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Revista de Saúde Pública
On-line version ISSN 1518-8787
Print version ISSN 0034-8910
IVERSSON, Lygia Busch; ROSA, Amélia P.A. Travassos da and ROSA, Jorge Travassos da. A serological study for research of arbovirus antibodies in human population of the Ribeira Valley Region: II - a survey of patients in the Pariquera-Açú Regional Hospital, 1980. Rev. Saúde Pública [online]. 1981, vol.15, n.6, pp.587-602. ISSN 1518-8787. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101981000600002.
A serological survey for hemagglutination - inhibition antibodies to arbovirus was carried out on 516 residents of the rural and urban zones of the Ribeira Valley, Brazil, a largely forested area where there recently occurred an encephalitis epidemic attributed to Flavivirus Rocio. It was discovered that 24.2% of the sample population presented HI antibodies (11.2% against Alphavirus, 13.2% against Flavivirus, 4.6% against the Caraparu virus and 0.8% against other arboviruses). Neutralizing antibodies for Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis and yellow fever virus were detected in some of the people, not vaccinated against yellow fever, who have always lived in the region. These last two viruses have never before been isolated in the area. The characteristics of people who presented antibodies suggest that the transmission of arboviruses has been going on for a long time, in and outside the forested area, in at least nine districts of the region. Men, and especially fishermen, among other professions, who generally work in the evening and at night, present the highest risk of infection.
Keywords : Hemagglutination inhibition tests; Arboviruses Serological surveys. | <urn:uuid:70b6c188-3891-4076-96fa-6ed8d6214cb3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0034-89101981000600002&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00024-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898875 | 441 | 2.65625 | 3 |
US Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Havana this past August for the flag-raising ceremony at the re-established US Embassy in Cuba. While this event was viewed as a landmark occasion by many in the United States, including the mainstream media, it was just the latest in a never-ending stream of landmarks for Cuba. From the victory of the socialist revolution in 1959 to emerging ties with the Soviet Union and the Socialist bloc during the 1960s to political and economic reforms in the mid-1970s to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and resulting “Special Period” during the 1990s to the far-reaching economic reforms of recent years. In other words, socialism in Cuba is not stagnant; nor is it reliant on US policy. To the contrary, Cuba’s socialism has constantly evolved as it has responded to both domestic and international conditions, and this constant redefining of the model continues today.
The recent changes in Cuba’s socialist model are perhaps most evident in the country’s capital city of Havana. While being a major draw for foreign tourists, Havana is also home to 2.2 million Cubans. Tourist Havana is evident in the newly-renovated buildings in various neighborhoods of the old colonial section of the city. These buildings host boutique hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. These neighborhoods have their own tourist currency (the convertible peso, CUC) and are filled with English-speaking Cubans. This is the side of Havana, indeed of Cuba, that most foreigners have experienced since the country opened up to tourism during the 1990s to obtain the hard currency required to import necessities it cannot produce itself. But there is another side to the city that constitutes a very different world, and it is the world in which most Cubans live.
Not far from the touristy parts of Old Havana is a neighborhood known as Belén. Its older buildings are not renovated and its streets are rarely traversed by foreigners. The convertible peso, or CUC, is largely useless here because everything is purchased using the national peso. In short, Belén is a typical urban neighborhood where Cubans go about their daily activities. What quickly becomes apparent in Belén though, are the social and economic changes that have occurred in Cuba’s socialist model over the past 20 years. At the root of these changes is a shift from state socialism to a more participatory model.
In the 1980s, Cuba more closely reflected the state socialist model that ultimately failed in the Soviet Union. As one resident of Belén stated: “We were so dependent on the state to do everything for us that we’d call the government if we needed a light bulb changed.” But with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the socialist trading bloc, Cuba had to become more creative if it was to survive both literally and figuratively as an island of socialism in an ocean of capitalism. And it was the creative survival strategies that emerged during the 1990s that have helped to redefine socialism in Cuba today.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, in conjunction with a corresponding tightening of the five-decades-long US blockade, meant that Cuba could no longer import sufficient food or oil. The country responded to the shortage of petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers by becoming the world’s leader in organic agriculture. It responded to the shortage of fuel by becoming a leader in urban agriculture to diminish the need to transport food great distances to markets. As a result, more than 80 percent of the country’s agricultural production is now organic.
This shift is evident in communities such as Belén, which contains four farmers’ markets within six blocks that are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. One of the markets sells produce grown on urban plots while the other three offer fruits, vegetables and meats cultivated on farms located on the outskirts of the city. The markets are also cooperatives, highlighting another shift in Cuba’s socialism. In order to find alternatives to large-scale industrial farming and to stimulate production the government broke-up many large state-owned farms and turned them over to the farmers as smaller worker-owned cooperatives. The new cooperatives not only increased production, they also constituted a shift away from state socialism by empowering workers who previously had little or no voice in the running of their workplaces.
This emerging worker democracy through cooperatives not only existed in agricultural production, it also occurred in the selling of products. A group of community members in Belén formed the Belén Agricultural Market as a cooperative to sell produce that they purchased from a farming cooperative situated on the outskirts of the city. Communities such as Belén now enjoy an abundance of inexpensive organic fruits, vegetables and meats that were harvested only hours earlier.
According to Cuban permaculturalist Roberto Pérez, Cuba established the foundation for a more ecologically sustainable society more than fifty years ago “when the revolution gained sovereignty over the resources of the country, especially the land and the minerals, this was the base for sustainability. You cannot think about sustainability if your resources are in the hands of a foreign country or in private hands. Even without knowing, we were creating the basis for sustainability.”
The shift to a more ecologically sustainable agricultural production has resulted in healthy organic food being the most convenient and inexpensive food available to Cubans. Because of the US blockade, processed foods are more expensive and not readily available. This reality stands in stark contrast to that in wealthy capitalist nations such as the United States and
Canada where heavily-subsidized agri-businesses flood the market with cheap, unhealthy processed foods while organic alternatives are expensive and more difficult to obtain. The consequence in the United States is high levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Cuba’s 2011 economic reforms expanded the cooperative sector to include a variety of business sectors including transportation. The reforms have also allowed people to establish small privately-owned businesses beyond allowing families to establish restaurants and rent out rooms in their homes. As a result, a walk along the ten blocks of Sun Street (Calle Sol) in Belén reveals a mixture of state-owned businesses, cooperatives and small private enterprises. The bakery, two egg shops, two bars, a restaurant, two gyms and a convenience store are owned by the state. As previously noted, the farmers’ markets are cooperatives, while private enterprises operating out of peoples’ homes consist of several repair shops, an ice cream vendor, two pizza parlors, two small household goods vendors and three coffee shops.
When the Cuban government announced in 2010 that it was going to lay off more than half a million public sector workers, the US mainstream media proclaimed the failure of socialism and a shift towards capitalism. The Cuban government’s reduction in the public sector workforce was viewed in the same light as the austerity measures implemented by capitalist nations throughout the global South under neoliberalism. But such analysis highlighted a fundamental misunderstanding of Cuban socialism that is common in the Western mainstream media.
Unlike in capitalist nations, Cuba has not simply laid off thousands of public sector workers and left them to fend for themselves as unemployed desperately seeking private sector jobs. The layoffs are a multi-year process and, due to the 2011 economic reforms, many workers will continue to perform the same job. For instance, in many sectors, such as stores, bars, restaurants and transportation, workers have been offered the opportunity to establish cooperatives and to take over their existing places of business.
In one such case, five workers in a state-owned restaurant formed a cooperative and now lease the property from the state and run the business as their own. So while they are part of the downsizing of the public sector because they no longer work for the state, they continue to do the same job as previously. In the eyes of many, such a transition actually constitutes a strengthening of socialism rather than a shift towards capitalism because it is empowering workers who now have a meaningful voice in their workplace—something they didn’t have under state socialism and would not have under corporate capitalism.
The establishment of small private enterprises constitutes a redefining of Cuban socialism because it liberates workers from the hierarchical structures of state socialism by allowing them to become their own bosses. Further evidence that allowing small businesses and cooperatives to emerge does not necessarily represent a shift to capitalism is the fact that it remains illegal to establish a corporation. Because an individual is only permitted to own one place of business, corporate chains that monopolize production and markets cannot be established so the overwhelming majority of businesses remain locally-owned and rooted in the community.
What Cuba is attempting to avoid are the gross inequalities that inevitably result from monopoly corporate capitalism where workers have no meaningful voice in their daily work lives. So while many mainstream analysts in the United States view the shift to small private businesses as a move towards capitalism, such a view ignores the reality that small privately-owned businesses are not unique to capitalism, they existed in societies long before capitalist model came into existence.
Other aspects of Cuba’s economic reality have also been seriously distorted by the US mainstream media. One such example is the reporting on the salaries earned by Cubans. It is often stated that the average state salary earned by a Cuban worker is $25 a month. While this is true, it is often stated out of context, thereby leaving the reader to believe that most Cubans must exist in dire poverty since they earn only a dollar a day. In actuality, less than 40 percent of Cubans exist solely on a state salary. The majority are earning beyond that as state employees earning tips in the tourist economy, private entrepreneurs, members of cooperatives, or recipients of remittances—or a combination of these.
It is true, however, that for those Cubans who do have to exist on the state salary that life is indeed difficult. They earn just enough to cover their basic needs but can afford little else. So how can a Cuban meet his or her basic needs on only $25 a month? What most US media references to the average state salary fail to mention are the extensive state subsidies enjoyed by Cubans. All education and healthcare are provided free of charge as is after-school care. More than 80 percent of Cubans own their homes outright, therefore they pay no rent, mortgage or property tax. Electricity is heavily subsidized to the degree that most Cuban homes pay about $1 a month.
Cubans also receive food ration coupons that provide them with meat, eggs, bread, rice, beans, cooking oil, soap and feminine hygiene products among other essentials. The ration supplies approximately 30 percent of a person’s monthly food needs, while another third is met through free lunches provided in workplaces and schools. Therefore, most Cubans only have to pay out of pocket for about one-third of their monthly food needs. And because of state subsidies, the prices of many essentials are extremely low. For example, eggs cost 4¢ each while a large loaf of bread is 20¢. Tomatoes sell for 40¢ lb, potatoes for 4¢ lb and large avocados are 20¢ each. Meanwhile, ice cream cones are 12¢ each and a bottle of beer in a state-owned bar costs 40¢. As for transportation, an individual can go anywhere in Havana on a municipal bus for 4¢. Consequently, a Cuban earning the average state salary can meet his or her basic needs.
For the more than 60 percent of Cubans who live on more than the average state salary, they can also afford a certain amount of luxuries. This portion of the population can be seen spending convertible pesos in the more expensive tourist restaurants, hotels and stores as well as utilizing the new public Wi-Fi hotspots that have been established throughout the island. And while the dual economies that are largely differentiated by the tourist convertible peso and the domestic national peso have resulted in greater inequality in Cuba, the country still remains the most equal in Latin America by far.
For years the US media has also suggested that Cuba’s government was restricting Internet access on the island as a means of controlling the population. In reality, the inability of the country to develop the necessary infrastructure for widespread Internet usage is a result of the US blockade. The obvious hi-speed connection point for Cuba is to run a fibre optic cable the 90 miles from Florida to the island, but the US economic blockade has prevented this from happening.
After a failed attempt to run a fibre optic cable one thousand miles along the bottom of the Caribbean Sea from Venezuela to Cuba, a second attempt proved successful in 2013. This established hi-speed Internet in Havana and subsequently led to the creation of public Wi-Fi hotspots in parks and plazas throughout the country. It also led the government to slash the cost of access from $4.50 an hour to $2.00. While this still places the Internet beyond the financial means of those existing on state salaries, it has dramatically improved access for the rest of the population. This new reality is evident in the almost permanent presence of people in parks and plazas armed with their iPhones, tablets and laptops.
Cuba’s socialist reforms have been implemented without any serious disruptions to the provision of free healthcare and education to the entire population. Cuba has one doctor for approximately every one hundred families, resulting in a ratio of physicians per 1,000 people that is twice as high as in the United States. As a result, in Havana, there is a family doctor for every two blocks and each neighborhood has a polyclinic that assures access to specialists and dentists as well as providing 24-hour urgent care, while hospitals handle serious illnesses and emergencies. This is the reality in Belén, which has a 24-hour polyclinic on Sun Street and a hospital less than a mile away.
Because of its emphasis on healthcare and human well-being, Cuba has a life expectancy equal to the United States and infant and child mortality rates—deaths of children under one and under five years of age respectively—that are both superior to its northern neighbor. When Cuba’s health indicators are compared to capitalist nations in Latin America, the differences are astounding. Cuba’s infant mortality rate of 5.6 per 1,000 births compares to 19.0 in Mexico, 24.2 in Colombia and 14.4 in relatively wealthy Argentina. A similar discrepancy exists between socialist Cuba and its capitalist Latin American neighbors with regard to child mortality rates.
The result of Cuba’s socialist model is a highly educated and healthy population. Additionly, homelessness, malnutrition and violent crime—social maladies that are rampant in capitalist Latin American nations—are conspicuous by their absence in Cuban society. Cuba’s lack of violent crime is particularly noteworthy given that five of the top ten cities with the highest homicide rates in the world are located in Latin America. Because violent crime is almost unheard of in Cuba, Elias Carranza, a senior UN official for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders Institute, declared Cuba the safest country in the region.
But despite all the benefits that Cubans enjoy from the socialist system some naturally still harbor frustrations. The most common complaints are low salaries and over-crowded housing. The country’s youth also yearn for greater access to the Internet. Consequently, some Cubans see a shift towards capitalism as a possible solution to these problems and for achieving a more luxurious lifestyle.
Younger generations in particular, those too young to recall life prior to 1959 and who take many of the revolution’s social achievements for granted because they have existed since they were born, are inundated with capitalist propaganda in the form of Hollywood movies and TV shows as well as on the Internet. They are being seduced by the capitalist consumer dream—and this, perhaps more than anything else, poses the greatest threat to Cuba’s socialist model.
This is not surprising given that it is the luxurious lifestyles of the upper-middle and upper classes in the United States that dominate in movies and on TV as well as the Internet. And, in conjunction with the seemingly endless flow of relatively rich foreign tourists that visit Cuba from wealthy capitalist nations, some Cubans link capitalism with material wealth. But only 20 percent of the world’s population live in the manner of people in the capitalist nations of North America and Europe; the majority of those living under capitalism in the global South endure poverty and misery. This inequality is inevitable under capitalism because the Earth cannot sustain 7 billion people living in the manner that North Americans live. Therefore, the imperialist powers are required to consume a disproportionate percentage of the planet’s resources to maintain their standards of living and they do so by using the resources of the poor.
Geographically, the closest capitalist country to Cuba is not the United States, it is Haiti. And the poverty that is widespread in Haiti is far more reflective of the reality of most people in the world who live under capitalism than the standard of living of North Americans. But the plight of Haitians is rarely seen in Hollywood movies and on TV shows. It is rarely front and center on the Internet. It remains the hidden face of global capitalism.
Given that Haiti is a capitalist nation, it is clear that capitalism in and of itself does not guarantee a relatively luxurious standard of living for all people, or even a majority—or Haitians would live like most North Americans. It is the combination of capitalism and imperialism that has created wealth in rich nations and poverty in poor nations. Rich nations such as the United States, Canada and Western European countries are imperialist powers because they wield a hugely disproportionate amount of influence over neo-colonial institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in addition the coercive capacities of their own foreign policies.
But Cuba is not an imperialist nation. Therefore, a dismantling of socialism and a shift to capitalism would not allow Cubans to live as most North Americans do. Capitalism in Cuba would more closely reflect the capitalist reality of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and many other Latin American nations struggling with poverty, inequality and violence. Capitalism would generate wealth for perhaps 20 percent of the population while half of Cubans would likely endure poverty. In fact, not only would half the population still not have access to luxuries under capitalism, but they would also likely lose the social benefits they currently enjoy under socialism in the form of healthcare, education, food, housing and a crime-free neighborhoods.
Ultimately, Cuba’s socialism seeks to achieve a higher level of human development than the materialistic dream achievable to only a minority under capitalism. Most Cubans recognize the Revolution’s social achievements and, as a result, would like to preserve the socialist model, albeit with a few more material comforts. But as long as the world remains dominated by capitalism there will be limits to the degree of material comfort that Cubans can obtain.
On the other hand, if a significant socialist bloc were to emerge then a more equitable distribution of the planet’s resources might indeed be possible, which would not only improve the standard of living of many Cubans but also of those impoverished billions throughout the global South existing under capitalism.
For more than fifty years Cuba has redefined socialism again and again in its constant quest to achieve ever higher levels of human development. The economic reforms of recent years that are so evident in neighborhoods such as Belén are not the first such transformations—and they won’t be the last. Ultimately, anyone seeking to achieve a more sustainable and just world could do a lot worse than look towards Cuba for inspiration. | <urn:uuid:45ce8d0d-1e6c-4ec8-b235-062e0631df28> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/18/redefining-socialism-in-cuba/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00149-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962239 | 3,991 | 2.65625 | 3 |
The leaves of the foliation are regular. So, the space of leaves $X$ induces a submersion $\pi: R^3\rightarrow X$ with leaves of $R.$ Using the standard homotopy sequence, we see that $X$ is simply-connected. Furthermore, $X$ is path-connected since any two leaves can be connected by a path of leaves in the foliation.
We can actually define an embedding $\phi: X\rightarrow R^3$ by letting $\phi(l)$ be the point on the leaf $l\in X$ that is closest to the origin in $R^3.$ This gives us two things: a vector space structure on each leaf by using $\phi(l)$ as the origin and an orientation of $X$ (since only orientable simply-connected surfaces are embeddable in $R^3$). We use the orientation of $X$ to give an orientation on each leaf.
Thus, we have a 1-dimensional orientable vector bundle over a simply-connected space $X$, which means that the vector bundle is trivial. Hence, all smooth foliations with leaves of lines on $R^3$ are diffeomorphic.
I rather wanted to say all continuous foliations of such sort are homeomorphic, but I'm nervous about the embedding of $X.$ | <urn:uuid:1c1c5fbc-7877-4435-be6e-3a3d72d10ceb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://mathoverflow.net/questions/63208/foliating-r3-with-straight-lines/63292 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00125-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930196 | 284 | 2.890625 | 3 |
There has been a lot of research and reporting on Muslim populations living in the United States and Europe. That work often centers around issues of identity and integration. And these issues are often portrayed as being unique to the “West.”
What that scholarship and reporting, has often overlooked is that there are Muslim populations in other non-majority Muslim regions. That includes Latin America.
A Social Science Research Council funded project at Florida International University’s Latin American & Caribbean Center is working to educate English speaking scholars and reporters about the Muslim populations in the region.
“I think Latin America has been one of the forgotten regions because of the Spanish and the Portuguese,” says Project Director Maria Logrono. She says most scholars who study Islam learn Arabic or Persian or focus on a traditional region in which to study the religion. “Most scholars approach the Middle East in area studies, not thinking about the larger geographic borders of it.”
Logrono says English-speaking media often ignore the Muslim populations in Central and South America until something bad happens.
“I guess we can say journalists have approached Islam in Latin America,” Logrono says, “But I think they have approached it only when there’s conflict and tension.”
Logrono says there is certainly tension in some parts of Latin America, especially where Islam chafes against Catholicism, but that’s not true of every country in the region or every Muslim group, either.
“The Muslim populations that you have in Latin America are, and this is especially the case of South America, mainly migrants and converts,” Logrono says. “When it comes to integration … what we have noticed is that Muslim migrants have integrated very well.”
In fact, there’s some debate whether a kind of “Creole” Islam has begun to develop in places like Brazil and Cuba.
“Scholars working on Islam in Cuba will tell you, ‘Yes, there is actually an attempt at Creolization of Islam, or creating a Cuban Islam,’ in which something as unthinkable as eating pork may be something that Muslims in Cuba are considering.”
Logrono and her project staff have been working on a short documentary for the last year about Islam in the region. It’s limited in scope, focusing on Argentina and Brazil, but Logrono hopes it will give viewers a taste of what life is like for Latin American Muslims.
“We went and filmed communities and their gatherings and their practices and their histories to show the diversity of Muslim communities in Latin America,” she says. “Because we couldn’t accomplish all Latin America…what we tried to do is take two of the most representative places but obviously trying to open questions for debate and, hopefully, for future research.”
You can find more find more information about Logrono’s work as well as view photos and the documentary at the project’s website. | <urn:uuid:ade11637-3764-4d09-977e-a966d777cf1d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://muslimvoices.org/islam-latin-america/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00059-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962928 | 625 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Women are the more sensitive sex. They experience physical pain more readily than men do, and they also respond more favorably to pain-killing drugs. Recent studies reveal that a single protein, called GIRK2, may explain the gender imbalance.
Two independent groups led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California at San Francisco measured how long it took mice to react when they were exposed to heat. In one test, the animals were placed on a plate that grew increasingly hot; in another, the heat was slowly applied to their tails. Genetically modified mice lacking the GIRK2 gene reacted no differently from normal mice in the control groups. Then the researchers tested how the animals reacted to the same experiments after being given various analgesic drugs such as opioids and cannabinoids. Both teams found that without GIRK2 drugged male mice experienced much less pain relief than normal. But the engineered female mice were largely or completely unaffected by the absence of GIRK2.
"Males seem mainly, if not entirely, dependent on the GIRK system. Females appear to be more complex; they seem to have evolved with additional pain-relief systems," says University of Texas neurobiologist Adron Harris, coauthor of one of the studies. The researchers say their work could guide the development of analgesic drugs that act directly on GIRK2, helping to bring more pain relief to men. | <urn:uuid:ded66c06-336d-44da-a491-8387883e7a29> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://discovermagazine.com/2003/may/breakpain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00018-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968191 | 290 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Ken Adams was a Kentucky boy who learned first-hand about hurricanes while serving as part of the Division Escort fleet of the U.S. Navy during World War II.
It would be nearly 40 years later before he found out he had been in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of September 1944.
Today he jokes he doubts he could have spelled hurricane at the time.
"At one point during the storm the (U.S.S. Edsall) made a 57-degree roll. A 70-degree roll would have turned us over," Adams, 81, said.
Adams and the Edsall were part of the Navy's 50,000 Division Escort fleet. They were the guys who protected the destroyers, troops and supplies sailing across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans into war. The DE ships were tiny beside the huge vessels they escorted, and they were the expendable ships fighting off enemy submarines and aircraft.
"They were the smallest of the war ships. They were classified war ships if they could go across the ocean," Adams said.
It was a nerve-wracking job. The troops made one trip over, the DEs went back and forth through sub-infested waters and skies out of which enemy aircraft could appear at any minute.
"There's a lot of them that were lost," he said of the escort service.
Adams made seven Atlantic crossings on the Edsall including landings twice to Taranto, Italy, as the Allies were fighting their way up the Italian peninsula. They also escorted troop ships to Greenock, Scotland and Plymouth and Portsmouth, England. In addition they delivered tankers to Argentina, Newfoundland and Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas.
It was the hurricane that stands out in Adams' memories. He remembers the "boom, boom, boom" as the sea pounded against the Edsall. "We thought it was going to break, he said. He remembers how the sailors lashed themselves into their bunks in order to keep from falling out. And he remembers climbing up to the radio room where he and a shipmate were on duty at night.
"Our chairs were inserted into pipe to keep them from sliding. I had to hold the carriage of my typewriter with my left hand while I was listening to the radio and typing code with my right hand," he said.
When the two men got off duty they stood outside. They held on to the pyrotechnics box containing flares and other emergency equipment while they talked and watched the ocean churning, alternating between white caps as the waves went up and phosphorous shining green in water as they came down.
Waves from the storm reached an estimated 70 feet and winds were more than 130 knots.
The next morning when he went on deck, the pyrotechnics box was gone, ripped off from its bolts.
Also caught in that storm was the U.S.S. Warrington. Adams was a radioman who copied the distress from the Warrington which was trying to move away from the storm and instead sailed into it. The engines with flooded with sea water, cutting off her power and damaging the steering mechanism.
"She was brought to a standstill by the 130 knot winds and waves pounded her hull to pieces," Adams said. The Warrington went down stern first and 248 of her crew were lost. Only 73 men survived.
The Edsall was headed to help her when they were ordered to proceed to New York because four other DEs had arrived to help the Warrington.
Adams originally planned to join the Marines along with a friend. The friend's father signed his papers to enlist, but Adams' father refused.
"He was in World War I and he said no way," Adams said. Adams' brother Robert was already in the service in a medical detachment with the 714 Tank Battalion. He would serve with Gen. George Patton and win a bronze star in France.
Adams "pitched a fit" to be allowed to join up and his father suggested he try the Army.
"I didn't want to wear their dumb tie. My father told me that left the Navy or the Coast Guards so I chose the Navy," he said. The typing class he took in ninth grade probably was why he was assigned to be a radio man after graduating from basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago. He turned 18 while in training.
The Edsall was his first ship and after he returned to New York, he was assigned to the USS Walter B. Cobb in Massachusetts. The Cobb was still under construction and he was sent to additional radio training. His instructor was a radioman from the Warrington, one of the 73 saved.
After the Cobb went through its shakedown cruise to Cuba, they carried troops to San Diego via the Panama Canal and then took part in the training for the invasion of Japan. Along with 15 other APDs, the Cobb carried underwater demolition teams that were to be used in the fighting. Instead, the teams ended up taking out mines because by the time they arrived Japan had surrendered.
The Cobb was there in time to be part of the more than 200 ships present for surrender ceremonies. Even if the war was over, Adams said, it still wasn't safe. When sailors went ashore they had to do so in groups of 25 men plus an officer and corpsman.
"There were still Japanese snipers hiding in caves above the cities," he said. Aside from the snipers, Adams said the Japanese he met were "pretty timid."
He recalled one landing where, as they approached, Japanese lined the beach. The young officer aboard ordered the wraps pulled off the guns in front and for the boat to steer straight into them. The people on the beach fled, scared they were about to be shot.
"That was something really not called for," Adams said.
The Cobb returned to the United States as part of Operation Magic Carpet, bringing home the troops eligible for discharge from the service. The Cobb made one last Pacific crossing after that, spending abut five months in the Philippines.
Adams got out of the Navy in 1946. In 1947, he married his sweetheart Irene whom he met in 1942. She said they "dated" for five years, most of the time while he was overseas.
After the war he went to work for a brewery in Cincinnati. When it closed, he applied for a job at the Fisher body plant in Hamilton, Ohio. He was hired and went on to work for General Motors for 31 years, ending in a supervisory position. The couple moved to the St. Augustine area in 1985 to take care of Irene Adams' mother.
They have two children, Vicki Donaldson of Orange Park and Robert Adams of Foster, Ky.
In his retirement, Adams has continued an interest in history and genealogy, including tracking down a great-grandfather who served in the Confederate cavalry.
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us | <urn:uuid:cb81d278-0054-4880-aa06-41112086e1e5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://staugustine.com/stories/020507/news_4382584.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00002-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989808 | 1,426 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Characteristics of ‘The Hero’
Raglan is best-known for his 1936 book The Hero, in which he worked out a sort of average biography of legendary heroes.
- Hero’s mother is a royal virgin;
- His father is a king, and
- Often a near relative of his mother, but
- The circumstances of his conception are unusual, and
- He is also reputed to be the son of a god.
- At birth an attempt is made, usually by his father or his maternal grandfather to kill him, but
- He is spirited away, and
- Reared by foster-parents in a far country.
- We are told nothing of his childhood, but
- On reaching manhood he returns or goes to his future Kingdom.
- After a victory over the king and/or a giant, dragon, or wild beast,
- He marries a princess, often the daughter of his predecessor and
- And becomes king.
- For a time he reigns uneventfully and
- Prescribes laws, but
- Later he loses favor with the gods and/or his subjects, and
- Is driven from the throne and city, after which
- He meets with a mysterious death,
- Often at the top of a hill,
- His children, if any do not succeed him.
- His body is not buried, but nevertheless
- He has one or more holy sepulchres.
This average biography must be interpreted rather loosely, or else hardly anyone will fit. "A god" can be one of several polytheist gods or a single monotheist one. A "king" can be any sort of great leader. "A far country" can be some very different community in the same nation. Etc.
Lord Raglan scored several heroes with his profile, adding up which criteria they satisfied. His scores:
Oedipus 21, Theseus 20, Romulus 18, Heracles 17, Perseus 18, Jason 15, Bellerophon 16, Pelops 13, Asclepius 12, Dionysus 19, Apollo 11, Zeus 15, Joseph (in Genesis) 12, Moses 20, Elijah 9, Watu Gunung (of Java) 18, Nyikang (Shiluk cult hero) 14, Sigurd or Siegfried 11, Llew Llawgyffes 17, King Arthur 19, and Robin Hood 13.
He was careful to avoid scoring Jesus Christ, for fear of an obvious sort of controversy. However, folklorist Alan Dundes had done so, finding a score of 20.
Comparing real and legendary people
Some other people have assessed other legendary heroes, discovering that these ones score high: Krishna, the Buddha, Harry Potter, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa.
Problems and Extensions
How to interpret his profile has been a sticking point for some critics of it, some of whom tend to be excessively literal-minded about it. One does have to interpret it loosely, otherwise it would be hard for anyone to fit. Lord Raglan himself had conceded some problems, like about heroes' childhoods. It is rare to find documentation on anyone's childhood, but that lack of documentation is significant when one compares it to accounts of someone trying to kill the baby hero. Also, a strict interpretation of "virgin" for the hero's mother would rule out that criterion for many heroes. Lord Raglan had proposed that because many heroes are first or only children, meaning that their mothers are semi-virgins.
Some of the criteria could be split, like royal and virgin for the hero's mother, and marrying a princess and her being the daughter of the hero's predecessor.
One may also add some criteria, like child-prodigy stories and prophecy fulfillment.
Some heroes, like Augustus Caesar and Jesus Christ, had been rather extreme child prodigies. Jesus Christ showed how learned he was in the Jerusalem Temple, and Augustus Caesar hushed up some noisy frogs. Some Infancy Gospels go even further, portraying Jesus Christ as a childhood miracle worker.
Several heroes had fulfilled prophecies, often despite efforts to thwart that fulfillment: Jesus Christ, Krishna, the Buddha, Zeus, Oedipus, Perseus, Romulus, King Arthur, Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar, Anakin Skywalker, and Harry Potter.
The numerous biographies of legendary heroes converging on Lord Raglan's profile suggests that there is something psychologically attractive or compelling about it, something that makes people want to revise existing biographies to fit it. However, it has been hard to find any research on the hypothesis that Lord Raglan's profile represents some psychologically-attractive one. Part of it is likely love of the dramatic, but the next question is why some drama and why not some other drama.
Such "Raglanization" of hero biographies may explain some favorite poorly-supported theories of recent times, like the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The most likely hypothesis is that the only one responsible was Lee Harvey Oswald, and that he had been a lone lunatic. In fact, several lone lunatics have killed or tried to kill US Presidents, with little or no evidence of broader conspiracies. But many people find it difficult to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was yet another lone lunatic; there are large numbers of people who have believed in various conspiracy theories about JFK's death. Such conspiracy theories fit #18, with his place of death, an open-top car in a parade, almost fitting #19.
Could there be some belief that it takes a powerful force to bring a hero down, a force much more powerful than a well-aimed bullet from a lone lunatic's gun?
Mythical vs. Well-Documented Heroes
When one calculates Lord Raglan scores, one is struck by the rarity or absence of much of the profile from the biographies of well-documented heroes, especially in modern times. Many modern heroes have very undistinguished parentage, and there is never any hint of their future destiny for much of their lives, let alone attempts to kill them in their infancy. Attempts like
- King Herod vs. Jesus Christ
- Pharaoh vs. Moses
- King Kamsa vs. Krishna
- King Amulius vs. Romulus
- King Laius vs. Oedipus
- King Acrisius vs. Perseus
- Pelias vs. Jason
- Tantalus vs. Pelops
- Hera vs. Hercules
- Hera vs. Dionysus
- Hera vs. Apollo
- Kronos vs. Zeus
- The Roman Senate vs. Augustus Caesar
- Lord Voldemort vs. Harry Potter
The Buddha's biography contains a curious variation. His father tried to raise him to be his heir, and to keep him away from scenes of pain and suffering so that he will not be provoked to become a great religious leader. But the Buddha sees such scenes, and he runs away from his family to start a spiritual journey that results in him becoming a great religious leader. But we never see any similar stories about modern heroes, like
- Southern plantation owners vs. Abraham Lincoln
- Fundamentalists vs. Charles Darwin
- Rabbis, Jewish bankers, and Jewish Marxists vs. Adolf Hitler
- Psychiatrists vs. L. Ron Hubbard
- Oil-company executives vs. Muammar Gaddafi
Turning to the end of their lives, well-documented heroes are seldom repudiated in the fashion of many legendary ones. They either retire in full glory, or get assassinated in the middle of their careers, or get overthrown by outside forces. Even in the latter sort of case, heroes like Napoleon and Hitler often have diehard followers who only became dissuaded by the prospect of defeat. However, some modern heroes have gotten repudiated, notably Tsar Nicholas II, Richard Nixon, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Muammar Gaddafi.
Also notable is that some well-documented heroes die in the opposite of a hilltop, in a subterranean location. Nicholas II was killed in a basement, Hitler committed suicide in a bunker, and Gaddafi was discovered hiding in a storm drain. There aren't many legendary heroes who had committed suicide while cowering in a cave or a dungeon.
This article was originally at the Beacon Library (now defunct). | <urn:uuid:80180f89-9ede-41fa-98c1-70aa5cc9976f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://atheism.wikia.com/wiki/Lord_Raglan's_hero_profile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00190-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956621 | 1,731 | 2.53125 | 3 |
KIGALI, Rwanda (CNN) -- As leader of the Tutsi rebels in 1994, Paul Kagame pleaded with the world to stop the Rwandan genocide.
Paul Kagame: "We say every Rwandan has the same opportunity to life ... as the other."
"All along we thought that's why they were here," Kagame said, referring to the U.N. troops sent to monitor a peace agreement between the minority Tutsis and ruling Hutus.
But the nations of the world, he said, turned a deaf ear and a blind eye.
"They didn't care. They were totally indifferent. It was just another bloody African situation where just people kill each other and that's it."
After 100 days of fighting between the two ethnic groups, the Tutsi militia defeated Hutu government forces, ending the war and the genocide. But the Hutus' three-month slaughter of Tutsis left more than 800,000 dead. Today, Kagame is president of Rwanda, and he insists on reconciliation between the warring groups.
It was an incredible transformation for both Kagame and his country. Watch as Kagame discusses Rwanda's past and future »
In the late 1950s and early '60s, Kagame's family and other Tutsis were under siege as Hutu gangs went from village to village, pillaging and killing. The Kagames, including 3-year-old Paul, fled to Uganda.
Paul Kagame would spend the next three decades as a refugee. During that time he rose through the ranks to become a senior officer in the Ugandan army. All the while, he and other refugees longed to return home to Rwanda.
In 1990, Kagame was attending a training course at Fort Leavenworth in the U.S. state of Kansas when Tutsi rebels invaded Rwanda. After some initial success, the rebel forces were forced to retreat.
Among the casualties was their leader, who had been killed on the second day of the attack. When news of the failed invasion reached Kagame, he left the United States, resigned from the Ugandan military and took command of the Tutsi rebel militia.
Kagame instilled strict discipline in his growing rebel army. They would launch successful attacks that eventually brought the ruling Hutu government to sign a power-sharing agreement in 1993 known as the Arusha Accords.
But the peace agreement was a façade. Hutu extremists had no intention of sharing control of the Rwandan government. And in April 1994, they began their attempt to exterminate the Tutsi population.
Kagame's forces resumed their attacks, desperate to save their fellow Tutsis. The Hutu government had far more troops, but Kagame's soldiers had far more discipline. In battle after battle, they were victorious, gaining control of more and more of Rwanda, ultimately declaring victory in July 1994 -- but not before more than 800,000 were dead.
Kagame recently sat down with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in his presidential compound to talk about the hope of reconciliation as well as the international community's indifference to the plight of Rwandans during the 1994 genocide.
"The common interests we have for a better future of this country [are] more important than any other interests, especially such interests as of different groups," Kagame said. "And we say every Rwandan has the same opportunity to life, to the sources of this country, as the other." | <urn:uuid:0d08da74-8d69-4e45-8df4-76f68b644fef> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/13/sbm.rwanda.kagame/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398869.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98386 | 713 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Although most folks will agree that crisp summer salads
laced with mouthwatering slices of fresh-from-the-garden
cucumbers are among the high points of any hot season, many
gardeners don't grow the crisp treats. After all
(the argument often goes), cucumbers grow on vines that'll
gobble up cropping ground faster than a sweet-talking land
speculator can name a new development. So city people
— and even country dwellers with small garden plots
— can't afford to grow them, right?
Wrong. Happily, horticultural researchers have been
thinking of limited-space gardeners. And, with the
introduction of several varieties of "bush" or mini-cucumbers, a
new world has opened to aspiring growers who have a
shortage of gardening area.
Despite their name, such plants don't resemble
shrubs. Instead, their compact shape is formed by the
growth of extremely short vines that bear a profusion of
full-sized fruit. With the foliage of a mature plant
measuring only two to three feet across, bush cucumbers are
ideally suited to intensive gardening techniques
whether in a raised bed or a patio pot.
And just how do you grow the "new" plants? Well,
the technique is about the same as that for
conventional cucumbers. The key element is to
remember that all members of this family are heavy
feeders: They need plenty of both organic material and
water and do best, therefore, in well-conditioned
humus-rich soil ... not too sandy, not too dense.
A well-prepared organic plot will definitely
encourage cuke production by retaining moisture and
providing a uniform, natural release of the required nutrients. So work your garden area by tilling in a
generous dose of compost and organic fertilizer.
You can start the seeds indoors (or in a cold frame or
greenhouse) for an early crop, or simply plant them
outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Don't rush
the season though ... the warmth-loving kernels won't
germinate until the subsurface temperature exceeds
After the cukes sprout, thin the seedlings to 12 or more
inches apart and cultivate the plot often. Then, once the
fledgling plants have become established, mulch heavily.
(This last is a must practice as it provides
for good moisture retention, slow nutrient release, and
weed and insect control.)
To container-grow your saladmakers, fill one or more pots
(seven inches or larger) with a rich soil mixture and sow
the seed as you would in the ground, thinning to one plant
per pot after germination. Then simply guard against the
same insect and disease problems that might occur in a
Fortunately, most compact cuke varieties are relatively
disease-resistant. However, insects such as the striped or
spotted cucumber beetle cause damage — both as
chewers and as carriers of bacterial wilt — and
must be controlled. To protect your plants,
practice the time-tested organic methods of natural soil
maintenance, crop rotation, and heavy mulching. In
addition, try your most repulsive homebrewed hot pepper and
garlic spray on any insects that appear. (Or — as an
extreme measure — dust with pyrethrum or rotenone to
keep bugs at bay.) With reasonable care and some good
fortune, you should harvest an abundance of bright green,
slender fruits in about eight weeks.
And when's the best time to pick them? That's up to you.
Pluck anything from three-inch luncheon tidbits to
eight-inch candidates for the dill crock. (Never let the
cukes rot on the vine. Regular harvesting increases
production and helps prevent insect and disease problems.)
Give bush cucumbers a try this season whether you're
cramped for space or not! Most major seed company catalogs
offer at least one of the several varieties
available. And whatever specific type you choose, you can
count on a lot of good eating from a little area! | <urn:uuid:e3438532-be99-45e1-9cfe-7f7ce4c44274> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/mini-cucumber-zmaz81mazraw.aspx?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00155-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918932 | 885 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla
11-05-2011 12:23 CDT
It's hard to convey just how excited I am to see Dawn's first image of asteroid Vesta. In itself the image is not particularly noteworthy, just a few pixels' worth of sunlight brightly reflecting off a lonely asteroid; and it's not yet as detailed as what we've seen from Hubble. But what this image means! I titled this post "Land Ho" because Dawn has finally sighted the land toward which it's been cruising for three and a half years, but it means more than that. This isn't just the first sighting of Dawn's island destination; it's the first sighting of a whole new archipelago, the unexplored large islands of the asteroid belt. We've never seen a world like Vesta before, and over the next few months, as Dawn approaches it, it'll slowly come in to focus before our eyes. I can't wait!!
In the photo, Vesta is so bright that if you brighten the image enough to see background stars (which are mostly within the constellation Scorpio), Vesta becomes a fuzzy blob. So the Dawn team released a version of the image where Vesta and the background have been processed separately. Compared to the "unprocessed" version above, the area around Vesta has had its brightness reduced so you can see the actual size of the asteroid, and the rest of the image has had the brightness massively increased to reveal more background stars. In the upper right corner is an enlarged view of the few pixels that span the asteroid. Not much yet, but it's growing in Dawn's field of view every day.
This seems like an appropriate moment to brush up on the capabilities of Dawn's main cameras. Dawn's unusual among NASA missions in that most of the science instruments that it carries (if you can use the word "most" to describe two out of three) were built outside the U.S. The Framing Cameras, as they're called, were built in Germany. In an early Dawn Journal, Marc Rayman explained that the Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research) was responsible for their design and fabrication, in cooperation with the Institut für Planetenforschung (Institute for Planetary Research) of the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center) and the Institut für Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze (Institute for Computer and Communication Network Engineering) of the Technischen Universität Braunschweig (Technical University of Braunschweig). That's where the "MPS / DLR / IDA" in Dawn image credits comes from.
I found a very nice poster (PDF) that explains the capabilities of the Framing Cameras in pretty good detail. Dawn has two identical Framing Cameras (FC1 and FC2) for redundancy in case one fails. The detectors are 1024 pixels square, and they're each fitted with an eight-position filter wheel containing seven color filters (blue to near-infrared) and one clear (broadband) filter. The field of view is 5.5 degrees (96 milliradians) so the angular resolution is 94 microradians. This choice of field of view and resolution is fitting for its purpose as a camera to be used for completely mapping a body from orbit. In High Altitude Mapping Orbit, from 660 kilometers, that angular resolution will result in pixels 62 meters across. In Low Altitude Mapping Orbit, from 180 kilometers, it'll achieve a maximum resolution of 17 meters per pixel, but it won't get global coverage at that resolution.
Let the mapping of a new world begin! | <urn:uuid:65ed5714-04b7-4618-917f-002a9cc987dd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2011/3029.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00191-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941116 | 792 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Researchers from the international Past Global Changes (PAGES) project write in the journal Nature Geoscience that they have identified an unprecedented, long-lasting cooling in the northern hemisphere 1500 years ago. The drop in temperature immediately followed three large volcanic eruptions in quick succession in the years 536, 540 and 547 AD (also known as the Common Era CE). Volcanoes can cause climate cooling by ejecting large volumes of small particles – sulfate aerosols – that enter the atmosphere blocking sunlight.
Within five years of the onset of the “Late Antique Little Ice Age”, as the researchers have dubbed it, the Justinian plague pandemic swept through the Mediterranean between 541 and 543 AD, striking Constantinople and killing millions of people in the following centuries. The authors suggest these events may have contributed to the decline of the eastern Roman Empire.
Lead author, dendroclimatologist Ulf Büntgen from the Swiss Federal Research Institute said, “This was the most dramatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the past 2000 years.”
A later “Little Ice Age” between 14th and 19th centuries has been well documented and linked to political upheavals and plague pandemics in Europe, but the new study is the first to provide a comprehensive climate analysis across both Central Asia and Europe during this earlier period.
“With so many variables, we must remain cautious about environmental cause and political effect, but it is striking how closely this climate change aligns with major upheavals across several regions,” added Büntgen.
The multidisciplinary research team made up of climatologists, naturalists, historians and linguists mapped the new climate information against a particularly turbulent period in history in Europe and central Asia. The volcanic eruptions probably affected food supplies – a major famine struck the region at precisely this time followed immediately by the pandemic.
Further south, the Arabian Peninsula received more rain allowing more vegetation to grow. The researchers speculate this may have driven expansion of the Arab Empire in the Middle East because the vegetation would have sustained larger herds of camels used by the Arab armies for their campaigns.
In cooler areas, several tribes migrated east towards China, possibly driven away by a lack of pastureland in central Asia. This led to hostilities between nomadic groups and the local ruling powers in the steppe regions of northern China. An alliance between these steppe populations and the Eastern Romans brought down the Sasanian Empire in Persia, the final empire in the region before the rise of the Arab Empire.
The researchers write, “The Late Antique Little Ice Age fits in well with the main transformative events that occurred in Eurasia during that time.”
Large volcanic eruptions can affect global temperature for decades. The researchers suggest that the spate of eruptions combined with a solar minimum, and ocean and sea-ice responses to the effects of the volcanoes, extended the grip of the freezing climate for over a century.
Büntgen points out that their study serves as an example of how sudden climatological shifts can change existing political systems. “We can learn something from the speed and scale of the transformations that took place at that time,” he said.
The temperature reconstruction, based on new tree-ring measurements from the Altai mountains where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan meet, corresponds remarkably well with temperatures in the Alps in the last two millennia. The width of tree rings is a reliable way to estimate summer temperatures.
The research is part of the Euro-Med2k working group of the international Past Global Changes (PAGES) project. Last week, (29 January 2016) members of the group published a comprehensive analysis of summer temperatures in Europe in the last 2000 years, concluding that current summer temperatures are unprecedented during this period. The Euro-Med2k Working Group reconstructs and models past climate in the Europe and Mediterranean regions (including southern Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa) over the last 2,000 years. PAGES is part of Future Earth – a major international research program to study global sustainability. | <urn:uuid:f016c40d-c49d-4378-bb29-3b987f649587> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.eurasiareview.com/09022016-new-little-ice-age-coincides-with-fall-of-eastern-roman-empire-and-growth-of-arab-empire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391766.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00104-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940346 | 842 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Henry Wallace, former vice-president and current Progressive Party presidential candidate, lashes out at the Cold War policies of President Harry S. Truman. Wallace and his supporters were among the few Americans who actively voiced criticisms of America’s Cold War mindset during the late-1940s and 1950s.
