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Al-Battani used the widest variety of instruments: astrolabes, tubes, a gnomon divided into twelve parts, a celestial globe with five armillaries, parallax rules, a mural quadrant, sundials, vertical as well as horizontal.
Astronomical observation in Islamic times reached beyond what much of scholarship gives it credit for. Many aspects of it were pioneering as can be observed from few extracts on the life and works of al-Battani by Carra de Vaux. The merit of al-Battani, the De Vaux points out, is to pioneer the use of trigonometry in his operations. Al-Battani is also quoted saying:
`after having lengthily applied myself in the study of this science, I have noticed that the works on the movements of the planets differed consistently with each other, and that many authors made errors in the manner of undertaking their observation, and establishing their rules. I also noticed that with time, the position of the planets changed according to recent and older observations; changes caused by the obliquity of the ecliptic, affecting the calculation of the years and that of eclipses. Continuous focus on these things drove me to perfect and confirm such a science.' Al-Battani
More crucially, al-Battani, explained his mathematical operations and urged others `to continue observation, and to search,' in order to perfect and expand his work. He said that it was no impossibility that with the passing of time, more would be found, just as he himself expanded and added on the work of his predecessors. `Such is the majesty of celestial science, so vast, that none could ever encompass its study by himself.'
Al-Battani also used the widest variety of instruments: astrolabes, tubes, a gnomon divided into twelve parts, a celestial globe with five armillaries, of which, likely, he was the author, parallax rules, a mural quadrant, sundials, vertical as well as horizontal. And, understandably, he opted for the largest instruments; the measures taken by the parallax rules relate to a circle of no less than five meters in diameter; and the quadrant was no less than one meter.
So great was al-Battani's impact, De Vaux observes, that subsequent observation bore his mantel. Thus, Jewish scientists, Ibn Ezra, Maimonides, Levi Ben Gerson, and others, who through the centuries scattered Islamic learning in all regions of Europe, made al-Battani's calculations the foundations of theirs. Amongst the Christians, Robertus Cestrensis (Retinensis) devised tables of the celestial movements for the meridian of London for the year 1150 after him. Albertus Magnus, Alphonso X, Regiomontanus, Nicolas Cusanus, Copernicus, and Tycho Brahe are amongst others, on whom, al-Battani, in one way or another impacted. It was left to Nallino, who most recently edited al-Battani's work in Arabic with a Latin translation. | <urn:uuid:71d3adc4-9777-4f78-b403-54de2f904e7c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/impact-al-battani-european-astronomy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966357 | 645 | 3.703125 | 4 |
In 1982 Kenneth Baker, the technology minister, paid tribute to Donald Davies' work on packet switching during a visit to NPL.
It has often been said that change is the only constant in the 21st Century.
And there is little doubt that the restless tone of these times is something that the web has helped to accelerate.
But the only reason that the net and the web can cope with that punishing pace is thanks to work done four decades ago by British mathematician Donald Davies at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
On 5 August 1968 Dr Davies gave the first public presentation of work he had been doing on a method of moving data around computer networks called "packet switching".
The idea may sound mundane but, said John Pethica, chief science advisor at the NPL, the modern world would be a lot slower without it.
The internet, mobile phone networks and fixed line phones now all use the principles Davies and his team established to cram as much data as they can down the cables and wires making up the world's telecommunication networks.
Dr Pethica said the urge to find a better way to handle data emerged when computer networks were almost unheard of.
Donald Davies found a way to help networks route data efficiently
At that time making a phone call involved creating a dedicated circuit between the handset of a caller and the person they wanted to chat to.
"A lot of people realised that point-to-point was going to be a big problem, even for telephones even before they thought about computers," said Dr Pethica. "The problem was how you turn it away from that."
The problem with human speech is that most of it is made up of silence - be that the pauses between words, time taken to breathe or gaps when one person waits for another to speak.
Using most of a telephone network to transmit silence is not a very efficient use of that resource. Far better would be to find a way to fill the blank spots with the moments from others calls when those folk were speaking.
Dr Pethica said many in the computer world in the late 60s were thinking about how to solve this problem.
"There were other ideas around, like Paul Baran at Rand, but they were nowhere near as useful as what Donald Davies did in terms of size of packets and nodes," said Dr Pethica.
"It was Donald who had the idea of making a set of nodes that you send packets of data to that find their own way through," said Dr Pethica.
The insight of Dr Davies and his team was to slice data, be that a chat on the phone, an e-mail or a picture, into separate pieces or packets. These are then put on the network and rely on the intelligence of nodes in the network to help them wend their way to their destination. Once there they are re-assembled into the right order.
Dr Pethica said Davies' team worked out the mathematics that optimised such an approach - an idea that has proved its usefulness by still being in use today.
Davies' team proved the concept and built prototype computer networks.
Error correction schemes included in the technology helped it cope with the poor quality of phone lines in use in the late 1960s, said Dr Pethica. In more modern times those schemes help ensure data makes it across the busy lanes of the internet.
Davies and his colleagues went further than just establishing the concept for packet switching - they also build the first computer networks and proved their ideas could work.
"They had a whole series of early computers at NPL that they turned in to a local area network (Lan)," said Dr Pethica. He pointed out that the NPL scientists built such a network far in advance of the day when such things would become the common way to link up machines in an office.
"The important breakthrough that he and his team made was to build the Lan and make it work," he said.
Even before Dr Davies presented his work publicly, news of it had spread through the international computer science community.
As a result he was invited to talk about it to a team from the US Advanced Research Project Agency (Arpa) working on the fledgling internet. The principles he established were rolled in to the technology to make that network function.
Dr Pethica said packet switching idea was developed with an eye on the future and how a computer network might grow. Forty years on the scalability in the Dr Davies insight is still proving its worth, he said.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. | <urn:uuid:deb189d9-5cdc-415c-a96b-bc30846e1823> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7541123.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978686 | 1,003 | 3.1875 | 3 |
This tutorial covers how to apply expressions to the x and y positions separately in the puppet tool. In the previous tutorial, Wiggle on Position, I showed you how to apply a wiggle position to x and y separately using the Separate Dimensions option. The puppet tool in After Effects doesn't have this option so we have to use an expression to achieve the same effect.
In this tutorial we use the following expression:
Wiggle (5,10) means wiggle 5 times a second 10 pixels. In After Effects is the x position, is the y position, and is the z position. When you use the "value" expression it keeps the value editable and doesn't effect or break the expression if you change it. | <urn:uuid:25baa2d1-0774-478f-8c44-4fbbbe67e8b2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cgarena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=14644 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.8719 | 152 | 2.796875 | 3 |
following review, the black
text attempts to present what the author said.
ONE BOOK ATTEMPTING
TO EXPLAIN LOVE FROM BELOW:
BASED ON ANIMAL RELATIONSHIPS
comments in red come from James Park, the reviewer.}
Because this is such a long book-review,
it has been given this separate 'room' in this museum.
The rest of the books are found here: books
critical of romantic love.
Why We Love:
The Nature and Chemistry of
York: Holt, 2004) 302 pages
(ISBN: 0-8050-6913-3; hardcover?)
(ISBN: 0-965-92053-4; book club edition)
(Library of Congress call number: BF575.L8F53 2004)
Helen Fisher attempts to understand human romantic
by studying the mating behavior of animals.
Thus, she firmly believes that romantic love
is a phenomenon arising from 'human nature',
which shows itself in somewhat different forms in the animal kingdom.
this whole book carefully,
this reviewer is not convinced.
But other readers might need to
read this book
to understand such reductionist
which is quite common in the
1: "What Wild Ecstasy": Being in Love
In the first
chapter Fisher presents a good description of romantic love.
This shows that she really understands the experience of 'falling in
She is discussing the same phenomena explained in other ways by other
And she offers quotations from literature that is more than 800 years
quotations are being correctly interpreted,
then the phenomenon of romantic love as experienced today
does have roots in
human nature as far back as recorded history goes.
But quotations from ancient literature are all translations
since the English language is only about 500 years old.
And the translations were often made by people
who implicitly believed
the romantic mythology of their times.
So often they 'find' romantic themes
where none actually existed in the original texts.
Because Helen Fisher and many others who write about
have not clearly distinguished romantic responses from sexual responses,
many of the ancient texts were probably talking about sexual feelings,
which have been 'translated' into English words
that suggest our common, enculturated romantic responses.
Another possible distortion common among
is conflating family feelings
with romantic feelings.
Everywhere human beings have always lived in groups.
And they necessarily developed deep feelings for their kin
—whatever kinship system was prevalent.
And human beings are known especially for their pair-bonding.
We tend to settle into a relationship with one other person
that is more important than all others.
But kinship, pair-bonding, marriage, & other forms
can exist and have existed independent of
For a deeper discussion of such other human
that are frequently confused with romantic love,
see the introduction to my Romantic Love Test:
This Romantic Love Test contains the
explicit definition of romantic love,
which is the background for criticizing this book.
Those who want to explore when romantic
should read "When Was Romantic Love Invented?":
Animal Magnetism: Love among the Animals
The second chapter tells several stories
of animals who were very interested in each other.
And Fisher notices patterns of animal behavior
that she believes are very similar to teen-agers 'falling in love'.
similarities seem very superficial.
Mating behavior found among animals can be explained biologically:
It is encoded in their genes, not learned from observing
the behavior of other members of their species.
Animal sexual behavior is quite complex and often elaborate.
And we human beings do have much of the same sexual anatomy
and hormones as the other mammals,
but human sexuality seems to have largely transcended the animal
Why are we so drawn to animal-models for
understanding human sexuality?
Perhaps it is because we feel so out-of-control when it comes to sex.
We want to believe that we are not responsible for what
happens to us
We feel more comfortable believing that
our 'animal nature' is controlling our sexual responses.
This reviewer is one of the few thinkers
who disputes claims about the animal basis of human sexuality.
Fisher and others believe that romantic love is a by-product of sex.
If so, then studying animal
will provide deep insights into human sexual behavior.
For such reductionist thinkers, love is a sub-category of sex.
data about animal mating.
Some species mate for just one season, some for life.
And almost all species show preferences for particular mates.
They develop definite patterns of mate-selection and persistence.
attracted to animal explanations
because we do not understand what
we are doing when we create pair-bonds?
When romantic love seems to draw
us together with people we barely know
do we like to think that we are
being controlled by natural forces
in the same ways that animals
caused to connect and stay together?
Some mythologies claim that we are controlled by the Gods.
Fisher's book claims that we are controlled by our biology.
Chemistry of Love: Scanning the Brain "in Love"
The author shows certain changes in blood flow in
when subjects who are 'in love' look at pictures of the objects of
But she did
not test other kinds of emotional states,
such as being emotionally engaged in supporting a sports team
or in supporting one's own
nation during wartime.
We already knew that being 'in love' is an emotionally-aroused state.
But does it differ (in terms of measurable blood flow in the brain)
from other emotional states
of arousal and involvement?
Perhaps Fisher has discovered and measured emotional
but this does not show that romantic love is universal or natural.
Support for a sports team is also emotional,
but no one claims (as far as I know) that sports-emotions are universal.
Fisher took her hypothesis as far as it would go.
But she did not look at similar emotional states,
some of which are well-known to be enculturated feelings.
Those who want to explore the programming of
romantic love should read:
"Romantic Love is a Hoax! Emotional Programming to 'Fall in love' ":
Chapter 4: Web of
Love: Lust, Romance, and Attachment
Helen Fisher does distinguish between lust and
And she cites studies that show sexual arousal
involves different parts of the brain than romantic love.
still assumed that lust is a natural event,
citing animal studies to explain
various aspects of human sexuality.
Sometimes lust leads to romantic love.
People who have been having sex
develop the signs of romantic passion.
But Fisher and
I seek different explanations of both phenomena.
She keeps looking for biological
But I believe that romantic love is a learned
and that sexual fantasies are
Next Fisher looks for chemical to explain attachment.
And she begins with animal studies:
What keeps animal pairs together?
What causes them to look for new mates?
mating be explained by the chemicals we share with animals?
Fisher would like to find an
I would explain mating as types of
Family structures are very strong
And when people like each other,
they tend to continue spending
Should we speak of the need for families?
We can at least speak of the benefits
Siblings can also form families with one another.
Parents and children necessarily constitute families
because the children will not survive without parents
or someone else to act as parents.
Interpersonal attachments and family structures are
but I do not think brain chemicals will do much to explain them.
Fisher, parents stay together to raise their children
because of the chemical of attachment,
which frequently replaces the chemical of romantic passion.
The author of
this book is attempting to explain
very complex human choices and
patterns of relationship
by means of brain-chemicals.
In my view, this does not succeed.
But it might still be useful to know something about the chemical in
However, our behavior is better explained by our choices than by our chemistry.
And our choices are often conditioned by complex social factors.
I even believe we have freedom to choose against what we have
acknowledges that her three factors
love, sexual response, & attachment—
can sometimes be independent of one another.
They can be directed toward different individuals at the same time.
You can be married and attached to one person—the
And you can have romantic feelings for another person.
And you can even have a sexual response to a third person.
I agree with
but I would not seek all of the
explanations in brain-chemicals.
Attachment, familiarity, & mate-selection
are all deeply affected by social learning.
The examples of other
are the strongest inputs for how we structure our personal
Marriage is the major
Would Fisher attempt to explain marriage by referring to brain chemistry?
acknowledges that other thinkers (ancient and modern)
have tried to explain all of the phenomena called "love"
using different concepts.
But these might be various combinations of Fisher's three
love, sexual response, & attachment.
is still not convinced.
It can often be useful to attempt to explain human behavior
by referring to simpler principles.
But when this effort is taken too far, it becomes reductionism.
I think the phenomena under consideration
are more likely to be explained as social learning
than as resulting from anything biological.
This reviewer's essay on romantic love was already
Those who want to explore the imprinting of sexual responses should
"Sources of Sexual Fantasies":
Chapter 5: "That
First Fine Careless Rapture": Who We Choose
Helen Fisher notes that we project romantic
fantasies on strangers
more readily than we 'fall in love' with people we already know.
We choose when we are ready for a new partner.
We choose partners from the same social class, usually.
We choose partners with symmetrical bodies.
And men choose women with a waist-to-hip ratio of 70%
But all such
statistical studies can never account for the individual factors,
which might be even more important for a unique relationship.
When men and women are relating generically,
they are responding to their internalized romantic fantasies
and their imprinted sexual responses.
personal ads and scientific studies,
men sell themselves to women by their wealth and power.
Women sell themselves to men by their beauty.
(without explaining why)
that all people are trying to reproduce.
So our mate-selections will be based
(perhaps unconsciously) on reproductive potential.
I do not believe this.
But for a reductionist, it could make perfect sense.
I believe that pair-bonding is much more cultural than biological.
And we can choose each other for highly individual reasons,
that have more to do with who
we are choosing to be
than anything that could be explained biologically or culturally.
When we 'fall in love', we are usually not thinking of reproduction.
fellow-psychologist even interprets all human behavior
as attempts to impress a mate.
could only arise if mating is the only purpose on the radar.
But we all have many other purposes in life.
Chapter 6: Why
We Love: The Evolution of Romantic Love
Helen Fisher correctly recounts the emergence of the
human species in Africa.
When our ancestors came down from the trees 7 million years ago,
the females had to carry their young in their arms instead of on their backs.
This made it difficult for
them to gather food and defend themselves against predators.
So having a mate around became more important for the survival of the
account of pair-bonding
but not for romantic love.
Clearly family structures were required for groups survival.
In some cultures, the brothers
of the females
were the ones who protected the offspring
(and other sisters and their offspring).
her account of human origins.
We know that males and females got together to reproduce.
And when human
and female get together today,
they often connect by means of romantic love.
I think Fisher is projecting current experiences with romantic love
back onto our ancestors of millions of years ago:
Because they 'got together', they must have been 'in love'.
What if Fisher became convinced
that romantic love is a recent invention of human culture?
Then would she call the phenomenon she studies "sexual attraction"?
And even today, we know that sexual responses
can happen in the absence of romantic love.
Human sexual attraction has large cultural components,
but there are also some dynamics we share with the other animals.
As I read these pages, I think that Fisher could
to study human sexuality
with as much validity
as she attempts to study romantic
Concerning our ancestors of millions of years ago,
I think we will never be able to separate sexual responses
from whatever forms of emotional connections they might have had.
So why not just call it sex?
After all, animals have also been mating for millions of years.
Yet, with respect to most animals,
no one believes that they have anything like romantic love.
Does Helen Fisher wants to find romantic love among the animals
because of her ethno-centrism?
Does she see everything thru Western eyes?
Is that why she finds romantic love in prehistoric cultures
and even in the animal kingdom?
discusses the development of the human brain.
We have lots of special capacities not shared by the other animals.
Chief among these is the capacity for language.
But even before language
development, human beings were mating.
emergence of language about 100,000 years ago,
I think human beings were mating mainly for sexual reasons.
And I see no need to hypothesize that they experienced
anything like our modern feeling of romantic love.
Our larger brains also allowed us to develop
more complex ideas about sex and mating.
But our prehistoric ancestors could have had a very complex culture
of sexual interactions without any romantic love.
In fact, I believe that human cultures did grow and thrive
for thousands of
years before any romantic love emerged.
I compare it to any given style of music.
Rock-and-roll was always
But as a matter of historical fact,
it did not emerge until the 20th century.
And as we do better anthropology,
studying all cultures that left any records
telling about their patterns of mating and having families,
we will discover that only a few, recent cultures
were driven by romantic traditions.
I remain open to any record from any culture
that tells of romantic love (as distinct from sexual attraction)
that existed before 1200 AD.
Helen Fisher is
aware that modern people do have sex outside of marriage.
She thinks that this has the evolutionary purpose
of having more
who are having sex outside of marriage really want to reproduce?
And woman want to gain more protection for the
children they already have.
Such evolutionary explanations of
would need much better evidence.
The human passion
of romantic love does not last long.
certainly a valid observation.
However, if romantic love (like
the English language) is a cultural invention,
then there is no need to seek a
biological basis for it.
Romantic illusions are just some
examples of the artificial emotions
that human beings have developed
over their long history.
7: Lost Love: Rejection, Despair, and Rage
When Fisher notices something like rage and pain in
she looks to animals for parallels.
In this case, baby animals suffer when their mothers leave.
Similar chemicals are working in the bodies of humans
when they are rejected or abandoned.
There might be
but the loss of human love is much more
than worry about food and companionship.
When teen-love disappears, no one starves.
And the victims of abandonment are not left without any human contact.
We have complex thoughts and feelings
that have no parallel among the animals
because we human beings have abstract language
thru which we understand our relationships.
that the end of a relationship
means starting over with a new partner to have children.
She does not
ask actual people who have lost in the game of love
whether they are worried about parenting possibilities.
& despair are useful feelings.
They help with giving up the lost partner
and moving on to a new partner.
is not convinced.
I doubt that the desire to have children figures in many broken
When people get jealous, reproduction is far from their thoughts.
But such is the way that an evolutionary biologist would see it.
Most of this book suffers from the same presuppositions.
It might be useful to add such animal parallels.
But the higher dimensions of love—which
only humans have—
are more helpful in explaining hurt
feelings when love goes bad.
Chapter 8: Taking
Control of Passion: Making Romance Last
Since the loss of love is a bio-chemical state of
we can attempt to counter-act these chemicals with other chemicals.
Anger and regret can be overcome with positive chemicals.
Helping our bodies to become more healthy
is one way to recover from romantic disappointment.
recognized the real sense of loss
that comes with the collapse of romantic illusions.
But attempting to explain it all by chemicals
does not do justice to the problem or the solution.
Her treatments might be more appropriate
for the depression that results from a losing season
in one's favorite sporting team.
Reports of more
studies that show people are more prone
to 'fall in love' when they are emotionally excited.
When we control these chemicals,
we have more continuing feelings of being in love.
response to any new phenomenon
is to look for the chemicals that might be the basis of that experience.
Chapter 9: "The
Madness of the Gods": The Triumph of Love
More claims that romantic love is universal.
Exploring some different patterns of relationships:
polygamy, multiple loving, arranged marriages,
being in love with one person while married to another,
love possible for people of all ages.
remains unconvinced to the end
that romantic love is universal.
And Helen Fisher's attempt to explain romantic love
bio-chemically are also unconvincing.
But I offer these summaries for people
who might be interested in reading this book for themselves
to draw their own conclusions.
revised 4-11-2009; 9-23-2010; 4-9-2015;
Go to a complete
listing of resources critical of romantic illusions:
Return to the beginning
of this home page:
Existential Philosopher's Museum | <urn:uuid:0ab50648-5e10-421e-b406-bd63a6f67286> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/B-LOW.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403825.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00192-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926275 | 3,976 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Paul Klee (1879-1940)
The Angler, 1921
Watercolor, transfer drawing and ink on paper
18 7/8 x 12 3/8 in. (50.5 x 31.8 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. John S. Newberry Collection; Digital Image © 2014 The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/ Art Resource, NY
© 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
By Bobbie Leigh
“Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937” is one of the most compelling and timely presentations the Neue Galerie has mounted since it opened in 2001. It is as much about politics and culture as mid-century art. According to Hitler, modern art demonstrated the cultural decay threatening the German public.
Just two days after Hitler’s new government was sworn in in February 1933, a Nazi newspaper published an article about an “art swamp in Germany.” Its purpose was to draw attention to the “Jewish domination” of the Dusseldorf Academy. From then on, the campaign against modernist art became more widespread.
The chilling story of using art to instill a new political order in Germany culminated in “Entartete Kunst,” or degenerate art, an exhibition the Nazis mounted in Munich in 1937 which after its opening traveled to German and Austrian cities until 1941. Through meticulous research the Neue has managed to borrow about 50 paintings and sculptures, 30 works on paper which were in the original 1937 show.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)
A Group of Artists (The Painters of the Brücke), 1925-26
Oil on canvas 66 1/8 x 49 5/8 in. (168 x 126 cm)
Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Photo: © Rheinisches Bildarchiv Cologne
As curator Dr. Olaf Peters explains in the must-read catalog: “Modernism… was depicted here as a pathological undertaking that had been strategically pushed through by a small, Jewish clique at the cost of German art.” Hitler called modern art “monstrosities of madness.” The art he admired was inspired by the past, by classical Greece and the Italian Renaissance. In contrast, Hitler referred to the works of such artists as George Grosz, Paul Klee, Oskar Kokoschka among many others on view at the Neue show as degenerate, “subhuman” or “insane.”
It is estimated that from about 1935 the Nazis purged German and Austrian museums of some 20,000 works many of which ended up in the 1937 Munich Degenerate Art show. Roughly one-third of those works were sold at auction and elsewhere to generate funds for the Nazi government. Others were destroyed in a Berlin bonfire, and the rest have for the moment, disappeared.
Adolf Ziegler (1892-1959) The Four Elements: Fire (left wing), Earth and Water (center panel),
Air (right wing), 1937 Oil on canvas; 66 7/8 x 106 ¼ in. (170 x 270 cm); Pinakothek der Moderne, Bayerische Staatsgemaeldesammlungen, Munich; Photo credit: bpk, Berlin/Art Resource, NY
What exactly did Hitler hate? Art tainted with Cubism, Expressionism, Futurism, Dadaism, and Constructivism (but not all of the latter) as well as Bauhaus modern architecture and furniture. (It was not made of wood from good German forests, but leather and steel.) And what did he revere? The best example of Hitler’s taste in art is in the Neue show in a gallery juxtaposing so-called good and bad art. On one wall is a painting that ended up above the mantelpiece in Hitler’s apartment. It is Adolph Ziegler’s triptych, The Four Elements, featuring four youthful, classic blond nudes, personifying the four elements, fire, water, earth, and air. Ziegler was one of Hitler’s favorite artists in the “Greco-Nordic” tradition.
Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Departure, Frankfurt 1932, Berlin 1933-35
Oil on canvas 84 ¾ x 39 ¼ in. (215.3 x 99.7 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Given anonymously (by exchange)
Digital Image © 2014 The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/ Art Resource, NY
© 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
In the same gallery hangs Max Beckmann mystifying triptych, Departure, depicting a crowned king and queen in a boat at sea flanked by panels of suffering, tortured prisoners. Beckmann, whom the Nazis fired from his professorship at the University of Frankfurt, called the center panel “The Homecoming.” According to the artist, the queen carries the “greatest treasure –Freedom as a child in her lap.” After his exile from Germany, Beckmann said…”Freedom is the one thing that matters—it is the departure, the new start.”
Along with Beckmann, the Nazis drove many artists to exile, suicide and early death. According to Hitler, “being German meant being clear.” He demonized modern art and orchestrated a state campaign against distorted or primitive forms, muddy colors, complexity, and ambiguity. Aerial shots of Dresden before and after the war along with two photo murals sum up the show: On one side of a narrow corridor outside of the galleries we see German people lining up to see the Degenerate Art traveling exhibition when it was in Hamburg from November 11-December 30, 1938. On the other side, we see an equally long line of Jews arriving at the Auschwitz-Birkenau railroad station.
The Neue Galerie; www.neuegalerie.org On view through June 30, 2014.
Bobbie Leigh has written for many national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, and Departures. Currently she is a New York correspondent for Art & Antiques. | <urn:uuid:fffcd6ee-374b-4580-86c9-569a331cb3e9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.everettpotter.com/tag/new-york/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00163-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939375 | 1,329 | 2.890625 | 3 |
[No. 16 in Exhibition]
UB IWERKS, one of the most talented animators of the silent and early sound eras, considered by many to be Walt Disney’s oldest friend, was responsible for the distinctive style of the early Disney cartoons and was the creator of Mickey Mouse. In 1930, he left Disney to start his own studio. From 1933 to 1936, Iwerks produced a series of shorts in Cinecolor (a two color film process) named ComiColor Cartoons based upon popular fairy tales and other familiar stories (such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Don Quixote, Ali Baba, and Simple Simon). Lacking financial support, the Iwerks studio folded in 1936. Iwerks returned to Disney, where he won Oscars for his innovations in optical printing and traveling mattes; later he was celebrated for his special effects work in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. | <urn:uuid:0566ea2e-2c89-4591-bd36-e82edf6c02d0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/cinema-television-arts/gallery-film-poster-art-page-6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00185-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95698 | 188 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Note: This post is part of an on-going series by Teresa Conrick. You can read more about the Microbiome in our "Exclusives" pull down menu.
By Teresa Conrick
On August 29th, 1931, Vivian Murdock was born in Maryland. She was to become Case 6, Virginia S. , the eldest diagnosed of those unique childrenas reported by Dr. Leo Kanner in his famous paper from 1943 . He changed her name and birthday as he knew her father, Dr. Harry Murdock, a fellow psychiatrist, and presumably wanted to keep the family anonymous.
Here is her Social Security death notice:
Last Residence: 21838 Marion Station, Somerset
Maryland, United States of America
Born: 29 Aug 1931
Died: Jan 1987
State (Year) SSN issued: Maryland (1975)
On April 14th, 2012, I “found” Virginia S. after years of searching. Her life of institutionalization since 1936 was horrific and compelled me to keep up my search through volumes of documents. Virginia S. was my Titanic, a monumental and historic tragedy of both mind and body that had clues to MAN as the culprit. I needed to find her and thought of it as a rescue mission. I have a daughter, like Virginia S., who has been nonverbal since regression into an autism diagnosis after her vaccinations. State mental hospitals and institutions were the options for autism in the days of Kanner and since. In present day, we now see that the majority of cases involve REGRESSION, with increasing numbers of parents reporting VACCINATION as the cause. I have always been intrigued by the fact that Virginia S. was born in Baltimore right when, “The city health department reported in 1931 that 'during the year the Department began the distribution of diphtheria toxoid on a large scale. ’ ” These would have been the first well-baby vaccines containing mercury. Her family and the other seven discovered so far from those Kanner 11, each had a history of mercury exposure. Both mercury and vaccination can alter the microbiome. NOTE: Antibiotics were not yet in use when those first eleven children were identified.
Since 1938, when Kanner first met those children, autism has become an epidemic and a top fear for expecting parents. Some may try to paint autism as an increasing diagnosed disability, where each individual needs to be treated with dignity. I agree with that but we need to also add that autism is increasing due to environmental, not genetic factors and that for most, autism is a DISEASE, with true, medical markers. It is becoming increasingly clear that the social, language and perseverative behaviors of autism are a consequence of a microbiome that is sick and that in turn affects the brain:
A new and growing area of research is finding that the bugs, especially the ones in our guts, play a critical role in human health and the development of our immune system.
Scientists say that a host of health problems, including autism, cancer, obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, Crohn's disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, seem to appear when the human microbial community gets out of whack.
And this one:
Similarly, a 2013 study from Mazmanian’s lab found that a mouse model with some features of autism had much lower levels of a common gut bacterium called Bacteroides fragilis than did normal mice3. The animals were also stressed, antisocial and had gastrointestinal symptoms often seen in autism. Feeding B. fragilis to the mice reversed the symptoms. The group also found that the mice with these symptoms had higher levels of a bacterial metabolite called 4-ethylphenylsulphate (4EPS) in their blood, and that injecting that chemical into normal mice caused the same behavioural problems..
…. 4-ethylphenylsulfate, was 46 times as abundant in the mice with autism symptoms as in normal mice .
ASD is a collection of neurodevelopmental changes in children where they exhibit complex behavioral changes in their abilities in social interaction and communication, as well as presence of behaviors similar to obsessive–compulsive disorder, including repetitive and narrow interests. While the disease impacts the brain, gastrointestinal symptoms are commonly described in children with ASD (234, 235), and studies have identified the presence of inflammatory infiltrate and histopathology in biopsies of children with ASD, including increased numbers of cytotoxic T cells, CD19+ B-cells, and increased enteric IgG1/4 (236, 237). Possibly related to these GIT immune changes and dysfunction, some studies have demonstrated an altered composition of intestinal microbiota in young children with ASD compared to healthy control children with typical neurological function (238–242)……
….. When identifying a role for the microbiota in ASD, rather than making predictions based on taxonomic sequence data, recent studies have been studying the metabolite secretions of gut microbes and the impact of these microbiotas on host serum metabolites. A potential mechanism behind ASD symptoms could be neuro-active metabolites mediated by or produced by the microbiota, which could disseminate systemically and penetrate the blood–brain barrier.
So, we see more and more research implicating the microbiome in autism and the clues keep also hinting towards vaccines. Here we read “infections” yet those “first days, months, and years of life” are inundated with vaccinations. | <urn:uuid:9fc97e04-7efb-4038-9d1c-639f71197a06> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ageofautism.com/teresa-conrick/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00112-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965393 | 1,118 | 2.734375 | 3 |
|President Obama contemplates a Jackie Robinson|
jersey during the president's visit to the Hall of Fame.
President Obama on Thursday became the first sitting president to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., a visit intended to provide visuals for touting the economic value of tourism.
This photo came from the substantial exhibit at the museum on the Negro Leagues and the breaking of the color barrier, and this jersey is not usually so exposed. (The president was photographed holding a Babe Ruth bat and a Joe DiMaggio glove, relics the normal visitor doesn't get to touch; the Hall obviously set things up specially for the presidential tour.)
The blackball exhibit is one of the focal points of the museum, and the symbolic connection between Robinson and Obama is pretty obvious. No. 42 is one of the many giants on whose shoulders Obama stands.
And this statement seems to me self-evident: Racism didn't disappear from American life when a black man was elected president any more than it disappeared from baseball when a black man played for a major league team. | <urn:uuid:e3c77dca-be25-40dd-82ec-1c0385ed415a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://fpbaseballoutsider.blogspot.com/2014/05/pic-of-week_25.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00024-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959482 | 224 | 2.515625 | 3 |
1.1.6 Scheme procedures
Scheme procedures are executable scheme expressions that return a
value resulting from their execution. They can also manipulate
variables defined outside of the procedure.
