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The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: Oct 09, 2013
Nanomembrane lasers could be used in variety of communications, computer devices
(Nanowerk News) A UT Arlington electrical engineering professor, funded by a new National Science Foundation grant, is working to harness the power of lasers on silicon chips to increase capacity and speed in computing and communications systems.
Weidong Zhou, electrical engineering professorWeidong Zhou, a professor of electrical engineering with the UT Arlington Nanotechnology Research Center, said the research will advance the use of lasers on silicon based on the breakthroughs reported by his group on printed photonic crystals membrane lasers on silicon last year in Nature Photonics ("Transfer-printed stacked nanomembrane lasers on silicon"). His colleague, Zhenqiang Ma at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is collaborating on the $352,982 grant project.
Low-cost silicon chips are used to efficiently house integrated electronic circuits for information processing in a variety of computer and communications devices. Lasers, by comparison, are traditionally incorporated into compound semiconductor materials to engineer high-capacity optical networks.
Silicon photonics – a popular area of research – seeks to integrate the two.
“Lasers on silicon remain a major roadblock toward making integrated silicon photonics work,” Zhou said. “Integrating light or lasers on those silicon chips has the potential to increase capacity, increase speed and lower the energy consumption of what those chips do.”
Zhou’s technology uses photonic crystals to route laser beams in a method that increases the efficiency of the light on the integrated circuit.
“It’s like building construction vertically in New York City because there’s nowhere to build horizontally,” Zhou said.
The technology could eventually allow designers to place optical links on silicon chips with much less wasted material, time and effort, he said. The research has applications for optical imaging, sensing, bio-integrated electronics, signal processing and data transmission, among other uses.
Khosrow Behbehani, dean of the College of Engineering, said Zhou’s work has the potential to positively affect many platforms.
“Every day, we hear about limitations of available space on the Internet, how much faster data transfer must become to remain competitive and how much energy is consumed by everyone who accesses data,” Behbehani said. “Dr. Zhou’s work can solve some of those challenges.”
Source: University of Texas at Arlington
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Check out these other trending stories on Nanowerk: | <urn:uuid:ffebcc86-3e60-4956-94c4-9438d972ff02> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/newsid=32688.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00165-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908148 | 565 | 2.96875 | 3 |
The western USA is on the margin of the North American plate and has complicated and active tectonics. The Juan de Fuca plate, the Pacific plate, and the North American plate meet in this region and form the Mendocino Triple Junction just offshore Northern California. In addition to these primary tectonic objects, many other complicated geologic features are also observed (Figure 2.25). Their corresponding velocity structures have not been well resolved so far and many are still under debate, e.g., the depths the Juan De Fuca plate reaches and the Yellowstone plume originates (e.g., Humphreys, et al., 2000; Jordan, et al.,2004; Yuan and Dueker, 2005; Waite, et al., 2006; Geist and Richards, 1993).
Here we incorporate the Transportable Array data with all other available networks, resulting in an unprecedented dense distribution of stations in the western USA. This allows us not only to fill the gaps in the resolution of previous studies, but also to see deeper into the mantle, revealing new features. We refer to our seismic velocity models as DNA07-P for P-wave and DNA07-S for S-wave, where DNA07 represents the Dynamic North America model of 2007. Due to the limited space, we only show DNA07-S here, which reveals an extremely heterogeneous mantle structure and provides important clues to mantle convection processes in this tectonically active region.
Tectonic map for the study region. Labeled features (Humphreys and Dueker, 1994b) are OH, Okanogan Highlands; OM, Olympic Mountains; OCR, Oregon Coast Ranges; CCR, California Coast Ranges; KM, Klamath Mountains; MP, Modoc Plateau; MTJ, Mendocino Triple Junction; CV, Central Valley; SN, Sierra Nevada; SAF, San Andreas Fault; TR, Transverse Ranges; ST, Salton Trough; CRB, Columbia River Basalts; BM, Blue Mountains; WM, Wallowa Mountains; NC, Newberry Caldera; MC, McDermitt Caldera; YC, Yellowstone Caldera; YHT, Yellowstone hotspot track along the eastern Snake River Plain; B&R, Basin and Range; SB&R, southern Basin and Range; TMC, Timber Mountain Caldera; SGVT, Saint George Volcanic Trend; CP, Colorado Plateau; WF, Wasatch Front; RMF, Rocky Mountain Caldera. Black lines trending northwest across Oregon indicate right-lateral strike-slip faults. Dike swarms associated with the 17 Ma basaltic outpourings are shown in gold (Christiansen, et al., 2002). Plate motions from HS3-NUVEL 1A are shown as black arrows (Gripp and Gordon, 2002). Horizontal black lines indicate the locations of the vertical slices shown in Figure 2.28
The total number of stations we used is 809, and most are from the Transportable Array, with an average station spacing of 70 km (Figure 2.26). The 26 permanent networks are composed of the following: (1) 2 Global Seismograph Networks: (IRIS/IDA and IRIS/USGS); (2) 5 Federal Digital Seismic Networks: the Canadian National Seismograph Network (CNSN), GEOSCOPE (GEO), International Miscellaneous Stations (IMS), Leo Brady Network (LB), and the United States National Seismic Network (USNSN); (3) 14 regional networks: the ANZA Regional Network (ANZA), Berkeley Digital Seismograph Network (BDSN), Cascade Chain Volcano Monitoring (CC), Caltech Regional Seismic Network (CRSN), Montana Regional Seismic Network (MRSN), Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN), Western Great Basin/Eastern Sierra Nevada (WGB/ESN), Princeton Earth Physics Project-Indiana (PEPP), US Bureau of Reclamation Seismic Networks (USBR), Southern California Seismic Network TERRAscope (TERRA), University of Oregon Regional Network (UO), University of Utah Regional Network (UURN), Pacific Northwest Regional Seismic Network (PNSN), and the Yellowstone Wyoming Seismic Network (YWSN); (4) 3 temporary networks: the North Bay Seismic Experiment (NBSE), DELTA LEVY Northern California (DLNC), and the Wallowa TA 2006-2008 (WTA); and (5) 2 other networks: the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Experiment (LIGO) and the Network of Autonomously Recording Seismographs (NARS).
We use a technique of teleseismic body wave traveltime tomography and follow the procedure of (Allen, et al., 2002). To correct for source effects and crustal structures, event and station corrections are included in the inversion as a set of free parameters. Rather than leave the station corrections unconstrained, we use corrections calculated from the crustal model of CRUST2.0 as a reference (Bassin, et al., 2000). Station elevations are also corrected. The initial RMS residual is 1.83 sec and is reduced to 0.49 sec after inversion, corresponding to a variance reduction of 73.
The seismic stations used in this study, with a total number of 809. The inset shows the distribution of 88 events and 23233 rays used in the DNA07-S model inversion. The red and yellow dots indicate events providing good direct S phases and SKS phases, respectively.
Depth slices through the DNA07-S model from 100 km to 800 km depth with an interval of 100 km. Areas with ray hits smaller than 10 are shaded gray. On the right side of each velocity slice is the corresponding ray density plot, where white indicates zero hits and black indicates 100 hits
Vertical slices through the DNA07-S models. The locations of the cross-sections are shown in Figure 2.25. The color scale is the same as in Figure 2.27
Perhaps one of the most striking observations is just how heterogeneous mantle structure is beneath the western USA. Despite this heterogeneity, there is a very strong correspondence with the complicated tectonics of the region. The main features of the velocity models and their implications, shown in Figure 2.27 and Figure 2.28, are listed as follows:
North of the Mendocino Triple Junction:
(1) The Juan de Fuca subduction system stops at km, and is disrupted in Oregon, which we interpret as being due to interaction with the Yellowstone plume head.
(2) West of the Cascades the forearc is imaged as a low velocity zone beneath the Coastal Ranges with the strongest velocity anomaly beneath the Olympic Mountains and Northern California.
(3) East of the Cascades and above the Juan de Fuca slab, a north-south trending low velocity zone is imaged from southern Washington to northern Nevada.
(4) A high velocity region is imaged from central Washington, through northern Oregon, and into Idaho. Beneath Washington the anomalies reach 250 to 300 km depth and deeper, extending to km, beneath the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon. These are likely due to a combination of a cold and thick lithosphere and melt extraction during the eruption of the Columbia River Basalts.
(5) The low velocity anomaly beneath Yellowstone dips towards the northwest and stops at 500 km depth.
(6) A shallow low velocity zone to km depth lies beneath the Eastern Snake River Plain and does not appear connected to a deeper low velocity zone at the top of the lower mantle.
(7) We do not detect a low velocity conduit reaching greater than 500 km depth beneath Yellowstone implying that either (a) any plume was short-lived; or (b) the conduit is 50 km in diameter and/or the velocity perturbation is less than 1.5% for S and 0.75% for P and therefore unresolved; or (c) there was no deep mantle plume. We prefer the short-lived plume model as it best explains many of the imaged features the Pacific Northwest.
(8) There are only shallow low velocity anomalies (150 km depth) along the Newberry hotspot track indicate no deep source.
South of the Mendocino Triple Junction:
(1) In California, the high velocities of the Pacific plate are imaged abutting against the low velocity North American plate.
(2) We image the "slab gap" as low velocity anomalies extending to 400 km depth from the southern end of the Juan de Fuca subduction system to the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. These anomalies are particularly strong just south of the Mendocino Triple Junction.
(3) High velocity bodies are imaged beneath the southern tip of the Central Valley/Sierra Nevada and the Transverse Ranges with dips to the east. These may be part of a fossil Farallon subduction system.
(4) The Basin and Range is a region of low velocities to a depth of km. In the middle of the Basin and Range, in central Nevada, a high velocity feature is imaged extending to 300 km depth.
(5) A zone of low velocity is observed to 200 km depth under the Salton Trough consistent with ongoing rifting and small scale convection in the region.
While the upper km of the DNA07 models correlate well with surface tectonics and geologic provinces, the deeper structure (400-750km) is equally complex and not easily explained in terms of either existing geologic or geodynamic models. Further investigation is therefore warranted.
We thank Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera for preprocessing some of the data and thank Greg Waite for providing crust correction codes. We thank Doug Dreger, Barbara Romanowicz, and Ved Lekic for beneficial discussions/suggestions. The IRIS DMC provided seismic data. This work was supported by the NSF (EAR-0539987). The figures were produced with SAC and GMT (Wessel and Smith, 1995).
Bassin, C., Laske, G. and Masters, G., The Current Limits of Resolution for Surface Wave Tomography in North America, EOS Trans AGU, 81, F897, 2000.
Christiansen, R. L., et al., Upper-mantle origin of the Yellowstone hotspot, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 114, 1245-1256, 2002.
Geist, D. and M. Richards, Origin of the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain - Deflection of the Yellowstone Plume, Geology, 21, 789-792, 1993.
Gripp, A. E. and R. G. Gordon, Young tracks of hotspots and current plate velocities, Geophysical Journal International, 150, 321-361, 2002.
Hales, T. C., et al., A lithospheric instability origin for Columbia River flood basalts and Wallowa Mountains uplift in northeast Oregon, Nature, 438, 842-845, 2005.
Humphreys, E. D. and K. G. Dueker, Western United-States Upper-Mantle Structure, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 99, 9615-9634, 1994b.
Humphreys, E. D., et al., Bemeath Yellowstone: Evaluating Plume and Noneplume Models Using Teleseismic Images of the Upper Mantle, GSA Today, 10, 1-7, 2000.
Jordan, B. T., et al., Geochronology of age-progressive volcanism of the Oregon High Lava Plains: Implications for the plume interpretation of Yellowstone, Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, doi:1029/2003JB002776, 2004.
Waite, G. P., et al., V-pp and Vs structure of the Yellowstone hot spot from teleseismic tomography: Evidence for an upper mantle plume, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 111,, 2006.
Yuan, H. Y. and K. Dueker, Teleseismic P-wave tomogram of the Yellowstone plume, Geophysical Research Letters, 32, 2005. | <urn:uuid:e887b072-f644-49ae-a1a2-2e20c9c34cc2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://seismo.berkeley.edu/annual_report/ar07_08/node14.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.838908 | 2,558 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no curative treatment characterized by degeneration of motor neurons involving a progressive impairment of motor and respiratory functions. Most patients die of ventilator respiratory failure. Caregivers have a great influence on the patient”s quality of life as well as on the quality of care. Home influence of the caregiver on patient care is notable. To date, no study has investigated how psychological issues of caregivers would influence respiratory variables of ALS patients. The study aimed at finding out if there is a relationship between the respiratory function of ALS patients and the level of distress of their caregivers.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate respiratory issues (PCF and FVC) and the perception of social support of ALS patients. Caregivers filled questionnaires about trait anxiety, depression, and burden of care. Forty ALS patients and their caregivers were recruited.
FVC and PCF were positively related to patient perception of social support and negatively related to caregiver anxiety, depression, and burden.
The distress of ALS caregivers is related to patient respiratory issues. The first and more intuitive explanation emphasizes the impact that the patient’s clinical condition has with respect to the caregiver. However, it is possible to hypothesize that if caregivers feel psychologically better, their patient’s quality of life improves and that a condition of greater well-being and relaxation could also increase ventilatory capacity. Furthermore, care management could be carried out more easily by caregivers who pay more attention to the patient's respiratory needs.
Patient perception of social support and caregiver distress are related to respiratory issues in ALS. | <urn:uuid:8ef9f7d0-3b06-4d86-a03a-76116af8517c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/solr/reg?term=author%3A(%22Corbo%2C+Massimo%22)&filterQuery=author_s%3ABanfi%2C%5C+Paolo&sortby=score+desc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00065-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923981 | 342 | 2.6875 | 3 |
The heart weighs between 7 and 15 ounces (200 to 425 grams) and is a little larger than the size of your fist. By the end of a long life, a person's heart may have beat (expanded and contracted) more than 3.5 billion times. In fact, each day, the average heart beats 100,000 times, pumping about 2,000 gallons (7,571 liters) of blood.
Your heart is located between your lungs in the middle of your chest, behind and slightly to the left of your breastbone (sternum). A double-layered membrane called the pericardium surrounds your heart like a sac. The outer layer of the pericardium surrounds the roots of your heart's major blood vessels and is attached by ligaments to your spinal column, diaphragm, and other parts of your body. The inner layer of the pericardium is attached to the heart muscle. A coating of fluid separates the two layers of membrane, letting the heart move as it beats.
Your heart has 4 chambers. The upper chambers are called the left and right atria, and the lower chambers are called the left and right ventricles. A wall of muscle called the septum separates the left and right atria and the left and right ventricles. The left ventricle is the largest and strongest chamber in your heart. The left ventricle's chamber walls are only about a half-inch thick, but they have enough force to push blood through the aortic valve and into your body.
The Heart Valves (illustration)
Four valves regulate blood flow through your heart:
- The tricuspid valve regulates blood flow between the right atrium and right ventricle.
- The pulmonary valve controls blood flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood to your lungs to pick up oxygen.
- The mitral valve lets oxygen-rich blood from your lungs pass from the left atrium into the left ventricle.
- The aortic valve opens the way for oxygen-rich blood to pass from the left ventricle into the aorta, your body's largest artery.
See also on this site: The Heartbeat
The Conduction System (illustration)
Electrical impulses from your heart muscle (the myocardium) cause your heart to contract. This electrical signal begins in the sinoatrial (SA) node, located at the top of the right atrium. The SA node is sometimes called the heart's "natural pacemaker." An electrical impulse from this natural pacemaker travels through the muscle fibers of the atria and ventricles, causing them to contract. Although the SA node sends electrical impulses at a certain rate, your heart rate may still change depending on physical demands, stress, or hormonal factors.
The Circulatory System (illustration)
The heart and circulatory system make up your cardiovascular system. Your heart works as a pump that pushes blood to the organs, tissues, and cells of your body. Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to every cell and removes the carbon dioxide and waste products made by those cells. Blood is carried from your heart to the rest of your body through a complex network of arteries, arterioles, and capillaries. Blood is returned to your heart through venules and veins. If all the vessels of this network in your body were laid end-to-end, they would extend for about 60,000 miles (more than 96,500 kilometers), which is far enough to circle the earth more than twice!
See also on other sites:
Normal heart anatomy
Updated July 2015 | <urn:uuid:a64126f4-54d5-43ab-acf1-e071edb61fe2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.texasheart.org/hic/anatomy/anatomy2.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911027 | 754 | 3.90625 | 4 |
|Back to Learning Games Lesson Plan|
Adapt the "Family Feud" TV game to review any subject or reinforce any skill.
game, review, family, reinforcement, skill
"Friendly Feud" is an adaptation of the Family Feud game show students might see on television. The game is easy to adapt to almost any subject or curriculum topic; see the Adapt the Game section at the bottom of this activity for a handful of ideas.
Start the game by arranging students into teams of four or five players. Determine the sequence in which teams will play. Determine the sequence in which the players on each team will play. Have each team appoint a captain who will act as the team's final-decision maker and spokesperson.
After the teams are organized, prepare to pose the first question of the game (or appoint a student emcee to pose questions). In the first round, the captain of each team will be the only one who can answer the question. Read aloud the first question; call on the team captain who raises his or her hand first to answer the question. To earn a point, that captain must correctly answer the question within 5 seconds. If the captain who was called on does not answer the question within the time limit or if he or she gives an incorrect answer, the next team can "steal" the question. Members of that team can talk among themselves, then they must agree on the correct answer. The captain serves as spokesperson for the team. If the captain says the correct answer, his or her team earns the point. If the answer is incorrect, the next team has a chance to steal the question and earn the point, and so on.
The team that correctly answers the question earns the first chance to answer the next question -- which is posed to the second player on the team. An incorrect answer passes the question to the second player on the next team. A correct answer earns another point for the team and the first chance to answer the next question, which is posed to the third player on the team. The team can keep earning points until team members get a wrong answer or do not respond within the time limit.
At the end of the game, the team with the most points is the winner of "Friendly Feud."
Adapt the Game
This game can be adapted easily to almost any curriculum topic, subject area, or skill. For example
End the activity with a quiz that includes ten of the questions posed in the game. Students should correctly answer at least 8 of the 10 questions.
Lesson Plan Source
The game can be adapted to support a wide variety of national standards.
Find more fun learning game ideas in the following Education World resources:
Click here to return to this week's Learning Games lesson plan page. | <urn:uuid:d4ed777a-cfc6-4994-bccc-8b7f8ebbe139> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp321-01.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00035-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951409 | 570 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Istianah, Istianah (2010) UPAYA MENINGKATKAN AKTIVITAS, KREATIVITAS DAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA MELALUI PROBLEM BASED LEARNING POKOK BAHASAN PLSV DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA TIMBANGAN. Other thesis, University of Muhammadiyah Malang.
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Learning process is an important thing for students. If study process through by students is well the learning purposes could be reached well, there also in the contrary, if the study process through by students was not good, study purpose could not done well. To reach good teaching and learning process, there needed learning model to increase students’ activity, creativity, and study result. Activity became important in teaching-learning process and activity is so complex. If the students active, it would influence the creativity and study result. That’s why, there needed learning model to raise activity, creativity, and study result of students, that is Problem Based Learning model supported by scale media in PLSV material. The research aimed to find out: (1) how the teacher and student activity through Problem Based Learning model in PLSV material using scale media; (2) How the students’ mathematic creativity using Problem Based Learning in PLSV material using scale media and (3) how the students’ mathematic study result through Problem Based Learning model in PLSV material using scale media. The research was done in SMP Negeri 1 Junior High School of Ketapang-Sampang from September 20th 2010 to October 4th 2010. According to the research, there could be concluded: (1) students activity in cycle I with percentage 62.49% and raised in cycle II with percentage 75.45%. while teacher activity in cycle I with percentage 65% and raised in cycle II with percentage 76.25%; (2) students’ creativity in cycle I with percentage 71.58% and in cycle II raised with percentage 80.48%; (3) students’ result in cycle I with percentage 63.63% and in cycle II raised into 86.36% Keywords: activity, creativity, study result, Problem Based Learning model, scale media.
|Item Type:||Thesis (Other)|
|Subjects:||L Education > L Education (General)|
|Divisions:||Faculty of Teacher Training and Education > Department of Mathematics and Computing|
|Depositing User:||Rayi Tegar Pamungkas|
|Date Deposited:||01 May 2012 02:24|
|Last Modified:||01 May 2012 02:24|
Actions (login required) | <urn:uuid:14742640-0d43-41b2-aa57-80306fe8d8c2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://eprints.umm.ac.id/3438/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00034-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.895237 | 576 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Several factors are taken into account when assessing whether a formal signal controlled or zebra crossing is appropriate.
We apply Department for Transport criteria to ensure that pedestrian crossings are placed where they will be most beneficial. The criteria considers factors such as
- numbers of pedestrians crossing
- traffic flow
- traffic composition
- road use, site characteristics
- surrounding environment, accident history, traffic speeds, accessibility and visibility.
Whether a crossing is needed at a location depends upon the overall pedestrian and traffic flow over the busiest four hours of the day. There should be at least 50 pedestrians and 1000 vehicles passing through the location every hour.
The underlying principle is that crossings will only operate correctly if they are used on a regular basis throughout the day. If there are too few pedestrians for most of the day drivers may tend to ignore the crossing and put pedestrians at risk on the occasions when they are using the facility. Conversely, if traffic flows are low then pedestrians can comfortably cross in the gaps without needing a crossing.
A Zebra crossing has a black and white striped carriageway and amber roadside beacons. A Zebra crossing gives the pedestrian priority over vehicles but requires the pedestrian to step safely onto the crossing to initiate this. The absence of signal controls makes the crossing unsuitable for locations with fast moving or heavy traffic, or where a constant flow of pedestrians is likely to cause excessive congestion. Zebra crossings are most suited to sites with low traffic speed and volume.
Signal Controlled Crossings - Pelican, Puffin, Toucan, Pegasus
These crossings provide a safe crossing period through the use of signals showing that the pedestrian, cyclist or horse rider has the right of way. The signal control makes these crossings appropriate for sites with higher traffic speed and volume.
Pelican And Puffin crossings are for pedestrian use only. The Pelican crossing provides a set period for crossing, whereas the Puffin is fitted with a detector that automatically varies the crossing period to ensure that the crossing is clear before allowing vehicles to proceed.
The Toucan crossing allows both pedestrians and cyclists to cross at the same time where there is a cycle route, and does not require the cyclists to dismount to cross.
The Pegasus crossing allows pedestrians and horse riders to use the same facility. Riders are separated from pedestrians by a corral and a higher level push button is provided.
Informal Crossing Facilities
Pedestrian Refuges (Islands)
The pedestrian refuge is the most common pedestrian facility. They allow a pedestrian to cross the road in stages by creating safe waiting points on the carriageway. A refuge can be appropriate where pedestrian movements are concentrated but overall numbers are lower. Careful positioning is required to assure adequate refuge widths for all pedestrians, and sufficient carriageway width must be available.
A courtesy crossing consists of dropped kerbing on both sides of the road to ease the crossing movement and identify a point at which pedestrians will be crossing. This type of aid can easily be incorporated into traffic calming features such as pinch pints and build outs, and can be highlighted to motorists by the use of coloured surface treatments and reflective bollards. | <urn:uuid:a0b6209b-5677-4a36-820b-3c8f401cfd48> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www3.hants.gov.uk/trafficmanagement/pedestrian-crossings.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00153-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929079 | 643 | 3.046875 | 3 |
What if a new system could be used to treat wastewater without the high input of electricity that regular sewage treatment plants require? What if this water treatment system, fed by nutrients in the wastewater, were able to use photosynthesis to produce renewable surplus energy to help meet the world's growing energy demand?
Just such a win-win approach is currently being designed and tested by researchers at New Mexico State University. If successful, their system will provide a more sustainable method for treating wastewater, a new viable approach to producing electric power and liquid biofuels, and a revenue stream to offset infrastructure improvements.
The approach is being called the POWER - photosynthetically oxygenated waste-to-energy recovery - system, according to Peter Lammers, research professor and technical director of NMSU's Algal Bioenergy Program.
Lammers and his colleagues have found that certain types of algae are highly effective in removing carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from municipal and agricultural wastewater.
"Unlike traditional wastewater plants that use bacteria for this purpose, processing wastewater using algal photosynthesis yields more biomass than the sludge output of current systems," Lammers said.
"The economic key to the POWER system is converting algal biomass into liquid fuel and electric power."
The Desert Southwest offers an ideal environment, in many ways, for the production of algae. Abundant sunlight, mild temperatures, and wide open spaces for algae cultivation facilities have attracted new energy companies to the state, including Sapphire Energy, El Dorado Biofuels and Joule Energy.
But one essential component is in short supply in this arid environment: water.
It is this reality that has led researchers to explore using alternatives to fresh water that are less in demand, such as brackish water and municipal wastewater.
The conceptual breakthrough was to go beyond thinking about wastewater as an ingredient in algae production to thinking about algae as an ingredient in a newly designed sewage treatment system.
How will the new system work?
Algae will be cultivated in sewage water outdoors in large enclosed plastic bag containers - "closed photobioreactors" - that prevent evaporative water loss. They heat up much like a greenhouse but are much cheaper. Such PBRs also retain carbon dioxide, a nutrient for the algae, thus fostering high-density algae production, and they keep wastewater odors and potentially harmful microbes contained.
The main inputs, in addition to sunlight, are the wastewater, the algae and the CO₂.
The enclosed PBRs, given the appropriate strains of algae, will produce large amounts of algal biomass in a short period of time, while removing nutrients to yield clean discharge water.
The output of these PBRs is a broth that is then separated into biosolids that move into the fuel production components.
The success of the above system as a sustainable approach relies on efficiency at every stage. One challenge of the enclosed PBRs in desert environments is to prevent the intense summer heat from killing the algae.
The standard PBR solution to this problem is to regulate the temperature of the water using a cooling system, but of course that requires lots of electricity.
Lammers and his colleagues are exploring an alternative approach, specifically testing strains of algae that have evolved in high-temperature geothermal environments.
Such algae thrive in the hotter PBR temperatures. As an added benefit, these strains provide an acidified environment that, at the high daytime temperatures, promises to neutralize microbial pathogens in the wastewater. The algae are also mixotrophic, which means they can thrive during periods of low sunlight by removing organic carbon in the wastewater.
"Some of these hot springs algae can also tolerate extremely high CO₂ levels, compared to most plants," said Wayne Van Voorhies, an NMSU microbiologist working on the project. "To cultivate these algae, we could use flue gasses directly out of a power plant, which are 10-15 percent CO₂."
This suggests a role for such algae in CO₂ recycling strategies.
Lammers and his colleagues hope that their enclosed PBR-based system could be adapted worldwide by employing a variety of different algae types with optimum temperature profiles compatible with different climates. It should also be scalable for communities of various sizes and, since it is a net energy producer, should be adaptable for communities in developing countries with inadequate or non-existent wastewater treatment facilities and severe resultant public health challenges.
According to Lammers, approximately two billion of the world's seven billion people live where there is no wastewater processing whatsoever.
Adrian Unc is an environmental microbiologist in NMSU's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences whose expertise is in wastewater and human pathogens. He believes the system has great potential for improving human health.
"We think it would be rather easy and rapid to deploy such a system in any developing country that has the climatic conditions required, meaning sun and heat," he said.
Lammers also stressed that this basic approach could be adapted for waste treatment on large-scale dairy and livestock operations.
Several enclosed PBR prototypes are now being tested in a hoop house near existing algae testbeds at NMSU's Fabian Garcia Science Center. The hoop house was constructed to allow initial testing that would maximize system heat during the winter months.
The researchers are working with a species of hot springs algae from Yellowstone National Park and, with local winter climate conditions in mind, a species of Chlorella that Lammers says produces maximal levels of oil at somewhat lower temperatures.
Full outdoor testing will commence in the late spring. The performance of the various PBR designs and algae types will be evaluated to determine which combinations work best in the local environment.
"Modern sewage treatment processes were invented in an era of cheap energy," Lammers said. "'Business as usual' will not supply 7 billion humans with clean air, clean water and energy."
In addition to Lammers, Unc and Van Voorhies, the multidisciplinary team of researchers on the POWER system includes Shuguang Deng in Chemical Engineering and Nirmala Khandan in Civil Engineering.
For more about NMSU algal biofuels research, go to http://research.nmsu.edu/erl/algalbiofuels/testbed/.
More from Western Farm Press | <urn:uuid:67229843-141c-4fe9-b84f-6d3b7178ebb3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://westernfarmpress.com/print/management/renewable-energy-wastewater-win-win-system?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00104-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94439 | 1,293 | 3.96875 | 4 |
Security Meets Communications
In an emergency, a single method of warning often isn't enough to get people to take immediate action.
When used alone or separately, Individual security and communications technologies can be ineffective because they're vulnerable as single points of failure; and many people will delay action until a warning has been confirmed by another means. To ensure that people act quickly in a disaster, alert notifications need to be delivered simultaneously through multiple kinds of devices. This notion has driven the design of MessageNet Connections.
By connecting safety & security with communications, more lives can be saved in an emergency.
Our Impact on Communications
A Connections system can change lives and build more confident and stronger organizations. Watch these short videos to see how we have made an impact.See More Customer Stories
- Best Practices for a Safe Environment
- Don’t Be Surprised by Emergencies
- Prepare For the Worst
- Why Unify Safety, Security & Communcations
- Using Web Links in Emergency Messaging
- Why is Clery Act Compliance Still a Problem?
- The Unification of Safety, Security & Emergency Communication
- Communicating Effectively to Meet Healthcare Staff Needs
- The Benefits of Barricading | <urn:uuid:b021842b-bbea-401c-885e-194fcb8281cf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.messagenetsystems.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00082-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918931 | 249 | 2.9375 | 3 |
University of Wollongong researcher Dr Bridget Kelly is leading a charge to combat the country's "fat food environment".
The public health dietitian will share her plans - and enlist community support - at a "Budding Ideas" event at the university's main campus on Monday.
Dr Kelly said junk food advertising was a major contributor to the escalating rates of obesity in Australia, with children particularly vulnerable to the messages.
"Junk food advertising and marketing shapes children's food preferences, their food habits and their life-long consumption patterns," she said.
"We know modern marketing uses a range of integrated and increasingly interactive tools - from product packaging and television and internet advertising through to sponsorship of sporting teams.
"The same sorts of products and campaigns are repeatedly shown to children, which makes these foods desirable and normalises them, when mostly they should be 'sometimes' or discretionary foods."
Dr Kelly said while there had long been calls for government regulations to protect children against this invasive food marketing, there had been "political inertia" in this area.
At the "ideas fest" at the university, she will outline the research framework she has developed to highlight the link between junk food advertising and childhood obesity, in order to get the policymakers' attention.
"We need to call on government to take a hard stance against the food industry, which lobbies hard against any kind of regulation," she said. "Restricting unhealthy food advertising at times when the greatest number of children are watching television and putting limitations on things like outdoor advertising around schools are good first steps.
"It is possible to get tough regulations in place but there has to be a real political will to do that.
"We can all be part of the call to action to influence that."
Safeguarding food security in the Pacific and finding a cure for motor neurone disease will be other topics led by researchers at the free community event on Monday from 4.30pm-7.30pm at UOW's Smart building.
Details at uow.edu.au/research/news/buddingideas. | <urn:uuid:baec21a5-4dc5-4470-9ff8-8934e7552bff> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2303463/uows-dr-bridget-kelly-in-fat-food-fight/?src=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00028-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96433 | 430 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) November 24, 2013
The new article on the site Vkool.com covers useful tips on promoting healthy eating habits that help people improve their physical and mental health without using supplements or drugs. At the beginning of the article, people will learn how to create a healthy lifestyle, how to boost their immune system, and how to prevent common illnesses through eating. "Many people are skeptical about changing diets because they have grown accustomed to drinking or eating the same foods, and there is a fear of the unknown or trying something new," says John Foreyt, PhD, director of the Baylor College of Medicine Behavioral Medicine Research Center. After that, people will learn how to get in shape naturally without losing muscles. Next, in the article, the author encourages people to eat a variety of foods including fish, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and unsalted nuts.
In addition, the article recommends people to limit the consumption of sugary, fatty and salty snack foods, such as crisps, cakes, pastries, biscuits, lollies, and chocolate. Furthermore, this article reveals to people a list of super foods to eat that can promote their energy dramatically. In other words, the article teaches people unique ways to lose excess fat and quick tips to build a lean body. Thanks to the helpful information in this article, a lot of people can improve their overall health efficiently with just a few simple steps.
Mai Nguyen from the site Vkool.com says that: "This is really an informative article that includes innovative techniques on how to create healthy eating habits. The tips this report introduces are easy-to-understand for most people regardless of their age, their gender, and their current health. Thus, I personally believe that these tips will be useful for everyone."
If people want to get more detailed information from the full article, they should visit the website: http://vkool.com/9-tips-on-promoting-healthy-eating/.
About the website:
Vkool.com is the site built by Tony Nguyen. The site supplies people with tips, ways, programs, methods and e-books about many topics including business, health, entertainment, and lifestyle. People could send their feedback to Tony Nguyen on any digital products via email.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/promoting/healthy-eating/prweb11365413.htm.
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:ba7d83dc-991d-4850-ab16-7cd72537bfae> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/A-New-Article-Releases-9-Tips-On-Promoting-Healthy-Eating-Habits-Fast--u2013-V-kool-121685-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00089-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951718 | 519 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Gangrene is the death and decay of tissue that usually occurs when the blood supply to the tissue is cut off by injury or infection. After the tissue is dead, bacteria may infect the tissue and cause decay.
Gangrene may affect small areas, such as fingers or toes that have been frostbitten, or larger areas of tissue, such as part of the foot. People who have impaired blood flow, such as people with diabetes, may be at higher risk of gangrene if they have skin wounds and infections that are not treated promptly.
Gangrene is treated by restoring blood flow to the affected area, treating any infection, and removing the dead and dying tissue. If it is severe, gangrene sometimes requires that a part of the body, such as a finger, toe, or foot, be amputated.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2014 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. | <urn:uuid:e192846b-e09e-401c-bdea-71b4e8cf7662> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=133636&ref=138065 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00128-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948547 | 222 | 3.53125 | 4 |
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-41. [Available online at http://edr.sagepub.com/content/18/1/32.short ].
What is learning? Broadly speaking, situated views of cognition argue that learning and knowing are fundamentally inextricable from and dependent upon the contexts and activities in which they arise. Thus, learning tends to be viewed as a continuous process resulting from ones’ ongoing activity wherein the knowledge one produces is said to index the activities and situations in which it was produced. In this way, the meaning of a learned concept continually evolves as a function of the instances in which it is used.
What is learned? What is distributed? The techniques, practices, tools (including both physical artifacts and lexical items), and world-views of a particular community
How is it learned? Brown, Collins, and Duguid (1989) suggest a pedagogical model known as cognitive apprenticeship. In this model, students are enculturated into the techniques, practices, tools, and world-views of a particular community. Specifically, students observe and engage in the authentic activities, or the ordinary-everyday activities, of a community. The idea here is that if learning and knowing are inseparable from the contexts and activities in which they arise and if we want students to develop the understandings of a particular community, then students must be given opportunities to observe and engage in the ordinary practices of that community. For, as students observe and engage in these ordinary-everyday activities, they develop knowledge about and understandings of the talk, beliefs, and behaviors of the community.
How are the distributions mediated? The techniques, practices, tools, and world-views of a particular community reflect the cumulative wisdom of the community. Knowledge of them is not static and invariant. Rather, it is the product of the ongoing negotiation and evolution of the community. For example, world-views are shaped by knowledge and understanding of tools; at the same time, knowledge and understanding of tools are shaped by the world-views—as one evolves, so does the other.
Other important points? Some Pedagogical Implications: (a) teachers attend to the ways in which classroom activities do and do not reflect the authentic activities of a particular community; and (b) teachers build upon and extend the ordinary-everyday understandings that students enter the classroom with. Some Research Implications: (a) researchers should expand the unit of analysis from the individual to the more encompassing contextual environment; and (b) researchers should use methods which allow them to develop a rich understanding of the contextual environment (e.g., long-term ethnographic studies).
(Annotated by Jaime Diamond, Spring 2011) | <urn:uuid:4d298895-b7f2-42da-828f-257df8055ad3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1g8ZSndvsbg6vvZ9-OZlA7RyKO4jA0j69XLqCCVn5-LI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00027-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938104 | 589 | 3.40625 | 3 |
One of the earliest men to attempt an accurate calculation of Pi was renowned mathematician, engineer, and inventor Archimedes (287-212 B.C.). Not much is known for certain about his life. It is presumed that he was born in Syracuse, Sicily (a colony of Greece at the time of his birth). Ancient historians record that he lived for 75 years and was buried in his hometown. Cicero, the famed Roman orator, while serving as quaestor of Sicily, reportedly visited the grave of Archimedes.
The written works of Archimedes did not fare well, and most of his work is known only through citations in the writings of other scientists and historians. One copy of some of his remarkable work was made by an unnamed scribe living in the 10th century A.D., who transcribed several of the works onto vellum and bound them into one volume.
Sometime about two hundred years later, Christian scribes unbound the expensive and rare vellum manuscript, scraped off the text, washed away the remaining original ink, and folded the parchment pages in half, writing a liturgical book of 177 pages over the pages that once contained the copied writings of Archimedes.
After an original parchment is subjected to this type of deliberate scraping, washing, and copying over, it is known as a "palimpsest" — from two Greek words meaning, “I scrape.”
This invaluable transcription of the works of one of the ancient world’s preeminent scholars and thinkers, known to history as the Archimedes Palimpsest, remained hidden for centuries until a biblical scholar named Constantine Tischendorf visiting Constantinople in the 1840s discovered the Greek mathematical notations still barely visible on some of the pages of the prayer book. In 1906, Johan Heiberg realized upon examining the book that the barely legible text was that of several otherwise undiscovered books of the great Archimedes.
Today, on this Pi Day, we should think of Archimedes and the palimpsest made of his work.
Americans too have a valuable work that was written hundreds of years ago on parchment. The ink on that cherished document is now being scraped, washed, and written over by designing legislators and presidents who consider the clauses thereof of no contemporary value and who place their own understanding and desires above those of the the noble Founding Fathers who deliberated and ordained that original charter.
Through the passage of unconstitutional statutes; the incorrect and unsupportable interpretations of the Commerce Clause, the General Welfare Clause, the Necessary and Proper Clause, and others; the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are erasing the Constitution and rewriting it to the point where it is unrecognizable and is nothing more than a liturgical book full of the hymns of statism.
Many of these latter-day scribes who busy themselves scraping, washing, and writing over the Constitution insist that though the Founders did a serviceable enough job establishing a government for the America of the 18th century, they could not have anticipated these modern times and the particular challenges of governing facing their inheritors. Besides, they ridicule constitutionalists and charge them with revering the Constitution for no other reason than because it is old and they don’t like change.
These usurpers are wrong on each of those points. The devotion demonstrated by constitutionalists to America's founding document is not a matter of paleolatry. That is to say, they do not honor the Constitution because it is old. They honor it because the principles of government set forth therein are timeless and not subject to the changing winds of political “progress.”
Furthermore, constitutionalists do not insist that their elected representatives and presidents hew rigidly to the founding document because of its age. In fact, they don’t even insist upon such faithful adherence because of their rightful respect and veneration for the men who wrote and ratified the Constitution.
They uphold the principles of the Constitution and hold their representatives up to that standard because it contains the finest, most functional scheme of republican government ever devised by mankind. On that old parchment is written some of the greatest, most remarkable, and irrefutable elements of self-government ever penned.
These enduring elements of the doctrine of natural law ever distilled into a workable, free government. James Madison and his fellows drank from the fountains of political wisdom — ancient and modern — and through the ink on the Constitution, that wisdom and learning was made law. And, the most convincing testimony of its timeless nature is that Americans still live under the liberty protected thereby.
May Americans continue to do so for another 224 years. May they learn from Archimedes and vigilantly protect that old parchment known as the Constitution, and keep it from one day being known in history books as the American Palimpsest. | <urn:uuid:53fb403c-2803-4c53-89cf-b4dcb73dbe7c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/268-happy-pi-day-what-314-archimedes-and-the-constitution-have-in-common | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00068-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963795 | 997 | 3.75 | 4 |
Growing in Wisdom and Stature:
How to Make the Most of Each Stage in a Child’s Development
How do you know when to encourage your child to do better and when to commend him for doing his best? Many parents are confused about evaluating their children’s progress and planning activities which are appropriate for ability and maturation levels. Inge Cannon presents comprehensive workshops that examine each stage of growth from five perspectives—physical, mental social, emotional, and spiritual—so that you can feel confident that your goals are realistic. You will hear biblically-based child development insights with a character-building emphasis and no psycho-babble! These sessions are 70-90 minutes long, and each is accompanied with its own syllabus outline.
Preview the Intro IntroSome thoughts as you begin to listen . . .
Scripture tells us plainly that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). From this simple description of truth, we are able to confirm the concept of growing to maturity in our physical bodies, our relationships with people around us, and our spiritual understanding.
The Apostle Paul reiterated this concept in I Corinthians 13:11, as he explained: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Other Scripture references to periods of growth in our lives which demand careful attention include Peter’s analogy that newborn babes desire the milk of the Word (see I Peter 2:2) and Paul’s reprimand that he should not have to give milk to mature believers who ought to be able to digest the strong meat of doctrine (see Hebrews 5:12-14).
The observations and suggestions shared in the Growing in Wisdom and Stature workshops are not intended to build a psychological framework for your teaching. By no means would we suggest that “going through a stage” excuses sin or that allowances for wrongdoing are required at given times. What we do want to share is that certain periods of growth provide the “window” for specific training opportunities so that the building blocks of discipline may be carefully crafted in a child’s life. As parent/teachers we want to build a solid foundation, adding “line upon line” and “precept upon precept” until the child becomes a “vessel unto honor” for the master’s use, prepared for every good work (see Isaiah 28:9-13 and II Timothy 2:21).
Though age designations have been given to each “stage” of growth, please remember that we are addressing tendencies and that no two children would be described by all the characteristics listed. Nor would the children who do exhibit the traits cited manifest them at precisely the moment of their birthdates into the next “stage.” These realities make creativity worthwhile and allow us to depend on our Heavenly Father for His direction.
May God bless you richly as you strive to rear the Shadrachs, Meshachs, Abednegos, and Daniels so desperately needed in our society today: “Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans” (Daniel 1:4). These are the young people who will make a difference in our very needy world. | <urn:uuid:99dfefbf-4eaf-4b4c-a0b0-6d5a359e1386> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://edplus.com/products-page/discipling-specific-ages | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00083-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959896 | 752 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Also called CMV. The majority of the adult population has this virus, which is a strain of herpetoviridae
), although not considered a STD
Infected cells enlarge and have a characteristic inclusion body (composed of virus particles) in the nucleus. Causes disease only in utero (leading to abortion or stillbirth or to various congenital defects), although can be opportunistic in the immunocompromised host.
The American Red Cross
gives preferential treatment to donors who are CMV-negative, since this blood is given to infant
s, children, and others with weak or compromised
immune systems. They even stamp your donor card with "CMV NEG" next to the blood type. As the lady at the Red Cross told me, CMV can produce minor symptoms in adults, rarely amounting to much. However, in children and infants, and people with compromised immune systems, it can be very damaging, even lethal | <urn:uuid:11d4a574-049e-4212-a667-1b5e9ad868cf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://everything2.com/title/cytomegalovirus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00022-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950822 | 196 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The primary Nootkan settlement was a social unit known as a local group (also called a band). Each local group had one or more clusters of cedar-plank houses (called longhouses), which were as large as forty by one hundred feet. Nootkans moved between winter and summer settlements, with each local group having at least one longhouse for use in the Summer at one site and another longhouse for winter use at another site. Up to thirty-five related people (a house-group) lived in a longhouse. Within the longhouse, each housegroup family had its own cooking hearth and living area. In the winter, several local groups formed a larger winter village. There, each local group had its own important ceremonial art. The focal point of each was a family of chiefs who owned the houses as well as the territorial rights to exploit local resources. The local group took its name from the place it was located, such as a fishing site; sometimes it was named after a chief. Villages were situated near sources of firewood and fresh water, as well as for shelter from surprise raids. Today there are numerous Nootka reserves dotting Vancouver Island's west coast. The physical isolation of most of these Reserves makes year-round living there impractical. Victoria, British Columbia, and Vancouver Island towns are now home for many Nootka. The Makah, who live on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, live year-round at coastal Neah Bay, which is connected by road to the rest of the peninsula. | <urn:uuid:f324483a-e846-48ac-9444-f0d85988ab51> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Nootka-Settlements.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397795.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987112 | 320 | 3.953125 | 4 |
California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
Federal and state laws require a state test that school districts must give to students whose home language is not English. In California, this test is called the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). The purpose of this test is to identify new students who are English learners, in kindergarten through grade twelve; to determine their level of English proficiency; and to annually assess their progress in learning English.