Widely admired for his intelligence and integrity, Henry Wallace had served as vice president to Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1941 to 1945. After Harry S. Truman succeeded to the presidency upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, Wallace was named secretary of commerce, but Wallace did not get along with Truman. A true liberal, Wallace was harshly critical of what he perceived as Truman’s backtracking from the social welfare legislation of the New Deal era. Wallace was also disturbed about U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union. During World War II, he came to admire the Soviet people for their tenacity and sacrifice. Like Roosevelt, he believed that the United States could work with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in the postwar world.
After Roosevelt’s death, the new Truman administration adopted a much tougher stance toward the Russians. In March 1948, Wallace appeared as a witness before the Senate Armed Services Committee to criticize Truman’s call for universal military training, a program designed to provide military training for all American males of draft age. Dismissing Truman’s alarming statements about meeting the communist threat as part of a “deliberately created crisis,” Wallace denounced the universal military training program as one that would lead to “death and taxes for the many and very handsome profits for the few.” He implored the Senate and U.S. government to strive for a “peaceful foreign policy.” “If we are to compete with communism,” he declared, “we had better get on the side of the people.”
Wallace’s arguments found only a limited audience in the Cold War America of the late-1940s. In the 1948 presidential election, running as the Progressive Party candidate, he garnered less than 3 percent of the vote. Two years later, Wallace left the Progressive Party after it condemned his statement in support of the United States and United Nations intervention in Korea. In 1952, he wrote an article, “Why I Was Wrong,” in which he declared that his earlier stance in defense of Soviet policies had been mistaken. Nevertheless, his criticism of American Cold War policies kept the spirit of debate and dissent alive in the oppressive atmosphere of Red Scare America. In fact, many of his arguments—particularly the point that America’s massive military spending was crippling its social welfare programs—were raised with renewed vigor during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. | <urn:uuid:8077ad83-460f-488a-a3c7-15bc7de2540b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-wallace-criticizes-trumans-cold-war-policies?catId=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396949.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00191-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974473 | 559 | 2.90625 | 3 |
- freely available
Heatwave Early Warning Systems and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Heatwaves
AbstractIntroduction: With climate change, there has been an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwave events. In response to the devastating mortality and morbidity of recent heatwave events, many countries have introduced heatwave early warning systems (HEWS). HEWS are designed to reduce the avoidable human health consequences of heatwaves through timely notification of prevention measures to vulnerable populations. Objective: To identify the key characteristics of HEWS in European countries to help inform modification of current, and development of, new systems and plans. Methods: We searched the internet to identify HEWS policy or government documents for 33 European countries and requested information from relevant organizations. We translated the HEWS documents and extracted details on the trigger indicators, thresholds for action, notification strategies, message intermediaries, communication and dissemination strategies, prevention strategies recommended and specified target audiences. Findings and Conclusions: Twelve European countries have HEWS. Although there are many similarities among the HEWS, there also are differences in key characteristics that could inform improvements in heatwave early warning plans.
Share & Cite This Article
Lowe, D.; Ebi, K.L.; Forsberg, B. Heatwave Early Warning Systems and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Heatwaves. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8, 4623-4648.View more citation formats
Lowe D, Ebi KL, Forsberg B. Heatwave Early Warning Systems and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Heatwaves. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2011; 8(12):4623-4648.Chicago/Turabian Style
Lowe, Dianne; Ebi, Kristie L.; Forsberg, Bertil. 2011. "Heatwave Early Warning Systems and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Heatwaves." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 8, no. 12: 4623-4648.
Notes: Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view. | <urn:uuid:b29a4826-fbfe-4e60-b8d7-cfa66ae89748> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/8/12/4623 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00004-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.839678 | 452 | 3.296875 | 3 |
Posted by: Loren Coleman on February 17th, 2007
A new monkey species believed to be endangered, has been discovered in Mabira forest reserve in Mukono. According to a report by Prof. Colin Groves of the Australian National University, the monkey species is now one of the 19 primate species in Uganda.
He said the primate, known as the gray-cheeked mangabey (scientific name Lophocebus albigena) was being upgraded to a new class to be called Lophocebus ugandae .
Groves revealed that when he revised the research he undertook three decades ago, he discovered that the Uganda monkeys were much smaller than similar ones in other parts of the world. “It was really striking,” he said.
The species is dramatically smaller than the true Lophocebus albigena and the new methods of analysis have made it more obvious, according to Groves.
For more of this article by Gerald Tenywa, see the New Vision Online.
Colin Groves was on the board of directors of the defunct International Society of Cryptozoology.
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine. | <urn:uuid:9ceb39f2-cdbb-4b37-9f12-2924fded6677> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/uganda-mky/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959322 | 504 | 2.859375 | 3 |
You’ve heard of point-and-shoot cameras, single reflex lens (SLR) cameras, micro four-thrids cameras and perhaps even light field cameras. But what about a throwable ball camera? That’s what Jonas Pfeil, student extraordinary at the Technical University of Berlin, developed for a class project (for which we presume he earned high grades).
Using this new type of camera requires more hand-eye coordination than it does photography skills. The “photographer” merely turns on the camera, throws it straight up in the air and catches the ball when it comes down. The camera does the rest.
Inside the ball is an accelerometer that measures the velocity of the throw. When the ball reaches its apex—that is, in that moment that the ball is motionless after going up but before falling down—all 36 fixed-focus cameras imbedded in the ball fire at once. Their images combine to capture a complete 360° panorama. Once you transfer the panoramic image to a computer you can rotate it around and zoom in on any portion.
Though the Throwable Panoramic Camera Ball is still in the development phase, it isn’t theoretical either. Pfeil has built a real working model. The physical ball was made using a 3D printer. The 2MP cameras on the ball were reclaimed from old cell phones. All the other physical parts were bought off-the-self. Pfeil wrote the software in a combination of C, C++, QT and openCV.
All that bodes well for the production version of the Throwable Panoramic Camera Ball being inexpensive. Spot Cool Stuff would like to see sensors of a little higher quality than those used in the concept model. We also think there should be consistent exposure across all the cameras. With the independent exposure control the colors vary too greatly between sections of the panorama. Check out a sample panorama image in the video, below.
If you happen to be in Hong Kong you can see the Throwable Panoramic Camera Ball first hand at the SIGGRAPH Asia 2011 show, where its inventors will be looking for investors. | <urn:uuid:402c4eb6-d41b-435a-88fd-f7014e2afa6d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://tech.spotcoolstuff.com/concept-camera-ball/throwable-panoramic-gadget | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00135-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937159 | 448 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The study of climate change, and realization that the Holocene, previously considered a period of great climatic stability experienced significant and dramatic disturbances, has occasioned new interdisciplinary study of the Maya, one of North and Central America’s great pre-Colombian civilizations. Scientists, anthropologists, archeologists, and historians have reinvigorated efforts to explain their sudden collapse, which took place from approximately 800-1000 CE in a period known as the Terminal Classic.
Peter Douglas is a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology who recently earned his Ph.D. from Yale’s geology and geophysics department. His dissertation, “Plant-wax isotopes in Central American lakes and what they tell us about the collapse of the Classic Maya,” provides new evidence that the Maya experienced significant climate change during the Terminal Classic.
The collapse saw the fall of strong royal governments, the abandonment of cities, environmental degradation, a demographic plunge, and increased warfare (Webster, 2002). Actually “collapse” may be a misnomer, as there was no uniform decline throughout the civilization; some northern areas continued to flourish into the second millennium, but the southern area collapsed more quickly (Andrews, 1973).
Explanations for the collapse range from soil erosion to epidemics to foreign invasion, but drought is currently the leading theory (Aimers, 2007). However, most of the research for the drought has been conducted in the northern part of the former Maya civilization. “That’s been the key problem with this hypothesis,” said Douglas. “We have the strongest evidence for drought in the area where the collapse wasn’t really that bad.”
This gap has made some scholars skeptical of the drought hypothesis (Webster, 2002), but Douglas’ work may help silence the skeptics. He took samples from a lake in the south, in Guatemala, as well as a lake farther north, in the central Yucatán Peninsula. His findings suggest that early in the Mayan civilization the southern region was wetter than the north. That changed during the Terminal Classic period, when there was severe drying in both regions but especially so in the south. “The relative degree of drying was greater in the south, so that’s consistent with the idea that you have a stronger societal collapse there,” said Douglas.
In his research Douglas employed a technique that, to his knowledge, no one else has used to gather paleoclimate proxy data for a societal collapse. One method other researchers have used to find evidence of drought is to determine the ratio of oxygen isotopes in samples of fossilized shells and sedimentary rock (e.g., Hodell, 1995). Lighter isotopes of oxygen evaporate more readily, so times of greater evaporation and lower precipitation lead to a greater amount of heavy isotopes in the water, which get incorporated into the samples.
Douglas looked at what he termed “molecular fossils” – n-alkanoic acids that come from the waxy coatings on land plants, known as plant waxes or leaf waxes. These molecules contain hydrogen, so he used the same kind of reasoning as in the oxygen-isotope analysis, taking samples from lakebeds and measuring the ratio of heavy isotopes to light isotopes of hydrogen.
The cause of the drought was not the focus of Douglas’ research, but he thinks it is possible that it could have been caused by a shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (Atlantic wind currents) or El Niño (cf. Kennett, et al., 2012). Deforestation has also been proposed as the cause (Shaw, 2003). While Douglas agrees with recent findings that deforestation could have amplified a drought (Cook, et al., 2002), he does not think deforestation actually caused the Terminal Classic drought because the Maya had already cut down a sizable portion of the jungle a thousand years earlier.
Yale archeologist Harvey Weiss, an expert in societal collapses induced by climate change who was not involved in Douglas’ research, described his work as “brilliant, path-breaking research.” Weiss noted that there is increasing evidence that “megadroughts” led to collapses in several ancient societies such as Teotihuacán and the Akkadian Empire, and “Peter Douglas has made a very substantial contribution to this revolutionary view of past abrupt climate change magnitudes, temporalities, and societal collapse processes.”
Although Douglas is wary of direct comparisons, he still considers his work relevant to modern-day climate change. “My research has the potential to provide an example of how climate change in the past had a big impact on a major complex society, so it illustrates the potential for climate change to be very disruptive to our society,” he said.
An additional area of his research focused on carbon isotopes in the plant waxes, which allowed him to draw conclusions about how the Maya altered their agricultural system to adapt to drought, which could be instructive for policymakers. Douglas also hopes that future research into the distribution of water resources before and during the Terminal Classic can offer lessons about water management.
Aimers, J. J., 2007, What Maya collapse? Terminal Classic variation in the Maya lowlands, Journal of Archaeological Research, v. 15, p. 329-377.
Andrews, E. W., IV, 1973, The Development of Maya Civilization After Abandonment of the Southern Cities, in Culbert, T. P., ed., The Classic Maya Collapse, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, p. 243–265.
Cook, B. I., Anchukaitis, K. J., Kaplan, J. O., Puma, M. J., Kelley, M., and Gueyffier, D., 2012, Pre-Columbian deforestation as an amplifier of drought in Mesoamerica, Geophysical Research Letters, v. 39, L16706, doi: 10.1029/2012GL052565.
Hodell, D. A., Curtis, J. H., and Brenner, M., 1995, Possible role of climate in the collapse of Classic Maya civilization, Nature, v. 375, p. 391-394.
Kennett, D. J., Breitenbach, S. F. M., Aquino, V. V., Asmerom, Y., Awe, J. Baldini, J. U. L., Bartlein, P., Culleton, B. J., Ebert, I. C., Jazawa, C., Macri, I. M. J., Marwan, N., Polyak, V., Prufer, K. M., Ridley, H. E., Sodermann, H., Winterhalder, B., and Haug, G. H., 2012, Development and disintegration of Maya political systems in response to climate change, Science, v. 338, p. 788-791.
Shaw, J. M., 2003, Climate change and deforestation: Implications for the Maya collapse, Ancient Mesoamerica, v. 14, p. 157-167.
Webster, D., 2002, The Fall of the Ancient Maya: Solving the Mystery of the Maya Collapse, Thames & Hudson, New York, 368 p. | <urn:uuid:081abc9f-04b7-42d5-936d-97f4dbca1f11> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://climate.yale.edu/news/climate-and-collapse-maya | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00094-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931264 | 1,533 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Notes on Sepia.
By Henry Clay Allen
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
Dr Henry Clay Allen
This wonderful anti-psoric has a profound action on nearly every tissue and organ of the body, and like most remedies of its class its medicinal effect is long lasting-a single dose being often sufficient for many weeks. It appears to first expend its energy upon the brain and nervous system, thus deranging the life forces, or as Hahnemann termed it the "vital force," and thus producing organic change. The tendency is to produce organic change of tissue as first seen in its effects on the skin, in the well known discoloration's, "yellow-saddle," "moth patches" as well as the characteristic herpetic eruptions ; hence the ability to cure the deeper and more malignant diseases, epithelial cancer has been reported by Dunham and others as coming within its healing influence.
As "there is nothing new under the sun" Sepia is not by any means a new remedy. For dysmenorrha and other derangements of women Hippocrates placed a high value upon it, and Galen likewise used it extensively, but in what form we are not told, for atonic conditions of the gastro-intestinal canal. Notwithstanding all this it has not yet found an abiding place in the Pharmacopia of our allopathic brethren, as neither "Murrili's Digest of Materia Medica and Pharmacy" (1883), nor the "Sixth Decennial Revision of the U. S. Pharmacopia" makes any mention of it whatever. The chief explanation of this rejection is probably due to the fact, that in its crude form as drugs are usually compounded, it has been found to be practically worthless. Like Alumina, Calcarea, Carbo veg., Lycopodium, Natrum mur. and Silicea, the dominant school has not been able to obtain results from Sepia that would warrant its introduction into the Materia Medica. In our school, for his very reason, many practitioners place little reliance upon it, its action being deemed vague and uncertain. In this they are no doubt correct. Those of us who accept Hahnemann's law and reject his dynamic theory and its practical results in our treatment of the sick, are not very much in advance of our benighted half-brother of the other school. As Sepia is so frequently used in alteration with Lachesis I want to point out some objections to such practice based upon its pathogenesis.
Adapted to women of dark hair and eyes, rigid muscular fibre, mild disposition, but are easily offended and then are irritable and often vehement.
Inclined to abdominal adipose especially after child bearing.
Climacteric troubles especially when based on portal congestion.
Hot flushes, sudden accessions of heat followed by momentary sweat and disposition to syncope.
Paralytic affections of pelvic and abdominal viscera.
Menses :never regular, too early, too profuse ; too late and too scanty.
Coldness on vertex.
Feet and ankles cold.
Yellow ; face, conjunctiva, chest ; yellow saddle on cheeks or across nose. Herpes on upper parts of body, < at menstrual period.
Prolapsus ; intolerable bearing down as if contents of pelvis would extrude from body ; relieved by sitting down or crossing limbs. Usually feet and ankles cold.
Pains extend from other parts to back ; are attended with shuddering not chilliness and are relieved by motion or pressure.
Sensation of ball in inner parts ; during menses, pregnancy, lactation ; with constipation, diarrha, hæmorrhoids, leucorrha and uterine affections.
< at New moon, in snowy weather, during or before a thunderstorm.
< on awakening when aroused from sleep (deep), but relieved after sufficient sleep.
Hæmorrhage : during climacteric, pregnancy especially 5th and seventh months, flow dark and sluggish.
Suitable for women with dark eyes and complexion, or red hair and freckled, inclined to low spirits with indolent, choleric, melancholic temperament.
Thin, emaciated, changed mentally and physically by effects of disease.
Climacteric troubles when mental or nervous symptoms predominate.
Hot flushes, burning vertex headache, hæmorrhoids, hæmorrhages, especially after cessation of menstrual flow.
Paretic symptoms of left side. Left sided apoplexy.
Menses :regular as clock work, punctual almost to the hour ; too short, too feeble, Pains relieved by flow. Heat on vertex. Feet, especially soles, burning.
Bullæ, yellow, purplish or dark, from bloody serum. Carbuncle, malignant pustule, bed sores with dark or black edges. Malignancy.
Prolapsus ; bearing down, labor like pains, as if every thing would issue from vulva. Uterine region extremely sensitive to touch cannot bear clothes to touch her. Constitutional symptoms are guiding.
Pains :neuralgic, tearing stitching, pulsating, burning, < after sleeping, and from, noon till midnight.
Sensation as of worms crawling in heels, bladder, rectum ; of beating as with little hammers in rectum, temples, vertex.
< in Spring, during extremes of heat or cold ; sun's rays.
< after sleep ; or the aggravation wakens him from sleep, or he sleeps into the aggravation. A mental condition.
Hæmorrhage during climacteric ; blood lumpy, black or acrid. Hæmorrhagic diathesis ; small wounds bleed much.
Sepiaand Lachesis are incompatible and like most animal poisons should rarely follow each other and never to be given together.
A careful individualization would certainly prevent such a catastrophe for the patient, as they are rarely if ever indicated at such a time.
Each of these polychrest remedies has only obtained a foot, hold in the homopathic Materia Medica after a severe prolonged and bitter contest against the doubts and unbelief's of members of our school. But they have nevertheless come to stay.
Dr. Rockford reports the following case :
Mrs. L---., of nervo-sanguine temperament, had for several years a headache recurring every Saturday. Thought it sometimes came from the noise of her children who were home from school that day ; but so sure as Saturday came the headache returned the pain was of a boring character from within outward, and was attended with nausea and vomiting. Binding the head up tightly gave some relief and if she could get a good sleep would awaken much relieved. Sepia 200 cured.
Dr. H. C. Allen :I was called 20 December, 1884, at 3 A. M., to visit a lady suffering with a congestive headache, and requested to bring my "hypodermic syringe or chloroform." As I have no use for palliatives and do not use either, I did not take them. She is 46 years of age, of medium size, dark complexion, black hair and eyes, and except an occasional headache, usually enjoys good health. Menstruation regular, normal ; occurred two weeks ago. The present attack was attributed to some mental excitement to which she had been subjected in the afternoon. The pain began in the evening, and thinking to obtain relief she retired early, but from the violence of attack was soon compelled to leave the bed and walk the floor to obtain relief. The pain was pressing, throbbing, bursting ; as if the head was too full ; as if it would burst or force the globes from the orbits. The head face and neck were red and hot, and the carotids throbbed violently. The pain was terrible, and she declared she "would became insane if it continued another hour." The only relief she could obtain was by pressing the sides of her head with both hands and walking as rapidly as possible from and to end of a suite of three rooms. The character of the pain, the intense congestion of head, face, eyes, and throbbing carotids, certainly pointed to Belladonna, But the manner of obtaining relief from rapid motion, which was here the most uncommon symptom, promptly excluded that remedy. Any remedy that would cure this case must contain among its totality, this peculiar symptom, which is a characteristic of Sepia. A few pellets of Sepia 200 were prepared in water and a teaspoonful ordered every ten minutes until relieved. Before the time for the third dose had arrived, she had lain down on the lounge and was asleep, and the next day was as well as usual. Would the "hypodermic" have done the work quicker or better ? Should we not be thankful for a law of cure, and does it not pay to follow its guiding star ?
Sepiaproduces swelling on lower lip with soreness, burning and a pricking, slivery sensation. Guided by these and the constitutional symptoms, Dunham and others were led to the employment of Sepia in the treatment of epithelial cancer of lower lip. Two cases cured by Sepia 200 are reported by Dunham as having come within his personal knowledge.
Dr Carroll Dunham
Dunham says, in his Materia Medica :An epithelial cancer far developed had been excised. The wound healed kindly. After a few months the patient began to emaciate, and to exhibit every sign of cancer cachexia. Eminent surgeons diagnosed internal cancer. The decline was alarmingly rapid. No hope of recovery was entertained. The complex of symptoms indicated Sepia, which was given 200 and effected a complete and rapid restoration of health. The health remains good to this day (ten years).
Dr. Hesse reports the following case showing its profound action on the nervous system :
Mrs. H---., a delicate brunette with pale face, con. suited the Doctor on account of spasmodic shaking of the head The attacks begin suddenly, and with fearful rapidity, the head is thrown to the right and left around its vertical axis. She is perfectly conscious during the attack, without a participation of any other part of the body, lasts several minutes and repeats itself several times during the day, especially after emotions, and she may remain free from them for several days. After an attack she feels prostrated. From childhood on she always was nervous irritable, and suffered from convulsions. The shaking of the head began four years ago after a fright and it worse before or during menses, from emotions and even when she meets persons disagreeable to her. Appetite fair, no thirst, diarrha and constipation alternating. Nights restless, cannot lie on her back, throws herself about and awakens unrefreshed. Much flatulence in the morning which she relieves by gymnastic exercises, better towards evening. Heavy atmosphere and hot rooms disagreeable ; heaviness of head in foggy weather and before a storm. She always feels restless, and cannot sit for a long while, she must do something ; bites her nails, scratches her head or pulls out hair. Menses regular, scanty ; during the interval moderate leucorrha. Hemicrania and lightning-like dizziness. Cannot wear garters or rings, as her extremities feel swollen. After the failure of Ignatia for a week she received :
July 2 : Sepia 30, one powder a week.
July 16 : After every powder, the next morning a severe paroxysm ; on the other days only very slight ones ; feels encouraged.
Aug. 4 : No more paroxysms, though she menstruated.
Aug. 17 : A slight attack. She complains of poor sleep and morning malaise. One powder. Sepia 200.
Oct. 12 : Sleeps better. During November a severe aggravation followed from anxiety and continued nursing of her sick family ; but gradually she improved again under Sepia 1200, but Ø, doubt if her predisposition to nervous affections can ever be entirely eradicated. We find under Sepia :
"The head jerks and twitches forward six or seven times with full consciousness ; in the morning, jerking of the head backward when rising."
This gave a valuable hint for its selection.
The paroxysm of the Sepia intermittent strongly resembles that of Arsenic in the mixed, irregular character of its different stages. As a rule neither stage is prominent nor well-defined in Sepia, but is a very picture of what is known as an undeveloped, partially suppressed or "spoiled case," -or as Hahnemann calls them "cases of Cinchonism," -by the use of Quinine or some-other anti-periodic. The symptoms are so mixed with drug effect as not to appear to call for any particular remedy, the completion in this class of cases strongly resembles that of Sepia. It presents a sallow, dirty, doughy, sickly appearance, and in all old cases of so-called "malarial" poisoning we no doubt have portal stasis or congestion as the pathological basis. The abdominal vessels in both these class of cases are engorged, and they often find their simillimum in Sepia. In homopathic Practice, however, there is no such thing as "always will." There must be some symptomatic indication in harmony with the condition presented by the patient, or the remedy will not, cannot. In many of these cases a few doses of Sepia, high, will clear them up, effect a return of the symptoms of the original, Paroxysm so that the curative remedy may be readily selected, is class of cases, in the writer's experience, are more frequently met with in the South than the North, but wherever found and correctly differentiated good results will be obtained. Sulphur should not be over-looked here, if the symptoms correspond.
Dr E. H. Porter
Dr. Porter :I would like to ask Dr. Allen if he honestly thinks that Sepia, or any other remedy in the Materia Medica will cure cancer ? If we have any remedy or remedies capable of curing cancer or other malignant affection very few members of the profession have yet found it out. For one I have it yet to learn. I doubt the diagnosis, and the cure.
Dr. Allen :I have found very few writers in our literature, or in any literature, more reliable as accurate diagnosticians than Dr. Dunham. He would certainly be considered as good authority as Dr. Porter or myself. But Dunham tells us more emphatically that, "the complex of symptoms" presented by the patient called for Sepia, and we all know that he prescribed for the patient and not for the cancer. This is just where we so often make our most serious blunders. We prescribe for our diagnosis, or the diagnosis of some one else, and we too often base our prognosis on the treatment of the other school instead of on that of Hahnemann. If we would follow our law of cure in its entirely as laid down by Hahnemann, we would see fewer cases of disease with a malignant termination. The patient would be cured before he reaches the malignant line.
Dr. Obetz :This reminds me of a case which came into my hands from the old school in the early years of my practice, when I was fresh from college and the Materia Medica teaching of Dr. Barnes. A married woman, Mrs. F---., æt. 45, was passing the climacteric. Although she had raised a family she had not been well about 17 years. There was much general emaciation ; she was unable to sit up the latter half of the day. Had a firm, hard tumor in each breast for some time, attended with sharp, lancinating pains. She presented a sallow, bleached appearance ; yellow patches on the chest and the "yellow saddle" across the nose. The totality of the symptoms were covered by Sepia and much to my surprise the 30 potency cured the case. It presented every appearance of malignancy and had been pronounced malignant by other physicians. And yet, because it was cured by Sepia 30, I never could think the tumors were malignant. The authorities all say the true cancer is incurable by any internal medication.
Dr. Porter :I think there is just where we make our mistakes. We think it a case of cancer, but it is not. Our diagnosis is faulty. It is a generally accepted fact that after tissue change has taken place, after the breaking down has begun, there is no remedy that will cure a case of cancer.
Dr. Allen :Every disease, and especially those profoundly-affecting the entire system, has its stages of advancement distinctly marked, and it is possible that in every case of cancer there is a line of demarcation between malignancy and non-malignancy ; a line within which the tumor is benign, and beyond which it is malignant. This probably is equally true to every fatal case of sickness. In the cases of both Dr. Dunham and Dr. Obetz I have no doubt of the correctness of the diagnosis but the homopathic remedy stayed the progress of the affection and prevented what might have been a fatal termination. How it disheartens a physician to prescribe for what he believes a fatal case, according to his prognosis. But if he would only close his eyes to his pathology, diagnosis and prognosis and rely on the "totality of the symptoms" as laid down by Hahnemann he would often be as agreeably disappointed as was Dr. Obetz.
Source :Medical Advance, 1886.
Copyright © Sylvain Cazalet 2001 | <urn:uuid:24dd4904-1210-401d-bbce-d70154cee48f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://homeoint.org/cazalet/allen/sepia.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966061 | 3,710 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Turns out the pap smear - a routine test women undergo each year or two to screen for cervical cancer - could help screen for other types of cancer as well, a new study said.
A new test takes the same fluid swab from the cervix and tests it for the presence of certain cancer-specific mutations.
The scientists were hoping to catch cases of ovarian and endometrial cancer - two common and deadly cancers which, until now, were not able to be screened for routinely.
In the pilot study, the test was able to accurately detect each of 24 endometrial cancers, a 100 per cent success rate, according to results published on Wednesday in the US journal Science Translational Medicine.
The test also detected nine of 22 ovarian cancers, for a 41 per cent success rate during the pilot study. And in no cases were healthy women in the control group mis-identified as having cancer during the study.
The scientists cautioned that the process must be tested on a much larger scale before being made available to the public.
But if their findings hold up, the test could be a powerful tool in fighting these two cancers of the ovaries and the uterus lining.
Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, the CDC notes, adding that treatment is most effective when it is caught in its early stages.
Likewise, endometrial cancer is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic cancer, the CDC said, and is best treated when caught early.
"Genomic-based tests could help detect ovarian and endometrial cancers early enough to cure more of them," Johns Hopkins graduate student Yuxuan Wang said in a statement.
She noted that the cost of the test could be similar to current cervical fluid HPV testing, which is less than US$100.
"Our genomic sequencing approach may offer the potential to detect these cancer cells in a scalable and cost effective way," added lab director Luis Diaz.
He explained that the test works because the cervical fluid collected during the pap test occasionally contains cells shed from ovaries or the uterine lining.
So it followed that any cancer cells present in those organs could also be present in the cervical fluid.
But the 44 women included in the pilot study had already been diagnosed with either endometrial or ovarian cancer.
The test must now be conducted on women who appear healthy, to determine if it could detect cancers in their early stages.
They also aim to search for ways to increase the test's accuracy in detecting ovarian cancer.
"Performing the test at different times during the menstrual cycle, inserting the cervical brush deeper into the cervical canal, and assessing more regions of the genome may boost the sensitivity," said Chetan Bettegowda, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins. | <urn:uuid:9343cf27-1b0d-4804-a0db-70537bb0b8c9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health-wellbeing/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501238&objectid=10858536 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00036-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96018 | 571 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Transcript: Can Diet Protect Against Kidney Cancer?
58,000 Americans are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year, and 13,000 die. And the numbers have been going up. Approximately 4% of cases are hereditary, but what about the other 96%? The only accepted risk factor has been tobacco use, but cigarette smoking has been declining.
Nitrosamines are one of the most potent carcinogens in cigarette smoke. So much so there’s a concern that nonsmokers may be inadvertently exposed through so-called thirdhand smoke. See, the risks of tobacco exposure do not end when a cigarette is extinguished. Residual smoke particles can contaminate surfaces. About 80% of these nitrosamines in secondhand cigarette smoke stick to room surfaces and are not removed under normal ventilation conditions. That’s why it’s important to only stay in smoke-free rooms in hotels. The bottom line is that there is no way to safely smoke indoors, even if there’s no one else there. Nitrosamines are considered so toxic that carcinogens of this strength in any other consumer product designed for human consumption would be banned immediately. If that were the case, they’d have to ban meat.
One hot dog has as many nitrosamines and nitrosamides as five cigarettes. And these carcinogens are also found in fresh meat as well: beef, chicken, and pork. So even though smoking rates have dropped, perhaps the rise in kidney cancer over the last few decades may have something to do with meat consumption. But would it just be the processed meats, like bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and cold cuts that have nitrate and nitrite additives, or fresh meat as well? We didn’t know, until now.
The NIH-AARP study is the largest prospective study on diet and health ever, with over 4 million person-years of follow-up—about 500,000 followed for 9 years. In addition to examining nitrate and nitrite intake from processed meat, they also looked at intake from other sources such fresh meat, eggs, and dairy. There are nitrates in vegetables too; should we be worried about those? No. Nitrite from animal sources—not just processed meats—was associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer. Total intake of nitrate and nitrite from processed meat sources was also positively associated with RCC risk. We found no associations with nitrate or nitrite intake from plant sources. But nitrates from processed meat were associated with cancer. That’s when they advertise their bacon or lunch meat as “uncured,” with no nitrites or nitrates added, except for the celery juice they added, which is just a sneaky way to add nitrites. See, they ferment the nitrates in celery to nitrites, then add it to the meat, a practice even the industry admits may be viewed as incorrect at best, or deceptive at worst.
But that same fermentation of nitrates to nitrites can happen thanks to bacteria on our tongue when we eat vegetables. So why are nitrates and nitrites from vegetables on our tongue okay, but nitrates and nitrites from vegetables in meat linked to cancer? Because the actual carcinogens are not nitrites, but nitrosamines and nitrosamides. In our stomach, to turn nitrites into nitros-amines and nitros-amides, we need amines and amides, which are concentrated in animal products. And vitamin C and other antioxidants in plant foods block the formation of these carcinogens in our stomach. That’s why we can safely benefit from the nitrates in vegetables without the cancer risk. In fact, some of the highest nitrate vegetables like arugula, kale, and collards, are associated with decreased risk of kidney cancer. The more plants, it appears, the better.
Plant-based diets and fiber-rich diets are recommended to prevent cancer directly, as well as chronic conditions associated with kidney cancer, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, so a plant-based diet may help protect against kidney cancer directly or indirectly. It’s like sodium intake and kidney cancer. Sodium intake increases kidney disease risk, but is that just because it increases blood pressure? No, it appears the salt is associated with increased cancer risk even independently of hypertension. What about plant-based diets? Turns out the protective association remains even in people who aren’t obese, with normal blood pressure. So overall, plant-based and fiber-rich diets appear to do both, decreasing cancer risk both directly and indirectly.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site. | <urn:uuid:79064319-ce0d-4927-b754-f39033c9eab6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-diet-protect-against-kidney-cancer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00043-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956692 | 1,003 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Countries Race for Control
In the 1800's, imperialism was popular among powerful nations. However, only a small number of countries were able to escape the power these nations controlled. While Europe dominated Africa and Asia, The United States set its sights on Latin America, spreading its "Manifest Destiny" to another continent. Soon, other countries such as Portugal and Britain joined the United States in controlling Latin America. | <urn:uuid:7c60e7a2-05ae-4681-9c44-8ad2766e52fe> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://imperialismoflatinamerica.weebly.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00162-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961254 | 82 | 3.25 | 3 |
Shifting Gears: 20 Tools for Reducing Global Warming Pollution from New England's Transportation System
Publication Date: April 2006
Keywords: transportation; transit; climate change
Transportation is the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions in New England. To meet the region's targets for reducing its contribution to global warming, policy-makers must find ways to reduce emissions from the transportation sector. Shifting Gears provides 20 policy ideas the region's leaders can use to reduce transportation-sector emissions, along with case studies describing how communities and states in New England and elsewhere are using those ideas to curb global warming pollution and expand transportation choices. | <urn:uuid:9c986696-77aa-4721-8dc5-d2c1973ace72> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/5504 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397749.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00001-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.857304 | 128 | 2.6875 | 3 |
In the animal kingdom, it’s no secret that the most masculine male usually gets the girl; big bodies, large antlers, and low frequency calls tend to drive the ladies wild. But once the guy gets the girl and the girl gets pregnant, high levels of testosterone aren’t necessarily a good thing. According to new research in PNAS, males with high testosterone are more likely to become fathers, but once they have children, their testosterone levels fall dramatically.
In animals like birds where paternal care is common, males tend to downregulate their testosterone production once babies are born. Humans, however, are one of the few mammalian species in which males help raise the offspring. Since this is a rare trait among mammals, we don’t know much about our reproductive strategies when it comes to testosterone.
This longitudinal study used data from a long-term dataset of males living in Cebu City in the Philippines. The researchers measured morning and evening salivary testosterone levels in 642 21-year old males. Then, when the guys were 26, these measurements were taken again; by that time, many were married and had children.
Not surprisingly, men with higher testosterone levels at 21 years of age were more likely to be married and have children five years later.
It's very common for men to undergo age-related decreases in testosterone, and most of the men in the study did have slightly lower testosterone levels by the time they were 26. However, men who had children by the time the second measurement was taken had much greater decreases than those that were still single and those that had gotten married but not had children.
Dads with newborns were most strongly affected; new fathers whose kids were less than a month old had the largest drops in testosterone production, when compared to their baseline. These hormone changes weren’t accounted for by their sleep quality, stress levels, or time budgeting.
Fathers that were more involved in child care and spent more time with their children had lower testosterone levels than those that didn’t spend much time caring for their kids and those that were completely uninvolved with their children. Furthermore, the baseline testosterone measurement taken at 21 years of age was completely unrelated to how invested the fathers were in their children’s care five years later. Taken together, this strongly suggests that caring for his kids can actually suppress a father’s testosterone production.
While testosterone may help attract females, it can be detrimental to a relationship’s stability. In previous research, men with high testosterone levels were more likely to have marital problems, and less likely to feel empathy when an infant cries. It’s likely that the down-regulation of testosterone production seen here is an evolutionary adaptation to increase reproductive success. A lot of testosterone may help get the girl, but a little less of it may help raise the family. | <urn:uuid:9a13b0ce-57db-4196-80ba-feb91356dccc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://arstechnica.com/science/2011/09/got-kids-you-may-also-have-low-testosterone/?comments=1&post=22057400 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00065-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983682 | 585 | 2.859375 | 3 |
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Hydrocarbons are compounds that consist of only the elements carbon and hydrogen in their molecular formula. They are largely compounds found in petroleum deposits and represent the decayed remains of once-living plants and animals. They are used widely in the energy industry in the production of various fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene.
Hydrocarbons fit into two categories, saturated and unsaturated. The "saturated" designation means the carbon atoms in the compound have as many hydrogen atoms as they are allowed. Take the simplest hydrocarbon, methane, for example. There is one carbon and four hydrogens, which is the maximum bonding for each of the carbon atom's four single electrons. There is no room for anything else to attach to the carbon atom, so to get a reaction to take place, one must remove one of the hydrogens already present.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons, however, are hydrocarbons that have at least one or two double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms. The double bond indicates a vacancy where two electrons could potentially bind to the carbon atom. It is a simple matter to get the unsaturated hydrocarbon to "relax" the double bond in a chemical reaction, so that another element may bind to it. Therefore, unsaturated hydrocarbons tend to be more reactive in nature than do saturated hydrocarbons.
Fully saturated hydrocarbons are symmetrical; so they are non-polar.
C-H bonds are strong.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons have a C=C double bond that distorts the symmetry of the molecule; making unsaturated hydrocarbons polar.
We’ve answered 327,785 questions. We can answer yours, too.Ask a question | <urn:uuid:42372bac-5c96-413f-90a8-d92dcbf7a204> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-unsaturated-hydrocarbon-more-reactive-than-306459 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00020-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93198 | 368 | 4.0625 | 4 |
|January 28, 1999|
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
New report reveals what Australians eat and drink
Men aged 25-29 years recorded the highest average daily intake of food and beverages (almost 4.4 kilograms), while the highest average intake for women was 3.4 kilograms for those aged 45-49 years, according to a report released jointly today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.
This final report from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey, a project jointly funded by the ABS and the Commonwealth and State health agencies, provides detailed information on the consumption of food and beverages of Australians aged two years or more, based on intake during the day before interview.
Some findings of the report are:
- Over 90% of Australians consumed milk products and dishes, with the intake of dairy milk (227 grams) accounting for approximately 70% of the average intake of milk products and dishes.
- Mineral waters and water (mainly plain drinking water) were consumed by 80% of Australians and contributed at least 40% to the mean intake of non-alcoholic beverages (excluding milk) of 1.8 kilograms.
- Australians were more likely to have consumed regular breads and rolls (81%) than any other type of cereal product. Regular breads and rolls contributed approximately 40% of the total daily intake of cereals and cereal products.
- The proportion who ate vegetables on the day before interview generally increased from 74% of 2-3 year olds to 92% of those aged 65 years and over.
- The proportion of Australians who consumed fruits decreased from 77% of 2-3 year old children, to 37% of 19-24 year olds increasing again with age. Females aged 12 years and over had a higher average intake of fruit products and dishes than males in the same age group. This was the reverse of the pattern for all other major food groups.
- Approximately 80% of Australians consumed meat, poultry and game compared to only 17% who consumed fish and seafood products and dishes on the day before interview.
- Adult men (42%) were more likely than women (24%) to have consumed alcoholic beverages on the day before interview. However, men were more likely to drink beer and women more likely to drink wine, than other alcoholic beverages.
Details are in National Nutrition Survey: Foods Eaten, Australia 1995 (cat. no. 4804.0), available from ABS bookshops. A summary of the publication may be found on this site. | <urn:uuid:cb104773-7fe1-473a-8529-11f1cd232ffa> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4804.0Media%20Release11995?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4804.0&issue=1995&num=&view= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00026-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961248 | 521 | 2.671875 | 3 |
As kids, we wear masks for Halloween and pretend to be someone else for an evening. But in many cultures, masks have a more profound meaning and serve a crucial cultural role. In Museo de las Americas ' latest exhibit, Cara a Cara, numerous Latin American masks line the walls of the spacious museum, depicting a range of times, societies, and functions. Every mask on display has "been danced," which means they've all been worn during ceremonial events. Executive director Maruca Salazar says this imparts a sort of "magic" to them.
The exhibit contains pieces ranging from Guatemala and Mexico to Puerto Rico and Bolivia. While some have an eerie quality to them—perhaps the spirits of those that danced in them linger on—others are festive and lighthearted. You'll see pieces with glass eyes (this is a cue that the mask was made in the early 20th century). You'll notice a variety of animal masks—alligators, fish, fruit bats, and jaguars among them—that explore humans' connection with nature. And you'll notice a more serious tone in masks that explore Christianity in Latin American countries through depictions of Christ as a king, as well as collections of dark and light faces that represent the confrontations in Spain between the Christians and the Moorish people.
One highlight is a full Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) outfit from Mexico. Made during the 1800s, the suit is worn by a priest during the ceremony of life and death. The mask looks like a wooden skull (pictured, right)—and is covered with real human hair. "It's one of the most important pieces we have," Salazar says.
Cara a Cara is the first of two exhibitions commemorating Museo's 20th anniversary. Part two, Hilos, opens October 18. Feliz aniversario!
Tonight: In conjunction with the exhibit, Museo is hosting "Performance of the Mask: Burlesque" from 6–8 p.m. Local burlesque dancer Vivienne Vavoom will run a ladies-only lesson before treating everyone to a live performance.
—Images courtesy of Museo de las Americas; pictured at top (from left to right): a mask from Bolivia; from Costa Rica; and a devil from Mexico
Follow assistant editor Daliah Singer on Twitter at @daliahsinger . | <urn:uuid:a055b8e0-41fd-4e43-9b45-52142a670402> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.5280.com/print/32231 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00066-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954873 | 487 | 2.734375 | 3 |
One thing that makes the beautiful game beautiful is the way the ball moves so effortlessly from foot to head to chest and back. But those skilled and deliberate headers may be ever so slightly but very definitely decreasing the player’s cognitive skills.
Even repeated light blows to the head can harm cognition, according to a study by neuroscientist Anne Sereno and her team at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. They don’t know if the impact is permanent, or if there might be cumulative effects over time, and concede more research is needed. But the findings add to a growing body of knowledge about the long-term risks of head trauma in sports and evidence suggesting repeated sub-concussive blows may be detrimental over time.
“Even these sort of relatively non-violent, or thought of as so, traumas are causing cognitive changes,” said Sereno. “I don’t want to over interpret it, but it definitely shows that these blows are affecting cognitive performance.”
Recent focus on concussions in sports left Sereno wondering what effect sub-concussive head trauma, as might be experienced during a header, could have on cognition. Her previous research into higher cognitive functions like attention, short-term memory and impulse control used sophisticated eye-tracking equipment, which helps identify exactly what parts of the brain are involved but cost $50,000 to $100,000 and must be used in a lab. Sereno developed an iPad app to test players on the field.
The scientists enlisted a high school women’s soccer coach and 12 players between the age of 15 and 18. The study was observational so as not to interfere with normal play. The number of headers wasn’t controlled, which Sereno said helped the study because it more accurately represented what typically occurs in practices and games. The control group included 12 students of the same age who, if they were athletes, played only non-contact sports.
The iPad program consists of a simple two-part test administered immediately following practices. In it, a spot appears at the center of the tablet. During the first part of the test, the subjects were directed to touch the spot, which would cause a box to appear on the screen. They were to move their finger from the spot to the box as quickly as possible. In the second part of the test, the target appeared at random, and the subject was to touch its opposite as quickly as possible.
“We found there was no difference in pointing to a target immediately after a practice,” said Sereno, “but that there were subtle changes in reaction time when they had to use these cognitive functions that lie in the frontal lobe, which is most sensitive to traumatic brain injury.”
The team also recorded how many times each player headed the ball, how many hours they spent playing each week and how many years they’ve played. Although it was a relatively simple test and not nearly so elaborate as standard neuro-psych tests, there are fewer variables involved, making it easier for researchers to spot subtle differences in cognition.
The researchers found that a relatively small number of headers — two to 20, on average, with a median of six — slowed reaction time by 30 to 50 milliseconds. That’s too small to see with the naked eye, but in this instance is a significant change.
“The results show that soccer playing in which participants headed the ball did indeed disrupt voluntary performance in female high school soccer players tested immediately following practice,” the researchers note in their conclusions. “These findings demonstrate significant and specific cognitive changes in female high school soccer players who head the soccer ball during practice.”
Sereno must still explore what happens over time. She didn’t conduct any tests to determine whether reaction time reverts to normal, and if so, how long that might take. Although the long-term effect remains to be seen, the data did reveal a direct correlation between increased response time and the number of headers performed, time spent playing each week and how many years the subject had been playing. That suggests a cumulative effect over time, though Sereno concedes further study is needed to confirm that.
“That said,” said Sereno, “I’m a neuroscientist, I would not use my head to hit something, so I am biased. But we have to better understand blows to the head, and what role repeated blows have, and what we can intervene with to potentially do something to slow down these post-traumatic brain injuries.”Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article. | <urn:uuid:dc4df230-ef92-4045-be16-ddd44b2778e7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wired.com/2013/03/soccer-headers-cognition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00188-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970981 | 954 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Likelihood ratios and Evidence Based Medicine, what does the evidence show?
Part of the teachings of EMB is the use of the likelihood ratio. It is defined as the likelihood that a given test result would be expected in a patient with the disease of interest compared to the likelihood that the same result would be expected in someone without that disease. To use one , you have to "estimate" the pretest probability of a disease in a given setting. It has always appeared to me that this means- much of the time- you simply make up a number.If that is true, a group of doctors given the same clinical scenario would make up different numbers. Now there is evidence that this is exactly what happens. Drs. Phelps and Levitt (Acad. Emerg. Med,2004 June:11 (6) 691-694) gave clinical vignettes to a group of IM and ER trainees and attendings and asked them to estimate the likelihood of several illnesses. The numbers varied widely.The smallest difference in the pretest probability was 70%. If you think about "making up" a number as opposed to "estimating" a number, the validity of the whole process is perceived differently. Here, at least, the "evidence" that a particular element of Evidence Based Medicine is valid in a simulated real world setting is lacking and in fact suggests that it is not. The Ontario EMB experts in their book "Evidence Based Medicine" indicate there are several ways to estimate the pretest probability besides the physician using her experience including national and regional data bases. But in the real world it seems that the most common way of estimating pretest probability is to use one's own experience because such data is either non existent or you cannot access it. In this regard perhaps older, more experienced doctors would have the edge.
EMB dogma states that the likelihood ratio is the best way to judge how much a test result help to make the diagnosis. In theory this is clearly the case but the scheme does not work very well if the pretest probability value is is so nebulous. | <urn:uuid:2c79a954-0877-4cf3-a34b-24a3f81a7d2a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://liberdoc.blogspot.com/2005/02/likelihood-ratios-and-evidence-based.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397213.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00022-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96565 | 425 | 2.75 | 3 |
Letters to the Editor
Neutrinos and Cosmic Rays
We were gratified to see the IceCube Neutrino Observatory labelled a “Physics Newsmaker for 2013” (APS News, February 2014, page 1).
However, we were confused by the second half of the discussion, “In August, researchers using data from IceCube’s surface detectors, IceTop, confirmed that, as scientists had long suspected, supernovaes are among the main sources of the high-energy protons known as cosmic rays.” IceCube has not made any conclusions about the sites of cosmic-ray acceleration.
