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Jameco Electronics Puzzler: Light to LightBy Forrest M. Mims III
The world's simplest electronic light-to-light converterPhysics professor Marcus Lichtmeister planned to illustrate a lecture with demonstrations of how light can be intercepted by certain phosphors or various optoelectronic sensors and transformed into entirely new light. His demonstrations included a light-sensitive phosphor card, CCD and CMOS video cameras and ultraviolet and near-infrared image converters. The optoelectronic devices were much more complex than the phosphor card, and Prof. Lichtmeister wanted an ultra-simple demonstration of how an LED would glow when biased by a forward current provided by a suitable sensor.
He rummaged through the optoelectronic drawer in the parts cabinet on his workbench and found two silicon solar cells, several cadmium sulfide photo resistors, a couple of AlGaAs red LEDs, some silicon phototransistors and half a dozen silicon photodiodes. In his parts cabinet he found some transistors, miniature chokes and assorted resistors and capacitors. How did he combine the smallest number of components to do what the phosphor card did?
Prof. Lichtmeister stayed up late designing several circuits that converted incoming light into enough current to drive an LED. But these circuits were much more complicated than a phosphor card. At midnight the proverbial LED flashed in his mind, and he quickly built an all electronic light-to-light converter by using only an LED and one other component from his parts cabinet. The resulting circuit is shown in the image above.
What is the component represented by the puzzle piece in image above?
Click here to see the correct the answer.
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| 0.931144 | 354 | 3.65625 | 4 |
"How long a young adult is obese may affect that person's heart disease risk in middle age, according to new research. The finding suggests that not only preventing but also delaying the onset of obesity can help reduce heart disease later in life"...
Dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) is a natural catecholamine formed by the decarboxylation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). It is a precursor to norepinephrine in noradrenergic nerves and is also a neurotransmitter in certain areas of the central nervous system, especially in the nigrostriatal tract, and in a few peripheral sympathetic nerves.
Dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) produces positive chronotropic and inotropic effects on the myocardium, resulting in increased heart rate and cardiac contractility. This is accomplished directly by exerting an agonist action on beta-adrenoceptors and indirectly by causing release of norepinephrine from storage sites in sympathetic nerve endings.
Dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) 's onset of action occurs within five minutes of intravenous administration, and with dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) 's plasma half-life of about two minutes, the duration of action is less than ten minutes. If monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are present, however, the duration may increase to one hour. The drug is widely distributed in the body but does not cross the blood-brain barrier to a significant extent. Dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) is metabolized in the liver, kidney, and plasma by MAO and catechol-O-methyltransferase to the inactive compounds homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. About 25% of the dose is taken up into specialized neurosecretory vesicles (the adrenergic nerve terminals), where it is hydroxylated to form norepinephrine. It has been reported that about 80% of the drug is excreted in the urine within 24 hours, primarily as HVA and its sulfate and glucuronide conjugates and as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. A very small portion is excreted unchanged.
The predominant effects of dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) are dose-related, although actual response of an individual patient will largely depend on the clinical status of the patient at the time the drug is administered. At low rates of infusion (0.5-2 mcg/kg/min) dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) causes vasodilation that is presumed to be due to a specific agonist action on dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) receptors (distinct from alpha and beta adrenoceptors) in the renal, mesenteric, coronary, and intracerebral vascular beds. At these dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) receptors, haloperidol is an antagonist. The vasodilation in these vascular beds is accompanied by increased glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow, sodium excretion, and urine flow. Hypotension sometimes occurs. An increase in urinary output produced by dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) is usually not associated with a decrease in osmolarity of the urine.
At intermediate rates of infusion (2-10 mcg/kg/min) dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) acts to stimulate the beta1-adrenoceptors, resulting in improved myocardial contractility, increased SA rate and enhanced impulse conduction in the heart. There is little, if any, stimulation of the beta2-adrenoceptors (peripheral vasodilation). Dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) causes less increase in myocardial oxygen consumption than isoproterenol, and its use is not usually associated with a tachyarrhythmia. Clinical studies indicate that it usually increases systolic and pulse pressure with either no effect or a slight increase in diastolic pressure. Blood flow to the peripheral vascular beds may decrease while mesenteric flow increases due to increased cardiac output. At low and intermediate doses, total peripheral resistance (which would be raised by alpha activity) is usually unchanged.
At higher rates of infusion (10-20 mcg/kg/min) there is some effect on alpha-adrenoceptors, with consequent vasoconstrictor effects and a rise in blood pressure. The vasoconstrictor effects are first seen in the skeletal muscle vascular beds, but with increasing doses they are also evident in the renal and mesenteric vessels. At very high rates of infusion (above 20 mcg/kg/min), stimulation of alpha-adrenoceptors predominates and vasoconstriction may compromise the circulation of the limbs and override the dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) rgic effects of dopamine (dopamine hydrochloride) , reversing renal dilation and natriuresis.
Last reviewed on RxList: 10/4/2010
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Additional Dopamine Information
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get the latest treatment options.
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| 0.881819 | 1,141 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The planet Jupiter is the fifth planet out from the Sun, and is two and a half times
more massive than all the other planets in the solar system combined. It is made
Apr 3, 2016 ... Some of the more interesting characteristics of Jupiter are not generally known.
Here are ten particularly interesting facts about this gas giant.
Jupiter Facts. Named after the Roman king of the gods, Jupiter is fitting of its
name. With a mass of 1.90 x 10<sup>27</sup> kg and a mean diameter of 139,822 km,
Jupiter is ...
It is the biggest planet in our solar system. More than 1,300 Earths could fit inside.
WHAT'S IT LIKE ON JUPITER? Jupiter not a nice place to visit. It is a giant ball ...
Enjoy amazing trivia and have fun learning about the planets found in our Solar
System. Interesting facts about Jupiter Jupiter Facts for Kids. Jupiter is the largest
Ten Facts about Jupiter. Fact One. Jupiter has a liquid metal ocean (metallic
hydrogen) at its centre, surrounded by thousands of kilometres of hydrogen and ...
If you weigh 70 pounds (32 kg) on Earth, on Jupiter you would weigh 185 ...
Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our Solar System. ... Fun facts about Jupiter.
Jun 28, 2011 ... The universe is a huge and mysterious place with numerous galaxies and stars.
In our Solar System, we have eight planets which orbit our sun.
www.ask.com/youtube?q=Fun Facts about Jupiter&v=8XPmcfRXDrc
Apr 20, 2015 ... 10 interesting facts about Jupiter. The Biggest Planet. If you are interested in the
wonders of the Universe, as planets, stars, black holes, ...
Fun Jupiter facts for kids including photos; suitable for Kindergarten through
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| 0.85082 | 392 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Jewish immigrants are arriving in Cyprus almost daily, and Jewish companies acquire thousands of acres of land, evidently considering Cyprus to be a more attractive country for citrus planting than Palestine. For the Jew, Cyprus cannot have the romance of Palestine, so its material advantages must be very considerable.
In Cyprus the peasant farmer still tallies forth from his mud-brick house driving oxen drawing a wooden plough, or a threshing sledge set beneath with chips of flint. But cereals produced in this archaic manner cannot compete with machine-produced Australian flour. Yet it is impossible for the Cypriot to plough by machinery as his small plots of land are scattered, and he lacks money to buy a tractor.
In a good year the average income of a whole Cypriot family is about $165. But a series of droughts and the low price of corn have brought incomes down. In addition, each family owes on an average about $200—the total mortgages on land in Cyprus are over $10,000,000.
During the War, when the British Armies in Egypt and Salonica paid him over well for all he produced, the Cypriot farmer had a golden opportunity of paying his debts. Instead he bought more land, and increased his mortgages. Then the price of land and its products fell enormously, but his debts remained the same. So the whole country population is unanimous in asking for strong protection of cereals, the reduction of debts, and the founding of an Agricultural Bank ready to lend money at, say, five per cent interest.
Protection of cereals can be afforded by a direct tax on imported wheat, or by forming a wheat clearing house and obliging consumers to use a proportion of native grain.
OAKDEN STUDIES TRADE
Sir Ralph Oakden, the Financial Commissioner sent out recently, is still studying the economic position. Meanwhile meetings have been held in the chief towns, attended by the headmen of the villages, and proposals have been submitted to him for the improvement of the administration. For many years the island was bled of a large part of its revenue to pay the Turkish tribute, ingenuously accepted at a far too high figure by British officials at the occupation.
The most pressing problem is to find alternative employment for the cereal farmer, who even in a bad year produces unremunerative cereals worth over $2,500,000. His only important side-line is stock raising, and, luckily, he and his animals can eat what he cannot sell at a profit.
The copper and asbestos mines have done a little to ease the situation. Irrigation could be greatly extended were capital available for plants to raise semi-artesian water, and the area under profitable crops, such as citrus and potatoes, could be greatly increased. The export of the latter, however, is precarious owing to frequent tariff changes in neighboring countries. It would probably be to the interest of the government to lend to farmers wishing to install small pumping engines.
HALF OF WATER LOST
Half the water of the perennial streams that originate in the mountains is lost through want of piping or concrete channels. The government is at last awaking to the fact that the mountain valleys would produce all kinds of English fruits, for which there is a ready market in Egypt and Palestine. It is even rumored that a scheme is under consideration for damming a stream in a mountain gorge. But such schemes are beyond the island’s unaided resources. And the irrigation works hitherto carried out have been failures.
The Cyprus government seems alive to the importance of the tourist traffic. Some 8,000 visitors, principally from Egypt, patronize the mountain resorts of Cyprus every Summer. But this year many have been attracted to Greece owing to the low rate of exchange.
A law recently passed divides the hotels into three classes, and fixes maximum and minimum prices, which cannot be altered without permission. Hotel staffs are to receive a percentage calculated on the bills, and the hotel proprietor acquires a lien on the client’s goods.
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| 0.962809 | 834 | 3.09375 | 3 |
a) Is the basic function of all living organisms. In order for organisms (species) to live they have to reproduce.
b) Some organisms reproduce individually (asexually) and some organisms reproduce sexually.
i) This requires a single parent. One or more of the organisms cells form a genetically identical offspring.
ii) A clone is a group of genetically identical cells or organism(s) produced through asexual reproduction. Many organisms reproduce asexually.
iii) Prokaryotes reproduce by dividing into two. This is called binary fission. Some Eukaryotes also reproduce by dividing in two. Only one-celled Eukaryotes do this. Others reproduce asexually.
Hydra reproduces by a process called
budding, the buds
grow to adult and detach to new individuals.
Planaria reproduces by a process called fragmentation which is
into pieces each piece is a new worm which can reproduce sexually.
v) Asexual reproduction in plants is called vegetative reproduction. This reproduction is used to fill a space with plants.
vi) Potatoes grow from new eyes on underground stems.
vii) Aspen trees reproduce from the roots of older trees making an "aspen clone."
i) Every species has a characteristic number of chromosomes.
ii) Prokaryotes (bacteria & cyanobacteria) have only one major chromosome; it has a single circle of DNA.
Eukaryote number of chromosomes varies by
species. Humans have 46 chromosomes,
turkeys have 82
chromosomes, and giant redwoods have 22 chromosomes. It is not
the number that is important but what is on the chromosomes.
iv) Cells of most organisms that reproduce sexually have similar chromosomes.
cell is a cell that carries a
chromosomes. We call this 2n and most human body
cells are diploid. Haploid
cells have just one
set of chromosomes. We say these are 1n (or just n) and these are
our gametes (egg and sperm cells).
Homologous chromosomes are the 2
chromosomes of a homologous pair. They have the same genes on
each chromosome. Diploid organisms have these. [humans have
22 pairs of homologous chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes that
are not homologous in human males- XY]
vii) Homologues chromosomes have the same genes, but their DNA sequences may be different.
viii) Asexual reproduction: the parent and the offspring have the same set (identical) of chromosomes.
ix) Sexual reproduction two parents contribute to the offspring’s chromosomes.
x) Somatic cells are body cells. They come from the individual and are diploid. The sexual reproductive cells of diploid organisms are haploid.
xi) In sexual reproduction of animals, the male gametes are sperm and female gametes are ova or eggs. In plants, they are pollen (male gametes) and ova.
xii) In fertilization the female and male haploid gametes join and their nuclei fuse together to form a diploid nuclei. A new organism develops from the diploid fertilized egg or zygote.
xiii) Meiosis is a special cell division process in which a haploid gamete is produced.
and simple plants meiosis produces different types of haploid cells
can develop into haploid
organisms without fertilization. Spores can often survive harsh
conditions and germinate at some future time when conditions are good.
xv) Meiosis produces haploid gametes. An exception: Desert whiptail lizard’s eggs develop without being fertilized, they are all females! This is quite unusual in the animal world.
In 1970 scientists developed ways to insert
sequences into bacteria and other cells.
This process is known as cloning a gene. (or genetic
ii) People have cloned crops, but artificial cloning is still a new idea.
The first cloned animal was a frog.
Artificial cloning is when scientist
somatic cell’s nucleus from one sheep to the ovum of a different
sheep. The resulting embryo in then implanted into the uterus of
a host mother sheep and the lamb that is born is an "identical twin" or
a clone of the sheep whose nucleus was used.
i) Meiosis is different from mitosis in several ways such as
(2) Meiosis distributes a random mixture of maternal and paternal chromosomes to each gamete.
Meiosis involves two nuclear
Meiosis 1 and
(4) Produces haploid gametes.
ii) Crossing over is a process when cells exchange corresponding pieces of DNA during meiosis. Pieces of homologous chromosomes are essentially "cut and pasted" with each other.
iii) Each division includes the same four stages as mitosis from (prophase to telophase).
The results of meiosis in humans. In males, meiotic division usually results in
four equal sized sperm, each with 23 chromosomes. In
females, two polar bodies form, and only
one egg cell results. "Goal" for males: mass sperm
production. "Goal" for females: one large, high quality ova.
v) Meiosis I contains prophase 1, metaphase 1, anaphase 1, and telophase 1. Meiosis II contains prophase 2, metaphase 2, anaphase 2, and telophase 2.
Polar bodies are two small cells in female
whose function is to remove extra chromosomes so the single ova can be
haploid. The polar bodies die during or soon after meiosis.
a) Sexual Reproduction in microorganisms:
Prokaryotes reproduce asexually through
fission. They also exchange genetic
is when a tube of cytoplasm
connects some bacterial cells, DNA passes through this tube. This
can be considered a form of bacteria "sexual reproduction."
Microorganisms that reproduce sexually and
include many unicellular or colonial green algae. (Protists)
iv) Alternation of generations is the life cycles of these organisms include both haploid and diploid stages.
Plasmodium, the organism that causes
one species during the diploid stage and another during the haploid
stage. (A protist pathogen with a flagella)
vi) Stress and poor nutrition induce sexual reproduction in many organisms that normally use asexual reproduction.
Most fungus consists of filaments of
haploid cells in
the soil (fungal hyphae). Some fungi have particularly
complicated sexual reproductive cycles, some only reproduce
asexually. The mushroom is the spore producing body of many types
i) Higher plants generally reproduce sexually. Some can reproduce asexually.
ii) Plant life cycles involve alternation of generations.
iii) More complex plants are adapted to live in a wider variety of environments. These plants have larger diploid structures.
Wind or symbiotic animals carry the sperm
protective pollen grains to the female organs. (pollen are male
v) The most successful plants are the flowering plants. Each flower may produce sperm, ova, or both.
vi) At the center of an ovum producing flower, one or more modified leaves called carpels fuse edge to edge, forming a hollow structure.
vii) The ovary is the base of this structure. Inside are one or more small structures called ovules (eggs).
viii) Within each ovule, a specialized cell undergoes meiosis.
ix) Cells in the anther undergo meiosis. Then produce four haploid cells (pollen).
x) Sexual reproduction begins as the anthers shed pollen.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from
carpel. Many pollinators are insects but, many plants (such as
grasses) use the wind to pollinate.
Some insects and flowering plants have
completely dependent on each other that neither can reproduce without
other. Example: Yucca plant and moth.
xiii) Fertilization occurs when one sperm nucleus fuses with the egg.
second sperm nucleus fuses with the two polar nuclei, forming a
that develops into the endosperm. (food for the plant/seed, usually
contains much starch).
xv) Then fertilization occurs this ends the short haploid stage in the life cycle of a flowering plant.
produced by the seeds stimulates the ovary to enlarge and develop into
a fruit. The function of a fruit is to disseminate the seeds.
xvii) Many seeds are carried by the wind.
xviii) The female reproductive structures of many plants release chemical signals that attract sperm or animals that carry pollen.
xix) Flowering plants adaptations:
(1) The dominance of the diploid stage in the life cycle, which allows development of complex structures.
The evolution of pollen, which allows
transfer of sperm
for plant to plant without the need for water. (pollen do not need a
liquid environment therefore, are more advanced than animals sperm).
(3) The evolution of the seed, which protects the dormant embryo and provides food and protection for the young plant.
(4) A variety of adaptations that promote pollen and seed dispersal.
i) A large portion of animals reproduce sexually.
ii) Animals that reproduce sexually have organs called gonads that produce haploid gametes.
iii) Ovaries produce ova and testes produce sperm.
iv) In simple animals like the planaria and earth worm, each individual produces both eggs and sperm.
v) Few vertebrates produce both eggs and sperm.
vi) The simplest animals are aquatic.
External fertilization or spawning is the
large numbers of gametes into the open. (most fish and amphibians)
viii) Many fail to live.
ix) During internal fertilization, a male releases sperm into a female reproductive organ.
x) Amphibians and vertebrates are intermediate between internal and external fertilization.
xi) Internal fertilization is more efficient on land.
xii) Mammals that have hair and produce milk include many of the most extreme examples of this trend.
xiii) Humans and elephants usually only produce one offspring at a time.
xiv) In most animals, sperm are much smaller that the egg.
Animal sperm can not live long after
produced. (Human males produces billions of sperm cells a day)
xvi) If sperm reaches an egg both must be shed at about the same time and place.
xvii) Internal fertilization is more efficient but still many sperm must be produced because:
(1) Fertilization must occur in a brief time.
(2) The sperm must swim to the egg. Few sperm reach the egg.
(3) The enzyme activity of many sperm is required to penetrate the membranes and layers of cells around the egg.
xviii) Many insects avoid these problems by storing sperm in a pouch inside the female.
xix) Female bees and ants, may store sperm from a single mating for an entire life span and use it to produce thousands of eggs.
a) Egg Production and the Menstrual Cycle
i) In human females, the ovaries are located inside the body cavity.
ii) The egg travels through one of two tubular structures, called oviducts, to the uterus.
iii) In birth, strong muscular contractions push the baby out of the uterus through the vagina.
iv) The menstrual cycle is the egg releasing cycle.
v) The first day of menstrual flow marks the first day or the menstrual cycle.
vi) The hypothalamus monitors and helps adjust the level of hormones in the circulatory system.
vii) The start of the menstrual flow, estrogen and progesterone, hormones released into the bloodstream by the ovaries, is very low.
follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),
(LH) are all involved.
ix) FSH causes an egg to start maturing inside a fluid filled sac, or follicle, in the ovary.
x) Ovulation occurs when LH from the pituitary gland causes the follicle to burst and release the egg into oviduct.
xi) The ruptured follicle forms into a corpus luteum.
The hypothalamus detects the increased
estrogen and progesterone, if the egg is not fertilized, the
approximate 28 day menstrual cycle starts again.
If pregnancy occurs the
corpus luteum functions for the first 3 months of gestation, or
the embryo within the uterus. It releases high levels of est. and prog.
to maintain the pregnancy.
After 3 months the placenta takes over the release of
these hormones and maintains the pregnancy.
after birth, the placenta separates from
wall is called "afterbirth".
xvi) Menstruation is a characteristic of female primates.
xvii) Menstrual cycles, estrus cycles, and ovulation at intercourse are all adaptations that help ensure reproductive success within different species.
i) In human males, the testes are located in the scrotum, an out pocketing of the body wall.
ii) Human sperm needs a slightly cooler environment to develop normally.
iii) During ejaculation, sperm and seminal fluid are released, together called semen.
iv) LH stimulates cells between those tubules to secrete androgens, a group of male hormones.
v) The major androgen secreted by the testes is testosterone.
i) Females produce more estrogen, and males produce more androgens.
ii) Hormones control the development of secondary sex characteristics.
iii) Changes begin at puberty, the beginning of sexual maturation.
iv) Androgens control the development of secondary sex characteristics in males such as facial hair and deeper voices.
v) Most males enter puberty later than most females.
i) Blocked oviducts can prevent fertilization.
ii) Hormone treatments can sometimes establish regular ovulation.
iii) Invitro fertilization can help women with blocked oviducts to conceive.
After external fertilization the embryos
implanted in the
mother’s uterus. ("test tube babies")
v) Some methods of contraception provide a physical barrier between the egg and sperm.
vi) The condom is a sheath that is slipped over the penis prior to intercourse.
vii) A diaphragm is a flexible cup that is inserted through the vagina to cover the cervix, along with a spermacide.
methods of contraception prevent ovulation (the pill).
ix) Norplant implanted in the upper arm.
x) Depo-provera is an inject able drug.
xi) Taking pills regulates estrogen and progesterone (the pill).
xii) Other contraceptives include foams or jellies that immobilize sperm.
xiii) Surgical sterilization is another form of contraception.
xiv) The sperm ducts can be cut and tied in a process called a vasectomy.
xv) The oviducts can also be cut and tied in a process called a tubule legation.The only 100% reliable method of birth control is abstinence from intercourse.
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| 0.865239 | 3,241 | 4.0625 | 4 |
|Cresian War II|
|Date||34852-09 – 34856-04 DT|
|Result|| Revolutionary victory
Cresian War II, or the Second Cresian War, was a war between Avana and the fifteen provinces from 34852-09 to 34856-04 DT. This war resulted from issues that were not completely resolved from Cresian War I. The war ended with Avanan defeat, leading to the independence of the fifteen states from the Republic of Cresia.
Before the war, the population of the Cresian System was
Avana refers to the war as the Second Cresian Civil War, the other northern provinces refer to the war as the Cresian War of Revolution, while the southern provinces call it the Second Cresian War of Revolution.
Battle of AvanaEdit
The Battle of Avana was the final battle of the war.
Treaty of BelscaEdit
The Treaty of Belsca formally ended the war and granted independence to the fifteen provinces. The points of the treaty were:
- The independence of the fifteen provinces
- The recognition of the government in Avana as a continuation of the Republic of Cresia
- The association of Iscra to the Republic of Cresia
- Nurta and Sunta in the possession of the Republic of Cresia
- The establishment of the Cresian Union to coordinate international relations and trade
- The retention of the Cresian Currency Unit (crescu) as a common currency
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| 0.917065 | 320 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Science writer Billings debuts with this examination of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence and the surprising perspective it provides in thinking about mankind and the deep-time history of Earth.
The author bases his work on interviews and discussions with leaders from successive generations of the quest to find extraplanetary life. Frank Drake, who was an organizer of the original 1961 conference that set parameters for the project, concluded that “the universe, on balance, was a rather hospitable place, one that surely must be overflowing with living worlds.” Among the participants was Carl Sagan, who would go on to popularize the search through his PBS show Cosmos. In 1989 and 1990, Sagan showed that the technological methods then employed could discriminate the Earth from the moon using the scanning devices on NASA probes. Billings' interlocutors include, among others, Greg Laughlin, who worked on “the wealth of Neptune-mass planets” revealed by NASA's Kepler project, and James Kasting, who developed models that could assist in the extrapolation of information about the composition of exoplanets, planetlike objects orbiting distant stars, from data received. These scientists have extended technology's frontiers and enabled motion at a scale of 1 meter per second on the surface of a star many light years away to be detected and analyzed. Now, exoplanets can be cataloged in the thousands, their compositions analyzed. Billings’ accounts of arguments about inferences drawn, and even the existence of objects apparently observed, are fascinating. Kasting and Laughlin both provide insight on the geological and biological history of Earth, as well as current thinking about how life, and intelligence, may have developed. Billings documents how arbitrary changes in political priorities and funding reductions have wreaked havoc with the research.
A great outline of the subject, bringing what's often treated as science fiction down to Earth, where it can be understood.
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| 0.944939 | 388 | 2.96875 | 3 |
4. The Natural Step: The scientific conditions required for healthy ecosystems.
"The Natural Step resonates with people who decry the pollution that modern society is producing. China provides a good example. It has transformed into a center of modern global manufacturing, but one of its most prosperous provinces, Jiangsu (north of Shanghai), is also one of the most cancer-ridden places in the country.
The province has 5% of the country's population but 12% of cancer deaths. Its prosperity, using its current technology and methods of production, has brought sickness with it. One river is laden with 93 different carcinogens, most from untreated factory waste. It is no wonder that cancer deaths are so high."
7 Perspectives On Sustainability, page 30
Biodiversity and business: the economics of nature
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In a paper published today, an international team of researchers, led by the University of Aberdeen, reveal that sharks have failed to colonise at depths greater than 3,000 metres.
Sharks occur throughout the world's oceans and it had been hoped that as man explores deeper into the abyss and beyond throughout the largest environment on the planet - new species would be discovered.
However, 20 years of exploration, combined with analysis of records over the past 150 years, has convinced the team of scientists that the world's oceans are 70% shark-free. Their findings are published in Proceedings of The Royal Society, Biological Series.
The average depth of the oceans is 4,000m and bony fishes - relatives of cod - thrive down to around 9,000m depth. Scientists do not know why sharks are absent from the deep but suggest one possible reason could be due to lack of food.
They warn their finding has environmental implications.
Professor Monty Priede, Director of Oceanlab at the University of Aberdeen, said: "Sharks are apparently confined to around 30% of the world's oceans, and all populations are therefore within reach of human fisheries, near the surface and at the edges of deep water, around islands, seamounts and the continents.
"Sharks are already threatened worldwide by the intensity of fishing activity but our finding suggests they may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than was previously thought."
The scientists based their conclusions on a wide range of data which includes information gathered during a major month long expedition along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Iceland and the Azores in 2004.
More than 100 scientists from over 16 countries were involved in the MAR-ECO project which is part of the 10-year Census of Marine Life programme which is exploring the abundance, dis tribution and diversity of life in the world's oceans.
The team also used findings built up over the last two decades when the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab started developing landers - remotely operated vehicles - which have been used in deep waters all over the world. Expeditions usinglanders visited the deepest abyssal plain on the planet - North of Hawaii; the South Atlantic off the Falkland Islands; the North West African slopes off Angola, the North East Atlantic Ocean, West of Ireland, and five research cruises in the North East Atlantic.
The scientists say that the deepest confirmed report of a shark is at 3,700m. They believe it is very unlikely that major new populations will be discovered in abyssal regions.
Professor Priede added: "As far as we can see there is no hidden reserve of sharks in the deep sea. All we see, is all there is, it's highly unlikely we are going to find anymore."
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THE current outbreak of dengue in Fiji is a matter of serious concern to all, says World Health Organization director Pacific technical support and representative Dr Yunguo Liu.
In his address at the World Health Day celebration in Naulu, Nasinu yesterday, Dr Liu highlighted alarming dengue statistics recorded so far — about 20,000 cases with 12 lives lost.
"There is no vaccine for dengue and there is no cure. Community clean-up campaigns to get rid of mosquito breeding places in and around every household are the mainstay in dengue vector control strategies," he said.
"Dengue is now the world's fastest spreading vector-borne disease, endemic in over 100 countries worldwide."
He said Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, had experienced enormous suffering from vector-borne diseases, particularly dengue and lymphatic filariasis, which were both transmitted by mosquitoes.
"Your self protection is the key to preventing you from getting diseases from mosquitoes."
Minister for Health Dr Neil Sharma said the ministry acknowledged that vector-borne diseases could impose significant morbidity, mortality and financial burden among Fiji's population.
"With dengue fever annually, Fiji records an estimate 15 to 20 laboratory confirmed cases of dengue fever amongst its 870,000 population," Dr Sharma said.
He added the ministry acknowledged the havoc and threat to health security disease-carrying mosquitoes could inflict.
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| 0.948126 | 292 | 2.84375 | 3 |
A brief history of Olympic dissent: Athens 2004
“Keeping the Torch Burning: Terror, Protest and the Games” is an alternative history of the Olympic Games, one that focuses on the social and political events that have defined each competition. Nationalism, separatism, feminism, racial equality and human rights ring loud in this Guardian Short, written by Martin Belam and uniquely told through first-hand reporting from the Guardian and Observer.
“Keeping the Torch Burning: Terror, Protest and the Games” - £2.99 on Kindle
Before and during the course of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing I've been writing a series of posts looking at the complicated history of politics, protest and dissent that have surrounded the modern Games since they were first held in Athens in 1896.
On that occasion they were marked by an overt display of national pride by the hosts, and a protest run by Stamata Revithi who wanted women to be allowed to partake in the event. Athens also hosted a 1906 Intercalated Games, and, before the first modern Olympiad was held, a series of games funded by Evangelis Zappas during the mid-1800s.
During the difficult boycott years of 1980 and 1984 it was suggested on more than one occasion that the Games could become permanently organised in Athens - but it was to be 2004 when the spiritual home of the Games next got to hold the Olympics.
Athens beat Rome, Cape Town, Stockholm and Buenos Aires in the bidding process, but the difficulties leading up to the Games was not winning the bid, but getting the infrastructure ready in time. The Athens Olympic Stadium, Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο, for example, was only officially re-opened just 14 days before the Games were due to begin due to complexities in the refurbishment.
14 as a number had a more morbid association too. It was the official death toll of construction workers in getting the Games ready - up from one death in Sydney and two in Barcelona. Other sources put the number of deaths higher, at 40.
The biggest intrigue of the Games was the behaviour of Sydney medal-winning Greek sprinters Kostas Kederis and Katerina Thanou. Having failed to attend a mandatory drugs test, they claimed that they were 'involved' in a motorcycle accident. They withdrew from the Games in order to avoid a forced expulsion.
However, by November 2004, it became clear that they had faked the whole motorcycle incident, and they were charged with perjury and other offences by the Greek authorities.
Thanou is no stranger to legal action, and threatened to sue the IOC in order to ensure that her 2000 Sydney silver medal was upgraded to gold once Marian Jones had been stripped of her medal.
Both athletes served a two year suspension for missing three drugs tests - however the Greek legal system moves slowly, and the perjury case over their 'accident' remains unresolved.
Thanou was selected for the Greek team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but the IOC's disciplinary panel recommended that her accreditation be refused due to the fact that her actions in 2004 have bought disrepute to the Olympic Movement, and she was not allowed to compete.
Much of the politics surrounding the Athens Games have emerged after the competition had finished and the attention of the world's media had moved on. One such example is the Vodafone phone-tapping scandal.
It transpires that before and during the Games, the Vodafone mobile network in Greece had been compromised by some illegally installed software. This allowed the perpetrators to eavesdrop on the security preparations for the Games, and also on leading figures in the Greek Government and political establishment.
Despite a lengthy investigation, Greek authorities have not been able to identify the culprits, and in January of this year they called off the search.
Satirists in the Greek press have had no such problem in easily identifying the one superpower with the resources to pull off such an audacious piece of nationwide espionage, and, in a post 9/11 environment, the national security interest to make it an acceptable policy.
A second Olympics-related scandal has emerged in Greek politics in recent months. Investigators in Germany discovered that the firm had been regularly diverting 'black money' into the coffers of Greece's political parties and, allegedly, directly into the pockets of politicians themselves. Both leading parties in Greece, ΝΔ and ΠΑΣΟΚ, are implicated.
The bribery that has come to light covers the period leading up to the Olympics, when Siemens won significant contracts in providing Olympic infrastructure equipment.
Following the widespread protests that accompanied the Torch Relay earlier in 2008, the Chinese authorities must have hoped that the Beijing Games would pass peacefully. However, with the media's glare on a country with a poor human rights record, it seemed inevitable that Olympic dissent would again rear its head in the 2008 Olympics.
This is one of a series of articles looking at the history of political protest, terrorism and dissent at the Olympic Games.
1896 | The pre-war years: 1900-1912 | The inter-war years: 1920-1932 | 1936 | The post-war years: 1948-1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 & 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012
In 2012 an expanded version of this series, featuring material from the Guardian & Observer archives, was published as an ebook: “Keeping the Torch Burning: Terror, Protest and the Games”
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Why is almost every robust, healthy boy with a robust, healthy soul in him, at some time or other, crazy to go to sea? Why, upon your first voyage as a passenger, did you feel such a mystical vibration, when first told that you and your ship were now out of sight of land?
-Herman Melville, "Moby Dick"
Sailing began as a way to explore the world. While today's sailors still retain the bold spirit of explorers from centuries past, sailing is no longer a primary means of transportation and international trade or method of war. Since the 17th century, people have been setting sail for adventure and sport [source: Athletic Scholarships].
Most modern sailors sail because they love being on the water. Sailing is ranked as the 17th fastest-growing sport in the U.S., and it's estimated that more than 4 million Americans are recreational sailors [source: The Boating Channel]. The appeal of sailing is ageless: 40 percent of sailors are between the ages of 25 to 44, and roughly 17 percent are younger than age 17 [source: The Boating Channel].
So whether you're inspired by famous explorers such as Amerigo Vespucci or Vasco Da Gama, the winners of the America's Cup sailing races, or you just love the feel of wind in your hair, sailing is a sport to sate your adventurous side. Fair winds!
Next we'll learn about some of the more popular types of sailing, plus discover a few adventurous ways to find (and show off) your sea legs.
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| 0.965698 | 322 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Electronic Nose Knows When Your Cantaloupe Is Ripe
Have you ever been disappointed by a cantaloupe from the grocery store? Too ripe? Not ripe enough? Luckily for you, researchers from the University of California, Davis might have found a way to make imperfectly ripe fruit a thing of the past.
The method will be published on March 30 in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).
"We are involved in a project geared towards developing rapid methods to evaluate ripeness and flavour of fruits," said paper-author Dr. Florence Negre-Zkharov. "We evaluated an electronic nose to see if it can differentiate maturity of fruit, specifically melons. The goal is to develop a tool that can be used post-harvest to better evaluate produce, and develop better breeds."
When fruit ripens, it develops a characteristic volatile blend, indicating its maturity. Traditionally, the gold-standard of evaluating these volatiles has been gas chromatography, but it takes up to an hour to analyze a single sample, which makes it impractical to use outside the lab. Dr. Negre-Zakharov and her team wanted to determine if the much cruder -- but much faster -- electronic nose was able to determine if the melon they used in the experiment were ripe. It was.
- Category: Science & Technology
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Stanza 5 Summary
Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
A shape less recognizable each week,
A purpose more obscure. I wonder who
- The opening of stanza five gives a tentative response to the question asked in line 35, and suggests that, after disbelief has gone, the significance of the church will fade in people's thoughts over time, and become "A shape less recognizable each week" as its purpose becomes "more obscure" (38).