Procedures are defined in Scheme with define
(define (function-name arg1 arg2 ... argn)
For example, we could define a procedure to calculate the average:
guile> (define (average x y) (/ (+ x y) 2))
#<procedure average (x y)>
Once a procedure is defined, it is called by putting the procedure
name and the arguments in a list. For example, we can calculate
the average of 3 and 12:
guile> (average 3 12)
Scheme procedures that return boolean values are often called
predicates. By convention (but not necessity), predicate names
typically end in a question mark:
guile> (define (less-than-ten? x) (< x 10))
guile> (less-than-ten? 9)
guile> (less-than-ten? 15)
Scheme procedures always return a return value, which is the value
of the last expression executed in the procedure. The return
value can be any valid Scheme value, including a complex data
structure or a procedure.
Sometimes the user would like to have multiple Scheme expressions in
a procedure. There are two ways that multiple expressions can be
combined. The first is the
begin procedure, which allows
multiple expressions to be evaluated, and returns the value of
the last expression.
guile> (begin (+ 1 2) (- 5 8) (* 2 2))
The second way to combine multiple expressions is in a
In a let block, a series of bindings are created, and then a sequence
of expressions that can include those bindings is evaluated. The
return value of the let block is the return value of the last
statement in the let block:
guile> (let ((x 2) (y 3) (z 4)) (display (+ x y)) (display (- z 4))
… (+ (* x y) (/ z x)))
Other languages: deutsch, español, français.
About automatic language selection. | <urn:uuid:7f6ffd06-5699-4b24-81d4-ea2ac74b5b5c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/extending/scheme-procedures | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00179-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.751288 | 475 | 4.03125 | 4 |
British Council, NCERT and UNESCO Global Policy Dialogue on ‘Science and Mathematics Education: The Way Forward’
The Global Policy Dialogue on ‘Science and Mathematics Education: The Way Forward’ opened today at the India International Centre, New Delhi and will conclude on 10 January 2013. It is jointly organized by the British Council, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi.
The Policy Dialogue is being attended by over 100 education and science officials from the government; science and mathematics experts and researchers; entrepreneurs; representatives of leading universities and teacher training institutions; NGO’s supporting development of science teaching; premier scientific institutions and industry; academicians and students. It is also attended by participants from Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and UK.
The overall objective of this seminar is to enhance knowledge and skills on emerging issues around the teaching of science and mathematics in schools and to learn by sharing knowledge and experiences. This Dialogue seminar comes at a critical time in education policy and planning as countries around the world focus their attention on the improvement of science and mathematics teaching and learning. The drive to raise the quality of education in schools and increase the employability prospects of young people, is throwing a spotlight on best international practice and innovation in these subject areas.
The three main themes that will be deliberated from national and international perspectives are:
- Improving equity and access to science and mathematics education;
- Supporting future ready learning of science and mathematics; and
- Motivating and empowering young people to succeed in science and mathematics.
Key objectives of this policy dialogue are:
- To engage policy makers, practitioners, academicians and science and technology based industry in India, UK and other countries in discussion and debate around areas of mutual concern in high quality curriculum, assessment and classroom transaction of science and mathematics teaching in schools.
- To create a global network of education policy makers and implementers who support ‘Connecting Classrooms’ endeavour to create global citizens with the required skills to contribute to solving global issues, through sharing of best practices and innovations across the globe in science teaching in the classroom.
- To generate links between science in the workplace and science in the classroom to better prepare students to address the needs of the society now and in the future.
The key outcomes expected are:
- Ways in which we can meet future science and mathematics needs now, providing career opportunities of our young people
- Ways in which we can share and use global learning
- Ways in which we can network effectively to ensure that sharing and learning is continuous
- Ways in which we can collaborate internationally
Science Education is a key to UNESCO and the British Council's agenda of creating enriching learning environment in schools that helps young people develop skills and knowledge to succeed in 21st century globalized world.
This Policy Dialogue is backed-up by the British Council India “Connecting Classrooms” education programme for schools, designed to help young people learn about global themes and become responsible global citizens, as well as giving them the skills to work in a worldwide economy.
UNESCO New Delhi inter-sectoral activities in science education contributes to the building of peace and sustainable development through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
NCERT is an apex resource organization set up by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on academic matters related to school education. NCERT runs annual National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition for Children, develops science teaching-learning curriculum, materials and kits, textbooks and so on.
<- Back to: Dynamic Content Single View | <urn:uuid:fc3bf88f-84a9-4a2b-82ea-53eef2192677> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.unesco.org/new/en/newdelhi/about-this-office/single-view/news/british_council_ncert_and_unesco_global_policy_dialogue_on_science_and_mathematics_education_the_way_forward/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941065 | 735 | 2.859375 | 3 |
For much of the past two decades, predictions of an impending shortage of scientists and engineers in America have gained increasingly wide currency. The country is failing to produce scientists and engineers in numbers sufficient to fulfill its economic potential, the argument runs. The supposed causes are weaknesses in elementary, secondary, or higher education, inadequate financing of the fields, declining interest in science and engineering among American students, or some combination of these. Thus it is said that the United States must import students, scientists, and engineers from abroad to fill universities and work in the private sector-though even this talent pool may dry up eventually as more foreign nationals find attractive opportunities elsewhere.
Yet alongside such arguments - sometimes in the very same publications in which they appear - one learns of layoffs of tens of thousands of scientists and engineers in the computer, telecommunications, and aerospace industries, of the deep frustration and even anger felt by newly minted Ph.D.s unable to find stable employment in traditional science and engineering career paths, and of senior scientists and engineers who are advising undergraduates against pursuing careers in their own fields. Why the contradictory reports on professions routinely deemed critical to the success of the American economy? Is it possible that there really is no shortage in these fields?
A history of gloomy forecasts
Pronouncements of shortages in American science and engineering have a long history. They date at least to the late 1950s, around the time the USSR launched Sputnik, the first orbiting satellite, prompting concerns that an era of Soviet technological advantage over the United States had emerged. The United States responded with massive public investments in science and engineering education. This led to sharp increases in the numbers pursuing such studies, and a surfeit in the 1970s of entry-level scientists and engineers.
The recent history of shortage forecasts begins in the mid 1980s, when the then-leadership of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a few top research universities began to predict "looming shortfalls"
of scientists and engineers in the next two decades. Their arguments were based upon quite simplistic demographic projections produced by a small policy office reporting to the NSF director-projections that earlier had been sharply criticized by the NSF's own science and engineering workforce experts.
Only a few years later, it became apparent that the trends actually pointed toward a growing surplus of scientists and engineers. In 1992, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight conducted a formal investigation and hearing about the shortfall projections, leading to much embarrassment at the NSF. In his opening remarks at the hearing, the subcommittee's Chairman, Democrat Howard Wolpe of Michigan, declared that the "credibility of the [National Science] Foundation is seriously damaged when it is so careless about its own product." Sherwood Boehlert, the subcommittee's ranking Republican and now chair of the full House Science Committee, called the NSF director's shortfall predictions "the equivalent to shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater." They were "based on very tenuous data and analysis. In short, a mistake was made," he said. "Let's figure out how to avoid similar mistakes, and then move on."
Boehlert's advice was not heeded. Only five years later, during the high-tech boom of the late 1990s, an industry association known as the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) began to produce a series of reports asserting burgeoning gaps and shortages of information-technology workers, based on proprietary surveys of what it termed "job openings." The first ITAA report claimed that some 190,000 information-technology jobs could not be filled in 1997. The second concluded that there were 346,000 open positions in 1998. The Department of Commerce then produced its own report, which drew heavily upon the findings of the two ITAA reports.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) published a sharply critical assessment of these three related reports in 1998. It concluded that all of their shortfall estimates were questionable due to the studies' weak methodologies and very low response rates. Unabashed, ITAA returned to the fray in 2000. Its third report asserted that over 843,000 information-technology positions would go unfilled that year due to a shortfall of qualified workers. Despite withering criticism from the GAO, the ITAA reports provided useful political support for the successful lobbying campaign for dramatic expansion - to the current level of 195,000 per year - of the H-1B visa, the temporary-visa program for foreign "specialty workers" that comprise the bulk of foreign science and engineering professionals being admitted to work in the United States.
Remarkably, even the recent economic downturn does not seem to have deterred proponents of the workforce shortage theory. Take NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, who invoked a shortage argument during testimony before the House Science Committee in October 2002 on NASA's hiring problems. "Throughout the Federal government, as well as the private sector, the challenge faced by a lack of scientists and engineers is real and is growing by the day," O'Keefe told the committee.
The following month a new organization called Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) published a report entitled "The Quiet Crisis: Falling Short in Producing American Scientific and Technical Talent." This "quiet crisis," the report's authors noted, "stems from the gap between the nation's growing need for scientists, engineers, and other technically skilled workers and its production of them.... This 'gap' represents a shortfall in our national scientific and technical capabilities."
Some business leaders and academics are also advancing the shortage thesis despite the economic downturn. Two reports with findings similar to the BEST study subsequently emerged in the spring of 2003. One was a report addressed to the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) of the National Academies, and the other was prepared by the Committee for Economic Development (CED), an organization of business and education leaders.
Even some associated with the NSF seem unchastened by the embarrassing failure of the "shortfall" projections of a decade ago. In June 2003, the National Science Board, the NSF's governing body, released for public comment a draft task-force report addressing the "unfolding crisis" in science and engineering. "Current trends of supply and demand for [science and engineering] skills in the workplace indicate problems that may seriously threaten our long-term prosperity, national security, and quality of life," it said.
The profound irony of many such claims is the disjuncture between practice in the scientific and engineering professions "in which accurate empirical evidence and careful analyses are essential" and that among promoters of "shortage" claims in the public sphere, where the analytical rigor is often, to be kind, quite weak. Few, if any, of the market indicators signaling shortages exist. Strong upward pressure on real wages and low unemployment rates relative to other education-intensive professions are two such indicators conspicuously absent from the contemporary marketplace.
A RAND study released earlier this year assembled the available data from its own research, the NSF, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Research Council (NRC), and several scientific associations. What RAND found largely discredits the case being made for labor shortages. First, RAND noted the obsolescence of the available data, the newest of which refers mostly to 1999 or 2000. RAND called this "especially unfortunate" given that "the [science and engineering] workforce situation has arguably changed significantly" since those heady times of the dot-com, information technology, and telecom booms. But more importantly, RAND's analysis of even data from the boom period showed that "neither earnings patterns nor unemployment patterns indicate [a science and engineering] shortage in the data we were able to find."
Recent government unemployment data tend to confirm these findings. Data for the first and second quarters of 2003 released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed surprisingly high unemployment rates in science and engineering fields. Even the recently "hot" computer and mathematical occupations are experiencing unemployment of 5.4 to 6 percent. For computer programmers, the numbers range from 6.7 to 7.5 percent. All engineering (and architecture) occupations taken together are averaging 4.4 percent unemployment, while the rates for the high-tech fields of electrical and electronic engineering are in the range of 6.4 to 7 percent. Reported unemployment in the life, physical, and social sciences ranges from 2.8 to 4.1 percent. Many of these numbers are remarkably high for such high-skill occupations. Unemployment for the whole of the U.S. workforce averaged about 6 percent over the same period, and highly educated groups such as scientists and engineers normally have substantially lower unemployment rates than the national average.
In the natural-science disciplines, which employ far fewer people than engineering, numerous reports by leading scientists have been pointing to increasingly unattractive career prospects for newly minted Ph.D.s. As one example among many, a 1998 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee on careers in the life sciences-the largest field in the natural sciences-reported that "recent trends in employment opportunities suggest that the attractiveness to young people of careers in life-science research is declining." More recent data from 2002 showed that key indicators of career problems had continued to deteriorate since then, prompting Shirley Tilghman, the NAS committee's chair and current president of Princeton University, to tell Science magazine that she found the 2002 data "appalling." She said the data reviewed earlier by the committee looked "bad" at the time, "but compared to today, they actually look pretty good." The 2003 RAND study concurred. "Altogether, the data ... do not portray the kind of vigorous employment and earnings prospects that would be expected to draw increasing numbers of bright and informed young people into [science and engineering] fields," RAND concluded.
It is of course quite possible to have "appalling" early career problems in some areas of science and engineering alongside very good career prospects in others. Administrators of federal technical agencies such as NASA do face special problems such as hiring freezes or other ongoing personnel or financial constraints. Senior personnel at NASA and other agencies have been offered substantial early retirement incentives while hiring procedures to replace them tend to be cumbersome and slow. In "hot" fields that are new or growing rapidly, like bioinformatics, human resources are inevitably in short supply. And truly exceptional scientists and engineers will always be few in number and vigorously pursued by employers.
Still, in most areas of science and engineering at present, the available data show sufficient numbers or even surpluses of highly qualified candidates with extensive postgraduate education. This is especially the case in the academy, which has become risk-averse about replacing departing tenured faculty with tenure-track junior positions. Instead, many universities in the United States have been filling such open slots with temporary and part-time appointees they find in ample pools of highly educated applicants. Indeed, advertisements for a single tenure-track assistant professorship often attract hundreds of applications from recent Ph.D.s. Similar circumstances prevail for engineers and scientists in large sectors of the U.S. economy such as telecommunications, computing, and software, sectors in which lurching market collapses and large bankruptcies have greatly weakened demand for their services.
What does the future hold?
Many recent shortage claims point not to current circumstances, but to projections of future demand. What can be said with reasonable assurance about such predictions?
Unfortunately, labor-market projections for scientists and engineers that go more than a few years into the future are notoriously difficult to make. An expert workshop convened by the National Research Council in 2000 reported universal dissatisfaction with past projection efforts, and stated declaratively that "accurate forecasts have not been produced."
The workshop report commented in particular upon one such study that is often cited by shortage proponents: the Bureau of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook." The most recent "outlook," completed in 2001, projected that over the next decade computer-related fields, including software engineers, computer-network and systems administrators and analysts, would likely be the fastest growing occupations nationwide. But the NRC workshop report noted the limitations inherent in such projections:
The omission of behavioral responses makes the BLS outlook unreliable as a basis for decisions on federal funding designed to respond to anticipated shortages.... The BLS outlook neglects many dimensions in which adjustment may occur, including training and retraining, and especially in response to changes in wages.... No response is built into time trends in relative occupational wages on either the demand side (where employers substitute capital for labor when relative wages rise) or the supply side (where students move toward occupations in which relative wages are rising).
One might add that many science and engineering fields are heavily influenced by federal funding, which makes projections of future workforce demand dependent upon quite unpredictable political decisions and world events. To their credit, the authors of the BLS Occupational Outlook themselves emphasize the need for caution. "The BLS projections were completed prior to the tragic events of September 11 ... [and] the nature and severity of longer-term impacts [of the terror attacks] remains unclear," the authors write. "At this time, it is impossible to know how individual industries or occupations may be affected over the next decade."
Owing to such events and unforeseeable changes in the market, no one can know what the U.S. economy and its science and technology sectors will look like in 2010. It follows that no credible projections of future "shortages" exist on which to base sensible policy responses.
Not only are claims of current or future shortages inconsistent with all available quantitative evidence, but alas many of the solutions proposed to deal with the putative "
crisis" are profoundly misdirected. The most popular proposed solutions seem to focus mainly on the supply side, urging action to increase the numbers of U.S. students pursuing degrees in science and engineering. Recommendations often include calls for reform of the U.S. elementary and secondary education systems, especially inadequacies in science and mathematics; informational efforts to promote knowledge of such careers among U.S. secondary school students and of the science and math prerequisites required to pursue them at university level; financial and other incentives to increase interest in such fields among U.S. students; and increases in the number of "role models" in science and engineering fields for women and underrepresented minorities. Other commentators, apparently more pessimistic about the abilities of U.S. students, recommend increasing the numbers of students or workers from abroad to meet the needs of the U.S. economy.
This focus on supply to the virtual exclusion of considering demand is not warranted. However desirable many of these proposals may be on other grounds, they are unlikely to be very effective in attracting U.S. students to careers in science and engineering unless employment in these fields is sufficiently attractive to justify the large personal investments needed to enter them. Surprisingly enough, it is far from common to hear this rather obvious point raised in public discussions of the subject. To put the matter more succinctly, those who are concerned about whether the production of U.S. scientists and engineers is sufficient for national needs must pay serious attention to whether careers in science and engineering are attractive relative to other career opportunities available to American students. And yet little such attention has been forthcoming in recent years.
The qualifications for careers in engineering and especially in science involve considerable personal investments. The direct financial costs of higher education in the sciences can be staggering, depending on the financial circumstances of undergraduates and their families, whether the institution is private or public, whether postbaccalaureate education is required, and whether such education is subsidized.
Engineering and science differ substantially in these characteristics. For engineering, only the baccalaureate is normally required for entry into the profession. Most engineering B.S. degrees are earned at state universities, which are heavily subsidized by state governments. In addition, direct financial aid is often available for those in financial need. In contrast, professional careers in the sciences now commonly require completion of the Ph.D. and increasingly require subsequent postdoctoral work. The direct financial costs of this extensive graduate and postdoctoral work are typically heavily subsidized by both government and universities. Yet even with such subsidies, the personal costs to qualify as a scientist can be quite high-mainly due to the lengthening time required to attain the degree and complete postdoctoral training.
The extreme case is that of the biosciences, which account for half of all Ph.D.s awarded in the natural sciences. Over the past couple of decades, the average period of required postbaccalaureate study has increased dramatically, to between nine and twelve years from about seven to eight years. The Ph.D. itself has stretched out to seven or eight years from about six, while the now-essential postdoctoral apprenticeship has lengthened to between two and five years from one or two in decades past. In career terms, this means that most young bioscientists cannot begin their careers as full-fledged professionals until they are in their early thirties or older, and those in academic positions usually are not able to secure the stable employment that comes with tenure until their late thirties. Unsurprisingly, the idea of spending nine to twelve years in postbaccalaureate studies before one is qualified for a real job may be unattractive to substantial numbers of would-be young scientists.
There are also concerns about negative impacts on scientific creativity. Wendy Baldwin, until recently the deputy director for extramural research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), notes concerns arising at NIH over "the long-held observation that a lot of people who do stunning work do it early in their careers." Bruce Alberts, in his 2003 President's Address to the National Academy of Sciences, described as "incredible" the fact that even though NIH funding has doubled in only the past five years, the average age of first-time grant recipients has continued increasing. "Many of my colleagues and I were awarded our first independent funding when we were under 30 years old ... [now] almost no one finds it possible to start an independent scientific career under the age of 35," Alberts told the academy. Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of DNA structure James Watson agrees. As he put it in characteristically pithy terms in a 1992 interview, "I think you're unlikely to make an impact unless you get into a really important lab at a young age.... People used to be kings when they were nineteen, generals. Now you're supposed to wait until you're relatively senile."
It's not hard to see why this also portends ill for science careers at a personal level. Delaying career initiation until one's thirties poses inherent conflicts with marriage and family life. Many who might be attracted to careers in science are justifiably concerned that such a career choice comes at too high a personal cost.
The problem has not gone unnoticed. Many scientific societies have decried the trend toward longer degrees and postdoctoral apprenticeships, and U.S. universities have created more than 70 new two-year graduate science degrees designed for those who wish to pursue scientific careers outside of the academy. (Start-up costs of many of these have been supported by Sloan Foundation grants.) These new degrees, called "Professional Science Master's degrees," have been attracting interest among U.S. science majors who might otherwise choose paths leading to business or law school.
Some senior scientists stress that no one should pursue a science career to get rich, which is a point well taken. Yet it would be unwise simply to ignore how alternative career paths compare in strictly economic terms. The nine-to-twelve year period that a would-be bioscientist now must spend in a student role or low-paid postdoctoral position means that a substantial fraction of lifetime income that would otherwise be earned must be foregone. This is what economists term "opportunity costs," and these are by no means insignificant. A 2001 study conducted by a team of leading economists and biologists for the American Society for Cell Biology found that bioscientists experience a "huge lifetime economic disadvantage" on the order of $400,000 in earnings discounted at 3 percent compared to Ph.D. fields such as engineering, and about $1 million in lifetime earnings compared with medicine. When expected lifetime earnings of bioscientists are compared with those of M.B.A. recipients from the same university, the study's conservative estimates indicate a lifetime earnings differential of $1 million exclusive of stock options. When stock options are included, the differential doubles to $2 million.
In smaller scientific fields such as physics and chemistry, where Ph.D. programs are shorter and lengthy postdoctoral work less universal, the differentials are smaller but still substantial. Given the direct financial costs and opportunity costs, careers in science and engineering must offer significant attractions relative to other career paths available to American students. College graduates with demonstrated talent and interest in science and mathematics can choose to go to medical school, law school, or business school; they can pursue other professional education; or they can enter the workforce without graduate degrees.
The options available to most foreign students-at least for those from poorer countries-are completely different. Most do not have the option to study at U.S. medical, law, or business schools (due to the high costs and lack of subsidies) nor can they easily enter the U.S. workforce directly. In contrast, science Ph.D. programs at many American universities actively recruit and subsidize graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from China, India, and elsewhere, from which positions many are able to move on to employment in the United States.
There are, of course, many significant noneconomic rewards associated with careers in science and engineering: the intellectual challenge of research and discovery; the life of the mind in which fundamental puzzles of nature and the cosmos can be addressed; the potential to develop exciting and useful new technologies. For some, these attractions make science and engineering careers worthy of real sacrifices-they are "callings" rather than careers, analogous to those of religious or artistic vocations. Happily, a number of talented students will decide, based on personal values and commitments, to pursue graduate degrees and careers in science or engineering, even with full knowledge that the career paths may be unattractive in relative terms. Yet it is also true that others with strong scientific and mathematical talents will decide that a better course for their lives would be to go directly into the workforce rather than to follow additional scientific studies, or instead to pursue professional degrees in business, law, or other fields.
The politics of shortages
Public discourse about these issues is mired in paradox. There are energetic claims of "shortages" of engineers, while unemployment rates are high and mid-career engineers face increasing job instability. There are reprises of earlier "shortage" claims about scientists, while undergraduates demonstrating high potential in science and math increasingly seem to be attracted to other careers. Some emphasize the need for K-12 reform, even though very large numbers of entering college freshmen intend to major in science or engineering but later choose otherwise. The NIH research budget has doubled within only a few years, but the average age at which scientists win their first research grants is rising. Why are shortage claims so persistent despite so much evidence to the contrary?
On this issue, where one stands depends upon where one sits. Most of the assertions of current or impending shortages, gaps, or shortfalls have originated from four sources: university administrators and associations; government agencies that finance basic and applied research; corporate employers of scientists and engineers and their associations; and immigration lawyers and their associations.
The economist Eric Weinstein has uncovered documentary evidence suggesting that the real intent of some of those involved in the 1980s "shortfall" alarms from NSF may have been to limit wage increases for Ph.D. scientists. Whether or not such motivations underlay that episode, we can certainly appreciate the various incentives that may currently spur some to endorse such claims. Universities want to fill their classrooms with undergraduates who pay their fees and finance their research with external funding, and to do so recruit graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to teach undergraduates and to staff their research laboratories. Government science-funding agencies may find rising wages problematic insofar as they result in increased costs for research. Meanwhile, companies want to hire employees with appropriate skills and backgrounds at remuneration rates that allow them to compete with other firms that recruit lower-wage employees from less affluent countries. If company recruiters find large numbers of foreign students in U.S. graduate science and engineering programs, they feel they should be able to hire such noncitizens without large costs or lengthy delays. Finally, immigration lawyers want to increase demand for their billable services, and especially demand from the more lucrative clients such as would-be employers of skilled foreign workers.
None of these groups is seeking to do harm to anyone. Each finds itself operating in response to incentives that are not entirely of its own making. But a broad commonality of interests exists among these disparate groups in propagating the idea of a "shortage" of native-born scientists and engineers. Moreover, claims of shortages in these fields are attractive because they have proven to be effective tools to gain support from American politicians and corporate leaders, few of whom would claim to be experts on labor markets. As noted earlier, the dubious reports from the ITAA were used successfully to convince the Congress to triple the size of the H-1B visa program in 2000. In late 2002, a leading lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers, responding to criticism that shortage claims cannot be supported by credible evidence, put the matter succinctly: "We can't drop our best selling point to corporations," he explained.
Such a short-term view is naturally attractive to lobbyists because it works politically. But it may turn out to be a serious error over a longer period of time. Claims of impending shortages can easily become self-fulfilling prophecies if, as in the past, government responds by subsidizing education or increasing visas for foreign workers without seriously considering the effects such actions may have upon the attractiveness and sustainability of career paths for such professionals. Action along these lines could create an even larger surfeit of scientists and engineers-one that drives down the number of Americans willing to enter these professions and, paradoxically, creates the very problem it seeks to address.
Instead of raising the false flag of shortages, those concerned about the future of science and engineering in the United States should encourage objective appraisals of current career paths, as well as innovations in higher and continuing education designed for more agile adjustments to inevitable changes in these dynamic fields. The overarching goal should be to find ways to make these careers attractive relative to the alternatives, for this is the only sustainable way to ensure a supply commensurate with the United States' science and engineering needs.
Copyright of The Public Interest, No. 153 (Fall 2003), pp. 40-53 © 2003 by National Affairs, Inc.
Michael S. Teitelbaum is program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and co-author of Political Demography, Demographic Engineering (Berghahn Books, 2001). | <urn:uuid:c1540fda-27c3-4e2e-8f37-fa4abe861a03> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.thepublicinterest.com/archives/2003fall/article2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00174-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958871 | 5,560 | 2.734375 | 3 |
For many years kyanite was seen as just a mineral with no real value as a gemstone. Recent finds of high quality kyanite has changed that however.
Some of these kyanite gemstones can challenge fine blue spinel and sapphire at a fraction of the cost. Just keep in mind that kyanite is not as tough, but with proper care you’ll be able to enjoy it for many years to come.
What is Kyanite?
They are polymorphs, which means that they have the same chemical formula but a different crystal structure. The name kyanite refers to the Greek word ‘kyanos’ which means deep blue.
Usually kyanite is blue, it can be found in several other colors including green, orange and pink. On rare occasions it shows chatoyancy (cats eye). Unfortunately it’s hard to keep this property when they are cut into gemstones.
There are multiple kyanite uses, such as the usage in ceramics. This use is mostly limited to industrial products, though kyanite dishes are being produced. It is used in the electronics industry and as an abrasive.
Not as well-known but still quite important is the use as an index mineral. Depending on the pressure, depth and temperature of the place where this mineral is formed or changed (by metamorphism) either kyanite, andalusite or sillimanite will form. This property makes it invaluable for geologists to determine the origin of rocks.
Kyanite is found in a number of countries including India, Kenya, Burma, Zimbabwe and the USA. However most of these deposits are of a lower quality. They produce nice blue crystals, but they are no match for other blue gemstones like sapphires or blue spinel.
In 1995 however high quality kyanite with a rich deep blue color was found in Nepal. Unfortunately the production in the Nepal mines is low which makes most kyanite found on the market today of mediocre quality.
A rare property, called anisotropism, of kyanite is that they have a varying hardness. In one direction they have a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on Mohs hardness scale, however perpendicular on that direction they will have a hardness of only 4.5 to 5. This combined with its perfect cleavage in one direction makes cutting it quite difficult.
Kyanite Meaning and Kyanite Healing Properties
For those who believe in the power of crystals or stones blue kyanite offers to help with communication. Not just normal communication but telepathy and other psychic abilities as well.
In history it was believed that when you suspended kyanite from a hair you could use it as a compass. This is the reason that it is sometimes referred to as the traveler’s stone.
Taking Care of Your Kyanite Gemstones
Here are a few tips for keeping your kyanite jewelry or loose stones in the best shape possible:
- Kyanite is quite brittle, so you should avoid physical labor while wearing it. It’s probably best to settle for a necklace, pendant or earrings, because these are not as likely to be damaged as kyanite rings or bracelets.
- Cleaning is best done with lukewarm water and a mild soap. Be sure you dry it afterwards with a soft towel and let it air for a few minutes before storing it. Stay away from jewelry cleaners, most of them contain chemicals that could damage your gemstone as they can be slightly porous.
- I would not use a jewelry steam cleaner because kyanite can be sensitive to heat. An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner should be safe to use, however if you’ve bought a porous kyanite you could be in trouble. Both of these methods usually require jewelry cleaner for extra effect as well. To sum up, I’d stick to water and soap as it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Kyanite like all gemstones should be stored separately. With its varying hardness it’s even more likely that it will be damaged when just lumped together with other gemstones or gemstone jewelry.
Kyanite Buying Guide
Even though high quality kyanite is almost entirely limited to a few mines in Nepal, the availability of larger amounts of medium (or worse) quality kyanite make this gemstone quite accessible.
Synthetic kyanite does not exist, though some dealers claim otherwise. Be aware that it’s very likely that they are simply trying to sell you cheap imitations.
Imitations do exist, but kyanite is not very expensive unlike most other blue gemstones. So it’s not likely you will have to deal with them.
It still is best to shop at a renowned dealer as some people will try to sell dyed quartz or even glass as kyanite. Still it is far more likely that kyanite itself will be used to imitate the more expensive blue spinel or sapphires.
So how expensive is kyanite? Not that expensive, a good quality one carat kyanite gemstone sells for around $30. However because most kyanite is found in small sizes the price per carat of larger gemstones can increase dramatically. Top quality 3 carat+ stones easily sell for over $100 per carat. However this is still far below most other blue gemstones.
Color is the most important part of that price, a rich deep blue color is the most expensive. Though violet or purple kyanite is not that far behind. Clarity comes second, unfortunately most kyanite is slightly to heavily included.
Most kyanite on the market will be eye-clean at best, but there is still enough of it that you should not be settling for moderately included or worse gemstones. The beauty of kyanite really suffers from the inclusions.
Cut is important as well because of the varying hardness of kyanite. A good cut will make sure that it has the highest hardness possible in the parts that are exposed.
Shape determines part of the price as well, a faceted kyanite can be twice as expensive than one that is cut en cabochon. This is because cabochons are easier to make and retain more of their weight.
It will be fairly hard to find kyanite in a local jewelry shop. Especially if you are looking for high quality stones or jewelry. Be sure to call ahead so you don’t waste your valuable time. Crystal shops, handmade jewelry and bead shops usually sell kyanite, however they mostly are rough or low quality kyanite that is more suited for beading than for use in jewelry.
So where do I buy my kyanite? Contact a colored gemstone dealer in the neighborhood or shop around online. Most of the smaller sites don’t offer it, however it’s quite easy to find it on large retail sites.
Do a background check on the dealer you are buying from though (particularly on sites like Ebay or Amazon). Especially if you are buying an expensive piece. A simple look at feedback or typing their name into Google could save you a lot of trouble and money.
Most pre-set kyanite jewelry focuses on kyanite rings, they certainly look amazing, but keep in mind that they are not nearly as tough as diamonds, sapphires or rubies. Earrings and necklaces are around as well and they are more suitable for daily wear, though you should still be careful with them. | <urn:uuid:21f834b0-34b5-4127-9f2c-31deafcd68e7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gemstonesadvisor.com/kyanite/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968514 | 1,571 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The Climate of Rockpile Vineyards
The Effect of Climate of Rockpile Vineyards
This translates to the methodical ripening of grapes and the development of defined varietal characteristics. The region is also blessed with mild winds, further moderating temperatures and making mildew in vineyards a non-issue.
In the early growing season, (March and April), day time temperatures can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than lower, adjacent AVAs. This is assuming there is no fog on the surrounding valley floors. These cooler temperatures are due to consistent, maritime winds that blow into the AVA from the northwest. The result is a later budbreak and slower ripening throughout the remainder of the growing season.
During the summer months, these winds begin to die down and temperatures rise. While morning fog is common in nearby valleys, Rockpile is largely spared because of its considerable elevation. Grapes thrive in the abundant sunshine.
But it is the months of September and October that really define Rockpile’s unique climate. Temperatures are warmer and rain is less common than in surrounding AVAs.
Full bodied red varietals love these conditions. Zinfandel is the most widely grown varietal, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Syrah. Grape yield is very low per acre and extremely high quality. | <urn:uuid:d3c81c46-ca00-4d25-82f2-068d20ca4e57> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.calwineries.com/explore/regions/sonoma-county/rockpile/climate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00082-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933495 | 284 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The Windows System and Boot Partitions
What are the Windows System and Boot Partitions?