Editor’s note: The quoted section should have read “Then in August, researchers from the Fermi Large Area Telescope collaboration confirmed that, as scientists had long suspected, supernovae are among the main sources of the high-energy protons known as cosmic rays.” We apologize for the error.
Women and the Nobel Prize
Congratulations for recognizing the gender imbalance in Nobel Laureates in Physics since their inception in 1901 (“This Month in Physics History,” APS News, December 2013). As of now, the Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to two women and 193 men.
In addition to the three women mentioned, Lise Meitner, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Vera Rubin, whose contributions merited Nobel Prizes, there are others. For example, Marietta Blau, who pioneered the development of nuclear emulsions, the immensely important photographic method of studying particle tracks; Inge Lehmann — discoverer of the Earth’s inner core; Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin — chemical composition of stellar atmospheres; Kathleen Lonsdale, who demonstrated benzene ring structure and that the molecule is planar and hexagonal; Katharine Blodgett — first monomolecular films on solid surfaces.
References to the original published papers and biographical data on these and other important female physicists can be found at the Contributions to 20th Century Women to Physics website. Scientific accounts and biographies of 40 distinguished and important 20th century female physicists can be found in the volume: Out of the Shadows, Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics, N. Byers and G. Williams (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Los Angeles, California
Digital versus Analog
In “Digital versus Analog” (Letters, APS News, February 2014), Victor Alpher contests David Lide’s description of the telegraph as a digital instrument.
As Alpher stated, the Oxford English Dictionary indeed defines a digital signal as one that is “expressed as a series of the digits 0 and 1.…” He failed to note, however, that the dictionary also defines a telegraph to be “a system for transmitting messages from a distance along a wire, especially one creating signals by making and breaking an electrical connection.” This binary demarcation of an open (0) or closed (1) circuit is just what Oxford demands for a technology to be digital. Thus, Lide was correct in labeling the telegraph as a digital instrument.
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Publication Designer and Production: Nancy Bennett-Karasik | <urn:uuid:2868f229-b198-4f5b-ab73-3d2a48b143c6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201404/letters.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00144-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908277 | 739 | 2.6875 | 3 |
ARTICLES & COMMENTARY:
INFO & EYE OPENERS FROM OTHERS:
Justinian was born in 482 as Petrus Sabbatius in the region we now call the Balkans. Because he was the Emperor Justin's adopted nephew, when his accession to the throne came, he was called Flavian Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus. Justinian had a great deal of power in his uncle's government from 518 onward, but he reigned as the sole emperor of the east from 527 to 565.
Like most Christian emperors since the rise of Constantine's Imperial marriage to the church, Justinian incorporated religious intolerance into the legal framework of his regime. Most had been ruthless and The age of Justinian was a very important junction in late antiquity and the early Medieval Period. Justinian achieved far reaching victories for the Nicene religious war against classical thought, Christian heterodoxy, and paganism. This was achieved by oppressive imperial decrees, government support of forced conversions, the continuation of temple destruction, and the use of imperial troops to these ends. Using troops to force a religious viewpoint on people was a habit in these times. This state enforced agenda of religious repression started by Constantine in the early fourth century made huge gains under Justinian that held its ground until the tide began to be reversed in the high middle ages. From that changing worldview came the Renaissance, the scientific revolution and the best ideas of the Enlightenment.
Justinian continued the work of Constantine and Theodosius in persecuting Christian heresy and paganism. Like most of the Christian Emperors and all of the clergy, he was convinced that the empire's stability required a empire wide conformity to the Nicene Creed. This idea is just the opposite of what had worked for a thousand Roman years. Justinian's Codex and Novella parts of the Corpus Juris Civilis were specificly designed to wipe out religious diversity and choice. They were written to secure and protect the Nicene Church with the might and law of the empire. Nicea based Christianity, which is found in every denomionation in the world, may have never have grown to its proportions without imperial might because of the popularity of paganism and other versions of Christianity. Pagans had always said that Christianity offered them nothing new; they had their virgin births, their miracles, their Godmen and their resurrections. (See Luther and Melancthon's Confession of Augsburg which is distinctly Nicene). With Justinian, it was for the good of the empire to wipe out individual choice. Ironicly, heresy means "choice". To Justinian, choice meant disorder. To the Christian emperor, individuality and freedom of conscience meant chaos. Justinian was a despot's despot.
This Nicene Roman empire required all to conform. That is totalitarianism by definition. In 523 his uncle Justin did what other emperors had done; he outlawed Arianism. Since it is believed by some that Justinian was the real power, this could be considered Justinian's first move against Arian Christianity. Scholars disagree of course. Arianism had been under attack since Constantine and the Council of Nicea. Campaigns and persecutions against Arians became widespread. Justinian was no different with regard to heresies but with one exception; Monophysitism to which his wife Theodora was an adherent. Monophysitism was never wiped out and became the foundation for major churches in Syria and North Africa. Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian, and some Syrian churches are Monophysite and began with the denominational fracture at the Council of Chalcedon. The doctinal difference was that with these Monophysites, Christ had only one nature and it was divine. With Nicenes he had two, fully human and and fully divine. With Arians, Jesus was an annointed human messenger from God. Christ means annointed in Greek.
In this period there was an historian named Procopius. Procopius is the most important historian of the early Byzantine era. During Justinian's reign, he wrote on the wars, the building programs, the Hagia Sophia, and the problems with the racing factions that led to the Niki rebellion cited at the top of the page. But there was one book he wrote in secet which was not released until after his death. It was called The Secret History and it was all about Justinian and his wife Theodora. At the beginning of this work, Procopius puts it this way:
"You see, it was not possible, during the life of certain persons, to write the truth of what they did, as a historian should. If I had, their hordes of spies would have found out about it, and they would have put me to a most horrible death. I could not even trust my nearest relatives. That is why I was compelled to hide the real explanation of many matters glossed over in my previous books."
(Procopius quotes from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook; Procopius translation by Richard Atwater, in Procopius, Secret History, Chicago: P. Covicii; New York: Covicii Friedal, 1927)
Justinian threatened severe penalties for all other heresies but Monophysites from the start. Justinian savagely persecuted the Manicheans, the Montanists, and the Sabbatians. His inquision brought about penalties such as the loss of citizen rights, exile and death for paganism and heresy. The execution of many by burning or drowning was performed in his presence.
Procopius wrote in chapter 11 of his Secret History.
"Now among the Christians in the entire Roman Empire, there are many with dissenting doctrines, which are called heresies by the established church: such as those of the Montanists and Sabbatians, and whatever others cause the minds of men to wander from the true path. All of these beliefs he ordered to be abolished, and their place taken by the orthodox dogma: threatening, among the punishments for disobedience, loss of the heretic's right to will property to his children or other relatives."
Another of Justinian's early decrees was to order the total destruction of Hellenism, the post-Alexandrian spread of Hellenic thought. Hellenism was the later offspring of the Golden Age of Hellenic classical tradition that began centuries before Alexander. During the American Enlightenment it was termedThe Saturnian Age. An example comes from the Library of Congress online exhibits (LOC.gov). In July, 1788, the City Gazette of Charleston ran an article called "Tenth Pillar" which announced the ratification of the Constitution. It announced the return of the golden age of Saturn. In the article we can see ten pillars of classical orders holding up a roof. On the roof is Fame trumpeting the announcement. Fame is actually Pheme, the goddess of fame and report, daughter to Earth goddess Gaia. At this point, there are still three states that haven't ratified the Constitution but the 2/3 majority has been reached. Fame has a job to do! It is now a time of report and proclamation of, as our Great Seal says in Latin, the "New Order For The Ages". Another example also comes from the LOC. On August 2, 1789, the Massachusetts Centinel published an article titled "Redeunt Saturnia Regna" which heralded the return of the Saturnian Age as the eleventh pillar was raised under the Constitution. The Saturnian Age had returned as far as these people are concerned. The Golden Era of Greece and Rome that was almost extirpated and extinguished by religious and intellectual intolerance had returned. The article's illustration shows each state as an allegorically raised classical pillar which supports the Dome of the Constitution. There is a poem below it which speaks of eleven stars, eleven columns under a dome, the house that the Goddess Columbia built for Freedom, and Wisdom, Religion, Justice, Law and Peace in the return of the Saturnian Age.
During the Hellenic age there arose Olympic games and great athleticism. There arose humanism with great emphasis on arts, literature and lyrical poetry. There arose philosophical schools and traditions that founded the core of what we call a liberal arts education. There arose epics, tragedies and symbolicly stunning Greek mythologies. So stunning in symbolism that the entire architecture of Washington, DC is based on the offsprings of the Hellenic age found in Greco-Roman classicism. There arose Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who was to be one of Alexander's teachers. There was Pythagoras, the father of mathematics. Hellenic tradition, six centuries before Christianity existed, gave us Thales, the father of western science and the first philosophical naturalist. Thales was the first person in recorded history to posit that the universe could be explained in naturalist terminology. The traditions of that age gave the world it's first democratic constitutional reforms under Solon, Cleisthones and Pericles in Athens. The Hellenic tradition gave us the Greek tragedies that were the first in the west speak to individual human dignity and western civilization's earliest notions of 'natural rights'. The Greeks became the first people on record to question the morality of slavery. On the othert hand. the victors over classicism, the Christians, did not seriously question its ethics or its moral value for over a thousand years of church-state domination. Constantine never considered the morality of slavery and it continued for more than fifteen centuries as part of God's decreed natural order.
Procopius wrote in Chapter 7 of The Secret History:
"Without hesitation he wrote decrees for the plundering of countries, sacking of cities, and slavery of whole nations, for no cause whatever. So that if one wished to take all the calamities which had befallen the Romans before this time and weigh them against his crimes, I think it would be found that more men had been murdered by this single man than in all previous history."
Alexander the Great had founded Antioch and it became one of the jewels of the Mediterranean, being situated fifteen miles from the Mediterranean in the northern part of what we now call Syria. It was at the crossroads of many trade routes. Because it was a center of commerce and trade, it was also a melting pot of ideas and expressions. Antioch became a bustling multicultural center of philosopy, religion, arts, humanities, theater and literature. Antioch was so busy that it's streets were lighted at night while traders, peddlers, theater, circus and restaurant goers filled the busy streets into the late hours of the nights. Antioch became the Athens of the middle east, opening schools of philosophy, music and poetry. In the Hellenist tradition, alongside athletic competitions, there were those of music, poetry and the two as one: the great classical tradition of lyrical poetry.(The Muses of Lyrical Peotry are found in abundance in the Library of Congress). The Hellenic tradition was the first humanist culture in world history, dedicated to knowledge and excellence. As long ago as the Sixth century BCE, it embraced democratic reforms. That is why Solon stands next to Moses on the US Supreme Court's east entrance's pediment, has a medallion in the US House of Representatives and stands alone as the representative of Law in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. See The Classical Architecture of Washington, DC Antioch was a special place. It even had its own Olympics every four years but in 528, Justinian outlawed these popular eight centuries old games. Theodosius had done the same to the Olympic games and other traditional pan-Hellenic games.
In his decrees, recorded as Codex Justinianus. 1.11.9-10, he ordered the execution of those who practice sorcery, divination, magic or idolatry. In one translation, Justinian refers to them as "the ones suffering from the blasphemous insanity of the Hellenes". Execution was by fire, crucifixion, wild beasts in an arena, or being shredded to pieces by sharp iron nails.
"...one finds persons possessed by the error of the unclean and abominable Hellenes, and performing their practices, and this arouses in God, in his love for mankind, a righteous anger."
"All those who have not yet been baptized must come forward, whether they reside in the capital or in the provinces, and go to the very holy churches with their wives, their children, and their households, to be instructed in the true faith of Christians. And once thus instructed and sincerely renounced their former error, let them be judged worthy of redemptive baptism. Should they disobey, let them know that they will be excluded from the State and will no longer have any rights of possession, neither goods nor property; stripped of everything, they will be reduced to penury, without prejudice to the appropriate punishments that will be imposed on them"
"We forbid anyone stricken with the madness of the impure Hellenes to teach, so as to prevent them, under the guise of teaching those who by misfortune happen to attend their classes, from in fact corrupting the souls of those they pretend to educate. They will not receive state pensions, having no license either by Sacred Scripture or earthly law, to claim for themsleves any immunity whatsoever"
We have seen this kind of suppression over and over in the religious history of the west. Remember Emperor Julian's point of view regarding Christians teaching classical philosophy? They were banned from teaching the classics because they would likely mock them.
Procopius wrote in Chapter 11 of The Secret History:
"The Emperor's malice was also directed against the astrologer. Accordingly, magistrates appointed to punish thieves also abused the astrologers, for no other reason than that they belonged to this profession: whipping them on the back and parading them on camels throughout the City, though they were old men, and in every way respectable, with no reproach against them except that they studied the science of the stars while living in such a city."
Back in 306, the Synod of Elvira had attacked theaters, circuses and other public entertainments loved by the culture. These attacks on entertainment continued for centuries. In fact, today's religious right is always attacking theater, film and arts. The anti-Semitic and homophobic Saint John Chrysostom, in the early 5th century, begrudged the fact that more people went to circuses and threaters on the Lord's Day than went to church. To the zealots that militantly forged the alliances of church and state, which were no different than the alliances of mosque and state in Islamic countries, that made a good reason to outlaw them both. The far right of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all attack the logic of secularism and seek governments to incorporate their dogmas as law. It is the nature of the beast, past and present. The Christian extremist Randall Terry reveals the minds of the religious right in America. In The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 16, 1993 he said "I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good.. Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism."
In the article called Evil Freedom Should be Disallowed, the tencommandments.org site tells us, "We, the corporeal citizens of America (and the world community), should acquiesce to the fact that many of the so-called "rights" and "freedoms" guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, its Amendments and the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights are not genuine rights and freedoms, but moral evils in the sight of God."
The kind of thinking presented by these two views is more more akin to despotic emperors, the Medieval churches, Calvinist theocracies, Iran and the Taliban than like the ideas of Jefferson, Madison and Washington. In fact, Randall Terry doesn't seem to have any idea what our founders created. The right wing Christian aims against secular liberties are near identical to those of right wing Muslims.
Justinian not only wished to destroy dissenter's religious and intellectual lives, he sought to extend this policy to their civil service requirements, prohibiting any public service if they were not orthodox. This kind of religious testing lasted right into the 18th century American colonies where most of them had discriminating constitutions establishing Protestantism. In order to hold office one had to be a Protestant. Catholics, Jews and Muslims had no rights in this regard because a Protestant version of the Nicene Creed and articles of faith was a required declaration in religious tests. for oaths of office. No other person person but a Protestant had full religious liberty and no other person could run for public office and perform civil duties. The pre-ratification charters and constitutions were extensions and expressions of the principles found in the old legal order of Imperial Christianity and the subsequent church-state alliances of history. They were archaic and ethicly antithetical to the breakthrough in liberties found in the United States Constitution. See The Ten Commandments and The Evolution of American Constitutional Framing for a detailed look at Colonial Charters and State Constitutions prior to the ratification of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Procopius also wrote in Chapter 11 of the Secret History,
"Next he turned his attention to those called Gentiles, torturing their persons and plundering their lands. Of this group, those who decided to become nominal Christians saved themselves for the time being; but it was not long before these, too, were caught performing libations and sacrifices and other unholy rites. And how he treated the Christians shall be told hereafter."
Following in the footsteps of Constantine and Theodosius, Justinian decreed pagans could not participate in political or administrative service and they could no longer own property. Justinian also intruded right into the authority of the family, removing the authority of a father over a son should the son convert to Christianity and decapitating the son who didn't convert when the father did.
As soon as he became sole emperor of the Christian empire, Justinian decreed in 527, recorded as Codex Justinianus 1.5.12:
"Pagans Barred from Office and their Real Property Confiscated. ... It is our intention to restore the existing laws which affect the rest of the heretics of whatever name they are, (and we label as heretic whoever is not a member of the Catholic Church and of our orthodox and holy faith); likewise the pagans who attempt to introduce the worship of many gods, and the Jews and the Samaritans, we have resolved not only to reinforce them with this present law, but also to enforce other measures which will provide those who share our shining faith with greater security, order and honor... We forbid any of the above mentioned persons to aspire to any dignity or to acquire civil or military office or to attain to any rank."
Forbidden to aspire to human dignity? Barred from official positions? Don't try to attain rank or succeed in life? Loss of property rights? All because of religious beliefs? This is a far cry from the Edict of Milan which was one of tolerance. It said in one place,
We have also conceded to other religions the right of open and free observance of their worship for the sake of the peace of our times, that each one may have the free opportunity to worship as he pleases; this regulation is made we that we may not seem to detract from any dignity or any religion." Justinian's decrees, like so many other emperors' decrees and church councils' canons, clearly represented the antithesis of classical diversity and principles of religious tolerance. The foundation on which the principles of liberty rest in respect and recognition of every individual's personal dignity and desire for autonomy. This means freedoms of conscience and choice. Belief comes from within but both radical Islam and Christianity right there is a wish to impose it from outside with the use of the state's authority.
In this same law, the emperor Justinian says of the unbelievers:
"It is more than enough for them merely to be alive. Heretics are all such as do not belong to the Catholic faith including Jews. They are not to hold any office; or follow profession of law"
It is more than enough for them merely to be alive? And forbidden to aspire to serve their community? This kind of thinking is what is behind the required religious tests of the old legal order before the American Enlightenment of the late eighteenth century. In the legal order of the colonies, in order to be serve the public trust, one had to be a Nicene Trinitarian Protestant and a believer in a divinely inspired Bible. See The Evolution of American Constitutional Framing for the texts of these constitutionally required religious tests.
Hitler also banned Jews from being lawyers as did the Church Council of Clermont (now France) in 535. (Claremont, France). Martin Luther wrote a book called The Jews and their Lies. Like the language of Saint John Chrysostom's Homilies on the Jews, it was meant to incite hatred. In the Nuremburg laws, the Nazis, like Christian emperors and church councils, outlawed intermarriage, social and sexual intercourse, and even sharing a meal with a Jew. The first council to do this was the Council of Elvira circa 306.
Liberty arose as people and governments began to understand human nature and see that there needed to be a more humane balance of the needs of the state with the needs of the individual. George Washington noted in his 1783 Circular to the States that, "The foundation of our Empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epocha when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period, the researches of the human mind, after social happiness, have been carried to a great extent, the Treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of Philosophers, Sages and Legislatures, through a long succession of years, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our forms of Government..."
Justinian and the church councils were no better regarding the issues of liberty than any other totalitarian ideology that sought to crush human dignity. Enough that you were alive! Twentieth century dictators like Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin, Franco, Marcos and Pinochet also crushed human dignity and anything approaching dissent. The same is seen in right wing Islam. Like these dictators, in the name of the Church, and with it's blessings, Justinian crushed dissent with force and jailed intellectuals. It was good enough for them that they were allowed to live. Soon afterward, in 528 and 529 Justinian had many pagans removed from public service in his government. This was one of three purges of pagans from the imperial courts during his reign. Two more came in 546 and 562.
Acts 19:19: "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver"
In 529, Justinian ordered the closing of Plato's ancient academy in Athens and it's property was confiscated. The academy was subversive in the emperor's view. One can't forget that even before Justinian, wrong belief was treated as treason at times. Emperor Valentinan III had decreed that if you didn't accept the primacy of the Roman See over all others, you were a traitor. Justinian's decree set off a wave of property seizures. All over Athens, temples and shrines were seized and converted to Christian properties. Trials ensued and many were executed. Classical libraries were plundered and converted and their writings probably torched. In 531 or early 532, the academy's wealthy endowment was confiscated by the State. The academy was then turned into a Christian school. (Religiously motivated property seizures revisited the same region again when in 1456, the conquering Muslims turned Christian properties of Asia Minor into Muslim ones. The famous Church of the Hagia Sophia which Justinian had broke the bank building was turned in a Mosque).
A writer of Justinian's time named John Malalas of Antioch (498-571) wrote of the Athens situation in two separate entries in his Chronographia:
"In that year there was a great persecution of Hellenes. Many had their property confiscated. Some of them died: Makedonios, Asklepiodotos, Phokas, the son of Krateros, and Thomas the quaestor. This caused great fear. The emperor decreed that those who held Hellenic beliefs should not hold any state office, while those who belonged to the other heresies were to disappear from the Roman state, after they had been given a period of three months to embrace the orthodox faith. This sacred decree was displayed in all provincial cities."
"During the consulship of Decius, the emperor issued a decree and sent it to Athens ordering that no one should teach philosophy nor interpret the laws."
After nearly a millenium of teaching classical philosophy, law, and the first ideas of western science, Christianity triumphed over it's rivals by the use of threats and force. Literacy, hygiene and diversity became empire wide casualties as the world under church-state alliances slipped into a long dark night of intellectual stagnancy after the near total suppression of classical philosophy. The classical culture of baths, hygiene and athleticism nearly disappeared as Europe descended. Notions of philosophy, democracy and natural rights died for nearly a millenium. Music, poetry and the theater suffered. The love of knowledge, art and the humanities was submerged under a sea of religious intolerance and literary ignorance until the late middle ages and the times of the Renaissance. That rebrth was one of the diversity, intellectuality and creativity of the lost classical world which Christianity had sought to exterminate by the force of decree, canon and the might of troops. It is because of this rebirth that the notions of democracy, separation of powers and liberty re-entered the western mind and eventually changed the nature of the relationship between government and religon. Governments became increasingly secular and even some religions began to co-opt classical humanist ideals of liberty, diversity and tolerance.
Due to the progressively threatening persecutions under Justinian, classical teachers and philosophers looked for greener pastures, flee or be forced into exile. Because a war had again broke out with the Persian Empire (Iran), some of these Hellenist teachers headed for Persia where King Khusro protected these teachers. Khusro even made this protection a part of his peace treaty with Justinian. The historian Agathia wrote in his Histories II: 30:3-4, regarding the teachers that journeyed to Persia:
"they did not share the view of God prevailing among the Romans and thought that the Persian state was far better. ..They were forbidden by law to take part in public life with impunity owing to the fact that they did not conform to the established religion."
But the teachers weren't content in Persia and journeyed to Harran on the banks of the Euphrates (Iraq) where they founded a school which lasted five centuries into the golden years of the Islamic empire. Only when the unrest caused by the invasion of Seljuk Turks rose to an unbearable level did the school finally close. The Muslim world had made classical philosophy a part of its learning culture for several centuries so the classal schools were an asset to the Muslim culture of the time. In a major way, it was from Islam that Europe rediscovered science, humanism and the classical thinking of antiquity. And Europe was ready, as it was emerging from the long night. For the next seven centuries after Justinian, Classical thought was tucked away on dusty monastery shelves and in the learning centers of Islam, where a more advanced civilization was developing while Europe entered an age of stagnation. In the beginning of its rebirth, in the later middle ages, it crept slowly onto the European continent. Then it became a surge of ideas into Europe as the golden age of Islam came to an end with the brutality and intolerance of the Turks. The Seljuk Turks did to its world what Constantine, Theodosius and Justinian had done to the high culture of classical thought in theirs. This is the point where Islamic culture began its own slide into a long night that in many ways has not yet ended. The Mosque-State model in Islam is based on the same model underlying church-state alliances: Civil law is based on religious doctrine. This became sadly apparent recently when the Iraqi people decided that their new constitution would be based on Islamic law.
While the voices of the American religious right slam Islam they don't understand that Islamic learning and science of its golden age made important contributions to the rebirth of classical culture and philosophical naturalism in the EuropeanRenaissance. Here are two very enlightening articles that bust myths about Islam's earlier centuries.
Setting the Record Straight, Islamic Science
Islamic foundation of European Renaissance
Classical philosophy and humanism returned to Europe in a similar fashion it left Europe; on the run from violence and religious intolerance. After centuries of an advancing level of civilization and general tolerance, Islam reached the same fevered pitch of religious intolerance expressed so mercilessly in fourth, fifth and sixth century Christendom. When the classical world returned, it sparked the European Renaissance with its classical art, architecture and literature. It re-ignited notions of natural liberty, brought about a scientific revolution and the best ideas of the Enlightenment were steeped in classical foundations. It is truly ironic that Islam helped sparked the Renaissance while at the same time drifted into the stagnation that Christendom was leaving behind. This transfer of knowledge in the twelfth century helped herald the long slow decline of Christianity as defining Europe and the rebirth of the humanist, classical traditions in the political foundations of the west. It continues to this day. It is no coincidence the architecture of Washington, DC was built with Classical and Palladian orders. (Palladian - or Georgian - architecture is an Italian revival of Greco-Roman architecture). It is also no coincidence that themes of democracy and liberty didn't emerge in medieval Europe until Greco-Roman philosophies and art returned to Europe. The architects were keenly aware of the place of classicism and the Enlightenment in the founding of the American Republic.
Justinian's edict regarding Plato's Academy was part of the larger plan of a total destruction, by law and by force, of paganism and classical philosophy. Humanism, the City of Man, was to be forever wiped from the face of the Earth and upon its ruins were built iron-fisted alliances of church and state which ruled the City of God.
Pierre Chuvin wrote on page 11 of his book, A Chronicle of the Last Pagans:
"When freedom of conscience disappeared under Justinian, pagans chose either a dangerous but exciting clandestine existence that promised the manifestation of supernatural powers or else a withdrawal to hinterlands as far removed as possible from the eyes of imperial authority."
"Justinian's ruling of 529 that prohibited pagans from teaching shuttered the last window that enabled us to see them clearly. From then on their existence can be glimpsed only during periods of forced conversion. The single exception is a Platonic school in Upper Mesopotamia, which survived after the Arab conquest until the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in the eleventh century,"
"During this period pagans were not the only ones persecuted for their faith, nor was theirs the most brutal persecution; Gnostics, Manichaeans, Jews, and of course Christian heretics came in for their share as well. But only the pagans had always been intimately associated with the power and culture that dominated the Greco-Roman world. Their decline, beyond the human drama that it engendered, was a political, intellectual and religious revolution."
In 528 Justinian began to organize nearly a millennia of Roman law just as Theodosius the Younger attempted in 438. But the Theodosian Code was bulky and disorganized so Justinian sought to clean it up and refine it, so to speak. Other private collections of Roman were also used as sources. The Codex Gregorianus and Codex Hermogenianus were two such sources. This body of civil law was done in four parts. First done was the Codex. It comprised Imperial Decrees from the time of Emperor Hadrian in the second century. Then the Digest (also called Pandects) and the Institutes were done. The most important part of Justinian's body of organized law was the Digest which was designed for attorneys and judges. It brought together all of the greatest legal ideas and writings in Rome's history and established case law and judicial guidelines.
The writings of thirty-nine classical Roman jurists make up the bulk of the Digest. Most of these jurists are Ciceronians. The writings of the great jurist Ulpian make up a third of the entire project. Paulus' writings make a significant contribution, too. The Institutes were meant for students of law and gave a generalized, outlined view of Roman law and its history. Gaius' Institutionus, from the time of Emperor Hadrian, also made up a good portion of the Institututes. The Institutes also contained many excerpts from the Digest. The jurist Modestinus also made important contributions. When there were differences of opinion between these Roman jurists' writings, the Corpus gave the jurist Papinian the final authority in these matters. The Novellas were made up of Justinian's imperial edicts, decrees and legislation issued between 535 and 565. They were never organized into a single volume except in private collections.
Gaetano Cipolla, professor of Italian history and language, in his lecture to the Italian Club at St. John's University reminds us:
"It is not difficult to see the great influences that the Roman Empire had on the countries of Europe. Today, in Italy people drive on the same roads built by the Romans, drink water brought in by Roman aqueducts, are governed by laws codified by the great Roman Emperor Justinian. What is less known is that Britain was part of the Roman Empire for centuries. It was governed as a Roman province, and the effects of that experience did not disappear. It is present in English law. The so called Common Law of England, which supposedly is completely different from the legal system prevalent in Europe, is translated from the Roman "jus comune gentium" and can be shown to have been greatly influenced by Roman law. The greatest document of English law bears a Latin title Magna Carta."
James Allen Evans of the University of British Columbia, writing in the online encyclopedia of Roman Emperors also noted:
"The Codex Justinianus, the Institutes and the Digest of Roman jurisprudence, all commissioned by Justinian, are monuments to the past achievements of Roman legal heritage. Justinian's reign sums up the past. It also provides a matrix for the future."
Although a great deal of Justinian's Code was founded on the Ciceronian (Cicero was a conservative pagan) writings of the famed classical jurists Ulpian, Gaius, Papinian, Modestinus and Paulus, the Code also incorporated Church Canon as law. Outside of the Digest and the institutes, civil law and church canon law were wed according to Justinian's church-state model. The Codex and Novellae were filled with legislation and edicts against heretics, pagans, intellectuals, Jews and every other kind of infidel, making the empire a forceful theocracy of a kind. This is the same religion-state model that we see in radical conservative Islam. It was certainly Justinian's intention to create an empire wide conformity to a politically correct religion of the state. There were to be no borders separating politics and religion. Like radical Islam's model of mosque and state, the alliance of Justinian's government and Christianity officially promulgated bigotry and discrimination.
Jeremiah 43:12-13: "He shall kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captive; and he shall clean the land of Egypt, as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin; and he shall go away from there in peace. He shall break the obelisks of Heliopolis which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.'"
From the decrees recorded in the Codex and Novellas came campaigns of religious tyranny supported by the church-state alliances. Temples were destroyed, pagans were executed, and Christian heretics were persecuted and anathematized. Dissenting churches were seized and turned into Nicene churches. Synagogues were burned or closed and a Church put in it's place by renovation or construction. Christians who returned to paganism faced death, exile and the loss of testamentary (inheritance) rights. Jews were systematicly and progressively oppressed. A Jew could not judge cases, practice law, or testify against a Christian. A Jew could not own a Christian slave or convert any slave to Judaism. They were forbidden to celebrate Passover before or at the time of Easter. It was considered offensive to see them on the streets during Easter. Their scriptures were scrutinized and censored before they could be used in a Synagogue. The Talmud was considered blasphemous. No writings or prayers were allowed in their synagogues that could be interpreted as opposing the Nicene doctrine of Trinitarianism.
Over time, these religious laws did not survive the enlightenment in the governments of the west but the Digest and Institutites, along with Common law, are still the foundation of most western civil law. The English common law tradition has Roman foundations from when Roman law ruled Britain. Rome lost Britain during the reign of Valentinian III but Britain retained Roman law in the form of its common law traditions. The Digest and The Institutes hybernated until Europe's Renaissance when all things classical re-animated Europe and slowly brought it out of Augustinian darkness and stagnancy.
On July 28, 531, recorded as Codex Justinianus 1.5.21, Justinian decreed:
"Concerning Heretics And Manichaeans And Samaritans: Since many judges, in deciding cases, have addressed us in need of our decision, asking that they be informed what ought to be done with witnesses who are heretics, whether their testimony ought to be received or rejected, we therefore ordain that no heretic, nor even they who cherish the Jewish superstition, may offer testimony against orthodox Christians who are engaged in litigation, whether one or the other of the parties is an orthodox Christian. But a Jew may offer testimony on behalf of an orthodox Christian against some one who is not orthodox".
During this period, recorded as Codex Justinianus 1.5.17, Justinian ordered all the Samaritan synagogues destroyed and forbade any Samaritan from making a will to leave property or gifts to anyone except an Orthodox Christian. They were forbidden to leave anything to anyone but Christians of the right persuasion. At this point the church-state alliance had been denying basic Roman testamentary rights to unbelievers and apostates for most of the last two centuries.
"The synagogues of the Samaritans shall be destroyed, and if they dare to build others, they shall be punished. They may have no testamentary or other legal heirs except Orthodox Christians"
When Samaritan synagogues were destroyed, the people rose up, fought back and as a result Christians were killed. Justinian retaliated and sent the army to put down the uprising. Troops again, to enforce Christianity. The military campaigns and religious persecutions of the Samaritans were barbarous, and bloody. Thousands died in the uprisings against Justinian's tyranny and twenty thousand Samaritans were sold into slavery. Under the Christian church-state alliances, slavery continued unabated. It was a legitimate, ordained station in life and the Bible was used to support its continuance in this new world order. With slavery, the new order changed nothing. And it continued for another thirteen centuries. In fact, in the 1840s, every major American denominational church council defended slavery in this way, proclaiming it moral and part of Biblical Order. Abolitionist dissenters, like proponents of women's suffrage, were labeled socialists and atheists. Thanks to the work of the troops, the head of Julian the Samaritan leader was presented to Justinian as he had requested. Tragicly, the agricultural fields of the region became unproductive until Muslims took over the land.
Procopius wrote of this event in chapter 11 of The Secret History:
"A similar law was then passed against the Samaritans, which threw Palestine into an indescribable turmoil. Those, indeed, who lived in my own Caesarea and in the other cities, deciding it silly to suffer harsh treatment over a ridiculous trifle of dogma, took the name of Christians in exchange for the one they had borne before, by which precaution they were able to avoid the perils of the new law."
"The country people, however, banded together and determined to take arms against the Emperor;..but finally, defeated in battle, were cut down, together with their leader. Ten myriads of men are said to have perished in this engagement, and the most fertile country on earth thus became destitute of farmers."
For the last century, North Africa had remained under the control of the Vandals, an Arian Christian people. Arian Vandals had persecuted Nicenes the way Nicenes had persecuted Arians, exiling leaders, reducing rights, using violence and confiscating churches for Arian Christian use. Between 523 and 530, there arose a Vandal King named Hilderic that promoted some tolerance for the Nicenes. Exiled Bishops returned and churches were returned. But this was to end when his cousin Gelimer deposed and imprisoned him and reinstated the policies of persecution. Demented and insane stated the decree of Emperors Theodosius the Great and Gratian about Arian Christians and in kind, the sentiment was always returned in these forgotten religious battles. It is claimed that Hilderic, from his prison cell, managed to get letters off to Justinian, pleading for him to intervene. Even though the eastern empire could not afford such a war, Justinian ordered his Magister Militum Belisarius to invade and conquer the Vandal Kingdom of North Africa. It was Justinian's intention to reconstitute the ancient territories of the Roman Empire. This Arian Christian kingdom stretched from the the Libyan shores right into Spain. It had existed as an independant empire for a century and Justinian wanted it back. He was willing to break the bank to do it.
In 533, Belisarius succeeded in reconquering North Africa and then Sicily in 535. In 535, Justinian issued laws targeting Jews, pagans, and heretics in North Africa. In his Novella 37 to Salomon, Governor of Africa, Justinian promulgated that Jews couldn't attend church or own Christian slaves. Their synagogues were to be seized and turned into orthodox Churches. Those found guilty of being Arian Christians were barred from holding public office (religious tests again). The exiled and displaced returned and the seized churches became Nicene once again. Synagogues were confiscated and rebuilt as churches.
Novella 37 stated (excerpts):
"Jews may not keep Christian slaves, nor may they make proselytes by circumcision."
"Their synagogues shall be rebuilt in the style of churches."
"Jews, pagans, Arians, and other heretics may not have 'speluncas' [a sacred cavern] nor observe any of the ceremonies of the Orthodox Church".
In that same year of 535, the Church Council of Clermont in France declared Jews could no longer hold adminstrative positions or public office. They were forbidden to stand in any kind of civil authority over any Christian and Canon 13 prohibited any Jew from becoming a judge.
Justinian's Novella 6 was also issued in 535. This Novella not only decreed the laws on church heirarchy and operation, it promulgated a church-state alliance by uniting priesthood and kingdom, guarding the true dogmas of God and the honour of the priesthood.
"The greatest blessings granted to human beings by God's ultimate grace are priesthood and kingdom, the former taking care of divine affairs, while the latter guiding and taking care of human affairs, and both, come from the same source, embellishing human life."
"Therefore, nothing lies so heavy on the hearts of kings as the honour of priests, who on their part serve them, praying continuously for them to God. And if the priesthood is well ordered in everything and is pleasing to God, then there will be full harmony between them in every thing that serves the good and benefit of the human race."
"Therefore, we exert the greatest possible effort to guard the true dogmas of God and the honour of the priesthood, hoping to receive through it great blessings from God and to hold fast to the ones which we have".
In ten more years Justinian expanded on this theocratic model by making the canons of the first four Ecumenical Councils the law of the Empire. Other Emperors also did this. Emperor Emperor Marcianus, in an alliance with Pope Leo and the clergy, did this after the Council of Chalcedon of 451.
It would not be until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that these church and state notions would be challenged with vigor. To this day there are still those religious zealots that look with nostalgia upon the old ways of controlling the people. As in Islamist Iran, Christian fundamentalists yearn for a union of their strict orthodox brand of Christianity with the state. Like so many fanatics in Christian history, their zealotry has blinded them to the lessons of the past. Even now, in the Christian fundamentalist world, the principles of liberty have taken a back seat to the zeal to establish an old order church-state alliance. It took until 1833 before the last state in the USA, Massachusetts, complied with the federal constitution and disestablished their state supported church. Madison addressed these old order church-state beliefs that Christians held on to as long as they coould when he wrote to Robert Walsh on March. 2, 1819 and to F.L. Schaeffer on Dec 3, 1821 :
"The civil Government, though bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success, whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people, have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State."
"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity."
The statements above are complete denunciations of the fifteen century tradition of church-state alliances supported by religious tests. Those that support the Pledge with under God have no idea what the principles of the Constitution and the secular foundations of the United States government are. They are distinctively religion-neutral. States admitted to the union have to previously ban religious establishment by the governmente. A great example is the admission of Utah in 1894. The separation of church and state in this constitution is beautiful constitution framing. Utah had tried to enter twice before but were rejected by the US because they were not willing to separate church and state. On the third try, they succeeded, finally giving up the alliance:
Section 3: The State of Utah is an inseparable part of the Federal Union and the Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land.
Section 3 is based upon Article 6, clause 2 of the Federal Constitution.
Section 4: The rights of conscience shall never be infringed. The State shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office of public trust or for any vote at any election; nor shall any person be incompetent as a witness or juror on account of religious belief or the absence thereof. There shall be no union of Church and State, nor shall any church dominate the State or interfere with its functions. No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied to any religious worship, exercise or instruction, or for the support of any ecclesiastical establishment. No property qualification shall be required of any person to vote, or hold office, except as provided in this Constitution.
Section 4 of the Utah constitution is based upon Clause 3 of Article 6 and the First Amendment of the Federal Constitution. Not very Justinian to say the least,
In 536, the Synod of Constantinople forbade any belief or activity in any church that didn't meet Justinian's religious and organizational requirements. The canon was designed to enforce Nicene doctrine and suppress all elements of religious dissent and diversity. In 537, Justinian issued Novella 45, to Johannes, Pretorian Prefect, stating Jews are to perform decurionate, the traditional civic duty of the Roman citizen, without its honors and privileges:
"Relating to the law that Jews, Samaritans, or heretics are not to be exempt from the office of magistrate on pretext of their belief, but that, on the contrary, they shall bear the burdens of the magistracy without enjoying its privileges."
The Novella continued, reinforcing the decree of 531 which limited their rights to give testimony:
"..may, in a suit involving orthodox persons, only give evidence for them or for the state."
In 537, the Temple of Isis was closed. Procopius reports in his Wars I that Narses, successor to Belisarius as Justinian's top military commander, closed this temple on the Egyptian island of Philae. He then had the temple's priests imprisoned. In 538 Justinian again issued an edict that prohibited Jews from owning Christian slaves. These prohibitions against Jews would be recorded in the Justinian Code as 1.10.2 and 1.3.54.
In the spirit of the emerging church-state empire, church synods in Gaul at the time also attacked Jews. Like the ratification of canon law by the Emperors, church councils in Gaul needed their canons approved by the King, which was usually a given. Canon 19 of the second Council of Orleans in 533 prohibited intermarriage between Christian and Jew. Any Christian who did so faced excommunication. In 535, the synod at Clermont outlawed sexual intercourse between Christian and Jew in Canon 6. Canon 9 at Clermont barred Jews from becoming judges. In 538 at the 3rd synod of Orleans, Canon 13 re-stated for its region that Jews could not hold public office, become judges, own Christian slaves, employ Christian servants, or marry Christians. Christians were also forbidden to attend Jewish festivities and celebrations. This was in the same spirit of the Council of Elvira of 306 that excommunicated those who lent pagans anything for their festivities or watched them. Like these Gallic councils, Elvira forbade Christians from marrying, have relationships with or sharing a meal with a Jew. Elvira also ordered landowners to forbid Jews from blessing their crops and animals in Judaic fashion because it insulted the true God. Landlords were to forbid pagans their idols in their homes. Later on in the Sixth century, Pope Gregory told the landlords to jack up their rents until they converted. Canon 13 also declared Christians could not convert to Judaism. Orleans declared the clergy was even forbidden to eat with Jews. The 538 synod at Orleans decreed that Jews had to be out of all Christians' site during the Easter festivities because their appearance is an insult to Christianity.
Canon 30 stated:
"From the Thursday before Easter for four days, Jews may not appear in the company of Christians."
The Merovinian King Childebert approved the measure. Once again, church and state joined together in an allance of religious intolerance and persecution. This anti-Jew strategy continued in the region in 541, when the fourth council of Orleans convened. Jews were now forbidden to share their religious beliefs. If they caused one of their Jewish friends to return to Judaism, or converted a Christian, a Jew would be punished by the loss of his slaves. The loss of one's slaves would destroy one's livelihood. To further the economic toll on Jews, Canon 30 stated that any slave of a Jew could attain freedom just by converting to Christianity. Canon 31 decreed that no slave could be freed on converting to the Jewish faith. It didn't seem right to the council that a slave could enjoy freedom by converting to Judaism. The council ruled any such contract was null and void. Christian leaders of Gaul, like those of Rome and Constantinople, made Christianity the religion of the region by making it illegal to evangelize any other faith. In the pluralist religious world of late antiquity, Christian leaders sought to wipe out all competitors by law, by decree, by persecution, by economic sanctions, and by force if necessary.
Soon afterward came Justinian's Italian campaign which would help empty the treasury. This was compounded by Byzantium's first experience with the plague in 540. Justinian became so frightened by this new plague and fearing it was God's punishment for the people's sins, he made laws against blasphemy. (This kind of madness afflicts many a zealot. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell told us that abortion rights, growing acceptance of homosexuality, civil rights advocates, and the separation of church and state brought the terrorism of 2001 upon America. Zealots also told us God was punishing New orleans with Hurrican Katrina for its way of life.) When the plague hit Constantinople the state and the clergy acted together and convinced the deeply superstitious people of the time that disobedience towards the church brought the plague upon them. Like every age's preachers, they preyed on the fears of the people. As a result of the fearmongering, housands became desperate for salvation, filling the churches with the sick, fearful and displaced. Later on in the Medieval period, the clergy preyed on their ignorance, convincing them it was the Jews that caused the plague. To the clergy's delight, Jews were murdered and synagogues were burned to the ground.
Justinian's laws emboldened zealous monks. His decrees inspired a fanatical inquisitor named Ioannis Asiacus in the same way Cyril and Martin were by the edicts of Theodosius the Younger. Beginning in 532, Asiacus began a four decade crusade against pagans in Asia Minor. In 542, Asiacus began to forcibly convert pagans. In that same year, the inquisitor John of Ephesus was put in charge of evangelizing the pagans of Asia Minor. John's campaigns against pagans began in 544 when he evangelized and cleansed the rural region around Ephesus which was close to the Aegian Sea. He claims he built twenty-four churches and four monasteries where pagan temples sat at one time. Justinian subsidized John's inquisitions, paying for and supplying the needed baptismal robes for the converts. Like the violent and confrontational Martin of Tours and Cyril of Alexandria, this inquisitor was sure he was doing God's work when he destroyed temples, stole property, and forced Christianity upon the people, Ironicly, John of Ephesus was a Monophysite who was eventually persecuted!
Ezekiel 6:13: "And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing odor to all their idols."
In Constantinope, hundreds of pagans were murdered in 546 because they resisted the emperor's edicts. Justinian encouraged Asiacus' forced conversions and temple destruction. (See Timeline of temple destruction from the fourth to the ninth centuries) By 577, ninety-nine churches and twelve monasteries had been built on the ruins of pagan religious sites. The missions of John of Ephesus, Julian to Nubia and James Baradaeus were part of Justinian's strategy to forcibly convert pagans. John of Ephesus claimed that he converted 70,000 pagans during his cleansing crusades. The record shows that it was by intimidation.
2 Samuel 5:21: "And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them"
Procopius writes in chapter 11 of Secret History:
"Agents were sent everywhere to force whomever they chanced upon to renounce the faith of their fathers. This, which seemed impious to rustic people, caused them to rebel against those who gave them such an order. Thus many perished at the hands of the persecuting faction, and others did away with themselves, foolishly thinking this the holier course of two evils; but most of them by far quitted the land of their fathers, and fled the country."
In 545, Justinian issued Novella 131. This new law covered a wide range of things. In Chapter 1, it declared the canons of the first four ecumencal councils to be the law of the empire. This made official the Christian theocracy whose seeds were sown with the state's establishment of Christianity under Constantine and Theodosius' ban on all religions but the Nicene one. This united church and state, placing the future of Europe in the iron grip of tyrants, Popes and councils for more than a thousand years.
"Concerning Four Holy Councils: Therefore We order that the sacred, ecclesiastical rules which were adopted and confirmed by the four Holy Councils, that is to say, that of the three hundred and eighteen bishops held at Nicea, that of the one hundred and fifty bishops held at Constantinople, the first one of Ephesus, where Nestorius was condemned, and the one assembled at Chalcedon, where Eutyches and Nestorius were anathematized, shall be considered as laws. We accept the dogmas of these four Councils as sacred writings, and observe their rules as legally effective."
Chapter 2 would again support the primacy of the See of Rome as the highest authority in the Christian realm.
"Concerning The Precedence of Partriarchs: Hence, in accordance with the provisions of these Councils, We order that the Most Holy Pope of ancient Rome shall hold the first rank of all the Pontiffs, but the Most Blessed Archbishop of Constantinople, or New Rome, shall occupy the second place after the Holy Apostolic See of ancient Rome, which shall take precedence over all other sees."