- By "shape," he's referring both to the physical building of the church itself, as well as to the figurative space that religion occupies in people's minds.
Will be the last, the very last, to seek
This place for what it was; one of the crew
That tap and jot and know what rood-lofts were?
Some ruin-bibber, randy for antique,
Or Christmas addict, counting on a whiff
Of gown-and-bands and organ-pipes and myrrh?
- The speaker then wonders who will be "the very last" person to seek out the church "for what it was," its traditional religious meaning.
- Will it be someone from a construction background who is interested in the architecture of churches? (Only one of those folks, really, would likely know what a "rood-loft" is.)
- Or will it be someone whose interest is aroused by old junk? That's the best we can do with "ruin-bibber." A "bibber" is actually a term for an alcoholic, so a "ruin-bibber" would be somebody who's addicted to ruins. While that sounds healthier than alcoholism, we get the sneaking suspicion that this is not a compliment here.
- Being "randy," too, suggests a kind of sexual attraction. Now, Shmoopers, we've logged a lot of hours in front of PBS's Antique Roadshow, and we can honestly say that we don't really relate here. However, we can guess that, again, this is a bit of derogatory term, used to look down on the folks who might, some day in the distant future, come digging around the ruins of a church with a lustful gleam in their eye.
- Or, maybe it'll be someone who's addicted to the idea of Christmas, just wanting a whiff of the smells that come from a church during that time of year—even if those smells happen to come from priests' clothing, organ pipes, or that spice that one of the three wise men brought to Jesus when he was a baby. Interesting smell combo!\
- The significance of lines 40 to 44 lies in the fact that these "religious" folks—the architects, antique-ers, and sniffers—all have really superficial relationships to the church, and do not actually appreciate the deep spiritual questions that the church tries to provide answers for.
Or will he be my representative,
- Aha! Here we have a turn from these superficial folks to something a bit more meaningful.
- The speaker wonders if the person who might visit a future-church might be just… like… him.
- Now, there are two ways to think about that line (thanks for making it complicated, Phil). One is that the speaker's future-representative (the person who, by definition, represents the speaker) is as superficial as the rest of the organ-sniffers he talks about. Therefore, the speaker himself is a bit silly in coming to the church in the first place.
- Perhaps, though, this is a different kind of option for our speaker. In other words, maybe his future-rep. is more serious than these others, and so the speaker is more serious, too.
- Looks like we'll have to keep reading to find out.
- Luckily, there's more to read! As with every other stanza, the final thought of stanza 5 sets up the subject of the following stanza…
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| 0.969209 | 838 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The most effective way to protect children from life-threatening pneumonia is with immunizations, including an annual influence vaccine, according to new guidelines developed by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
The guidelines, which are published
in the Oct. 1, 2011 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases
, are the first to focus on diagnosing and treating community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in infants and children, placing preventing bacterial pneumonia as a top priority.
Although there are guidelines for diagnosing and treating pneumonia in adults, the course of bacterial pneumonia tends to differ in children. Because of this, practices vary from hospital to hospital, and physician to physician. The guidelines from PIDS and IDSA provide all health care providers who care for children with a roadmap to the most scientifically valid diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
“Diagnostic methods and treatments that work well in adults may be too risky and not have the desired result in children,” said John S. Bradley, MD, lead author of the CAP guidelines and professor and chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of California at San Diego Department of Pediatrics. “With these guidelines, we are hopeful that the standard and quality of care children receive for community-acquired pneumonia will be consistent from doctor to doctor—providing much better treatment outcomes.”
Because viral infections such as influenza can develop into bacterial pneumonia, it’s important that children 6 months and older receive a yearly influenza vaccine, according to the guidelines. It is also important that infants and children are up to date on their other scheduled vaccines, several of which prevent bacterial pneumonia. The successful US vaccination program has significantly reduced bacterial pneumonia, and therefore has prevented deaths from the infection, notes Dr. Bradley.
While the guidelines stress the importance of diagnosing pneumonia appropriately, they also warn that over-treatment is a critical concern. For instance, most pneumonia in preschool-aged children is viral. In these cases, there is no need to perform unnecessary medical interventions such as using x-rays or prescribing antibiotics.
“A child with chest congestion, a cough, runny nose and low-grade fever likely has viral pneumonia, and Mother Nature treats those herself,” said Dr. Bradley in a statement
. “If the child has a fever of 104, is barely able to keep fluids down, just wants to lie in bed and is breathing fast, it may be bacterial pneumonia and require antibiotics and hospitalization.”
Some of the recommendations included in the guidelines are as follows:
Infants aged 3 to 6 months old with suspected bacterial pneumonia are likely to benefit from hospitalization, even if the pneumonia isn’t confirmed by blood tests.
Because infants 6 months and younger cannot get the flu shot or nasal spray, their parents and caregivers should be sure to get the vaccine.
When antibiotics are necessary, amoxicillin should be first-line therapy for bacterial pneumonia, because it is safe and effective. Many doctors prescribe more powerful antibiotics, which are unnecessary and can kill off good bacteria in the body.
Although pneumonia from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is uncommon, it can cause severe illness, so physicians need to consider it if a child doesn’t improve after first-line antibiotic therapy.
For each of the 92 specific recommendations, the guidelines denote the strength of the recommendation as well as the quality of evidence for each. The guidelines note the lack of solid evidence in some areas—often due to the ethical challenges of studying children—and call for research in specific areas.
“We’re hopeful that in following these guidelines, physicians and hospitals will collect data and the results can be compared,” said Dr. Bradley. “We envision this as the first of many revisions of guidelines to come.”
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Android, a product of Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a complete package of software for mobile devices. It is comprised of an operating system, middleware and mobile applications. The android operating system runs on open Linux kernel. It contains a set of APIs (Application Programming Interface) and libraries that gives users enormous facility to innovate new applications, for example: a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual’s mobile phone — such as the user’s contacts, calendar, or geographic location. A developer can build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect.
Android provides a software development kit (SDK) which is constituted of debugger, libraries, a handset emulator (based on QEMU), documentation, sample code, and tutorials.
Key features of an Android operating system:
>: The platform is adaptable to VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 1.0 specifications, and traditional Smartphone layouts.
Storage: The Database Software SQLite is used for data storage purposes
Connectivity: Android supports connectivity technologies including GSM/EDGE, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Messaging: SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging including threaded text messaging.
Web browser: The web browser available in Android is based on the open-source WebKit application framework.
Media support: Android supports the following audio/video/still media formats: MPEG-4, H.264, MP3, AAC, MIDI, OGG, AMR, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
Additional hardware support: Android can utilize video/still cameras, touch screens, GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers, accelerated 2D (with hardware orientation, scaling, and pixel format conversion) and accelerated 3D graphics.
Development environment: Includes a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, a plug-in for the Eclipse IDE.
Market: The Android Market is a store house of applications that can be downloaded and installed .Originally only freeware applications were supported. Paid-for applications have been available on the Android Market in the United States since 19 February 2009.
Multi-touch: Android has native support for multi-touch but the feature is disabled at the kernel level. An unofficial mod has been developed that enables multi-touch, but requires superuser access to the device to flash an unsigned kernel.
Evolution of Android:
Way back, on November 5, 2007 a consortium of companies(whose count is 47 now) comprising of Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Texas Instruments came into existence, coinciding with the release of their first product ‘Android’ with ARM Holdings Plc, Atheros Communications, Asustek Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, buy cialis in canada Softbank, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group joining later. The latest entry in OHA is Acer.
Android is available as an entirely open source since October 21, 2008. Despite of the fact that it is an open source product, there are few developments happening in the product in a private development branch named ‘Cupcake’ (Its a read-only mirror branch for public view). This development activity will result in changes in download manager, the framework, Bluetooth, the system software, radio and telephony, developer tools, the build system and several applications, as well as a number of bug fixes.
On 30th April, 2009 another milestone was achieved with the release of 1.5 update for Android which led to following enhancements:
• Ability to record and watch videos with the camcorder mode
• Uploading videos to YouTube and pictures to Picasa directly from the phone
• A new soft keyboard with an “Autocomplete” feature
• Ability to automatically connect to a Bluetooth headset within a certain distance
• New widgets and folders that can populate the desktop
• Animations between screens
• Expanded ability of Copy and paste to include web pages.
Lets have some insight on devices already running
on Android and those which would be running on it soon. HTC dream, HTC Magic, Chinese company QIGI I6, Geeks phone ONE (first Spanish android phone) are the ones which are already using android. The mobiles which are coming soon with android are Samsung I7500, HTC Hero, HKC Imobile. Acer is expected to release Android for the Acer One netbook in Q3 2009. Chinese ODM Yuhua’s first
Android phone, the dual-SIM DSTL1 will be released in June.
Latest Buzz in the territory of android based device is the announcement of Android Native development kit version 1.0 which allows software or applications to run natively on the Linux layer below and the possibility of fennec (Firefox’s mobile version) to be a part of Android mobile OS.
With Android around we can customize our phones to our interests and has the capacity to incorporate almost all the technologies coming in future.
Already Report says Google Android to grow 900% in 2009. Keep watching …
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| 0.900195 | 1,103 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Altona is now a ghost town located in Pickering, Ontario, at Sideline 30 and the Pickering-Uxbridge Town Line. It is just east of Whitchurch-Stouffville in York Region.
In 2010 the Canadian government put forward a plan for a second international airport in the Greater Toronto Area. Under the current plan, the approach for one of the three landing strips for the Pickering Airport would be directly over the former hamlet of Altona, with planes descending at an elevation of approximately 300 metres.
Today, the churches, school, store (former hotel) and homes remain, but all have been expropriated and most boarded up while the planning stages for the new airport continue.
Altona was founded by ethnic Swiss-German Mennonites who had migrated from Pennsylvania in the United States, and named after Altona, now a borough of Hamburg, Germany. The first flour and saw mills in Altona were built by Abraham Reesor, son of Peter Reesor and a nephew to Abraham Stouffer, in 1850, on Lot 30, Concession 9, a short distance south of the Uxbridge-Pickering Townline. In the same year, Joseph Monkhouse built a general store and William Cooper an inn.
In 1852, the Altona Mennonite Meeting House was erected, constructed by area Mennonite settlers. The bricks were made at the Cherrywood brick yard. Local families included the Barkeys, Reesors, Widemans, Nighswanders, Hoovers and Stouffers. The first grave is dated 1835. The founder of Stouffville, Abraham Stouffer and his wife Elizabeth Reesor Stouffer, are buried here.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1834; in 1856 there were 256 inhabitants, "unable to read and write, about 30%." By 1869 the hamlet had 200 residents and a regular stage coach to Stouffville and Toronto. In 1910 there was still a daily stage to Stouffville, but Altona's population had fallen to only 100 people. A house still remaining is the "Old Barkey Home," built in 1856 by the Mennonite farmer and preacher Daniel Barkey.
The primary source for basic documents (vital statistics, land records, wills) for people who lived in the Province of Ontario is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A 2C5.
Civil registration did not begin in the province until 1869. Before then there may be church records of baptisms and burials. For the most part these are still held by the denomination who recorded them. Copies of marriage records made pre-1869 had to be sent by individual clergymen to the registrar of the county in which the marriage took place. These marriage records are available through Ontario Archives, on micorfilm through LDS libraries, and on paid and unpaid websites, but because they were copied at the registrars' offices, they cannot be considered a primary source.
Vital Records after 1869
Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1915 are now available [October 2014]; dates for marriages and deaths are later. Birth and death registration was not universally carried out in the early years after its adoption. Deaths were more apt to be reported than births for several years. The more rural the area, the less likely it would be that these happenings were reported to the authorities.
Land Records and Wills
Information on how to access land records and wills is best sought on the Archives of Ontario website. An ancestor's land holding might be found on Canadian County Atlas Digital Project if he was in occupancy circa 1878.
Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents (APOLROD). A list of Land Registry Offices for all Counties of Ontario.
The original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada, known to Canadians as "LAC". Copies of original microfilms are online at the LAC website for all censuses up to 1911. Each census database is preceded with an explanation of the geographical area covered, the amount of material retained (some census division material has been lost), the questions on the census form, and whether there is a name index. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited. The 1921 census is only available through Ancestry.ca, but it is free-to-view.
E-books and Books
Some websites with more local information on Ontario County
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Customized Treatment for the Most Common Heart Rhythm Disorder
PETER SPECTOR, M.D., PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE
As a cardiologist, Peter Spector, M.D., has seen his share of patients suffering from the nation's most common heart rhythm disorder, atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is characterized by extremely irregular and fluctuating heartbeat and is responsible for up to a 24 percent increase in a patient's risk of stroke, and as much as a two-fold increase in the risk of death. But Spector has often felt powerless to help patients with advanced cases of AF.
The current treatments — medication and catheter ablation — are inadequate. In fact, most AF patients are not candidates for ablation, which uses targeted application of heat to change how electricity flows through the heart. Of the AF patients who are candidates for ablation, only about 75% see a cure. In the most advanced cases the success rates for ablation can be less than 50%.
In patients with simple abnormal heart rhythms, ablation has a high success rate because doctors can more easily record the heart's electrical activity and understand where to place catheters for the most effective outcome. In AF patients, however, the heart's rapid and disorganized electrical activity makes it difficult for doctors to interpret electrical recordings, draw conclusions, and understand how best to guide the procedure.
As a researcher, Spector aims to improve on the one-size-fits-all approach toward ablation. He is developing better mapping of the electrical activity and structure of an AF patient's heart via electrical recordings and CT scans. Through this improved mapping, doctors can more effectively target the sites in the heart that need to be addressed and deliver patient-specific treatment.
Over several years, Spector has developed a method of analyzing electrograms to determine the density of rotors, or rapidly firing reentrant circuits, in the heart tissue of AF patients. The insight he has gained has allowed him to better understand why medications in AF patients stop working; why ablation is effective in early AF but not in more advanced AF; why medications sometimes work after an unsuccessful ablation but not before; why AF is common shortly after a successful ablation; and why AF is common after cardiac surgery.
Spector's research could result in significant increases in the rate of cure in AF patients. With AF creating an enormous burden on patients and the health care system, improving treatment would not only save lives but also would hold down costs. The significance of his research caught the attention of philanthropist and one-time heart patient Tom Evslin, who, with his wife, Mary, donated $1 million to support the scientific and clinical aspects of Spector's project. This work has now led to development of a new catheter and mapping approach to identify which areas in the heart should be targeted during an ablation for patient-specific ablation therapy.
In addition to establishing one of the leading electrophysiology programs in the nation, Spector has created a spinoff company, Visible Electrophysiology, LLC. With UVM bioengineer Jason Bates, Ph.D., Spector co-developed software that models the electrical behavior of the human heart, making it an effective tool for medical education and research applications. In their recent publication in the journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Spector and Bates report the improvements they have made in training for electrophysiology. An editorial in a major electrophysiology journal has highlighted the article as recommended reading for cardiologists and researchers.
Last modified May 19 2014 03:55 PM
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The Anglo-Saxons And The Vikings
( Originally Published 1928 )
THE Saxons were in England after 450 and established a monarchy which lasted six hundred years.
The Trousers.—These were long, loose, and strapped to the leg by a cross-gartering of cloth, linen or leather which sometimes extended to the thigh. They gradually assumed a closer form until tights were evolved in the tenth century. Cross gartering, however, was retained until the thirteenth.
The Tunic.—This was usually knee length and opened downward from each hip for freer movement. The edges were embroidered or woven in colored thread to form a border. Very long sleeves formed a series of rolls above the wrist, where a bracelet kept them from slipping over the hand. Girdles were worn with both long and short tunics. The former were for men of dignity, all edges being decorated with embroidery or fur.
The word "gunna" (called Saxon by some, but probably Norman, as "gune" is old French for gown) is sup-posed to apply to the long full tunic of both sexes. The "cyrtle" or kirtle is generally understood to mean the inner gown or tunic.
The Mantle.—One variety had an opening for the head and was looped up over the arms with a section falling in folds somewhat like a chasuble. Others clasped in front or on the shoulder.
Footgear.—Low leather shoes were slashed over the instep like sandals and sometimes attached to the cross-gartering. Socks were worn inside the shoes over stockings with ornamental bands about the tops.
Hair.—The Anglo-Saxon beard was full and cut in two points, the hair hanging to the collar line. Specimens of very large double combs have been found.
Armor of chains, rings or scales formed a garment called a coat of mail; the Saxon boss on the shield rose six or seven inches in height.
The girdle was placed rather high under the bust with the gown pulled up through it in front, allowing the kirtle to show. This gave a thick, bunchy appearance not so noticeable several centuries later when the same trick was used with a girdle placed low about the hips.
The Wimple.—The hair was worn loose, or in braids, bound by a fillet about the brow, that for an unmarried girl being known as a snood. The wimple, which became an established mode in the ninth century, was a large square of white linen or colored cloth laid over the head with one end thrown around the neck in such a manner as to completely hide all hair from view. It was some-times broad enough to drape the shoulders like a wrap, or to hang as a veil with a gold or jeweled band holding it about the brow.
Large, circular earrings were worn. Women's shoes were tied or buckled about the ankles.
ANGLO-SAXONS AND VIKINGS
The Anglo-Saxons were skillful in the spinning of flax; they also understood the art of dyeing. A strong cloth of superior quality was called "stamfortis." The furs in use were sable, beaver, fox, cat and lamb.
In the times of Sweyn, King of Denmark, 981, and of Canute, 1027, also of the Norsemen, the costume for the men was at once picturesque and barbaric. Buskins of leather were strapped on bare legs or over gray woolen stockings. The knees were always bare. Coats of mail were worn over short-sleeved, knee-length tunics of dull color. The skins of wild animals draped the whole : a leopard skin over one shoulder with the head close to the ear, or a gray wolf skin with its head hanging down the back. Armlets of copper or brass on bare arms, and helmets of shining metal in striking designs decorated with bull's horns or surmounted by towering eagle wings completed the costume.
For Canute, a helmet of silver bound round by a golden band and crested by a golden dragon is correct. A gold-bordered red mantle should be suspended from the shoulders and cut to sweep the ground. A corselet of leather, completely studded with gold plates, is worn over a short tunic. According to the sagas, also old MSS., Canute wore over his tunic a long mantle fastened with cords and tassels. His shoes are described as being high with embroidered bands about the top, a form of buskin. His body when exhumed in 1766 was found decorated with gold and silver bands, one encircling his head, a jeweled ring on one finger. In the Knyghtlinga Saga, his hair is described as luxuriant.
The mustaches worn by the Norsemen should hang to the chest. Saxon beards were very common.
Women.—The women wore the wimple and a gown like the Saxon.
Hamlet.—The dress of the Dane in the tenth and eleventh centuries, according to Strutt, resembled the Anglo-Saxon's. Black was a favorite color, although one writer in 1127 states that they had become wearers of "scarlet, purple and fine linen." Another speaks of them as "effeminately gay in their dress," spending much time caring for their hair, which hung in flowing ringlets. Scarlet was the color originally worn by royalty. Hamlet as prince of the blood should have been robed in it, which, according to Charles Knight, accounts for the objections of the Queen and Claudius to his dressing in black. This, al-though a popular color, did not represent mourning, as the Danes wore none. Blanche Yurka, playing the Queen to John Barrymore's Hamlet, was a stunning figure garbed in royal scarlet.
Besides the coat of mail, the Danes used a tunic of quilted cloth called a panzar (this was later of metal), made to protect the lower part of the body and especially the abdomen. The national weapon was the bipennis, or double-headed axe. The helmet had a nose guard to which the collar of the mail hood could be hooked; only the eyes were left unguarded.
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The study was led by Fernanda de Matos Feijóa of the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Researchers gave rats plain yogurt sweetened with aspartame, saccharin, or sugar, plus their regular diet, for twelve weeks. Rats that ate the aspartame or saccharin sweetened yogurt gained more weight than those on the sugar sweetened yogurt, despite all the groups ingesting a similar amount of calories. Researchers think that the artificial sweeteners caused a decrease in energy used, or caused fluid retention. The study was published in the journal Appetite
on humans shows that aspartame increases appetite and that many artificial sweeteners increase the motivation to eat. Sweet tastes from artificial sweeteners without calories could lead to greater ingestion of calories.
Thus artificial sweeteners contribute to obesity
instead of preventing it.
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Eridanus (ĭrĭdˈənəs) [key], large southern constellation stretching SW from Orion for about 60°. Because of its long, winding shape it was identified with a river by many ancient civilizations; e.g., the Egyptians called it the Nile and the Babylonians called it the Euphrates. The brightest star in the constellation, Achernar, marks the southern end of the river. Eridanus reaches its highest point in the evening sky in December.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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| 0.895505 | 126 | 3.859375 | 4 |
Temporal range: Upper Triassic–Recent
|Raccoon (Procyon lotor )|
|Subclasses & Infraclasses|
Mammals are the group of vertebrate animals which form the class Mammalia. They have fur and a very precise kind of temperature regulation. The females bear live young, and produce milk for the young. Parental care of the young is universal among mammals, and it is essential because live birth limits the number of offspring.
Main characteristics[change | change source]
Reproductive cycle[change | change source]
Most marsupial and eutherian mammals have a reproductive cycle known as the oestrous cycle (U.S: estrous cycle). Females are sexually active only during the oestrous stage, when they are 'on heat' for a few days each month. If an ovum is not fertilised, the endometrium (uterus lining) is resorbed. Oestrus cycles may occur once or twice a year, or many times a year. Each group of mammals has its own frequency.
Humans and primates, are quite different. They have a menstrual cycle. In this case, females are sexually receptive at any time, but only fertile when an ovum is released from an ovary. In this case, the endometrium (if not needed for an fertilised egg) is discarded. The endometrium is shed, and takes with it a certain amount of blood. In this system, eggs are released from the ovaries mostly in the middle of the cycle, away from the mentrual period. This ovulation is 'concealed', meaning, it is not obvious when it occurs. This process, so it is thought, tends to keep the male and female together, which is unusual in mammals with the oestrous cycle.
Skeleton[change | change source]
One diagnostic feature is the lower jaw which, unlike earlier forms, is composed of a single bone, the dentary. This is one feature which can be seen in fossils, or at least those which are complete enough to have the lower jaw. Mammals have three little bones in their inner ear, the ear ossicles. The ear ossicles are bones which were, long ago, part of the lower jaw in early proto-mammals.
There are quite a number of other features, particularly in the skull and limbs, so that it is usually possible identify and describe a mammal from its skeleton alone.
Neocortex and behaviour[change | change source]
Another diagnostic feature is the neocortex of the brain, which no other vertebrate has. This is involved in the kind of flexible behaviour and learning typical of mammals. Reptiles and birds have much of their behaviour controlled by "inherited behaviour chains", which roughly translates as "instincts". Almost all animals can do some learning, but mammals do far more than other vertebrates. Their behaviour is much more flexible than lizards, for example, and that is made possible by their neocortex.
Other things in the life of mammals seem to be connected with this flexibility and learning. Play is a kind of early learning period in which, according to one theory, mammals develop skills which they will need in life. All mammalian young play, and this is very obvious in the more intelligent mammals (primates, cats).
The emotions of mammals are very noticeable, and rather similar to ours. It is possible, and quite common, for humans to have a friendly relationship with another mammal. It is quite impossible for a human to have any kind of relationship with a snake or a gecko (for example). This is because the reptile simply does not have the same basic emotions as a human.
Other items[change | change source]
There are about 50 characters which are typical of mammals, and some of the most important are discussed above. A few more examples will make it clear that mammals are very different from reptiles and birds:
- Sweat glands
- Tooth replacement: two sets, and no continuous replacement. Enamel on the tooth surface. Reptile teeth all alike; mammal teeth follow a pattern (incisors, canines, premolars and molars)
- Occipital condyles. Two knobs at the base of the skull fit into the topmost neck vertebra; most tetrapods, in contrast, have only one such knob
- Outlet for foodwaste separate from urinogenital outlet. Reptiles and birds have a common cloaca at the rear
- Mammals excrete urea; reptiles and birds excrete uric acid
- Colour vision is defective or absent in most mammals (primates are an exception)
- In reptiles and birds the blood vessel which carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart lies on the right side of the body; but in mammals it lies on the left side.
- There are many features of the skeleton that mammals share
Main groups[change | change source]
Almost all mammals give birth to live young. There are only two mammals that lay eggs, called Monotremes, the Duck-billed Platypus Ornithorhynchus, and the Spiny Anteater Echidna, with four species. All are confined to Australia and New Guinea, and are the sole survivors of an earlier group of mammals. However, like other mammals, they feed milk to their young, and protect and look after them.
Modes of life[change | change source]
In terms of number of species mammals, with 5488 species, are not the most successful vertebrates. Birds, with about 10,000 species have nearly twice as many, and reptiles have just as many as birds. Fish have even more species. There are 27,000 species of fish, of which nearly 26,000 are bony fish.
Despite this, many zoologists do regard mammals as a successful group of animals. One reason is that they are successful in all habitats on Earth. In the air, in the water, in forests, in the colder regions of the world, and above all on grasslands, where they are outstandingly successful.
In the air, the bats (Chiroptera) are the mammalian order with the most species. They 'own' the nighttime, since birds are largely diurnal (daytime) animals. Bats are hugely successful, mostly as nighttime predators of insects.
The terrestrial mammals are fewer in number of species than lizards, but they are huge in individual numbers, and far more important in the life of the terrestrial biomes. Their ability to move from place to place and adapt has made them a most effective group. Many mammals live in cold places. These mammals have thick hair or blubber to keep them warm. Others may live in rainforests. On land the rodents (rats, mice) are hugely successful, more common in numbers than any other mammals. Large mammals on land have been hunted to extinction in some parts of the world, but the ones which remain are now better protected.
Last, but certainly not least, are the primates. Their natural habitat, with few exceptions, are the forests. Most live in the trees, with hands that grasp, good colour vision, and intelligence. In the Pliocene period some moved out onto the savannahs as grassland replaced forests. Mankind is the result of this shift into the savannahs.
Taxonomy[change | change source]
The evolutionary relationships among land vertebrates is as follows:
- Tetrapoda (land vertebrates)
Standardized textbook classification[change | change source]
A somewhat standardized classification system has been adopted by most current mammalogy classroom textbooks. It is based on living animals. The following taxonomy of extant and recently extinct mammals is from Vaughan et al. 2000.
- Subclass Prototheria: monotremes: platypuses and echidnas
- Subclass Theria: live-bearing mammals
List of orders[change | change source]
Mammals can be divided in a number of orders:
- Monotremes (monotremata)
- Marsupials (marsupialia)
- Superorder Xenarthra
- Superorder Afrotheria
- Order Proboscidea
- Superorder Laurasiatheria
- Superorder Euarchontoglires
Images[change | change source]
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
|Wikispecies has information on: Mammalia.|
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mammalia|
- Burghardt, Gordon M. 2006. The genesis of animal play: testing the limits. MIT Press, p11. ISBN 0-262-02543-4
- Kermack D.M. & K.A. 1984. The evolution of mammalian characters. London: Croom Helm, p6. ISBN 0-7099-1534-9
- Kemp T.S. 2005. The origin and evolution of mammals. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850761-5
- "Initiatives". The IUCN Red List of threatened species. IUCN. April 2010. http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives.
- Clements, James F. (2007). The Clements checklist of birds of the world (6th ed.). Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9.
- Gill, Frank (2006). Birds of the world: recommended English names. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12827-6.
- The Reptile Database
- Nelson, Joseph S. 2006. Fishes of the World. 4th ed, John Wiley. ISBN 9780471756446
- Clack Jennifer A. 2002. Gaining Ground: the origin and evolution of tetrapods. Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN. ISBN 0-253-34054-3
- Vaughan, Terry A., James M. Ryan, and Nicholas J. Capzaplewski. 2000. Mammalogy: 4th ed, Saunders. ISBN 0-03-025034-X Brooks Cole, 1999.
|Amphibian • Bird • Fish • Mammal • Reptile|
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High-angle wave instability and emergent shoreline shapes : 1. Modeling of sand waves, flying spits, and capes
Animation S1: “Alongshore sand waves” with A = 0.65 and U = 0.55, corresponding to the results presented in Figure 9b. (1.318Mb)
Animation S2: Relatively subtle “cuspate bumps” with A = 0.5 and U = 0.6, corresponding to the results presented in Figure 9c. (1.444Mb)
Animation S3: More pronounced, pointier “cuspate bumps” with A = 0.5 and U = 0.7, corresponding to the results presented in Figure 9d. (1.533Mb)
Animation S4: Relatively subtle “flying spits” with A = 0.7 and U = 0.65, corresponding to the results presented in Figure 9e. (1.594Mb)
Animation S5: Relatively subtle “reconnecting spits” with A = 0.7 and U = 0.65, corresponding to the results presented in Figure 9f. (1.494Mb)
Ashton, Andrew D.
Murray, A. Brad
MetadataShow full item record
Contrary to traditional findings, the deepwater angle of wave approach strongly affects plan view coastal evolution, giving rise to an antidiffusional “high wave angle” instability for sufficiently oblique deepwater waves (with angles between wave crests and the shoreline trend larger than the value that maximizes alongshore sediment transport, ∼45°). A one-contour-line numerical model shows that a predominance of high-angle waves can cause a shoreline to self-organize into regular, quasiperiodic shapes similar to those found along many natural coasts at scales ranging from kilometers to hundreds of kilometers. The numerical model has been updated from a previous version to include a formulation for the widening of an overly thin barrier by the process of barrier overwash, which is assumed to maintain a minimum barrier width. Systematic analysis shows that the wave climate determines the form of coastal response. For nearly symmetric wave climates (small net alongshore sediment transport), cuspate coasts develop that exhibit increasing relative cross-shore amplitude and pointier tips as the proportion of high-angle waves is increased. For asymmetrical wave climates, shoreline features migrate in the downdrift direction, either as subtle alongshore sand waves or as offshore-extending “flying spits,” depending on the proportion of high-angle waves. Numerical analyses further show that the rate that the alongshore scale of model features increases through merging follows a diffusional temporal scale over several orders of magnitude, a rate that is insensitive to the proportion of high-angle waves. The proportion of high-angle waves determines the offshore versus alongshore aspect ratio of self-organized shoreline undulations.
Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 111 (2006): F04011, doi:10.1029/2005JF000422.
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
Reply to comment by M. Ortega-Sánchez et al. on “High-angle wave instability and emergent shoreline shapes : 1. Modeling of sand waves, flying spits, and capes” Ashton, Andrew D.; Murray, A. Brad (American Geophysical Union, 2008-01-26)
Brink, Kenneth H.; Cherian, Deepak A. (Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2013-11-01)Finite amplitude instability of an idealized tidal mixing front is considered for cases where there is an active symmetric instability during the early stages of evolution. This can happen either when the initial front is ...
Hristova, Hristina G.; Pedlosky, Joseph; Spall, Michael A. (American Meteorological Society, 2008-10)A linear stability analysis of a meridional boundary current on the beta plane is presented. The boundary current is idealized as a constant-speed meridional jet adjacent to a semi-infinite motionless far field. The far-field ...
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G.D.H Cole was a left wing academic with a strong belief that you could change the world through education. You can find his Wikipedia page here.
Cole’s democracy could perhaps be characterised as an aversion to big government and a preference for smaller associations, either at work or in the community. For Cole local government in urban areas, because of its size, had become as distant from ordinary people as national government. In the face of this, the problem for Cole was ’to find democratic ways of living for little men in big societies’. For him:
Democracy can work in the great states...only if each state is made up of a host of little democracies...Three of his assumptions in particular are interesting for local democracy:
- That democracy requires that people know each other personally, as neighbours or comrades, for example, so that a genuine bond of sympathy and empathy exists
- The belief in natural associations, in other words those groups that form around work places, churches, neighbourhoods, hobbies etc, as the basis for a living democracy
- That we have to accept messiness in the democratic system – an almost anarchic willingness to build democracy on the 'natural' building blocks of associations and to be unconcerned about even or regular state structures
Cole describes the idea of Moot Halls in his 1941 essay ’The Essentials of Democracy’:
I am suggesting that there ought to be for every street, or little group of streets, for every block of flats, and, of course, every village and hamlet a regularly recognised, neighbourhood group, with a right to discuss and resolve upon anything under the sun. I am not merely suggesting that this should happen: I say it ought to be made to happen. Every new group of streets we build ought to have its little Moot Hall for such assemblies of its people, ought to have its little centre for their communal affairs.
Wider than their democratic purpose, Cole suggested that Moot Halls should have other functions such as childcare centres, cafes, bakeries, and social clubs. In this context Moot Halls sound similar to many of the centres opened through modern regeneration projects - although these don’t have the democratic function (perhaps they should).
Personally I love this idea and would like to see it considered as something that might be included in every new development; a kind of democratic planning gain.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cornelluniversitylibrary/3855917845/
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The term antiquity (or classical antiquity; the
usual adjective is not "antique" but "ancient") is applied to
the period in which ancient Greece and Rome achieved what are
considered their greatest literary works, beginning with Homer
(around the eighth century B.C.E.). The
end of antiquity is more problematic. The period between the
fall of Rome (in the fourth or fifth century C.E.) and the later
Middle Ages say, 450 to 700-ish --
is sometimes called "late antiquity." Sometimes the adjective classical is used synonymously with
"ancient"; sometimes it's more specific.
The traditional canon of the Greek
authors of antiquity includes the epic
poet Homer, the tragedians Aeschylus,
Sophocles, Euripides, and the philosophers Plato and Aristotle
all but Homer lived during what is considered the greatest
age of Greek culture, the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E.
Latin poets of the Augustan period
include Virgil, the most important epic
poet; Horace, most famous for his odes;
From the Guide to Literary Terms by Jack Lynch.
Please send comments to Jack Lynch.
Note: This guide is still in the early stages of development.
Three question marks mean I have to write more on the subject. Bear with me.
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Threatened Desert Rose Has Federal Protection
WASHINGTON (CN) - Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Webber's ivesia as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with 2,170 acres of critical habitat. The tiny yellow-flowered plant is a perennial and a member of the rose family. It is found only in the region between the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and the Great Basin Desert in Nevada.
The current listing is part of a 2011 settlement agreement between the USFWS and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) that resulted in a five-year workplan to speed listings for hundreds of at-risk species across the nation. The CBD first petitioned for the listing status for the ivesia in 2004.
"Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, this rare desert rose and its unique habitat have a shot at survival," Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist at the CBD was quoted as saying in the group's press release in response to the listing.
The Webber's ivesia grows on mid-elevation flats or terraces in only five counties in the two states. These areas are characterized by clay soils that swell during spring rains then shrink and crack in summer. "The shrink-swell of the clay zone, which extends into the subsoil, favors perennials with deep taproots or annuals with shallow roots that can complete their life cycle before the surface soil dries out," the action noted.
"Webber's ivesia is threatened with extinction because of many factors, particularly the invasion of nonnative plant species and associated increases in the frequency and severity of wildfires throughout the species' limited range," Ted Koch, State Supervisor for the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office was quoted as saying in the USFWS press release.