When you allow the Windows built-in bootmanager to handle a dual or multiboot machine it will require the employing of separate System and Boot partitions. This is because the bootmanager component always remains on the first Windows OS you installed, with subsequent OSes having to be booted through that first OS. The partition with the Windows bootmanager is therefore always the System partition and the OS you are booted into will be the Boot partition. If you only have one Windows then the System and Boot partitions will be the same partition, unless of course you manually created and configured a dedicated system partition. Now however with Windows 7 a dedicated system partition may be created for you at install time without your knowledge. See - Installing Windows 7.
There is often confusion about which is the actual System partition containing the bootmanager files and which one is the Boot partition that your operating system is running from. The easiest way to check is to open the Windows Disk Management utility where you will see the partitions clearly marked as System or Boot. To open Disk Management right click on My Computer (just Computer in Vista) and choose Manage from the popup menu. Once the console opens choose Disk Management from the list of utilities in the left hand pane. Or you can create a shortcut - right click on the desktop and choose New>Shortcut and enter diskmgmt.msc
The System partition always has to be the Active primary partition on the boot hard drive and this can be any one of the 4 primary partitions it is possible to have. The Boot partition can be any primary or logical partition on non-removable drives (except eSATA). There is a much fuller explanation of the Windows bootmanager in this introductory Guide to the Multiboot Process.
In legacy WinNT and with internal or upgrade installs of Vista and 7 the drive letter of C: will usually be retained for the system partition. Installing Vista or 7 by booting the machine directly off the DVD will result in the system partition being seen as D: from inside your new OS. See - Vista may unexpectedly take the C: drive letter as its own.
If you are not using the Microsoft bootmanager and have installed all your OSes to be independent with each having all their own boot files on their own partition, then they will all be both the System and Boot partition. This will be true for any partition on any hard drive, but the Windows Disk Management utility can have problems reporting this correctly for independent installs of Windows that are entirely on logical partitions. Microsoft do not natively provide a way to place an independent install of Windows on a logical partition and so didn’t give their Disk Management tool the ability to correctly recognise this phenomenon. In XP it can show the logical as just Boot with no System partition allocated, unless your bootmanager is able to mark the logical partition as Active. In Vista and Win7 that issue seems to be sorted, but now there is a problem with reporting the partition type of logicals that are hidden or of an un-supported file system. See - You may see several primary partitions on a drive.
Microsoft calls the partition with the boot files the System partition, and the partition with the operating system the Boot partition. Everyone else refers to them exactly the other way round. The boot files on the boot partition. The operating system on the system partition. | <urn:uuid:3e1eab8b-1c7f-4cac-9045-d0bc9057ab0c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.multibooters.co.uk/system.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00000-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90524 | 695 | 2.75 | 3 |
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4282
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeastern Delaware in coastal low-lands along the margin of Delaware Bay. For 37 years, the Broadkiln Sportsman's Club adjacent to the refuge operated a trap-shooting range, with the clay-target launchers oriented so that the expended lead shot from the range dropped into forested wetland areas on the refuge property. Investigators have estimated that up to 58,000 shotgun pellets per square foot are present in locations on the refuge where the lead shot fell to the ground.
As part of the environmental risk assessment for the site, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigated the potential for lead contamination in ground water. Results from two sampling rounds in 19 shallow wells indicate that elevated levels of dissolved lead are present in ground water at the site. The lead and associated metals, such as antimony and arsenic (common shotgun pellet alloys), are being transported along shallow ground-water flowpaths toward an open-water slough in the forested wetland adjacent to the downrange target area. Water samples from wells located along the bank of the slough contained dissolved lead conentrations higher than 400 micrograms per liter, and as high as 1 milligram per liter. In contrast, a natural background concentration of lead from ground water in a well upgradient from the site is about 1 microgram per liter. Two water samples collected several months apart from the slough directly downgradient of the shooting range contained 24 and 212 micrograms per liter of lead, respectively.
The data indicate that lead from a concentrated deposit of shotgun pellets on the refuge has been mobilized through a combination of acidic water conditions and a very sandy, shallow, unconfined aquifer, and is moving along ground-water flow- paths toward the surface-water drainage. Data from this study will be used to help delineate the lead plume, and determine the fate and transport of lead from the source area.
Purpose and scope
Methods of study
Water sample collection and analysis
Soil and sediment sampling
Summary and conclusions
Appendix: Prime Hook core lithologic descriptions
This report is available online in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, it is available for free download from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
View the full report in PDF (3.5 MB)
Document Accessibility: Adobe Systems Incorporated has information about PDFs and the visually impaired. This information provides tools to help make PDF files accessible. These tools and the accessible reader may be obtained free from Adobe at Adobe Access.
For more information about USGS activities in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia contact:
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
8987 Yellow Brick Road
Baltimore, MD 21237
Telephone: (410) 238-4200
Fax: (410) 238-4210
or access the USGS Water Resources of Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia home page at: http://md.water.usgs.gov/.
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|U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Persistent URL: http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/wri024282
Page Contact Information: Contact USGS
Last modified: Thursday, September 01 2005, 02:22:06 PM | <urn:uuid:400b1e99-1047-44be-a960-8fa6c20c70e3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri02-4282/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00025-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.872594 | 728 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Though the intrusive, unwanted thoughts of obsessive-compulsive disorder have to be extremely intense for someone to be diagnosed with OCD, a new study shows that 94 percent of people experience such symptoms in their daily lives. That is, being somewhat OCD is remarkably common.
If you ever feel like you need to wash your hands multiple times, or have a constant fear of something horrible happening, you may experience OCD symptoms without actually having the severe form of the disorder. Only about 2.2 million Americans over the age of 18 have a diagnosed form of OCD, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That is equivalent to about one percent of the population of American adults.
How can there be such a wide gap between those who experience OCD symptoms and those who are diagnosed with it? While the majority of people experience these kinds of unwanted thoughts, it’s how you cope with them that makes the difference, the authors of the study claim. “This study shows that it’s not the unwanted, intrusive thoughts that are the problem — it’s what you make of those thoughts,” Adam Radomsky, psychology professor at Concordia University and an author of the study, said in a press release. “And that’s at the heart of our cognitive and behavioral interventions for helping people overcome OCD.”
In order to get a good group of subjects, the researchers tested 777 university students across 13 different countries and six continents — including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Iran, Israel, Spain, and Turkey. The researchers asked the participants whether they had experienced such intrusive thoughts during the past three months. Some of the “intrusions” could include a persistent worry, an image of a house on fire, or a sudden desire to be aggressive against someone.
“Confirming that these thoughts are extremely common helps us reassure patients who may think that they are very different from everybody else,” Radomsky said in the press release. “For instance, most people who have an intrusive thought about jumping off a balcony or a metro platform would tell themselves that it’s a strange or silly thing to think, whereas a person with OCD may worry that the thought means they’re suicidal. OCD patients experience these thoughts more often and are more upset by them, but the thoughts themselves seem to be indistinguishable from those occurring in the general population.”
Many people struggling with OCD often feel as though they are the only ones, making them feel isolated and alone. Because there isn’t much public awareness of OCD, making it even harder for people to cope and find help for their condition. Typically, people with OCD work with therapists, cognitive behavior therapy, and medications to help them ease their symptoms and get to the root of their issues.
Otherwise, for people who have milder forms of OCD, self-help can assist in overcoming intrusive thoughts. (Read this help guide for a few tips.)
Common obsessions include the fear of being responsible for causing harm on someone else, having unwanted sexual thoughts, or religious obsessions — also known as “scrupulosity” — where the patient is overly preoccupied with offending God or with doing the morally right thing. There are also people who are OCD about being perfectionists — things have to be in order, precise, and exact. Others are fearful of getting “contaminated” with germs or diseases.
“We’re more similar than we are different,” Radomsky said. “People with OCD and related problems are very much like everyone else.” | <urn:uuid:b5e8f9ec-8412-4ad6-96bc-cae20f41ab92> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.medicaldaily.com/ocd-symptoms-more-widespread-you-think-94-people-have-intrusive-thoughts-275440 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96622 | 743 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Foreign debt is the money owed by one country to another country. This debt may also come about when an international bank issues a loan to a country. As such, this is also alternatively referred to as external debt. It is oftentimes necessary for countries to apply for loans from other countries or banks such as the World Bank, because funds are needed for the construction of important infrastructure and the implementation of other projects which are aimed at improving the economic conditions within a country. Historically, many countries have gotten into some form of foreign debt for the development of their territories, and even to fund war campaigns. In such cases, other nations which were supportive of the cause being espoused by one country were willing to lend their resources for its advancement.
Since it is very common for countries all over the world, even those which are considered quite developed, to borrow money at some point, financial entities catering specifically on an international level have been established. The operations of such financial institutions are governed by international regulations, as decided on by the members of the specific organization. This is therefore one way in which countries band together for common causes and offer assistance to other nations.
As is to be expected, developing countries are often heavily reliant on loans that may be availed from such institutions. To repay these loans, however, such nations must work hard to ensure that their gross domestic product is maintained at a level which will allow them to continue functioning properly while also being able to service the incurred debt. | <urn:uuid:e535f0e6-7f7c-4215-9b09-3a9c39a1f98d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.businesspundit.com/encyclopedia/economics/foreign-debt/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398869.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00119-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981006 | 296 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Music Theory Worksheet - Lesson 19: The Major Scale
Downloadable in pdf format for music students
Lesson 19: The Major Scale Music Theory Worksheet
The major scale is made up of eight consecutive tones in a specific pattern of half steps and whole steps as follows: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.
Click on the screenshot image to the left or the bold title link above to download in pdf format.
lternatively, if you are looking for a comprehensive resource for scales, I recommend The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences By William A. Palmer, which includes scale, chord, arpeggio and cadence studies in all major and minor keys presented in a convenient two-page format. It also contains an in-depth 12 page explanation of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences.
What this worksheet is about:
The major scale can start on any note as long as it includes the following pattern.
For example, the C major scale starts on C and consists of 8 consecutive tones: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. The following pattern makes up the C major scale, where W represents a whole step and H represents a half step.
Download Lesson 19: The Major Scale Music Theory Worksheet. | <urn:uuid:4d126672-44c4-4ec9-b1e0-7cc3c6ba9df3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com/music-theory-19-major-scale/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00067-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.845116 | 295 | 4 | 4 |
Fatigued or Full Throttle: Is Your Thyroid to Blame?
Understanding Thyroid Problems -- Symptoms and Treatments
How Is Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism Diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and do a physical exam. Then he or she will order blood tests to see how much thyroid hormone your body is making. In addition, your doctor may discover that you have hyperthyroidism while doing a test for another reason.
Signs and Symptoms of a Thyroid Problem:
- You may feel nervous, moody, weak, or tired.
- Your hands may shake, your heart may beat fast, or you may have problems breathing.
- You may be sweaty or have warm, red, itchy skin.
- You may have more bowel movements than usual.
- You may have fine, soft hair that is falling out.
- You may feel tired, weak, and/or depressed.
- You may have dry skin and brittle nails.
- You may have difficulty standing cold temperatures.
- You may have constipation.
- You may experience memory problems or trouble thinking clearly.
- You may have heavy or irregular menstrual periods.
- You may lose weight even though you eat the same or more than usual.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism occur slowly over time. At first you might not notice these symptoms. Or you might mistake them for normal aging. This is not normal aging. See your doctor if you have symptoms like these that get worse or won't go away.
Pregnancy, which requires an increased production of thyroid hormone, can cause hypothyroidism. About 2% of pregnant women in the United States get hypothyroidism.
How Is Hyperthyroidism Treated?
Hyperthyroidism is easily treated. With treatment, you can lead a healthy life. Without treatment, hyperthyroidism can lead to serious heart problems, bone problems, and a dangerous condition called thyroid storm.
If your symptoms bother you, your doctor may give you pills called beta-blockers. These can help you feel better while you and your doctor decide what your treatment should be. Even if your symptoms do not bother you, you still need treatment because hyperthyroidism can lead to more serious problems.
Radioactive iodine and anti-thyroid medicine are the treatments doctors use most often. The best treatment for you will depend on a number of things, including your age. Some people need more than one kind of treatment.
After treatment, you will need regular blood tests. These tests check to see if your hyperthyroidism has come back. They also check to see if you are making enough thyroid hormone. Sometimes treatment cures hyperthyroidism but causes the opposite problem-too little thyroid hormone. If this happens, you may need to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of your life. | <urn:uuid:0ba53930-18d9-41c3-ac2c-40f9f751ac71> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/fatigued-or-full-throttle-is-your-thyroid-to-blame?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00186-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930185 | 595 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Fruits & Vegetables of the Caribbean
Some also have curative properties, commonly known as bush medicine.
Ackee: One of the national dishes of Jamaica (served with salt fish). Imported apparently from the South Seas , perhaps even by Capt. Bligh himself who also introduced other important foodstuffs, the tree produces leaves and greenish-white flowers. The ackee fruit is the real prize--but to be eaten only when it is red ripe and the fruit is split open. Ackee that is unripe (or overripe) can be poisonous, even lethal. Perhaps it's for this reason that ackee isn't eaten much outside of Jamaica.
Arrowroot: Once utilized to help heal wounds from Carib arrows, hence its name. A very starchy plant, arrowroot has been used as a poison antidote, for starching clothes, in face powders and in glues. It is also quite edible, one of the more digestible foods around, generally used to thicken soups and sauces.
Avocado: Also grown in warmer regions of the U.S., this native of Central America is used in salads, as an entree, or even in a mousse. It is supposed to have blood-sugar regulating properties helpful to hypoglycemics. On some islands the leaves are used in a tea to treat high blood pressure. Both round and pear-shaped, the green skin is thick and warty.
Banana: Related to the fig (and called figs on some islands), bananas originated in India and Malaysia . A large herbaceous plant, bananas trees can grow over 20 high. The dark purple flower that hangs the stem is a remarkable sight. You'll often see bananas covered in plastic bags to prevent insects from discoloring the skins. The insects do not harm the fruit, but export crops have to be blemish-free. Bananas with brown spots are often left to rot.
Breadfruit: Brought from the South Pacific into the Caribbean around 1793 by the infamous Capt. Bligh, it was intended as food for slaves, who didn't like it. Now a Caribbean staple, breadfruit is loaded with carbohydrates and vitamins A,B and C. The large green spherical fruit has a kind of pimply skin. It can be made into pie, bread or puddings or served boiled like potatoes as a side dish.
Cashews: The fruit looks like a small red oblong apple. It's used for stewing, fermented into wine or consumed as a vegetable. The more famous (and expensive) nut grows at the end of the apple. However, it is the kernel inside the nut you want: the shell oozes a liquid that can cause skin irritation and even death.
Callaloo: The young green leaves of the dasheen plant (see below) are made into an excellent soup called callaloo. Do try this. Prepared properly, it can be exceptional.
Cassava: The root has been an important staple since the days of the Amerindians. However, it is also another of those items that must be cooked properly to remove prussic acid or it, too, can be lethal. Carib Indians supposedly ate cassava raw to avoid slavery. Its most important use is in the making of cassareep to create pepper pot, a kind of stew whose stock can be used for years.
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Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)
The term sensorium (plural: sensoria) refers to the sum of an organism's perception, the "seat of sensation" where it experiences and interprets the environments within which it lives. The term originally enters English from the Late Latin in the mid-17th century, from the stem sens- (see: sense). In earlier use it referred, in a broader sense, to the brain as the mind's organ (Oxford English Dictionary 1989). In medical, psychological, and physiological discourse it has come to refer to the total character of the unique and changing sensory environments perceived by individuals. These include the sensation, perception, and interpretation of information about the world by senses, perceptual systems and minds (MedTerms 2001).
Ratios of sensation Edit
In the 20th-century the concept behind the sensorium became a key part of the cultural theories of Marshall McLuhan, Edmund Carpenter and Walter J. Ong (Carpenter and McLuhan 1960; Ong 1991). Focusing on variations in the sensorium across social contexts, they suggested that the world is explained and experienced differently depending on the specific 'ratios of sense' members of a culture share in the sensoria they learn to inhabit (Howes 1991, p. 8). More recent work has demonstrated that individuals may include in their unique sensoria perceptual proclivities that exceed their cultural norms; even when, as in the history of smell in the West, the sense in question is suppressed or mostly ignored (Classen, Howes and Synnott 1994).
This interplay of various ways of conceiving the world could be compared to the experience of synaesthesia, where stimulus of one sense causes a perception by another, seemingly unrelated sense, as in musicians who can taste the intervals between notes they hear (Beeli et. al., 2005), or artists who can smell colours. Many individuals who have one or more senses restricted or lost develop a sensorium with a ratio of sense which favours those they possess more fully. Frequently the blind or deaf speak of a compensating effect, whereby their touch or smell become more acute, changing the ways they perceive and reason about the world; especially telling examples are found in the cases of 'wild children,' whose early childhoods were spent in abusive, neglected or non-human environments, both intensifying and minimizing perceptual abilities (Classen 1991).
Development of unique sensoria in cultures and individuals Edit
Although some consider these modalities abnormal, it is more likely that these examples demonstrate the contextual and socially learned nature of sensation. A 'normal' sensorium and a 'synaesthetic' one differ based on the division, connection, and interplay of the body's manifold sensory apparatus. A synaesthete has simply developed a different set of relationships, including cognitive or interpretive skills which deliver unique abilities and understanding of the world (Beeli et. al., 2005). The sensorium is a creation of the physical, biological, social and cultural environments of the individual organism and its relationships while being in the world.
What is considered a strange blurring of sensation from one perspective, is a normal and 'natural' way of perception of the world in another, and indeed many individuals and their cultures develop sensoria fundamentally different from the vision-centric modality of most Western science and culture. One revealing contrast is the thought of a former Russian on the matter:
- The dictionary of the Russian language...defines the sense of touch as follows: "In reality all five senses can be reduced to one---the sense of touch. The tongue and palate sense the food; the ear, sound waves; the nose, emanations; the eyes, rays of light." That is why in all textbooks the sense of touch is always mentioned first. It means to ascertain, to perceive, by body, hand or fingers (Anonymous 1953).
As David Howes explains:
- The reference to Russian textbooks treating touch first, in contrast to American psychology textbooks which always begin with sight, is confirmed by other observers (Simon 1957) and serves to highlight how the hierarchization of the senses can vary significantly even between cultures belonging to the same general tradition (here, that of "the West") (2003, pp. 12-13).
Sensory ecology and anthropology Edit
These sorts of insights were the impetus for the development of the burgeoning field of sensory anthropology, which seeks to understand other cultures from within their own unique sensoria. Anthropologists such as Paul Stoller (1989) and Michael Jackson (1983, 1989) have focused on a critique of the hegemony of vision and textuality in the social sciences. They argue persuasively for an understanding and analysis that is embodied, one sensitive to the unique context of sensation of those one wishes to understand. They believe that a thorough awareness and adoption of other sensoria is a key requirement if ethnography is to approach true understanding.
A releated area of study is sensory (or perceptual) ecology. This field aims at understanding the unique sensory and interpretive systems all organisms develop, based on the specific ecological envionments they live in, experience and adapt to. A key researcher in this field has been psychologist James J. Gibson, who has written numerous seminal volumes considering the senses in terms of holistic, self-contained perceptual systems. These exhibit their own mindful, interpretive behaviour, rather than acting simply as conduits delivering information for cognitive processing, as in more representational philosophies of perception or theories of psychology (1966, 1979). Perceptual systems detect affordances in objects in the world, directing attention towards information about an object in terms of the possible uses it affords an organism.
The individual sensory systems of the body are only parts of these broader perceptual ecologies, which include the physical apparatus of sensation, the environment being sensed, as well as both learned and innate systems for directing attention and interpreting the results. These systems represent and enact the information (as an influence which leads to a transformation) required to perceive, identify or reason about the world, and are distributed across the very design and structures of the body, in relation to the physical environment, as well as in the concepts and interpretations of the mind. This information varies according to species, physical environment, and the context of information in the social and cultural systems of perception, which also change over time and space, and as an individual learns through living. Any single perceptual modality may include or overlap multiple sensory structures, as well as other modes of perception, and the sum of their relations and the ratio of mixture and importance comprise a sensorium. The perception, understanding, and reasoning of an organism is dependent on the particular experience of the world delivered by changing ratios of sense.
Clouded Sensorium Edit
A "clouded sensorium" is a medical term used to describe an inability to think clearly or concentrate. It is associated with a huge variety of underlying causes from drug induced states to pathogenic states induced by disease or mineral deficiency.
Further reading Edit
- "Sensorium." 1989. Oxford English Dictionary. J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner, eds. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OED Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 15 April 2005. http://oed.com/cgi/entry/50219915 <subscription required>
- Anonymous. 1953. "Russian Sensory Images." In The Study of Culture at a Distance, Margaret Mead and Rhoda Métraux, eds. Chicago: University of Chigago Press. Pp. 162-69.
- Beeli, Gian, Michaela Esslen and Lutz Jäncke. 2005. "Synaesthesia: When Coloured Sounds Taste Sweet." Nature 434 (38). <http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v434/n7029/full/434038a_fs.html>. Accessed 15 April 2005.
- Carpenter, Edmund and Marshall McLuhan, eds. 1960. Explorations in Communication. Boston: Beacon Press.
- Classen, Constance. 1991. The Sensory Orders of 'Wild Children.' In The Varieties of Sensory Experience. David Howes, ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Pp. 47-60.
- Classen, Constance, David Howes and Anthony Synott. 1994. Aroma: The Cultural History of Smell. London and New York: Routledge.
- Gibson, James J. 1966. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Gibson, James J. 1979. The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Howes, David, ed. 1991. The Varieties of Sensory Experience. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Howes, David. 2003. Sensual Relations: Engaging the Senses in Culture and Social Theory. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
- Jackson, Michael. 1983. "Thinking through the Body: An Essay on Understanding Metaphor." Social Analysis 14:127-48.
- Jackson, Michael. 1989. Paths toward a Clearing: Radical Empiricism and Ethnographic Inquiry. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
- MedTerms. 3 January 2001. "Sensorium - Medical Dictionary." Accessed 15 April 2004.
- Ong, Walter J. 1991. The Shifting Sensorium. In The Varieties of Sensory Experience. David Howes, ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Pp. 47-60.
- Simon, B., ed. 1957. Psychology in the Soviety Union. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
- Stoller, Paul. 1989. The Taste of Ethnographic Things: The Senses in Anthropology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
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Water culture is the method of cultivating plants simply by growing in drainless, water-filled containers, such as jars, vases, glasses or bottles. Houseplants grown in water tend to grow more slowly than their pot-grown counterparts. However, water-grown plants need less-frequent watering and exhibit fewer infestations of soil-borne insects. Not all plants are suitable for water culture, but several houseplants adapt well to this method.
Red ivy (Hemigraphis colorata) is a foliage plant with simple, rounded and puckered, dark-green and burgundy leaves with a slight metallic cast. This plant prefers medium to low sunlight levels, such as light received 4 to 10 feet away from south-, east- or west-facing windows.
Grow plants in a water-filled container with a very slight amount of soluble fertilizer, replenish the water as necessary and change it completely every 2 to 4 weeks. Keep water-filled growing containers out of direct sunlight. This is a standard method of simple water culture.
Variegated Wandering Jew
Variegated wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminenis 'Variegata'), a hanging or trailing vine, displays cream and green-striped leaves. It tolerates adverse growing conditions and is easily rooted and grown in water. Pinch back the stems occasionally to promote fuller growth. This plant prefers medium sunlight conditions.
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) produce dense clumps of narrow, long-curving, leaf blades of green or green-and-yellow stripes. Plantlets grow on stems hanging well below the growing container and may be removed and transplanted to another container.
Arrowhead Plant 'Emerald Green'
The arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum 'Emerald Green') is a foliage plant with glossy-green, arrowhead-shaped leaves, up to 6 inches long. As arrowhead plants mature, the leaf joints or nodes produce short, potential roots useful for stem and leaf cutting propagation. Arrowhead plants prefer medium sunlight.
The creeping or hanging Swedish ivy (Plectranthus australis), also known as creeping Charlie, has lush, roundish, succulent leaves. Promote fullness by pinching back terminal growth, borne at the end of a stem or branch. Swedish ivy prefers medium indoor light conditions. | <urn:uuid:4474deb2-96d7-4230-94e5-44340b123e65> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gardenguides.com/119444-house-plants-grow-water.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00114-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918159 | 495 | 3.53125 | 4 |
Greenhouse Diseases - Methods Of Control
( Originally Published 1920 )
FROM a practical consideration the greenhouse grower is directly concerned in finding control methods to keep the various plant diseases under check. Fortunately, there are numerous methods which if followed out intelligently may be the means of reducing losses to a minimum. These methods may be enumerated as follows :
1. Soil sterilization. This method has been fully discussed under chapter 3, pp. 32-43.
2. Seed treatment, taken up in chapter 8, p. 104.
While the orchardist has learned the necessity of spraying, it is doubtful whether greenhouse growers have sufficiently realized its value. Spraying has two aims : to kill the insect and animal pests, and to control fungous diseases. The substances which are used for the one purpose are without effect on the other.
All animal and insect pests are best controlled by the use of poisonous mixtures applied in the form of liquid sprays or in powders. Insecticides may be classified as internal or stomach poisons, and external or contact poisons.
(a) STOMACH POISONS. Paris green is one of the oldest stomach poisons. When chemically pure, it is composed of copper oxide, acetic acid, and arsenious acid. It destroys cutworms, caterpillars, beetles, grubs, slugs, etc. It should be applied preferably as a liquid, using one pound of the poison and two pounds of lime to two hundred gallons of water. The Paris green tends to sink to the bottom of this mixture, unless constantly stirred while being applied. This chemical is often adulterated with white arsenic, causing it to scorch the treated plants badly. Therefore for greenhouse crops the use of arsenate of lead is to be preferred, since it is less liable to scorch the foliage, and also because it adheres better. Its chemical composition consists of acetate of lead and arsenate of soda. It is applied to the best advantage as a liquid, composed of about three pounds of powdered arsenate or five pounds of paste arsenate to one hundred gallons of water.
Arsenite of zinc may also be used. It is a very finely divided fluffy white powder which can be thoroughly distributed and which adheres well to the foliage. It is intermediate between Paris green and lead arsenate in strength, and costs less than either.
It is essential when arsenicals are used to see that they are correctly labeled, and kept under lock and key, as they are poisonous to both man and animal.
Hellebore or white hellebore is somewhat less dangerous than the arsenicals. However, it loses its insecticidal value by being exposed to the air. It is a specific against slugs.
(b) CONTACT POISONS. These are used most extensively in the greenhouse.
Water. Every florist appreciates this simple and effective remedy. To be effective in dislodging and destroying soft-bodied insects, it must be thrown with considerable force on all parts of the plants. For this purpose a good nozzle attachment is very necessary. This simple remedy is effective in destroying red spider, white flies, and mealy bugs.
Tobacco. There are few substances which are more extensively used than the many commercially prepared tobacco products. Finely ground tobacco is extensively used as an insecticide, especially for. Aphids. The product known as nicofumes is extensively used for indoor fumigation.
Tobacco Decoction. This may be prepared by boiling for one-half hour one pound of tobacco stems in two gallons of water. It is then strained and more water added to replace that which was lost by evaporation during boiling. The liquid is used as a spray against plant lice.
"Black Leaf" and "Black Leaf 40." These are two commercial products. The latter is the more concentrated of the two and is extensively used in the control of sucking insects. The following table by McCue * shows the dilutions that should be used to give a nicotine content varying from 0.03 to 0.01 per cent.
Soap. Any good soap may effectively be used as a contact insecticide. The best soap is that which is made with caustic potash rather than with caustic soda. Soda soap washes are apt to gelatinize when cold and are made difficult or impossible to be used as a spray. Fir tree oil soap may be used at the rate of three ounces to each five gallons of water without injury to plants. Whale oil soap should be used at the rate of only one-fourth pound to each gallon of water. A stronger solution may injure tender plants.
Sulphur. This is used not only as a fungicide, but also as an insecticide as well. When used as a fumigant, sulphur at the rate of one-third of a pound to each i,000 cubic feet of greenhouse space will be effective. When ready to fumigate the house is closed tightly, the required amount of sulphur weighed out and divided into four equal parts on clean paper. The sulphur is then placed in wide, deep metal pans at the bottoms of which are first placed chips which have been soaked in kerosene. The pans are solidly placed at equal distances on raised bricks in the center aisle of the house. When all is in readiness fire is set to the chips. When these begin to burn well the sulphur is spread evenly on the burning chips of each pan. As soon as the sulphur ignites, the operator should run out and shut the door of the house as quickly as possible. Sulphur fumes have an irritating and suffocating effect on man. The sulphur fumes should be allowed to act for at least twelve hours before one opens the house. The sulphur fumigation may be started at any convenient time during the day or night. This treatment will destroy red spider and mildew.
Hydrocyanic-Acid Gas. There seems no doubt that fumigation with hydrocyanic gas offers the cheapest and most efficient method of controlling white flies, aphids, thrips, scales, and mealy bugs. However, this method has not yet gained general popularity because of the deadly nature of the gas and its injury to plants when overdone. The best generators for the gas are one-half or one gallon glazed earthenware jars. When ordering generators it should be indicated that tops are not desired.
Before fumigating it is essential to see that all broken glass is repaired, and that all cracks are carefully stopped up. It is very essential that the cubical contents of the greenhouse be accurately determined. To secure the cubical contents of an even span house compute the number of square feet in the rectangle and in the right angles, and multiply the sum of the three by the length of the house. To secure the cubical contents of a three-quarter span house multiply the sums of the areas of the rectangles, and the areas of the right angle triangles by the length of the house. In estimating the cubical contents of a greenhouse it is not necessary to make allowances for the space occupied by pots or benches. Fumigation should never be attempted during high winds. It should never be done during the day and not earlier than one hour after sunset. It is never wise to fumigate when the outside weather is near the freezing point. Nor is it well to fumigate during humid nights. The best time to fumigate is when the temperature ranges from 55 to 68 degrees F.
The chemicals required for fumigation are either sodium cyanid (NaCN) or potassium cyanid (KCN), sulphuric acid (H2SO4), and water (H20). Sodium cyanid is preferred. It should be free from chlorin and contain not less than 51 per cent of cyanogen. Cyanid is a violent poison. It should be stored in airtight cans and carefully labelled "Violent Poison." Commercial "sulphuric acid of 66 degrees Baumé or 1.84 specific gravity will answer the purpose. Upon referring to Tables 20 and 21 we see at a glance the amount of cyanid per each 1,000 cubic feet necessary to kill the particular insect and the amount each plant can stand. For example, if one-half ounce of cyanid as indicated in Table 21 is used per 1,000 cubic feet of space, and if the greenhouse to be fumigated contains 15,000 cubic feet, then multiply the number of cubic feet contained in the greenhouse by the amount of cyanid to be used per 1,000 cubic feet, 1,500 times 1/2 equals 7.5' ounces cyanid. If there is the least doubt as to the amount of gas the plant can stand without injury the initial dose should not exceed one-fourth ounce for each 1,000 cubic feet of house space.
Mixing the Chemicals. The chemicals should be mixed as follows : For each ounce of sodium cyanid use 1% fluid ounces of sulphuric acid and 2 fluid ounces of water. The water is first placed in the generators, then the sulphuric acid. The cyanid is then dropped into the warm acid, and the manipula-tor must at once leave the greenhouse and shut the door tightly behind him.
Short exposure with a greater strength of gas is more desirable than overnight exposure with a weaker gas. Better results are obtained when the fumigation lasts about two hours. After fumigation the house is opened at the top or at the side doors to allow the escape of the gas. During cold weather the ventilators should be opened for a short time only at several intervals.
It is not advisable to fumigate if the house temperature is below 52 degrees F. or above 70 degrees F. As already stated, fumigation should never be done while the sun shines. Hydrocyanic acid gas is soluble in water. It is, therefore, evident that neither the plants nor the benches should be wetted before fumigation.
DON'TS IN FUMIGATION
The following don'ts laid down by Sasscer and Borden will be of value to the greenhouse man :
"Do not guess the amount of chemicals to be employed or the cubic contents of the house.
