepare learners for the more sophisticated and potentially more intimidating environment they will face at secondary school.
As a Rights Respecting School we recognise and promote individual rights and responsibilities.
Throughout the school children are encouraged to take the lead in their learning, to make choices about it and to make judgements about the appropriate level of challenge they require in different lessons.
Our behaviour policy promotes a culture in which learners take ownership of their own behaviour and choices, suggesting their own compromises and resolutions to potential conflicts.
Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms safely – for example, through our E-Safety lessons in computing and in PSHE lessons. Stereotypes are challenged through our assembly themes and classroom discussions and we actively promote anti bullying campaigns and initiatives to raise understanding and awareness amongst our whole school community.
Many tasks within lessons are tackled by children working collaboratively with different children so that all our learners become comfortable working with all their peers, whatever their differences in background and prior achievement. During class discussions children are encouraged to listen to one another and acknowledge their differences in a spirit of acceptance and respect.
Every year we mark Anti-bullying Week with a range of events to raise awareness and encourage positive relationships between all children in the school. This is underpinned by a clear and consistently-enforced anti-bullying policy.
Each week we hold a celebration assembly to share our achievements. Through this children, parents and carers are encouraged to notice and praise one another’s strengths and achievements.
We follow the Gateshead SACRE’s agreed syllabus for RE which encourages understanding of the different major faiths and religions around the world. The RE and PSHE curriculum both promote a thorough exploration of how both religious and non-religious people approach questions of meaning, ethics and philosophy. Children at Fell Dyke Primary visit places of worship throughout their time at the school in order to gain first-hand experience of other religious beliefs.
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Most annual flower seeds are easy to start indoors. And by starting your own bedding plants, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll also be able to grow hundreds of cultivars and unusual species not available at the garden center.
Butterflies love ageratum’s fuzzy blue, pink, or white blooms. Grow these mounding plants in beds or containers and be sure to cut some stems for indoor arrangements, too.
To start seeds indoors: Start the seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date. Scatter the seeds on the surface of the soil—don’t cover them because they need light to germinate. Keep the soil temperature at 70° to 80°F; sprouts should appear in 5 to 10 days. Transplant the seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
Photo: (cc) Tanaka Juuyoh
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The objectives of this course are: -To introduce participants to different concepts of love, to empower them to be conscious of the power of love and the possibility of practicing it in everyday life, and to highlight in particular the idea of love as a force for social justice. -To communicate a sense of personal strength and empowerment by actively learning from each other and beginning to define how participants can apply their learning in service to society. This course will explore the concept of agape love (compassion/kindness) as a force for social justice and action and as the inspiration for service and the application of knowledge to positive social change. Biological, psychological, religious, and social perspectives of love will be discussed, drawing on the expertise of people from a variety of disciplines. During the six-week course, the following topics will be raised and discussed: kinds of love/defining love; non-violent communication; love and the biology of the brain; love as a basic concept of religious and ethical beliefs (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Gandhian); love applied in action, and poetic expressions of love as a social force. This curriculum aims to foster a sense of the importance of love as a key phenomenon in creating community, connection, and functional societies among humans. Course materials will draw from a variety of sources. One of the goals of the class is to provide participants with some knowledge of the literature of love, and readings for the course are listed in the outline of the course on the pages that follow.
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So you are feeling witty, giddy and arty, and you think you have what it takes to draw political cartoons? Political cartoons, also known as editorial cartoons, illustrate a message to the literate world. Unlike other forms of art, political cartoons almost always are accompanied by the written word. A slogan or some political jargon is paired or encompassed by a witty cartoon that only the twisted mind of a political cartoonist would contrive.
Things You'll Need
- Sketch pad
- Note paper
- Unishade Graphix paper with cross hatching
Video of the Day
Pick your tools based on the medium you use. The traditional political cartoons have been in print, but many political cartoons can also be found on the Internet. You’ll need to use ink for print or a computer for digital art. Drafting pens work well for print, and so do brushes and India ink. The type of brushes or pens you will use are crow-quills or sable brushes. You can purchase these at any art supply store. For digital art, you will need a digital tablet and Adobe Photoshop.
Study the styles of Herblock, Bill Mauldin, John Fischetti, Paul Conrad, Pat Oliphant or Jeff MacNelly. Eventually, however, you will want to develop your own styles.
Get yourself well read and informed. Read the newspaper and jot down any subjects of political importance onto a large sheet of paper or an artist’s sketchpad; 11-by-17 or larger is a good size of pad to start with. Just go through the articles in the newspaper. When you see something that you think you have something to say about, write it down on your pad and circle it. Ask yourself where you stand on the issues that interest you.
Write down every word that comes to your mind regarding the issues you’ve read about. Sketch down the images that come into your mind. You can use a pencil for this, because you are not doing your final drawing yet. Find another topic and do the same note-taking routine. Draw a line between any similarities of words and pictures that you doodle down on the page. Eventually you will have a map for your big idea. Try to read into what everyone is talking about in the news. Take into account what seems to be the general opinion reflected by the journalists. Ask yourself whether or not you agree with the journalists or the politicians in the newspaper. If something strikes you as funny, then write it down.
Take the ideas you generated from your notebook map of ideas and twist them around into something funny. Look at other artists for examples. No one can be taught how to have a sense of humor. You’ll just have to pick it up on your own.
Draw your final draft of your political cartoon onto Unishade Graphix paper with embedded cross-hatching. Use India ink to draw thick, dark lines for your drawing. Light pen or pencils are not dark enough to photocopy very well. There are some exceptions, but most cartoonists use dark inks.
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Living with dry eye disease can have a negative impact on your life, affecting your vision as well as causing many uncomfortable symptoms, including:
These symptoms can affect your day to day living, making it difficult to see when sudden blurriness occurs. The ongoing discomfort and self-consciousness often caused by constant red eye can also add stress to your life.
Dry eye disease occurs when your eyes do not produce sufficient lubrication. The eyes require a consistent layer of tears on the surface to keep your eyes comfortable and to maintain clear vision and health. Your tears bathe the surface of the eyes with moisture to help wash away debris as well as microorganisms that can be damaging to the cornea or lead to infection.
If your tears do not have the following components, it can lead to dry eye disease:
When any of these sources are not functioning properly, it can cause tear instability and dry eyes. The cause of dry eye disease is based on the component affected. The dry eye categories include:
There are many contributing factors associated with dry eye disease, including:
Dry eye disease can be relieved or reduced by avoiding some of these contributing factors. However, in the case of things such as age, medications and health conditions this is not possible.
An ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) or optometrist (eye doctor) can diagnose dry eye by conducting a comprehensive eye exam that includes the diagnosis of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Technology allows for a non-invasive quick way to examine eyes for MGD using LipiScan. This tool allows doctors to easily view the health of your meibomian glands in high definition and make a rapid diagnosis of dry eye caused by MGD.
The tool uses dynamic surface illumination and adaptive transillumination technologies, providing your doctor with a multidimensional image of your glands ideal for analysis. This allows your doctor to identify the cause of dry eye quickly, painlessly and accurately.
For mild cases of dry eye disease, you can use over the counter artificial tears. Prescriptions are also available; however, the ongoing use of artificial tears does not treat dry eye disease. Instead, drops and medications simply provide relief from the symptoms of dry eye disease.
Lipiflow can be used to treat dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. It treats the meibomian glands safely and gently using massage and heat to stimulate and improve meibomian gland secretions.
Patients love this “dropless” treatment as it helps avoid the ongoing use of daily eye drops that do not always provide enough relief from the many symptoms of dry eye disease. LipiFlow is a painless, and easy treatment can be repeated should symptoms return.
You will be given numbing eye drops to keep you comfortable during the treatment. The contoured eyepiece is placed over your cornea, and during the process, the ocular structure is completely safe and protected. LipiFlow applies therapeutic regulated heat and peristaltic energy pressure to enhance the quality of meibomian gland secretions. You will not require medications, and it is safely performed without discomfort.
If you are suffering from dry eye disease and considering LASIK vision surgery, we recommend a dry eye evaluation. Dry eye disease can interfere with the success of your LASIK surgery; therefore, we often perform Lipiflow treatments prior to vision correction procedures.
Dry eye disease can only be diagnosed by a doctor. If you are suffering from symptoms of a dry eye take the first step towards great natural vision. Call us on 416-445-8439 or click to book an appointment:
Dear Dr. Kranemann, Many thanks in the nice, smooth and trouble free cataract surgery you carried out on both my eyes at Clearview Institute. I would like also to extend my thanks to all the staff of clearview. They are efficient, kind hearted and very helpful.
Dr. Kranemann is exceptionally intelligent and experienced. He is passionate about achieving perfect results for his patients, and proved it by correcting my father’s vision perfectly. We are very happy and grateful and highly recommend Dr. Kranemann.
Had the new vision correction procedure SMILE. WOW is all I can say. Life without glasses is amazing. Great surgeon and medical staff. Will refer his expertise on to family and friends.
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Terahertz (THz) technology is a focus of attention in research on applied optics. We have applied THz spectroscopy and THz-imaging method to text recognition of a medieval manuscript made from sheepskin. Based on the database which contains more than 200 spectra of art materials, the red ink on the manuscript was estimated as Cinnabar. The red ink text and stains on the text were successfully distinguished by the THz-Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) imaging with a component spatial pattern analysis. THz spectroscopy can be used as a non-invasive analysis method for conservation science of cultural properties.
2008 by The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers
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prompt 209 Liturgy
Any soul that drank the nectar of your passion was lifted. From that water of life he is in a state of elation. Death came, smelled me, and sensed your fragrance instead. From then on, death lost all hope of me. -Rumi
Throughout April, I’ve been offering prompts that touch upon the early origins of and uses for poetry. This week, we will go in a bit of a spiritual direction.
I titled this prompt “liturgy” to encompass a broad range of spiritual purposes for which poetry is written. Where I work, the term liturgy is used to refer to a collection of texts used for public, communal worship. What sorts of poetry might this call to mind? In Jewish and Christian traditions, one might think of the Book of Psalms, where parallelism, both synonymous and antithetic, is a common poetic device. Consider this excerpt from Psalm 27, usually attributed to King David (King James Version):
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
One might also think of our modern Christian hymns, and there is certainly crossover between hymns and poetry in that regard. One of the most prolific hymn writers of the 19th century, Fanny Crosby, began first as a poet. She wrote her hymns and poems mostly in four-line stanzas with an a-b-c-b rhyme scheme, as evidenced by the first verse of “Near the Cross” which I quote below:
Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain, Free to all, a healing stream, Flows from Calvary's mountain.
Throughout human history in other religious traditions and faiths, poetry has been used for praise, thanksgiving, supplication, prayer, and expressions of sorrow to the deity or deities in question. The Rigveda, a Sanskrit collection of hymns written in verse form composed between 1700 and 1100 BC, is a great example of this. The hymns in the collection address several Hindu deities, including Ratri, or “night”. I’ll quote a portion of a hymn praising her from book 10 of the Rigveda:
1. WITH all her eyes the Goddess Night looks forth approaching many a spot: She hath put all her glories on. 2 Immortal. she hath filled the waste, the Goddess hath filled height and depth: She conquers darkness with her light. 3 The Goddess as she comes hath set the Dawn her Sister in her place: And then the darkness vanishes. 4 So favour us this night, O thou whose pathways we have visited As birds their nest upon the tree."
Spiritual poetry can also speak of more elevated themes, such as unity with the deity, the transcendence of one’s physical existence, and prophecy. The lines of Rumi’s poetry which began this post are a perfect example. Rumi, a Persian poet, theologian, and Sufi mystic, believed very much in the use of poetry, music, and dance to reach God. He spoke freely and frequently of seeking union with the Divine, as evidenced by this example:
I died as a mineral and became a plant, I died as plant and rose to animal, I died as animal and I was Man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying? Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar With angels bless'd; but even from angelhood I must pass on: all except God doth perish. When I have sacrificed my angel-soul, I shall become what no mind e'er conceived. Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence Proclaims in organ tones, To Him we shall return.
Many of us are in the middle of religious observances right now. Some of you are observing Passover and the Easter season this week. You might use this prompt to ground yourself mentality, emotionally, and spiritually to prepare yourselves. Might you consider the stories of your faith as a starting point for this prompt? Perhaps you seek greater union with the Divine. Perhaps you are full of praise and thanksgiving, or like King David to whom authorship of Psalm 23 is attributed, you have walked through “the valley of the shadow of death” and you need to cry out in sorrow.
For the agnostics, atheists, and questioning folks among us: this prompt might be a great opportunity to think about belief (or lack of) and consider it further. Perhaps you might explore the moment you began to question what you were told about God. For the scientific or humanistic minded among us, what does creation say to you? How do you feel about faith as a general concept and other’s expressions of it? There are many directions in which you can go.
Meditate upon this, and write where your muse takes you. I’m looking forward to the results.
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Revision as of 21:16, 3 October 2005 by WikiConvertor
thyroxine, a thyroid hormone. (The number 4 is usually in subscript.) thyroid hormones are essential for the function of every cell in the body. They help regulate growth and the rate of chemical reactions (metabolism) in the body.
Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page.
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Faur? was born in Pamiers, Ari?ge, Midi-Pyr?n?es, to Toussaint-Honor? Faur? and Marie-Antoinette-H?l?ne Lal?ne-Laprade. The youngest child of a large brood, he was sent to live with a wet nurse until he was four years old. At the age of nine he was sent off again, this time to Paris to study at the ?cole Niedermeyer, a school which prepared church organists and choir directors. Faur? biographer Jessica Duchen suggests that these forced separations from his family may have contributed to periods of depression he suffered in later life.
2] During the 11 years he attended the ?cole Niedermeyer, Faur? studied with several prominent French musicians, notably including Camille Saint-Sa?ns, who introduced him to the music of contemporary composers like Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt.
In 1870, Faur? enlisted in the army and took part in the action to raise the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. During the Paris Commune he stayed at Rambouillet and in Switzerland, where he taught at the transported ?cole Niedermeyer. When he returned to Paris in October 1871, he was appointed assistant organist at Saint-Sulpice as accompanist to the choir, and became a regular at Saint-Sa?ns' salon. Here he met many prominent Parisian musicians and with those he met there and at the salon of Pauline Viardot he formed the Soci?t? Nationale de Musique. In 1874, Faur? stopped working at Saint-Sulpice and began to fill in at the ?glise de la Madeleine for Saint-Sa?ns during his many absences. When Saint-Sa?ns retired in 1877, Faur? became choirmaster. In the same year he became engaged to Marianne Viardot, daughter of Pauline Viardot, but the engagement was later broken off by Marianne. Following this disappointment he travelled to Weimar, where he met Liszt, and Cologne in order to see productions of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Faur? admired Wagner, but was one of few composers of his generation not to come under his influence.
In 1883, Faur? married Marie Fremiet, with whom he had two sons. In order to support his family Faur? spent most of his time in organising daily services at the ?glise de la Madeleine and teaching piano and harmony lessons. He only had time to compose during the summers. He earned almost no money from his compositions because his publisher bought them, copyright and all, for 50 francs each. During this period Faur? wrote several large scale works, in addition to many piano pieces and songs, but he destroyed many of them after a few performances, only retaining a few movements in order to re-use any motifs.
During his youth Faur? appeared to be very cheerful, but his broken engagement combined with his perceived lack of musical success precipitated bouts of depression which he described as "spleen". In the 1890s, however, his fortunes improved somewhat. He had a successful trip to Venice where he met with friends and wrote several works. In 1892, he became the inspector of the music conservatories in the French provinces, which meant he no longer had to teach amateur students. In 1896, he finally became chief organist at the ?glise de la Madeleine, and also succeeded Jules Massenet as composition instructor at the Conservatoire de Paris. At this post he taught many important French composers, including Maurice Ravel and Nadia Boulanger.
From 1903 to 1921, Faur? was a critic for Le Figaro. In 1905, he succeeded Th?odore Dubois as director of the Paris Conservatory. He made many changes at the Conservatoire, leading to the resignation of a number of faculty members. This position meant that he was better off in terms of income, and he also became much more widely known as a composer.
Faur? was elected to the Institut de France in 1909, but at the same time he broke with the Soci?t? Nationale de Musique, and supported the rogue group which formed out of those ejected from the Soci?t?, mainly his own students. During this time Faur? developed ear trouble and gradually lost his hearing. Sound not only became fainter, but it was also distorted, so that pitches on the low and high ends of his hearing sounded like other pitches. He made efforts to conceal his difficulty, but was eventually forced to abandon his teaching position.
His responsibilities at the Conservatoire, combined with his hearing loss, meant that Faur?'s output was greatly reduced during this period. During World War I Faur? remained in France. In 1920, at the age of 75, he retired from the Conservatoire mainly due to his increasing deafness. In this year he also received the Grand-Croix of the L?gion d'honneur, an honor rare for a musician. He suffered from poor health, partially brought on by heavy smoking. Despite this, he remained available to young composers, including members of Les six, who were devoted to him.
Gabriel Faur? died in Paris from pneumonia in 1924. He was given a state funeral at the ?glise de la Madeleine and is buried in the Passy Cemetery in Paris.
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According to the Internet Protocol definition, the Internet protocol suite uses this communications protocol for relaying basic transfer units that are associated with a packet-switched network across network boundaries. IP is the first network protocol that was ever used on the Internet, and it features a routing function that enables the practice of connecting a computer network with other networks by using gateways.
The Internet Protocol definition implies the fact that this network was created in the 1970s, and since that moment it has delivered packets from the source to the destination host. This action is entirely based on the IP addresses that exist in the packet headers. The data that exist on an Internet Protocol network is arranged in packets which include a header and the message data itself. The header defines the source, the destination and other details about the meta-data needed to route and deliver the datagram.
So, each packet has two components: a header and a payload. The method that involves transporting and nesting the data in a packet which has a header is named encapsulation. Furthermore, the IP must establish hosts and it is responsible for addressing routing packets, which are also called datagrams, from a source host to a destination one across IP networks.
In order to achieve this task, the IP specifies the packets’ structure, and it offers an addressing system that features two functions: distinguishing hosts and securing a logical location service. The Internet Protocol’s design is based on an end-to-end principle. However, the network infrastructure is not very reliable and it can change its status regarding the availability of nodes and links. In order to reduce complications, the error-correction power is located in the final nodes of each data transmission.
So, one of the aspects that is involved in the Internet Protocol definition refers to the fact that an IP defines the format of the packet that encapsulates a certain data. On many networks, IP is usually used with the Transport Control Protocol, in which case it is referred to as TCP/IP. Moreover, IP was the connectionless packet service in the original Transmission Control Program, which was introduced in 1974 by Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf. The Transmission Control Protocol also played an important role, so the Internet protocol suite is also known as TCP/IP.
The majority of networks use the Internet Protocol version 4. Although this major version is the dominant protocol of the Internet, a new Internet Protocol version 6 has been developed and it features bigger space for addresses.
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It should be fairly common knowledge by now that drinking water is beneficial to your health. That being said, there are advantages to drinking water that are unique to your oral health, and those advantages can help you prevent dental troubles. Your habits throughout the day can have a real impact on the condition of your teeth, and your gums. Keeping up with good brushing and flossing habits can make a real impact, but your choices in regards to your diet, including what you drink, will also make a consequential difference. Attending regular checkups with your dentist is also important if you want to make sure your oral health is consistently in top form.
1. Helping To Avoid Dry Mouth
Dry mouth can make it harder to avoid cavities, and leave you more likely in need of restorative dental work. This is because your saliva is actually part of how your body defends your teeth. It can serve as a rinse for your mouth and eliminate debris, but it also provides minerals and calcium to your enamel.
2. Replacing Sugary Drinks
Sugar has a well-deserved reputation for being trouble for teeth. While consuming it in moderation can be fine, too much can help wear your teeth down to the point that you develop cavities. Replacing a soft drink, or another sugary drink, with water can be an easy strategy to reduce the sugar you intake.