Nonnative, invasive plant species compete with, displace and degrade the plant communities in which the ivesia occurs, and they contribute fuels that increase the frequency of wildfires, the action said.
The ivesia is currently found on only 165 acres. Of the 17 historically known populations, one has been wiped out and the status of two more are unknown. The plants receive some conservation protections already because 69 percent of the occupied habitat is on Forest Service lands and 3 percent is on Bureau of Land Management lands.
The USFWS determined that the ivesia is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all of its range, the criteria for endangered status, because the populations are spread across northeastern California and northwestern Nevada, and are thought to provide sufficient redundancy and resiliency that the species is not at risk of immediate extinction, the action noted.
The final critical habitat designation of 2,170 acres is an increase of 159 acres over the amount of land in the original proposed rule. The change is the result of new information received from the U.S. Forest Service that "better defined the physical or biological features along the boundaries of five proposed units, resulting in changes to the acreages for those units," the action said.
"The critical habitat being proposed to protect the plant will require federal agencies to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service before funding or permitting projects that could harm the flower's habitat," the CBD said.
Most of the designated critical habitat, approximately 70 percent, is on federally managed land, 10 percent is on state land and only 20 percent is on private land, the USFWS said.
The final listing and the critical habitat designation are effective July 3.
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December 4, 2008
Seniors feel 13 years younger
People 70 and older tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, U.S. and German researchers said.
Jacqui Smith of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research along with Anna Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn and Dana Kotter-Gruehn at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin analyzed the responses of 516 men and women 70 and older who participated in the Berlin Aging Study. They tracked how their perceptions about age and their satisfaction with aging changed over a six-year period.
We examined individual changes over time, and expected the gap to increase. But we were surprised to find that it was maintained, on average. Perhaps feeling about 13 years younger is an optimal illusion in old age,Smith said in a statement. Smith and colleagues found that some of the oldest participants did feel even younger over time, but poor health reduced the gap between felt age and actual age.
In general, at the start of the study people said they looked about 10 years younger than they were, but by the end of the study, people felt they looked about seven years younger than their chronological age.
Women saw themselves as about four years older than their male peers, Smith said in a statement.
Women may be more aware of their appearance than men, especially given the negative stereotypes of older bodies.
The findings are published in the Journals of Gerontology.
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In the usually quiet halls of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. branch library, a familiar song rang out, and people who heard it could be forgiven if they thought it was Mardi Gras morning. Author Sherry "Leddy" Milam recently held a special story time to read her new children's book, "The Red Feather," to hundreds of Martin Luther King Charter School elementary students. To the children's delight, Milam had a special musical back-up from Big Chief Kevin Goodman and members of the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indian tribe.
"It is the first children's book ever written about the Mardi Gras Indians," Milam said. "It is about one boy's musical and magical adventure on Mardi Gras morning."
Milam, who served as the library's storyteller for two years, chronicled the book's main character, who meets a man with a tambourine on a street corner on Mardi Gras morning and follows a red feather to meet each member of the Mardi Gras Indian tribe.
Milam said the book was born when she was asked to do a series of story times for Black History Month.
"I really wanted to give the kids a sense of their history and their culture," she said. "I wanted to teach them about New Orleans history because that is black history. Mardi Gras Indians came to mind because they're everyday heroes, but there are no stories written about them for children."
Milam remedied that with her book, which takes place on Forstall Street in the Lower 9th Ward. The illustrations are Milam's own acrylic paintings.
As Milam read each page aloud, the students looked on in awe at both the story and the yellow and red feathers on Goodman's suit. Then Goodman and his tribe inserted song and dance as if the children were watching a Mardi Gras morning performance.
"I've been a part of this all my life, and the great thing is that this is the first kids' book about the Mardi Gras Indians," Goodman said, adding that his father was a big chief. "It is a pleasure to be able to educate the kids about this, because it has been a part of our tradition for so long."
The students clapped along with the beat and learned something along the way.
"I didn't know that Indians came out in difference colors," said first-grader Casey Kaigler, dazzled by the brilliant feathers. "I thought they only come out in one color."
Fellow first-grader Jourdan Gaines said: "I loved that they came around. I loved the story. It was better than class."
Those responses from students are exactly what Goodman and Milam hope will inspire children to keep the tradition alive.
"This is a tradition that will never die," he said. "The kids love it. It's a spiritual thing, so when the spirit is there, it has a tendency of touching everyone. The energy that the kids give to us, we just give it back to them. It is a real cool thing."
Milam said she has held storytimes from Gentilly to eastern New Orleans to Uptown, and she is in the process of creating an audio version of the book with music. A painter and aspiring actress whose creative expression also includes extensive body art, Milam is starting on a second children's book about death, grieving and the history of the second-line.
"The response has been amazing," she said. "I'm hearing people talk about it already, and it has just been out for week. I'm getting really excited about this, and I think it is time for people to know the true history of the Mardi Gras Indians. They are an important part of our culture, and they are only here."
Joseph Halm is a contributing writer. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Until Earl Shaffer actually did it, experts believed that a hike of the entire Appalachian Trail in one continuous trip was impossible.
On July 10, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History opened “Earl Shaffer and the Appalachian Trail,” an exhibition that focuses on the fulfillment of Shaffer’s childhood goal of hiking the Trail.
Featured items on display in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery include Shaffer’s trail diary from his pioneering hike, photographs he took along the trail, the maps he used and the boots he wore. The documents and artifacts will be on display through Oct. 30.
Earl Shaffer had no expert advice, no previous footsteps to follow, or even guidebooks to help him. He started his walk in April 1948 at Mount Oglethorpe, GA, and completed the Trail four months later at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. Shaffer kept a diary, along with photographs taken along the way, to prove to skeptics that he had really accomplished what he claimed.
Except for occasional times when Shaffer joined another hiker or group, he walked alone. Stopping to camp at night, his only companion was his “little black notebook.”
Shaffer used the diary to record his progress, detail animal and bird sightings, talk about people he met, vent his frustrations and errors, and jot down poetry.
When Shaffer began his hike, his only maps were the road maps issued by service stations. The Trail itself was often obscured by natural growth, and trail markings were often faded or missing, forcing him to bushwhack through overgrown areas.
Shaffer’s diary describes frequent episodes of taking wrong turns and going miles off course. His supplies were minimal, and he even mailed his tent home only a few days after starting out. “Most people,” he wrote, “never in all their lives sleep under the open sky, and never realize what they are missing.”
Shaffer completed two more hikes of the Appalachian Trail, the last in 1998 at the age of 79. After his pioneering walk in 1948, he devoted much of the rest of his life to activism on behalf of the Appalachian Trail and of parks and wilderness areas.
Earl Shaffer went on to write books and poetry, present slide lectures about his experiences, and help with the physical maintenance of the Trail. His advice remained popular and valued among would-be Trail hikers. In possibly the greatest homage to Earl Shaffer’s historic feat, hundreds of hikers every year repeat his Appalachian Trail journey.
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It wasn’t until about 150 years ago that Colorado potato beetles began to play such a dramatic role in potato production in the US. Before then, this harmless insect fed on a handful of weed species in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. As the first pioneers brought potato production to the western territories, the potato beetle found a new source of food. This pernicious pest migrated eastward along the routes of the pioneers, reaching as far as the East coast by 1874.
Most of us are bitterly familiar with the Colorado potato beetle and the rampant destruction which it can cause. This dome-shaped insect is easily identified by the five black stripes on each yellow wing cover. Adults overwinter deep in the soil and emerge in late spring with a fierce appetite. Upon emergence, potato beetles travel on foot for several days and sometimes over a mile to seek out a food source. While they predominantly feed on the tender leaves of young potato plants, all members of the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatillos) are at risk.
The female Colorado potato beetle can lay up to five hundred bright yellow-orange eggs in clumps of 15-25. From these eggs hatch the larvae, which do the most damage to foliage. These larvae resemble plump orange grubs and feed for 2-3 weeks through four stages of molting, finally crawling into the soil to pupate. Here in the Northeast, a second generation emerges after a brief resting period. Regions south of here experience yet a third generation before adults go into hibernation in late fall.
Organic Methods of Controlling Populations
As damage to potato crops has grown ever greater, farmers have employed a multitude of synthetic pesticides. Given its rapid rate of reproduction, the potato beetle developed resistance to many of these pesticides, resulting in more regular spraying of the most persistent chemicals. Most organic growers take a multi-faceted approach to control of the Colorado potato beetle.
Prevention. Organic control of the Colorado potato beetle depends greatly on cultural practices, the most important of which is crop rotation. Moving host plants to a new location can cut populations significantly as they struggle to find a viable food source in the springtime. As I mentioned above, post-emergence adults are known to travel great distances, but every little bit helps. Barriers such as rivers or roads between fields can help to amplify the effect of rotation.
Physical exclusion is best achieved by lightweight row cover set over potato plants before the beetles arrive in the spring. Early placement and well-sealed edges ensure that any hungry beetles cannot reach young plants. Using straw mulch around the base of plants after an early hilling has been shown to be an effective measure of exclusion as well. The mulch makes it harder for beetles to find potato plants, as well as creates an environment that favors natural predators.
Trap Crops. Many growers use traps as borders for their potato crops. The most common of these is a wide ditch dug around the perimeter of a potato field. This ditch is steep on both sides and is lined with black plastic. Since the beetles can only walk after emerging from hibernation, they must cross this ditch, where they slip on the steep sides and reach their timely demise under the hot sun.
Physical Removal. Many potato growers resort to picking adult beetles off by hand, killing one at a time by drowning or crushing them. Squishing the orange egg deposits on the undersides of potato leaves is a great way to efficiently extinguish the next generation. For obvious reasons, this tactic is only practical for small scale producers and home gardeners.
Flaming has become more popular in recent years as the equipment has become a bit more polished. This must be done as the adults first inhabit the plants and on a sunny day while the beetles are active on top of the foliage. The young potato plants will be able to recover from a brief exposure to intense heat, but the beetles will not.
Organic Pesticides. In recent years, a strain of the naturally occurring Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium has been touted as an organic alternative to these dangerous synthetic pesticides. While this is certainly an effective organic treatment, it should be cautioned that the development of resistance remains a concern whenever we rely heavily upon a single class of pesticide for control. There are a multitude of bio-insecticide brand names in which B.t. serves as the active ingredient.
Here at High Mowing, we know the frustrations that these guys can cause—the past two years we’ve worked hard to protect our small potato crops so those tricky potato beetles they have instead found and decimated our eggplants all the way back to the stems. It can feel dire sometimes—and I assure you that picking potato beetle larvae and squishing eggs is not among our favorite summer activities—but it’s a good reminder of how it pays off to maintain diligent scouting, take immediate action, and always start out with healthy plants that will be more likely to be able to bounce back after significant damage.
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- Current 300 mb Contours and Wind
- Mean 500 mb Heights and Wind Vectors
- 500 mb Vertical Velocity (Omega)
- Jet Stream
A U-shape pattern is called a trough. On the east side of troughs, storms tend to strengthen.
500 mb heights show the pattern of upper-level pressure. Upper-level wind vectors show direction and speed by the orientation and length of vector. January and July 500 mb height animations show the general flow of air in the upper atmosphere. The average altitude of 500 mb is ~20,000 feet.
Question: What is the common wind direction in Central Africa? Compare this wind direction with the United States.
500 mb vertical velocity (Omega) indicate areas of large-scale rising (blue) and sinking (orange) motion. Rising air (blue) often indicates regions of low pressure. Low pressure results in rising air, and often precipitation. Sinking air (orange) often indicates regions of high pressure. High pressure results in sinking air, and often dry weather.
- Find SE Asia. Can you see the ITCZ (equatorial low pressure) that migrates with the seasons?
- Does the air usually rise or sink over Northern Africa?
The jet stream is a current of fast moving air found in the upper levels of the atmosphere. This rapid current is typically thousands of kilometers long, a few hundred kilometers wide, and only a few kilometers thick. Jet streams are usually found somewhere between 10-15 km (6-9 miles) above the earth's surface. The position of this upper-level jet stream denotes the location of the strongest SURFACE temperature contrast.
During the winter months, Arctic and tropical air masses create a stronger surface temperature contrast resulting in a strong jet stream. However, during the summer months, when the surface temperature variation is less dramatic, the winds of the jet are weaker.
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Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have received confirmation that the twin GRAIL spacecraft have, as planned, completed their impact into the moon.
Update: The twin spacecraft of NASA’s GRAIL mission have completed their final rocket burns. Their pre-planned lunar impact is expected at about 2:28 p.m. PST (5:28 EST).
Ebb and Flow — the two twin spacecraft of NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission — have begun their final rocket burns. They are scheduled to impact the moon at around 2:28 p.m. PST (5:28 EST).
NASA is providing live commentary of the pre-planned lunar surface impacts by GRAIL beginning at 2 p.m. PST (5 p.m. EST) Monday, Dec. 17. The event will be broadcast on NASA Television and streamed on the agency’s website. For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv . The coverage will also be streamed live on Ustream at: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2 .
The two probes will hit a mountain near the lunar north pole, bringing their successful prime and extended science missions to an end. The two probes are being sent purposely into the moon because they no longer have enough altitude or fuel to continue science operations.
Commentary will originate from the GRAIL control room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Coverage will last about 35 minutes and include live interviews with GRAIL team members.
GRAIL’s final resting place on the moon will be in shadow at the time of impact, so no video documentation of the impacts is expected. GRAIL data are allowing scientists to learn about the moon’s internal structure and composition in unprecedented detail. Join the conversation on Twitter by following the hashtag #GRAIL.
For the mission’s press kit and other information about GRAIL, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/grail . You can follow JPL News on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/nasajpl , and on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/nasajpl .
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FRIDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- It's not a particular brain region that makes someone smart or not smart. Nor is it the strength and speed of the connections throughout the brain or such features as total brain volume.
Instead, new research shows, it's the connections between very specific areas of the brain that determine intelligence and often, by extension, how well someone does in life.
"General intelligence actually relies on a specific network inside the brain, and this is the connections between the gray matter, or cell bodies, and the white matter, or connecting fibers between neurons," said Jan Glascher, lead author of a paper appearing in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "General intelligence relies on the connection between the frontal and the parietal [situated behind the frontal] parts of the brain."
The results weren't entirely unexpected, said Keith Young, vice chairman of research in psychiatry and behavioral science at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Temple, but "it is confirmation of the idea that good communication between various parts of brain are very important for this generalized intelligence."
General intelligence is an abstract notion developed in 1904 that has always been somewhat controversial.
"People noticed a long time ago that, in general, people who are good test-takers did well in a lot of different subjects," explained Young. "If you're good in mathematics, you're also usually good in English. Researchers came up with this idea that this represented a kind of overall intelligence."
"General intelligence is this notion that smart people tend to be smart across all different kinds of domains," added Glascher, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of humanities and social sciences at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Hoping to learn more, the authors located 241 patients who had some sort of brain lesion. They then diagrammed the location of their lesions and had them take IQ tests.
"We took patients who had damaged parts of their brain, tested them on intelligence to see where they were good and where they were bad, then we correlated those scores across all the patients with the location of the brain lesions," Glascher explained. "That way, you can highlight the areas that are associated with reduced performance on these tests which, by the reverse inference, means these areas are really important for general intelligence."
"These studies infer results based on the absence of brain tissue," added Paul Sanberg, distinguished professor of neurosurgery and director of the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair in Tampa. "It allows them to systemize and pinpoint areas important to intelligence."
Young said the findings echo what's come before. "The map they came up with was what we expected and involves areas of the cortex we thought would be involved -- the parietal and frontal cortex. They're important for language and mathematics," he said.
In an earlier study, the same team of investigators found that this brain network was also important for working memory, "the ability to hold a certain number of items [in your mind]," Glascher said. "In the past, people have associated general intelligence very strongly with enhanced working memory capacity so there's a close theoretical connection with that."
Learn more about the workings of the brain at Harvard University's Whole Brain Atlas.
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Find over 200 print-friendly fact sheets about heart disease and related health topics.
Methotrexate is similar to the vitamin called folic acid. It works
by competing with folic acid in cells. This blocks the way the cell is able to
make genetic material, and the cell dies.
Methotrexate may be given as a pill or as a shot in the vein
(intravenously, or IV) or in the muscle (intramuscularly, or IM).
Methotrexate can be used to treat several conditions and diseases,
Methotrexate effectively treats many conditions and diseases,
Side effects from methotrexate are usually temporary and occur more
often with long-term use. Side effects may include:
Less common side effects include:
Long-term side effects may include:
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference
is not available in all systems.)
Methotrexate can cause birth defects. Do not use this drug if you
are pregnant or wish to become pregnant or father a child while you are taking
Many antibiotics can increase the level of methotrexate in your
blood. Make sure your doctor knows that you are taking methotrexate if you need
to take an antibiotic for another problem.
You will have your blood drawn often while you are taking
Do not drink alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine, while
you are being treated with methotrexate.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
June 28, 2011
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Douglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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|(Tom Hamer photo)|
Murrelet habitat faces threats from industry and government alike
The marbled murrelet, a seabird that nests in old-growth coastal forests, was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1992. Its numbers severely reduced by extensive habitat reduction (due to logging, increases in the population of jays and ravens that prey on their eggs and chicks, oil spills, and other causes), the bird was listed to grant it some measure of protection while efforts to help restore the population were designed and implemented. | 08 February 2007
|Explaining an endangered species' decline
Birth rates for the marbled murrelet - the focus of much conservationist concern - were higher a century ago than they are today, Berkeley researchers find in examining museum specimens
A murrelet population long viewed as threatened with extinction was suddenly declared to be thriving — despite a status report issued one year earlier that concluded the murrelet faces near-assured extinction within a century even without a reduction in then-current habitat protections. (Casting further doubt on the notion that the Canadian and Alaskan populations are healthy, just this week yet another FWS report indicated that those populations have declined by 70 percent over the last 30 years.)
The 2004 declaration of genetic uniformity emboldened those pressing for reduced protection for the murrelet. Their efforts were given even more support by a recent FWS proposal to remove "redundant" protections from the birds' habitat in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. According to the FWS, only 221,692 acres out of the 3.9 million currently protected in the murrelet's interest require specific protection not already provided by other laws, forest and habitat-conservation plans, and similar arrangements.
But what the FWS characterizes as a useful tidying-up of duplicative protections is viewed by others as part of a larger strategy less cheerfully devoted to good governmental hygiene.
"The Bush administration has systematically reduced safeguards for threatened species out of what appears to be a desire to increase extractive uses from public lands," asserts Steve Beissinger, a Berkeley professor of conservation biology who has studied the murrelet's habitat for several years (see story above). "Last year, rules governing how the U.S. Forest Service evaluates the impacts of timber harvesting were greatly weakened, and now the agency is no longer required to conserve viable populations of vertebrates and plants." The current FWS proposal to remove more than 3 million acres of old-growth forest from critical-habitat designation for the murrelet, he continues, "opens the potential for harvest in some of these areas."
Conservationists, familiar with these industry strategies from years of trying to protect the spotted owl (which favors inland old-growth rather than the coastal stands crucial to murrelet reproduction), are outraged by the current FWS proposal. Whereas the 2004 decision that reported no genetic variance between scattered murrelet populations was called "a slap in the face of sound science and open, credible decision-making" at the time, opponents' rhetoric has lately become even more pointed and specific.
"In California, this critical-habitat proposal will be the nail in the murrelet's coffin," Scott Greacen of the Environmental Protection Information Center said in a press release issued the day the FWS proposal was made public. Susan Ash, conservation director of the Portland Audubon Society, said at the same time that "the administration is in cahoots with special interests to achieve their logging goals."
The FWS is skeptical about the utility of habitat-conservation plans generally, stating that in almost all cases "recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat." The agency specifies habitat-protection efforts by state and federal wildlife-refuge managers as useful governmental adjuncts to the "voluntary" and "partnership" arrangements it currently favors.
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When string theory fails, what’s the next fad?
|August 22, 2011||Posted by News under Cosmology, Intelligent Design, News|
No, really, that’s a serious question.
At New Scientist (August 21, 2011), we are told, “Black holes and pulsars could reveal extra dimensions.” You knew that, of course. The theorists need all those extra dimensions the way governments these days seem to need dimensionless amounts of cash. So,
String theory, which attempts to unify all the known forces, calls for extra spatial dimensions beyond the three we experience. Testing the theory has proved difficult, however.
Now John Simonetti of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and colleagues say black holes orbited by neutron stars called pulsars could do just that – if cosmic surveys can locate such pairings. “The universe contains ‘experimental’ setups we cannot produce on Earth,” he says.
Of course, they may not produce everything we want. Then what?
At Not Even Wrong, Peter Woit wonders that too:
This hype goes back to at least 2008, where we might have learned,
In the New Scientist piece, astrophysicist Avi Loeb makes the comment:
There are a lot of layers here of nonstandard assumptions… If nothing could be observed in this context, then it would not surprise me.
Unlike most recent examples of such hype, which appeared in conjunction with the acceptance or publication of a paper in PRL, this one is based solely upon the submission of a paper to PRL.
File under: Hope strings eternal.
File with: If it mentions space wormholes, it’s not serious.
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Water Cooperation now an imperative according to world leaders
A side event organized by UNESCO and UN Water called the attention of World Leaders on the topic of Water Cooperation during the Rio+20 conference on 19 June 2012. UNESCO is the lead agency of the upcoming UN International Year and World Water Day on Water Cooperation (2013).
Water cooperation is multi-dimensional in nature and encapsulates cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic aspects. A multidisciplinary approach is essential in order to grasp the many facets implied by the concept and blend them into one holistic vision. Moreover, for water cooperation to be successful and sustainable, it requires a common understanding of the needs and challenges surrounding the issue of water. Under UNESCO’s leadership, the 2013 International Year and World Water Day will focus predominantly on building a consensus on adequate responses to these issues.
The session was chaired by Gretchen Kalonji, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences, who confirmed the commitment of the Organization as the lead agency of the upcoming UN International Year and World Water Day on Water Cooperation (2013), as declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2010 (A/RES/65/154).
Ms Kalonji called the attention of Member States and other actors on the need to make water an instrument of peace, making use of this International Year to promote actions on Water Cooperation at all levels. She also recalled that Tajikistan played a pivotal role in this initiative. UNESCO will lead this Year with its unique multi-disciplinary approach, combining natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication. Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the UN International Year of Water Cooperation will naturally embrace and touch upon each of the areas included in UNESCO’s mandate.
H.E. Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan congratulated UNESCO for its commitment and expressed his conviction that managing water resources peacefully is vital for sustainable development. He emphasised that sharing water resources means sharing responsibilities. The goal must be to prevent and resolve potential conflicts arising from the management of shared water resources and to promote cooperation at all levels. This calls for platforms of research and exchange, for new capacities and sharing expertise. He also raised the issue of the competition over water, which is increasing worldwide and will deepen with population growth, urbanization and the impacts of climate change.
The event was an opportunity for eminent experts to contribute key messages to the Rio+ 20 dialogues. Regarding cooperation in international river basins, both Le Duc Trung (Mekong River Commission Secretariat) and Jean-Francois Donzier (International Network of Basin Organizations - INBO) stressed the importance of securing national and international political will for the sustainable management of transboundary river basins and transboundary aquifer systems.
Sven Alkalaj, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, informed that the EC convention on Transboundary Waters –also known as the 92 Water Convention– will be open to non European countries very soon.
Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute, observed multiple facets must be taken into consideration in order to achieve water cooperation.
An example of participatory process in a rural area of Brazil was illustrated by Nelton Miguel Friedrich, Director of Coordination and Environment, AguaBoa, Brazil. The Agua Boa programme is based on local community participation and fosters cooperation at all levels.
Adequate technical, scientific and institutional capacity were considered crucial by several experts such as Karin Lexén, Director of the Swedish Water House initiative at SIWI and Chair of the Swedish IHP Committee, Ivan Zavadsky, Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Lasse Gustavsson, Executive Director, WWF International.
All recommendations revolved around the need for water cooperation at all level as crucial means to overcome water-related challenges. Water cooperation is essential to guarantee a decent daily life and basic well-being to all by providing water security .
In a closing statement, all panellists agreed that Cooperation is not a matter of choice – it is an imperative.
<- Back to: Rio+20
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Is the black bear problem the elephant in the room?
By John K. Flores
If you consider the geographic area between Berwick and the Calumet Spillway — river to spillway, if you will — consider its width south of the tracks below U.S. 90 and above the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, it’s not a lot of land. Moreover, in terms of carrying capacity where terrestrials such as deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels and yes, bears, are concerned, it’s pretty marginal habitat.
For example, take deer. Sure, someone will shoot a 146 Class wall-hanger buck every now and then in the local region, such as the one I scored for a local hunter several years ago. But, as a rule, there just aren’t the food resources to produce Boone and Crocket bucks for it to be the norm.
The same is true for the Louisiana black bear in St. Mary Parish.
When thinking about delisting the endangered Louisiana black bear, the criteria to achieve that goal requires two main viable populations having a 95 percent chance of survival for more than 100 years. Additionally, there must be critical habitat designated and preserved, such as Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge here in St. Mary Parish. And, there must be exchange between populations.
That 100-year survival is contingent upon habitat. Acorns are a prime food resource for bears and other animals during the fall. But, ask any deer hunter who hunts south of U.S. 90 how many acorns remain under a water oak on his lease by the end of November and he’ll probably tell you not too many. The ground will be scraped clean and the tree void of this hard mast.
Between the raccoons, squirrels and deer, it’s a wonder the bears get their share. But, they do. I’ve seen bears walking along La. 317 eating acorns that fall onto the road, and I’ve seen them in trees along canal banks at night wearing out the branches gorging themselves. However, once the acorns are gone, they look elsewhere.
In the fall when the sugar cane is being cut and the pickings become thin, that “elsewhere” is town. I’ve seen so many acorns in our neighborhoods you could sweep them up by the bushel full. I know if I were a bear, that’s where I’d want to be.
The same is true during the spring, where soft mast is concerned. Things like dewberries and black berries are a common food source for bears. During mild winters, where the bears haven’t really hibernated, not even the berries are available to them in March as we’ve seen during this period of contention.
The bottom line is the habitat between the rivers and much of St. Mary Parish is marginal and probably will never reach the 95 percent level required to sustain a bear population for a 100 years. And our backyards, work places and stores are right up against this marginal habitat.
The trick is how do we live with the bears we have and minimize human interaction? After all, no one wants to come face to face, nor have his or her prized retriever disabled if it can be prevented.
The fact is the Louisiana black bear is not the elephant in the room. Local officials and wildlife professionals haven’t ignored the problem, but neither can the local citizens adverse fears be ignored. More needs to be done.
Currently lots of attention is being given to bear proof garbage cans and adding up to 250 more south of the tracks in the problem area. Living in Crescent Acres, I happen to be the proud owner of one of those trashcans.
I must say, it is no more bear proof today than it was the day after the garbage truck driver picked it up with the hydraulic claw, banged it up and down a few times and one for good measure to empty it, and smashed it to the ground as if trying to stomp a roach with it well over a year ago when we first got it. I’ve been able to keep one of the two inertia latches working. And the good news is my garbage can hasn’t been raided in spite of its defects.
In short, you can add another 250, but without frequent inspections and maintenance it does no good as a tool to prevent bears from raiding these neighborhood trash containers.
By the same token, local residents should do their part by not overloading their garbage cans and reporting those that are defective. It does no good to have a bear proof receptacle if it’s not utilized as such.
St. Mary Parish Black Bear Conflict Officer Catherine Siracusa has been actively working with 4-H Club student volunteers from local schools distributing doorknob information packets in areas below U.S. 90 where the highest bear activity occurs.
Siracusa says the program was started in November, and several hundred residents have received the packets. However, due to the Christmas holidays and the lack of available time students can assist, the program hasn’t reached every home in the bear conflict areas. Plans are in the works to pick up where they left off.
Though much of Siracusa’s educational efforts have targeted school children, town hall style meetings have been scheduled with representatives from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries available to provide the public with information and education. Unfortunately, few residents have made themselves available to participate, which can be frustrating to officials.
Psychologically, no mother with young children playing in the yard is comfortable with bears so close by nor are families getting home after dark when the headlights shine on a bear under the carport. Experiences like these create animosity where you’d think a town hall bear education meeting would be packed with participants. In other words, it takes a concerted effort from both residents impacted and wildlife professionals to manage the bear problem.
Residents shouldn’t leave food on the back patio for their roaming housecats or containers with dog food. Barbeque pits also can attract bears; therefore, they should be cleaned and if possible, kept covered or stored in a garage.
Siracusa has gathered a lot of other tips in a PowerPoint presentation available to civic groups to help reduce human/bear encounters.
I’m confident most face-to-face Louisiana black bear interactions will not wind up with a human receiving a stitch. But, don’t get me wrong, interactions have resulted in injury and even death in other parts of the country. I’m saying most. Therefore, residents still need to be cautious.
I was face-to-face with a black bear a couple years ago on Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, near the Palmetto Trail. It wanted no part of me, and I wanted no part of it. Amicably, we both backed away from one another — me to my truck and it to the woods — and we were no worse for wear.
But I must admit, it was a textbook encounter, and education is what helped me and would help folks in these neighborhoods where bears are unwelcome.
The local bear population is probably not going to grow much beyond what it currently is.
Moreover, they are here to stay.
But, this spring until the dew and black berries start producing, we may have to figure out how to get along with the bears for a while.
If you wish to make a comment or have an anecdote, recipe or story to share, contact Flores at (985) 395-5586 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaia can mean:
- Gaia (mythology): the earth and mother of the gods in Greek mythology
- Gaia (spacecraft): European space mission to collect data on Milky Way stars and other objects
- Gaia hypothesis: the idea that living things and the Earth are closely connected, and form a complex self-regulating system, making sure there can be life on the planet. James Lovelock promoted this idea.
|This disambiguation page lists articles with similar titles.
If a link brought you here, you can go back and fix it so it goes straight to the right page.
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Canning History: When Propaganda Encouraged Patriotic Preserves
Recently, home canning has seen a rush in popularity, and even upscale retailers like Williams-Sonoma want a share of the idea that a pint of home-canned jam is a fun gift idea. But during both world wars, canning saw another surge, this time prompted by colorful propaganda sponsored by the United States government.
During wartime, American and British citizens were encouraged by their respective governments to start "victory gardens," reducing their reliance on limited food rations. The natural next step — canning their newly-grown produce.
Getting folks to can at home was a way of "relieving pressure on the canning industry that was needed to preserve food for soldiers," says Anne Effland, a U.S. Department of Agriculture social scientist and former food historian with the agency. So naturally, the government called on a few good artists to help it gin up a propaganda poster campaign to make canning seem patriotic. Check out our slideshow above for some samples of the posters, many of which live on today in the special collections at the National Agricultural Library.
The commissioned posters featured brightly colored artwork and slogans like "Can All You Can" and "Of Course I Can" — puns that recall a simpler time and perhaps a simpler sense of humor. "The posters were used as a rhetorical device to bring the public together around the common need to support the armed forces," says Effland.
Today, canned foods, from mass produced to small-batch artisanal products, are readily available around the country. But modern home canning has taken on a new purpose, carrying the message that canning is good for your health and the environment because you can control it. If you need a jump start, you can still get information on how to start canning from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
And though the popularity of canning might go through ups and downs over the years, these vintage posters remind us that the purpose and importance of canning to American culture will continue to be "preserved."
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GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
The GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC (GAR) was a national association of Union Civil War veterans, founded in Springfield, IL, in 1866. Ten states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia sent representatives to the GAR's first national convention in Indianapolis, IN, in Nov. 1866. The first meeting of the Dept. of Ohio, GAR, was held in Jan. 1867 in Columbus. By late 1868, some 303 local "posts" had been established statewide, including a number in Cleveland. With its membership centered in the local posts, the organization worked on both state and national levels for issues such as pensions and the establishment of soldiers' homes. A number of Clevelanders, including William C. Bunts, JAMES BARNETT†, and Theodore Voges, held positions in the state GAR. By 1908 8 GAR posts existed in Cleveland, with a membership of 886, and five other posts, with 129 additional members, were located elsewhere in Cuyahoga County.
Two national GAR encampments (conventions) were held in Cleveland. Over 30,000 veterans attended the 35th Encampment, 12-13 Sept. 1901, to witness the "greatest" military parade in the history of the city. Considerably fewer veterans attended the 81st Encampment in Cleveland in Aug. 1947, organized by John H. Grate, a 102-year-old veteran from Atwater, OH. The last Cuyahoga County GAR member, Peter J. Diemer, died several years before, on 23 Feb. 1943. Following the demise of the local posts, their record books were transferred to the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY and to various smaller societies and libraries in Cuyahoga County.
Last Modified: 16 Apr 1998 12:51:59 PM
This site maintained by Case Western Reserve University
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Inside The Law
Large District Leaders Back NCLB
In Small Town USA, No Child Left Behind looks more like a foe than a friend. But most big city leaders think it's a reasonable challenge.
This was one result of a national survey of school superintendents and principals, Rolling Up Their Sleeves: Superintendents and Principals Talk About What's Needed to Fix Public Schools, conducted by Public Agenda. The results show that large district leaders are more hopeful about the benefits of the law than their small-town counterparts. Aside from that, overall, most superintendents and principals surveyed think NCLB is an unfunded mandate, relies too much on standardized testing, and the consequences and sanctions for schools are unfair.
But only 22 percent of large district leaders believe NCLB "probably won't work" compared to 41 percent of small district leaders.
New Mexico Finally Enchants Teachers
Mountain ranges and rustic stone buildings against cobalt skies are enchanting images of New Mexico. But teachers have been known to steer clear of the beautiful state.
It had among the lowest teacher salary structures in the nation, 11 percent of its teachers had substandard licenses, and it had a severe teacher shortage in 1999-2000. Now, New Mexico has a program that hikes teacher pay while improving teacher quality in part to meet the No Child Left Behind Act.
After years of work by legislators, educators and business leaders, the state legislature adopted and Gov. Bill Richardson signed into law House Bill 212 in 2003. It strengthens teacher quality, professional development, and it improves most teachers' pay and the recruitment of new teachers.
It establishes a "new career ladder for teachers that is performance-based," says James Ball, director of professional licensure for the Department of Education in New Mexico.
-Gov. Bill Richardson
The three-tiered system includes three levels of pay for teachers: ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.
New Mexico always had annual evaluations for teachers, but they were lax and not tied to salary. Now, teachers must pass a number of benchmarks to move up the ladder, including time requirements, the writing of a professional development dossier, and the attainment of a master's degree or a national board certification.
"If a teacher can't advance ... they have to leave the profession," Ball says. Beyond high quality, a teacher must be highly effective.