"Do not fumigate plants in a greenhouse in daylight.
"Do not fumigate when the temperature in the greenhouse is below $2 degrees or above 70 degrees F.
"Do not leave the chemicals within reach of those unacquainted with their poisonous nature. Always have them properly labeled.
"Do not handle the chemicals any more than is absolutely necessary. It is well to have a pair of old gloves for this, and to use them for no other purpose. Always wash the hands thoroughly after handling the chemicals whether gloves have been used or not.
"Do not allow the acid to splash or drop on the clothing or skin.
"Do not stay in the greenhouse any longer than is necessary to place the cyanid in the jars, and never enter a greenhouse charged with the gas until it has been thoroughly aired.
"Do not fail to post danger signs at all entrances before setting off the charge, and to see that the greenhouse is closed tightly.
"Do not attempt to fumigate a large greenhouse alone.
"Do not fumigate a greenhouse adjoining a dwelling without notifying the occupants before fumigation.
"Do not pour water on the acid; pour acid on the water.
"Do not become negligent in any of the precautions; to do so may cause serious results."
Kerosene Emulsion. The formula for kerosene emulsion is as follows :
Kerosene 2 gallons
Dissolve the soap in the water by heating. Re-move the soapy water from the fire and add the kerosene and the liquid, violently mixing until a stable milky emulsion is formed. This emulsion should afterwards be mixed with water without the kerosene separating from it. As a spray for soft-bodied sucking insects, the above stock solution should be diluted ten to twenty times. Kerosene emulsion is not extensively used in greenhouses.
Linseed Oil Emulsion. Linseed oil emulsion has been recommended by Vinal for red spider on green-house cucumbers. The emulsion according to Vinal is made as follows :
(a) The necessary articles for preparation are:
1. Bucket pump.
2. Container or mixing tank. This should hold at least eight or nine gallons. For this purpose a small washtub is perhaps the most available. Pails may be used, provided the materials are mixed proportionally.
3. Ivory soap.
4. Raw linseed oil.
5. Hot water.
(b) The following proportions of materials for 100 gallons of spray are used:
1. Five gallons of hot, water.
2. One and one-half pounds of Ivory soap. (Six 5-cent cakes or three 10-cent cakes.)
3. One gallon of raw linseed oil.
(c) Steps in the preparation of stock solution follow:
1. Put the required amount of hot water in the container.
2. Shave the Ivory soap into this and stir until completely dissolved.
3. If at this time the temperature of the soap solution is too hot for the hand to bear, dilute with one gallon of cold water and let it stand until about body temperature or lukewarm. The cooling of this solution is necessary in order to prepare a permanent emulsion;. otherwise the oil will come to the surface on standing (see No. 6), It also prevents the chemical and physical killing properties of the linseed oil from being changed by heat.
4. Add slowly, while stirring vigorously, one gallon of linseed oil.
5. Completely emulsify by using the bucket pump and turning the stream back into the container again, keeping the nozzle below the surface of liquid. Five minutes' vigorous pumping should completely emulsify this solution.
6. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing spray tank in order to see that oil does not come to the surface.
(d) The following are directions for the preparation of spray tanks and spray:
1. Fill the loo-gallon spray tank about one-half full of water. If the water used is too cold, upon the addition of the stock solution the soap will solidify into small lumps, thus spoiling the emulsion. This may occur early in the spring, when the water is very cold, but later in the season ordinary top water may be used without danger of the soap solidifying on the addition of the stock solution.
2. Add stock solution made above. (See (c) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.)
3. Agitate. (If lumping occurs, the addition of a few pails of hot water will remedy this.)
4. Fill the ioo-gallon spray tank.
These poisons are used to control fungous diseases. As previously stated, some parasitic fungi live on the surface of the leaves and stems and are therefore easily controlled. An example of this is the powdery mildew. Other fungi, and these are in the larger majority, are those which live parasitically within the tissue of the host, and therefore cannot be reached by any spray. Fungicides are helpful only in pre-venting entrance of the parasite in the host. They are as ineffective in controlling insect pests as are insecticides in controlling fungous diseases.
The author has often referred in this work to the term "standard fungicide." In reality there is no one standard fungicide. The term as employed here, however, refers to any effective fungicide that is best adapted to each particular case. For instance, Bordeaux mixture may be termed "standard" if used to spray greenhouse muskmelons or cucumbers. In this case the staining of the Bordeaux would not injure the marketable product since the Bordeaux film may be readily washed or wiped off. However, Bordeaux mixture could not be termed standard for spraying roses in bloom. At that time the Bordeaux stain may injure the market value of the bloom more than would the disease that we wish to control. In this case, therefore, ammoniacal cop-per carbonate or some other colorless fungicide may be termed standard.
BORDEAUX MIXTURES. The strength used for tender plants is three pounds of copper sulphate—also known as blue stone, six pounds of lime, and fifty gallons of water. The easiest way to prepare it is to dissolve the blue stone thoroughly in twenty-five gallons of water. The best quality of unslaked lime should be used and slaked in a little water, care being taken, however, not to flood it while slaking, nor to let it become too dry. When the slaking is completed, enough water is added to make twenty-five gallons. The lime water and the blue stone solution are then mixed, pouring in first one part of lime water, then another part of the blue stone; the mixture is then strained and used at once.
For crops with less delicate foliage, the standard Bordeaux mixture is 4-4-50; that is, four pounds
Methods of Control 403 copper sulphate, four pounds unslaked lime, and fifty gallons of water. With greenhouse crops it is not always necessary to prepare stock solutions. Only enough for immediate use is prepared at one time.
In preparing Bordeaux the following points should be kept in mind :
(1) Copper sulphate solutions must be kept only in vessels of wood, fiber, brass, bronze, or copper. They must not be kept in iron or tin vessels, as they corrode them.
(2) It is necessary to use fresh lime, as air-slaked lime is useless.
(3) Bordeaux mixture can be used only when freshly mixed. If allowed to stand twelve hours after making, it loses all fungicidal value.
(4) Bordeaux mixture or lime should never be strained through burlap. The lint of the burlap is likely to work up into the nozzles and clog them.
(5) Undiluted solutions of copper sulphate or lime should never be mixed together.
(6) Bordeaux mixture should not be prepared with hot water.
Ammoniacal Copper Carbonate. The objection to the use of Bordeaux is that it stains the leaves and foliage.
To avoid staining, colorless ammoniacal copper carbonate may take the place of Bordeaux. It is prepared as follows :
Copper carbonate 5 ounces
The best results are obtained when the copper carbonate is first made into a paste with a little water. It is then dissolved by adding the ammonia, which is diluted with four quarts of water. If ` three pints of ammonia fail to dissolve all the cop-per carbonate, more may be used. Ammoniacal cop-per carbonate is only effective when used fresh. It loses its fungicidal value by standing, as the ammonia evaporates quickly.
Sulphur. Flowers of sulphur are often used to control powdery mildew or asparagus rust. It may be applied either by hand or with a duster. There are a number of other fungicides on the market which are not mentioned here. They should be thoroughly tested before they are used.
Combination Sprays. For purposes of economy, it is advisable to control both insect pests and fungous diseases at the same time. Spraying, if properly done, is effective in controlling or in keeping in check all the pests which attack greenhouse crops. In combining a fungicide with an insecticide, we may accomplish two aims in one operation. The various spray mixtures which may or may not be combined are indicated by Cooley and Swingle
Each of these preparations is mixed and applied just as if it were used alone. A combination of the ammoniacal copper carbonate with an arsenate would be unsafe, since the ammonia renders the arsenic more soluble, and hence may result in the burning of the foliage. However, it may be safely mixed with the tobacco products.
Recent investigations by Professor Safro, Entomologist to the Kentucky Tobacco Products Co., indicates that "Black Leaf 40" may be used with-out soap in combination with such spray chemicals as lime-sulphur, arsenate of lead, arsenite of zinc, and iron sulphate, for controlling sucking and chewing insects and fungous diseases. Professor Safro's work further claims that "Black Leaf 40" may be safely combined with Bordeaux, and the desired results obtained. He writes as follows : "For purposes of spraying, add to every one hundred gallons of Bordeaux three-fourths of a pint of `Black Leaf 40.' As far as safety to the foliage is concerned, much greater strength of nicotine may be added to the Bordeaux, but no additional effectiveness will be given to the mixture as an insecticide. Any nicotine solution which contains four hundredths of one per cent nicotine will be effective in controlling plant lice if the spraying is thoroughly done."
PROPORTION OF COMBINED SPRAYS
Bordeaux and Paris Green
Paris green 1/2 pound
Bordeaux and Arsenite of Soda
Arsenite of soda 1 quart
Bordeaux mixture must never be combined with kerosene emulsion, carbolic acid emulsion, and mis-cible oils.
(d) Potassium Sulphide. Like sulphur, this is a valuable fungicide for the control of the powdery mildew. The following strength is recommended:
Potassium sulphide 4 ounces
Potassium sulphide is effective only if used immediately after it is prepared. It loses its value by being exposed for any length of time.
Stickers. It is well known that with some plants, such as cabbage, spray mixtures cannot be made to stick. The use of an adhesive added to the spray mixture will largely overcome this difficulty. An adhesive may be prepared as follows :
Resin 2 pounds
The resin and the sal soda should be added to one gallon of water and boiled in an iron kettle for one and a half hours until clear. For plants which are hard to wet, such as cabbage or onions, the amount of the solution given above should be used for each fifty gallons of Bordeaux or ammonia-cal copper carbonate. For other plants, this amount is added to each one hundred gallons of the spray mixture.
PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN SPRAYING
It should be remembered that to destroy chewing insects, such as caterpillars, etc., the stomach poison must be evenly distributed all over the plant. This thorough spraying should be done as soon as the presence of the pest is suspected. Intelligent and observant growers will remember the time of appearance of the pest every year, although this date depends somewhat on the climate of each season: In destroying the green aphids, the contact poison, should be distributed as evenly as possible on the insect itself. It is, therefore, best to spray for aphids when they are actually found working on the plants. To check chewing insects and fungous pests, how-ever, the applications are made before the parasites appear. Before spraying it is necessary to have well in mind which organism is to be destroyed, and the proper ingredients to be used. To keep fungous pests in check it is necessary to have the plant covered with the fungicide all the time infection is feared or suspected. This spraying is preventive, protecting the plant from becoming infected. When the parasite has penetrated the host, spraying is of little value in saving the infected plant, although it will protect others which are as yet healthy. It is essential that the gardener be always ready to spray. Sometimes delay for even a day may prevent the attainment of positive results. The timely destruction of one insect, or of one spore, means the elimination of countless generations of these pests.
Thoroughness is as important in spraying as it is in everything else in life. Especially is this true for the control of fungous diseases.
Success in spraying often depends on the sprayer, and, especially on the nozzle. In small scale such as under greenhouse conditions, it is next to useless to invest in elaborate expensive machinery. A small bucket pump with long nozzle (fig. 81) as used by Professor Paddock of the Texas Experiment Station has given good satisfaction. The Auto Spray No. 1 is a very desirable spraying machine for indoor plants.
Since plants are endowed with life they readily respond to intelligent hygienic treatment. This is especially true with indoor plants, which at best are growing under abnormal conditions. Every effort should, therefore, be made to create indoors as nearly normal conditions as possible. The effect of proper sunlight, heat, moisture and ventilation has already been discussed under pages 53-85. Cleanliness is also an important consideration. The walks, interior walls and glass should be kept as clean as possible. Old and used pots should be scrubbed and washed at least once a year. Dead or infected plants should never find their way on the manure pile. Such manure is bound to find its way back and will contaminate the soil in benches and involve later extra expenses of soil sterilization. Insects and diseases should never be allowed to get a strong foothold. It is easy enough to destroy a few aphids for instance, but it becomes a matter of greater difficulty to handle a greenhouse which has become thoroughly infested. No definite rules can be laid down, but every greenhouse man must study his crops and his conditions in order to succeed in keeping his plants in the best condition of health.
SELECTION OF CUTTINGS
With forced crops, perhaps more than with any others under glass, the success of cuttings is largely dependent upon proper selection. This is true for instance with carnations, roses, violets or chrysanthemums. It would scarcely seem possible that the nature of the cutting could materially influence the future plant. This, however, is a fact which has been aptly mentioned by Galloway. It must be remembered that plants, like animals, are influenced by inheritance as well as by environment. In selecting cuttings the object should be to procure those parts of the plant which will transmit with the greatest vigor the ability to flower or to fruit as the case may be. Experienced growers will appreciate this. Frequently in starting with two-rooted cuttings from the same plant, grown under the same conditions, dissimilar plants are produced. The one may be vigorous, blooming freely, while the other may be dwarfed and sickly, and produce no flowers, or merely a few of an undesirable type. In the selection of cuttings, appearance alone should not constitute the main guide. A cutting may appear vigorous, yet be immature or too old. Violet cuttings made from old wood will generally pro-duce inferior plants, which will run out within a year or be carried off by disease. Violet cuttings made from soft, immature wood, will result in weak, spindly growth and in plants susceptible to damping off. On the other hand, a cutting may be made of the proper material, yet if it is too short it will also be useless. A violet cutting that is too short will not have sufficient anchorage. Each time a flower is pulled it will roll around or its roots will break (fig. 82, a to c.).
Not only is care necessary in the selection of cuttings, but it is also necessary to provide proper conditions for growth. A setback at this time may result in disappointing returns later. Heat, air, light and water should be carefully attended to in dealing with soft-wooded cuttings. | <urn:uuid:804a578d-6310-43da-afef-b789413c30e0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.oldandsold.com/articles24/greenhouse-31.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00046-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944658 | 5,761 | 3.40625 | 3 |
PETERSBURG, Ky., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The founder of a Kentucky Christian museum that shuns evolution said in a book Darwin's theory fosters racism and genocide.
Ken Ham, who opened the Creation Museum last year in Petersburg, Ky., and co-author Charles Ware, president of Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis, wrote "Darwin's Plantation: Evolution's Racist Roots," The Louisville Courier-Journal reported Friday. They argue the theory inspired the Nazi belief of racial superiority and the basis for the ruthless policies of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
"What Darwinian evolution did I would say is provide what people thought was a scientific justification for separation of races," Ham told the newspaper.
In his book, Ham said Darwin's theory about natural selection puts some races "higher on the evolutionary scale" than others.
"Although racism did not begin with Darwinism, Darwin did more than any person to popularize it," Ham wrote.
Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education in California, said Hitler rarely mentioned evolution.
"Darwinian evolution is based on natural selection, which means that any population can adapt to its environment," Scott said. "The ironic thing for the creationists is that Hitler grounded Aryan superiority as a God-given quality." | <urn:uuid:e64cda44-1622-4684-819a-6666b474187a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/02/08/Book-says-evolution-fosters-racism/UPI-30161202531360/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396224.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954273 | 270 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Priorities of the People: Hardship in the Fiji Islands
The unstable political situation in Fiji, coupled with a young population, increasing migration to the urban centers and overseas, and weak international markets for sugar and kava, poses serious challenges to improving basic services, job opportunities, and the standard of living.
To better understand the nature of hardship in Tuvalu, the government undertook a Participatory Assessment of Hardship in 2003 with assistance from the Asian Development Bank. The assessment identified the needs and priorities of people living in communities throughout the country with different levels of access to services such as education, health, markets, transportation, water, and sanitation.
- Is Hardship Really a Problem in the Fiji Islands?
- What is Hardship?
- Who is Facing Hardship?
- What Causes Hardship?
- What Can Be Done? | <urn:uuid:385956e5-1c18-439f-8852-bd889c358d4b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.adb.org/publications/priorities-people-hardship-fiji-islands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933703 | 181 | 2.625 | 3 |
Some thinking about scenarios….
It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story
- Native American saying, tribe unknown
A scenario is a description of a persona using a product to achieve a goal, they describe an instance of use…in context.
Scenarios are usually narratives that tell a story describing one or more tasks in a specific environmental situation.
For the design of services and systems we can use scenarios to understand and communicate what activities our system needs to support.
Scenarios are flexible and can become more detailed throughout the project life-cycle. They should focus on the activities people do and the context in which they do them. They differ from use cases in that they focus on specific situations and capture the diversity between these. Your scenarios should illustrate all of the situations in which people visiting your site/ application will experience.
They help focus design efforts on the user’s requirements, which are distinct from technical or business requirements. They are also particularly good for discussing requirements with stakeholders who do not have any technical background.
Scenarios are the plot and personas the characters, and they can stage user actions with a future artifact.
The schema below illustrates the things that should be considered when writing scenarios.
Why Use Them
There are a number of reasons that scenarios are useful for experience design.
- They can provide a vehicle for communication as well as a mechanism to explore design solutions.
- They help mediate the thinking and communication required in design.
- They are concrete yet flexible enough to change and morph in detail as the project progresses.
- They help us understand the flow of experience and are tools for thinking about design (they help us reflect and reason)
- They help us present and situate solutions
- They help identify potential problems
- They are easily understandable by all stakeholders as they are story-like
- They can provide rich descriptions of use in context which can spark ideas and help inform design
- They help determine if the design solution is appropriate
- They can help us see social factors and help understand a users multi-channel experiences (i.e.z on and off-line_
When to use them
Scenarios can have a number of iterations and be utilised in a number of ways throughout the project life-cycle.
- They can be used in the beginning of a project to help flesh out requirements.
- They can be used as tools to explore design solutions.
- They can be used to validate designs and reveal design assumptions.
- They can be used to hang specifications and wire-frames off within documentation.
- They can be used by testers to test the final designs.
- They can be used for competitor analysis whereby a scenario can be used to compare a variety of sites to each other.
Before you begin
To write a scenario, you need a basic understanding of the tasks to be supported by the system. You also need to have an understanding of the users and the context of use. Scenarios can be derived from data gathered during contextual enquiry activities. If you do not have access to such data, you can write scenarios based on prior knowledge or even ‘best guess’, provided the scenarios will be subject to review by users prior to being used as a basis for making design decisions.
To write a scenario, describe in simple language the interaction that needs to take place. It is important to avoid references to technology, except where the technology represents a design constraint that must be acknowledged. Include references to all relevant aspects (including cultural and attitudinal factors) of the interaction, even where they are outside the current scope of the technology.
For example, the fact that Sally is continually interrupted by telephone calls may be just as relevant as the software platform she uses. These types of details should be considered during the design.
After you have written a scenario, review it and remove any unwarranted references to systems or technologies. For example, the statement ‘the customer identifies herself’ is appropriate, whereas ‘the customer types her 4-digit PIN’ is not (unless the PIN is a non-negotiable system constraint). You should also have the scenario reviewed by users to ensure that it is representative of the real world. (NB this comes from a really good book on UCD by Kim Goodwin: Designing for the Digital Age)
Scenarios are a great artifact which can evolve over time.
Below is a schema adapted from Pruitt and Adlin (in the Persona Life-cyle) showing how they can evolve over time.
Understanding a users context is central to scenario definition. The following should be considered for each persona
- Goals: What is the user trying to accomplish? How do the user’s actions fit into the objectives of the organization?
- Process: What are the steps the user will follow? How does information flow from one step to the next? What are the various roles (such as creator, contributor, editor, or approver) that are involved?
- Inputs & Outputs: What materials and information will the user need to successfully use the interface? What will they need from the interface to continue with their overarching goals?
- Experience: What similar things has the user done in their past? How has the organization survived without this design in the past?
- Constraints: What physical, temporal, or financial constraints are likely to impose themselves on the user’s work?
- Physical Environment: How much room does the user have to work? What materials on their desk? What access do they have to necessary information (such as user manuals)? What is taped to their monitor?
- Tools In use: What hardware and software does the user currently use?
- Relationships: What are the interconnections between the primary user and other people who are affected by the tool?
SRC: [Jared Spool|http://www.uie.com/articles/putting_context_into_context/] | <urn:uuid:e968853e-fc7f-48ae-9772-0a2ea5626de3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.levidepoches.blogs.com/contagiousideas/2012/04/a-scenario-is-a-description-of-a-persona-using-a-product-to-achieve-a-goal-they-describe-an-instance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397744.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00030-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946503 | 1,230 | 3.46875 | 3 |
More Evolutionists Say 'Ida' Is Not a Missing Link
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *
A fossilized lemur-like creature, nicknamed “Ida,” was broadly heralded in 2009 as one of man’s earliest ancestors. At the time, and despite the hype, various paleontologists expressed doubts regarding the placement of this fossil in man’s evolutionary tree.
Now, after a careful look at the evidence, more researchers are refuting Ida’s “missing link” status. These more measured analyses, however, are not being promoted with as much enthusiasm as the unsubstantiated initial claims that Ida was “our connection with the rest of all the mammals.”1
A recent article in the Austin American-Statesman highlighted research by University of Texas anthropologist Chris Kirk and his colleagues, who recently published a critique of Ida in the Journal of Human Evolution. Kirk told the Statesman, “It’s a spectacular fossil, but it really doesn’t have any relevance for human evolution.”2
The study’s authors refuted specific claims made by paleontologist Jens Franzen and others in a 2009 PLoS Biology paper, which named Ida Darwinius masillae in honor of British naturalist Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday.3
The relevance of Ida to human ancestry depended on her being a haplorhine, a “dry-nosed” group of primates thought to include monkeys, apes, tarsiers, and humans. Kirk and his colleagues revisited Ida’s tooth, skull, jaw, and other body features, and concluded that she was a strepsirrhine, a “wet-nosed” group that includes lemurs and aye-ayes, and that she was thus irrelevant to human evolution. (Some primates do not clearly fit either classification.)
Evolutionists had initially argued that if Ida was one of the earliest haplorhines to have evolved, then she might have been an ancestor to later haplorhines, which they believe eventually became humans. But these later researchers wrote in the Journal of Human Evolution, “Our review of the available evidence leads us to conclude that Darwinius is not a haplorhine and certainly not an anthropoid [man-like creature].”4
The American-Statesman reported that Franzen and his colleagues plan to publish a rebuttal of Kirk’s dissent. Like so many other evolution-inspired research questions, the issue of whether or not Ida belongs in man’s evolutionary past may remain wrapped in confusion and never be resolved by researchers who refuse to interpret the data using anything other than an evolutionary paradigm.
Ida’s prominence may someday diminish, but that will most likely happen only after another fossil is erroneously presented as the latest, greatest “missing link.”5
- A quotation from British naturalist Sir David Attenborough, contained in Attenborough on Ida: this little creature is going to show our connection with all other mammals. The Guardian. Posted on guardian.co.uk May 19, 2009, accessed May 20, 2009.
- Castillo, J. UT researcher among those challenging ‘missing link.’ Austin American-Statesman. Posted on statesman.com March 4, 2010, accessed March 9, 2010.
- Franzen, J. L. et al. 2009. Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: Morphology and Paleobiology. PLoS One. 4 (5): e5723.
- Williams, B. A. et al. Darwinius masillae is a strepsirrhine―a reply to Franzen et al. (2009). Journal of Human Evolution. Published online before print February 26, 2010.
- For a brief list of prior debunked “missing links” in man’s supposed evolutionary past, see Batten, D. 2010. Human evolution: oh so clear? Creation. 32 (2): 46-47.
Image credit: PLoS
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Article posted on March 19, 2010. | <urn:uuid:f62e3f91-1075-4575-a500-6eb573fe3b86> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.icr.org/article/5311/372/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00104-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936864 | 888 | 3.140625 | 3 |
|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. In Chapter 34, when Margot leaves the hospital, where does she tell Albert she is going?
2. What did Albert intend to do as soon as Margot entered their room in Chapter 30?
3. Who had been Albert, Margot, and Axel's dining room neighbor for the last two or three days in Chapter 29?
4. How does Margot react to the news that Irma is deathly ill?
5. While sitting with Margot in their hotel room in Chapter 30, what could Albert hear from outside?
Short Essay Questions
1. After running into Margot in the street, what does Kaspar think to himself about her?
2. What is Albert's trip to Zurich from France like?
3. In Chapter 29, what does Udo say he heard while on the bus?
4. What lie does Albert tell Margot at the end of Chapter 24?
5. What suggestion does Axel make to Albert in Chapter 25?
6. What does Axel convince Margot to tell Albert about the chalet in Chapter 36? Why?
7. What does the retired French colonel tell Albert which makes him suspicious?
8. Why does Udo greet Albert with a bit of touchiness when they run into each other for a second time?
9. Why was Axel delighted that Margot was a failure on the screen?
10. What does Albert think might happen at Irma's funeral?
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the motif of deceit. What acts of deceit occur in the novel? Who are deceitful characters? How do they affect the other characters lives? Does truth prevail?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the setting of the novel "Laughter in the Dark." Where is the novel set? What time period does the novel take place in? Does this time period affect the plot or characters? What do the places in which the characters live, work, and visit tell the reader about them?
Essay Topic 3
Discuss Nabokov's use of suspense in the novel "Laughter in the Dark." When does the author create suspense and why? What effect does suspense have on the tone of the novel?
This section contains 944 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) | <urn:uuid:e3957ce0-41ec-41c8-8a12-c2c01d7c04d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/laughter-in-the-dark/test6.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00005-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950727 | 523 | 2.578125 | 3 |
if u wanted to sort string in a ridiculous way such as placing the rule
a - z comes before A - Z
example Aab , aAb
ordering would result in aAb then Aab
obviously you can hard code this. but i'm looking for something more of a shortcut
anything that lets me state or modified small change that will allow me to do this
have read comparable interface, Collection, comparator
looking for general method that allows u to state rules for sorting and it will sort
If you've read about the Comparator interface, then you know that it is the way to specify your "rules for sorting".
Perhaps you could say more precisely what you are trying to do.
gcalvin is quite right about Comparator being the "general method that allows [yo]u to state rules for sorting". Particular implementations of Comparator might be appropriate for the specific sorts you have in mind.
For example the example you gave looks like a lexical sort: where you examine the elements of a pair of sequences in turn and when you first discover a difference, use that to determine the ordering of the sequences. The "rule" for such a Comparator could be as simple as an array specifying the ordering you want individual characters to have. Setting the array would give your Comparator the precise behaviour you wanted.
A more elaborate example of a Comparator whose behaviour is specified by rules (specifically designed for locale sensitive sorting of strings) is RuleBasedCollator. The example you gave would be specified with rules that give the "tertiary" or case distinction, so called because it is typically applied after letter or accent difference. Don't know if this qualifies as a "shortcut" though...
Yes, actually pbrockway2's answer was quite helpful, while mine was kind of snide and unhelpful. Sorry about that.
Actually your reply was what I was going to post some time ago! I mean the OP asked for the general method and that's ... a Comparator. I don't think it's snide to point that out.
I know it's difficult for people to decide how precisely they should describe a problem, but it's a pity there hasn't been a response to my suggestion that a little more detail would be helpful here. This being Java it's a fair bet that the answer will be a Comparator: but how do you implement it? For that it would be good to know more about how it's going to be used. | <urn:uuid:cf102808-a11f-443b-a031-9e9e10b0c524> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.java-forums.org/advanced-java/27117-customize-sorting-print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396945.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00038-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959317 | 514 | 2.546875 | 3 |
by Andrew A. Meng III, and John F. Harsh
This report is available as a pdf below
This report defines the hydrogeologic framework of the Virginia Coastal Plain and is a product of a comprehensive regional study to define the geology, hydrology, and geochemistry of the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system extending from North Carolina to Long Island, New York.
The Virginia Coastal Plain consists of an eastward-thickening wedge of generally unconsolidated, interbedded sands and clays, ranging in age from Early Cretaceous to Holocene. These sediments range in thickness from more than 6,000 feet beneath the northeastern part of the Eastern Shore Peninsula to nearly 0 feet along the Fall Line. Eight confined aquifers, eight confining units, and an uppermost water table aquifer are delineated as the hydrogeologic framework of the Coastal Plain sediments in Virginia. The nine regional aquifers, from oldest to youngest, are lower, middle, and upper Potomac, Brightseat, Aquia, Chickahominy-Piney Point, St. Marys-Choptank, Yorktown-Eastover, and Columbia. The Brightseat is a newly identified and correlated aquifer of early Paleoceneage. This study is one of other, similar studies of the Coastal Plain areas in North Carolina, Maryland-Delaware, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York. These combined studies provide a system of hydrogeologic units that can be identified and correlated throughout the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Data for this study were collected and analyzed from October 1979 to May 1983. The nine aquifers and eight confining units are identified and delineated by use of geophysical logs, drillers' information, and stratigraphic and paleontologic data. By correlating geophysical logs with hydrologic, stratigraphic, and paleontologic data throughout the Coastal Plain, a comprehensive multilayered framework of aquifers and confining units, each with distinct lithologic properties, was developed.
Cross sections show the stratigraphic relationships of aquifers and confining units in the hydrogeologic framework of the Virginia Coastal Plain. Maps show confining-unit thicknesses and altitudes of aquifer tops, provide the basis for assigning aquifers to screened intervals of observation and production wells, and are used for the development of a comprehensive observation-well network in the Virginia Coastal Plain.
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|U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Persistent URL: http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/pro1404c
Page Contact Information: Contact USGS
Last modified: Monday, January 14 2013, 02:27:49 PM | <urn:uuid:67ea1ce6-743a-4007-8751-2e57bdbf6143> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1404-C/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00187-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.889589 | 580 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Do Math and Science Teachers Earn More Outside of Education?
The urgency of improving American students’ skills in math and science is hardly in dispute. Performance in these subjects is increasingly critical to individual and national economic success, yet far too few of our students graduate from high school equipped for post-secondary work in technical fields. For example, the ACT reports that just 46 percent of high school graduates taking its college entrance exams in 2012 met college-readiness benchmarks in math; fewer than one in three did so in science. Among all 17-year-olds, the most recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that as many as 36 percent lack even a basic level of math proficiency.
Improving the caliber of our math and science teachers is essential to changing this picture. A large body of evidence confirms that teacher effectiveness is a key determinant of students’ academic progress. Indeed, it is likely the case that, as President Obama has said, “The quality of math and science teachers is the most important single factor influencing whether students will succeed or fail in science, technology, engineering and math.”
Unfortunately, the same labor-market trends that have made math and science skills increasingly valuable to students may make it increasingly difficult to attract teachers with the talent and training necessary to address the challenge. Despite a recent wave of reform, the vast majority of school districts nationwide continue to pay teachers based on salary schedules that fail to differentiate among teachers based on their subject-area expertise. To the extent that teachers with technical skills have better earnings opportunities in other industries, this approach can be expected to produce fewer – perhaps even a shortage – of qualified candidates for math and science teaching jobs.
Data consistently show schools struggling to recruit and retain effective candidates for teaching positions in these subjects. In 2003-04, for example, 27 percent of schools with a math teaching vacancy reported that filling that vacancy was “very difficult” or ultimately unsuccessful, as compared with just four percent of schools with vacancies in elementary classrooms (see Figure 1). Even taking into account the fact that general elementary vacancies are more common, schools were more than four times as likely to have a difficult or unsuccessful search in math. The data on vacancies in the biological and physical sciences show much the same pattern.Source: Author’s calculations based on U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey, 2003–04, Public School, BIA School, and Private School Data Files.
Do these patterns reflect the nature of the job opportunities available to individuals with math and science skills in the broader economy? To shed new light on this question, my Brookings colleague Matthew Chingos and I used a unique administrative database to follow the careers of almost 32,000 high school teachers employed by Florida public schools between the 2001-02 and 2006-07 school years, roughly 3,500 of whom left teaching for a new job in the state during that time. Quarterly earnings data from the state’s unemployment insurance system enabled us to compare the earnings of teachers in different subject areas both while they were teaching and in their new careers.