Chapter 14 of Novella 131 reinforced the church-state alliance's official policies of religious intolerance by forbidding Nicenes from willing their religious property to Jews, pagans or Arians. That land would be promptly seized by the church. It was okay for Nicenes to steal or receive other's properties but having a Nicene church replaced by a pagan temple, heretic church or a synagogue was unbearable. Justinian also banned the building of pagan temples and Jewish synagogues. Note that Monophysites are not included in this edict:
"If an Orthodox Christian has sold or willed to a Jew or pagan or Arian a piece of land on which there is a church, the church of that locality shall seize such property."
"Heretics may not build a 'spelunca' [a sacred cave] for their heresies, nor may the Jews erect any new synagogues".
In February, 553, Justinian issued Novella 146 limiting the Jews' own religious rituals in their synagogues. In this way, the church and the emperor controlled the content of Judaic worship services. Not only did Justinian stop the building of synagogues, order many converted into churches, enact the loss of civil rights, but the church-state's spies monitored and controlled the internal workings of the existing synagogues. This is the same sort of religious meddling and interference seen in 536 when the Synod at Constantinople forbade any belief or activity in any church that didn't meet Justinian's doctinal requirements.
Jewish Psychohistorian Ernest Rappaport, who was arrested by the Gestapo and fled from Nazi Germany wrote regarding Justinian in Chapter 4 of his book A Study in the Origins of Hatred: A Psychohistory of Anti-Judaism:
"He also ordered under the threat of severe punishment, that at the Jewish Sabbath services the scriptures must be read instead of in Hebrew, in Greek and Latin, using the Septuagint whose text had already been adulterated by the monks, that the Public hearing might induce some Jews to convert."
"The phrase "Our God is the one and only one" was forbidden to be recited in the synagogues because it was understood as a blasphemous protest against the twofold splitting of the image of God in the holy trinity. For the same reason chanting the verse "holy, holy, holy is the Lord Zeboath" was prohibited. Also the reading on Sabbath of the verses by Isaiah promising consolation for downtrodden Zion was not permitted. Overseers were placed into the synagogues to prevent transgressions against the prohibitions but they could not prevent secret whispering of the forbidden parts of prayer at communal prayers at other times of the day and behind the backs of the government spies."
Although this Novella's content is longer than the excepts I usually quote, this declaration of Justinian deserves to be seen in its entirety. It speaks volumes about the mind of this emperor. Like the council at Elvira, it helped lay the foundation for centuries of anti-Semitism, synagogue burning and finally, the holocaust.
"A Permission granted to the Hebrews to read the Sacred Scriptures according to Tradition, in Greek, Latin or any other Language, and an Order to expel from their community those who do not believe in the judgment, the Resurrection, and the Creation of Angels."
"Necessity dictates that when the Hebrews listen to their sacred texts they should not confine themselves to the meaning of the letter, but should also devote their attention to those sacred prophecies which are hidden from them, and which announce the mighty Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
"And though, by surrendering themselves to senseless interpretations, they still err from the true doctrine, yet, learning that they disagree among themselves, we have not permitted this disagreement to continue without a ruling on our part."
"From their own complaints which have been brought to us, we have understood that some only speak Hebrew, and wish to use it for the sacred books, and others think that a Greek translation should be added, and that they have been disputing about this for a long time."
"Being apprised of the matter at issue, we give judgment in favour of those who wish to use Greek also for the reading of the sacred scriptures, or any other tongue which in any district allows the hearers better to understand the text."
"We therefore sanction that, wherever there is a Hebrew congregation, those who wish it may, in their synagogues, read the sacred books to those who are present in Greek, or even Latin, or any other tongue. For the language changes in different places, and the reading changes with it, so that all present may understand, and live and act according to what they hear."
"Thus there shall be no opportunity for their interpreters, who make use only of the Hebrew, to corrupt it in any way they like, since the ignorance of the public conceals their depravity. We make this provision so that those who use Greek shall use the text of the seventy interpreters, which is the most accurate translation, and the one most highly approved, since it happened that the translators, divided into two groups, and working in different places, all produced exactly the same text."
"i. Moreover who can fail to admire those men, who, writing long before the saving revelation of our mighty Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, yet as though they saw its coming with their eyes completed the translation of the sacred books as if the prophetic grace was illuminating them."
"This therefore they shall primarily use, but that we may not seem to be forbidding all other texts we allow the use of that of Aquila, though he was not of their people, and his translation differs not slightly from that of the Septuagint."
"ii. But the Mishnah, or as they call it the second tradition, we prohibit entirely. For it is not part of the sacred books, nor is it handed down by divine inspiration through the prophets, but the handiwork of man, speaking only of earthly things, and having nothing of the divine in it."
"But let them read the holy words themselves, rejecting the commentaries, and not concealing what is said in the sacred writings, and disregarding the vain writings which do not form a part of them, which have been devised by them themselves for the destruction of the simple."
"By these instructions we ensure that no one shall be penalised or prohibited who reads the Greek or any other language. And their elders, Archiphericitae and presbyters, and those called magistrates, shall not by any machinations or anathemas have power to refuse this right, unless by chance they wish to suffer corporal punishment and the confiscation of their goods, before they yield to our will and to the commands which are better and clearer to God which we enjoin."
"If any among them seek to introduce impious vanities, denying the resurrection or the judgment, or the work of God, or that angels are part of creation, we require them everywhere to be expelled forthwith; that no backslider raise his impious voice to contradict the evident purpose of God. Those who utter such sentiments shallbe put to death, and thereby the Jewish people shall be purged of the errors which they introduced."
"We pray that when they hear the reading of the books in one or the other language, they may guard themselves against the depravity of the interpreters, and, not clinging to the literal words, come to the point of the matter, and perceive their diviner meaning, so that they may start afresh to learn the better way, and may cease to stray vainly, and to err in that which is most essential, we mean hope in God."
"For this reason we have opened the door for the reading of the scriptures in every language, that all may henceforth receive its teaching, and become fitter for learning better things. For it is acknowledged that he, who is nourished upon the sacred scriptures and has little need of direction, is much readier to discern the truth, and to choose the better path, than he who understands nothing of them, but clings to the name of his faith alone, and is held by it as by a sacred anchor, and believes that what can be called heresy in its purest form is divine teaching."
"This is our sacred will and pleasure, and your Excellency and your present colleague and your staff shall see that it is carried out, and shall not allow the Hebrews to contravene it. Those who resist it or try to put any obstruction in its way, shall first suffer corporal punishment, and then be compelled to live in exile, forfeiting also their property, that they flaunt not their impudence against God and the empire. You shall also circulate our law to the provincial governors, that they learning its contents may enforce it in their several cities, knowing that it is to be strictly carried out under pain of our displeasure."
"For he was at once villainous and amenable; as people say colloquially, a moron. He was never truthful with anyone, but always guileful in what he said and did, yet easily hoodwinked by any who wanted to deceive him. His nature was an unnatural mixture of folly and wickedness."
"This Emperor, then, was deceitful, devious, false, hypocritical, two-faced, cruel, skilled in dissembling his thought, never moved to tears by either joy or pain, though he could summon them artfully at will when the occasion demanded, a liar always, not only offhand, but in writing, and when he swore sacred oaths to his subjects in their very hearing. Then he would immediately break his agreements and pledges, like the vilest of slaves, whom indeed only the fear of torture drives to confess their perjury."
"A faithless friend, he was a treacherous enemy, insane for murder and plunder, quarrelsome and revolutionary, easily led to anything, but never willing to listen to good counsel, quick to plan mischief and carry it out, but finding even the hearing of anything good distasteful to his ears."
"These and many even worse vices were disclosed in him as in no other mortal: nature seemed to have taken the wickedness of all other men combined and planted it in this man's soul."
"Of the plundering of property or the murder of men, no weariness ever overtook him. As soon as he had looted all the houses of the wealthy, he looked around for others; meanwhile throwing away the spoils of his previous robberies in subsidies to barbarians or senseless building extravagances. And when he had ruined perhaps myriads in this mad looting, he immediately sat down to plan how he could do likewise to others in even greater number."
"Consequently no place, mountain or cave, or any other spot in Roman territory, during this time remained uninjured; and many regions were pillaged more than five times.
"..an imperial victory which would establish the form of absolutism by which Byzantine history is generally characterized". -- JB Bury, The History of the Later Roman Empire, Vol 1, page 345, on the 30,000 slaughtered in the Hippodrome racetrack stadium by Justinian's order. | <urn:uuid:a3517b49-63fc-4475-a630-cccd7d5d445f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.stopthereligiousright.org/justinian.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00083-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970491 | 14,599 | 3.625 | 4 |
Graveney (ca. 895)
These clinker-built remains were found buried in two feet of mud in the Graveney Marshes along the Kent River in England. The nine extant frames were removed and the planking shell was encased in plaster of paris, then removed as a unit to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. There the hull was reassembled and conserved. A fiberglass replica was made of the reassembly; it is now on display in the Museum. The luting of animal hair was well-preserved. Rivets were driven through treenails and clenched over roves, the only treenailed clinker system on record thus far. Frame dimensions and spacing varied greatly, as did the lands of the planking. Their respective tables list only their overall averages. The frames were treenailed to alternate strakes, but not to the garboard or keel. Treenails were made from willow and were wedged. 1
1. Richard Steffy, INA Shipdata Project, Texas A&M University. | <urn:uuid:f0967224-43cd-47ce-8e25-a4470000f919> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nautarch.tamu.edu/NAPwiki/index.php?title=Graveney_(ca._895)&oldid=2978 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00096-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984434 | 221 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Take a journey from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean when you step into the Reiman Aquarium.
Now the Reiman Aquarium includes a NEW aquarium exhibit featuring weird, wild, and colorful freshwater species from around. Sponsored by PPG, the new tanks feature stunning frogs, a terrifyingly wonderful alligator snapping turtle, and brilliant and beautiful freshwater fish from Asia, Africa, and South America. Explore the colors of nature and the nature of color in Weird & Wild: Colorful Freshwater Species from Around the World.
Begin in the fresh waters of Lake Michigan, moving past the Great Lakes and into the St. Lawrence Seaway, where fresh water meets the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. Finish your journey by going southward to the Florida Keys and finally to the Caribbean Sea. When was the last time you reached out and touched a shark? Take your journey even further by actually touching fish in our Touch Tank area and studying sea life in our Underwater Labs.
- Lake Michigan Tank: The largest of our tanks holds 75,000 gallons of water and is home to many species including Rainbow Trout, Lake Sturgeon, Buffalo Fish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Long Nose Gar, Bowfin, Paddlefish, White Bass, Walleye, Common Carp, Shovelnose Sturgeon, and Freshwater Drum.
- The Great Lakes Composite Tank: Home to species like Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, and Blue Gill.
- St. Lawrence Brackish Tank: Brackish water is usually found where rivers meet the ocean. The force of a river drives freshwater far out to sea, while the influence of tides pushes ocean water a long way up river. It includes Killifish, Pin Fish, and Blue Crab.
- Invasive Carp Tank: This area focuses on the growing challenge posed by invasive species and illustrates the pathway that invasive species travel to get to the Great Lakes. Thankfully, this is one of the only places in Wisconsin – for now – where you will come in contact with Asian Carp such as Bighead and Silver Carp.
- Northeast Atlantic Tank: This tank holds 8,000 gallons of water and contains a variety of fish that are commonly found within this part of the ocean such as Black Sea Bass, Flounder, Striped Bass, and Scup.
- Jellyfish Tank: This “lunar experience” is home to our Moon Jellies and a favorite for visitors of all ages.
- Florida Keys Tank: The 6,000-gallon tank resembles a colony of Mangrove roots that are home to many Southern aquatic species. Featured species include Rock Beauty Angelfish, Gray Angelfish, White Grunt, High Hat, and Blue Striped Grunt.
- Caribbean Invasive Tank: Home to various fish, Black Edge Moray Eel, and the dangerous Lion Fish. It is native to the Pacific Ocean, but has become a destructive predator in the Atlantic and Caribbean.
- Seahorse Tank: The tank showcases varieties of Seahorses, Arrow Crab, Cleaner Shrimp, and Horseshoe Crab.
- Caribbean Tank: The centerpiece of the Reiman Aquarium, this area features a walkthrough tunnel running through 65,000 gallons of salt water. The tank is home to species like the Porcupine Puffer Fish, Permit, Black Durgon, Squirrel Fish, Blue Striped Grunt, Yellowtail Snapper, Atlantic Spadefish, Pork Fish, French Grunt, Blue Tang, Lookdown, French Angelfish, Hogfish, Smallmouth Grunt, Blue Runner, and White Grunt. Weekend Public Interaction Dives in the Caribbean Tunnel are most Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. (Dives subject to staff and volunteer availability).
- The Touch Tanks: The larger touch tank has two sides. The colder freshwater side (around 60 degrees) is home to Lake Sturgeon, while the salt water side (closer to 80 degrees) contains Sting Rays, Bamboo Sharks, Starfish and at times Sea Stars and Pencil Urchins. The Stingrays barbs have all been trimmed and Bamboo sharks pose no threat to humans. A smaller, additional touch tank was added in October 2015.
- The Underwater Labs: This exhibit features a “submarine” split up into 3 pods and staged as an underwater laboratory where you can explore and study like real scientists.
- Human Underwater Lab – Learn about diving and the gear required to support human life underwater. The pod features a working Periscope from a naval vessel that provides a live view of the world above.
- Ichthyology Lab – Gain knowledge of fish biology, as well some strange defenses some fish have against predators.
- Water Quality Lab – Discover more about the life sustaining importance of water quality worldwide. | <urn:uuid:d41db89a-4ac7-4f71-b08f-07298da7feb9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.discoveryworld.org/exhibits/reiman-aquarium/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00155-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902755 | 999 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The first step towards halitosis treatment, if you are concerned that it is a problem, is seeing the dentist. See the previous page for advice on how can you tell if you have a problem and what causes bad breath.
Read on for lots of advice on getting rid of the problem, in the short-term and over a longer period.
What Helps in The Short-Term?
If you find out that you have halitosis, the following actions may help mask the problem
- Mouthwashes. Long-term use to disguise bad breath is not advised.
- Take foods such as banana, avocado and plain yoghurt, to mask strong food smells.
- Drink milk.
- Drink water, or rinse your mouth with water.
- Chew sugar-free chewing gum, especially after meals.
These actions will only mask or briefly hide malodor, and as such are not a long-term halitosis cure.
Prevention of Halitosis
If bad breath is caused by dental problems, as it often is, then the problem can be quickly cleared and prevented by:
- Proper oral hygiene. Brush thoroughly at least twice a day. Clean between the teeth at least once a day (using floss over even consider a water pik). Use mouth-rinses as advised by your dentist. Clean you tongue gently, using your toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Proper oral hygiene alone is, for many, the single best halitosis treatment.
- After eating, rinse out with water or a mouthwash to help quickly clear away food particles. This will help immediately by clearing away the smells associated with some foods. It also helps for hours after by reducing the food available for bacteria to munch on.
- Chewing sugar-free gum will also keep the mouth clean, both physically and by increasing saliva flow. One of the better home remedies!
- Attend the dentist/hygienist (more here) for regular professional cleanings. They will advise you on how often exactly you should attend.
- Attend the dentist for regular check-ups and complete any dental treatment they advise.
- A well known home remedy is using avocado as a cure – But this will only help to mask short term symptoms, eg after eating a pungent food.
- Proper hydration. Drinking plenty of water is a great way to keep your breath healthy by producing lots of saliva.
- Alter your diet if this is a cause of bad breath.
An extra note here. As mentioned above, mouth rinses do have a role to play. They can, as part of an overall oral hygiene routine help to reduce plaque bacteria and food gathering in the mouth.
Also, some are formulated to help tackle gum disease specifically, and available without prescription. These include Breath Rx, Profresh, hydrogen peroxide rinses, Chlorhexidine (Peridex or Corsodyl), Closys and Therabreath. For more on these read here.
However note that mouth rinses alone, even those products aimed at eradicating halitosis, will not cure chronic bad breath!
Smoking causes bad breath, of course. This cannot be prevented unless you stop smoking. By using the above methods, you may mask the smell somewhat, but you can’t completely clear it.
Dentures must be kept clean if you want to keep your mouth healthy and breath fresh. Read our article on keeping dentures clean. Also, remove dentures every night.
Going to Your Dentist
You will need to bring up your concerns about halitosis with the dentist! Otherwise they may not consider it specifically in any management planning they do after checking your mouth. If your teeth need cleaned or you need any other work, this will be done and will directly or indirectly help with bad breath. However for your dentist to be best able to help with your concerns and desires for any bad breath treatment, don’t be afraid to bring them up!
Your dentist will take a history of the problem, including how and when it affects you. They will ask about any dietary and social habit (smoking and alcohol) that may play a role. Your medical history will also be taken to help rule out any medical causes of malodor, including any medication you are taking. This is important, but usually your mouth will hold the clues on any halitosis causes.
Your dentist will fully check your mouth and around including:
- The teeth.
- The gums.
- Your tongue.
- Your palate (the roof of your mouth).
- Lymph nodes of the neck.
- Any smells form your mouth.
Based on what you tell your dentist and the oral examination, your dentist will give you a diagnosis of what they feel is the source of any problem. They will then outline a treatment guide, if the source is dental in origin.
If your dentist suspects a medical problem or some medication is the cause, they may refer you to your family doctor for advice and halitosis treatment.
As always, the sooner you attend the dentist with chronic bad breath, the easier it may be to treat and cure the problem.
Long-term Help From Your Dentist
Specific treatment of bad breath will depend on the cause. Common procedures needed may include:
- Professional cleanings to remove plaque and tartar and enable you to better clean your mouth.
- Treatment of any decay and dental infections.
- Extraction of any hopeless teeth.
- Dry mouth. Management may include changing of medications or salivary substitutes – read more here.
- Bad breath is common.
- There are lots of factors that can cause it.
- Your mouth (and any problems within it) are the most likely cause.
- May indicate a serious health problem.
- Contact your dentist for advice and halitosis treatment.
- Follow advice on proper oral hygiene. | <urn:uuid:56ea553c-1a49-43b3-84d9-d97d1f426b3f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://dentalcarematters.com/halitosis-treatment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00086-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928358 | 1,224 | 2.703125 | 3 |
An Oriented Bounding Box (OBB) Intersection Test
A drawback of using an axis-aligned bounding box is that it can’t fit rotating geometry very tightly.
On the other hand, an oriented bounding box can be rotated with the objects, fitting the geometry with less volume than an AABB. This requires that the orientation of the box must also be specified. Figure 8 shows a 2D example, where A1, A2, B1 and B2 are the local axes of boxes A and B.
For OBBs, the separating axis test must be generalized to three dimensions. A box's scalar projection onto a unit vector L creates an interval along the axis defined by L.
The radius of the projection of box A onto L is
The same is true for B, and L forms a separating axis if
Note that L does not have to be a unit vector for this test to work. The boxes A and B are disjoint if none of the 6 principal axes and their 9 cross products form a separating axis. These tests are greatly simplified if T and B’s basis vectors (B1, B2, B3) are transformed into A’s coordinate frame.
An OBB class and an implementation of the OBB overlap test is given in Listing 6 below.
Listing 6. An OBB class.
OBB : public COORD_FRAME
VeCTOR E; //extents
if two oriented bounding boxes overlap
//translation, in parent frame
For a more complete discussion of OBBs and the separating axis test, please see . Some other applications of the separating axis test are given next. | <urn:uuid:f2d75dbd-5493-46bb-a5e2-7b576f7eeb16> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131790/simple_intersection_tests_for_games.php?page=5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00020-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.864139 | 351 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Embedding Linux to Control Accelerators and Experiments
The experiments conducted at the ESRF beamlines require precise positioning of many motors to move goniometers, slits, translation stages, etc. Typically, a beamline has more than a hundred stepper motors to align the beamline and move the sample during the experiment (see Figure 5). Motors can be divided into two types: those which can be moved independently and those which have to be moved in sync with the data-taking process. For the independent motors, a TacoBox based on an embedded PC/104-based controller board is ideal—it is compact and can be installed close to the hardware. For the synchronized movements, VME is the preferred solution. It allows us to synchronize the motor movements with the data acquisition via the VME bus without requiring any extra cables.
Figure 5. An example of motor positioning on a beamline—a 6-legged hexapod used to position the crystal in the beam to select only a single wavelength of the beam.
In order to kill two birds with one stone, we chose a stepper motor controller which exists in PC/104 and VME format—the PC68 and VME58 from Oregon Micro Systems. These cards supports step rates of up to 1MHz, very useful for microstepping where the steps are divided by a factor of 1000 to ensure precise positioning. Both cards implement the same ASCII-based controller language. They differ in their register mappings on the bus (one is Intel I/O port-based and the other is m68k memory mapped). The differences are implemented (and hidden) at the level of the device driver. This ensures the TACO device server is identical for both cards. We were fortunate enough to get outside help from Richard Hirst (again) to write the device driver, which is based on an initial version we found on the OMS web site written by Tony Denault of the Institute of Astronomy, Hawaii. The driver implements ioctl calls to read position and status and to pass commands to the board. A multi-threaded device server which supports events was developed at the ESRF (based on an initial version by Lucile Roussier of Lure Laboratory in Paris). The server uses POSIX threads on Linux/m68k and Linux/x86. All the software (device driver and server) is available under the GPL from our FTP site at ftp://ftp.esrf.fr/pub/cs/ess/linux/drivers/oms/
Figure 6. Paolo and Andy in their bug-fighting gear with the stepper motor TacoBox (second shelf from the top on the right-hand side) in its rack on the ID27 beamline clean room. The other boxes are the stepper motor power drivers and the TacoBox power supply.
The PC/104 controller consists of a JumpTEC 486 CPU board and the OMS PC68 controller stacked together (see Figure 6). The TacoBox boots Linux from flashdisk, loads the device driver module, creates as many device descriptors as needed (using major number 26), then starts the device server. On VME, an extra step is needed to program the Vmechip2 according to the ESRF addressing standard.
Once the device server is running, the client requests the server to move the motors. A minor problem we had was ensuring that the PC68 card did not clash with any I/O address already in use, e.g., the address of the network card. This is easy to determine by listing (using cat) the /proc/ioports file and choosing one that is not attributed. A more serious problem was with the VME version of the card and the way it handles interrupts when hitting a limit switch. In the end, we abandoned using interrupts with limits; we simply read the status register to find out if a limit had been hit.
For the stepper motor-based TacoBox, the usual PC/104 cabling problems are reduced somewhat because there is only a single flat cable for the motor controller and an Ethernet cable to connect. The entire box cost us approximately 2000 euros for four stepper motor channels and 3000 euros for eight channels (using the PC68 extension board). In our application, we use the PC68 as a simple stepper motor controller; we haven't tried the other features yet (e.g., support for relative encoders, dc motors and servo loops).
Today, the main drawback of Linux for our applications is still the lack of device drivers for many kinds of I/O boards. PC boards are better supported than VME, but still lag far behind Windows drivers. Our aim is to install as many Linux-based controllers as possible because of their better stability, ease of programming, flexibility, lower cost, etc. In order to achieve this, we need drivers, drivers and yet more drivers.
We are only a small team working on device drivers and are therefore very interested in collaborating with other programmers on device drivers for all kinds of boards. All our drivers are developed under GPL and made available to the external world on our FTP site.
We would be interested in hearing from anyone who has written a device driver for an I/O board for PC/104 or VME. Please send e-mail to one of the authors to add your driver or name to our database, which we will make available on our web site.
- Download "Linux Management with Red Hat Satellite: Measuring Business Impact and ROI"
- Profiles and RC Files
- Astronomy for KDE
- Maru OS Brings Debian to Your Phone
- Understanding Ceph and Its Place in the Market
- Git 2.9 Released
- OpenSwitch Finds a New Home
- What's Our Next Fight?
- Snappy Moves to New Platforms
- The Giant Zero, Part 0.x | <urn:uuid:ac8fce9f-f104-4897-ab4a-5e03c4725302> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3612?page=0,3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00192-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930751 | 1,214 | 2.828125 | 3 |
The Higgs boson plays a key role in the Standard Model: it is related to the unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces, explains the origin of elementary particle masses, and provides a weakly coupled way to unitarize longitudinal vector boson scattering.
As particle physics community eagerly awaits CERN’s special seminar on a possible Higgs discovery (see Aidan’s liveblog), it’s a good time to review why Higgs—the last piece of the Standard Model—is also one of the big reasons why we expect even more exciting physics beyond the Standard Model.
The main reason is called the Hierarchy problem. This is often ‘explained’ by saying that quantum corrections want to make the Higgs much heavier than we need it to be… say, 125-ish GeV. Before explaining what that means, let me put it in plain language:
The Higgs has a snowball’s chance in hell of having a mass in that ballpark.
This statement works as an analogy, not just an idiom. (This analogy is adapted from one originally by R. Rattazzi involving a low energy particle passing through a thermal bath. Edit: I’m told this analogy was by G. Giudice, thanks Duccio.)
If you put a glass of water in a really hot place—you expect it to also become really hot, maybe even to off into steam. It would be really surprising if we put an ice cube in a hot oven and 10 minutes later it had not melted. This is because the ambient thermal energy is expected to be transferred to the ice cube by the energetic air molecules bouncing off it. Sure, it is possible that the air molecules just happen to bounce in a way that doesn’t impart much thermal energy—but that would be ridiculously improbable, as we learn in thermodynamics.
The Higgs is very similar: we expect its mass to be around 125 GeV (not too far from W and Z masses), but ambient quantum energy wants to make its mass much larger through interactions with virtual particles. While it is possible that the Higgs stays light without any additional help, it’s ridiculously improbable, as we learn from quantum physics.
Quantum corrections: the analogy of the point electron
The phrase “quantum corrections” is somewhat daunting, so let’s appeal to a slightly more familiar problem (from H. Murayama) and draw some pictures. The analog of the Hierarchy problem in classical physics is the question of the electron self energy:
The electron has charge but is nearly point-like. It must have a very large charge density and thus have a very large self-energy (mass).
Self-energy here just means the contribution to the electron mass coming from repulsive electrostatic energy of one part of the electron from another. The problem thus reduces to: how can the electron mass be so small when we expect it to be large due to electrostatic energy? Yet another way to pose the question is to say that the electron mass has contributions from some ‘inherent mass’ (or ‘bare mass’) m0 and the electrostatic energy, ΔE:
mmeasured = m0 + ΔE
Since mmeasured is small while ΔE is large, then it seems that m0 must be very specifically chosen to cancel out most of ΔE but still leave the correct tiny leftover value for the electron mass. In other words, the ‘bare mass’ m0 must be chosen to uncomfortably high precision.
I walk through the numbers in a previous post (see also the last few pages of these lectures to undergraduates [pdf] from here), but here’s the main idea: the reason why there isn’t a huge electrostatic contribution to the electron mass is that virtual electron–positron pairs smear out the electric charge over a radius larger than the size of the electron:
In other words: current experimental bounds tell me that the electron is smaller than 10-17 cm and the “electron hierarchy problem” arises when I calculate the energy associated with packing in one unit of electric charge into that radius. The resolution is that even though the electron may be tiny, at a certain length scale quantum mechanics becomes relevant and you start seeing virtual electron–positrion pairs which interact with the physical electron to smear out the charge over a larger distance (this is called vacuum polarization).
The distance at which this smearing takes place is predicted by quantum mechanics—it’s the distance where the virtual particles have enough energy to become real—and when you plug in the numbers, it’s precisely where it needs to be to prevent a large electrostatic contribution to the electron mass. Since we’re now experts with Feynman diagrams, here’s what such a process looks like in that language:
Higgs: the petulant child of the Standard Model
The Hierarchy problem for the Higgs is the quantum version of the above problem. “Classically” the Higgs has a mass that comes from the following diagram (note the Higgs vev):
This diagram is perfectly well behaved. The problem occurs from contributions that include loops of virtual particles—these play the role of the electrostatic contribution to the electron mass in the above analogy:
As an exercise, use the Higgs Feynman rules to draw other contributions to the Higgs mass which contain a single loop; for our present purposes the one above is sufficient. Recall, further, that one of our rules for drawing diagrams was that momentum is conserved. In the above diagram, the incoming Higgs has some momentum (which has to be the same as the outgoing Higgs), but the virtual particle momenta (k) can be anything. What this means is that we have to sum over an infinite number of diagrams, each with a different momentum k running through the loop.
We’ll ignore the mathematical expression that’s actually being summed, but suffice it to say that it is divergent—infinity. This is a good place for you to say, what?! the Higgs mass isn’t infinity… that doesn’t even make sense! That’s right—so instead of summing up to diagrams with infinite loop momentum, we should stop where we expect our model to break down. But without any yet undiscovered physics, the only energy scale at which we know our description must break down is the gravitational scale: MPlanck ~ 1018 GeV. And thus, as a rough estimate, these loop diagrams want to push the Higgs mass up to 1018 GeV… which is way heavier than we could ever hope to discover from a 14 TeV (= 14,000 GeV) LHC. (Recall that these virtual contributions to the Higgs mass are what were analogous to thermal energy in our “snowball in Hell” analogy.)
But here’s the real problem: the Standard Model really, really wants the Higgs to be around the 100 GeV scale. This is because it needs something to “unitarize longitudinal vector boson scattering.” It needs to have some Higgs-like state accessible at low energies to explain why certain observed particle interactions are well behaved. Thus if the Higgs indeed has a mass around 125 GeV, then the only way to make sense of the 1018 GeV mass contribution from the loop diagram above is if the “classical” (or “tree”) diagram has a value which precisely cancels that huge number to leave only a 125 GeV mass. This is the analog of choosing m0 in the electron analogy above.
Unlike the electron analogy above, we don’t know what kind of physics can explain this 1016 ‘fine-tuning’ of our Standard Model parameters. For this reason, we expect there to be some kind of new physics accessible at TeV energies to explain why the Higgs should be right around that scale rather than being at the Planck mass.
Outlook on the Hierarchy
The Hierarchy problem has been the main motivation for new physics at the TeV scale for over two decades. There are a few obvious questions that you may ask.
1. Is it really a problem? Maybe some number just has to be specified very precisely.
Indeed—it is possible that the Higgs mass is 125 GeV due to some miraculous almost-cancellation that set it to be in just the right ballpark to unitarize longitudinal vector boson scattering. But such miracles are rare in physics without any a priori explanation. The electron mass is an excellent example. There are some apparent (and somewhat controversial) counter-examples: the cosmological constant problem is a much more severe ‘fine-tuning’ problem which may be explained anthropically rather than through more fundamental principles.
2. I can draw loop diagrams for all of the Standard Model particles… why don’t they all have Hierarchy problems?
If you’ve asked this question, then you get an A+. Indeed, based on the arguments in this post, it seems like any diagram with a loop gives a divergence when you sum over the possible intermediate momenta so that we would expect all Standard Model particles to have Planck-scale masses due to quantum corrections. However, the important point was that we never wrote out the mathematical form of the thing that we’re summing.
It turns out that the Hierarchy problem is unique for scalar particles like the Higgs. Loop contributions to fermion masses are not so sensitive to the ‘cutoff’ scale where the theory breaks down. This is manifested in the mathematical expression for the fermion mass and is ultimately due to the chiral structure of fermions in four dimensions. Gauge boson masses are also protected, but from a different mechanism: gauge invariance. More generally, particles that carry spin are very picky about whether they’re massive or massless, whereas scalar particles like the Higgs are not, which makes the Higgs susceptible to large quantum corrections to its mass.
3. What are the possible ways to solve the Hierarchy problem?
There are two main directions that most people consider:
- Supersymmetry. Recall in our electron analogy that the solution to the ‘electron mass hierarchy problem’ was that quantum mechanics doubled the number of particles: in addition to the electron, there was also a positron. The virtual electron–positron contributions solved the problem by smearing out the electric charge. Supersymmetry is an analogous idea where once again the set of particles is doubled, and in doing so the loop contributions of one particle to the Higgs are cancelled by the loop contributions of its super-partner. Supersymmetry has deep connections to an extension of space-time symmetry since it relates matter particles to force particles.
- Compositeness/extra dimensions. The other solution is that maybe our description of physics breaks down much sooner than the Planck scale. In particular, maybe at the TeV scale the Higgs no longer behaves like a scalar particles, but rather as a bound state of two fermions. This is precisely what happens with the mesons: even though the pion is a scalar, there is no pion ‘hierarchy problem’ because as you probe smaller distances, you realize the pion is actually a bound state of two quarks and it starts behaving as such. One of the beautiful developments of theoretical physics in the 1990s and early 2000s was the realization that this is precisely what is being described by theories of extra dimensions through the so-called holographic principle.
So there you have it—while you’re celebrating the [anticipated] Higgs discovery with fireworks on July 4th, also take a moment to appreciate that this isn’t the end of a journey culminating in the Standard Model, but the beginning of an expedition for exciting new physics at the terascale. | <urn:uuid:4203f870-7c04-4a33-be55-7a24efe079fa> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/07/01/the-hierarchy-problem-why-the-higgs-has-a-snowballs-chance-in-hell/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934251 | 2,505 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Book of Mormon/Plagiarism accusations/Comoros Islands and Moroni
Did Joseph Smith obtain the names Cumorah and Moroni from a map of the Comoros Islands?
Questions and Answers
Question: Could Joseph Smith have acquired the names "Moroni" and "Cumorah" from a map of the Comoro archipelago off the coast of Africa?
Comoros is a small nation made up of three islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital city is Moroni.
- Some have claimed that Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon names Cumorah and Moroni by copying them from a map of the Comoros islands.
- An alternative explanation offered by critics of the Book of Mormon is that Joseph Smith found the names Cumorah and Moroni in stories about Captain Kidd, who is said to have visited the island.
The settlement of "Moroni" did not become the capital city of the Comoros Islands until 1876 (32 years after Joseph's death and 47 years after the publication of the Book of Mormon). The possibility of Joseph seeing the names on a map is remote at best. It has not even been proved that Joseph ever saw the names, or that any source available to him linked them.
Those who propose that Joseph obtained the names "Cumorah" and "Moroni" from stories of Captain Kidd fail to cite any sources and then demonstrate that Joseph had access to them. For more detail on this claim, see: Joseph Smith, Captain Kidd and the Comoro archipelago.
Question: Were the names "Moroni" and "Cumorah" available on maps accessible to Joseph Smith?
The Comoro archipelago consists of the islands of Grande Comore (Great Comoro), Anjouan (also known as Johanna), Mohilla (Mohely), and Mayotte (Mayotta). They are located at the head of the Mozambique Channel off the coast of Africa. The current capitol, shown on modern maps, is the city of Moroni.
This claim, like many efforts to explain away the Book of Mormon, commits the logical fallacy of the Appeal to probability. This fallacy argues that because something is even remotely possible, it must be true.
When the facts are examined, the possibility of Joseph seeing Comoros and Moroni recedes; the idea becomes unworkable. The following gazetteers from Joseph's era were consulted:
|Mucullock's Universal Gazateer, 2 vols (1843-4)||
2257 pages of double columned miniscule print, with no reference to Comoros Islands or Moroni.
|Morris' Universal Gazateer (1821)||831 pages, no mention of Comoros or Moroni|
There is no evidence that Joseph saw these maps, or any other, but if he had they would have provided little help.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that any source would have contained the name of "Moroni." That settlement did not become the capital city until 1876 (32 years after Joseph's death and 47 years after the publication of the Book of Mormon), when Sultan Sa'id Ali settled there. At that time it was only a small settlement. Even a century later, in 1958, its population was only 6500.
The name "Meroni" on the Comoros island of Anjouan
As previously noted, it is unlikely that any map of the Comoro Archiplego available to Joseph Smith would have contained the name of "Moroni." The capitol city of Moroni was unlikely to have been present on early maps of the Comoros Islands in the 1700's. However, the name "Meroni" actually did appear in a different location on one of the other Comoros Islands on maps dated to 1748, 1752 and 1755. The following 1748 map of the island of Anjouan (also known as Nzwani) has been noted by critics to contain the name "Meroni".
The following map of Anjouan, dated to 1752, also contains the name "Meroni."
It is unlikely that Joseph would have seen this, since the name "Comoro" on maps always appears to be associated with the main island "Grande Comore", while the settlement of "Meroni" on Anjoun is too small to appear on such maps showing all four islands. For example, the following 1749 maps of the Comoros clearly labels the main island as "Comore," but the scale of the island of Anjouan obscures the names of any settlements there. In order for Joseph to obtain the name "Meroni" from Anjouan, he would have been required to consult the Anjouan map directly make this connection, since it lists the name "Comore" at the top.
McGuire: "Anjouan, one of the Comoro islands, with an indicated anchorage identified as Meroni"
Additionally the capitol city Moroni has not yet been found on any early map showing the Comoro Islands. Grunder notes in his discussion of the first map that “the Encyclopædia Britannica records volcanic eruptions beginning in 1830 on the island of Great Comoro (Grande Comore) where Maroni, the capitol of this territory (not shown on the map discussed here or on other period maps which I have examined), is located (Encyclopædia Britannica eleventh ed., 6:794–95, ‘Comoro Islands’)” (2008, p. 63). More recently, Mike Reed located an eighteenth century map of Anjouan, one of the Comoro islands, with an indicated anchorage identified as Meroni. Although this is adjacent to an entirely different island than the one with the city Moroni, it does demonstrate that if all we are concerned with is identifying homonyms, eventually we will find what we are looking for.74
The interesting corollary is that while we find this rather small location indicated on this map, the present day capitol of Comoro, Moroni, has yet to be found on any maps contemporary with the publication of the Book of Mormon, and while this isn’t a guarantee that it won’t be found (it wouldn’t surprise me if it were), it does indicate that its importance was far less than it is today.
Question: Could Joseph Smith have heard the names "Moroni" and "Cumorah" from American whalers?
There is another speculation put forth non-Mormons regarding how Joseph Smith might have heard the names "Moroni" and "Cumorah" that is not related to Captain Kidd. The assumption made on one website is that he "heard about these exotic places from stories of American whalers." The website notes that "The Comoro islands were visited by a large number of American whaling ships beginning before the appearance of The Book of Mormon. Sailors aboard these ships, when they returned to the whaling ports of New England, told of their adventures in the western Indian Ocean and by the time The Book of Mormon first appeared in the 1820s, both Moroni and Comoro were words known to some Americans living in the eastern United States." One would have to assume, however, that Joseph came into contact with "some Americans living in the eastern United States" who were familiar with the names. Such a connection is simply pure conjecture.
On the other hand, the same website also provides a useful background on the meaning of the names:
It should be first noted that the word, 'moroni', has a meaning. The word is from the group of languages spoken in the Comoro Islands and found in Swahili, as well. Translating into English, it means "at the place of fire." It is constructed of the root 'moro,' which means "fire" or "heat" and the locative '-ni,' which has the meaning "at the place of". Thus, constructed from the morphemes of the local languages ‘Moroni’ reflects the fact that it is located at the base of one of the world’s largest active volcanos. It should also be noted that the name, 'Moroni', is found on European maps as early as the middle of the 18th century and noted by travelers as the capital of a Sultan on the island of Ngazidja. The name, 'Comoro', also has a similar meaning in the local languages. It is composed of an old Swahili locative 'ko-' and the word 'moro' meaning "the place of fire." This name has been around since ancient times and can be found on Arabic maps published over a thousand years ago.
This supports the idea that the names "Moroni" and "Comoro" are of authentic ancient origin.
Question: Why was the name "Cumorah" originally spelled "Camorah" in the 1830 Book of Mormon?
Oliver Cowdery stated that this was a spelling error
The 1830 Book of Mormon uses the spelling "Camorah." Oliver Cowdery stated that this was a spelling error in the July 1835 issue of the Latter Day Saint's Messenger and Advocate. Oliver Cowdery states:
By turning to the 529th and 530th pages of the book of Mormon you will read Mormon's account of the last great struggle of his people, as they were encamped round this hill Cumorah. (It is printed Camorah, which is an error.)
The correction of "Camorah" to "Cumorah" made it consistent with other Nephite names with the suffix "-cum"
The spelling was corrected to "Cumorah" in the 1837 reprint of the Book of Mormon. This makes it consistent with other Nephite names with the suffix "-cum" (for example, Teancum). There are no Nephite names which contain the suffix "-cam."
- Joseph Smith, Captain Kidd, and the Comoro archipelago—
Brief Summary: Captain Kidd spent time at the Comoro archipelago. Could Joseph Smith have acquired the names "Cumorah" and "Moroni" from stories or novels of Captain Kidd's exploits that he read as a young boy? (Click here for full article)
∗ ∗ ∗
- Map of Anjouan [Nzwani], one of the Comoro Islands[Bellin, Jacques Nicolas, 1703-1772]. Carte de L'Isle D'Anjouan / Kaart van 'T Eiland Anjuan. par le Cap. Cornwal. [Paris?: Bellin?, 1748?] Call number: G 9212 .A5 P5 1748 .B45 off-site
- Benjamin L. McGuire, "Finding Parallels: Some Cautions and Criticisms, Part One," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 5 (2013): 1-59.
- Martin and Harriet Ottenheimer, "COMORO ISLANDS" (website) off-site | <urn:uuid:75e7b7b6-0939-41e0-83b4-dae039536e1b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://en.fairmormon.org/Comoros_Islands_and_Moroni | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00031-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950338 | 2,308 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Guide To Selecting A Wheelchair Cushion
What is the best wheelchair cushion? Actually there are many good wheelchair cushions on the market and the best approach will be different for everyone. This is an overview article about pressure sores and wheelchair cushions.
What causes pressure sores? Sitting upright focuses the body weight onto a very small skin area. This small area of skin is literally squeezed between the buttock bones (ischial tuberosities and the coccyx or tailbone, see photo) and the seat of the chair. When the skin is squeezed blood supply is pinched off. Decreased blood supply causes a lack of oxygen to the cells and tissue death. Once the tissue dies bacterial infection quickly develops. A pressure sore can develop very rapidly even within hours.
Pressure Sore Risk Factors An underweight person is at a higher risk of pressure sores. Being underweight means that there is less fat and muscle to act as a natural cushion between the bones and the skin.
Poor nutrition can cause anemia (decreased number of red blood cells) which leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Nutritional deficiencies can also depress the immune system which can lead to decreased healing of injured tissue.
Cigarette smoking can dramatically increase the problem. Smoking narrows the blood vessels and decreases the supply of oxygen to tissues.
Poor positioning in the wheelchair can increase the pressure on the skin. For example, if the foot rests are too high and the legs are not resting properly on the wheelchair cushion, the weight of the legs may be transferred to the buttocks putting increased pressure on the skin there.
If the wheelchair user is not stable in the chair, they can slide around and the buttock bones can damage the skin from the inside. This damage is known as shear.
Extreme vibration of the wheelchair can irritate or injure the skin.
Heat and moisture can promote chafing of the skin. Chafing causes the skin to breakdown more quickly and increases the likelihood of infection.
While pinching off the blood supply is the main cause of pressure sores, there are several factors that can increase the risk of pressure sores, for example:
There are many ways to decrease the risk of pressure sores. One way is to get the wheelchair cushion that is right for you. Other suggestions are discussed below.
A good wheelchair cushion will redistribute the occupant's body weight away from the skin directly under the buttock bones to a much larger area, including the thighs and the hips. This redistribution of weight decreases the pressure placed on these tiny patches of sensitive skin directly beneath the buttock bones.
Some wheelchair cushions (such as dynamic wheelchair cushions) attempt to frequently change the area of greatest pressure in order to limit the time that blood flow is pinched off to any one spot.
Certain wheelchair cushion materials may help to keep the skin cool and dry. This may minimize chafing and skin damage.
Wheelchair cushions may decrease the risk of pressure sores in several ways:
Where do you start? The first step, is to select the material that is right for you. Wheelchair cushions come in a variety of different materials and each has its advantages and disadvantages:
Foam Wheelchair Cushions are lightweight, inexpensive and compared to other wheelchair cushions, low maintenance. Foam can also be custom cut to fit the need of the user. If you have a particularly sensitive area of skin, a piece of foam may be cut out directly underneath in order to decrease the pressure on that area. However, foam wheelchair cushions can loose their shape in time and compress. This can cause the wheelchair cushion to 'bottom out' meaning that the wheelchair user is effectively sitting on the seat sling. For this reason foam wheelchair cushions should be checked often and replaced frequently. Foam wheelchair cushions also tend to hold in moisture like a sponge, which can promote skin chafing.
The advantage of Gel Wheelchair Cushions is that the weight is distributed well over a large area of the body which can very effectively diminish the pressure on anyone area. The disadvantage is that gel wheelchair cushions can bottom out, can leak and be less effective against vibration and impacts. Since Gel wheelchair cushions do not compress the way foam and air wheelchair cushions do, they do not have the shock absorption properties to absorb impacts such as when you hit a bump in the road. For this reason, gel is often combined with other materials in a hybrid type wheelchair cushion (see below). In addition, gel is quite heavy, though some ultra light gels are being developed.
Air Wheelchair Cushions are composed of many pockets of air which are interconnected so that the air can quickly shift from one pocket to the next. This allows the body weight to be distributed well over a large area and allows shock to be rapidly absorbed. Also, like foam, air wheelchair cushions can be modified in order to relieve pressure on a sensitive spot of the body. This is often done by tying off one cell of the wheelchair cushion directly below the sensitive area. The disadvantage of air wheelchair cushions is that they can be unstable making the occupant sway from side to side. Also air cells can easily leak and this type of wheelchair cushion tends to be expensive. Air pressure should be frequently checked to make sure that you do not 'bottom out'. This type of wheelchair cushion often has high maintenance requirements.
Polyurethane Honeycomb wheelchair cushions have great shock absorption properties. This material is very lightweight and allows air to circulate which helps to keep the skin cool and dry. It is also easily washable which many wheelchair users appreciate. The disadvantages are that the material may collapse under a heavy shock or load, it is expensive and some people complain that with time, the material loses its shock absorption properties.
Composite foams are being developed that are custom shaped and have many advantages over regular foam and other materials. This new material does not retain water, can be easily cleaned and is very lightweight. However, composite foam is much more expensive than regular foam.