All students whose primary language listed on the Home Language Survey is not English must take the test within 30 calendar days after they are
enrolled in a California public school for the first time. The CELDT also must be given once each year to English learners until they become
proficient in English. Parents and guardians cannot remove (opt out) their children from this requirement.
The CELDT for students in grades kindergarten through twelve covers listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The CELDT is based on
California English language development standards, adopted by the State Board of Education.
Test results for newly enrolled students are used to help identify English learners who need to develop their speaking,
listening, reading, and writing skills in English. Results from annual CELDT testing are used to see how well students are learning English.
School districts use the annual results as one of four criteria to help decide when students may be reclassified as fluent English proficient
Parents or guardians who wish more information about the CELDT or their student’s results on the CELDT, should contact their student’s teacher and/or school office.
This page was last updated on March 3, 2014. | <urn:uuid:e3700b76-1296-4fe8-8fa5-a04a411247d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sbcusd.k12.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=2472 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00175-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948359 | 339 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Search The Library's Lexicon
A Latin word which signifies power; authority; domination; empire. It has several meaning. 1. It signifies imperium, or the jurisdiction of magistrates. 2. The power of the father over his children, patriapotestas. 3. The authority of masters over their slaves, which makes it nearly synonymous with dominium. | <urn:uuid:cba79854-862b-47fa-bafb-e356f6811e8b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/p127.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00035-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932233 | 75 | 2.9375 | 3 |
PTI303: WordProcess Software App (2011-2012)
CURRICULUM PROGRAM: Career and Technical Education
COURSE TITLE: Word Processing Software Applications
CALENDAR YEAR: 2011-2012
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
COURSE LENGTH: 18 weeks
About the Program:
Word Processing Software Applications prepares students for careers in business. The course sequence focuses on duties and tasks performed by professionals using word processing software as well as pre-employment and employment skills.
Major Concepts/Content: Word Processing Software Applications provides students with the opportunity to develop professional level skills in word processing software. Skills taught include creating, customizing, managing and organizing documents by using formatting and visual content that is appropriate for the information presented. This may include reviewing, sharing, and securing content.
Major Instructional Activities: Instruction will be provided in a lab utilizing individualized instruction and electronic learning services. Students successfully completing this course will be eligible to take at least one of the user or specialist exams for word processing software certification.
Major Evaluative Techniques: Assessment will be accomplished by checking student work in progress to ensure that each student adheres to the timelines throughout the course and that the assignments are successfully completed. In addition, objective and problem-solving tests, projects and other means deemed appropriate by the facilitator will be used.
Essential Software: The focus of this course will be the use of Microsoft Office Word to produce a variety of documents. | <urn:uuid:3cd36a62-0b9b-424d-b2ea-55447e05abd2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.dodea.edu/Curriculum/Course-Details.cfm?courseid=774B7E14-0711-4F60-55E1E7B984CF4383 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00189-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900275 | 302 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Is Your Wallet STILL Empty? Learn How To Improve Your Financial Health
With the economy being in as much turmoil as it is, it is important to have a good hand on your personal finances. It is important to be organized and to closely watch your expenditures or else you’ll find yourself in debt before you know it. This article can help prevent that.
To truly take advantage of an emergency fund, keep it close but not too close. Three to six months pay should be sitting in an account somewhere so that an unexpected expense is not the end of the world. However, it should be money in an easily accessible interest bearing account, but not in your primary checking account where you can kill it with your debit card in one day.
If you are having difficulties paying off a credit card, you should stop charging it. Reduce your expenses as much as possible and find another method of payment so that you do not max out your credit card. Pay off your monthly balance before you start using your credit card again.
When it comes to your own finances, always remain involved and make your own decisions. While it’s perfectly fine to rely on advice from your broker and other professionals, make sure that you are the one to make the final decision. You’re playing with your own money and only you should decide when it’s time to buy and when it’s time to sell.
Shop around before committing to a specific lender for financing. Talk to several loan officers, and always get terms on paper. You can also let the loan officer know of other rates you have been quoted, giving them a chance to compete for your business. Be sure to not only compare interest rates, but additional fees and charges as well.
Establish your financial goals first. You cannot determine how to proceed if you have nothing to work towards. Figure out and prioritize what you want to do financially, and then move forward with your plan and goals firmly set in mind.
If you’re trying to save money for a big purchase, but find that it’s not easy to stick to a budget every day, week after week, here’s a different strategy. Make the effort to save money every other day. For instance, pack a bag lunch three days a week instead of buying lunch out. Put the money you save into a savings account towards your planned purchase.
Creating a budget is extremely important. Many people avoid it, but you will not be able to save money if you do not track your finances. Make sure to write down all income and expenses no matter how small it may seem. Small purchases can add up to a big chunk of your outgoing funds.
To make a realistic budget for financial planning purposes, start where you are at, not where you want to be. Track every penny for a month, but do not be immediately self-conscious about it. Get receipts for everything and keep them in a box. At the end of a month you can sort them all out and see exactly what your spending is like. That is your budget and it is easy to tweak when you are unemotional and honest.
If your employer offers a match to your 401K, make sure you’re contributing at least the amount they match. When an employer offers to match your funds, they are essentially giving you free money. The money you contribute will help you reach retirement goals and is tax free. It’s a win-win situation, all around.
To sell an item, draw attention to it with a catchy slogan or a good price. For example, a person trying to sell a truck in the winter could say “Need a good winter vehicle, here is a ……” Do this and instead of your items being overlooked you’ll get the sells you need.
These hard financial times don’t have to envelop you like they have nearly everyone else. If you are prudent, wise, and organized, you can prevent the tragedy of debt from befalling you. This article has armed you with the advice necessary to prevent and prepare yourself from falling into the hands of debt. Instead of struggling all of the time learn to Collect Assets rather than Debt. In fact create your Own Legacy.
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>>> Our Government Approved Money System <<<< | <urn:uuid:9151b029-f319-429f-8b2b-bfd10c1b3c8d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://josephskoda.com/is-your-wallet-empty-learn-how-to-improve-your-financial-health/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950519 | 957 | 2.53125 | 3 |
LONDON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- People who are obese lose their memory and thinking ability faster than thinner people, British and French researchers say.
Researchers at University College London said the study was based on data from 6,500 federal British civil servants, whose health was monitored from the ages of 50 to 60, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The study participants were weighed, measured, blood pressure and cholesterol tested and they were also asked about any medication they were taking.
The study participants were asked to perform mental tests three times during the decade, which were used to assess memory and other cognitive skills.
Of the 6,401 civil servants, 9 percent were obese and of those, 350 were "metabolically abnormal," meaning they had two additional risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, were taking medication for either condition, or had diabetes.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, found the obese tended to lose their mental powers faster than their thinner colleagues. In addition, those who were obese and also had additional conditions such as high levels of blood pressure or cholesterol experienced a 22.5 percent faster decline on their cognitive test scores over the decade than those who were healthy, the study said. | <urn:uuid:a68bd8be-ced5-4a81-aa8e-837906d1b001> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/08/21/Obese-may-lose-memory-sooner/UPI-76931345585044/?rel=69441372251061 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991504 | 249 | 2.5625 | 3 |
As the world celebrates World Maths and Pi Day on March 12th and March 14th, the Muslim Heritage team would like to draw your attention to the invaluable, but often overlooked, contributions of mathematicians from non-European civilisations, to the areas of Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry and Trigonometry, to name but a few.
We owe such mathematicians for the development of the numerical system we still use today, for geometrical pattern designing, the present arithmetical decimal system and the fundamental operations connected with it: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, and extracting the root. Scientists in Muslim heritage also introduced the 'zero' concept to the world.
In order to highlight such contributions, Muslim Heritage has compiled a series of articles on illustrious mathematicians such as Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi, who amongst his many accomplishments made unique advances in algebra; Omar al-Khayyam is renowned for his developments in cubic equations; Abd Al-Hamid Ibn Turk who made substantial developments to algebra; Ali Al-Qushji, who established his own school and educated brilliant scholars such as Milla Sari Lutfi during the Ottoman Empire. The development of Arabic maths was carried on in close interaction with the mathematical traditions of previous cultures. The mathematicians of Islam drew on the treatises of Greek scholars such as Euclid, Archimedes and Apollonius. They also knew and used some of the results of the early classical period of Indian mathematics, such as those of Aryabhata, Varahamihira and Brahmagupta.
To draw attention to these scholars and to others as well, we list below some of the papers published on our website:
The Greek letter pi (symbolized by p) is defined as the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter. It is considered to be a vital element in the calculations of areas and sizes of several mathematical figures: the circle, the cube, the cone and the sphere, from which infinite practical applications have sprung. As a result, mathematicians in many civilizations (Greek, Chinese, Indian, Arabian and European) have been highly concerned with calculating p as carefully as possible. This article by Professor Moustafa Mawaldi, the Dean of the Institute for the History of Arabic Science in Aleppo, sheds light on the contribution of some mathematicians of the Islamic civilisation in refining the value of pi. The works surveyed are those of Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, Al-Quhi, and Al-Kashi.
Early mathematics was revolutionised by Muslim scholars like Al-Khwarizmi, the founder of Algebra; Al-Kindi, Al-Khazin, Al-Khujandi,Al-Sijzi, Abul Wafa and numerous others.This article reviews some of the important works of these mathematicians.
Amazing snapshots from Khiva (formally known as Khawarizm) in Uzbekistan. The birth place of the famous mathematician Al-Khawarizmi (780 – 850 CE). A prosperous centre of learning during the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation, it was also a key city on the Silk Road like Bukhara and Samarkand.
The article analyses the mathematical contents of four texts by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274), one of the most original and prolific scientists of the classical Islamic tradition. These four texts on mathematics are: Al-Tusi's Tahrir (Exposition) of Euclid's Elements, the text Shakl al-Qatta', The Risala al-Shafiya in which Al-Tusi made a substantial contribution to solve the classical problem of parallel lines, and finally the treatise of artithmetic Jami' al-hisab.
The Kerala School of astronomy and mathematics was an Indian school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala, South India, which included among its members several scientists. The school flourished in the 14th-16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala School independently created a number of important mathematics concepts. In this well documented article, Dennis Francis Almeida and George Gheverghese Joseph reconstruct the mathematics of Kerala School and attempt to show the possible ways of its transmission to modern Europe.
Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi is one of the greatest scientific minds of the medieval period and a most important Muslim mathematician who was justly called the 'father of algebra'. Besides his founding the science of jabr, he made major contributions in astronomy and mathematical geography. In this article, focus is laid on his mathematical work in the field of algebra and his contribution in setting the foundation of the Islamic tradition of mathematical geography and cartography.
Muḥammad Abūʾl-Wafāʾ al-Būzjānī (10 June 940–997 or 998) was a distinguished Muslim astronomer and mathematician, who made important contributions to the development of trigonometry. He worked in a private observatory in Baghdad, where he made observations to determine, among other astronomical parameters, the obliquity of the ecliptic, the length of the seasons, and the latitude of the city. In honour of his astronomical work, a crater on the Moon was named for him. His 1073th anniversary falls this June 10th.
‘Umar al-Khayyam (better known as Omar Khayyam, 1048-1123 CE), was a polymath scholar from Nishapur, Persia. Mathematician, philosopher, astronomer and poet, he also wrote treatises in Arabic on mechanics, geography, music and physics. Because of the originality of his contributions, Al-Khayyam was established as one of the major mathematicians and astronomers of the Islamic scientific tradition. Al-Khayyam was born in Nishapur, Khurasan on 18 May 1048. In the following article, we survey his work and celebrate his anniversary.
The famed Muslim scholar Al-Kwarazmi has long been known as the father of Algebra. In this article, Aydin Sayili presents an alternative view of the inception and development of Algebra in the works of of 'Abd al-Hamid Ibn Turk, a well known mathematician of the early 9th century, probably contemporary to al-Khwarizmi. The author raises an outstanding hypothesis according to which Ibn Turk may have written the first Arabic book on algebra in Islam, and not Muhammad ibn Mûsâ al-Khwârazmi.
Ali Al-Qushji was one of the most noteworthy and important scientists in the Islamic world. He wrote valuable works especially on astronomy and mathematics. He was a student and co-worker of the famous statesman and scientist Ulugh Beg. After Ulugh Beg's death, Ali Al-Qushji left Samarqand to Tabriz where he worked for Akkoyunlu Ruler Uzun Hasan. Afterwards, he worked for the Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II in Istanbul during the last two years of his life. This article presents a short survey of Al-Qushji's contributions to mathematics and astronomy.
In this important article, Professor Ahmed Djebbar, the renowned scholar and specialist of the history of Arabic sciences, especially in the Islamic West, presents a general survey on mathematical activities in the Medieval Maghrib since the 9th century. Relying on his own studies and on a direct knowledge of the original sources, the author draws a rich picture of scientific activity in the Islamic west and thus shows the importance of the contribution of Maghribi mahematicians to the Arabic and Islamic mathematical tradition.
This article was a talk given at the 7th Maghrebi Colloque of the History of Arabic Mathematics held from 30 May to 1 June 2002 in Marrakech, Morocco. It presents a new manuscript of the mathematical work Kitâb al-Bayân by the Moroccan mathematician of the 12th centrury Al-Hassâr, together with related remarks on the transmission of the Hindu-Arabic numerals to the medieval West.
The following article focuses on the cubic measure of the volume of the sphere in Arabic mathematics. After a short presentation of the Greek and Chinese ancient legacies on this topic, the article surveys thoroughly the different formulas methods proposed by the mathematicians of the Arabic-Islamic civilization from the 9th to the 17th century to measure the volume of the sphere. The achievements of eminent scholars are thus presented: Banu Musa, Al-Buzgani, Al-Karaji, Ibn Tahir al-Baghdadi, Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn al-Yasamin, Al-Khawam al-Baghdadi, Kamal al-Din al-Farisi, Jamshid al-Kashi, and Baha' al-Din al-'Amili.
Mathematics has long been an area of expertise amongst Muslim mathematicians. This article considers the contributions of Al-Tusi and Al-Battani and others in trigonometry, focusing upon the progress their discoveries represented in comparison with the ancient tradition as displayed in Ptolemy's Almagest.
Since the middle of the 20th century, the history of Arabic mathematics evolved as a sub-field of history of science and became an area of a special expertise in which intermingled the skills of confirmed mathematicians with the cultural sense of professional historians. One of the experts who brilliantly emerged in this field was Ahmad Salim Sa‘idan (1914-1991), a Palestinian born in Safad who settled in Amman for a long period of his life. This article, intended as homage to this son of Palestine, presents a biographical sketch and an extensive bibliography of his works on the history of mathematics and astronomy in Islamic civilization.
and many more... | <urn:uuid:cdeeea6a-189f-4296-9e84-2bedb833baa1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://muslimheritage.com/article/world-maths-day?page=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00045-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941237 | 2,065 | 3.53125 | 4 |
Stay safe this Halloween with these tips
Updated 9:00 am, Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Kids only have one thing on their minds on Halloween - getting more candy. It's up to parents to keep the holiday fun by making sure kids follow safety guidelines.
Here are some tips provided by the Houston Fire Department and the Houston Police Department:
- Never let children walk alone.
- Do not allow children to enter the cars or homes of strangers.
- Kids should not eat any candy without letting an adult inspect it first.
- Wear light-colored or reflective costumes and carry a flashlight.
- Make sure costumes are flame-retardant - avoid highly flammable materials or accessories.
- Illuminate pumpkins with flashlights or battery-operated candles instead of real candles.
- Keep burning jack-o-lanterns away from curtains, decorations or other combustible items.
- Be alert for cars that may be entering or exiting driveways. Never cross between parked cars.
- If there is no sidewalk, walk facing the oncoming traffic.
- Masks should have eye holes large enough to prevent visual obstructions.
- Only approach houses where the outside lights are on as a signal of welcome.
- If you feel threatened or in danger while trick-or-treating, you can go to any fire or police station for help.
Find more safety tips online at www.houstonfire.org.
The National Confectioners Association also offers the following tips for a happy, healthy Halloween.
- Eat before you trick or treat. Serve a healthy and nutritious dinner before your childern head out to collect candy. The kids will be happier and full, which will help reduce the temptation to eat candy at each trick-or-treat stop.
- Sort and save. Allow your kids to enjoy some of their Halloween bounty on trick-or-treat night. Then work with them to portion out two or three treats into small bags to enjoy beyond Oct. 31.
- Make it or break it. Most candies are now available in snack size portions. For the ones that aren't, break them into sections and store those separately to make your own fun sizes.
Candy storage ideas from the NCA
- Chocolate - Dark chocolate can be kept for one to two years if wrapped in foil and stored in a cool, dark and dry place. Milk and white chocolate have a more limited storage time - no more than 8 to 10 months.
- Hard candy (lollipops, hard mints, butterscotches) - Hard candies can last up to a year when stored at room temperature in a cool, dry location.
- Soft candies (gum drops, jellied candies) - If the packaging has been opened, soft candy should be covered away from the heat and light at room temperature. Stored in this manner, the candy should last 6 to 9 months. If the packaging has not been opened, soft sweets will last approximately 12 months.
- Candy corn - If opened, candy corn should be stored under the same conditions as soft candies and will last approximately 3 to 6 months. Unopened packages will last about 9 months.
For more information on candy, Halloween history and celebration ideas, visit www.candyusa.com. | <urn:uuid:f10eb6ee-49e3-4364-a0c2-fa8bf352d299> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.chron.com/life/mom-houston/article/Stay-safe-this-Halloween-with-these-tips-3994140.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00188-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.897946 | 687 | 2.625 | 3 |
5. "Prices of essential goods should be controlled so that the poor can afford them."
Price caps are one of those things that sound fine in theory but are disastrous in practice. Prices are signals which tell about supply and demand, like the markings on a thermometer tell about temperature. And just as you can't control temperature by bunging up a thermometer, you can't control supply or demand by fixing prices.
When the price rises for scarce goods, it tells people to consume less and maybe switch to alternatives. It tells others to produce more of them because there are profits to be made. The combination of less consumption and greater production acts to redress the scarcity. But it only works if prices can send their signals. If they are fixed by law to shield poorer people from their effects, there is no disincentive to consume, nor any reason to switch to alternatives. Nor is there any incentive for producers to bring more of the goods to market.
If the price of bread is fixed because of rising prices in a shortage, there is no incentive for people to turn to alternatives like other grains or potatoes. Nor is there any incentive for farmers to bring more wheat to market, or for foreign merchants to bring in their wheat to take advantage of the greater returns. There is no signal telling farmers they could profit by planting more wheat next year.
All that happens when prices are fixed by law is that the supply dries up, usually because no-one can make money by selling at the fixed price. Then the state steps in again to ration the scarce goods "fairly", and passes new laws to stop black market dealing in them. We see this happen for bread, fuel, and rented accommodation. Ultimately, the outcome is clear: if you fix the price, you only succeed in choking off the supply and making the shortage even worse. | <urn:uuid:a70eac33-0d19-4b81-9a98-ecf28d8a9434> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/tax-spending/common-error-no-5/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396147.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00108-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967901 | 375 | 3.1875 | 3 |
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig last week in the Gulf of Mexico was without question a human tragedy. The day after the rig finally sank on April 22, the Coast Guard called off the search for the 11 workers lost during the accident.
Now the accident threatens to become an environmental tragedy as well. Despite early hopes that the oil spill could be minimized, the rig's fractured drilling pipe is currently leaking 42,000 gal. of crude a day. The result is an oil slick on the surface of the water, covering more than 1,800 sq. miles, now just 20 miles from the delicate Gulf coastline. Depending on wind conditions, oil could begin washing up on the shore as early as this weekend. "If it keeps going and that's a big if the probability gets higher and higher that you could have a major impact on the land," says Nancy Kinner, co-director of the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.
The Coast Guard and the energy giant BP, which operated the sunken rig and is responsible for the cleanup, have launched a massive operation to contain the spill an unusual challenge, considering the complexity of underwater drilling. First, remote-controlled robot submarines have been deployed to try to seal off the oil well altogether by activating a massive device called a blowout preventer. If the 450-ton valve at the wellhead can be turned on, the oil flow should stop, and the spill could be ended quickly. But the outcome is far from guaranteed; robots have never been used in an operation of this magnitude nor at this depth some 5,000 ft. below the surface of the ocean.
Even as the robots do their work (officials should know within a day whether the robots were successful), BP is preparing to drill a relief well into which the original well would empty. That could allow the company to inject a heavy fluid into the broken well that would slow and eventually stop the flow of oil. Once the leak is stanched, BP could permanently seal the first well.
But the entire operation would likely take months, during which time the oil would keep spilling. So BP is also preparing to build a massive dome that could be placed over the oil leaks which are emanating from a pipe that connects the well to the sunken rig and actually collect the leaking crude. The only problem is that such an enterprise has never been attempted in deep water, and it would take at least two weeks to be put in place. "I want to be careful with expectations," said Doug Suttles, the chief operating officer for exploration and production at BP, in a news conference on Monday, April 26. "It's a very challenging work environment."
Already more than 1,000 people are working on the cleanup, along with more than 32 ships and several aircraft. The vessels are dragging long booms to corral the oil on the surface which is still a thin slick, not yet a thick tar while the planes spray chemical dispersants that can separate the crude from the water, in hopes that it will evaporate. "Our response plan is focused on quickly securing the source of the subsurface oil emanating from the well, cleaning the oil on the surface of the water and keeping the response well offshore," said Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry, the federal on-scene coordinator for the spill response.
Coast Guard officials said they would consider a controlled burn of the oil, possibly as soon as Wednesday. Pools of oil would be trapped in containment booms and set on fire a technique that could effectively burn 50% to 95% of the collected oil. The burning oil would also create a plume of smoke and air pollution, which could affect flying birds. But according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine wildlife would be less harmed by a burning area of the ocean than by exposure to an oil slick.
At the current rate, oil would have to leak from the Deepwater Horizon rig for more than 260 days to compare in magnitude to the Exxon Valdez accident, which spilled 11 million gal. of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989. Actual environmental harm in the Gulf of Mexico, which is accustomed to the oil and gas industries onshore and off (about one-third of U.S. petroleum production now comes from the Gulf), would not be as severe as that in the relatively pristine Alaskan waters. But the Gulf's $2.4 billion fishing industry could be imperiled by a major spill, as could tourism up and down the Gulf Coast and potentially the Florida panhandle. "We are being very, very aggressive," said Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, which expects to spend some $100 million on the cleanup. "This is the biggest response by anyone in the industry ever, and we're able to do it because we planned for it. We will be judged by our response."
They will be, but those who doubted the wisdom of expanding offshore exploration for oil and natural gas may have already made up their minds. In Florida, Republican lawmakers have been pushing to open drilling as close as 10 miles offshore, but in light of the Deepwater Horizon accident, which occurred less than 100 miles from the beaches of Pensacola, Governor Charlie Crist is having second thoughts. "I'm not sure this was far enough," he said on Monday. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't clean enough, and doesn't sound like it was safe enough. If this doesn't give somebody pause, there's something wrong." | <urn:uuid:0daf632e-3333-4ff8-a59a-ad53a610569d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1985197,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00149-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979458 | 1,118 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Learn about student anti-Vietnam war protests from 1965-1973. Find out about the rallies and protests in Chicago and Washington, and learn about the Kent State shootings in 1970. Read the philosophy of civil disobedience. Includes original documents and photographs, invterview excerpts, and audio clips. There is a link to eThemes resource on 1960’s decade and another on the Vietnam War.
Learn about the causes of the anti-Vietnam war movements and government reaction. Click on highlighted words in the text to read about Kent State and SDS organization. NOTE: The site includes pop-up and banner ads.
This student-created website includes lots of information about the peace movement of the 1960s, the counterculture of the time, and student/campus unrest during the period. NOTE: This site includes a discussion board.
This page sums-up the main events of the 1970's. In the short paragraph about Kent State, select the highlighted words "Killed Four Students" to listen to an audio recording of the protest and guardsmen's shooting.
Find out what pushed American students to doubt governments politics and protest the war in Vietnam. Explore links on the left to lean about protest movements at Virginia University and view original letters, fliers, and photographs. NOTE: The site leads to websites with ads and discussion boards.
Read about anti-war protests in May, 1970. Select links on the right to read newspaper articles and testimonies of witnesses. Click on the "Places" icon to read about student beatings at Pace College on May 8. Includes photographs and maps.
Find out what the term civil disobedience means. Select the "Civil Disobedience" link to read about the philosophy that refers to following conscience in opposing injustice. NOTE: The site includes pop-up and banner ads.
This program profiles ten individuals involved in the dramatic events of October 1967, from soldiers in Vietnam to students at the University of Wisconsin. Includes video interview clips, a timeline, and a teacher's guide.
These websites are about the Vietnam War. There are websites about the soldiers, the war, events in the United States during the war, and what happened after the war. On one website you can listen to the speech President Nixon gave when the United States decided to withdraw from the war. There are links to eThemes on college protests, the 60's, the 70's, Veterans Day, and the country of Vietnam.
These sites are about the major events of the 1960s including Woodstock, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and anti-war protests. Learn about this decade's popular fashion, TV shows, and baby names. There are links to eThemes Resources on Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and the Civil Rights Movement. | <urn:uuid:ad72a260-fc29-48f0-b4a1-7f0443348bb6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/73?locale=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00151-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929953 | 572 | 3.0625 | 3 |
The US & Israel
Since the founding of a Jewish homeland in 1948, America's unique friendship with Israel has weathered war and crises. It is now drawing more public scrutiny than it has in a generation.
WASHINGTON — In later years, his daughter Margaret would say it was the most difficult decision Harry Truman ever faced as president. Should he support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, or shouldn't he?
His advisers were split. Clark Clifford - Truman's debonair legal counsel - fervently believed he should. The Jews deserved a sanctuary after the horror of the Holocaust, Clifford argued. Besides, the new state would likely come to pass whether Truman urged it or not.
Secretary of State George Marshall felt otherwise. The retired general was a towering figure in the capital: Truman himself said "there wasn't a decoration big enough" to honor Marshall's leadership during World War II. At a White House meeting on May 12, 1948, Marshall objected to quick US recognition of a Jewish homeland. It would look as if Truman was angling for Jewish votes, he said, and might endanger access to Arab oil. He went so far as to say that if Truman went ahead and recognized the new state, then he, personally, would vote against him in the coming election.
It was an extraordinary rebuke to a sitting chief executive - and it didn't work. Two days later, Israel was born at the stroke of midnight, Jerusalem time. The United States announced its recognition of the new nation 11 minutes later.
Truman's support for Israel was far from unconditional. The US provided neither troops nor arms to help the new nation. It would take decades, a string of Arab-Israeli wars, and the context of the long struggle between the US and the Soviet Union to make the US-Israel relationship as close as it is today.
It was a fateful step nonetheless. Ever since, US policy in this volatile part of the world has juggled support of Israel with desire for access to oil fields controlled by Israel's often-hostile neighbors.
Today, the simmering resentments caused by this balancing act are relevant to Americans' daily lives in ways Truman could not have foreseen. Osama bin Laden has exploited the image of the US as Israel's bulwark and a quasi-imperial petroleum power to try to win support in the larger Arab world for his terrorist strikes against the US homeland.
Mr. bin Laden's depiction of the US as the hidden hand behind the region's miseries distorts, in many ways, America's role. Most US actions in the Middle East, historians say, were in pursuit of what presidents believed to be the nation's vital interests.
But answering the plaintive question "Why do they hate us?" may at least begin with the context of turning points of US involvement in the region. "The truth of the matter is that, from Washington's perspective, supporting Israel while ensuring security of Gulf oil supplies has been a very hard line to walk," says Ruhi Ramazani, a retired professor at the University of Virginia and renowned expert on the history of the modern Middle East.
Truth be told, bin Laden cites as grievances events that predate the rise of the US as a Middle East player. He begins with Western colonialism. In his chilling videotaped message made public after the beginning of the US bombing campaign in Afghanistan, he said that the Islamic world "has been tasting this humiliation and ... degradation for more than 80 years."
Bin Laden is referring to the period after World War I, when victors Britain and France were carving up the remains of the losing Ottoman Empire to suit themselves. With Britain's then-colonial secretary Winston Churchill playing a leading role, the allies created Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and other new states with arbitrary lines on the map. They imposed rulers with few legitimate ties to the ruled.
The exercise was carried out against the backdrop of the Balfour Declaration, the 1917 statement of British foreign secretary Alfred Balfour pledging British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. At the time, Western leaders failed to consider that this promise might set up a clash between Zionist and Palestinian Arab nationalism.
The result was a belt of instability and suppressed political aspirations that stretched from Constantinople to the Indian Ocean. This turmoil is far from forgotten; it is instead living history, the cause of innumerable modern fissures between Arabs, Israel, and the West.
Where was the US while this was going on? Turning inward.
"The US was basically neutral. It did not appear that the US had any great stake in Middle East affairs," says David Fromkin, a Boston University professor whose history of the region in that period is fittingly titled "A Peace to End All Peace."
By the next world war, US interests in the region had expanded. American oil companies saw the region as holding great promise, and, during the struggle against the Axis powers, US leaders came to agree. The war also saw the first major US military deployments to the area: Some 40,000 GIs were stationed in Iran alone.
In this period, Iran and its Arab neighbors saw the US as both a bulwark against invasion and a counter to the traditional power interests of Britain and Russia. Americans were the new kids in the casbah, and they were welcomed as champions of indigenous nationalism.
The US role as a symbol of hope was one that would last until the 1960s in many Muslim countries. "America was so idealized," says Mr. Ramazani.
Today, much of the Arab world sees the US solely as Israel's cosponsor, but that was not the case through Israel's early history.
The US did lobby on behalf of the United Nations' plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states upon the expiration of Britain's mandate over the area. But Truman's recognition of Israel was far from foreordained. He was much irritated by the intense pressure put upon him by pro-Zionist US relief organizations. And Marshall's opposition weighed heavily on the president.
"America played a marginal role in the birth of Israel," writes Oxford scholar Avi Shlaim in his concise history of the modern Middle East.
Two events altered this geopolitical equation: the decline of Britain as the Middle East's self-appointed protector, and the rise of the cold war.
The first of these was marked, ironically, by an event in which the US rebuked Israel, as well as Britain, and France, in the strongest terms: the Suez crisis.
It was October 1956. Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser had recently nationalized the Suez Canal. Britain and France - adamant that Egypt should not control a strategic waterway through which most of their oil imports passed - concocted a plot to unseat Nasser that was too clever by more than half.
Israel was a co-conspirator. The plan was this: The Israelis would invade the Sinai Peninsula. Britain and France would demand in a faux shocked response that the Israelis cease and desist. They would then parachute troops in to "defend" the canal, calling for both Egyptian and Israeli forces to pull back 10 miles. Nasser would certainly be deposed in the confusion.
The conspirators did not count on the reaction of President Dwight Eisenhower, who considered the whole adventure a bizarre bit of mid-Victorian gunboat diplomacy. On the evening of Oct. 30, as the plot was set in motion, Eisenhower sat in the White House, complaining bitterly to his staff. "I've just never seen great powers make such a complete mess and botch of things!" he said.
To Britain's shock, the Allied war leader threatened it with oil sanctions and forced the troika to eventually end its little war.
In the UN, the US was hailed at the time as defending a third-world nation - and an Arab one at that - against the West and Israel.
What was less realized at the time was that the Suez crisis also set the stage for the US to become one of the region's preeminent players - and therefore become more involved with Israel.
"With Suez, for the first time, the US is calling the shots in the Middle East," says Yehuda Lukacs, a professor of international relations at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
Suez also paved the way for the cold war to come to the Mideast. The affair convinced Eisenhower that a move into the area by the Soviet Union would be disastrous to Europe and NATO, because of oil needs. He announced the Eisenhower Doctrine: The US would send weapons and cash to any Mideast nation threatened by communism.
The US had already begun to equate much Arab nationalism with communism. Thus the CIA in 1953 had helped to oust Iran's elected prime minister in favor of the reliably pro-Western Shah.
In this context, Israel - a reliable democracy, a nation with a strong domestic US constituency, a capitalist bastion - would become a natural partner.
On the morning of Sunday, Oct. 7, 1973, President Richard Nixon called Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to muse about the new war in the Middle East.
The day before, Egypt and Syria had launched a surprise attack on Israel. Kissinger learned of the strike only when an aide jolted him awake in a 35th-floor hotel suite at New York's Waldorf Towers. Now, 24 hours later, results were inconclusive. Israel had asked for a quick US resupply of Sidewinder missiles and ammunition.
Nixon warned Mr. Kissinger not to appear so pro-Israel that the Arab oil states, not part of the battle, would break ranks. The president was confident the Israelis would win, as, "thank God, they should." Then he lamented the logical outcome. The Israelis "will be even more impossible to deal with than before," Nixon moaned.
Thus began the 16 sometimes-harrowing days of the Yom Kippur War. Israel did not, in fact, win quickly, and the fight bogged down. The American resupply effort was slow in coming, but when it did it was massive, involving flights of US transport planes and an infusion of 20 F-4 Phantom jets.
But in a way, it marked the end, arguably, of the most pro-Israeli period in US foreign policy.
The 1967 Six Day War, six years earlier, had been an electric shock for much of the world. Israel's easy triumph over its Arab neighbors seemed to indicate an inevitable Israeli military superiority. Though Israel fought with many non-American weapons in 1967, it was for the last time. After that, the weapons and aid flowed in abundance.
"There's no question that the US was supporting Israel from the beginning, but the big bucks didn't come until after 1967," says Richard Murphy, a scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations and former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
After the 1967 Arab trouncing by Israel, Presidents Lyndon Johnson and, then, Richard Nixon believed that the Arabs would not dare attack Israel again for a very long time. That meant the territorial status quo - including Israel's hold on the Arab land it had occupied since 1967 - might be supported indefinitely.
Technically, the US was in favor of Israel trading the captured lands for peace with its neighbors. Such is the underlying premise of UN Resolution 242. But the cold war preoccupied America at this time, and the issue of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land was relatively low on its agenda.
Then came the Yom Kippur fighting - Syria's and Egypt's bid to take back its lost territory. Kissinger and his Soviet counterpart helped negotiate a cease fire, but the Israelis - whom Kissinger didn't consult at key moments - kept fighting. Soviet leaders threatened to send in their own troops as cease-fire enforcement.
In response, the US, enforcing its edict against any Soviet presence in the area, went to a worldwide nuclear alert. It probably ranks among the tensest moments of the cold war.
The Soviets backed down, but those days of brinkmanship changed the US role in the Middle East. Egypt and Syria, though defeated militarily, had reaped political gains. For the first time in years, the US began crafting policies that paid serious heed to non-oil Arab states. Negotiations for the return of lands captured by Israel became inevitable.
In hindsight, the end of the 1973 war was the beginning of the hard-bargaining phase of US involvement in the Mideast. Most Americans are now all too familiar with this era's main elements: difficult negotiations, followed by dramatic agreement and soaring hopes, and then a crash back to earth, as the negotiating partners offered different versions of what they agreed to.
Consider the Camp David accords - still the most important Middle East pact to which the US has served as midwife. President Jimmy Carter had taken office promising a new look for US foreign policy. The hard realpolitik of the Nixon-Ford era, when everything was seen through the lens of the cold war, would be modified. In its place would be an attempt to deal with regional problems on their own terms. In the Middle East, that meant a comprehensive approach to Israeli-Arab differences, including some sort of solution for the problem of displaced Palestinians.
Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat had already kicked Soviet military advisers out of his country. Now he was ready to take another giant step toward the American camp. In September 1978, he accepted Mr. Carter's invitation to join Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for talks at the presidential retreat at Camp David.
After 16 days, the two leaders (at the time called "unguided missiles" by an unnamed State Department official) shook hands on a historic pact. Egypt would get back the Sinai, captured by Israel in 1967, in return for a pledge to normalize Egyptian-Israeli relations.
In a second part of the accords, Israel recognized the "legitimate rights" of the Palestinian people and agreed that the Palestinian problem needed to be solved in all its aspects.
Details of this solution, however, were to come later - and, of course, they did not. Mr. Begin apparently had no intention of letting go of the occupied territories where Palestinians lived, and as Carter's presidency began to sink under the weight of the energy crisis and the American hostages in Iran, US attention drifted elsewhere.
A Camp David agreement that "at first looked like a diplomatic triumph proved short-lived and shortsighted," writes Oxford's Mr. Shlaim.
Since then, the situation on the ground has changed only at the margins. Israel has continued to dot the territories with Jewish settlements, to the chagrin of a series of US presidents. The 1993 Oslo accords gave the Palestinians authority over some areas. But to many in the refugee camps, it has been too little, too late. Now the region is spiraling downward in a renewed cycle of violence.
Many Palestinians of this generation believe Israel will never grant them a full nation - only a half-state, with responsibility for water purification and garbage collection and little else.
Israelis worry that even this might be too much, and that the areas ceded so far could become a launching pad for terrorist and military action aimed at pushing the Jewish state back into the sea.
It is the emotions generated by this long cycle of shuttle diplomacy - of expectations raised and hopes dashed - that ordinary Arabs talk about when they say they understand why Al Qaeda terrorists hate the US. It is a hatred that Osama bin Laden expresses in fierce terms.
His videotaped statement of Oct. 7 ends with these words: "Neither America nor the people who live in it will dream of security before we live it in Palestine."
Translation: The US will be subject to terrorist attacks as long as it allies itself with Israel. Indeed, the danger might continue as long as Israel exists.
Whether resolving the plight of displaced Palestinians is truly one of bin Laden's main goals is an open question. Furthermore, it is virtually unthinkable that the US would ever sever, or significantly reduce, its ties with Israel, terrorist blackmail or no. Too many cultural and economic links bind the two democracies for that.
Other US allies in the region are authoritarian, or monarchies, or some combination of the two. In Saudi Arabia, the royal family could conceivably be overthrown by extremist religious factions, as happened to the Shah of Iran in 1979. That won't happen in Israel.
"It is the only really reliable regime in the area," says Shaul Gabbay of the Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East at the University of Denver.
Still, events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath have focused Americans' attention on their nation's ties with Israel to a degree not seen since the Arab oil embargo of 1973.
"The American public is now waking up to the cost of the relationship with Israel," says Professor Lukacs. "This is a question that has never been addressed in the past." | <urn:uuid:d0019c80-f2e8-4867-82f9-4480bdd5ecb1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1026/p1s1-uspo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393146.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00190-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972573 | 3,478 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The difference between
You will not be allowed to speak during the exam.
You aren't allowed to speak during the exam.
is that the first is slightly ambiguous: it may mean that only you won't be permitted to speak or that only this time will you not be allowed.
The second sentence, however, means that no one is ever allowed to speak during the exam: it's in the simple present and indicates a habitual state of affairs.
This is a very technical semantic point about why one tense and aspect is used instead of another. In everyday speech and writing, however, most native Anglophones would not make a distinction. It's really unnecessary unless the person being told that they won't be allowed to speak during the exam asks why not. The answer to that will have to be no one is ever allowed to speak during the exam, which means the speaker or writer should have used the habitual present instead of the future with will not be allowed.
Both rewrites mean They won't let you speak during the exam, but that sentence is also ambiguous. It's a stupid question and an arbitrary answer. However, it gives you a clue about how the test makers think -- or fail to think -- as the case may be. | <urn:uuid:7f44b4f5-bccf-4404-8e0f-a150ea0c32a6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/111808/is-it-wrong-will-and-during | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00145-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985247 | 255 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Restricted Space Antennas
Since antennas radiate energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or radio waves, it is important to understand what they are and how they propagate or travel. We won't get too far into the subject of radio propagation, though. That's a whole separate field of study.
Frequency. Radio waves are characterized by an oscillation. In a wire, one can think of electrons moving back and forth at a certain rate. The electric current flows in one direction for some period of time (half a cycle) and then reverses and flows in the opposite direction for the same amount of time (the other half of the cycle). Thus the motion can be characterized by a frequency measured in cycles per second. Nowadays we use the unit of Hertz (Hz), which is equivalent to cycles per second.
The electrical power grid normally uses a frequency of 60 Hz. However, radio frequencies are much higher so it is more convenient to express frequencies in kHz (1000 Hz), MHz (1,000,000 Hz or 1000 kHz) or even GHz (1,000,000,000 Hz or 1,000,000 kHz or 1,000 MHz). Notice that frequency tells us nothing about the strength of a radio wave. It only tells how fast the electromagnetic field is changing.
Wavelength. In a conductor the moving electrons travel a certain distance during a cycle. It turns out that the velocity of motion does not depend on the frequency, but is a constant that depends on the material. This characteristic velocity is normally written as c and is equal to the speed of light in the medium. In free space, c is about 300,000,000 m/s. Now, if the current flows for F cycles per second, then the time for 1 cycle is 1/F sec. And since the speed is c m/s, we can calculate that the current moved a total distance of c/F meters during the time of 1 cycle. This distance is called the wavelength.
Notice that there is a direct relationship between frequency and wavelength. It doesn't depend upon the strength of the current flow at all. It only depends on the characteristic velocity of the medium in which the current is flowing. In free space, as well as in the earth's atmosphere, the velocity is about 300,000,000 m/s. (Meters per second) In copper or aluminum wire the velocity is a little less than 300,000,000 m/s, however. Since the wavelength expresses a natural measurement unit for electromagnetic waves, most measurements in antennas are expressed in terms of wavelengths.
In terms of meters, or feet the relationships are:
wavelength (m) = 300/F(MHz)
wavelength (ft) = 984/F(MHz)
For reference purposes, here is a table of approximate frequencies and wavelengths for the amateur HF bands. Remember that it is possible to calculate the wavelength for any frequency from the equations.
Here's a good question:What is the wavelength that radiates from the 60 Hz power lines?
The study of radio propagation is a fascinating and complex subject, but we won't go into detail here. The most important thing to remember is that for most purposes there are 3 major modes of radio propagation that may be important for short wave communication.
In this mode radio waves essentially travel in a straight line. So if you want to communicate by line of sight mode, you must be able to see the other station from your antenna. Obviously, that means the higher the antennas, the longer the distance that can be reached. Although line of sight propagation works at almost any frequency, it is of importance at VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies when other modes don't exist. On the HF frequencies, it really isn't very useful, since we are generally interested in communicating over much great distances.
Ground Wave. In this mode the radio wave follows the ground. Since part of the wave slightly penetrates the earth's surface, it is attenuated and travels slightly slower than the part of the wave above the earth. That causes a "drag" that allows the wave to bend somewhat and follow the curvature of the earth. Of course the constant "drag" causes the wave to lose power, so it eventually fades away. Ground wave propagation is most important at LF and MW frequencies and allows us to hear broadcast medium wave stations over the horizon during the daytime. It may be important for local communication, but not for working DX.
Ionospheric Propagation. In this mode radio waves travel in a more or less straight line until they reach the ionosphere above the earth. Due to the ionization, the waves are refracted and when the ionization is sufficient, they will bounce back toward earth. When conditions are right, there can be multiple reflections with the signal bouncing between the ionosphere and the earth several times. That is how it's possible to propagate signals over the entire world. This mode is mainly responsible for most DX contacts on the HF amateur bands.