Highly Qualified Teachers
On a national level, the U.S. Dept. of Education created a Teacher Assistance Corps last summer. It is comprised of federally-appointed expert volunteers who "listen, learn and share" with various state governments and educators to meet the requirement for highly qualified teaching in the new law, according to Carolyn Snowbarger of the DOE. Some states need help recruiting teachers or leading professional development sessions, particularly in rural areas. In Colorado, officials set up a Web site where teacher vacancies are posted. Teachers are sent e-mails to inform them of such positions. In Alabama, they have detailed professional development sessions, particularly in reading for elementary school teachers. The sessions are to help teachers teach to state standards. And the state has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce, which has hired reading coaches.
Struggling American Girl: Will She Make Adequate Gains Under Federal Act?
Elizabeth Ashley is a shy, white sixth-grader who likes typical 12-year-old stuff, like hanging out with her friends, listening to music and talking. Her favorite band is Good Charlotte. Her favorite food? Pizza. Her favorite color? Light blue.
When it comes to education at Robert H. Jenkins Junior-Middle School in Palatka, Fla., in Putnam County, Elizabeth struggles with reading and math. But she enjoys, in order, "phys ed, band, social studies and language arts."
Her first nine weeks of grades show she earned As in band and physical education, Bs in language arts and social studies, and Cs in math and science.
Elizabeth started playing the trombone last fall. And she digs social studies because she enjoys "learning stuff about the past." With language arts, even though she struggles with some of the basics, she is inspired by the lives of people.
Assistant Principal Chelsea Merritt says Elizabeth shows signs of struggle in some tests. Her fifth-grade Sunshine State Standards FCAT shows she scored 268 out of 500 in math. She hovers in the high level I area, below proficient, which is Level III. Her reading score was 298 out of 500, which is a low level III.
But according to the FCAT National Norm Reference Test, comparing her to other fifth-graders nationwide, she scored 57 out of 99 in math, with 50 an average score, but only 35 out of 99 in reading.
Betty Huber, Elizabeth's grandmother, is among her biggest rooters. "Her math is pretty good but she has trouble mostly with fractions and some reading problems," says Huber, who reads to her occasionally.
Henrietta Staples, Elizabeth's language arts teacher, says Elizabeth has an advantage over other students because she has great parental support. "She has parents who are encouraging her. They make sure they discuss the books with her," Staples says.
And Elizabeth is conscientious. "She is more motivated than someone who struggles with reading comprehension," Staples says.
Chicago Brings Out Not-so-shy Parents
Long before No Child Left Behind became a reality, Chicago Public Schools brought parents and communities together to improve student achievement. In 1989, the first Local School Council, or LSC, was created in Chicago. Each school council consists of six parents, two community members, two teachers, and a school principal and high school student elected by the students. The LSC was created to stave off teacher dissatisfaction. "We were having, almost every other year, a teacher strike," says James Deanes, LSC officer for the district. "We needed to do something different.
"We came up with the idea to have more input and authority from parents," Deanes says.
"It was felt that people at the local level had a better idea of what the local needs were better than central office," Deanes explains. "So central office gave up some of that authority."
The LSC, which meets monthly, votes on the school implementation plan and budget every year, just as the school board does. LSC members also annually evaluate school principals and decides whether or not to renew a contract or issue a new contract to principals.
Deanes says it works, although it's far from perfect. People say central office still interferes and there is inadequate funding to make proper decisions regarding resources, he says.
Some LSC members also serve on the Parent Advisory Council, or PAC, which in part approves how funds are spent. PAC parents are usually those who have children who are most affected by No Child, Deanes says. They recommend program ideas to the principal. They attend workshops including literacy classes, or sessions on how to understand instruction and curriculum so they can make informed decisions on their own. Parents also learn how to help their children get to and from school safely, such as how to navigate drug- or crime-infested streets without getting hurt, Deanes says.
While No Child is a "one-size-fits-all" plan, which Deanes disagrees with, because every child's needs differ, Chicago is ahead of the game. "We figured it out and not because we're really smart, but because the public demanded it," Deanes says. "We don't have to get used to having a collaboration to make a decision. We've already done that for 13 years. Other schools now have to come up with a shared vision, a shared plan. And we've gotten pretty good at it."
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For the 9,800 children in Washington who attended the state’s preschool program this past school year, the challenges went well beyond learning to count and identify letters.
Nearly half — 4,112 — live in families with incomes that are half of what the federal government considers the poverty line. Roughly 10 percent are homeless, 13 percent have at least one parent with mental health issues, and for 12 percent of them, one or more of their parents never finished middle school, much less high school.
But a report from the state’s Department of Early Learning suggests that the Washington Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is making a big difference in these 3- and 4-year-olds’ lives – emotionally, physically, and academically.
The report looks at the results from a new tool that the preschool teachers are using to rate everything from how well their students follow directions to how well they know the alphabet.More
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Ban on allowing downer cattle into the food supply could cost dairy farmers
In 2004, the Agriculture Department banned cows too sick or injured to stand. But in finalizing the rule last year, the department called for cattle that get injured after they pass inspection to be re-evaluated to determine whether they are eligible for slaughter.
This year, an undercover video by the Humane Society of the United States showed workers at Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino, Calif., dragging downer dairy cows with chains, shocking them with electric prods and shooting streams of water in their faces. The USDA shut down the plant, saying the company hadn’t prevented downer cattle from entering the food supply.
Several lawmakers have since challenged the USDA to impose a total ban because downers pose a greater risk of illnesses such as mad cow disease.
After the video’s release, the Humane Society sued the USDA to seek a total ban, calling the current policy a loophole that should be closed to protect consumers and ensure the humane treatment of animals. The suit says the Chino workers were trying to get the cows to stand, even briefly, so they could be considered acceptable for human consumption.
Dairy farmers sell their cows for slaughter – known as “culled cows” – once the animals are no longer productive. Downer cattle tend to be older dairy cows rather than younger beef cattle because of the health problems associated with aging. Dairy farmers get several hundred dollars for each cow they sell for slaughter.
Harold Ellenbecker, a dairy farmer in Greenville, Wis., about 35 miles southwest of Green Bay, said that often, a cow that goes down is just injured but has no illness that would make it unsafe for human consumption.
“It’s the inspector’s job to see if they’re healthy enough to enter the food supply,” Ellenbecker said. “There’s too many hungry people out there, that meat should be used” if an inspector approves it.
Ellenbecker opposes not just an expansion of the downer ban but the ban itself. He said he loses $3,000 to $8,000 a year because of the prohibition, which was put in place by the USDA following the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S. He says tightening the ban would further depress dairy farmer income.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which oversees the nation’s slaughterhouses, says it does not keep numbers on how many downers enter the food supply after they’ve been re-inspected following a fall.
The National Milk Producers Federation hasn’t analyzed the economic impact of a total downer ban, according to spokesman Chris Galen. He said that dairy farmers get about 5 percent of their income from the sale of cows for slaughter. The group supports the existing ban but doesn’t think it needs to be tightened.
“Cattle can have trouble standing or walking for a variety of reasons, including fatigue, injury and illness,” Galen said. “Whether such conditions are temporary or permanent, or whether they pose a food safety concern, should be left to qualified food safety regulators.”
Animal welfare groups, which are pushing a total ban, argue that it’s often difficult to make that call on the spot.
Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary, said that USDA inspectors can’t always tell if an injury is the result of some underlying neurological problem. Further, he argued, the inspectors don’t have time to do thorough reviews.
Baur said the USDA has resisted a total ban in part because of opposition from the dairy and packer industries, “which want to make every last dollar on these animals. Also, the USDA and the industries have the same basic attitude about these animals as commodities – without any regard for the animals’ welfare and consideration for consumers’ health and ethical sensitivity.”
Baur also argued that a clearer ban on downers would provide an incentive for dairy farmers to take better care of their animals.
“These cows should not be pushed beyond their capabilities,” he said. “They shouldn’t be kept on the farm until they’re milked for every last drop.”
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said he was limited in what he could say on the issue because of the Humane Society lawsuit.
“But what I can say is we’re in the midst of an investigation to find out what went wrong, how widespread it was, and what we can do about it,” he said. “And we’re going to take the appropriate actions when the investigation gets done – both internally at USDA and externally with the industry.”
Last updated: 8:58 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012
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2012-01-22 Since the initial writing, there has been a new virtual machine released, which streamlines some of this. This post has been updated to reflect these changes.Let's get some actual code compiled!
Login like you did in the first tutorial, and you should see the Linux desktop:
Double click the Raspberry Pi Development icon to start a terminal session.
My version of the virtual machine came with a "Hello World" example already in place. That's great for checking validity of the system, but not so hot for learning how to do things from the ground up... So let's create hello2.
Make a directory for our Hello, World program
Go into it
Now we need to enter a text editor. Linux has a variety of text editors you can use (with lots of heated debate as to which is best). For now I'm going to use Pico because it's quick/easy for folks more familiar with Windows.
Now, you can copy/paste the following source into pico by copying here, and then right-clicking in the terminal window and selecting Paste
/* Hello World program */
Press Ctrl-X to exit Pico
It will ask you if you want to save the buffer. Press Y
Confirm the file name: hello2.cpp
Now we're back to the command prompt. We're going to compile the code you've just written using a tool called Scratchbox2. Scratchbox2's main job is to provide a cross-compiling environment, in this case for ARM. It also provides an emulator so that you can run the binaries we'll be creating... Seriously handy stuff.
You can go into ScratchBox2 in either single-command or interactive mode. I prefer single-command mode so I don't have to drop in/out of interactive mode as I edit files in pico (if you're using vi or another editor, you may not have this problem).
So, for us to compile our source file to an executable file, called "hello" (note the lack of extension, this is on purpose for Linux), we issue the following command:sb2 gcc hello2.cpp -o hello2
If you want to learn about a file (such as check to see what environment it's compiled for), you use the file command. In this case, we don't need to emulate that in ScratchBox, so we enter:
The response should be a bit like this (target cpu emphasis mine)
hello: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.16, not stripped
To run our program in ScratchBox's emulator, enter the following:sb2 ./hello2
Congrats, you now have Hello, World running in an emulated ARM environment! You can exit the terminal by entering:
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DIVECHA CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, BANGALORE 560012, INDIA
A paper entitled, "The state and fate of Himalayan glaciers" published in prestigious journal of SCIENCE on April 20, 2012. This is a review article coauthored by Anil Kulkarni, Distinguished Visiting Scientist at Divecha Centre for Climate Change and it provides contemporary understanding of Himalayan glaciers and possible changes in near future.
WHY STUDY HIMALAYAN GLACIERS ?
Himalayan glaciers are a focus of public and scientific debate, as almost 800 million people live in the catchments of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra, and rely to varying extents on the water released from glaciers. Therefore, numerous investigators from different parts of the world has carried out studies to understand changes in distribution of glaciers in Himalayan and Karakoram (H-K) region.
HOW MUCH WATER STORED IN HIMALAYA ?
Numerous investigations based on historical data suggest that glacial extent in H-K region is varying from 49650 to 43178 km2. Recent investigation based on satellite images suggest an area extent of 40800 km2. In the Indian H-K region the estimate is varying from 23300 to 26757 km2. In this region, volume measurements are available for few glaciers, therefore, models were applied to estimate volume of glaciers. Empirical estimates are highly uncertain and range from about 2300 km³, taking the slope-dependent ice thickness into account, to ~3600 -~6500 km³ based on volume-area scaling. The uncertainties in these estimates is very large, however, these estimates are substantially less than 13,300 km3 estimate presented in Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC.
WHAT IS RATE OF RETREAT?
The loss in glacier area is already estimated for more than six thousand glaciers covering an aerial extent of twenty thousand sq km. These glaciers are distributed in all parts of H-K region and covers almost half of the total glaciated extent. The glaciers in H-K region are losing an average 0.4% area per year. This is general tendency and loss in area is different in different parts of H-K region. The length measurements are also available for more than 100 glaciers in H-K region. These are retreating from mid-19th century, expect 1920-1940, where half of glaciers were stationary or advancing. Some large glaciers in Karakoram are stable or advancing. However, assessment based on length measurements could be misleading, as recent investigations have shown that even if glaciers are losing same amount of mass, its retreat could be influenced by slope and length. Therefore, it would be useful to understand changes in glacial mass to assess future changes in glacial extent.
HOW MUCH LOSS IN GLACIAL MASS ?
Measurements of mass budget for glaciers in H-K region are relatively few and for short duration. The available data suggest that mass budget over large part of Himalaya has been negative over past decades and rate of loss is increased after roughly 1995. Rough estimates suggest that glaciers in Indian Himalaya losing mass at the rate of 16 Gt per year. The loss in mass for many small glaciers located in low altitude range could be larger than mean and it could be as high as 1 m per year. This is substantial loss considering mean depth of small glaciers could be between 30 and 50 m. These small glaciers and ice fields are important source of water for many mountain communities. By considering small volume and large mass loss, this source of water could be significantly influenced in near future and could affect sustainability of many mountain communities. Therefore, major program needs to be undertaken to study changes in small glaciers and its impact on local communities.
NEED TO MONITOR HIMALAYAN GLACIERS
The investigations in Indian Himalaya suggest that most of the glaciers are retreating and also loosing mass. This consistent shrinkage in mass and areal extent can affect stream runoff over a long term. In addition this process can be further influenced if more glacier lakes are formed due to increase in debris cover and if Black Carbon is transported in accumulation areas of the glaciers. Therefore, continuous monitoring is needed to understand changing dynamics of Himalayan glaciers.
For more information, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1_5c6UzIZ0&feature=plcp ; http://www.dccc.iisc.ernet.in/
Reference: T.Bolch, A.Kulkarni, A.Kääb, C.Huggel, F.Paul, J.G.Cogley, H.Frey, J.S.Kargel, K.Fujita, M.Scheel, S.Bajracharya, M.Stoffel, The State and Fate of Himalayan Glaciers. Science 20 April 2012: Vol. 336 no. 6079 pp. 310-314, DOI: 10.1126/science.1215828
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What's Up with Boys and Reading?
April 03, 2013
The National Center for Educational Statistics shows alarming trends:
- Boys are 30% more likely than girls to flunk or drop out of school.
- Girls outperform boys in elementary and secondary school, college, and even graduate school.
- Boys are 4-5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Women outnumber men in colleges and account for roughly 60% of associate, bachelor, and master degrees and have begun to outpace men in obtaining Ph.Ds.
Leonard Sax, the author of Boys Adrift, (Sax, 2007) identifies the following factors that have driven boys away from books:
- Changes in education/kindergarten (from a focus on socialization 30 years ago, to the present push to read and write earlier)
- Video games (research shows boys are distracted from real world pursuits)
- Medications for ADHD (may be causing damage to motivational centers of boys’ brains)
- Endocrine disruptors (environmental estrogens from plastics, etc.)
- Devaluation of masculinity (40 years ago we had “Father Knows Best.” Today we have “The Simpsons.”
How do we convince Johnny to read? What can we do?
Parents and teachers should play a key role in actively helping boys connect with books and read in a meaningful way. Educators can help by giving boys time to socialize and mature before pushing them to read, and by giving them extra opportunities for movement in the classroom. We can all help by being role models and demonstrating that reading is an activity of value. It would also help if men’s organizations made literacy one of their primary aims and publicly supported literacy and lifelong learning. "A boy will follow the lead of his male role model, usually his father or other significant man in his life. If that man values reading, the boy will too." (McFann, J., Reading Today, August, 2004.)
For more information on this topic, I recommend the following books and websites:
Boys Adrift:The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax
Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax
Helping Boys Succeed in School by Terry W. Neu
Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys by Michael Smith
The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminists are Harming Our Young Men by Christine Sommers
Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis by Sandra Steingraber
North Independence Branch
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Contact: Dave Harris
From: Geological Society of America, 1999 Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 5, p. A13.
DRAHOVZAL, James A., and HARRIS, David C., Kentucky Geological Survey, 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Bldg., University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0107, firstname.lastname@example.org
Rocks of the East Continent Rift Basin are a succession of Precambrian siliciclastic (Middle Run Formation) and volcanic rocks that have been variously interpreted. One interpretation holds that these rocks represent a rift sequence that was subsequently deformed during the Grenville Orogeny, becoming part of the Grenville foreland fold and thrust belt. This interpretation is based on seismic and well data from near the Grenville Front in western Ohio and central Kentucky. Additional seismic data suggest that the same folded and thrust-faulted succession is present in southern Indiana and western Kentucky.
Interpretation of seismic data and recent deep wells in west-central Kentucky has resulted in defining some previously unrecognized characteristics for the East Continent Rift Basin. The rift succession in west-central Kentucky is thinner than in many of the areas previously studied. At least part of the relative thinness may be caused by tectonic inversion of the East Continent Rift Basin succession, because the overlying Cambrian section is also anomalously thin over this Precambrian basin. In addition, much of west-central Kentucky does not appear to exhibit the typical fold and thrust structures interpreted elsewhere. Instead, the area is cut by listric faults that likely indicate an east–west wrench motion. A new lithofacies for the Middle Run Formation also has been recognized in this area of Kentucky. A clean quartzose sandstone of possible marine origin is present in a recently drilled well.
These thickness, tectonic, and lithologic differences in the rocks of the East Continent Rift Basin in west-central Kentucky raise several basic questions and have important implications for understanding the regional tectonic evolution and for developing future natural-gas resources.
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- A panel proposes new sections for the Australian Constitution to recognize indigenous people
- The government says it will consider the recommendations before deciding how to proceed
- It has promised a referendum on the issue by the next election
- Changes to the Constitution by referendum rarely do well in Australia
An Australian panel on Thursday suggested changes to the country's Constitution to give better recognition to the indigenous population that inhabited the vast continent long before Europeans settled there.
The indigenous Australians -- often referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples -- suffered at the hands of the settlers and the government they established.
Australian politicians have since apologized for the past mistreatment, but Aborigines remain disadvantaged socially and economically compared with the overall population.
Explicit references to Aborigines in the original Constitution, drafted in the late 19th century, were subsequently deemed to be negative. Australians voted overwhelmingly to remove those points in a 1967 referendum, but many people say the document can be further improved to acknowledge the role of the country's indigenous population.
The panel -- which included Aboriginal leaders, business executives, legal experts and members of the main political parties -- handed over its report on Thursday to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, whose government has promised to hold a referendum on the matter by the next general election.
After spending the past year gathering opinions from people across Australia's huge territory, the panel faced the delicate task of proposing meaningful changes to the Constitution that would receive support from across the political spectrum.
Without the backing of all the major political parties, the proposed measures would have little chance of success at a referendum. And rejection by voters could deal a blow to Australia's self-image.
"For many Australians, the failure of a referendum on recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would result in confusion about the nation's values, commitment to racial nondiscrimination, and sense of national identity," the panel said in its report. "The negative impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would be profound."
The challenge is highlighted by the track record of past efforts to change the Constitution by vote: only eight of the 44 referendum proposals have passed in Australia's history, with the last successful one in 1974.
The panel said it had put forward changes that it thought would be likely to secure broad-based approval from Australians.
It proposed repealing two provisions that are still considered to have racist connotations: one that allows states to disqualify people of "all persons of any race" from voting at elections; and another that authorizes parliament to make "special laws" for "the people of any race."
That recommendation was expected and had already been supported by the government and the opposition.
The panel also made the more politically sensitive suggestion of adding a new section that would give Parliament the power to make laws "for the peace, order and good government' of Australia "with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."
That section would include a passage recognizing that "the continent and its islands now known as Australia were first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."
The report also proposed a section prohibiting racial discrimination while still allowing for the possibility of measures to protect and help "any group."
Some politicians and commentators had expressed concern before Thursday that the panel may put forward new provisions that, if enacted, would give too much power to the courts to interpret the wording as they saw fit.
The government said in a statement that it would "carefully consider the panel's recommendations before determining the best way forward."
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1959 ArticleRheinland-Pfalz (English, Rhenish Palatinate or Rhineland-Palatinate) Federal State, Germany was formed on 30 August 1946 by order of the French military government. It was formed from the northern part of the French Occupation Zone, including the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province (including the district of Birkenfeld which formerly belonged to Oldenburg, and the government districts of Koblenz and Trier), parts of the Prussian Province of Nassau, parts of Hesse-Darmstadt (Rhinehessen on the western banks of the Rhine), and the Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate (essentially the core of Kurtrier, Kurmainz, and Kurpfalz). It was formerly divided into three administrative regions: Koblenz, Trier and Rheinhessen-Pfalz, but is now divided into 24 districts.
Its capital is Mainz, and its population in 2007 was 4,049,000 (46.5% of the population is Roman Catholic and 31.2% of the population Protestant. This compares to a population of 2,993,700 in 1952 (59 per cent Catholic, 39 per cent Protestant).
Statistics for the old Mennonite congregations in this area follow:
There are in this area about 2,600 members of local old Mennonite families and 1,000 recent additions, mostly refugees from West Prussia. The increase occurred principally in the congregations of Neuwied (formerly closely associated with Krefeld in the Rhine Province), Weierhof, and Monsheim. The loss in the Deutschhof congregation is due to the fact that the Alsatian part, Geisberg, became independent; the loss in the Zweibrücken congregation is due to the fact that the members living in the Saar area had to form an independent organization. Almost half of the German Mennonites are now living in the two Rhenish states, as a regional survey clearly shows:
|Frankfurt / South Hesse||170||170|
The churches in Deutschhof and Ludwigshafen, which were destroyed in World War II, were restored in 1949-50. In the area of Rheinland-Pfalz two homes for the aged were built, especially for the refugees from West Prussia, viz., Leutesdorf, near Neuwied, and Enkenbach, near Sembach, in 1949-50. In 1955 the refugee settlements in Niederbieber and Torney, near Neuwied, built a church besides the one in Neuwied, which belonged to the small original congregation. Since the school at Weierhof (see Realanstalt am Donnersberg) was not released by the occupation authorities, an organization was formed which opened a dormitory (Schülerheim) in Kirchheimbolanden for Mennonite (and other) students attending the secondary school in that town. Refugees were not admitted into the French zone until 1948. In that year they began to come into the Palatinate and were assisted by American relief. The settlement in Neuwied (Niederbieber/Torney) was begun in 1949, the one in Enkenbach in 1943. An organization to help refugees get settled (Genossenschaftliches Flüchtlingswerk), founded at Weierhof in 1949 by Otto Zerger and Johannes Driedger, included local Mennonites and refugees who wished to settle, for the purpose of support in assuming rented farms. Thus, on the Offweilerhof near Zweibrücken three farms, called "Werderhof," were established, and by 1954 thirty Mennonite refugee families had been helped to find homes and a chance to earn a living. The association called Mennonite Settlement Aid (Mennonitische Siedlungshilfe) serves a wider clientele; it originated in Ludwigshafen on 24 July 1953, under the direction of Fritz Stauffer. The HVDM (the relief organization of the Vereinigung), the corporation Mennonite Homes for the Aged (Mennonitische Altersheime), and the voluntary service organization MFD (Mennonitischer Freiwilligendienst) maintain a common office with Mennonite Settlement Aid in Ludwigshafen, headed by Richard Hertzler. The chairman of the German Mennonite Missions Committee is Abraham Braun, former pastor of the Ibersheim congregation.
Various conferences and committees have resumed their activities. The Conference of the Palatine and Hessian Mennonite Churches meets annually either in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse or Ludwigshafen. Since 1953 the congregational ministers and leaders of the Palatinate and Hesse have been meeting annually for a study conference. In 1950 the fourth edition of the hymnal (see Hymnology) was published. There have been conferences for youth, and at Monsheim one for the aged. The Gemeindekalender has been edited by Paul Schowalter, pastor of Weierhof, and the Mennonit by Gerhard Hem, pastor of Sembach. Several ministers have retired: Johannes Foth in 1953, at the age of 75; Emil Händiges in 1951, at the age of 70; he was succeeded by Alexander Prieur in 1954; Hugo Scheffler who immigrated to Canada in 1951 was replaced by Theo Hotel. Abraham Braun has been succeeded by Daniel Habegger, who served as his assistant 1952-57. In Neuwied, Otto Wiebe, formerly a preacher of Heubuden, became the elder.
1989 UpdateAfter World War II, the influx of refugees from West Prussia led to the establishment of the Mennonite congregation in Enkenbach, the largest Mennonite church in Rheinland-Pfalz (496 members). The congregational life of the Palatinate churches was enriched by American sisters and brethren, who assisted in every respect, including the construction of housing for Mennonite refugees at Enkenbach. In the 1960s a more intense coordination of the work of local congregations began. The salaried preachers met six times a year and, besides other services, compiled several publications: a manual for baptisms, burials and other ceremonies, and statements on biblical interpretation, etc., the mode of baptism, and the understanding of ministry. In most churches lay preachers were serving in addition to the salaried preachers. This indicated a shift toward more emphasis on the priesthood of all believers. While most efforts during the 1950s and 1960s centered on the congregations, interest in outreach also grew, as was evident in the missions at Neumühle (1977) and Kaiserslautern (1982). The retirement and nursing home at Enkenbach was regarded as commitment of love towards a society neglecting senior people. The boarding school at the Weierhof offered opportunity for educational ministry by church members. The third Mennonite European Regional Conference was held at Enkenbach in 1981.
Congregational publications from Enkenbach, Ibersheim, Ludwigshafen, and Weierhof.
Cite This Article
Crous, Ernst and Klaus-Dieter Wahl. "Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 26 Jun 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rheinland-Pfalz_(Germany)&oldid=93401.
Crous, Ernst and Klaus-Dieter Wahl. (1989). Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 26 June 2016, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rheinland-Pfalz_(Germany)&oldid=93401.
©1996-2016 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
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Functional © Fundamentals
The Rights Copyright Gives
A copyright owner gets to do, or authorize others to do, the following things: U.S. Copyright Code, 17 U.S.C. § 106
- Make copies of the work
- Distribute copies of the work (by selling, renting, lending, or giving it away)
- Perform or display the work publicly
- Make derivative works, like translations, adaptations, and reinterpretations
A copyright owner can dole out some or all of those rights to other people or entities, by transferring ownership or granting licenses. Ownership or license rights can be shared by any number of people or entities.
What Copyright Protects
The copyright rights outlined above only apply to works that fit into one of these eight categories: U.S. Copyright Code, 17 U.S.C. § 102(a)
- literary works
- musical works, including accompanying words
- dramatic works, including accompanying music
- pantomimes and choreographic works
- pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
- motion pictures and other audiovisual works
- sound recordings
- architectural works
Some of the categories are bigger than you might think. For instance, "literary works" includes almost all text-based media, including computer code.
Works that fit into one of the categories above must also be "fixed in a tangible medium of expression" - that is, saved in some form - in order to qualify for copyright protection. Almost anything counts as "fixed" - a drawing on a chalkboard or whiteboard, or a file saved in a computer's memory would qualify. However, unfixed works such as improvisational speeches or music aren't protected by copyright.
A work also must include original creative expression to qualify for protection. The amount of originality required is pretty low, but just "sweat of the brow" is not enough. For example, writing out an alphabetical list of all Nobel Prize winners may take a lot of work, but it doesn't really contain any original expression. By contrast, if you add annotations and commentary to that list, you could own a copyright in the annotations and commentary.
What Copyright Doesn't Protect
Copyright does not apply to: U.S. Copyright Code, 17 U.S.C. § 102(b)
- procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation
These qualify for protection and ownership under patent law, and patent and copyright do not usually overlap.
- ideas, concepts, principles, or discoveries
Broadly speaking, these are not ownable under any form of U.S. intellectual property law. This reflects important values about intellectual freedom and encouraging innovation.
- titles, names, short phrases and slogans; familiar symbols or designs, mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, mere listings of ingredients or contents
These are considered to fail the requirement of originality.
- other unoriginal or unfixed works
More info on what copyright doesn't do, from the U.S. Copyright Office:
- What Does Copyright Protect?
- Copyright Protection Not Available for Names, Titles, or Short Phrases(PDF)
How To Get a Copyright
Creators today don't have to do anything to get a copyright; a work that qualifies is automatically fully protected by copyright from the moment it is first "fixed". Publication is not a requirement for copyright protection, and even formal registration is purely optional. There is also no requirement to include a copyright notice, date, the "circled c" © symbol, or any other information on the work in order to own a copyright.
Employers usually own the works created by employees in the course of their employment, and commissioned works ("works for hire") are usually owned by the party that commissioned them. Someone who is not a creator may acquire ownership of a copyright through a written agreement with the creator.
Copyrights can be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office by any legal owner, at any time during the term of copyright protection. Early registration (within 3 months of publication, and/or before infringements are discovered) brings some benefits if a lawsuit ever arises. There is a nominal fee for registration, and a copy of the work must be deposited with the Copyright Office. (More info: Copyright Office F.A.Q.)
How Long Copyrights Last
For works created today, copyright protection starts automatically as soon as a work is created, and lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator.
Because copyright terms have been changed several times, the term lengths for older works vary widely, based on a bewildering number of factors. Learn more about how copyright terms end, and works rise into the public domain.
This web site presents information about copyright law. The University Libraries make every effort to assure the accuracy of this information but do not offer it as counsel or legal advice. Consult an attorney for advice concerning your specific situation.
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| 0.927078 | 1,022 | 3.125 | 3 |
I have already written about the Polygyra species that Thomas Say described in 1818, which he had collected a year earlier during an expedition to Florida. Another Polygyra species from Florida, P. cereolus, was described by Muhlfeld (as Helix cereolus) in 1816 or 18181. This species is difficult to distinguish from Say's P. septemvolva. What I have identified here as P. cereolus may very well be P. septemvolva. In any case, the exact identification doesn't really matter for my purposes, because what I am going to say here applies to both species.
In my previous post I mentioned that Say gave separate dimensions for the shells of what he claimed were female and male Polygyra. Being pulmonate snails, they are, of course, hermaphrodites. The dissection below shows the lower genitalia of a specimen of P. cereolus.
The dimensions and shapes of the shells of P. cereolus and P. septemvolva are quite variable. The flatter shells of either species approach to being planispiral. The picture below shows the cross section of a P. cereolus shell.
1. See the footnote 2 on p. 582 of Pilsbry's Land Mollusca of North America, 1:2, 1940.
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Talking about productivity, actually productivity is nothing but effectiveness + efficiency. In fact, this is a simple definition of productivity. Effectiveness here means doing the right things while efficiency means doing the things right.
Why effectiveness and efficiency ? Here is the explanation:
To be productive, of course first of all you must do the right things. How can you be productive by doing the wrong things ? It can be compared to a runner in the Olympic. If the runner wants to be the winner, then first of all she must do the right thing, which is running to the right direction. If the finish line is in the west, there is no way she can be a winner by running to the east, north, or south, right ?Maybe it seems obvious, no runner will run to the wrong direction. But in life, the opposite often happens. Many people run to the wrong direction. Sometimes they can even spend their whole life running to the wrong direction ! What a pity.But how do you know that you are doing the right things ? How do you know that you are running to the right direction ?This is where purpose comes into play. Your purpose is what determines the right direction for you. You are doing the right things if you are doing something in accordance with your purpose. You are effective if you follow your purpose. So the first step here is you need to find your purpose. This is essential. After that, the second step is doing the things in accordance with your purpose.
After you choose to do the right things, now you should do those things in the right way. Again to compare with the runner, after she knows which direction to run to, she should run as fast as possible. For that runner, that’s how she does it in the right way: run as fast as possible.In life, you can use a bunch of tools available to do things the right way. For example, in doing your personal finance you can use tools like Quicken or Microsoft Money. These tools will help you do your personal finance efficiently. Or if you want to collaborate with your colleagues on a document, tools like Google Docs & Spreadsheets can be useful for you. After choosing to do the right things, a lot of tools can help you do those things in the right way.
Combining these two – effectiveness and efficiency – means that you do the right things in the right way. That’s what productivity is all about, right ?
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The USDA released its annual Livestock Slaughter summary on Monday, showing a slight dip in pork production from 2012 to 2013.
According to the report, pork production in 2013 was reported at 23.2 billion pounds, slightly below the 2012 report of 23.3 billion pounds.
This minimal decrease in pork production followed the trend also seen in beef and total red meat production. Red meat production dropped slightly from 2012 to 49.3 billion pounds while beef production fell by 1 percent in 2013 to 25.8 billion pounds.
The USDA also reported a drop in commercial hog slaughter; however, the average live weight of hogs slaughtered rose by 1 pound to 276 pounds.
In 2013, 112.1 million head of hogs were slaughtered. Of these, barrows and gilts comprised of 97 percent of the total federally inspected hog slaughter.
Both cattle and calf slaughter were also slightly lower than the year before. Read the full report here.
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Allergies are common in the lives of many Americans. Although it is not considered as a major illness, it does disrupt many people's daily activities.
In this article, I will use a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approach in explaining the cause of allergies and its treatment protocols.
Common Allergic Symptoms
To better understand allergies, we need to take a closer look at common symptoms, which include:
stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, or headache
itchy skin, or swollen, red skin
itchy eyes, or swollen eyes
difficulty in breathing, coughing, or shortness of breath
All of the above symptoms are similar to those of catching a cold in TCM. In TCM, catching a cold means an exterior attack to the body. The exterior is related to the lungs because the lungs:
control breathing - causing difficulty in breathing, coughing, or shortness of breath
govern the skin - causing itchy skin, or swollen red skin
open in the nose - causing stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing
are related closely to protective chi - causing itchy eyes or swollen eyes. This is a sign that protective chi is battling with pathogenic chi in the eye area. This battle takes place in the eye because protective chi is more prevalent in areas that need the most protection against toxins or invading pathogens, such as in the eyes, skin, and wall of the large intestine. Furthermore, the eyes are the starting point where protective chi comes out to the body's exterior in the morning and circulates 25 cycles around the body during daytime before it enters into the interior of the body at night.
On average, 20 percentof allergies in California are caused by wind invasion; 80 percent are due to lingering of pathogenic chi within the body. The main reason for the lingering is because the body's zheng chi (immune system) is weak, deficient and unable to fight off the pathogens, thus allowing it to invade the body and stay there. To take a closer look at this interaction, it is important to understand its physiology. Look at the picture below.
* nutritive chi is also known as ying qi; protective chi is also known as wei qi
Nutritive chi (blood) travels inside the blood vessels. Once the blood vessels are full of blood and expand, tissue fluids will disperse outward. Within the tissue fluids are white blood cells, which are also penetrating outward. These white blood cells are known as protective chi in TCM. Nutritive chi inside the blood vessels must be full in supply in order to give rise to protective chi. Once protective chi is sufficient in supply, it will push the pathogens on the body's exterior out by form of perspiration. This process is known as chi's transformation function, whereby chi is transformed into fluids (i.e., protective chi is transformed into perspiration [fluids]).
Counteractively, if nutritive chi is low in supply, it cannot form enough protective chi to protect the exterior body (the skin), and thus will allow pathogens to invade. In short, allergies are a result of protective chi's deficiency (see picture below).