3. A Possible Source Of Fluoride
Tap water sources with fluoride are doing more than just keeping you hydrated – that fluoride can help keep your enamel strong. This means making it less likely that the damage your teeth take from bacteria will result in a cavity.
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UNEP Global Chemical Outlook Addresses Green Economy Transition
5 September 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the report on its first comprehensive assessment of chemicals, titled “Global Chemicals Outlook: Towards Sound Management of Chemicals.” The report calls for coordinated action by governments and industry to reduce the growing risks to human health and the environment posed by the unsustainable management of chemicals.
According to UNEP, the chemical “intensification” of economies means that synthetic chemicals are quickly becoming the largest constituents of waste streams and pollution around the world, and consequently increasing the exposure of humans and habitats to chemical hazards. The report notes that how the world manages chemicals will play a key role in the transition to a global green economy.
The 44-page report recommends approaches for a global transition to improved chemicals management, with a focus on developing and emerging economies. Recommendations include: mainstreaming, through the integration of sound chemicals management into national social and economic plans; multistakeholder approaches to developing policies with the full involvement of the private sector; the development of policies that focus on preventing risks and promoting safer alternatives, rather than remediating hazards only; and building capacity in developing countries to promote innovation and the use of safer chemicals to attract investments. [UN Press Release] [UNEP Press Release] [Publication: Global Chemicals Outlook: Towards Sound Management of Chemicals] [Summary of Press Conference]
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On Studybay you can order your academic assignment from one of our 45000 professional writers. Hire your writer directly, without overpaying for agencies and affiliates!
Check price for your assignment
summarize course content
synthesize course content into questions
evaluate different possible responses to questions about course content
evaluate the relative importance of different pieces of course content to the content as a whole
One of the most interesting things I learned when I became a teacher, is that teaching something is a great way to really learn something. The next best is trying to come up with questions that ask people to demonstrate their understanding of something, and then helping them to find the best answer.
This assignment asks you to decide what some of the important concepts from each of our 3 modules (fiction, poetry, and art) were, and then to write your own test questions about them. You will also be asked to write explanations for why you choose what you choose along the way. One way to think of this assignment would be as an answer to the question, "If I were to test you on what you have learned about the main concepts from each of our modules, what would that test look like, what would the best answers be, and why would those be good answers?"
For each of our three modules do the following:
Choose two important concepts for each of the three modules. For your concepts, you might consider the formal elements of fiction, poetry and art that we have examined, a particular "approach" or "perspective" from which one might approach a creative work (such as formalism, history/biography, reader respones, etc.), or some other concept that you feel was important.
Write a short paragraph describing your two concepts for each of the three modules, and explain breifly why the concept is important.
For each concept, write an exam question that asks someone to define, and/or use the concept.
Provide the correct answer to your question, along with an explanation of why it is the correct answer. If there were other options---if your question is multiple choice for instance---explain why the other choices are incorrect.
When you are finished you should have 6 concepts, each with an explanatory paragraph, an exam question, a correct answer to the exam question, and an explanation for why the answer is correct, and why other options (if there are any) are not the best answer, or are incorrect. Please submit your assignment by clicking on the "Course Project" title above.
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Playing with dolls makes children better humans, Barbie and scientists reveal
Stay updated with the latest in Tech, Science, Culture, Entertainment, and more by following our Telegram channel here.
Barbie – the brand that almost everyone instantly associates with dolls – has just launched a new marketing campaign called A Doll Can Help Change The World, and it's backed by research conducted by scientists at Cardiff University.
The new campaign promotes the message that playing with dolls can positively affect relationships between children and other humans, and helps to nurture some positive traits from an early age, including empathy and kindness.
The Cardiff University team backing the research published their peer-reviewed findings last year, and described how they used neuroimaging to demonstrate how playing with dolls could help children develop empathy and social processing.
These traits are known to be particularly important for success in school, work, and in relationships with other humans.
A proxy for human interaction? Maybe.
The 18-month study was conducted by Dr. Sarah Gerson and her team from the university's Centre for Human Developmental Science, and they monitored the brain activity of 33 children aged between four and eight years as they played with a range of Barbie dolls.
The tests showed that even when not in the company of other humans, children who played with dolls had an active posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) – a part of the brain linked with the processing of social information, including empathy.
This particular benefit of solo doll play was equally evident in both boys and girls.
“This is a completely new finding,” said Dr Gerson. “We use this area of the brain when we think about other people, especially when we think about another person’s thoughts or feelings. Dolls encourage them to create their own little imaginary worlds, as opposed to say, problem-solving or building games."
IMAGE: Muse by Clio
“They encourage children to think about other people and how they might interact with each other," she added. "The fact that we saw the pSTS to be active in our study shows that playing with dolls is helping them rehearse some of the social skills they will need later in life."
Gerson also added that these findings were likely to be replicated elsewhere considering that the pSTS has been shown to play a similar role in supporting empathy and social processing across six different continents.
These findings might not be entirely surprising for those who have themselves experienced playing with dolls or superhero figurines during their childhoods. Many who have spent time with such toys will probably be able to recount imagining countless made up scenarios where dolls or figurines have been made to substitute the presence of another human individual.
This may probably be something worth noting for parents who wish to develop their kids into more social human beings.
Crucially, the study also managed to compare the brain activity of children who played with dolls against those that spent their time playing with other toys or pursuing other activities.
The scientists observed children as they played with a selection of dolls on their own and with others, and also children who played tablet games on their own, and also alongside a research assistant.
The results ended up showing that when the children played with dolls, they showed the same levels of activation within the brain that dealt with empathy as they would when playing with other children.
IMAGE: jai wutthinan on Freepik
On the flip side, the children who were left to play with tablets on their own showed far less of the same brain activation.
Dolls as social development tools.
To determine how these findings would be received, Barbie also went on to survey more than 15,000 parents across 22 different countries, and asked them what they thought were important skills to develop if a child were to become socially successful.
About 91 percent ranked empathy at the top, although only 26 percent had any idea that dolls could help develop it.
In the same survey, more than two thirds of parents voiced their concerns about the isolation and lack of human interaction caused by the pandemic, and 74 percent of them said they would encourage their kids to play with dolls if they'd known that such activity could aid their social development.
With traditional toys such as dolls and figurines being overlooked in favor of other forms of entertainment such as phones and tablets, these findings may prove to be quite a shocker for parents and educators everywhere.
While the pursuit of knowledge and academics has led the internet to become the main avenue where many children now spend their free time, anyone who wants to raise an empathic and kind human may want to consider having them playing with dolls instead of spending so much time with a screen in front of their face.
Read more science stories:
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Geologists have long debated when these processes, collectively known as plate tectonics, first got underway. Some scientists propose that the process began as early as 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after Earth’s formation. Others suggest a much more recent start within the last 800 million years. A study from the University of Maryland provides new geochemical evidence for a middle ground between these two extremes: An analysis of trace element ratios that correlate to magnesium content suggests that plate tectonics began about 3 billion years ago. The results appear in the January 22, 2016 issue of the journal Science.
“By linking crustal composition and plate tectonics, we have provided first-order geochemical evidence for the onset of plate tectonics, which is a fundamental Earth science question,” said Ming Tang, a graduate student in geology at UMD and lead author of the study. “Because plate tectonics is necessary for the building of continents, this work also represents a further step in understanding when and how Earth’s continents formed.”
The study zeros in on one key characteristic of Earth’s crust that sets it apart geochemically from other terrestrial planets in the solar system. Compared with Mars, Mercury, Venus and even our own moon, Earth’s continental crust contains less magnesium. Early in its history, however, Earth’s crust more closely resembled its cousins, with a higher proportion of magnesium.
At some point, Earth’s crust evolved to contain more granite, a magnesium-poor rock that forms the basis of Earth’s continents. Many geoscientists agree that the start of plate tectonics drove this transition by dragging water underneath the crust, which is a necessary step to make granite.
“You can’t have continents without granite, and you can’t have granite without taking water deep into the Earth,” said Roberta Rudnick, former chair of the Department of Geology at UMD and senior author on the study. Rudnick, who is now a professor of earth sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, conducted this research while at UMD. “So at some point plate tectonics began and started bringing lots of water down into the mantle. The big question is when did that happen?”
A logical approach would be to look at the magnesium content in ancient rocks formed across a wide span of time, to determine when this transition toward low-magnesium crustal rocks began. However, this has proven difficult because the direct evidence—magnesium—has a pesky habit of washing away into the ocean once rocks are exposed to the surface.
Tang, Rudnick and Kang Chen, a graduate student at China University of Geosciences on a one and a half-year research visit to UMD, sidestepped this problem by looking at trace elements that are not soluble in water. These elements—nickel, cobalt, chromium and zinc—stay behind long after most of the magnesium has washed away. The researchers found that the ratios of these elements hold the key: higher ratios of nickel to cobalt and chromium to zinc both correlate to higher magnesium content in the original rock.
“To our knowledge, we are the first to discover this correlation and use this approach,” Tang said. “Because the ratios of these trace elements correlate to magnesium, they serve as a very reliable ‘fingerprint’ of past magnesium content.”
Tang and his coauthors compiled trace element data taken from a variety of ancient rocks that formed in the Archean eon, a time period between 4 and 2.5 billion years ago, and used it to determine the magnesium content in the rocks when they were first formed. They used these data to construct a computer model of the early Earth’s geochemical composition. This model accounted for how magnesium (specifically, magnesium oxide) content in the crust changed over time.
The results suggest that 3 billion years ago, the Earth’s crust had roughly 11 percent magnesium oxide by weight. Within a half billion years, that number had dropped to about 4 percent, which is very close to the 2 or 3 percent magnesium oxide seen in today’s crust. This suggested that plate tectonics began about 3 billion years ago, giving rise to the continents we see today.
“It’s really kind of a radical idea, to suggest that continental crust in Archean had that much magnesium,” said Rudnick, pointing out that Tang was the first to work out the correlation between trace element ratios and magnesium. “Ming’s discovery is powerful because he found that trace insoluble elements correlate with a major element, allowing us to address a long-standing question in Earth history.”
“Because the evolution of continental crust is linked to many major geological processes on Earth, this work may provide a basis for a variety of future studies of Earth history,” Tang said. “For example, weathering of this magnesium-rich crust may have affected the chemistry of the ancient ocean, where life on Earth evolved. As for the onset of plate tectonics, I don’t think this study will close the argument, but it certainly adds a compelling new dimension to the discussion.”
“Archean upper crust transition from mafic to felsic marks the onset of plate tectonics” DOI: 10.1126/science.aad5513
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In The Real Adam Smith, a new documentary from Free to Choose Media, Cato senior fellow Johan Norberg takes viewers on a worldwide journey exploring Smith, his life, his writings, his influence, and how his ideas apply to our world today. He travels to Smith’s birthplace, the small Scottish town of Kirkcaldy, to learn how Smith got his start in academics. He visits Paris, where Smith would have discussed the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment with other academics in Parisian salons, and the University of Glasgow’s Roman artifacts collection, where Smith spent many happy hours as a professor tending to the ancient relics. To see firsthand the power of the division of labor, which Smith praises in The Wealth of Nations, Norberg travels to Toulouse, France, to watch the assembly of a new Airbus A380. He interviews scholars of Smith, as well as the leaders of modern companies like Whole Foods and eBay, who owe their success to the flourishing of Smith’s ideas.
Norberg wonders at the fact that Smith somehow anticipated and imagined the great wealth and prosperity a free market could produce, despite living centuries ago — long before the global trade and mass production abilities we have today. “Perhaps more than any other person, Adam Smith’s ideas have led directly to the first real, broad‐based advancements in mankind’s quality of life in thousands of years,” says Norberg. “He was a proponent of free markets and morality. His writings and ideas have spread around the globe — and in spite of the progress we have yet to make, his ideas truly changed our world.”
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- Open Access
Changing distribution patterns of canine vector borne diseases in Italy: leishmaniosis vs. dirofilariosis
© Otranto et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2009
- Published: 26 March 2009
Ecological and climatic changes, human and animal population dynamics are among the several factors that have favoured the spread or the (re)introduction and establishment of "novel" vector species and pathogens they transmit in previously disease-free geographical areas. As key examples of the changing pattern of distribution of canine vector borne diseases (CVBDs), the current distribution of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) by Leishmania infantum and dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria immitis causing heart worm disease (HW) in Italy is discussed on the basis of retrospective historical reports until the 90's and later on until 2009. For long time, D. immitis has been considered mainly present along the Po River Valley and northward areas, while L. infantum in south-central Italy and Sicily and Sardinia. Comparison of current available and historical data (up to 1989) confirms that HW and CanL, although with different prevalence rates, have been changing their distribution patterns in Italy as a result of many biological and ecological factors, including those related to vector distribution and introduction of new species (e.g. the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, a competent vector of D. immitis). New autochthonous foci of HW in southern Italy (i.e. Apulia and Calabria regions) have recently been reported.
Although analysing retrospective data may represent a difficult task, the "paradigm" about the dual distribution of HW and CanL in northern and southern Italy cannot yet be considered valid. The research needs for managing HW and CanL in previously uninfected areas are discussed.
- West Nile Virus
- Leishmania Infantum
- Lazio Region
- Asian Tiger Mosquito
- Calabria Region
The global spread of parasitic arthropods and of canine vector borne diseases (CVBDs) have no more boundaries across the planet. The combination of several factors (e.g. ecological and climatic changes, human and animal population dynamics) may affect, to different extents, the occurrence and spread of CVBDs in different geographical areas [1, 2]. Movement of people (for tourism, work, etc.) and increased exchange of goods through a range of types of transportation (e.g. containers, aircraft cargoes) may play a crucial role for the (re)introduction and establishment of "novel" vector species and pathogens in previously disease free areas . Such was the case of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus which is a competent vector of Dirofilaria immitis to dogs and of West Nile virus, Japanese B encephalitis, Chikungunya virus and other arboviruses to humans . This mosquito species has successfully spread through many areas of the world, including Italy, causing outbreaks of vector borne infections in animals and humans [5, 6].
However, the spread into a previous non-endemic geographic area of vectors and of pathogens they transmit may be favoured and facilitated by arthropod non-specific host preferences, biological life cycle, off-host ecology, feeding behavior, presence of competent hosts and adaptability to different environmental conditions [7–9]. Many arthropods (e.g. ticks, sandflies and mosquitoes) infest dogs both in urban and rural areas, being adapted to survive in indoor and outdoor environments, increasing the risk of emergence or re-emergence of certain metazoonotic diseases . Obviously the occurrence and establishment of a CVBD is regulated by a complex chain of interactions among pathogens, vectors and the environment.
Historically, the distribution of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) by Leishmania infantum and dirofilariosis by D. immitis in Italy was considered to be "dual", being D. immitis mainly present along the Po River Valley and northward areas and L. infantum in south-central Italy and Sicily and Sardinia . As a consequence, for long time, clinicians and parasitologists living in southern and northern Italy have been more used to deal with CanL and dirofilariosis respectively. As key examples of changing pattern of distribution of CVBDs, here we discuss the current distribution of these diseases, which are regarded among the most important and severe CVBDs of zoonotic concern. More specifically, we describe the occurrence of autochthonous foci of dirofilariosis by D. immitis in southern Italy and of recently detected foci of L. infantum in northern Italy, discussing scenarios of changing distribution patterns of both infections throughout this country.
Although dirofilariosis has for long time been considered a disease of veterinary concern and HW in dogs and cats might be a severe and often fatal disease in untreated animals, D. repens has been until recently recognized as an emerging metazoonosis in Europe (e.g. Italy [14, 15]. Indeed, D. immitis is endemic in southern regions of Europe even if, in the last decades, the number of reports in northeastern countries (e.g. Czech Republic, Serbia and Slovak Republic) is increasing [16–22]. Though the distribution of D. repens in Europe is less studied probably because of its reduced pathogenicity, this species is present in Italy, France and the eastern European countries .
For its geographical position (between 47°–36° north) and elongated shape, Italy may be represented as two countries. In particular, the Italian peninsula presents a large variety of habitats and environments, from the northern Alps through the Apennine Mountains to southern Italian and island regions. Accordingly, most of the inland northern areas have a continental humid climate whereas the coastal areas of the Liguria region and most of the peninsula, a Mediterranean temperate climate. The coastal regions have mild winters and warm and generally dry summers, although lowland valleys can be hot in summer.
The geographical distribution of dirofilariosis and leishmaniosis in northern and southern Italy respectively, although anecdotal, has reflected for a long time the different habitats and distribution of arthropod vectors. While the Culicidae vectors of D. immitis are mainly diffused and they develop during the summer months in humid climate areas of northern Italy , the coastal areas of the Liguria and the Mediterranean temperate regions of central and southern Italy are optimal to the development of different species of sandflies .
N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si
N, S, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
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N, S, Si, Sa
N, S, Si, Sa
The most common filarial species parasitizing dogs in Italy are D. immitis and D. repens (less frequently A. reconditum, A. grassii and A. dracunculoides). Canine dirofilariosis caused by D. immitis is considered endemic in northern regions with prevalence rates ranging from 22 to 80% [16, 34]. However, while D. repens was mainly widespread in southern regions, with the exception of Piedmont region in the north , the classical hyperendemic areas for D. immitis were along the Po River Valley . The distribution and prevalence of dirofilariosis has been also studied in dogs from central and northern Italy, while epidemiological data on the occurrence of dirofilariosis by D. immitis in southern Italy are scant and limited to sporadic case reports. In the sole work ever conducted, out of 351 dogs parasitologically tested 63 (17.9%) were microfilariemic in the Campania region . As far as identification is concerned, A. reconditum was the most prevalent species identified (16.5%) followed by D. repens (1.4%) and D. immitis (0.5%) .
In 1986 a review of the literature along with a questionnaire sent to public and private laboratories and clinics , defined as infected by D. immitis, 50% of the northern provinces and only 15% of the provinces of central and southern Italy. In the late 1980s and 1990s the HW infection showed a relevant prevalence increase in endemic areas compared with the 1970s . Later on D. immitis infection was recorded outside the main endemic area of the Po Valley, in provinces of north-eastern Italy previously regarded as non-endemic . Similarly, in Piedmont, an extensive survey carried out in the 1990s reported a spread of both D. immitis and D. repens westward and south-westward of the traditional endemic area. In particular, D. immitis infection successfully established in hilly and pre-alpine areas as well in urban areas .
More recently, D. immitis has become endemic in central regions such as Tuscany, where the prevalence increased more than 7-fold in 10 years , and Umbria which was considered a non-endemic area until 1999 [41, 42]. Nowadays, HW infection is endemic in central regions (Toscana, Umbria) with prevalences ranging from 1 to 21% [41–43]. In the latter case, similarly to that recorded in Piedmont region , it was observed that where an increase of prevalence and dispersion of D. immitis and D. repens was recorded, the first species spread much extensively and rapidly than D. repens in the same time-range. In the Lazio region, where only D. repens infection was recorded , D. immitis was recently found for the first time in culicid vectors . Interestingly, both species have been also detected for the first time in autochthonous dogs living in another previously Dirofilaria-free region of central Italy, i.e. Abruzzo, close to Umbria and Lazio regions .