As a result of the geometry, it is easy to see that to communicate at large distances, the radio wave needs to leave the antenna at a relatively low angle. That allows it to move the farthest distance before bouncing off the ionosphere. Obviously, if the signal goes straight up, then it will bounce straight down and not go anywhere. As a consequence, we generally want low angle radiation for DX, but somewhat higher angles for closer communications. This will be important when we evaluate antenna designs. Unfortunately it's much easier to install an antenna that propagates straight up due to reflections from the earth.
The answer to the 60 Hz wavelength question
is: wavelength = 300,000,000/60 = 5,000,000 m = 3106 | <urn:uuid:ceb1d99f-4b63-4331-a4a5-82e5f59b62ba> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://hamuniverse.com/w5altelectromagneticwaves.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00160-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936623 | 1,179 | 4.15625 | 4 |
Harsh snowstorms on the East Coast of the U.S. Record low temperatures in Europe. Not enough snow in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. How do these recent short-term variations add up and where do they fit in to the bigger picture of global warming?
The recent blizzard of confusing and often conflicting commentary has left many people asking questions. Is the climate really warming? Warming faster than ever? Or perhaps just weirding out?
Since NASA scientists have been tracking global temperatures and climate change for decades, we checked in with researchers from across the agency to get their take on the state of Earth's climate (which, it's worth noting, isn't the same thing as Earth's weather). The result is a collection of feature stories, videos, and cool visuals that describe what we've learned. You can find them on our new "A Warming World" page.
There you'll find:
- A new video about how NASA pieces together the temperature puzzle;
- An image gallery of snaps from space that show the impact of a warming world;
- Why Arctic air has made this winter one to remember in many parts;
- That the last decade has been the warmest on record;
- How the ocean's natural rhythms can hide or accentuate global warming;
- An interview with NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt, who goes on the record about the temperature record;
- A journey through the world's temperature record since 1880;
- Color-coded maps that show the world's changing temperature.
Please keep your comments civil, in proper English, and up to around 70 words. Thank you. | <urn:uuid:9bbdc24e-11cf-4adf-816c-b7a93a1506bb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://climate.nasa.gov/blog/276 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396949.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935957 | 332 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Educational resources for the public
Hantavirus prevention materials
Brochures, video clips, and more.
Technical resources for professionals
Integrated Pest Management: Conducting Urban Rodent Surveys [PDF - 1.34MB]
Updates the 1974 CDC Urban Rat Surveys manual to include information about integrated pest management (IPM). The updated manual provides public health and housing professionals with comprehensive information for implementing IPM as a systems approach in the management of pests and vectors.
Methods for Trapping and Sampling Small Mammals for Virologic Testing [PDF - 2.19 MB]
Manual. For those performing ecologic and epidemiologic studies involving populations of rodents which are potentially infected with hantavirus. Also appropriate for studies of small-mammal populations that may harbor an infectious zoonotic agent capable of causing severe disease or death.
Coordinated, comprehensive, and holistic approach to preventing diseases and injuries that result from housing-related hazards and deficiencies.
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs
- Page last reviewed: November 14, 2014
- Page last updated: November 14, 2014
- Content source: | <urn:uuid:e44ccc53-417f-429a-b5d0-3eabff4c33ca> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/resources/technical.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00161-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.853993 | 238 | 2.625 | 3 |
Robert C. Richardson
Born: 26 June 1937, Washington, DC, USA
Died: 19 February 2013, Ithaca, NY, USA
Affiliation at the time of the award: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Prize motivation: "for their discovery of superfluidity in helium-3"
Prize share: 1/3
When certain substances are cooled to extremely low temperatures, they become superfluid, flowing without any friction. This applies to helium-4, the most common form of helium, but for a long time the superfluidity of helium-3 was in dispute. The different types of helium are described by different quantum mechanical rules and equations under which helium-4 has a whole-number spin while helium-3 has a half-number spin. In 1972 Robert Richardson, .David Lee, and Douglas Osheroff verified that helium-3 also becomes superfluid at extremely low temperatures | <urn:uuid:b1333411-ea3b-4ee1-8a28-3bc7c125050f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1996/richardson-facts.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00069-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935743 | 191 | 2.53125 | 3 |
|It has been suggested that these works be split into multiple pages.
If you'd like to help, please review the style guidelines and help pages.
Grant, G. 1896. Pennsylvania Grit December 13, 1896.
The head is as large as an ordinary flour barrel, and has the shape of a sea lion head. The neck, if the creature may be said to have a neck, is of the same diameter as the body. The mouth is on the under side of the head and is protected by two tentacle tubes about eight inches in diameter and about 30 feet long. These tubes resemble an elephant's trunk and obviously were used to clutch in a sucker like fashion any object within their reach.
Another tube or tentacle of the same dimensions stands out on the top of the head. Two others, one on each side, protrude from beyond the monster's neck, and extend fully 15 feet along the body and beyond the tail. The tail, which is separated and jagged with cutting points for several feet, is flanked with two more tentacles of the same dimensions as the others and 30 feet long. The eyes are under the back of the mouth instead of over it.
This specimen is so badly cut up by sharks and sawfish that only the stumps of the tentacles remain, but pieces of them were found strewn for some distance on the beach, showing that the animal had a fierce battle with its foes before it was disabled and beached by the surf.
Verrill, A.E. 1897. A gigantic Cephalopod on the Florida coast. American Journal of Science 4th series [January 1897] 3: 79.
The proportions indicate that this might have been a squid-like form, and not an Octopus. The "breadth" is evidently that of the softened and collapsed body, and would represent an actual maximum diameter in life of at least 7 feet and a probable weight of 4 or 5 tons for the body and head. These dimensions are decidedly larger than those of any of the well-authenticated Newfoundland specimens. It is perhaps a species of Architeuthis.
Tatler January 16, 1897.
The wide-spread interest in the very remarkable specimen of the giant squid, now lying on the beach a few miles below the city, is mainly due to its enormous size. It is believed to be the largest specimen ever found. Its great size and immense weight have thus far prevented its being moved for a more careful examination. A dozen men with blocks and tackle not being able even to turn it over. Another effort will be made with more extensive apparatus by which it is hoped to drag it from the pit in which it now lies and placing it higher up on the beach so that a careful and thorough examination in the interest of science can be made and the exact species determined. Professor Verrill of Yale and Profs. True and Dale of the Smithsonian are in constant correspondence with Dr. DeWitt Webb, President of the St. Augustine Scientific, Literary and Historical Society, in regard to it. Several photographs have been taken of it, but owing to its position, these have not been satisfactory. Mrs. John L. Wilson believes it to belong to an extinct species. Its hide is three and a half inches thick and its head is covered by a hood that prevents examination. Apparently it is a mass of cartilage and may have been dead in the water many days before it washed ashore on Anastasia Island.
DeWitt Webb's letter to William Healy Dall dated January 17, 1897.
Yesterday I took four horses, six men, 3 sets tackle, a lot of heavy planking, and a rigger to superintend the work and succeeded in rolling the Invertebrate out of the pit and placing it about 40 feet higher upon the beach, where it now rests on the flooring of heavy plank . . . on being straightened out to measure 21 feet instead of 18 . . . A good part of the mantle or head remains attached near to the more slender part of the body . . . The body was then opened for the entire length of 21 feet . . . The slender part of the body was entirely empty of internal organs. And the organs of the remainder were not large and did not look as if the animal had been so long dead . . . The muscular coat which seems to be all there is of the invertebrate is from two and three to six inches in thickness. The fibers of the external coat are longitudinal and the inner transverse...no caudal fin or any appearance if there had been any . . . no beak or head or eyes remaining . . . no pen to be found nor any evidence of any bony structure whatever.
Tatler late January, 1897.
Doctor DeWitt Webb, President of the Scientific Society, has succeeded in drawing the huge intertebrate out of the sand and securing it father up the beach, that it can be examined by scientists. So far as can be determined at present, it belongs to no family not extinct, and is principally interesting on account of its great size, being about twenty-one feet long, without a head. Professor W. H. Dall of the Smithsonian Institute, and Professor A. E. Verrill of Yale, are naturally much interested, and may be prevailed upon to visit.
DeWitt Webb's letter to William Healy Dall dated February 5, 1897.
I made another excursion to the invertebrate and brought away specimens for you and for Dr. Verrill of Yale. I cut two pieces of the mantle and two pieces from the body and have put them in a solution of formalin for a few days before I send them to you. Although strange as it may seem to you, I could have packed them in salt and sent them to you at once although the creature had been lying on the beach for more than two months. And I think that both yourself and Dr. Verrill, while not doubting my measurements, have thought my account of the thickness of the muscular, or rather tendonous husk pretty large, so I am glad to send you the specimens and I will express them packed in salt in a day or two.
Verrill, A.E. 1897. The Florida Monster. Science New Series [March 5] 5: 392.
These masses of integument are 3 to 10 inches thick, very tough and elastic, and very hard to cut. They are composed mainly of tough cords and fibers of white and elastic connective tissue, much interlaced. This structure resembles that of the blubber of some cetaceans. The creature could not possibly have been an Octopus. It was probably related to the whales, but how such a huge bag-like structure could be attached to any known whale is a puzzle that I am unable to solve at present. The supposition that it was the body of an Octopus was partly based upon its bag-like form and partly upon the statements made to me that stumps of large arms were attached to it at first. This last statement was certainly untrue.
Tatler March 13, 1897.
Professor Verrill of Yale University, who recently decided that the curious something, supposed to be an octopus, was one, basing his decision on the descriptions sent, has now concluded, after examining a piece of it, that it could not possibly be an octopus, and he cannot decide what it is. One theory advanced is that it may be a portion of some inhabitant of the sea, long since extinct, that has been fast in an iceberg for centuries, and recently washed ashore here. Another theory is that it is a portion if a deep-sea monster that on coming too near the surface was attacked by a shark, who found it too tough for a breakfast. One thing is now determined, and that is, if we do not know what it is, we know what it is not.
DeWitt Webb's letter to William Healy Dall dated March 17, 1897.
As you already know, Prof. Verrill now says our strange creature cannot be a cephalopod and that he cannot say to what animal it belongs. I do not see how it can be any part of a cetacean as Prof. V. says you suggest. It is simply a great big bag and I do not see how it could be any part of a whale. Now that I have had it brought 6 miles up the beach it is out of the way of the tide and the drifting sand and will have a chance to cure or dry up somewhat. If it were not for the soft mass of the viscera which was so difficult to remove that we left it there would be but little odour. As it is there is no great amount.
Verrill, A.E. 1897. The Florida Sea-Monster. American Naturalist [April 1897] 31: 304-307.
On the 5th of December, 1896, a portion of a very large marine animal was cast ashore on the beach twelve miles south of St. Augustine, Florida. When it first came ashore it was much mutilated at one end, and had evidently been dead for some time, and was, apparently, in an advanced state of decomposition. Contrary to expectation, it has resisted further decay, and still remains, after nearly three months, nearly in the same state as at first. It was first brought to my notice by Dr. DeWitt Webb, who has devoted a great amount of time and labor to its investigation and preservation. Through him I have received a dozen different photographic views of it, taken at different times, and showing it both in its original state and when it had been moved and partly turned over. Quite recently he has sent me several large masses of the thick and firm integument, of which the mass is mainly composed. By his efforts it has recently (with much labor) been moved several miles nearer to St. Augustine, to the terminus of a railroad, and protected from the drifting sand. It is likely to keep some months longer without much change, and to be visited by large numbers of people. The figures now given are copied from photographs made two days after it came ashore. At that time the sand had collected around it to a depth of about eighteen inches.
Its length is 21 feet; breadth about 7 feet; height about 4½ feet, when the sand was removed. Its weight was estimated at about 7 tons.
As shown by the figures, it has an elongated, pear-shaped form, broadly rounded at the larger, closed end, and considerably flattened toward the smaller and much mutilated end. At this end, as shown in both views, there are large divergent ridges covered by the frayed-out fibrous tissues. These ridges are folds of integument, but were at first mistaken for the stumps of arms, like those of an Octopus, and were so described in letters received by me. Moreover, Mr. Wilson, who visited it when first found, claimed to have found a portion of an attached arm, 36 feet long, buried in the sand. This last statement, in the light of later investiagtions, must have been erroneous and is totally misleading.1 At that time, however, it seemed quite consistent with the form and appearance of the mass which was described by Dr. Webb as closely similar to the body of the common small octopus. The photographs show this resemblance very clearly; and the ridges at the mutilated end, then supposed to be the stumps of mutilated arms, seemed to confirm the view that the mass was the mutilated body of a huge octopus,2 and as such it was described by me in the American Journal of Science and elsewhere.
As soon as specimens of the tissue were sent to me, even a hasty examination was sufficient that this view was not correct, for instead of being composed of hardened muscular fibers3 as had been supposed, the thick masses of tissue were found to consist almosy wholly of a hard, elastic complex of connective tissue fibers of large size. The masses sent vary from four to ten inches in thickness. They are white, and so tough that it is hard to cut them, even with a razor, and yet they are somewhat flexible and elastic. The fibers are much interlaced in all directions, and are of all sizes, up to the size of coarse twine and small cords. The larger fibers unite to form bundles extending from the inner surface radially. According to Dr. Webb, who opened the mass, these cords were attached in large numbers to a central saccular organ, which occupied a large part of the interior of the thicker part of the specimen. This might, perhaps, represent the spermaceti case. Naturally, most of the interior parts had decomposed long before it was opened,4 so that we lack details of the interior structure. Externally there is but little trace of cuticle. The surface is close-grained and somewhat rough, with occasional gray patches of what may be remnants of the outer skin, much altered by decay. The thick masses contain a slight amount of oil, and smell like rancid whale oil, but they sink quickly in water owing to their great density. No muscular tissue was present in any of the masses sent, nor were there any spaces from which such tissues might have disappeared by decay.
Statements that the creature cannot be an Octopus, but is of cetacean nature, were published by me in several local daily papers within a day or two after the specimens were first examined by me, and shortly afterward in the New York Herald and Science.
It is evident that such a dense and thick covering of fibrous connective tissue could not have come from any mobile part of any animal, but must have served for passive resistance to great pressure or concussion.
The structure of the integument is more like that of the upper part of the head of a sperm whale than any other known to me, and as the obvious use is the same, it is most probable that the whole mass represents the upper part of the head of such a whale, detached from the skull and jaw. It is evident, however, from the figures, that the shape is decidedly unlike that of the head of an ordinary sperm whale,5 for the latter is oblong, truncated and rather narrow in front, "like the prow of a vessel," with an angle at the upper front end, near which the single blow-hole is situated. No blow-hole has been discovered in the mass cast ashore. There is a depression, shown in the side-view, near the large end, that I at one time thought might be a blow-hole, but Dr. Webb states that it is a "sulcus" or pit two feet long and six inches deep, apparently not connected with the interior cavity and probably due to mutilation. The specimen was doubtless floated ashore by the gases of decomposition accumulated in the interior cavity, indicating the absence of any free external opening to it, from which the gas could escape.
Photographs made of the under side of the thicker part, when it was turned up by powerful tackle, show an irregular roughness on that side, extending well forward, but not to the end. The roughness may be due to abrasion, or it may show where the skull was attached. If the mass really came from the head of a sperm whale, it would seem that it must have projected farther forward beyond the upper jaw than does the nose of an ordinary sperm whale, and it would, apparently, have been much broader and blunter, or "bottle-nosed." It is possible, of course, that its form has changed considerably since death; but in view of its wonderful toughness and firmness, no great change of the larger end, supposed to be the anterior, or nose-end, is probable. All the pulling and hauling and turning of it partly over, by the aid of six horses and strong tackle, have not served to change its shape materially, or rather its elasticity serves to restore it to its former shape. Its toughness and elasticity remind one of the properties of thick vulcanized rubber.
It is possible to imagine a sperm whale with an abnormally enlarged nose, due to disease or extreme old age, which, if detached, might resemble this mass externally at least. It seems hardly probable that another allied whale, with a big nose, remains to be discovered. Notwithstanding these difficulties, my present opinion, that it came from the head of a creature like a sperm whale in structure, is the only one that seems plausible from the facts now ascertained.
1. The memorandum written by Mr. Wilson and forwarded to me by Dr. Webb is as follows: "One arm lying west of the body, 23 feet long; one stump of arm about 4 feet long; three arms lying south of body and from appearance attached to same (although I did not dig quite to body, as it laid well down in the sand and I was very tired), longest one measured over 23 feet, the other arms were three to five feet shorter."
2. This was also the opinion of a large number of naturalists who saw the photographs sent to me.
3. A highly contractile muscular integument is an essential feature of all cephalopods.
4. It should be stated after visiting the specimen, two days after it came shore, Dr. Webb did not again see it for several weeks, owing to very stormy weather and its distance from St. Augustine. Nor did anyone suppose, at that time, that its tissues could be preserved or utilized for study, owing to its apparently advanced decomposition. The outer skin rapidly decayed, but the fibrous mass seems very durable.
5. The dimensions of the head of a large sperm whale, 84 feet long, are given as follows: Length, about 25 feet; depth, 8 to 9 feet; breadth, 5 to 6 feet. The blow-hole is like a slit, about a foot long, and has a sigmoid curve. It is on the left side, close to the tip of the nose. The spermaceti case occupies a large space within the right side of the head. It is supported by strong fibrous tendons. | <urn:uuid:bc3ebbc7-b525-4096-a196-f9c1afe0a7c8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Octopus_giganteus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00033-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981003 | 3,766 | 3.25 | 3 |
Ant colonies aren't called superorganisms for nothing. In some species, millions of individuals can act as a single entity to protect and feed the colony. This behavior has led to over 200 different species being called "Army Ants", so in a way it's no surprise that these mechanisms have been used for the basis of new software that helps troops to define the best path within a battle field.
Antonio Miguel Mora García of the University of Granada designed the "ant colony optimization algorithm (ACO)" to allow army troops to choose the optimum path path within a military battle field taking into account speed and minimum casualties.
And what better way to prepare and test the system than using a strategy videogame - Panzer General™ in this case.
The resulting mini-simulator enables the researchers to define the battlefield scenario and analyze the initial map and the results of the movement.
So how useful is such an approach in modern military strategy? That question seems debatable, but thankfully the research has applications beyond the field of battle. The UGR scientists see the simulator as being useful for streamlining a range of logistical challenges on civvy street such as optimizing fuel consumption and time when distributing goods from a central warehouse. | <urn:uuid:4f883c39-1ad4-4f18-b298-62fe642131f4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gizmag.com/ants-inspire-military-strategy-software/13311/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00041-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926601 | 248 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Nanoparticles give up forensic secrets
2 October 2014
A group of researchers from Switzerland has thrown light on the precise mechanisms responsible for the impressive ability of nanoparticles to detect fingermarks left at crime scenes.
Publishing their results today, 2 October, in IOP Publishing’s journal Nanotechnology, the researchers have provided evidence contesting the commonly accepted theory that nanoparticles are attracted to fingermarks electrostatically.
The attraction, they claim, is in fact chemical and is caused by compounds on the surface of nanoparticles bonding with a complex cocktail of compounds present in fingermark residue.
The researchers believe a more fundamental understanding of the interactions between nanoparticles and fingermarks will promote the development of more precise targeting methods and increase the chances of detecting previously undetectable fingermarks.
Indeed, it has been estimated that around 50 per cent of the fingermarks left on paper remain undetected.
Lead author of the study Sebastien Moret said: “There are number of different techniques used to visualise fingermarks when they are brought into the lab; however, they all lack sensitivity.”
“Some of these techniques show an affinity not only for fingermarks, but also for the substrate or surface that the mark was left on, leading to background staining that conceals the fingermark.”
“The majority of these techniques have been developed by a trial and error approach, so it is imperative that we gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that are involved — this paper represents a first step toward this kind of research.”
Fingermarks are left at crime scenes because of natural secretions such as sweat and fatty compounds, as well as contaminants such as dirt, cosmetics or blood, which accumulate on the fingers. This residue leaves an impression of the characteristic ridges from the finger on a particular surface.
In their study, the researchers, from the University of Lausanne, deposited fingermarks onto aluminium foil and then submerged them in an aqueous solution containing silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles which had been coated with a chemical group, called a carboxyl group, made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
A special dye was also introduced into the nanoparticles so that they could be visualised under certain light once attached to the fingermark.
The researchers performed a number of tests in the study to show that the attraction between the nanoparticles and fingermark was occurring because of a chemical bond between the carboxyl group and a specific chemical group, called an amine group, that was present in the amino acids and proteins in the fingermark residue.
Up until now, the commonly accepted theory was that an acidic solution in which nanoparticles were placed caused the fingermark residue to become positively charged, which then attracted the negatively charged nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles have shown promise in the field of forensic science not only for their small size and optical properties but also for the ability to fine-tune their surface properties, which the researchers believe can be further exploited in light of their new findings.
“Now that it has been established that a chemical interaction can be promoted between nanoparticles and a specific chemical group within the fingermark residue, this interaction can be further promoted, leading to more precise targeting, increased selectivity and the reduction of background noise,” Moret continued.
“Since one chemical group from the fingermark residue has been targeted, others can be targeted as well, thus multiplying the chances of detecting previously undetectable fingermarks.”
The paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/25/42/425502/article | <urn:uuid:24de8c05-6b41-46c8-a165-027c91852dfc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.iop.org/news/14/oct/page_64141.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00051-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95254 | 756 | 2.734375 | 3 |
"The LOIRP team managed to obtain original tape drives from the 1960s (covered in dust in a farmer's barn) and a full set of original Lunar Orbiter analog data tapes (threatened with erasure) containing all images sent back to Earth by the five spacecraft between 1966-67. None of this had been functional or usable since the late 1960s. From the onset the project has been run on a shoestring budget. The LOIRP effort is housed in an abandoned McDonalds burger joint at Moffett Field, California (also known as "McMoons"). The LOIRP folks used spare parts bought on eBay, discarded government equipment, new hardware reverse-engineered from math equations in 50 year old documentation, modern laptops, the expertise of retired engineers and scientists, and the dedication of young students."
"As you will recall Kirk, Spock and McCoy go back in time to the 1930s. At one point Spock has to hack his 23rdcentury tricorder with early 20th century electronics to get data off of it. In our case, we used early 21st century electronics to hack mid 20th century electronics to gain access to 45 year old data." | <urn:uuid:63e5e8be-1afa-4819-9ca9-73154db529af> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/03/turning-junk-ba.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955334 | 242 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Losing steam? Solving the ever-looming GCC energy crisis
An important step has been taken by the likes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia to drop power and water consumption by 30 per cent by 2030. This conscious step will be reflected on the economy and the environment of the GCC.
This decision comes about as the demand for power and water sources surpasses levels elsewhere in the world and are brought on by several factors. Among these are rapid population increases and the low cost of utilities, which has led to exaggerated use of both resources by nationals and expatriates alike.
GCC countries’ budgets are thus burdened by the heavy subsidies they have on utilities.
This has led to a point of disparity in power availability, price levels and the volume of consumption, which rises by 10 per cent annually. GCC states have made significant efforts to meet such increases, which has led to a drain on national funds. This is exacerbated as individuals, families, business sectors and manufacturers are exempt from paying any form of tax.
This was acceptable to a large extent in the past, due to the abundance of resources and the limited population size. Gulf economies have achieved levels of growth that places them at the forefront in terms of growth as well as consumption patterns. But matters need to change as the environment within the global energy sector has seen seismic transformations.
Such changes require in return a radical modification of energy policies to suit local economic changes as well as changes in the global energy deficit. This is exactly what GCC countries are trying to achieve by reducing energy and water consumption by 30 per cent over the next 15 years.
This approach is expected to include overall price adjustments so as to bring them closer to international rates, which will lead to rationalisation of consumption and will limit the use of these resources for actual needs and without waste. This will ease the burden placed on state finances.
However, these increases should be gradual, especially as there is an inclination towards uniting energy prices in the GCC. It is necessary to re-evaluate the state subsidy offered to energy and water services, because without restrictions they may not achieve desired goals. This subsidising may be one of the reasons for excessive consumption of energy and water sources.
Additionally, diversification of energy sources has become a matter of necessity to reduce production costs, especially as they rely mainly on hydrocarbon sources and at prices that have doubled in recent years and are likely to rise further.
To increase the effectiveness of both the UAE and Saudi programmes, it is essential that consumers respond to this approach and understand its key purpose.
The setting up of similar programmes in other GCC countries will contribute to speeding up and integrating the components of this trend. It will also result in the integration of the Gulf energy market, considered one of the pillars of development for a common market.
If the programme attains its goals, then consumption rates in the GCC will be closer to global averages. This is an urgent issue requiring the cooperation of everyone to achieve sustainable development.
Additionally, raising prices does not necessarily lead to increasing the burden on consumers, as the rationalisation process will lead to a reduction in consumption and limit use to actual need. This means paying less on bills, and more so if rationalisation of consumption taps advances in thermal insulation and the like.
By Dr Mohammad Al Asoomi | <urn:uuid:654fa1bb-7981-413e-b7a6-fbc23bf7c219> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.albawaba.com/business/gcc-energy-554086?quicktabs_accordion=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00200-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961726 | 673 | 2.890625 | 3 |
“An institutional commitment to supporting families with young children through programs, collections, trained children’s librarians, and community partnerships.”
What Makes a Family Place Library?
Expanding the traditional role of children’s services, a Family Place Library builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parental involvement and supportive communities play a critical role in young children’s growth and development.
A Nationwide Network
Family Place Libraries™ is a network of children’s librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth, and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families. The Family Place Libraries network currently includes more than 300 sites in 23 states and continues to grow.
A Welcoming Environment
Family Place Libraries™ redesign the library environment to be welcoming and appropriate for children beginning at birth; connect parents with the resources, programs and services offered at the library and other family service agencies; and reach out to non-traditional library users. This creates the network families need to nurture their children’s development during the critical first years of life and helps ensure all children enter school ready and able to learn.
Kalamazoo Public Library: A Family Place Library
Family Place Libraries are committed to developing a family-centered approach to library services. Kalamazoo Public Library was recently selected to join more than 300 libraries in 23 states, which are committed to serving families with children from birth to age 5.
Funding is provided in part by a special Family Place grant through the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Learn more... | <urn:uuid:bfcf5cc2-6bb4-4025-a539-754b5df93d32> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://kpl.gov/kids/family-place/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00056-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947886 | 321 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Atoka First Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian missionaries first appeared in the Atoka area in the 1840s and by 1883 the Presbyterian Church was established in the region. In 1897, the congregation built a wood frame meetinghouse on the outskirts of town, which they utilized until 1907.
The current church site was acquired and construction begun on this version of the church in 1912. It was completed in 1913. The church was designed and constructed by the Faudree brothers – notable, local contractors who were associated with several prominent historic buildings in Atoka. The First Presbyterian Church of Atoka is an architecturally distinct building, the lone example of a Romanesque Revival-style church in Atoka County. This particular church is further enhanced by characteristics associated with the Arts and Crafts style that emerged in the first part of the twentieth century.
Membership in the congregation of First Presbyterian grew through the 1930s, but by 1962 the church counted only 46 members. Similarly to many churches around the state, the drop in membership combine with the cost of maintaining the structure led the church to close its doors permanently in the 1990s. A private owner hopes to see the property restored, but issues with costs, conflicts over encroachments on abutting properties, and recent rumors that the site would make a suitable parking lot for neighboring businesses has the community concerned. Organization and advocacy are needed to see that this architectural gem in downtown Atoka isn’t lost.
Read More at Preservation Oklahoma: http://www.preservationok.org/2011_Atoka_Presbyterian.html | <urn:uuid:4158f78c-1299-4155-bc2a-b267e170ed82> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abandonedok.com/atoka-first-presbyterian-church/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972276 | 321 | 2.65625 | 3 |
EU energy infrastructure plans may undermine EU climate change goals
[Brussels, 14 October 2013] Today the European Commission announced hundreds of energy infrastructure projects to be constructed across Europe, starting this year . These include gas storage terminals and pipelines, ‘pumped storage’ hydropower projects and major power lines. These plans may compromise Europe’s efforts to limit the impacts of climate change.
Just days after scientists said the threat of climate change is clearer than ever , the EU is promoting major fossil fuels energy projects - to be labelled projects of European ‘common interest’ (PCIs) - including a controversial offshore natural gas terminal in Northern Italy.
Martina Mlinaric, Senior Policy Officer for Biodiversity, Water and Soil Protection at the EEB said, “These plans are presented as tools to, amongst other things, facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, yet some of the projects could actually compromise Europe’s efforts to limit the impacts of climate change by undermining resilience.” She added “Transparency and participation in the process was ‘too little, too late’ to have any effect on the decision that had just been taken.”
We need secure energy supplies, but making it easier to import gas and oil may not square with Europe’s ambitions to be a world leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The consultancy firm that was responsible for assessing the need for gas infrastructure PCIs has described the assumptions about future gas demand as ‘aggressive’ . Gas demand is assumed to grow at almost twice the rate estimated by the International Energy Agency. The European Commission’s own figures assume gas demand will actually fall, as Europe seeks to cut its carbon emissions by 80-95% by mid century.
In addition, the negative environmental impacts of some of these projects might actually lead to reducing natural resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change and increase the vulnerability of people, and consequently the costs of combating the impacts of climate change.
Ivan Scrase, Senior Climate Change Policy Officer at the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) said, “We have to tackle climate change, secure our energy supplies and protect nature. We need some major energy investments, and that requires popular support. There are no contradictions in all this. But what we don’t need is lists containing lots of controversial projects drawn up hastily behind closed doors.”
A number of the projects will have major impacts on local communities, wildlife and industries such as tourism, and as such may compromise local communities’ livelihoods. For example the electricity PCI list includes a project creating reservoirs in a pristine area of the Austrian Alps.
It is Europe’s citizens who will ultimately have to pay for the investments. Some trade-offs and impacts may be inevitable, but critics say these have not been openly discussed and some projects look particularly questionable. The level of secrecy involved in drawing up these lists has been strongly criticised by environmental NGOs such as the European Environmental Bureau, BirdLife and WWF in letters to the European Commission .
Martina Mlinaric concluded, “The PCI label should be used sparingly, where it is really needed and truly deserved. The EU should at least strive to promote a coherent vision for Europe’s energy future, and build support for well-justified plans.”
The Commission will now transmit the proposed delegated act, including the PCI list, to Member States (the Council of the European Union) and the European Parliament for their consideration. They will not be able to change the list however, only agree to or reject it.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe’s largest federation of environmental citizens’ organisations. It is the environmental voice of European citizens, standing for environmental justice, sustainable development and participatory democracy. Our aim is to ensure the EU secures a healthy environment and rich biodiversity for all.
BirdLife Europe is a Partnership of nature conservation organisations in 49 countries, including all EU Member States, and a leader in bird conservation. Through its unique local to global approach BirdLife Europe delivers high impact and long term conservation for the benefit of nature and people.
Notes to the editor:
1. European Commission announcement and link to the list of projects
2. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/news_and_events/docs/ar5/press_release_ar5_wgi_en.pdf
3. European Commission web page on energy projects of common interest
4. Gas PCIs consultants’ report
A report to the European Commission by consultants Booz & Company assessed the eligibility of candidate PCIs submitted by developers and national governments. The report is entitled “MARKET ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAS MARKETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THE NORTH SOUTH GAS INTERCONNECTIONS IN WESTERN EUROPE, SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE AND THE BALTIC SEA REGION”, and dated April 18 2013.
The scenario for gas demand chosen by the decision makers is described in the report as “aggressive given the recent developments of European gas market” (p.36).
A graph in the report (Figure 2, reproduced below from p. 10 in the report) shows that need for the gas PCIs is justified by assuming gas demand will increase by 1.1% each year to 2030. In contrast, the International Energy Agency estimates EU demand will grow by just 0.6% per annum over the same period. The European Commission’s own figures assume gas demand will actually fall by 0.3% per annum.
The consultants state “....the chosen demand scenario has a significant impact on needs for (additional) infrastructure by 2030. A high demand scenario will overestimate the need for infrastructure and a low scenario will underestimate this need.” (p.9).
This “aggressive” demand assumption is therefore not in line with recent evidence, expert opinion or the European Commission’s own assumptions. This calls into question whether all of the gas PCIs are in fact needed, or in line with Europe’s plans for future evolution of the energy market.
5. EEB, BirdLife and WWF letter to the European Commission
Link available at:
a) Northern Adriatic:
In a very fragile ecosystem in the Northern Adriatic, Italy wants to build a new terminal to store natural gas brought in on ships from all over the world. Local and environmental groups, as well as the Slovenian government have fiercely opposed the project, fearing it will cause pollution in the Gulf of Trieste and that there could be a major industrial accident in future. Even the Italian government is in two minds about the project - their Environment Minister in April suspended its environmental permit.
b) The Alps:
In one of the last pristine areas remaining in the Alps, Austria wants to flood land and divert glacial rivers into tunnels to create a ‘pumped storage’ facility. This would use surplus electricity to pump water up the mountain, and release it again to generate power when it’s needed. A neat idea, perhaps, but NGOs such as WWF, Greenpeace and BirdLife argue this cannot be the right location, since the nearly untouched nature of this high alpine valley would be irreversibly impacted. The project could also damage livelihoods of tourist operators in that area. Even the first report on possible impacts prepared for Tyrolean provincial government seriously questions whether the project could go ahead without breaching EU nature and water protection laws.
The Norwegian Government opposed an electricity transmission line from the UK, because their energy laws do not allow private developers to own grid assets there. Yet the UK government insisted the private developer behind the project must get the ‘common interest’ status for the interconnector.
Martina Mlinaric, EEB Senior Policy Officer for Biodiversity, Water and Soil Protection, email: email@example.com, phone: +32 (0) 476 972 050
Ivan Scrase, Senior Climate Change Policy Officer at the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) email: Ivan.Scrase@rspb.org.uk, phone: +44 (0) 7738 736612
Alison Abrahams:EEB Communications Officer +32 (0) 2289 13 09 Mobile: +32 489 304 962 firstname.lastname@example.org
Caroline Jacobsson, Head of Communications & Marketing, BirdLife Europe - Phone: +32 (0)2 238 50 94, email: email@example.com | <urn:uuid:2adbe8bd-77d0-445b-b578-486ef7004b66> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.eeb.org/index.cfm/news-events/news/eu-energy-infrastructure-plans-may-undermine-eu-climate-change-goals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00102-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916135 | 1,815 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Magic Kingdom can be considered the world’s greatest playground. Its impressive combination of storybook rides, beloved characters, enchanting shows, and delicious food make it possibly the most charming place on earth. Although “educational” is a word rarely used to describe this favorite recreational site, Magic Kingdom has much to offer both the eager – and reluctant – learners.
An entire course of literature can climax with a field trip to the Magic Kingdom. Several classic writings come to life in this Disney park. Have your student read Johann David Wyss’ Swiss Family Robinson and Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. Begin the day with a walk through the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland to receive a visual picture of what daily life might have been like for this fictional family. Then continue to Frontierland and board a raft to Tom Sawyer’s Island. Explore caves and a fort as your relive young Tom’s life.
Study a favorite in children’s literature, Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus Tales, These beloved accounts of Brer Rabbit and his friends and foes will draw you to one of our family’s favorite rides, Splash Moutain, an adventurous recreation of several Uncle Remus stories.
Pause for a history lesson while in Frontierland. Perhaps the most obvious academic attraction at Magic Kingdom is the Hall of Presidents, located in Liberty Square. This audio-animatronic show includes all forty-three men who have served as Commander and Chief of the United States of America. Selected Presidents speak about their terms and important events related to the era they lived in. The current President gives a longer, motivating speech with a patriotic message. Before being seated for the show, be sure to observe all of the fascinating displays, including clothing, weapons, letters, and other items that formerly belonged to our nation’s leaders.
More learning can be found throughout Liberty Square if you take a few minutes to look around. Let your students test a consequence of bad behavior when they visit the stocks. Have a school picture taken next to the replica of the Liberty Bell. Enjoy a colonial dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. This Magic Kingdom land is the perfect place for a history lesson.
Continue your study of children’s literature in Fantasyland. Prior to the field trip, have your student familiarize himself with A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White. These sentimental storylines that most children are familiar with are often unlike the original writing, providing excellent discussion on the similarities and differences. Beware, however, if you have very young students. The early versions of these stories may be a bit disturbing.
Literature class will conclude in Fantastyland, but proceed to Tomorrowland for a lesson on space and technology. The most educational attraction in this land is the Carousel of Progress, another audio-animatronic show that discusses industrial advancements and inventions that have benefited home life over the past decades. Allow your students to take a ride through space on one of Disney’s most famous rollercoasters, Space Mountain, or participate in a challenging, intergalactic game in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. While calling those attractions educational material may be a stretch, they are great rewards for the diligent student.
A visit to Magic Kingdom and its sister parks is guaranteed to be one of the greatest and most memorable field trips of the school year.
Incoming search terms:
- educational opportunities at disney worlds magic kingdom | <urn:uuid:68fa2d16-57d4-444e-84f1-893db53dc69e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2011/05/educational-opportunities-at-walt-disney-world-magic-kingdom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00080-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930656 | 740 | 2.640625 | 3 |
So-called 'late onset diabetes' is now more widely termed Type 2 diabetes. And for very good reasons. It was previously the case that childhood and adolescent diabetes was nearly exclusively Type 1 diabetes and that Type 2 diabetes very rarely affected the young. Sadly, this is no longer true. As the spread of 'westernized' lifestyles gives rise to a steep increase in rates of obesity worldwide, Type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging among children and adolescents. In this article, Kaichi Kida describes the positive effects of the school-based screening and prevention programmes against childhood and adolescent Type 2 diabetes in Japan.
Japan, Schools, Government, | <urn:uuid:c6d086e8-088d-45c8-8cdc-e2f5ae84b92f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.idf.org/diabetesvoice/articles/japanese-school-programmes-combat-type-2-diabetes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936239 | 128 | 2.703125 | 3 |
- Historic Sites
He invented modern mass production. He gave the world the first people’s car, and his countrymen loved him for it. But at the moment of his greatest triumph, he turned on the empire he had built—and on the son who would inherit it.
October/November 1986 | Volume 37, Issue 6
He went from Flower & Brothers to a company called Detroit Dry Dock, which specialized in building steamboats, barges, tugs, and ferries. His job was to work on the engines, and he gloried in it, staying there two years. There was, he later said, nothing to do every day but learn. In 1882, however, at the age of nineteen, he returned to the farm, and his father offered him eighty acres of land to stay there. William Ford did that to rescue his wayward son from the city and his damnable machines; Henry Ford took it because he momentarily needed security—he was about to marry Clara Bryant. Nothing convinced him more of his love of machines than the drudgery of the farm. Again he spent every spare minute tinkering and trying to invent and reading every technical magazine he could. He experimented with the sawmill on the farm; he tried to invent a steam engine for a plow. Crude stationary gasoline engines had been developed, and Ford was sure a new world of efficient gasoline-powered machines was about to arrive. He wanted to be part of it. In 1891, with all the timber on the farm cut, he asked Clara to go back to Detroit with him. “He just doesn’t seem to settle down,” his father said to friends. “I don’t know what will become of him.”
The last thing Henry Ford was interested in was settling down. He intended, he told his wife, to invent a horseless carriage. But first he needed to know a good deal more about electricity. So he took a job with Detroit Edison at fortyfive dollars a month. The city had grown dramatically in the few years since he had first arrived; its population was now more than 205,000. The railroads had begun to open up the country, and, except for Chicago, no town in America had grown as quickly. Detroit now had streetlights. There were more machine shops than ever before. In this city the age of coal and steam was about to end.
By 1896, at the age of thirty-two, Ford finally had his first car on the street. He was so excited by the prospect of his inaugural ride that he barely slept for the forty-eight hours before it. He had been so obsessed and preoccupied during the creation of the car that not until it was time for the test drive did he find that the door of the garage was too small for it to exit. So he simply took an ax and knocked down some of the brick wall to let the automobile out. A friend rode ahead on a bike to warn off traffic. A spring in the car broke during the ride, but they fixed it quickly. Then Henry Ford went home so he could sleep for a few hours before going to work. Later he drove the car out to his father’s farm, but William Ford refused to ride in it. Why, he asked, should he risk his life for a brief thrill?
Henry Ford sold that first car for $200 and used the money to start work immediately on his next. It was considerably heavier than the first, and he persuaded a lumber merchant named William Murphy to invest in the project by giving him a ride. “Well,” said Mur- phy when he reached home safely, “now we will organize a company.” In August 1899 Murphy brought together a consortium of men who put up $15,000 to finance Ford’s Detroit Automobile Company. Ford thereupon left Detroit Edison to work full time on his car.
The way to make cars, Ford said in 1903, is to make one like another, “just as one pin is like another pin, or one match like another match.”
In February 1900, at the threshold of the twentieth century, Ford was ready to take a reporter from the Detroit News-Tribune for a ride. The car, he said, would go twenty-five miles an hour. The reporter sensed that he was witness to the dawn of a new era. Steam, he later wrote, had been the “compelling power of civilization,” but now the shriek of the steam whistle was about to yield to a new noise, the noise of the auto. “What kind of a noise is it?” the reporter asked. “That is difficult to set down on paper. It is not like any other sound ever heard in this world. It was not like the puff! puff! of the exhaust of gasoline in a river launch; neither is it like the cry! cry! of a working steam engine; but a long, quick, mellow gurgling sound, not harsh, not unmusical, not distressing; a note that falls with pleasure on the ear. It must be heard to be appreciated. And the sooner you hear its newest chuck! chuck! the sooner you will be in touch with civilization’s latest lisp, its newest voice.” On the trip, Ford and the reporter passed a harness shop. “His trade is doomed,” Ford said.
Ford, however, was not satisfied. The cars he was making at the Detroit Automobile Company were not far behind the quality of the cars being made by Duryea or Olds, but they remained too expensive for his vision. Ford desperately wanted to make a cheaper car. His stockholders were unenthusiastic. By November 1900 the company had died. But Ford was as determined as ever to make his basic car, and he decided that the way to call attention to himself and pull ahead of the more than fifty competing auto makers was to go into racing. In 1901 he entered a race to be held in Grosse Pointe. He won and became, in that small, new mechanical world, something of a celebrity. That propelled him ahead of his competitors. | <urn:uuid:02e25861-7f10-449f-b40e-0b64b7e04d99> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.americanheritage.com/content/citizen-ford?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991123 | 1,283 | 2.9375 | 3 |
April 21, 2011
Astronomers Peer Into The Dark
Astronomers from the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) have produced a completely new catalogue of ~15,000 groups of galaxies that gives a new insight into dark matter, the material of unknown composition that makes up a fifth of the mass of the Universe. Dr Aaron Robotham of the University of St Andrews presented the work of the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) team in his talk on Thursday 21 April at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, Wales.
Current models of the Universe predict that galaxies reside in large clumps of dark matter, commonly referred to as dark matter halos. Unlike individual galaxies, galaxy groups provide a unique environment in which to study the properties of this elusive material. Understanding the 20% of the cosmos comprised of dark matter is important "“ in comparison only 3% of the mass of Universe consists of 'ordinary' matter."The motions of the galaxies inside the groups provide a direct method for studying the properties of dark matter", says Dr Aaron Robotham who leads the group catalogue project. "Studying dark matter in galaxies is confused by normal processes such as star formation, while this unseen material dominates the motions of galaxies in groups".
Dr Robotham describes the construction of the group catalogue, which is a significant improvement on previous similar attempts with much shallower surveys. "The sample has some of the most massive bound structures ever measured. These range from the equivalent of a million billion times the mass of the Sun down to a mere few thousand billion solar masses. To have this range of dark matter halo masses within a single study is unprecedented".
"Some of our groups contain hundreds of galaxies while others only a handful", says Dr Peder Norberg, a co-investigator based at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, "the ratio of the number of very high mass to very low mass groups is a direct indicator of the type of dark matter that the Universe contains. Hot or warm dark matter (meaning light particles) suppresses the formation of low mass halos while cold dark matter (heavy particles) encourages their formation."
It will take a further few years of detailed studies, with a large range of models, before a definite conclusion can be reached on whether the new GAMA data and supercomputer predictions (based on the popular Cold Dark Matter model of the Universe) are in good agreement or not.