Hybrid Wheelchair Cushion wheelchair cushions combine two or more of the materials above. The two materials combined means that one material's strength can compensate for the other material's weakness and vice versa. But they also may have the disadvantages of both materials. For example, a wheelchair cushion that is foam around the sides with a sheet of air cells built into the center may have better positioning and stability than an air wheelchair cushion and better shock-absorption than a fully foam wheelchair cushion. However, it will also have the negative properties of both and may need to be replaced when one of the materials breaks down. In addition, each type of material will have to be cleaned separately according to that material's requirements. In short, hybrids may function better but also may require more maintenance.
Dynamic wheelchair cushions combine hydraulics and other materials such as air to alternate pressure areas and minimize the amount of time that the pressure is pinching on any single area of the body. Disadvantage is that you may feel unstable because you are sitting on a moving object.
The second step to selecting the right wheelchair cushion for you is to consider the shape of the wheelchair cushion. Contoured Wheelchair Cushions provide postural support and help to hold the legs and body to keep them from moving around. This might be ideal for people who tend to slouch in their chair or for people whose legs move too much while riding. On the other hand, the contours minimize the area of the wheelchair cushion which is available for seating. If the wheelchair user feels best by moving around in the seat, a contoured wheelchair cushion may not be the best choice as the contours work to hold the user in place, usually bringing the body back to the same place every time.
The third step is to consider other features of your wheelchair cushion:
Durability: Wheelchair cushions will generally last 2-5 years, with air and foam probably the least durable. But experience varies greatly with this.
Weight: Foam and urethane honeycomb wheelchair cushions usually weigh approximately 3lbs (1.5kg), Air 5ibs (2.5kg) and Gel 8-12lbs (4-6kg). However, watch for lightweight gel cushions, as they will soon hit the market.
Guarantee: A typical guarantee is two years. Check with your dealer to understand their terms. This is particularly important for an air wheelchair cushion as leaks are a frequent hazard.
Maintenance: Air wheelchair cushions are often high maintenance, as you will need to check the air pressure frequently. In addition, ask about cleaning. All wheelchair cushions should be cleaned regularly but some are easier to clean than others.
Price: Typically wheelchair cushions range for $100(or euro 80) for a foam wheelchair cushion to over $300 (euro 250) for a hybrid wheelchair cushion.
The fourth step to selecting the right wheelchair cushion is to get your own experience and test different brands. While it is good to get suggestions from others, one person's needs or experience may not necessarily be the same as yours.
Other Tips to Decrease the Risk of Pressure Sores
Do not allow yourself to lose weight.
Shift weight frequently
Check your foot rest and wheelchair seating adjustments to be sure that it is set correctly for you. For example for those with a high spinal injury, a high seat angle (front seat height higher than back seat height) will help improve stability in the wheelchair. However, too great of a seat angle may transfer more body weight to the pelvis and this may put pressure on the skin beneath the bones in the buttocks. Similarly, if your foot rest is too high, the weight of your legs may be transferred to your hips putting increased pressure on the skin there. In most cases, foot rests should be positioned so that the legs are parallel to the ground. If you are having skin problems, discuss your wheelchair positioning with your therapist to see changing adjustment might be helpful for you.
If you change your wheelchair cushion make sure that your seating positioning has not changed. For example, if your wheelchair was designed for a wheelchair cushion that was 3 inches thick and you change to a wheelchair cushion that is 2 inches thick, your footrest should be lowered by 1 inch. If you do not do this, the thinner wheelchair cushion may cause your knees to be elevated and this could increase the pressure on the skin beneath your buttocks bones.
Keep skin cool and dry to minimize chafing.
Check your skin frequently and if you notice any injury at all, apply an antiseptic and consult your doctor immediately.
Finally, check your wheelchair cushion frequently and change your wheelchair cushion often. Wheelchair cushions age faster than you think. An old damaged wheelchair cushion is no wheelchair cushion at all.
If you are having problems with pressure sores, there are several things you can consider to improve the situation.
The content of this article is copyrighted. It may not be reproduced without permission of the owners of Wheelchair. | <urn:uuid:f1256b15-0bed-4021-8080-d0da3d7d4237> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.newdisability.com/wheelchaircushion.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00010-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94912 | 2,265 | 2.515625 | 3 |
"The peace negotiations in Paris are like a grand bazaar where all kinds of merchants come and spread their wares – what they have to offer, what they want to buy, what they feel is theirs by right.
"One of the fascinating questions about the peace negotiations of 1919, is whether the position of Germany as weak, but not too weak, is a function of a need to stop revolution from spreading from Russia to the West. I think it was Trotsky who said that it's our job to build the red bridge across Europe. Versailles wanted to make sure that bridge never reached Berlin. How do you do that while crippling Germany at the same time?
"Winston Churchill said that maybe we have to give Germany an army so that Bolshevism doesn't take hold in Germany.
"The same thing would be true of Eastern Europe as well, where there were Bolshevik uprisings in Hungary and elsewhere. These are dangerous phenomena for the political settlement of Europe, and actually provide a reason for letting Germany off the hook as long as its non-Bolshevik Germany. However, Germany couldn't be let off the hook because there was too much anger, too much hatred. So that the compromise about what to do with Germany, weak but not too weak, strong but not too strong, is a function of the impossibility of having an international order in a revolutionary period. And to stop that revolution from spreading to the West was more important than to cripple Germany so severely that war would not take place.
"It may be the case that you couldn't do that. No stable European order could have risen out of a crippled Germany because the economic recovery of Europe required the economic recovery of Germany. But at the same time, the possibility of creating a European order without Russia seemed to be a fool's errand as well. And yet, both happened.
"Germany was crippled, but not too badly, and Russia was eliminated.
"Now, under those circumstances, it looked as if the German problem was always tied up with the Russian problem. It wasn't clear that the German problem could be solved anyway. But once you link it to issue of Communism and anti-Communism, it's certain that it won't be solved.
"One of the most puzzling features of the negotiations at Versailles is the high-minded rhetoric and the brutal military facts of negotiation. The Armistice did not end the blockade of Germany. That was lifted only when the peace treaty was signed on the 28th of June 1919. So what it meant was the German army had gone home, been disbanded, but the blockade went on. And as a result of that, it is quite clear that the Allies were waging war against civilians, against women, children, the elderly. This mean-spirited strategy was a deliberate attempt to stop the German war effort from re-forming, which it couldn't do anyway.
"And secondly, to express for the public in France and Britain some of the hatred and animosity and bitterness that had been bottled up over four years of war. They wanted the German civilian public to suffer as they had done and indeed, that public did.
"The fact that war was waged on women and children, on the elderly, in my view – after the Armistice – is a war crime.
"It certainly means the explosion of the moral principles of the Allies as the upholders of some new kind of politics – or a new way of dealing with politics in a period of inhumanity – as a weapon of diplomacy, and it works. The German delegates have to take whatever it is that they're bidden to accept. But there is a price to pay, and that price is in the embitterment of the majority of the German population. They were convinced that what happened to them was an injustice, so that the very way in which the Treaty of Versailles was forced on the German people stored up the material for the next round.
"The problem with revenge is that it never ends.
"One act of revenge creates another. It's endless. The way in which Versailles was conducted was disastrous. It didn't provide anything that could be called worth the sacrifice of even a fraction of those who had died in the First World War. So the idea of why, what for, has no answer for someone like Harold Nicolson and for many others. It becomes a peculiarity. An odd nightmare. A continuation of the nightmare of war rather than the breaking of the new dawn." | <urn:uuid:3d0911ca-6bdf-41da-9555-b9bd08a351fc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/historian/hist_winter_21_versailles.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396945.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00026-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987702 | 924 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Time is running out for paleontologists studying a Cretaceous fossil site in North Arlington, Texas. As reported by CBS 11, paleontologists from the University of Texas only have about five months to finish their work before they will have to make way for a huge development project. This is unfortunate, especially because the site may hold the remains of a mystery dinosaur.
The 1,700-acre site was discovered in 2003 by Art Sahlstein and his daughter Olivia. It seemed like a promising place to dig, conveniently placed for University of Texas students, but it took about four years before paleontologists received permission to excavate. When they were finally able to search the locality, the paleontologists found that most of the bones belonged to a hadrosauroid dinosaur, perhaps Protohadros. They have yet to find a skull, however, and researchers working the site have stated that finding one is essential to knowing whether these dinosaurs were Protohadros or something new. They only have the summer to find out. | <urn:uuid:fc596d75-3594-415e-ad2b-754f790c7c6e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/no-time-for-protohadros-43223679/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981639 | 209 | 2.75 | 3 |
J Clin Outcomes Manage
Evaluation and management of adult chronic rhinosinusitis
Yarlagadda BB, Devaiah AK
Educational Needs Addressed Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease affecting approximately 31 million adults in the United States. It accounts for billions of dollars in health care expenditures annually and loss of productivity in the workplace. Evolving definitions and diagnostic criteria are in place to expedite management of the disease. Expanding knowledge of the pathophysiology of CRS forms the basis of current treatment regimens. Patients who fail medical management with antibiotics and topical steroids may be amenable to surgical treatment. Primary care physicians will routinely face this disease and should be familiar with the most current guidelines in diagnosis and treatment. Educational Objectives After participating in this CME activity, primary care physicians should be able to 1. Discuss the etiology and pathophysiology of CRS 2. Identify the current criteria for diagnosis of CRS 3. Describe the management algorithm for CRS, especially for those patients with initial treatment failures 4. Discuss the role of surgery in CRS
Case-Based Review, CME
Search the Turner White index to find abstracts of articles published in JCOM. | <urn:uuid:c5be3905-cfd0-42dc-bd96-1a18f3ccc630> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.turner-white.com/jc/abstract.php?PubCode=jcom_jul09_rhinosinusitis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397749.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893374 | 253 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Ten years ago this week legendary Ku Klux Klan leader Robert Shelton died at 73.
Shelton lived in Northport and had had a low profile during the last years before his death. It was during the civil rights movement that he was outspoken against desegregation efforts. He was imperial wizard of the United Klans of America, headquartered in Tuscaloosa and known as one of the most violent hate groups in American history. The group was one of the largest factions of the KKK and in 1965 was estimated to have an active membership of 26,000 to 33,000, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
A spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League at the time of Shelton’s death said that Shelton became vocal against desegregation after he served in Germany during World War II. Black servicemen who dated white women offended him.
After returning to Tuscaloosa, Shelton worked at BF Goodrich until 1961 when he was fired for spending too much time on klan activities. Shelton had joined the U.S. Klans , but eventually broke off because of internal feuding and formed the Alabama Knights of the KKK Inc. The same feuding caused Georgia klans to defect from U.S. Klans and they formed the United Knights of America. The UKA merged with Shelton’s Alabama group in 1961 and he became the new leader of one of the largest klans in America.
By 1980 membership had swindled and by the late 1980s membership was down to 1,500 members.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the group’s decline was due to a case in 1979 when 20 UKA members were indicted by a grand jury in connection with violent racial episodes that had occurred in Talledega County. Three pleaded guilty and 10 were found guilty by a jury.
The group was later bankrupted by a $7 million verdict in a lawsuit stemming from the 1981 murder of Michael Donald, a black teenager hung from a tree on a street in Mobile. The victim’s mother took possession of the klan’s headquarters. In a 1994 interview with the Associated Press, Shelton commented on the demise of the klan saying, “The klan will never return….I’m still a Klansman, always will be. The Klan is my belief, my religion. But it won’t work anymore. The Klan is gone. Forever.”
Four years before his death, Shelton was questioned in connection with the 1963 church bombing that killed four black girls in Birmingham. He was never publicly linked to the bombing, which was allegedly carried out by men who had been members of his group. But an investigator said Shelton bore some of the blame since he was in charge of the group at the time. | <urn:uuid:506c6c6b-5684-4070-ad93-f01ff68eaafc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://lookingback.blogs.tuscaloosanews.com/11217/kkk-imperial-wizard-robert-shelton-died-10-years-ago/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00055-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988278 | 581 | 2.703125 | 3 |
County Offices, Courts and Landfill will be closed on Monday, July 4 for the Independence Day Holiday. Critical services at Larimer County are not disrupted by closures.
See a video from Summit County Health Department about bedbugs: myths and reality.
What is the role of the health department in cases of bed bug infestations?
Local public health departments have very limited resources to combat this widespread problem. But, as annoying as bed bugs are, they are NOT a public health threat. The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment does not track or monitor bed bug infestations, nor does the health department do any sort of case management related to bed bug infestations. Our recommendation is that if you have a bed bug infestation, call a professional exterminator for a consultation. See below for more useful links to information on bed bugs and how to handle an infestation.
Why have bed bugs become more of a problem over the past few years?
In general, bed bugs have become more common due to factors such as increasing travel (more travelers, more luggage-to-luggage contact, more stays in hotels), increased reuse and re-sale of household furnishings, and an increase in the bugs' resistance to pesticides.
What can I do if I have bed bugs in my home?
Since bed bugs can be very challenging to control, most it's important to call professional pest control. The pest control firm can work with you to properly identify the pest and suggest an appropriate and effective treatment for the problem.
Do bed bugs hide mostly in beds?
You're probably most likely to first see a bed bug infestation on your mattress or pillow since you are more frequently at eye-level with a bed's surface and since you may wake up with visible and itchy bites. But bed bugs are very adept at hiding and reproducing behind floorboards and trim, in upholstered chairs and sofas, and even in the frames of televisions and the like where they will hide until emerging when hungry. Luggage is another common way for bedbugs to get into a home. Be sure to check yours closely after your travels.
Do bed bugs transmit disease?
Bed bugs are not significant transmitters of disease; however, the bites can be itchy, and scratching the bites could possibly lead to other infections.
Bed bugs are more common in places with poor housekeeping, right?
A bed bug infestation does not necessarily indicate a lack of cleanliness of any particular home or lodging. Bedbugs can be introduced into even the cleanest, high-end homes, lodging establishments, apartments or office buildings. Adequate hiding places for the bed bugs (furniture, crevices, cracks, etc.) and a warm blooded host for blood meals are all that are needed to start an infestation once the pest is introduced.
If I think I have bed bugs, can I get an effective over-the-counter treatment at the store to apply myself?
Bed bugs can be very difficult to exterminate from a site once they are established since they have become resistant to many pesticides. Home owners and businesses should be aware that some pesticides are not approved for use inside of the home/business site, or on surfaces such as mattresses where people will come in direct contact with that surface. For safe, lasting, and cost-effective results, it's best not to do it yourself. Application of pesticides is best addressed by a licensed pest control professional. Using the wrong pesticide can result in over-exposure, a failed outcome, and having to re-do the process, thus wasting time and money.
For interesting and useful facts on bed bugs, identifying them and how to get rid of them:
Other helpful sites: | <urn:uuid:fef7a9ec-2cec-4eb3-8a1d-385140b1b63c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://co.larimer.co.us/health/bedbugs.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00166-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952291 | 771 | 2.84375 | 3 |
While scientists are not disputing the existence of a frigid period known as the Younger Dryas about 12,900 years ago, an increasing number are now rejecting the theory that it was caused by Earth’s collision with a comet.
The frigid period ~ whatever its cause ~ is linked to extinction of sabertooths, mastodons, and other giant animals, and may have caused the decline of the Clovis culture.
The comet-collision theory was developed in 2007 and based on a combination of archaeological artifacts and extraterrestrial magnetic grains in soil samples found in a thin layer of sediment throughout North America. However new research, presented at a meeting of the Geological Society of America this week in Portland, Oregon, has taken aim at all of these findings.
Nicholas Pinter, a geologist at Southern Illinois University, argued that black mats described as charcoal in the 2007 research weren't actually charcoal, but were formed from ancient, dark soil formed in a long-ago wetland. Likewise, the small amounts of carbon "are not uniquely associated with high-intensity fire," he said.
According to National Geographic:
Vance Holliday, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, added that there is no sign that the demise of the Clovis culture was caused by a comet crash.Around the time of the cold snap, the style of spearpoints changed—which some scientists argued was evidence that the Clovis peoples had declined due to the comet impact. But Holliday said it reflects a normal evolution in preference. He compared spearpoint designs to the appearance—and disappearance—of tail fins on classic automobiles.
"We really don't know what style means in the archaeological record," Holliday said. "Tastes come and go. We don't know why." But "an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that doesn't exist."
Click here for the National Geographic article. | <urn:uuid:93c23cc5-c954-4643-92e0-3721e0d32400> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ancient-tides.blogspot.com/2009/11/some-scientists-rejecting-comet.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00112-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96552 | 396 | 4 | 4 |
In the final analysis though, does belief in conspiracy theories do any real damage? Is it not the case that such beliefs are just a bit of harmless fun? Although that may be true of belief in most conspiracy theories, the evidence shows conclusively that belief in conspiracies can cause serious harm. For example, it is estimated that unfounded conspiracy-based beliefs in the alleged dangers of treatment for AIDS has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. It has also been shown that terrorist groups use conspiracy theories to recruit and motivate their followers. Finally, belief in conspiracy theories is associated with disengagement from democratic processes making believers less likely to vote, for example.
In a democracy, it is essential that citizens examine and question the official version of events if we are to hold our leaders to account when it is appropriate to do so. However, proper skepticism does not entail the rejection of all official versions of events, but careful rational analysis using critical thinking skills to maximum effect. The assumption that all information from official sources is untrue is a dangerous road to go down. | <urn:uuid:f48a45bc-d53f-4628-8b84-f1a8535f99cf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2013/11/27/2003577753/3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00000-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952599 | 210 | 2.53125 | 3 |
SMA cell 'reprogramming' may significantly aid search for effective drugs
In a development that could lead to better screening of drugs for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), skin cells from a child with SMA1 have been "reprogrammed" back to a stemlike state and then coaxed to develop into SMA-affected motor neurons, the nerve cells that normally control muscle movement but malfunction and die in this disease.
Allison Ebert, assistant scientist in the laboratory of Clive Svendsen at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues, who published their findings online Dec. 21 in the journal Nature, say the results will allow the study of SMA in motor neurons in the lab and probably will allow drugs for SMA to be screened more effectively than is currently possible.
Although they note that further testing is necessary, so far they believe the child's SMA-affected cells faithfully reproduce the SMA disease process and haven't been altered by the reprogramming procedure – a critical feature for accurate research.
The investigators also took skin cells from the child's unaffected mother and treated them the same way as the child's cells. In contrast to the child's cells, the mother's unaffected motor neurons are developing normally, they say.
|Christian Lorson, who receives MDA funding for his work in SMA, was part of a team that successfully turned skin cells into SMA-affected nerve cells – an important element for accurate testing of SMA treatments.|
The research team included Christian Lorson, associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, who has MDA funding for SMA work. Lorson, with graduate students Virgina Mattis and Frankie Rose, analyzed cellular levels of the SMN protein, a deficiency of which is the root cause of SMA.
Although motor neurons have been created from the skin cells of patients with other neurologic diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (see Research Roundup, ALS Newsmagazine, October 2008), those reprogrammed motor neurons so far have not demonstrated disease-specific effects, the researchers note.
The SMA-affected motor neurons in the current study have also responded positively to compounds known to increase SMN protein levels. Raising SMN levels to save motor neurons is a major goal of current SMA drug development.
The researchers note that "this new model should provide a unique platform for studies aimed at both understanding SMA disease mechanisms that lead to motor neuron dysfunction and death, and the potential discovery of new compounds to treat this devastating disorder." | <urn:uuid:5574ac5b-a62a-4817-a2f9-5c263e489157> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://quest.mda.org/news/sma-research-back-beginning | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00093-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942421 | 525 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Dr. Meredith Larson
Telephone: (202) 245-7037
The Institute's training programs are intended to help ensure that researchers have the skills to produce research that is rigorous in method as well as relevant and accessible to education stakeholders such as practitioners and policymakers. For rigorous research to have a practical impact, practitioners and policymakers must draw upon it as they make decisions regarding education practice and policy. Correspondingly, researchers should draw upon the knowledge and concerns of practitioners and policymakers to ensure they are addressing important research questions.
Individuals making practice/policy decisions regarding specific education issues are situated at many levels including the school, district, State education agency, and State government. These people may not have easy access to the latest evidence from rigorous education research and may benefit from an explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature regarding their topic of interest.
Training in Education Research Use and Practice (Use and Practice) projects are to bring together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers around a specific issue in order to share the latest evidence on the issue with policymakers and practitioners and to provide policymakers and practitioners an opportunity to talk with researchers regarding their own informational needs. For example, a partnership could be formed to examine program options and research evidence on prekindergarten programs and to develop research-based recommendations for a State or school district interested in developing or expanding such programs. Another example might be to form a partnership focused on reviewing research evidence on adult basic education and English language instruction and its implications for increasing the effectiveness of courses offered by school districts, community colleges, and other providers.
A Use and Practice project might also provide an ongoing means of support to practitioners/policymakers on a practice/policy in the process of being implemented (as well as means to identify for researchers the important research issues regarding that practice/policy). For example, a State or district that has implemented a new teacher evaluation system might create a working group of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to obtain research findings on teacher evaluation methods as well as identify further issues to examine to improve the system and its implementation. Similarly, a joint group of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers might help a State or district address implementation of the Common Core State Standards as well as identify important issues for research.
The Institute expects the grantee to provide the following at the end of a Use and Practice project:
Note: Similar grants awarded through the former Researcher and Policymaker Training Program will become part of the Training in Education Research Use and Practice program.
Note: The 84.305B Request for Applications (RFA) was updated with minor corrections on May 9, 2013. If you downloaded this RFA before May 9, 2013, please download the revised RFA. | <urn:uuid:58ff556d-8f58-487b-8f1e-b2a4ab2b2426> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ies.ed.gov/funding/ncer_rfas/policy_training.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00189-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947705 | 549 | 2.578125 | 3 |
You are hereJack o' Legs
Jack o' Legs
This folktale was kindly brought to our attention by Alma Oakley of Weston in Hertfordshire.
Weston churchyard is reputed to be the final resting place of the Weston Giant: Jack o' Legs. Two stones mark his grave. One is positioned at his head and another at his feet, a distance of eight feet apart.
Jack o' legs was famed both for his stature and for his skill with a bow and arrow. It was said he could shoot an arrow for three miles, and take down a bird at a distance of half a mile.
Jack was a hermit roaming the downs on the outskirts of Weston and Gravely. He was also thief, but in the generous tradition of Robin Hood his ill-gotten riches were distributed to the poor and needy, adding to his fame and notoriety in the area. This fame did not go unnoticed, and the wealthy tradesmen upon whom he preyed were not wont to stand idle as he gave away their riches. One day a band of wealthy bakers from the market town of Baldock decided to be rid of their bane once and for all.
They waited in ambush for Jack, and - fearing his giant strength - attacked him from behind. Before he could respond they smashed his skull with a long heavy pole, bound him tightly, and then cruelly burned out his eyes with a red-hot poker. They then took him to a field near Weston where they planned to hang him from a giant oak tree. Jack regained consciousness just long enough to ask one last request: that he might shoot an arrow to mark the place of his burial. The Bakers allowed this one respite, and the arrow flew from his bow into Weston churchyard where his monument stands to this day.
Although time has distorted his tale Jack o' Legs may have been a very real character. There are other fabled giants in Britain, based on real people of large stature, who captured the imagination of the people. One would hope that Jack o' Legs did not meet with the grisly fate that folklore has recorded. In some versions of this story Jack lived in a cave, and is attacked as he is passing through Baldock. From here he shoots his arrow a distance of over three miles into Weston churchyard. | <urn:uuid:dca9baa1-95e2-4539-b0e1-bfe6dd95ba6e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/hertfordshire/folklore/jack-o-legs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00091-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992262 | 475 | 2.6875 | 3 |
A wise professor once told me: "Life on earth exists because of a thin layer of soil and possibility of rain."
Unfortunately, every time it does rain that layer of soil becomes thinner and thinner. Each drop of rain washes unprotected top soil into streams, lakes and rivers - never to be returned. With this in mind, soil conservation begins with maintaining a ground cover. So, if you are battling an erosion problem on your land or around your home, here are some tips to help stabilize the soil and save it for generations to come.
Wind and water are the two main forces that erode soil. Usually beginning when the soil is left uncovered, particles are quickly moved offsite and lost forever. Wind erosion can generally take place on either a flat plain or on a slope. Water erosion usually requires a slope for water to flow down and carry the soil with it. In either case, maintaining a vegetative crop is the best way to minimize the loss.
There are a wide variety of plants that lend themselves to stabilizing soil on a slope or bank. Probably the most common is grass. For low-maintenance rural areas, the most popular of these is Kentucky 31 fescue. It is a tough, cool-season grass that is both disease and insect-tolerant. As an added bonus, it does not require large amounts of water or fertilizer to grow. It is easily maintained by mowing once or twice a season, and allowed to grow freely the rest of the time. For a more manicured look, or highly visible residential area, a good choice would be a blend of two or three of the many different varieties of turf-type tall fescues. They, too, are fairly insect- and disease-resistant, but they have a much finer texture and deeper green color than the Kentucky 31. Fall planting of any of these cool-season grasses is just a few weeks away.
If you want more than just grass, try establishing a groundcover. Groundcovers are plants that have a vining growth habit. Able to climb trees, rock walls or fences, they do wonderfully when allowed to spread and grow across the ground. They are at least twice as expensive and a bit more difficult to establish than grass. However, they are equally as durable and do a great job of stabilizing the soil. Four aggressive deciduous vines for full sun are purpleleaf honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, common trumpet creeper and Virginia creeper. Deciduous means they will lose their leaves after the first hard frost. For shaded areas such as under trees or on the north or east side of the home, try using English ivy, pachysandra, wintercreeper euonymus or periwinkle (vinca minor). Bunchberry, a member of the dogwood family, can be used in areas that are acidic and rich in organic matter. It is a nice companion to azaleas and rhododendrons. All of these plants will form a thick mat that stabilize the soil all year long. Vines are easy to maintain and can be mowed or chopped down once in a while to rejuvenate the stand.
There are few things in life that are certain - but you can be sure that more land is not being made is one of them. So, as land is lost to development and progress, water run-off creates even a larger problem with erosion. If you have erosion problems on your land, try maintaining a cover crop year round. There are a variety to choose from but they all basically work the same. They slow the water down, hold the soil in place, and prevent the wind from blowing it away. | <urn:uuid:4f0d9b01-21f2-4317-901a-081104268046> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jul/20/ground_cover_fights_soil_erosion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00182-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959922 | 758 | 3.375 | 3 |
Originally a short form of Germanic
names that began with the element ermen
meaning "whole" or "universal". It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of king Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of king Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint
, who is sometimes called Hemma
After the Norman conquest
this name became common in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part due to Matthew Prior's poem 'Henry and Emma' (1709). It was also used by Jane Austen for the central character, the matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, in her novel 'Emma' (1816). | <urn:uuid:caa018fe-605b-4f20-8881-4320cdeb4288> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.behindthename.com/name/emma | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00088-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990623 | 157 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Gardner Multiple Intelligences or school subjects mirrored?
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is opposed to the idea of intelligence being a single measurable attribute. His is a direct attack on the practice of psychometric tests and behaviourism, relying more on genetic, instinctual and evolutionary arguments to build a picture of the mind. He also disputes the Piaget notion of fixed developmental stages, claiming that a child can be at various stages of development across different intelligences.
Evidence for intelligences
He viewed intelligence as “the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting” (Gardner & Hatch, 1989). These criteria were identified by him as 'signs' of an intelligence:
1. Potential isolation by brain damage.
2. The existence of idiot savants, prodigies and other exceptional individuals.
3. An identifiable core operation or set of operations.
4. A distinctive development history, along with a definable set of 'end-state' performances.
5. An evolutionary history and evolutionary plausibility.
6. Support from experimental psychological tasks.
7. Support from psychometric findings.
8. Susceptibility to encoding in a symbol system.
Multiple intelligences (8)
These criteria were used to identify a list of eight ‘intelligences’. His thoughts on what constitute intelligence have developed over time. The first two are ones that have been typically valued in schools; the next three are usually associated with the arts; and the final three are what Howard Gardner called 'personal intelligences'.
1. Linguistic: To learn, use and be sensitive to language(s).
2. Logical-mathematical: Analysis, maths, science and investigative abilities.
3. Musical: Perform, compose and appreciate music, specifically pitch, tone and rhythm.
4. Bodily-kinaesthetic: Co-ordination and use of whole or parts of body.
5. Spatial: Recognise, use and solve spatial problems both large and confined.
6. Interpersonal: Ability to read others’ intentions, motivations, desires and feelings.
7. Intrapersonal: Self-knowledge and ability to understand and use one’s inner knowledge.
8. Naturalist: Ability to draw upon the immediate environment to make judgements.
It is important to understand that these intelligences operate together and complement each other. He has described people as having blends of intelligences.
(Note that this last intelligence was added later, in 1999.)
Application of the theory
Gardner has also worked towards a full set of recommendations on the use of multiple intelligence theory in schools. The Unschooled Mind, Intelligence Reframed, and The Disciplined Mind look at how the theory may be applied by educators. This has led to a broader more holistic view of education, being less rigid about abstract and academic learning. It demands knowledge fo these intelligences among teachers, an aspirational approach to learning, more collaboration between teachers of different disciplines, better and more meaningful curriculum choices and a wider use of the arts.
John White has criticised the theory as being subjective and not validated by evidence. Rather than being derived from solid empirical evidence, Gardner seems to draw his taxonomy from broad observations. It is also not clear how this maps on to actual cognitive functions, as it depends (variably) on the learner dealing with actual content in various forms. In fact, it also bears an uncanny resemblance to the current curriculum subjects. White suggests that this is why it has been so enthusiastically adopted by teachers.
Gardner has also been criticised for simply perpetuating the idea of ‘intelligences’, pigeon-holing students, rather than exploring their potential. again this is a general problem with learning styles and multiple intelligences theory. It may actually thwart attempts to teach and learn skills that the students has not yet mastered, thereby doing more harm than good.
Gardner himself has been surprised and at times disappointed by the way his theory has been applied in schools, in one case as, “a mish-mash of practices…Left Right brain contrasts….learning styles….NLP, all mixed up with dazzling promiscuity”. In the US some schools have redesigned the whole curriculum, classrooms and even entire schools around the theory, which may be several steps too far. The point is to be sensitive to these intelligences, not to let them prescribe all practice. However, Project SUMIT (Schools Using Multiple Intelligences Theory) does claims to have identified real progress across the board in schools that have indeed been sensitive to Gardner’s theories.
Gardner has strong appeal to educators looking for practical support for existing subject specialisms but there are doubts about the theory as serious experimental psychology. Many do not see his ‘intelligences’ as a comparable set of abilities as some, such as musical intelligence, do not have the same consequential impact as others. He has also been criticised for not testing his theories experimentally and failing to identify exactly why he chose his particular criteria for intelligence. What is clear, however, is that Gardner has opened up the debate and affected real practice in educational institutions around the whole person with a spread of subjects and approaches to learning. This fits teachers’ intuitive feel for the abilities of those they teach. While the theory may be rather speculative, his identified intelligences represent real dispositions, abilities, talents and potential, which many schools ignore.
Gardner, Howard (1983; 1993) Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences, New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, Howard (1989) To Open Minds: Chinese clues to the dilemma of contemporary education, New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1991) The Unschooled Mind: How children think and how schools should teach, New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, Howard (1999) Intelligence Reframed. Multiple intelligences for the 21st century, New York: Basic Books.
White, J. (1998) Do Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences add up? London: Institute of Education, University of London. | <urn:uuid:c0c52c70-458d-450a-b843-ff4e21e22ae5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/gardner-multiple-intelligences-or.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00050-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950332 | 1,286 | 3.578125 | 4 |
We all know that climate is either going to change, or is already doing so, as a result of human activities changing the atmosphere's composition and its land surface.
Projects and Initiatives
Environmental hypotheses of African faunal evolution propose that major faunal speciation, extinction, and innovation events during the Pliocene-Pleistocene were mediated by changes in Africa
Antarctic sea ice seasonal forecasts based on a linear Markov model are in high demand for both observational and climate communities. They are provided by Xiaojun Yuan and Dake Chen.
Global warming is abruptly redrawing parts of Antarctica’s coastline, as ice shelves collapse into the sea.
The Antarctic Zone Flux Experiment (ANZFLUX) was conducted aboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer in the Eastern Weddell Sea.
Activities and Links for K-12 children interested in oceanography and the climate
CCORC - Consortium on the Ocean's Role in Climate
ARCHES - AbRupt climate CHangE Studies
GloDecH is a research program funded by the NOAA Climate Variability and Predictability Program and conducted at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The research program involves a large number
A monitoring program was initiated in 2001 to monitor the Hudson River's basic state variables of salinity, temperature and density along transects from New York Harbor to Troy.
Integrated reconnaissance of the physical and biogeochemical characteristics of Jamaica Bay, New York.
Monthly forecasts of tropical Pacific SST and wind anomalies.
Research led by Richard Seager describes a modeling and paleoclimate perspective on the causes of North American droughts.
Introduction to the North Atlantic Oscillation, the most significant climate phenomena in the northern hemisphere.
Writing in July 2010 when the eastern U.S. has been having one heat wave after another, it is easy to forget the winter just past, but winter 2009/10 was one of record snow in much of the mid-Atlantic region and very cold conditions across eastern North America. There was also widespread cold and snow in northwestern Europe. At the time, as record snowfall hit Washington D.C., this was a big deal much exploited by climate deniers and others to ridicule global warming and climate science.
How much CO2 from human activity enters the ocean?
Research and analysis of the Polar Regions and their impact on global climate.
The ring of deep water around Antarctica not only links the major ocean [Atlantic/Pacific/Indian] , but also produces dense waters along the continental margins of the frozen continent, which sinks
The Gulf Stream-European climate myth
The Ecophysiology group studies the physiological mechanisms underlying plant responses to environmental conditions and the influence these responses have on ecological pa | <urn:uuid:f8025807-445a-4600-87f6-8e815144a1b2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/research/ocean-climate-physics/projects-initiatives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939136 | 569 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Sumatran tiger facts highlight some of essential insights about this animal. The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a native to the Island of Sumatra and Indonesia. The population of Sumatran tiger is on the decline. The IUCN has listed as critically endangered species. The projected population consists of 441 – 679 individuals.
Sumatran Tiger Facts
- Sumatran tigers are shed by a dark colored fur along with the stripes that run across its body.
- Males weigh about 100 – 140 kilograms (220 – 310 lb), and the length measuring 220 – 225 cm (87 – 89 inches).
- Sumatran tiger males has 295 – 335 mm (11.6 – 13.2) long skull.
- The weight of the females is 75 – 110 kg (170 – 240 lb), along with their length of about 215 – 230 cm (85 – 91 inches). They have a skull of about 263 – 294 mm (10.4 – 11.6 inches).
See also: Tiger Facts For Kids
Where Do Sumatran Tigers Live | Sumatran Tigers Habitat and Range
- Sumatran tigers occupy the lowland and mountain forests of Indonesia. There are less than 500 individuals surviving in the wild. More than 90 tigers are still living in an unprotected area that might give rise to their further extinction.
- In Sumatra the Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP) is home to the largest concentration of Sumatran tigers.
What Do Sumatran Tigers Eat | Sumatran Tigers Diet
Sumatran tigers are not as big as Siberian or Bengal tigers. They are most likely to hunt small animals such as fish, monkeys, and fowls. Despite the fact they also feed on wild pig, spotted deer, Malayan Tapir and Orangutans. Though occasionally, sumatran tigers are also kill mice or rats.
- They have no fixed breeding month even though in winter or spring they are normally expected to breed.
- Sumatran tigers reach maturity at 3 – 4 years of age.
- The gestation period lasts about 103 days.
- Females normally litter 2 – 3 cubs but it can be as many as 3 to 6 cubs.
- These blind cubs weigh about 3 pounds. They begin to see after 10 days. Cubs rely on their mother’s milk in the first 2 months. Breast feeding continues for a period of about 150 – 180 days. These juveniles begin to move around after 50 – 60 days even though they are still dependent on their parents. When they reach 18 months, they are able to hunt on their own and after 2 years of age cubs become independent.
- The average lifespan of Sumatran tigers is about 15 years and 20 years in the wild and in captivity altogether.
Sumatran Tiger Endangered
- Habitat destruction and deforestation are few of the widespread causes of the reduced population of Sumatran tigers. Despite the fact that many tigers have been kept under captivity by conservation societies in their national parks, still there are few that are susceptible to these threats.
- Sumatran tigers are the strong territorial animals in that they don’t often allow other males to enter into their territory and start moving around. Sumatran tigers are thought to forage at the twilight hour or at night. Besides, these types of tigers also travel almost 20 miles in one night.
- They are sit-and-wait predators. Tigers do not make their presence feel to their victims. Like other tigers, Sumatran tigers can also swim which is why they are usually found in the swamps, streams or freshwater lakes. | <urn:uuid:dfe86848-c255-4239-b5b6-5f12f952c984> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://animalstime.com/sumatran-tiger-facts-sumatran-tiger-habitat-diet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00104-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943061 | 764 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Got kids or grandkids who just started college? Then know this: Most college kids don’t eat even one serving of fruits and vegetables a day, let alone the five (minimum!) we and you fantasize they will.
Instead, male college students skip breakfast and load up on fat and protein at fast-food joints. Females skip fewer meals and eat a little better, but have even fewer fruits and veggies than guys because they just eat less overall.
Not shocked? Neither were we. (It’s one reason Oz’s daughter, Daphne, wrote “The Dorm Room Diet” after her first year at Princeton. Yep, smart kid.) Stumped about what to do? Don’t lecture; you know how well that works. Instead, try these tips:
1. Emphasize the social benefits of eating right, not the personal ones. When college kids took a course on how they could help curb global warming by eating more locally grown fruits and vegetables -- and less meat, processed and trucked-in foods -- it worked! They changed their eating habits more dramatically than if they were just told it was nutritious.
2. Let ‘em know that healthy foods boost moods. Kids get homesick and stress out over exams, roommates, tough profs, new loves. Explain that many fruits and veggies (bananas especially, and kiwi, pineapple, plums, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach) increase levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin without fueling the dreaded “freshman 15.” Could work.
* * *
The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and Mike Roizen of Cleveland Clinic, are authors of “YOU: Losing Weight.” For more information go to www.RealAge.com.
(c) 2011 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc. | <urn:uuid:613d897b-3f1b-4590-9721-8119575a6022> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.canada.com/health/Getting+college+kids+right/5449288/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00096-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943944 | 418 | 2.75 | 3 |
Resource Issues: Whale Strikes
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) provides rich foraging grounds for whales. Large vessels such as tankers and cargo vessels also transit through the MBNMS between important west coast ports. As a result, whales are subject to vessel strikes. The map below showcases incidences of whale strandings due to ship strikes from 2006 to 2012 identified in the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Stranding database. These numbers are likely to be underestimates of injury and mortality because not all whale strikes will be reported and some dead whales sink instead of washing ashore. Whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and most of these species are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Further, whales in a national marine sanctuary are also protected under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
|Large whale strandings from 2006 to 2012 within California due to possible vessel strikes. Data from the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Stranding database.|
How is the Sanctuary currently involved?
- MBNMS staff are providing feedback for the West Coast Spotter App, a mobile application to input and crowd source data on critically endangered whales. The app will help West Coast Sanctuaries meet resource protection goals and create a nexus for geo-spatial data to implement a Dynamic Management Area Scheme to protect whales from ship strikes. West Coast Spotter App will also improve access to data, streamline data collection efforts, improve quality control, and engage the greater public with increased awareness of spatial and temporal distribution of whales in sanctuary waters.
- MBNMS staff are working with the West Coast Regional Office to research the issue, coordinate with NMFS and USCG, communicate to the industry and public and identify actions. Actions include gaining a better understanding of whale aggregations in or near vessel traffic lanes and deploying NOAA assets such as aircraft to help monitor for whales and vessels, how strikes can be reduced or avoided, and if there is a need for enforcement actions.
- MBNMS staff worked with the Naval Postgraduate School to complete a report on the monthly distribution of shipping vessels in 2010 within the Monterey Bay sanctuary.
- Research staff are working on immediate science needs for critical management issues, including the “Impacts on Whales from Human Uses."
- We've supported research projects to inform managers about whale ecology. In August 2012, Julia Burrows, a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, and collaborators from the MBNMS, Duke University Marine Lab, and Cascadia Research Collective conducted a study aboard the R/V Fulmar to examine the fine scale foraging behavior of humpback whales in Monterey Bay. Researchers developed acoustic maps of prey around a foraging (tagged) whale, tracked whales using VHF telemetry, conducted net tows to ground-truth acoustic data, and conducted CTD casts. They plan to continue the study in summer 2013. Results of this study will give us a better understanding of the detailed underwater foraging movements of humpback whales, which can ultimately yield insight into how their natural behavior may leave them vulnerable to ship strikes and disturbance (Data were collected under a NMFS permit issued to John Calambokidis).
Tracking results from the whale ecology research are shown in this video which begins with the humpback whale at the surface. The red and blue triangles represent the fluke strokes and their size is proportional to the strength of the stroke (larger red area, stronger fluking). The green bar is the depth scale (in meters) with each notch representing one meter. You can see the depth of the whale by looking at the green box on the lower right corner of the screen. It also shows the seconds since the tag was attached and the time in hours, minutes, seconds. This tag was attached to the whale on 12 August 2012. Two foraging dives are shown on this video, with feeding (lunges) occurring when the whale takes several strong fluke stokes at the bottom of the dives. The whale must then stroke vigorously to return to the surface to breathe. The video ends as the whale ascends from its second dive. This video was made using TrackPlot, a software package created by Colin Ware of the University of New Hampshire.
- Sean Hastings, Resource Protection Coordinator for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, talks about the ship strike issue and what's being done to reduce ship strikes along the West Coast. Check out the video: http://www.thankyouocean.org/2012/10/09/west-coast-ship-strikes/. The video elaborates on how the U. S. West Coast is a critical feeding destination for endangered whales and how it is also home to busy ports and essential shipping lanes. Where whales and ships overlap, there is an increased risk of ship strikes that can cause serious injury or death to whales.
- Memo from California Coastal Commision on reducing ship strikes to whales 9/5/2014 (622K PDF*)
- CINMS Reducing Ship Strikes on Large whales (includes link to the petition by a consortium of environmental organizations to establish a 10-knot speed limit for vessels greater than 65 feet traveling through West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries and NOAA's response to that petition).
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries has an extensive whale ship strike reduction website with lots of links to information about reducing vessel collisions with marine mammals in the NE USA.
- National Marine Sanctuaries ship strike information site with links to “Reports and Documents", Resources, research and monitoring and shipping industry outreach and whale advisory listserv. | <urn:uuid:ac6673c2-5f26-451e-9d8b-664629a62430> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://montereybay.noaa.gov/resourcepro/resmanissues/whalestrikes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927119 | 1,134 | 2.90625 | 3 |
“Ratha” means chariot and “Sapthami” means the 7th day, it is the day when the Surya/Sun god is believed to ride on the chariot drawn by 7 horses to gift the beautiful season “Spring” to South India. It is during this time that Surya/Sun moves from the southeast to the northeast. 7 represents the colors of the rainbow or the 7 chakras*. This festival falls on the 7th day of the Hindu month Magha, February in the Gregorian calendar. The days become warmer and bring relief and cheer to life after the bitter winter months. This year (2016) it is on 14th February.
The Sun is approximately 149,600,000 kilometers from earth and sunlight takes 8.3 minutes to reach the earth. Life on earth is dependent on the Sun and Sun’s energy is tapped in innumerable way –
Plants: To prepare food
Humans: To generate power, for a doze of Vitamin D, the ultraviolet rays from the Sun has antiseptic properties, which are used to sanitize tools and water
Nature: Convert fossil into fuels and petroleum.
On Rathasapthami day, rangoli/pattern of Surya/Sun riding a chariot is drawn. A special bath is taken with 7 yekka/arka/calotropis procera leaves. One leaf is kept on the head, 2 on the shoulders, 2 on knees and 2 on foot while having bath.
The following mantra on Sun god is chanted while taking the bath.
“Saptha Saptha Maha Saptha|
Saptha Dweepa Vasundara|
Sapth Arka Parna Madaya|
Sapthamyam Snana Machareth||”
By following this simple ritual people believe that the Lord will bless them with success for all their endeavors in the coming year.
The food grain associated with Surya/Sun god is the wholesome Wheat, so on this day Godi/Wheat Payasa or Avalakki/Poha/Beaten Rice Payasa/Pudding is prepared and the Payasa is allowed to overflow the pan in which it is being cooked. Perform pooja and offer fruits and payasa to the god.
Argya/oblation of water is offered to Sun God on this day. Special pooja and celebrations are held in all the temples.
Since ages the Hindus have worshiped Surya/Sun god. Surya is considered to be Lord Vishnu and hence referred to as Suryanarayana. The other names for Surya are Ravi, Aditya, Bhaskar, Arka, Grahapati, Diwakar etc., A day in the week is named as Ravi vaar/Sunday.
The navagraha/nine planets temples always have the idol of Sun installed in the middle with all the other gods around it. Sun temple at Konark is a famous and ancient temple dedicated to Sun god. One of the beautifully stone-carved temples at Lakkundi built by the Chalukyas in the 10th century is dedicated to Lord Suryanarayana facing the Kashi Vishweshwara Temple. On this day the rathothsava/carriage ceremony is held with great pomp and geity at Yadathore Arkeshwara temple.
Picture3 – Suryanarayana temple at Lakkundi
In Yoga, an exercise is named after the Sun god known as Suryanamaskara/Sun Salutation, which is a series of 12 postures. It is an all-inclusive exercise for physical, emotional, spiritual and meditation benefits. On Rathasapthami day people assemble before sunrise and perform this exercise to experience the rejuvenating first rays of the Sun on the body.
*Chakras are said to be “force centers” or whorls of energy permeating, from a point on the physical body.