Common causes for protective chi to become too thin include:
Lack of food intake - nutritive chi is formed from food. Decreased levels of food consumption yield decreased levels of nutritive chi, which yields a thin layer of protective chi that is prone to invasion. Allergic symptoms arising due to lack of food intake may include itchy skin, itchy eyes, aversion to cold, or being easily prone to catch a cold (all due to lack of nutritive and protective chi). In more severe cases, these people may catch a cold and will not sneeze or perspire, because zheng chi is too deficient and the pathogenic chi has invaded interiorly.
Eating too much cold and raw foods - this makes the stomach cold and unable to correctly digest food, yielding to the decreased levels of nutritive and protective chi. Eating cold foods in the morning especially hampers the digestive system because the time between 5 am and 11 am is when energy circulates through the large intestine, stomach and spleen. Intake of cold foods during this time will inhibit these organs from re-energizing because the coldness freezes up their movements and will hamper chi from coming out of the organs.
Cold stomach - protective chi cannot come out to the exterior of the body because its majority may be lost through diarrhea.
Which herbal prescription should be used for a fever, headache, stuffy nose and aversion to cold?
gui zhi tang
sang ju yin
bai hu tang
yin qiao san
According to TCM physiology, when food enters the body, the spleen and stomach digest the food. It then ascends the essence up to the heart and lungs, and descends the turbid downward and eventually out the body as feces. The heart receives the nutritive chi while the lungs receive protective chi and send it throughout the body, with nutritive chi inside the vessels and protective chi outside the vessels. However, nutritive chi needs to be full inside the vessels to give rise to a thick layer of protective chi for protection against pathogens.
A fever represents that pathogenic chi and zheng chi are battling on the surface of the body. Aversion to cold indicates that the root cause is coldness, not heat. Incorrect use of cold herbs can lead to the lingering of pathogenic chi into the body's interior. The use of cold herbs will sedate zheng chi, withdrawing the body's defense inward and allowing the pathogenic chi to move inside. The fever will then subside because the body's zheng chi has lost the battle and retreated inward, and there no longer exists a battle on the exterior. Once inside the body, the pathogenic chi can move into the lungs and cause coughing. From then on, whenever the patient catches a cold, he or she will start coughing. This is due to the lingering of pathogenic chi inside the lungs.
Bai hu tang, sang ju yin and yin qiao san are all cold or cool formulas to clear heat. Bai hu tang clears heat by pushing fluids out of the vessels, turning the vessels into a vacuum suction for pathogens. Yin qiao san's cool herbs will decrease the stomach temperature and, in turn, decrease the temperature from the lungs to the skin, which can lead to chest congestion.
Gui zhi tang, on the other hand, is a warm formula, helping to tonify the body in order to get rid of pathogenic chi. Gui zhi tang regulates nutritive and protective chi by replenishing nutritive chi to a full enough supply for it to give rise to enough protective chi. Once protective chi is full in supply, then it can push the pathogenic chi out the body by perspiration. Gui zhi tang's effect can be compared as filling up a half-empty cup to flush out the pathogens (see picture below).
Most allergies occur because of lingering pathogens inside the body. This could be due to lack of food consumption or incorrect use of cool/cold herbs, including use of antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs (which are cold in nature). Incorrect use of cold herbs, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs suppresses the pathogen inside the body by the following path: fever › stuffy nose › sore throat › coughing › chest congestion.
Case History(Note: Letters in italics are analysis of the case)
A 39-year-old female has skin allergies in the face and neck. Once the wind blows or the sun shines on her skin, it will itch and turn red. Her history is as follows:
Since she gave birth to her child over one year ago, both her arms' medial side (hand shaoyin) became itchy. The patient has tried using aloe gel, but it makes the skin even itchier. Then she went to see both her family physician and a dermatologist, and was prescribed a cool-natured paste for external use on the skin. The paste was ineffective and triggered the itchy red spots to spread to her chest area (shaoyang area). Afterward, she was transferred to an allergy specialist doctor, who gave her an injection (which was also ineffective) and was later prescribed steroids. The steroids stopped the itchy red spots from spreading on her skin, but did not get rid of the problem. (Application of aloe gel makes the skin itchier because aloe is cold by nature. Cold herbs makes zheng chi weaker.)
Later the patient went to see a TCM doctor, but her skin problems had already spread to her frontal thigh (yangming area) and lower leg. The TCM doctor diagnosed the problem to be urticaria and prescribed herbs. After 10 days of taking the herbal decoction, the patient's symptoms disappeared; however, both her upper arms' medial sides turned into a blackish color. (Pathogenic chi is suppressed in protective chi's territory, causing the blackish color.)
Later, because the patient went back to Taiwan, the change in weather caused her skin allergies to develop again. This time it started on the face, spreading from the shaoyang area to the yangming area. The patient returned to the TCM doctor and was treated with both acupuncture and herbs. The symptoms disappeared in two weeks. (Extreme hot temperatures in Taiwan caused the pathogens to get pushed from the interior towards the exterior into the facial region.)
Three months afterwards, the patient was traveling in an area with lots of sunshine, and her allergies redeveloped in the face. She went to the TCM doctor again and after treatment, the symptoms went away again. However, this time her skin became very sensitive and allergic. Oftentimes, it would itch and turn red for no reason. (The sunshine gave her body more yang chi [boosts zheng chi] to fight pathogenic chi, thus the symptoms reappeared.)
Recently, the patient's face and neck developed an allergic reaction to wind, causing her skin to become dry, hot, and itchy. Again, she went to the TCM doctor for treatment, and the symptoms disappeared. However, her skin became even more sensitive to the extent that she could not tolerate anything touching her face, not even a hug from her baby.
The above symptoms are worse at night than during the day. Sometimes, it starts getting worse in the afternoon. (Indication of yin pathogen. Both yin and yang are deficient.)
She does not often sneeze, but has a strong aversion against cold. (Protective chi is deficient. Pathogens have already invaded the interior because do not often sneeze.)
She eats very little (a habit she started after childbirth because she wanted to lose weight). (Zheng chi is deficient.)
When her skin allergies were prevalent, her menstrual cycle would come early, with a large quantity of bright red blood. She also had blood clots. However, under normal conditions without the allergies, her menstrual cycle drips for an average of eight days. (With the skin allergies, zheng chi and pathogenic chi are battling, causing heat to push blood out, thus the early menstruation. Under normal conditions, zheng chi is deficient and cannot grasp blood, thus the dripping.)
The taste of the herbal decoctions prescribed by the TCM doctor was acrid and cool. Each time the symptoms disappeared after taking the herbs, her skin would become dry and peel off. (Cool/cold herbs suppresses pathogens inward. In addition, the cool herbs make the layer of protective chi thinner, disabling its ability to carry zheng chi to the skin for nourishment, thus the dry skin.)
Tongue body: light red with crack in the center Tongue coating: slight coat
Nutritive and protective chi deficiency; lingering of pathogenic chi
Tonify protective chi
Tonify nutritive chi
Tonify spleen and stomach
Tonify spleen and stomach
Guide the herbs into nutritive chi
Tonify lung chi
Tonify spleen to create protective chi
Zhi Gan Cao
Guide the herbs into the 12 meridians
Specific directions: Take the decoction 30 minutes to one hour after a meal. Take rice gruel after the herbal decoction.
The herbal formula is a modification of gui zhi tang. Its function is to open the passageway from the spleen and stomach to the exterior. It is necessary to eat rice gruel after the decoction to provide sufficient energy for perspiration.
After taking the herbal decoction, the patient will not get better immediately. Instead, previous symptoms may reappear in reverse order. This is because the herbs tonify zheng chi (nutritive and protective chi) allowing enough strength for zheng chi to battle with pathogenic chi and forcing the pathogens out toward the exterior. For example, if the patient had a cough with pathogens in the lungs, then the symptoms could recur in the following order: cough › sore throat › stuffy nose/runny nose › fever › perspiration. Perspiration will bring the pathogen out of the body.
In normal cases, the decoction will cause a slight perspiration. However, if the pores did not open after taking the prescribed decoction, the patient was told that the skin would become itchier. Thus, two bags of ma huang tang were additionally prescribed to open the pores. After a week of taking the herbal prescriptions, the patient's pores did not open and her skin became itchier. She was then told to take the two bags of ma huang tang. After achieving perspiration, she no longer had allergies on her skin and the symptoms did not recur.
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Guatemala gained its independence from Spain in 1821. After colonial rule, the region was politically dominated by rival large-land owners.
In the modern era, guerilla warfare refers to armed resistance by paramilitary or irregular groups toward an occupying force. Guerilla warfare also describes a set of tactics employed by smaller forces against larger, better equipped, and better supplied forces.
HAMAS was formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both political and violent means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel.
Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI)—Movement of Islamic Holy War—is a Sunni extremist group that follows the Deobandi tradition of Islam, and was founded in 1980 in Afghanistan to fight in the Jihad against the Soviets. It is also affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F) and the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam.
The mission of Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJIB) (Movement of Islamic Holy War), led by Shauqat Osman, is to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh. HUJI-B has connections to the Pakistani militant groups Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI) and Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), who advocate similar objectives in Pakistan and Kashmir.
The Harakat ul-Mujahidin is an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan that operates primarily in Kashmir. It is politically aligned with the radical political party, Jamiat Ulema-I Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F).
In a general sense, hardening is the process of securing a computer. More specifically, hardening is the removal or disabling of all components in a computer system that are not necessary to its principal function or functions.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for overseeing government departments and programs devoted to public health. The HHS manages federal health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid for certain citizens.
Heavy water is water (H2O) in which oxygen is bound to atoms of the hydrogen isotope deuterium (2H). Heavy water is so named because it is significantly more dense (>1.1 g/cm3) than ordinary ("light") water, 1H2O (1 gm/cm3).
Hemorrhagic diseases are caused by infection with viruses or bacteria. As the name implies, a hallmark of a hemorrhagic disease is copious bleeding.
Hizballah (Party of God) (also operates as, or is known as: Islamic Jihad, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, and Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine) was formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This Lebanon-based radical Shi'a group takes its ideological inspiration from the Iranian revolution and the teachings of the Ayatollah Khomeini.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a direct outgrowth of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which highlighted America's vulnerability to terrorism. Initiated by President George W.
Human intelligence, or HUMINT, is the gathering of information through human contact. It is, along with signals intelligence and imagery intelligence (SIGINT and IMINT respectively), one of the three traditional means of intelligence gathering.
Part of the Empire of Austria-Hungary preceding World War I, Hungary gained its independence following the collapse of the imperial government in 1918. After World War II, the nation fell under the Soviet sphere of influence as a reluctant satellite nation.
A supersonic aircraft flies faster than Mach 1, or the speed of sound, whereas a hypersonic aircraft is a plane capable of flying at Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. At sea-level atmospheric pressure, with air temperatures of 59°F (15°C), the speed of sound is about 760 miles per hour (1,225 kph).
The Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) is a database of names and other identifying information used to deter and apprehend suspects—including suspected terrorists—as they attempt to pass through international border crossing checkpoints.
The Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) is a database system using automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) technology as part of programs supervised by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that intend to thwart illegal entry into the United States by criminal aliens.
Identity theft is among the fastest growing crimes in America. A thief typically steals someone's identity, opens checking and credit card accounts in that person's name, then goes on a spending spree.
Identification friend or foe (IFF) systems are methods of identifying aircraft using electronic means. Applied by both military and civilian entities, IFF—which in its civilian form is more properly known as the air traffic control radar beacon system, or ATCRBS—uses radar to identify aircraft, which are assigned unique identifier codes.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an economic organization that promotes financial cooperation, economic stability, and fair trade among its 184 member nations and provides temporary monetary assistance to countries in need.
IMINT, or imagery intelligence, is one of the four major branches of intelligence, along with HUMINT, MASINT, and SIGINT (human, measurement and signatures, and signals intelligence respectively). Formerly known as photographic intelligence, or PHOTINT, IMINT is derived from photography, infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar, and other forms of imaging technology.
Espionage and intelligence appears in the recorded history of the Indus Valley as early as the fifth century. The modern nation of India gained its independence from Britain in 1947.
Once the Netherlands's colonial stronghold in the Asian Pacific region, Indonesia gained its independence in 1949. The nation fell under military-influenced authoritarian rule for four decades, but began the transition to demilitarized, popular government in 1985.
Infectious diseases are those diseases that are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, many of which are spread from person to person. An intermittent host, or vector, aids the spread of some infectious diseases.
Information security, often compressed to "infosec," is the preservation of secrecy and integrity in the storage and transmission of information. Whenever information of any sort is obtained by an unauthorized party, information security has been breached.
The Office of Information Security (OIS) is a unit within the General Service Administration (GSA) charged with the protection of computer data for the federal government. It employs a team of skilled technicians and specialists to manage, store, process, and most importantly provide security for electronic information systems.
The term "information warfare" refers not to a single idea or phenomenon, but to a variety of tools and techniques all centered around the concept that military success is as much a matter of information and ideas as of weapons and tactics. According to the National Defense University's Martin C.
Infrared detection devices are sensors that detect radiation in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (>1012 to 5 × 1014 Hz). Often, such devices form the information they gather into visible-light images for the benefit of human users; alternatively, they may communicate directly with an automatic system, such as the guidance system of a missile.
Formerly a unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) moved to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) when the latter began its functions in March 2003. NIPC is charged with assessing threats to critical infrastructure—particularly computer systems—and providing warnings concerning threats and vulnerabilities.
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When death and the devil changed the history of music
Wesley Rose is using the Lumen Prize, Elon University’s top award for undergraduate research and creative achievement, to explain how a famous 19th century composer used mortality and superstition to shape the evolution of classical piano performances.
Listen carefully to much of the music written by famed composer Franz Liszt and what you hear are the melodies of the devil.
What you won’t find, however, is a precise index or summary of how often the Hungarian pianist found inspiration in death, the diabolical and the afterlife as he composed some of the most influential works of 19th century classical musical.
There’s no dispute that family tragedies and ensuing religious exploration shaped Liszt’s work. But a detailed of analysis of frequency and motivation? That’s a hole in knowledge that Elon University senior Wesley Rose is looking to fill, and his two years of research on Liszt is the latest to be featured this fall in a series of profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2014.
“So much of his music that did push the envelope was about literary figures related to the devil,” Rose said. “His superstition and religion, though it seems silly, it inspired him to write music to reflect things beyond our normal world. That was good. It pushed him to write music that was totally different from what the people around him were writing.”
Born in 1811, Liszt learned piano from his father, and his innate musical abilities soon led him to concert halls across the continent. Liszt was considered a young virtuoso, and his father - with whom the young Franz was exceptionally close - toured him around Europe. But when the older Liszt died in Paris, his then-teenage son descended into “religious hysteria.”
The musical prodigy briefly withdrew from performing. Upon his return, Liszt found inspiration from religion and the afterlife. The results were groundbreaking if not underappreciated today. Gradually, Liszt became known as a “liberal figure” who “rubbed up against a lot of ‘the rules,’” Rose explains.
Substantial scholarship exists on Liszt but it rarely focuses on the inspiration to his music. Rose is identifying and analyzing technical musical details and biographical information from Liszt’s letters and previous biographies to produce a comprehensive musicological portrait of the composer.
In addition to a Nov. 20 senior recital at 7:30 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium, Rose is planning a lecture-recital for this spring to focus on Liszt’s personal battle with the devil through musical symbolism and his work.
The music education and music performance double major from Rocky Mount, N.C., was originally self-taught on the piano before high school. Growing up in a small rural community, it was music on CDs and cassette tapes and radio that Rose used for entertainment. And if there was one thing Rose understood, it was the importance of learning an instrument that applied to everything.
By his sophomore year at Northern Nash High School, Rose had saved enough money to split with his parents the cost of a grand piano. His interest in Liszt later developed from a high school graduation project where he studied preeminent composers whose ideas influence classical music today.
That desire to teach others about music theory and composition is part of why he enrolled in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program at Elon University. Teaching techniques is one thing. Teaching the “big picture” is another.
“People used to be more aware of how much goes into the process of getting music ready to perform,” Rose said. “As a musician, you’re never just playing notes. You’re trying to evoke something from the music, to mold it the way the composer intended.”
The Lumen Prize, awarded for the first time in 2008, provides selected students with a $15,000 scholarship to support and celebrate their academic and creative achievements. Lumen scholars work closely with faculty mentors to pursue and complete their projects.
Efforts include course work, study abroad, research both on campus and abroad as well as during the regular academic year and summer, internships locally and abroad, program development and creative productions and performances.
Rose traveled to the Liszt Research Centre in Hungary to conduct his research and used Lumen Prize funding to attend the annual American Liszt Society Festival in Oregon. He also took part in the University of Heidelberg Summer Program for his research.
Professor Victoria Fischer Faw, Rose’s Lumen Prize mentor and piano teacher in the Department of Music, praised her protégé’s work ethic and innate academic ability. She described Rose as a “versatile” Elon University student who is equally articulate and well-read about politics and literature.
“Wesley is unlike any other student I’ve ever met. He’s such a genuine scholar and intellectual,” Fischer Faw said. “It’s always been the core of his being, this true intellectual curiosity and the high bars he sets for himself. And he loves to play the piano!”
The Lumen Prize isn’t the only activity that keeps Rose occupied. A member of the Elon Music Ambassadors, he often performs for Numen Lumen, formerly called College Chapel, and is engaged in music education practicums in schools around the community.
Rose also has been involved with the Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity and counts himself among the active student members of the North Carolina Music Educators Association. And with Commencement just over six months away, he’s already eyeing a graduate education with plans to apply for a Fulbright award to study musicology in Great Britain.
“It’s the most unique art form,” he explained of his passion for music. “It’s the only one where you can sit here, close your eyes and listen. Music can move people in ways that other art forms can’t.”
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REACH – otherwise known as Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, is a European wide piece of legislation that falls under the European Community Regulation. This was enforced on the 1st of June 2007 to ensure the industry takes greater care in making others aware of the risks that chemicals can pose both environmentally and to human health. REACH legislation will primarily have the aim to ensure:
Essentially, REACH ensures greater scrutiny of the industry. It involves a vast range of industries including AgroChemical, Automotives, Food and Additives. Pre-registration stage (the period to register all chemical substances in a registration dossier) ended December 1st 2008. Those who did register products by this period enjoy extended deadlines that are staggered over three periods: 30th November 2010 (substances over 1000tonnes), 31st May 2013 (substances above 100tonnes) and 31st May 2018 (substances above 1tonne). Products below 1tonne do not need to be registered. Companies also had up until June 2009 to register substances of concern.
- Protection of Human Health
- Protection to the environment
- Ensure manufacturers as well as downstream users (sellers) of chemical products take responsibility for managing risks and ensuring proper use
- Allow free movement of substances within EU Market
- Ensure competitiveness within the industry
- Identify substitutes where extremely dangerous and hazardous chemicals are being used
If chemical substances used to manufacture other chemical substances are never separated from the mixture of other chemicals inside a closed system, they are fully exempt from REACH (non-isolated intermediates). Intermediates that are separated out during the production process (isolated intermediates) will have to be registered, but with simplified information requirements commensurate with their lower risk.
This is a brief overview of the REACH legislation and it is more complicated than explained. However, it is clear this is a highly interesting and rewarding career path both for Regulatory staff involved in the registration process but also for those careers closely associated. These can include Toxicolgist, Technicians, Scientist and so forth. The primary responsibilities involved within REACH are Regulatory staff and Consultants. Regulatory staff will be involved in the registration process and compiling of dossiers which will include Safety Data Sheets and Chemical Safety Reports. Consultants will offer strategic advice to departments on compliance issues or strategy centred on SIEF (Substance Information Exchange Fora).
REACH regulation is a new and electrifying area to be involved in. The demand for REACH specialists is high as there is clearly a lack of expertise available. You can join large multinational chemical companies or even join small consultancies which employ a handful of consultants who will visit client sites to offer REACH services. In the run up to the 2010 registration, now is a better time than ever to establish a career within reach.
||NonStop Recruitment is a market leader in pharmaceutical Recruitment with
specialist consultants covering major markets such as UK, Germany, Switzerland,
France, Italy and the Netherlands. These consultants recruit for all major roles
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assurance, sales and marketing, pharmacovigilance, business development and
regulatory affairs. |
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The European Union has delivered a new set of environmental guidelines for the electronics industry. The Directive on the Eco-design of Energy-using Products plops down a new set of rules guiding the entire lifecycle of an electronic product. While the directive is not currently a legal requirement, many believe individual EU countries will adopt it as law in coming months and years.
The directive offers guidelines on everything from design and manufacturing to energy consumption and final disposal at the end of the product’s life. The goal is to make the manufacturer adopt eco-correct design and manufacturing practices. The directive is part of the EU’s larger-scope Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, a 25-year game-plan to revamp products to help create a cleaner environment.
Since RoHS and WEEE started grabbing headlines last year, industry experts have warned that these first two directives were only the beginning. EU’s taking the lead in what will probably become a decades-long march to a greener – and more regulated – electronics industry.
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Animal Investigators By Laurel A Neme Ph.D.
A new book explores how the world's first wildlife forensics lab is solving crimes and saving endangered species.
By Jessica Knoblauch
Not long ago, illegal wildlife smugglers could pretty much get away with murder. From selling polar bear rugs to crocodile-face ashtrays, these smugglers pull in as much as $20 billion annually, ranking just behind drugs and human trafficking as the third largest illegal trade worldwide.
But a little known group of dedicated scientists are stemming the tide of illegal wildlife trade at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., the world’s first wildlife forensics lab.
In her first book, Animal Investigators: How the World’s First Wildlife Forensics Lab Is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species (Simon & Schuster, $25.00), Laurel A. Neme reveals how the laboratory, known as the “CSI of wildlife,” uses forensic science to investigate wildlife crimes. The scientists’ groundbreaking work helps crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking, which occurs to feed the public’s insatiable desire for exotic animal souvenirs and results in the decimation of many endangered species across the globe.
The lab’s goal is to create scientifically defensible and legally acceptable definitions of species for wildlife parts and products. But as the author explains, identifying a particular species is easier said than done when many victims arrive as unidentifiable parts, ranging from small vials of pills to woven belts, further obscuring the victim’s identity. And, while a typical police lab only focuses on one species, homo sapiens, the work of the wildlife forensics team is compounded by their handling of more than 30,000 species of victims.
Though the plight of endangered wildlife has caught the media and public’s attention in recent years, the illegal trade continues to prosper because the risks of getting caught pale in comparison to the financial rewards, which are on par monetarily with gold, diamonds, and even cocaine, says the author.
In her book, Neme (pictured left) explains how the forensics lab is working to reduce these crimes with the case studies of three widely unique animal trafficking cases that bend the lines of typical forensics work. Through exhaustive research of court records, journal articles and case files, Neme skillfully describes the intricate details of each case, bringing them to life with anecdotes from wildlife experts, Fish and Wildlife Service agents, academics, government officials and staff at non-governmental organizations.
The first case involves the Alaskan walrus, where investigators adapt existing crime-solving techniques to determine whether a group of dead, headless walrus were slaughtered illegally for their ivory or simply killed for subsistence hunting.
In the second case, the author delves into an investigation involving the growing trade in black bear gall bladders, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The pervasive market, which nets smugglers anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 per gallbladder, involves heartbreaking animal cruelty that often ends in death.
Finally, the last case brings readers into the world of illegal smuggling of Brazilian Amazon feather art, which threatens such endangered species as jaguars, scarlet macaws, harpy eagles and other tropical animals.
Picked from hundreds of possible stories, these three groundbreaking stories bring to life the fascinating and growing field of animal forensics while illustrating the pressing need for tougher wildlife laws in the midst of the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaur age. In the conclusion, the author points out that though the lab is a vital tool in fighting illegal wildlife smuggling, the existence of many of these animals is ultimately dependent on how valuable we believe they are -- dead or alive.
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Clearer Grasp of a Slippery Material
Molybdenum disulfide is slippery stuff.
In addition to its common use as a lubricant—it keeps critical machine parts, like airplane engines, slickly moving even during total oil loss—experiments have shown that single-layer forms of the compound could be a promising material for constructing next-generation electronics.
The key is greater electron mobility, an essential quality for the compound to be useful in thin film transistors, image sensors, and solar cells, for example. Now, researchers have shown that molybdenum disulfide has far greater potential to travel than believed.
“Initially, we found a very low mobility. But after careful analysis, we noticed there are in fact two types of charge carriers,” says Fengnian Xia, an assistant professor in Yale’s electrical engineering department and an author of a paper published online in Nature Communications Jan. 17. “Some carriers are trapped within the band gap, so these carriers are not really mobile. But the other carriers are in the band, where they exhibit much higher mobility.”
Previous experiments reported conflicting accounts of the compound’s electron mobility—a parameter that indicates how fast a given compound’s electrons can move under an applied electric field—and recent ones found it to be unusably low.
Xia and his collaborators determined that the contradictory results in previous experiments likely stem from variations in the source of material, the processing steps, and the local environment of the devices.
Moreover, early experiments in the field used the “scotch tape technique,” where a piece of tape is used to repeatedly peel flakes off a lump of molybdenum disulfide until a tiny, single-layer area is produced. The resulting micrometer-sized fragments are placed between electrodes to make a transistor.
“But that is not viable for large-scale production, for obvious reasons,” Xia says.
Xia’s team instead created large single-layer sheets of molybdenum disulfide for their experiment using a recently developed mass-production technique known as chemical vapor deposition. It was with this technique that the researchers discovered the trapped carriers and identified the cause of the lowered mobility.
“We know these trapped carriers are not intrinsic to the material,” says Xia. “With future improvements in the material quality, we will move all the carriers to the band, increasing mobility significantly.”
Xia worked with Wenjuan Zhu, Tony Low, Han Wang, Damon Farmer, Phaedon Avouris at IBM, Jing Kong at MIT, and Yi-Hsien Lee at Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University.
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You probably already know the Arduino is a cool prototyping platform which allows you to build great projects with minimal effort. Over the years many contributors have designed compatible hardware and software libraries for easy methods to interact with the Arduino.
With the Crittergram Capture Cam we’ll combine several common components to create a camera that only takes pictures when critters move in front of it.
In this project we will connect the JPEG Camera module from RadioShack to the serial port on the Arduino Uno. We’ll also use a PIR (Passive InfraRed, learn more) sensor to detect motion. And lastly, we’ll use an SD card reader to provide storage for saving our images (the SD card doubles as a fast and easy way to transfer images to the computer).
If you look at the specifications of the camera module, you may notice it has a built-in motion detector. So why not use this instead of the PIR? Well, the camera module detects motion by changes in the image, so that a branch moved by the wind would make it take a picture. The PIR sensor works similarly, but by analyzing the infrared spectrum which is invisible to the human eye. That means it will only trigger if things are hotter (or cooler) than the general surrounding IR spectrum. Humans, most animals, even moving cars will trigger the PIR, whereas a swaying branch will not (this way we don’t end up with a memory card full of the same scene).
We’ve rated this project’s difficulty as easy due to the plug-and-play nature of the modules and the software provided. Essentially this project combines several pieces of software into one, including some of RadioShack’s provided sketch code with their JPEG Color Camera, modified to suit this build. See Steps 4 & 5 below for a verbose explanation of some of the routines and sub-routines used in the Crittergram Capture Cam sketch code.
You could easily take this project to the next level by turning it into a webcam (see conclusion), modifying the sketch code to take time lapse shots, or implementing an LDR or other method to take daytime-only shots, etc.
Download the Arduino .INO sketch from MAKE’s GitHub: https://github.com/Make-Magazine/Crittergram-Capture-Cam
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| 0.889218 | 488 | 3.375 | 3 |
1. To increase by adding an equal number, quantity, length, value, or the like; multiply by two; to double a sum of money; to double a number, or length. "Double six thousand, and then treble that." (Shak)
2. To make of two thicknesses or folds by turning or bending together in the middle; to fold one part upon another part of; as, to double the leaf of a book, and the like; to clinch, as the fist; often followed by up; as, to double up a sheet of paper or cloth. "Then the old man Was wroth, and doubled up his hands." (Tennyson)
Origin: OE. Doblen, dublen, doublen, F. Doubler, fr. L. Duplare, fr. Duplus. See Double.
2. Among compositors, a doublet (see Doublet.
5. Something precisely equal or counterpart to another; a counterpart. Hence, a wraith. "My charming friend . . . Has, I am almost sure, a double, who preaches his afternoon sermons for him." (Atlantic Monthly)
1. Twofold; multiplied by two; increased by its equivalent; made twice as large or as much, etc. "Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (2 Kings II. 9) "Darkness and tempest make a double night." (Dryden)
4. <botany> Having the petals in a flower considerably increased beyond the natural number, usually as the result of cultivation and the expense of the stamens, or stamens and pistils. The white water lily and some other plants have their blossoms naturally double.
Double is often used as the first part of a compound word, generally denoting two ways, or twice the number, quantity, force, etc, twofold, or having two. Double base, or Double bass . Same as Double-quick. Double window, a window having two sets of glazed sashes with an air space between them.
Origin: OE. Doble, duble, double, OF. Doble, duble, double, F. Double, fr. L. Duplus, fr. The root of duo two, and perh. That of plenus full; akin to Gr. Double. See Two, and Full, and cf. Diploma, Duple.
(01 Mar 1998)
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| 0.90267 | 532 | 3.640625 | 4 |
An acute dose of blueberries (300 grams) was associated with an 18% decrease in DNA damage to blood cells due to oxidative stress, according to findings published in Nutrition Research .
Consumer interest in blueberries and the compounds they contain has increased in recent years, following results from studies reporting a wide range of health benefits, most notably for brain health and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.
The beneficial effects of the blueberries are thought to be linked to their flavonoid content - in particular anthocyanins and flavanols.
“The protection against oxidative stress may be related to other bioactives absorbed, apart from anthocyanins (eg, phenolic acids, vitamin C), acting alone or synergistically,” wrote the researchers, led by Patrizia Riso from the University of Milan.
“Moreover, these compounds could have indirectly activated signaling mechanisms of defense (eg, antioxidant enzymes through gene expression modulation) even though the effect is not maintained at 2 hours.”
The Milan-based scientists recruited ten young volunteers to participate in their randomized cross-over trial. The participants were asked to consume either 300 grams of ground blueberries or one portion of a control jelly.
Blood samples were taken before and 1, 2 and 24 hours after ingestion, and used to test for H2O2-induced DNA damage, anthocyanin absorption, and NO levels. Arterial function was also measured.
Results showed that one hour after consuming the ground blueberries H2O2-induced DNA damage was reduced by 18%, compared to control. The effects were transient, however, and no effects were observed 2 and 24 hours after consumption, said the researchers.
No effects were observed on arterial function and nitric oxide levels, they added.
“Our results suggest that blueberries did not produce any short-term protective effects in healthy subjects with uncompromised vascular function but we cannot exclude that improvements in the vascular function occur at later time points than 1 hour after a single [serving of blueberries].
“In addition, regular blueberry intake may protect against the development of vascular dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.”
Source: Nutrition Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2012.12.009
“A single portion of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L) improves protection against DNA damage but not vascular function in healthy male volunteers”
Authors: C. Del Bo′, P. Riso, J. Campolo, P. Moller, S. Loft, D. Klimis-Zacas, A. Brambilla, A. Rizzolo, M. Porrini
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| 0.951501 | 567 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Published on November 23rd, 2012 | by Color Blindness Editor0
10 Facts About Color Blindness
These 10 facts about color blindness were brought to you by Colormax and Dr. Thomas Azman.
These 10 facts about color blindness may surprise you:
- Fact #1:Color blindness can occur in men and women, but is much more common in men.
- Fact #2: The Facebook logo is blue because Mark Zuckerberg suffers from red-green color blindness.
- Fact #3: Complete color blindness, where an individual sees just gray and black, is actually very rare.
- Fact #4: Color blindness can passed on through genetics, but can also be caused by aging, retina damage or eye diseases.
- Fact #5: In 1875, a railway accident caused by a color blind rail operator who read a sign incorrectly killed nine people. After this incident, color vision test were developed and used for railroad workers.
- Fact #6: Color blind individuals are denied driver’s licenses in Romania and Turkey for fear that they cannot read traffic signals.
- Fact #7: During WWII, color blind individuals were believed to have in advantage because of their inability to see the color green. This was believed to help them see through camouflage. However, today the military will not allow color blind individuals to serve.
- Fact #8: Rabbits, dog and cats can see mostly gray shades. Bees and butterflies have superior color vision and are able to see hues that the human eye cannot perceive.
- Fact #9: A rare condition, called unilateral dichromacy, occurs when a person has one normal seeing eye and color blind eye.
- Fact #10: Individuals that suffer from red green color blindness may have trouble determining if their meat is cooked enough. The inability to see shades of red makes it difficult to tell.
To share this interactive presentation, copy the embed code below:
<div class="prezi-player"><object id="prezi_xgy5s_bzgeoe" width="550" height="400" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" name="prezi_xgy5s_bzgeoe" bgcolor="#ffffff"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowFullScreenInteractive" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="direct" /><param name="flashvars" value="prezi_id=xgy5s_bzgeoe&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no&autohide_ctrls=0" /><param name="src" value="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreeninteractive" value="true" /><embed id="prezi_xgy5s_bzgeoe" width="550" height="400" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" allowfullscreen="true" allowFullScreenInteractive="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="direct" flashvars="prezi_id=xgy5s_bzgeoe&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no&autohide_ctrls=0" allowfullscreeninteractive="true" name="prezi_xgy5s_bzgeoe" bgcolor="#ffffff" /></object> <em>These 10 facts about color blindness were brought to you by <strong><a href="http://www.colormax.org" target="_blank">Colormax</a></strong> and Dr. Thomas Azman.</em></div>
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Natural Resources Teacher Resources
Find Natural Resources educational ideas and activities
Showing 1 - 20 of 4,379 resources
Conserving Natural Resources
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
K - 3rd Science CCSS: Adaptable
Native Americans and Natural Resources
North American Indian civilizations had already been in place for over 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. Introduce your young historians to Indian tribes that lived in the Chesapeake region in the early seventeenth...
4th - 5th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable
Messy Bessey's Holidays
Teach your class some fairly complex terms—factors of production, human resources, capital resources, natural resources, and intermediate goods—with a storybook (Messy Bessey's Holidays), plenty of visuals and handouts, and related...
K - 2nd English Language Arts CCSS: Designed
Selecting the Tap: Water Safety
Are you looking for a cross-curricular activity between science and language arts, or a writing project for your environmental science class? Examine water as a scarce natural resource instead of taking it for granted. Middle schoolers...
6th - 8th Science CCSS: Designed
Section One: What is Biodiversity?
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
3rd - 5th Science CCSS: Adaptable
Natural Resources and Ancient Cities
Students explain how the availability of natural resources has affected human settlement patterns. They recognize the interactions of human populations on environments and compare the growth of two ancient cities in relation to natural...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
What natural resources are available in your area? Your learners can consider this question after reading a brief passage about natural and renewable resources. After reading, class members respond to five questions related to the reading.