"Currently the differences seen between the model and the data can be understood as limitations in the galaxy formation model used, explaining why intense modeling and further studies are required, and hopefully leading to some exciting new findings in the years ahead with possibly the first new insight into the properties of dark matter particles," adds Dr. Norberg.
GAMA team leader Professor Simon Driver of the University of St Andrews and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia, says this group catalogue is the first big step of 4 years of data gathering by the GAMA Team at the Anglo-Australian Telescope. "The catalogue will provide the opportunity to study how gravity works over an unprecedented mass range and using data from other telescopes around the world we will shed fresh light on how dark mater helps to turn gas into stars".
Image Caption: An image of a galaxy cluster discovered in the GAMA group catalogue. This is an inverse color composite of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared images so redder galaxies appear blue and vice-versa. Galaxies in the cluster are highlighted with circles, with the size of the circle proportional to the mass of the galaxy. The color of the circle indicates the true color of the galaxy. In this image a mixture of galaxy types are visible, but very few blue (star-forming) galaxies. The brightest galaxy is located at the center. Credit: GAMA / Aaron Robotham. [ More Images ]
On the Net:
- University of St Andrews
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Western Australia
- Royal Astronomical Society | <urn:uuid:d75fd648-a8d3-4d8a-add2-a3f822842a9d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/2034178/astronomers_peer_into_the_dark/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00081-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.89973 | 816 | 3.171875 | 3 |
runner balance is important when we works with more than 1 cavity in mold design, unbalancing runner can cause various like unfill mold (short shot), weld line, air traps, burning and others.
from previous post that talk about design of runner balance in 6 cavity, now let's prove it by simulation of filling time.
Unbalance Flow Definition
Unbalanced flow is plastic completely filling some flow paths in the mold before other flow paths have filled. we can see from result of simulation, if color is same in cavity (for example at the end and gate) that mean it have good flow.
1. Unbalance Runner System
from picture above we can consider that flow of plastic in various cavity doesn't fill in the same time, it can cause flashing, short shots, high cycle time, density differences throughout the part, warpage, air traps and extra weld lines.
flashing will occur in cavity that fill earlier, becouse cavity that fill earlier will continue receive plastic flow until other cavity filled (it depend on injection pressure and cycle time set up).
Short shots happened at cavity number that fill more slowly then others cavity then the pressure and cycle time doesn't enough to fill the last cavity.
2. Balance Runner of 6 cavity
although this runner layout is not the best for 6 cavity layout, it better in fill time than runner layout before. look at the picture below
by changing the layout we can get runner that more balance with previous, from cavity number 1 until 6 the fill time is almost same. | <urn:uuid:ea1b1359-83fc-4256-8cf3-7c80d89062a4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://mould-technology.blogspot.com/2008/06/fill-time-runner-balance-on-6-cavity-of.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00049-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936063 | 312 | 2.671875 | 3 |
What are Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes?
While programmatic student learning outcomes (SLOs) encompass what students should be able to know, think, or do across all courses within a curriculum, course student learning outcomes are more specific and describe achievement expected in a particular course.
- Course outcomes should clearly relate to topics, assignments, and exams that are covered in the present course.
- Course outcomes should be clear, measurable, use verbs (e.g., identify, recall,) and may contribute to the assessment of program learning outcomes.
- Course outcomes are more detailed and specific than programmatic outcomes because they identify the unique knowledge and skills expected to be gained from a given course. However, course outcomes should be broad and general enough to accomodate changes in course content over time. For example, a course outcomes may be written as “students will be able to describe the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and historical trends within a specialty area.” Not including specific concepts, perspectives, and trends will allow an instructor to add to those concepts/perspectives/theories that are newly-emerging without re-writing the course outcome.
- Course outcomes contribute to the achievement of programmatic outcomes. For example, if a programmatic outcome is: “students will be able to describe the major concepts, theoretical persectives, and historical trends in psychology,” a course outcome may be: “students will be able to describe the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and historical trends in abnormal psychology” (i.e., a specific component of the discipline).
Writing a Course Outcome
- Unclear: The course will introduce you to major periods in the history of western music.
- Clear: You will be able to identify and summarize the important features of major periods in the history of western music.
- Unclear: You will understand important concepts and principles.
- Clear: You will be able to apply important concepts and principles of psychology todraw conclusions about populations from samples.
- Clear: You will be able to describe the operations of financial institutions and the services they provide.
- Unclear: You will write a term paper on a topic that interests you.
- Clear: You will be able to demonstrate your knowledge about the significance of current research in the field by writing a research report.
- Clear: You will be able to prepare and present effective, informative, and persuasive public speeches.
Additional Important Points
- It is possible for courses to have additional course learning outcomes that may not contribute to overall programmatic outcomes.
- The relationship between course and programmatic outcomes are described in a curriculum map.
- Detailed information and examples can be found in the pdf: Reference materials and helpful guidelines for writing program- and course-level student learning outcomes.
- University of West Florida’s Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.
- Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence provides detailed information about course- versus program-level assessment.
- The University of Hawaii at Manoa has many workshops, including one focusing on course-level outcomes, and includes both PowerPoint slides and handouts. | <urn:uuid:3f5cee8c-3c3a-4f2f-8885-d8629ae87f1d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://web.uri.edu/assessment/course-level-outcomes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396949.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907656 | 649 | 2.609375 | 3 |
I recently purchased a kit from Australia. It is a vest and has cables on it which is something new for me. I am a novice knitter but wanted a challenge. I came across this instruction "twist, p1" and have no idea what they mean by twist.
Can anyone help?
Thanks for ending my confusion. Hope
02-28-2005, 09:14 PM
In this case, it simply means to twist the stitch. For example, if you are a combined knitter, (http://knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/purl.php) your purl stitch would already be twisted. Similarly, you can look at Amy's video for untwisting a stitch(http://knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php) so that you can twist a stitch. Backwards, huh? You could manually twist it, but it's probably easier to just go through the opposite side of the loop. Any help from anyone more versed that me (which is most of you)? | <urn:uuid:54014e7a-7f8e-4b35-8e14-26b748a92669> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/archive/index.php/index.php?t-28879.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00196-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938799 | 223 | 2.890625 | 3 |
A German historian has unearthed an extremely troubling formal relationship between the Associated Press (AP) and the Nazi party in the 1930’s, in which propaganda produced by the Hitler regime was supplied to American newspapers in exchange for continued access to Germany
After the Nazi party came to power in 1933, they began a campaign of strict image control, which encompassed the banning of almost all international media within Germany. By 1935 most media outlets were forced to close their German bureaus after persistent persecution due to their continued employment of Jews within their agencies.
The New York-based AP was the only international media outlet that was able to maintain operations under the Nazi regime, continuing to operate until the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. This created a paradigm in which the AP became virtually the sole hub of information about Nazi Germany being disseminated to the rest of the world.
Harriet Scharnberg, a historian at Halle’s Martin Luther University, recently published her findings on the AP/Nazi complicity in the academic journal ‘Studies in Contemporary History’. In the journal, she reveals that the AP’s cooperation with the Nazis allowed the regime to “portray a war of extermination as a conventional war”.
To operate within the Nazi state, media was forced to submit to the so-called Schriftleitergesetz (editor’s law), which required media to publish nothing “calculated to weaken the strength of the Reich abroad or at home”.
According to a report in The Guardian:
This law required AP to hire reporters who also worked for the Nazi party’s propaganda division. One of the four photographers employed by the Associated Press in the 1930s, Franz Roth, was a member of the SS paramilitary unit’s propaganda division, whose photographs were personally chosen by Hitler. AP has removed Roth’s pictures from its website since Scharnberg published her findings, though thumbnails remain viewable due to “software issues”.
AP also allowed the Nazi regime to use its photo archives for its virulently antisemitic propaganda literature. Publications illustrated with AP photographs include the bestselling SS brochure “Der Untermensch” (“The Sub-Human”) and the booklet “The Jews in the USA”, which aimed to demonstrate the decadence of Jewish Americans with a picture of New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia eating from a buffet with his hands.
While this agreement allowed the Western world to have a semblance of access to the secretive Nazi regime, it also obscured the reality of totalitarian regime from the rest of the world – allowing for the easier consolidation of power for the Nazi party.
In response to these allegations an AP spokesman told The Guardian:
“As we continue to research this matter, AP rejects any notion that it deliberately ‘collaborated’ with the Nazi regime. An accurate characterisation is that the AP and other foreign news organisations were subjected to intense pressure from the Nazi regime from the year of Hitler’s coming to power in 1932 until the AP’s expulsion from Germany in 1941. AP management resisted the pressure while working to gather accurate, vital and objective news in a dark and dangerous time.”
Ironically, similar arrangements are clearly still in operation today, as the AP has come under fire for their current relationship with the North Korean government after they opened the first Western news agency in the repressive state in January 2012.
According to a report in The Guardian:
In 2014, Washington-based website NK News alleged that top executives at AP had in 2011 “agreed to distribute state-produced North Korean propaganda through the AP name” in order to gain access to the highly profitable market of distributing picture material out of the totalitarian state. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea comes second from bottom in the current World Press Freedom Index.
A leaked draft agreement showed that AP was apparently willing to let the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) handpick one text and one photo journalist from its agitation and propaganda unit to work in its bureau. AP told the Guardian that “it would be presumptuous to assume ‘the draft’ has any significance”, but declined to disclose further information on the final agreement.
Significant events, reported in the international media, were not covered by AP’s Pyongyang bureau, such as the six-week public disappearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September and October 2014, the November 2014 Sony Entertainment hack that had allegedly been orchestrated by a North Korean cyberwarfare agency, or a reports of a famine in South Hwanghae province in 2012.
A spokesperson for AP has denied the claim that the agency allows itself to be censored.
“We do not run stories by the Korean Central News Agency or any government official before we publish them. At the same time, officials are free to grant or deny access or interviews.”
The media clearly has a vested interest in crafting a narrative that allows for continued access. In exchange for access to reclusive regimes, the AP has allowed these regimes to craft the image of them that is subsequently transmitted to the rest of the world — however disingenuous that reality may be.
The former AP correspondent who published the leaked draft agreement, Nate Thayer, told the Guardian:
“It looks like AP have learned very little from their own history. To claim, as the agency does, that North Korea does not control their output, is ludicrous. There is naturally an argument that any access to secretive states is important. But at the end of the day it matters whether you tell your readers that what you are reporting is based on independent and neutral sources”.
While AP may deny they collaborated with the Nazis or North Korean government, the evidence of collusion with these parties is unmistakable. The reality is that much of what is propagated in the media is done so with a specific intent meant to drive a chosen narrative. | <urn:uuid:823f3f9e-967a-4c93-8f50-e734bf4d5661> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://thefreethoughtproject.com/revealed-biggest-news-agency-world-fed-americans-nazi-propaganda-cooperation-hitler/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967879 | 1,231 | 3.03125 | 3 |
When he was 30 years old, he had a son named Reu. He lived for another 209 years and had other sons and daughters. His total life span was thus 239 years, slightly more than half that of his father and the shortest life span to date in his line.
The name Peleg means "division," and Genesis 10:25 states that "in his time the earth was divided." Georgius Syncellus, as quoted by Ussher, states that the Tower of Babel was built and then abandoned when Peleg was five years old. Some also speculate that in Peleg's time the earth was mapped, or even that some sort of tectonic activity had occurred in that period.
- Genesis 11:18-19
- Ussher, James. The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003, pghh. 48-49 | <urn:uuid:80bce3b3-a506-40ad-b08c-950a16706396> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Peleg&oldid=638450 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00106-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987114 | 189 | 2.546875 | 3 |
BASIC BOOKS, JUNE 2013 Most women are taught that conception only occurs if coitus takes place within a so-called “fertile window” around ovulation, usually halfway through a menstrual cycle. This underlies the “rhythm method” and related birth-control techniques that include monitoring a woman’s basal body temperature or mucus secreted by glands in her cervix. It has long been held that the window lasts only 3 days, allowing 2 days for survival of ejaculated sperm and at most a day for egg survival after ovulation.
But pregnancy lengths in higher primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) seemingly vary twice as much as in other mammals. Why?
It is well known that female bats can store sperm for months between copulation and fertilization. But sperm storage has rarely been considered for primates. Intervals between copulation and birth vary more if sperm are stored in the female’s body. It has also been shown that human sperm can survive for at least 5 days in the uterus, but no attempt has been made to identify an upper limit. I explore the implications of possible sperm storage and other aspects of the science of sex in my new book, How We Do It: The Evolution and Future of Human Reproduction.
In most mammals, females mate only during a clearly defined estrus period lasting about 3 days, matching survival times of eggs and sperm. But monkeys and apes, like humans, have no obvious estrus and typically mate on many days, not just near ovulation.
Many ingenious hypotheses have been suggested to account for copulation when ovulation is unlikely. Yet all completely ignore a fundamental problem: copulation near the beginning or end of a fertile window poses the danger of fertilization with a timeworn sperm or egg. Studies of laboratory mammals have shown that this triggers pregnancy loss or fetal deformity. So why do humans and other higher primates copulate several days away from ovulation?
Variation in pregnancy lengths yields a clue. Because mammalian pregnancies generally show precise timing, it is unlikely that higher primate pregnancies really vary. Apparently doubled variation in monkeys, apes, and humans is presumably an artifact of how conception dates are inferred.
Pregnancy durations for monkeys and apes are mainly calculated from observed copulations. In mammals with an obvious estrus, this generally pinpoints conception dates accurately, and variation in pregnancy lengths corresponds to actual conception-to-birth intervals. But because higher primates often copulate on several days of the cycle, conception time cannot easily be detected. It is assumed that both ovulation and copulation resulting in conception typically occur at mid-cycle. But sperm storage in the female could introduce a delay of several days between mating and conception.
We can test this novel hypothesis by determining whether variation of pregnancy lengths for monkeys and apes decreases when conception is inferred more reliably, by detecting ovulation time hormonally. Studies of various species have confirmed that pregnancy lengths based on ovulation do vary less.
Although the possibility of sperm storage has rarely been considered, procedures such as artificial insemination indicate that sperm may survive in a woman’s body not just for 5 days but for 10 days or more. Moreover, human pregnancies following single coitus indicate conception virtually throughout the cycle.
Concrete medical information is seemingly limited to one landmark 1980 study led by Israeli gynecologist-obstetrician Vaclav Insler. Twenty-five women bravely volunteered for artificial insemination on the day before hysterectomy. Examination then revealed up to 200,000 sperm cells in the mucus-producing crypts of the cervix. Insler and colleagues suggested that the cervix serves as a reservoir from which viable sperm are gradually released. Medical scientists never followed up on this discovery.
The possibility of sperm storage opens the way for entirely new interpretations of human conception. And the notion of a fertile window needs radical revision, not just for humans but also for monkeys and apes.
Robert Martin is the A. Watson Armour III Curator of Biological Anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago, and a member of the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago. Read an excerpt of How We Do It. | <urn:uuid:24f9811c-a0d5-44d5-b2d0-a27785c93322> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/36149/title/Widening-the-Fertile-Window/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396945.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939037 | 861 | 3.875 | 4 |
In this program we visit concepts of evolution and intelligence, some of which were raised after our series on near term human extinction.
What is intelligence? What kind of intelligence do non human creatures have? What are the different levels of intelligence that can be found in single cells, or invertebrates, up to human beings?
Neurosurgeon Dr. Frank Vertosick, author of “The Genius Within: Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing,” discusses these and other questions about learning among all species. He talks about the learning that occurs through evolution or alteration of the genetic structure and about the learning, of the way we commonly think of it, by studying or by experience.
When Dr. Frank Vertosick and I visited by phone from his office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in early October 2002, we began when I asked him to describe the different levels of intelligence and the development of intelligence in invertebrates.
The book Dr. Frank Vertosick recommends is “Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything Else and What it Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life,” by Albert-Lasio Barabasi.
Click here to listen or on the media player below. | <urn:uuid:296d7c54-fe5b-4dc3-9dff-4ca2e9f79df1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.radiocurious.org/category/genetics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393146.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00114-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956794 | 251 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Human Rights and Class in Latin America
Time EstimateThree to four 45-minute class periods, depending on reading capabilities of students
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- summarize the issues regarding violence and reproduction for Latin American women.
- compare the treatment of women from different socio-economic classes.
- Sufficient copies of the following sources (in this order):
- Source 2: Official Document, Women’s Status
- Source 9: Interview, Violence Against Women
- Source 5: Law, Maternity Leave
- Source 4: Newspaper, Domestic Violence
- Source 1: Table, Life Histories
- Source 3: Committee Hearing, Sterilization
- Source 10: Personal Account, Education
- White/black board and markers/chalk, or overhead, transparencies, and pens (if desired)
- Primary Source Analysis Worksheet: Texts (if desired)
Historical Background/Prior Knowledge:
- Some knowledge of Latin American history and politics from the 1820s to modern day
- Knowledge of the role of religious beliefs, especially those of the Roman Catholic Church
- Some knowledge of Western documents advocating freedoms/liberties like the English Bill of Rights, French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Hook: Ask the students to define the term “human rights” as best they can. Ask the students for examples of human rights. Do/should human rights vary by culture, religion, ethnicity, or socio-economic class/status?
Violence Against Latin American Women: Have the students read Part 2 of Source 2: Official Document, Women’s Status. Are the laws protecting women from domestic violence effective? Why/why not?
Have the students read Source 9: Interview, Violence Against Women. How has SOS Mujer in Uruguay responded to this issue?
Have the students read Source 5: Law, Maternity Leave. How has Cuba responded to this issue? Why do you think Cuba responded differently than Uruguay?
Have the students read Source 4: Newspaper, Domestic Violence. Is the violence against men a response to violence against women or something else? Should the law treat women abusers differently than men?
Reproductive Issues for Women in Latin America: Have the students read Part 1 of Source 2: Official Document, Women’s Status. Ask why they think there are no accurate statistics for women’s mortality in the countries surveyed. Why are maternal mortality rates so high? Why are abortion mortalities so high? What options do women have? Why is the mortality rate so much lower in the United States?
Have the students read Source 1: Table, Life Histories. What patterns do they see between the six women?
Have the students read Source 3: Committee Hearing, Sterilization. Why would Latin American countries promote sterilization?
Treatment of Women in Different Socio-economic Classes: Have the students read Source 10: Personal Account, Education. What class issues are evident in this reading? Look at Source 1: Table, Life Histories again. What role does socio-economic class play in domestic violence and reproductive problems? To what extent is education a factor?
Human Rights Revisited: Have students ponder the following questions:
- Who determines human rights?
- Who has human rights?
- How do you get human rights?
- How are human rights implemented/enforced?
- What happens when different human rights conflict?
- Are human rights absolute?
- Are human rights universal?
- Can you lose human rights?
- Is the right to choose to have children (or not) a human right?
- Does it matter what class the individuals are?
- Should the government have the ability to regulate reproduction to avoid further stress on welfare programs?
- To what extent does religion help dictate existing policy?
Advanced Students: Depending on your students and your comfort and familiarity, discuss China’s one child per family policy, which began in the early 1980s. You might also want to compare it to India’s failed attempts to control population in the 1970s.
Less Advanced Students: Do more of the document investigation either in groups (reading partners/buddies) where the students read the documents to each other and work together to fill out the document analysis sheets, or as a class—reading the documents aloud and filling in the sheets to try to ensure comprehension. To build vocabulary, have the students identify words needing clarification. Assemble a list on the board. Have dictionaries scattered through the room (ideally one per group) for student reference. This could also be done as a group brainstorm.
For the DBQ, have students fill out the Essay Writing Guide Worksheet and evaluate it based on use of evidence and structure before having the students write out the full DBQ. | <urn:uuid:40d8c78a-975f-42cf-bc12-c08a8c415e62> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson15/lesson15.php?menu=1&s=0&c=plans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00167-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900089 | 1,002 | 3.8125 | 4 |
Scallop lovers may have a vested interested in the fate of sharks.
A new report in the journal Science says overfishing of sharks may be endangering the gourment delicacy. Researchers say with fewer sharks along the East Coast, populations of skates and rays have increased sharply. Those smaller predators are devouring shellfish, particularly bay scallops.
The report's lead author says while ecologists have known that reducing key species on land can affect an entire ecosystem, this study provides hard data of the same thing in the ocean.
The lead author is Charles H. Peterson of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He works in Morehead City, North Carolina.
The concern over scallops is considered acute, because the numbers have fallen to the point that there may not be enough to create spawning stock. | <urn:uuid:6bc117a8-665f-42a9-8b45-82c13ed0deba> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/6789172.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926906 | 177 | 3.171875 | 3 |
In recent months we have covered Crossrail Tunneling and Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) quite extensively. One part of the process we haven’t really looked at in depth, however, is where the excavated material ultimately ends up.
This may seem a rather strange topic to cover, but like all mega-projects Crossrail’s impact extends well beyond the range of the area it’ll ultimately serve. Tunneling and construction will see Crossrail generate approximately 6.5m tonnes of spoil which, as anyone who has ever watched the Great Escape knows, needs to go somewhere.
In Crossrail’s case, the bulk of this spoil is clean and can be reused. On most projects, it would thus be dispersed over a number of sites, but interestingly in Crossrail’s case much of this excavated material (4.5m tonnes of it) is actually destined for one single place – Wallasea Island on the Essex coast.
Bounded to the north by the River Crouch and to the south by the River Roach and Paglesham Pool, Wallasea was mostly wetland mud flats until the arrival of Dutch settlers in the area. Flat and low lying, the construction of sea walls allowed it to be turned into farmland and it saw cultivation until the 19th Century, when periodic flooding and crashing wheat prices saw the island’s population decline. Brief agricultural resurgences during both World Wars followed, but the floods of 1953 marked something of a point of no return.
Since 1953 Wallasea has led a rather unremarkable existence. In 2006, however, the RSPB decided to embark on an ambitious scheme -the Wallasea Wetlands project. This involved taking over 115 hectares of Wallasea farmland and demolishing the surrounding sea wall. With their section of the island now flooding again at high tide, the original salt marsh and mud flats began to return, and with them the birds and other wildlife that had once been a regular feature of the Essex coast.
The RSPB’s project was a success, and with the need for mudflats and marshes growing (it is now often an EU requirement that endangered environments removed through the construction of ports and other coastal sites be replaced elsewhere), the decision was taken to embark on one of the largest and most ambitious Conservation projects yet seen in the UK – the whole of Wallesea would be taken over and turned into the largest wetlands conservation site in Europe.
Recreating 1,500 acres of ancient mudflats and saltmarsh, lagoons and pasture on Wallasea requires significant landscaping. The extensive walkways and new sea walls required to make the site accessible to visitors (and to keep differing environments separated) will require approximately 10 million tonnes of earth.
With Crossrail thus looking to dispose of 4.5m tonnes of clean spoil, and the RSPB looking to find 10m tonnes of it, a partnership seemed like a very good idea indeed.
Moving the Earth
As anyone involved in the process of spoil disposal and management will tell you, finding somewhere to put your excavated material is only half the battle. The other half is working out how the hell you get it there.
As we’ve highlighted before, in Crossrail’s case, this largely means moving spoil by rail (although early on there were some rather creative ideas about reusing the old Post Office Railway and the Kingsway Tunnel to do some of the job). All spoil from the Western Portal is taken via the Great Western Main Line, the Greenford Loop, West London Line, Clapham and Lewisham down to Northfleet, where the reinstatement of the freight rail link from the North Kent Line means access can be gained to Lafarge’s new railfreight depot at Northfleet, on the site of the old Concrete Works.
Spoil from the eastern portal has a slightly easier journey to the river – once tunneling begins it will be transported via conveyor belts to Instone Wharf.
In both cases, the spoil is then transferred to barges and taken to Wallasea.
The End of the Line
Due to the already protected nature of Wallasea’s environment, Crossrail’s actual presence on the island itself can be described minimalist at best, which presents a rather interesting contrast with the amount of material being brought in. A large jetty has been constructed by BAM Nuttall just offshore, to which the spoil can be delivered and conveyed inland.
Standing alone and kept to the absolute minimum amount of ground occupation necessary, the jetty is a surprisingly striking structure – and one that’s deceptively large.
The huge machinery onboard hints at the sheer amount of material that will pass through the jetty, as do the conveyors, which run up from both sides (to allow two ships to dock at once) and over the top onto the island itself.
Like much of the Crossrail project, the jetty feels like an impressive piece of engineering with a large task ahead. The view inland, however, manages somehow to eclipse it – and it is this image that we have saved until last. For while the engineering needed to turn this London spoil instead into a little bit of Essex is huge, nature is bigger…
…And the sight of the vast conveyor stretching off into the flatlands of Wallasea makes this large jetty actually feel like a very small and lonely outpost of technology indeed. | <urn:uuid:d494d419-ec03-46cb-a706-cb7e3fd69753> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.londonreconnections.com/2012/the-end-of-the-earth-crossrail-at-wallasea/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00081-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943687 | 1,127 | 3.234375 | 3 |
An artist's drawing of the Galileo spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of NASA
Galileo - The Sequel
News story originally written on January 2, 1998
Galileo concluded its remarkable primary mission on December 7, 1997. It spent the last two years studying Jupiter
and its moons.
Galileo has already begun part II of its mission. This phase of the mission will last another two years and will include eight Europa flybys, four Callisto flybys and one or two Io encounters, depending on the spacecraft's health.
The Galileo spacecraft completed its first flyby of Europa on December 8th. It reached within 124 miles (200 kilometers) of the surface of the moon. Europa has become increasingly important as scientists have recently realized that underneath its icy surface, Europa may have liquid oceans (that's not to say that they are liquid water!).
"Galileo has earned a place in history as the first mission to orbit an outer planet," said Dr. Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., NASA's associate administrator for space science, Washington, DC. "Galileo already has returned a wealth of new information in its two-year scientific exploration of Jupiter's atmosphere and system of moons. But the best yet may still be ahead of us as Galileo continues its mission at Jupiter with a focus on the moons Europa and Io in the next two years."
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The Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 19, 1989. Galileo had two parts: an orbiter and a descent probe that parachuted into Jupiter's atmosphere. Galileo's primary mission was to explore the Jovian...more
Europa was first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, making it one of the Galilean Satellites. Europa is Jupiter's 4th largest moon, 670,900 km from Jupiter. With a diameter that is about half the distance...more
Callisto was first discovered by Galileo in 1610, making it one of the Galilean Satellites. Of the 60 moons it is the 8th closest to Jupiter, with a standoff distance of 1,070,000 km. It is the 2nd largest...more
The Galileo spacecraft was launched in October 1989, aboard the shuttle Atlantis. Galileo has been orbiting Jupiter for more than five years and it is still going strong! "We're proud that this workhorse...more
It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,...more
The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 2:19 p.m. EST, October 29th. The sky was clear and the weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit for the Unitied...more
A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon...more | <urn:uuid:f3a0cc55-db18-49cd-8707-8bf87d364ece> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.windows2universe.org/headline_universe/galileo.html&edu=high | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00144-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961601 | 679 | 3.484375 | 3 |
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Hard water is water source with high mineral content. Generally, it is composed of high content of calcium and magnesium ions which are not extremely bad in humans however can pose serious effects on industrial purposes. Water Hardness is a measure of the concentration of the cation present in the water. Softening the water is simply removing those ions. One of the most common methods of softening is the application of Ion-exchange method which is composed of resins or polymers that contain large amount of sodium ions (from common salt). Calcium and magnesium ions will be replaced by sodium ions which apparently can make the water softer.
We’ve answered 327,488 questions. We can answer yours, too.Ask a question | <urn:uuid:cc22f2ea-eef8-4275-b234-b66f65b0f089> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-chemical-formula-softening-hard-water-which-427496 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94503 | 157 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Definition: 'Acromial End Of Clavicle'
acromial end of clavicleType: Term
1. the flattened lateral end of the clavicle that articulates with the acromion and is anchored to the coracoid process by the conoid and trapezoid ligaments.
The definition information for acromial end of clavicle is provided by Stedman's. You can search our medical dictionary here. | <urn:uuid:85ce1b61-48a6-491c-8ac4-6b0740cb49d8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=28975 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00051-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.824852 | 93 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Allergy sufferers can buy pillows, toys and even flooring designed to reduce their symptoms, but now they can add a new item to their shopping list: an allergy friendly car. Through extensive testing, engineers at Ford have reduced the use of materials known to cause allergens in the 2013 Ford Fusion and other vehicles in the Ford lineup.
Ford engineers have reduced or eliminated the use of latex, chrome, nickel, hexavalent chromium and other common allergens from high-touch areas including seats, the steering wheel, armrests, seatbelts, door handles, sun visors and shifters. The reduction or elimination of these items came after engineers tested more than 100 materials and automobile components for allergy issues.
In addition to reducing "touch" allergens, the 2013 Ford Fusion cabin filter reduces pollens, dust, spores, fungus, soot, smog and even tobacco smoke from the fresh air circulating into the vehicle. The improved indoor air quality makes for a more allergy-friendly ride.
According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), between 40 and 50 percent of children around the world are sensitive to one or more common allergens, 13 percent of children in the United States suffer from skin allergies, 13 percent of U.S. adults suffer from sinusitis and nearly 8 percent of adults in the nation have hay fever.
“Allergies affect large numbers of people, so anything we can do to reduce potential allergens inside Ford vehicles we do through rigorous, controlled testing,” said Linda Schmalz, supervisor of Core Material Engineering for Ford.
Ford’s commitment to reducing allergens goes a step further. Owners of a Ford SYNC-equipped vehicle can keep track of local allergy alerts, including pollen levels, an asthma risk index, ultraviolet levels and flu/cough/cold outbreaks through Pollen.com’s Allergy Alert app, which is designed to work in hands-free mode on Ford SYNC-enabled vehicles. | <urn:uuid:0c1b221c-d7e0-42f7-b0ee-acfe4b01ac12> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mnn.com/health/allergies/stories/ford-engineers-design-an-allergy-friendly-car | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00156-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924083 | 414 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Aimed primarily at a general readership and college students of biology, this book focuses on the question of how embryonic development changes in the course of evolution, thus giving rise to new types of creatures. It takes the view that biases in the ways that embryos can be altered are as important as natural selection in determining the directions that evolution has taken, including the one that led to the origin of humans.
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Rent Biased Embryos and Evolution 1st edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by Wallace Arthur. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Need help ASAP? We have you covered with 24/7 instant online tutoring. Connect with one of our tutors now. | <urn:uuid:077d7a56-539e-47b5-a1bb-888e6c051817> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.chegg.com/textbooks/biased-embryos-and-evolution-1st-edition-9780521541619-0521541611 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943559 | 157 | 2.671875 | 3 |
In modern times land tenure has been a vexing economic and political issue throughout the world; it has given impetus to nationalism and to revolution, especially in largely agrarian Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In the 19th and 20th cent. there has been wide demand for small farmer ownership and for secure tenure for tenants.
The end of feudalism and of serfdom in Europe and elsewhere left small holders in an insecure position. After the French Revolution, security of tenure was provided for French cultivators, but elsewhere in Europe, where servile obligations were generally abolished by 1860, most of the land was possessed by nobles and other wealthy classes; tenant cultivators were subject to high rents, easy ejection, and no allowance for improvements. Thus there arose the demand for peasant proprietorship through the purchase or appropriation of land by the government, which would then resell small parcels to the peasantry on easy terms.
Also, agitation began for legislation favorable to tenants regarding rent, sale, lease, land improvement, and absentee landlordism. Since the late 19th cent. such programs have been established in most countries of Europe, Ireland (see Irish Land Question) and the Scandinavian countries being among the first. Most recently in Europe, especially where the long establishment of secure tenure has led to minute subdivision, government activity has tended to favor some consolidation of holdings, as in the Netherlands.
In the 19th cent. the spacious lands of Australia, Canada, and the United States enabled the governments of those countries to grant substantial holdings cheaply to farmers, who thus became owners rather than tenants. However, problems did develop, notably in the struggle of the sheep or cattle ranchers, who desired secure tenure for the vast lands they required, against the small farmers, who in turn wanted the right to settle and own parts of these tracts.
These difficulties, particularly prominent in Australia, were resolved in the several nations by the early 20th cent., generally in favor of the small farmers. Legislation was also passed in the 20th cent. to provide secure tenure and easy farm purchase for the body of tenants who had by this time emerged. The fundamental purchase enactment in the United States was the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (1937). In Latin America, however, the tenure problem remains widespread, and in many countries a few owners still hold most of the land, while the majority of the cultivators are squatters.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:85741e5b-1f33-4a40-b1c1-d5190b0753c5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/society/tenure-law-land-tenure-as-a-modern-problem.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392159.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00162-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966567 | 512 | 3.71875 | 4 |
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In 1938, Hitler, anxious for a foothold in the Antartic, sent an expediition commanded by Captain Alfred Richter to the coast Due south of South Africa. Two seaplanes were launched from the deck of the carrier, Schwabenland, daily for three weeks. They had orders to fly back and forth across the territory which Norwegian explorers had named Queen Maud Land. The Germans had then made a far more thorough study of these region,
finding vast areas that were free of ice. They renamed the area
"Neuschwabenland" and claimed it as part of the Third Reich. German ships and U-boats continued to operate in the South Atlantic Ocean, particularly
between South Africa and the Antartic, throughout WWII. Then, in March 1945, just before the end of the war, two German U-boats, U-530 and U-977, left from a port on the Baltic Sea. Alegedly, they took with them members of the flying saucer research teams, the last of the most vital saucer components, the notes and drawings for the saucer, and the designs for gigantic underground complexes and living accomodations based on the underground factories of Nordhausen in the Harz mountains. The U-boats allegedly unloaded all of this in Antartica. Then, two months after the war, they mysteriously surfaced off the coast of Argentina where the crews were handed over to the American authorities, who interrogated them at length and then flew them all back to the United States and questioned the Captains of both U-boats for almost ayear.
About a year after their capture, the United States launched the biggest
operation ever known regarding the Antartic. The purpose was to "circumnavigate the 16,000 mile continent and map it thoroughly.." "Brisant"
felt i odd that Operation Highjump, as it was called, under the command of
Adm. Richard E. Byrd, included 13 ships, 2 seaplane tenders, an aircraft
carrier, 6 two engine R4D transports, 6 Martin PBM flying boats, 6 helicopters and a staggering 4000 men. That expedition became somewhat of a mystery. It docked near the German claimed Neuschwabenland and split up into three separate task forces. Some reports claim that the mission was an enormous success. Other, mainly foreign, reports say that it was a complete disaster: that many of Byrd's men were lost on the first day, that at least four of his airplanes had disappeared, and that while the expedition had gone rovisioned for 6 to 8 months, they had returned only after a few weeks.
According to "Brisant" Admiral Byrd told a reporter that it was "necessary
for the USA to take defensive actions aginst enemy air fighters which come
from the polar regions" and that in case of a new war the USA would be
"attacked by fighters that are able to fly from one pole to the other with
incredible speed." Admiral Byrd was then ordered to undergo a secret cross
examination and the US withdrew from the Antartic for almost a decade.
Originally posted by Elfworkz
New to this thanks for the assistance....
According to Bernhart's description of the recovery:
Our lights penetrate the steel tunnel, which extends for approximately ten meters. When we arrive at the end of the tunnel, we find ourselves in a huge cavernous area. It seems warm. As we search the cavern with our lights, we notice frozen pillars of ice in strange and grotesque shapes. We penetrate into the cavern the distance of about 300 meters. It is at this point that we came to a smaller cavern, which turned towards the right and ended in a room approximately 80 meters in width and ten meters in height. It is here that the Reich treasures are hidden!!!
At this point stands a small obelisk about a meter in height, which marks the spot. There is an inscription which reads as follows: "There are truly more things in heaven and 'in' earth than man has dreamt (Beyond this point is AGHARTA) Haushofer, 1943."
Our lights immediately fall upon the treasure, which consists of eight large bronze chests. This makes two for each man and will require two trips. Can we do it? This remains to be seen. Each one of us grasps a bronze box in his hands.
Hartman was soon disappointed to realize that the weight of the boxes, in total, is too heavy for his team to carry back to their waiting helicopter. Four of the boxes had to be left behind. Hartmann continues:
The trek back is energy consuming and difficult. We stop to rest several times along the return route. The chests are growing heavier and heavier as we go along. We have to stop and rest more frequently. Finally we reach the [helicopter] just as complete exhaustion is setting in. After one more brief rest, we begin our task of loading the bronze chests aboard. Lothar and Heinz remove the extra fuel supply cell after pumping its contents into the main benzene tank... Bits and pieces of unnecessary gear are discarded. The loss of weight will compensate for the extra cargo. Eight chests would have been an impossible load.
Shortly before we are ready to leave, the chest containing the Holy Lance is opened. We all watch with profound fascination as Klauss knocks the bronze pin from the clasp. Inside the chest is a faded leather case along with a variety of other items. We carefully open the case. It is there! the Holy Lance! the lance that pierced the side of Our Lord Jesus Christ! The oil torch we have lit … makes it seem like a ceremony. I hold the Holy Lance aloft in my hand. Without thinking, the words seem to flow from my mouth, "the Holy Lance points ever towards our eternal Deutschland."
In between December 1938 and April 1939, this area of Antarctica is known to have been extensively photomapped , the first of its kind really. A Captain Alfred Ritscher led the group and from the air thousands of metal balls with poles and swastika flags would be dropped to give the German claim to this portion of Antarctcia some physical sign. An area of 250,000 square kilometers was obliquely photomapped between 11 W and 20 E. If there was any kind of secret construction done in this area at anytime before 1944, there has never been any kind of official proclamation or record to that fact discovered after the war. The possibility is more than plausible considering how the elite of the Third Reich loved to dabble into so many areas of esoterica, weapons and science. However, without records the only real proof would be to go there.
After the war between 1946-47, Admiral Richard Byrd was in charge of Operation Highjump, he did go there to Antarctica that is. This was supposedly an extensive circumnavigation and exploration of the Antarctic with a sizeable military contingent. Highjump was classified then and still is today. The military force sent there consisted of carrier based planes and quite a compliment of ships. The November 1947 National Geographic issue depicting the exploration of Antarctica depicts the many incursions research and flight teams made into the icy continent.
While this doesn't prove everything, the area of the Muhlig Hoffman Mountain range and the secret Nazi bases is noticeable absent from any such exploration. Was there a secret mission? Did the loss of aircraft in the area actually occur as the result of an engagement with ice-bound Nazi's? Such speculation would never get mainstream attention as the world just wanted to forget this period and if there were surviving Nazi's they were probably more engaged in doing just that, surviving.
In 1958, three nuclear weapons were detonated in an area about 2,280 to 3,500 km to the north of Queen Maud Land between 160-750 KM above the water. The code name on this was Operation Argus. Although the detonation was well to the north, wind direction, fallout etc, could effect a wider area. But why the name Argus?
Argus is part of Greek mythology for the many-eyed creature that was guarding Io against Zeus. Argus would be found and slain and later gave rise to being part of the legend surrounding the many eye like parts of the feathers of the peacock. Could this have been an attempt to knock out a group of people watching something? | <urn:uuid:945ac14b-096e-40c9-b3a1-923a87c006be> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread283492/pg1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00177-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971724 | 1,780 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Edgar Algernon Robert Gasgoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood 1864–1958
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937
- UK Lawyer, politician and diplomat
- Chancellor of the University of Birmingham 1918–1944
One of the architects and greatest supporters of the League of Nations, later to become the United Nations, Lord Robert Cecil –
- Circulated a memorandum making proposals for the avoidance of war in 1916 – the first document from which sprang British official support for the League of Nations
- Represented Britain at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, in charge of negotiations for a League of Nations
- Devoted much of his public life to the League and supported international efforts for peace through his honorary life presidency of the United Nations Association
He studied law at University College, Oxford, where he became a well known debater. In 1887, he was admitted to the Bar, allowing him to practice as a barrister. From 1887–1906, he practised civil law, and on 15 June 1899, was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel. He also collaborated in writing a book entitled Principles of Commercial Law.
At the 1906 general election, Cecil was elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament representing Marylebone East.
In 1911 he won a by-election in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, as an Independent Conservative and served as its MP until 1923. When the Conservatives returned to power at the October 1924 general election, Cecil became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
He is not just an important figure for the University of Birmingham, but his life and work had significant global impact, resonating to this day. | <urn:uuid:e01de106-b6ca-4b3c-b683-645d038b2169> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni/ouralumni/nobelprizewinners/cecil.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00068-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977189 | 352 | 3.171875 | 3 |
A pharmacist is required to dispense a wide range of preparations. Some of them may require compounding and others dispensed in manufacturer's package or packed by the pharmacist according to the quantity required. However it is desirable that a pharmacist is familiar with all varieties of preparations that he handles. A classification of preparations along with a brief description is given. Preparations that may require compounding are underlined.
Definitions of Some dosage Forms
Aerosols are suspensions of fine, solid or liquid particles in a gas. This preparation is also known as pressurized preparation. These are dosage forms for spraying in a solution, suspension or emulsion form with an atomizer device or nebulisers. Aerosols are packed in pressurized containers with suitable propellants that provide a steady stream of the liquid. They are most popular in the treatment of asthma or respiratory tract infection and skin conditions.
These are fluid or semi-fluid preparations intended for application to the skin. These formulations are generally in the form of emulsion and suspension. Some official examples are used as antiparasites and also in other skin diseases.
Cachets are disc or cylinder shaped devices made from rice paper and consist of a lower and upper part, the latter having a slightly broader flange. Medication of disagreeable taste is enclosed between the two halves and sealed.
These are similar to cylindrical cachets and are available in different sizes. The material is however gelatin, hard or flexible (hard or soft gelatin capsules).
Fluid preparations for external use in the form of collodians contain substances dissolved in a volatile solvent which, after evaporation, leaves a thin film of the material on the surface.
Highly viscous oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions meant for external application are considered as creams. Medicament may also be incorporated in them.
Liquid oral preparations packed as a single dose in separate containers and in large volumes are known as draught.
This form of medication comprises of extremely fine particles to be dusted on the affected part.
These are sweetened, clear and coloured, aromatic, hydroalcoholic liquids.
Emulsions are mixtures of two immiscible liquids in which one phase is dispersed into the other in the form of minute globules. An emulsifying agent is employed to bring about emulsification. Usually unpalatable oils may be conveniently administered as emulsions dispersed in water.
Solutions of drugs meant for dropping in the ears are classified as ear drops.
Drugs in solution or in dispersed form meant for rectal administration are called enemas.
Aqueous solutions employed for local action in the throat are called gargles. They may be diluted with luke-warm water before use.
Insoluble substances presented as suspension of their colloidal state in a hydrated form are known as gels.
These are free flowing, dry conglomerates of particles ranging from 1 to 5 mm in diameter. The medicament and the excipients are rendered to a cohesive mass with a suitable moistening agent and the mass is pressed through a sieve of required granule size and dried.
Inhalations are the preparations meant for relieving congestion of the throat. These preparations are either volatile and inhaled directly, or contain volatile substances which can be inhaled by adding the preparation to hot water.
Insufflations, commonly known as snuffs also, provide a medicament intimately mixed with a dusting powder to be deeply inhaled or blown into body cavities by an insufflator.
These preparations are used as antiseptics for washing the urinary bladder or vagina, the solution being introduced through a soft tube.
Jellies are non-greasy semi-solid preparations containing a high proportion of gelatin, gum or starch.
The medicament, sugar and gum are made into a solid form for local action and slow release of the drug meant for the mouth and the throat.
Emulsions, viscous, oily or free flowing solutions of drug in alcohol meant for application to the skin usually by rubbing are called liniments.
Lotions: These are preparations in solution or suspension form to be applied to the affected part without friction. The lotions may be applied as such or with the support of a dressing material.
Solutions and suspensions meant for oral use are classified as mixtures. The vehicle is usually water and their stability is limited from a few days upto a few weeks.
Mouth washes are liquid preparations for treating mouth infections or providing a freshening feeling. They are usually diluted before use.
Solution of drugs meant for instilling in the nasal cavity with the aid of a dropper are considered as nasal drop.
These are semi-solids meant for external use. The medicament is incorporated in the base usually comprising of greasy substances.