While the distribution and prevalence of dirofilariosis has been widely studied in dogs from central and northern Italy, epidemiological data on the occurrence of dirofilariosis by D. immitis in southern Italy are scant and limited to sporadic case reports. In a recent survey , from January 2005 to January 2008 a total of 1447 autochthonous dogs were sampled from 4 different areas of southern Italy (Apulia and Calabria regions) and grouped as follows: 404 dogs from the Bari municipal kennel for stray dogs (located in a urban area -site A), 421 dogs from the Ginosa municipal kennel for stray dogs (located in a rural area -site B), 389 owned dogs living in Bari, Lecce and Taranto municipalities, (side C) (Apulia region) and 233 dogs from the Cassano Jonico municipal kennel for stray dogs, Calabria region (site D). Animals from site C presented clinical signs related to canine HW infection while all other animals did not. All serum samples were examined by a commercial Canine Heartworm Test Kit (Idexx Laboratories®) to detect D. immitis antigens, while blood from animals of sites C and D underwent parasitological examination by modified Knott method to detect microfilariae. After serological examination, 2 animals (one for each of sites A and B) and 8 from sites C and D were diagnosed positive for the D. immitis. After parasitological examination, 4 animals were positive for microfilaria in both sites C and D. Hence, percentages of positivity referring to both parasitological and serological tests were: 0.24% from site A, 0.23% from site B, 2.57% from site C and 3.43% from site D. Out of the total number of 20 positive dogs (1.61% of the whole study population), 18 dogs were positive for D. immitis and 2 for D. repens.
The distribution of CanL in Italy has been revised from 1910 to 1983 . Since the 1990s there has been an increase in the number of cases of CanL reported in Italy. Furthermore, new foci of CanL have been detected in northern regions, previously regarded as non-endemic . The spreading of CanL northward in Italy has been assessed on the basis of recent analysis of human and dog cases of leishmaniosis recorded as well on the retrospective literature analysis of CanL. Seven leishmaniosis autochthonous foci were retrospectively identified from 1990 to 2002, whereas prospective investigations in the following years in dogs, identified other 16 possible foci all over northern regions, with low cumulative prevalence (2.1%) either from serological tests or as clinical cases . Data were also confirmed by phlebotomine sandfly records with four vector species identified. In particular, Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus neglectus were the most represented species whose population have increased in density in northern Italy when compared with historical data . In north-eastern Italy, new imported cases of CanL are regularly notified outside the original area of first infection, and established foci have been recently detected .
Thus, despite the complexity in analysing retrospective data (e.g. difficulties in retrieving local reports published on national journals, differences in diagnostic tools and methodologies employed in different surveys), the "paradigm" about the dual distribution of HW and CanL in northern and southern Italy cannot be considered valid anymore. In fact, in addition to the likely tendency toward the spreading of HW in northern countries, there has been recorded an increasing number of reports in southern Italy and islands. As a consequence, canine dirofilariosis cannot anymore be considered as confined to northeastern and central regions of the peninsula because of its presence in southern Italy (even if with low prevalence). Whether there will be an expansion of HW infection over future years it is difficult to predict and infection foci need to be constantly monitored.
Without any doubt, the increase in the prevalence in previous endemic areas and the colonization of contiguous environments has been due to an increased density of the vectors and to a change in the composition of mosquito population (i.e. a predominance of mosquito species more efficient in Dirofilaria spp. transmission). A pivotal role in this process has probably been played by spreading of Ae. albopictus through Italy . Indeed, since its introduction in 1990 Ae. albopictus adapted well to the relatively low winter temperatures of Italy by rapidly increasing its populations through the country, developing insects generations over the whole year in central and southern regions and overwintering as eggs in colder northern regions . The spread of Ae. albopictus populations, coupled with its proven role as a suitable biological vector of both D. repens and D. immitis under experimental and field conditions [32, 50–52], may further account for the current wide distribution of dirofilarioses.
New epidemiological investigations should also be addressed on the occurrence of the infection in canine populations in southern Italy. In addition, entomological surveys should be carried out to estimate the occurrence of the vectors of D. immitis and to monitor the expansion of the small foci of dirofilariosis in the Apulia and Calabria regions that have been here presented. The above information, along with continuing veterinary education, will possibly avoid the spreading of the disease in southern Italy.
Similarly, the reports of CanL here reviewed, when compared with historical data, confirm the likely expansion of L. infantum infection in northern Italy which now should be considered an endemic area. Given the widespread presence of the L. infantum domestic reservoir and the presence of infected dogs from endemic areas (due to enhanced and facilitated animal movements from endemic to non-endemic areas) Phlebotominae vectors had probably played a main role in spreading the infection in northern area of Italy. The increasing of population density rate and the expansion of P. perniciosus and P. neglectus was confirmed by comparing recent entomological surveys with available historical data . The spreading of sandfly populations has been mainly due to shortening of larval development and extension of breeding seasons as an effect of increased temperatures . The above phenomena might have ultimately contributed in favouring the establishment into previously free areas or in increasing insect density into already colonized areas of phlebotomine competent species of L. infantum and might represent an important issue to be considered while predicting the spreading of sandflies northward through central European continental countries.
As a further issue, new tools for monitoring and diagnosing CVBD (molecular technologies, mathematical models, remote sensing and geographical information systems) may be useful in studying current and predictive distribution of pathogens . As an example molecular biology tools have been used to assess the prevalence and incidence of Leishmania species in a given area, thus providing new information on the genetic identity of pathogens and possibly tracking the probable origin of infection in non-endemic areas . Also the use of recombinant antigens for serology (e.g. rK39 for L. infantum and S2–S16, rWSP for D. immitis) have refined and implemented our understanding of the epidemiology for many CVBDs by providing new data about their distribution .
As a consequence, maps on the occurrence of CVBD causing pathogens in different geographical areas need to be continuously updated on the basis of national level reports to assess the risk of infection spreading. The occurrence of large numbers of asymptomatic dogs in CanL and HW infected populations and the long incubation periods, in which they are able to infect sandflies and mosquitoes, should be considered as an important issues when planning control measures for both diseases.
Although in Italy the perception and the awareness of researchers and practitioners on many aspects of CVBD have increased over the last decade, many issues still need to be better investigated. These include basic knowledge on vector, pathogen and host interactions which would provide new information to manage CVBD in endemic areas reducing the risk of occurrence of new foci in non endemic zones. Under the above circumstances, monitoring the disease mainly in presence of stray untreated dogs is a necessity for planning control strategies for CVBDs. While stray dogs represent an easy feeding source for arthropods and reservoir of pathogens, the scant economic resources (which are further worsened by the global economic crisis), the current legislation that obliges the health public authorities to maintain municipal kennel for stray dogs (in which animals remain often untreated against ectoparasites), probably represent the major impairments toward the control of HW and CanL in Italy as well as in other Mediterranean countries.
D.O. thanks Irene Canfora for her kind assistance during the ms. preparation. Riccardo P. Lia and Gabriella Testini (University of Bari, Italy) for contributing in some researches here described, Filipe-Dantas Torres (University of Bari, Italy) for some suggestions on the first drafting of the ms. and Giorgio Bossetti (Idexx Laboratories®, Italy) for supporting the survey carried out in southern Italy. G.C. thanks Giulia Simonato for her assistance in elaborating maps.
This article is published as part of Parasites & Vectors Volume 2 Supplement 1, 2009: Proceedings of the 4th International Canine Vector-Borne Disease Symposium. The full contents of the supplement are available online at http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/supplements/2/S1.
Publication of the supplement has been sponsored by Bayer Animal Health GmbH.
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Circumtropical. Indian Ocean: Reunion and Mauritius and Christmas Island.
Western Pacific: Palau, and the Hawaiian Islands. Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Bahamas, and Caribbean Sea; may occur in southern Florida, USA and northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
Reported from Bahia, Brazil.
Eastern Atlantic: around oceanic islands.
A benthic species and solitary species,
inhabiting outer reef slopes.
Occurs under ledges and in holes of reef slopes Has the habit of puffing its head like a cobra when approached.
Secretive and nocturnal.
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
High to very high vulnerability
Channomuraena bennettii (Günther, 1870)
Channomuraena cubensis Poey, 1868
Channomuraena vittatus (Richardson, 1845)
Gymnomuraena bennettii Günther, 1870
Gymnomuraena vittata (Richardson, 1845)
Ichthyophis vittatus Richardson, 1845
Nettastoma vittata (Richardson, 1845)
Uropterygius bennetti (Günther, 1870)
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“You Can Do It if You Believe You Can!”
I imagine that yes is the only living thing.
e. e. cummings
“Imagination is more important than knowledge… Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
“All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.”
“Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed.”
“Everything you can imagine is real.”
Imagination may be called the “hub” of this course, because every lesson of the course leads to this lesson, it is the key to mastering all of the other lessons in the course (i.e., Definite Chief Aim, Self-confidence, Leadership, etc.). You will never have a definite purpose in life, you will never have self-confidence, you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them. The gift of imagination is my absolute favorite key to give people for their success. It encourages daydreaming, using your creative genius, and playing with the endless power of the mind to manifest with visualization.
Virtually all great accomplishments began in someone’s imagination- imagination can do the impossible. The key idea of this lesson is this- Imagination is the workshop of the human mind wherein old ideas and established facts may be reassembled into new combinations and put to new uses. Imagination is both interpretative and creative in nature. It can examine facts, concepts and ideas, and it can create new combinations and plans out of these. Imagination has been called the creative power of the soul. Use it often and watch the magic it will create.
LAW OF SUCCESS QUOTES
Through its interpretative capacity, the imagination has one power not generally attributed to it- namely, the power to register vibrations and thought waves that are put into motion from outside sources, just as the radio-receiving apparatus picks up the vibrations of sound.
The principle through which this interpretative capacity of the imagination functions is called telepathy; the communication of thought from one mind to another.
The principle of telepathy has been so well established, through psychological research, that we have abundance of proof that two minds which are properly attuned and in harmony with each other may send and receive thought at long distances.
The principle of telepathy and the law of attraction, through which like attracts like, explain many a failure. If the mind has a tendency to attract from the ether those thought vibrations which harmonize with the dominating thoughts of a given mind, you can easily understand why a negative mind that dwells upon failure and lacks the vitalizing force of self-confidence would not attract a positive mind that is dominated by thoughts of success.
Discover a truth known only to those who use their imagination; namely, that the greatest reverses and misfortunes of life often open the door to golden opportunities.
You will never know what is your capacity for achievement until you learn how to mix your efforts with imagination.
There are endless millions of approaches to every problem, but there is only one best approach. Find this one best approach and your problem is easily solved. Your imagination will assist you in finding the right way.
Remember that which was said about the Law of Attraction through the operation of which “like attracts like:” If you look and act the part of a failure (or success), you will attract nothing but failures (or success).
The selection of a definite chief aim calls for the use of both imagination and decision! The power of decision grows with use.
Adversities and temporary defeat are generally blessings in disguise, for the reason that they force one to use both imagination and decision.
Whatever your life-work may be, it calls for the use of imagination.
You live in a Vibrational Universe, and you are more Energy, Vibration, and Electricity than you realize.
You will be able to achieve focused control of your Creative Energy with practice.
As you focus Creative Energy, there are two things to consider: intensity and speed of your energy; and second, your level of allowing or resisting.
The Creative Process is happening whether you are consciously aware of it or not.
Reach for a better feeling thought on all subjects. GUIDE them towards something that feels better.
You must first accept that Well-Being is the only stream that flows in the Universe in order to effectively benefit from paying attention to your emotions and gently guide them down stream.
Once you accept yourself as a vibrational being who attracts all things that come into your experience, then you begin the delicious journey of becoming a Deliberate Creator.
Rarely do people understand that they have the ability to control their personal relationship to events with their thoughts and attention.
Your mood is showing you a good representation of what you are inviting into your experience.
After years of exposure to thoughts of “lack,” your habit of thought around certain subjects (like money) can have a low emotional set-point which can lead to low expectation and unconscious negative reactions on the subject. CHANGE your set-point on these subjects deliberately by telling a new story!
In the same way that your Emotional Set-Points can change from feeling basically good or secure to feeling bad and insecure, your set-points can change from not feeling good to feeling good, for your set-points are achieved simply by paying attention to a subject, and through your practiced thought.
We want you to understand that you do have absolute control over the set-points that you achieve. We want you to understand the extreme value in deliberately achieving your own set-points. Because, once you expect something, it will come. The details may play out differently– but the vibrational essence will always be an exact match.
Create and align with a “code of ethics” that resonates with the type of leadership you want to present to the world. This practice entails transforming what would once be called a “Code of Ethics” into “Harmonic Codes of Creation” where everything that you want is aligned with your personal values and intentions. Decide in what arena of life do you want to focus for these Harmonic Codes: Romance, Career or Life Purpose, Health, Success, Family, etc. These new principles will embody the full expression who you are becoming and your new chosen beliefs.
Review of the Harmonic Coding of the Golden Divine:
Here’s a list of my highest vision for the Harmonic Coding of the Golden Divine::
1. Communing, Connection, Co-creation- Operating from a place of connection to Infinite Intelligence. Always serving the highest and best.
Using “commune”-ication as a way of deepening connection and experiencing our unity of purpose and being. Co-creation is a dance, a co-mingling of energies, and an integration of all ideas and re-sources to create anew with a sense of harmonious co-operation and co-action.
2. Mutual Love, Honor, and Respect- Treating others as they wish to be treated. Treating others as I wish to be treated. Treating myself as I wish to be treated.Asking others to treat me as I wish to be treated. Asking others how they wish to be treated. Thinking kindly of others, and wishing only good will on them.
A practice of looking for positive aspects, affirmations, appreciation, and gratitude in all situations. Practicing forgiveness.
3. Inclusivity, Win-win situations, “Soul-utions”- Realizing we are all one and equal, creating soul-utions that work for everyone involved. Knowing there is always a way for everyone to benefit from the whole. This is an inclusive universe. There is no “no”. Everything always exists. Creating more “yeses”.
4. Open, Honest, Trustworthy- Allowing my truth to shine through, I give others permission to be their true, authentic Self. Learning to listen and trust the inner guidance that is always available. Honoring my word, doing as I say I’ll do. Always doing my best. Honoring others privacy, being a confidante.
5. Confidence, Self-Actualization, Re-Sourcing- Taking action in words and deeds that are courageous, noble, and connected to Source energy. Allowing myself to be a clear conduit and channel for Source to flow through me, with confidence, determination, and certainty of purpose. I plant constructive seeds to harvest healthy relations and bear uplifting interactions.
6. Resonance and Alignment- Our true power is alignment. To feel the truth of knowledge and wisdom when I experience it as a resonance within. A clear message of alignment and connection. Practicing aligning with Source through meditation, listening, and feeling from a place of inner connection.
7. Responsibility, Accountability, Integrity- Treating each person, place, and thing with reverence and respect, I take full responsibility for my choices, decisions, and energy. I know being accountable means being in integrity which means being connected to the wholeness of who I am, allowing me the “ability to respond” with truth, love, and devotion. No matter what anyone else is saying or doing, it is my dominant intent to feel good and stay connected to Source.
8. Clarity, Choice, Discernment- In all my interactions I choose to be clear and honest with my intentions and actions. I practice discerning what is the highest choice in alignment with my purpose (and definite chief aim). While taking responsibility for my choices, I clearly choose to be discerning about the people, places, and things I invite into my sphere of existence.
9. Intuition, Intention, Optimism- I will use my ability to intuit the way others want to be treated by “putting myself in their shoes” and always wishing the highest and best for them. I will give others the “benefit of the doubt” and look for the positive aspects of each person I come into contact with. I will listen intently for my guidance to show me the way, knowing what’s best for me to fulfill my heart’s desires.
10. Kindness, Generosity, Good Will onto others- I will always give generously when I have the means to, knowing all I give does come back to me, in one form or another, I give graciously and happily. I will practice random acts of kindness and offer my gifts when I can. I vow to think positively of others and hold them in the highest light, no matter what their actions. “I see the Divine in you.” — Namaste.
11. Commitment, Dedication, Devotion- I uphold my commitment to living the highest and best of what is possible, to inspire greatness, and to stay true to the path of Divine light and love under any and all circumstances. I am reliable and consistent with my love and practice. I forgive myself and others, and I stay on track with my intentions to live in dedication to light, love, peace, and joy.
12. Grace, Ease & Happiness- The greatest gift I can give another person is my own happiness. To live with Grace and Ease is to live in truth and love. I allow life to flow smoothly through me, using alignment and leverage to manifest.
Bonus:: Dream Big, Greater than Imagined, Visualize a World of Infinite Potential and Possibility!
The Power of Meditation, Mantras, and Positive Thinking
We are now starting to get it! The sub-conscious mind is imprinted with mental concepts through Auto-suggestion and Creative thinking. The ideas are put into motion, in the world, through the coordination with Infinite Intelligence which is orchestrating all people, places, and things that are aligned with our thinking.
Whether we are creating positively or negatively with our thoughts, is up to us, and the world will reflect the sub-conscious imprinting. This is exciting news! We have the ability to direct our thoughts, and we have the ability to practice ourselves into desired manifestations with the use of creative thinking, imagination, visualization, meditation, and auto-suggestion.
CREATE YOUR OWN GUIDED MEDITATION:
This week’s practice will help us to become powerful deliberate creators of our own reality through the use of meditation. Keep in mind all that this lesson has to offer, and record a meditation for yourself that includes all the qualities and aspects of the Self you want to become.
GET CREATIVE WITH THE PROCESS! Write your new and improved story, then record it in a meditation style that you can listened to over and over again. This will be a version of Auto-Suggestion that you can practice daily.
Relish in all the delicious and juicy details of your powerful manifestations.
“I am a powerful deliberate Creator. I am pure positive Source energy. Nothing is more important than I choose better feeling thoughts and set my vibrational tone to that of Light, Love, Peace, and Joy.”
“Start telling a better-feeling story about the things that are important to you. Do not write your story like a factual documentary, weighing all the pros and cons of your experience; but instead tell the *uplifting*, *fanciful*, *magical* story of the wonder of your own life and watch what happens. It will feel like magic as your life begins to transform right before your eyes, but it is not magic. It is the power of the Laws of Universe and your deliberate alignment with those Laws.”
Anything you give your attention to will become your “truth.” Your life, and everyone else’s, is but a reflection of the predominance of your thoughts. There is no exception.
Your Emotional Guidance System is the key to helping you understand what your vibrational content is and therefore exactly what your current point of attraction is.
By paying attention to your emotions and by deliberately offering thoughts that affect the way you feel (in a positive way), you can consciously guide yourself into the vibrational frequency that will allow the fulfillment of any desire you hold.
Use the power of your imagination to create in your environment the things you most desire with clear and focused intention, and watch the powerful laws of the Universe shift and rearrange life circumstances to meet your request. But you got to let it in. Look for it, make room for it. That is the Art of Allowing!
Where ever you are, keep reaching for the best feeling thought you can find.
“Wouldn’t it be Nice if I discovered a much easier way of doing all this… wouldn’t it be nice if I came into full alignment with my dreams, into Energetic alignment with All That Is, and everything around me came into vibrational harmony with that?!?” Yes…
Know that it is coming in perfect timing. All the cells of your being are in cooperation and there is a collective alignment happening. All kinds of things are beginning to come into alignment, things that you could not orchestrate even if you tried!
Your Inner Being knows what to do. Your Being had come into active alignment and agreement with all this.
LAW OF SUCCESS
Your mind is capable of creating many new and useful combinations of old ideas, but the most important thing it can create is a definite chief aim that will give you that which you most desire. Your definite chief aim can be speedily translated into reality after you have fashioned it in the cradle of your imagination.
You will see how important the subject of imagination is when you stop to realize that it is the only thing in the world over which you have absolute control.
Reflect a shadow of confidence, good cheer, optimism, and harmony, that these qualities may, in turn, reflect themselves in all who are connected with your life.
We have stated that the imagination is both interpretative and creative in its nature. It can receive impressions or ideas and out of these it can form new combinations.
“If your imagination is the mirror of your soul, then you have a perfect right to stand before that mirror and see yourself as you wish to be. You have the right to see reflected in that magic mirror the mansion you intend to own, the factory you intend to manage, the bank of which you intend to be president, the station in life you intend to occupy. Your imagination belongs to you. Use it! The more you use it the more efficiently it will serve you.”
I hold it true that thoughts are things;
They’re endowed with bodies and breath and wings;
And that we send them forth to fill
The world with good results or ill.
That which we call our secret thought
Speeds forth to earth’s remotest spot,
Leaving its blessings or its woes,
Like tracks behind it as it goes.