4th - 5th English Language Arts CCSS: Designed
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| 0.900597 | 454 | 3.625 | 4 |
The Anti-Pauper System contains a ground plan of the incorporated workhouse in Thurgarton and a diet table, dating from 1834. Inmates were segregated into various groups and were separated from the opposite sex. The men's yard and day room were apart from the women's, despite the fact that many residents were from the same families. There was also a schoolroom for the children.
The new Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 set up a strict system of poor relief. Responsibility was transferred from the parishes to the new district Boards of Guardians. Parishes were grouped together into unions and new, more efficient workhouses were built. The system was supervised by a national Poor Law Commission. The aim was to reduce the growing cost of helping the poor.
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| 0.993019 | 156 | 3.3125 | 3 |
As all of you might be aware that Universities in the US uses GPA to grade the Students. While in India and many other Asian Countries, the Universities uses Percentage or CGPA to grade the students. I will be focusing on CGPA. So when you see the Requirements for applying to any University in the US, you will see that they might have specified a minimum GPA that a student must have to apply to that University. So students really want to convert their CGPA to GPA. But is it necessary to do it? If yes what is the right way? Let’s discuss this below.
What is GPA and an Ideal Way To Calculate GPA?
If you are interested in knowing what is GPA and how it is calculated then you can Click Here.
One Of The Ways Of Converting CGPA To GPA: –
You will see this table in many Websites for converting CGPA to GPA. But this table is only to give a general idea about the conversion. This is the Conversion Table which is provided by the Website msinus. This way of conversion might be incorrect due to many reasons.
|8.0 – 8.4||3.7|
|7.5 – 7.9||3.3|
|7.0 – 7.4||3|
|6.5 – 6.9||2.7|
|6.0 – 6.4||2.3|
|5.5 – 5.9||2|
|5.0 – 5.4||1.7|
|4.5 – 4.9||1.3|
|4.0 – 4.4||1|
|0 – 3.9||0|
Why The Above Way can be Incorrect?
Let’s take an Example. Consider a University ABC in India. Most of the students in ABC University are in the range of 7.0 – 7.4 while the toppers are in the range of 8.0 – 8.4 Consider a topper in a particular filed has got 8.3. So ideally being a topper his/her GPA should be 4.0 but using the above conversion, his/her GPA will be 3.7 which is wrong. The Conversion from CGPA to GPA depends a lot on how much CGPA does a topper get in your University.
Are Universities in the US aware about the way in which your University grades the Students?
The Answer is Yes. The Universities in the US are very well aware about your University. They know whether a University is strict while giving CGPA to the students or not. So Universities in the US are aware of that and they will bring students from various Universities around the World under an Common platform and then convert their CGPA into GPA. So Converting is a complex process.
A Good Way Of Converting CGPA to GPA.
This is the best way to convert your CGPA to GPA. In this you need to provide all the details regarding your Under Graduation to Credential/Degree Evaluators. To know more about this please check Credential/Degree Evaluators.
The Final Call: –
I would say that please don’t convert your CGPA into GPA as it’s a complex process to do so and it varies from one University to Another. While Applying for the University there will be an option called as Grade in which you need to write your CGPA and you need to enter 10 in the Scale option. But if you are interested in converting CGPA to GPA then check Credential/Degree Evaluators. So please don’t get misguided by some conversions that will be provided in many websites.
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| 0.922762 | 773 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Look! That family is going for a sleigh ride!
I hear it is very good.
We should say good-bye to Tiny Time before we leave.
Facts about A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
On December 19, 1843 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published. The story was instantly a success and within one week over six thousand copies had been sold! Dickens had been suffering financially and had written the book in six weeks to pay off a debt.
A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge was never able to recover from the loss of his sister and from that day forward held anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love, and the Christmas season. Scrooge's experiences one Christmas Eve prompted him to change his ways in hope of influencing "shadows of what may be."
Thomas Hood, a poet of the time, responded to the publication by saying, "If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were ever in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease." For over a century A Christmas Carol has been a story that opens the heart and soul of those who experience the masterpiece.
"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." (Ebenezer Scrooge)
"God bless us everyone!" said Tiny Tim the last of all.
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Writers' Gallery by Topic
Space & the Universe
Einstein's Dreams takes the reader on a journey through different conceptions of time. What if time stood still? What if time slowed down on the highest mountain peaks? Find out why this modern classic is a must-read for those looking to dabble in physics, philosophy, or psychology.
See how Emmy the dog formulates the existence of cheesy bunnies in the backyard. She will teach you how to predict the existence of your wildest fantasies and bring them to the yard.
Warning: you might also learn some quantum physics too.
Many mathematicians since the time of Euclid attempted to solve a seemingly simple problem about parallel lines without success. Yet the success of their failures would reveal a whole new geometry and description of space and time.
In The Manga Guide to Physics, you'll follow alongside Megumi as she learns about the physics of everyday objects like roller skates, slingshots, braking cars, and tennis serves!
"The Universe is trying to kill you. It's nothing personal. It's trying to kill me too" Astronomer, Phil Plait, describes how everything from asteroids to gamma ray burst would end impact the Earth.
What does the president need to know about Physics? As president you will need to make decisions that require thinking like a physicist.
Most of the scientists and inventors we met started out believing that they had made a great discovery overlooked by everyone else. It never pays to underestimate the human capacity for self-deception.
This story is about the universe, and unfortunately there are no data for the Very Beginning. None, zero.
Solar neutrinos stream through us constantly, raining down on us by day and up through the Earth by night.
If we are fortunate and wise enough to go on as a species for many millennia, I am tempted to think the twentieth century will be remembered as something special in science, the century in which many of the mysteries of Earth, life, and the cosmos were understood for the first time.
The story of Dr. Levin's research in the form of letters to her mother. They contain an intriguing blend of science and personal anecdote.
Most of us who are unfortunate enough to remember what life was like when we were thirteen years old will recall that one of the predominant influences that shaped our lives at that age was the unrelenting coercion of peer pressure.
What good is fundamental physics to the person on the street? This is the perennial question posed to physicists by their non-science friends, by students in the humanities and social sciences, and by politicians looking to justify spending tax dollars on basic science.
Would the world now be different if Albert Einstein had never lived? Could we ask the same question with regard to Claude Monet or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
There is poetry in physics discoveries that is worth celebrating, even if one is not a cosmologist.
It is difficult today to fully appreciate how recent is the notion that atoms are real physical entities, and not mere mathematical or philosophical constructs.
Simply defined, cosmic evolution is the study of change--the vast number of developmental and generative changes that have accumulated during all time and across all space, from big bang to humankind.
"Ignoring air resistance, cannon balls move along parabolas," we learn in school, but the truth is more intriguing.
A few years ago I had occasion to engage my father-in-law, a retired academician, on the subject of the collective nature of physical law.
String theory’s view of the fundamental nature of matter differs significantly from that of traditional particle physics.
It is gradually becoming accepted, by many theoretical physicists, that the Laws of Physics may not only be variable but are almost always deadly.
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How might GIS mapping evolve in the coming years? Researchers at the University of Southern California Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC) think they know. Center director Cyrus Shahabi calls it Geo-Immersion.
According to the IMSC, Geo-Immersion is, “a new computing paradigm that enables humans the ability to capture, model and integrate real-world data into a geo-realistic virtual replica of the world for immersive data access, querying and analysis. The Geo-Immersion paradigm promises advanced solutions for numerous existing applications, as well as novel solutions for new ground-breaking applications.”
Watch this short video, produced by the National Science Foundation, to learn more about why Geo-Immersion might be the future of GIS.
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1991--The comet Levy is visible in the night sky. A more famous comet named for the same American astronomer [Levy-Shoemaker 9] would later attract much attention when it dramatically collided with Jupiter in July 1994.
When a report in the Calgary Herald a few months ago announced the arrival of the comet Levy, my personal ethnocentric reaction was one of appreciation that a comet had been given such a fine Hebrew name. As it turned out, the comet was named for its discoverer David Levy, an amateur astronomer who used to live in Canada, but now scans the skies from his backyard in Tuscon, Arizona.
Comets have long been of interest to Jewish sources. The Mishnah prescribes a blessing for their sighting. The talmudic sage Samuel, a noted astronomer of his day, claimed that though he was as familiar with the paths of the heavens as with the streets of his home town of Nehardea, he felt himself ignorant in the face of the mysteries of the comets.
The name "Levy" has been given not only to a comet, but also to a crater on the moon; and not any ordinary Levy, but a "Rabbi Levi" no less! I presume that the crater in question was named after the 14th-century French Rabbi Levi ben Gershom known to Jews as "Ralbag" and to other as "Gersonides," "Magister Leo Hebreus" or "Maestre Leo de Bagnols." Ralbag is known for his popular commentaries on the Bible. Students of Philosophy know him better for his vigorous critique on various views of Maimonides and Aristotle, a critique which eventually paved the way for the radical views of Spinoza.
The scientific world has recognized Rabbi Levi's important contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy and navigation. This summer I had occasion to see some examples of his scientific creations in a remarkable exhibition held in Montreal entitled "Planets, Potions and Parchments." This exhibition presented a rich assortment of books and artifacts illustrating the Jewish involvement with science from the Dead Sea Scrolls until the eighteenth century. The excellent catalogue of the exhibition is available at a number of Calgary book stores, and makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in either science or Judaica.
Visitors to the exhibition were given the opportunity to operate an instrument known as the "Jacob's Staff," a surveying tool consisting of a long rod with sliding plates, used to calculate angular distances with reference to the stars. Credit for the invention of the "Jacob's Staff," which became a necessary aid to medieval sailors, was claimed by Gersonides, who placed great emphasis on the need for empirical observation as a basis for astronomical research.
Gersonides' observations caused him to raise serious criticisms against the prevailing astronomical theories of Ptolemy as regards the motions of the moon and the earth. These objections would eventually result in Copernicus' complete overthrow of traditional astronomical theory. These contributions were recognized in the naming of a lunar crater in Gersonides' honour.
As with many medieval astronomers, Gersonides was a confirmed believer in the scientific validity of astrology. Appropriately, the Rabbi Levi crater on the moon can enjoy the company of another rabbinic crater, also named for a Jewish sage with an appreciation for astrological matters: Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra. The twelfth-century Ibn Ezra, who hailed from "Golden Age" Spain, loved to offer astrological explanations for Scriptural passages. He saw an astrological significance to the timing of the religious festivals, and compared the High Priest's jewelled breast plate to the astrolabe, which made it a useful instrument for charting the future.
For Jews astronomy was rarely a mere academic interest. Some familiarity with the courses of the sun and moon was essential for proper observance of time-defined commands such as daily prayers and the holiday calendar. These calculations could be very complicated.
Some years ago Yale University Press sponsored a translation of Maimonides' code of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah. When the translators came to the section dealing with the rules for calculating the Hebrew calendar, they realized that this was no simple job of translation, but required specialized knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. One thing led to another, and in the end the short treatise had to be released as a separate volume with learned appendices by distinguished scientists.
The Jewish interest in astronomy has been a long and fruitful one. When the first Jew arrives on the moon he will hopefully feel that this too is, in some way, territory trodden by his ancestors.
|This article and many others are now included in the book|
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Site Under Construction
Geographers explore our world. We do this by synthesizing our knowledge of the natural environment with an understanding of how people create the places in which we live. Geography includes the study of natural hazards, urban environments, sustainable development, and the political, cultural, and economic geographies of globalization.
To gather and analyze information on such topics, geographers use geographic information systems (GIS), satellite imagery, field measurement and observation, and in-depth interviewing techniques.
The knowledge and skills gained by majoring in geography position graduates for careers as geospatial analysts, planners, researchers, and teachers. Mary Washington alumni with degrees in geography work for federal agencies, local and state governments, industry leaders in geospatial technologies, and service organizations. In addition, many alumni have excelled in graduate programs.
The UMW Geography Department
The Geography Department at University of Mary Washington offers a wide range of courses for both majors and non-majors. These are organized into three areas of emphasis:
Community, Development, and Culture: A focus on how people living in specific places and regions experience and affect social, cultural, economic, and environmental processes. Includes courses in planning and urban geography, local development, race and place, human-environment relationships, and regional geographies.
Globalization: A focus on the geographies of globalization and their political, cultural, and economic dimensions. Includes courses in geopolitics, economic and cultural globalization, international development, migration, and regional geographies.
Nature and Society: A focus on the physical and social processes that shape the natural environment and affect human life. Includes courses in landforms, climatology, human-environment relationships and regional geographies.
The requirements for the geography major allow students maximum flexibility and help them begin to specialize within the discipline. After completing a streamlined set of introductory courses, students will consult with their advisors to select topical, regional, and methods/techniques courses in that will build expertise and skills within one of these three areas of emphasis (see the full listing of geography courses to see what courses fall within each of the core areas).
In addition the Department, working with the Departments of Computer Science, Earth & Environmental Science, and Historic Preservation, offers a Certificate Program in Geographic Information Science (GIS). Courses in this program are available on both the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses, and are offered in evenings as well as during the day.
The Department’s nine full-time faculty are actively engaged in research in political geography, GIScience, geography and social justice, geomorphology, biogeography, historical geography, heritage tourism, and critical cartography. Recent publications include books and book chapters with the Routledge, Blackwell, Wiley-Blackwell, Temple University Press, and Ashgate Publishers. Journal articles by faculty appear in Urban Geography, Cultural Geography, the Geographical Review, Progress in Human Geography, Social and Cultural Geography, the Southeastern Geographer, and Iranian Studies.
Students and visitors are welcome to drop by the Department on the third floor of Monroe Hall to learn more about us, ask questions, and see our facilities.
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ATLANTA, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- High-blood pressure among U.S. adults has remained stable 1999-2008, but more people are aware of hypertension and treat it, health officials say.
The report, by Sung Sug "Sarah" Yoon, Yechiam Ostchega and Tatiana Louis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, says among U.S. adults with high-blood pressure -- about 30 percent of the U.S. population -- there were increasing trends in the proportion who were aware of their condition among most demographic subgroups, except those ages 18-39 and Mexican-American adults.
Among U.S. adults with high blood pressure, the percentage aware of the condition increased from 69.6 percent in 1999 to 2000 to 80.6 percent in 2007 to 2008.
High-blood pressure is defined as systolic blood pressure (the upper number) greater than or equal to 140 millimeters of mercury or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg or currently taking medication to lower high blood pressure, the researchers say.
Data was used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. population. It is one of the most common risk factors for heart disease and stroke
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A preliminary version of a film, produced by shooting successive sections of a storyboard and adding a soundtrack.
- These give you a chance, using multi-angle presentation, to see the storyboards, animatics (rough computer animations), the completed scene, or all three at the same time.
- The disc has a nice section that compares animatics from the film to the actual scenes.
- Sometimes animated storyboards called animatics are produced.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: ani|mat¦ic
Definition of animatic in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
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I seek to gain an understanding of how differential equations are arrived at.
In most cases, intuition, basic knowledge of physics, or computer simulation can tell us that the unknown variable is dependent on one or more variables. How this translates into an equation is not clear to me.
I ask because I have solved hundreds of ODE/PDEs, but given a sample real-world situation, how would I even formulate the problem, before solving it, seems to be the challenge.
Would appreciate advise.
I would be much obliged should you be able to provide a little foretaste of the subject. The concept accompanied by a small example would prove beneficial.
A knack for compression is the mark of brilliance.
An irrotational flow is defined a flow having zero vorticity. Vorticity is defined as the curl of the velocity vector ( ) of a flow:
An identity from vector calculus gives:
Hence, for an irrotational flow, there exists a scalar function whose gradient is equal to the velocity vector of the flow.
The continuty (mass conservation) equation of an incompressible flow can be written:
This is Laplace's equation, which is a linear 2nd order homogeneous differential equation. It governs ALL fluid flows which are both irrotational and incompressible.
The concept: We started with the definitions of an irrotational flow, and an incompressible flow and expressed them in terms of vector calculus using the nabla vector (which is defined as: ). Combining these definitions with the identity , we managed to deduce a linear 2nd order homogeneous differential equation which governs the physics behind ALL flows of this type.
Appreciate the response, Mush. The example you illustrated was a very sophisticated one and very well formulated at that by you.
As closure, I will be persistent in reducing the thread down to the simplest of ODEs I fished in my course text, right off page 1, and request some thoughts on the nature & complexity of problem it might address and how it might have been formulated:
Appreciate all advise.
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Lens vs Lense
Lens is a word that is used to refer to spherical glasses that are used to focus light on the retina of human beings. Lens is also a part of the human eye. The usual spelling of the word is lens, but there are many people around the world who use lense for lens. This confuses some people as they do not know which one of the two spelling variations to use. There are also people who feel that lens and lense are two different things. This article attempts to take a closer look to come up with answers to all the confusion surrounding lens and lense.
Lens is a device made of transparent material such as glass with curved surfaces that are used to focus ray of light to form an image at the desired place for human beings. The plural form of lens is lenses. These devices are used by people with poor vision as lenses allow them to see everything around them in a clear manner, and also used in cameras. It is also a word used to refer to sunglasses or safety glasses used by human beings. Lens is also a part of human anatomy.
Lense is a spelling variant that is used by some people in different parts of the world. Though MS word rejects this spelling when one is typing in MS word, it is a spelling that is accepted as correct by many dictionaries. However, the fact that most people use the spelling lens makes people feel as if lense is a wrong spelling or refers to something else.
Lens vs Lense
• Lens is the correct spelling but lense is also not incorrect. However, the plural form of lens is lenses.
• Though lens is used by most people and it is very common, it does not mean that lense is incorrect.
• As the plural of lens is lenses, etymologically, lense makes more sense than lens as one can make the plural by adding just a single s as is the case with many other nouns.
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|Description: A map of Citrus County as of 1898 showing rivers, towns, railroads, and the county seat, Inverness.|
Place Names: Citrus, Mannfield, Istachatta, Inverness, Fairmount, Hernando, Homosassa, Arlington
ISO Topic Categories: boundaries, inlandWaters, oceans, transportation
Keywords: Citrus County, physical, political, transportation, physical features, county borders, railroads, boundaries, inlandWaters, oceans, transportation, Unknown,1898
Source: George Franklin Cram, Cram's Universal Atlas: Geographical, Astronomical, and Historical (Chicago, IL: Geo. F. Cram, 1898)
Map Credit: Courtesy the private collection of Roy Winkelman.
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Tamias sibiricus is the only member of the genus Tamias found outside North America. It is found naturally in northern Asia from central Russia to China, Korea, and northern Japan. It is also found in eastern Europe as a result of individuals escaping from captivity.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Introduced , Native )
- 2009. "Siberian Chipmunk" (On-line). Wikipedia. Accessed February 12, 2009 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Chipmunk.
- Weathers, K. 2006. "Tamias sibericus - Siberian Chipmunk" (On-line). Accessed February 12, 2009 at http://www.paw-talk.net/forums/printthread.php?t=7182.
Siberian chipmunks are 18 to 25 cm in total length, including a tail that is approximately one third of that length. Body length is 12 to 17 cm. The fur on the back is yellow to brown, with white fur on the chest and belly. There are 5 dark and 4 light colored stripes that runs down the back. Body mass varies with season and availability of food. A typical Siberian chipmunk will weigh 50 to 150g.
Range mass: 50 to 150 g.
Range length: 12 to 17 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Siberian chipmunks live primarily on the forest floor where there is plenty of cover and among rocky outcroppings and in human structures, such as house foundations. They are also excellent climbers.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: taiga ; forest
Habitat and Ecology
Siberian chipmunks are omnivores. In the wild their diet consists of seeds and grains, fungi, fruits, vegetables, grains, insects, small birds, and lizards.
Animal Foods: birds; reptiles; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit
Other Foods: fungus
Foraging Behavior: stores or caches food
Primary Diet: omnivore
Siberian chipmunks provide an important food source to their predators. Chipmunks are also important seed distributors due to their buried and forgotten caches. Like other chipmunks, they help to disperse fungal spores, dispersing important forest fungi. Parasite species are not reported for Siberian chipmunks.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Natural predators for Siberian chipmunks include birds of prey, weasels, and cats, although specific predator species are not reported in the literature. These chipmunks are vigilant and agile, escaping to their burrows when threatened. They are also cryptically colored in their forest undergrowth habitats.
- diurnal raptors (Falconiformes)
- weasels (Mustela)
- small cats (Felis)
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Life History and Behavior
Siberian chipmunks have 2 vocalizations. The first is a fast "cheep" that sounds a lot like a bird call. This is used when frightened, and lasts only 1/5 of a second. It is often used 3 to 6 times in succession. The second sound is a deep croaking sound. It is unknown what this croak is used for, although it is believed to be related to mating. They may also use visual and scent cues in communication, although this has not been documented.
Communication Channels: acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Siberian chipmunks live for a maximum 2 to 5 years in the wild, and 6 to 10 years in captivity. Several reports of Siberian chipmunks living past 10 years as personal pets have been reported.
Status: wild: 2 to 5 years.
Status: captivity: 6 to 10 years.
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
There is little known information on the mating systems of Siberian chipmunks. Most other chipmunks and squirrels have a promiscuous mating system.
The breeding season of Tamias sibericus begins in the second half of April. After a gestation period of 28 to 35 days a litter of 3 to 8 young is born. In Europe a second litter may be born over the summer months. Size at birth is 3.8 to 4g.
Breeding interval: Siberian chipmunks breed once to twice yearly, depending on location.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs from April to June.
Range number of offspring: 3 to 8.
Range gestation period: 28 to 35 days.
Range weaning age: 7 (high) weeks.
Range time to independence: 8 (low) weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 9 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 9 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Females are solely responsible for care of the offspring. The eyes of the young typically open after 20 to 25 days. The mother will take the young out foraging at 6 weeks old, weaning will be complete by 7 weeks, and at 8 weeks the young will be old enough to look for territory of their own.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
- 2009. "Siberian Chipmunk" (On-line). Wikipedia. Accessed February 12, 2009 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Chipmunk.
- Saddington, G. 2007. NOTES ON THE BREEDING OF THE SIBERIAN CHIPMUNK Tamias sibircius IN CAPTIVITY. International Zoo Yearbook, volume 6 issue 1: 165-166. Accessed April 03, 2009 at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/vsample?PISSN=0074-9664&path_ok=/journal/117997665/home.
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Tamias sibiricus
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 54
Species With Barcodes: 1
Siberian chipmunks are considered "least concern" by the IUCN because they are widespread and common throughout their range. There have been no recorded declines in populations.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Siberian chipmunks may occasionally eat crops and damage gardens. Like other mammals, they may carry diseases or host fleas infected with plague.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (carries human disease); crop pest
Siberian chipmunks disperse tree and plant seeds and fungal spores that aid in forest regeneration. Siberian chipmunks are occasionally kept as pets and their pelts are sometimes used. They may help to control pests, especially in outbreaks of forest tree pests.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; body parts are source of valuable material; controls pest population
- Danell, K., T. Willebrand, L. Baskin. 1998. Mammalian Herbivores in the Boreal Forests: Their Numerical Fluctuations and Use by Man. Ecology and Society, volume 2 issue 2: article 9. Accessed April 25, 2009 at http://www.consecol.org/vol2/iss2/art9/.
The Siberian chipmunk or common chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus) appears across northern Asia from central Russia to China, Korea, and Hokkaidō in northern Japan. The Siberian chipmunk was imported from South Korea and introduced in Europe as a pet in the 1960s. It is the only chipmunk found outside North America, and this animal is classed either as the only living member of the genus Eutamias, or as a member of a genus including all chipmunks.
Although these animals can exhibit slight variations in coloration in different geographic regions, they possess several common characteristics. Typically the Siberian chipmunk has 4 white stripes and 5 dark stripes along the back. It is 18–25 cm long, a third of which is the tail. The weight of adults depends on the time of year and food availability. Even though the Siberian chipmunk normally grows to 50–150 grams, this species is relatively small compared to other Sciuridae, such as the Red Squirrel. The Siberian chipmunks are not known to exhibit sexual dimorphism, and size and body proportions are the only way to distinguish younger chipmunks from older ones. Their small size may contribute to their relatively short lives, which tend to range from 2 to 5 years in the wild. However, when placed in captivity, as seen in Europe in the 1960s, they have the potential to live anywhere from 6 to 10 years.
Siberian chipmunks were found only in their native range of Eastern Asia until the 1960s, when this species was introduced to European countries. During the 1960s, South Korea began to export these animals to Europe as a part of the pet trade. Between 1960 and 1980, South Korea exported more than 200,000 individuals to Europe. Human introduction is a major risk for the spread of this species into other forests and areas. By the 1970s, the Siberian chipmunk inhabited suburban forests and urban parks in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria. Owners released these animals because they no longer wanted them as pets, or the owners purposefully freed the chipmunks to live naturally in the wild. Other Siberian chipmunks escaped from captivity and inhabited the forested areas of Europe. While thousands of animals were introduced to new environments, their naturally slow spreading, 200 to 250 meters per year, prevented them from rapidly moving to areas beyond Europe.
The Siberian chipmunk can survive in a variety of habitats and conditions. They are usually found in coniferous forests, stony areas within forests and mountains, habitats filled with shrub, along waterways or roads, or other small patches of agricultural land. In Europe, the introduced populations usually live in deciduous forests, mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, or urban areas with greenery. Tamias sibiricus is able to survive in various environmental conditions, anywhere from 29°N to 69°N and -65 °C to 30 °C. However, this species has a low ability of dispersal, and since they are mainly introduced into woody forests or urban areas with greenery, they have less potential to be naturally dispersed to other regions. Also they have trouble overcoming man-made and naturally occurring obstacles, like roads or swamps.
The Siberian chipmunk lives in loose colonies, where every individual has its own territory. The territory ranges from 700 to 4000 m and is larger for females than males and is also larger in autumn than spring. The Siberian chipmunk marks its territory with urine and oral glands inside of its cheeks. This method illustrates one way in which this species communicates with one another.
Siberian chipmunks usually live solitary lives, but during the winter they create a burrow, which they often share with another chipmunk. Its burrow, which can be 2.5 m long and 1.5 m deep, consists of a nest chamber, several storage chambers and chambers for the waste. During this winter season, these chipmunks store 3–4 kg of food in order to survive underground until April or May. In addition to the pairing off during hibernation, they also use a complex voice communication system to interact. They have two vocal sounds, a fast, sharp sound for when they are frightened and a deep croak sound that is thought to be used for mating.
While most chipmunks and squirrels are promiscuous in their mating routines, little is known about the mating habits of the Siberian chipmunk. It is known that they are iteroparous, viviparous,and their breeding season usually occurs after hibernation in mid April. They tend to breed only once or twice a year, and the number of offspring varies from 3 to 8. The young are born blind and naked, and they weigh between 3-5 grams. After the 28 to 35 day gestation period, the offspring open their eyes about 20 to 25 days after birth. The females are responsible for caring for the young, and they teach them how to forage around 6 weeks. Then the offspring complete the weaning stage around 7 weeks, and they reach the independent stage around 8 weeks. Adult body mass is reached at around 3 to 4 months, and by 9 months, both the male and the female reach sexual maturity.
Siberian chipmunks are omnivores that store or cache food. Normally, they eat Siberian pine seeds, along with different deciduous and coniferous tree seeds. In addition to seeds, they eat herb roots, insects, mollusks, birds, reptiles, grains, fruit, and fungus.
Siberian chipmunks are essential food sources for other animals, such as diurnal raptors, weasels, and small cats. Other known predators include hawks, owls, and foxes. They evade being preyed upon by these animals by being alert, hiding in their burrows, and using their camouflaged fur to blend in with surroundings. They distribute seeds and fungal spores, and other animals feed off their stored food.
Siberian chipmunks disperse seeds and fungal spores, which help forests grow and regenerate. They also aid species diversity by helping control pests in its environment. In addition to the beneficial aspects for the environment, some humans keep Siberian chipmunks as pets or sell them for their fur or other body parts.
The increasing rate of urbanization provides humans with greater mobility, and this advancement provides easier opportunities for humans to introduce non-native species, many of which cause health or economic issues. For instance, Siberian chipmunks tend to eat crops and damage urban gardens. In Russia, they eat approximately 50 percent of the forest nuts, and in other locations they can produce economic setbacks in regards to grains and orchards because of large consumption of these products. These chipmunks are also known for preying upon low-nesting birds, and Siberian chipmunks often compete with other small native animals, such as the red squirrel, wood mouse, and bank vole. However the most concerning aspect of this species' influence revolves around its ability to carry diseases, like Lyme disease, that have the potential to create danger for humans and domestic animals.
Lyme disease, also known as Borrelia burgdorferi, is a vector-borne disease that can be transmitted through ticks. In comparison to bank voles and wood mice, the Siberian chipmunks contribute a much larger risk when it comes to Lyme disease. The chipmunk's ability to spread this disease poses a risk to humans because Lyme disease can cause neurological, joint, and skin problems. The Invasive Species Compendium states that the Siberian chipmunk can easily survive and spread diseases, like Lyme disease, to humans because the species has high genetic variability and high reproductive potential. Also, with the Siberian chipmunk's movement and introduction into new environments, ticks and other parasites possess a greater opportunity to attach to hosts. Lastly species invasion is difficult and costly to control, so these animals will continue to pose a threat to humans and other animals until they eventually became extinct or until humans actively take measures to reduce their impact on society.
- Tsytsulina, K., Formozov, N., Shar, S., Lkhagvasuren, D. & Sheftel, B. (2008). Tamias sibiricus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
- Tamias (Eutamias) sibiricus, Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed.
- "Tamias sibericus". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- compid=5&dsid=62788&loadmodule=datasheet&page=481&site=144 "Invasive Species Compendium". Tamias sibiricus. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- Haberland, K. "Tamias sibiricus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- "Siberian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus". Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- MacDonald, David; Priscilla Barret (1993). Mammals of Britain & Europe 1. London: HarperCollins. p. 230. ISBN 0-00-219779-0.
- Saddington, G (April 3, 2009). "Notes on the Breeding of the Siberian Chipmunk in Captivity". International Zoo Yearbook 6 (1): 165–166. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1966.tb01736.x. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- Uspensky, Igor (February 2014). "Tick pests and vectors in European towns: Introduction, persistence, and management". Science Direct 5 (1): 41–47. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.07.011. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- Marsot, Maud; Chapuis, Jean- Louis et al (January 31, 2013). "Introduced Siberian Chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus barberi) Contribute More to Lyme Borreliosis Risk than Native Reservoir Rodents". Public Library of Science 8: e55377. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055377. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- "Diseases and Conditions: Lyme disease". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- Chapuis, Jean-Louis; Boyer, Réale, Marmet, Pisanu (May 2010). "Personality, space use and tick load in an introduced population of Siberian chipmunks Tamias sibiricus". Journal of Animal Ecology 79 (3): 538–547. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01659.x. PMID 20202009.
- Boreal Forest Mammals: Siberian Chipmunk
- Invasion of Siberian chipmunk in Paris
- Siberian Chipmunk Exotic Care
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La Niña Forecast to Bring a Winter of Weather Extremes
CAMP SPRINGS, Maryland, October 21, 2010 (ENS) - Warmer and drier than average weather is in store for the South and Southeast regions through February 2011, while the Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said today in its annual Winter Outlook.
A moderate to strong La Niña pattern will be the dominant climate factor influencing weather across most of the United States this winter.
Jeffers Hill, Maryland was buried in snow, February 20, 2010 (Photo by Jeff Kubina)
La Niña is associated with cooler than normal water temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean, the opposite of El Niño which is associated with warmer than normal water temperatures.
Both of these climate phenomena, which typically occur in two to five year cycles, influence weather patterns throughout the world and often lead to extreme weather events.
Last winter's El Niño contributed to record-breaking rain and snowfall leading to severe flooding in some parts of the country, with record heat and drought in other parts of the country.
"La Niña is in place and will strengthen and persist through the winter months, giving us a better understanding of what to expect between December and February," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. "This is a good time for people to review the outlook and begin preparing for what winter may have in store."
"Other climate factors will play a role in the winter weather at times across the country," said Halpert. "Some of these factors, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, are difficult to predict more than one to two weeks in advance. The NAO adds uncertainty to the forecast in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic portions of the country."
This seasonal outlook does not project where and when snowstorms may hit or total seasonal snowfall accumulations, says the Climate Prediction Center. Snow forecasts are dependent upon winter storms, which are generally not predictable more than several days in advance.
- Pacific Northwest: colder and wetter than average. La Niña often brings lower than average temperatures and increased mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and western Montana during the winter months, which is good for the replenishment of water resources and winter recreation but can also lead to greater flooding and avalanche concerns
- California and the Southwest: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring
- Northern Plains: colder and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding
- Southern Plains, Gulf Coast States and Southeast: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring
- Florida: drier than average, with an equal chance for above-normal, near-normal, or below-normal temperatures. Above normal wildfire conditions
- Ohio and Tennessee Valleys: warmer and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding
- Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: equal chances for above-normal, near-normal, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather for these regions is often driven not by La Niña but by weather patterns over the northern Atlantic Ocean and Arctic. These are often more short-term, and are generally predictable only a week or so in advance. If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow
- Central U.S.: equal chances of above-near-or below normal temperatures and precipitation
- Hawaii: drier than normal through November, then wetter than normal December through February. Statewide, the current drought is expected to continue through the winter, with several locations remaining on track to become the driest year on record. Drought recovery is more likely on the smaller islands of Kauai and Molokai, and over the windward slopes of the Big Island and Maui
- Alaska: odds favor colder than average temperatures with equal chances of above or below normal precipitation. The interior and southern portions of the state are currently drier than normal. A dry winter may set Alaska up for a greater chance of above normal wildfire conditions in the spring
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2010. All rights reserved.
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-- Robert Preidt
FRIDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Many American adults who
work and volunteer with young people believe that children and
teens have limited or no access to mental health care, a new survey
Participants were asked about the availability of different
kinds of health services for children and teens in their
More than half of the respondents said there was "lots of
availability" for teens to have hospital care (55 percent) and
primary care (56 percent), but only 30 percent said the same was
true for mental health care. Availability for children was very
The survey was conducted by the University of Michigan-based
National Voices Project, which was created to assess disparities in
children's health, education and economic opportunities at the
community level, through the input of paid adults or volunteers who
work on behalf of children.
"These findings indicate low availability of mental health care for children and teens in the majority of communities across the U.S.," Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the National Voices Project, and an associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, and of public policy, said in a university news release.
"Even in communities where there are lots of opportunities for children and teens to get primary care or hospital care, access to mental health care is lacking," he added.
The survey also found that in communities where respondents
believed there were racial/ethnic inequalities, they reported that
children and teens had less access to all health care services,
including mental health care. This perceived lack of access was
especially true for teens.