The drug along with gelatin and glycerin is converted into a solid form for slow dissolution in the mouth.
Pills are spherical dosage forms containing the drug and excipients. Pills have now been almost completely replaced by capsules and tablets. As dosage form pills are very popular in J Ayurvedic medicine and are known as vati.
The medicament with or without excipient in fine state of subdivision is supplied in either bulk or individually wrapped in a paper.
The medicament is either compressed in a suitable shape or moulded with the help of a base so that it is released when inserted into vagina by solution or melting.
Pastes contain a very high proportion of the solid medicament in relatively small proportion of the base, meant for external application.
These are thick and pasty preparations. Due to good heat retention property, the) may be applied on a dressing while hot and bandaged on to the affected part to relieve inflammation.
Solutions in viscous vehicles or suspensions that are meant to be applied to the skin or mucus with a soft device such as brush or cotton are called paints.
These are tablets designed to dissolve quickly in water. After dissolution, the solution can be applied to the skin or mucous.
These are concentrated solutions of sucrose or any other sugars. Syrups are less commonly prescribed as such except cough syrups but are very often prescribed as sweetening and flavouring vehicles.
Drugs dissolved in alcoholic or glycerin media and sprayed in the form of fine droplets to the mucous with the help of a spraying device are called sprays.
These are semi-solid to solid moulded preparations meant for insertion into the rectum. They resemble pessaries which are meant for vagina. The medication is incorporated in a suitable base that liquefies at the body temperature and releases the medicament. Some of the bases may dissolve in the rectum and release the medicament.
These are solid dosage forms in which the medicament is compressed in different shapes and sizes. They may be plain or coated. Tablets remain the most popular dosage form. | <urn:uuid:6e6e0108-96c0-4ce9-a277-effdc3ee4124> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.preservearticles.com/2011090212765/short-notes-on-the-classification-of-dosage-form.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00187-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942704 | 1,436 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Depending on how the calendar falls, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and 23. This year, the December solstice will occur at 05:30 UTC (12:30 a.m. EST) on December 22, 2011. While the southern hemisphere is experiencing the long days of summer, the northern hemisphere will have the “winter solstice” – often called the shortest day of the year.
Conversely, six months ago the northern hemisphere experienced the longest day with the summer solstice, with the southern hemisphere having their winter solstice. This is part of a never ending cycle and is at the heart of our seasons.
So, why do we call it the shortest day of the year for the winter solstice and longest day for the solstice in the summer? Do we lose some time off the clock in winter, and in summer do we miraculously gain time on the clock in a bizarre cycle that is imposed by old men in charge of calendars and times around the world? (I used to think this as a small boy…)
The fact is we don’t lose or gain any time; what we actually gain or lose is hours of sunlight. During the winter solstice we receive the least amount of sunlight of the year on that day.
To understand the winter and summer solstices we need to recognize a fundamental fact about the Earth. Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted approximately 23.5° from a vertical axis. This means that as the tilted Earth orbits the Sun during the year, the different hemispheres receive varying amounts of sunlight, as this tilt causes sunlight to strike the surface of Earth at different angles at different times of year.
In the summer, we see the Sun for longer periods of time and it appears high in the sky; the Sun’s rays are more direct and the heat energy is more abundant. In the winter, when the Sun is low in the sky and appears for less amount of time; there is less energy and the Sun therefore heats less efficiently.
If you live near the equator, you won’t notice much difference in the amount of sunlight you receive throughout the year. The biggest noticeable difference is at the poles, where each solstice brings an extreme in the hours of sunlight you receive; in summer the Sun never properly sets for weeks, and in winter it never rises, creating some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.
I always find the solstices to be magical times of year and look forward to either the longest or shortest days as they are the bringers of seasons, darkness and light. | <urn:uuid:fc02ea78-b244-4981-a722-9cd658911a1b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.universetoday.com/92009/winter-solstice-the-shortest-day-of-the-year/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953924 | 537 | 3.96875 | 4 |
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LANDING1 OF THE MUTINEERS ON PITCAIRX'S ISLANDl.
LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS;
REAL ROBINSON CRUSOES,
BY THE AUTHOR OF
"TALES OF THE NORTHERN SEAS," ETc,
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY;
$6, PATERNOSTER Row; 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD;
AND 164, PICCADILLY.
This page contains no text.
I. THE ADVENTURES OF ALEXANDER SELKIRK 11
IT. THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS 31
III. THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA . 61
IV. THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP 76
V. THE FORTUNES OF ST. HELENA 92
VI. CAPTAIN JAMES'S JOURNAL . 107
... EVERY one who lives
in England must feel
an interest not only
in his own dear island
-home, but in those
other islands which
are scattered all over
the wide seas upon
which English ships
We are all islan-
ders in heart as well
as name; we are
proud of our sea walls, of our ships, of oue
separation from other countries, and thankful
too, let us hope, for that watery barrier which
has for so many long years kept war from our
soil. And thus it comes to pass that English
boys love to read stories of island life, love to
hear tales of the discovery of such new homes,
and dream, as their forefathers have done in
past ages, of the long roll of the wave and the
plash of the oar.
What pleasanter picture can there be than
that of some fair island where no foot of
civilised man has ever trod; where the tall
forests have never heard the ring of the axe,
nor the fall of the felled tree; where the soft
grass and bright flowers have never been
crushed by plough or spade, and where strange
birds and animals live at home amongst hills
and woods, never having learned to fear the
approach of man.
Many such islands have been discovered in
past years. Generally they have been found to
be the home of some savage tribe, who would
gather on the shore to look with wonder, too
great for words, at that strange new sight-a
ship with white sails. Often they thought it
some rare foreign bird, which, with outspread
wings, was resting on the water. Sometimes
the natives have given a kindly welcome to the
new-comers; sometimes they have been so
terrified at their strange appearance as to
greet their visitors with flights of arrows and
thrusts of sharp spears. But sometimes the
sailors who have come in sight of an unknown
island have seen a lovely shore, washed by blue
waters on which no canoe was floating. They
have landed and searched wood and brake for
some trace of man, some hut, or spear-head, or
footmark, and they have found none.
Such uninhabited islands are often the most
interesting of all, and the story of the discovery
of some few of their number is a welcome
chapter in the history of adventure. The dis-
coverer of such spots adds fresh land to man's
world, provides, it may be, a home for some
who can find no dwelling elsewhere, and does
his part in fulfilling the command which God
gave to our first parents to subdue the earth.
It seems at first difficult to understand how
any islands should remain uninhabited and
unknown through thousands of years; but, as
you will learn farther on, some of these lands
had been hidden below the sea, some even
quite unformed, while others, far out of the
track of ships and away from all other land,
have lain for centuries unseen save by the eyes
It is a beautiful thought to remember how
God thus keeps homes for man ready till the
time when he shall be guided there. For
centuries trees grow and die, flowers bloom and
fade, soft winds murmur over the waves that
wash the shore, and God sees that they are
good, as he looked on Eden before man was
formed. And all this beauty that we never
see is helping to prepare a still more beautiful
and more fertile dwelling; the leaves that fall,
the trees that decay, are making richer soil;
the forests are drawing down softer showers,
till the time comes, and the land is given into
the hands of man. Surely we have a type and
emblem here of that more beautiful World
which no eye hath seen and no ear hath heard,
whose glories have never entered into the heart
of man, which God hath prepared for those
that love him.
Some of these islands we are now going to
describe and tell how they were discovered,
and what sort of life the first inhabitants led on
their lonely shores.
/ FT was at the time Queen
Anne began to reign,
and her ships were
carrying the Eng-
lish flag into all seas,
Sfor commerce, for dis-
covery, or for war, when
one of these vessels, called the Cinque Ports,
put in to refit at the uninhabited island of
Juan Fernandez, on the west coast of South
It was but a small island, though fertile and
pleasant; it had not been tilled or planted,
neither had any place of shelter been built
upon it, but sometimes two or three sick
sailors had been left there to recover health,
and sometimes a passing ship would put in for
12 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
water, and departing leave one or two of'their
live-stock on the island. It had thus become
stocked with goats, which ran wild about the
hills and craggy rocks, free from any danger
of pursuit and capture.
This was not the first time that the Cinque
Ports had touched at Juan Fernandez, for not
long before she had left there two seamen who
were unable to continue their voyage, and now
she had anchored to reship these men, to take
in water, and to refit for the long and perilous
voyage to the English shore.
The two seamen, coming on board, told
strange stories to their comrades of the plea-
sant life they had led on the island, of the
hunt for goats, of the abundance of shellfish,
of the delicious fruits and vegetables, and of
the cool waters of the place.
Of all the eager listeners to these tales of
plenty and delight there was one who never
failed to fasten on each word that was said,
and by constant questioning to learn every
detail of the life on the green island which
lay before them. This sailor was a Scotsman,
named Alexander Selkirk or Selcraig. He was
of an impatient, overbearing temper, and no
favourite with his captain, who was not wise
enough to discern the good sense and honesty
ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 1I
which lay hidden under his rough and un-
courteous manner. Thus it chanced that the
Scotch sailor was often in trouble and disgrace,
'and resenting bitterly a harshness which he
did not think he had deserved, he began to
long to leave the ship at any cost.
But perhaps the beginning of his misery and
discomfort must be sought farther back in his
life. His surly speech, his unsocial temper,
spoke of a mind ill at ease,-the remembrance
of the past made the present sad.
He had been religiously and strictly brought
up by his father, a Scotch Puritan, but he had
broken loose from the restraints which his
parents sought to throw around him, and
had led, if not a vicious, at least an irreligious
life, without thought of God, or of the lessons
of truth and goodness which he had been
taught. Yet his conscience was not so har-
dened that he could be happy in this neglect
of God, and he felt ill at ease, dissatisfied
with himself, and with all around him.
He shrank, too, from the prospect of the
voyage to England in a vessel but half re-
paired, exaggerating to his own mind the perils
before him, and fearful of his own temper with
his hard and prejudiced commander.
Weighing all these things, he determined on
14 9 LIFE" ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.'
asking the captain to set him on shore, that he
fight await at Juan Fernandez the passing of
some other ship in which he might return
home. The captain agreed to his proposal-
willingly enough, glad to dismiss from his
crew so insubordinate a sailor; and just before
the Cinque torts was about to weigh anchor,
the adventurous seaman was sent on shore with
the few things that belonged to him. He
sprang from the boat almost before her keel
had grazed the sand, wishing to appear gay
and brave to his companions; but no sooner
did the splash of oars begin to grow faint and
distant, and the faces of the boatmen in-
distinct as they neared the ship, than all his
courage forsook him. With outstretched hands,
and frantic words and gestures, he implored
them to return, promising to beat everything,
to risk everything, if only he might not be left
alone on the lonely island. But he cried in
vain; the boat reached the ship, the men
climbed on board, the sails were hoisted, and
there on his sea-chest sat the lonely sailor,
gazing over the wide ocean, on which nothing
but the lessening speck of white on the far
horizon reminded him of the existence of any
human being but himself.
Days passed almost uncounted, for in hiA
ALEXANDERf SELIKIRKM 1
desolate misery Alexander Selkirk had but one
thought left-the longing desire of rescue and '
return home. He valued the daylight only
because by its aid he could watch for a sail on
the wide silent sea; he dreaded the coming on
of night, chiefly because it shut him off for a
time from his one employment. 1During these
dreary days or weeks he never tasted food, save
when driven to look for it by pangs of sharpest
hunger, and even then he would not leave the
beach, but fed on shell-fish picked up on the
rocks, or sometimes on the flesh of seals.
It was September when the Cinque Ports
sailed, and now October had come, the middle
of spring in Juan Fernandez, and, all around
him, nature spoke of hope and taught of God.
But before hope could enter into Alexander's
desolate heart, sorrow must come : sorrow for
sin, for his disobedience to the parents whom he
had made unhappy; for his reckless, godless
life ; for all the teaching of his youth forgotten,
and for its lessons neglected. Sometimes, for a
few minutes, Alexander would turn his eyes
from his eager watch over the sea, and looking
down would picture instead his Scottish home.
He would see clearly in his mind his venerable
father, with his furrowed brow, and stern, un-
smiling mouth; his mother, in her tall white
16 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
cap, busied at her wheel, with a far-away,
mournful look in her eyes, which told that she
was thinking of her absent son. Ah and he
saw again even his poor idiot brother, to whom
he had only used harsh words, and even rough
blows. "I would be so different now if it
should please God ever to let me see home and
my dear ones again," he thought. And so has
many a poor prodigal thought as he has been
compelled to suffer the punishment for his sins,
and found no way of escape from it.
Little by little there grew up in his heart the
purpose of beginning even now this new life.
.He would not wait till his return to England.
In his lonely island, with half the world
between him and all he loved, he would strive
to be one with them in heart, and to join with
them in prayer and praise. He would seek
pardon for the sins of his youth for the
Saviour's sake, and in his strength begin life
anew. He had a Bible with him in his chest,
and he began to read it daily, and in earnest
prayer to seek forgiveness and blessing; then,
even in his loneliness, comfort came to him.
He was no longer alone, for God was with him.
He knew that God was his Father, his Helper,
and his Keeper, and he grew calm, almost
happy, and was even able sometimes to leave
his look-out over the sea, and make little
journeys into the interior of his new kingdom.
As his mind became more peaceful he turned
his thoughts to the question of a shelter from
the storms of the approaching winter, which,
even in that mild climate, was often accompa-
nied with frost and snow.- There were plenty
of trees on the island, and with their stems and
branches he soon built for himself a rough hut,
which he thatched with long grass cut and
dried in the sun. This attempt was so success-
ful that he determined to build another hut at
a short distance, so that he might sleep in one,
and in the other prepare- his food. Now that
he had once looked in the face the thought of
spending the winter in the island, he grew,
slowly, more reconciled to it, and began to
take an interest in preparing as far as he could
for its approach.
His huts must be furnished in some fashion;
first, he brought up from the shore his sea-
chest, which contained his few clothes ; then he
cut and fastened up a shelf on which to keep
his Bible and the other books which he had
brought on shore. He had with him a large
cooking-pot in which to prepare his food, and
a smaller drinking-can which he had brought
most likely from home, and which bore the old-
18 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
fashioned inscription, Alexander Selkirk, this
is my one.' It was needful to make for him-
self a bed, for hitherto he had slept on the
beach, so that at the first moment of opening
his eyes he might begin his watch over the sea:
now he must sleep in his hut.
This bed he determined to make of the
skins of goats, for he had begun to hunt the
wild goats for food, having by this time wearied
of his diet of fish. At first he was able only
to overtake and capture the young kids, for he
had no gun, no bow and arrow with which to
kill them at a distance; then as exercise and
practice increased his strength, he found him-
self able to pursue and take the largest and
swiftest goats, and having killed them, to carry
them on his shoulders to his hut. But as
goat's flesh, his principal food, could only be
obtained by him while he remained in full
strength and vigour, he determined to provide
a store in case of illness or accident, and so,
catching several young kids, he slightly lamed
them so that they could move but slowly, and
then trained them to feed around his hut, and
these gentle creatures, who soon learned to know
him, brought some sense of companionship to
the lonely man.
His life began now to have its regular duties
ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 19
and interests. In the morning- when he rose
he sang one of the old Scotch psalms, after the
practice which he had been taught from child-
hood, then read aloud a chapter of the Bible,
and prayed long and fervently.
Then he betook himself to light a fire by
rubbing together two dry sticks till a flame was
produced, -and this fire he fed from time to
time with branches and logs from the woods.
He had also his food to obtain and to cook-
goat's flesh or cray-fish, which he boiled in his
large saucepan; and to gather the tender tops
of the cabbage-palm or other vegetable, for
bread. These necessary employment finished,
he would take his Bible, and, sitting in the door
of his hut, or on the-beach, would study it for
hours, finding new truths and deeper meaning
in the blessed words familiar to him from his
childhood. Or he would choose one of his
books on navigation, and study with a care
which he had never before thought it worth
while to give, hoping in this way to be a better
sailor, and be able to take higher rank in the
service, if it should please God to restore him
once more to the duties and work of life. In
this regular, peaceful, and religious life his
spirits gradually recovered; nay, he became far
happier than he had been since his childhood,
20 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
for something of the trust and the love of a
little child were restored to his heart.
He would adorn his hut with fragrant
boughs, and as he fed and caressed his kids,
would sing with a light heart the songs of old
Scotland. Then at set of sun he returned to
the hut in which he slept, and there once more
sang, and read, and prayed, and so lay down to
sleep in peace, because he knew that it was the
Lord only that made him dwell in safety.
"I was a better Christian in my solitude
than ever I was before, or than I fear I shall
ever be again," he said, years after he had left
the island. In this there was both truth and
error. He had been led by the merciful good-
ness of God to repentance and to an earnest
desire to escape from sin, but it was in the life
among his fellows that this repentance-these
new resolves-must be tested; it was in the
daily little trials and crosses of a life among
other men, that he must learn to subdue his
proud spirit and curb his hot temper.
Months and even years passed on, and but
little happened to vary Alexander's quiet life
in his island home. He had now a large
number of kids around his hut, and had
added to his list of favourites several tamed
cats, which he needed to protect him from
the troops of rats which gnawed his bed-
clothes, and even nibbled at his feet as he
lay asleep. He had taught the kids and
cats, too, to dance, and many a merry hour
he spent among these his daily companions
and friends. The clothes which he had
brought on shore had been long since worn
out, and he had supplied their place by a cap,
and trousers, and jacket, made of goat-skin.
His needle was a nail, and his thread thin
strips of the skin ; among his stores was a piece
of linen, and this too he had sewn into shirts,
unravelling one of his stockings for a supply
of thread. He was barefoot, and the soles of
his feet had grown so hard that he could
climb sharp crags, and run over the stony
Twice or thrice during these lonely years
he had seen a sail approaching, but on these
he looked with as much terror as hope, for
should the crew prove to be Spaniards, he knew
that he should be made a prisoner by them,
and either put to death, or sent into hopeless
Once, indeed, the crew of a Spanish vessel,
putting in for water, had caught sight of .the
strange figure in the goat-skin dress, and
had chased him, but so swift-footed was he
22 LIVE OX DESOLATE ISTANIIS.
that he soon left his pursuers far behind, and
then lay hid in terror for hours till the vessel
had departed. His life had been besides in
other danger, for once while pursuing the hunt
from crag to crag in wild and delightful ad-
venture, he had set foot on the hidden edge of a
precipice: the grass which seemed to promise
so fair a footing gave way beneath his feet, he
fell headlong, and lay hurt and senseless be-
low. He judged by the size of the moon,
when at last he opened his eyes to conscious-
ness, that he must have been lying stunned
and helpless for more than twenty-four hours,
and it was with the greatest pain and difficulty
that he could drag himself to his hut, and lie
down on his bed of skins. His tame favourites
came about him, but none of them could help
him, and he was too weak to care to procure
for himself food or water. But even in
his great distress he did not lose his con-
fidence in God, and he lay calm and patient,
satisfied that he was safe in the care of his
Heavenly Father. At last, after many days
of suffering, he recovered, and once more en-
joyed full health and vigour.
He had been alone on Juan Fernandez for
more than four years, when one evening, look-
ing out seaward before lying down in his hut,
A NARROW ESCAPE.
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he saw the sails of an English-built vessel
which was standing in very near to the shore.
Alexander could not resist the sudden and
strong desire which he felt to be once more
among his fellow-men, to hear once more
the English speech, and feel once more the
grasp of a friendly hand. Hurrying down
to the beach, he piled and lighted a large
bonfire, to carry a message to his fellow-
countrymen, but the ship, instead of sailing
shoreward, or of putting off a boat at once,
tacked and went farther from the island,
taking the fire to be the lights of an enemy's
ship at anchor in the bay.
Alexander spent the night in hope and
in doubt: he killed some goats and pre-
pared them for food, hoping the next day to
entertain some of his countrymen in his island
home, and at the first dawn of day he was
again on the beach, gazing at the now distant
but motionless ship.
Those on board were also keeping an anxious
watch, but when morning light showed them
" that there was no other ship near, the captain
determined to send a boat on shore to discover
the cause of the strange light which they
had seen the night before. As they ap-
proached the island they saw a strange figure
26 tIV~E ON D3ESOLATE ISLANDlS.
running to meet them, and by gestures and
shouts pointing out the best place for landing.
Alexander, with his long beard, his tanned
complexion, his goat-skin dress, had lost almost
all outward resemblance to a civilised man,
and they wondered much who this solitary
and friendly savage might be.
But who can describe his joy when he
heard once more the speech of his own
country, and looked on the faces of his kind.
He welcomed his visitors in the best English
he could remember, for even his speech was
half forgotten, and led them to his hut to
partake of the banquet he had prepared.
Yet in the midst of all his joy he could
hardly determine to leave his beloved island,
so accustomed had he grown to solitude, and
to his wild, uncontrolled life. At length the
remembrance of his aged parents, and of his
friends at home, made him determine to ask
a passage in the ship which had touched on
his island shore, and the captain, finding how
much he had learnt of seamanship and navi-
gation, offered to rate him as mate. And
thus Juan Fernandez was left once more in
utter solitude, and Selkirk, gazing from the
ship's deck, saw its green hills and pleasant
coasts disappear in the distance, as he left the
island and all its sad, its sacred, its happy
memories for ever. He soon grew tired of the
society of men, and when not busy about the
ship would always seek to be alone, dreaming
of the life which he had left. He found it hard,
too, to accustom himself to the salt meat and
biscuits which were sailors' fare, and to the
dress and boots in which he must now appear.
Soon every other thought was lost in his long-
ing desire to see once more his parents and
his home, for the shores of England were in
sight. It was on a Sunday morning that the
wanderer entered once more his native vil-
lage, where all seemed quiet and unchanged.
He did not turn his steps to his father's
cottage, for his parents, as he well knew, would
be at the kirk, and there would he look on
their faces once more. Would they recognize,
he asked himself, in the strong and bearded
man, the youth who had left them years ago
for the life of adventure which he loved best ?
Would they know the fine gentleman in gold
lace and embroidery to be their son Alexander,
their lost sailor lad. Pondering such thoughts
as these, he walked on almost unconsciously.
How well he knew every step of his way In
this farmhouse his sister and her husband
used to live; there was the wood where he had
28 LIFE ox FlsoL;AirE, ISLANDS.
so often gathered nuts, or climbed for birds'
nests with his boyish companions; there, its
thatched roof more lichen-covered than of old,
stood his father's cottage, at the door of which
years ago he had kissed his mother for the
last time-ah! was she still alive to welcome
the returning wanderer?
Seated in the kirk among unfamiliar faces,
his eyes sought at once the well-known corner
where, as a boy, he had been used to sit, and
with an almost overwhelming rush of thank-
fulness and joy he saw once more his mother's
face, the same yet changed, its added wrinkles
and silvered hair telling, perhaps, of many
tears and long sorrow for her lost sailor son.
There sat his father, too, the portly, respect-
able-looking elder, in blue cap and coat of
homespun tweed. In vain did Alexander
seek to join in the psalm or prayer, his looks
and thoughts were ever wandering ; and he was
not alone in this, for the dark eyes of his
old mother turned continually with an eager
inquiring gaze to the grand stranger gentle-
man, strange yet so familiar. Then her eyes
were cast down once more on her book, as she
tried to give heed to the service, till at 'last
a sudden smile which lit up Alexander's face,
showed her that she saw before her the son
for whom she had longed and prayed, whom
no doubt she had before this counted as among
the dead. In her sudden joy the old woman
forgot all else, and rising, rushed towards the
place where the returned wanderer was seated.
The whole family, with Alexander in their
midst, now made their way out of the kirk,
and returned home to talk of the great deliver- -
ance which God had given to their lost kinsman.
On this true story of Selkirk was founded
the tale of the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.
SOLILOQUY OF ALEXANDER SELKIRK.
." I AM monarch of all I survey,
My right there is none to dispute,
,i From the centre all down to the sea
I am lord of the fowl and the
1"-- Solitude! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face ?
Better dwell in the midst of alarms
._..- Than reign in this horrible place.
I am out of humanity's reach,
I must finish my journey alone,
Never hear the sweet music of speech;
I start at the sound of my own.
The beasts that run over the plain
My form with indifference see,
They are so unaccustomed to man
Their tameness is shocking to me.
LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
Society, Friendship, and Love,
Divinely bestowed upon man,
Oh! had I the wings of a dove
How soon would I taste you again!
My sorrows I then might assuage,
In the ways of religion and truth,
Might learn from the wisdom of age,
And be cheered by the sallies of yout4.
Religion! what treasure untold
Resides in that heavenly word!
More precious than silver and gold,
Or all that this earth can afford.
But the sound of the church-going bell,
These valleys and rocks never heard,
Never sighed at the sound of a knell,
Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared.
Ye winds that have made me your sport,
Convey to this desolate shore
Some cordial endearing report
Of a land I shall visit no more.
My friends! do they now and then send
A wish or a thought after me?
Oh, tell me I yet have a friend !
Though a friend I am never to see.
But the sea-fowl is gone to her nest,
The beast is laid down in his lair,
Even here is a season of rest,
And I to my cabin repair.
There is mercy in every place,
And mercy, encouraging thought,
Gives even affliction a grace,
And reconciles man to his lot,
.-y: Vou have been
told that many
_--,: islands have at
e risen above the
t.. sea, which had
for long years
There are two
ways in which
new islands are
thus born like a fresh creation from God.
You have read of volcanoes on land-of
Vesuvius and Etna and Hecla, and many
others, and you have heard of earthquakes
which shake and upheave the earth. The
32 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISALNDS.
great volcanic force which sends out flames
and ashes from the tops of high mountains, or
makes the solid earth tremble and crack, is at
work also below the bed of the sea, and from
time to time islands are raised there either
slowly or by some sudden convulsion, just as
we have also reason to believe that other islands
are even now sinking lower under the influence
of the same force, until, most likely, in years to
come, the waves will once more flow over them
again. You must not forget that when we talk
of the forces of nature we mean really the hand
of God. He it is who sends these great con-
vulsions, or who directs the slow upheaving of
new land. All is quite as truly the work of
God as when, at his word, the dry land first
appeared. Fire and hail, snow and vapours,
stormy wind," are all "fulfilling his word."
Many of these islands, when first raised
above the.sea, must have been active volcanoes,
sending out hot from their craters the flood of
lava and the heated rocks which now lie cold
and hard, and overgrown with moss, to tell us
of their past history.
Of course, while this was going on there
could be no life either of plants or animals on
the mountain, which, indeed, as yet could
scarcely be called an island, only a bare rock,
THE PlTOATEN ISLANfl)EItS.
around which the waves would beat, as if in
hopeless endeavour to extinguish the fire which
glowed deep in its caverned centre. But though
neither waves nor storms could make this fire
die out, yet there comes a time to most of
these volcanic islands when the life and energy
of the mountain seem gone, taken away, we
know not how, by the same Great Hand that
lighted it, and the lonely rock is now ready to
be turned into a home for man, for this silent
crater, this hard, broken crag, will, after a time,
become a fair island home. God does not leave
his works incomplete, and he has servants who
will change this desolate rock into a fertile
He sends the waves; they dash on the sides
of the island, which rise generally abrupt and
strong from the deep waters, and wherever they
can find entrance they wear and powder the
rock until it becomes fine soil, and a little
beach is formed. Then rains fall and fill the
clefts and hollows of the rock, and soften it at
length as they wash down its face, till here and
there patches of scanty soil are formed.
But something more than soil is needed; the
most fertile land cannot of itself produce grass
or herbs; there must be a seed before even the
smallest weed can spring up, and those which
84 LIFE ON DESOLATE IStANDS.
float about in the air with us, are not found oil
a volcanic rock far away in the sea.
But messengers are prepared to bring them.
Birds flying over the water sometimes stoop
their wings to rest awhile on the rock, and
6ften leave behind them seeds which they have
gathered in far distant lands. At first, perhaps,
only a few small weeds are seen. These,
dying in their turn, improve the soil for their
successors, until at length it can support shrubs
and undergrowth, the seeds of which are some-
times washed 'on the shore by the waves, or
found hidden in the clefts of some tree which
has floated to the island from a distant shore.
Last of all arises, like a crown of beauty, the
graceful cocoa-nut palm, spreading broad leaves
above its tall slender stem, and making the
once barren rock a shady and lovely retreat.
The island on which Alexander Selkirk lived
is considered volcanic; it was probably formed
in some such manner as that which we have
described. Madeira, too, and probably St.
Helena, are volcanic islands.
IPitcairn, the history of which you are now
going to read, is also possibly of volcanic
origin, as its high crags and sharp peaks seem
as if they must have been thrown up by some
sudden force; but as it is in the midst of a sea
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'~~i-~ ~ --C ~-.
-- ~ ~-~--- -
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
covered with coral islands, and has been sup-
posed by some to be itself partially formed by
coral insects, it may be well that you should
hear a little of the wonderful growth of coral
islands, which, though formed so differently
from those of which you have been reading,
are yet, when once their tops have risen above
the waves, clothed in the same manner with
fair growth, to prepare them for the presence
of man. Tahiti, which you will hear men-
tioned in the story of Pitcairn, is a coral
island, and they abound in groups, in pairs,
or in single islands through the wide Pacific
They are formed by myriads of tiny insects,
which are connected together, and seem to
share a common life. One of these insects
fastens itself on some hidden rock; sometimes
it may be on an extinct volcano which is not
lofty enough to appear above the waves, and on
this foundation they begin to build, the insect,
as it shapes its cells of coral, filling them with
beings like itself, so that every tiny chamber
has its inmate. Soon the whole rock is covered
Wblow the water with a fine network of delicate
coral, and from the tops of the open cells the
insects put out their delicate tentaculw, or arms,
which look like the petals of a flower. By
38 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
means of the food gathered from the water by
these tentaculic, all the coral insects are fed.
Thus each one does its appointed work, lay-
ing unseen the foundations of a new land,
for the coral growth is still spreading and
rising higher and higher, until at length the
waves begin to feel its resistance, and to break
in white foam around its crests.
Its history, when it has once risen above the
reach of the tides, is like that of the volcanic
islands. The insects die, and the bare grey
rock is left, that God's servants, the waves
and winds, may fulfil his will, until in his own
good time the coral island becomes lovely and
fertile, fit for the dwelling-place of those who
should be God's best servants-the men whom
he has made for his glory, and for whose re-
demption his Son came down to die. It is sad
to think how often man, to whom God has
given the most, is the least ready to use these
gifts for his Maker's glory, so that instead of
these lovely islands being always full of his
praise, they are often homes of sin and of un-
happiness, as indeed it was at first with Pit-
cairn, the history of which we now give.
Far away from any other land, in the midst
of the South Pacific Ocean, there is a little
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
island, a mere speck in the sea, for it is not six
miles across at its widest point. A passing
ship might leave this tiny island unnoticed,
save for the lofty cliffs and precipices which
guard its shores, running sheer down to the
white waves, ever curling and breaking at their
feet. Yet it is not a mere rock, inaccessible
and barren; for when once a boat has safely
won its way through the breakers, and the
sailor's footstep has climbed the rocks which,
steep above steep, stand like a wall before him,
he is rewarded by the sight of lovely valleys,
of forests of fruit-bearing palms, and of green
fresh springing plants; a little fairyland, a new
paradise seems hidden here from the eye and
the foot of man.
It is called Pitcairn's Island, and was dis-
covered more than a hundred years ago by a
passing ship. It was uninhabited, and no one
set foot on it again, till in 1789 a small ship
might have been seen approaching its shores,
as if she would seek an anchorage in that
dangerous, rocky bay.
The ship is called the Bounty, and carries
for her crew nine English seamen, and some
coloured men and women, natives of Tahiti,
an island at which the Bounty had been
40 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
There is no captain on board, though the
first mate, Fletcher Christian, seems to take his
place and to direct the course of the ship; but
his words are few, and his face is sad, as if
some past trouble or sin weighed on his heart,
and, when he is not obliged to be active, he sits
gazing listlessly over the water, looking for he
knows not what.
It would be a long and sad story to tell how
that ship came to be thus cruising in the wide
Pacific. Months before, Fletcher Christian
and some of the sailors of the Bounty had
mutinied; had put their captain, who by his
harsh and unjust treatment had provoked their
anger, into the ship's launch with eighteen of
the crew, leaving them thus to reach home or
to die on the ocean.
The mutineers well knew that if they re-
turned to England their own lives would pay
the penalty of their crime, and therefore they
determined to spend the rest of their days on
some one of the numerous islands scattered in
groups throughout the South Seas.
But as they had begun their course by an
act which they knew to be wrong, it was not
likely that their future would be happy and
prosperous; the sweet flowers of peace and
content do not spring from the bitter root of
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS. 41
sin, neither do men gather grapes of thorns
nor figs of thistles."
Thus we need not wonder that trouble and
dissension seemed to follow everywhere the ill-
fated crew of the Bounty. They quarrelled
and fought with the natives of the first island
which they chose for an asylum; they dis-
puted among themselves, suspecting and hating
each other, as partners in sin most often do.
The hearts of the leaders were full of fear also
as they thought of the laws which they had
broken, and of the fate which would be theirs
should their captain reach England, and a
ship be sent out to capture them.
At last the mutineers sailed for the Island
of Tahiti, where they knew that the inhabitants
were well-disposed and gentle, and would be
pleased to welcome the white man to live
among them. Fletcher Christian, however,
could not rest; he had been the leader in the
mutiny, he knew that he would be sought
for, and that if found he must die, and die
covered with disgrace.
Therefore he determined to seek out Pit-
cairn's Island, of the discovery of which he
had heard, and there pass the remainder of
his miserable life. Eight of his comrades
decided to 'go with him, the rest remaining
42 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
at Tahiti, and, as we have seen, some of the
Tahitian men and women agreed to make
the voyage with them, and join in the new
After long seeking, after cruising backward
and forward for many days in the sailless
and shoreless ocean, the island that they
sought was seen standing high above a line
of white waves, and after much difficulty the
Bounty was anchored, and her boat sent on
shore with some of her crew.
Everything of value on board was taken to
the island, even the iron-work of the ship
itself being removed, and when the Bounty
was reduced to an empty and useless hulk she
was set on fire and burnt to the water-edge,
that no passing ship might see any trace
of inhabitants on the lonely island where
these unhappy men sought to hide them-
Fletcher Christian, who had taken the com-
mand hitherto by the consent of his com-
panions, now proceeded to divide the whole
island into nine equal parts, one of which
he gave to each of the English sailors who
accompanied him, choosing for his own
portion a piece of land at the farther end
of the island, where he made for himself
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
a retreat among the steep rocks which over-
looked the sea.
But though the new colony was so small,
it had in it all the seeds of dissension and of
unhappiness. Even these nine men, though
bound together by a common fate and by a
common fear, could not agree, could not bear
with nor yield to each other in any of the
little differences or misunderstandings which
arose between them from time to time. Still
less could they live in peace with the natives
who had accompanied them. They looked on
these poor men and women as their slaves,
and treated them so unjustly that the Tahitians,
who had at first been attached and faithful,
now determined on revenge. They were so
much less guilty than the English as they
were more ignorant; they had never been
taught to be merciful, to forgive injuries, to
be patient under wrongs; the blessed name
of Jesus was not familiar to their ears, nor
the lessons of his life and death to their
hearts. They knew no law but that of
violence and might, and finding themselves
unjustly treated by those who had promised
to be their friends, they formed a plot to
put them all to death, and so to make them-
selves masters of the island.
44 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
Five out of the nine Englishmen were shot,
and amongst them was their leader, Christian.
Ever since he had come to Pitcairn's Island
he had appeared sunk in sorrow and remorse.
All day long he had remained hidden among
the rocks, away from his comrades, his eyes
fastened on the wide ocean, the barrier which
he knew must now divide him for ever from
his home and from all he loved. In this
solitude his only companions were his Bible
and his Prayer Book, brought on shore by
him from the ship. In these he was observed
to be constantly reading, and though we
know nothing of his thoughts nor of his
prayers, it may be that God spake through his
word to the heart of his erring child, and
bade him, not in vain, to seek his face once
Let us hope that this Bible and Prayer Book,
charged with such a blessed mission in years
to come, were sent also with a message to this
desolate heart, and that ere he died, Christian
had sought and found the forgiveness which is
given through the cross of Christ our Saviour.
Some sign of his repentance may be found in a
tradition handed down by the islanders, that
he had given orders that every one on the
island should repeat each noontide the prayer
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERSl.
of the returning and repentant prodigal:
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before thee, and am no more worthy to be
called thy son."
Four white men had been saved by the
interference of the Tahitian women from the
fate of their comrades, but they did not feel
safe ; they believed that the men were still
seeking their lives, and, as they imagined, in
self-defence, they determined to put these their
enemies to death. Thus the evil begun by the
mutiny still went on from crime to crime, seem-
ing to grow ever deeper and wider. For the
dark and terrible story is not yet ended. Two
of the four remaining Englishmen soon after
came to a violent end, while intoxicated by
a drink which they had contrived to make
from some of the plants which they found on
the island, thus bringing into this lovely refuge
the vice and drunkenness which beset crowded
The sorrowful tale has hitherto been all
dark, ever growing more gloomy and hopeless;
but now for the first time a faint pencil of light,
like the first streak of dawn, marks the sky, a
ray which, like all true sunshine, comes from
heaven and from God. The great and loving
Father had not forgotten the children who had
46 LIV'E OX DESOLATE, MSANIS.
so long forgotten him; this little island, so far
from the eyes of human watchers, was not un-
seen nor unregarded by him. His messengers,
the books which tell of him, were still there,
though forgotten and unread; but the time was
now come when they were to speak again, and
were to be heard and obeyed.
The two remaining mutineers were a sailor
named Alexander Smith, or, as he now called
himself, John Adams, and a midshipman named
Edward Young. The midshipman had been
well educated, and had learnt above all, in his
childhood, the blessed lessons of God's love,
and of the grace of Christ. These lessons, too
long unremembered, now came back to him.
Perhaps he thought of the days when, a young
child, he had knelt at his mother's knee, or
standing by her chair, had read one by one, as
her finger slowly pointed them out, the words
of the Holy Bible.
The good seed had lain long in a barren
soil, now God in his mercy sent the rain and
sunshine of his grace to cause it to spring up
at last. No sooner had Edward Young begun
to desire to return to the Saviour whom he had
left, than he also wished that those around him
should be taught of his love. The helpless
women and children were, he felt, a sacred
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JOHN ADAMS AND HIS FAMILY.
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS. 49
charge on him and his companion, to teach
them and to guide.
Accordingly morning and evening prayers
were established in the island, and a sort of
school was begun for the children, John Adams
being partly a teacher, partlyma scholar, and so
preparing to take his comrade's work when, a
little time after this change of heart and life,
Edward Young died, and left his comrade alone
on the island with his untaught charge. He,
the only one who had the key to God's Book,
the only one in whose memory were stored any
lessons of his truth, in whose life lay, as it
seemed, the only hope that this little colony
might be saved from all the cruelty and
ignorance of savage life, and added to the
number of the servants of Christ.
Nearly twenty-five years had passed since
John Adams wags left on Pitcairn's Island, the
sole protector and teacher of the women, and
of the young children who were growing up
around him. He was himself but a common
sailor, who had enjoyed but few advantages of
education, his only acquirements the simple
lessons which had been taught him in his
boyhood, and a new but straightforward and
earnest desire to serve God in the way which
50 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
God should teach him, and in penitence and
faith to walk himself and to lead others to
walk in the way that leads to everlasting life.
But God does not choose only the wise and
the great and the strong for his workmen:
often the weak things of the world are chosen
to confound the mighty, and the poor and
l1wly do the work of the High and Mighty
One who inhabiteth eternity.
We have seen how evil passions indulged
were like a seed of sin, growing and spreading
into a mighty and poisonous tree. Then there
was planted by its side, through the mercy of
God, a germ of good and of life-has that too
lived and spread, or has it withered and died
beneath the shade of evil ?
Two English vessels are approaching the
island. At first the crews do not see it, but as
evening draws on, the look-out man in the larger
ship gives the signal that he has caught sight
of land. Land ho, land!" passes from mouth
to mouth among the sailors. What land can
it be ? No island, no rock even, is marked on
the chart, and the officers gather on deck to
look over the darkening sea toward that darker
point where the new land lies.
We may have discovered a new island for
King George," says the captain. We must
THE PiTCAIflX ISLAXMRS1.
lie to till the morning, and then we will sail
nearer, and see this unknown shore."
The morning comes, and almost before it is
day some of the officers are on deck with their
glasses, eagerly looking toward the island,
which they can now see far more plainly.
Even without a glass its lofty rocks and steep
precipices can be distinguished. The shys
are approaching nearer and nearer, till now
their anchors are dropped, and one of the
captains orders a boat to be prepared.
"Though I doubt how we shall get her
through the surf," he says, pondering; it is a
dangerous coast, and no pilot within hail.
People there too, I see-savages. The men
must go well armed. Peters, look to the load-
ing of the pistols."
"Ay, ay, sir," answered Peters, looking,
like the rest, towards the rocks, where groups
of people coming and going were to be seen.
There was evidently great excitement on the
island. A ship was a strange and unusual
sight, no doubt.
Before the ship's boat could be launched,
two men were seen to climb the top of the
steep cliff which almost overhung the narrow
beach. They, however, seemed to find no
difficulty in their dangerous path, though each
52 LIFE ON DESOLATE 1SLANI55.
carried on his shoulders a light canoe. The
strangers wore some kind of clothing, but even
through the captain's glass it was impossible to
tell of what race they were.
Dark against the clear sky, the two figures
were seen for awhile to stand gazing steadfastly
toward the ship, and then bounded like goats
down the rugged face of the rock, and soon
launched their canoes fearlessly in the angry
"Haul the boat up, we'll wait and receive
these natives on board," says the captain, and
in a few minutes one of the canoes was under
the bows of the ship.
Come alongside," shouted a sailor, trusting
that his signs and gestures would explain the
meaning of his English words.
We have no boat-hook to hold on by,"
cried in answer the foremost of their visitors.
No words can explain the surprise with
which the captain and the whole crew listened
to these words spoken in pure English by the
supposed savage. They looked at him and at
each other, but no one spoke till the eager
voice was again heard from the boat.
Won't you heave us a rope now ?"
A sailor seized and flung one end of a
coil of rope, and in a moment their strange
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS. 53
visitor had seized it and climbed fearlessly on
He was a tall man, young, and almost En-
glish-looking, save that his complexion was
tinged by the hot sun of his country; and his
whole face and bearing were those of an edu-
cated and civilised man. His dress was a light
vest and short trousers, while his palm-leaf
hat was adorned with a bunch of brilliant
"Who are you?" asked the astonished cap-
tain, gazing at this strange and unexpected
I am Thursday October Christian, the son
of the mutineer, and there," pointing to the
other canoe, now close to the ship, is Edward
The mystery was now explained: the ships
had anchored at the island where the mutineers,
long sought in vain, had taken refuge.
The officers crowded round their visitors,
asking question after question, of their age,
the number of people on the island, their habits
and mode of life.
Who is your king ?" they asked.
"Why King George, to be sure," replied
"Have you been taught any religion ?"
54 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
"Yes," they replied, "a very good reli-
gion ; and on further questions being asked,
they repeated reverently and perfectly the
Apostles' Creed, as giving the sum of the faith
in which they had been brought up.
The young men were led into every part of
the ship; they looked with great interest at
the many things they saw around them, the
uses and even the names of which were un-
known to them, and their questions showed
much thought and intelligence.
In the course of the morning they were led
to the stalls where the ship's cows were kept.
"What immense goats cried Christian;
"I did not know there were any of such a
Just then a little dog, belonging to some one
on board, attracted the attention of one of the
new-comers. I know what that is," he said,
"that is a dog, I have read of such things;"
and turning to his companion, It is a pretty
thing to look at, is it not ? "
When noon came, the two guests were taken
into the captain's cabin to lunch, but-before
touching the food which was spread before
them, they both folded their hands, and with-
out troubling themselves at all about the
presence of the officers, in the most simple and
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THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN.