We build our future, thought by thought,
For good or ill, yet know it not,
Yet so the universe was wrought.
Thought is another name for fate;
Choose, then, thy destiny and wait,
For love brings love and hate brings hate.
Our Imagination is one of the most important gifts we have as creative human beings. Use it well, and develop its magic with a sense of mastery. Enjoy.
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Impact roller is the belt conveyor’s element that is used in places where the material falls onto the belt. As the other rollers, it is necessary for proper belt conveyor’s functioning in the mining, industrial and construction industries.
It is designed from the steel pipe and rings placed on the entire width of roller.
Below you can find an example of the shape of applied rings.
Technical description of the impact roller
Examples of disk shapes
The Impact roller’s discs can be produced of::
- Plain rubber
- Rubber mixture with admixtures giving special properties, e. g. anti-electrostaticity
- Polyurethane with admixtures giving special coating properties
Types of shafts
We encourage you to get familiarize with our offer on the other belt conveyor’s elements, such as: guide roller or metal rollers
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There are total 8 letters in Eutectic, Starting with E and ending with C. In Eutectic E is 5th, U is 21st, T is 20th, C is 3rd, I is 9th letters in Alphabet Series.
Total 24 words created by multiple letters combination of Eutectic in English Dictionary.
Eutectic is a scrabble word? Yes (12 Points)
Eutectic has worth 12 Scrabble points. Each letter point as below.
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Learn something new every day
More Info... by email
Listing the side effects of aspartame sparks controversy because there are many clams about the adverse properties of this artificial sweetener that are not verified by traditional medical sources. Some of the worst claims include that aspartame results in brain cancers (inferred from a study on rats), or that this sweetener causes seizures. Despite the many unsubstantiated claims, there is verified information about the side effects that may affect some people, including digestive problems, headaches, and dizziness.
People might most associate aspartame with diet sodas, but it can be present in a number of sweetened foods and is occasionally placed in medications to alter their taste. It’s not clear that rare and moderate use of aspartame always results in most reported side effects, but there is strong suggestion that routine use, which replicates some of the circumstances under which it has been studied, is problematic for some people.
First among the side effects of aspartame is diarrhea, especially when large amounts of the product are consumed. This is not the only artificial sweetener that causes this effect. Another commonly reported side effect is headache, and it appears from human testing that people already prone to get migraines might be most at risk for developing this symptom. An increase in headaches could be a reason to say no to a diet drink and accept a cool glass of water instead. Dizziness is an another relatively common side effect.
The rate at which these side effects occur is pretty limited, and about 4 to 10% of the population might suffer them. Aspartame doesn’t cause people to feel “sugar-sated” and dieters who use it may consume more calories than dieters who don’t. It’s not clear that it causes people to crave sweets, but it certainly doesn’t alleviate cravings and may not aid diets.
People with phenylketonuria (PKU) should never consume aspartame because it has phenylalanines in it and can make them very ill. Those who have mental disorders, particularly depression or mood disorders, may want to consider a study done on aspartame and depression, which had to be canceled because the first dozen people tested had a sharp increase in depression symptoms.
Ultimately, people must decide if the side effects of aspartame outweigh the potential benefits it might hold. There are many who advocate the product be removed from the market and feel that regulating agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration are not doing their jobs in regard to aspartame. Others suggest that like all things, moderate use is the key, and infrequent consumption is unlikely to cause lasting side effects for most people.
I am using sugar free tablets in milk or tea. When I increase the quantity, I get the feeling of my body or head jerking during sound sleep. My partner noticed, but I don't know what is the root cause. Can you please explain what is the reason?
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK!
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Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in British Sign Language (BSL). The largest collection online.
How to sign: take into one's family
"They adopted two children from Nicaragua";
Similiar / Same: adopt
How to sign: earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
"How much do you make a month in your new job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month";
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New York City has long been considered one of the greatest cities in the world. The city was originally settled in 1624 when Dutch traders came to the area between what is now the Hudson and East Rivers and set up a colonial trading post. While the city was under Dutch control, it was known as New Amsterdam. The British gained control of the city in 1664 and named it New York after King Charles II’s brother who was known as the Duke of York. After the U.S. gained independence, New York served as the U.S. capital from 1785 to 1790.
New York City has been the biggest city in the U.S. consistently since 1790. New York attracts visitors from all over the world and it is a main cultural hub in the U.S., known for its cultural diversity and entertainment. Major landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building are recognized by people around the globe.
While there is plenty to celebrate about a great American city like New York City, it has had its share of disasters and tragedies over the years. As a leading provider of disaster restoration services in Staten Island and Brooklyn, NY, we feel it is important to revisit the major disasters New York City has experienced to learn from them and help make this city a safer place to live. In this blog series, we will highlight some of the biggest disasters in the history of New York City including what caused these disasters, their aftermath, and how the citizens of New York City overcame them.
If you experience a natural disaster that has caused damage to your home or building, call ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete for disaster restoration services in Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occurred on March 25, 1911 and claimed the lives of 146 people. The women who worked in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory endured harsh conditions and long hours and the owners of the factory, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, showed a blatant disregard for the well-being of their workers. In September of 1909, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) went on strike and the workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory participated in the strike. The owners of the factory only gave into a few of their demands and had many of them arrested.
When the fire occurred toward the end of the workday, the doors to the staircase leading to the street were locked and the old fire escapes collapsed as women tried to escape the building. As a result of this fire, the New York City Committee on Public Safety was formed and many new laws regulating working conditions were passed to shorten the workweek and create safer working conditions in factories.
Learn more in our blog about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
September 11 Attacks
The biggest disaster in the history of New York City shook the entire world and the reverberations are still felt to this day. On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked commercial planes crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center just 17 minutes apart from each other. Less than 2 hours later, both towers came down, spreading debris throughout southern Manhattan. In New York City alone, the September 11 attacks resulted in more than 2600 deaths and countless injuries. It took more than 3 months to fully extinguish the fires caused by the attacks.
The aftermath of 9/11 brought the passage of the PATRIOT Act and the Aviation and Transportation Security Act to try and safeguard the U.S. against future terrorist attacks. The War on Terror also began shortly after 9/11 when U.S. troops arrived in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. As of this writing, the U.S. still finds itself involved in the War in Afghanistan.
Learn more in our blog about the 9/11 attacks.
Hurricane Irene started on August 15, 2011 off the western coast of Africa and lasted until August 29. This storm hit the Bahamas and moved up to the northeast coast of the U.S., affecting 15 different states, causing $14.2 billion in damage and taking 58 lives. Hurricane Irene topped out at a category 3 storm when it hit the Bahamas and it made landfall in New Jersey and New York as a tropical storm.
Throughout New Jersey and New York, Hurricane Irene caused rivers to flood, uprooted trees, knocked out power, and damaged homes. The storm caused $1 billion in damage in New Jersey and displaced 6,000 residents. In New York, the storm caused $296 million in damage, making it one of New York’s costliest storms.
Learn more in our blog about Hurricane Irene.
1977 New York City Blackout
The 1977 New York City blackout was a near complete blackout of the city that was caused by a series of lighting strikes on major power generators. The blackout began on the night of July 13, 1977 when the lightning strikes on the Con Ed power generators overloaded the system and caused it to completely lose power shortly after 9:30 pm.
Darkness fell over the city immediately, disrupting public transportation, shutting down Wall Street, and stopping a baseball game at Shea Stadium. The blackout also triggered widespread looting and arson on the streets. Looters damaged more than 1600 stores and looted more than 100, and 45 stores were set on fire. Firefighters responded to more than 1,000 fires and crowds threw rocks and other debris at firefighters and police officers as they tried to maintain order. In all, more than 4,500 arrests were made.
The power was restored throughout the next day on July 14 and by the evening, the entire city once again had power. The looting, arson, and vandalism caused an estimated $300 million in damage and many of the businesses that were damaged or looted never recovered. As a result of the blackout, the electrical system was improved with better monitoring equipment and backup generators to help prevent another major power failure.
Learn more in our blog about the 1977 blackout.
Hurricane Sandy started as a low-pressure system in the Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2012 and dissipated on November 2 after making its way through the Caribbean islands and up to the Mid- Atlantic and Northeast U.S. The storm caused $68.7 billion in damage and killed 233 people across nine different countries. Hurricane Sandy was a category 2 storm when it made landfall in New Jersey and New York.
Major flooding occurred throughout the state of New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy made landfall, including the city of Hoboken and communities throughout Bergen County. New York City itself was hit hard as Lower Manhattan was flooded by the East River and areas in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island were also affected by the damage and flooding. The storm also caused significant damage to the subway system in New York City. Hurricane Sandy resulted in 43 deaths and $36.8 billion in damage in New Jersey and 53 deaths and $42 billion in damage in the state of New York.
Learn more in our blog about Hurricane Sandy.
Happy Land Fire
The Happy Land fire was a fire that occurred in a Bronx nightclub called Happy Land that resulted in the death of 87 people. The fire was caused by an arsonist and occurred on the 79th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
The Happy Land nightclub was ordered to be shut down in November of 1988 due to numerous building code violations including the lack of a sprinkler system, fire exits, and fire alarms. However, the club remained open and there is no record of the fire department following up on the violations. During the early morning hours of March 25, 1990, Julio Gonzalez got into an argument at the club with his former girlfriend, an employee of the club, and was ejected around 3 am. He returned to the club a short time later with a container of gasoline and started a fire at the bottom of a staircase that was the only way in or out of the club. The fire spread quickly up the stairs, killing most of the people in the club. The majority of the deaths were due to trampling and asphyxiation.
Julio Gonzales was arrested the following day and was eventually found guilty of 87 counts of arson and 87 counts of murder. He spent the rest of his life in prison where he died in September 2016. The owners of the building were not found criminally responsible for the fire because they tried to have the club shut down and the club owner, Elias Colon, evicted before the fire. However, the building owner and landlord were found guilty of misdemeanor building code violations and settled a lawsuit filed by the families of the victims for $15.8 million in July 1995. The building was demolished the day after the fire and the location where the building stood was renamed The Plaza of Eighty-Seven in memory of the 87 victims.
The PS General Slocum Disaster
The PS General Slocum was a steamboat that served as a passenger ship from June 1891 until June 15, 1904 when it caught on fire and sank while bringing more than 1300 people to a Locust Grove in the Long Island. The tragic fire and sinking resulted in 1021 deaths which was the largest death toll of a disaster in the U.S. until 9/11 occurred.
On the morning of June 15, 1904, over 1300 members of St. Mark’s Evangelical Church, mostly women and children, boarded General Slocum to be taken to a picnic retreat in Eatons Neck, Long Island. The ship headed up the East River by 9:30 am and a fire started in the Lamp Room shortly after the trip began. It is unknown what sparked the fire, but it spread quickly because the Lamp Room was full of straw, lamp oil, and oil rags. It took about 10 minutes for the captain and passengers on the ship to notice and react to the fire.
The General Slocum was poorly equipped to handle a disaster such as a fire. The fire hoses on board were rotted, the lifeboats were inaccessible, and the life jackets were deteriorated. The captain continued to keep the ship on course despite the fire, claiming that he did not want to spread the fire to buildings on the shore of the river. However, staying on course fanned the fire and caused it to spread even faster. The ship sank off the shore of North Brother Island in the Bronx and caused 1,021 deaths as those aboard either drowned after jumping into the river or burned to death on the ship. For the next several days, bodies continued to wash ashore.
A federal grand jury indicted several people in the aftermath of the disaster including Captain Van Schaick and several employees of the Knickerbocker Steamship Company that owned the ship. Captain Van Schaick was convicted for criminal negligence and the Knickerbocker Steamship Company was fined for failing to maintain safety equipment like fire hoses and extinguishers. New federal and state regulations were passed to ensure that passenger ships had functional safety equipment.
Great Fire of 1776
The Great Fire of 1776 is one of three major fires that occurred in the city of New York. This fire began on September 20, 1776 when New York City was occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War. The fire burned through the night until the next morning in southern Manhattan, destroying nearly 25 percent of the city.
British General William Howe began a military takeover of New York City in the summer of 1776, first gaining control of Staten Island and Long Island. General George Washington withdrew most of his troops from New York City upon realizing it was about to fall and asked the Second Continental Congress if the city should be burned to render it useless to the British. This idea was rejected to save the city from harm.
British troops under Howe landed in Manhattan on September 15, 1776 and fought with what was left of the Continental Army. Once the British gained control of the city, they confiscated the buildings used by the Continental Army for their use. On the night of September 20, John Joseph Henry, an American prisoner being held by the British on the HMS Pearl, saw the fire begin at the Fighting Cocks Tavern. The fire spread very quickly through the tightly packed buildings, and the dry weather and strong winds only made it worse. An estimated 400 to 1,000 buildings were destroyed between Broadway and the Hudson River as the fire burned through the night. A combination of changing winds and actions taken by the British and New York citizens stopped the fire.
After the fire, both the British and the Americans accused each other of starting the fire. However, no arsonist was ever found, and no charges were ever filed for arson. Because the British believed the fire was started by an Americans arsonist, they continued to occupy New York City under martial law.
1835 Great Fire of New York
The 1835 Great Fire of New York caused significant damage at a time when the city was expanding and becoming an economic power. The fire began on the evening of December 16, 1835 and resulted in two deaths and $20 million in property damage which is equivalent to well over $500 million by today’s standards.
New York City grew significantly in the beginning of the 19th century as its connection to the Erie Canal allowed it to receive raw materials from the Midwest. The city also established itself as a financial center as investment firms, real estate companies, and insurance companies formed and thrived. The population of New York grew significantly, and the city expanded to cover more territory to the north. However, as the city grew rapidly, the fire department was very slow to expand.
The fire started in a warehouse on Merchant Street near Wall Street and gale force winds caused the fire to spread quickly. The fire department was not only understaffed, but also had difficulty stopping the fire because the East River and Hudson River, the main sources of water used for firefighting, were both frozen. They resorted to demolishing buildings in the fire’s path to deprive it of fuel and the U.S. Marines were called in to supply gunpowder needed to destroy the buildings. The fire was found to be caused by a burst gas pipe in the warehouse.
Around 13 acres of the city were destroyed, including an estimated 530 to 700 buildings. The claims paid out to cover the damage put most of the insurance companies in New York City out of business. When the damaged areas were rebuilt, buildings were made of brick and stone to be less vulnerable to fire. The fire department expanded their ranks as a result of the fire and built a municipal water supply so they no longer had to rely on the rivers for water.
Great New York City Fire of 1845
The Great New York City Fire of 1845 is the third major fire that affected New York City in a span of 70 years, and it occurred only ten years after the fire of 1835. This fire started in a factory that produced whale oil and candles and it spread across lower Manhattan, resulting in 30 deaths and $5 to $10 million in damage ($137 to $274 million by today’s standards).
The fire started on July 19, 1845 around 2:30 am in the J.L. Van Doren Oil Merchant and Stearin Candle factory in Manhattan. It quickly spread to the surrounding buildings and by 3 am, the city alarm bell alerted the fire department. The fire burned for just over 10 hours, spreading through lower Manhattan and destroying 345 buildings in the area that is now the Financial District. When the fire reached a warehouse on Broad Street that was storing combustible saltpeter, the warehouse exploded, flattening the surrounding buildings. By 1 pm that afternoon, the fire department had subdued the fire thanks in part to the recently completed Croton Aqueduct.
The fire of 1845 confirmed the importance of the building codes passed after the fire of 1835 to ban new construction of wood framed buildings. The fire slowed down when it reached areas of Manhattan that were built after 1835 using masonry and stone. The city of New York also created a reserve firefighters unit called the Exempt Fireman’s Company.
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The Book of Insects Teacher Sample, Student Book Sample, and Student Reader Sample
This course includes a reader compiled of classic stories written by Arabella Buckley and Julia McNair Wright in the late 1800s. It takes a charmingly narrative approach to the life of insects, and we have written a workbook to go along with it that takes your student through the identification of different kinds of insects, insect anatomy, and more! Add the Peterson First Guide on Insects, and this year-long course makes for a program your student will love!
The Book of Insects Set includes the following products: Student Reader, Student Book, Teacher Guide, and the Peterson First Guide to Insects.
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The complex ways that children understand mathematics is fascinating to me. Students ask questions, see ideas, draw representations, connect methods, justify, and reason in all sorts of different ways. But recent years have seen all of these different nuanced complexities of student understanding reduced to single numbers and letters that are used to judge students’ worth. Teachers are encouraged to test and grade students, to a ridiculous and damaging degree; students start to define themselves – and mathematics – in terms of letters and numbers. Such crude representations of understanding vastly under-describe and in many cases misrepresent children’s knowledge.
In the United States students are over-tested to a degree that is nothing short of remarkable, particularly in mathematics. For many years students have been judged by narrow, procedural mathematics questions presented with multiple-choice answers. The knowledge needed for success on such tests is so far from the adaptable, critical and analytical thinking that students need in the modern world that leading employers such as Google have declared that they are no longer interested in students’ test performance as it in no way predicts success in the workplace (Bryant, 2013).
One critical principal of good testing is that it assesses what is important.
For many decades in the United States, tests have assessed what is easy to test instead of important and valuable mathematics. This has meant that mathematics teachers have had to focus their teaching on narrow procedural mathematics, not the broad, creative and growth mathematics that is so important. The new common core assessments promise something different, with few multiple-choice questions and assessments of problem solving, but they are being met with considerable opposition from parents.
The damage does not only end with standardized testing, for math teachers are led to believe they should use tests in classrooms that mimic low quality standardized tests, even when they know the tests assess narrow mathematics.
They do this to help prepare students for later success. Some teachers, particularly at the high school level, test weekly or even more frequently. Mathematics teachers feel the need to test regularly, more than any other subject, because they have come to believe that mathematics is about performance, and they usually don’t consider the role that tests play in shaping students’ views of mathematics and themselves. Many mathematics teachers I know introduce a class with a test, which gives a huge performance message to students on the first day of class, the time when it is so important to be giving growth messages about mathematics and learning.
Finland is one of the highest-scoring countries in the world on international mathematics tests yet students do not take any tests in school. Instead teachers use their rich understanding of their students’ knowledge gained through teaching to report to parents and make judgments about student work. In a longitudinal study I conducted in England students worked on open-ended projects for three years (ages 13 through 16) leading to national standardized examinations. They did not take tests nor was their work graded. Students encountered short questions assessing procedures in the last few weeks before the examination, as the teachers gave them examination papers to work through. Despite the students’ lack of familiarity with examination questions or working under timed conditions of any kind, they scored at significantly higher levels than a matched cohort of students who spent three years working through questions similar to the national exam questions and taking frequent tests (Boaler, 1998, 2015). The students from the problem solving school did so well in the standardized national exam because they had been taught to believe in their own capabilities; they had been given helpful, diagnostic information on their learning; and they had learned that they could solve any question, as they were mathematical problem solvers.
Students with no experience of examinations and tests can score at the highest levels because the most important preparation we can give students is a growth mindset, positive beliefs about their own ability, and problem-solving mathematical tools to equip them for any mathematical situation.
The testing regime of the last decade has had a large, negative impact on students but it does not end with testing; the communication of grades to students is similarly negative. When students are given a percentage or grade, they can do little else besides compare it to others around them, with half or more deciding that they are not as good as others. This is known as “ego feedback,” a form of feedback that has been found to damage learning. Sadly when students are given frequent test scores and grades they start to see themselves as those scores and grades. They do not regard the scores as an indicator of their learning or of what they need to do to achieve, but as indicators of who they are as people. The fact that US students commonly describe themselves saying “I’m an A student” or “I’m a D student” illustrates the ways students define themselves by grades. Ray McDermott wrote a compelling paper about the capturing of a child by a learning disability, describing the ways a student who thought and worked differently was given a label and was then defined by that label (McDermott, 1993). I could give a similar argument about the capturing of students by grades and test scores.