Figure 2 compares the earnings of math and science teachers to those of English teachers for the same group of teachers before and after they left the classroom. Among those who left teaching for jobs other industries, math and science teachers earned 15 percent and 12 percent more, respectively, than did former English teachers after leaving. While they were teaching, these same math and science teachers earned no more than English teachers. Notes: * significant at p<0.01. N=3,456. The chart presents coefficient estimates from regressions of log annual earnings on district fixed effects (to capture variation in local labor market conditions) and the following subject area indicators: math, science, social studies, foreign languages, and multiple subjects, with teachers of English classes the omitted category. Stayers are those who remained as classroom teachers in Florida public schools from 2001–02 through 2006–07; leavers are those who left for non-teaching jobs within Florida. We exclude teachers who left classroom teaching for other positions in Florida public school districts, teachers who exited the Florida workforce altogether, and likely retirees (those 55 and older). We ignore earnings experienced during an individual’s first year outside of the classroom to allow for transitions between teaching and non-teaching jobs. All We have attached a commonly used chart with attendant probabilities and basic blackjack online strategy that are employed by players the world over. observations are weighted by the probability the individual was working full-time, as estimated based on the nationally representative 2004-05 Teacher Follow-up Survey.
This pattern strongly suggests that any efforts by Florida districts to provide better pay for teachers in the high-demand subjects of math and science are insufficient to offset the differences in outside earnings opportunities across subject areas. Although our evidence is limited to one state, data from other sources suggests that the same is true elsewhere. For example, the Institute for Education Sciences reports that more than one-quarter of math and science teachers who left the profession in 2004-05 said that the opportunity to earn better salary and benefits was a “very important” or “extremely important” consideration, as compared with just 13 percent of teachers in other subject areas.
There is a strong case, then, for modifying teacher compensation systems to offer larger salaries for math and science teachers as a means to improve teacher quality—and student achievement—in these subjects. This is not to say that compensation is the only factor influencing decisions to enter and remain in the profession. Research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Richard Ingersoll, among others, shows that general working conditions, the degree to which teachers have classroom autonomy, and other non-monetary factors are at least as important a consideration as salaries in explaining teacher attrition. Yet ample evidence confirms that salary levels strongly influence on teachers’ career paths.
Unfortunately, while offering higher salaries to teachers in high-demand subject areas might initially appear to be less controversial than other forms of differentiated compensation such as merit pay, public opinion data suggests otherwise. In the 2007 Education Next-Program on Education Policy and Governance survey, my colleagues and I found that just 33 percent of Americans would prefer to offer a larger salary increase to teachers “in subject areas where there are shortages, such as math and science” rather than a smaller salary increase to all teachers. In contrast, a majority supported offering a larger salary increase to “teachers who work in challenging schools.” A recent survey of teachers in Washington state conducted by the University of Washington-Bothell economist Dan Goldhaber similarly found that 59 percent of teachers opposed differentiating teacher compensation by subject area.
My conversations with current and former educators suggest that their reluctance to embrace higher salaries for math and science teachers stems in large part from a concern that this approach would imply that other subject areas are somehow less important – and that the contributions made by teachers in those subjects therefore have less value. This concern is understandable. Yet the outside labor market is a reality that school districts cannot simply ignore. By not allowing teacher compensation to vary with outside earnings opportunities, we implicitly ask individuals with strong math and science skills to make a larger financial sacrifice to enter and remain in the profession. It is students who lose out when too few of them prove willing to do so.
President Obama’s recent 2014 budget proposal includes $80 Million in competitive grants to support programs that recruit and train talented math and science educators for high-need schools and $35 Million to pilot a STEM Master Teacher Corps through which effective teachers in technical fields would be rewarded for taking on new leadership roles. These proposals’ prospects in Congress of course remain uncertain. Even if they are enacted, however, they will face an uphill battle absent broader reforms to teacher compensation systems—reforms that may be encouraged from Washington but will ultimately require action by state legislatures and local school boards. Advocates in these venues seeking to make teacher compensation systems more rational—paying more to teachers with stronger outside earnings potential—will need to develop new strategies to overcome the opposition to the idea from both the public and the profession itself.
This blog entry first appeared on the Brookings Institution”s Brown Center Chalkboard.1. Details on the construction of this dataset and our analytic sample are available in Chingos and West (2012), which shows that elementary and middle school teachers who are more effective in raising student achievement earn more in other occupations than do their peers. 2. To assign teachers to subjects, we first computed the percentage of each teacher’s time spent on instruction in each subject in each year (as a percentage of their total time in academic courses that year) and averaged these percentages over all available years. Teachers spending at least 60 percent of their time in a given subject were assigned to that subject; those who did not were assigned to a “multiple subjects” category. Given the prevalence of “out-of-field” teaching, this method likely introduces error in our measurement of teachers’ true qualifications that would bias the analysis towards a finding of no differences in earnings across subject areas. 3. We also find that science (but not math) teachers are heavily over-represented among teachers who left for a job elsewhere. Assuming that teachers with the best outside opportunities are more likely to leave for other industries, our results will understate the extent to which science teachers as a whole have better earnings opportunities than other teachers outside of teaching. | <urn:uuid:9cb43ead-efc0-4624-9fc3-3edcb4fe267f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://educationnext.org/do-math-and-science-teachers-earn-more-outside-of-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962127 | 1,933 | 3.078125 | 3 |
History of the Ski Area
An Extraordinary Place
The formation of Rib Mountain began 2 billion years ago with the violent fusion through intense heat of sand into a single chunk of quartzite. Since then, the surrounding plains have slowly eroded away while the incredibly hard quartzite, resisting this erosion, remained and rose higher and higher over the surrounding area. Today, Rib Mountain, called a "monadnock" by geologists, is the second highest point in Wisconsin and, at 700 feet above the surrounding plain, is the tallest mountain in Wisconsin.
Rib Mountain State Park and Dedication of Land for Ski Area
The vision for a ski area began in 1924 when the Wausau Kiwanis Club donated a few acres of land to the State. The State subsequently acquired another 120 acres. In 1936, the State dedicated a portion of the Park for the creation of the ski area. The Kiwanis Club raised funds for the purchase of an additional 40 acres for the ski area in 1937. When the ski area opened in 1937, 160 acres of the 280 acre park were dedicated to ski area use. In 1941, the Wausau Chamber of Commerce procured another 40 acres for expansion of the ski area to the west. Additional parcels were acquired by the State over the next several decades-some of the land was dedicated for ski area use but most of the land was added to the general use portion of the Park. Today, Rib Mountain State Park encompasses more than 1,200 acres of which about 400 have been dedicated for use as a ski area and the remaining 800 acres are reserved for general park uses.
History of Ski Area
When the ski area opened on the slopes of Rib Mountain 1937, it was one of the first ski areas in North America. Stowe in Vermont had opened a few years earlier in 1934. Sun Valley in Idaho had become the nation's first ski area in the western states in 1936. The ski area opened with six runs, a half-mile long lift powered by an 85 horsepower Ford V-8 motor with a standard truck transmission and a 20' by 60' base chalet. The ski area had been created largely through the efforts of residents of the City of Wausau, then a thriving town of 25,000 people four and one-half miles from the ski area. The runs were built by hand by teams of workers standing almost shoulder to shoulder as they cut the trees, removed stumps and brush, and crushed the boulders with sledge hammers. A road was built to the base of the ski area and a parking lot cleared for 300 cars. At the time, the new ski tow at Rib Mountain was the longest ski lift in the country.
The ski area has a proud history of joint cooperation between the State, the local community and private ski area operators. A local businessman, Fred Pabst, operated the ski area from inception until 1947. From 1947, the State and a local civic organization jointly operated the ski area, an experience that convinced both the State and the community that the ski area would be best run by a private operator. In 1964, another local businessman, Carmie Oliva was recruited to operate the ski area. His tenure coincided with years of major growth in the ski industry, and skier visits increased.
1984 Master Plan
In 1984, the State adopted a new Master Plan for the development of the ski area. This plan called for an expansion similar to that being undertaken by Granite Peak. Two years later, the State entered into a long-term operating agreement with another local businessman that encouraged the new operator to expand the ski area as envisioned by the 1984 Master Plan. But for a variety of reasons, little of the expansion occurred.
Ski Area Improvements
Granite Peak was selected by the State of Wisconsin to carry out the expansion envisioned by the 1984 Master Plan. When Granite Peak was selected in 2000, the ski area had 14 runs and the buildings and other infrastructure needed to be updated. Over the past several years, Granite Peak has added 60 new runs for a total of 74 runs, installed seven new lifts, renovated the chalet and rental buildings, replaced the snowmaking system and built a new ticket building and new children’s center building. Today, Granite Peak is essentially a new ski area, and is realizing the potential envisioned by the Wausau community since the 1920s. | <urn:uuid:0d82ddba-e7da-4f06-981e-c120c08e6b2f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.skigranitepeak.com/mountain/index.cfm?sub=history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00086-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969017 | 895 | 3.203125 | 3 |
The obesity epidemic, including a marked increase in the prevalence of obesity among pregnant women, represents a critical public health problem in the United States and throughout the world. Over the past two decades, it has been increasingly recognized that the risk of adult health disorders, particularly metabolic syndrome, can be markedly influenced by prenatal and infant environmental exposures (ie, developmental programming). Low birth weight, together with infant catch-up growth, is associated with a significant risk of adult obesity and cardiovascular disease, as well as adverse effects on pulmonary, renal, and cerebral function. Conversely, exposure to maternal obesity or high birth weight also represents an increased risk for childhood and adult obesity. In addition, fetal exposure to select chemicals (eg, phytoestrogens) or environmental pollutants (eg, tobacco smoke) may affect the predisposition to adult disease. Animal models have confirmed human epidemiologic findings and provided insight into putative programming mechanisms, including altered organ development, cellular signaling responses, and epigenetic modifications (ie, control of gene expression without modification of DNA sequence). Prenatal care is transitioning to incorporate goals of optimizing maternal, fetal, and neonatal health to prevent or reduce adult-onset diseases. Guidelines regarding optimal pregnancy nutrition and weight gain, management of low- and high-fetal-weight pregnancies, use of maternal glucocorticoids, and newborn feeding strategies, among others, have yet to fully integrate long-term consequences on adult health. | <urn:uuid:ef43ba67-5511-46c7-a091-b0c960af244c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2011&issue=04000&article=00030&type=abstract | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391634.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00029-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913551 | 291 | 2.765625 | 3 |
How can a simulation crack the mystery of the brain? Don’t you need to understand it before you can simulate it?
To understand how a protein behaves in the context of a whole brain, you’re going to need to put it into a whole brain. You’re going to need to play with it, change its parameters, take it out, put it in, make a mutation. We need the flexibility to be able to explore thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of parameters. A model is one way to do it—but not the kind of model that people have been using. I’m talking about real, biologically constrained models. The most serious misconception about Blue Brain is that people think we’re doing a modeling project. Actually Blue Brain is very much about reverse engineering, looking at all the data, standardizing the data, getting the information into a framework where we can even do correlation-based science on it, building automatic tools to synthesize those data into biological phenomena. I think of the process as virtualizing life, virtualizing the brain.
How do you even approach such a huge and radical project?
Before we did this, it was a three-year Ph.D. project to simulate even one neuron. And you needed an entire, very powerful computer to run that simulation of one neuron. You needed the whole process. Of course, today computers are a little more powerful, and I can run a simulation of 100 neurons. But there’s really no point in doing a 100-neuron simulation. The reason is simple: A neuron lives in an environment. It receives thousands of inputs. So actually you need to make a quantum leap from one neuron to 10,000 neurons. You need to make that leap into what we call a microcircuit. A circuit of five neurons is not what the mammalian brain is made up of. To simulate the neurocircuitry that is creating the mammalian brain, you need to make a quantum jump in complexity. You need at least 10,000 computers to do that. And that’s what Blue Gene is—16,000 processors squeezed into a space the size of four refrigerators. It was important for us to have that many processors, because on each one we’ve got 1,000 neurons. The processors themselves did not have to be extremely powerful. They just needed enough memory to hold the neurons.
You are modeling not a human brain or a monkey brain but something very specific—the neocortical column in a two-week-old rat. Why that particular set of neurons?
Blue Brain is a bio-driven project, meaning that we work to capture the biological elements, processes, and principles as mathematical models, and then run simulations to see how they mimic biology. We are trying to re-create biology in software as accurately as possible. I was not prepared to sacrifice a lot of cats or primates—this research requires dissecting brains and comparing the simulation to the real thing—so we had to choose either mice or rats. Then it was a question of which brain region to focus on. Even though the neocortex is the most advanced region, it’s got more order and organization and therefore actually is more tractable. If you go into the brain stem or into other subcortical areas of the brain, the neurons have no distinguishing features. They’re all kinds of shapes. A two-week-old animal is ideal, actually, because at that stage slices of the brain preserve extremely well for 24 to 48 hours. The circuit at that age is going to be in 75 to 80 percent of the final state it will be in during the adult stage. What it gives us is the template for brain circuitry. Once we have the template we look for variations, and then we can model development. We can now model younger columns, and we can model older columns. When we find out the key differences between species, we will be able to start simulating and modeling evolution, too.
Your experiment has been going on for more than four years now. What have you learned so far about the neural processes in the brain?
One very interesting property that emerged is a rhythm of electrical activity called gamma oscillations. It appeared one week when we added in the step of biological simulation. We did not try to build it in—it just showed up. Gamma oscillations are the basis for consciousness, according to a famous theory. The theory holds that when the brain goes into high-frequency (40- to 80-hertz) oscillations, those oscillations do perceptual binding, which is the foundation of consciousness. I don’t think that Blue Brain is conscious at this point, though.
It’s significant that we didn’t specifically try to model the phenomenon in the brain. All we have to do is pay attention to the fact that we are building it correctly, and these phenomena emerge. The whole circuit goes into this resonant state, which is an amazing state. Now we can dissect the circuit and find out exactly which neurons were crucial, which pathways, which receptors, and so forth.
As we’ve taken steps closer to the biology, the circuit has started to display more and more of the actual biological phenomena that we find in experiments, with more and more precision and accuracy and elegance. This is very encouraging because the model could have gone in any other direction. It could have just not worked. As you put in more and more fine-tuned parameters, it might start doing all kinds of things you would not want or expect it to do.
Can you also use Blue Brain to help with medical problems—to study the nature of neurological diseases?
Actually, this is the only way to study them. When you turn on this column and you run it, you think, my God, there’s not a single neurological disease today in which anybody knows what is malfunctioning in this circuit—which pathway, which synapse, which neuron, which receptor. Doctors don’t even know this for a single drug—I mean, this is a multibillion-dollar industry!—that they’re giving for Parkinson’s disease, for depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit, autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s. When they give a drug, they have no idea what it does to this processor. And the neocortical column is the elementary processor for human beings to have coherent perception, attention, and memory. This is shocking. I mean, we are living in such a primitive time of medicine, you cannot imagine. | <urn:uuid:604c5ccb-1b50-48e4-9ef5-eb1874b7ed19> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://discovermagazine.com/2009/dec/05-discover-interview-the-man-who-builds-brains/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00115-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956422 | 1,351 | 2.921875 | 3 |
The first map of ancient Jerusalem from the Bible would depict the meeting of Abram and the mysterious Melchizedek. The is the first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible, though not by that name.
Genesis 14:18-20 depicts this interesting encounter which is said to have taken place in Salem.
"Then Melchizedek King of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram,saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." --Gen. 14:18-20 (NIV)
THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH is the first landmark mentioned from a map of ancient Jerusalem.
However, this valley's exact location remains a mystery, as does the
identity of Melchizedek, the king of Salem at this time. From the map
of ancient Jerusalem to the left one can gather that Jerusalem was a
city of hills and valleys, in many ways like ancient Rome. This
mysterious encounter predates the Jebusite occupation by approximately
Dates vary as to the time of Abraham, but it is generally believed to have been between 2000 - 1700 B.C.It is likely, however, that the site was nearby, if not on the same spot. The reason being is the Gihon Spring, a natural water source and one of the few in the Central Highlands. Ancient occupation tended to spring up near these natural water springs and wells. Jericho is another example of such a city, and was only around 13 miles east of Jerusalem.
Click on a link below to view that section.
The first mention of Urusalim can be traced to Egyptian Execration Texts. The Early Execration Texts ( 12th Dynasty, ca 2000 BC) date to the late 20th and 19th centuries B.C. Two sets of texts exist, with the Later Execration Texts dating to the late 19th century B.C. In the earlier texts only a few cities are mentioned in this region of Canaan. Jerusalem, Ashkelon and Rehobin are the chief ones in Palestine. In the later texts, the two principal cities of the region are Shechem and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called Rusalimum in some of these references.
Indeed this is proof that the cities in the patriarchal narrative were in fact occupied and in existence during the Middle Bronze Age (ca 2000-1550 BC), and perhaps parts of the Early Bronze Age (ca 3300-2400 BC). Abraham entered Canaan via the Wadi Farah. As he reached the Central Ridge from the valley below, Shechem would have been the first city he encountered in the Central Highlands.
The map of ancient Jerusalem shows the prominence of these two cities in the region, as they often fought for control of the Central Ridge Route and the Central Highlands
The city of God was radically shaped by it's geography. Jerusalem sat atop the central ridge of the Western Mountains. The mountains around God's city were known as the Central Mountains, or Highlands. In the immediate area were the Judean Mountains. The Central Ridge Route ran through Jerusalem, and connected in with Shechem to the north, and Beersheba to the south. Ancient Jerusalem was literally shaped by these mountains and valleys. The city was protected by steep ravines in the south and east. To the east the terrain drastically plummeted nearly 3,500 feet from the Mount of Olives to Jericho below, in the Jordan Valley. In the west the change was less drastic, as the hills descended to the coastal plain and the Mediterranean Sea. Abraham not only dwelt in the Central Highlands, but primarily in the Negev, the desert region in the south. To the immediate southeast of Jerusalem was the Judean Wilderness, which merged with the Negev south of Hebron. It was in this vast wilderness Jesus was tempted by the Devil.
Courtesy of Eric H. Cline's book, Jerusalem Besieged, indicates the topography of early Jerusalem as well as the location of the Gihon Spring.
The citadel is that which David conquered from the Jebusites in ca 1004 BC. The first Biblical mention of "Jerusalem" is in Joshua 10:1. The city is under the control of king Adoni-zedek. At the time of the conquest Jerusalem was an Amorite town. It, along with Hebron, Lachish, Jarmuth and Eglon all formed an alliance against the invading Israelites. The Jebusites were of Amorite stock intermingled with Hittite blood. Their stronghold was located on the southern portion of the eastern ridge, lined by the Hinnom valley in the south and the kidron valley to the east. The Tyropoeon Valley separated the eastern and western ridges from each other.
ANCIENT JERUSALEM was originally allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, though Judah would eventually absorb her. This map of ancient Jerusalem depicts the boundary between the two tribes. However, it would not be until the time of David that the city fell into Israelite control.
The Bible tells us that men of Judah and Benjamin co-existed with Jebusites in the hills and valleys surrounding the primary stronghold. Jebus, the hill of Ophel and the Temple Mount all rested on the eastern ridge. This was a plateaued ridge, with the northern end elevated above the southern end. The southern end was occupied by the citadel, with fortified walls that extended down the southern slops towards the valley of Hinnom. The Temple Mount sat elevated above the City of David in a beautifully symbolic representation of God's sovereignty over His people.
JERUSALEM formed on the eastern and western ridges. After David
established Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the city steadily grew.
Solomon turned it into the religious center of life as well with his
Temple to God. Jerusalem was the center of Israelite existence, as it
is today. This map of ancient Jerusalem shows the growth from the
The Tyropoeon Valley separated the eastern and western ridge. It was on the lower slopes of the western ridge that the Lower City of 1st century AD Jerusalem took form. The ridge flattened out at the top, where the Upper City took shape, housing Jerusalem's royalty, elite, wealthy, and priestly class. As the city continued to expand, suburbs formed, primarily in Bezetha in the north. Titus marched his army through these suburbs in the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
MAP OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM under kings David and Solomon depict the city much the same as it was under Jebusite occupation.
One of David's men, Joab, discovered a way into the city via the water tunnel from the Gihon Spring. He threw open the city gates to the awaiting Hebrew warriors. David took the city around 1004 B.C. and built "all around from the Millo and inward". The conquest is recorded in II Samuel 5. David also built a palace in his new capital city. Solomon rebuilt the Millo, or citadel, during his reign, and also built the First Temple on Mt. Moriah. This was on the northern end of the ridge, and elevated above the city of David below. It is interesting to note that Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, was a Jebusite. Upon his conquest of the city, David did not execute, nor did he exile, the local population. Rather, he allowed them to remain in their city, of course under his authority. He even purchased Araunah the Jebusite's threshing floor from him, when he could have just as easily taken it by force.
JERUSALEM DURING NEHEMIAH This map of ancient Jerusalem (Jerusalem Besieged, 72.) depicts the city during the time of Nehemiah.
In 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian Empire, laid siege
to Jerusalem. He breached the walls, looted the city and Temple, and
burnt both the Temple and the city itself to the ground. Jerusalem was
laid waste. In 538 B.C. Cyrus the Great, king of the Persian Empire, the
conquerors of the Babylonians, issued a decree declaring that all Jews
were free to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their capital city. That
very year, one of at least three migrations back to Jerusalem took
place. In 445 B.C., Nehemiah, a Jewish Persian official, reinforced Ezra
the scribe in Jerusalem. It only took 52 days for them to rebuild the
walls, and though smaller than Solomon's Jerusalem, the city was once
again occupied by Jews.
THE OLD CITY was conquered by David from the Jebusites.
This photograph shows the ruins from ancient Jerusalem. The foundation of a wall from these ruins dates back to ca 1800 B.C. Jerusalem has likely been occupied for over 4,000 years, and these ruins attest to the antiquity of Zion. David captured the city, which would have included these ruins, around 1000 B.C. It is remarkable to think David's hands may have rested upon the stone pictured. Any map of ancient Jerusalem is sure to include the City of David on the southern end of the eastern ridge. Above, on the northern end, was the Temple Mount.
JERUSALEM DURING JESUS was a thriving metropolis, thanks in no small part to Herod the Great's eye and talent for architecture.
The map of ancient Jerusalem above provides a detailed look at the terraced western ridge. The Tyropoeon Valley can clearly be seen dissecting the eastern and western ridges. The Lower City ascended the terraced western hillside to the Upper City above, home of the rich and famous. The Hinnom Valley runs along the southern border of both ridges, joining the Kidron. These ridges provided natural defenses for Jerusalem, and were also fortified by massive walls. The Jerusalem Temple dominated the entire city, especially during the days of Jesus.
MAP OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM This is a map from the Zondervan NIV Bible depicting first century Jerusalem.
By this time ancient Jerusalem consisted of four main hills. Ophel, the original site, in the southeast, and Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount, in the northeast, as depicted on this map of ancient Jerusalem. To the southwest was the Upper City, and the northeastern hill also on the western ridge was Bezetha, which comprised the suburbs of sprawling Jerusalem. Massive building projects characterized this time in the history of Jerusalem. The Antonia Fortress had been constructed, along with towers and palaces on a a grand scale. A Hippodrome and Stadium brought Greek style athletics to Jerusalem. Aqueducts transported water from as far away as Bethlehem. A Roman theatre and amphitheatre had been constructed by Herod the Great, catapulting Jerusalem into one of the great cities of this era.
The grandest of all, however, was the Temple. Herod's Temple dominated the city. One block alone, at the southeast corner of the wall, weighed 90 tons alone. All that remains of it today are the Western Wall, or, the Wailing Wall. The Temple Mount dominates world attention, now occupied by the Dome of the Rock.
ONLINE RESOURCE - click to view the link
Maps of Ancient Jerusalem - Hebrew University in Jerusalem
Apr 08, 16 04:43 PM
The Biblical Garden of Eden has remained one of the Bible's greatest mysteries over the course of time. Archaeologists today believe they may have found the location of the Garden of Eden.
Mar 28, 16 10:10 PM
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Mar 27, 16 06:02 PM
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Mar 24, 16 08:25 PM
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The NASB names Isaiah 7; The War Against Jerusalem. This chapter speaks about events surrounding the Syro-Ephraimite war of 734-732 BC.
Dec 25, 15 03:11 PM
By getting through many historic facts, I have learned this world doesn't have truth, language barriers are everywhere. YHVH has shown a confirming thought
Dec 25, 15 03:09 PM
I woke up one morning at 4 am - sat bolt up right as quick as lightening and said, I am a student of Enoch. They didn't seem like my words - but they
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hello. i want to compare the equallity of two doubles a nd b.
A friend told me i should not test if(a==b)
but if(a-b<1e-9) i.e. a-b<10^-9
Is this the right way to do it? also if i wanted to compare floats or long doubles what is the threshold(a-b<threshold).
First of all most decimal numbers translates into infinite binary number. Like 1/3 is 0.33333.... in decimal.
Second: Computer cannot store infinite numbers. for example we have decimal number, which can store only two digitsafter period, then 1/3 will become 0.33.
Now what happens if we take our example decimal computer and try to compare (1/3)*3 == 1;
Mathematically it should be true, but what will be actual results?
1/3 = 0.33; 0.33 * 3 = 0.99; 0.99 == 1 is false.
The same applies to real computers, save for binary format. | <urn:uuid:09e5ee43-cc12-4c61-b9c0-cde1a90e83e2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/beginner/91087/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00046-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.804068 | 230 | 3.21875 | 3 |
A new Red Cross survey shows that 68 percent of Americans have been involved in some kind of summer emergency, ranging from insect bites, heat stroke and broken bones to more life-threatening situations. One in every four people say they have been in a situation where someone needed CPR.
The survey of more than 1,000 adults found that Americans say they are most comfortable giving CPR to family members, friends and coworkers, with less than half very likely to perform CPR on a stranger. The survey showed that physical appearance was a significant factor when people are deciding to perform CPR on a stranger, and men with a disheveled or sloppy appearance were the least likely to receive assistance, with only half of respondents saying they would very likely try to give them CPR.
Americans plan to be very active this summer, as the survey found that more than 40 percent will go hiking or camping and almost 75 percent will go swimming. While people expect to be active, the Red Cross found that many were not confident they knew what to do in an emergency - less than two-thirds felt confident helping a heat stroke victim and fewer than half could help someone with an allergic reaction to an insect or snake bite.
Previous Red Cross research found that nearly 90 percent of Americans say they want to be prepared for an emergency, but they don’t know where to start or what to do.
“With so many people outdoors camping, hiking and swimming, it’s important that someone in every household get trained in CPR and first aid skills,” says Connie Harvey, health and safety expert for the American Red Cross “Learning these lifesaving skills is easier and more convenient than you might think, and Red Cross training can help people prevent and respond to life’s emergencies – big or small.”
“Your Kansas Capital Area Chapter is offering CPR and First Aid classes throughout the summer so families can stay safe while enjoying their fun in the sun and be prepared to handle emergency situations,” adds Sharita Davis, Health and Safety Director.
This year, the Red Cross is offering a new Wilderness and Remote First Aid course designed to teach people how to respond to emergencies when help is delayed. In addition, the Red Cross teaches swimming and water safety skills to over 2 million people each year, trains millions in life-saving skills through its Lifeguarding and CPR/AED courses, and offers life saving training for young people through its Babysitter Training courses.
More information about Red Cross courses can be found at www.redcross.org or contact your local Red Cross chapter for a schedule of class times and locations.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
About the Kansas Capital Area Red Cross chapter:
The Kansas Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross touches the lives of over 47,000 people each year. It serves Fort Riley and 16 counties: Chase, Clay, Coffey, Geary, Lyon, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee and Washington. It has five office locations – Topeka, Burlington, Emporia, Junction City and Manhattan. For more information, please visit www.thinkred.org | <urn:uuid:09db300d-f248-43e4-9c45-535af8356bb7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wibw.com/features/toyourhealth/headlines/98976159.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00011-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951853 | 756 | 2.765625 | 3 |
These are some common types of rocks that you will see on a tour through Stebbins Gulch. Starting from the upper left, the first rock is a piece of Berea sandstone. The parallel ridges on its surface are fossilized ripple marks made by an ancient current before the rock solidified, and was later preserved by burial in more sediment. Moving to the right, we have a rounded piece of conglomerate, the source of the quartz pebbles that litter the creek bed. Further to the right is a flat piece of shale, in this case an oil shale from the Cleveland Shale Formation. In the lower middle is a piece of gneiss, a billion-year-old piece of metamorphic rock transported by glaciers from Canada during the Pleistocene glaciations. On the lower left is a piece of siltstone from the Bedford Formation.
|Return to Stop 4| | <urn:uuid:09b5769c-8262-4394-937b-81203dcf246b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.holdenarb.org/CommonRocksofStebbinsGulch.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948395 | 184 | 3.203125 | 3 |
• After five days of hearing evidence in the trial of a young man for murdering his father, the jury retires to deliberate on the verdict.
• The conditions in the jury room are uncomfortable and the jurors are anxious to return to their own lives.
• Without any discussion, a vote is taken in which eleven men vote "guilty" and one man votes "not guilty".
• An argument ensues in which the eleven men try to convince juror number 8 that the man is guilty.
• During the argument, members of the jury reveal their own viewpoints, concerns and prejudices.
• Jurors present arguments about the reliability of witnesses and the defendant's history of criminal behavior.
• Number 10 reveals that a woman who could not sleep on the night of the murder testified that she saw the murder through a moving el train.
• Number 8 asks why they should believe this woman when earlier...
This section contains 1,469 words
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When you cause significant damage, this is an example of a time when you wreak havoc.
- to give vent or free play to (one's anger, malice, rage, etc.)
- to inflict (vengeance), cause (harm or havoc), etc.
- Archaic to avenge
Origin of wreakMiddle English wreken ; from Old English wrecan, to revenge, punish, akin to German rächen, Gothic wrikan ; from Indo-European base an unverified form wreg-, to shove, oppress, hunt down from source Classical Latin urgere, to press, urge
transitive verbwreaked, wreak·ing, wreaks
- To bring about (damage or destruction, for example): wreak havoc.
- To inflict (vengeance or punishment) upon a person.
- To give vent to or act upon (one's feelings): “He sought for some excuse to wreak his hatred upon Tarzan” (Edgar Rice Burroughs).
- Archaic To take vengeance for; avenge.
Origin of wreakMiddle English wreken, from Old English wrecan. Usage Note: Wreak is sometimes confused with wreck, perhaps because the wreaking of damage may leave a wreck: The storm wreaked (not wrecked&thin;) havoc along the coast. The past tense and past participle of wreak is wreaked, not wrought, which is an alternative past tense and past participle of work.
(third-person singular simple present wreaks, present participle wreaking, simple past wreaked, wrought (erroneously), or rarely wroke, past participle wreaked, wrought (erroneously) or rarely wroken)
The verb wreak is generally used in the form “wreak damage or harm of some sort (on something)", and is often used in the set phrase wreak havoc, though “wreak damage", “wreak destruction", and “wreak revenge" are also common.
Not to be confused with wreck, with similar meaning of destruction and similar etymological roots; common confusion in misspelling wreck havoc.
It has become common to use wrought, the original past tense and participle for work, as the past tense and past participle for wreak, as in wrought havoc (i.e. worked havoc for wreaked havoc), due both to the fact that the weak form worked has edged out wrought from its former role almost entirely (except as an adjective referring usually to hand-worked metal goods), and via confusion from the wr- beginning both wreak and wrought, and probably by analogy with seek).
Old English wrecan, from Proto-Germanic *wrekanÄ…, from root *wrek-, from Proto-Indo-European *wreg- (“work, do"). Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Dutch wreken, German rächen, Swedish vräka; cognate via PIE with Latin urgere (English urge), and distantly cognate to English wreck. | <urn:uuid:69acf44b-d918-40e3-b8dd-2e92f2b1b2bd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.yourdictionary.com/wreak | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398628.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00177-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931621 | 648 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Have you ever wondered why a quince is called a quince? Surely a name is just a name, but did you ever think that just maybe the reason quince fruits aren’t as popular as apples is because of their name? It’s not all that appealing to bite into something that kind of sounds more like the coins you’d find in your pocket left over from a trip abroad than say, a tasty and versatile fruit.
Before the French renamed it in the 14th century and it became a huge sensation throughout Europe and the UK, the quince was the fruit of the Persian Cydonia tree. Looking somewhat like a squat green pear, its soft and fuzzy skin, crispy, tart texture is actually rather tasty and versatile, and no you don’t need to live six hundred years ago to eat it.