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
natural manner asked God's blessing on all
that they should eat and drink.
Many of those who were present turned
away to hide, not a smile, but a blush of shame
that they, the sons of a Christian land, should
need to be reminded of their duty to their God
by these half-taught islanders.
Lunch over, the two captains went on shore,
rowed by their guests, to whose strong and
skilful hands they trusted to pilot them safely
through the dangerous surf.
On the beach they were welcomed by more
of the inhabitants, among the rest by a young
girl, the daughter of Adams, who had evidently
come to meet the English strangers in order
that she might learn if her father was in any
danger from them, for John Adams was the
last remaining mutineer. Her confidence was
restored by the looks and words of the two
captains, and she led them, with light step, up
the steep pathway by which alone the interior
of the island could be reached.
The captains were almost exhausted long
before the top was reached, but their guides
seemed to climb as easily as the goats of their
own island, and even the girls were so sure-
footed that they were able to help the strangers
up the difficult path. Arriving at the top, a
58 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
new and beautiful sight delighted their eyes-
a lovely valley, rich in fruit-bearing trees, and
in cultivated fields, in the midst of which was
built an almost English-looking village, with
its church and school-house, its cottages and
gardens, and all that could speak of a simple
religious home life. Here they were wel-
comed by the remaining inhabitants, with
Adams at their head, to whom all looked up
as to their father. Beside him stood his blind
Tahitian wife, and around him were groups of
young men and girls with bright intelligent
faces, and smiles which told of the happiness
and innocence of their hearts.
Whatever the daughter of Adams may have
feared in her love for her father, he himself
did not appear afraid to receive these English
visitors to his island refuge. For he felt that
as, in the sight of God, his sin had for Christ's
sake been pardoned, so in the eyes of men
these long years of penitence, and of honest
endeavour after a better life, would surely
have won pardon for the sins of his youth.
It was with feelings too deep for words that he
looked once more on the faces of his country-
men, and heard the English speech from other
lips than those to whom he had taught it.
All the memories of early days awoke in him,
THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
and he longed to return once more and see his
native land before he died. But as soon as
those round him understood his wish, they
seized his hands, they clung around him, pray-
ing him with tears not to desert them, not to
leave his children; and Adams, much moved,
promised to remain. And indeed he would
have been sorely missed had he gone, for he
was the chief authority on the island. He it
was who each Sunday led the prayers of the
islanders, all assembled around him in the
church which they had built, thinking, as they
joined in the words of the service, of their
unknown brethren in the great country be-
yond the seas. He it was who explained week
by week the words of the Bible to his listen-
ing companions, baptized the children, and
married the young people.
It was to Adams that every dispute was
referred-all those slight disagreements which
spring up from time to time, but which with
the islanders were never, as they said, more
than word-of-mouth quarrels, and always ended
before set of sun.
The captains, though anxious to linger
awhile in this island home, were obliged to leave
next day, and they departed amid the regrets
and farewells of these simple-hearted, affec-
60 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
tionate people, a people Christian in heart as
well as in name,-sincere, modest, pure, and
unselfish, whose life seemed to be fashioned
on the words of God's Book, Look not every
man on his own things, but every man also on
the things of others."
And all this peace and happiness had sprung,
under the blessing of God, from the seeds of
his truth sown long long years before in the
hearts of two English sailors, and from the
power of his truth in his written word, and
in the teaching of his Spirit.
DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA.
IT was during the
sirmerry days of the
en and- reign of King Edward
m_ il. of England, that
a little ship left the
port of Bristol, sailing
suddenly and secretly,
so that none knew to
what port she was
She was no trading
vessel laden with
English goods for
Calais, for her crew was not composed of
sailors; there were on board only a few
men, and these wore the dress of English
gentlemen. The strange crew, the secret de-
parture, all told the tale of some danger from
62 'LIVE 01.T DESOLATE ISLANIA~
which they were seeking to escape, and had we
been on board we should have seen by the
anxious faces of the crew, by the quick eager
glances with which they watched the shores as
they sailed out of the Bristol Channel, that
they feared pursuit, either for themselves or for
some one whom they had in charge. Though
not really sailors, they were doing their best to
guide the little vessel, and they had chosen for.
captain a young Englishman called Lionel
Machin, whose directions they obeyed, and in
whom they appeared to have full confidence.
Itwas for Lionel's sake that the party of friends
were now making their escape from England.
He had married a girl whom he had long loved,
but he had not gained the consent of her father
and mother. They were powerful and rich,
and he had reason to fear that his young wife
would be taken from him through their influ-
ence with the king, and therefore he had
determined to seek a French port, and to hide
himself with his wife in some French city
which did not own Edward as its king.
But, ignorant as they were of navigation, it
was no easy matter for them to direct their
course aright, and, high winds springing up,
they were beaten about for five days without
catching sight of the coast of France. They did
THIE DISCOVERERS O0 MAD1YIRA. 63
not know in what direction they were being car-
ried, and all on board, but especially the new-
made wife, were full of uneasiness and dismay.
Lionel encouraged Arabella with loving and
hopeful words, even when his own heart was
sinking low, but his friends, who had come only
for his sake, and without well considering the
dangers and risks which they might encounter,
were fast losing spirit and hope. Their merry
adventure seemed to be turning into sad
earnest, and these light-hearted lads, having
nothing to sustain their courage when pleasure
was gone, now vented their disappointment in
continual murmurs and regrets.
Arabella herself tried to seem indifferent to
their danger, and secure in Lionel's care; she
hid her tears, lest they might grieve her hus-
band; but when she thought that no one saw her,
then she gave herself up to sorrow and despair.
She thought of her father and mother whom
she had left secretly, lest they should forbid her
marriage with Lionel, and she longed with an
aching heart for one word of love and forgive-
ness. For hours she would sit, her eyes turned
toward that part of the horizon where she had
last seen the coast of England, her thoughts
busied about her old home: her father, taking
his pleasures with a sad heart; her little sister,
64 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
weeping for her lost playmate; and, most of all,
her mother, upright and dry-eyed, after the
stern fashion of the day, but yet, as Arabella
well knew, ever thinking of her absent and
disobedient child, ever missing the light step,
the loving smile, the tender touch of the
daughter she had loved so well.
But Lionel still kept up heart and hope, still
spoke gaily of the new home they would soon
make in sunny France-yes, even when day
after day passed by, and the watchers saw no
land, and knew that they must be drifting far
out of their course, away into the wide un-
known ocean. They had been at sea more than
a month when one morning early, Lionel, who
was pacing the deck, heard behind him a sudden
shout of joy.
He did not turn, for there were tears in his
eyes which he must hide from his companions,
for he had now, for the first time, learned from
his wife of her repentance and her grief, and
he too was sad at heart and well-nigh hopeless.
But the shout was repeated and taken up by
"Land, land at last!" they cried, and Lionel
turned to see, far in the distance, the tall sharp
outline either of a rock or of the cliffs which
guarded some unknown shore. Wind and
THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA.
wave were steadily sweeping the vessel onward
towards this haven of refuge, and there was
nothing to do but to watch the sharpening
outlines, and to see, as fog and mist cleared
before the sun, the sheer dark rocks and deep
valleys of their new home.
Nearer still and nearer, till the land was full
in sight, and the famished and wearied crew
could see the green valleys and tree-covered
heights of this lovely island, could almost hear
the fall of the clear waters which they saw
glancing down the face of the rocks.
What land it was they knew not. No houses
were to be seen, no, ships or canoes flew out
from under shelter of the shore, no natives
gathered in fear or wonder on the silent silver
beach, only a number of bright-winged birds
came as if to greet the new-comers, and settled
fearless on the sails and ropes.
Quickly the ship's one boat was lowered, and
some of Lionel's companions, well armed, put
off for the unknown shore. Lionel would fain
have been of the number, but neither Arabella
nor his friends would permit him to run this
risk. Ere long the boat returned, and the
adventurers climbed on board as eager to speak
as were their comrades to hear.
"A dainty and delicious country, truly,
66 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
Captain Lionel, but men saw we none," said the
The beasts, thereon are tame, and have no
fear of man," continued another.
"Yea, and the land is a garden of flowers,
and the air soft, that it would give back health
to the dying; there will your fair wife recover
her bloom, and we all shall rest after our
Fruits are there in plenty, they dropped on
uts from the trees as we walked," added the
"Here at last have we found a haven,"
answered Lionel; "here, my kinsmen and
faithful friends, may you regain the strength
you have lost in my cause, yea, and win
your pardon in England by this fair news.
Arabella, you will soon be strong again,"
and Lionel, though 1e spoke confidently,
looked with evident anxiety toward the pale
face which bore the traces of sorrow as well as
Soon the whole party, save some few who
remained in charge of the ship, were on land,
wandering with the glee of schoolboys over
the green plains and wooded hills on which
they seemed to be the first to set foot. Choosing
a sheltered spot among the laurels and near to
THTE DISCOVERtERS OP MADEIRA.
the bend of the river, the new lords of the
island soon built a shelter for themselves, and
brought thither stores from the sbip
In this happy retreat the fugitives spent
nearly a fortnight, seeming to forget, in the
peace and rest of the present, their past wrong-
doing and their past disasters.
But on the thirteenth day a sudden and vio-
lent storm broke over the island. The ship
was driven from her anchorage by the force of
the wind and waves, and was carried, with
those of the company then on board, towards
the north coast of Africa, where she was at
last completely wrecked. The crew escaped with
their lives, bitt only to fall into the hands of
the Moors, who, regarding all Christian nations
as their enemies, immediately seized these poor
English gentlemen as slaves.
Lionel anA the few companions who were
left with him on the island, grieved deeply for
the loss of their companions, though they knew
not the terrible fate which had befallen them.
And mingled with their sorrow was penitence
too, for the wrong act which had, as they felt
brought on them this deserved punishment,
But Arabella's grief was deeper; from the time
when this new disaster befell them she never
spoke, but sat gazing ever over the now calm
68 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
sea which parted her from her home; and thus
she pined and died, too deeply oppressed with
grief to be comforted even with the remem-
brance of the pardon which Christ the Saviour
gives to all who repent and turn from sin.
Lionel could not endure without her the life
which he had sought for her sake, and ere long
he, too, died in the arms of his weeping friends,
and husband and wife were buried at the foot
of the laurels which had been their shelter.
The remaining adventurers determined at
THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA.
any risk to leave the island in the little boat
which still remained to them, for the place
now became distasteful; but before they sailed
they set up over the grave of the husband
and wife a wooden cross, on which were carved
their names. Then, following the wish of
Lionel, they added below a request that if any
Christians should hereafter come to dwell in
this island, they would build over the grave a
church, in which our Saviour Jesus might be
worshipped and adored.
The little boat being now ready and stored
with birds and other food as provision for their
vogage, they set sail, but were, like their com-
panions, cast on the coast of Africa, and made
slaves with those who had gone before them.
But the poor Englishmen were not the only
captives, for in those times shipwrecked sailors
from all parts of Europe were held in cruel
slavery by the Moors.
Side by side with the companions of Lionel
worked a young Spanish sailor named Jean de
Morales, and, glad of any relief from the toil
and tedium of their sad life, he listened eagerly
to the often-repeated story of the lovely and
beautiful island. Of this unknown land he
dreamed and thought continually, longing for
freedom that he might discover and tread its
LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
silent shores, for he was of a nation eager for
discovery, and the highest rewards and honours
were not thought too great for him who should
add a new country to the dominions of the
crown of Castile. I
At length it happened that a sum of money
was sent to Barbary, to ransom some of the
Spanish captives, and Jean de Morales was
amongst those set at liberty; but the ship in
which, with glad heart and high hopes, he
sailed for Spain, was captured on its way by a
Portuguese man-of-war, under Jean Gonsalie
Lascoe. All the captives from Barbary, who
had already suffered so much, were permitted
to continue their journey home, save only Jean
This one exception was made because the
Portuguese captain was not willing to give to
Spain the glory of the discovery which the
Castilian sailor was longing to attempt. Jean
de Morales was, however, kindly treated, and
at last took service with the Portuguese, his
attachment to his native land being doubtless
weakened by his long captivity.
Very soon, ships were sent out by Portugal
commanded by Gonsalie, with Jean de Morales
on board, to seek this new and unclaimed
island. The vessels first held their course for
VISJT1~qG THEl GR~AVES,
THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA.
the Island of Porto Santo, near which the new
island was supposed to lie, for seen from Porto
Santo toward the north-east was a heavy cloud,
sometimes brighter, sometimes darker, but
never wholly dispersed.
The ignorant and superstitious inhabitants
had many wonderful stories to relate of this
cloud; they all believed that no ship could
safely approach it. Some held it to be an
island hanging between heaven and earth, in
which some Christians had been hidden by
God from the power of their Moorish foes,
some that it led into the land of spirits.
Towards this cloud Gonsalie steered his ships,
in spite of the murmurs and almost the open
mutiny of his terrified crew. The shadow is
but a mist," said he, "a cloud caused by the
heat of the sun's rays drawing the moisture
from the land beneath; have no fear, my chil-
dren, for those who do their duty will God
Through the mists and heavy clouds they
sailed on, and at last emerged into clear, pure
air, to see fair before them the island of their
hopes. The sailors who had before resisted
their captain's will, now fell on their knees
begging his forgiveness, and praying to be
allowed to land at once and wander through
74 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS
the valleys of this lovely land. Soon Gonsalie,
Jean de Morales, and some of the sailors pulled
through the surf and set foot on the island,
which they called .Madera, because it was so~well
wooded. They landed almost on the very spot
where Lionel and Arabella had first come on E
shore, and before long the new-comers stood in
reverence and in pity by the graves of the first
The island was formally taken possession of
in the name of the King of Portugal, and
before long a colony was sent thither, Gonsalic
being appointed governor.
Then the dying wish of Lionel was granted,
and over his grave was built a church, in which
the new inhabitants might worship God.
This is the story which we have received as
the history of the discovery of the island of
Madeira, now so well and so familiarly known to
us, where many of our own countrymen go year
by year, seeking to recover health and strength
amongst the sheltered and wooded vales where
the English husband and wife found their
The history was written in Portuguese by
Don Francesco Alcafarado, a noble at the court
of King John i. of Portugal. He was himself
THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA. 75
one of the first discoverers. It is considered
possible that some of the details which he has
given may have been altered in his memory,
or confused by those from whom he heard the
story of Lionel and Arabella, but there seems
no reason to doubt the chief facts which he
relates. The cross erected over the graves of
the husband and wife was preserved in Madeira
till at least the early part of this century, and
very possibly is still to be seen.
CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP.
- IT was late in the
-- year 1431. The
s-nport of Venice was
Filled with ships
I the world, bring-
ing to her their
choicest stores, and
their most costly
_her and from her
sions rich shiploads of wine and spices, and
bales of finest cotton.
It would have been a sight never to have
been forgotten could we have gazed then on
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP. 77
that city of the sea, have watched the cum-
brous barks, so unlike our light-winged mer-
chant ships, or our swift steamers, which sailed
heavily up and down the blue Adriatic, till
they came in sight of the famous city, the
resort of all nations, in whose canals, and
among whose marts and palaces, might be seen
the strange dress, and heard the mingled
speech of men from all parts of the civilised
One ship was just leaving the port. The
vessel, rather a large one for those days, seems
but poorly manned, and rocks so greatly among
the short white waves, that it is plainly to be
seen that she is short of ballast and lading.
She is a Venetian trading vessel, bound first to
the Isle of Candia, where she will complete her
cargo and add to the number of her crew.
This Candia or Crete (the very Crete by which
St. Paul passed on his voyage to Italy) was at
that time under the hard rule of Venice, and
its poor inhabitants did her service upon land
and sea. The ship stayed at Candia only so
long as enabled her to complete her stores of
cotton and spice and wine, which were destined
for some northern or western market, some
French or British port. She was deep enough
in the water now, and on her deck lay many
78 LItE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
an unstowed bale, many a cask of wine, for
which the sad-looking Cretan sailors, in their
tunics and short cloaks, had not yet been able to
find room. Sixty-eight men were now on board,
including the patron or owner, Master Piero
Quirini, and Christoforo Fioravanti, the sail-
ing-master. Quirini, in his quaint Italian
dress, looking strangely unlike our modern
idea of a sailor, stood amid the piles of mer-
chandise, giving quick orders for its stowage,
while the sailing-master made all ready for
the long voyage which was just beginning.
For in those days a voyage into the western
sea was counted, specially while boisterous
autumn gales made sailing difficult, as a long
and hazardous undertaking. They all knew
it must be many months ere they could hope
to see home again; but little did any of them
guess the strange sad fortunes which should
befall them. The Cretan sailors looked back
wistfully at the groups of their friends, their
wives and'ynothers and chLdren, whom they
had left weeping on the shore, but they did
not think how many there were among them
who would never return to tell the story of
their long voyage. But some at least among
them knew and felt that they were in the
hands of God for life or for death, and that
T1tE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN S9tIP.
nothing could really hurt them if they were
"followers of that which is good."
The ship at first sailed on prosperously
enough. The sea was calm, and the sky
clear above them. The sailors sang their sweet
Italian or Grecian songs, as they hurried to
and fro, or leant over the bulwarks, watching
the blue water.
Their course lay northward now, and wind
and wave were sweeping them toward the
perilous northern seas. The days had been
already growing short when the ship left
Candia, and now December, with its cold and
darkness, was upon them, and these southern
sailors shivered as they met the keen northern
The cold grew sharper than ever on one
night toward the end of the year, but on that
very night Master Piero Quirini chose to
remain on deck, braving the winter wind,
instead of taking shelter in his warm and
comfortable cabi, below. He stood looking
eastward with his keen eyes, his hand shading
Come hither, Fioravanti," he called, and
the sailing-master approached. There is a
strange appearance in the sky which affrights
me; I fear a sudden and violent storm, and
80 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
then what will befall our ship, thus heavily
laden?" said Quirini.
The old sailor turned towards the part of
the horizon which Quirini had pointed out;
and as he looked, his face changed. Quick,"
said he, calling to the sailors who were nearest,
" bid them draw in the sails. Let the rudder
be bound firmly, for the tempest is well-
nigh on us-alas! for these terrible northern
Before he had well finished speaking, his
Italian sailors had begun their work, the slower
and more apathetic Greeks needing, even in
that moment of danger, to be urged with many
words before they would obey. Thus it was
but slowly that the heavy sails, creaking and
swaying in the wind, were drawn in and bound
to the masts, and before half the work was
done, the storm in its full fury had struck the
ship, and each man clung for life to the nearest
support, as the reeling vessel ploughed heavily
through the swollen sea.
Master, the rudder is gone, the rudder is
lost," cried many voices, as after a sudden
lurch forward the ship righted again, and as
they cried out, a fresh blast struck her, and
the half-furled sails were torn into ribbons, and
hung useless over the ship's side.
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP.
The morning light found her still driving
before the wind, and deep in the sullen water
which rose almost above her sides as she flew
faster thtn ever before the fierce wind. At
length a sudden squall threw her on her side,
while the waters rushed in as if to fill and sink
her in a moment.
"Ho men! an axe, an axe!" cried the master;
"down with the main-mast!" and seizing a
hatchet which lay at hand, Piero Quirini
struck the first blow at the tall mast, whose
weight was dragging down the vessel. Others
with sword, or axe, or any tool which they
could snatch at the moment, followed, and they
were but just in time, for before another wave
could wash over the vessel, the mast was floating
free, and the ship had righted once more. The
water was baled out with every vessel on which
the men could lay their hands; and this weary
work was continued all through the cold dark
night, yet when the morning broke, hours
behind its time, as it seemed to the despairing
sailors, the water in the hold was scarcely
three inches lower.
The only hope for the crew lay in taking at
once to their boats. There were two boats
belonging to the ship-the pinnace and the
skiff; the first was a long boat, but the skiff,
82 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
which was considered the safer of the two, would
hold but a small number.
The master called the men round him on the
deck, and told them his decision. BWv, men,"
said he, "you shall choose your beat; there
stands the notary, Nicolo di Michiel, with his
ink-horn and parchment; he shall write down
the names of all who would fain sail in the skiff."
Master, there are forty-five for the skiff,"
said Nicolo, slowly reckoning the long list of
written names; forty-five, and the skiff, saith
Christoforo Fioravahti, holds but twenty-one."
"Draw lots, men, we are brothers now in
trouble, and none shall have advantage over
The lots were drawn, and then the master
proceeded to divide between the two crews the
stores of the fast-sinking ship. Bread, cheese,
bacon, tallow and oil, and a little wine, as much
as she could carry, were given to the crew of
the skiff, while the master, with forty-six men,
stored in the pinnace what remained on board,
and one by one the men passed over the ship's
side, and the boats dropped off into the wide sea.
It was calm, the terrible wind had sunk
down, and the keen wintry sky was clear once
more, but yet the prospect before them was
enough to trouble the bravest heart.
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP.
They were adrift in the bitter cold in open
boats, but ill-supplied for a long voyage, and
were, as they believed, five hundred miles from
the iey'ft shore. All night a heavy mist
hung over them, and when it was dispersed by
the morning sun the crew of the pinnace looked
round in vain for their companions,-the skiff
was nowhere to be seen.
Six days passed, and all hope of seeing their
companion boat had grown faint, when another
storm arose, and the pinnace, heavily laden,
shipped so much water over the sides that all
feared she would sink.
Men's lives before wines and spices pre-
cious and costly though they be," said the
master; we must lighten the boat of all, save
a little needful food and water; linger not, my
children, therein lies our only hope."
But the days went on, and though the storm
passed, and the pinnace still rode safely on the
waters, the hearts of the crew were heavy
within them. The boat was indeed lighter
now, for of the forty-seven who had embarked in
her, twenty-six died, and their bodies had been
solemnly committed to the deep, there to wait
till, at the voice of God's angel, the sea shall
give up her dead. Solemn indeed must have
been the thoughts of the survivors as they saw
84 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
one after another of their comrades summoned
from their side to stand before God; no one
of them knew but that he might be called next,
and all were sure that if help did reach
them speedily, none would return home to tell
the tale of their sufferings. Some there were
of that crew who, faint, weary, in want of
covering, tortured with thirst, yet held fast
their trust in their Father in heaven, and cried
to him with agonised prayer to have mercy on
them for Christ's sake. And the prayer for
deliverance was heard.
It was on the third of January, and the first
faint daylight was stealing over the waters,
when one of the crew, looking eagerly round as
he raised himself from uneasy sleep, saw far off
a faint line which seemed to be land. The sun
rose higher and coloured rose-red the snow-
hooded tops of lofty rocks around the unknown
coast. All the hope and desire of the ship-
wrecked crew was now to reach this shore,
fearing its unknown dangers but little, com-
pared with the terrible suffering they had long
But, alas! the wind had died away, and in
vain did they unfurl their sails, and set their
rudder. They must try the oars then, but the
arms of the starving sailors were too weak tq
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP. 85
move the boat, and they could do nothing but
trust to the force of the waves and the currents
which ere bearing her along. It was the
sixth January when they reached the land,
and with great difficulty drew their boat to the
beach. They soon found that they had landed
LAND AT LAST.
on an uninhabited island, which lay, as they
afterwards found, off the coast of Norway-a
strange and foreign land to the Venetians of
No sooner did the wasted remnant of the
crew set foot on shore than they rushed to the
rocks, climbing them with strength which they
had not thought they possessed, and eagerly
86 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
gathering the pure white snow in their hands,
bathed their parched lips and dry tongues,
drinking again and again, as if th-yv c4d never
taste enough of this delicious d ug liht.
"Now, men, draw the boat higher on shore,
ere the tide go out and float her away," said
the master; but when the pinnace was drawn
to the dry sand she was found to be so battered
and so full of holes, that they all saw at once
that it was useless to hope that they could ever
put to sea in her again. We will make her
serve for a shelter at least," said Christoforo,
and so, dividing her into two parts, they, with
the help of her sails, made two huts, in which
the twenty-one sailors, who alone were left,
might find some slight shelter from the winter
Our thirst have we slaked," said Nicolo,
" and said grace, I trust, for the draught; now,
by your leave, good master, must we seek for
food, though what food this barren island should
afford, good sooth I know not."
All the party dispersed at once in search of
provisions, some climbing the rocks, some wan-
dering along the beach, and some seeking to
penetrate farther inland. Returning towards
evening slowly and sadly to the huts, they ex-
amined the store that had been found-a few
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP. 87
periwinkles and barnacles and some other
small shell-fish, but a poor feast for so many
famished men. Their search, continued far and
wide over the island, discovered no other food,
save a kind of small herb which grew under
the snow. This they ate day after day, and so
were able to keep a little life in them, though
they were always faint and hungry. '
Five out of the little colony were already
dead from cold and hunger and exhaustion,
when one day a sailor wandering farther than
he had yet been, came upon a little hut, empty
and deserted, but giving a better and more
comfortable shelter than their sail-covered huts.
Six of the company determined to live in this
new home, thinking that the chances of find-
ing food for the whole would be increased when
they were more widely scattered on the island
And scarcely had they taken up their abode
in their new quarters, when they were over-
joyed by finding on the beach, close at hand, a
large dead fish. They did not know whether it
was a whale or a porpoise, but they saw that it
was quite fresh and fit for food, and every one
of them believed that God had sent this great
deliverance in answer to their prayers for help.
All hands turned out to drag the fish to their
hut, and no sooner was it safely housed than a
88 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
terrible storm broke over the island, which
lasted nine days. So fierce was the wind, so
pitiless the tempest, that during all that time
not one of the sailors dare set foot outside the
cottage, and had it not been for the merciful
provision which God had bidden the waves to
bring to them, they must all have perished
The fish was at length eaten, not a fin,
nor a morsel of flesh remained, and once
more the sailors were forced to seek along the
shore for shell-fish, which was now their only
food. Christoforo was one day seated in the
cottage. He had grown white and thin, and
his long lank hair looked dry and rusty, as it
hung over his sunken cheeks. He was gazing
listlessly on the dull sea, and on the distant
cloudlike lines which told of other islands, or
may be of the main land far off.
"If we could only reach those shores," he
thought, may be men dwell thereon, and we
might find food. But we have neither boat
nor wood whereof to make one, neither have we
strength to row, so seemeth there no choice
but we must all perish here; the will of God be
Raising his eyes, which had sunk while he
pursued these sad thoughts, he suddenly sprang
THE CRUISE OF A VENETIAN SHIP.
to his feet, and with a glad shout cried, Re-
joice, behold two come to seek us," and as he
spoke, his companions, looking out, saw two
shepherd lads climbing the hill-side.
The strangers turned and fled in terror at
the sight of man on this lonely island, and the
sailors following to the shore found there a
little boat in charge of an old man. They had
learnt some prudence now, and they approached
quietly, making signs of good-will and of
humility, and asking by look and gesture his
pity on their great distress. The two lads soon
came down and joined their father, and though
none of the three could understand a word of
the Italian speech, it chanced that there was
one among the sailors, Girado da Lione by
name, who had learnt a few words of Norwe-
gian, and by means of this interpreter they
managed to tell the visitors of their terrible
The little boat would hold but two besides its
owners, and Girado da Lione and Bernardo the
pilot were chosen to accompany the shepherds
to their home, and to get help to bring off all
who remained of the shipwrecked crew. On
their way they questioned the shepherd, as well
as they could, on the cause of his journey to
90 LIVE O1 tESOLA78 ISLANDS.
A strange reason was it, truly, my friends,"
answered the old man, "but my son can tell
you better than I. Speak, my son."
The younger of the two oarsmen, a lad of
about sixteen, answered bashfully: "It was a
dream, strangers, that led our boat to that shore.
My father had lost two heifers, white were
they, with black stars on their forehead, and
there were none like them in the island where
we dwell. Long did week our missing kine,
and sore was our sorrow when we found them
not; but last night I dreamed that I saw them
feeding upon this island, the cliffs of which we
can sometimes see from our home. When I
awakened I persuaded my father to take the
boat and let us row to the island."
"We found not our heifers," said the old
fisherman, smiling, but, thank the good God,
we found men. Doubtless it was God who sent
my son this dream, that so we might be in time
to save you."
They were soon received by a crowd of eager
peasants, who crowded down to the beach when
the story of the rescue spread. They were in
another id.lnd* n.w, far larger, and moreover
cultivated and inhabited, and food was given
them, and shelter offered, and clean clothes
brought to replace their own ragged and dirty
'THEI ClItJISr OP A VENETIAN SHIP.
garments. But of course the first anxiety of
the two rescued sailors was to send relief to
their companions at the hut, and to those who
might yet remain alive on the other side of the
island. The kind islanders prepared quite a
fleet of little boats in which to hasten to
the rescue of these poor deserted men, but
at the huts which they had first built but five
were found alive, and their new friends pre-
pared with sad hearts ,o bury the dead as well
as to save the living.
The eleven survivors grasped each other's
hands with feeling too deep for words; they
the only ones left of the sixty-eight. who, in
full health and strength, had left the shores of
Candia. "Truly," said one, "we had been
swallowed up of the sea, if our Lord Jesus
Christ had not been merciful to us, who for-
saketh not them that religiously call upon him."
"Now must we part," said they among them-
selves, and seek our way to Venice on foot or
by sea as we may find means. Sad news bring
we thither, and many heavy hearts must we
make. But God has spared us to our dear ones,
and let us few that remain remember that we
live only to commend to memory, and highly to
exalt, the great power of God."
THE FORTUNES OF ST. HELENA.
.--- IN the days when
voyages were more
tedious and dan-
gerous than they
are now, when steam
was unknown, and
the art of naviga-
tion little studied,
it was specially im-
portant to secure
for vessels bound on
HIalf-way ports, where the health of the sailors
might be recruited, where the ship, often
battered and leaking, might be repaired, and
stored once more with water and fresh vege-
tables, were absolutely essential to safe and
THE FORTUNES OF ST. HELENA. 93
But until about the year 1500 the Venetian
traders to India had found no such harbour
of refuge in the South Atlantic. Their ships
came and went nevertheless, and if many were
lost, yet the profits of the trade were such as
to repay the merchants for many a bale of rich
goods which lay beneath the waters, and to
lead Venice to guard as one of her most
valuable rights the trade with India.
The Portuguese also were merchants and
explorers, and had a large and important navy,
and they were not content to leave the Indian
traffic wholly in the hands of the Venetians.
Therefore about the year 1501 three vessels
were sent out to India by the Portuguese
Government. On their return voyage during
May of the following year a sudden and violent
storm overtook them.
They were in the midst of the wide Atlantic,
driven backward and forward by the furious
winds and waves.
It seems that one of the ships was separated
from the other two, and was in greater danger.
All hope of guiding her was at an end, and
the captain and crew stood waiting in despair
for the death which could not be far distant.
It seems probable from that which afterwards
happened that some at least among the sailors
94 LIFE ON DESOLATE ISLANDS.
thought, in tbL-i danger, on God, and cried to
him to save them. And we may well believe
this to have been so. There are but few who
when trouble is near fQrget God. It is in smooth
and fair water, in calm and sunshine, that we
are so ready to think that we can guide and
help ourselves. When the clouds gather, and
the storm-winds blow, then we cry unto God in
our trouble. And God is so good that he does
not turn away from those who call on him in
their need, even when in their joy they had
turned away from him.
Help came to these sailors tossed on the wide
wild sea, but it did not come in the way that
they had hoped. At first it seemed only like
greater peril, for through the haze which
darkened the sea the dim outline of land was
seen, standing high, sharp, and dark against
What land it could be they did not know. In
such rough charts as they possessed no rock
even was marked, no speck of land for many
hundred miles on either side the place where
they were now fighting for their lives.
The ship was driven nearer and nearer, and,
so far as the mariners could tell, they were
being driven to certain destruction, for what
ship could hope to avoid the terrible wall of
THE FORTUNES OF ST., HELENA. 9o
rocks before them, or live in the white seething
waters which boiled at the foot. A shout, an
eager wondering cry, from one of the sailors,
roused his comrades; he was pointing to a
narrow inlet between the rocks, on either side
of which the sand lay smooth and low-if they
could only gain that opening there might yet
be hope. But the ship was past all guidance, and
the only chance of life seemed to lie in the boats,-
which might be directed up the narrow inlet,
so that the men might land in safetyon its shores.
We do not know how this was accomplished,
but we are sure that at last the anxious, terrified
sailors stood safely on the beach, watching the
still raging sea as it washed to their feet plank
and mast and rudder of their now broken
Their first thought was to offer thanks to
God who had delivered them, and then they
began to look around at this strange unknown
land on which they had been thrown.
Let us build ourselves a shelter with the
planks of the broken ship, she will never sail
blue water again," said one sailor.
"Nay," replied another, rather let us build
a house for God, let us leave a church on this
island. We need no shelter in the warm May
weather, no rain will -fall for months yet, I
LIFE 014 DESOLATE ISLANDS.
warrant, and some of those rare trees yonder
will be our fittest roof."
"But of what use can a church be when
none dwell here to worship ? asked a third.
Doubtless many will come to dwell here
when we return home and tell the story of the
new land, and many ships will stay here to rest
the sailors and to gather stores. Were it not well
"done that they should find prepared a place
which should remind them of their duty to
their God, and of his care of them?"
"And," said the captain, speaking now for
the first time, were it not well done that we,
whom he has so wonderfully preserved, should
try even in this imperfect fashion to show our
gratitude ? He will accept even such poor
service, therefore, in my judgment, let it be
"Let it be done," cried all, and, as if im-
patient to begin, the sailors rushed knee-deep
into the sea, seizing and drawing high on the
beach the floating spars and planks, ready for
their new service.
But before such work could be begun it was
needful to explore the new land, to search for
any traces of inhabitants, and above all to dis-
cover, if possible, food and water to refresh the
exhausted and weary sailors.
THE FORTUNES OF ST. 4IELENA. 97
There was one high peak, towering above the
many hills which crowned the island, and
towards this~a party of sailors made their way,
keeping closely together for fear that the
natives of the land might suddenly attack them
from rock or thicket.
The steep, rugged, broken hill was scaled at
last, and from its suniftnit the adventurers
looked down on their place of refuge. They
were on an island, which seemed to be some
miles in length; it was thickly covered with
trees, and in one part a broad, open plain, fresh
and fertile, stretched before them. There were
many streams, dancing merrily down the broken
cliffs, or shaded by tall tree-ferns and waving
grasses. But nowhere was there any sign of
human habitation; no palm-roofed huts, no
canoes, no figures crossing the open spaces be-
tween the trees.* And not only man, but even
animals, seemed wanting here.
The place was a complete solitude; the sea-
birds had not strayed farther than the cliffs
where their nests were made, and save one
little brown bird, not unlike a sparrow, which
chirped among the boughs, the sailors neither
heard nor saw any signs of life.
Fruit there was in abundance on the trees
and with this spoil they Rastened back to their | <urn:uuid:3c535a5a-1fb5-4df5-99d0-d2650933ec53> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00026282/00001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397749.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975621 | 23,681 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Donating eggs for research
Developments in stem cell technology have led researchers to increasingly look for fresh human eggs to carry out their projects.
To increase the availability of fresh human eggs researchers proposed obtaining eggs specifically for use in research either through non-patient donation or through egg sharing schemes.
Some doctors and scientists expressed concern over how researchers would obtain the eggs and expressed fears that women could be pressurised into donating eggs and have their health put at risk.
In July 2006 the HFEA announced that it would review its guidance which restricted the donation of eggs for research to only those patients who were undergoing IVF treatment or sterilisation, and which did not allow for non-patient donation.
The HFEA carried out a full public consultation to develop new guidance on whether it was appropriate for women to donate their eggs for use in scientific research.
The consultation document ‘Eggs for Research: safeguarding donors’ considered the issues associated with the donation of eggs for research, and specifically addressed:
- the current situation around donation, including safeguards already in place to protect donors
- current HFEA guidance around embryo research
- issues identified in relation to egg donation specifically for research
- the potential problems associated with donation of eggs for embryo research
- the additional safeguards which could be introduced to ensure that donors are adequately protected if egg donation for research were to take place.
The consultation period ran between September and December 2006 and gave members of the public an opportunity to share their views on whether egg donation for research should take place and, if so, how to best protect the donors.
The HFEA Ethics and Law Committee (ELC) considered the information gathered as part of the Eggs for Research review at their meeting on the 16th January 2007.
The Authority at its February 2007 meeting considered the findings of the public consultation and the recommendations of the HFEA Ethics and Law Advisory Committee.
The Authority agreed to allow the donation of eggs for research both through non-patient donation and egg sharing arrangements. The additional safeguard measures recommended by the HFEA Ethics and Law Committee to ensure that egg donors were fully protected were also agreed.
The decisions made by the Authority were included in the ‘Guidance’ section of the 7th edition of the Code of Practice in its first update in October 2007.
Page last updated: 01 February 2012 | <urn:uuid:fa73f221-4dca-403d-ab16-84cf49dafd7b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.hfea.gov.uk/hfea/rss/538.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966698 | 484 | 2.65625 | 3 |
This morning Brad Eden of the University of Nevada gave us a very nice overview of
3-D Information Visualization. The concept of Information Visualization can be defined loosely in a number of ways, but basically boils down to the representation of nonspatial data as visual objects with easily perceived relationships and patterns.
Information Visualization is becoming increasingly important in online communication and instruction. When we look at the ways our users are consuming information, increasingly by choice, they do so visually. Virtual collaborative spaces are springing up all over the Internet as is the use of multiplayer online games coupled with the use of avatars and other visual persona, landscapes and environments. Why?
“Tell me and I’ll forget…
Show me and I may remember…
Involve me and I’ll understand.â€
Ancient Chinese Proverb
Increasingly faculty is looking at ways of utilizing Information Visualization to represent traditional text based and flat structure information. We looked at several examples including a 3-D map from the Rumsey map collection, which was running on GIS software through Luna Insight. There is a plethora of possibilities when it comes to 3-D presentation techniques.
Current programming languages involving 3-D are primarily Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)/eXtensible 3D (X3D) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).
We reviewed some library OPACs that are currently incorporating some type of Information Visualization such as AquaBrowser. You can see an example at the Lexington Public Library
One of the most interesting applications of 3-D Visualization technology can be experienced by taking a look at Cubic Eye. CubicEye breaks out your browser window into a cube with each “wall†functioning as an independent browser window. Individual 3-D elements, if supplied on the Web page, can be rotated on the floor of the cube for further examination.
We also examined several 3-D projects in the humanities, which utilized 3-D technologies to recreate architectural and anthropological sites on the web.
We can utilize these tools in our libraries not only by making our users aware of what is available in terms of completed projects in their subject areas, but also by exploring and incorporating Information Visualization into our service delivery and instruction. The serious consideration and utilization of visual technologies will add an increased level of appeal and interest in a language our users are already fluent in and accustomed to using. | <urn:uuid:bf513eb8-2b4e-48e9-822a-d676b6de9468> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://litablog.org/2005/10/3d-information-visualization-an-introduction-and-practical-applications/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00049-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92118 | 510 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Animal Farm by George Orwell opens with the aged and dying Pig, Old Major, as he gives a an impassioned speech to the other animals of the farm imploring them to reject the injustice forced upon them by the humans. He rallies the other beasts by discussing a dream he has of a perfect utopia for animals, one in which they were all free from the tyranny of humans and had enough to eat. He teaches the animals a song called “Beasts of England” which they all sing with patriotic fervor until the owner of the farm, Mr. Jones, fires his gun into the air. Soon after this, Old Major dies and the animals begin to organize according to the dead boar’s wishes, the first of which is to take control of the farm away from Mr. Jones. Two pigs become main characters in Animal Farm by George Orwell, Napoleon and Snowball. With the help of the skilled speaker-pig Squealer, they come up with a philosophy called “Animalism” which seeks to unite all of the animals under their shared status as animals and keep them loyal to each other.
In this section of the plot of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, they begin calling each other “comrade” and even though it is hard for some of them to completely the principles of the new order, most of the animals adopt this new way of life. One day, Mr. Jones gets drunk after losing some of his money in a legal battle and the animals spring on the opportunity to take control of the farm. By the end of the short revolution, the animals have destroyed the old vestiges of their bondage and now “free” to live the happy life Old Major predicted they would. They sing “Beasts of England” and are generally ecstatic for the next few days. They make plans to keep the farmhouse as a museum and the pigs, who have taught themselves to read, erase the words “Manor Farm” from the main farm building and write “Animal Farm” in its place. Also on the barn are painted the seven commandments of animalism which basically amount to pro-animal laws. It is at this point that Snowball the pig seems to be taking over while Napoleon, another leader, tries to undermine him.
Things go smoothly for animals throughout the summer and they find new more efficiently ways of doing things. The animals must work hard but their patriotism keeps them fresh and invigorated for the most part—aside from the exceptions of Mollie the vain horse and Benjamin the donkey. Boxer does a majority of the heavy work and is a idol to all animals to keep plugging. The animals have several ceremonies to honor themselves and their newfound freedom and have even devised a flag. Despite the successes, Snowball and Napoleon are always at odds. For instance, Snowball proposes a series of proactive proposals, including teaching all the animals how to read and for those who couldn’t catch on to it enough to read the commandments, he simply teaches that “four legs good, two legs bad.” Meanwhile, Napoleon is engaging in his own plans… He adopts newborn puppies saying he will train them to be good subjects, while in fact he is turning them to his side. Small tensions begin to arise such as the fact that the pigs get all of the milk and apples, which Squealer defends by saying the pigs need to think properly. It is clear that there are larger class lines being drawn and that the issue of class in Animal Farm will be one of the most prominent themes.
There are rumors circulating that farmer Jones is attempting to discredit and destroy the progress made at Animal Farm and he is uniting with the owners of neighboring farms. Aside from this distant tension, the problems between Snowball and Napoleon grow and come to a head when Snowball announces his plans to build a windmill. Napoleon storms off and discredits the plan and this time, he is not alone. The puppies he raised are now vicious dogs and thus Napoleon has something of a police force on his side. He overthrows Snowball and takes on the windmill project himself, even though he once said he didn’t like the idea. He makes the animals work at a fast pace to complete the project and with the skillful rhetorical manipulation of Squealer, keeps the other animals more or less in line.
To make matters worse, Napoleon has begun to hire outside human help, a violation of one of the central commandments. Again, Squealer smoothes all of this over with his words. Unfortunately, a storm comes and knocks over what was built of the windmill and the animals must work throughout the winter to rebuild it. In order to unite all the animals under a common enemy, he spreads rumors about how the now exiled Snowball knocked over the windmill. All throughout the winter, the animals work harder and harder in increasingly miserable conditions while Napoleon becomes almost completely human, drinking alcohol, sleeping in a bed, and associating with humans. The hardest and most loyal worker on the farm, Boxer the horse, dies and a cart from the glue factory comes to get him, thus implicating Napoleon. After this point, the pigs realize one day that they cannot tell the pigs from the humans and vice versa.
Other articles and essays in the Literature Archives related to this topic include: Social Stratification and Class in Animal Farm • The Role of Media in Society in 1984 by George Orwell • Utopias and Dystopias : AComparison of Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm • Short Biography of George Orwell | <urn:uuid:dd80bf50-6c55-47c9-a351-1d48bc394b0e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.articlemyriad.com/summary-animal-farm-orwell/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00055-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969726 | 1,151 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Professor Saverio Alberti, from the University of Chieti in Italy, announced in the European Cancer Conference that his team had discovered a new gene, Trop-2, which could be used as a target for more effective anti-tumour therapy in cancer. The Trop-2 gene is expressed in most human cancers.
Over-expression of Trop-2 was observed in between 65% and 90% of the tumour types analysed. This result really stands out in comparison to other key genetic determinants for cancer. Most of the other markers known to date show lower figures and/or only have a higher percentage in a specific type of cancer.
The findings show that Trop-2 is a novel, widespread, stimulator of human cancer growth and a unique marker and causal factor of metastatic cancer. This makes Trop-2 a suitable candidate as a target for novel diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Trop-2 is a membrane-type protein which contains a cancer-associated antigen in its extracellular domain. One of the conserved extracellular functional domains in Trop-2 are Thyroglobulin Type I repeats which are proposed to be inhibitors of cysteine proteases.