Students describe themselves as A or D students because they have grown up in a performance culture that valued frequent testing and grading, rather than persistence, courage, or problem solving. The traditional methods of assessing students that have been used across the United States for decades were designed in a less enlightened age (Kohn, 2011) when it was believed that grades and test scores would motivate students, and that the information they provided on students’ achievement would be useful.
Now we know that grades and test scores demotivate rather than motivate students and that they communicate fixed and damaging messages to students that result in lower achievement in classrooms.
In studies of grading and alternatives to grading researchers have produced consistent results. Study after study shows that grading reduces the achievement of students. Elawar and Corno, for example, contrasted the ways teachers responded to math homework in sixth grade, with half of the students receiving grades and the other half receiving diagnostic comments without a grade (Elawar & Corno, 1985). The students receiving comments learned twice as fast as the control group, the achievement gap between male and female students disappeared, and student attitudes improved.
A study by Ruth Butler added a third condition, which gave students grades and comments –as this could be thought of as the best of both worlds (Butler, 1987, 1988). In this study, students who received grades only and those who received grades and comments scored equally badly, and the group that achieved at significantly higher levels was the comment only group. This showed that when students received a grade and a comment, they focused on only the grade. Butler found that both high-achieving (the top 25% GPA) and low-achieving (the bottom 25% GPA) fifth and sixth graders suffered deficits in performance and motivation in both graded conditions, compared with the students who received only diagnostic comments. Further research showed that that students only needed to think they were working for a grade to lose motivation, resulting in lower levels of achievement (Pulfrey, Butera, and Buchs, 2011).
The move from grades to diagnostic comments is a crucial one, and is a move that allows teachers to give students an amazing gift – the gift of their knowledge and insights about ways to improve.
Teachers, quite rightly, worry about the extra time this can take, as good teachers already work well beyond the hours they are paid for. My recommended solution is to assess less; if teachers replaced grading weekly with diagnostic comments given occasionally, they could spend the same amount of time, remove the fixed mindset messages of a grade, and provide students with insights that would propel them onto paths of higher achievement. Teachers who have made these changes see increases or no changes in test performance and significant increases in motivation and confidence.
When we give assessments to students we create an important opportunity. Well-crafted tasks and questions accompanied by clear feedback offer students a growth mindset pathway that helps them to know that they can learn to high levels, and, critically, how they can get there. Unfortunately most systems of assessment in U.S. classrooms do the opposite of this, communicating information to students that causes many of them to think they are a failure and they can never learn math. I have worked with teachers in recent years who have shifted their methods of assessment from standard tests with grades and scores to assessments that are focused upon giving students the information they need in order to learn well accompanied with growth mindset messages. This resulted in dramatic changes in their classroom environments.
Math anxiety, formerly commonplace among students, disappeared and was replaced by student self-confidence, which led to higher levels of motivation, engagement and achievement.
I am a strong supporter of teachers and know that the No Child Left Behind era stripped the professionalism and enthusiasm of many teachers as they were forced (and I choose that word carefully) to use teaching methods that they knew to be unhelpful. An important part of my work with teachers now is to help them regain their sense of professionalism. My aim in working with teachers is to help them see themselves as creators again, people who can design teaching environments infused with their own ideas for creative, engaging math. I have watched teachers come alive when they are encouraged in these ways.
In a new film by Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere (watch the trailer to learn more! ), her team interviewed the middle school students in a district I was working in, helping the teachers shift their teaching and assessment. In the film one girl, Delia, talks about getting an F for her homework in the previous year, and how it had caused her to stop trying in math and – shockingly – all of her classes across the school. In the interview she poignantly said:
“When I saw the F on my paper I felt like a nothing. I was failing in that class so I thought I may as well fail in all my other classes too. I didn’t even try.” Later in the film she talks about the change in her math class and how she now feels encouraged to do well. “I hated math,” she says “I absolutely hated it, but now I have a connection with math, I’m open, I feel like I’m alive, I’m more energetic.”
Beyond Measure Source: Image courtesy of Reel Link Films
Delia’s use of the word “open” in describing how she felt about math is a sentiment I hear frequently from students when they are taught mathematics without the impending fear of low test scores and grades. But it goes further than assessment – when we teach creative, inquiry math students feel an intellectual freedom that is powerful. In interviews with 3rd graders who experienced number talks in class, I ask the students how they feel about number talks. The first thing young Dylan said in the interview was “I feel free.” He went on to describe how the valuing of different mathematics strategies allowed him to feel he could work with mathematics in any way he wanted, to explore ideas and learn about numbers. The students’ use of words such as ‘free’, and ‘open’ demonstrate the difference that is made when students work on growth mindset mathematics; this goes well beyond math achievement to an intellectual empowerment that will affect students throughout their lives (Boaler, 2015).
The perceptions students develop about their own potential affect their learning, their achievement, and, of equal importance, their motivation and effort—as Delia describes in the film. When she got an F in math, she gave up not only in math but also in all of her other classes; she felt like a failure. This is not an unusual response to grading.
When students are given scores that tell them they rank below other students, they often give up on school, deciding that they will never be able to learn and they take on the identity of an underperforming student.
The grades and scores given to students who are high achieving are just as damaging. Students develop the idea that they are an “A student” and begin a precarious fixed mindset learning path that makes them avoid harder work or challenges for fear that they will lose their A label. Such students often are devastated if they get a B or lower, for any of their work.
In another research study on grading Deevers found that students who were not given scores but instead given positive constructive feedback were more successful in their future work. He also, sadly, found that as students got older teachers gave less constructive feedback and more fixed grading. He found a clear and unsurprising relationship between teachers’ assessment practices and student attitudes as students’ beliefs about their own potential and the possibility of improving their learning declined steadily from 5th to 12th grade (Deevers, 2006).
We want students to be excited about and interested in their learning. When students develop interest in the ideas they are learning, they increase their motivation and their achievement. There is a large body of research that has studied two types of motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from interest in the subject and ideas you are learning; extrinsic motivation is the motivation provided by the thought of getting better scores and grades. Because mathematics has been taught for decades as a performance subject, the students who are most motivated in math classrooms are usually those who are extrinsically motivated. One result of this is that students who feel positive about math class are usually only those students who are getting high scores and grades. Most of the teachers who believe in grades, use them because they think they motivate students to achieve. They do motivate some students – those who would probably achieve at high levels anyway, but they de-motivate the rest. Unfortunately the extrinsic motivation that the high achieving students develop is not helpful in the long term. Study after study shows that students who develop intrinsic motivation achieve at higher levels than those who develop extrinsic motivation (Pulfrey, Buchs, & Butera 2011; Lemos & Verissimo, 2014), and that intrinsic motivation to learn ideas motivates students to pursue subjects to higher levels and to stay in subjects rather than drop out (Stipek, 1993).
Assessment for Learning
A few years ago two professors from England – Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam –conducted a meta-analysis of hundreds of research studies on assessment. They found something amazing: a form of assessment so powerful, that if teachers used it the impact would be so great that it would raise the achievement of a country in international studies from the middle of the pack to a place in the top five. (Sir Paul Black and Professor Dylan Wiliam were both good colleagues of mine at London University; Paul Black was also my dissertation advisor and mentor.) Black and Wiliam found that if teachers were to use what is now called “assessment for learning” the positive impact would be far greater than other educational initiatives such as reductions in class size (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, & Wiliam, 2002; Black & Wiliam, 1998a, 1998b). They published their findings in a small booklet that sold over 20,000 copies in the first few weeks in England. Assessment for Learning is now a national initiative in many countries; it has a huge research evidence base and it communicates growth mindset messages to students.
A little background will be helpful. There are two types of assessment—formative and summative. Formative assessment informs learning and is the essence of assessment for learning or A4L. Formative assessments are used to find out where students are in their learning so that teachers and students can determine what they need to know next. The purpose of summative assessment, in contrast, is to summarize a student’s learning—to give a final account of how far a student has gotten, as an end point. One problem in the United States is that many teachers use summative assessment formatively; that is, they give students an end score or grade when they are still learning the materials. In mathematics classrooms teachers often use summative tests weekly and then move on to the next subject without waiting to see what the tests reveal. In A4L, students become knowledgeable about what they know, what they need to know, and ways to close the gap between the two. Students are given information about their flexible and growing learning pathways that contributes to their development of a growth mathematics mindset. In the weeks and months that students are learning in a course, it is very important to assess formatively, not summatively. Further, the A4L approach, which can also be thought of as assessing for a growth mindset, offers a range of strategies and methods.
One important principle of A4L is that it teaches students responsibility for their own learning.
At its core A4L is about empowering students to become autonomous learners who can self-regulate and determine what they most need to learn and who know ways to improve their learning. Assessment for learning can be thought of as having three parts: (1) clearly communicating to students what they have learned, (2) helping students become aware of where they are in their learning journey and where they need to reach, and (3) giving students information on ways to close the gap between where they are now and where they need to be.
Developing Student Self-Awareness and Responsibility
The most powerful learners are those who are reflective, who engage in metacognition – thinking about what they know – and who take control of their own learning (White & Frederiksen, 1998). A major failing of traditional mathematics classes is that students rarely have much idea of what they are learning or where they are in the broader learning landscape. They focus upon methods to remember but often do not even know what area of mathematics they are working on. I have visited math classes many times and stopped at students’ desks to ask them what they are working on. In many cases students answer with the question they are working on. Many of my interactions have gone something like this:
JB: What are you working on?
Student: Exercise 2
JB: So what are you actually doing, what math are you working on?
Student: Oh, I’m sorry – question 4
Students are often not thinking about the area of mathematics they are learning, they do not have an idea of the mathematical goals for their learning, and they expect to be passively led through work with teachers telling them whether they are “getting it” or not. Alice White, an assessment expert, likens this situation to workers on a ship who are given jobs to do each day but don’t have any idea where the ship is travelling to.
One research study, conducted by Barbara White and John Frederikson (1998), powerfully illustrated the importance of reflection. The researchers studied twelve classes of seventh grade students learning physics. The researchers divided the students into experimental and control groups. All groups were taught a unit on force and motion. The control groups then spent some of each lesson discussing the work whereas the experimental group spent some of each lesson engaging in self- and peer assessment, considering criteria for the science they were learning. The results of the study were dramatic. The experimental groups outperformed the control groups on three different assessments. The previously low-achieving students made the greatest gains. After they spent time considering the science criteria and assessing themselves against them, they began to achieve at the same levels as the highest achievers. The middle school students even scored at higher levels than AP physics students on tests of high school physics. The researchers concluded that a large part of the students’ previous low achievement came not from the fact that they lacked ability but that they had not previously known what they should really be focusing upon.
This is true for many students and this is why it is so important to communicate to students what they should be learning. This both helps the students know what success is, and starts a self-reflection process that is an invaluable tool for learning.
There are many strategies for encouraging students to become more aware of the mathematics they are learning and their place in the learning process, several of which are in Jo’s upcoming book, Mathematical Mindsets.
Tests and grading can lead students to disengage from mathematics and even school itself. Assessment for Learning, by contrast, represent an incredible opportunity for teachers to provide students with information on their learning that accelerates pathways to success and gives students powerful growth mindset messages about mathematics and learning. Research shows that a change from grading and testing to Assessment for Learning has a powerful impact on students’ achievement, self-beliefs, motivation and future learning pathways.
By using assessments to empower students to learn and grow, we can help our students develop positive attitudes towards mathematics and themselves.
This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler’s new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
Why are we doing this??
“Many students have felt a sense of anxiety/stress when it comes to learning math. Many fear that math is something that you are either good at or not. There is also this sense of pressure that students feel because they view math as something that you are either right or wrong. What many students struggle to understand is that the beauty of math is not so much on the solution but the thinking and creativity that goes into trying to solve the problem. In addition to this, students constantly feel pressure to perform due to grades. The anxiety students feel with regards to grades is like a dark cloud that hangs over them. No matter what is going on in class, or how much they are enjoying the topic they are learning, there is still this looming pressure to perform in order to receive the highest grade possible. Whether it’s higher achieving students or lower achieving students, many students’ focus is on performing in order to achieve a certain grade. What this has caused is a focus on performing (memorizing) rather than a focus on learning. We want students to enjoy learning. Isn’t that the purpose of going to school? With this being, last year we tried to make a shift by encouraging students to take risks and not be afraid to make mistakes. However, when it came time to grading tests, students were still penalized for having wrong answers. How can we encourage students to not be afraid to make mistakes and then penalize them for doing it on a test? This sent mixed messages and has been on our minds over the course of the summer. After careful thought, we’re curious to try this. What would happen if everyone got an A at the beginning of the year?! Would students no longer feel pressure or worry about their performance? Would this free students up to be more creative and to take more risks? Would this lead to students being more curious and wanting to go deeper and to understand why things work the way they do? Would this lead to more of an intrinsic motivation of students wanting to do well and to learn? Let’s Find Out…” -An extract from letter to parents, from High Tech High Math Department, Chula Vista, San Diego.
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2002). Working inside the black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. London: Department of Education & Professional Studies, King’s College.
Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (1998a, October). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 139–148.
Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (1998b). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7–74.
Boaler, J. (1998). Open and closed mathematics: Student experiences and understandings. Journal for research in mathematics education, 41-62.
Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Butler, R. (1987). Task-involving and ego-involving properties of evaluation: Effects of different feedback conditions on motivational perceptions, interest and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79, 474–482.
Butler, R. (1988). Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: The effects of task-involving and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 58, 1–14.
Deevers, M. (2006). Linking classroom assessment practices with student motivation in mathematics. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.
Elawar, M. C., & Corno, L. (1985). A factorial experiment in teachers’ written feedback on student homework: Changing teacher behavior a little rather than a lot. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(2), 162–173.
Kohn, A. (2011, November). The case against grades. Retrieved from https://www.alfiekohn.org/ article/case-grades/
Lemos, M. S., & Veríssimo, L. (2014). The relationships between intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and achievement, along elementary school. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 112, 930–938.
Pulfrey, C., Buchs, C., & Butera, F. (2011). Why grades engender performance-avoidance goals: The mediating role of autonomous motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 683–700. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fabrizio_Butera/publication/232450947_Why_grades_engender_performanceavoidance_goals_The_mediating_role_of_autonomous_ motivation/links/02bfe50ed4ebfd0670000000.pdf
Stipek, D. J. (1993). Motivation to learn: Integrating theory and practice. New York: Pearson.
White, B. Y., & Frederiksen, J. R. (1998). Inquiry, modeling, and metacognition: Making science accessible to all students. Cognition and Instruction, 16(1), 3–118.
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2 edition of Children of crisis found in the catalog.
Children of crisis
by Little, Brown
Written in English
|The Physical Object|
|Number of Pages||401|
Syrian Refugee Children Stories: Life as a Refugee. After eight years of war, more than half the population of Syria has been forced to flee their homes, with million people currently internally displaced and million refugees. Many Syrian children have lost a close relative or have a parent or sibling, and thousands have been orphaned or separated from their families in the . Stories for Children in Crisis “A small key opens big doors” –Turkish Proverb. Our children need help in this time of crisis. Together with a coalition of international storytellers, I have gathered traditional tales from around the world, stories that may provide an .
Risa Kirschner is stepping up to give back in a big way, amid the coronavirus crisis, by giving away hundreds of copies of her children’s book. Stephen King says new book about imprisoned children 'imitates' US border crisis PM Coronavirus live updates: More than .
A Cambridge student who created a picture book to help young children understand more about the refugee crisis has won a prestigious award at the world’s leading museum of art and design. Kate. Amid the COVID crisis and quarantine, kidlit authors are offering read alouds, drawing lessons, and other free resources for education and : Ashlie Swicker.
exact and particular description of the ... illumination, prospect of ... London, and fire-works ... to be represented in a prologue and an epilogue to the opera Julius Caesar in Aegypt, on the stage of Hambro, ... 1727 ... celebrating ... George, Lewis, King of Great Britains ... birthday.
hour of the American novel
coasts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
The Psychological foundations of criminal justice
Automobile injuries and their compensation in the United States
Its not easy being a pelican
Uncle Toms Cabin
Profiles of Japanese science and scientists, 1970.
History of Southern Africa
Reasons why, and what to say in explaining arithmetic [microform]
Most of the children in crisis are American in this in depth, psychological investigation of children's reactions through post slavery, desegregation, and beyond.
Looking closely at all the ensuing problems that dogged children, generation after by: Children of Crisis book. Read 3 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. In the s Robert Coles began studying, living among, and, abov /5. It is the pastor's role, Lester says, to make 'spiritual sense out of the chaos of crisis.' he looks to the ministry of Jesus as the model for faithful, effective ministry and illustrates how a pastor's relationship with troubled children can have a significant impact on their spiritual and psychological development.5/5(2).
In this helpful book Andrew D. Lester, noted teacher and experienced counselor, challenges ministers to take up an often neglected task--caring for the children of the parish.
It is the pastor's role, Lester says, to make 'spiritual sense out of the chaos of crisis.' he looks to the ministry of Jesus as the model for faithful, effective ministry and illustrates how a pastor's. In the s Robert Coles began studying, living among, and, above all, listening to American children.
The results of his efforts -- revealed in five volumes published between and -- constitute one of the most searching and vigorous social studies ever undertaken by one person in the United States.
Here, heard often in their own voices, are America's "children. The Boy Crisis is yet another attack on the progress of women, although as subtle as such an attack can be in a period of mass rallies for civil and human rights. And I am appalled by the women who signed on to the book with rave reviews/5.
Unlock This Study Guide Now. Start your hour free trial to unlock this Children of Crisis study guide and get instant access to the following. Critical Essays; Analysis; You'll also get access.
From Greta Thunberg to Sally Morgan: 10 books to help kids come to grips with climate crisis Introducing younger readers to environmental emergency is a daunting : Amelia Lush.
The novel “Lost Children Archive” unfolds against this very backdrop of crisis: of children crossing borders, facing death, being detained, being deported unaccompanied by Author: Gaiutra Bahadur. The remainder of the book frames the data in a warranted crisis narrative by articulating its origins: the “purpose void,” dad-deprivation, and the rise of ADHD.
AdvertisementAuthor: Madeleine Kearns. Tweet us your favourite quotes in a crisis @GdnChildrensBks or by emailing @ and we’ll add your ideas to this blog!. Your ideas: Alexis, by email. It’s not a. This is a practical and accessible book giving in-depth information on children in crisis and how to therapeutically intervene on their behalf through play.
The case studies are invaluable in bringing together the material in the first part of the book with application to clinical situations. Excellent work and highly utilizable for practitioners/5(4).
The IBBY Children in Crisis Fund provides support for children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder or natural two main activities that are supported by the Fund are the therapeutic use of books and storytelling in the form of bibliotherapy, and the creation or replacement of collections of selected books that are appropriate to the situation.
One of the best ways caretakers can help young children cope is by sharing age-appropriate information, reassuring their safety, and learning about the many people working to fight the virus.” The book is free and has been translated into nine languages (with more to come!).
Children in more than 14 countries have access to the book. The Children’s Art Foundation (parent company of Stone Soup) is a (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote children’s creativity.
Your donation will help Stone Soup continue to inspire creative kids round the : Sabrina Guo. Ford creates activity book for children during coronavirus (COVID) crisis First activity book released.
Derick Hutchinson, Senior Web Producer. Published: Author: Derick Hutchinson. REFORMA Children in Crisis - Est. The arrival of tens of thousands of children crossing the southern border into the United States created an unprecedented humanitarian refugee crisis that continues today.
Helping Kids in Crisis: Managing Psychiatric Emergencies in Children and Adolescents is a must-read guide for parents, teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators, youth program directors and anyone else who works with children and adolescents on a day to day basis.
The wisdom of the authors, all of whom have experience working in. While driving through Oklahoma, the family began to hear news of a crisis: unaccompanied children, most fleeing violence and intimidation in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, were turning up.