The quince may have in fact been the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden that tempted Eve. Loaded with vitamins A and C, It boasts many health benefits and a long history of use throughout Asia and Europe. The medicinal effects can be mainly attributed to the quince seeds, which when soaked in water form a sort of mucus that is used to soothe inflamed skin and taken internally to relieve digestive discomfort, among other ailments. Quinces eaten during pregnancy were thought to produce wise children.
“Marmalade” now means any type of fruit preserves, but it was the quince that first earned the honor.
Want to wow your friends and family this holiday season? Quince ’em.
While you may find only a sparse few in your grocery store, check with farmers markets; they’re the best source for fresh, ripe quinces. Store them at room temperature, especially if they’re not quite ripe yet.
You can eat raw quince, but like all worthy things, the magic comes with a little heat. The tartness relaxes when cooked and it really lets the fragrant aroma out. Use just like you would apples, pears or other stone fruits. Poached, tarts, tortes, compotes and pies are especially nice. Quince will turn pink when you cook it. Your guests will turn wide-eyed and ever so grateful at your genius, and after a while you’ll rather like the way “quince” sounds, too, especially during a spot of afternoon tea. Go on, be a love and pass the quince marmalade.
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Pragmatic analysis of texts asks the questions “What is the author’s purpose of a text?” and “What does an author desire to accomplish with his text.” The text-driven preacher is always attempting to accomplish something with every sermon. All verbal or written communication has at least one of three purposes:
- Affect the ideas of people
- Affect the emotions of people
- Affect the behavior of people
Preaching should incorporate all three of these purposes. We should be attempting to affect the mind with the truth of Scripture (doctrine). We should be attempting to affect the emotions of people because emotions are often (some would say always) the gateway to the mind. Finally, we should be attempting to affect the behavior of people by moving their will to obey the Word of God.
Other important linguistic features of texts include unity, coherence, prominence and parallelism. A text will have thematic unity. A shift from one theme to another usually occurs at the paragraph level or beyond. Textual cohesion can be signaled by such things as lexical repetition, a string of verbs in the same tense, etc. Prominence can be shown by placing words, phrases or clauses at the front or the back of a sentence to denote emphasis. As an illustration of marked prominence in a text, consider the nine times in Hebrews the name “Jesus” appears alone. In each case in the Greek text the name occurs last in its clause for emphasis. For example, Heb 3:1 reads literally in Greek: “Consider the Apostle and High priest of our confession, Jesus.” This marked prominence in the Greek text is seldom brought out in English translations of Hebrews.
The importance of parallelism in a text can be seen in the tense structure of the verbs in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10. Preachers often overlook the fact that the first and last beatitudes are placed in the present tense, while all the intervening beatitudes are in the future tense. This conveys the present reality of the Kingdom of Heaven and not simply a future intent or fulfillment. This fact has immense repercussions for the theological interpretation of the Beatitudes as well as the Sermon on the Mount as a whole. The parallelism of the verb tenses precludes the interpretation that the Beatitudes or the Sermon on the Mount is intended only for the future millennial kingdom and not for the present dispensation. The text-driven preacher will want to observe all these linguistic features of the text that provide unity, cohesion, prominence and parallelism.
The text-driven preacher will want to observe all these linguistic features of the text that provide unity, cohesion, prominence and parallelism.
From a linguistic perspective, text-driven preaching should correctly identify the genre of the text.[ref]See D. Allen, “Fundamentals of Genre: How Literary Form Affects the Interpretation of Scripture,” in The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson & Craig Brian Larson, eds. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 264-67.[/ref] Longacre identified four basic discourse genres which are language universal: narrative, procedural, hortatory and expository.[ref]Longacre, Grammar of Discourse, 3. See also Beekman, Callow and Kopesec, Semantic Structure, 35-40.[/ref] All four of these genres, along with sub-genres, occur in Scripture. Significant portions of the Old Testament are narrative. The Gospels and Acts are primarily narrative in genre. Procedural discourse can be found in Exodus 25-40 where God gives explicit instructions on how to build the tabernacle. Hortatory genre is found in the prophetic sections of the Old Testament as well as in the epistolary literature of the New Testament, though it is by no means confined to these alone in the Scriptures. Expository genre is clearly seen in the New Testament epistles, which are actually all combinations of expository and hortatory genre.
The point of what has been said is text-driven preachers must strive to examine not only the form but also the meaning of all levels of a text with the goal of understanding the whole.[ref]B. Olsson, “A Decade of Text-linguistic Analyses of Biblical Texts at Upsalla,” Studia Theologica 39 (1985), 107, underlined the vital importance of discourse analysis for exegesis when he noted: “A text-linguistic analysis is a basic component of all exegesis. A main task, or the main task of all Biblical scholarship has always been to interpret individual texts or passages of the Bible. . . . To the words and to the sentences a textual exegesis now adds texts. The text is seen as the primary object of inquiry. To handle texts is as basic for our discipline as to handle words and sentences. Therefore, text-linguistic analyses belong to the fundamental part of Biblical scholarship.” See also the excellent chapter by G. Guthrie, “Discourse Analysis,” in Interpreting the New Testament: Essays on Methods and Issues, eds. D. Black and D. Dockery (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001), 253-271.[/ref] Text-driven preaching looks beyond words and sentences to the whole text (paragraph level and beyond). Every biblical text is an aggregate of relations between the four elements of meaning which it conveys: structural, referential, situational, and semantic. The superior value to this approach to textual analysis in preparation for preaching is that it allows one to see the communication relations within a text in their full extent. Restricting exegesis to a verse by verse process alone often results in the details of the text violating the overall message. It becomes hard to see the forest for the trees. Here the chapter and versification of the Bible can hinder as much as help.
In summary, text-driven preachers will do their exegetical homework to determine what the text means.
In summary, text-driven preachers will do their exegetical homework to determine what the text means. Text-driven preachers will engage in creative exposition to explain the meaning of the text to a contemporary audience. Text-driven preachers will seek to become master communicators with an understanding of their audience and communication techniques that will make for the most effective preaching of Scripture with the goal of life transformation effected by the Holy Spirit. | <urn:uuid:6e95adc9-1180-4db5-96bc-3f67be348f74> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://theologicalmatters.com/2014/01/07/text-driven-preaching-and-pragmatic-textual-analysis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00105-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919913 | 1,347 | 3.109375 | 3 |
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My front yard has large patches of dead grass. Originally I thought it might be a result of grubs, but dug down and didn't see any larvae or grub worms. The condition is worsening and now I've noticed pencil-eraser size holes throughout the dry areas. Do you know what this is and how to prevent or stop it?
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I suspect the holes you see in the dry areas may be made by emerging lawn pests, such as billbug, but I'm not sure. The holes may also be from bird beaks as they forage for insects (yay, birds!) Here are some hints on how to scout and diagnose for billbugs and other lawn pests: Dig up a 6 by 6 inch square of your turfgrass, including 2 inches of soil, put it in a bucket and pull it apart, looking for any insects or larvae. Collect any/all you find. Identify the insects by referring to these USU Extension Fact Sheets:
White grubs, at
Sod webworm, at
Cranberry girdler, at
There's only one generation of billbug per year, they may be emerging as adults about now. Most of the damage is already done for the year, so if you don't find any pests in the turf sample, wait until next May to treat for the pests. Once summer cools off (highs in the 80's), you should fertilize the affected areas to promote new growth and vigor, to repair the damage. Also, be sure to check the thickness of the thatch layer in your turf. If it's thicker than one-half inch, plan to have your lawn core aerated in early fall. Aeration helps promote thatch decomposition. Thatch is a protective habitat for the billbug, so it's best to minimize it.
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William Butler Yeats; "The Second Coming" and Richard Wilbur's "Advice to a Prophet" have in common that they are both apocalyptic poems, blending Christian and non-Christian symbols to address issues pertaining to the end of the world. In both poems, the poets confront human moral failure in face of annihilation. In Yeats' poem, "the best lack all conviction" and in Wilbur's what is lacking is pity. The main difference between the two poems is historical. Yeats' eschatology is entirely located within a religious realm of history interpreted spiritually, but Wilbur's responds to the nuclear bomb and the possibility of humanity's end in a nuclear winter. Thus for your essay, you might focus on how technological change affects the ways in which the two poets approach the apocalypse.
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Maurice C. Hately GM3HAT
& Ted Hart W5QJR
PREFACE: Please be aware this article introduces a completely new concept in antenna theory. In fact, this is considered the most important development relative to antennas in this century. It is so pervasive that a series of articles are required to cover the concept and its applications to the depth and extent it deserves. This is the first publication about the Crossed-Field Antenna (CFA) in the U.S.A. Even as you read this, there are continuing developments in the application of this concept. antenneX has more than twenty articles about the CFA, including four construction articles (complemented by several more building experiments by readers from around the globe), plus a look at the actual CFA 1992 and 1995 versions of Tanta Station operated in Egypt. This is followed up by a tour of 10 of Dr. Kabbary's 17 more recent CFA broadcast stations in operation in Egypt and Australia. Further, of interest is that the Isle of Man, UK has chosen to install a CFA longwave broadcast station rather than a 845-foot (260m) tower. More stations are going up in Germany, Italy and Brazil. The articles are in the Reading Rooms now. To read more, goto: Subscribe
Where will this concept lead ? Let me tell you about one example, lest you think this is all for naught: A CFA only 21 feet (6.5 Meters) tall, located at Tanta in the center of Egypt, provides AM broadcast service at 1.16 MHz (258 Meters) to millions of people from Cairo north to the coast. Certified measurements provide evidence that this small CFA produces a radiated signal almost 6 dB stronger than the previous 1/4 wavelength vertical broadcast tower which was 211 feet (65 Meters) tall. To express the performance a different way >> with the tall tower, a 100,000 watt transmitter was required for the desired coverage. With the miniature CFA the same coverage was attained with the transmitter power reduced to 30,000 watts.
BANDWIDTH GREATER THAN TALL TOWER!
Unlike conventional small antennas, the CFA has greater bandwidth than the tall tower, thus giving better fidelity to the broadcast signal. If that don't tug your heartstrings, you need to go back to making mud pies. For all the restyou ain't seen nothing yet. In spite of this, the antenna "experts" have not widely accepted this concept. I can only conclude that those who did not invent it don't want to admit that someone else did. That is a common malady and is often referred to as the not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome. I personally went through the same thing with the small loop antenna. It is the purpose of antenneX to expose you to new conceptswhether you accept them or not is your personal preference. Some people still don't think man has set foot on the moon!
While thinking about how to present this article, I (W5QJR) was scanning the web and found the following definition of an antenna: "An antenna can be any conductive structure that can carry an electrical current. If it carries a time varying electrical current, it will radiate an electromagnetic wave." In particular note that this definition of an antenna includes a current carrying conductor. This is a concept that came about after Marconi threw up a piece of wire and began radio communications. Ever since it has been the accepted traditional concept of an antenna. While it does satisfy fundamental theorem, it is not the only way to develop electromagnetic waves, and therefore is not the only way to build an antenna. In fact, this is a very inefficient way to develop electromagnetic waves.
A number of years ago (1984) I (Ted Hart) wrote the book on small loop antennas and declared in that book, and several related articles, that the only way to build a small high efficiency antenna was to build a small loop. That statement was true until about 1988.
I am simply telling you that one doesn't have to have a wire antennathere is another way. The other way came about due to a College Professor by the name of Maurice Hately, GM3HAT, in Scotland, and a student named Fathi Kabbary who came from Egypt to study under Professor Hately while working on his Ph.D. Together, they reviewed the fundamental theory of antennas and decided there was a better way. This occurred about 1988. Subsequently they published articles and patented their new antenna design. Patent 2,215,524 was issued in Great Britain, 626,210 in Australia and others issued in Europe and Japan. In 1992 the U.S. issued Patent Number 5,155,495. But, I am getting ahead of history, so let me take you back to an earlier time.
However, before giving you a history lesson, I do want to note that Mr. Hately and Mr. Kabbary jointly own all rights to this invention. All rights are reserved by them. If you have a commercial interest, contact the author. Mr. Hately reviewed, modified and approved this article, so you are getting this information from the horse's mouth. I, W5QJR, am merely a ghostwriter and take no credit for any of the development. I have derived great pleasure in working with Mr. Hately for several years and he is now in the process of bringing antennas based on this concept for sale thru antenneX.
A HISTORY LESSON
A long time ago, in a far away place, a fellow named Ampere and another fellow named Faraday (1791-1867) independently developed the concepts and equations to define electromagnetism. Then along came a fellow by the name of Maxwell (1831-1879) who combined the works of Ampere and Faraday and developed the four (4) basic laws called Maxwell's Equations. These equations are so fundamental that every Engineer considers them to be the four chapters of the engineering bible. Then along came Mr. Heavyside who developed the Differential form of Maxwell's Equations. Somewhere in there, Mr. Poynting presented his equation defining electromagnetic radiation.
Although many authors have quoted Maxwell, and many a college student has struggled trying to understand Maxwell, nothing interesting happened until along came Professor Hately and Mr. Kabbary (now Dr. Kabbary due to this work). As is prudent to do when tying to understand a concept, you go to the most fundamental version of the concept that can be found. In this case, Maxwell's Equations were only an arm's reach away in any good engineering reference book (for example see page 45-4 of Reference Data for Radio Engineers).
Now, our time clock moves forward to March 1989, when Electronics and Wireless World published an article entitled "Maxwell's Equations and the Crossed-Field Antenna", by F.M. Kabbary, M.C. Hately and B.G. Stewart. To ensure you get all of this picture in proper perspective, the following paraphrases that article. It may get a little technical for some, but that is the essence of this new antenna concept. We will endeavor to translate to simple terms wherever possible, so please continue to read even if you are not an engineer. The picture would not be complete if the theoretical portion of this puzzle was not included in this series of articles.
A LOT OF HEAVY THEORY
All electrical and communications engineers are in some way acquainted with Heavyside's differential form of the third and fourth Maxwell equations, viz.
In these equations, ' is the derivative with respect to time, E represents the electric field strength, H magnetic field strength, J current density, B magnetic flux density = µ H, and D electric displacement = is called the displacement current. Equation 1) is Faraday's law, while equation 2) is credited to Maxwell for adding D' to Ampere's law, which is to maintain charge conservation or charge continuity and thus obtain J + D' as the true or total current.
Unfortunately, the understanding of these equations still poses many conceptual difficulties for many people which inevitably lead to shortcomings in the basic understanding of their engineering applications (and you thought you were alone?). One reason for this lack of insight is perhaps the inability to appreciate the physical meaning of the vector operations curl, div and grad. Many texts and research papers often detail the mathematical intricacies of these vector operations but few describe in practical simple terms their physical interpretation.
In addition to the above, it is often not realized that contained in equations 1) and 2) is the following extremely valuable information: (a) a time-varying magnetic field creates an electric field (or back EMF) and, importantly, (b) a current or a time-varying electric field or both will create a magnetic field. Please read again and note that you do not need to run current thru a wire to develop a magnetic field.
The essence of Maxwell's equations, conveyed through points (a) and (b), is that fundamentally they are reactive or field-production equations. The physical , mathematical and engineering importance of the field-production nature may be more readily relayed and understood if the forms of equations 1) and 2) are reversed:
The reversal leads not only to a greater understanding of Maxwell's equations (which is hidden in the non-reversed form) but to a greater appreciation of the nature of time-varying electromagnetics and their associated engineering applications.
One significant engineering application, only fully realized through the reversed form of Maxwell's 4th equation, has been the recent development of revolutionary antenna systems called crossed-field-antennas (CFA) which synthesize directly the Poynting vector S = E X H from separately stimulated E (electric) and H (magnetic) fields. S is electromagnetic radiation, thus this says there are two (2) components to the radiated field, E and H. The X is defined as the cross product, meaning that they must be properly related both in time, phase, and position. In other words, if you can separately create the two fields and properly combine them, you don't have to have a piece of wire carrying a current. Because of this, A fundamental feature of these antennas is that the physical size of the structure is small and also independent of the radiated wavelength, a truly remarkable concept in relation to present day antenna theory and design techniques. (Frame that and hang it on the wall).
The principle of Faraday's Law (equation 1) as detailed by most textbooks, is that an electric field can be related to the rate of change of a magnetic field. This electromagnetic feature can be expressed in a more elegant and informative way by reversing equation 1) to give which is interpreted as a time varying magnetic flux, B' creating an electric field E such that the negative of the curl of the induced E field distribution is equal to the source B'. The directive arrow is present in the relationship to indicate that the left-hand-side causes or creates the right-hand-side. The negative sign is a manifestation of Lenz's law. In fact, the application of the reversed form of Faraday's law is fully deployed in transformer theory, where a time varying magnetic flux creates, i.e., induces, a back EMF. Note that the E field in the reversed form of Faraday's law is the induced E field from B' and is not in anyway related to the independent electric field created from free charge through Gausse's law.
Consider now equation 2). In magnetostatics, it has always been accepted that current produces a magnetic field though the phenomenon called Ampere's law. To get across the importance of this statement in a more meaningful physical and mathematical form, Ampere's law should be expressed as: i.e., J (current density) creates a magnetic field H, such that the curl of H is equal to the source J. It is also known (though often ignored) that a magnetic field may be related to either a current as above or a time varying electric field. The latter source of magnetic field is sometimes refereed to as the Maxwell Law, and may be expressed in the more informative form as: i.e., displacement current D' (a time varying D field) creates a magnetic field H such that the curl of the H field distribution is equal to the source D'. We now see the importance of reversing equation 2) to give equation 4), i.e., J + D' => D X H, which should now be interpreted as J + D' or both can create a magnetic field H such that the curl of the H field distribution is equal to the source J + D'. The plus sign can, and should, be interpreted as analogous to the digital-logic OR symbol.
Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that an H field may, at any time, be the combination of two separately induced fields from independent types of sources, i.e., charge motion and displacement current.
The editor says we are out of space, so we will pick up here next month and apply what we have learned to create a magnetic field without running current thru a wire. This will be accomplished by a simple demonstration. That is essential to the process of building this type of Crossed-Field-Antenna. The heavy theory is behind us so it is down hill from here. Stay tuned. -30-
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Purim Planning Pointers From USY!
The Four Mitzvot of Purim
1. Listen to the Megillah
- We make sure to hear the story twice. Once during the evening and once the following day. There's a widespread tradition to make noise when you hear Haman's name to "erase it" from our memory. It's one of the few times people want the kids making noise in the synagogue!
Program/Classroom Idea: Make a gragger out of recycled items
2. Mishloach Manot-Sending gifts of food.
-We send a package of at least two kinds of edible items to a friend on Purim day. These yummy treats should be ready to eat!
Program/Classroom Idea: Write cards to put into baskets with snacks. Have the kids write as one of the Purim story characters!
3. Matanot L'evyonim- Gifts to the poor.
-Though it is important to give tzedakah everyday, it is a special mitzvah to give charity on Purim. Money should be given to at least two poor people. If you can't find a poor person to give to directly you can put money in a tzedakah box.
Program/Classroom Idea: Make a tzedakah box to put your matanot into! Raise money by having a Purim Karaoke program-pay to sing!
4. Seudat Purim-The Purim Feast.
-One of the things that tends to make people happy is a good meal. Purim has a special meal during the day that is always nice to share with family and friends. The mood should be joyful and a bit silly.
Program/Classroom Idea: Have a hamentashen taste test! Have the kids/teens tell jokes between each course! Let each one do an impression of you!
V'Nahafochu-A world turned upside down!
The idea of things being topsy-turvy, flipped around, is an often overlooked Purim theme. Haman ordered Mordecai to be hung and ended up on the gallows. Esther hid her identity as a Jew and ended up as the Jewish national representative. Here's some ideas for kids to match the theme:
- Try having the students take turns being teacher for a day
- Have a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Make Purim masks. Here's a Video!
- Everyone can wear their clothes backwards
- Two words: Headstand Contest! | <urn:uuid:8aa993aa-23be-4c3c-b24c-45ad4d465821> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs178/1101980638945/archive/1112371258918.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391634.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00040-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946481 | 533 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Guatemala Travel GuideEdit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see
Guatemala has a surface area of 108.889 square kilometers (42,042 square miles). It is located in the tropical zone, and has a range of climates that varies according to the altitude. There are two seasons: the rainy months run from May to October, and the dry ones from November to April. The average temperature is 75° F, with small variations in the lowlands and in the highlands.
Guatemala has approximately 10 million inhabitants. A large percent belong to 21 ethnolinguistic Mayan groups who have retained the cultural traditions they have inherited from their ancestors. A lot of very interesting sights can still be seen, most of them in the northern department called "Peten". There are also mestizo, and the Carribean coast population, which has retained its afrocarribean roots.
Guatemala is a small country with a striking variety of topographic features. Nearly two-thirds of the country is mountainous and volcanic. Parallel to the Pacific lies the Sierra Madre mountain range, with peaks that rise to an elevation of up to 12.000 feet. 33 volcanoes dominate the landscape, and these, coupled with the lush tropical rain forests to the north, the fertile plains of the south and east, the beautiful lakes, and the wonderful rivers, make this a land of varied contrasts.
To this rich array of contrasts, one must add a major contributing factor to Guatemala's unique brand of beauty: its wealth of traditions, and the striking colors and patterns of the weavings of the Mayans. Noted for its lush colors and intricate design, the cloth is made into blouses called "huipiles", sashes, skirts and headdresses. Every group or town has its own particular native costume. Woven by its women, usually on a stick loom, its patterns feature the traditional symbolism that identifies their history and ancient gods.
Individuals such as Miguel Angel Asturias, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Rigoberta Menchú, the Nobel Peace Price recipient, have brought Guatemala international fame, but the country has given birth to many other great artists in all fields of art.
The marimba, which looks like a large xylophone and has a wooden keyboard which produces a unique sound, is the national instrument of Guatemala. Possibly of African origin, the Indians played a simplified version before the coming of the Spaniards. A large modern marimba requires up to nine players.
In the highland region of Cobán, very much in seclusion, lives a bird of rare beauty called the quetzal. If it is kept in captivity, the quetzal dies; hence, it has become the national emblem that symbolizes freedom.
With courtesy of the Guatemala Tourist Commission | <urn:uuid:e1c07ca1-1673-4ae9-a295-4454cf95b542> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.world66.com/centralamericathecaribbean/guatemala | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00027-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952298 | 595 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Next week, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (Seac), which is charged with that task, is expected to publish its latest advice on one of the most difficult questions it has had to consider: has BSE infected sheep? It is expected that the committee will recommend further research to investigate whether the cattle disease has affected another link of the human food chain, but the advice will probably fall short of recommending additional measures designed to limit the consumption of sheep offal.
Professor Almond, the head of Seac's subcommittee on BSE in sheep, was blamed for generating a scare that does not exist. But to a great extent, the furore that erupted over his comments in a BBC radio interview can be traced back to the many statements the previous government issued over BSE in cattle. Time and again we were told that BSE was almost certainly caused by scrapie - an endemic brain disorder of sheep - crossing into cattle that had eaten infected feed made with sheep-derived meat and bone meal.
This scenario also offered the government some comfort. They argued that sheep scrapie has been known about in Britain for at least 200 years and had never in that time been linked with any human diseases. The government argued that "scrapie in cattle", as BSE was sometimes called, was just like scrapie in sheep, and so posed no conceivable risk to human health.
Statements from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff), the government department most keen to play down the fears over BSE, never missed an opportunity to equate BSE with scrapie. One statement issued in February 1990, to announce research showing that BSE can be transmitted to mice, said: "Similar results were obtained some years ago in relation to experimental transmission studies of sheep scrapie to sheep and to mice. The BSE results therefore provide further evidence that BSE behaves like scrapie, a disease which has been in the sheep population for over two centuries without any evidence whatsoever of being a risk to human health."
The complacency of this approach, however, was shattered in March 1996 when the government, under the advice of Seac, had to concede that BSE was the most likely cause of an unusual form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a fatal brain disorder in humans. Subsequent research in laboratory mice confirmed this. To date, nearly 30 young people have died of new variant CJD.
Almost as soon as the announcement was made, people began to wonder again about the government's scrapie-to-BSE logic. If scrapie was supposed to have started BSE, then surely BSE could have got back into sheep because they, too, were fed the same infected meat and bone meal that amplified the disease in cattle. And if BSE in cattle could cause human disease, then surely there must be a risk from BSE in sheep?
Members of Seac met in July 1996 to hammer out their first public response to a worrying new dimension to the BSE crisis. At this meeting the experts considered details of experiments showing that it was possible for sheep to be artificially infected with BSE by eating less than a gram of infected bovine brain. What was more, the symptoms of BSE in sheep looked identical to scrapie yet its molecular biology was similar to BSE in cattle. This meant that sheep that look as if they have scrapie - which is harmless to humans - may actually have BSE, which is potentially lethal.
The only way to distinguish BSE from scrapie is by a complex, and expensive, set of experiments in mice that can take years to complete. In the absence of any simple test, Seac was left with the unenviable task of recommending a course of action based on absolutely no knowledge about the scale of the problem. Its first step was to ban parts of the sheep thought to be most infective - the brain, spinal cord and spleen.
Farmers and meat traders greeted the decision with derision. What was the point of taking measures which would scare the public for a highly theoretical risk that may not even exist? In fact Seac could have gone further. The specified bovine-offal ban includes a far wider range of prohibited cattle tissues. Scientists who work on scrapie know that the infection can be detected in sheep's intestines, thymus, tonsils and, most importantly, lymph glands which are scattered throughout the body. If Seac really wanted to minimise the risk, it could have extended the sheep-offal ban to include some or all of these tissues.
"It's a question of balance," says Professor Almond. "The balance the committee took in 1996 in relation to this conjectural possibility that there may be BSE in sheep was to go for a risk-reduction strategy, not a risk-minimisation strategy."
Some experts, however, view the current status quo as illogical. If there is a risk of BSE in sheep, why not introduce the same health measures designed to protect the public against the cattle epidemic? "If you were suggesting that we must extend the offal ban on sheep to the level comparable to that in cows, we would argue that we can't do that without severe disruption to the industry and causing alarm in the eyes of the public," Professor Almond says. "And you'd be doing that in the full knowledge that you hadn't got a single scrap of evidence that there was BSE in sheep."
The problem for the sheep farmers, however, is that Seac has already caused alarm in the eyes of the public by raising the issue of BSE in sheep in the first place. But, as Professor Almond admits, not having looked for BSE in sheep does not mean it is not there. The real problem is that if BSE is now present in sheep, it is almost certainly becoming an endemic disease, being transmitted like scrapie from one animal to another, rather than the result of a one-off infection from contaminated feed.
Professor Almond's subcommittee is seeking ways of actively searching for BSE in the nation's sheep using new and as yet highly experimental tests that might be able to distinguish it from scrapie. The problem is trying to interpret a negative result. Unless every animal is tested, not finding BSE in a sample population does not necessarily mean it does not exist.
The British breeding flock is more than 20 million animals, and many thousands would have to be sampled at random to get a reasonably accurate idea of whether BSE is a significant problem. If BSE affects only a few per cent of the flock, even sampling several thousand animals could just miss them entirely.
Concern over BSE becoming, like scrapie, endemic to British sheep is the nightmare scenario Seac members are forced to contemplate. As Professor John Collinge, a Seac member and inventor of a prototype BSE/scrapie test currently undergoing field trials, says: "For these reasons, and because sheep offal has not been subjected, to date, to the same comprehensive restriction from the human diet as specified bovine offal, we consider a search for the BSE strain in current cases of field scrapie in the UK to be essential."
The sentiments are echoed by Sir John Pattison, the chairman of Seac: "I think we gain nothing by sitting down and thinking through the issues theoretically. We've done that. We now have to gather more data and see where that takes us." The issue of BSE in sheep is not, unfortunately, going to go away just yet. | <urn:uuid:56c62130-553f-44b9-8f38-a61ac6def8fb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/science-a-killer-in-sheeps-clothing-1186039.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391634.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00087-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980416 | 1,551 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Organizational strategies and resources for the Organized Special Education Teacher -- Accommodations and Modifications.
The terms #adaptations” and #modifications” have specific meanings in special education. Adaptations make provisions for special education
Gorilla Warfare (2014)
Published on Jul 14, 2014
Gorilla Warfare: The big oil threatening to move into Africa's oldest national park.
In the dark heart of Africa lies a place very few people have seen. It’s called Virunga.
And it’s home to one of the last populations of mountain gorillas in the world.
Despite decades of civil war and brutal poaching the gorillas are clinging on, protected by rangers who are literally prepared to die for the cause.
Every month, a ranger gets killed by a poacher.
Now a Belgian Prince has put himself between the gorillas and harm’s way, but he’s facing a new, more dangerous threat.
Big oil is threatening to move into Africa’s oldest national park, and they’re much more brazen than the poachers.
Reporter: Allison Langdon
Producer: Nick Greenaway
John Vidal and
Thursday 19 June 2014
British oil company Soco International has denied allegations that it paid for an official Congolese government delegation to go to a UN meeting where talks were being held on whether its exploratory work in Africa's oldest national should be allowed.
The formerly named Albert National Park, is a 7,800-square-kilometre (3,000 sq mi) National Park that stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the South, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.
The park was established in 1925 as Africa's first national park and is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1979. | <urn:uuid:4d8b382c-fe81-47dd-a14e-2d5055f356ca> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.leadthebreak.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918169 | 429 | 2.859375 | 3 |
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While attempting to summit the unconquered crest of Parascotopetl, a fictitious mountain in Ecuador, a mountaineer named Nunez slips and falls down the far side of the mountain. At the end of his descent, down a snow-slope in the mountain’s shadow, he finds a valley, cut off from the rest of the world on all sides by steep precipices. Unbeknown to Nunez, he has discovered the fabled Country of the Blind. The valley had been a haven for settlers fleeing the tyranny of Spanish rulers until an earthquake reshaped the surrounding mountains and cut it off forever from future explorers. The isolated community prospered over the years despite a disease that struck them early on, rendering all new-borns blind. As the blindness slowly spread over the generations, their remaining senses sharpened, and by the time the last sighted villager had died, the community had fully adapted to life without sight.
Nunez descends into the valley and finds an unusual village with windowless houses and a network of paths, all bordered by curbs. Upon discovering that everyone is blind, Nunez begins reciting to himself the refrain, “In the Country of the Blind the One-Eyed Man is King”. He realizes that he can teach and rule them, but the villagers have no concept of sight and do not understand his attempts to explain this fifth sense to them. Frustrated, Nunez becomes angry but they calm him and he reluctantly submits to their way of life because returning to the outside world is impossible.
Nunez is assigned to work for a villager named Yacob, and becomes attracted to Yacob’s youngest daughter, Medina-saroté. Nunez and Medina-saroté soon fall in love with one another, and having won her confidence, Nunez slowly starts trying to explain sight to her. Medina-saroté, however, simply dismisses it as his imagination. When Nunez asks for her hand in marriage he is turned down by the village elders on account of his “unstable” obsession with “sight”. The village doctor suggests that Nunez’s eyes be removed, claiming that they are diseased and are affecting his brain. Nunez reluctantly consents to the operation because of his love for Medina-saroté. But at sunrise on the day of the operation, while all the villagers are asleep, Nunez, the failed King of the Blind, sets off for the mountains (without provisions or equipment), hoping to find a passage to the outside world and escape the valley.
In the original story, he escapes the valley but becomes trapped in the mountains, which ultimately leads to his death. In the revised and expanded 1939 version of the story Nunez sees from a distance that there is about to be a rock slide. He attempts to warn the villagers, but again they scoff at his “imagined” sight. He takes Medina-saroté and flees the valley during the slide.
Like the fictional country we have been visited by someone from outside our world who wasn’t blind. Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal to us that there was more to reality than what we can perceive with out senses and most people rejected his message.
But there is one way in which the story doesn’t reflect reality. Nunez could tell the people they were blind and describe what the world was really like but he couldn’t give them the ability to see. Jesus not only reveals to us the fact that we are spiritually blind but he can also heal our blindness.