To search for similar domains in other organisms, please follow the instructions below.
Source: Science Daily News. | <urn:uuid:632fe08e-ec38-439f-9303-f95617a53f2c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mgrc.com.my/2008/05/27/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00074-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945177 | 267 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Did You Know?
Chthonic might seem a lofty and learned word, but it's actually pretty down-to-earth in its origin and meaning. It comes from "chthōn, "which means "earth" in Greek, and it is associated with things that dwell in or under the earth. It is most commonly used in discussions of mythology, particularly underworld mythology. Hades and Persephone, who reign over the underworld in Greek mythology, might be called "chthonic deities," for example. "Chthonic" has broader applications, too. It can be used to describe something that resembles a mythological underworld (e.g.,"chthonic darkness"), and it is sometimes used to describe earthly or natural things (as opposed to those that are elevated or celestial).
Variants of chthonic
Origin and Etymology of chthonic
Greek chthon-, chthōn earth — more at humble
First Known Use: 1882
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up chthonic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). | <urn:uuid:e76224e4-5335-47fc-aba1-117eec2e5b63> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chthonic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00107-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95446 | 232 | 3 | 3 |
Out at Mono Lake, that splendid patch of high-desert blue, this is a quiet month. Soon the silence will be shattered by the cries of the seabirds and migratory birds that will come, drawn by the trillions of brine shrimp that now thrive in the lake. Phalaropes, about 100,000 a year, 2.5 million grebes and the California gulls, about 80% of the state's population, will nest on the rocks and mineral spires known as tufas to breed before heading back to the coast with their young.
The nearby canyons and mountains on the Sierra's eastern slope are also home to coyotes, mountain lions and bighorn sheep. Last week a bald eagle, a rare sight, was spotted swooping and circling over the hills nearby. The water level is rising and bird populations are up.
These are good times for Mono Lake. On Sunday the folks who had a big hand in reversing the damage others had caused there will pause to take stock. The Mono Lake Committee is beginning a yearlong celebration, not only to give itself a well-deserved pat on the back for 20 years of hard and successful efforts to revive the lake but also to spread the word about what's happened out at this oasis in desolate Mono County east of Yosemite National Park.
Mono Lake's comeback is not just the story of one environmental "save." It's a story as well about the growing recognition over the past two decades that we humans have caused great damage to our natural world and that we can sometimes reverse it.
More than 50 years ago, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began to divert the freshwater streams that feed Mono Lake, sending that water south to fill bathtubs and sprinkle lawns here. Those diversions caused the lake level to fall more than 40 feet and, without adequate fresh water from the local snowpack, the salinity rose, endangering the wildlife that depended on the lake. By 1982, the lake's surface elevation hit a record low of 6,372 feet above sea level, down from 6,417 feet before the DWP diversions began. As the water receded, the characteristic tufa islands that rose from the water--those strange and delicate formations that look like dripped sand--became peninsulas, leaving bird nests vulnerable to predators.
The Mono Lake Committee, a determined band of folks from both near the lake and Los Angeles, formed in 1978 to reverse this decline. Years of legislative hearings, lawsuits and arm-twisting finally prompted the state Water Resources Control Board in 1994 to order the DWP to halt its diversions and help restore the lake.
As a result, the lake level has risen about 10 feet. With snowpacks this year at 134% of normal, better days are surely ahead for Mono Lake. And, as many predicted, the water board order has forced the DWP to do more of what it should have done all along--emphasize water reclamation and conservation as well as diversion.
Sunday afternoon, the committee will premiere a documentary film chronicling its two decades of work, "The Battle for Mono Lake," at UCLA's Schoenberg Hall. This is one battle in which there have been only winners. | <urn:uuid:ff3c490c-c878-4233-b62f-baac0e3b6fe3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/28/local/me-33518 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00096-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955645 | 667 | 2.625 | 3 |
By Johanna Riddle
Let’s face it. We love technology. We just do. It’s captivating, creative, and, yes, it’s hip. Most of us who bother to read posts like this one dedicate some time and effort to building our geek cred. If some technology is good, more must be better. We know what it adds to the learning arena. If it empowers high school students, engages middle schoolers, powers up cross curricular learning for elementary age students, it must do phenomenal things for babies and toddler, too. Right?
Many parents think so. Technology and digital media for babies is big business, infused into the earliest lives of our children. Consider the popularity of Baby Einstein videos or the wealth of software developed specifically for babies and toddlers. They have their own hardware, too! Check out the Comfy Easy PC Keyboard for babies, marketed through Baby Genius. Does this early exposure work? Are kids getting smarter, faster?
Not necessarily, say Dr. Dimitri Christakis and Frederick Zimmerman, both of the University of Washington. Their research doesn’t bear up the benefits of toddler targeted technology. In fact, their study indicates that too much early exposure to these tools actually delays language development and over stimulates the babies, making it difficult for them to concentrate later on in life. The researchers worry that parents might believe that these products serve as a valid replacement for human interaction.
“Babies require face-to-face interaction to learn,” says Dr. Vic Strasburger, professor of pediatrics at the University Of New Mexico School Of Medicine. “They don’t get that interaction from watching TV or videos. In fact, the watching probably interferes with the crucial wiring being laid down in their brains during early development.”
So, when do we begin to infuse technology into the world of learning? Susan Haughland, a researcher with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, believes that preschool is the best time to introduce the computer.
“Computers in the preschool and kindergarten classroom have great value when they are used in a developmentally appropriate way,” said Susan Haughland from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Compared to children in a similar classroom without computer experience, three-and four-year olds who used computers with supporting activities had significantly greater gains in verbal and nonverbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills.”
If you want to know the secret of life, or just about anything else, ask a kindergarten teacher. I found several with plenty to say about the meaningful integration of technology into the kindergarten schoolscape.
“Technology is integral to the kindergarten classroom,” explains Patricia Kershner, a career kindergarten teacher, “because that’s the way today’s world works, and the job of the teacher is to prepare them for that world.” Kindergartners learn by experiencing a concept in many formats, she explains, and often need to work with a concept over and over in order to really understand it. “ It’s (technology) not a substitute for doing, or for sensorial experiences, or for good teaching, but the right computer activities can supplement and enrich students in unique ways. The computer has the added advantage of providing visual and auditory information and improves their eye-hand coordination. In the right context, it is also a forum for social and creative expression.” It comes down to knowing your students, she adds.
Colin Lankshear and Llana Snyder, authors of Teachers and Technoliteracy (Allen and Unwin, 2000) agree. “The role of the teacher is to move students from information to knowledge,” they write. Technology and digital media can contribute to this. “But,” they advise, “We have to make sure that technology serves educational needs and not the other way around.”
So, maybe Piaget, with his classic developmental stages and his concrete-to-abstract philosophy, has something of value to contribute to technology education in the elementary school. But just how do we approach technology education from a developmental perspective?
I like to provide physical models for my young students. For example, I press a jewelry box, with many drawers, into service to illustrate the drives of a computer. Fixing an image of a computer to the back of the box, I label each one of the drawers on the front face accordingly: desktop, peripheral, A Drive, C Drive, D drive, H drive. I print out a series of miniature photos and documents, and place them into the various drawers of the jewelry box. Using the drawers as an analogy for computer drives, I am able to show my students how the files can be moved from one drive to another, how files are integrated, and so forth. It isn’t high tech, but it’s effective—and it helps my students make that leap to the abstract functions of computer use and management.
Concrete to abstract learning applies to software skills as well. My primary age students use a manual cropping tool—a cardboard square with the center removed—to manually isolate an area of their photo. I demonstrate the way that technology can be used to crop photos and help them make the connection between the two processes. These same students select and manipulate real objects to create collages that represent the details of a story, or that express a concept visually, and then create a scan or a digital photograph of their work. Later on, these same students learn how to create images by layering and manipulating a portfolio of imagery using Adobe Photoshop Elements. Another of my favorite metaphors is to demonstrate the notion of layering images with Photoshop Elements by showing my students a stack of clear report covers, each with an image or drawn on them, a phrase added, or a color added to the mix. As I begin to stack the images, adding more detail, students begin to make the connection to the layering process of Photoshop Elements software. The same is true for storyboarding tools and digital storytelling software. We begin with a low tech mix of index cards, scotch tape, using yellow sticky notes to edit, add, and explain. Inelegant, but effective (and inexpensive!). My youngest students manually manipulate the visual and textual elements of their story, so that they can better understand the digital manipulation of slides and video insertions in storytelling software.
Want more ideas for developmentally appropriate technology instruction? Check out these suggestions from Susan Brooks, co-founder of Internet4Classrooms. Susan Krill from Southwestern School District in Hanover, Pennsylvania, has compiled a comprehensive technology link that exposes young children to information literacy, traditional literacy and learning through technology, creating with technology and age appropriate computer skills.
I think Piaget would be proud, don’t you? | <urn:uuid:88c76b91-6c6e-4851-8215-432d8aa69e05> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blogs.adobe.com/educationleaders/2009/05/is_piaget_declasse.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939196 | 1,415 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Gold has been one of the most sought after minerals for centuries. From the ancient pyramids, where gold was used to ornate buildings and thrones to today's rapidly growing jewelry markets, gold has held its own over time. The Gold Standard, which began in 1900 and ended in 1971 created a benchmark for world currency because of its consistent values. While world monetary systems no longer rely on the value of gold, its attraction and intrinsic value has not changed or diminished.
Gold pricing is tied to many economic factors. These include inflation, geopolitical environments, and political instability even at the regional level. In times of crisis demand for gold rises as it is still considered a default currency in many world markets. Paper currency is only as valuable as the government that backs the currency. Gold holds value regardless of political stability and this can impact demand significantly. Political instability can also impact production in regions where the mines are located.
The other factor that has a large impact on demand is for jewelry. For example, as markets in China and India are experiencing rapid growth, demand for gold for jewelry and ornamentation is increasing demand as it represents wealth and success.
With instability spreading around the world, there has been an increased focus on American mining companies. They offer seasoned management teams, using modern technology to extract gold from well known, safe, low cost, and high grade gold deposits.
What follows are three promising American gold deposits that are plotting a new course in gold production. Some are operated by major mining companies with a long history of profitable exploration. The others are midsize companies with an established base to provide strong long term growth. The former is safer in terms of performance consistency and predictable returns, whereas the latter may be more volatile but with the most upside potential.
Carlin District - A National Treasure
Nevada holds one of the largest mining deposits of gold in the world and produces nearly 80% of all the gold mined in the United States. The Carlin Trend is a belt of gold deposits that is approximately 5 miles wide and 40 miles long, extending in a north-northwest direction through the town of Carlin, Nevada. By 2008, mines in the Carlin Trend had produced over 70 million ounces of gold, worth around US$85 billion at 2010 prices.
The Carlin Trend is made of "4 Windows." Running from north to south is the Richmond Dome, the Maggie Creek Dome, the Rain District and the Railroad/Pinion district.
The Richmond Dome contains the famous Goldstrike Mine which is controlled and operated by Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:ABX). The Maggie Creek Dome is controlled and owned by Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM). The Rain District is also operated by Newmont Mining Corporation except for the Saddle deposit which is owned by Premier Gold Mines (NASDAQ:PGLC). The mine that is furthest south on the Carlin Trend is the Railroad/Pinion District which is controlled and operated by Gold Standard Ventures (NYSEMKT:GSV).
Gold Standard recently acquired 40 square miles occupying the last window in the Carlin Trend. It is being explored using an experienced exploration team with a track record of success. For the seasoned investor it is important to watch out for near term catalysts as mentioned in the CEO's interview with analyst Peter Epstein:
"We have near-term catalysts in the form of drill results and maiden NI 43-101 compliant resource reports from Pinion by the end of July and North Bullion later this year." - Jon Awde, CEO
Homestake District/Black Hills - A Legend
In terms of total US gold production, the Black Hills ranks second only to the Carlin District of northeast Nevada. The gold production of the Black Hills is concentrated in a 100 square mile area known as the Homestake District. The Homestake Mining Company owned The Homestake Mine through its 125 year production history and produced approximately 40 million ounces of gold and was the largest iron-formation-hosted gold deposit in the world. Barrick Gold Corp, which also runs the Goldstrike Mining operation in Nevada, acquired the Homestake Mining Company and operated the mine until 2002 when it closed.
The Black Hills have come alive again with Dakota Territory Resources (OTCQB:DTRC). They are using modern technology to develop and extract the extensive gold deposits near the historic mine, giving the Homestake District in the Black Hills a new life. Dakota acquired and controls the Blind Gold, City Creek and the Homestake Paleoplacer properties. All of which are located in the heart of the Homestake district and cover a total of 3,057 acres.
"The upper end of the resource we think is 2 million ounces-plus on this particular property and we have good data to indicate this property is a derivative of the Homestake," he said. "It's an erosion of the Homestake lode, where the Homestake orebody outcrops and was discovered in 1876; the first 1,000 feet of that deposit produced 10,000 ounces per vertical foot. So there was 10 million ounces in the first 1,000 feet of that lode." - Richard Bachman, CEO
Relief Canyon Mine - Pershing Gold Corporation
Located in Northwestern Nevada, along the southern edge of the Humboldt Range, lies the Relief Canyon Mine. Gold was first discovered on the Relief Canyon property in 1979 by the Duval Corporation with gold first produced in 1984. The Relief Canyon Mine was acquired by Pershing Gold Corporation in 2011, which operates the mine today.
The Relief Canyon Mine Includes three open-pit mines and a state-of-the-art, fully permitted and constructed heap leach processing facility. The plant has the capacity to treat eight million tons per year. The permitted leach pad can hold 21 million tons and can be readily expanded. The facility is ideally situated to process ore from future discoveries of satellite deposits.
These assets present Pershing Gold with a unique opportunity to capitalize on the synergies of an existing processing facility adjacent to a mine. They offer additional resources to achieve a fast-track path to production at the Relief Canyon Mine.
Pershing recently announced preliminary results of their column leach tests on gold-bearing samples from the Relief Canyon Mine property. This has generated a lot of buzz in the industry and interest from investors. These results show higher gold recoveries than the previous mine operators achieved and also indicate that this mineralized material leaches quickly.
It is important to note that Pershing Gold anticipates that the column leach test results will be finalized this summer (2014) and will be announced in a future news release, according to their May 22, 2014 press release.
Any geologist will tell you the best place to find large deposits of gold are where other major deposits have been discovered. These three mining districts and the companies that operate them seek to benefit from this philosophy. The benefits of drilling in established mining districts includes higher potential for discovery, infrastructure that has already been built out, no political challenges, and potential for buyouts from majors nearby. These companies are using the latest technology to increase production and change the face of mining in the US. Drilling results are expected in the next few months.
Disclosure: The author has no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it. The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Editor's Note: This article covers one or more stocks trading at less than $1 per share and/or with less than a $100 million market cap. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks. | <urn:uuid:56d28ca9-0047-41f2-a060-3c60087bf318> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://seekingalpha.com/article/2294785-the-most-popular-gold-districts-in-the-usa?source=feed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783408828.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155008-00045-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96102 | 1,588 | 2.796875 | 3 |
May 1, 2013
Researchers Discover Migration Habits Of Manx Shearwater Seabird
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online
Using cutting-edge tracking devices and data analysis techniques, a group of UK researchers has discovered new migration habits of the Manx Shearwater, a small seabird.Scientists at the University College London (UCL) and the University of Oxford collected data over three consecutive years to reveal the birds´ complex pattern of rest, flight and foraging, according to their report in journal Interface.
"Understanding the behavior of these birds during migration is crucial for identifying important at-sea locations and for furthering conservation efforts,” said lead author Robin Freeman, from the UCL´s Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology. “By tracking the movements, foraging behavior and environmental drivers of such species, and developing new techniques to do so is critical as they continue to be subject to environmental and anthropogenic pressure."
"Methods to understand animal behavior from complex data series — what we're calling 'ethoinformatics' - are increasingly important as we continue to gather large amounts of data about animals in the wild,” he added.
In the study, the birds were equipped with miniature geolocators and lightweight GPS devices capable of recording continuously for many years and weighing less than a tenth of an ounce. Developed by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the devices are superior to others because of their overall cost, weight and longevity. They were also able to record salt-water immersion and light level data.
Using GPS tracking data collected during the breeding season, the team showed that migratory behaviors could be predicted based solely on information collected by the much smaller immersion-loggers.
The data also identified areas of high foraging behavior off south-eastern Brazil during the birds´ southbound winter journey and in the Western Atlantic during their springtime return to the British Isles. The researchers were also able to locate the birds´ popular rest stops, found primarily towards the end of their route in both directions. These rest stops could be to take advantage of the high prey availability or to recover from long flight periods, the team theorized.
The researchers also found a correlation between the birds' behavior and various environmental conditions, particularly for primary production, or the rate at which all the plants in an area produce useful energy. Resting behaviors were found to take place in highly productive waters compared to other activities.
Professor Tim Guilford, who led the team at the University of Oxford, said the study not only found new behaviors for a highly migratory bird, it also revealed the usefulness of the new data analysis techniques.
"At the Oxford navigation group, we have been able to gather an unprecedented amount of information about these elusive ocean wanderers,” he said. “We trying to understand the processes that govern the behavior seabirds at sea, and the decisions they must make during migration and foraging."
"We're very excited about these new techniques and their application to understanding the behavior of such and important and captivating bird,” Freeman added. “This is just the beginning of our on-going investigation into understanding the behavior of these animals in the wild." | <urn:uuid:f9c71443-399c-4cdc-9a9e-7be78acfffbe> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112835238/migration-habits-manx-shearwater-seabird-050113/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00082-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952594 | 670 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Bluebells spend most of the year as bulbs underground in ancient woodlands, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. This early spring flowering allows them to make the most of the sunlight that is still able to make it to their forest floor habitat and attracts the attention of plenty of pollinating insects. Millions of bulbs may exist in one bluebell wood, causing the blue carpets we so keenly associate with spring, and new plants are sometimes able to split off from these bulbs and grow as clones.
How to identify
Bluebells are perhaps one of our most famous and unmistakeable woodland flowers - look for long and narrow, drooping leaf fronds and bending flower stems heavy with the nodding, blue bells that give this flower its name.
Where to find it
When to find it
How can people help
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones, fragrant Lily-of-the-valley to pretty Primroses. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife. | <urn:uuid:6c718b8f-1c92-44ef-aeaf-a040b0f47c4f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/bluebell | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00116-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940945 | 277 | 3.75 | 4 |
Air play: Could we capture carbon from the atmosphere?
Cross-posted from ecomagination.
What if, in addition to curbing greenhouse gas emissions, we could capture them from the air? That’s the question that prompted Marc Gunther, an author and contributing editor at Fortune magazine, to write the e-book Suck It Up, a Kindle Single. Below is an excerpt from the book on the history of the start-up Kilimanjaro Energy, a private company that is seeking to solve the carbon extraction equation.
Working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory during the 1990s, Klaus Lackner had numerous interests: the behavior of high explosives, nuclear fusion, and self-replicating machine systems. At some point, he turned his attention to the technology used to capture CO2 from the smokestacks of coal plants — technology in which the U.S. government has invested billions of dollars, with little to show for it. He began to wonder whether it might make more sense to scrub CO2 from the atmosphere. So when his daughter Claire asked for help with a science project, he asked her: “Why don’t you pull CO2 out of the air?”
Chemical engineers have known for decades that sodium hydroxide, a caustic base also known as lye, will bind with CO2, an acid, to make carbonates. That’s basically how CO2 is removed from the air so people can continue to breathe on submarines or in spaceships. Claire accomplished the feat by filling a test tube with a solution of sodium hydroxide, buying a fish-tank pump from a pet store, and running air through the test tube all night. By the next day, some of the sodium hydroxide had absorbed CO2, creating a solution of sodium carbonate.
“I was surprised that she pulled this off as well as she did,” Lackner recalls, “which made me feel that it could be easier than I thought.”
Duly inspired, Lackner set off on a quest to design a machine to pull CO2 out of the air. This would seem to be much harder than collecting carbon dioxide from the smokestacks of power plants that burn coal or natural gas, where concentrations of CO2 are about 12 percent (for coal) or 4 percent (for natural gas). Less than 0.04 percent of the air is CO2. Still, in a presentation called “Carbon Dioxide Extraction From Air: Is It An Option?” that he wrote in 1999 with Hans-Joachim Ziock, a colleague at Los Alamos, and the late Patrick Grimes, an expert in chemical processes, Lackner identified an important role for air-capture technology:
While it may be cost-advantageous to collect the carbon dioxide at concentrated sources without ever letting it enter the atmosphere, this approach is not available for the many diffuse sources of carbon dioxide. Similarly, for many older plants a retrofit to collect the carbon dioxide is either impossible or prohibitively expensive. For these cases we investigate the possibility of collecting the carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. We conclude that there are no fundamental obstacles to this approach and that it deserves further investigation.
This remains key to the appeal of air capture: Because greenhouse gases are dispersed around the globe, they can be extracted from the air anywhere. Carbon dioxide spewing from a tailpipe in Sao Paulo or a coal plant in China can be captured by a machine in Iceland or the Middle East, because the atmosphere functions as a conveyor belt, moving CO2 from its sources to any sink. That’s important, because while we can envision a world where most or all of the electricity we use comes from nuclear, solar, or wind energy, or from fossil fuels where the CO2 is captured at the power plant, it’s harder to see how emissions from cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes can be eliminated. The beauty of air capture, Lackner and his colleagues explained, is that “one could collect CO2 after the fact and from any source … One would not have to wait for the phasing out of existing infrastructure before addressing the greenhouse gas problem.” Air capture plants, they wrote, could be located atop the best underground reservoirs for storing CO2, which may be in isolated locations. This fact is key to the business plans of all the air-capture start-ups. In only one regard was Lackner’s paper clearly mistaken — he estimated that the cost of air capture would be “on the order of $10 to $15 per ton,” a target that now looks wildly optimistic.
In 2001, Lackner joined the faculty at Columbia, as chair of the department of earth and environmental engineering. There, he met three men who would help him launch air capture into the business world: Wallace “Wally” Broecker, a Columbia professor and climate scientist who is thought to have coined the term “global warming” back in 1975; Allen Wright, a self-taught engineer who oversaw research at Biosphere 2, an artificial ecological system in Oracle, Ariz., managed by Columbia; and Gary Comer, the philanthropist and founder of Lands’ End.
After Comer sailed through the Northwest Passage on his 151-foot yacht during the summer of 2001, he grew concerned about climate change. By the following spring, Comer had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and felt an urgent need to do something about the problem. He decided to pour millions of dollars into climate research at Columbia, working closely with Broecker. When Broecker asked him to meet with Lackner and Allen Wright, Comer agreed. Lackner need an investor to start an air-capture company. Wright needed a job because Columbia had severed its ties with Biosphere 2, and he became the company’s first CEO. He brought aboard his older brother Burt, a former Tucson firefighter who was good at building things.
Comer agreed to invest $8 million in a start-up called Global Research Technologies (GRT), which would be run by Allen Wright and headquartered in Tucson. In 2004, GRT set up shop.
The company stumbled at first. As Lackner explained it to me, air capture is a multi-step process — a chemical absorbent first has to bind with CO2, after which the CO2 needs to be separated from the absorbent and compressed into a liquid to be sold or stored. “The hard part is getting the CO2 back off,” he said. GRT’s first absorbent was sodium hydroxide, which effectively captured CO2. But the bond between them was so strong that separating the CO2 required a great deal of energy. In 2007, after testing other absorbents, GRT had devised a new air-extraction technology that uses a plastic resin that bonds with CO2 when dry and gives it back when wet. This was hailed as a breakthrough in a company press release quoting, among others, Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Earth Institute at Columbia. “This significant achievement holds incredible promise in the fight against climate change,” Sachs said. “Thanks to the ingenuity of GRT and Klaus Lackner, the world may, sooner rather than later, have an important tool in this fight.” It would be later rather than sooner. In 2008, Wright was replaced as CEO by William “Billy” Gridley, an investor in the firm and a former managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Two years later, GRT pivoted again. The company moved to San Francisco, renamed itself Kilimanjaro Energy, and brought on a new CEO, Nathaniel “Ned” David, a serial entrepreneur and venture investor. The company’s new name reflected its goal: To harvest CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to make transportation fuels with a much lower carbon footprint than gasoline or diesel. “We’re going to try to make fuels, while simultaneously saving the snows of Kilimanjaro,” David said.
Of course, Kilimanjaro first must solve the technology issues associated with air capture. They are not trivial. The company’s technology has yet to exit the lab: David and his staff of fewer than a dozen people are currently designing machines that will be exposed to wind currents that will push air past large flat filters until they are loaded with CO2; the filters will then be lowered into a closed, humid chamber where the trapped CO2 will be released from the filter, generating air with a 5 to 10 percent concentration of CO2. This enriched air requires further processing to create a stream of nearly pure CO2 that can be liquefied for enhanced oil recovery — a final step that is turning out to be harder than anticipated. “Most of our technical risk is in the future,” David acknowledges. “We have not solved all the problems.” | <urn:uuid:961efdee-8716-4f62-9a44-5f4c61eb317d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://grist.org/climate-energy/air-play-could-we-capture-carbon-from-the-atmosphere/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00074-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962337 | 1,862 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Christmas in Rome
Christmas in Rome is steeped in cultural tradition and centers around family, friends, and most importantly, food. Feasting is the most important activity during the Italian holiday season. A huge Christmas tree and a full-scale Nativity creche with life-size figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and angels and shepherds give Saint Peter's Square a festive holiday spirit.
Every year a Christmas crib is set up on the Spanish Steps the setting and costumes of which recall Trastevere and its inhabitants as it was represented by the Roman artist Bartolomeo Pinelli in the nineteenth century. Another nativity scene worth visiting is the one in the Franciscan basilica at the Ara Coeli next to the Campidoglio (city hall).
24 December: Christmas Eve
Every Christmas Eve, the Pope gives Midnight Mass in St Peter's Square. The service takes place in the very heart of Roman Catholicism in what is arguably the world's most famous church. The Christmas Eve speech is broadcast to over 40 countries.
Christmas Eve is usually celebrated with a big meal at home. There may be as many as 10 to 20 fish dishes prepared, but no meat. Traditionally, in Rome, a Capitone, or big female eel, roasted, baked, or fried, is brought to the table. Common are the Christmas sweets: panettone, torrone, and panforte are but a few. All sweets, as a rule, must contain nuts and almonds. In ancient Rome, honey was offered so that the New Year may be sweet.
25 December: Christmas
Urbi er Orbi message and blessing by the Pope in Saint Peter's Square at midday.
26 December: Boxing Day (St. Stephen's Day)
Many Romans visit nativity scenes in churches throughout the city. The tradition of making and decorating cribs at Christmas was brought to Rome from Greccio in Umbria, where Saint Francis of Assisi made the first one in 1223. The oldest Nativity Scene, believed to be that of Arnolfo di Cambio (1280), is housed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), in Rome. The Nativity Scene is left standing in every home until the Epiphany, on 6 January, when the Magi bring presents for the Infant.
Piazza Navona Christmas Market
Rome's Piazza Navona hosts a traditional Christmas market, complete with Santa Claus, nativity scenes and stalls selling Christmas goodies, mostly toys and sweets.Kids can visit Santa Claus and parents can wander around in the happy and expectant holiday atmosphere of the market. In addition to toys, strenne (Christmas branches traditionally exchanged among Romans) and Christmas foods like torrone (nutty nougat) and cotton candy.The most representative articles on sale are the statuettes of the Nativity scene.
100 Presepi: Exhibition of Nativity Scenes
From end November to 6 january, there is a yearly exhibition of over 200 nativity scenes at the Sala del Bramante (Piazza del Popolo). It is open 9:30am - 8pm daily.The cribs exhibited are made by craftsmen: those on display are cribs in the traditional design. There are also cribs dating back to the period between 1500-1700, the golden age of this particular craft. | <urn:uuid:50b4a4b7-2739-4902-b05a-9ff46b2fa59d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://hoteldesartistes.com/christmas-in-rome.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398869.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00153-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941337 | 699 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Extracts pertaining to local and historical information are taken from a Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis published in 1837.
AGHALEE, or AGHANALEE, a parish, in the Upper half-barony of MASSAREENE, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 1 mile (N. by W.) from Moira, on the road from that place to Antrim; containing 1411 inhabitants. This place obtained the name of Soldiers'-town from its having had, during the war in 1641, a barrack in the village, in which were quartered two troops of horse and foot belonging to the royal army. The parish is bounded on the west by Lough Neagh, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2499 1/2 statute acres: the land is fertile and in a very high state of cultivation; there is neither bog nor waste land. Limestone abounds, and great quantities are shipped off by the Lagan canal from Lough Neagh to Belfast. Broommount House is the property and residence of Stafford Gorman, Esq. Many of the working class are employed at their own houses in weaving linen and cotton for the manufacturers of Belfast. The parish is in the diocese of Dromore; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Hertford; the vicarage forms part of the union of Magheramesk. The tithes amount to £100. 16., of which £21. 16. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The church of the union, situated here, is a small plain edifice in substantial repair. The glebe-house, about half a mile from the church, was built in 1826; and the glebe contains 13a., 3r., 9p., valued at £12. 8. 6. per annum. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Aghagallen, or Ballinderry. The parochial school, near the church, is principally supported by the vicar; and there are two other public and two private schools. A finely wrought and flexible piece of gold, shaped like a gorget, was found near this place a few years since. | <urn:uuid:106a8844-cee6-4091-bba0-5a621696d990> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Aghalee%2C_Antrim%2C_Northern_Ireland | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395166.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00130-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965667 | 475 | 2.875 | 3 |
Ethyl vs Methyl
Ethyl and methyl are substituents derived from alkane hydrocarbons. These groups are largely seen in organic chemistry. They are known as alkyl groups. In the nomenclature of these groups, the ending -ane part of the corresponding alkane name is substituted with –yl.
Ethane is a simple aliphatic hydrocarbon molecule with C2H6 molecular formula. Ethane is said to be a hydrocarbon because it consists of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. Ethane is also known to be an alkane because it doesn’t have multiple bonds between carbon atoms. Further, ethane contains the maximum number of hydrogen atoms, which a carbon atom can possess, making it a saturate alkane. Ethyl is an alkane substituent derived from ethane. It has the chemical formula of -CH3CH2 or -C2H5. Sometimes the abbreviated from –Et is also used to show an ethyl group. Ethyl lacks one hydrogen atom than ethane, therefore, can bond to any other atom or a group. For example, when a halogen like chlorine is bonded to an ethyl group, it becomes ethyl chloride. Or an alcohol can bind to ethyl making an ethyl alcohol molecule. The molar mass of the ethyl group is 29 g mol-1. The CH3 carbon of the ethyl group has tetrahedral geometry since it has bound with three hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. The other carbon will also attain a tetrahedral geometry when it is bonded to another atom or a molecule. The H-C-H bond angle is 109o. The carbon atoms in ethyl are sp3 hybridized. A sp3 hybridized orbital from each carbon atom overlaps to make the carbon-carbon sigma bond. The bond between carbon and hydrogen is also a sigma bond, but it is made up by overlapping a sp3 hybridized orbital of the carbon with a s orbital of a hydrogen atom. Because of the single sigma bond between carbon atoms, bond rotation is feasible, and it doesn’t require a large amount of energy. Ethyl group will make a sigma bond with the other binding group too.
Methyl is an alkyl group, which has derived from the alkane methane. Methane is the simplest alkane with the chemical formula CH4. When one hydrogen of the methane molecule is lost, it becomes methyl. And this hydrogen can be replaced with any other atom or a molecule. For example, when methyl group is attached with an acetate group it is known as methyl acetate. Methane has a tetrahedral geometry with sp3 hybridization. Similarly, substituted methyl also has a tetrahedral geometry and sp3 hybridization. The molar mass of methyl is 15 g mol-1. Methyl is shown as CH3, and it is also abbreviated as -Me.
What is the difference between Ethyl and Methyl?
• Methyl has only one carbon and three hydrogens, whereas ethyl has two carbons and five hydrogens. Therefore, the molar mass of ethyl group is higher than that of the methyl group.
• Ethyl is derived from the alkane ethane and methyl is derived from the alkane methane.
• In 1H NMR spectroscopy, coupling due to a methyl group gives a quartet, whereas coupling due to an ethyl group gives a quartet and a triplet. | <urn:uuid:2f76d882-8d9c-4571-b82e-e9996e7787c8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-ethyl-and-vs-methyl/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00167-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95133 | 721 | 3.84375 | 4 |
Temperatures of sea water fringing South Pole were tropical 50 million years agoOctober 8, 2009 in Earth / Earth Sciences
(PhysOrg.com) -- The temperature difference between equatorial and polar sea waters was minimal during the extremely warm 'Greenhouse world' 60 to 50 million years ago. This is the main conclusion drawn by a team of scientists from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, the NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The team of scientists, headed by Peter Bijl, show that circum-Antarctic sea water exceeded 30ºC at that time. The results were published in Nature this week.
The conclusions are based on analyses on sediments retrieved from the ocean floor east of Tasmania. This area bordered to Antarctica during the early Paleogene (60-35 milion years ago). Much global warming research is focused on polar areas, because these are particularly sensitive to climate change.
Previously, scientists from Utrecht University and the Royal NIOZ presented in a suite of Nature and Science articles the manifestation of Greenhouse climates in the Arctic regions, with the invasion of tropical algae and sea surface temperatures of up to 24ºC. Meanwhile, temperatures of waters fringing the Antarctic continent during the Greenhouse climates were a great unknown to climate scientists. The multidisciplinary research, published in Nature, now reached a breakthrough.
What emerges from these results is that the Greenhouse pole-to-equator sea surface temperature gradient was close to non-existent. After the warmest phase (about 50 million years ago), the world gradually cooled down to an ‘Icehouse’ state, like today. Along with this cooling, the temperature gradient turned more and more into its present day shape.
The interest to society is evident: the fossil Greenhouse world is generally considered to be a potential analogue for future climates. “The fossil Greenhouse world of 50 Million years ago is generally considered analogous to future climates”, says Peter Bijl, paleo-climatologist at Utrecht University. “These field data imply that polar temperatures can be much higher than the IPCC computer models predict for a high-CO2 world. In turn, climate change can be even more severe than the worst case scenario’s of the IPCC.”
More information: Letter in Nature: Early Palaeogene Temperature evolution of the Southwest Pacific Ocean, by Peter K. Bijl, Stefan Schouten, Appy Sluijs, Gert-Jan Reichart, James C. Zachos and Henk Brinkhuis.
"Temperatures of sea water fringing South Pole were tropical 50 million years ago" October 8, 2009 http://phys.org/news/2009-10-temperatures-sea-fringing-south-pole.html | <urn:uuid:3e4cb92d-4035-4c96-b8ca-60f213427442> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://phys.org/print174247209.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783408828.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155008-00186-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911654 | 589 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Black Wall Street: Can a historic example help birth a new Black economic reality?By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Jun 4, 2014 - 3:28:20 PM
(FinalCall.com) - Bombs were dropped in America in 1921 but they weren’t part of an aerial attack by a foreign invader, they were incendiary devices dropped by those intent on destroying a prosperous Black community in the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and removing any traces of what resourceful Black people had accomplished.
Black Wall Street commemorations were being held across the United States to mark racial assaults that began late May 31 and continued into June 1, 1921.
Because of the racial discrimination prevalent at the time, Blacks were relegated to limited areas for shopping and land ownership. According to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, the area, also known as “Little Africa” encompassed over 400 businesses and housed 11,000 residents. Residents included well-educated Blacks who were doctors, lawyers and had earned advanced degrees.
In that environment and economic reality Black entrepreneurs, professionals and the poor aided and patronized one another in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said author and economist Cedric Muhammad.
“The Blacks who struggled and prospered in Oklahoma’s Black Wall Street knew an intense form of segregation which many of us today could not fathom,” said Mr. Muhammad. “That painful reality created a circumstance of suffering and limited freedom which forced a level of unity and social cohesion that laid a foundation for economic independence. The entire community—regardless of class, ideology or status—found itself bound together in the same condition,” he added.
During the violent attacks, a 35-square block area of Black-owned homes and thriving Black businesses were torched by a savage mobs of angry Whites, after rumors spread that a White woman, 17-year-old Sarah Page, was the victim of an attempted rape in the Drexel Building near the town center by 19-year-old Black man Dick Rowland.
“Precisely what the Tulsa Tribune printed in its May 31, 1921 editions about the Drexel Building incident is still a matter of some conjecture. The original bound volumes of the now defunct newspaper apparently no longer exist in their entirety. A microfilm version is, however, available, but before the actual microfilming was done some years later, someone had deliberately torn out of the May 31, 1921 city edition both a front-page article and, in addition, nearly all of the editorial page.”
Anger began to rise; confusion grew in light of the growing racial standoff. Mr. Rowland’s adoptive mother, Damie Ford, immediately hired a prominent White attorney to defend him. According to the historical record, approximately 2,000 Whites assembled outside where he was held ready to lynch him. Black men, numbering approximately 75, showed up to protect the young man’s life. Ultimately, the teenager was declared innocent of the rape, but violence erupted that had been simmering just under the surface. Jealous and insecure Whites had been waiting for an opportunity to destroy Black progress.
While the official report of the riot at the time reported only 36 people killed, the Race Riot Commission said up to 300 were killed. Still others say the number of dead is much higher, perhaps more than 3,000 because many bodies of the Black victims were never recovered.
A still suffering community?
Living in America and receiving the typical Western education, most have heard of business titans such as John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. Between the Civil War through the Great Depression and on through the end of World War I, the American landscape was economically transformed. In addition to the oil, steel, shipping, automobile, and finance industries, America’s business titans governed, cotton was also a huge source of wealth.
At the start of the 20th century, Blacks had over 16 million acres of land. You don’t hear about how coming out of chattel slavery that 60 all-Black towns were set up in America.
“A primary difference between our communities today and those of that era is that now, the environment which would compel our economic adjustment and change of behavior is missing. So, we truly are not forced to unite with one another. This is why integration was especially deceptive in economic terms. When we integrated we traded financial independence for social liberty and when we did that our dollars no longer circulated within the economic body of our community,” said economist Cedric Muhammad.
In today’s rancorous political environment, it is common to hear calls for Blacks to “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.” The implication is those experiencing trouble starting businesses or establishing thriving economies in areas where Blacks hold demographic dominance is due to a lack of desire or perhaps lack of competence.
This is a mischaracterization of present day realities, said Paul Scott, a Durham-based writer, lecturer and activist. Durham N.C. is actually considered by many to be the first Black Wall Street business district up until 1920. The legacy of Black Wall Street has been diminished by the failed strategy of integration, urban neglect, with many areas marked for gentrification.
“I think we have constantly—in our righteous nature—underestimated the lengths that the European will go to stop our progress and to protect their self-interests,” Mr. Scott noted.
In the 1990s, Durham N.C. became a “ghost-town.” Then developers came in and began to buy up the land. Land speculators and business owners from outside the area labeled the community as drug-filled and crime infested, and unfortunately, many Black people bought into that notion, said Mr. Scott.
The Durham area once known as “Black Wall Street” is now filled with White tourists and by his estimate less than 10 percent of the businesses are owned by Blacks.
“Our trash became their treasure,” Mr. Scott said, “The proverbial ‘boys in the hood’ became the hipsters in the ‘hood.’ It is not gangsters with pit bulls, it is hipsters with poodles.”
Racism, discrimination and destruction
On January 26, 1877, and again on February 7, 1877 the American Banking Association met to discuss the country’s financial future. Part of that discussion focused on Black people “freed” from chattel slavery and how it disrupted profit making schemes.
After 12-years of “emancipation” Blacks were returned to an insidious form of virtual slavery and relegated to prolonged, persistent economic, political, and social inferiority that still exists. This is not a coincidence. Each time Black people worked to establish economic power; they were targeted for death and destruction.
Discriminatory practices by large financial institutions continue until this very day. Bank of America was recently fined $2.2 million for discriminating against Black job applicants over a period of two decades. Merrill Lynch also recently reached a settlement to pay $160 million after a federal class action lawsuit was brought by Black brokers in 2005 and there are many more instances of discrimination. Many Black business districts have suffered with huge corporations buying up land, displacing residents who once formed their customer base.
In addition to Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, there was Rosewood, Fla., where former slaves erected businesses and governed their political and economic affairs. What is historically known as the Rosewood Massacre took place in January 1923 when racist Whites—again behind spurious allegations that a White woman was raped—attacked the prosperous predominately Black area’s residents even lynching one man. The Blacks of Rosewood armed themselves to defend against attack from Whites who heavily outnumbered them.
In different parts of the United States, domestic terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan was sanctioned by economic and political leaders because many were members and had no qualms about destroying Black people or Black institutions. Black-owned businesses were regularly targeted for destruction causing massive loss of investment dollars, sales, and profits. Many times, Black-owned businesses were uninsured and because of the racist policies of American insurance companies, once a Black business was destroyed, that was it.
Trying to heal in Oklahoma?
There have been efforts to promote some healing in the aftermath of the shameful episode in Oklahoma. In 1996 the Tulsa Race Riot Commission was formed to provide an historical account of the events which transpired. A report was delivered on February 28, 2001 with recommendations for sizeable restitution for Blacks who were victimized.
“It was a tragic, infamous moment in Oklahoma and the nation’s history. The worse civil disturbance since the Civil War,” wrote Tulsa State Representative Don Ross in the prologue of the report. “It happened. There was murder, false imprisonment, forced labor, a cover-up, and local precedence for restitution. While the official damage was estimated at $1.5 million, the black community filed more than $4 million in claims. All were denied.”
At the time, there was no effort to deliver restitution to Black landowners and business owners, nor were any Whites held responsible for the “reign of terror.” Rep. Ross said, “Justice demands a closure as it did with Japanese Americans and Holocaust victims of Germany. It is a moral obligation.”
Some of those recommended actions aimed at healing the racial wounds involved direct payments to survivors of the 1921 race riot as well as their descendants, the establishment of a scholarship fund and the creation of economic empowerment zones and public memorials for the victims in the Greenwood District, where much of the violence transpired and where fires burned.
In search of solutions for Black America
During a 2011 appearance in Pittsburgh, Penn., at an annual town hall meeting hosted by talk show host Bev Smith, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan addressed the problem of “The Disappearing Black Community and How We Can Get It Back.” Historically, when Blacks get together to discuss economics, meddling Jewish organizational leaders object, and this was no exception. Despite their anger, Min. Farrakhan forthrightly addressed the issue.
We can create clean, economically viable progressive Black-controlled and owned communities, however there has to be an attitude adjustment, said experts and Black economic advocates.
Cedric Muhammad recommends studying the rotating savings and credit traditions of Chinese, Japanese, West African and Jamaican communities as well as the free-loan societies of the Jewish community. He also recommended a study of the success of Black communities in Durham, N.C., and Richmond, Va. The Economic Blueprint of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and its re-introduction by Minister Farrakhan is a key factor that can make saving and pooling of resources not only an inter-generational activity but a lot of fun, Cedric Muhammad said.
“Intellectually, while we do know more today than 93-years-ago, that superior knowledge of self, others and technology has not been activated by a circumstance that compels us to do for self, as they, in Greenwood, Okla., once did,” said Mr. Muhammad. “Even the vast majority of us who know better won’t do better because our intellect and knowledge does not have the power to break the emotional attachment we have to integration. Our love for another civilization’s political and cultural identity is connected to a denial of our independent economic identity. There is still a psychological and emotional chain that has to be broken in order for us to change,” he added.
Whether in politics, economics or crime prevention, there is often a disconnect preventing collective advancement and properly dealing with these pressing issues, added Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ. “We have not had a connection between strategy and implementation; practitioner and theorist. We’ve always had the separation,” said Rev. Moss. “There has to be a strong connection and coalition for those who are doing the work and also those who are doing the theory and those who are doing policy formation.” | <urn:uuid:001a9e19-99d7-458e-808b-e778ceda9420> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/blackwallstreet_101491.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00109-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975411 | 2,520 | 2.75 | 3 |
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June 5, 2012 | By: Campbell
Feeding America has released The Child Food Insecurity 2012 Study, showing that food insecurity among children has decreased four percent in the area.