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about
child and teen mental health.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
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As a Black feminist scholar, every February I find myself troubled by the ways that we simultaneously remember and forget women who look like me. Not that I’m satisfied with the memory of Black women every other month of the year but February–Black History Month–can be especially disappointing. I find myself wanting to rant to anyone within earshot, “Rosa Parks did more than sit on a bus!!!”
My urge to scream is rooted in our common cultural practice of remembering Parks only as a demure and delicate old seamstress who sparked the civil rights movement. The common assertion is that Parks’ moment in history began in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Ala. But we must confront this assertion, because each time we confine her memory to that moment we erase part of her admirable character, strategic intellect and indomitable spirit.
To be clear, Rosa Parks left us a deliberate legacy of activism, not an accidental activist moment. Furthermore, she, like many other Black women, should not be remembered in the shadows of Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. or any other Black male civil rights activist, but rather right alongside of them. We must realize and teach that when Rosa Parks was helping lay the foundation for the civil rights movement, Dr. King was still in high school.
At the intersection of sexism and racism, it is not surprising that we remember Rosa Parks as demure and delicate, since the image of her sitting quietly with her hands folded politely in her lap is commonplace. However, if we get beyond our stereotypical expectations of who a Black woman can be, we bear witness to her steely grace and steadfast commitment to defending human dignity. She had been doing so for years before she ever got on that bus.
Rosa Parks was taught as a child to sleep with her clothes on in case she was awakened during the night to run from the Klan. Parks, as one of the first women to join the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), traveled throughout segregated Alabama to document racialized voter intimidation and brutality. It was Rosa Parks who interviewed Recy Taylor, a Black woman violently raped by six White men, and helped form the Alabama Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor. Parks was also a woman who vigorously supported the NAACP, Montgomery Improvement Association, Alabama Voter’s League and Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, just to name a few of her key activist roots.
Then in 1955 at age 42, she, like the women who did so before her, refused to give up her seat because of the color of her skin. Soon after that historic moment, those who loved her pleaded with her not to become the central figure of the Montgomery bus boycott–but it was Rosa Parks who courageously did so anyway, for her sake and for ours.
Please remember her this month, and every month, for all of who she was on the day she refused to give up her seat and changed our lives: a bold, remarkable, fierce, benevolent and righteously indignant woman. And join me in revealing more hidden activist histories of Black women. We can begin with those whose names we know, but then we must seek out the names and herstories of those we don’t. If you accept my invitation, here are some good books in which to begin the enlightenment: Freedom’s Daughter: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970; At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance-A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power; and Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC.
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The Study and Practice of Yoga
An Exposition of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
by Swami Krishnananda
PART IV: THE KAIVALYA PADA
Chapter 106: The Dual Pull of Purusha and Objects
The awareness of the mind in any given condition is constituted of two phases – namely, the object side and the subject side. It is like a buffer standing between the object on one side and the atman, or the purusha, on the other side. Therefore, it has intimation from two different directions, and it combines the messages received from the purusha and the objects at one and the same time. This point is elucidated in one sutra of Patanjali which says: draṣṭṛ dṛśya uparaktaṁ cittaṁ sarvārtham (IV.23). Drastr and drisya mean the subject and the object. Uparaktam cittam: the mind is influenced by both these. It is standing in between the true subject, which is the purusha, and the object. Thus, it has a character of the object, and also a character of the subject, so that the combination of these two factors makes it a very enigmatic something. We cannot say whether it is something belonging to the world of objects, or something which is transcendent – namely, spiritual in nature.
The mind cannot be easily studied because it has the character of materiality as well as spirituality both combined. The spiritual impact which it receives from the purusha makes it appear intelligent and assume the character of the subject itself, while the impact that it receives from the objects makes it coloured in respect of the objects, and it takes the shape of the objects. Sarvartham means objectively conscious in variegated manners. The mind has various objects presented before it on account of its peculiar position between the absolute object and the absolute subject. The absolute object is the material that is presented before the mind. The absolute subject is the purusha, or the transcendent consciousness. Hence, we are pulled from two different directions as minds in our individual capacities. We have an urge from the purusha side, and also an urge from the object side. So we can imagine our status in this world.
We are influenced by two contrary sides, or realms, at one and the same time. Thus it is that we entertain desires for objects and get contaminated by the various modifications of objects. There is a tremendous impress made upon the mind by the transformations which the objects undergo in the world outside. But, at the same time, there is also a higher aspiration present in us. We are mortals with an immortal aspiration. This peculiar characteristic in us is due to this juncture at which the mind is placed, by which it is mortal and immortal at the same time – immortal because it has the vision of what is behind it, from where it receives intimations of immortal contents transcending its present existence. But on the other side it is mortal, caught up in the meshes of objective experience and desiring the varieties of satisfaction which constitute this world of phenomenality.
It is a very peculiar situation in which the mind is placed. We are pulled from the earth side as well as from side of the heavens, from the objective side and from the subjective side, from the material side and from the spiritual side, from the external side and from the internal side, and so on – in umpteen different manifold ways.
This mind is constituted of many vasanas,or impressions of past experience, as we studied in one of the earlier sutras. The mind is not a compact, single, indivisible substance. It is a picturesque complex in whose bosom we can find infinite varieties of impressions which have been accumulated there on account of the experiences it has passed through in the various lives, or incarnations, since aeons. Tat asaṅkhyeya vāsanābhiḥ citram api parāthaṁ saṁhatyakāritvāt (IV.24): It is picturesque and variegated on account of containing an infinite number of impressions of past experience, which become the causative factors of future experience of a similar kind. Yet, with all this infinite content of vasanas, or impressions, within itself, the mind is not absolutely independent. Parartham: It is dependent. It is dependent because its very function is directed by the energy of something which is different from itself. The energy for the function of the mind comes from the purusha, the Supreme Transcendent Being.
Samhatyakaritvat: The mind is an assemblage of vasanas. An assemblage, or a group of varieties of contents, cannot be regarded as a permanent, solid entity because anything that is made up of parts is subject to disintegration and dismemberment. The inner constituents of the mind are subject to modification of pattern, and this change in the pattern of the variety of contents inside the mind is the cause of the change of personality, or individuality – or in other words, we may say the cause of what we call rebirth. A complete reconstitution of the inner contents of the mind requires a corresponding vehicle, materially, for the purpose of expressing the urges of this reconstituted mind; and this new vehicle that is manufactured, or brought into being, by the requirements of this newly constituted pattern – that is the new birth of the body.
Thus, the mind that is made up of many vasanas, or impressions, that is variegated in its nature and multifarious in the various levels of its constitution is not independent by itself. Its functions are for another purpose altogether – the purpose being transcendent to its own existence. What is the purpose? The purpose of the mind is the purpose of the universe itself. What is the purpose of the universe? Why is there evolution? Why is there change? Why is there activity? Why is there effort? The answer to these questions is also the answer to the other question: why is the mind functioning at all in the direction of objects with the energy that it receives from the purusha?
The purpose of the functions of the mind is the evolution of the individual for the attainment of perfection, which is called kaivalya or moksha. It does not act unnecessarily. It is not an aimless activity in which the mind is engaged. Even the so-called erroneous meanderings of the mind in the desert of samsara are with a purpose. The purpose is the search for that which it has lost – namely, the noumenon, the supreme purusha, the Absolute.
Every activity of every individual in any manner whatsoever, under any condition, is a movement towards the Absolute, whether it is consciously directed or otherwise. When the meaning of these movements is not consciously clear and we are helplessly, as it were, driven forward by forces of which we have no consciousness, then it becomes a blind activity, a kind of determinism reigning supreme over our heads. Many a time we are under the impression that we are unaware, pushed forward by the forces of nature. That we are unaware of the intentions of the movements of nature is a different matter altogether, but unawareness does not rule out the meaning that is hidden in these movements. The total movement of nature towards Self-realisation is inclusive of all the activities of the mind also, because the mind is a part of the universal nature in its rarefied form. Thus, the movement of the mind towards objects is a blind activity it engages itself in for the purpose of the recognition of a perfection which it has lost – not knowing, at the same time, that its movements are not compatible with the conscious intentions of the integration of being, which is its ultimate purpose.
Externally and internally, the mind moves at different times according to the intensity of the pressure it receives either from the purusha or from the objects. As it was stated in the sutra, the mind is influenced by the objects on one side and the purusha on the other side. If the pressure from the purusha is more, we are religiously inclined, spiritually motivated and aspiring in noble directions. But if the pressure from the objects is more intense, then we are sensually inclined and we run after the enjoyments of the world of objects.
Hence, there is this double activity of the mind. Nevertheless, in all this that has been said about the mind, the sutra makes out that the mind is material; it is dependent – non-independent – an assemblage of groups of vasanas which are likely to be transformed at any time, which are subject to modification and are, therefore, not permanent. The mind is entirely intended for the purpose of the evolution of the individual towards the realisation of perfection in the purusha. Viśeṣadarśinaḥ ātmabhāva bhāvanānivṛttiḥ (IV.25) is the sutra which follows. The consciousness of individual self, and even the consciousness of effort of any kind, ceases when there is an awareness of the purusha as distinct from prakriti. This is a literal rendering of this sutra.
There is a perpetual feeling in us about our own selves, which lies at the background of even altruistic activities. Even our movements in the direction of social work and humanitarian activity is rooted in a peculiar self-sense, and this is what is called atmabhava bhavana. We are never rid of this consciousness of ourselves at any time. Sometimes we are faintly aware of ourselves being there as individuals. Sometimes we are intensely aware; but we are never totally unaware. The identification of consciousness with this self-sense, or individuality, is a part of our empirical existence, and it is second nature to us. It is ‘we’ ourselves, and everything starts from this seed of the affirmation of the self-sense.
We have to exist first as something, as constituted of a certain character, a meaning, or a significance. From this existence of ours as an individual associated with certain attributes arises various other types of meaning. This self-sense, which is the root of this activity in this world – whatever be the nature of that activity – does not cease even in different reincarnations. Even if we take many births, the self-sense will not cease, because it is that self-sense which is the cause of the reincarnations, or rebirths, and it is that which undergoes this process of transformation in the form of reincarnation.
Thus, there is no abolition of personality, at any time, throughout the processes or series of births and deaths of the individual. But it ceases only at one time – when time itself ceases to exist. In the timeless awareness of the purusha, the self-sense ceases to exist. It expires in the experience of the purusha; it overcomes itself in a larger recognition of a higher self, where this lower self gets absorbed and consumed with no residuum whatsoever. As camphor burns and exhausts itself with no residuum, this self-sense, or individuality, gets consumed in the fire of the flame of the purusha-consciousness and it does not exist any more. There is only one self, which is the Self of the purusha, and not the many selves, or individuals.
When the individual self-sense recognises the existence of this purusha, it at once directs itself towards the purusha. Visesa darsi, a peculiar term used in this sutra, means one who has the awareness of the difference between the true subject and the object. The true subject is the purusha who appears to be involved in world perception through the mind, which is the cause of bondage; and when the knowledge arises in oneself as to the true nature of the ultimate subject, which is infinite in nature and not empirical, then all empiricality or objectivity gets resolved into its original cause. Then this self-sense, or atmabhava bhavana – ‘I exist’ consciousness – ceases, and there is an utter annihilation of every experience that follows from the existence of the self-sense, namely, bondage of every kind. Then what happens?
When the mind is directed in this way towards the annihilation of self in the realisation of the purusha, there is an inclination towards moksha. It is almost the same thing; the inclination towards purusha and the inclination towards moksha mean the same thing, because purusha is moksha and moksha is purusha. Therefore, the two sutras, which go together, almost convey the same meaning. Viśeṣadarśinaḥ ātmabhāva bhāvanānivṛttiḥ (IV.25) and tadā vivekanimnaṁ kaivalya prāgbhāraṁ cittam (IV.26). These two sutras have an almost identical meaning, making out that when the mind is inclined towards the discrimination between purusha and prakriti, when there is the rise of right understanding in respect of things, the mind gravitates towards liberation.
Kaivalya pragbharam cittam is a very significant term which means the mind is laden heavy with the consciousness of liberation. It is inclined towards liberation, while now it is inclined towards objects of sense due to the gravitation or the force exerted by objects towards the mind. When this gravitational pull ceases or is diminished in its intensity, the mind is able to move in the other direction and feel the pull of the purusha. Vivekanimnam – inclined towards understanding. The understanding that is spoken of here is not the understanding we have in this world. In a sense, we can all be said to be endowed with a sort of understanding. Everyone has some understanding. But here, we speak of a different type of understanding which is a superior knowledge of the higher nature of the individual, which is different from the understanding which is associated with the lower nature connected with objects. The inclination of the citta, or the mind, towards right understanding means the inwardisation of consciousness, an introversion of the spirit towards its own self, and an awakening which follows, compelling the mind to incline towards the purusha.
All this is hard stuff for us to understand, because we cannot understand what it means – how the mind can incline towards the purusha when it is now inclined towards the objects. We are not aware, even now, that the mind is gravitating towards objects, because we have become one with the objects. We have become object-consciousness so forcefully that we cannot even be conscious that there is something other than the object world. Hence we cannot grasp, at the present moment, what it means when the mind traverses this realm of object-consciousness and goes to a different realm of a different gravitation altogether.
When the purusha begins to pull the mind, there is a pull received from every direction while, when the object pulls, we are pulled only from one direction. There is a great difference in this gravitation. Every object does not pull us at the same time. It is only one object that pulls us at one time. Sometimes one or two objects may join together and pull us for a particular purpose. But the pull of the purusha, or the gravitational force exerted by the purusha, is universal in character. It will call us from every nook and corner. It is a summons that is received from every quarter of the universe because the purusha is everywhere, while the objects are not everywhere. The object cannot call us from all directions because it is in one place only. Thus, we are inclined sensorily in one direction when the object calls us, and there is an attachment of the mind towards one object.
When the purusha calls, there is an efflorescence of the mind – an opening of the bud of the flower of the mind, as it were – wherein it becomes aware of the call it receives from the whole universe. The call of the purusha is the call of the universe. The universe is the face of the purusha. It is the expression of the purusha in the sense that the purusha is manifest through the things of the universe. We will feel a kind of sensation in respect of anything and everything around us as if they are friendly, as if they are one with us, as if we are living in a family that is spread out around us, wherever we are placed in this world. This is a rare and novel experience in a higher state of spiritual aspiration and experience, and it cannot be understood in the beginning stages. We will be friendly and at home at any place in the world, in any circumstance. Even in a dustbin we will find heaven, if this call comes. But until this call comes, we cannot appreciate or understand the meaning of the way in which the mind is gravitated towards the purusha.
Well, this is a very high and lofty state of experience which the sutra refers to, and it is a question of practice. When we actually enter into the practice of yoga, we will pass through all these stages. We will pass through stages of various kinds of pull exerted in many ways, by various things, so that at the different levels through which we pass, different things will look real and satisfying. But, it is only in the last stage, where we can perceive the dawn of the consciousness of the purusha, that the meaning of this pull can be properly grasped. Until that time, there will be movement from one side or the other side, and there will be an experiment made by the mind in respect of one object or two objects, or groups of objects. Actually, it is the purusha that is searched for in the objects of sense. We do not want objects; we want the purusha only. Even in this wretched condition, it is the purusha that we are asking for, not anything else. But the blinkers of the mind, which prevent its perception of the universal that is present in particulars, has become the cause of an intensification or attachment in respect of groups of objects.
Thus, there are very great difficulties on the way towards getting over the pulls of even one level. At each level there is a great force exerted upon us by the laws of that particular realm, so that when we are on the earth, the earth plane pulls us so forcefully, so powerfully, that we cannot have even the idea that there is another realm existing. When we are liberated from the clutches of this force of the earth-consciousness, we will find ourselves in another realm, and there the laws of that level will have an impression upon us and exert pressure upon us. There, again, we will have a new consciousness of a new world of new experience, and that realm will be regarded as the only reality. At every stage of experience, in every level or realm, that particular realm only will be regarded as the whole reality so that neither the past will be known, nor will we be aware of the future.
All these stages have to be passed through, and many births may have to be taken to become fit to receive the conscious call of the purusha. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yadati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (B.G. VII.3). After thousands and thousands of births in various species of beings, we come to the level of this consciousness of there being something transcendent and spiritual. And even among those who are so conscious, a few only will succeed, says this famous verse of the Bhagavadgita.
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Project InfoAccording the World Health Organization, tuberculosis (TB) caused 1.6 million deaths in 2005. One third of the world's population is chronically infected with TB. The goals of the TBDB project are to provide data, analysis tools, and access to scientific discoveries that will help us understand tuberculosis and develop tools to treat and prevent it. This site also serves as a community forum for the tuberculosis research community. TB is a public health challenge of paramount importance. Control of TB will require a multifaceted approach integrating efficient public health interventions with the discovery and use of new vaccines and drugs.
TBDatabase is a multi-institutional collaboration makes available the tools and resources available at the Stanford Microarray Database and the Broad Institute. In addition, TBDB takes advantage of data produced by Tuberculist, BioHealthBase, and BioCyc.A grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has enabled us to create an integrated software platform for tuberculosis drug discovery and research.
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Originally, memory was as fast as CPUs. Over time CPUs got faster and faster. Memory got faster too, but didn't keep up with the increasing speed of CPUs, which means that CPUs needed to spend more and more time waiting for data to come from RAM (which can have a serious effect on performance).
As a work-around for the speed difference between CPUs and RAM, CPU manufacturers started including caches. The basic idea is to have an small area of RAM that the CPU can access really fast, that's used to store a copy of data in RAM (to reduce the time the CPU spends waiting to access slower RAM).
Over time the difference in speed between CPUs and RAM got even worse, so CPU manufacturers increased the size of the caches; but (due to limitations in semiconductor design) the larger a cache is the slower it is (or, the higher the latency of the cache is). To improve performance more, CPU manufacturers started having large caches with smaller/faster caches on top.
For a current/modern CPU there can be up to 3 layers of caches - extremely fast but relatively small "layer 1" (or L1) caches close to the CPU, fairly fast medium sized "layer 2" (or L2) caches, then relatively large "layer 3" (or L3) caches close to the system bus or RAM.
Of course the amount of RAM used in computers has grown too; and even a very large L3 cache can't cache everything. For example, a computer might have 4 GiB of RAM but only 12 MiB of L3 cache. To improve performance CPU manufacturers want to cache the RAM that is most likely to be used in future. However, it's extremely difficult to predict the future, so CPU manufacturers usually use a "least recently used" algorithm for caches, as something that was used recently is (usually) likely to be used again.
Fortunately, except for a few cases (testing for RAM faults, RAM bandwidth benchmarks) a programmer doesn't have to worry about the caches. However, caches play an important role in the overall performance of a system, and it is possible for programmers to get significant performance improvements by paying attention to cache efficiency.
In general the "least recently used" algorithm can work quite well, but there are cases where it causes poor efficiency. One example of this is called "cache pollution", where the CPU accesses a lot of data that won't be needed in the future; which causes data that is more likely to be needed soon to be pushed out of the cache to make room for the (more recently used) data that won't be needed soon. Another example is called "cache thrashing", where you repeatedly access an amount of data that is larger than the size of the cache (e.g. repeatedly accessing each item in a 10 MiB array when the CPUs cache is only 8 MiB). In this case, even though a piece of data will be used again it will be pushed out of the cache by more recent data accesses before it's used again.
There's several techniques for managing these cache efficiency problems. One technique CPU manufacturers use is to have separate caches for separate things. For example, a CPU might have an L1 cache for instructions and another L1 cache for data, so that problems with L1 data cache efficiency don't effect L1 instruction cache efficiency. This also helps with the "larger caches have worse latency" problem.
Modern CPUs also have instructions that programmers can use to help avoid "least recently used" cache efficiency problems; including instructions that can be used to prefetch data into the caches (useful when you know that data will be used soon), instructions to explicitly remove/flush data from the cache (useful when you know data that you've used recently won't be used again soon), and instructions to write data directly to RAM and bypass the cache (which is similar to writing data normally and then flushing that data from the cache).
There are situations where software needs to process a large amount of data, but can process this data in blocks (for example, decompression often falls into this category). In these cases, it can be desirable (to avoid "cache thrashing") to detect how large the caches are, and to make sure that each block fits inside the cache. For example, if the CPU's cache is 4 MiB and you want to process 100 MiB of data, then processing 50 blocks that are 2 MiB each can give a lot better performance than processing 20 blocks that are 5 MiB each. For this reason, it can be a good idea for an OS to detect the size of CPU caches and provide a way for software (e.g. applications) to easily obtain this information.
Caches In Systems With Multiple CPUs
When there's multiple CPUs directly connected to memory (without caches), everything works correctly (but slowly). When there's multiple CPUs with their own caches connected to memory, then data stored in RAM can be stale/obsolete data because the current version of that data may still be in one of the CPU's caches. In most systems caches are meant to be transparent (e.g. it's meant to be safe for software to forget that caching is being done), and having caches in each CPU creates problems because it's no longer safe for programmers to forget that caching is being done. The hardware in most computers use special protocols to ensure that these problems don't happen - for example, when a CPU accesses memory it accesses the current version of the data regardless of whether the current version of the data is in RAM or in another CPU's cache. This is called "cache coherency".
Some computer systems are not cache coherent; and it's the programmers responsibility to avoid accessing stale data. In general these systems can be a nightmare to program for, and it can be easier to treat each CPU like a separate system (e.g. pretend that a computer with 2 GiB of RAM and 2 CPUs is actually 2 separate computers with 1 GiB of RAM and 1 CPU each). Fortunately non-cache coherent systems are rare, especially for desktop/server computers.
For systems with multiple CPUs (especially for multi-core), it's possible for several CPUs to share the same caches. For example, for a computer with a pair of quad core CPUs you might have a total of 8 CPUs, where each CPU has it's own L1 caches, pairs of CPUs share L2 caches, and 4 CPUs share each L3 cache. This can complicate "cache efficiency" optimizations for operating system software (e.g. in schedulers and memory management) and applications.
Normally a cache is split up into many cache lines, where a cache line is the minimum amount of data that can be stored in the cache. For example, a 4 MiB cache might have 65536 entries to hold up to 65536 cache lines, where each cache line in 64 bytes. When data is transferred between the cache and RAM (or between the cache at one level and another cache at a different level) all 64 bytes are transferred. For a given cache line size, a larger cache has more entries.
The CPU needs to be able to find an entry in a cache that corresponds to a specific address. To do this each entry has a "tag", which says what is in that entry (e.g. if the entry is being used or not, and if it is being used which address the data corresponds to). For a very simple cache, this means that the CPU needs to look at every single tag just to find some data in the cache. This has obvious problems (it's slow).
To make the cache faster, CPU manufacturers tend to use sets of cache lines, where the data for a specific address can only be in one place in each set. The number of sets is called "associativity", and a cache designed like this is called an "N-way set associative cache". For example, a 4 MiB cache that is 4-way set associative would have 1 MiB per set, the data for a specific address can only be in one of 4 places, and the CPU only needs to look at 4 tags to find some data in the cache.
To work out which tags to look at in each set of cache lines, the CPU uses some of the bits of the address. For example, for the address 0x12345678, with 64 bytes per cache line the lowest 6 bits don't matter, and (if each set is 1 MiB) the next 14 bits determine the position in each set that the data could be. This also means that for a 32-bit address the tag only needs to store the highest 12 bits of the address (which helps to make the tag smaller).
A cache where the data for any address can be anywhere in the cache (the simple/slower cache mentioned above) is called "fully associative", which is effectively the same as having infinite associativity. A cache where the data for any address can only be in one place in the cache is called "direct mapped", which is effectively the same as "1-way associative".
For a direct mapped cache and for caches with low associativity, information in the cache can be found faster because there's less places in the cache that it could be; but because there's a limited number of places it also increases the chance of cache misses. For example, with 1 MiB direct mapped cache, data from the addresses 0x00000000, 0x00100000, 0x00200000, 0x00300000, etc must share the same place in the cache; and data from 0x00000000 will cause data from 0x00100000 to be evicted from the cache, even if other entries in the cache are unused, and even if the data from 0x00100000 is used frequently. This can cause excessive cache misses. Therefore the design of a cache is a compromise between low associativity (fast lookup times) and high associativity (reduced cache misses).
For most modern CPUs, caches are either 2-way associative, 4-way associative or 8-way associative. For more associativity, the overhead of finding entries in the cache outweigh the benefits of slightly less chance of cache misses.
Optimizing Cache Efficiency
For modern computers, CPUs are very fast and RAM is only "fast". Caches help performance a lot if software uses the cache efficiently, but if software doesn't use the caches efficiently then caches won't help performance much. There are several techniques that can be used when trying to use caches more efficiently.
The first technique is already mentioned in the introduction - if you can, split large amounts of data up into smaller blocks that fit inside the cache to avoid cache thrashing. For this to work you need to know how large the cache/s are and how many CPUs are sharing the cache/s.
The next technique is called "page colouring" or "cache colouring". Systems that use paging can choose pages to minimize the chance of cache misses caused by low associativity. Consider a 4 MiB 4-way associative cache, where a process is extremely unlucky and every page it's using happens to correspond to the same locations in each set in the cache. In this case the process would only be able to use 16 KiB of the cache and the remaining 99.6% of the cache would be wasted. Of course this is an extremely unlikely worst case used for illustration purposes - in practice it's likely that this problem will only cause a small decrease in cache efficiency. The point is that without page colouring an OS relies on probability and hopes that cache efficiency isn't too badly effected. Also note that this can cause non-deterministic performance (e.g. how fast software runs depends on luck), which may be undesirable (especially in real time systems).
The idea behind page colouring is to make sure that pages are allocated in a way that minimizes the chance of cache efficiency being effected. To do this an OS determines which bits in an physical address effect where the cache lines will go in each set in the cache; and then makes sure that these bits in the virtual address of a page is the same as the corresponding bits in the physical address of the page. However, this can create an extra problem: typically some virtual addresses are used more often than others (for example, an OS might load all processes at the virtual address 0x00001000); which means that an OS might run out of physical pages that match the more frequently used virtual page addresses. To avoid this extra problem an OS can add an offset a process' virtual addresses before deciding which physical pages are suitable, and make this offset different for different processes.
For page colouring to work you need to know the size of each set in the cache. This can be determined by dividing the total size of the cache by the cache's associativity.
Preventing Unnecessary Caching
In some situations software might access a lot of data, and the programmer knows that this data either won't be used again or won't be used again soon. In these cases you can improve cache efficiency by explicitly flushing cache lines (for example, the 80x86 "CLFLUSH" instruction) to free entries in the cache for more important data.
Some CPUs allow caching to be disabled on a per page basis. This feature can be used to avoid the need for software to explicitly flush cache lines in some situations.
In some situations it's easy to predict which cache lines will be needed soon. In these cases, some CPUs allow programmers to explicitly request that the data is loaded into the cache (prefetched) to avoid cache misses.
Also, some CPUs will detect certain access patterns (e.g. accesses to sequentially increasing and sequentially decreasing addresses), and will automatically prefetch cache lines.
Scheduling With Multiple CPUs
For computers with more than one CPU, when a task runs it's code and data will end up in the cache/s of the CPU that it was running on. The next time that the scheduler gives the task CPU time it's possible for some of the task's code and data to still be in a CPU's cache, and some cache misses can be avoided by making the task run on the same CPU that it was running on last time. It isn't a good idea to always do this because an OS's scheduler may also take into account many other things (for performance, power management and other reasons) - it's better to think of this optimization as a scheduling hint.
For more complex systems with several layers of caching, where different caches are shared by different CPUs; if the scheduler can't schedule the task on the CPU that the task used last time then a CPU that shares cache/s with the previously used CPU may be more preferable than other CPUs that don't share cache/s with the previously used CPU.
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| 0.939731 | 3,064 | 4.28125 | 4 |
THE Hunter has become home to a blood-sucking invader which has turned the usual mosquito season on its head, and it's got nothing to do with climate change or the mild winter.
Meet Culex molestus, a golden-coloured mosquito that has made its home not in the marshes of Hexham swamp, but right in the city and its suburbs, every day of the year.
Commonly known among scientists as the London Underground Mosquito, it has researchers concerned because little is known about its capacity to carry and transmit disease to humans.
A team of researchers at the University of Sydney has been studying the Culex molestus for three years and has trapped many of them around Newcastle's port.
Chief mosquito researcher Dr Cameron Webb said they were also common around the old septic tanks on council sporting fields, and have become increasingly common in the suburbs.
They certainly have a bite, Dr Webb said, but "they're not flying hypodermic needles" either.
"One of the most important findings of this study was that an analysis of weekly mosquito trapping indicated that this mosquito remains active over the cooler months, whereas all other mosquitoes disappear during winter.
"It's unique in that it prefers to live in underground environments but there are now concerns regarding the role it may play in the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses in Australian cities," he said.
The Culex molestus gained its common name after it was discovered feasting on Londoners who took shelter in the underground subways during the WWII bombings.
It is thought to have entered Australia from Japan around the same time.
Though it is not as big as the Hunter's better known mozzie, the Hexham grey, the molestus is causing as much alarm.
"We just don't know enough about them, and we need to know more about them and their capacity to carry disease, including Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and the (relatively new) West Nile virus which broke out in North America last year," Dr Webb said.
"The implication from this research is that local authorities must be mindful of this mosquito's ability to exploit unexpected underground habitats.
"As we increase water storages in metropolitan regions of Australia, we must be careful not to create new underground habitats for this pest."
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| 0.977129 | 480 | 3.046875 | 3 |
A tram (U.S. streetcar or trolley) is a vehicle that runs on rails in cities, frequently along streets, where the rails are laid flush with the road surface.
Most trams are powered by electricity from an overhead wire, but they can also be horse-drawn, pulled by underground cable, steam-powered, or powered by electricity from a surface or underground conduit.
Trams have historically been single vehicles, but two or three coupled together have been used in places, and articulated trams are becoming more common.
Many tram systems were closed down in the 1940s to 1960s, but trams have been making a comeback with many new lines opening in recent years. Many tram systems survived in European cities and parts of Asia, but the largest to survive in the English-speaking world is in Melbourne, Australia.
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| 0.979678 | 170 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Before reflecting on the relationship between Distributism and Georgism, a few observations about Henry George himself are in order. Economic historians tend to conveniently forget that, with the possible exception of Adam Smith, he was the most popular of all the modern economists. By any standards, his books were bestsellers and made economics accessible to the public. One measure of his popularity is the fact that at his death, over 100,000 people filed past his coffin, and thousands were left outside, unable to get in. It would be difficult to imagine such an outpouring of grief for the death of any other economist. Yet, this very popularity was the cause of resentment on the part of “professional” economists, who have, in the main, attempted to marginalize George, if not to ignore him entirely.
But this hostility is difficult to understand. There is nothing in George that is incompatible with Smith or Ricardo or Mill, or even with most of neo-classical economics (the one economist he really takes to task is Thomas Malthus.) Indeed, there is no particular part of Georgism that is original to Henry George; rather, his genius consists in taking what was already out there and drawing out the implications. Smith had already favored the land tax (see Taxes: Advice from Adam Smith), Ricardo had developed the Law of Rents, and even Walras and Marshall, founders of neo-classicism, recognized the special status that land had in economic theory. What George did was to base his political economy on the fact, a fact not really disputed in economic theory, that land derives its value not from the landlord but from the community. No reasonable economist disputes this. Yet, all the values created by the community are appropriated by the landlord. It is the classic example of economic rent, a value paid but not earned.
Socialism recognizes only public values of land, and capitalism recognizes only private values, and hence both provide an incomplete description of land, which has both public and private values. George's solution is elegance itself: he socialized ownership of land while privatizing its development. By “taxing” the full value of ground rent, he made speculation unprofitable. At the same time, the use of land, that is, improving it by farming, mining, or building, gets its full value without any taxation at all. In other words, the community gets what the community creates, and the individual gets what the individual creates.
Nor is Georgism without precedent in history, or even the present moment. Indeed, before the advent of the modern capitalist and socialist nation-state, land taxes tended to be the main support of the state. As Adam Smith noted, the “customary rents” of the English feudal land system functioned more as taxes than as rents, that is more as amounts paid for services to the property, and less as Ricardo's “economic rent.” Moreover, there are modern states which attempt to be Georgist. In Hong Kong (under the British) all the land was owned by the government and leased out to developers. In Singapore, the government owns 76% of all the land using the same system. Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, are all, in one degree or another “Georgist” and they are all successful economies. (The popularity of Georgism in the orient traces to the fact that Sun Yat-sen, the father of Chinese Nationalism, was a disciple of Henry George.) So we are not dealing with a mere abstract theory, but one with precedent and example.
However, it should be noted that none of these states are examples of pure Georgism, and therein lies the key to the relationship between Georgism and Distributism. In theory, in a free-market economy, it should be easy to determine the ground rent of any piece of property. But in practice, in places where there are vast concentrations of ownership, this task becomes impossible. Large landowners use any number of subterfuges to hide the true value of the land, since this is the basis of their taxes. Hence, in the modern world, actual Georgist states tend to consist of half-measures and compromises.
Distributists and Georgists have often exhibited a certain hostility towards each other, as if they were pushing rival theories. But they are not. In fact, the theories are complimentary. Rather, it is a question of priorities, which comes first. In my opinion, (being a distributist), a system of well-divided property is prior, and without this Georgism cannot really and truly be implemented. But in a system of well-divided property, a land tax is needed to ensure that the worker gets the full value of his work and to maintain the division of property. This is to say that Georgism requires Distributism for it implementation, while Distributism requires the land-tax, or else property will merely re-accumulate. As a further point, Georgism provides Distributism with access to a sophisticated political economy and tools of economic analysis, for which we do not have to apologize to the “orthodox” economists; in fact, the analysis and the tools are much better.
It would be better for both views to have a better understanding of each other, as they are complimentary theories, and each adds something that the other tends to lack.
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| 0.972996 | 1,093 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Coeur Alaska is a subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene Mines. Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. is based in Boise, Idaho, and is one of the largest Superfund sites in the United States. This Superfund site involves Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. This places Kensington Mine in a questionable state, with questionable partners already owing the taxpayers for a pilot assessment that cost $4.9 million for a brown-water project. These grants have leveraged $67 million for cleanup and redevelopment. The Brown Fields Program is an important part of Superfund work, according to Michael F. Geearheard, Office of Environmental Cleanup, Environmental Protection Agency Region 10.
I went to a family reunion about five years ago in the Coeur d'Alene basin in Idaho. At two public boat ramps they posted a public notice that pregnant women and children up to 4 months of age should not eat the lake trout. All other people can eat two lake trout a year at their own risk. I assumed that the lake trout were loaded with either mercury, lead or zinc from the surrounding mines.
According to a recent Empire article, dumping the waste from the Kensington Mine into Slate Lake will kill the population of Dolly Varden. Will we have a brown-water project to clean up? Maybe we will have the 50-foot dam break and have our wild salmon placed on notice at the public ramps that pregnant women and children up to 4 months cannot eat salmon. All other people can eat only one salmon per year at their own risk.