The Brownies' Book was the first magazine published for African-American children and youth. Its creation was mentioned in the yearly children's issue of The Crisis in October The first issue was published during the Harlem Renaissance in Januarywith issues published monthly until December It is cited as an "important moment in literary history" for establishing Founder: W.
Du Bois, Augustus Granville. Ina group of Northwest Florida community leaders identified a critical need for additional foster care facilities for abused and neglected children in the four-county area (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties). Children in Crisis, Inc., a non-profit (c)(3) charity, was established to raise and manage the funds to build, staff, and operate The Children\'s .Additional Physical Format: Online version: Barnes, Stanley.
Children in crisis. South Melbourne: World Vision of Australia, (OCoLC)million children live in high seismic zones with the education of million children likely to be affected by disaster – including landslides, floods and recurring, smaller-scale emergencies – every year what children tell Us they want in times of emergency and crisis.
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Emerging evidence of the role of gut microbiota in the development of allergic diseasesSimonyte Sjödin, Kotryna; Vidman, Linda; Rydén, Patrik; West, Christina E.Current Opinion in Allergy & Clinical Immunology: August 2016 - Volume 16 - Issue 4 - p 390–395 doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000277 PHARMACOTHERAPY AND EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE: Edited by David A. Khan and Enrico Compalati Abstract Author Information Purpose of review: The purpose is to review recent studies examining the role of gut microbiota in allergic diseases and asthma. Recent findings: Work in experimental models gives further evidence that a disturbed gut microbiota influences the propensity to develop allergic manifestations, and that changing the gut microbiota by dietary means (high fiber/acetate or prebiotics) in pregnancy may reduce the risk of allergic airways disease and food allergy in the offspring, respectively. The gut microbiome in established allergic disease and prior to disease onset has also been assessed in clinical trials. One study demonstrated a strong association between high abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and decreased levels of butyrate and propionate, and established eczema. Lower relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae appears to be implicated in food sensitization and to precede the development of atopic eczema. Decreased relative abundance of Lachnospira, Veillonella, Faecalibacterium, and Rothia in early infancy was reported to be associated with increased asthma risk. Inoculation of germ-free mice with these genera decreased airway inflammation in their offspring thereby proposing a causal role of bacteria in preventing allergic airways disease. Summary: Gut microbiome research is an actively developing field. Although candidate bacterial taxa have been reported it still remains unclear which bacteria (or other microbes), in which numbers and combinations, and when during the gut colonization process may prevent allergic diseases and asthma. There is still a call for standardized approaches that will enable direct comparison of different studies. aDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics bDepartment of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden Correspondence to Christina E. West, Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Umeå University, 901 85 Umeå, Sweden. Tel: +46 90 7852216; fax: +46 90 123728; e-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
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One of the reactors of the emergency Japanese nuclear power plant sprang a leak, the molten fuel comes into contact with groundwater.
azeta The Japan Times has published recently the stunning news: "radiation Levels in the containment of the reactor No. 2 of the damaged NPP "Fukushima-1" reached a maximum value at 530 sieverts per hour — the highest figure since the accident in March 2011". The newspaper refers to the official administering the company Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. (Tepco). Japanese officials call this level the "exorbitant" and "unimaginable". And no wonder — this figure is several hundred times the lethal dose. However, this killer information almost not interested in the world's media, politicians and society.
But first — a summary of the previous "series": March 11, 2011 due to the powerful earthquake and tsunami on the NPP "Fukushima-1" was put out of action power supply and a backup diesel generators that led to the core meltdown of the reactors at units 1, 2 and 3. On these blocks for several days there were explosions, and the fourth — the fire in the storage of spent nuclear fuel with emissions of radioactive substances.
Active actions of the Japanese people to stabilize the situation at the plant continued until the end of 2011, three reactors were placed in a state of so-called cold stop. In December 2013 the plant was closed.
Notice that the nuclear disaster at the "Fukushima-1" was rated the highest — seventh — level on the International nuclear event scale. As the Chernobyl disaster. From the 30-km (closed still) zone around the Chernobyl plant "clean space" was relocated to 116 thousand people. From the zone of radioactive Japanese disaster almost a third more — 160 thousand.
According to the newspaper The Japan Times, the previous high was the radiation was defeated in the reactor at 73 SV per hour, and it is also fatal to humans. The company Tepco said that the "high radioactive radiation was registered about housing a reactor core which, as previously considered, holds the radioactive fuel. Such high levels of radiation suggests that leakage of part of fuel."
Specialists the question inevitably arises: how do the Japanese are going in such unthinkable levels of radiation — a person can die from even a momentary exposure to these 530 sieverts per hour to investigate the situation, conduct, finally, the dismantling of the three destroyed reactors? As the staff of the Japanese National Institute of radiological Sciences, doctors have never dealt with such high levels of radiation. According to the Institute, only four of sievert of radiation can kill a person. Japanese experts say that even one sievert (1000 millisieverts, mSv) can lead to infertility, hair loss and cataract, and the impact of higher doses of just 100 mSv increases the risk of cancer.
A small educational program for those who since the Chernobyl disaster used to evaluate the nuclear trouble in x-rays. One sievert is equal to 100 roentgens. Dose three to five sieverts — diagnosis "acute radiation illness" (ARS), bone marrow damage, and death within 30-60 days. 10-15 sieverts, and death in two to three weeks. That's what happened with the Soviet firemen (they were, of course, much higher doses) when extinguishing a reactor at Chernobyl in April—may 1986. Instant death or delayed by a few days comes with the defeat of the body more than 15 sieverts per hour. For comparison, now the Japanese reactor, which is going to be demolished, — 530.
However, the situation is even more complicated the task of the Japanese nuclear for decommissioning the destroyed reactors. The key question is: how in such levels of radiation to remove the fuel? (It is known that the government and the company planned to do so in 2021, waiting for cooling the "infernal" machines and falling levels of radiation.) In the coming weeks, planned to begin work with remote control, that is, the use of robots to check what is happening inside of the reactor containment, but the company will likely have to change your plan.
If about how to use people, and no one thinks (this is only in the Soviet Union people were on the deed with your bare hands, dumping the graphite from the roof of the Chernobyl reactor, and in Japan there are none), bet on robots with the newly discovered circumstances does not cause the local specialists have much optimism. First, even for robots will have to reconsider the route. Moreover, given the extra level of radiation, they will be able to work at least two hours, say Japanese scientists. The thing is that even robots can survive the radiation not above 1,000 sieverts per hour — with these technical features it is designed. And if on the basis of the calculation in 73 SV controlled "assistant" would work (theoretically) for more than ten hours, at present 530 units he will "die" in less than two hours.
However, technical problems — this is just the beginning. "Berries" of the Fukushima disaster, the environmental disaster to the oceans and its inhabitants, which stubbornly silent for nearly six years.
As The Japan Times reports, "on the grid directly under the reactor was discovered a black mass. On the image taken remotely controlled camera, you can see that the lattice is lost, and under the body of the primary reactor Thermoblock formed a six-foot hole." That is, the molten fuel is already out there. Its true condition is unknown, as radiation is too high that a person could check. As stated last year the broadcasting company ABC supervisor of the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1" Was Massoud, is still not established the location of the uranium melt in the affected reactors. "In reactor No. 1's fuel melted the bottom of the reactor vessel and fully emerged. In the 2nd and 3rd reactors remained from 30 to 50% fuel, the rest melted. Unfortunately, we don't know where this fuel is". Seems to have finally learned.
The details and the details of what that means for the environment — discharge of molten uranium fuel — and what threatens — or newspaper, neither the power company Tepco does not go. Meanwhile, even the layman is clear that there was another disaster: the destruction of reactor No. 2 nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1" is in contact with the Pacific ocean, turning its waters into a radioactive solution flows into the oceans.
According to ecologists, in particular, the American Whitney Webb, "only three months after the disaster in the Pacific ocean was dumped radioactive chemicals in excess of the emissions during the Chernobyl disaster. However, in reality actual figures may be much higher, as in recent years, it has been proven by several scholars, the official Japanese estimates do not correspond to the actual state of Affairs." (Of mutual responsibility and lie about the Fukushima accident Japanese heirs of the CPSU Central Committee "Rosbalt" and also wrote, and more than once.)
"Fukushima" after almost six years continues to dump in the Pacific ocean, 300 tons of radioactive water daily — it is admitted even by officials. "So do not be surprised, writes Whitney VEB on the American website The True Activist that Fukushima had already radiated the entire Pacific ocean." She argues, with reference to the serious researchers that some parts of the West coast of North America over the last few years you feel the action of the Japanese radiation. For example, some time after the accident, the gills, mouths and eyes, fish in Canada, began to leak blood. The government of this "disease" ignores, even though it is 10% reduction in local fauna, including the North Pacific herring. In Western Canada independent scientists in 22 days after the accident, recorded the increase in the level of radioactive iodine by 300%. According to their forecasts, the level of radiation in the Pacific will grow.
"In the U.S. state of Oregon starfish began to lose his legs and then completely decay, — according to Whitney the web, when this region in 2013 reached radiation. Now starfish are dying in record numbers, putting at risk the entire oceanic ecosystem of the region. However, government officials say not "Fukushima" to blame for this, although after the accident the level of radiation in Oregon tuna increased three times. In 2014, the radiation on the beaches of California increased by 500%. In response, government officials stated that the radiation comes from the mysterious "unknown" source and that's nothing to worry about". All the words the author supports with references.
But the Fukushima disaster has had an impact not only on the West coast of North America. Now scientists say that the entire Pacific ocean was 5-10 times more radioactive than during the Second world war and immediately after it, when the US government experienced underwater atomic bomb in the Pacific ocean.
The most disgusting thing in this whole Fukushima nuclear story is that it is almost never said Western politicians, famous scientists, the media. Why? As suggested by the author Whitney the web, because the Japanese company Tepco is a subsidiary of General Electric — one of the largest companies in the world, controlling numerous media and politicians. Perhaps in this lies the secret global conspiracy of silence around the nuclear disaster at the plant "Fukushima-1"?
After all, if something like that happened in Russia and Moscow for almost six years sent hundreds of thousands of tons of radioactive water into the ocean, from Washington to Brussels and then everywhere would stand universal scream. As it was, however, after the Chernobyl accident in the Soviet Union. But there the classification was due to the inhuman Communist system. And in fact it appears that today the democratic world, stubbornly ignoring the terrible consequences of the nuclear disaster in Japan, gives a head start of the Soviet totalitarian. Double standards — this is already evident and blind — basic instinct free world. And the Japanese radiation with this approach, of course, safer Soviet.
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled May 31, that the federal government violated the law by allowing certain federal timber sales to proceed in threatened salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest.
In upholding a lower court decision in Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA) v. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Ninth Circuit ruled that the government failed to ensure that the timber sales would protect salmon in two ways:
1) The government failed to look at the local detrimental effects of specific timber sales and their cumulative effect on salmon habitat. The court stated that "NMFS's assuming away site-specific degradations that could lead to a jeopardy finding contradicts the purpose of the ESA and is arbitrary."
2) The government failed to look at immediate near-term degradation (first ten year period after a sale) of salmon habitat caused by timber sales and road building. The court stated "We find nothing in the record to authorize NMFS to assume away significant habitat degradation.... In ten years, a badly degraded habitat will likely result in the total extinction of the subspecies that formerly returned to that part of the creek for spawning."
In the decision, the court also responded specifically to the government's argument that harm to salmon would be mitigated because trees would grow back in ten years. The court stated, "This optimism may be justified for the purpose of counting trees, but for the purpose of counting anadromous fish, it is wholly unrealistic.... There is no scientific evidence in the record to support the conclusion that natural vegetation growth will adequately mitigate the degradation caused by the logging projects and ensure that fish that never hatched could return to the recovered spawning habitat."
The decision will dictate the outcome of all timber sales affecting salmon habitat under the Northwest Forest Plan. It was issued in a case involving approximately two dozen sales in Oregon, and it will govern 170 other federal timber sales in western Washington, Oregon, and northern California that were enjoined pending this ruling. It also establishes legal precedent for future sales in the region.
"There are now four different court rulings finding that the federal government is harming salmon and violating the law by allowing harmful logging to proceed," said Patti Goldman, an attorney with Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, which represented the plaintiffs in the case. "It is now time for the federal government to make its timber sales safe for salmon."
"We are talking about salmon that are protected by the Endangered Species Act," said Regna Merritt, Executive Director of the Oregon Natural Resources Council. "The Endangered Species Act is a salmon safety net, and we can't let destructive timber sales poke holes in that safety net."
The Northwest Forest Plan Now Must Be Given A Chance to Work.
At the heart of the case is the government's Northwest Forest Plan, adopted in 1994, which governs the management of all of the Pacific Northwest's federal public lands. The Northwest Forest Plan is designed to ensure that forestry activities like logging are carried out in ways that protect salmon. In this ruling, the court concluded that the government has failed to implement the Northwest Forest Plan faithfully.
"When the Northwest Forest Plan was issued, the federal government promised that salmon would be protected on our public lands," said Goldman of Earthjustice. "The time has finally come for the government to implement the plan faithfully and deliver on this long-delayed promise."
Consistent with the Northwest Forest Plan, many of the halted timber sales can go forward if they are modified to better protect fish habitat. Modifications may include changing the logging prescription from clear-cuts to thinning or selective cutting, and modifying timber sales units to stay out of riparian reserves.
"In many cases, sales will simply need to be modified according to recommendations already made by federal fish biologists," said Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, the west coast's largest organization of commercial fishing families and the lead plaintiff in the suit. "If we want fishable runs of salmon in the Northwest, if we want fishing jobs for coastal communities, we have to protect them. Fundamentally all the judge is requiring is that the agencies actually do what they said they'd do, which is to protect salmon habitat. As long as they do that, most of these sales can go forward."
"Many of the sales at issue affect the Umpqua River and its tributaries," said Francis Eatherington of Umpqua Waterheds Inc., another plaintiff in the suit. "The Umpqua River was once a world class fishery. If we want to rebuild this fishery, the federal government will have to respect the river and the salmon, and work with local citizens to bring back the fish."
Patti Goldman, Earthjustice, (206) 343-7340 ext.32
Regna Merritt, Oregon Natural Resources Council, (503) 283-6343, ext.214
Glen Spain, PCFFA, (541) 521-8655 or (541) 689-2000
Francis Eatherington, Umpqua Watersheds, (541) 673-7649
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
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"In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes." 1
Death is the natural, inevitable end of life. As with most of life's inevitable natural functions, death can be messy and complicated. Historically, when someone died, their family took responsibility for their burial. This could range anywhere from an elaborate funeral ceremony, and a burial officiated by a member of the clergy, to simply burying the deceased directly in the ground.2 As laws have changed over time, the funeral process has correspondingly become more complex. There are now regulations regarding what type of coffin or vault someone may be buried in, where they may be buried, where ashes of a cremated person may be scattered, etc. The purpose of a funeral home3 is to take care of these details for the bereaved.
The key to remember here is "licensing". All licensing and regulation is handled by the state in which the funeral home resides. A funeral home (also sometimes called a funeral parlor) must be licensed as such, and must be managed by a licensed funeral director. There are strict requirements for the care and sanitation of the vehicles which are used to transport the deceased, as well as the embalming and cremation facilities, and all areas of the funeral home itself. There are also regulations stating proper attire for personnel involved in embalming and preparing the deceased for burial, and regulations to promote respectful treatment of the body. A facility must be specifically licensed as a crematory, or for embalming. Although the specifics vary depending on the state, there are strict regulations as to how a body is to be cremated or embalmed, and how the body and ashes are to be handled and transported.
The process (loosely) works like this:
- Someone dies.
- Their next of kin calls a funeral home.
- The funeral home sends someone in a special vehicle to pick up the body and bring it back to the funeral home facilities.
- Depending on what the wishes of the deceased and the next of kin are, the body is cremated, embalmed, or left alone. (If the funeral home does not have a licensed embalmer or a licensed crematory on site, they will make the necessary arrangments with a local provider.)
- After the body is embalmed or cremated, the funeral home arranges for a casket or urn, and a time for viewing, according to the wishes of the deceased and next of kin.
- The funeral home may also act as intermediary in arranging the burial plot, and church/temple/etc. funeral services if the next of kin has not already taken care of these items.
Ideally, once the bereaved has contacted the funeral home and made known their wishes and the wishes of the deceased, their involvement in the details of the burial process should be minimal.
1 - Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to M. Leroy 1789
2 - I know this doesn't even touch on the vast array of funerary customs, even just those in the United States, but that is not within the scope of this writeup.
3 - This material is in reference to funeral homes in the United States only.
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US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama announced yesterday (May 1) that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University. That wasn’t particularly surprising: Many top universities wooed the famous teenager, and both her parents attended Harvard Law School.
But the second part of Malia’s decision might have surprised some Americans: After finishing high school this spring, she will take a “gap year,” not starting at Harvard until the fall of 2017. While it’s common practice elsewhere in the world, only 2.2% of incoming freshman in the US class of 2015 took a year off before entering college, a recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California Los Angeles found.
Today, many US universities not only allow admitted students to take a year off before beginning their studies, but encourage it. In 2000, Harvard’s admissions officers co-authored an article titled “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation,” in which they suggest admitted students combat the mounting pressures of secondary and post-secondary education (and modern life in general) by taking a year off. The article, which shows up on Harvard’s admissions page, estimates that between 80 and 110 students, or about 5% of those admitted to Harvard each year, decide to take a year off before matriculating.
The article describes the gap year as a “time to step back and reflect, to gain perspective on personal values and goals, or to gain needed life experience in a setting separate from and independent of one’s accustomed pressures and expectations.”
At this point it isn’t clear what Malia Obama’s plans are. Some students use gap years do a project related to their academic interests. In the past she has shown an interest in film and television, working as an intern on the sets of the HBO series Girls and the CBS sci-fi show Extant, so it’s possible some project in that field will emerge. Many students use a gap year to travel or volunteer in far-flung places. Of course, Malia Obama has already seen more of the world than most teenagers—though probably not strapped with a backpack.
The idea of complementing bookish studies with real-world experience goes back hundreds of years. In the 17th century, students from elite British families would take a “grand tour,” completing their education by seeing the European museums, architecture, and fashion they’d only read about in the classroom. The 1960s and 1970s saw the emergence of the gap year as a recognizable phenomenon in the UK, with tour companies offering travel and volunteering opportunities to “gappers.”
In New Zealand “the big OE”—overseas experience—has become ingrained in the culture, and it’s an important item to list on one’s CV. While the rite of passage traditionally was made after university, these days an increasing number of Kiwis make the trip right out of high school.
The term “gap year” caught on in the US about a decade ago, when Prince William and Prince Harry took planned time off before entering university in the UK, according to Holly Bull, president of an independent agency called Interim Programs that helps US pre-college students plan their time off. Bull’s father founded the agency in 1980 to promote the concept. “I’ve basically watched the trend grow from it’s inception in the US,” she says. “And while I wouldn’t call it mainstream now, we’ve seen a lot of growth.”
This growth has led to a burgeoning “gap year” planning services industry, populated by an increasing number of consulting agencies like Bull’s. The American Gap Association (AGA), founded in 2012, oversees this industry, acting as a kind of accreditation agency. Based on the programs it reviews, the AGA estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 students annually take a planned “gap year” in the US, and that the number of students doing this has grown by between 20% and 30% each year since 2006.
“The growing popularity of gap years speaks to a larger conversation in the US about what direction education is heading and how we help young people become thoughtful, caring citizens,” Joe O’Shea, president of the AGA, says. He also mentions a growing interest in global affairs among younger generations as a driver in the popularity of these programs, many of which provide students with the opportunity to practice a foreign language while doing community service work overseas.
Taking a “gap year” like this can be pricey, but there are ways to do it on the cheap, according to Bull. She cites as an example one student she helped to plan such a year, who served half the time as a counselor at a wilderness education program in the US and the other half as an attendant at a fly fishing lodge in New Zealand, in exchange for room and board.