Food insecurity is a lack of access to enough food to live an active and healthy lifestyle. The four percent decrease is in the 19 county service area of the second harvest community food bank. CEO for Second Harvest David Davenport says each year they distribute millions of pounds of food through their programs. Davenport says this food comes from many different sources, including some from the U.S. Government. The study revealed that 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 are still insecure in the service area, and Second Harvest Community Food Bank is looking to close this gap even more by next year. | <urn:uuid:a418af8b-cea1-43bb-a9ec-b564c97af75c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.kxcv.org/news/2012/06/hungry-children.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00076-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962665 | 186 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
The Taklimakan Desert in northwest China is a vast region of sand desert sitting in a depression between two high, rugged mountain ranges. Seen in these true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images, the Taklimakan's rolling sand dunes stretch out over about 125,000 square miles in the Xinjiang region of China. The desert is hemmed in to the north by the Tien Shan Mountain range and to the south by the rugged Kunlun Mountains. In the image from January 2, 2003, a blanket of snow covers the desert’s outer edges.
Note: Often times, due to the size, browsers have a difficult time opening and displaying images. If you experiece an error when clicking on an image link, please try directly downloading the image (using a right click, save as method) to view it locally. | <urn:uuid:029ed2fb-730b-4304-ac97-3de21f79f32f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=62619 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.841867 | 197 | 3.1875 | 3 |
A new, comprehensive analysis of mountaintop removal mining, which is common in the Appalachian region of the United States, shows that its environmental effects extend to the hydrology of its surroundings, ruining streams and the ecosystems they support. Technically known as "mountaintop mining with valley fills" (MTM/VF), it consists of stripping away forests and topsoil from the tops of mountains and then using explosives to break through rocks that cover the coal inside the mountain. The resulting rocks are then pushed away into valleys, where they interfere with and often bury existing streams.
It's not all that surprising that clean water, and a lot of it, is important to ecosystems; research shows that if these activities disrupt as little as 5-10 percent of a watershed's area, they can cause irreversible changes to the ecosystem. The reduced flow of streams that get buried by valley fills can kill off plants and trees in an area with high biodiversity. This loss of flora also results in a landscape that is less effective at handling runoff water, leading to an increase in the frequency and magnitude of downstream flooding.
Streams that continue to flow are polluted with various chemicals and metals from the mountaintop rocks. Increases in sulfate cause stream microbes to create more hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic to many aquatic plants and organisms. Selenium accumulation causes deformities and lethality in fish, which in turn poison the birds that eat them. Humans in the area are also affected by the dirty streams and the elevated levels of airborne, hazardous dust that results from mining. Studies have found elevated levels of hospitalization for pulmonary disorders and hypertension, as well as increased mortality in the region.
Reclamation of the areas appears to be ineffective, with soils still having low organic and nutrient content and little to no regrowth of woody vegetation afterward. Reclamation often involves rebuilding streams, but the new ones carry chemicals released by the rock debris, and don't integrate into the radically altered environment.
The sum of these problems add significantly to the externalized costs of coal use for power generation. Because of the huge impact, the scientists behind the report are recommending that the government stops issuing MTV/VF permits until new methods to address these problems can be developed and subjected to rigorous review.
Science, 2010. DOI: 10.1126/science.1180543
photo courtesy of Vivian Stockman | <urn:uuid:27511dab-626b-42de-8a1d-cf6c34676cc2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://arstechnica.com/science/2010/01/mountaintop-coal-mining-harmful-to-valley-ecosystems/?comments=1&post=54170 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00176-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958427 | 483 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Definition of Genus Thalarctos
1. Noun. Polar bears; in some classifications not a separate genus from Ursus.
Generic synonyms: Mammal Genus
Group relationships: Family Ursidae, Ursidae
Member holonyms: Ice Bear, Polar Bear, Thalarctos Maritimus, Ursus Maritimus
Genus Thalarctos Pictures
Click the following link to bring up a new window with an automated collection of images related to the term: Genus Thalarctos Images
Lexicographical Neighbors of Genus Thalarctos
Literary usage of Genus Thalarctos
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Introduction to Mammalia by Charles Hamilton Smith (1858)
"Sub-genus THALARCTOS.—Marine Bears. — The North Polar region is frequented by a species of bear, which is sufficiently distinct from the foregoing to be ..." | <urn:uuid:1a598e43-f9b4-46ba-acc7-5d5b429ae0ef> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/genus_Thalarctos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00066-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.860484 | 214 | 2.734375 | 3 |
WHO activities in HIA
HIA theme issue of the WHO Bulletin
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization (International Journal of Public Health) released a special issue on HIA in June 2003. This theme issue covers several important topics within the field of HIA.
HIA web site
Another key feature of the current programme is this HIA web site. It provides links to descriptions of activities, reports, news and events, as well as contacts and cooperating partners in the various WHO programmes and offices working on this topic.
The web site provides introductory guides, tools and completed HIA examples. Detailed information is given on the value of HIA to policy, the evaluation of HIA, and how HIA relates to other forms of impact assessment. There are also links to related web sites and topics.
1982 World Health Assembly Resolution
In 1982, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution introducing a framework for HIA development. This resolution (WHA-35.17) urged WHO Member States to:
- analyse in detail the possible health hazards and environmental dangers of existing and proposed development projects;
- incorporate into project plans and their implementation adequate measures to prevent, to the greatest possible extent, the occurrence of health and environmental hazards;
- make adequate provisions for the implementation of necessary preventive measures, in financing relevant development projects.
1987 "Our Common Future" by the World Commission on Environment and Development
While not produced by WHO, this book was drafted by a committee chaired by the former Director-General of WHO Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland. This document encouraged WHO to undertake Environmental Health Impact Assessments (EHIA) and extend their use beyond development projects into development policies. Reference: World Commission on Environment and Development (1997). Our Common Future. Oxford University Press.
1993 "Health, Environment and Development: Approaches to drafting country level strategies for human well-being under Agenda 21".
This document outlines the broad and stable cooperation that is needed across sectors to address Agenda 21. It advocates the use of systematic approaches and demands that health implications be investigated whenever environmental changes are being considered. Reference: World Health Organization (1993). Health, Environment and Development: Approaches to drafting country level strategies for human well-being under Agenda 21. World Health Organization, Geneva. | <urn:uuid:342b6e4b-e54b-47ba-a82c-df8e8fbfe8ed> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.who.int/hia/network/who_role/en/index1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00176-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903679 | 465 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Online Resources What is this? Our online resources are sets of digitized items which have been organized either around a common topic, such as the American Revolution, or to highlight a specific collection, such as the papers of Thomas Jefferson.
Subject: Diaries | Pick a different topic
Full title: The Diaries of John Quincy Adams: A Digital Collection
This digital collection presents images of the 51 volumes of John Quincy Adams' diary in the Adams Family Papers. Adams began keeping his diary in 1779 at the age of twelve and continued until shortly before his death in 1848. There are over 14,000 pages within these diaries and a date search tool is available.
Full title: Charles Francis Adams, Sr.: The Civil War Diaries
This website presents searchable electronic transcriptions of diary entries written by Charles Francis Adams, Sr. between 1861-1865. On the eve of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Charles Francis Adams, Sr. minister to the Court of St. James's. He arrived in London on the very day Great Britain recognized the Confederacy as a belligerent. In 1863 Adams convinced the British government to prevent Confederate ironclad ships, built in Liverpool, from leaving port, thereby maintaining British neutrality. Charles Francis Adams, Sr., like his father (John Quincy Adams) and grandfather (John Adams) kept a sequence of detailed diaries. The transcription of Charles Francis Adams's diary entries from 1861-1865 has not been verified against the original manuscript, nor has any annotation been provided. The MHS makes this content available as a valuable research source but with the caveat that it is not yet an edition as established by modern documentary editing standards.
Full title: Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses
With a fast and comprehensive search tool new in summer 2010, this is the digital edition of the content of the previously printed editions of the Revolutionary-era Adams Papers, a long-standing documentary edition prepared at the Massachusetts Historical Society. This digital edition includes all text of the historical documents, all editorial text, and a single index with consolidated entries for the 16 printed Adams Papers indexes. Another forthcoming digital edition will present the Winthrop Papers, a documentary edition created at the MHS.
Full title: Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive
This searchable digital collection (entitled, Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive) presents images of manuscripts and digital transcriptions from the Adams Family Papers including the complete correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, the diary of John Adams, and the autobiography of John Adams. | <urn:uuid:de109d80-fb21-4777-b614-58f1408d1e93> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.masshist.org/2012/collections/online?bmode=topics&results=1&ht=has_category&t=category&id=14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911086 | 525 | 2.890625 | 3 |
- Homophone Note, Word Explorer
|part of speech:
||the center of something.
The core of the earth is extremely hot.The seeds are in the core of apple.
- similar words:
- center, foundation, substance
Are you looking for the word corps
(a military branch)? Core
sound alike but have different meanings. | <urn:uuid:42d9ca54-3b74-4b53-901b-b5472f937b3a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wordsmyth.net/?rid=9116&dict=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00063-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.828811 | 74 | 2.75 | 3 |
The technology, involving isolation of the stem cells from bone marrow, was developed by Dr. Zulma Gazit, Dr. Gadi Pelled, Prof. Dan Gazit and their research team at the Skeletal Biotechnology Laboratory at the Hebrew University Faculty of Dental Medicine and was given public exposure in an article that appeared in the prestigious journal Stem Cells. The technology has now successfully been used to treat complicated fractures in seven patients at the Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.
To date, in clinical orthopedics, standard treatment for severe bone loss has involved either amputation or a prolonged period of disability. The use of prosthetic implants tends to fail in the long term. Excessive bone loss may result in non-uniting fractures, which are observed in more than one million new cases per year in the US alone.
Now, the Hebrew University group has developed a technology called immuno-isolation in which MSCs are sorted out from the other cells residing in a bone marrow sample, using a specific antibody. In the Stem Cell paper it was shown that the immuno-isolated cells could be immediately used to form new bone tissue when implanted in laboratory animals, without having to undergo a prolonged incubator growth period.
To date, seven patients suffering from complicated fractures have been treated successfully with a combination of their own immuno-isolated MSCs and blood products. The entire procedure lasted a few hours and without any need to grow the cells for weeks in a laboratory.
It is anticipated that future development of the current endeavor will extend to treat other injuries in the skeleton, such as degenerated intervertebral discs or torn tendons. The Gazit group believes that further clinical trials will demonstrate that the immuno-isolation technology is useful in overcoming morbidity in patients suffering from skeletal fractures and diseases, and might restore function and quality of life to sick and injured people.
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the technology transfer arm of the university, licensed the immuno-isolation technology to TheraCell Inc. of California in July 2009. TheraCell aims to further develop and commercialize the technology for advanced regenerative medicine procedures such as spinal fusion. | <urn:uuid:b2423f6d-18e1-45c5-836f-e599b1869927> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/11/stem-cells-help-bone-healing.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937266 | 461 | 2.796875 | 3 |
July 18, 2007
Idaho Center Touts Bear Rehabilitation
ATLANTA, Idaho -- Jabbed with tranquilizers, her ear pierced with a green ID tag, Twister traded her steel transport box for freedom after a bumpy 90-mile ride into central Idaho's mountains. The yearling black bear orphan stepped from an open cage onto a dusty truck bed, dropped softly to the ground and disappeared into the woods.
Twister was separated from her mother by a rare mountain tornado in June 2006. Raised at the Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation Center in a Boise suburb, the 7-pound cub grew to 100 pounds on a diet of formula, apples and dog food. Twelve months after arriving at the center, she was ready for the wild."I didn't think she was going to survive," confessed Sally Maughan, founder of the bear rescue operation. "She couldn't stand on her own two legs."
Maughan and John Beecham, a retired state Department of Fish and Game biologist, have saved nearly 150 orphaned black bears from Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Utah since the center opened in 1989. Today, they field phone calls from bear rehabilitators in Turkey, South Korea and Pakistan seeking advice on how to help their own orphaned and often endangered bears. China, just beginning to return its giant pandas to the wild, is also interested in their work.
The London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals, which helps pay Maughan's $35,000 annual budget, hopes her work convinces people around the globe that rehabilitating orphaned bears, then releasing them in forests, is better than sending them to zoos or circuses.
"The general perception is cubs need to learn from their mothers and orphaned cubs will never survive," said Victor Watkins, WSPA's wildlife director. "We can prove that bear rehab and release can work and can be successful."
For three years, Beecham has tracked 19 orphaned cubs outfitted with radio collars. Even bears like Twister that must be bottle-fed every two hours have thrived in the wild, he said.
"Bears are solitary creatures. It's a natural process to break away from their caretaker," Beecham said. "We just have to make sure they don't think any person they come across is going to be a source of food."
There are about 20,000 black bears in Idaho alone. Every year, dozens of cubs are orphaned, some when hunters shoot their mothers during biannual hunts. Others are abandoned during droughts that make food scarce. And some, like Twister, fall victim to nature's whims.
Deb Davis, a retired professor from the University of Alaska, lives in the unincorporated central Idaho town of Bear, where a June 4, 2006, tornado leveled about $9 million worth of timber. She remembers hearing whimpering outside her window two days later but left the bear cub alone, figuring its mother was nearby.
A week later, the cub turned up at a neighbor's home, dehydrated and helpless.
"She fit in my hands. I held her in my lap and I rubbed her paws," Davis said. "I said 'Twister, hang in there.'"
State Fish and Game officials called Maughan, whose bear rehab center has been home to as many as 40 orphaned cubs at once.
Scientists from the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding in China hope to use Maughan and Beecham's work as a model to help win support for their efforts to return their iconic bears to the mountains in central China. They attended a May workshop organized by Beecham at a bear sanctuary in western Russia.
"The experiences of rehabilitation and reintroduction with other bear species is valuable in planning for the eventual reintroduction of giant pandas," Kati Loeffler, a German veterinarian at Chengdu, said in an e-mail. "The situations in Idaho and in remote areas of Canada are almost ideals that we can use as guidelines."
At Twister's release in the Boise National Forest late last month, she was joined by four other bears as Beecham and observers including Davis bid farewell.
Twister quickly trotted off, while the others calmly moseyed from their cages. One climbed a tree and lounged on a low branch. Another sniffed flowers near a photographer, looking for something to eat.
After a week in the forest, however, the bears are more likely to scamper off at the sight of humans, Maughan said.
On The Net:
Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation Center: http://www.bearrehab.org
World Society for the Protection of Animals: http://www.wspa-international.org | <urn:uuid:b41955ee-8d87-495c-a8e3-e3d90e1df5e6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1004010/idaho_center_touts_bear_rehabilitation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972174 | 991 | 2.59375 | 3 |
From 11:00PM PDT on Friday, July 1 until 5:00AM PDT on Saturday, July 2, the Shmoop engineering elves will be making tweaks and improvements to the site. That means Shmoop will be unavailable for use during that time. Thanks for your patience!
This is it. The big one. God and the destroyer kill every firstborn Egyptian, from the prince right on down to the firstborn calves. Exodus tells us in 12:30 that, "There was not a house without someone dead." Grisly.
The Egyptians, including Pharaoh, have had enough and tell the Israelites to get lost ASAP.
The Israelites leave so quickly that their bread doesn't rise in the oven, but they do save enough time to "plunder" the Egyptians of all their gold and silver (12:36).
Exodus tells us that 600,000 men, plus some unmentioned number of women and children, left Egypt at the end of 430 years in that land. Time out: 600,000?! The world population at the time was less than 50 million people, so we're talking at least 2% of the entire planet's population. That's a lot of people.
Archaeologically, there is no evidence for any kind of migration of this size. That's not to say that it didn't happen, though. After all, the ancient Egyptians didn't like to record their defeats, so even if some form of a migration happened on a smaller scale, the scribes would not have written it down.
Back to the story. In 12:43-50, God tells the Israelites how to include other peoples in the Passover ceremony—they must be circumcised.
P.S. In the beginning of Chapter 12, God gives instructions for the Passover ceremony that marks his liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. Basically, you kill a lamb, paint its blood on the outside of your door, and eat unleavened bread (bread that doesn't rise). The blood tells God not to destroy an Israelite's house, and the bread signifies that the Israelites had to leave quickly. So why did we talk about this first piece of the chapter last? Because this stuff is more "rules and regulations"—the story doesn't really start until 12:21. | <urn:uuid:af131f39-5412-4289-8933-b085861a6bd7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.shmoop.com/exodus/chapter-12-summary.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00132-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969163 | 473 | 3.625 | 4 |
Praying mantises are often kept as pets. Some naturalists claim that a praying mantis is capable of recognizing people. With the proper care, a praying mantis can live for a year. To find a praying mantis, search in your garden, or buy praying mantis eggs here. The length of the cage should be three times as long as the insect, and the height should be about two to three times as tall. If the cage is larger than this, it can make it harder for the praying mantis to find its prey. Any cage smaller than this may be too cramped.
Place about an inch of moist soil in the bottom of the cage. Plants that match the color of the praying mantis pet should be placed in the cage, but do not overcrowd the area. Wire mesh is the best roof, as it allows fresh air into the enclosure. Praying mantis pets require warm temperatures between 70 – 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a reptile heating pad or light to control temperature. The humidity in the cage should be kept at 60%. Use a spray bottle to increase humidity. After spraying, praying mantis pets may drink the droplets of water off of the plants in the cage. A shallow water dish with a sponge can also be effective.
Praying mantises are purely carnivorous. Smaller praying mantis pets should be fed tiny insects, such as fruit flies and houseflies. Larger praying mantis food includes fruit flies, crickets, spiders, and other medium-sized insects. Fruit flies and crickets can be purchased at a local pet store. The more you handle your mantis, the tamer it can become. | <urn:uuid:6cefa6aa-72f9-4aca-9b2b-fa0ce9e438c7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.pestnet.com/praying-mantis/praying-mantis-pets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397842.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940516 | 340 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Follow-Up with Questions
6. After the lesson, have ADHD students list the things they remember.
Ask them to do so as fast as they can, to increase memory recall.
Adapted with permission from sandrarief.com, How to Reach & Teach Children with ADD/ADHD, Second Edition, Copyright 2005, and The ADD/ADHD Checklist, Second Edition, Copyright 2008, by Sandra F. Rief. | <urn:uuid:9348b3e4-5bc0-439f-96bc-f8951b48a5c4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/6605-4.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00103-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934538 | 90 | 2.828125 | 3 |
What is Genetic Engineering?
NOTE: This article is also found in students section along with other useful materials for your study.
This text is written so that even you who have forgotten much of what you may have learned about genetics will understand it. Therefore, the description is as simple as possible (some details of minor importance have been omitted or simplified).
If you want a very brief overview, go to "A first introduction to genetic engineering".
If you only want to rapidly get an idea of the great difference
between mating and genetic engineering, see the "at
a glance" illustration (elementary
1. The hereditary substance
The hereditary substance, DNA is what is manipulated by Genetic Engineering, below called GE.
DNA contains a complete set of information determining the structure
and function of a living organism, be it a bacterium, a plant or a human
being. DNA constitutes the genes, which in turn are found in the chromosomes in the cell nucleus.
DNA is a very long string of "code words", arranged in an orderly sequence. It contains the instructions for creating all the proteins in the body.
Proteins are truly remarkable molecules. They can have many different properties. All the various tissues in the body are mainly made of proteins. Likewise all kinds of regulatory substances like enzymes, hormones and signal substances. There are many other proteins like for example different substances protecting from infection like antibodies.
The properties of a protein are entirely decided by its form, which is decided by the sequence of its building blocks, the amino acids. The set of code words required to describe one protein is called a "gene"
The DNA-protein system is an ingeniously simple and extremely powerful solution for creating all kinds of biological properties and structures. Just by varying the sequence of code words in the DNA, innumerable variations of proteins with very disparate properties can be obtained, sufficient to generate the enormous variety of biological life. For more about it, see "The cell - a miracle of cooperation" [EL]
If you want to know more about DNA, you could look up:
Through mating, the DNA of two parents is combined.
This can be described in a simplified way like this:
In plants and animals, the DNA is not just one long string of "codewords". It is divided into a set of strings called chromosomes. Commonly, each cell has a double set of chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father.
In the germinal cells (the cells involved in mating), however, there is just one set. In mating, the set of the mother and father join together to create an embryonic cell with a double set of chromosomes. This embryonic cell divides into two identical copies. These divide in turn. In this way the whole organism will come to contain identical sets of chromosomes (the reason that the tissues have different properties in different parts of the grown up body is that different genes are active in them).
(The DNA of plants and animals contains hundreds of millions of "code syllables". To represent the complete set of information, each circle below would correspond to about 30 million code syllables. In the illustration below, each circle represents 300 code syllables. One code word, corresponding to one amino acid, contains three code syllables. One gene contains at an average about 1000 code words. The genes are about 3% of all DNA)
(The names of the colors have been written to simplify for those with color blindness)
The corresponding DNA string in the germ cell of the father (blue) :
The combined DNA in the offspring (one green and one blue string):
So in mating, there occurs no manipulation of the natural and orderly sequence of code words and sets of code words, the genes.
In genetic engineering, one gene or most commonly, a set of a few genes is taken out of the DNA of one organism and inserted into the DNA of another organism. This we call the "insertion package" illustrated in red:
Insertion package (red):
DNA of the recipient before insertion:
There is no way to make a gene insert in a predetermined location. So the insertion is completely haphazard. Below the insertion package (red) has happened to become inserted in the chromosome string stemming from the mother (green):
DNA of the recipient after insertion:
4. The difference between mating and genetic engineering at a glance
A. First important difference
In mating a chromosome from the mother, o-o-o-o (green ) is combined with a chromosome of the father, o-o-o-o (blue). The sequence of DNA "code words" in each chromosome remains unchanged. And the chromosomes remain stable. The mating mechanism has been developed over billions of years and yields stable and reliable results.
In genetic engineering, a set of foreign genes, o-o-o-o (red) is inserted haphazardly in the midst of the sequence of DNA "code words" (in this case in the DNA inherited from the mother [green])). The insertion disrupts the ordinary command code sequence in the DNA. This disruption may disturb the functioning of the cell in unpredictable and potentially hazardous ways. The insertion may make the chromosome unstable in an unpredictable way.
B. Second important difference
A second fundamental difference is that, in genetic engineering, special constructs of genetic material derived from viruses and bacteria are added to the "desired gene". These constructs don't exist in natural food. They are needed for three major purposes:
These constructs may cause trouble of various kinds. See e.g.:
For more about how these constructs work, see: "How are genes engineered"
[ML] Explains the technique of Genetic Engineering.
5. Genetic engineering is based on an outdated idea
The key assumption of genetic engineering is that you can "tailor" organisms by adding genes with desirable properties. But science has found that genes don't work as isolated carriers of properties. Instead the effects of every gene is the outcome of interaction with its environment. The situation is succinctly summarized by Dr Craig Venter:
This is further explained in "The new understanding of genes" [ML].
So technically, genetic engineering is an unnatural insertion of a foreign sequence of genetic codes in the midst of the orderly sequence of genetic codes of the recipient, developed through millions of years. In addition, powerful artificial genetic constructs are added with potentially problematic effects. This is a profound intervention with unpredictable consequences:
"Up to now, living organisms have evolved very slowly, and new forms have had plenty of time to settle in. Now whole proteins will be transposed overnight into wholly new associations, with consequences no one can foretell, either for the host organism, or their neighbors.... going ahead in this direction may be not only unwise, but dangerous. Potentially, it could breed new animal and plant diseases, new sources of cancer, novel epidemics."
Dr. George Wald. Nobel Laureate in
Medicine 1967. Higgins Professor of Biology, Harvard University.
"Genetically Engineered Food - Safety Problems"
News Introductory articles Health hazards Environmental hazards
Global issues Safety issues Alternatives to GE FAQ
About us What You can do Membership E-mail How to sponsor us | <urn:uuid:6383462b-4897-4fd4-a38f-efc97347f359> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.psrast.org/whatisge.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00175-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940282 | 1,484 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Music and words can each in turn be powerful or limited tools of communication – but together they are unbeatable
In his last opera, Capriccio, Strauss examines the relative value of words and music, and in the final scene the heroine has to decide which she believes more important. The ending is appropriately enigmatic. Both means of expression contain as many infinite possibilities as they do definite limitations.
In highly emotional situations one often hears people say that words cannot explain their feelings. I doubt breaking into song would help but music offers access to a channel of communication that allows for more expression than might otherwise be the case. There are people who stutter when they speak but not when they sing. The undiluted specifics of words can inhibit the complexity at the source of the feeling.
Music turns the complicated into the simple and using words to discuss it often proves problematic. Though some orchestras like the focus that comes from conductors who choose metaphors to define an interpretation, others find imagery a restriction on the scope of musical gestures. Like the very air we breathe, the value of music lies in the wonder of its infinite reach. It cannot describe a teaspoon, yet in one phrase it can portray love’s heart-aching joy or reveal the deep sadness of sorrow in a single chord. It shapes the invisible.
But is music’s greatest strength also its greatest weakness? Does its equivocal nature lie at the heart of its merit or might its ambiguities actually weaken its expression? Music may be powerful, but its sentiments can be generic. Musicians appear to wear a heart on their sleeves, but only with the best is one sure whose heart it is. The untranslatable qualities of music can offer a protective cloak of anonymity for both performer and audience alike.
The prescriptive quality of words makes them less open to a personal interpretation, yet they are nevertheless more easily misunderstood. Unlike music, one has to think about words to understand them. The positives and negatives of this are clear. Does the specificity of words limit their depth or make them more potent? Prosody moves fewer people to tears but it can still take your breath away. The greatest writers create mysterious sources of beauty and unending founts of inspiration. Limited is hardly the word that springs to mind when thinking of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, or Eliot.
Hans Christian Anderson said that ‘where words fail, music speaks.’ But when the singers explode out of the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth it sounds as if the opposite is true. Beethoven needed Schiller’s text to make his point explicit. There is a sense of the meaning being extended rather than restricted. It is of course the enrichment that words and music bring to each other that offers the ultimate expression. It is hardly surprising that a song is the commonest form of artistic communication. With the voice of a great composer the message of music can be precise; in the hands of a great writer, the meaning of words is infinite. The combination of the two is irresistible.
On that note, or should I say with those words, I am going to take a break from this series of articles. As a musician, I have reached my limit as a writer - for the time being at least. I'm very grateful to Gramophone for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on music and conducting, and hope that they have been of some interest, to some of you, some of the time! Mark | <urn:uuid:f9ef12e3-d8bd-4043-b585-fc995c420845> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gramophone.co.uk/blog/shaping-the-invisible | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392159.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00184-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957437 | 710 | 3.140625 | 3 |
The Euthanasia Argument
Marijke Durning | NursingLink
All it took was an injection to cause relaxation of the muscles, followed by another to stop the heart, and his suffering was over. No more pain, no more suffering. The tearful couple in the room caressed his well-loved face before saying good-bye and leaving the room. He was no longer in pain.
The “he” in this case was Rox, a seven-year-old golden retriever who lived life to his fullest until a stomach full of cancerous tumors made it impossible for him to live a pain-free life. His “parents” made the decision to let him go, to stop the suffering, despite the grief his death would cause. While they still second-guess themselves at times, wondering if they did the right thing, for the most part they are at peace with their decision.
After all, a living being shouldn’t suffer when there is no hope, right?
In Rox’s case, as with most animals, if the suffering is too great, the option for euthanasia is there. It’s a difficult decision to make, but it’s the last gift a loving pet owner can give. However, if the being is a human, that option isn’t there.
There is an ongoing debate among the medical community and the general population about the ethics of euthanasia. According to this article, “The History of Euthanasia Debates in the United States and Britain”, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2004, the arguments now are not all that different from the 19th century. Their conclusions were:
“Public interest in euthanasia:
• Isn’t linked with advances in biomedical technology;
• Flourishes in times of economic recession, in which individualism and social Darwinism are invoked to justify public policy;
• Arises when physician authority over medical decision making is challenged; and
• Occurs when terminating life-sustaining medical interventions become standard medical practice and interest develops in extending such practices to include euthanasia.”
How do nurses feel about euthanasia? Should euthanasia be accepted as common practice, or is it a slippery slope?
First, it’s important to understand the difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide. In assisted suicide, the person who is the center of the act has chosen, for whatever reason, to commit the act of suicide. However, the person is no longer able to perform the act without the help of someone else. | <urn:uuid:2060ec80-168d-407f-8056-0e155bdce24f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nursinglink.monster.com/benefits/articles/12282-the-euthanasia-argument?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00155-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966276 | 538 | 2.53125 | 3 |
By Jason Wilson
Wednesday, June 16, 2010; E05
Here is a perfect example of why you shouldn't completely trust Wikipedia. The entry for "swizzle stick" reads: "Swizzle sticks are small sticks placed in cocktails to hold fruit or stir the drink. Commonly made of plastic, the swizzle portion of the swizzle stick name originated from the Caribbean cocktail, Rum Swizzle." It goes on to credit the invention of the swizzle stick to one Jay Sindler, "an engineer" who in 1933 "was looking for a way to get the olive out of his martini without using his fingers."
Is that true? A little bit, but mostly no.
A real swizzle stick comes from a tree that grows in the Caribbean called a swizzlestick tree (or Quararibea turbinata, for those who require genus and species). It's about six inches long and has several little spikes at the bottom, sticking out radially like bicycle spokes. The swizzle stick swizzles the category of drinks called swizzles, which date at least to the late 18th century, when they were popular in the British colonies of the Caribbean. The name might come from a cross between a switchel (an even older drink involved molasses spiked with booze) and the word "fizz." But no one really knows.
"The swizzle stick is just a primitive blender," says Derek Brown, the bartender at the Passenger and the Columbia Room in Northwest, who last week taught a class on making swizzles. Although Brown and I, and a number of bartenders in Washington, have real swizzle sticks, they are very difficult to come by outside of the Caribbean. "It's a great mystery how you get these," Brown says.
Trust me: I've looked, fruitlessly. Fortunately, a standard bar spoon, with a long, thin handle, works equally well.
Now, I don't mean to geek out on you, but it's important to understand what a swizzle stick is and what it is not if you are ever going to make a swizzle. And I suggest that you do. For me, they are miles better than, say, mojitos. "What most people do with a mojito is an abomination," Brown says.
While a rum swizzle is the most common formulation, you can make a swizzle with any strong spirit. Brown's specialty is the delicious, refreshing Chartreuse Swizzle, which he tweaked from a recipe created by Marcovaldo Dionysos at Clock Bar in San Francisco. A basic swizzle calls for spirit, lime juice, falernum and perhaps a little mint -- not much different, really, from a rickey or a julep. At some point, pineapple juice got inserted into the swizzle, which is something that rum expert Wayne Curtis, author of "And a Bottle of Rum," deplores: "I have nothing against pineapple, but it doesn't belong in a swizzle. I blame the Bermudians, who somewhere along the line decided the Bermuda Rum Swizzle [which calls for pineapple juice] was the true and correct swizzle. Simpler the better is my swizzle philosophy."
Although I don't have a problem with pineapple, I agree with Curtis about simplicity. The secret of swizzles boils down to two things: crushed ice and technique. Crushed ice is important because you build a swizzle in the glass, and crushed ice brings down the temperature of a drink much faster. On the other hand, it also dilutes the drink faster. That's why Brown mostly uses strong spirits such as higher-proof rums, whiskey, Chartreuse.
As for technique, you build a swizzle slowly, adding ingredients, then ice, then swizzling a little, then more ice. To swizzle, you position the swizzle stick or bar spoon between your palms and roll it rapidly between your palms, back and forth. You're looking for the glass to frost with ice, just as with a mint julep. Then you top with more ice, like an adult snow cone, and dashes of bitters for aromatics, along with a mint sprig, and serve it with a straw. A swizzle is a drink not to be rushed in the making or sipping.
"Some of the best cocktails are the ones made in a slow, methodical way," Brown said. "This is a simple drink, but it shows extra effort and care."
I could make a crack here about Wikipedia, but now that I have my swizzle in hand, I'll resist.Recipes
Follow Wilson on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/boozecolumnist. His book, "Boozehound," will be published in September by Ten Speed Press. | <urn:uuid:9a18235e-2cf1-42f5-8dcc-a57633d3b776> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061503869_pf.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964801 | 995 | 2.515625 | 3 |
This is really an exciting time when we are witnessing a transition of the world from dirty fossil fuels to renewable clean energy sources. It’s happening right now, and there are several renewable sources of green clean energy being developed around the world.
Have you ever thought about powering your home off the grid? In a few years, we could all be powering our homes or businesses using nothing but clean renewable sources of energy. Most of the energy sources of the future are going to be clean and renewable. There are several potentials for producing clean energy in the future. We are going to discuss 9 sources of renewable energy of the future on this post.
1. Space based solar power
The sun is an abundant source of energy. Every hour more solar energy reaches the Earth than humans use in an entire year. New technology is being developed to harness this high intensity, uninterrupted solar energy from space. The idea is to set up giant solar panels and mirrors in outer space and collects huge amounts of solar energy, which would be transmitted to smaller solar collectors. Then the solar energy would be beamed back to earth using laser or microwave technology.
You may have heard of, or maybe seen devices that harness energy from human. Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, calculators, remote controls and such are already being designed that would draw energy from human beings and recharge their batteries to work. Your mobile phone of the future may be charging from your body heat, movement in your bag, in your pocket, or from your fingertips as you move your fingers across the screen.
3. Tidal power
Energy from waves and ocean currents could be converted into electrical energy. Ocean currents could be used in the similar way that hydroelectricity is being produced. This could be a more reliable and cost effective way than solar or wind because we could convert kinetic energy into electricity form the constant motion of the ocean.
Can the simplest and the most plentiful element in the universe really fuel our cars and power our homes? Despite its simplicity, hydrogen is a high energy fuel. When burned alone, it produces almost no pollution. Liquid hydrogen has been used by NASA to fuel its rockets and space shuttles since the 70s. Hydrogen can be separated and converted into fuel cells which then can be used to produce electricity.
5. Geothermal heat
Heat from beneath the Earth’s surface can be used to produce clean electrical energy. Geothermal sources could be hot rocks or lava from beneath the earth’s surface. Geothermal energy is used to power millions of homes around the world. In addition to creating electricity geothermal energy can be used to heat homes, heat water, or turn water into steam to turn turbines for electrical energy.
Nuclear power plants extract energy from nuclei of atoms through nuclear reactions, and convert it into electrical energy. New technologies are being developed for highly efficient and safe nuclear reactors. In the future, nuclear energy power plants could become more efficient, produce less waste and become safer than ever before.
Although nuclear power is a popular way of generating clean electricity, nuclear power plants usually use a very rare type of uranium, U-235, and so, inclusion of nuclear power as a renewable energy is a subject of major debate.
Do you think Nuclear Power should be classified as a renewable energy source? Please add a comment on our Facebook post and let us know your opinion.
7. Solar power
Solar power technology has made remarkable progress around the world in recent years. Between 2010 -2014, installed solar energy capacity grew 418%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s April 2014 Electricity Monthly Update. Countries in Europe, like Spain and Germany, powered almost 50% of their country through solar panels.
8. Bio fuels
Bio-fuels draw energy from biological beings. The energy is derived through a process called biological carbon fixation. In a way they are similar to fossils fuels, with only difference being – biological organism needs a whole lot more time to turn into fossils. In a bio-fuel, fixation occurs in months or years, while in a fossil fuel, fixation occurs over thousands or millions of years. Although biodiesel has about 90% of the energy content of the petroleum diesel, it burns a lot cleaner than fossil fuels.
9. Wind energy
Wind energy is used to turn a turbine to produce electrical energy from kinetic energy, just like turning turbines in a hydraulic power plant. The problem with wind was, you needed a place to set up your turbine and needed constant flow of steady wind. Too much or too little wind wouldn’t work. But with latest developments in wind power technology, wind turbines could become more efficient and reliable. The latest BAT or Buoyant Airborne Turbine makes it easy and affordable, by eliminating the need for large blades or large towers for mounting.
We are really excited to see new developments around the world that are helping us to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. The future of energy is already looking bright and clean, and it might even become free for us, the general consumers.
Video Credits: The Daily Conversation
Hope you enjoyed reading about these new promising sources of energy of the future. We will be back with more interesting news related to energy sources, so please read our blogs regularly.
We’d love your feedback and comments on this article. Please feel free to add your comments in the comment box below or on our Facebook page, we’d really appreciate it.
Source: Institute of Ecolonomics
Resources and related articles
- Space-Based Solar Power | Department of Energy
- Stop Paying Your Electric Bills – Build Your Own Power Generator | Environmental Professionals Network
- Off-Grid or Stand-Alone Renewable Energy Systems | Department of Energy
- Business Renewables Center Makes It Easier to Invest in Clean Energy » EcoWatch
- 5 Ways to Power Your Home off the Grid | Environmental Professionals Network
- Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule | Carbon Pollution Standards | US EPA
- Harvesting Energy From Humans | Popular Science
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
- Reusable Energy Sources -Environmental And Economic Issues | Environmental Professionals Network | <urn:uuid:cdc2e988-fce5-472a-8c97-ba93e4f5763c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ecolonomics.org/9-renewable-energy-sources-of-the-future/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00129-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926418 | 1,266 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Wild chinchillas all commonly have a colour mutation ranging from grey - brown. This helped camouflage a chinchilla more easily amongst the rocks and stones of the mountains and made them harder to see by predators.
Since the 1950's more colour mutations have evolved with the first appearing in 1955. This first colour mutation, a male exposing the White gene, was produced from two Standard Grey chinchillas and recorded as 44R-B17 (44R=ranch code, B=year designation for 1955, 17=litter number).
Today there are many different colour mutations available all of which stem from the Standard Grey. Some chinchillas show a solid colour and others can be more patchy with various colour's running through the fur.
There are 8 base colours that other colour mutations derive from:
- Standard Grey
- Heterozygous Beige
- Homozygous Beige
Colour mutations are based on the Standard Grey chinchilla and are known to be either more 'Dominant' or 'Recessive' to the Standard Grey. This is further discussed in the Genetics Section but for the purposes of this segment these colour mutations can be categorized as:
- Dominant Mutation Colour - White, Homo Beige & Black Velvet (known as TOV - Touch of Velvet).
- Recessive Mutation Colour - Hetero Beige, Violet, Sapphire, Charcoal & Ebony.
There are also colour mutations known as 'Carriers', which generally look like another colour mutation but have a 'hidden' gene that will produce babies (kits) of whatever colour is being carried when bred to another chinchilla or 'carrier' of the same 'hidden colour mutation'.
The name 'Wrap' is another term connected to a chinchilla of any colour mutation, which also carries the Ebony gene. This colour influence extends beneath the underbelly where the fur will not be White as it usually is.
Standard Grey - The original colour mutation of the wild chinchilla and from which all other colour mutations have been produced. A Standard Grey mutation has a coat of dark grey down the spine and sides and a bright white underbelly.
A hair from a Standard Grey chinchilla has three colours - the base is blue-grey, the mid-section is a white bar, which extends up to a black tip.
White - As mentioned previously, White was the first colour to show itself as a Mosaic in 1955, since then there are many different colour mutations where White has influence within the fur. Wilson White, Silver and White Mosaic are the most common but there are many others - Black/White Cross, Ebony White, White Violet, White Sapphire, Pink White and Golden Mosaic. White chinchillas can have either black or ruby eyes depending on the colour mutation produced. White is not an actual colour but is expressed as white due to colour pigmentation not catching on a particular part of the fur.
Heterozygous Beige (also known as Tower Beige) - This colour mutation also appeared in 1960. The coat ranges in colour from dark Beige down the spine spreading to a lighter shade of Beige down the sides before leading to a bright White underbelly. They all commonly have pink ears, feet and nose and their eyes are ruby.
Homozygous Beige - The Homozygous Beige colour mutation is similar to the Heterozygous Beige mutation only it's coat is lighter like Champagne and their eyes tend to be red rather than ruby. They have a White belly, pink feet, nose and ears.
Violet, Sapphire and Charcoal are all recessive colour mutations, which carry the recessive gene. This means, if you wanted to produce Sapphire (for example) 'in the first generation', you would have to breed two Homozygous Sapphires together (which would produce 100% Sapphire offspring). However, if you bred a Sapphire Carrier to a Standard Grey (for example), all the offspring would be Standard Grey in colour but would 'carry' the Sapphire 'colour mutation gene'. These 'carriers' when bred together with another carrier of the Violet gene, will then have a 25% chance of producing a Homozygous Sapphire colour mutation.
Violet - This recessive colour mutation first appeared in the 1960's in Africa and despite the name, is not quite as Violet as it suggests. Violet chinchillas have a beautiful soft colored coat with a gorgeous 'purple hue' and a brilliant white underbelly. There is no black tipping to the fur giving them a very soft look. Their eyes are black and they have almost 'dove-grey - pink' ears. They can be crossed with an Ebony, which will produce a 'Violet Wrap' and reflect a Violet underbelly rather than the usual White.
Sapphire - This colour mutation first appeared in 1963 and is better seen under lighting. Similar to the Violet in that Sapphire has a beautiful soft colored coat with a gorgeous 'blue hue' and no black tipping to the fur giving them a very smooth look. The underbelly is pure White and they all commonly have black eyes and almost 'dove-grey - blue' ears.
Charcoal - This recessive colour mutation was first produced in the late 1950's and is sometimes hard to differentiate from the Heterozygous Ebony colour mutation. The fur colouration is Grey - Black and the coat will look like it has a 'matte' appearance. The underbelly is Grey and they all commonly have black eyes are dark ears.
Ebony - This colour mutation first appeared in 1964 and is quite different in the Heterozygous and Homozygous state. This mutation not only produces a colour mutation of it's own but it also darkens other colour mutations when bred together. Although Ebony is officially classed as a 'recessive colour mutation', it actually carries a 'weakly dominant gene', which accumulates its colour strength depending on how many generations the Ebony gene is bred through.
- Homozygous Ebony - This colour mutation is completely Black with no signs of any other colour. Even the underbelly is Black, which is the best way to tell if a chinchilla is a 'Pure Ebony' or an 'Ebony Carrier'. A 'Pure Ebony' coat feels unusually silky and is more shiny and glossy than any other colour mutation. Their eyes, ears, nose, paws and mouth are also black.
- Heterozygous Ebony - Unlike the 'Homozygous Ebony', this colour mutation has visible signs of Grey within the coat. They have a Grey underbelly, dark ears, eyes and paws.
TOV (Touch of Velvet) - TOV more a term for the 'veiling appearance to a chinchilla's coat. The first colour mutation appeared in 1956 and is known as the Standard TOV, Black Velvet or Gunning Black. The TOV has a strong Brevicaudata influence and expresses a dark 'veiling' (shade) across the face - running down the spine and tail. There is also a noticeable strip on the front paws (known as a 'Paw Spat'), which is expressed by dark lines extending down the leg. They have an intense Black topcoat on a Grey background leading to a bright White underbelly. Their eyes are black and they have dark ears. It is from the Standard TOV that all other TOV colour mutations are produced.
Colour mutations are generated by breeding two chinchillas of a 'specific colour mutation' together and placing the resulting offspring into a 'colour mutation category'. It is possible to calculate the expected outcome of a colour mutation using the parents genetics and 'Punnet Squares'.
WARNING - There are two colour mutations that when bred together pose a 'Lethal Gene'...you can read more about this and in our Genetics Section.
There are over 20 'well known' colour mutations in existence within the pet industry today and more will be produced over time (as there are hundreds of different combinations)....An Essential Guide to Owning a Chinchilla is a beautifully illustrated chinchilla book with highly glossed pages showing these various colour mutations. The book goes into full detail on how the different colours are achieved together with an amazing photo of each. Read More ...
Further Reading Relating To Chinchilla Colour Mutation:
Breeding Chinchillas, Genetics, Punnet Squares. | <urn:uuid:ecf7b27a-ae8f-4db3-89c0-a96d2bb2f61d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://chinchillachronicles.com/chinchilla_colour_mutation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00121-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926545 | 1,754 | 3.6875 | 4 |
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