Seven major chakras or energy centers (also understood as wheels of light) are generally believed to exist, within the body. | <urn:uuid:b877dc45-367f-418a-a1ea-844c4061ffc5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.itslife.in/festivals/rathasapthami | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00039-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939088 | 875 | 2.921875 | 3 |
… Some day the nations of Europe may be ready to merge their national identities and create a new European Union – the United States of Europe. If and when they do, a European Government will take over all the functions which the Federal government now provides in the U.S., or in Canada or Australia. This will involve the creation of a “full economic and monetary union”. But it is a dangerous error to believe that monetary and economic union can precede a political union or that it will act (in the words of the Werner report) “as a leaven for the evolvement of a political union which in the long run it will in any case be unable to do without”. For if the creation of a monetary union and Community control over national budgets generates pressures which lead to a breakdown of the whole system it will prevent the development of a political union, not promote it.
[italics in original]
That was written in 1971! In The Dynamic Effects Of The Common Market first published in the New Statesman, 12 March 1971 and also reprinted (as Chapter 12, pp 187-220) in Further Essays On Applied Economics – volume 6 of the Collected Economic Essays series of Nicholas Kaldor.
Further excerpts from the article:
The events of the last few years – necessitating a revaluation of the German mark and a devaluation of the French franc – have demonstrated that the Community is not viable with its present degree of economic integration. The system presupposes full currency convertibility and fixed exchange rates among the members, whilst leaving monetary and fiscal policy to the discretion of the individual member countries. Under this system, as events have shown, some countries will tend to acquire increasing (and unwanted surpluses) in their trade with other members, whist others face increasing deficits. This has two unwelcome effects. It transmits inflationary pressures emanating from some members to other members; and it causes the surplus countries to provide automatic finance on an increasing scale to the deficit countries.
… This is another way of saying that the objective of a full monetary and economic union is unattainable without a political union; and the latter pre-supposes fiscal integration, and not just fiscal harmonisation. It requires the creation of a Community Government and Parliament which takes over the responsibility for at least the major part of the expenditure now provided by national governments and finances it by taxes raised at uniform rates throughout the Community. With an integrated system of this kind, the prosperous areas automatically subside the poorer areas; and the areas whose exports are declining obtain automatic relief by paying in less, and receiving more, from the central Exchequer. The cumulative tendencies to progress and decline are thus held in check by a “built-in” fiscal stabiliser which makes the “surplus” areas provide automatic fiscal aid to the “deficit” areas.
[italics in original]
…What the Report fails to recognize is that the very existence of a central system of taxation and expenditure is a far more powerful instrument for dispensing “regional aid” than anything that special “financial intervention” to development areas is capable of providing.
The Community’s present plan on the other hand is like the house which “divided against itself cannot stand”. Monetary union and Community control over budgets will prevent a member country from pursuing full employment policies on its own- from taking steps to offset any sharp decline in the level of its production and employment, but without the benefit of a strong Community government which would shield its inhabitants from its worst consequences.
Myrdal coined the phrase of “circular and cumulative causation” to explain why the pace of economic development of the various areas of the world does not tend to a state of even balance, but on the contrary, tends to crystallise in a limited number of fast-growing areas whose success has an inhibiting effect on the development of others. This tendency could not operate if changes in money wages were always such as to offset difference in the rates of productivity increase. This, however is not the case; for reasons that are not perhaps fully understood, the dispersion in the growth of money wages as between different industrial areas tends always to be considerably smaller than the dispersion in productivity movements. It is for this reason that within a common currency area, or under a system of convertible currencies with fixed exchange rates, relatively fast-growing areas tend to acquire a cumulative competitive advantage over relatively slow growing areas. “Efficiency wages” (money wages divided by productivity) will, in the natural course of events, tend to fall in the former, relatively to the latter – even when they tend to rise in both areas in absolute terms. Just because the differences in productivity increases, the comparative costs of production in fast-growing areas tend to fall in time relatively to those in slow-growing areas and thus enhance their competitive advantage over the latter.
I don’t have the copyrights to reproduce the whole article The Dynamic Effects Of The Common Market, so this is so much I can quote. You can read the rest from the book (Collected Essays 6). Also, there are five chapters on the Common Market.
Updated 19 August 2012 4:15am GMT. | <urn:uuid:1238755d-abcc-46c3-b4e9-8b1584d013e3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.concertedaction.com/2012/08/16/nicholas-kaldor-on-the-common-market/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396945.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00157-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948314 | 1,076 | 2.75 | 3 |
From Dr. Bicuspid Staff
Image via Wikipedia
May 20, 2011
— A primary reason that head and neck cancer treatments fail is that
the tumor cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Now researchers
at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found
that a compound derived from the Indian spice curcumin can help cells
overcome that resistance (Archives of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, May 2011, Vol. 137:5, pp. 499-507). | <urn:uuid:66ebd1b7-9340-4529-b576-0862858162fd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blogohj.oralhealthjournal.com/clinical/oral-cancer/curcumin-effective-against-cancer-substance-common-in-thai-indian-indonesian-and-caribbean-cuisine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00076-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901696 | 104 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The best thing since sliced bread may be bread crust: Researchers in Germany have discovered that the crust is a rich source of antioxidants and may provide a much stronger health benefit than the rest of the bread. This is good news for those who like to complement their holiday meals with bread stuffing, which is rich in crust, but bad news for those who prefer to remove crusts from their bread, as they may be sacrificing healthful antioxidants.From the American Chemical Society:Bread crust and stuffing rich in healthy antioxidants
The best thing since sliced bread may be bread crust: Researchers in Germany have discovered that the crust is a rich source of antioxidants and may provide a much stronger health benefit than the rest of the bread.
This is good news for those who like to complement their holiday meals with bread stuffing, which is rich in crust, but bad news for those who prefer to remove crusts from their bread, as they may be sacrificing healthful antioxidants. The research findings are scheduled to appear in the Nov. 6 print issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Although previous studies have suggested that bread contains compounds that have a cancer-fighting potential, much focus has been placed on its abundance of dietary fiber, which is believed by some to help prevent colon cancer. The current study is the first to identify a cancer-fighting compound that is concentrated in the crust, says Thomas Hofmann, Ph.D., lead researcher for the study and formerly with the German Research Center of Food Chemistry in Garching, Germany. He is currently a full professor at the University of Munster, Germany.
Using a conventional sourdough mixture containing rye and wheat flour, Hofmann and his associates analyzed bread crust, bread crumbs (the pale softer part of the bread) and flour for antioxidant content and activity. They found that the process of baking bread produced a novel type of antioxidant, called pronyl-lysine, that was eight times more abundant in the crust than in the crumb. The compound was not present in the original flour.
Using human intestinal cells, Hofmann’s collaborator Veronika Faist, Ph.D., a researcher at the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science in Kiel, Germany, showed that this crust-derived antioxidant is the most effective component in bread for boosting the level of phase II enzymes, which have been shown in previous studies to play a role in cancer prevention.
The researchers are currently conducting animal tests to determine whether bread crust and pure pronyl-lysine actually boost antioxidant levels in plasma, but results have not yet been published.
Pronyl-lysine is formed by the reaction of the protein-bound amino acid L-lysine and starch as well as reducing sugars in the presence of heat. Chemists have long known that this same process, called a Maillard reaction, is responsible for producing the brown color associated with the surface of baked breads. The same reaction also produces flavor compounds and other types of antioxidants.
Pronyl-lysine is formed during baking in both yeast-based and yeast-free bread, also known as “tea bread.” The antioxidant is likely to be more abundant when bread is broken down into smaller pieces and baked, as with stuffing, because the smaller pieces contain more surface area on which these reactions can occur in comparison to larger bread products, like loaves and buns, the researcher says.
In general, dark-colored breads (such as pumpernickel and wheat) contain higher amounts of these antioxidants than light-colored breads (such as white bread). Strong over-browning of bread, however, reduces the level of these antioxidants, says Hofmann.
Funding for this study was provided by the German research associations FEI and the AiF and Germany’s Ministry of Economics and Technology. | <urn:uuid:84de04a9-a2d9-47ef-ac6d-4a14f6822910> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://scienceblog.com/295/bread-crusts-rich-in-antioxidants/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00050-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961273 | 801 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Who Also Played the Flute
suggested by FLUTE list members
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath, having been a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Born as the illegitimate son of a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, at Vinci in the region of Florence, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter, Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. He later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, spending his final years in France at the home given to him by King François I.
Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France, from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.
Frederick II (German: Friedrich II.; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV (Friedrich IV) of Brandenburg. He became known as Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) and was nicknamed der alte Fritz ("Old Fritz").
John Reid (also known as John Robertson) (February 13, 1721-February 6, 1807) was a British army general and founder of the chair of music at the University of Edinburgh.
Benjamin Banneker (November 9, 1731–October 9, 1806) was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech. Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, he was one of the most influential (and radical) advocates of the American Revolution and republicanism, especially in his denunciations of corruption in government officials and his defense of historic rights.
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820 [N.S.]) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom, formed by the union of Great Britain and Ireland, until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and thus prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire, until he became King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, and the first of Hanover to be born in Britain and speak English as his first language. In fact, he never visited his realms in Germany.
James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American politician and the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817), and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Madison was the last founding father to die. Considered to be the "Father of the Constitution", he was the principal author of the document. In 1788, he wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers, still the most influential commentary on the Constitution. The first President to have served in the United States Congress, he was a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution (said to be based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and thus is also known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights". As a political theorist, Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions. He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure republicanism in the United States.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, (formerly marquis de) Lafayette (or la Fayette) (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834) was a French military officer born in the Haute-Loire region of France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution.
Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook author, spelling reformer, political writer, word enthusiast, and editor. He has been called the “Father of American Scholarship and Education”. His “Blue-Backed Speller” books taught five generations of children in the United States how to spell and read, and (in the United States) his name became synonymous with "dictionary", especially the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary that was first published in 1828 as An American Dictionary of the English Language.
John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767–February 23, 1848) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. At various times he was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties.
Napoleon I (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, later Napoleon Bonaparte) (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the history of Europe. He was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul of the French Republic and Emperor of the French and King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short-story writer, editor and literary critic, and is considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.
Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made great contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation and by utilizing huge orchestral forces for his works, sometimes calling for over 1,000 performers. At the other extreme, he also composed around 50 songs for voice and piano.
Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.
Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River") remain popular over 150 years after their composition.
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next day from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, becoming the first American president to be assassinated.
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (May 7 [O.S. April 25] 1840 – November 6 [O.S. October 25] 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. While not part of the nationalistic music group known as "The Five", Tchaikovsky wrote music which was distinctly Russian: plangent, introspective, with modally-inflected melody and harmony.
Sidney Clopton Lanier was born February 3, 1842, in Macon, Georgia, to parents Robert Sampson Lanier and Mary Jane Anderson; he was mostly of English ancestry, with his distant French ancestors having immigrated to England in the 16th century. He began playing the flute at an early age, and his love of that musical instrument continued throughout his life. He attended Oglethorpe University near Milledgeville, Georgia, graduating first in his class shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented the roll of film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream. The roll film was also the basis for the invention of the motion picture film in 1888 by world's first filmmaker, Louis Le Prince, and a decade later by his followers Léon Bouly, Thomas Edison, the Lumière Brothers and Georges Méliès.
Nicholas II of Russia born Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July [O.S. 4 July] 1918) was the last Tsar of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. His official title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is currently regarded as Saint Nicholas the Passion Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Enrico Caruso (born Errico Caruso; February 25, 1873 – August 2, 1921) was an Italian opera singer. As has been stated repeatedly in print by reputable critics, biographers and musicologists, he was one of the greatest and most influential tenors in history. Caruso was also one of the most significant singers in any genre in the first two decades of the 20th Century and one of the most important pioneers of recorded music. Indeed, Caruso's popular recordings and his extraordinary voice, known for its youthful beauty, mature power and unequalled richness of tone, made him perhaps the best-known operatic star of his era. Such was his influence on singing style, virtually all subsequent Italian and Spanish tenors (and many non-Italianate tenors, too) have been his heirs to a greater or lesser extent.
Robert Meredith Willson (18 May 1902 – 15 June 1984) was an American composer, songwriter, conductor and playwright. He is best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the hit musical The Music Man, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1958. The cast recording of The Music Man won the first Grammy Award given for best cast album. Willson also is remembered for his work on films, the Burns and Allen radio program, among other radio shows, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Henry Mancini (April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an Academy Award winning American composer, conductor and arranger. He is remembered particularly for being a composer of film and television scores. Mancini also won a record number of Grammy awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. His best-known works are the jazz-idiom theme to The Pink Panther film series (The Pink Panther Theme) and Moon River.
Tony Curtis (born June 3, 1925) is an American film actor. He is best known for light comic roles, especially his musician on the run from gangsters in Some Like It Hot (1959) with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. He has also done serious dramatic roles, such as the escaped convict in The Defiant Ones (1958), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Since 1949, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has made frequent television appearances.
Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro – December 8, 1994 in New York City), also known as Tom Jobim, was a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. A primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, Jobim is acknowledged as one of the most influential popular composers of the 20th century. His songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and internationally.
Jack Kevorkian (born on May 26, 1928) is a former Armenian-American pathologist. He is most noted for publicly championing a terminal patient's right to die via euthanasia; he claims to have assisted at least 130 patients to that end. He famously said that "dying is not a crime."
William John Evans (better known as Bill Evans) (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was one of the most famous and influential American jazz pianists of the 20th century. His use of impressionist harmony, his inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and his syncopated and polyrhythmic melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists, including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Denny Zeitlin and Keith Jarrett, as well as as guitarists Lenny Breau and Pat Metheny. The music of Bill Evans continues to inspire younger pianists like Fred Hersch, Ray Reach, Bill Charlap, David Thompson, Brad Mehldau, Geoffrey Keezer, Lyle Mays and Eliane Elias. Evans is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. He first came to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts.
Robert Anthony Snow (June 1, 1955 – July 12, 2008) was an American political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, blues-rock musician, radio host, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs. Snow served as White House Press Secretary from May 2006 until his resignation effective September 2007.
Andrea Bocelli (born 22 September 1958) is an Italian operatic pop tenor and a classical crossover singer who has also performed in operas. To date, he has recorded six complete operas (La bohème, Il trovatore, Werther, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana and Tosca) in addition to various classical and pop albums. He has sold 60 million albums worldwide thus far. Born with congenital glaucoma, total blindness came to Bocelli at the age of twelve, after a football accident.
Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current governor of the U.S. state of Alaska, and is the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born November 21, 1965) is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer. She has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards (including one for acting).
Dana Marie Perino (born May 9, 1972) is the current White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, having taken over the position on September 14, 2007. From March 27 to April 30, 2007 she was the Acting White House Press Secretary while her predecessor Tony Snow underwent treatment for a recurrence of colon cancer, which claimed his life on July 12, 2008. On August 31, 2007, Bush announced that Snow would be resigning his post and that Perino would become his replacement. She is the second woman to serve as White House Press Secretary; Dee Dee Myers was the first, during the Clinton Administration.
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed or via her new female apparel clothing line Touch. Recently, she has appeared in a recurring role on My Name is Earl as Billie Cunningham. She got her start in acting by starring in the Broadway show Annie. | <urn:uuid:079c2575-d1c3-475d-af16-d8ebe4b2e7be> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.larrykrantz.com/famousplayers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399428.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00158-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982938 | 3,586 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Coastal and Marine Geology
Figure 1: Upper Yuba River Watershed Studies Program (UYRSP) area. Small rectangle (in red) around Englebright Lake shows the geographic limits of the maps in this report.
In March, 2004, the USGS conducted a swath bathymetric survey of Englebright Lake, a 9-mile long reservoir located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California on the Yuba River. This survey was follow-on to an earlier bathymetric survey and sediment thickness analysis done by the USGS in 2001 (Childs and others, 2003). The primary purpose of these studies is to assess the quantity and nature of the sediment that has accumulated since the dam was completed in 1940. The specific purpose of the swath bathymetry was to map in high detail the prograding delta that is being formed as the lake fills in with sediment. In the event of another large flood such as occurred on January 1, 1997, the survey could be repeated to determine the effect of such an event on the sediment volume and distribution.
This study was conducted under the auspices of the Upper Yuba River Studies Program (UYRSP) . The UYRSP is funded by the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, whose mission is to "develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan that will restore ecological health and improve water management for beneficial uses of the San Francisco Bay-Delta System".
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The principal bathymetric survey (USGS Field Activity ID F-1-04-NC ) was conducted in March, 2004, using the R/V Frontier, a 25-foot Boston Whaler (Photo 1).
Photo 1. Research Vessel Frontier, on Englebright Lake in March, 2004. SwathPlus transducers are mounted on the pole toward the stern of the vessel.
The bathymetry was measured with an SEA (Group) SWATHPlus-M instrument (http://www.sea.co.uk/swathplus.html). This instrument utilizes interferometric sonar technology (operating at 234 kHz) to measure depth along a swath perpendicular to the direction of ship travel. The usable swath width can be as great as 10 times water depth, to a maximum of 300 meters (984 ft). Depth accuracy is nominally 0.1 m (4 in) or 1% of water depth.
Soundings data were processed as follows: during data collection, a series of autofilters were applied to the incoming data stream to reject sounding solutions which plotted significantly away from the primary bottom trace, eliminating most spurious solutions. For each ping, soundings which passed the autofilters were averaged into 10 cm (crosstrack) bins, and written to a processed soundings file. In addition, all solutions (unfiltered) were written to a separate raw soundings file.
Post data collection, the processed soundings file for each swath (line) in the survey area were combined and gridded to produce a file of regularly spaced (1 meter cell size) depth soundings. All soundings within a grid cell were averaged together to establish a cell depth value. The 1 meter grid data were then further edited to remove cells with dubious values. Cells which showed significant internal soundings disagreement (standard deviations in excess of 0 .4) were rejected. Cells which showed significant depth divergence from their immediate neighbors (DeSpike, 1m or greater from surrounding average) were rejected. A boxcar smoothing filter (3x3 grid) was run to suppress high frequency variation and to enhance true lakebed features. Finally the data was rendered in 3D and visually edited to remove any remaining anomalous soundings.
The editing criteria used in processing this dataset was designed to reject all questionable soundings, with the objective of ensuring that all soundings in the final grid were valid. This inevitably resulted in some valid data being also rejected. Different processing criteria would result in more complete coverage, but also increase the number of “bad” soundings present in the grid. Despite the somewhat severe criteria, the final grid contains in excess of 1.3 million data points.
The SWATHPlus did not return consistent results in the deepest portion (60 m, or 197 ft) of the reservoir; depths of 50 meters (164 ft) and less were more consistently tracked. An area of particular interest was the prograding delta front (Figures 3-4), where water depth shallows from approximately 35 m (115 ft) to 15 m (50 ft) over a distance of just over a 1 km (3300 ft.)
Navigation was measured with a CSI DGPS Max, logged with the USGS PC-based data acquisition package YoNav. The CSI DGPS receiver is capable of operating in Differential (DGPS) and Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS modes, both of which are available in the Englebright Lake vicinity. (WAAS reception was, however, sporadic in the uppermost reaches of the lake, due probably to steep terrain.) The DGPS Max receiver has a manufacturer-specified horizontal accuracy of less than 1 meter (95%) in DGPS mode; WAAS results are somewhat more accurate.
The level of the lake varies due to releases from the dam and variable inflow. However, during the 8 hours required for the swath survey, the level as reported by the US Army Corps of Engineers at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/staMeta?station_id=ENG
changed by only approximately 0.15 m (6 in), which is roughly the accuracy of the depth measurement. In addition, the lake level is measured at the dam, and the propagation of inflow is not instantaneous. Therefore, corrections for lake level were considered unnecessary. The water depths were corrected to a vertical datum of 160.6 m (527.0 ft) , the elevation of the dam spillway.
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In March, 1998, the engineering firm Chris Ransome & Associates Northwest (CRA-NW) was subcontracted by Bookman-Edmonston Engineering to conduct a swath bathymetry and subbottom profile survey of the reservoir in the area immediately upstream - about 150 meters (500 feet) - of the dam. That survey reported a reservoir bottom elevation of between 330 and 335 feet (101 and 102 meters), which is slightly higher than the 325 to 327 foot (99.1 to 99.7 meter) elevation reported here. The CRA-NW data were not incorporated into any of the results in this report.
In 2001 and 2002, the USGS conducted bathymetric and geophysical surveys of the lake (Childs and others, 2003), and in 2002 thirty boreholes were drilled at seven sites spaced along the longitudinal axis of the reservoir sites (Snyder and others, 2004a, 2004b).
Results of these earlier studies were reported by Snyder and Hampton (2003) and Snyder and others (2004c).
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The raw swath data were edited to remove values that were considered unreliable. The bathymetry of the lake was projected onto a 1-meter grid, producing 1,378,439 depth values within the lake. The 1-meter values were regridded at approximately 6-meter (20-foot) grid interval using the blockmedian and surface algorithms in Generic Mapping Tools. The blockmedian algorithm filters and grids the input (x,y,z) data using L1 norm, and surface creates a continuous curvature surface. A tension value 0.4 was used in the surface process. The resulting reservoir bathymetry is shown in Figure 2. Areas colored black or uncolored are regions of no data or unreliable data.
Figure 2. Swath bathymetry data regridded from original 1-meter interval, fit
with a spline surface, and contoured. Arrows show view direction in Figures
3 and 4 below.
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Figures 3 and 4, show perspective views of the 1-meter bathymetry, with no vertical exaggeration viewed in the downstream and upstream directions. Data have been interpolated to fill gaps in the original field data acquisition.
Figure 3 . Perspective view of upper sediment delta viewed downstream (no vertical exaggeration).
Figure 4 . Perspective view of sediment delta vewed upstream (no vertical exaggeration).
The data are available in comma-delimited, ASCII format. The file consists of 1,378,439 records; each record corresponding to a 1-meter UTM (Zone 10), WGS84 datum cell and average computed depth within the cell. Data accuracy is difficult to quantify because of the complexity of the data acquisition and processing; however, standard deviation of the swath values is estimated to be 10 to 30 cm. In both files, the depth values are negative meters relative to 160.5 m (527 ft) elevation. Adding the depth to 160.5 will yield the elevation of the lake bottom. Data may be downloaded from: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/f/f104nc/html/f-1-04-nc.meta.html
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No further work on the lake is planned at this time. A follow-on survey would be appropriate in the event of a major flood event.
The authors would like to thank: Larry Kooker, Gerald O'Brien, Mike Boyle, and Greg Gable (all of the USGS) for their assistance in conducting the field program. Funding for this study was provided by the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program. Noah Snyder, Charlie Alpers, and Pete Dartnell kindly reviewed the report. David Finlayson provided the perspective figures 3 and 4.
Childs, J.R., Snyder, N.P., and Hampton, M.A., 2003, Bathymetric and geophysical surveys of Englebright Lake, Yuba-Nevada Counties, California, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-383 http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of03-383/
Snyder, N.P. and Hampton, M.A., 2003, Preliminary Cross Section of Englebright Lake Sediments, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2003-397 http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of03-397/
Snyder, N. P., Alpers, C. N., Flint, L. E., Curtis, J. A., Hampton, M. A., Haskell, B. J., and Nielson, D. L., 2004a, Report on the May-June 2002 Englebright Lake Deep Coring Campaign, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1061 http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1061/
Snyder, N.P., Allen, J.R., Dare, C., Hampton, M.A., Schneider, G., Wooley, R.J., Alpers, C.N., and Marvin-DiPasquale, M.C., 2004b, Sediment Grain-Size and Loss-on-Ignition Analyses from 2002 Englebright Lake Coring and Sampling Campaigns, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1080 http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1080/
Snyder, N. P., Rubin, D. M., Alpers, C. N., Childs, J. R., Curtis, J. A., Flint, L. E., and Wright, S. A., 2004c, Estimating accumulation rates and physical properties of sediment behind a dam: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California, Water Resources. Research, 40, W11301, doi:10.1029/2004WR003279.
Upper Yuba River Studies Program
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For questions about the content of this report contact
Jon R. Childs
U.S. Geological Survey Mail Stop 999
345 Middlefield Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3561
This report is available only on the Web | <urn:uuid:4e53d36c-20a7-4f6a-b0b0-9137635fd42a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1346/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00114-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920389 | 2,560 | 3.625 | 4 |
Yacht Racing - Allowances For Tide Or Current-Shoal Spots
( Originally Published 1911 )
IN a great many localities, especially on salt water, the tide or current runs strong enough to be carefully figured on in sailing a race. You should always know whether the tide is coming or going, and in what general direction it runs on various parts of the course. If the wind is light it may make a great difference to the boat if she is held slightly high of the course to offset the tide or current. You should also use judgment in rounding marks and know how the current runs past them, so that you shall not be set down on the marks and foul them, being unable to get clear at the last moment.
In river and lake sailing there is usually a back eddy close to shore, or under certain points of land, and these favorable spots should be worked, as a head current retards the progress of a boat very materially. I have had experience in river and lake sailing where two rivers meet; the current in one being very strong and yet twenty feet further off ; in the other there is practically still water, the dividing line being marked by shoal water and a distinct difference in the color of the water, one being brown and the other green. Use one current in beating to windward and the other in returning before the wind.
Many races are won by reason of the skipper knowing where the shoal spots lie and avoiding them, as the boat slows up in shoal water ; also by his knowing how to work the shore with its eddies and favorable slants of wind, and where the current or tide will favor him the greatest when sailing in a certain direction. If you are drifting along over a finish line, as is often the case, going directly with the current, it sometimes is an excellent scheme to slightly turn your boat across the current in order to bring the flat side of your fin or centerboard against the strength of push of the current, this offering more resistance than through the sharp front and rear edge of the fin.
If you are uncertain about the direction of tide or current it is a good rule to keep slightly to windward of the course, having a little to come and go on. at all times.
In reaching across a current that is fast setting you to windward, keep well to leeward of your mark in order to sail a straight line. Remember that the general tendency of a man setting out to windward, sailing a boat on a reach, is to keep the bow of the boat on the mark, where in reality the boat is sailing high of her course going through an arc of a circle.
To tell exactly how you are sailing get directly amidships and look along over your bow. | <urn:uuid:4f200b66-998d-4a9f-b3be-4da558150d60> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.oldandsold.com/articles25/yacht-17.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00111-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963365 | 566 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Buddhism In Japan Heian Period
A selection of articles related to buddhism in japan heian period.
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- Buddhism: An Overview
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- I entrust myself to earth, Earth entrusts herself to me. I entrust myself to Buddha, Buddha entrusts herself to me. In Buddhism, there are three gems: Buddha, the awakened one; Dharma, the way of understanding and loving; and Sangha, the community that lives...
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Buddhism In Japan Heian Period is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Buddhism In Japan Heian Period books and related discussion.
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- Kyoto Prefecture is home to a Buddhist temple called Byodo-in. The complex's most famous ... It was during the middle of Heian Period when the Japanese poets fell in love with the cherry blossoms and lauded it as a national flower.
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Buddhism In Japan Heian Period Topics
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boxer rebellion eight nation alliance | <urn:uuid:1d307538-8276-4f9e-923f-c60c64b59fcb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.realmagick.com/buddhism-in-japan-heian-period/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00070-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.897958 | 1,023 | 2.828125 | 3 |
All About Wool
What is Wool?
Wool is the �hair� from a sheep. It is a renewable resource and is shorn from the sheep without injuring the animal. One reason wool is so popular is that the best wool is grown without any harm to the animals. Wool is biodegradable, so after your wool product has outlived its usefulness, it will break down into the soil - unlike plastic or polyester. Wool is a complex protein that keeps warm blooded animals properly temperature controlled in many different climates and temperatures. Just like human hair, wool requires gentle washing and conditioning to keep it soft and healthy.
Isn�t Wool Hot?
No, in fact wool has the unique ability to act as a breathable insulator. It helps keep the body at an even temperature and does not conduct heat. This means that during hot or cold weather it will keep you at a constant temperature. This is due to the small pockets of air formed by the fibers of the fabric.
Why is wool used to make diaper covers?
Wool diaper covers (also called soakers) are breathable and environmentally friendly. Wool has been used as a water-resistant cover for diapers for generations. It was only with the advent of rubber pants that wool soakers fell out of favor. Clean, lanolized wool covers will absorb 30% of their weight in moisture before they feel wet.
Lanolin on wool interacts with the ammonia in urine to form a soap. This makes wool covers 'self-cleaning'. Just hang them to air dry and they will stay fresh smelling for several uses. About once every week or so they can be handwashed in a lanolin rich soap. Every 3-4 weeks they will need lanolized to restore their amazing ability to neutralize urine odors.
Because it is breathable, wool is a natural choice for babies with sensitive skin. Their skin stays dryer and they stay happier.
Hand knit or crocheted diaper covers and longies (long pants) are regaining popularity as more moms and dads discover the unique benefits of this natural fiber.
Cool Wool Facts:
*Wool is very resilient � it can be bent and stretched over 20,000 times and still not damage or break. Compare that to only 3,000 times for cotton and 2,000 times for silk. Properly cared for wool can last more than one generation.
* Wool is naturally flame-resistant and will resist burning.
*Wool has natural elasticity that allows it to be stretched as much as 1/3 of its length and still snap back into shape.
*The complex cellular structure of wool allows it to absorb moisture between the cells but still give the feeling of being dry. Wool naturally moves moisture from the wet side of the fabric to the dryer side. This helps it to evaporate extra moisture, making wool a great choice for a night time diaper cover.
For more information about wool see the American Sheep Industry Association site. | <urn:uuid:93ab6ac0-8d42-41a1-a28b-e34cab40bc1c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sheepishgrins.com/pages/AboutWool.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949767 | 613 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Mental Health Statistics
May is Mental Health Month again, so it’s also a good time to review the mental health statistics behind mental illness. Some of the statistics going around aren’t entirely accurate, because they’re based upon outdated web pages on the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) website. This misinformation is then propagated by well-meaning people and organizations, including NAMI and others. Sadly, the NIMH website is not as accurate or up-to-date as people like to think it is (I think that because it’s a government resource, people just assume it’s accurate and correct).
For instance, the NIMH Statistics page puts data into context of 2004 Census data. Well, it’s 2010, not 2004, and we have more up-to-date Census data. Also according to the more recent NCS-R data, it’s not really 1 in 4 Americans who could be diagnosed with a mental disorder in any given year — it’s 1 in 3!
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009 we had an estimated 307,006,550 people living in the U.S., approximately 75.5 percent of which are 18 or older. This translates to 231,789,945 adults. If we use the estimate of 26.2 percent of adults 18 or older who suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, that translates into 60.7 million Americans. But I think the “26.2 percent of adults” number is also inaccurate and not up-to-date.
According to the most recent prevalence data we have (from the NCS-R, Kessler et al 2005, which is based upon 9,282 subjects), the 12 month prevalence rate for any mental disorder or substance disorder is 32.4 percent. Substance disorders — like alcoholism — are recognized in the rest of the world as a mental disorder, and indeed are included in the DSM-IV as such. So why the NIMH would leave those out of the estimate is beyond me.
So looking at these numbers with the latest data, we have nearly 1 in 3 Americans who are suffering from a mental disorder in any given year, or over 75 million people.
Behind the Numbers
Let’s break down the rates by category, as the NCS-R does:
|Any Anxiety Disorder||23.4%||14.3%||19.1%|
|Any Mood Disorder||11.6%||7.7%||9.7%|
|Any Impulse-Control Disorder||9.3%||11.7%||10.5%|
|Any Substance Disorder||11.6%||15.4%||13.4%|
As we can see, women are at a significantly greater risk for any anxiety disorder (more than double the risk for a specific phobia, like a fear of spiders, for panic disorder, and for post-traumatic stress disorder). They are also at slightly more risk for a mood disorder — especially for depression, where their rate is nearly double that of men’s risk for depression.
Men are at greater risk for impulse-control disorders, but no disorder significantly stands out except conduct disorder (more than 4 times the risk). Men are at more risk for substance disorders across the board as well, with more than twice the risk for alcoholism and three times the risk for drug abuse.
Looking at lifetime prevalence rates is also interesting and quite eye-opening. For any mental disorder (including substance disorders), the lifetime prevalence rate is an astonishing 57.4 percent. That’s more than every 1 in 2 Americans. If you don’t think mental illness will impact your life, you’re sadly mistaken. If it doesn’t hit you, it’s going to hit someone you love or are close to.
Kessler, R.C., Chiu, W.T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., Walters, E.E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617-627.
Kessler, R.C., Berglund, P.A., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K.R., Walters, E.E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593-602.
Grohol, J. (2010). Mental Health Statistics. Psych Central. Retrieved on July 1, 2016, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/05/03/mental-health-statistics/ | <urn:uuid:c7b34414-7377-488e-b27e-73c869bc2af1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/05/03/mental-health-statistics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.896333 | 1,039 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Last week I wrote about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new proposed standard for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants. The long-awaited regulation would limit emissions to 1,000 pounds of CO2per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity produced, essentially guaranteeing that no new coal power plants will be built in the U.S. without carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.
In an effort to minimize opposition to the proposed standard, the EPA emphasized the limited negative impact on industry, as utility companies are already choosing to invest in natural gas rather than coal plants for new capacity. This is due mostly to abundant new reserves of relatively cheap shale gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing.
So just how accurate are the EPA’s claims that the proposed regulation is in line with industry business-as-usual? Other projections of future coal plant construction support the overall claim that the industry was already moving away from investing in new coal power.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected there would be “virtually no new coal in [the] reference case [scenario] following several CCS demos.” The EIA reports that there are 9.3 gigawatts (GW) of new coal capacity currently planned by 2015, and none thereafter. Nearly all of this new capacity will be built within the next 12 months and will therefore be exempt from the proposed CO2 standards. Any plants scheduled to begin construction in more than a year will need to include CCS technologies in order to comply with the 1,000 pounds of CO2 per MWh limit of the proposed EPA regulation. Power plant emissions can be averaged over a 30-year period to meet the regulations, so it is also possible for power producers to build coal plants in the near-term provided they install CCS systems in the future.
The EIA further predicts that only another 0.9 GW of coal capacity (in addition to what is currently planned by 2015) would have been built by 2020 absent the new regulation, and just 0.3 GW more by 2035. Some of this new projected capacity will likely be avoided due to the EPA standard – the rest will, again, need to include CCS.
The total 10.5 GW of planned and unplanned coal capacity additions projected by the EIA is a relatively small fraction of the 178.2 GW of total projected capacity additions that will come online by 2035. The 10.5 GW of additional capacity is also much less than the 33.1 GW of coal capacity retirements estimated by 2035, most of which will occur before 2015. Projected coal capacity additions account for only about one percent of U.S. current installed capacity of 1,000 GW (including more than 300 GW from coal).
A Barclays study found that the proposed carbon standard would reduce future coal capacity additions from 6.6 GW to 2.2 GW – the equivalent of adding about ten fewer coal power plants of nearly 500 MW each. While ten fewer coal plants is certainly a positive step, this number is small when compared to the more than 700 coal power plants already operating in the U.S. which will remain unaffected by the standard.
Jim Rogers, president of Duke Energy, one of the largest utilities and coal electricity producers in the U.S., echoed these projections saying that over “the next two decades, we do not plan to build another coal plant,” adding that as a result, “the regulations are not relevant.”
As I wrote last week, the proposed regulation is a historic step, as it marks the first time CO2 emissions have been regulated in the U.S. However, by most accounts, the energy choices mandated by the standard would have taken place even in the absence of the EPA regulation. In order for the EPA CO2 regulation to be meaningful, it is essential that the current proposed standard be strengthened over time and expanded to cover existing power plants.
Shakuntala Makhijani is a Climate and Energy Research Associate at the Worldwatch Institute. | <urn:uuid:78fe4dd0-b16d-4289-97ba-23d22567a635> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/u-s-proposes-historic-but-lax-carbon-regulations-for-fossil-fuel-power-plants-part-2-of-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960491 | 834 | 2.875 | 3 |
Switching power supply whose output voltage is appreciably lower than its input voltage has an interesting property: the current drawn by it is smaller than its output current. However, the input power (UI) is, of course, greater than the output power. There is another aspect that needs to be watched: when the input voltage at switch-on is too low, the regulator will tend to draw the full current. When the supply cannot cope with this, it fails or the fuse blows. It is, therefore, advisable to disable the regulator at switch-on (via the on/off input). until the relevant capacitor has been charged. When the regulator then starts to draw current, the charging current has already dropped to a level which does not overload the voltage source.
Soft Start Circuit For Switching Power Supply
The circuit in the diagram provides an output voltage of 5 V and is supplied by a 24 V source. The regulator need not be disabled until the capacitor is fully charged: when the potential across the capacitor has reached a level of half or more of the input voltage, all is well. This is why the zener diode in the diagram is rated at 15 V. Many regulators produced by National Semiconductor have an integral on/off switch, and this is used in the present circuit. The input is intended for TTL signals, and usually consists of a transistor whose base is accessible externally. This means that a higher switching voltage may be applied via a series resistor: the value of this in the present circuit is 22 kΩ. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches a level of about 17 V, transistor T1 comes on, whereupon the regulator is enabled.
Source: National Semiconductors | <urn:uuid:b41dcc19-a8f7-4c48-a7c5-bb38c94a2c19> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://kumpulanrangkaianelektronik.blogspot.com/2012/05/soft-start-for-switching-power-supply.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00185-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940802 | 347 | 3.96875 | 4 |
Engaging and Manipulating the Tuning Lever
If your tuning lever has adjustable length, pull it out about 3 inches and lock it in place. Hold the handle of the tuning lever in your RH and the socket in your LH and engage the socket over the pin. Orient the handle so that it is approximately perpendicular to the strings and pointing to your right. Lightly jiggle the handle around the pin with your RH and engage the socket with your LH so that the socket is securely engaged, as far down as it will go. From day one, develop a habit of jiggling the socket so that it is securely engaged. At this point, the handle is probably not perfectly perpendicular to the strings; just choose the socket position so that the handle is as close to perpendicular as the socket position will allow. Now find a way to brace your RH so that you can apply firm pressure on the lever. For example, you can grab the tip of the handle with the thumb and one or two fingers, and brace the arm on the wooden piano frame or brace your pinky against the tuning pins directly under the handle. If the handle is closer to the plate (the metal frame) over the strings, you might brace your hand against the plate. You should not grab the handle like you hold a tennis racket and push-pull to turn the pin -- this will not give enough control. You may be able to do that after years of practice, but in the beginning, grabbing the handle and pushing without bracing against something is too difficult to control accurately. So develop a habit of finding good places to brace your hand against, depending on where the handle is. Practice these positions making sure that you can exert controlled, constant, powerful pressure on the handle, but do not turn any pins yet.
The lever handle must point to the right so that when you turn it towards you (the string goes sharp), you counteract the force of the string and free the pin from the front side of the hole (towards the string). This allows the pin to turn more freely because of the reduction in friction. When you tune flat, both you and the string are trying to turn the pin in the same direction. Then the pin would turn too easily, except for the fact that both your push and the string's pull jam the pin against the front of the hole, increasing the pressure (friction) and preventing the pin from rotating too easily. If you had placed the handle to the left, you run into trouble for both the sharp and flat motions. For the sharp motion, both you and the string jam the pin against the front of the hole, making it doubly difficult to turn the pin, and damaging the hole. For the flat motion, the lever tends to lift the pin off from the front edge of the hole and reduces the friction. In addition, both the lever and string are turning the pin in the same direction. Now the pin now turns too easily. The lever handle must point to the left for uprights. Looking down on the tuning pin, the lever should point to 3 o'clock for grands and to 9 o'clock for uprights. In both cases, the lever is on the side of the last winding of the string.
Professional tuners do not use these lever positions. Most use 1-2 o'clock for grands and 10-11 o'clock for uprights and Reblitz recommends 6 o'clock for grands and 12 o'clock for uprights. In order to understand why, let's first consider positioning the lever at 12 o'clock on a grand (it is similar at 6 o'clock). Now the friction of the pin with the pinblock is the same for both the sharp and flat motions. However, in the sharp motion, you are going against the string tension and in the flat motion, the string is helping you. Therefore, the difference in force needed between sharp and flat motions is much larger than the difference when the lever is at 3 o'clock, which is a disadvantage. However, unlike the 3 o'clock position, the pin does not rock back and forth during tuning so that when you release the pressure on the tuning lever, the pin does not spring back -- it is more stable -- and you can get higher accuracy.
The 1-2 o'clock position is a good compromise that makes use of both of the advantages of the 3 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions. Beginners do not have the accuracy to take full advantage of the 1-2 o'clock position, so my suggestion is to start with the 3 o'clock position, which should be easier at first, and transition to the 1-2 o'clock position as your accuracy increases. When you become good, the higher accuracy of the 1-2 o'clock position can speed up your tuning so that you can tune each string in just a few seconds. At the 3 o'clock position, you will need to guess how much the pin will spring back and over-tune by that amount, which takes more time. Clearly, exactly where you place the lever will become more important as you improve. | <urn:uuid:805bcec6-2ed7-48be-8831-7a67a3b4bccd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://contentspiano.blogspot.com/2006/02/engaging-and-manipulating-tuning-lever.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00128-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945509 | 1,050 | 3.25 | 3 |
Definitions of odds
a. - Difference in favor of one and against another; excess of one of two things or numbers over the other; inequality; advantage; superiority; hence, excess of chances; probability.
a. - Quarrel; dispute; debate; strife; -- chiefly in the phrase at odds.
The word "odds" uses 4 letters: D D O S.
No direct anagrams for odds found in this word list.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after odds (in bold), or to ddos in any order:
a - dados e - dosed i - didos o - dodos y - soddy
Shorter words found within odds:
do dos od odd ods os so sod
List shorter words within odds, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in odds, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with odds, words containing odds or words ending with odds
All words formed from odds by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: od dd ds
Browse words starting with odds by next letter
Previous word in list: oddnesses
Next word in list: oddsmaker
Some random words: eject | <urn:uuid:cfcfdf7f-de3a-466b-ba56-fe2f68d060d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.morewords.com/word/odds/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00174-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.787306 | 255 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Text and photos by guest blogger Rayna Rusenko
On May 29, 2006, everything changed for the Indonesian district of Sidoarjo. It was here, just 30 minutes outside of Surabaya—on land populated by farmers, shrimpers, and small residential communities—that Indonesian oil and gas company PT Lapindo Brantas set up a gas exploration project looking for new, exploitable domestic resources.
What the company hit upon on this fateful day, however, was something else entirely. As Lapindo Brantas was drilling at its Banjar-Panji well, it triggered a massive mud volcano—one now known to the world as the Lapindo mudflow—the 21st century's greatest industrial disaster. Its outpouring of volcanic sludge swallowed 14 villages and displaced tens of thousands of people. It poisoned surrounding ecosystems and destroyed regional infrastructure. East Java's once thriving economy was all but ruined.
Since this tragedy began, the only thing greater than the Indonesian government's failure to support the victims has been Lapindo Brantas's relentless drive to downplay and evade responsibility. The fact that billionaire businessman and politician Aburizal Bakrie (then Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare) claims co-ownership of the company explains why an emboldened Lapindo has continued to get away with this crime while the Indonesian government stands by, complicit in its inaction.
One of only a few floating cranes, seen helplessly shoveling mud onto a 'wall' in an effort to prevent the flow from reaching neighboring areas
Despite recent global interest in issues of corporate accountability, environmental stewardship, and the rights of marginalized communities, international civil society has not yet turned its attention to the plight of Sidoarjo. As a result, Sidoarjo's dispossessed have been left on their own—without homes, jobs, possessions, or compensation.
More information on this disaster may be found at Portal Korban Lumpur, or conducting a search for «Sijoardo» at the Jakarta Post. In addition, Al Jazeera did an excellent in-depth documentary on the issue titled "People & Power: Muddy Justice:"
Well-known Indonesian educator and author Gus Maksum, displaced by the disaster along with his village of Jatirejo, has also been a vocal proponent for the need to recognize the social, cultural and environmental impact of the catastrophe.
In Titanic Made by Lapindo, his remarkable first-hand account of this unimaginable catastrophe, Maksum exposes the role of public officials, environmental scientists, members of the press, “disaster tourists," and Lapindo Brantas representatives as they all swarm to Sidoarjo in an attempt to capitalize on the spectacle of East Java's industrial mudflow. Recalling events that unfolded during the first year of the disaster, the author weaves tones of deep emotion, incredulity, and unabashed humor as he tells the story of a community struggling to preserve social and cultural ties—as well as dignity—in the face of sorrow, stress, uncertainty and loss.
Too few people know about the disaster and its survivors' quest for just compensation and support, so Maksum believes that the quickest path to bringing an end to the injustice committed against the people and ecology of Sidoarjo is to tell the world about its existence. Originally published in Indonesian in 2007, Titanic Made by Lapindo is now available in English for global audiences from the non-profit Jogjakarta-based publisher, Lafadl Initiatives.
Lafadl Initiatives' website includes an excerpt from the book, pictures, and updates. Lafadl Initiatives has also released a pamphlet for "Titanic Made by Lapindo" (part of its Sharing Voices, Sharing Lives book series) and an organizational brochure.
For those who want to learn even more about Sidoarjo, please contact Lafadl Initiatives at: kantor (at) lafadl.org. Titanic Made by Lapindo may be ordered as either a traditional print book or an iBook. To order a version for iPhone, visit this site.
Rayna Rusenko is a Tokyo-based translator and activist whose work focuses on poverty, migration, and civil rights issues. She may be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:33611840-3ce5-4c55-ad39-8005adb0fe72> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://tenthousandthingsfromkyoto.blogspot.com/2010/05/sinking-of-sijoardo-industrial-mudflow.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00040-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9445 | 896 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Under the Sea
Students learn to use a table of contents, index, and glossary to research marine animals.
- Grades: 3–5
- Unit Plan:
Students will understand that non-fiction books have features like a table of contents, a glossary, and an index, which can efficiently help them find information. They will also learn how to narrow the search for information by breaking the topic down into smaller categories.
- Locate and use the table of contents, index, and glossary, in non-fiction books.
- Sort ocean animals into different categories according to ecosystem and/or classification.
- Projector or chart paper to record responses for KWL Chart (PDF): what students know, what they want to know, what they have learned
Markers or pens
A selection of non-fiction books to read aloud on ocean animals
Colored sentence strips
- Index cards (40)
Tape or magnets
- Cart of books on ocean animals
- Bookmark forms with Name, Animal Name, Page Number, Index, Table of Contents, and Glossary printed on them
- Task card
Set Up and Prepare
- Print the KWL Chart or make one on chart paper with three columns: what students know, what they want to know, and what they have learned.