Still, taking time off before starting school may not be a good decision for all pre-college students. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, said planned “gap years” like the one Malia Obama is taking are primarily an indulgence of the elite. Working and saving money before college is a necessity for many, not an enrichment exercise.
“There’re tons of people taking a gap year,” she said. “It’s better known as ‘taking time off before college.'” And for those students, the year outside of formal education can be detrimental, she said.
A majority of people who do not go straight to college after high school end up having a much harder time completing their degrees, she said, based on her analysis of federal data for a study published in 2011. Getting married, having a baby, becoming financially responsible for siblings, or losing academic motivation can all make it harder for low-income students to return to their education after taking time off, she explained.
“I worry about schools encouraging low-income students to take a gap year,” she says. “I think it’s very risky, based on my work. If they delay, it can cause all sorts of problems.”
For parents of college-bound students, like the Obamas, any diversion from the formal track can be disconcerting. After all, losing motivation or falling in love can happen to anyone, at any time. ”The idea of a ‘gap year’ sounds really great,” Goldrick-Rab says, “until you realize how messy peoples’ lives are.”
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Coronaviruses are a family of relatively large viruses. The name comes from the fact that, under a microscope, coronaviruses all look like they are surrounded by little halos. Those "coronas" are actually little proteins that cover the surface of the viruses and help them gain access to the cells they invade.
Although scientists think that coronaviruses are actually responsible for a significant percentage of the illnesses that we call the "common cold", the most famous coronavirus is SARS, which killed almost 1000 people in 2003. That doesn't sound like many, but comparing deaths to diagnosed cases reveals a fatality rate of 10%. (There's a good chance this number doesn't give you the full picture. It's likely more people contracted SARS than ended up diagnosed with it, simply because, if your illness isn't severe, you don't usually bother to get diagnosed. To provide some context, the 1918 flu pandemic had an estimated fatality rate of 2.5%.)
All of this explains why a newly identified coronavirus — which may be the cause of two deaths and a couple of outbreaks of respiratory illness in the Middle East — is getting so much attention and causing people to freak out a little. The virus (which doesn't actually have a name yet) is part of the same family as SARS. SARS was a scary virus. So this new virus has everyone a little on edge, too.
The key thing to remember, though, is that this new virus is not SARS. And there's a lot we don't yet know about it. Read the rest
Last month I asked my friends to write about books they loved (you can read all the essays here). This month, I invited them to write about their favorite graphic novels, and they selected some excellent titles. I hope you enjoy them! (Read all the Great Graphic Novel essays here.) -- Mark
Zap Comix #2
I think it was 1969, so I was 11 or 12 years old. A conservative science teacher with a Marine-style buzzcut had just finished projecting an anti-drug exploitation film for us in class, in which teens were getting hit by cars and launching themselves from buildings as the result of bad acid trips. Just after this, Mr. Buzzcut excitedly announced that he would demonstrate to us what a burning marijuana cigarette smelled like, just so we'd know the odor and be able to avoid areas where it was present. He gathered all thirty students around as he lit up a colorless tablet. None of us could detect any sort of odor at all.
As they usually did for just about everyone who was subjected to them, these anti-drug presentations aroused my curiosity to try the real thing, consequences be damned.
That weekend, I hopped on my Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle to scout out areas where I suspected longhairs would gather. Early one evening I detected an extremely fragrant scent outside a movie theater on Wilshire near La Cienega. Finally, I thought, I had experienced the real smell of "Mary Jane," pot, grass or whatever those exploitation films maintained was the current slang. Read the rest
RT Pritchett's Ye Smokiana, from 1890, appears to a very informative "historical" and "ethnographical" study of smoking. It's illustrated with beautiful color drawings smoking implements from around the world, more specifically "pipes of all nations." Ye Smokiana is now on the auction block at eBay. Ye Smokiana (Thanks, Randall de Rijk!) Read the rest
Here's a cute concept-design for tear-off, disposable flash-drives from Art Lebedev, who predicts, "Stick will become even simpler vehicle than once floppy" (mangled Russian-English interpretation courtesy of Google Translate). I wonder if NFC/ultra-wideband wireless transfer will make low-capacity flash drives obsolete before they get cheap enough to make into cardboard disposables, though.
Концепт флеш-накопителя «Флешкус»
Read the rest
I never get tired of reading novels about life on Earth following a disaster that wipes out 99.9% of the human population. Earth Abides and I am Legend are two of my favorites in this sub-genre. I like these stories fro several reasons: I'm fascinated in seeing how people figure out how to survive after their modern conveniences have been taken away from them. It's also interesting to see why the remaining inhabitants struggle to go on with their lives, and to read about their encounters with people who might or might not want to eat them.
After reading The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller, I'm adding it to the top of my twilight-of-the-human-race-novels list. The story takes place about 30 years in the future, nine years after a deadly flu has killed almost everyone on Earth. Hig is one of the survivors. He lives near a small airport in Erie, Colorado (I know the place well, having grown up a stone's throw from the small town east of Boulder). He's teamed up with a no-nonsense, survivalist type named Bangley who is armed to the gills, but seems to be somewhat unhinged. Hig, who lives in fear that Bangley might consider Hig to be a liability rather than an asset, owns a small plane that he uses to patrol the flatlands for invading hordes of starving people armed with knives, broken bottles, and crossbows, who would happily kill Hig and Bangley to take their food stockpiles, garden produce, and ammunition. Read the rest
When a narrow stream, flowing downhill, meets a wide, significantly-flatter valley, you get an alluvial fan — a place where the flow of water spreads out, slows down, and leaves behind all the rocks and sediment it's no longer moving fast enough to carry. At least, that's how it works on Earth.
Once upon a time, it may have worked that way on Mars, too. Yesterday, NASA announced that the Curiosity rover had documented geology that looks very much like an alluvial fan and rocky deposits that also look very much like what would be left in an alluvial fan on Earth. You can see the comparison of some of those in the image above. In these Martian geological features — as in an Earth-bound stream bed — you find smooth, rounded pebbles and conglomerates, masses of pebbles cemented together over time. The rocks photographed by Curiosity are also too large to have been blown into this sort of arrangement by the wind.
All of this adds to the long string of evidence that Mars once had flowing water on its surface. In fact, reading up for this post, I was surprised to see how much evidence there actually is for this, some direct and some indirect, stretching all the way back to the Mariner 9 orbiter mission in the early 1970s. And, of course, there is water on Mars right now. It's just not flowing water. Previous probes have measured a small amount of water in the Martian atmosphere, and the planet's polar regions contain both frozen carbon dioxide and frozen water. Read the rest
COPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, requires web sites for kids to obtain parental consent before collecting personal data, but much has changed online since 1998. The NYT reports that Federal regulators
"are about to take the biggest steps in more than a decade to protect children online," by restricting the ability of sites and apps to collect "details like children’s photographs or locations of mobile devices. The concern is that the information could be used to identify or locate individual children." Read more
. Read the rest
As if "Sam Bacile," "PJ Tobacco," and dozens more colorful fake names weren't enough, the "Innocence of Muslims" guy apparently had yet another alias
. A California judge has detained him for violating the terms of his probation
by using a computer to make and upload the crappy and controversial film to YouTube. Read the rest
An unknown yarn-bomber has taken to the streets of Edinburgh with a political message, opposing the tramway expansion underway there. Yarnivore Rose says, "Actual political speech in yarnbomb form, rather than 'mere' decoration! BRING IT!"
More from The Scotsman:
Grant McKeenan, who owns the Copymade Shop on West Maitland Street and who has started his own anti-tram poster campaign, said he thought the protest was “excellent”, adding: “Anything speaking out against the trams is good in my book, and clearly someone’s gone to a lot of
Councillor Lesley Hinds, the city’s transport leader confirmed that the council had removed the colourful protest.
“When unofficial banners are put up it’s normally the process that they are removed, in case they come loose and flap into the face of a pedestrian or into the path of a cyclist.
“It did look like nice crochet work though, someone had clearly spent a lot of time on it.”
The city council added that the blanket was still in their possession if the owner wished to claim it, no questions asked.
Mystery knitter vents Edinburgh trams fury in ‘yarn-bombing’ blanket protest
(Image: a downsized, cropped thumbnail of "The embroidered tram work protest which was attached to the fence on Princes Street," a photo by Mary Gordon)
Read the rest
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The game of indoor cricket
Indoor cricket is played on a rectangular, artificial-grass surfaced court. The court is enclosed in tightly tensioned netting, including a 4 metre high roof. The length of the pitch and size of the stumps are exactly the same dimensions as outdoor cricket.
Like traditional cricket, indoor cricket involves two batsmen, a bowler and a team of fielders. The bowler bowls the ball to the batsmen who must score runs. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins.
Despite these basic similarities, indoor cricket differs significantly from its traditional counterpart in several ways, most notably on the field of play and the means by which runs are obtained.
Summary of Indoor Cricket Rules
- Each team consists of a maximum of 8 players (minimum of 6)
- Each team bats for 1 innings and bowls for 1 innings of 16 overs (total 32 over game)
- An over consists of 8 balls or deliveries (variations may occur)
- A bowler cannot bowl consecutive overs
- Each batting pair bat for 4 overs
- Dismissals are a 5 run deduction from the score
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The video above shows Tim Bullock with a clear path to looking at the tablet with his students. The short reflections from students from another class helps us realise that the students have little real understanding of the potential of their devices and refer to uses they make of similar technology.
Jedd Bartlett in his blog
Points to a Jisc report that indicates there is more to ICT than natural use. “New report reveals the information needs of the researchers and learners of the future: The report by the CIBER research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an ease and familiarity with computers, they rely on the most basic search tools and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to asses the information that they find on the web…”
While addressing analytical skills I feel this reinforces my belief that outside of the teachable moment we need to still scaffold student learning with some clear learning design and intentions for the technology we are adapting more and more. The term "digital native" has been somewhat used as an abdication of reponsibilty for student learning. My feeling is we cannot merely hand over technology in the hope the students will work this out for themselves.
What can we do to improve this with students.(my initial thoughts)
- Ask students to explore capabilities in some depth and work with others on them
- Have students explore some technical communications on the web
- have students post some technical communications to the web
- Look at what others have achieved
- Use co-constructed rubrics
- Lay down explicit challenges
- Be prepared to build base knowledge outside of inquiry
- (authentic learning can take place here)
- Discussion and role based group work
- Always have a learning design
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Museum of Palestine's opening show was emptiness: a statement on war, memory and its people's resilience
3D-printed models of fluffy white clouds billow up from a table in this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, the frozen globules of dust looking like a cluster of little meringues. The reality is not quite so sweet. These are the bomb clouds created by Israeli strikes on Gaza, the result of two one-tonne bombs being dropped on a residential neighbourhood in Rafah in 2014, killing scores of civilians.
That this is known, and the locations pinpointed and now solidified in haunting lumps of plaster dust, is thanks to the work of a group of architects based at Goldsmiths University in London. They sifted tirelessly through images and video footage posted on social media and pieced the evidence together, using photogrammetry to model the three dimensional plumes of smoke and map the devastation caused by the bombs.
‘It’s a process of architectural forensics,’ says Eyal Weizman, director of the research group Forensic Architecture, which was commissioned by Amnesty International to reconstruct the events in Rafah. Working with human rights organisations and international prosecutors, his team uses digital mapping and modelling tools to build extensive portfolios of evidence, reconstructing the physical reality on the ground to show what actually happened in these contested cases.
Their evidence has been used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, and they have been commissioned by the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to study single destroyed buildings, as well as patterns of destruction resulting from drone warfare in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza. It is a form of architectural practice that goes well beyond the comfort of the drawing board.
‘War is now almost exclusively urban in nature,’ says Weizman. ‘Most casualties occur in buildings and cities, so architects are best-placed to use their skills in these situations.’
More recently they have worked with witnesses to help reconstruct first-hand testimonies, building digital models of their homes to help clarify memories that are often blurred by trauma. ‘It’s a very slow and traumatic process,’ he says, ‘but events start to come back to people through the process of rebuilding their own homes. It shows how memory is so intrinsically linked to space and architecture.’
Before arriving in Venice, I had the chance to spend a few days in Palestine, experiencing first hand exactly how space, memory and conflict are so tied, and how architecture is being used as a weapon by both sides. I had come to visit the new Palestinian Museum, a striking beacon of hope perched on top of a hill Birzeit in the West Bank, designed by Dublin architect Heneghan Peng. It was planned as a vessel of memory and culture of the Palestinian people, yet inside the sharply faceted white stone shell, hewn with the crisp precision of a piece of origami, there was nothing to be found. The building opened without an exhibition – a poignant symbol of the circumstances under which it had to be built.
That the $24m project was even completed is something of a miracle, given that practically every building material was subject to suspicious inspection by the Israeli authorities. The waterproofing system, manufactured in the UK, mysteriously doubled in price on import; the fire exit signs from a leading Austrian manufacturer were rejected; an Israeli sliding door supplier had to be smuggled on to the site in secret, fearing for his life. The glass curtain had to be trucked across the deserts of Saudi Arabia from Dubai, while the Jordanian landscape architect was refused a visa to see the site. She conducted the entire project through FaceTime.
On a clear day, from the terrace of museum, which looks out over a sloping garden of almond and apricot trees, pomegranate and mulberry, fig and terebinth, you can see the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean. It is a prospect that few people of the West Bank will ever be able to reach. Just as they are forbidden from entering Israel, so too will most of the Palestinian diaspora never be able to come to their museum.
‘The building is to celebrate the resilience of the Palestinian people,’ says the museum’s director, Mahmoud Hawari. ‘Despite the problems of occupation, it is a statement that we are here, we have a deep history in this land, and this is where we are going to stay.
Oliver Wainwright is architecture critic at the Guardian
Forensic Architecture’s work has spread beyond analysing the impact of bombs to studying warfare of a different kind – using satellite images to map the destruction of the natural environment in the case of genocide committed against the Mayan Ixil people in Guatemala in the 1980s, and recently tracking how boats of migrants have been left to die in the Mediterranean, despite being in the NATO-monitored area.
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Presentation on theme: "Health inequalities and social class Week 17 Sociology of Health and Illness."— Presentation transcript:
Health inequalities and social class Week 17 Sociology of Health and Illness
Recap Thought about how health and illness are structured by society Considered the ‘sick role’, medicalisation and surveillance medicine Looked at ‘lay’ understandings of health
Outline Outline the impact of social class on heath Consider completing explanations Consider how health status is individualised
Impact of Social Class The impact of social class on health has been debated since the mid-19th century The poor are sicker and die earlier than the rich Charities and campaigns intervene to help –Factory and Sanitation Acts, Charity Hospitals
Treatment for all? During the early 20th century access to medical treatment was increased The most significant step was the National Health Service Act in The service launched on 5 July 1948, and it was hoped that this would significantly reduce health inequalities
NHS Introduction 945to1951/filmpage_cyvgh.htm
Did it make a difference? A study was to commissioned in the 1970s by the Labour Government to examine health inequalities The Conservative government tried to bury the outcome But the ‘Black Report’ showed the extent of class differences
Health inequalities today Acheson Report (1998) –Death rates have fallen but class differences increased for all major causes of death –Premature mortality (death < 65) is higher among people who are unskilled. ONS found 18.3 disability-free years between best and worse areas Doring found up to 10 years life expectancy difference
Why do you think the health inequalities have persisted? Should we be concerned about it?
Explaining class inequalities The Black Report set out for main reasons why an association between poverty and health could be seen –Artefact –Health Selection –Cultural –Materialist Each reason leads to different actions
Artefact? This reason suggests that the higher level of diagnosis and death is not ‘real’ The social processes involved in gathering and analysing statistics contributes to the gap Draws on ideas about the social construction of illness
Health Selection This position argues that it is not the poor that get sick, but the sick who become poor. Serious illness or disability often has a detrimental impact on employment and income Highlights discrimination within social structures
Cultural or behavioural Ways of living differ between social classes Lower social classes are unhealthy Smoking Drinking alcohol Poor diet Lack of exercise One side sees these as individual choices, the other rooted in social circumstances
Materialist or Structural Poverty is the major causation –Bad housing –Lack of money –Working conditions Poor outcomes not just linked to behaviour Economic measures to reduce poverty should be main goal
Two new theories Since the Black Report two additional explanations have been added –Psycho-social –Life course Both try to explain complexity and trends in health data
Psycho-social Data suggests that it is not wealth per se that is important in determining health Wilkinson suggests it is the degree of inequality (gap between rich and poor) Two key concepts are –Social cohesion –Self-esteem Reflected in current policy on social inclusion/exclusion
Life-course The life-course interpretation focuses on circumstances across the lifespan It includes an emphasis on maternal health Health is a cumulative concept which can include material and cultural factors
Which reason(s) for health inequality do you think is most likely?
Individualising health? The Black Report and most other sociological studies have argued that the strongest explanations take seriously structural factors Social class matters, yet both individuals and governments stress behavioural factors
Marxist explanations Marxism has always seen disease (and treatment) as outcomes of capitalism Engels argued that industrial capitalism caused ‘Social murder’ Health care is part of the capitalist mode of production
Marxist explanations Navarro argues that the organisation of healthcare –Redefines social problems as medical ones so legitimates the status quo –The emphasis on high-tech scientific medicine forms part of the capitalist economy –Reproduces class inequalities within the organisation of health care and patterns of consumption
To what extend do you think healthcare is a part of the capitalist economy?
Marxist explanations Redefining social problems? –Shift-work sleep disorder? High-tech scientific medicine –2002 Combined Profit of Top Ten Pharmaceutical was over US$35 billion –NHS in England spends £7 billion pa Reproduces class inequalities –Middle-classes become doctors –Who shouts loudest gets treated?
Summary Look at the evidence for an association between class and health Considered different explanations Considered Marxist views on health as a part of the capitalist economy
Next week Continue to consider health inequalities by focusing on gender Do women get sicker but men die quicker? Look at explanations for gendered patterns
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Is Science Becoming a New Faith?
‘Scientific theory’ is an established body of knowledge about a certain subject, supported by observable facts, repeatable experiments, and logical reasoning. This is in contrast to the word ‘theory’ that is used in general as a synonym for words like proposition, hypothesis, or even speculation.
People usually use the preceding phrase in order to assert the authenticity of the ‘scientific theories’ and to confirm that it is not liable for any debate or discussion, particularly when someone criticizes Darwin’s.
As we see, credit is given to the term ‘scientific theory’ because it is evidenced by what scientists observe by seeing, touching, smelling and measuring; but does this make it real? It is encouraged before attempting to answer this question to consider the following factors:
- The limits of our senses and brain.
- The limits of the equipment used by scientists to measure quantities that they observe. We have to ask ourselves what they are capable of measuring and to what precision, as this depends on the accuracy of the tools and devices scientists use.
- The complexity of nature; at the macro level, scientists only understand 4% of the universe. The micro level is also mysterious. For example, the uncertainty rule in quantum mechanics reveals that the position and the velocity of a particle cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time, even in theory. Not to mention that scientists only know 10% of the human DNA functions and 10% of our brain functions are explored.
- The continuous limited knowledge. One may think that the more we know, the more we get a better understanding of how the world is operating. However, philosophers and scientists throughout history had a different opinion, as quoted by Aristotle: “the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know.” And quoted by Einstein: “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
- The limitations of science. Not everything around us can be tested. Concepts like freedom, justice, dignity, and beauty can’t be weighed or measured; and this may point to another unmeasurable realm inside the human mind that detects those issues and lie outside the boundary of science. Consequently, this may indicate the presence of other sources of knowledge that perhaps have even more credibility than science.
- Scientists are bound by the prevailing views until proved otherwise.