If you read the gospels you will find that while Jesus was on earth he opened the eyes of those who were physically blind. But he also did something much more important. He made a way for our spiritual blindness to be removed. | <urn:uuid:3b8485a0-4c26-4f43-957c-a3816977c902> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread924204/pg1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976911 | 867 | 2.671875 | 3 |
China's thick smog has shown signs of clearing in some of the nation's big cities recently. But where does all the pollution go?
Japan, apparently. Japan's environment ministry is reporting that China's extreme smog is starting to affect some coastal areas on Monday, sparking worry among citizens. According to an AFP report, Japan's environmental offices are being bombarded by citizens hoping to get more information on the health risks that China has already been dealing with.
"Access to our air-pollution monitoring system has been almost impossible since last week, and the telephone here has been constantly ringing because worried people keep asking us about the impact on health," an official said in the report.
As Japan and the rest of the world have been watching China struggle with its increasingly frequent air pollution problems, they likely never thought they would be affected as well. Now news and weather programs are showing a growing swirl of pollution that has started moving east.
Continue Reading Below
As tensions between the two nations over the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands continue to rise, China's toxic pollution making its way to Japan will certainly not help relations. Though official statements out of a Japan are careful not to trigger another diplomatic conflict by attributing all the pollution to China just yet, the connection is hard to ignore.
"We can't deny there is an impact from pollution in China," Yasushi Nakajima, an official with the Japanese environment ministry, said in the report.
This isn't the first time China's pollution found its way to Japan. In 2007, a spike in 28 areas in western Japan in the number of people suffering from stinging eyes and throats as a result of pollution had many experts pointing their finger to China. Toshimasa Ohara, the head of the National Institute of Environmental Studies' regional atmospheric modeling program, said China has contributed to the sharp rise in photochemical smog in Japan since 1990. | <urn:uuid:a8f037aa-b8d6-4dcb-a64a-7a7c7026ba06> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ibtimes.com/chinas-toxic-air-pollution-now-affecting-japan-photos-1060696 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00140-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968257 | 390 | 2.703125 | 3 |
We got our Phalaenopsis from Plant It Earth on Divisidero, and the staff there was very helpful in giving us the lowdown on what our new plant would require. Of course all species of orchids are different, but here's some general advice for the easier to grow indoor types, such as Lady's Slippers, Cattleya, and Moth (Phalaenopsis and Doritis) Orchids.
- Light In general, orchids thrive on bright, indirect light. At home, the best position for the plants would be near an East, West, or shaded South-facing window. If the foliage becomes dark green and limp (leaves should stand semi-erect), this is a good indication the plant isn't receiving enough light.
- Temperature Mature orchids like a fluctuation of about 15 degrees between night and day, with nights around 60-65º F and days in the 75-85º F range.
- Water Plants should seldom dry out between watering. Check often to see if the soil is damp, and water about twice a week.
- Fertilize A growing orchid requires a mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, provided by regular fertilizing. Go for a balanced version (a fertilizer with "10-10-10" or some other similar ratio on the front) and use a weak dose with water about once a week.
- Potting In general, orchids do best when their roots are confined in a tight container. Repot once every year or two when soil has almost completely broken down, using a well-drained but water-retaining mix. Do so in the Spring, after the main flowering season has ended.
Any orchid lovers out there who'd like to share some tips? We'd love to hear. | <urn:uuid:d3c248d2-2af8-4501-85f9-f5787a06be4d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-care-for-an-orchid-79328 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00053-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94402 | 380 | 3 | 3 |
Ohio Heritage Lands
In 1832 the Ohio & Erie Canal established a transportation link between Lake Erie and the Ohio River. This new route transformed Ohio into an economic powerhouse, as Cleveland and Akron became worldwide centers of industry and commerce. Recognizing this contribution to America's history and culture, Congress designated the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor as the country's 14th heritage corridor in 1996.
Parks and protected lands along heritage corridor
The Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor extends 110 miles along the canal's path from Cleveland in the north to Tuscarawas County at the southern point and encompasses the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Trust for Public Land is helping to create an infrastructure of parks and protected lands throughout the entire corridor. | <urn:uuid:5b856738-aa8c-4102-9c6f-0f6f901fbfa8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.tpl.org/our-work/parks-people/ohio-heritage-lands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909203 | 151 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Photo: Scorpions and Centaurs
The word “hydrogenation” refers to the process that changes liquid vegetable oils into more solid forms, forms that can be easily spread with a knife. In addition, the process of hydrogenation increases the shelf-life of the oil.
An example of hydrogenated oil in its purest form is vegetable shortening, but margarine contains a very high percentage of hydrogenated oil as well. Hydrogenated oils are also found in products like breads, donuts, peanut butter, frozen meals, potato chips, and many fast foods.
Good And Bad Fat
It’s almost common knowledge these days that there is good fat and bad fat. Unsaturated or polyunsaturated fat is considered good fat, while saturated fat is considered bad for us.
To make things a little more complicated, though, cholesterol comes in both a good and bad form as well. The reason saturated fat is considered bad is because it raises our bodies’ levels of the bad cholesterol, the kind that when accumulated, leads to heart disease.
Moderation Is Key
The problem with hydrogenated oil is twofold. One, hydrogenated oil contains a lot of saturated fat. In addition though, it also contains what are called trans fatty acids. Like saturated fat, they raise our levels of the bad cholesterol, but to make matters worse, they can also reduce our levels of the good cholesterol.
What makes the good cholesterol good is that it actually can protect our hearts from heart disease. This is not to say that hydrogenated oil is all bad. As with almost anything, the key is moderation. | <urn:uuid:487e97e9-95be-4a27-8f76-c8c58d071122> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/hydrogenated-oil/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00142-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968321 | 337 | 3.203125 | 3 |
We now see why a fleet must be composed of various types of vessels. At the present moment, the battleship is the primary, or paramount type, the others secondary, because the battleship is the type that can exert the most force, stand the hardest punishment, steam the farthest in all kinds of weather, and in general, serve her country the best.
Of course, “battleship” is merely a name, and some think not a very good name, to indicate a ship that can take the part in battle that used to be taken by the “ship of the line.” The reason for its primacy is fundamental: its displacement or total weight—the same reason that assured the primacy of the ship of the line. For displacement rules the waves; if “Britannia rules the waves,” it is simply because Britannia has more displacement than any other Power.
The fleet needs to have a means of knowing where the enemy is, how many ships he has, what is their character, the direction in which they are steaming, and their speed. To accomplish this purpose, “scouts” are needed—fast ships, that can steam far in all kinds of weather and send wireless messages across great distances. So far as their scout duties go, such vessels need no guns whatever, and no torpedoes; but because the enemy will see the scout as soon as the scout sees the enemy, and because the enemy will try to drive away the scout by gun and torpedo fire, the scouts must be armed. And this necessity is reinforced by the necessity of driving off an enemy’s scouts.
In foreign navies the need for getting information in defiance of an enemy’s attempts to prevent it, and to drive off the armed scouts of an enemy, has been one of the prime reasons for developing “battle cruisers,” that combine the speed of the destroyer with the long steaming radius of the battleship, a battery almost as strong, and a very considerable protection by armor.
The aeroplane and the air-ship are recent accessions to the list of fighting craft. Their role in naval warfare cannot yet be defined, because the machines themselves have not yet reached an advanced stage of development, and their probable performance cannot be forecast. There is no doubt, however, in the minds of naval men that the role of aircraft is to be important and distinguished.
Mahan proved that sea power has exercised a determining influence on history. He proved that sea power has been necessary for commercial success in peace and military success in war. He proved that, while many wars have culminated with the victory of some army, the victory of some navy had been the previous essential. He proved that the immediate cause of success had often resulted inevitably from another cause, less apparent because more profound; that the operations of the navy had previously brought affairs up to the “mate in four moves,” and that the final victory of the army was the resulting “checkmate.” | <urn:uuid:c8823f19-61b9-4d78-99b8-09c9d51fe815> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/17547/20.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397749.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972068 | 624 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Project at a Glance
Title: Crop losses from air pollutants: a computer and field-based assessment program and crop and forest losses from air pollutants: an assessment program.
Principal Investigator / Author(s): Mutters, Randall & C. Ray Thompson
Contractor: UC Riverside
Contract Number: A033-174 & A933-190
Topic Areas: Agriculture, Costs, Ecosystem Impacts
The ARB - supported Crop Loss Assessment Program is the only source of information available that quantifies potential losses in agricultural productivity associated with ozone, in terms of yield, and is suitable for input into economic models. Using existing sources of information and Geographical Information System technology (GIS), statewide yield loss estimates were made with aggregated county statistics, and at a subcounty resolution for the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Interpolations of statewide seven-hour mean ozone concentrations were done within air basins delimited by a 2000-foot altitudinal barrier. Statewide crop loss assessments were calculated using 2.72 and 2.50 pphm ozone as background seven-hour and 12-hour seasonal means, respectively. Statewide yield losses for 26 crops were estimated using aggregated countywide agricultural production statistics. Estimated yield losses were greatest in bean (17%), cotton (20%), grape (23%) and orange (16%). Greatest losses occurred in the southern San Joaquin Valley, and production areas in and around the South Coast Air Basin. Percent loss in most crops was comparable between 1989 and 1990.
A regression approach was employed to examine relationships between ambient concentrations of ozone and cotton yield in Kern County. Interpolated values were used in predictive yield loss equations to estimate yield gradients. In a survey of cotton growers in Kern County, information about the number of acres planted, location, cotton variety, planting date, and yield were requested. Data were geographically registered on a sectional basis using a GIS. Cotton yield losses in Kern County ranged from 14% near Buttonwillow to 22% near Arvin. Crop loss predictive models, using statistics averaged over an entire county cannot predict the amount of variability in yield loss within a county. Significant regressions of yield vs. ozone concentration, soil characteristics and cotton variety were observed in Kern County. However, r2 values were low.
A field survey was conducted at 11 sites to identify the extent and severity of ozone injury to cotton, almond, and grape in the Central Valley. The incidence of foliar ozone injury was greatest in the southern portion of the Central Valley for cotton, almond and grape. Principal component analysis demonstrated that among the leaf conditions monitored (dead, injured and green) the number of green leaves retained was the best indicator of the degree of injury. No significant relationships between yield from the observation plots and the presence of foliar lesions were detected.
For questions regarding this research project, including available data and progress status, contact: Heather Choi at (916) 322-3893
Stay involved, sign up with ARB's Research Email Listserver | <urn:uuid:59fa94b4-7374-4143-86c1-550aa584b914> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/single-project.php?row_id=54947 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392069.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947241 | 616 | 2.53125 | 3 |
|ED Home||Technology||Lesson Plans||Information|
Author: Fran Hobbs
Subject: Visual Arts
Grade: Fourth Grade
Course: Mixed Media
Title: The Coral Reef
Length of Unit: Five 55-minute class periods
Power Macintosh G3 computers
black fine line markers
size #7 wc brushes blue, green, and violet watercolors
One Small Square Seashore (interactive software by Virgin Sound and Vision)
18 by 24 white drawing paper
Standards-Based Outcomes (MDE):
II. Reflect on the Nature, Adequacy, and Connections Across Scientific Knowledge
Content Standard II, 1: All students will analyze claims for their scientific merit and explain how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge; how science is related to other ways of knowing; how science and technology affect our society; and how people of diverse cultures have contributed to and influenced developments in science. (Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge)
2. Show how science concepts can be interpreted through creative expression such as language arts and fine arts. (Key concepts: Poetry, expository work, painting, drawing, music, diagrams, graphs, charts. Real- world contexts: Explaining simple experiments using paintings and drawings; describing natural phenomena scientifically and poetically.)
4. Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world. (Key concepts: Appreciation of the balance and the effects organisms have on each other, including the effect humans have on the natural world.)
III. Use Scientific Knowledge from the Life Sciences in Real-World Contexts
Content Standard III, 2: All students will use classification systems to describe groups of living things; compare and contrast differences in the life cycles of living things; investigate and explain how living things obtain and use energy; and analyze how parts of living things are adapted to carry out specific functions. (Organization of Living Things)
1. Compare and classify familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics. (Key concepts: Plant and animal parts- backbone, skin, shell, limbs, roots, leaves, stems, flowers. Real-world contexts: Animals that look similar- snakes, worms, millipedes; flowering and non- flowering plants; pine tree, oak tree, rose, algae.)
Content Standard III, 4: All students will explain how scientists construct and scientifically test theories concerning the origin of life and evolution of species; compare ways that living organisms are adapted (suited) to survive and reproduce in their environments, and analyze how species change through time. (Evolution)
2. Explain how physical and/or behavioral characteristics of organisms help them to survive in their environments. (Key concepts: Characteristics- adaptation, fitness, instinct, learning, habit. Traits and their adaptive values- sharp teeth or claws for catching or killing prey, color for camouflage. Real- world contexts: Common vertebrate adaptations, such as white polar bears, sharp claws and sharp canines for predators, changing colors of chameleon; behaviors such as migration, communication of danger, adaptation to changes in the environment.)
Content Standard III, 5: All students will explain how parts of an ecosystem are related and how they interact; explain how energy is distributed to living things in an ecosystem; investigate and explain how communities of living things change over a period of time; describe how materials cycle through an ecosystem and get reused in the environment; and analyze how humans and the environment interact.
1. Identify familiar organisms as part of the food chain or food web and describe their feeding relationship within the web. (Key concepts: Producer, consumer, predator, prey, decomposer, habitat. Real-world contexts: Food chains and food webs involving organisms, such as rabbits, birds, snakes, grasshoppers, plants.)
2. Explain common patterns of interdependence and interrelationships of living things. (Key concepts: Producer, consumer, predator, prey decomposer, habitat. Real-world contexts: Relationships among plants and animals in an ecosystem- symbiotic relationships, such as insects and flowering plants, birds eating fruit and spreading seeds; parasitic relationships, such as humans and mosquitoes, trees and mistletoe.)
4. Design systems that encourage growing of particular plants or animals. (Key concepts: Needs of life- food, habitat, water, shelter, air, light, minerals. Real-world contexts: Ecosystems managed by humans, including farms, ranches, gardens, lawns, potted plants.)
Content Standard I, 1: All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
21. Use materials, techniques, media technology, and processes to communicate ideas and experiences.
22. Use art materials and tools safely and responsibly.
23. Use visual characteristics and organizational principles of art to communicate ideas.
24. Be involved in the process and presentation of the final product or exhibit.
Content Standard II, 2: All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.
16. Apply knowledge of materials, techniques, and processes to create artwork.
17. Apply knowledge of how visual characteristics and organizational principles communicate ideas.
21. Use technology as a tool for creative expression.
III. Analyzing in Context
Content Standard III, 3: All students will analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art.
22 Identify various purposes for creating works of visual art.
23. Understand that there are different responses to specific artworks.
24. Describe and compare the characteristics of personal artwork.
25. Understand how personal experiences can influence the development of artwork.
V. Connecting to Other Arts, Other Disciplines, and Life
Content Standard V, 5: All students will recognize, analyze, and describe connections among the arts; between the arts and other disciplines; between the arts and everyday life.
12. Explain how visual arts have inherent relationships to everyday life.
13. Identify various careers in the visual arts.
15. Identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum.
Best Shot Instruction:
Reteaching and Enrichment:
The students as a whole group view the display of the coral reef artworks and discuss what they learned about the plant life, animal life, textures, and colors found there. Students then discuss the most pleasurable part of the assignment, as well as the most distasteful part.
Review and Closure:
Students discuss the content of their individual artworks using the science terms of the coral reef. They then discuss the process of creating their personal artworks using the art vocabulary. | <urn:uuid:2f396c5a-5654-4bad-a1fb-97c29ab8cbfa> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/eastdet/Plans/EL-artCoral.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.874874 | 1,351 | 3.734375 | 4 |
1 What impression does this source give of life in the British empire in terms of the following issues:
2 Explain whether you think this source gives a positive or negative view of the empire.
- the benefits of economic development in the empire?
- the British giving independence to some countries in the empire?
- the relationship between the British government and the settlers?
- the migration of British people to different parts of the empire?
3 Are you going to use this source in your own online exhibition? | <urn:uuid:c226a8b8-21db-4f2f-b25b-9d775f7d745b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/g2/cs2/g2cs2s7.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00076-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920743 | 103 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Feature Articles - Aging
Dehydration in the winter: Elderly at risk
Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D., Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
Dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among people over the age of 65. Worse, at least one study has found that about one-half of those hospitalized for dehydration died within a year of admission.
Older people are at greatest risk for dehydration because the mechanism that normally triggers thirst becomes less sensitive with age. In addition, as we age, a lower percentage of our body weight is water, so dehydration can occur more rapidly.
Those most vulnerable to dehydration include elderly people who live alone, especially when they are ill. In addition to fluid lost from fever from flu, or diarrhea from a stomach virus, sickness usually interferes with normal eating and drinking patterns. Beware of alcohol intake too. Alcoholic beverages increase risk of dehydration because the body requires additional water to metabolize alcohol.
Be aware of common symptoms of dehydration: fatigue, headache, dry nasal passages, dry, cracked lips and overall discomfort. Drinking at least 6 to 8 cups of liquid per day, part of which can come from fruit juices, milk, coffee and tea, is the best defense.
Environmental Nutrition Newsletter; Hope Heart Institute.
Last update: Monday, January 25, 2010 | <urn:uuid:5aefce54-4ff7-4126-ade6-7504adb7ee8b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://missourifamilies.org/features/agingarticles/agingfeature4.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00004-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93501 | 290 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Modern man and Neanderthals had sex across the species barrier, according to leading geneticist Professor Svante Paabo. Humans and Neanderthals lived amongst each other for over 10,000 yrs. Thats twice the timespan of the Egyptian empire (3400 yrs) and Roman empire (2200 yrs) put together! We know through research both species had the technology to make alcoholic beverages and we know through drinking these beverages, it takes less than 10,000 years for beer goggles to take effect.
There is a great article in the Daily Telegraph tying to prove...
...his theory by examining Neanderthal fossils for traces of modern man's DNA. But if Neanderthal DNA existed in modern man's genes, he believes it will have been diluted below detectable levels.
Professor Paabo, who is director of genetics at the renowned Max Planck Institution for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, made the claim at a conference in the Cold Springs Laboratory in New York.
But Prof Paabo said he was unclear if the couplings had led to children, of if they were capable of producing offspring.
In recent years, fossils with both Neanderthal and modern human features have been found suggesting the two species interbred but previous scans of Neanderthal genes reveal Neanderthal DNA to have a very different make-up to modern man's.
Neanderthals were primitive beings that lived alongside modern man 30,000 years ago. Prof Paabo is seeking to prove his theory by examining Neanderthal fossils for traces of modern man's DNA. But if Neanderthal DNA existed in modern man's genes, he believes it will have been diluted below detectable levels.
Read the original article here
Read our other posts re: Neanderthals
Did Humans Make Love or War with Cavemen | <urn:uuid:6fc7c80b-fc90-4678-b62c-3217a7693140> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bigfootlunchclub.com/2009/10/doin-it-with-neanderthals.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00112-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933383 | 364 | 3.265625 | 3 |
The Model for Improvement: Five Critical Components
The Model for Improvement, developed by Associates in Process Improvement (API), is a simple yet powerful tool for accelerating improvement in projects. API has partnered with the Institute of Healthcare Improvement Breakthrough Series Collaborative (IHI) to support IHI's innovation and improvement programs. With grant funding, the New York State Department of Health adapted and piloted it in three communities.
The Model for Improvement has two parts of equal importance
- Answers to three fundamental questions are essential for guiding improvement work
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- How will we know whether a change is an improvement?
- What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
- The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle tests and implements changes in actual work settings.
Five critical components are needed to apply the Model for Improvement
- An improvement project that can be:
- process-focused related to saving time, money or improving quality of a service or system, or.
- outcome-focused on improving health status, behavior, attitude,and/or knowledge.
- People who will test the interventions or changes.
- A family of measures, including impact and process measures. A few of the measures should have the potential of being tracked at least monthly.
- Interventions to be tested that are grounded in science.
- Time, usually 6 to 16 months, to allow for multiple tests of interventions.
Model for Improvement: Examples of potential projects
- Increasing physical activity among fourth-graders by 20 minutes per week for six weeks.
- Increase consumption of specific healthy menu offerings in a workplace cafeteria over 12 months.
Both projects are focused,though, in the second example, "healthy menu offerings" will need to be defined. The audience can be identified. The projects are time specific. Measures can be tracked and both are based in science.
Model for Improvement: Examples of projects that need to be reframed
- A project to identify which tobacco prevention policies have community support in a 12-month project could use the Model for Improvement if the objective was to "increase advocates' knowledge of which tobacco prevention policies are most likely to have community support."
- A project that aims to improve the quality of community health assessments over 12 months is broad, difficult to evaluate and has a weak evidence base. This project could be reframed to use the Model for Improvement if it was narrowed to a specific topic, and a particular aspect was identified for improvement such as "increasing the referral rate of women to the WIC clinic in the first trimester."
- Gaining support for a specific policy. A challenge in applying the Model for Improvement is to define what is meant by improvement. In this example does "gaining support" mean that community leaders and media will embrace the issue for which the policy is directed or that legislation is passed? "Passing legislation" involves several improvement steps, and "improvement" needs to be broken down into these smaller components to be successful.
Interpreted from: Institute for Healthcare Improvement, How to Improve - Improvement Methods at http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Topics/Improvement/ImprovementMethods/HowToImprove/ | <urn:uuid:0f018b32-9ca9-440e-9243-3360fd5761da> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/improvement/components.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397744.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00156-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946391 | 664 | 2.828125 | 3 |
The terms "tram" and "tramway" are originally Scottish words from around 1500 for the type of truck used in coal mines and the tracks on which they ran, probably derived from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch trame "beam, handle of a barrow, bar, rung", meaning the beam or shaft of a barrow or sledge, also the barrow itself.
The street tram was invented in New York in 1830 by John Stephenson, an Irish coach builder, although the term tram didn't take off there; "streetcar" was and is used instead.
Initially these were horse-drawn, then steam locos were used in places (suitably adapted for street use), and some cable winding machinery systems such as in San Francisco were developed. Later when power from overhead electric wires became universal, the term trolley was used in North America; this was only adopted in the UK to refer to buses which use two overhead wires, one for the current return (on a street tram the current return is through the ground).
Tram-car is first mentioned in the UK in 1873. The terms "tram" and "tramway" have beeen adopted in most European countries except Germany - Strassenbahn "street railway" - although overland light rail lines have been refered to as trams there, too.
In Australia and New Zealand the term tram was also often used for a roughly built, often limited life, railway used for mining and forestry. | <urn:uuid:fbbf0ea8-517c-40aa-827a-b2b2b5df2e51> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://transpressnz.blogspot.com/2011/08/transport-etymology-14-tram.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00027-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986816 | 308 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Make Pet Ownership Green
Donnie Ray Jones / Flickr
From greener grooming and natural food, to cleaning up after Fido and Fluffy’s “accidents” and ridding them of pests, you can reduce your pet’s carbon paw print and improve their health and quality of life. Here are our top tips for caring for your four-legged family members while also caring for the environment.
- Adopt from a shelter. There are thousands of deserving, adoptable pets at shelters and animal rescues just waiting for a loving home. Adopting from a shelter means you won’t be supporting abusive practices like puppy mills and contributing to overpopulation. If you’re conducting your search for the ideal pet friend online, check out pet adoption sites like Petfinder, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society of America.
- Have your pet spayed or neutered. Pet overpopulation takes a major toll on our environment and animal welfare. According to the ASPCA, 3 to 4 million companion animals are euthanized each year. Estimates for stray animals living in the US are staggering - upwards of 70 million cats alone! Do your part by spaying or neutering your pet.
- Keep cats inside. Cats are one of the most damaging forces on ecosystems. They kill as many as 3.7 billion songbirds annually, not to mention mammals, amphibians and other sensitive wildlife. Be sure to keep your cats indoors and have them spayed or neutered.
- Buy healthy food. Conventional pet foods have been known to contain some pretty nasty ingredients including pesticides, hormones, animal byproducts, and antibiotics. A massive pet food recall from 2007 was responsible for killing thousands of dogs and cats. Yes, organic pet food can get pretty pricey, but healthy diets means fewer vet visits and medical bills.
- Get rid of fleas and ticks naturally. Use a fine-toothed flea comb to remove fleas and don't forget to dust and vacuum regularly. Another way to keep fleas off pets is to add garlic and brewer's yeast to their meals, which makes them taste bad to bugs. Many such products are sold in pet supply stores. And check out our tips for making fleas and ticks take off.
- Use biodegradable poop bags. Plastic bags take forever to decompose in landfills, and many of those bags end up in our waterways and oceans. Buy biodegradable bags instead. Want to go the extra mile? Consider composting your pet’s poop in a pet waste composter.
- Buy in bulk and recycle. Buying in bulk the pet supplies you use most often will cut down on packaging waste and car trips. And just as you would recycle your own food containers, make sure to add your pet’s empty cans, bags and bottles to your sorting bins instead of the trashcan.
- Use natural grooming and pet-care products. Pet products often contain toxic chemicals, so make sure to read the label before lathering up your furry friends. Better yet, try making your own pet products. Check out these recipes.
- Buy green ID tags. Opt for a pet tag made from recycled materials like aluminum, steel, or silver. Check out Etsy and Dog Tag Art for some creative eco-friendly tags.
Have your own suggestions to add to this list of pet-friendly tips? Have you tried one or more of these tips? Let us know in the Comment section below! | <urn:uuid:02b5a57b-7e2a-45f6-a76a-9c8de716b4d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.earthshare.org/2011/09/make-pet-ownership-green.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926372 | 718 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Men and women may feel like they differ on much more than just the possession or not of a Y chromosome. How we react emotionally to a situation, remember events and navigate our way around the environment has also been shown to differ between genders.
Gender differences in some of our physical features can be easily determined, aside from just the obvious differences in terms of genitals. A skeleton can be identified as male or female based on the shape of the pelvis, skull and sternum.
Whether our brains differ structurally is a hot topic in neuroscience. Recently, a neuroimaging study suggested that female brains are functionally more suited to social skills including language, memory and multi-tasking, while men are hard-wired to be better at perception and co-ordinated movement.
But are these abilities innate to our gender, or are they influenced by the environment? Are these studies subject to gender biases themselves?
Boy brain, girl brain?
During fetal development, male and female embryos start off the same. This is why we all have nipples! But the presence of different hormones such as estrogen and testosterone during gestation causes physical differences to start to arise – for example guiding the formation of ovaries or testes. Exposure to different cocktails of hormones as a fetus may change how the brain develops.
A group of Cambridge scientists led by Simon Baron-Cohen suggested that men are, on average, better at analytical tasks, whereas women are better at empathising and emotional processing. These traits were linked with testosterone levels during development.
Baron-Cohen analyzed fetal testosterone levels from amniotic fluid samples of their mothers. In later life they measured the children’s empathising or systemising abilities. He found lower levels of testosterone were correlated with greater empathy during childhood development. This supports the idea that women (low testosterone) are better at empathising and detecting emotion than men.
Male brains are, on average, 10% larger than females (accounting for body size). But some scientists say that a large brain is not simply a smaller brain scaled up. A larger brain means more distance, which can slow the transmission of information down. So differences in structural connections and arrangement may reflect wiring adaptations of larger brains.
A group of researchers found regional size differences of male and female brains, which may balance out the overall size difference. In females, parts of the frontal lobe, responsible for problem-solving and decision-making, and the limbic cortex, responsible for controlling emotions, were larger. In men, the parietal cortex, which is involved in space perception, and the amygdala, which regulates emotion and motivation, particularly those related to survival, were larger.
But experiences change our brain. So are these differences due to the brain adapting to demands – in the way a muscle increases in size with extra use?
Nature or nurture? Or gender stereotyping?
Some scientists disagree completely that male and female brains differ structurally. Neuroscientist Prof Gina Rippon, of Aston University, Birmingham says that differences in male and female brains are caused entirely by environmental factors and are not hard-wired at birth.
The gender specific toys children play with - for example dolls for girls and cars for boys – could be changing how their brains develop.
Many toys aimed at boys involve physical skills and logic, whereas many girl-aimed toys involve nurturing behaviours and socialising. These kinds of gender-specific toys and encouraging only gender-specific play could limit potential in both sexes. This has recently lead to companies developing more gender neutral toys that can aid the development of balanced skills in children.
Why won’t men ask for directions?
Men generally perform better at activities that require spatial skills, like navigation. It is proposed men and women process spatial information differently. Women are more likely to rely on landmarks – “go left at the post office”, which is proposed to require the frontal cortex to maintain the information. Men are proposed to use the hippocampus to a greater degree. So men are more likely to use spatial and landmark information – “go east then past the post office”.
But it’s suggested that women use their language skills to an advantage in certain situations. So a woman may be more likely to ask for directions than a man.
In laboratory studies it has been shown that male and female rats use different strategies to navigate their way around a maze. Female rats mostly used landmarks, whereas males used global spatial information. Interestingly, both strategies were equally effective.
Whether the observed functional differences in male and female brains are innate or a consequence of experience remains difficult to determine. The social phenomenon of gender significantly impacts on the experiences individuals encounter through development and on a daily basis.
It is important in scientific research to avoid neurosexism - jumping to gender stereotypes as conclusions to explain observations. This can lead to misunderstanding and over-selling of discoveries and observations in neuroscience.
But no studies currently exist that have looked at gender differences in brain structure in a human population that hasn’t been gender socialized.
Amy Reichelt does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science. | <urn:uuid:a87b372f-9b24-405e-80ec-dadb66c2562c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.livescience.com/44338-why-cant-a-man-think-like-a-woman-and-a-woman-think-like-a-man.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00035-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952112 | 1,110 | 3.8125 | 4 |
simple form created by wildbluebug.com
You don't have to know a lot about photography to critique a photograph. When you visit a museum you know what moves you in a painting even if you can't identify the type of brush stroke or paint used.
Photography is also subjective. So in order to give a worthwhile critique of someone else's art be sure to have the desire to help honestly and constructively. It also helps if you have at least one functioning eye. Poor presentation can take away from the photograph, so be sure you are evaluating on a decent monitor, projector screen, or print.
Any skill level can critique. There are some words and phrases to avoid a poor critique. For example, "hate", "yuck" and "eww" would not be appropriate. Basically avoid saying anything you wouldn't want said to or about your favorite thing/person in the universe.
There are also some phrases to avoid unless you expand on them. For example, "I like it", "that's good", "very nice", "holy cow", "I don't like it", "It's alright", "not my taste" and "oh, cool" won't help the artist improve. Instead of just saying, "I like it," tell the artist why you like it.
Even if you are not technically equipped to evaluate the light or if the artist followed the rules, there are questions you can ask yourself that will help you expand your feedback beyond "that's nice."
- How does the photograph make you feel or think?
- Direction of Attention: What do you see first in the photograph? The right thing?
- What do you like? Dislike?
- Color: Was their choice to use or not use color sound?
- Composition: Does it work, even if they didn’t follow the rules?
- Focus: works, doesn’t work?
- Exposure: over/under? Artistic license?
- Effort: Could they have done more with what they had in front of them?
Start by evaluating your own photographs with these questions. Developing your own set of criteria can also help you remain subjective if you are evaluating multiple pieces. The inset photo shows a simple critique form developed for a photography meetup group to aid in a monthly photo contest.
For more info: firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:d670b05d-ae36-4973-aa24-d78da4d2e385> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.examiner.com/article/how-to-critique-a-photograph | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397864.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955843 | 494 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Microsoft Windows 1.0, where it all began (pictures)
It's been almost 30 years since Microsoft launched the first version of the prolific Windows operating system, launched on November 20, 1985.
Windows 1.0, where it all began
Microsoft Windows 1.0, seen here, was released in November 1985. Unfortunately for Microsoft, it failed to inspire -- especially when compared with the more user-friendly graphical user interface developed by Apple for the Macintosh.
Photo by: Screenshot by Remember the dot / Caption by:
Windows 2.0 was released two years later, in December 1987. The best that can be said for this incarnation was that Windows remained a work in progress.