Post chart paper or get an overhead projector
Select students who will copy animal names off the chart and onto the blank index cards (one name per card).
- Have a system to quickly divide students into small groups of 3-4.
- Have students who finish class-work early, or are willing to stay in at recess time, help you find a book that mentions each animal that you have on index cards. Use the index card as a bookmark for the page in the book that talks about the animal.
- Prepare enough books so that each group will have at least four books. Each set of books can be placed in a tub for easy distribution.
- Place task card in computer center in the classroom.
- Write the classes of ocean animals (fish, mammal, reptile, crustacean, mollusk, amphibian) on one set of sentence strips.
- On sentence strips of a different color or white sentence strips with a different colored marker, write the following ocean zones: the sunlit zone which includes the coral reef, the tide pool, the rocky ocean floor, and the sandy ocean floor; the twilight zone; the deep ocean; and the abyss.
- Duplicate bookmark forms (enough for the class plus fifteen).
- Get an overhead projector.
Step 1: Assess Prior Knowledge
"Now that we have learned so much about the ocean and its importance to us, it's time to study specific animals and their ecosystems in the ocean. You will be learning how to do research on an ocean animal of your choice. Can anyone name some animals that live in the ocean?"
Record student responses on the KWL Chart. (To save teacher time, I usually have a few students write the names of the animals on index cards as I write them on the chart.) Once everyone that would like to participate has contributed, lead the class into a discussion about what they would like to know about the various animals listed. Record these responses on the KWL Chart. Keep the KWL Chart hanging in the room and add new information as it is found.
Step 2: Introduce Research Materials
"Where are we going to find information about these amazing creatures?" (The students will have lots of ideas, such as the library, Internet, or textbooks.) "Non-fiction picture books are one of my favorite resources. I have some beautiful big books by Melvin Berger about the coral reefs and sharks. Some of you might think that big books are for younger children, but wait until you see these! I think you'll change your mind."
Read aloud and discuss the two big books. See Our Best Books for Teaching This Unit for other good books. Any book about the topic will do. Define and use the Table of Contents, Index, and Glossary. Show several examples. Explain that these tools will come in handy when students are trying to find a book that has information about the ocean animal they have chosen to research.
Step 3: Categorizing
Divide the class into small groups of three or four students. The names of the animals that the students brainstormed have been printed on index cards and the index cards have been placed in books that have information on that animal. Give a set of books or a tub of books to each group. Have students remove the cards from the books. On the board, post the sentence strips with the animal classifications on them. (Mammal, Fish, Reptile, Amphibian, Crustacean, Mollusk, etc.) Give the student groups a couple of minutes to decide which classification fits each of their animals named on the index cards. Tell the students that they will each be responsible for one animal and that they should be able to support their classification decisions based on prior instruction. Have the group agree on each member's answer. Then have each student, coming to the board with his or her group, post an animal card under the classification heading where he or she feels it belongs.
"Are there other ways to group these animals? What about where they live? What is that called?" (Students should be able to provide you with "environment" or "ecosystem.") "Either way of grouping the animals is helpful to scientists, whether it's by classification or ecosystem."
This is important because the students will need to be able to classify both ways when they choose an animal for their research. Ask the students to come and get the index cards they posted and take them back to their seats.
Change headings from classifications to ecosystems, posting Sunlit Zone (which includes different areas such as the coral reef, sandy ocean floor, tide pools, etc.), Twilight Zone, Deep Ocean, and Abyss.
Ask the students, by group, to take the same animals they posted by class and post them again where they might live in the ocean. Point out to students that knowing about an animal's ecosystem and classification can lead them more quickly to information about a specific animal. If they are looking for a Gray Whale, they won't have to look in any of the books about fishes, because whales are mammals and don't belong to the fish group.
"I will call you up by groups to retrieve your index card. After you get your cards, you will look for this same animal in one of the books I have placed with your group. You will fill out a bookmark like this one (use the overhead to show what the bookmark form looks like and to help kids track). It has a place for your name, the animal's name, the number of the page you found in the book where your animal is discussed, and how you found that page. Did you look in the glossary, the index, or the table of contents? If you cannot find your animal in any of the books at your group, raise your hand and I will let you come to the book cart to see if you can find a better book. Once you find a reference to your animal, complete the answers on the bookmark. Next, read about your animal. When you are finished, put your bookmark and index card in the book on the page that talks about your animal."
During the class period for teaching Reading/Language Arts, have students practice using the table of contents, glossary, and index of their reading books.
Homework: Students will choose two animals from two different categories (either two different classifications or two different environments) and in one or two simple sentences explain why these animals fit into two different categories. (Students could not choose a narwhale and sperm whale since they are part of the same mammal classification and same environment. They could choose viperfish and clown anemonefish, since one lives in the deep ocean and the other lives in the sunlit zone of the ocean.)
Did the children enjoy the activities? Did they stay engaged? Where were the problem areas? What do you need to review? Do students know where to look for the glossary, index, and table of contents?
Circulate and check that students have correctly found information. Ask students if they read anything about classification or ecosystem. Note the students who seem to be having difficulty. Have ready extra animal index cards to give to students who finish quickly. Have them fill out another bookmark form. | <urn:uuid:c34dab31-fb59-44df-a99a-5f62e2662609> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/under-sea | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00100-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941261 | 1,759 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Paradox of the Arctic Fox
This cunning animal's appetites are a powerful force in Far North ecosystems, and once human beings get into the act, the fragility of those ecosystems becomes all too clear
Out on the flower-spangled tundra, the fox hesitated; and in the indecision of that raised forepaw, researcher Alice Stickney felt that she could read the small predator's thought: Two eggs, one mouth; there must be a way!
It was an arctic fox — a male Alopex lagopus. By November, he would skitter across the polar ice like a ball of pure white fluff. But now, in his brown-blotched summer coat, he looked rangy—even haggard. And with those circles of dark fur under his eyes, he appeared to Stickney more the villain in character with what he was doing: stealing eggs from wild sea goose nests on Alaska's Yukon River Delta. "His problem," the biologist recalls, "was that he had stolen one black brant egg and was trotting off to cache it somewhere, when he passed a second egg. He paused, moved on, then stopped and went back. You could see him teetering on the horns of dilemma. Here was an animal genetically programmed not to pass up an egg." The fox finally made its call with what seemed to Stickney — a biologist for ABR, Inc., of Fairbanks, which has conducted fox behavioral studies for oil companies — to be perfectly foxy logic. He simply dropped the cream-colored egg he carried, picked up the second and sallied resolutely on across the wet Arctic green.
In Native lore, the white fox is neither clever nor cunning. It is a harmless sprite of the long northern night, a cheery escort with a saucy bark that announces the arrivals of polar bears. And with lightsome feet, the fox escorts the souls of children to the swirling, heavenward dance of the aurora borealis. But poignancies aside, the creature's appetite for eggs and birds is a powerful force in Far North ecosystems. And once human beings get into the act, whether by fox farming on islands or by overhunting waterfowl, the fragility of those ecosystems becomes all too clear.
Says Vernon Byrd, supervisory wildlife biologist for the Alaska National Maritime Wildlife Refuge, "We know that foxes take thousands of eggs and birds from refuge islands each year. And it's millions we're talking about over the years." Byrd and coworkers have spent two decades working—with considerable success—to restore bird colonies wiped out by fox populations established for fur farming between 1750 and 1950 on more than 450 islands. All concerned agree that removing introduced foxes from the islands is a biologically sound correction of human mismanagement.
On the mainland, however, foxes are indigenous, their relationship to bird colonies snore complex and human intercession far less easy to justify — much less pull off. In the late 1970s and the 1980s, after decades of slow declines, four nesting goose species on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta reached unprecedented lows. The reason was largely overhunting by people, which took place at both ends of the birds' migratory paths. And the hunting, says Tom Rothe, waterfowl coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, "pushed the populations down to the level where other factors kicked in."
One of those factors was the arctic fox, which was going through a population boom. "In no way do we want to suggest arctic foxes caused the decline in geese," Rothe says. "But it's fair to say they suppressed the recovery." The hunting is now limited by more restrictive regulations and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Goose Management Plan formulated with rural hunters in Alaska, and the goose populations have largely recovered. Says Rothe, "Eventually, the geese outnumbered the ability of foxes to hold them back. The bottom line is that normally arctic foxes don't control bird populations. Only if the foxes are on an island or if goose populations get very low do foxes have an impact."
But it appears that people can alter the fox-bird equilibrium in other unintended ways too. Take the growing number of landfills and dumpsters in some Far North areas. "Because of the steady food supply from the accessible garbage, more foxes survive the winter and have more pups, and come summer they eat more birds," says Robert Burgess, senior research biologist and coworker with Stickney at ABR.
Foxes have been known to sit up begging for food when oilfield workers leave their pickup trucks. One snow goose colony that sprang up on Howe Island near Prudhoe Bay in the early 1970s now numbers about 500 pairs, but the birds and their young have suffered the consequences of living near an Arctic human enclave. Garbage draws the wide-ranging foxes, which then scout for more food, crossing the ice to the island in spring for newly laid eggs, ambushing families moving to mainland rearing areas and taking flightless adults during the molt.
Arctic foxes are dimorphic, in that the same species can occur with winter coats of either white or blue. Most are white, with various censuses estimating the blue fox phase at 2 to 7 percent of the total. Populations of the white variety are concentrated on the coastal plains of circumpolar regions. The blue fox phase exists mainly near bird colonies, probably because the dusky color is a better camouflage among the cliffs and rocks.
More typically, an arctic fox is tundra brown in summer, ice white in winter, and its waking life is a restless foxtrot punctuated by quick pounces. White foxes will steal eggs from tundra-nesting waterfowl and shorebirds, but for the most part, they depend on lemmings, voles and scavenged carcasses of sea mammals.
If the Arctic's four-year lemming cycle is low, only one or two pups might survive the average whelping of seven. But if the cycle is high, as many as 15 pups are born, and most will survive. Their 8-pound parents spend the summer with legs a-blur, snatching rodents they then deliver to the pups or to caches. In winter, hungry foxes may gather at the heels of wolves or polar bears, traveling many hundreds of miles to scavenge the leavings of the larger predators' kills. Biologist Byrd reports seeing as many as 50 foxes at a walrus carcass. Canadian researcher Fred Bruemmer reports arctic foxes "eating tunnels into the corpse of a 60-foot whale, until the colossal carcass resembled a Swiss cheese."
Ed West, a biology professor at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, can chuckle now at the memory of himself chasing arctic foxes across the tundra of an Aleutian island a few years back. "I had spent weeks setting up this field research project," he says. "I had packed in and set up a Weatherport base, installed an oil stove and tables, stocked it neatly with food, and then gone back to the mainland to get my wife." He came back to find the foxes had gotten to it all. "Food, clothing, candles—it didn't matter. They had everything in the place ripped open and ripped apart and had spread a healthy layer of defecation over the whole mess. When we walked in, I remember there was this one little fox in particular sitting in the mess on my bed, and he just cocked his head and said with a look as plain as English: 'Oh. And just what are you?"
The bird-predating blue phase foxes, however, don't have to be so opportunistic. Each spring, seabirds come, lay eggs, rear their young and leave. Colonies of gulls, cormorants, murres, auklets, guillemots and puffins in all circumpolar regions draw resident blue foxes that systematically collect eggs, fledglings and adults.
Both types of arctic fox cache food for retrieval during the bitter winter. The white tundra foxes are known as "scatter cachers," often burying their summer surplus where they find it. Their blue-phase kin, on the other hand, store their harvests in centrally located and often impressively stocked "larder" caches.
Prior to their introduction by fur farmers—by Russians as early as 1750, and by Americans as late as the middle of this century—no foxes existed on the Aleutian Islands, nor on most of the other Alaskan islands to which they were introduced. The foxes were transplanted to the islands simply because the vast avian colonies were a natural smorgasbord. Then barrels of "fox fodder"—voles and ground squirrels that later caused severe erosion problems—were introduced to supplement the bird diet.
The results, says Edgar Bailey, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist who has spent decades monitoring fox and bird activity, were "devastating." By the mid-1920s, with fox prices soaring to up to $2,800 a pelt and harvests from the Alaskan farms totaling tens of thousands of pelts per year, foxes were killing 40,000 or more seabirds per island per year. Entire colonies of burrow-nesting seabirds like storm-petrels, Cassin's auklets and tufted puffins were wiped out. Mobs of gulls and auklets, murrelets, storm-petrels, terns, puffins, loons, black oystercatchers and others disappeared. Sky-clouding flocks of common eiders faded to wisps.
In the 1970s, USFWS biologists began the fox-eradication program. "It's going to take awhile," says Byrd. "But with the exceptions of some populations that were completely wiped out, there's no reason to think that the rookeries won't rebuild to their old levels." Though the Aleutian Canada goose, for example, is now federally listed as threatened, its recovery is nearly assured.
On the Yukon Delta, however, if waterfowl populations were to drop precipitously again, solutions would not be so easy. "It's easy to know what to do with artificially introduced foxes on islands," says researcher Stickney. "It's another matter entirely to deal with a species in an established ecosystem." Especially ecosystems as delicate as those of the Far North's wetlands and a species as far-ranging as the arctic fox. As long as people insist on being in the tundra, they're going to have neighbors that are a bit cheeky and a bit sneaky—but also are fluffy, yappy celebrations of life in what can be such brutal country.
For More On Alaska
When predation by arctic foxes slowed the recovery of overhunted geese populations on the YukonKuskokwim Delta in the 1980s, that relationship helped illustrate the fragile balance of the ecosystem, as well as the vital importance of the state's 175 million acres of wetlands to both the birds and the foxes. One of NWF's primary issues in Alaska is protection of wetland habitats. If you would like to stay informed on Alaska wildlife and environmental issues, write: Alaska Natural Resource Center, NWF-NW, 750 West Second Avenue, Suite 200, Anchorage, Alaska 99501.
Author of Leaving Alaska (Grove Atlantic, 1994), Grant Sims freelances in Corvallis, Oregon. | <urn:uuid:77089830-383a-425d-aab1-5f9ff6cde77b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nwf.org/Home/Wildlife/~/~/link.aspx?_id=63EB0953531E464E8319B80C5DFB0A3C&_z=z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00093-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963906 | 2,437 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The tidal turbine is due to start its two-year trial operation at EMEC in 2011. The installation of the foundation will start before the end of this year.
The tidal turbine is designed to feed approx. 1800 MWh of electricity into the grid per year.
The total investment is approx. £11.8 million and the tidal power project is supported by the British Government which is providing £1.7 million through the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund.
Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, RWE Innogy CEO, says: "We are testing a marine tidal current prototype for the first time on an industrial scale off the Scottish coast. The experience gathered here in terms of technology and economic efficiency will provide us with important information for our future growth in this sector.
“Following successful tests, we intend to install further marine tidal current power plants with an installed capacity of up to 100 MW mainly off the British coasts by 2020."
The tidal turbine
The tidal current turbines developed by Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies are installed completely under water and are anchored to the seabed.
The tidal turbines have direct drive and there is no need to adjust the rotor blade angle. The turbines use a permanent magnet generator and to avoid costly sealing solutions, the flow of sea water is deliberately channelled through the turbine, where it serves as a lubricant for the bearings, the companies say.
A first tidal turbine of this type with a capacity of 110 kW is currently being installed by Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies on the South Korean coast. | <urn:uuid:392c348d-fe73-43bc-ba31-e648f9dddba6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/10337/voith-and-rwe-to-test-tidal-current-turbine-in-orkney/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00059-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931627 | 322 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Evaluation approaches are the various conceptual arrangements made for designing and actually conducting the evaluation process. These approaches are classified below (source: Rosita de Guzman-Santos, 2008):
A. Pseudo-evaluation. These approaches are not acceptable evaluation practice, although the seasoned reader can surely think of a few examples where they have been used.
1. Politically controlled . Information obtained through politically controlled studies is released or withheld to meet the special interest of the holder.
2. Public relations studies or information is used to paint a positive image of an object regardless of the actual situation.
B. Objectivist, elite, quasi-evaluation. These are highly respected collection of disciplined inquiry approaches. The are quasi-evaluation because particular studies legitimately can focus only on questions of knowledge without addressing any questions of value.Such studies are, by definitions, not evaluations since it produce only characterizations without appraisals.
1. experimental research. This is used to determine causal relationships between variables. Its highly controlled and stylized methodology may not be sufficiently responsive to the dynamically changing needs of most human service programs, and thus posed its potential problem.
2. Management information Systems (MIS). This can give detailed information about the dynamic operations of complex programs. However, this information is restricted to readily quantifiable data usually available at regular intervals.
3. Testing Programs. These programs are good at comparing individuals or groups to selected norms in a number of subject areas or to set a standards of performance. However, they only focus on the testee performance and they might not adequately sample what is taught or expected.
4. Objectives-based approaches. These relate outcomes to prespecified objectives, allowing judgments to be made about their level of attainment. Unfortunately, hey only focus on outcomes too narrow to provide basis for determining the value of an object.
5. Content Analysis. This approach is considered a quasi-evaluation as it is not based on value judgment, only based on knowledge, thus not true evaluation. On the other hand, when content analysis judgments are based on values, such studies are evaluation.
C. Objectivist, mass, quasi-evaluation. Accountability is popular with constituents because it is intended to provide an accurate accounting of results that can improve the quality of products and services. However, this approach can quickly turn practitioners and consumers into adversaries when implemented in a heavy-handed fashion.
D. Objectivist, elite, true evaluation. The drawback in these studies can be corrupted or subverted by the politically motivated actions of the participants.
1. Decision-oriented studies. These are designed to provide knowledge based for making and defending decisions. It requires close collaboration between the evaluator and decision-maker allowing it to be susceptible to corruption and bias.
2. Policy studies. These provide general guidance and direction on broad issues by identifying and assessing potential costs and benefits of competing policies.
E. Objectivist, mass, true evaluation. Consumer-oriented studies are used to judge the relative merits of goods and services based on generalized needs and values, along with a comprehensive range of effects. However, this approach does not necessarily help practitioners improve their work, and it requires a very good and credible evaluation to do it well.
F. Subjectivist, elite, true evaluation. Accreditation/certification programs are based on self-study and peer review of organizations, programs and personnel. They draw on the insights, experience and expertise of qualified individuals who use established guidelines to determine if the applicant should be approved to perform specified functions. However, unless performance-based standards are used, attributes of applicants and the processes they preform often are over-emphasized in relation to measure of outcomes or effects.
G. Subjectivist, mass, true evaluation. These studies help people understand the activities and values involved from a variety of perspectives. However, this responsive approach can lead to low external credibility and a favorable bias toward those who participated in the study.
1. adversary approach focuses on drawing out the pros and cons of controversial issues through quasi-legal proceedings. This helps ensure a balanced presentation of different perspectives on the issues, but also likely to discourage later cooperation and heighten animosities between contesting parties if "winners" and "losers" emerge.
2. Client-centered studies address specific concerns and issues of practitioners and other clients of the study in a particular setting. These studies help people understand the activities and values involved from a variety of perspoectves. | <urn:uuid:376650a4-822f-45cb-a423-cbae3ae894d0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://olga-assessment.blogspot.com/2009/05/evaluation-approaches.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00157-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936661 | 917 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Family programmes aim to encourage family members to learn together. They should provide inter-generational learning to both adults and children and provide progression for the adult to other learning. The term ‘adult’ assumes that this includes mothers, fathers, carers, grandparents – whoever has a caring role for the child. The programmes have two main aims:
- To develop the skills or knowledge of the adult and the child
- To help adults to be more active in supporting their children’s learning and development with greater confidence and to understand why that is important.
These are used as an opportunity to engage families by providing a positive shared learning experience and are used as the opportunity to initially engage parents with low literacy or numeracy skills. Programmes can focus on a particular theme or activity such as arts and crafts, healthy eating or messy play and should be designed to give the adults the skills and confidence to support their children. These may initially be a short workshop leading onto a longer 10 hour programme.
Family English, Maths and Language (FEML)
These programmes aim to help parents and carers understand how English and Maths are taught so that they can support their children’s learning. The programmes vary according to the age of the children.
The adults’ prime motivation for coming on these courses is their children. Two trigger points for parents are, firstly, when their children begin to develop language and secondly, when they move into formal education. At both of these times parents may realise that they do not have the right set of skills to give their children the full support they would like to provide.
Typically FEML programmes are divided into sessions where parents learn with their children, and sessions where the adults and their children learn separately. These courses are taught by specialist Skills For Life tutors who work with the adults, alongside specialist teachers who support the children’s learning. All adults on these courses have the opportunity to take national qualifications and, as their English and Maths skills improve, they may move on to further learning and into employment.
- Family English, Maths and Language programmes must be delivered by qualified adult learning tutors with English and Maths or early years specialisms and should only be delivered to parents who have not achieved a full English or Maths qualification at level 2.
- Family Language is used to describe the programmes for families where English is not the primary language at home. They include a broad coverage of skills including family English, Maths and ICT courses.
For further information about family programmes please contact
Family Programmes Manager | <urn:uuid:fc22a4c7-f9e3-42a4-9e49-875a89959d24> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hampshire-learning/hl-providers/hl-family-learning.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00182-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95913 | 526 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Intellectual Property Rights
General Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property refers to the creations of the mind. Article 2(viii) of the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) provides that "intellectual property shall include rights relating to:
- literary, artistic and scientific works,
- performances of performing artists, phonograms and broadcasts,
- inventions in all fields of human endeavor,
- scientific discoveries,
- industrial designs,
- trademarks, service marks and commercial names and designations,
- protection against unfair competition, and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary or artistic fields"
Broadly, intellectual property is divided into two categories: industrial property and copyright. Industrial property includes inventions, trademarks, industrial designs and geographic indications while copyright include creative works like novels, poems, plays, films, musical works, computer software and artistic works.
The majority of countries in the world have a system of intellectual property protection and enforcement because it encourages innovation and creativity, which in turn leads to economic prosperity of the nation. The first intellectual property law was passed in Venice in the year 1474. This law protected the investor's interest against copying of their creation. England soon followed suit and in the year 1624 passed the Statute of Monopolies, which granted intellectual property rights to the inventor for a limited period. However, the intellectual property system as we know today commenced with the birth of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in 1883. The Paris Convention made it easier for individuals in one nation to obtain protection globally. This convention was followed by the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
This toolkit is intended to provide practical information on the intellectual property system of Pakistan to businesses, academics and others. | <urn:uuid:8450bf05-ddc1-4da6-8530-1bbe01b78fe9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/ipr.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00154-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.897825 | 371 | 3.625 | 4 |
Water-efficient fixtures help homes find significant water savings
Nationwide, the U.S. loses 1.7 trillion gal of water each year, which the U.S. Geological Survey estimates is equivalent to 16% of treated water never reaching the tap. This is the direct result of the aging and rapidly deteriorating system of pipe and plants that comprise U.S. water infrastructure.
While there is an urgent need to address rampant water loss resulting from aging infrastructure, immediate steps to alleviate the loss can be taken by replacing old, water-intensive plumbing fixtures and installing water-efficient ones — a step that could result in billions of gallons of water saved daily.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 3 billion gal per day in water savings would be achieved (about 7% of all publicly supplied water) by retrofitting pre-1992 toilets, showerheads, faucets and urinals in residences and other buildings with products meeting the current law, as well as WaterSense-labeled products.
WaterSense-labeled plumbing products save even more water; they are 20% more water-efficient than products meeting the current federal law, and also have been independently tested and certified to meet efficiency and performance standards. In order to bear the WaterSense label, fixtures must meet both the strict water flow standards and a minimum performance standard that is higher than the one for older models. This combination of low flow rates and high performance standards is often referred to as high-efficiency.
We live in a world of constrained water supplies, with more than 18 states across the country facing drought conditions ranging from “moderate” to “exceptional” based on the U.S. Drought Monitor March 2014 report. The issue of water efficiency is timely and urgent. With more than half of all indoor residential water use taking place in bathrooms and kitchens, Plumbing Manufacturers Intl. (PMI) members are doing their part to save water by producing thousands of different kinds of water-saving plumbing products.
Consider the 140,000 times you are likely to flush a toilet over a lifetime, and it is easy to see why toilets account for nearly 30% of a home’s water use. Replacing older, inefficient toilets can save the average family of four at least 16,000 gal and more than $100 per year in water bills, according to EPA. WaterSense models would save an additional 650 gal per year.
By law, all toilets made since 1995 must use no more than 1.6 gal per flush (gpf). Toilets that meet WaterSense requirements use just 1.28 gpf or less, on average, and can make a big difference, particularly at the local level, in water conservation efforts. The facts below show how much water a typical family of four can save in a year, based on the type of toilet in the household, if that toilet is replaced with a WaterSense high-efficiency model.
- Replacing a pre-1980 model using 7 gpf saves almost 42,000 gal per year.
- Replacing a pre-1980 model using 5 gpf saves almost 30,000 gal per year.
- Replacing a post-1980 model using 3.5 gpf saves more than 16,000 gal per year.
- Replacing a post-1990 model using 1.6 gpf saves more than 2,000 gal per year.
After the performance troubles of first-generation low-flow toilets of the late 1990s, plumbing manufacturers have made design advances that have enabled WaterSense-labeled toilets to save water with no trade-off in flushing power. The WaterSense program has set high performance standards to cast aside these concerns. In fact, many new toilets outperform standard models in consumer testing.
Since the introduction of low-flow 1.28- and 1.6-gpf toilets, questions have been raised about whether water-saving toilets flush with a sufficient volume of water to move solid wastes through building drain lines and municipal sewer systems. Industry research through the Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition presents no evidence that waste transport problems are due to low-flow toilets.
Water-efficient plumbing products are helping consumers and communities reduce the strain on our aging infrastructure. Two other WaterSense products that can be utilized in homes and businesses include kitchen and bathroom faucets and showerheads.
According to EPA, faucets account for more than 15% of indoor household water use — more than 1 trillion gal of water each year. Current law requires that new faucets not exceed 2.2 gal per minute (gpm); older faucets can flow anywhere from 3 to 7 gpm. Consumers can replace inefficient models with high-efficiency faucets and aerators that have flow rates of no more than 1.5 gpm, the current WaterSense standard.
Because showering accounts for nearly 17% of home indoor water use, high-efficiency showerheads can contribute significantly to water savings as well. WaterSense-labeled showerheads — ones that use no more than 2 gpm — reduce water use by up to 30% and allow consistently refreshing showers.
As is the case with all showerheads, regardless of flow rate, PMI encourages homeowners to take a precautionary step in assessing the capabilities of the shower valve behind the wall when installing replacement fixtures. It is important to match the showerhead flow rate with the capacity of the valve to ensure effective and safe temperature control.
EPA estimates that if every household had WaterSense products, the U.S. would save 3 trillion gal of water and more than $17 billion annually. A number of states, cities and counties that have faced water shortages over the past few years have adopted WaterSense standards for plumbing products, including Georgia, Texas and California; several others, such as Colorado, are currently considering or working to pass such legislation.
Water-efficient plumbing products help consumers and communities reduce the strain on our aging infrastructure, save water and lower utility costs. There is a wide variety of water-efficient plumbing products available in the U.S. Additionally, numerous rebates and conservation programs across the country are available to help offset the cost of retrofitting older fixtures with WaterSense-labeled products.
Retrofits offer the U.S. a smart and simple way to save trillions of gallons of water and billions of dollars each year. | <urn:uuid:1274fb06-0a58-4ac1-91ab-6e1ed22bbf9f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wqpmag.com/chasing-gallons | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396147.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00157-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932454 | 1,302 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Berries Get New Attention for Brain-Boosting Benefits
Published May 23, 2013
We all know that berries pack a powerful nutritional punch. Compared to other fruit and vegetable sources, they have dense amounts of polyphenols, a plant-based compound (phytonutrient) shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Here’s another reason to include a handful of berries with your meals: A study released in April found that polyphenol-rich blueberries and strawberries may protect the brain against common signs of aging, including mental decline and forgetfulness.
Researchers from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) discovered that the brains of laboratory rats that were on a blueberry and strawberry diet experienced increased levels of autophagy – a natural process in which the brain clears out accumulated toxic proteins – after radiation exposure. (Radiation was used to mimic aging.) The study concluded that the phytonutrients found in berries may be the reason why berry-fed rats had less toxins in their brains compared to their non-berry-fed counterparts.
We know that age-related brain disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are – at least in part – the result of toxic protein accumulation in the brain. If this study can be successfully repeated in humans, it could have a significant impact on how we approach prevention against these devastating brain diseases that currently have no cure.
This is by no means the first scientific look into the potential relationship between phytonutrients in berries and brain aging. A year ago, another study found that women who ate more blueberries and strawberries appeared to delay cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years.
My take: Why not include more berries in your diet now? With berry season starting in June and continuing through fall, there’s no better time to “pick” this healthy habit. In addition to their potential brain-protecting benefits, blueberries are rich in vitamin C (a one-cup serving provides almost 25 percent of an adult’s daily requirement), fiber and manganese. Eight strawberries provide more vitamin C than an orange. And don’t forget blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and boysenberries, too.
Be sure to read the ingredients and nutrition labels of dried berries and berry-flavored juices. They often contain added sugar or other sweeteners, artificial flavors and/or preservatives. Fresh fruit – and certified organic, if possible – is best.
Mind your health,
Dr. Keith Black | <urn:uuid:f4c7de34-60f7-4b69-b8c4-a8e11fd1ef40> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/keith-black-brain-health/berries-get-new-attention-for-brain-boosting-benefits/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95458 | 523 | 3.078125 | 3 |
- Cast your vote for which answer you think is best!
Historically, runts are called that because they are the smallest and sometimes the weakest kitten in a litter. Kitty Mama can usually tell if the runt is unhealthy and will occasionally push the runt aside because she knows it won't make it. We learned that the hard way by rescuing a kitten abandoned in a field. Lucy only lived a year and we feel her health was compromised from the beginning and Kitty Mama KNEW it. If you haven't seen the kitten alongside it's siblings, there is no way to tell if it is truly the "runt" or not. Most times, runts just grow up to be smaller than their littermates. With proper medical care, they can be just as healthy and active as anyone else in their litter.
Izadore (Izzie) answered on 8/4/08. Helpful? / 0 | <urn:uuid:bbbf3240-5c99-44de-a521-579a82d60e25> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.catster.com/answers/question/how_do_you_tell_if_your_cat_is_the_runt-18791 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97553 | 188 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Students of all ages from Price to Ivins are beginning to feel the impact of Southern Utah University long before they are eligible to apply for application. Through fairs and competitions hosted by the University, hundreds of school children flock to Thunderbird Nation to receive resources that are unavailable within their school districts.
The purpose behind sponsoring STEM based activities on the University’s campus isn’t for school children to win awards, but to give vital science outreach through that give young students the inspiration and courage to pursue degrees within the sciences.
Hussein Samha, associate professor of chemistry at SUU who coordinated the You Be the Chemist competition for middle school students, stated, “Having these students come to a university and rub shoulders with professors and college students gives them the confidence they need to overcome the fear that science is scary and difficult.”
And from the look of the students that attended the March 2014 Southern Utah Science & Engineering Fair and the You Be the Chemist competition both at SUU, confidence exuded into the walkways adorned with posters detailing engineering experiments and chemistry tests.
Noelle Burton, seventh grader from Lava Ridge Intermediate School, was one of them. Standing proudly in front of a poster filled with geometric shapes, Burton beamed with satisfaction of her successful geometry theorem tests.
“Math has always been hard for me so I used this fair to get better at it,” Burton said. “Now in my geometry class I feel a lot smarter and I am a lot better at math now.”
Along with giving academic scholarships to students that win at the Science & Engineering Fair, the desire of the event coordinators is that by school children coming to a college campus they will be excited about attending college and get a broader picture of college life.
Betsy Bancroft, assistant professor of biology and Fair coordinator, said of the effect that attending University sponsored events has on young students, “SUU offers a distinct atmosphere on its campus and these middle and high school students can experience that and get a glimpse of what being in college will be. It truly makes college a reality for them.”
Bancroft and Samha both went on to say that a huge effect of hosting science outreach events is that resources are made available to school districts that don’t have the funds to give students a full STEM experience in its classrooms.
“Area middle and high schools have so many talented students but just lack the necessary funds to allow its teachers to experiment in the sciences. By attending fairs and competitions at SUU, teachers can show their students what real scientists do and then give the kids the confidence they need to pursue a STEM related degree,” said Samha.
Antinette Haggerty, a sixth grade teacher at Cedar Middle School, echoed those statements and went on to say about her students that competed at the SUU Science Fair, “All these students get so excited for this competition and use their free time after school to create these projects, they are more than willing to do their own research.”
SUU hosts a myriad of science outreach events throughout the school year that open to middle and high school students. If you are interested in have your school be a part of any upcoming event contact the Walter Maxwell Gibson College of Science & Engineering at (435) 586-7920. | <urn:uuid:c4769960-57ba-4e43-a1fb-620eac97ae38> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.suu.edu/news/2014/04/school-children-master-stem-through-science-outreach.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00147-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965295 | 691 | 2.609375 | 3 |
- View performance by various student groups, including gender and race/ethnicity, within each of the three specific content areas that
up the economics assessment. The percentage of total time students
spent answering questions in each content area is shown in
parentheses after each description below.
- Below each figure, click the button for "chart options" to see the data displayed in other chart
- Statistical tests are conducted to determine whether the changes or differences between two result numbers are
statistically significant. To conduct a
significance test using the NAEP Data Explorer, click on the link under each table below.
- Market economy—addresses how individuals and businesses make economic choices as buyers and sellers in the marketplace
- National economy—examines the overall conditions in the U.S. economy (40 percent).
- International economy—explores how national economies interact with one another (15 percent).
Find out more about
what the assessment measures, and see
sample questions from each of the content areas. | <urn:uuid:1cd6cc73-54b0-4a28-b252-540f82f03240> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/economics_2012/content_area_results.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00094-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.844279 | 209 | 2.90625 | 3 |
THE LESSON—That a complete surrender to Christ is the only successful way to purify a sinful life.
This illustration, in varied form, has been used by speakers for many years. It is here given, however, in a new presentation, with a hope that the revision may be helpful to others in spreading its usefulness. If paper is used, attach several thicknesses to your drawing board and provide yourself with a sharp penknife. If used as a blackboard illustration, an eraser will be needed.
"It is a good deal safer, boys, for you to walk the streets with your thumb in your mouth than with a cigarette there. The thumb can't hurt you, but the cigarette is bound to. I heard, once upon a time, of a young man who lived in a good home—maybe just as good as yours—who fell into the cigarette habit. I can't understand why a boy, when he knows what a terrible thing the cigarette habit is, will not leave the thing alone. But, like some whom you may know, this boy failed to heed the many warnings and, before he was aware of it, the deadly habit had him firmly in its grasp. I will ask one of the boys to please spell the word 'Habit' for me. [As each letter is repeated put it down on the drawing sheet. If you have previously outlined the entire picture, the location of the cross will determine the location of the letter T, in the center, as the T is later changed into a cross. Place the other four letters in proper relation to the letter T, completing Fig. 29.]
"Now, then—one day this young man awoke to the fact that he must rid himself of his terrible habit if he would amount to anything in the world. He was working in a distant city, and there, alone, how do you suppose he started in to get rid of his habit? He did it this way: He made up his mind to wipe it out gradually by cutting down the number of cigarettes which he smoked each day. So he started in. The first day he smoked two less than he did the day before—cut out some, you see. [With your penknife cut out the letter H and throw it away.] You will observe that although he cut out some of his habit, he had A BIT left. The next day he did the same thing, by cutting out two more. [Cut away the letter A.] Although he had a BIT of the habit left, he felt somewhat encouraged and declared to himself that he could cut it all out if he kept at it. But he didn't know how hard it would be to 'keep at it.' The next day he cut out a little more [Cut away the letter B], but the desire to smoke the deadly cigarette was still strong. He was inclined to give up in discouragement, for he had now found that cutting out wasn't cutting off and that he still had IT. Not until now did he feel his helplessness, for the habit was still strong upon him. He needed a friend—a friend who could help him in his earnest wish to become once more true and pure. And a friend came. It was one who knew Christ and His power to save everyone who turns to Him for help. Clearly this friend revealed to him the truth, that if he would master his habit he must master himself. Boldly he took the glad step, and, like all humble followers of Jesus, he gave himself into His loving care, to guide and to direct his life. With this step came active work for Christ, and it was then that the letter I was removed [Cut out the I] and a new vision burst on his sight, for the last remnant of his enemy faded away in the transformation of his life to Christian service. [Give the T a touch with black, converting it into a cross; then continue the drawing to complete Fig. 30. Use black for the hill and circle; outline the cross in red; use orange in broad strokes for the rays emanating from the cross.]
"This was the vision. It can come to every boy and girl. It has come to countless thousands. To this boy of whom we speak it came to save him from failure and death. No longer did the dread habit control him. The battle was won, not by his own strength, but through Christ, who strengthened him. Such strength will be yours every time you need it to help and to keep you.
"And let us think for a moment of the great service of the friend who led this young man to see the vision. Are we a friend to those who need us? 'Brethren,' says Paul, 'if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens.'
"May we ever be ready to lend a helping hand."
Next: Easter Lilies
Previous: The Two Flags | <urn:uuid:f12e5fa8-f868-42d4-b94c-d8671128410c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.howtodraw.ca/Chalk/The-Cross.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00027-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985408 | 1,029 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Bringing Nature to Play
As communities grow, readily accessible natural playgrounds often diminish. The opportunities for children to climb trees, play hide and seek, or explore the beauty of the outdoors with their friends are often replaced with more indoor sedentary activities. Studies reveal a strong link between children's experiences being outdoors in nature and their psychological well-being and overall development.
Reconnecting Children with Nature
Research shows that when children play in environments that integrate the nature and the built environment, they reach higher levels of physical activity, engage in more social interaction, and provide increased play value within the play space.
Designing Natural Playgrounds
Created in partnership with the Natural Learning Initiative and our parent company, PlayCore, NatureGrounds® provides best practice guidelines for creating and retrofitting natural playgrounds that integrate manufactured play equipment and the living landscape to create richer play experiences for all users, engage communities, and build social capital. By considering the existing topography and incorporating child-friendly plants that bring additional play value to your project, we strive to create more naturalized playgrounds in a variety of phases to meet your needs.
GameTime can help you visualize your project through state-of-the-art computer aided design services, implement best practices into the overall design, and recommend zone specific plants to bring additional value to your play environment. Using GameTime's recycled roofs and panels, along with other nature themed play elements you can further add to the natural appeal of your playground.
Visit NatureGrounds.org to access the online plant database and learn more about GameTime's National Demonstration Sites. | <urn:uuid:856d9c9a-7953-47c6-ac78-cc7f603d9969> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gametime.com/resources/design-programs/naturegrounds/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00098-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917127 | 326 | 2.875 | 3 |
Planting bulbs – Dahlias, Gladioli, Lilies, Caladium
Right side up, upside down–which way do they go? Does it really matter? When planting bulbs in anticipation of beautiful spring blooms, it helps to know the ins and outs (or rather, ups and downs).
Experienced gardeners take a lot for granted that beginners don’t. For example, when it comes to planting bulbs you may wonder which end goes up. This really isn’t an issue to feel silly for wondering about. A lot of beginning gardeners are in the same boat. So for those of you who have been afraid to ask–lest you be made sport of by know-it-alls–here’s how to plant dahlias, gladioli, lilies, and caladiums.
Planting Dahlia bulbs
Dahlias prefer rich, porous soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches, and work in a generous amount of compost, rotted leaves, or other organic matter. Then dig a hole about 4 inches deep, and set the dahlia clump into it so the cut stem is at the top and even with the soil surface. The potato-shaped tubers attached to the stem should be pointing downward.
Planting Gladiolus bulbs
Gladioli also like well-drained, fertile soil, but are not quite so fussy as dahlias. Plant the bulb-like corm 4 to 6 inches deep. Position the scooped-out end with the brown eye of fine feeder roots pointing down. The rounded end with the green shoot poking out goes up.
Planting Lily bulbs
Lilies don’t ask for perfect drainage; they demand it. Dig a hole at least 12 inches deep, and then fill the bottom with 4 or 5 inches of coarse sand. Place the lily bulb into the hole so that the whip-like roots are down and the pointed end with the shoot emerging is up. Then fill the hole with rich earth.
Planting Caladium bulbs
Caladium tubers are actually lifeless-looking lumps that resemble Cousin Itt of The Addams Family more than bulbs. It’s hard to tell up from down. What you have to do is gently untangle the feeder roots and determine the end to which they’re attached. Place the end that they are attached to pointing down. If you are lucky, you’ll see small buds emerging from one of the knobs. That end goes up. Plant the caladium tubers 2 inches deep in well-drained soil. | <urn:uuid:25447abc-950c-4b9f-9315-6f71bb5f7e29> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cosmoflowers.com/planting-bulbs-dahlias-gladioli-lilies-caladium/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00173-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924221 | 544 | 2.953125 | 3 |
From Our 2014 Archives
Sunlight Might Be Good for Your Blood Pressure: Study
Latest High Blood Pressure News
MONDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Sunlight is known to lower blood pressure, but now a team of British researchers has figured out why.
What they found is that nitric oxide stored in the top layers of the skin reacts to sunlight and causes blood vessels to widen as the oxide moves into the bloodstream. That, in turn, lowers blood pressure.
"This is an unexpected finding, in that the skin has not been considered to be involved in blood pressure regulation," said lead researcher Martin Feelisch, a professor of experimental medicine and integrative biology at the University of Southampton.
Feelisch said he thinks -- if this finding is confirmed in further research -- exposure to ultraviolet light might help reduce the risk for heart disease. "That's where it becomes interesting," he said.
Among people with normal blood pressure, the effect of ultraviolet light is modest -- a drop in blood pressure of between 2 and 5 millimeters of mercury (mmHG), Feelisch said.
"This is a mild effect," he said. "But if you repeat this study in people with high blood pressure, I would predict you will see a more substantial drop."
He isn't suggesting that people should sunbathe or use tanning beds in hopes of lowering blood pressure, however. What he recommended is spending a moderate amount of time outdoors.
"People are dying of skin cancer, and sunlight is the only known risk factor that contributes to skin cancer," Feelisch said. "We are fully aware of that and don't say everyone should get as much sun as possible. There is a very real risk -- but so is the risk for [heart] disease. One of the main contributors to the disease is high blood pressure."
Excessive exposure to sunlight carries the risk of developing skin cancer, Feelisch said, but too little might increase the risk of heart disease. However, more people die from heart disease than from skin cancer, he said.
"We believe current public health advice, which is dominated by concerns of skin cancer, needs to be carefully reassessed," he said. "It's time to look at the balance of risk for skin cancer and cardiovascular disease."
The report was published Jan. 20 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Dr. Gregg Fonarow, associate chief of the division of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, said high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and kidney disease, in addition to heart disease.
That blood pressure levels are higher during winter and further away from the equator has been known, but the reasons behind these observations had not been entirely clear, he said.
"This new study finds that UV light exposure to the skin induced nitric oxide release and modestly lowered blood pressure, suggesting that this may play a role in modulating blood pressure," said Fonarow, a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
Further studies are needed to determine the degree to which varying levels of light exposure might play a role in regulating blood pressure and reducing heart risk, he said.
For the study, Feelisch and his colleagues exposed 24 people with normal blood pressure to ultraviolet A radiation equal to spending about 30 minutes in the sun.
They found that the exposure widened the blood vessels, which significantly lowered blood pressure and changed the levels of nitric oxide in the blood.
SOURCES: Martin Feelisch, Ph.D., professor, experimental medicine and integrative biology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor, medicine, and associate chief, division of cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine; Jan. 20, 2014, Journal of Investigative Dermatology | <urn:uuid:adb707de-db4f-4683-9c9f-dd01270aadd3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=176272 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00034-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949754 | 795 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Global Road Safety Commitment
The purpose of the Global Road Safety Commitment is to help organizations develop a systematic approach to managing the key risks arising from road transport thereby contributing to successful road safety outcomes.
An organization may have more or less direct influence over some aspects of road safety than others. An organization that is signing the Global Road Safety Commitment is going to be working towards zero death and injury as a result of its operations, and so will want to understand the components of the overall risk it faces in any location, and put in place controls that bring the risk back to an acceptable level.
The Global Road Safety Commitment may be signed by any organization that is committing to this systematic approach. Recognition of this commitment may be made by registering through the Global Road Safety Commitment section of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration website. The Global Road Safety Commitment may be used freely.
The Global Road Safety Commitment is a document that has been authored by the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration “Work Related Road Safety Working Group”. In creating the document, we have drawn on the contributions made by many governments, businesses and NGO’s to the “Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action”, and to the draft work of the International Organization for Standardization “ISO 39001 - Road Traffic Safety (RTS) management systems – requirements with guidance for use”. We acknowledge these contributions with thanks.
Signing-up or use of the Global Road Safety Commitment by an organization shall not be considered an endorsement of that organization or its activities either express or implied.
There are many advantages in signing a ‘Global Road Safety Commitment’. Road traffic crashes and injuries are preventable if decisive action is taken. By making a commitment an organization can positively influence one or more of the ‘Five Pillars’ outlined in the ‘Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety’, that form the backbone to an integrated approach to road safety:
- Road Safety Management – Strategy, plans and targets, implementation, monitoring and measurement
- Safer Roads and Mobility – Infrastructure assessment and improvement, planning, design, construction and operation of roads, journey planning
- Safer Vehicles – Safety devices, integrity of vehicles, safety specifications
- Safer Road Users – Improved safety behaviour, enforcement of regulations, increased road user awareness and understanding
- Post-Crash Response – Increased responsiveness and emergency treatment, victim rehabilitation
An organization making a commitment can positively contribute to a reduction in road traffic crashes and injuries on our roads in the following ways:
- A reduction in the number of road traffic crashes
- A reduction in loss time due to injuries
- A reduction in the cost of material damage to the environment and vehicles
- A reduction in environmental impact through road traffic activities
- An increased sense of responsibility and commitment through training
- Enhanced corporate social responsibility
As, according to the European Union, 60% of work related fatalities are the result of road traffic crashes, drastically reducing this number is a major concern for employers and employees in every organization.