Taking the preceding factors into account, there is no theory that is 100% accurate; there is always a possibility that an established scientific theory, turns out to be challenged or refuted. Theories allow us to make current-best-evidence-guesses regarding the causes that shape the behavior of the universe. If and when the day comes where the discovered facts don’t match the theory, then the theory will be disproved and replaced by a better one. History has debunked the claim that the scientific theory is always true.
Debunking Well-established Theories throughout History
In the past, there were three scientific pieces of evidence that supported the idea that Earth was the center of the Universe, which is called the geocentric theory. First, from anywhere on Earth, the Sun appears to revolve around Earth once per day. Second, Earth seems to be unmoving from the perspective of an earthbound observer; it feels solid, stable, and fixed. Third, when you drop an object, it falls to the ground; it was falsely interpreted as being attracted to the center of the universe ‘Earth.’ Gravity was unknown to them. Yet the theory was gradually superseded by the heliocentric model. This is just an example of how scientific observations can lead to inaccurate theories. It also shows that these inaccurate theories were held and embraced for so long because scientists believed them to be true; so they took every possible observation they came across into account to support their theory.
There are disputes among scientists about critical issues, like Darwin’s evolution theory, the essence of our consciousness, near-death experience, parallel multiverses, the possibility of producing a living cell in the lab, etc. Let’s see if the trigger for those controversies is based on scientific facts or rather based on scientists’ different beliefs and views.
A) The Cause of our Consciousness
Almost any neurologist would say that the brain creates consciousness. However, when investigating the credibility of the Near- Death- Experience (NDE) in my production Beyond Life, it showed that the scientific claims regarding this area are not always objective. The claim was refuted when considering the blinds’ ability to see while having a flat line EEG after being separated from their bodies during their NDE. How can a blind patient see without a working brain and without functioning eyes?! Yet neurologists affirm that the brain is the producer of consciousness! Now I would ask neurologists to support their claim and explain the process of creating consciousness by the human brain. Stephen Stelzer, a professor of philosophy at the American University in Cairo, once commented on their claim, and expressed his denial by saying: “that is a circular situation; does it sound logical that the brain says that the human being is only a brain? The brain speaks about itself and says I am only a brain? I am consisting only of a brain?!”
Finally, I would like to quote from Francis Collins book The language of God, on page 125 “Humans are all 99.9% identical at the DNA level. This remarkably low genetic diversity distinguishes us from most other species on the planet, where the amount of DNA diversity is 10 or sometimes even 50 times greater than our own.” I was struck with awe when I read the preceding information. As I realize that animals look much more similar than humans. So to know that the differences in animals are more obvious than that in humans at the DNA level is an utter surprise, and this keeps me wondering what makes every person so unique if our genome is 99.9% identical!
B) How we came to be Human
Many biologists believe that we came to be human by evolution. Scientists who are atheists explain the extraordinary abilities and accomplishments of Homo sapiens as a result of the natural selection process, which is not in itself a creative process; however, it promotes or eliminates mutations according to what is favorable or unfavorable, depending on the environmental circumstances. These assumptions raise more questions than giving answers, like:
- What caused life in the first place? or in other words, how was the first living cell initiated?
- Why does natural selection work that way?
- Why, in a totally mechanical procedure that is focused only on environmental adaptations, did values, principles, love, freedom, and justice evolve?
- Why do we hold good values in great esteem?
- Why does beauty prevail in nature, and why have many beautiful creatures evolved?
- How did order come out of chaos?
- How did such an intelligent and immensely organized world come about without any purpose or reason? etc.
Because mere evolution (without a creator) raises many questions without answers as stated above, some scientists made a compromise; they embrace evolution and at the same time they chose to have faith in God. Some of them even believe in God’s messages despite the contradiction of the theory of evolution with the literal meaning of the verses of the holy texts.
Evolution of the Gaps
Francis Collins, the leader of the genome project, is one of the scientists who advocate the view of embracing evolution and at the same time believing in God and His message. This is shown in his book The Language of God; in a chapter titled BioLogos, when science and Faith are in Harmony.
The author also explained the Cambrian Explosion by stating on page 94, “Singled celled organisms appeared in sediments that are older than 550 million years. Suddenly 550 million years ago a great number of diverse invertebrate body plans appear in the fossil record (This is often referred to as the Cambrian explosion).”
Then the author supported evolution by trying to find an explanation stating on page 94-95 “the so-called Cambrian explosion might, for example, reflect a change in conditions that allowed fossilization of a large number of species that had actually been in existence for millions of years.”
And he warns theists from using the Cambrian explosion to support their claims, as this will be another “God of the gaps” argument. However, I consider the explanation he offered as an “evolution of the gaps” argument. It is not based on solid facts or evidence but rather on a mere assumption to support the evolution theory.
In another chapter, the author finds compelling pieces of evidence for evolution, which are:
- Finding a precisely truncated (not functioning) ancient repetitive elements (ARE) in the same place in both human and mouse genomes (p. 135)
- When comparing DNA sequences of related species, silent differences, which do nothing significant, are much common in the coding regions than those that alter an amino acid.
- The humans and Chimps have a gene known as caspase-12. This gene in humans has constant several knockout setbacks, however, the chimp caspase-12 gene works fine.
The author then asks, why would God have gone to the trouble of inserting such a nonfunctional gene in the precise location?
I appreciate the author’s insights; however, knowing that only about 1 percent of the human genome encodes proteins, and researchers have long debated what the other 99 percent is good for, shows that we are still exploring the field. Thus it is better to wait, rather than use “evolution of the gaps” argument for inferring conclusions from facts and pieces of evidence that are liable to change over time. For example, Casey Luskin in 2011, rebutting to Collin’s has cited research which suggested this purported “pseudogene” known as caspase-12 is functional in many humans. Also, it has been revealed afterward that some of the junk genes that were believed to be nonfunctioning do have a purpose.
From the preceding information, one can deduce that scientists are subjective by nature; they are bound by their views. This is natural, for they are human. This is obvious when contemplating Einstein words “God cannot play dice.” Eric Adelberger, Emeritus Professor of Physics at Washington University, has commented on Einstein’s phrase by saying: “Einstein was troubled by the fact that there was inherent randomness in quantum mechanics. And he did not like this. He believed that everything had to be determined and the only reason that these things seem random to us that there is a little stuff inside that we can’t see that is actually determining these things. However, this is not the way we view quantum mechanics today. We found randomness is absolutely inheriting in nature, but Einstein doesn’t want to accept this, and he was wrong.”
Einstein had a passion to prove something that he couldn’t prove; and if he had found enough evidence that is likely to support his claim, he would have introduced it. This doesn’t make him wrong as stated by Dr. Adelberger; it only shows that he has a view that he couldn’t support; but who knows, perhaps in the future, it will be supported; for evidence and theories are liable to change by emerging new pieces of evidence over time.
The subjectivity of scientists is also clear when contemplating conclusions of the most notably Francis Crick (who is mostly known for being a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 with Rosalind Franklin and James Watson). He wanted to solve the dilemma of life’s appearance on earth, and because he was an atheist, he concluded that life forms must have arrived on Earth from outer space, either carried by small particles floating through interstellar space and captured by earth gravity, or even brought here intentionally or accidentally by some ancient space traveler! As we see, his conclusion hasn’t solved the ultimate question of life’s origin, since it simply forces that astounding event to another time and place even further back as quoted by Francis Collins.
We also see other scientists, who are atheists, trying to solve the mystery of life appearance on earth and a fine-tuned universe that supported this life to continue without the presence of God, by proposing a parallel multiverses theory.
Science is a Creed
In the past, Galileo’s findings were viewed as contradicting with some verses in the Bible, and that is why he was persecuted. Many believe that history repeats itself; as theologians today refuse to embrace the evolution theory because they think that it contradicts with the holy text. I agree that history repeats itself, but in a different way. People who persecute others are those who are in power. The church lost its control and power long ago, and now the power is in the hands of the seculars.
Let me share with you a story that happened to me personally. Years ago, I was trying to convince a young physicist and a believer in the US to accept my interview during my “beyond life” film production. I told him that my purpose is to focus on the relation between science and the belief in God (if any). He sent an apology email explaining that he is a Ph.D. student and it may cause him trouble if his professors know that he believes in God!
Although it went through lots of changes over time, science is becoming a creed to many today. This is obvious in believers’ attempts to propose allegories to change the meaning of the holy texts to match those found in theories of science. It is also shown when you argue with people who believe in evolution. In Quora site for example, in response to the following question: “Has Darwin's theory of evolution been completely refuted? If so, why?” some answers came as follows:
- “Even a Chimp if able to speak and write will not ask this question”
- “Evolution opposers are not busily conducting experiments. Therefore, they are not refuting nor exposing anything. They're intellectual parasites creating emotional mirages, trying to give the same feeling of fulfillment to reading off a list of rules as you get from actually building a model and exploring it.”
- “The motive behind these questions is highly suspicious!”
I am not discussing the credibility of the theory, I am just trying to figure out why when questioning a so-called a scientific theory, you find all these anger and biases surface many answers unless science has become a creed of today.
We are humans, thus we are subjective creatures; our subjectivity may vary, but is present. So I urge people to bear this fact in mind when evaluating any information, even if it is scientific, and to differentiate between facts and opinions around these facts. Consequently, I ask people to evaluate my own words as well, for I am a human being and I speak from my own perspective.
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The water net has negative and positive impacts on freshwater systems on the biota in lake systems.
The water net is a serious nuisance alga because it clogs waterways and irrigation ditches, taints potable water, causes economic losses to trout fisheries, smothers aquatic plants and fauna and has an adverse impact upon boating, fishing, swimming and tourism.
Shallow water mats
Extensive surface floating mats
On beaches water net accumulates in large drifts, decaying and causing localised anoxic conditions.
Some studies have demonstrated water net having a beneficial impact on invertebrates.
The rapid spread of the water net in the British Isles is believed to be a climate change response relating to elevated and extended summer water temperatures and low river flows.
The sudden appearance of small (>2cm long), cylindrical colonies in May and June on the surface of a lake near Helston in Cornwall (UK) was associated with the water reaching 15°C. Such colonies increased in size several thousand fold within a few days and gave rise to entangled, cylindrical-shaped colonies blanketing the surface.
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Stop Starting and Start Finishing
Companies typically have a large number of active or valuable work to be done at any one time, all at various stages of development. Performance improvement often focuses on how to do more, not how to do less. Therefore, limiting the volume of requests being done seems to go counter to the overall goal. In fact, many systems speed up when the volume of work being worked on decreases.
The Traffic Flow Problem
A reasonable metaphor for this is the speed-density-flow relationship seen in traffic studies. Figure 1 shows the classic relationship, where flow = speed x density. In the case of traffic, the speed of the traffic increases (from a standstill) as the number of cars on the road falls. The flow of traffic on the road, on the other hand, increases to a point, but then falls off as the number of cars on the road falls below a certain number, however fast they are going. In other words, there is excess capacity in the system as the number of cars on the road falls.
Figure 1: The graph shows the relationship between speed, density and flow for traffic on a highway. The higher the volume of traffic, the slower the speed of the cars, and the lower the flow of cars along the highway. However, as the number of cars on the highway falls, the flow will also drop off even as the cars go as fast as they can (hopefully at the speed limit).
In the case of work requests entering development, the flow of work through the system changes in the same way, increasing to a point, but then decreasing rapidly as the volume of work requests increases. Unfortunately most systems operate at or above capacity, at which point there is a negatively reinforcing feedback loop driving the performance down (Figure 2). Once a system has passed its optimal flow regime, additional work requests quickly decrease the performance of the system, causing longer wait times as more work requests pile up, which can lead to more requests being worked on, decreasing the performance (throughput) of the system even more.
Figure 2: Above the maximum capacity of the system (when the flow through the system is at its highest), we see a negatively reinforcing loop. That is, as the density of cars increases, the flow through the system falls, increasing the number of cars in the system, leading to a further drop in the flow through the system, and so on. Something we’ve all encountered around 5 o’clock in most cities.
This can be seen in any system by measuring the cycle time, the total time it takes to start and complete a single feature or piece of work, and lead time, the total time it takes to complete a piece of work (cycle time) plus the time the work spends in the queue, and plotting these as a function of the number of work items open at any given time.
Limiting WIP in a Scrum Team
So how can we apply this principle to an existing backlog of work consisting of the many valuable and less valuable tasks a product gathers over time? In Scrum, the team limits the number of items they are working on by pulling in only the number of work items (or stories) they can complete in a sprint. This automatically limits the team to a fixed number of stories, hopefully between 6-10 stories. More mature agile teams will also limit the number of stories they are actively working on during the sprint, only working on 2-3 stories at any one time; The purpose of this is to speed up throughput by limiting work-in-progress (WIP).
Many teams have other kinds of work they have to handle. Perhaps emergency items (such as production support tickets) that cannot wait until the next sprint planning to be addressed, or small enhancements, maintenance items or report extracts, that are part of the everyday maintenance and support of a product or service. These types of work requests can be handled through a contingency stream, captured on the team’s task board, and tracked visibly for all to see. There are a few guidelines for handling these tickets:
- Set a capacity limit for the team to spend on these additional items, and help the team manage to this capacity.
- Have clear policies around what to do with larger items (e.g. work requests larger than 1 day go into the backlog, work requests smaller than a day are handled in priority order).
- Hide the bulk of the tickets from the team (but not the business stakeholders) to avoid distracting the team.
- Allow the business to prioritize the tickets the team works on – hopefully through the Product Owner – and if this is not possible set clear rules (e.g. date order) and keep to that.
- Make the work backlogs visible to all so that everyone can see where their ticket is and what is in front of their ticket.
Prioritizing Work across Multiple Projects
In situations where there is a portfolio of projects for a single team to work on, it can be hard for the team to complete one project before the pressure to turn their attention to the next project in the pipeline becomes unbearable. This leads to large amount of unfinished work (inventory with a very real cost to maintain and support or build around) as well as the frustration of abnormally long lead times or time-to-market, incomplete work waiting on small changes, and never-ending projects.
In this case, we clearly want to allow the team to work on each project a little at a time. But doing this story by story (work request by work request) doesn`t solve the problem of partially complete work unless the work on each project delivers something shippable, something that adds value even if the project in its entirety is not delivered. Grouping a minimal set of stories together to deliver a slice of functionality – a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) the customer can interact with and use – allows the team to work on one project after the other, delivering something of value for the owner of each project (this could be feedback, rather than working functionality, but that’s a discussion for another post) as quickly as possible (Figure 3), while moving each project forward.
Figure 3: Managing multiple projects is hard. Many times, the priority of a project is determined by urgency or whether or not a project is ‘front-of-mind’. In this case, projects can be continually open, never quite ready for release, but not moving forwards either. In order to facilitate effective delivery of projects, we want to break them down into small, releasable slices of functionality. Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) that we can release, perhaps to a limited audience for feedback, before committing to build the next slice of functionality. This allows multiple projects to be developed in parallel, while ensuring each project moves forwards in viable steps.
This does not remove the need for prioritization of the projects. However, this can be done at the portfolio level, even better at the MVP level (rather than the project level). Its easy to say that a performance project has priority over a site re-design project. However, some performance improvements are more valuable than others, and some site re-design changes can be more valuable than other performance enhancements. Prioritizing between MVPs allows the line of business to optimize on what is most important to the business at any one time, while allowing all projects and priorities to move forward.
Working on Fewer of the Right Things
In conclusion, limiting the number of projects a team is working on (making the team do less) does not have to reduce productivity (can actually deliver more). While the development team takes responsibility for delivering an increased flow of work through the team - making sure the capacity is predictable and continually improving, the business team and product owners ensure a transparent backlog of MVPs from which to work from - making sure that how the capacity is used maximizes value delivery. The increase in throughput as a result of focusing on fewer work requests, coupled with an ordered backlog of small features or Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), allows a development group to deliver the most important and valuable work more frequently.
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TMS – Tyre Monitoring System
TPMS is a system, fitted to a motor vehicle, which constantly monitors the pressures or pressure imbalance in the tyres and provides a warning to the driver if these fall below a certain threshold such is the importance of correct inflation, TPMS is a very useful safety feature.
However, TPMS should not be seen as a replacement for regular manual tyre safety checks.
Two types of TPMS systems are fitted on cars today. Direct systems use radio sensors mounted inside each wheel to measure the tyre inflation pressures. Indirect systems utilise the vehicle’s existing ABS sensors to measure and compare the rotational speeds of the tyres, which is affected by their pressures. Both types work with the vehicle’s main Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to alert the driver, via onboard warning lights, to any pressure loss or puncture issues.
TPMS AND THE LAW
Since late 2014, all new passenger vehicles sold in the EU must be equipped with TPMS., and with effect from 1st January 2015, all vehicles fitted with TPMS will need to have a fully functioning system when undergoing their annual MOT test. Inoperative or faulty TPMS systems will result in an MOT failure
TPMS WARNING LIGHTS
If the TPMS warning light on your dashboard illuminates, this should NOT be ignored as there may be a problem with the pressure in one or more of your tyres. At the earliest opportunity, find a safe place to stop your vehicle where you can manually check your tyre pressures against the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended settings. These details can be found in the vehicle handbook, inside the fuel filler flap or on a placard located on the driver’s door sill. If you are unable to check your pressures yourself, either call for roadside assistance or go to your nearest tyre professional who will be able to help you.
Whilst the benefits of TPMS are widely recognised, it is important that they are not seen as a replacement for REGULAR TYRE PRESSURE AND SAFETY CHECKS.. Pressures should be tested at least once a month or before any long journey, when the tyres are cold using an accurate and reliable pressure gauge. When checking pressures, it is advisable to also give the rest of the tyre a thorough visual inspection as well as ensuring the tread is not excessively or unevenly worn.
Tyre Pressure and your Safety
The air pressure within your tyres is the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in determining how well they WILL PERFORM. Pressure affects the tyre’s speed capability, load carrying capacity, handling response, wear rate and overall safety and PERFORMANCE. What’s more, under-inflated tyres will cause your car to use more fuel and emit more CO2 emissions and lead to your tyres OVERHEATING. It’s therefore critical for your safety and comfort that your tyres are properly inflated in line with the vehicle and tyre manufacturers’ recommendations. Tyre pressures should be manually checked when they are cold at least once a month or before a long journey. For more details on how to check your tyre pressures contact MIKE STOKES MOTORING ON 01202 547555.
TPMS and Runflat Tyres
Run flat tyres are designed to provide a limited number of miles to run on, following a puncture. These types of tyres can be identified by the “RF” marking found on the tyre sidewall. Runflat tyres are only designed to run for a limited period, at a maximum speed of 50 mph with a limited load carrying capacity. Due to the nature of RUNFLAT tyres, these should ONLY ever be fitted to vehicles equipped with TPMS.
To ensure your TPMS system continues to operate properly and reduce the likelihood of an MOT failure, it may be necessary to have the system serviced occasionally. TPMS sensors are designed to last for many years and miles, however, after a period of time, the sensor’s internal battery will run out meaning a replacement is needed. In addition, sensors can become faulty or fail completely as a result of weather damage, corrosion or accidental damage. To ensure the sensor remains in good condition, many manufacturers recommend replacement of the valve cap and core components every time a tyre is changed. When replacement TPMS sensors are fitted to your vehicle, your tyre supplier may also need to REPROGRAM the new component, to the car, using SPECIALIST DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. If your TPMS sensor DOES develop a fault, under NO circumstances should this be removed and replaced with a ‘STANDARD’ non-TPMS type valve. Removing the sensor will not only reduce your safety on the road, it will also result in your car FALLING an MOT.
Servicing Repair and Replacement
HERE AT MIKE STOKES WE HAVE REPLACEMENT VALVES SENSORS AND REPAIR KITS FOR 98% OF REPLACEMENT MARKET OF TPMS.
PLUS WE HAVE THE TEST EQUIPMENT TO CARRY OUT BOTH MOBILE AND DEPOT REPAIR WORK AS WELL AS RE-PROGRAMMING OF VEHICLE TPMS SYSTEMS..
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