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Two more Mariner flybys, both launched in 1969, sent back 57 images that, in the words of the NASA release, "revealed Mars to be heavily cratered, bleak, cold, dry, nearly airless and generally hostile to any Earth-style life-forms." But Mariner 9, an orbiter launched in 1971, dispatched, over 146 days, 7,000 photographs of surprisingly varied and violent topography: volcanoes, of which the greatest, Olympus Mons, is 13 miles high, and a system of canyons, Valles Marineris, that on Earth would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles. Great arroyos and tear-shaped islands testified to massive floods in the Martian past, presumably of water, the sine qua non of life as Earth knows it. In 1976 the two Viking landers safely arrived on the Martian surface; the ingenious chemical experiments aboard yielded, on the question of life on Mars, ambiguous results whose conclusions are still being debated into the 21st century.
In the meantime, our geographical and geological intimacy with Mars grows. The triumphant deployment of the little Sojourner rover in 1997 was followed in 2004 by the even more spectacular success of two more durable rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. In four years of solar-powered travels on the red planet, the twin robots have relayed unprecedentedly detailed images, including many clearly of sedimentary rocks, suggesting the existence of ancient seas. The stark, russet-tinged photographs plant the viewer right on the surface; the ladderlike tracks of Spirit and Opportunity snake and gouge their way across rocks and dust that for eons have rested scarcely disturbed under salmon pink skies and a pearlescent sun. In this tranquil desolation, the irruption of our live curiosity and systematic purpose feels heroic.
Now the Phoenix mission, with its surpassingly intricate arm, scoop, imagers, and analyzers, takes us inches below the surface of dust, sand, and ice in Mars's north polar region. Spoonfuls of another planet's substance, their chemical ingredients volatilized, sorted, and identified, become indexes to cosmic history. Meanwhile, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the newest of three operational spacecraft circling the planet, feeds computers at the University of Arizona with astoundingly vivid and precise photographs of surface features. Some of these false-color images appear totally abstract, yet they yield to knowledgeable eyes riches of scientific information.
The dead planet is not so dead after all: Avalanches and dust storms are caught on camera, and at the poles a seasonal sublimation of dry ice produces erosion and movement. Dunes shift; dust devils trace dark scribbles on the delicate surface. Whether or not evidence of microbial or lichenous life emerges amid this far-off flux, Mars has become an ever nearer neighbor, a province of human knowledge. Dim and fanciful visions of the twinkling fire planet have led to panoramic close-ups beautiful beyond imagining.
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Here’s the press release from Environment North Carolina:
Raleigh, NC – As the world turns its attention to the Sochi Olympic Games, Environment North Carolina revealed a summary of global warming impacts on Winter Olympic sports, and highlighting the need to act urgently to reduce the carbon pollution fueling global warming.
“North Carolina may be feeling the effects of a particularly harsh winter, but when it comes to the future of winter sports, global warming has us skating on thin ice,” said Graham Givens, Clean Energy Associate, with Environment North Carolina. “There’s still time to keep from sliding off the edge by going after the biggest sources of the carbon pollution fueling global warming.”
Environment North Carolina pointed to increased rate of snow melt, shorter winters, drought, and a shrinking map of reliable winter host sites, as climate impacts are threatening the Winter Olympic Games. They also warned that unchecked global warming could accelerate these changes. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, organizers trucked in and manufactured tons of extra snow. In Sochi this year, temperatures have reached the sixties, impacting a number of snow sports. The unusually warm conditions that trigger these extreme measures could become the new normal.
Over 100 winter Olympic athletes have already called for climate action in a recent letter from Protect our Winters. The letter highlights how the athletes would lose critical training time and overall, the sports that they compete in.
The Winter Olympic Games won’t be the only victims of climate change and our ski resorts here in North Carolina could be affected, hurting the businesses that rely on a good ski seasons.
Power plants that burn fossil fuels like coal and gas are the largest sources of carbon pollution in the U.S. and North Carolina is home to five of the dirtiest power plants in the country. But while there are limits on smog, soot, and other dangerous pollution from power plants, there are no federal limits on the industrial carbon pollution power plants emit.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments on its proposal to start limiting carbon pollution from new power plants, and plans to propose limits on carbon from existing power plants in June. Americans have already submitted 4 million comments to the EPA supporting limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
“President Obama has committed to protecting our children and grandchildren from the worst impacts of global warming, but the EPA’s proposal to limit carbon pollution from power plants is not yet in place,” concluded Givens. “The fossil fuel industry and their allies in Congress are already lining up to block the president’s plan. North Carolina’s leaders must show their support for climate action.”
Environment North Carolina is a statewide, citizen-funded advocacy group, working to protect the places we love and the values we share.
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Photo by Mary Rezac
Eighth grader Valentina Fowler pokes holes in a styrofoam cup while classmate Rana Aribi studies a basil plant.
In their hydr op onics unit, eighth graders at Lincoln's Culler Middle School float plants in styrofoam cups in water as an alternative way of growing herbs.
Dirt flew in Kevin Atterberg's eighth grade class as the kids prepared basil, chives and other plants to grow in water, known as a hydroponic system of agriculture.The Nebraska Farm Bureau named the Lincoln teacher as one of two Ag Teachers of the Year last year for innovative new curriculum called Ag in the City, an advanced eighth-grade science class exploring various aspects of the field of agriculture.
The Culler Middle School teacher attended the Summer Soybean Institute in 2012, where he was supposed to come away with more knowledge about soybeans and one lesson plan. He left with a vision for an entire classroom year.
"I started thinking about my students and how especially in the state of Nebraska, agriculture is huge," said Atterberg, who is in his third year teaching.
"About 30-40 percent of my kids will get a job in agriculture," Atterberg said. He said his class discusses all kinds of agriculture-related fields in their careers unit, such as food science or horticulture, to ensure their view of agriculture is "not just farming."
Besides careers, the major pillars of Nebraska agriculture--corn, beef and soybeans--are studied as well as nutrition and soil. The second semester of the class focuses on lab experiments with soybeans in a partnership with University of Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council Members.
A student favorite so far has been feeling inside a cow's stomach, courtesy of the UNL Beef Mobile which brings the animal to the kids. The students are able to see and feel into the stomach, or rumen, through a rubber opening called a fistula that is used for scientific observations.
"The cow unit was huge," Atterberg said, "because a cow was here. The kids love it because they get to see the cow and touch the inside of the cow. It's also one of their first experiences with a microscope, watching bacteria from a cow's stomach."
Among other hands-on experiences, Atterberg's eighth graders dye shirts with soil ("dirt shirts," they call them), grow seeds in plastic gloves and go on field trips to Prairieland Dairy in Firth, Neb., Epona Horse Rescue in Crete, Neb. and real live farms in and around Lancaster County.
Eighth grader Fatima Al-Sammak said her favorite project so far had been the hydroponic plants.
"It was a hands-on activity, we got to plant something and we get to watch it grow and change over time," she said."It's just fun and I wish every school had this."
Angel Mai said she's learned about the importance of agriculture and recalled an activity about soil in class.
"One day [Mr. Atterberg] gave us all apples and we cut them in half, and then half again, until they were cut into sixteenths. Then we peeled the skin off of one piece, and that's how much soil we can use to grow things on Earth," the eighth grader relayed.
Atterberg said he hopes his class piques his students' interest in agriculture that perhaps wasn't there before.
"I wanted them to know what's out there. My goal is to get them into high school and also make sure they're ready to go for college. I want every single one of them to go to college," Atterberg said.
"Who knows, there might be a horticulturalist sitting here in my class and they've just never seen this before. Now they could go to college and study plants and be fine."
Atterberg said he works closely with Ag in the Classroom, a program sponsored by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, which connects teachers to agriculture resources for the classroom. Atterberg also created a website for his class, which compiles games and resources about agriculture for his students into one spot.
Ag in the City is in its second year at Culler, and Atterberg already has big plans for the future.
"My dream is to push this out to other schools. My dream is to have a community garden with master gardeners who come in and show my students how to garden," Atterberg said. "I also would really love a greenhouse so we could have an outdoor classroom."
Atterberg grew up in Iowa, in the country but not on a farm. While he's always been surrounded by agriculture by the mere fact that he lives in the Midwest, he said he never learned much about it until recently.
"When I got this teaching job, I thought this was a perfect way to learn more about it. I get really excited about it, because it's fun stuff," he said.
"But I wouldn't keep doing it if the kids didn't like it. Last year's class loved it. They all seem to really enjoy it."
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McVICAR (MacVicar, McVicker), ROBERT, HBC chief trader and author; b. before 1799, probably at Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Scotland; d. April 1864 at “The Station” (Thunder Bay), Canada West.
First employed as a Hudson’s Bay Company clerk at York Factory, 1812–14, Robert McVicar spent the next 14 years in the Saskatchewan and Athabasca country, participating in the stirring events of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s rivalry with the North West Company, which often involved physical conflicts, and rising in the HBC’s service. By the time he reached Île-à-la-Crosse in 1815, he had already acquired a reputation as a fighter; he was to clash at least twice with Simon McGillivray, the Métis son of William McGillivray*, and was held prisoner briefly by the Nor’Westers at Fort Chipewyan. His first winter command was at Fort Resolution, on Great Slave Lake, from 1819 to 1823. With the amalgamation of the fur-trading companies in 1821, McVicar became a chief trader. He gave assistance to the Arctic land expeditions of John Franklin* in 1819–22 and 1825–27 by purchasing and collecting supplies. It was Franklin, as justice of the peace, who married McVicar and Christina McBeath, the daughter of pioneers brought out by Lord Selkirk [Douglas*], at Fort Chipewyan, probably in May 1827.
The pattern of McVicar’s life altered with his transfer to the Montreal Department in 1827. He was sent to the Saint-Maurice District where competition from rival fur-traders was extremely keen. He was at first over-optimistic about overcoming this opposition, as he was about his own financial prospects when he retired from the HBC service in 1830 and settled in the Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes region. There he lived for a decade, building his home, Silver Heights, increasing his skill as a “practical farmer,” working with the local agricultural society, developing his interest in immigration policy and politics, and helping to raise a volunteer force to suppress rebellion in the province in 1837. By the 1840s, McVicar’s resources had dwindled and he was seeking employment, at a time when he did not have friends in office. Twice he considered a move to the United States. His hopes for a share in the development of Saugeen Township in the Huron Tract, and his ideas for the assistance of Scottish immigrants, sent in a series of letters in 1843 and 1844 to officials in the Department of Crown Lands, came to nothing, as did his request for an appointment as a crown land agent.
At Norval, Canada West, with his family in 1844, he finally received word of an appointment as inspector of clergy reserves for the Western District. The work was uncongenial and arduous, but it did pay 15s. per day for part of the next two years. He continued to reside in villages on the fringes of the Huron Tract. A number of his letters during this period were printed in 1853 as Letters on emigration from the British Isles, and the settlement of the waste lands in the Province of Canada. These letters to newspapers and to prominent officials urged the more rapid opening up of lands in Canada West, especially to Scottish settlement.
Eventually McVicar did receive an appointment as land agent and postmaster, apparently in 1860, but it was in the Lake Superior country, which he considered unsuitable for immediate settlement. In 1859 he had cleared a small piece of land several miles north of the HBC’s establishment at Fort William (Thunder Bay), built a shanty, and applied for permission to purchase one or two hundred acres. No action was taken on this request; the commissioner of crown lands decided in 1863 that McVicar was too old to be an effective land agent.
McVicar was survived by two sons and two daughters who found the financial success he had been denied, in spite of his petitions and impressive references. The transition from the fur trade to a leading role in Canadian settlement ventures proved difficult for one without capital or influential friends, but McVicar’s name continues to designate a bay on Great Bear Lake and the creek beside which he built the first house in what later became Port Arthur (Thunder Bay).
Robert McVicar, Letters on emigration from the British Isles, and the settlement of the waste lands in the Province of Canada (Hamilton, [Ont.], 1853), 1–116. HBC Arch. B.39/a, 1816–17; B.39/z, 11 Dec. 1817, 26 May 1818; B.89/a, 1815–16; B.181/a, 1819–21, 1824–25. Hargrave correspondence (Glazebrook). HBRS, I (Rich); II (Rich and Fleming).
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An open esophagectomy, or esophageal resection, is a type of surgery in which a part of the esophagus or the entire esophagus is removed. The lymph nodes near the esophagus and the stomach may also be removed during this operation.
The esophagus is a hollow muscular tube that passes food from your mouth to your stomach during digestion. A connection has to be rebuilt when any part of the esophagus is removed.
An open esophagectomy doesn’t refer to a single type of procedure. It can be performed by many different methods. The method used depends on both your needs and the surgeon’s experience. An open esophagectomy can also be part of a treatment for cancer of the esophagus that includes radiation and chemotherapy.
An open esophagectomy is frequently performed to treat early-stage cancer of the esophagus before the cancer has spread to the stomach or other organs. It can also be used to treat esophageal dysplasia, which is a precancerous condition of the cells in the lining of the esophagus.
In the majority of people who need an open esophagectomy, cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes, stomach, or other organs.
An open esophagectomy might also be performed if you have other conditions that make the passage of solid food and liquids into the stomach uncomfortable. Conditions requiring this procedure include:
- trauma to the esophagus
- swallowing of caustic, or cell-damaging, agents such as lye
- chronic inflammation
- complicated muscle disorders that prevent the movement of food to the stomach
- a history of unsuccessful surgery on the esophagus
The procedure is performed in a hospital or clinic operating room with a general or thoracic surgeon.
There are three types of open esophagectomies that a surgeon might perform:
Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)
A TTE is performed through the chest. The section of the esophagus with cancer and the upper part of the stomach are removed. The remaining portions of the esophagus and stomach are then connected to rebuild a digestive tract. In some cases, part of the colon is used to replace the removed section of esophagus. Lymph nodes in the chest or neck may also be removed if they’re cancerous.
A transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) is used for:
- cancer involving the upper two-thirds of the esophagus
- dysplasia in a condition called Barrett’s esophagus
- destruction of the lower two-thirds of the esophagus by swallowing a caustic agent
- complications of reflux esophagitis that couldn’t be improved with other procedures
Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)
During a transhiatal esophagectomy (THE), the esophagus is removed without opening the chest. Instead, an incision is made from the bottom of the breastbone to the bellybutton. Another small incision is made on the left side of the neck. The surgeon removes the esophagus, moves the stomach up to the area in the neck where the esophagus was removed, and connects the remaining portion to the stomach in the neck. Lymph nodes in the chest or neck may also be removed if they’re cancerous.
A transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) is used to:
- remove cancer of the esophagus
- remove the esophagus after other procedures have been used to treat cancer of the esophagus
- narrow or tighten the esophagus to make swallowing less difficult
- correct problems with the nervous system
- repair recurrent gastroesophageal reflux
- repair a hole or injury caused by a caustic agent such as lye
En Bloc Esophagectomy
An en bloc esophagectomy is the most radical of the esophagectomy procedures. During this procedure, your doctor takes out the esophagus, a portion of the stomach, and all of the lymph nodes in the chest and abdomen. The surgery is performed through the neck, chest, and abdomen. Your doctor will reshape the remainder of the stomach and bring it up through the chest to replace the esophagus.
A radical en bloc esophagectomy is used to treat a potentially curable tumor.
Before your surgery, your doctor will:
- give you a complete physical examination
- make sure other medical problems you may have, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart or lung problems, are under control
- give you nutritional counseling
- review what you can expect during and after the surgery, and what risks and complications may result from the operation
- review what medication you’ll need to take or stop taking before surgery
- give you advice on how to quit smoking at least a few weeks before your surgery
You must take some important steps before your surgery is scheduled. For example, don’t take any medications that affect blood clotting. Examples include:
- ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
- products containing aspirin
- vitamin E
- warfarin (Coumadin)
- ticlopidine (Ticlid)
- clopidogrel (Plavix)
Don’t smoke cigarettes for at least four weeks before your operation. You may be tested the day of your operation to make sure you haven’t been smoking. If you have, your operation may be canceled.
Walk between 2 and 3 miles a day to get in the best shape possible.
The Day of Surgery
Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery. Take any medication your doctor instructed you to take, with a small sip of water only.
This surgery is performed under general anesthesia. This means you’ll be asleep during surgery. Your anesthesiologist may ask you about your medical history to be sure you haven’t had a reaction to anesthesia in the past.
As with any surgery, the possible complications include:
- blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
- an infection
- a bad reaction to anesthesia
- leakage problems
- breathing problems
- a heart attack during surgery
- a stroke during surgery
Complications specific to an open esophagectomy include less common risks of:
- lung complications, especially pneumonia
- a severe infection in the chest
- an injury to the stomach, intestines, lungs, or other organs during surgery
- a leakage from your esophagus or stomach where the surgeon joined them together
- a narrowing of the connection between your stomach and esophagus
You’ll wake up after the operation with a number of tubes and catheters that help monitor your condition. These may include:
- a nasogastric tube to remove fluids from your stomach
- a feeding jejunostomy tube to provide nutrition during your hospital stay and until you can eat on your own
- a chest tube to drain fluids that often form in the chest after surgery
- an epidural catheter, which is placed in the space around your spine to deliver pain medication when you need it
- a Foley catheter to drain your urine for the first few days after surgery
People usually stay in the hospital between one and two weeks following the procedure. There will be a scar where the incisions were made.
An open esophagectomy can have good results and can lead to a good quality of life in the long term. Rates of death following surgery, or mortality rates, have significantly decreased over the past two decades.
Return to Normal
You can usually return to normal activities about three weeks after surgery. You may be back to your regular diet after a month. However, the reduced size of your stomach will limit how much you can eat. Therefore, you’ll need to eat smaller amounts.
Your ability to digest fats and sugars will change. This can lead to something called dumping syndrome. In dumping syndrome, cramping and diarrhea occur as your body tries to get rid of food it no longer recognizes.
A dietician can help you work out your meal options to control the symptoms of dumping syndrome.
Your diet may be the hardest part to adjust to after your surgery, and you may lose weight. However, most people adjust to the changes in their body and new diet about four to six months after the surgery.
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ATLANTA (AP) -- Some health officials are concerned that holiday get-togethers could wind up spreading swine flu.
Thanksgiving is typically followed by at least a modest bump in early seasonal flu cases, according to reports from the past few years. But this, of course, is not a typical year. Swine flu is a new virus that accounts for nearly all flu cases right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people to travel only if they are well, get vaccinated against swine and seasonal flu, wash their hands often, and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.
Some 33 million Americans are expected to hit the nation's highways over the Thanksgiving holiday, a slight increase from last year. About 2.3 million more will travel by airplane.
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The United States now says there is evidence that chemical weapons may have been used in the Syrian civil war, and a debate is underway over what President Barack Obama’s administration should do about it.
The president said last week the evidence points to small-scale use of chemical weapons. Intelligence officials said the evidence pointed to the poison gas, sarin, a powerful nerve agent said to be 500 times more toxic than cyanide that can kill those exposed in less than a minute. Officials in Britain and France say they have come to similar conclusions.
But U.S. and allied officials also said it was unclear how much sarin may have been used and who actually used it. Syria is known to possess large stores of chemical weapons, including sarin, but questions remained over whether its use was officially sanctioned by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The issue was especially difficult for Obama because he said in August of last year that systematic use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria would be a “game changer” that would bring about a shift in Washington’s policy of non-intervention. The president now says more detailed information is needed before any change in policy.
The evidence so far
The provenance is murky, and that raises questions about whether these samples are really from the location they are said to be taken from, whether they were tampered with along the way, whether they stored properly to preserve the signatures within the samples to provide a useful analysis.
, a nuclear and biological warfare specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the chemical warfare allegations are based on two basic forms of evidence from Syria, neither of which alone provides enough information about what really happened.
“One is video footage of alleged chemical attacks in Syrian hospitals,” he told VOA. “Some of the symptoms we see are consistent with exposure to a nerve agent like sarin, but the problem is that there are other chemicals that can cause similar reactions, and just the videos alone don’t provide enough information and context to really assess what happened to these people.”
There has also been mention of soil and human tissue samples that have been taken out of Syria and analyzed by labs in the United States and Britain. But Koblenz says these samples are also unreliable.
“The provenance is murky, and that raises questions about whether these samples are really from the location they are said to be taken from, whether they were tampered with along the way, whether they stored properly to preserve the signatures within the samples to provide a useful analysis,” Koblenz said.
In other words, simply finding sarin in soil doesn’t prove who used them.
Dr. Zaher Sahloul of Chicago, president of the Syrian-American Medical Association
, has just returned from his sixth mission in Syria, where he spoke with medical personnel in seven hospitals in and around Aleppo.
“In the six or seven attacks that we spoke to physicians about, they all reported similar symptoms. And these attacks happened in Homs in December of last year—that was the first reported one—and then we [had] two in Aleppo. The largest one was on March 19th
in the area of Khan al-Asal, and there were about 40 people who died and more than 300 who were admitted to the hospitals for symptoms. Some of them ended up on the ventilator in the ICU (intensive care unit),” he said.
Sahloul said all these patients were reported to have symptoms “consistent with cholinergic syndrome
,” which is usually caused by drug overdose, eating certain poisonous mushrooms or exposure to nerve gas or certain pesticides
“So the patients had respiratory and neurologic symptoms—respiratory, including shortness of breath, bronchospasm, a lot of secretion and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, large concentration oxygen—and also neurologic symptoms, confusion, convulsions, and some of them went into comas—and also eye symptoms,” he said.
Sahloul said the only other chemical agent that could cause similar symptoms would be certain insecticides, which he rules out in this case. “It’s very unlikely that in these six or seven areas you had exposure to insecticides, especially since everyone reported a similar pattern: That you have an explosion, usually a missile, usually from a fighter jet or from a helicopter, and then people see white smoke, and then they start to have symptoms. It’s very unlikely that you have this related to exposure to insecticide,” he said. “Other less harming agents like tear gas and chlorine, for example, will not cause neurologic symptoms, will not cause death."
Implications and Options
, director of policy and government affairs for the Washington D.C.-based Ploughshares Fund, says that before the Washington can consider taking any action, it must understand exactly what happened in Syria.
“It appears there was some dispersement of sarin, but we need to understand where that came from. Was it part of a structured decision; was there a use of it in a manner that would actually suggest it will continue to be used?” he said. “That would create a certain set of reactions.”
Rubin says the bigger question is exactly how the West, Russia and China should react and adds that all possible options pose serious consequences.
“Syria sits next to key allies of the United States—Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Iraq,” Rubin said. “What happens in Syria matters to those neighbors, so should the U.S. and Western countries, the U.N., try to create buffer zones, humanitarian corridors or buffer zones around the borders to ensure that those countries are not destabilized?”
...Again, this is not an easy thing to do—we ought to be able to define who it is in the Syrian opposition that we want to support and arm, with the idea that if we give them sufficient military assistance, [they] will flock to our side.
Some U.S. politicians are calling on the White House to begin arms shipments to selected elements of the Syrian opposition. But Rubin points out that the rebels, some of whom have been identified as terrorist groups, remain an unknown quantity.
, co-director of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, however, believes Washington needs to act as soon as possible, even in the absence of definitive evidence of chemical weapons use.
“It’s rare that you ever get 100 percent certainty of the kind that the administration is saying that it wants right now, and that sort of chain of custody—i.e., who did what, who’s to be blamed—it’s rare that you get that kind of intelligence,” Schmitt said. “And if you use that kind of standard, what happens is that you delay making decisions, which in this case are really causing an immense amount of instability in the region, in addition to the loss of lives.”
Specifically, he thinks the United States should create a no-fly zone and a safe zone to harbor civilians. “And then—again this is not an easy thing to do—we ought to be able to define who it is in the Syrian opposition that we want to support and arm, with the idea that if we give them sufficient military assistance, [they] will flock to our side.”
If the U.S. doesn’t act, Schmitt fears that one of two things could happen: “Either the jihadis are going to wind up controlling what happens after Assad goes, or you’re just going to have an incredibly splintered situation in Syria which makes Beirut in Lebanon look like New Jersey.”
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Database mirroring is the creation and maintenance of redundant copies of a database. The purpose is to ensure continuous data availability and minimize or avoid downtime that might otherwise result from data corruption or loss, or from a situation when the operation of a network is partially compromised. Redundancy also ensures that at least one viable copy of a database will always remain accessible during system upgrades.
Database mirroring is used by Microsoft SQL Server, a relational database management system (RDBMS) designed for the enterprise environment. Two copies of a single database reside on different computers called server instances, usually in physical locations separated by some distance. The principal (or primary) server instance provides the database to clients. The mirror (or secondary) server instance acts as a standby that can take over in case of a problem with the principal server instance.
If 100-percent accuracy is required, database mirroring requires that the mirror server instance always stay current; in other words, the system must immediately copy every change in the principal's content to the mirror and vice-versa. In this mode, known as synchronous operation, the mirror is called a hot standby. While database mirroring can also work when the content is not fully synchronized, some data loss may occur if one of the server instances fails or becomes inaccessible. In this mode, called asynchronous operation, the mirror is called a warm standby.
The principal advantage of synchronous operation (with a hot standby) is a guarantee that both server instances contain identical information. However, this guarantee requires more frequent updates, resulting in latency that can slow down performance to an extent that some users may find unacceptable. The principal advantage of asynchronous operation (with a warm standby) is faster performance, but at the expense of the guarantee of identical information in both server instances at all times.
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| 0.91866 | 363 | 3.484375 | 3 |
|Modem Break||Switch Break|
When a modem desperately wants to gain the attention of the other modem, it can send a long string of 0s, perhaps 250 milliseconds — a quarter of a second. This is a pattern that could never occur naturally in data because it is lacking start/stop bits. Break usually means "Hold everything, stop the world, I want to get off.".
break is also a keyword in Java that lets you leap out of a loop or out of nested loops when it is used with a label. It is also used to terminate the code for a case in a switch.
Traditional wisdom has it that goto is extremely wicked. goto is a reserved word in Java, but it is also illegal. But you need it in a few situations, e.g. to jump to the end of a loop and to jump out of a loop.
break jumps just past the end of the current loop (for or while). In contrast continue jumps to the end of the current loop and goes around again.
If you use a name after the break e.g. break outer; it will jump just past the end of the loop named outer: (Look for the label at the top of the loop). If you use a name after the continue e.g. continue outer; it will jump to the end of the loop named outer:.
You can jump out of nested loops, but you cannot jump in.
Normally each case or group of cases with a common action, you terminate the action with break. That jumps to the end of the switch. If you accidentally forget the break, it will fall through to the next case action, nearly always not what you intended.
This page is posted
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Diabetes is a life style related condition due to an imbalance in handling a glucose load and is not a disease. It is one of the several life style related chronic conditions with an end result of complications that are related to early aging changes resulting in blockage of small and large arteries.
There are an estimated 100 million diabetics in the world of which around 70 million belongs to heavily populated developing countries. Today, the health professionals are bewildered by the rapidity with which diabetes with its associations such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, triglycerides are assuming epidemic proportions. This phenomenon is more prominent amongst Indians both in India and abroad (migront), which is attributable to the rapidly changing trends of globalization and demands on coping skills leading to enormous stress.
This year (2002- 03) is dedicated by WHO as the “Year of non-communicable diseases” to combat diabetes and heart diseases through life style change with special emphasis on physical activity. The four major aspects of such a life style change include regular physical activity, non-smoking, vegetarian diet and stress management.
Diabetes Mellitus is the full name of this disease. This is a condition in which glucose levels in the blood are much higher than normal and hence this condition is also commonly referred to as sugar disease. The defect in this condition is either your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or it produces sufficient insulin but the cells of your body are unable to use the insulin properly.
l Make loose fists of your hands and place them on the chest.
l Collapse and relax your shoulders.
Stage I : Slow Jogging
l Start Jogging on your toes slowly.
l Jog about 20 times.
As days go by, gradually increase upto 100 times.
Stage II : Backward Jogging
l Lean a little forward and increase the speed of jogging gradually.
l Start hitting the buttocks with the heels.
l Repeat this 20 times at your maximum speed.
l Then gradually slow down the speed.
l Do not stop.
l Continue and move on to slow jogging for at least 10 times.
How is stress related to life style?
The wrong life style that aggravates the diabetic state includes excessive indulgence in
1. Eating heavy spicy, oily foods and sweets;
2. Cigarette smoking, Alcohol, non-vegetarian foods, fizzy cool drinks;
3. Sedentary lifestyle with no physical activity;
4. Excessive sleeping or loss of sleep;
5. Emotional upsurges such as aggressive behavior, anger, fear, tension, worry etc. Stress is both the cause and the result of an erratic life style. Stress is a psychological state of emotional reactivity in which the person has no control over the mind in general. We can see that all these situations of life style mentioned above are due to lack of mastery over one’s cravings or desires or emotional reactions. Thus stress is the cause and the result of all the life style related erratic behaviors.
Are there research data to show the effect of stress in the causation of DM?
Yoga and Diabetes control
We carried out a research study along with Dr Dandona, the chief of the diabetology department of the Royal free hospital, London. where 21 NIDDMS who were taking oral antidiabetic tablets and or dieting were divided into Yoga and Control groups. The yoga group practiced Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy, 5 days/week (90min classes) for 12 weeks. This study concluded that "offering yoga classes to NIDDM patients at a diabetic clinic attracted significant number of patients and led to improved glucose homeostasis as seen by decreased fasting blood glucose adn glycated hemogloblin in yoga group as compared to control group. ( J. of complementary med. Research 1992, 6 (2): 66-68). Similar observations have been published by Dr. Sahay of Hyderbad (1986 J.A.P.I 34(9): 645-8). An interesting observation of Dr Jobson (1991) was that once a week sessions of progressive relaxation training and biofeedback did not contribute to better control of diabetes. Dr Rice's (1992) observation of improved blood flow to the legs is a valuable research and provides a source of hope for person's who have had long duration of diabetes.
Stage III : Forward Jogging
l Lean backward a little and now as you increase the speed again, try to raise the knees higher and higher.
l Raise the knees forwards to reach the chest level.
l Repeat 20 times at your maximum speed.
l Slow down the practice coming back to the stage of slow jogging again.
l Continue slow jogging for a few rounds, count 10 times.
Stage IV : Side Jogging
l Gradually increase the speed taking the heels side ways.
l As the speed increases bring the heels as close to the elbows as possible.
l Repeat this movement 20 times at your maximum speed.
l Gradually slow down to come back to slow jogging stage.
l Keep jogging a few more rounds (10) and finally stop the practice.
l Increase the speed of jogging gradually and not too quickly.
l Try not to stop at any stage of the practice until you have completed all the 4 stages of jogging.
l Keep the fists on the chest throughout the practice.
How do Yogásanas help in DM?
Yogásanas are techniques to bring about very deep rest to different parts of body. This is achieved by performing the postures as per the two major hints given by Pataòjali. By definition yogásanas are postures that are maintained with ease and for some time (efmLej megKeb Deemeveced - Sthira Sukham Ásanam). In the first step of learning the final position of different postures, it is the surface (limb and trunk) muscles that are stretched or contracted to achieve the final posture. After getting to the final posture you move on to the second step wherein you relax all the unnecessary contractions by Òe³elveMewefLeu³e (Prayatna Ùaithilya-release of effort) says Pataòjali. In this phase when you pass your awareness to all parts of the body and check whether the muscles are all relaxed you may notice that many unnecessary muscles such as those of face, neck, back, arms and thighs were all tightened. Once you relax all these muscles except that set of muscles required to maintain the final posture, your practice will improve further. This reduces the energy expenditure and helps you to maintain for longer duration without exhaustion. At this stage, your attention has already shifted to the intra-abdominal organs. You may now move on to the third stage to experience DevevlemeceeHeefÊe (Anantasamápatti-expanded awareness) at the point of stretch or pain. You may visualize a feeling of expansion, diffusion and 'let go' without changing the final posture. This is similar to moving from Dháraïá to Dhyána. In the first phase your attention is completely focussed on to the point of pain (Dháraïá) and in the next phase you defocus or expand or merge in surrounding space and become one with the three dimensional awareness of the entire body resulting in effortless free flow of a single thought attention on the stretched zone (Dhyána).
In DM we use those ásanas which need to bring deep rest to the pancreas and release the práïa blocks. Hence the ásanas used under special techniques for DM either stretch, compress, or twist the abdominal area, so that you may bring your awareness to the pancreatic area, focus and then defocus to give very deep rest to pancreas.
FORWARD AND BACKWARD BENDING
l Stretch the arms straight above the head with the palms facing forward.
l Inhale and bend backwards with arms stretched above the head.
l While exhaling bend forward as much as possible.
l While inhaling come up and bend backwards and go on rapidly to forward bending with exhalation.
l Repeat 20 times with increasing speed.
l Gradually slow down and ultimately stop the practice.
l Start slowly and gradually increase the speed within your limits.
l You may also practice this while standing with legs apart when the arms will be moving between the legs.
l While bending forward do not let the hands touch the ground; swing them in the air backwards.
l Always bend from the lower waist.
l Make the movements free, easy and flowing.
l Reduces the fat from west, back, specially abdominal region and thus tones up that area.
l Increased flexibility of spine gives the generalized feeling of well being.
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| 0.921227 | 1,846 | 2.703125 | 3 |
On August 6, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity will perform one of the most complex and dangerous landing procedures ever attempted by a spacecraft. In the past, Mars rovers have performed glorified, airbag-assisted crash landings on the Red Planet — but Curiosity is so large that it will undergo a “seven minutes of terror” multi-stage landing process, involving retro rockets, a supersonic parachute, and a frickin’ sky crane that finally lowers the MSL onto the surface.
If all that wasn’t enough, Curiosity, after 8 months and 350 million miles of travel, will somehow hit a landing area in Gale Crater that is just 20 by 4 kilometers.
To celebrate such an event, NASA will obviously be broadcasting the event live (well, delayed by 14 minutes — the time it takes Curiosity’s transmissions to reach Earth) — but it has also produced two educational videos to inform the lay masses about the Curiosity mission, narrated by none other than William Shatner and Wil Wheaton. Both videos are exactly the same — except for the fact that Shatner’s slow, dulcet drawl results in a video that is four seconds longer. Your choice: original Star Trek, or The Next Generation.
Personally, I’m a fan of Shatner’s rendition — but given his previous attempt at a dramatic reading of Elton John’s Rocket Man, he is slightly more experienced than Wheaton.
All joking aside, Curiosity’s arrival on Mars is a huge step towards humanity’s final frontier. Curiosity will explore a strange, new world, and possibly even seek out new life — or past civilizations. At this point, NASA really is going boldly where no man has gone before.
Be sure to tune in next week, when we’ll be sure to have coverage of the landing itself. In the mean time, read about MSL Curiosity’s armament, which includes an on-board science laboratory, a percussive drill, and a plutonium-powered laser.
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| 0.921657 | 437 | 2.71875 | 3 |
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