1. Complete and sign these two documents (Commitment Form & Organisation Details) :
2. Email, fax or mail the documents to:
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Fax: +41 22 733 03 95
- Global Road Safety Partnership
17 Chemin des Crêts
CH-1211, Geneva 19
Resources for the Global Road Safety Commitment will be developed as the initiative progresses. At the outset, resources are available via the European Road Safety Charter, which has built on its experience and that of signatories to the ‘charter’, with useful case studies, which are freely available. We are grateful to and thank the ERSC team for access to this rich resource.
Please visit www.erscharter.eu/resources for more information.
1. What is the Global Road Safety Commitment?
The purpose of this commitment is to help organizations develop a systematic approach to managing the key risks arising from road transport thereby contributing to successful road safety outcomes.
2. Why was the Commitment developed?
To facilitate organizational involvement and direct action in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020.
3. What is the cost and impact of road crash injuries?
Globally, 1.24 million people are killed on our roads each year and a further 50 million people are injured in road crashes. Global losses resulting from road crash injuries are estimated to be US$518 billion annually and costs governments between 1% and 3% of their gross national product.
4. Why is organizational road safety important?
Organizations can make a significant impact in reducing road deaths and injuries, for instance in addressing work related driving, which is estimated to account for upwards of 25% of road deaths.
5. Who can sign a road safety commitment?
The top management of any business, public authority or civil society organization can sign a commitment and register it with the Global Road Safety Partnership on behalf of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration.
6. What will my commitment achieve?
For the organization positive action to improve road safety could lead to fewer injuries and losses as the result of road crashes, resulting in improved business performance. At the societal level it could contribute towards the vision of zero road fatalities and serious injuries within the community in which the organization operates, resulting in improved quality of life.
7. How do I make a commitment?
Select the “How to Register” tab above, complete the information sheet, fill-in the Global Road Safety Commitment form, sign it and forward both documents by either e-mail, fax or post using the contact details provided.
8. Can an organization sign if it can only contribute to one of the ‘five pillars’?
Yes, an organization can sign a commitment if it can contribute to one or more of the five pillars, it is not necessary to be able to contribute to all five pillars
9. Can an organization sign if it is only indirectly involved in committing towards reducing road deaths and injuries?
Yes, as indirect involvement includes advocacy and lobbying activities contributing to the reduction of road crash deaths and injuries.
10. Can an organization sign if it is currently only involved in road safety in a very small way?
Yes. The purpose of signing a commitment is for the organization to acknowledge that a reduction in road crash deaths and injuries is important to them and that they will take positive action to directly or indirectly improve road safety. | <urn:uuid:43580266-b997-415b-ac0c-83bb9903b49e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.grsproadsafety.org/what-we-do/global-road-safety-commitment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923935 | 1,351 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Online fraud occurs when someone illegitimately obtains your sensitive personal information (such as your name, Social Security number, account numbers, or online banking login and password) and conducts unauthorized transactions on your bank, loan, or credit card accounts. Often called "phishing" or "spoofing," the most current methods of online fraud are fake emails, websites and pop-up windows.
Always remember that Umpqua Bank will never send email containing attachments, or require you to send personal information to us via email or pop-up windows. Treat any unsolicited request for Umpqua Bank account information you receive through emails, websites, or pop-up windows should be considered fraudulent and reported to us immediately.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a form of online fraud in which attackers send an illegitimate email, claiming to be important or posing as a legitimate business.
Phishing emails will often:
- Ask you for personal information. Fake emails often contain an overly generic greeting and may claim that your information has been compromised, that your account has been frozen, or ask you to confirm the authenticity of your transactions.
- Appear to be from a legitimate source. While some emails are easy to identify as fraudulent, others may appear to be from a legitimate address and trusted online source. However, you should not rely on the name or address in the "From" field, as this is easily altered.
- Contain fraudulent job offers. Some fake emails appear to be from companies offering jobs. These are often work-at-home positions which are actually schemes that victimize both the job applicant and other customers. Be sure to confirm that the job offer is from a known and trusted company before responding or sending any personal information.
- Contain prizes or gift certificate offers. Some fake emails promise a prize or gift certificate in exchange for completing a survey or answering questions. In order to collect the alleged prize or gift certificate, you might be directed to provide your personal information. Just like with job offers, be sure to confirm that the prize or gift certificate is being issued by a known and trusted company.
- Link to counterfeit web sites. Fake emails may direct you to counterfeit web sites carefully designed to look real, but which actually collect personal information for illegal use. Always check the web address in the address bar carefully to make sure you're on a legitimate website. If you're unsure whether a website legitimately belongs to Umpqua Bank, call us to verify the site.
- Contain fraudulent phone numbers. Fake emails often contain telephone numbers that are tied to the fraudsters. Never call a number featured on an email you suspect is fraudulent. Instead, call a publicly available or published number for the company you're trying to reach.
- Contain real website links or phone numbers. Some of the information listed in fake emails may be legitimate, connecting to actual companies. Fraudsters may include this real contact information in an effort to make the email appear legitimate.
How is my email obtained?
Email addresses can be obtained from publicly available sources or through randomly generated lists. So if you receive a fake email that appears to be from Umpqua Bank, this does not mean that your email address, name, or any other information was obtained from us.
What's a pop-up window?
Pop-up windows are the small windows or ads that appear suddenly above or beneath the web browser window you are currently viewing. Fraudulent pop-up windows are one way that fraudsters may try to obtain your personal information. Someone may use a pop-up window to pose as a legitimate company-like a popular shopping site, your bank or your internet service provider-to obtain sensitive personal data and use the information to access your accounts.
I've heard of Trojan horses - what are they?
Some fake emails may also contain a virus known as a "Trojan horse" which can record your keystrokes or send your personal information to a fraudster. The virus may live in an attachment or be accessed via a link in the email. Your computer may also be infected by a fraudulent website accessed during normal web browsing.
Don't forget that we do not request personal information via email or send email attachments. Never respond to emails, open attachments, or click on links from suspicious or unknown senders.
If you're not sure whether an Umpqua Bank email is legitimate, report it to us immediately, but don't reply to the email.
How about counterfeit websites?
Online thieves often direct you to fraudulent web sites via email and pop-up windows. These websites may try to collect your personal information or infect your computer with a Trojan horse or virus. In many cases, there is no easy way to determine that you are on a phony web site because the URL will contain the name of the institution it is spoofing. However, if you type, or cut and paste, the URL into a new web browser window and it does not take you to a legitimate web site, or you get an error message, it was probably just a cover for a fake Web site.
Another way to detect a phony web site is to consider how you arrived there. Generally, these sites are accessed by a link in a fake email ("phish") requesting your account information. Remember, Umpqua Bank will not request personal information from you via email. Any unsolicited request should be considered fraudulent and reported immediately.
How do I report fake e-mails, websites or pop-up windows?
If you receive a deceptive e-mail, such as a message phishing for your information forward it to the entity wrongfully being impersonated. For Umpqua "Bank-related" phishing email, forward it (as an attachment) to reportphishing@Umpquabank.com and contact us immediately at 1-866-486-7782.
If you encounter a fake web site, or pop-up window, or if you responded to one of these with personal information, call immediately at 1-866-486-7782. | <urn:uuid:dff67145-c545-450f-a414-69425472eed4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.umpquabank.com/ask-us/fraud-and-identity-theft/learn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00108-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927984 | 1,236 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Kudzu is cooked as food in China, and also is used as an herb in
traditional Chinese medicine
. However, in the United States, kudzu has become an invasive pest. It was deliberately planted earlier this century for use as animal fodder and to control soil erosion. It turned out to be incredibly prolific and soon spread throughout the South like an alien invader. The problem is that kudzu can grow a foot a day during the summer, and as much as 60 feet a year, giving it the folk name "mile-a-minute vine." It swallows telephone poles, chokes trees, and takes over yards.
Besides cooking with it, feeding it to animals, and weaving baskets out of its rubbery vines, kudzu may also be useful in treating
. In Chinese folk medicine, a tea brewed from kudzu root is believed to be useful in sobering up people who are intoxicated by alcohol. Taking the hint, a 1993 study evaluated the effects of kudzu in a species of hamsters known to enjoy drinking alcohol to intoxication.
Ordinarily, if given a choice, the Syrian golden hamster will prefer alcohol to water, but administration of kudzu reversed that preference.
This animal study, along with another one involving rats,
led to widespread speculation that kudzu may be useful in the treatment of human alcoholism. However, the results of the two small reported human trials are conflicting.
In academic Chinese herbology (as opposed to Chinese folk medicine), kudzu has different applications. One classic herbal formula containing kudzu is used for the treatment of
accompanied by pain in the neck. However, there is no scientific evidence that it is effective for this condition.
similar to those found in
. These substances are known to have an estrogen-like effect. On this basis, kudzu has been proposed as a treatment for
. However, the one published double-blind trial failed to find benefit.
The standard dosage of kudzu ranges from 9 to 15 g daily, in tea or tablets.
Based on its extensive food use, kudzu is believed to be reasonably safe. However, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe kidney or liver disease has not been established.
How Much Do You Know About Home Remedies?
Keung WM, Vallee BL. Daidzin and daidzein suppress free-choice ethanol intake by Syrian golden hamsters
. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Shebek J, Rindone JP. A pilot study exploring the effect of kudzu root on the drinking habits of patients with chronic alcoholism.
J Altern Complement Med.
Keung WM, Vallee BL. Kudzu root: an ancient Chinese source of modern antidipsotropic agents.
Woo J, Lau E, Ho SC, et al. Comparison of
with hormone replacement therapy in treating the adverse health consequences of menopause.
Lukas SE, Penetar D, Berko J et al. An Extract of the Chinese Herbal Root Kudzu Reduces Alcohol Drinking by Heavy Drinkers in a Naturalistic Setting.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res | <urn:uuid:b6f85871-d0e9-41ad-9289-f733cb286a6c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/pain/alternative_treatments/traditional_chinese_herbal_medicine_articles/kudzu.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00145-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921741 | 659 | 2.78125 | 3 |
As more schools consider restorative practice in areas of discipline, Talking Circles, a core component of the restorative justice process, enter the conversation. A Talking Circle, sometimes called a Peacemaking Circle, uses a structural framework to build relationships and to address conflict within a community. But Talking Circles serve other purposes as well: They create safe spaces, build connections and offer teachers a unique means of formative assessment.
The Talking Circle Process
Begin by gathering in a circle and creating norms that will help build trust in the space. In my class, we write our norms on a poster board placed in the center of our Circle. A talking piece, an object of significance chosen by Circle members, is passed around inviting equal participation. Whoever holds the talking piece is invited to speak, while all others listen to and support the speaker. To familiarize students with this process, you might ask them, “What does it look and sound like to listen respectfully?”
The Circle Keeper facilitates the Talking Circle by selecting the time and place, inviting members and preparing introductory remarks. Once the group reviews its established norms, the Circle Keeper can read a short piece of text to set the tone or just dive into the first question or reflection. Although the Circle Keeper is the facilitator, she participates as an equal member of the group. Once students learn the process, they can be invited to be Circle Keepers—an empowering process.
Restorative Justice in Schools
Restorative justice is a philosophy that recognizes that alternative approaches are needed in our criminal justice and school disciplinary systems. As research shows, suspensions and expulsions are often linked to higher rates of future involvement with the criminal justice system. This impact, often called the school-to-prison pipeline, disproportionately impacts students of color and students with disabilities.
A Talking Circle can be part of restorative justice when used as an alternative to traditional suspensions and expulsions. To begin, invite students who have been involved in a conflict at school to participate in the Circle. In this confidential process, students can invite an ally to attend. As the Circle progresses, the students are welcomed to speak openly about their experiences, as well as to seek support and plan action steps to repair the harm done. All in all, the Circle space is about accountability to one’s community.
Building Connections in a Safe Space
My middle school made a clear decision that we wanted all students to have a close connection with at least one adult in our building. Thus, we began using Talking Circles in each of our advisory periods once a week. Students and advisors select questions that are meaningful to them or that connect to a relevant current event or community need. Often students raise concerns about inequities, bullying and conflicts within their classes. When appropriate, and with students’ permission, we create action plans to help alleviate the stressors in their lives and intercept systemic injustices.
I have been amazed at the strong relationships that develop. One student expressed, “I began to realize that you all [teachers] are real people too and that you have gone through some of the same stuff we have.” Another student reflected, “You know, I didn’t really know some of you before the year began. Now I feel like each of you has become a part of my family.” The Circle allows students to feel vulnerable, to take risks and to speak their truth. Thus, I believe Talking Circles, used in partnership with appropriate actions, have the potential to help restore justice to our youth.
Formative Assessment Tool
In my reading class, I often use Talking Circles to gauge my students’ background knowledge of a topic or to assess their understanding of key concepts or text. For example, I might say, “Let’s think a little more about the poems we read during our close reading yesterday. What is the author’s message about injustice? How do the characters convey this message?” As the Talking Piece moves around the Circle, I mentally monitor students’ progress, asking myself, “Did they get this? What surprises me? Where do we need to look more closely? What do we need to reread later?” Because each student is able to voice his or her thoughts, I’m able to differentiate and plan next steps accordingly.
As you can tell, Talking Circles are a cornerstone of my classroom practice. They allow children to see their community as a place of significance, a place of positive change and a place where their voices are heard. How might you use them in your practice?
Bintliff is a reading teacher at Oregon Middle School in Oregon, Wis. She is also a recipient of the 2014 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching. | <urn:uuid:9ae3b7e6-804f-4693-957f-418ba0716786> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.tolerance.org/blog/talking-circles-restorative-justice-and-beyond | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00048-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957476 | 977 | 4.0625 | 4 |
The Three Tithes of the Old Testament
A number of years ago the editor of one of our church papers sent me a letter in which a troubled brother raised some questions about the proper use of the tithe. While he, and we with him, believe that the tithe has to be used for the promotion of the gospel, a text like Deuteronomy 14:22-27 seemed to admit of a use other than for the temple service, Levites, and priests. In fact, that text says explicitly that the priest may use the tithe for eating and drinking for himself, his family, and the Levite from his own town.
For the benefit of those who have to answer questions of this nature I would like to present the Old Testament tithing system. It may be a consolation to those who find it hard to pay one tithe under our present system, to know that in Old Testament times there were actually three different kinds of tithe. Each one of these had a definite purpose, and although not all of them are enjoined upon the New Testament Christian, the study of the significance of each is highly recommended.
The three different types are as follows:
1. The Levitical, or sacred tithe (Num. 18: 21, 24).
2. The tithe of the feasts (Deut. 14:22-27).
3. The tithe for the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29).
The first tithe, the one we trace back to Abraham (Gen. 14:18-20), is the sacred tithe, given to the Levites and priests for their service to the temple and the congregation in the Old Testament. This is the tithe we continue to give under the priesthood of Melchizedek in the New Testament. It is the tithe consecrated to God and the furtherance of the gospel and has, therefore, validity for all believers in Christ.
The second tithe had an entirely different aspect, and we would do well to contemplate its meaning and purposes. Our enlightened generation prides itself on its social laws and provisions. Even a superficial study of the tithing system reveals that several thousand years back, Israel had something that resembles the Christmas Club savings system, only with a much broader religious and social meaning. The Levitical law required that a Jew had to go up to Jerusalem on certain occasions. In reality this religious ordinance included a definite social provision—periods of vacation for the family. And how should the head of the household provide for the vacation expense? By setting aside a second tithe, the one described in Deuteronomy 14:22-27, the tithe for the feasts. Thus the second tithe was dedicated to the good of man himself, for a vacation and specifically, a vacation with a religious purpose, such as going to camp meeting.
The third tithe was the tithe for the poor. According to our text in Deuteronomy 14:28, 29, this tithe was given only every third year. As the text states, the produce had to be laid up in "your towns" for the Levite, sojourner, fatherless, and the widow. It suggests that the distribution was not left to the individual but was a community project to which everybody had to contribute. This tithe, therefore, was for the neighbor. Summarizing the three types of tithe in the Old Testament period we find a much broader concept of giving than we generally assume, giving that included first, God; second, man's own physical and spiritual welfare; and third, their neighbor's need. God, you, and your neighbor is a good trinity in planning one's giving.
Some of our readers might think that this is quite a novel idea. In reality, it was quite well known among the Jews and was practiced among the pious. In the book of Tobit, which according to R. H. Charles was written between c. 350 and c. 170 B.C. (The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the 0.T., vol 1, p. 185), the following statement is found: "I used to go to Jerusalem with the firstfruits and the firstlings and the tenths of the cattle and the first shearings of the sheep, and give them to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the altar, and the tenth of the corn and the wine and oil and pomegranates and the rest of the fruits to the sons of Levi, who ministered at Jerusalem."—/bid., p. 203, Tobit 1:6, 7. This is the first, or holy tithe. Tobit then continues: "And the second tenth I tithed in money for the six years, and went and spent it each year at Jerusalem . . ." (Tobit 1:7, 8).
The translation of the comment on the third tithe, which follows, has been rendered differently by different scholars. Since Charles mentions the tithe given to the orphans, widows, and proselytes, we must assume that he refers to the third tithe, the only one dedicated to the poor, and not given annually but only every third year. The translation by Bunsen (German) is worthy of acceptance as correctly translating the original meaning. He says: "And the third tithe I gave unto those to whom it belonged," that is, to the poor, widows, and orphans.
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, mentions the custom of paying three tithes: "In addition to the two tithes which I have already directed you to pay each year, the one for the Levites and the other for the banquets, ye should devote a third every third year to the distribution of such things as are lacking to widowed women and orphan children."—Antiquities iv. 240; Loeb ed.
A more penetrating study of some Old Testament laws would be quite profitable for ministry and church members alike, since it demonstrates that if analyzed correctly, they appear to be quite modern and permeated with concern for the spiritual welfare of the individual, the family, and the community. We could give thought to these aspects of Israel's economy and the benefits of looking at our own tithing and systematic benevolence from this angle.
Ministry reserves the right to approve, disapprove, and delete comments at our discretion and will not be able to respond to inquiries about these comments. Please ensure that your words are respectful, courteous, and relevant.comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:11a1cc13-90d7-4cea-a976-9f92a4ed5d2c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1958/09/the-three-tithes-of-the-old-testament | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00190-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968905 | 1,351 | 2.890625 | 3 |
For those interested in deepening their green/climate change knowledge, a group of universities including the University of Washington, have created an online year-long certificate course called "Decision Making For Climate Change." It's mostly geared for people working in municipal, regional, state and federal government as well as environmental planners and managers, those in corporate operations and sustainability consultants. Still, anyone can apply.
The program begins this fall with a course called "Strategic Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change" offered by the University of Washington. As you would expect, it's all about strategic planning for adapting to and minimizing climate change.
Next comes "Climate Literacy" with the University of British Columbia. Students will learn the factors influencing climate change including the interactions among the atmosphere, oceans, solid earth and biosphere. They'll also learn about the causes of global warming as well as greenhouse gases, physical carbon flows, the carbon cycle, climate modeling the social
impacts of climate change.
In the spring, University of California at Irvine Extension will offer "The Business of Mitigating Climate Change" to help students assess the financial, environmental and business aspects of mitigation efforts.
Finally, there's "Policy Responses and Options" by Northwestern University in the summer of 2010. Students will study existing government policies such as the Kyoto Accord and the European Union Emission Trading System.
-- You can reach Carrie Sturrock at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:49becc40-a611-40a6-b18f-f5376ea430e3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2009/09/go_online_for_a_higher_educati.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00024-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93878 | 297 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Mar 21,2008 00:00
Ocean beach explorers lured by shipwrecks and other fascinating sights during the upcoming spring break are reminded to keep an eye on the tides and waves that exposed or created them.
Beach safety education coordinator Robert Smith of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) warns sightseers and beachcombers that recent storms and the extremities of tides have greatly changed Oregon's beaches. "The ocean floor has been changed in many places," said Smith. "If you're looking at shipwrecks or other exposed objects, you need to stay aware of the tides. If you go into the water, you have to be especially wary of rip currents and sneaker waves."
Staying out of the water, said Smith, is the safest way to enjoy the ocean at this time of year. "We still have a winter ocean out there," he said. "The water is cold (around 45 degrees) and the waves are very unpredictable."
So far in 2008, two people have drowned on the coast and three others have had to be rescued. The 2007 toll included six deaths and 26 rescues.
Dangers also lurk off the beach. Smith added that the winter storms have weakened some cliffsides. "Climbing over fences at viewpoints is very risky right now. Climbing on cliffs anywhere is extremely dangerous."
Tide tables can help people avoid becoming stranded on rocks or at shipwreck sites, said Smith. The tables are free at state parks and many coastal businesses.
Before driving a vehicle to a shipwreck site, people also should check beach driving regulations. "It can be both illegal and unsafe," said Smith. | <urn:uuid:0899a73f-0e37-4146-acf4-7a1838672d5b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bendweekly.com/print/14731.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974252 | 342 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Stuttgart soils are named for the City of Stuttgart in Southeast Arkansas. They are used primarily for cropland with the dominant crops being rice, soybeans, small grains, and corn. The Stuttgart area is famous for its large fall and winter population of ducks and geese. These waterfowl feed heavily on the crops grown on the Stuttgart soils. Stuttgart soils have been mapped on about 200,000 acres in Arkansas. The Stuttgart series consists of very deep moderately well to somewhat poorly drained soils formed in silty and clayey alluvium. These level to gently sloping soils are on Prairie terraces in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Stuttgart's silt loam surface texture and the slow permeability in its clayey subsoil makes the soil ideal for rice population.
Typical Stuttgart Soil Profile
Surface: 0 to 11 inches - dark grayish brown and grayish brown silt loam
Subsurface: 11 to 23 inches - yellowish brown silt loam
Subsoil: 23 - 35 inches - red silty clay; 35 - 80 inches - grayish brown and light brownish gray silty clay loam
Soil Family Classification
Fine, smectitic, thermic Albaquultic Hapludalfs
Stuttgart soils are in the Alfisols soil order. Alfisols are mostly soils of intermediate age. The "Albaquultic" subgroup implies that the soil has an abrupt textural change, has a moderately high water table during part of the year, and that the base saturation is less than 60 percent at 50 inches below the top of the subsoil. The term "fine" indicates that the upper subsoil averages between 35 and 60 percent clay. The term "smectitic" implies that the clay in the subsoil is dominated by minerals that expand upon wetting and contract upon drying. "Thermic" refers to an average annual soil temperature of between 15o to 22oC (59o to 72oF). | <urn:uuid:9aa2bf6c-c8a7-4724-b2b7-a6c813a43e77> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ar/programs/?cid=nrcs142p2_035042 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00111-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920813 | 428 | 3.328125 | 3 |
In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made 1st November a church holiday to honour all the saints. This feast day is called All Saints' Day.
All Saints' Day used to be known as All Hallows (Hallow being an old word meaning Saint or Holy Person). The feast day actually started the previous evening, the Eve of All Hallows or Hallowe'en.
Christians remember all the saints
On Saints' Day, Christians remember all 'men of good will' (saints), great ones and forgotten ones, who have died through the ages.
Saints are men and women from all ages and all walks of life, who were outstanding Christians. Some - the martyrs - died for their faith. All of them are honoured by the church.
All Saints' Day, together with All Souls' Day (2 November) are know collectively as Hallowtide.
1 November 1858 - Victoria proclaimed India's ruler
The East India's Company's long reign over India came to an end when the administration passed to Queen Victoria.
1 November 1993 - The European Union is born | <urn:uuid:c298d7e6-85c1-40d6-aa07-8c71d4d5e995> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://projectbritain.com/calendar/November/saints.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00168-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955576 | 228 | 3.1875 | 3 |
YIẒḤAḲ BEN ḤIYYA THE SCRIBE:
Palestinian amora of the fourth century; contemporary of Mani. He was well known as a scribe, and was the author of a halakah in which he asserted that Torah scrolls might be written on various parchments, but that this rule did not apply in the case of tefillin and mezuzot (Yer. Meg. p. 71c). In the name of Johanan he transmitted a halakah relating to the marriage law (Yer. Yeb. 14a). Three other haggadot by him have been preserved: (1) on the future fate of the good and the wicked (Gen. R. lxiv. 4); (2) explaining why Saul did not consult the Urim and Thummim instead of the witch of En-dor (Lev. R. xxvi. 7; Midr. Shemuel xxiv. 6); and (3) setting forth that the Torah is compared to the tree of life (Prov. iii. 18) because it is equal in value to all living men (Midr. Shoḥer Ṭob to Ps. i. 19).
- Bacher, Ag. Pal. Amor. iii. 449 (note 8), 716-717;
- Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ii. 241. | <urn:uuid:50613a43-f3d6-40ea-a7b8-5dcc0c39f1f7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15098-yizhak-ben-hiyya-the-scribe | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00121-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921783 | 305 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Determining which sacrificial anode will fully and safely protect a boat
depends on a number of factors. As previously discussed, it is important
to understand the physical properties of each anode material. In addition,
boaters should also understand how each anode works with different hull
compositions, sterndrives and types of water.
- The best way to determine whether a boat is fully protected is by measuring
its cathodic protection voltage or hull potential using a voltmeter. But,
if one isn't available, here are some simple guidelines for selecting the
- The hull material of a boat determines, in part, which anode material
to use. A fiberglass boat having an inboard engine with bronze and stainless
metal parts needs less protection than an aluminum hull or a boat with
an aluminum sterndrive. Zinc or aluminum alloy anodes will work well for
these types of boats. The voltage generated by these anodes cannot overprotect,
i.e., they cannot cause any damage no matter how much anode material is
added. The maximum voltage generated is the voltage of the anode itself.
Magnesium would also work with a fiberglass boat but only in freshwater.
However, aluminum or wooden hulled boats can be overprotected by very active
magnesium. Steel hulls can also be overprotected and the excessive protection
voltage will rapidly lift the paint off the hull.
- Sterndrives and outboard motors, because of their very active aluminum
assembly, are hard to protect. Initially, the anodes for these units were
made of zinc. But corrosion problems in the early 1990s sparked the major
engine manufacturers to start selling aluminum alternatives. The increase
in protective voltage ensures that the sterndrive is protected. Today,
in some cases, using zinc may invalidate an engine's warranty. Again, caution
is needed when using magnesium anodes as they can overprotect.
- Water type is the final influential factor when choosing an anode.
When used in freshwater, a zinc anode forms a coating of zinc hydroxide
that insulates it and stops it from working. Magnesium used in saltwater
can disappear very quickly, and if it is used on an aluminum sterndrive
or outboard motor, it can be very dangerous. If piloting a boat with an
aluminum hull or sterndrive down river and into the ocean, the overprotection
of the magnesium anodes would cause hydrogen bubbles to form under the
paint on the hull or drive resulting in it being literally blown off. Acid
rain and pollution can also increase the conductivity of freshwater to
the point where the same thing will happen.
- Aluminum alloy is the only anode material that is safe for use in all
types of water and accepted by the major sterndrive manufacturers as the
best material to use. It is lighter and protects better than zinc and is
not so active that it becomes dangerous like magnesium. Aluminum alloy
is also environmentally friendly, unlike zinc, which is considered a pollutant.
- Editor's note: Martin Wigg is the president and founder of Performance
Metals. He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical
engineering. Paul Fleury is certified by the American Boat and Yacht Council
as an Electrical Technician and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers
as a Corrosion Technologist.
- Home | More Tips | <urn:uuid:0ca5b2ef-c44e-4b06-97d4-0ae57302ead7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://gulffishing.com/tips_anode.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00136-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911891 | 718 | 3.359375 | 3 |
It will be interesting to learn next week what proportion of the UK vote is now postal. Because postal voting boosts the turnout, people seem happy to ignore the risk of in-family coercion, or the fact that a vote may not be private. Thirty years ago it was assumed that postal voting was for the infirm or for people serving in the military. Now it is presented as just a handy alternative to the polling booth — the drive-thru lane of democratic consensus.
But should there be a cost to voting, even if it’s only a short contemplative walk to the polling booth? Do you want everyone to vote? Why encourage people who are happily indifferent to express an opinion, and so cancel out the opinions of others who care a great deal? Apathy is a noble social virtue: ‘I care so little here that I will not impose an opinion on the rest of you merely for the sake of doing so.’ Without the indifferent, society would break down.
One problem with social media is that the cost of expressing opinions has become too low. You no longer have to buy a stamp, construct a placard or sit down with a pen and marshal your thoughts, nor do you need to bother to collect any supporting information — you press a button. The result of this is that opinions are little connected to behaviour. They have become a form of personal ornamentation; the human equivalent of the peacock’s tail, only without the corresponding burden to the peacock. ‘Look! My hatred of Katie Hopkins is even larger and more symmetrical than yours.’ When there was a cost to expressing an opinion, and a limit to the number of opinions you could express, a belief meant something.
Soon, no doubt, there will be pressure to vote online, or by mobile phone or via your Xbox. You will be able to ‘share’ your vote soon after making it, or pose for a selfie with your ballot. The problem with this is that we will have done what humans often do, which is to use technology to make things easier while missing an opportunity to make them significantly better.
Is there a way to use technology to improve democracy — not only by changing the medium but by rethinking the whole interface? Well, there might be. And it is a brand new idea — in humans, at any rate. In another social species it has been working well for tens of millions of years.
Just as bees perfected the hexagonal honeycomb long before we understood geometry, they seem to have discovered democracy when the ancestors of Cleisthenes were swinging from trees.
Three hundred years ago, the Anglo-Dutch writer Bernard Mandeville caused public uproar when he published a book called The Fable of the Bees. The hive described by Mandeville prospered while the bees acted in their self-interest, but moralistic bees were disgusted by the lack of virtue in their colleagues. The moralists prevailed thanks to divine intervention, which instilled the bees with virtue. Then the hive collapsed. With no incentive to improve their lot, the bees stopped co-operating with each other. Thus Mandeville drew from the bees the lesson that society may do better to rely on self-interest than on virtue to fuel economic development and invention.
The general public was stung by this tale, but the wisest readers saw in it the basis of social reform. Samuel Johnson criticised the book’s definition of virtue, but also acknowledged that ‘it opened his eyes into real life very much’; Adam Smith rejected Mandeville’s open embrace of selfishness, but realised that the right social institutions, in particular the market system of prices, could harness the power of self-interest to promote a social good. Yet while Smith discovered the efficiency of the market economic system, he and economists after him were never able to find an efficient method of government.
To find this missing piece of the puzzle, we think Smith should have studied the very same bees that inspired Mandeville. Indeed, when one examines bees, it is possible to learn how to make the best group decisions about everything from creating the best rail service (or even fizzy drink) to marriage equality.
Today’s Mandeville is the renowned biologist Thomas D. Seeley, who was part of a team which discovered that colonies of honey bees look for new pollen sources to harvest by sending out scouts who search for the most attractive places. When the scouts return to the hive, they perform complicated dances in front of their comrades. The duration and intensity of these dances vary: bees who have found more attractive sources of pollen dance longer and more excitedly to signal the value of their location. The other bees will fly to the locations that are signified as most attractive and then return and do their own dances if they concur. Eventually a consensus is reached, and the colony concentrates on the new food source.
Seeley himself has found in the collective decision-making of the bees a metaphor and inspiration for democracy. Yet the bee system is far from the simple one-individual, one-vote set-up so popular among humans. If it were, there would be no way for Bee X who has discovered a particularly attractive source of pollen to convince fellow bees that his source truly deserves extra attention. Thus, it is the total passion of the bees, not simply numbers alone (one mandible, one vote) that ultimately carries the day.
Of course, every bee wants credit for their own find. So there needs to be a countervailing costly mechanism to prevent bees from simply over-promoting any pollen source they know. Bees must spend a lot of energy to bring their fellows around. Seeley’s research shows that the time they spend on dances grows not linearly but quadratically in proportion to the attractiveness of the site they encountered. Twice as good a site leads to four times as much wiggling, three times as good a site leads to nine times as lengthy a dance, and so forth.
In recent work, one of us (Weyl) has tried to explain this logic and how it could help humans make better group decisions. In particular, most democracies lack the ability for individuals to express intensity of preference — for example, how much gun ownership matters to gun owners, or the value of Scottish independence or a nuclear deterrent. Just as communism rationed to everyone equally the housing, food and cars they were ‘supposed’ to have, today’s democracies say everyone gets rationed exactly one vote on each issue — with varying intensities of preference factored out.
Under Quadratic Voting (QV), by contrast, individuals have a vote budget that they can spread around different issues that matter to them in proportion to the value those issues hold for them. And just as with Seeley’s bees, it becomes increasingly costly proportionately to acquire the next unit of influence on one issue. This approach highlights not only frequency of preferences but also intensity of preferences, by forcing individuals to decide how they will divide their influence across issues, while penalising the single-issue fanatic’s fussiness of putting all one’s weight on a single issue. It encourages individuals to distribute their points in precise proportion to how much each issue matters to them. In fact, Glen Weyl’s statistician co-author Steven P. Lalley has shown mathematically that QV is the only pricing rule that gives individuals an incentive truthfully to report their preferences. (Mathematically inclined readers of The Spectator will be pleased to learn that ‘all type-symmetric Bayes-Nash equilibria of an independent private values Quadratic Voting game converge to an efficient price-taking outcome as the population size grows large’ — as any bee could tell you.)
The other of us, Rory Sutherland, believes that one of the most promising applications of this idea is market research. Consider a firm that wants to learn whether customers care about particular product attributes: colour, quality, price, and so on. Rather than simply ask people what they care about — which leads to notoriously inaccurate results, often where people affect strong views just to maximise their individual influence — a business, or a public service, could supply customers with budgets of credits which they then used to vote, in quadratic fashion, for the attributes they want. This forces the group of respondents, like the swarm of bees, to allocate more resources to the options they care most about. An organisation can thus learn the nuanced collective intelligence of its users. (If you could allocate your BBC licence fee quadratically, you could put all the money towards BBC4 and the World Service.)
Smith was inspired by Mandeville’s bees to use markets to shape individual self-interest towards the social good. We can similarly turn to this other social species for inspiration as we collaborate to help make collective decisions about products and policies which will better reflect the needs and desires of the public.
If you want a better system of voting, the bees have it. When Winston Churchill said that democracy was ‘the worst form of government, except all the others which have been tried’, he was nearly right: but he failed to consider his Chartwell hives.
Subscribe to The Spectator today for a quality of argument not found in any other publication. Get more Spectator for less – just £12 for 12 issues. | <urn:uuid:8d0faf85-42a5-46a5-bde4-53e40d11fd3e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/05/humans-are-doing-democracy-wrong-bees-are-doing-it-right/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00125-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960008 | 1,937 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Nanotechnology Enabled Research at the North Dakota's Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering: Novel Approaches to Sensing
North Dakota State University, US
North Dakota State Universities Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) was established in 2002 to provide the DoD with sensor design and prototyping capability to satisfy current and future homeland security and warfighting needs. The infrastructure (facilities and equipment) and staff were established to support this mission. In addition, through cooperative teaming arrangements several key technologies in electronic materials, design, fabrication, and packaging were transferred from industrial partners including Tessera, Alien, Paratek Microwave, Signal Technology, Superconducting Technologies, and Symyx Technologies (www.ndsu.nodak.edu/cnse/ ). Sensor technologies being developed include wireless networks, electronics design and miniaturization, battery and power source development, power management and harvesting, antenna design, and biological and chemical transducer development. Despite being a relatively new university center for nanotechnology, CNSE is developing a unique identity and reputation as it combines novel nanoscale engineered materials with engineers that can quickly develop these novel materials into prototype devices. This presentation will give an overview of the current and future nanotechnology enabled research and engineering taking place at CNSE with a special emphasis on new approaches to Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection.
Back to Program
Nanotech 2006 Conference Program Abstract | <urn:uuid:217935e5-90f8-403a-83a9-cc8d4102d3fb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nsti.org/Nanotech2006/showabstract.html?absno=1509 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00132-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910557 | 293 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The Carbon Footprint of Oil Sands Oil
by Bill Chameides | March 26th, 2012
posted by Erica Rowell (Editor)
Mining operations in Alberta’s tar sands. (Photo by David Dodge, The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society | http://www.flickr.com/photos/pembina/sets/72157621954583656
How large? Some say really large, for peat’s sake.
Canadian oil sands are back in the news. President Obama announced last week that he would “fast-track” development of the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline — the proposed avenue that would bring bitumen from Canadian oil sands to refineries in Texas. But there was another aspect of the oil-sands debate that might have missed the headlines but remains a hot topic in the scientific community: Is the carbon footprint of oil sands larger than that of conventional oil? And if so, by how much.
Oil Sands: A Short Primer
The oil sands under discussion underlay a vast region of Alberta. To extract “oil” from these oil sands (also called tar sands, especially in the United States, because of the stuff’s sticky-goo quality) typically requires mining the heavy viscous, tar-like hydrocarbon locked up in these deposits a la coal. Once extracted, the oil sands go through a separation process to get rid of the sand and clay and extract the bitumen, which is then “upgraded” into a synthetic blend or diluted so it can “flow” like oil. Once flowable, it can be sent off to a refinery for final processing.
It is also possible to extract the bitumen without mining; such in-situ methods are expected to become more common once those deposits accessible by surface mines are exhausted. (To see what in-situ mining looks like, check out the Pembina Institute’s photos.)
Going Well-to-Wheels in Search of a Carbon Footprint
Because of all the energy required to first extract oil-sands bitumen and then convert it to a standard crude, the accepted wisdom has been that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from oil sands are larger than those of conventional oil. How much larger?
The answer to that question is typically found using something called a well-to-wheels life-cycle analysis, a thorough examination that accounts for all the greenhouse gases emitted over the entire life cycle of the fuel, from the initial well or mining development to the final stage of the fuel’s combustion.
(It turns out that all well-to-wheels analyses are not created equal, so to speak. Some consider more of the processes related to the production of a product; others consider fewer. In the case of oil sands this is especially true of so-called indirect emissions such as those that might arise from land-use changes or vented emissions.)
For years, I (and many of my colleagues) most often turned to work by Alexander Farrell and Adam Brandt (then both of the University of California, Berkeley) that was published in 2006 in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Their estimate: Oil sands, like heavy oil, emitted about 40 percent more CO2 than conventional oil (see figure). (In a 2011 report [pdf], Brandt estimated the carbon footprint for a likely oil-sands blend to be about 20 percent larger than that of a conventional oil blend used in Europe.)
But now there’s another analysis out there suggesting that oil sands’ carbon footprint is quite a bit smaller.
Authored by the energy consulting firm IHS CERA, it estimates oil sands’ well-to-wheels emissions are only five to 15 percent higher than those from conventional oil burned in the United States, and that “the average oil sands import to the United States has well-to-wheels life-cycle [greenhouse gas] GHG emissions about 6 percent higher than the average crude oil refined in the United States.” (Note that the lower carbon footprint is in part due to the fact that what flows through the pipeline from Canada is not just bitumen but a mix of synthetic crude oil and bitumen diluted with condensates.)
Why such different numbers between analyses? The main reason is that well-to-wheels studies vary considerably and have yet to become standardized. Writing in the journal Environmental Science and Technology last December, Brandt (now at Stanford University) found that the top five life-cycle models differed by as much as 40 percent in estimating upstream emissions for oil-sands oil.
For some folks like New York Times columnist Joe Nocera, who accepts IHS CERA’s estimates, a six percent carbon-footprint penalty is not enough to fuss over — certainly not enough to “doom the planet” and so we may as well get down with the Keystone pipeline.
But Then There’s the Peat Forsaking
Is six percent enough to worry about when you’re trying to find a pathway to reverse the world’s trend toward ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions? I suspect we’re not going to get a unanimous answer on that one. But I don’t think that’s the question we should be asking ourselves here.
The right question is: Are we counting all the carbon in the oil-sands footprint? The answer to that question is almost surely no.
Extraction of oil sands often means the destruction of peat bogs — ecosystems that are among the world’s richest depositories of carbon. When those bogs are destroyed, the carbon stored in them eventually ends up as CO2 in the atmosphere. If you want a total accounting of CO2 emissions from oil-sands exploitation, a well-to-wheels analysis that does not include land-use change won’t cut it — you must include the effect of
the land-use disturbance from mining, and most do not. Of the five models reviewed by Brandt last December, only one included the carbon from land-use changes. Is that significant?
A paper by Rebecca Rooney of the University of Alberta and colleagues published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that it can be quite significant. To get an estimate of just how large, the authors compared pre- and (planned) post-mining landscapes for four representative mines within Canada’s oil-sands region, and then scaled up their results to evaluate the impact that the landscape changes would have on carbon storage over the entire region.
The authors found that after mining, the peatlands that currently dominate the region [pdf] would be reduced by 65 percent. That loss would be a double whammy because not only would a significant slug of carbon be emitted (on the order of 40-175 million metric tons of CO2 or as much as seven-years worth of tar-sands emissions at 2010 production levels); less carbon would be sequestered in the future. An independent 2010 study by Sonia Yeh of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues estimated that the carbon footprint of the land-use component of mining peatlands would be double those without peat.
As the presidential election season swings into high gear, it appears that President Obama has decided to answer the Republican “drill, baby, drill” refrain with one that’s not all that different: “All of the above.” Take your pick. Either one may mean “warm, baby, warm.”filed under: carbon dioxide emissions, climate change, energy, faculty, fossil fuels, global warming, oil, policy, politics
and: Barack Obama, bitumen, Canada, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gases, Joe Nocera, Keystone XL, land use, land-use changes, mining, oil sands, peatlands, tar sands, well-to-wheels analysis | <urn:uuid:070e643d-5233-48f5-b66e-4d261f551c22> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/carbonfootprint-tarsands/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00139-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946171 | 1,649 | 3.125 | 3 |
The Diesel and Flat Car
The animation below portrays the inelastic collision between a very massive diesel and a less massive flatcar. Before the collision, the diesel is in motion with a velocity of 5 km/hr and the flatcar is at rest. The mass of the diesel is 8000 kg and the mass of the flatcar is 2000 kg. The diesel has four times the mass of the flatcar. After the collision, both the diesel and the flatcar move together with the same velocity. (Collisions such as this where the two objects stick together and move with the same post-collision velocity are referred to as inelastic collisions.) What is the after-collision velocity of the two railroad cars?
Collisions between objects are governed by laws of momentum and energy. When a collision occurs in an isolated system, the total momentum of the system of objects is conserved. Provided that there are no net external forces acting upon the two cars, the momentum of the diesel and the flatcar before the collision equals the momentum of the diesel and the flatcar after the collision
The mathematics of this problem is simplified by the fact that before the collision, there is only one object in motion and after the collision both objects have the same velocity. That is to say, a momentum analysis would show that all the momentum was concentrated in the diesel before the collision. And after the collision, all the momentum was the result of a single object (the combination of the diesel and flatcar) moving at an easily predictable velocity.
The prediction of the final velocity of the two cars involves determining the ratio by which the mass which is in motion changed; and then dividing the initial velocity by that ratio. That is if the amount of mass in motion increases by a factor of two, then the velocity would decrease by a factor of two (divide the original velocity by two). If the amount of mass in motion increases by a factor of five, then the velocity would decrease by a factor of five (divide the original velocity by five). In the case of the animation above, the amount of mass in motion increased by a factor of 5/4; a change from say 8000 kg for the diesel before the collision to 10 000 kg for the combination of the diesel and flatcar after the collision. Since the amount of mass in motion increased by a factor of 5/4, the velocity at which that mass is in motion must decrease by a factor of 5/4. That is, the original velocity of 5 km/hr must be divided by 5/4. The result is 4 km/hr; the diesel and flatcar move together with a velocity of 4 km/hr after the collision.
For more information on physical descriptions of motion, visit The Physics Classroom Tutorial. Detailed information is available there on the following topics:
Momentum Conservation Principle
Momentum Conservation in Collisions | <urn:uuid:67ebc65c-f5f3-424b-b292-f157005be232> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/momentum/dft.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00015-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946167 | 587 | 3.921875 | 4 |
Using Packaging to Avoid Food Waste
Half of all food produced worldwide is thrown out
According to the problem that half of all food produced worldwide is reportedly disposed of, INCPEN, an institute for packaging, states packaging plays a key role as an avoidance strategy.
Without packaging, manufacturing, transport, distribution, supplies and purchases would be difficult for practically all consumable goods. The kind for packaging makes the difference.
Until now, poor storage, strict orientation toward the "best before" date, special offers for larger packs and consumer behavior all contribute toward the fact that increasing amounts of food are simply thrown away. The institute claims that packaging can play an outstanding role in this environment in order to develop practical solutions to the problem.
High-quality packaging can significantly reduce food wastage along the supply chain if it is capable of considerably prolonging durability and shelf life, ensuring non-hazardous and safe transport and taking into consideration the changes in lifestyle and consumer habits. With reference to its protective and conserving properties, packaging today can be regarded as the one of the most important kinds of green technology.
Actega DS attributes top priority to avoiding food wastage, promoting environmentally compatible packaging and packaging solutions capable of meeting the challenges of the future. The company offers a variety of products for the development and manufacture of packaging, including PROVALIN, a compound which is reportedly free of PVC and plasticizers for metal vacuum seals. Actega states that practically all requirements concerning contents, sealing processes, storage and seal sizes can be complied with, and there are no restrictions during the filling and sealing process — including hot- and cold-filling as well as subsequent heat treatment such as pasteurization and sterilization — or in terms of the lid size.
It also offers Svelon, representing various versions of PVC-free granulate for crown corks and aluminum seals for beer, mineral water, wine, etc., and Oxylon, a barrier compound specifically meant for protecting beverages against oxygen and other volatile substances.
For more information on Actega's offerings, visit www.actega.com. | <urn:uuid:c253c29f-40b4-4f04-b9be-16f9a307d506> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/84412-using-packaging-to-avoid-food-waste?WT.rss_f=News&WT.rss_a=Using+Packaging+to+Avoid+Food+Waste&WT.rss_ev=a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00040-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938422 | 424 | 2.875 | 3 |
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