The 1990 Windows 3.0 desktop workspace. Apparently, three's a charm! The adage about Microsoft needing three times to get it right was never more true. It offered better multitasking of older MS-DOS-based apps through the introduction of virtual memory. For the first time, Windows also garnered serious support from the software development community.
Photo by: Microsoft/Wikipedia user Tyomitch / Caption by:
Behold, the Start button -- a move that would stick around for years to come following its appearance in Windows 95.
Microsoft made an aggressive move with Windows 8, which was released in October 2012. The new interface and tiled Start screen came with a steep learning curve that prompted a backlash from some users. | <urn:uuid:1fcee9c3-5fed-4f24-83d4-d74cf66109f7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cnet.com/pictures/microsoft-windows-1-0-where-it-all-began-pictures/9/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946573 | 291 | 2.65625 | 3 |
The IP address is an unique indentifier assigned to each computer in a network. That is the definition of the IP address, probably you know this. Many questions raise from this sentence and you put yourself those questions many times: "How they can know where i am from?", "IF they have my IP address they can find out my street address", "They can find my name based on my IP address", "They can get into my computer using my IP address", "Why the IP address those websites show me is not the IP address that i got from my ISP" and many more questions regarding IP addresses.
Maybe when internet was explained to you for the first time you have seen a image with a cloud and everything connected to it. That image is logical and that is probably the right way to think the internet but in reality, the internet looks more like the image above.
You are connected first to your local internet service provider, which is connected to a large internet service provider in your country who is connected to the internet network. Different setups may have many levels between the main network and your computer.
The communication in network is made trough IP ( internet protocol ) addresses. First of all, your computer have send and receive data from the computers in the local network. All those computers have an IP address asssociated. When a package is sent his header contains data that specifies what computer should receive the message. I'm afraid i'm going too technicaly and i will stop to enter in more details and i will skip these technical stuff which will be explained in later posts.
One or more of the computers in your network is connected to a computer outside the local netwourk. That computer is usually called server. When your computer want to send a message to a computer outside the local network, it will be sent to the server and he know where he have to send it. Your local server is conected to a server where other computer is connected to the other network and so on until all computers are connected to each other and forms the Internet, this big collection of networks. The IP address of a computer should be unique in his local network. 2 Computers in different interconected networks can have the same IP address, but there will be a problem with addressing packages one to each other. Unless the server is registered to forward the packages based on some other identifier, they can't connect. If they are using different IP address the connection will be possible if the server of the network is set to forward packages to each computer
Well, this is how internet works, IP addresses from the main network are assigned to subnetworks for "direct connection". We are used to call a Direct Connection when we put the IP address where we want to send a message or a file. That doesn't mena that the connection is made direct. It will hop to each server on each network he is passing trough. To see this, if you are on windows press start and select "Run" and a black window will open. Then type "tracert" followed by the IP address you want to find out how the connection is made.
In the image above i trace routed an IP address in same country but other internet service provider. The connection was made over 8 hops. First is my wireless router, the second is the ip address of my speedtouch lan modem given to me by my internet service provider. The third is the ip address of one of their networks and the IP address starting with 10 are the ones who really make the internet keep going.
In the second image i ran tracert one of goolge IP's We can see that it also pass trough my router, my modem and those ips starting with 10 and then he trace google. If you type that ip into your browser the google homepage will appear. This means that the ip can be addressed directly but this don't mean it it a direct connection.
For the main network the IP address are associated with Internet service provider which can have a lot of addresses assigned to them, and they can assign a unique IP to every client.
The Internet service provider can provide you with Internet access in many ways:
- It is giving you a unique IP address that is registered in main network and it is directly accessible.
- It is giving you a IP address that is always the same but it is shared between more clients. In this way it is not directly accessible so if someone try to ping that IP address he may not receive a response because the ISP want more details about the computer you want to send the message.
- It has a range of IP addresses assigned to your area and your IP address will change every time you connect on the web, it can be unique or not
- It assign the same IP address to all of it's client, that will make all computers in your network to be seen with the same IP address.
Now that we know a little about IP addresses let's try to find answers together to the questions at the top of this article.
How they can know where i am from?
The IP address that your computers gets to browse the web has a public description that is available on the web on the website of institute responsible with IP addresses, you can find the details on ripe.net . The company that has that IP address is registered in a country and a city, based on that the ip address databases are build. This can be inaccurate trough, if the IP address has that IP registered for another country or region, the look up will give wrong data. But they can't go further Internet service provider.
IF they have my IP address they can find out my street address ?
Well, unless the IP address is registered directly to you, which is not the case, but once i seen a IP address registered directly to a person, probably his ISP did that, and i searched on ripe and the name and address of that person appeared. I was a little surprised but several years ago when were not so many computers connected to the Internet, and my country had so few Internet users that was possible.
In almost all other cases, the name and street address is not public, so they can't get it. But, if you make some damage or something stupid on the web, they know your Internet Service Provider and you ISP know your name and street address. They have logs with everything, which computer from their internal network made a connection to the computer that you made problems too and if they have the time too, you are very easy to be tracked. If they provide enough data that shows the damage made by you the ISP is forced to disclose your name.
Unless you do something bad, they won't find who are you unless they work for your Internet service provider
They can find my name based on my IP address ?
The answer to this questions is the similar to the answer above. Actually is possible from someones to steal your private data from a website you registered to because many websites keep in their databases the ip addresses too, and they know the IP address your account was registered from. But if you are in the case that you share the IP with others or your IP changes every time you connect on the web, the info they will get will be false in most cases.
They can get into my computer using my IP address ?
This is a question that have the answer in more technical stuff. A superficial answer can come from the explanations above. If your computer is directly accessible from other networks they have a chance to get into your computer, but that happens only if your computer software have vulnerabilities. If you use a
firewall you will be OK. If you use windows without firewall you are at high risk and i urge you to get a real firewall now. I recommend Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, i'm using it and it gives good protection. I'm using kaspersky while I'm on windows and it gives me complete protection.
Depending on how you have your IP address assigned by your ISP, you can be a little protected from users outside the network. It is practically like a filter that blocks messages coming on different ports. This is a good protection, in the past years i've seen viruses trying to get into computers using windows vulnerabilities on different ports. Ports are like doors, but i will discuss about them in later posts. Anyway, the software vulnerabilities can't be exploited if you computer is not directly accessible.
Why the IP address those websites show me is not the IP address that i got from my ISP ?
This will happen because on the local network, the one between you and ISP computers your computer has a local IP address. For the main network the IP other computers see is either the shared IP that more computers are using, either the random IP that you get.
I hope i was clear enough in my explanations and answers, if you have more questions about IP address just send them to me and i will give you the answer for it. If it is something that you did not understand tell me so i can explain you what i've missed. Feedback is appreciated.
I will write more articles about IP address and Internet security, if you want them you can subscribe in a reader or to receive them by e-mail using the subscription boxes in the right top of the website. | <urn:uuid:51a67889-164e-4a7e-9ad5-c156b3667eee> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ipgp.net/2010/01/they-can-find-my-street-if-they-know-ip-address/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00101-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964988 | 1,891 | 3.625 | 4 |
From Our 2012 Archives
Differences Seen in Lung Microbes of Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Latest Lungs News
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Marked differences exist between the communities of bacteria in the lungs of healthy people and those with cystic fibrosis, according to a new study.
The findings could prove important in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases, according to the researchers at Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease of the body's mucus glands.
"The lung is not a sterile organ," Dr. David Cornfield, a pulmonologist at Packard Children's and a professor of pediatrics in pulmonary medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine, said in a university news release. "This research confirmed a long-held suspicion that a forest of microbes exists in both healthy and diseased lungs."
The findings also suggest that microbes play a role in preserving lung health, Cornfield added.
He and his colleagues analyzed sputum (mucus coughed up from the lower airways) samples from 16 cystic fibrosis patients and nine healthy people. The researchers also analyzed tissue from the removed lungs of seven lung transplant patients -- three who had cystic fibrosis and four who had other lung diseases.
In general, healthy people had more diversity in their lung microbe communities than cystic fibrosis patients.
"I think the tendency toward decreased diversity can be metaphorically viewed as the same phenomenon that might happen in a rainforest," Cornfield said. "When the ecosystem of a rainforest is disturbed and one organism predominates, it undermines a carefully constructed balance and causes disturbances in the overall ecosystem. I think it's reasonable to assume something similar could happen in the lung microbiome, where pathogenic bacteria may out-compete organisms that may play a salutary, health-affirming role."
The researchers also found that healthy people had a larger percentage of two groups of bacteria, while cystic fibrosis patients had a larger percentage of another type of bacteria. Healthy people also had a larger proportion of bacteria that had never been grown in a lab.
The study was published Sept. 26 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Stanford University, news release, Sept. 26, 2012 | <urn:uuid:2d2dc899-5e54-4e15-be19-c63c87631e03> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=163382 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959226 | 496 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Is “$5 pesos” proper form in Spanish?
Yes, but it may be more common in some countries than others, also in some countries the $ symbol or the word "pesos" may be found redundant.
The $ symbol is a world accepted symbol for money (although some countries may claim ownership), the fact is that is widely used to represent a currency or money in a lot of countries. Currently there is around 10 to 15 countries that use only the $ symbol to represent their currency, also there are some other countries that will use the $ symbol plus a letter before and/or after (Australian dollar = A$).
In the case of the photo showing the phrase "$5 pesos" it is and is not redundant. Is just an old grammar rule where because the number (digit) represents a currency it must have it's symbol, the case would be different if the phrase was "cinco pesos".
and if curious enough just put $5 pesos in Google to see how widely is used
There is no rule, or a grammar rule while working with currencies, every country has it's own "popular" rules as to how to write currencies, there is some widely spread rules for cheques and other bank related procedures where the person must write currencies, these will vary (not too much) from region to region.
In the case of the poster I wonder if the poster is from Mexico since it seems like a common way to write promotional adverts there.
Both ways are ok since you must apply a bit of common sence
- $ = currency (which ? you may know or not)
- 5 = amount
- pesos = name of the currency
Quick note Becalos is an University or similar in Mexico, the ad is from Mexico, place where is more common to see currencies and values to be written in that way because the proximity with USA which also uses the same currency symbol and due to the fact that the country also uses both currencies or at least the use of both currencies is much more common that other Latin countries. An before somebody jumps here on that, there is some other ways to express Usa's currency like U$s / U$ or USD but the symbol more widely used still the "$"
Update 2: Here are some similar cases: | <urn:uuid:203c3f97-a19b-43c2-aef8-fcba7503c862> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/2175/is-5-pesos-proper-form-in-spanish/2486 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00115-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907839 | 473 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Fun Fruit Facts!
Here are some fun fruit facts to include when doing a study on fruit, food, or cooking. The information is listed in both American standard and Metric so you could even use this with your math studies.
Apples and Pears
Cultivated apples all descend from wild crab apples that grow in Northern Europe, Asia, and America.
Apple trees can grow up to 40 feet (12 meters) high.
The U.S. crop of apples is about 4,427,000 metric tons per year.
Pear trees can grow to 60 feet (18 meters) and may be as old as 300 years.
Pear wood is hard and can be used to make furniture.
Apple wood is soft and is sometimes used to make decorative in-lays on wooden furniture.
Oranges, Lemons, and Limes
Orange trees first grew in China.
Oranges were taken to Europe by Arab traders more than 1,000 years ago.
A medium-sized orange contains the amount of vitamin C that a healthy adult should eat daily.
Lemons, oranges, and limes are all citrus fruits. Their juices contain citric acid.
Grated lemon peel is called zest an is sometimes used as flavoring in baking and in candies.
British sailors were given lime juice to keep them from getting a disease called scurvy (malnutrition illness caused by a lack of certain vitamins). British sailors were often called “Limeys” because of this.
People in the tropics have eaten bananas for thousands of years.
There are more than 100 varieties of bananas, some even have red skin.
Bananas have high levels of sugars, starch, and vitamins A and C.
Banana ash is used to make soap.
The name pine-apple was the original name for a pine cone (grows on pine trees). Because the fruit pineapple looked like a huge pine cone, it too was called a pine-apple.
Pineapples contain an enzyme that is used in blood tests.
Fibers in pineapple leaves are used to make rope and a cloth called pino.
Pineapples are related to rainforest plants called bromeliads.
Strawberries and Raspberries
The strawberry probably got its name originally from the Anglo-Saxon word streawberige, which means “spreading berry.”
Most raspberries are red, but some varieties are white, yellow, or black.
Raspberries may have been named after a 16th century French wine called raspis.
Raspberries used to be called hindberries.
Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, and Plums
Peaches and apricots and rich in vitamins A and C.
Apricots were first grown in China more than 4,000 years ago.
The wild plum of Northern Europe is the sloe. Sloes have small, hard, bitter fruit. The sloe fruit is used to make a type of alcoholic beverage called sloe gin.
Round cherry pits were used to play games such as marbles.
Almonds are the nutlike seeds from a fruit that looks like a green apricot.
Berries Blackberry juice was used to dye cloth navy blue and indigo.
Black currants are rich in vitamins C and B.
Currant juice can be used to soothe sore throats and colds.
Pemmican is a Native American cake of dried meat flavored with dried currants.
The gooseberry is called the “mackeral currant” in French because gooseberry sauce is served with mackerel, a type of fish.
Watermelons are related to climbing plants that probably came from tropical Africa.
Melons can grow to 40 pounds (18 kilograms) or more.
Vine fruits Grapes were grown by the ancient Egyptians more than 6,000 years ago.
Passion fruits were first grown in Brazil.
Kiwi plants were first grown in China.
Kiwis were once known as Chinese gooseberries.
Some Mediterranean Fruits
Olive trees can live for more than 1,500 years.
Figs were one of the fruit most often eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Soft dates contain saccharine, which is sometimes used as a sugar substitute for diabetics.
Submitted by "Mariah Carey & Gisele Bundchen" lover (), Bay Area, United States
Watermelon is technically a berry, of which there are more than 50 varieties!
Submitted by Biswajeet Roy Mazumdar, Calcutta, India,
Got a good Trivia / Fun Fact yourself? Submit your best amazing Animal / People / Health / Sports / Arts / Fashion / World facts to FUKKAD, and if we enjoy, we might make you famous - or at least put your name, email, address & country on the site.
Email it to us | <urn:uuid:04ce19c1-2484-471a-8473-830ac0a99f47> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.fukkad.com/trivia/fruitfacts.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00081-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960209 | 1,038 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Analyzing and Presenting Incident-Based Data
Incident-based data are complex due to the hierarchical nature of the data; since the data are separated into individual segments, the data often have to be reassembled to answer research questions. The following sections provide some examples of how this can be done. The first section, An Examination of NIBRS Elements, provides information on some of the requirements and errors frequently experienced with select variables in the system. Tables to Demonstrate the Capabilities of NIBRS breaks down sample tables put together by the FBI and BJS. Analysis Examples Using NIBRS provides additional examples within selected topic areas - juvenile offenders, elderly victims, and intimate partner violence - and the syntax to replicate selected published reports on robbery, motor vehicle theft, and drug offenses. The final section, IBR Resource Center Reports Using State Data, presents research projects completed by states to demonstrate the utility of NIBRS specifically for the Resource Center. Each section provides users with SPSS syntax to replicate the tables.
- An Examination of NIBRS Elements
- Tables to Demonstrate the Capabilities of NIBRS
- Analysis Examples and Replicated Reports Using NIBRS
- IBR Resource Center Reports Using State Data | <urn:uuid:ed6e6f0c-4549-4228-9856-722d0ace63e2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jrsa.org/ibrrc/using-data/analyzing.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00089-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.881875 | 250 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Book Traces Bourbon's Influence on U.S. History
It might not be uniquely Kentuckian, but bourbon is certainly uniquely American. Its roots can be traced back to the first European colonists who discovered corn whisky was a nice alternative to rum. A new book from Louisville Historian Michael Veach traces bourbon’s influence on US history. Veach spoke with reporter Charles Compton.
Bourbon historian Michael Veach is associate curator of special collections at the Filson Historical Society. He’s author of “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage.: It’s published by the University Press of Kentucky. | <urn:uuid:9f3291bd-6454-42b6-82aa-b2e7988d8671> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://weku.fm/post/book-traces-bourbons-influence-us-history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00097-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.874366 | 130 | 3.03125 | 3 |
nerve disorders - neuromas
Although sometimes described as a tumor, neuromas really are the thickening of a nerve leading to a toe, usually the third or fourth one. Irritation, traumas and excessive pressure cause this condition. High-heels are a common culprit. Neuromas do not appear as a lump. However, pain, numbness and burning sensations indicate their presence. Like many other foot problems, larger shoes and inserts can correct this one. In some cases, injections are needed. Surgical options vary. Surgeons may remove part of the nerve or release tissue around it. | <urn:uuid:fa5ee5ad-2f65-4fd6-b825-cf90ec754610> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bonsecours.com/our-services-orthopaedics-medical-services-and-specialties-foot-and-ankle-nerve-disorders-neuromas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949805 | 124 | 2.59375 | 3 |
There's Often A Happy Ending To Couples Facing Fertility Treatment
Today, more couples are able to become pregnant than ever before. Advances in reproductive science and technology have given new hope to couples who were previously unable to conceive.
Infertility affects 15 percent of couples in the United States. The average time to conception in young, healthy couples is roughly five months. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. Approximately 5 million American couples are affected, with 1.3 million of those receiving medical advice or treatment per year.
How natural conception occurs
For natural conception to occur, the sperm must fertilize the egg (oocyte), and the resulting embryo must implant into the lining of the uterus. The process of fertilization normally takes place in the fallopian tube, and the fertilized oocyte travels slowly down the length of the tube over several days before resting in the uterus and implanting in the endometrial lining. Once implanted, the embryo continues to develop and grow. Any condition that affects this natural process can lead to difficulty in conception and pregnancy.
Problems leading to infertility
If a woman does not release an egg regularly (normally once a month), she is said to have an ovulation disorder (or ovulatory dysfunction). If there is scarring or blockage of the fallopian tubes, it may not be possible for the sperm to meet the egg. This is considered an anatomical problem and can occur from a prior pelvic infection or endometriosis, among other conditions. These are common reasons for female infertility, however there can be many reasons a couple can have a difficult time achieving pregnancy.
Infertility is not only a female condition. Male-factor infertility is associated with 30 percent to 40 percent of infertile couples. Some men may have low or abnormal sperm counts which preclude normal fertilization.
One of the sentinel advances in the treatment of male-factor infertility was the development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Originally pioneered in Belgium by Dr Gianpiero Palermo, ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm cell directly into the oocyte. Using this technique, men with extremely poor sperm quality can father pregnancies using in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
With the advent of IVF, infertility patients are able to bypass the tubal fertilization process. IVF is a procedure that involves ovarian stimulation with medications over a one to two week period with subsequent egg retrieval. The medication is given to produce the development of multiple follicles (follicles are structures that contain eggs).
After multiple eggs are retrieved, they are inseminated and the resulting embryos are cultured for three to five days in the laboratory (hence the term "in vitro" fertilization, which is Latin for "outside the living body").
The last step in the process involves the transfer of the developing embryos to the mother's uterus with a thin flexible catheter. Two weeks after fertilization, pregnancy can be documented using a blood test.
Who should see a fertility specialist?
There are many reasons couples seek the advice and treatment of fertility specialists. The most common reason is that couples have tried on their own after an extended period of time (generally one year) and are not able to conceive. Some couples are able to repeatedly become pregnant but are unable to maintain the pregnancy (a condition called recurrent pregnancy loss). For others, there is a diagnosed medical condition where only IVF or ICSI can facilitate pregnancy (for example in severe male-factor patients with low sperm counts, or in women who do not have fallopian tubes due to previous surgery).
Treatment is available
Some patients have genetic predispositions, which can be diagnosed in the embryo before transfer to the uterus (preimplantation genetic diagnosis), thus decreasing the chance of the baby being affected with a disease such as Tay-Sachs or Cystic Fibrosis.
Still others may have decreased ovarian reserve due to advancing age or premature ovarian failure. Despite the causes, there are many treatment options for patients dealing with these difficult problems. In addition to fertility concerns, Reproductive Endocrinologists also diagnose and treat patients with endocrine disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or precocious puberty. Currently, the training regimen for a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist entails three years of sub-specialty fellowship preceded by four years of residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Remarkable achievements have been made in the field of infertility since the first IVF baby was born in 1978. Assisted reproductive techniques and advances in related scientific areas have given many infertile couples the ability to achieve pregnancy and start a family. Although it can be a challenging time for many of these couples, there are more options for successful treatment today than there have ever been in the past. | <urn:uuid:6e786634-d6fc-4f3a-8216-78a44c952748> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.pregnancyandbaby.com/baby/articles/939187/infertility-basics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942712 | 997 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Here are two errors that are commonly seen in reviewing medical records and physician's reports. The second is the more dangerous to the patient than the first.
1) "The percent of the blood was 100% as measured by a pulse oximeter." Of course 100% saturation is physiologically impossible! There are many reasons for this. 97-98% saturation is possible, normal, and should be the levels reported. Pulse oximeters are inaccurate for several reasons. One has to do with the way they sense oxygen saturation, their calibration and zeroing, etc. In general they are designed to show gross abnormalities, not subtle differences. For exact % saturation values, arterial blood should be drawn and sent to the laboratory.
2) "The % saturation of the blood was 96, 97, 98% as given by a pulse oximeter, therefore NO COHb is present." Pulse oximeters are "blind" to CO because of the two wavelengths of light used to make measurements. Unfortunately, COHb is lumped in with oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb), thus producing incorrect readings. A person could have 15% COHb on board (or more), plus 80% O2Hb, but the pulse-Ox reading would still be 95% saturation. The unaware clinician then fails to consider CO poisoning in his/her differential diagnosis. If CO poisoning is even remotely suspected based on history, clinical work-up, or gut feeling, blood should be drawn and sent to the laboratory for COHb, % saturation, pH, etc.
Note: Instead of an arterial blood draw, venous blood can be drawn and is perfectly satisfactory to accurately show COHb, if present.
Lesson 2: Maintain a high index of suspicion for CO poisoning in the ER and clinic.
Lesson 3: Even if the COHb is not greatly elevated, you may still have a case of CO poisoning.
Lesson 4: Take careful histories and know the crucial sign posts for CO poisoning.
Vegfors, M., Lennmarken, C. (1991) Carboxyhaemoglobinaemia and pulse oximetry. Brit. J. Anaesthesia Inten. Care, 66, 625-626.
ABSTRACT: We compared measurements obtained with a pulse oximeter (SpO2) against values obtained from a CO-oximeter in a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning. SpO2 was equal to the sum of the oxyhaemoglobin (HbO) and carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) values over the range of HbCO from 30 to 1%. This confirms the experimental findings that pulse oximeters measure HbCO as HbO. The patient was treated with oxygen (FlO2 = 50%) and recovered without any sequelae. Under these circumstances, the half-life of HbCO was approximately 2 h.
Buckley, R.G. et al. (1994) The pulse oximetry gap in carbon monoxide intoxication. Ann. Emerg. Med., 24, 252-255.
ABBREVIATED ABSTRACT: Pulse oximetry has been reported to be falsely elevated in the presence of carbon monoxide (CO). However, the degree to which pulse oximetry overestimates measured oxyhemoglobin saturation (O2Hb) has not been investigated in patients with CO exposure. This study quantifies the effect of CO on pulse oximetry and O2Hb in a series of patients with elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels. Oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry failed to decrease to less than 96% despite COHb levels as high as 44%. Regression between the pulse oximetry gap and COHb suggests that pulse oximetry overestimates O2Hb by the amount of COHb present. Pulse oximetry is unreliable in estimating O2Hb saturation in CO-exposed patients and should be interpreted with caution when used to estimate oxygen saturation in smokers.
Other refs. available upon request.
Back to COHQ Main Index | <urn:uuid:2dcf40e9-546f-474b-a979-84d480d8a760> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.coheadquarters.com/coPulse1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391766.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92345 | 850 | 3.03125 | 3 |
In a poll taken earlier this year, “aid to the world’s needy” was the only budget priority that a plurality of Americans said should be cut in the event of sequestration. Part of the problem may be that Americans consistently overestimate, by a massive margin, the amount of money that the United States spends on aid.
Given this, it’s striking that one blatantly obvious idea for both reducing the cost of foreign aid and increasing its effectiveness has proved to be a tough political sell. Under current U.S. law, the vast majority of U.S. food aid much be purchased from U.S. farmers. As you might imagine, the process of getting this food to people in need is both slower and more expensive than buying food locally, as nearly every other major donor country does. In the New York Times today, Ron Nixon examines this issue in the context of the recent disaster in the Philippines:
The United States has contributed $10 million in food aid to the Philippines since the typhoon, and of that about $8 million is being used for local purchases. But antipoverty advocates say that a high percentage of local food is unlikely to continue. Under current law, the aid agency is limited to spending about $300 million each year — or about 20 percent of total American food aid — on local purchases, and right now much of that has already been committed to Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo and as a reserve to other anticipated humanitarian crises around the world.[…]
According to the agency, rice sent from the United States would take about 12 weeks to reach the Philippines, while rice bought in Thailand or Vietnam might take about eight weeks. Local rice is available immediately.
A 2012 Cornell study comparing local procured food aid from NGOs and U.S. food aid in nine countries found that “procuring food locally or distributing cash or vouchers results in a time savings of nearly fourteen weeks, a 62 percent gain in timeliness.” While the money saved varied by country and commodity, “procuring grains locally resulted in cost savings of over 50 percent, on average.”
Dumping U.S.-grown food on devastated local markets can also have adverse effects on the local economy by undercutting local producers. Critics say this is what happened in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.
Last June, the House of Representatives rejected an amendment to the farm bill meant to reform the food aid process. The Obama administration wants the amount of food that USAID can procure locally raised to 45 percent, but the change is opposed by lawmakers, mostly from agricultural states or those with large shipping industries, for whom U.S. food aid serves as a valuable subsidy.
If you view the goal of food aid as providing food for as many people as possible for as little money as possible, purchasing locally seems like a no-brainer. If you view it as a way to subsidize U.S. farmers and get rid of surplus, the current system is working just fine. | <urn:uuid:cf3f096f-0024-47bf-9220-6e9946a3d55f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/11/22/after_typhoon_haiyan_will_the_u_s_finally_reform_its_ridiculous_food_aid.html?wpisrc=burger_bar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396945.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00099-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967645 | 613 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Monarch butterfly population in Mexico drops to record low – Now only one-fifteenth as many butterflies as there were in 1997Posted by Jim at Wednesday, March 13, 2013
By Mark Stevenson
13 March 2013
MEXICO CITY (AP) – The amount of Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico dropped 59 percent this year, falling to the lowest level since comparable record-keeping began 20 years ago, scientists reported Wednesday.
It was the third straight year of declines for the orange-and-black butterflies that migrate from the United States and Canada to spend the winter in mountaintop fir forests in central Mexico. Six of the last seven years have shown drops, and there are now only one-fifteenth as many butterflies as there were in 1997.
The decline now marks a statistical long-term trend and can no longer be seen as a combination of yearly or seasonal events, the experts said.
But they differed on the possible causes.
Illegal logging in the reserve established in the Monarch wintering grounds was long thought to contribute, but such logging has been vastly reduced by increased protection, enforcement and alternative development programs in Mexico.
The World Wildlife Fund, one of the groups that sponsored the butterfly census, blamed climate conditions and agricultural practices, especially the use of pesticides that kill off the Monarchs' main food source, milkweed. The butterflies breed and live in the north in the summer, and migrate to Mexico in the winter.
"The decrease of Monarch butterflies … probably is due to the negative effects of reduction in milkweed and extreme variation in the United States and Canada," the fund and its partner organizations said in a statement.
Omar Vidal, the World Wildlife Fund director in Mexico, said: "The conservation of the Monarch butterfly is a shared responsibility between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. By protecting the reserves and having practically eliminated large-scale illegal logging, Mexico has done its part."
"It is now necessary for the United States and Canada to do their part and protect the butterflies' habitat in their territories," Vidal said.
Logging was once considered the main threat to the reserve, located west of Mexico City. At its peak in 2005, logging devastated as many as 1,140 acres (461 hectares) annually in the reserve, which covers 193,000 acres (56,259-hectares). But a 2012 aerial survey showed almost no detectable logging, the first time that logging had not been found in detectable amounts since the mountaintop forests were declared a nature reserve in 2000.
Lincoln Brower, a leading entomologist at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, said in a statement that "the report of the dwindling Monarch butterfly winter residence in Mexico is ominous."
"This is not just the lowest population recorded in the 20 years for which we have records," Brower said. "It is the continuation of a statistically significant decrease in the Monarch population that began at least a decade ago." […]
"All three countries need to face up to the fact that it is our collective activities that are killing the migratory phenomenon of the Monarch butterfly," he said.
Environmentalist and writer Homero Aridjis praised Mexico for progress in reducing illegal logging, but added that "low intensity logging, not detected in satellite image analysis, continues unabated in and near critical overwintering habitats." [more] | <urn:uuid:cbbf33e2-9299-4393-9212-7fb0a3abff2d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2013/03/monarch-butterfly-population-in-mexico.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967268 | 685 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Research has shown that more than 50% of smokers would like to stop smoking. Many, if not most, have tried at least once to stop. Most using willpower, many using prescription drugs in the shape of nicotine patches and/or nicotine gum. For the vast majority these methods do not work. In fact many who use the patches still feel like smoking with the patch on. Some even peel the patch off in order to have a quick cigarette.
The withdrawal symptoms one feels when one stops smoking can be difficult to cope with. Cravings can leave the smoker either irritable, constantly eating (as a substitute) or feeling that something is missing from their life (or all three). It is no wonder that most smokers fear stopping. Who in their right mind would willingly go through an ordeal like that again?
There is help at hand. Research published in the "New Scientist" has shown that Hypnosis has proved to be the most effective method in helping Smokers stop for good, and easily!
Background to Smoking
Many smokers start smoking in their teens. The main reasons they give are: · To fit in with their friends or peer pressure · To look older · To impress the opposite sex · To rebel against authority · A combination of the above The first puffs of the first cigarette are usually unpleasant, with many smokers reporting that they coughed, choked, felt dizzy or felt sick. This is clearly because of the 2000 or so chemicals found in cigarettes, almost 400 of which are known poisons or carcinogens (cancer causing poisons).
In spite of these ill effects, the drive to fit in is so strong, that the person tries another, and another until their mind and body get used to the poisons and another smoker is created.
Why It Is Hard To Stop Smoking
The reason it is so hard to stop smoking is because the smoker has trained his mind to make it automatic. Most of the time we run on auto-pilot. We walk, talk, breathe, write, read without really thinking about how we do it and why we can do it so easily.
As a baby, walking was impossible. Learning to walk was difficult. There were many falls. Holding on to objects for support was necessary. Then suddenly there it was, the skill of walking mastered, then running and skipping and so on. Now we can walk and do three or four other things at the same time, all without concentrating on walking. It has become an unconscious skill.
It is the same with driving. At first it is difficult to concentrate on all the different parts, accelerating, braking, clutch, gears, mirrors, signals, road signs, roundabouts and so on. But after much practice we can take a regular route without remembering each gear change, indicator switch, brake, and even lights and roundabouts. It has become another unconscious skill. Exactly the same thing has happens with smoking!
Why Hypnosis Works So Well
Because hypnosis works with the unconscious mind, it is exactly the right tool to use to break habits, like nail-biting, snacking and smoking, to name but a few. It's a bit like using a screwdriver to turn a screw, or a cotton ball to wipe your face.
Using patches is like using a plaster to fix a broken bone, or a saw to hammer a nail or sandpaper to wipe your face. Any good tradesman will pick the tool that is right for the job, because it makes the job easier, quicker, and gives a better result.
Using Hypnosis professionally helps change the way the unconscious mind processes information, to a way that is more in keeping with the conscious mind's desires. See it like a large ship. The conscious mind can be likened to the bridge, with the captain setting the course for the ship. The unconscious mind can then be likened to the rest of the ship, the engine room, the galley, the storage bays, the fuel tanks, the crew and so on.
When the unconscious mind is in conflict with the conscious mind it's like having a mutiny on board. The captain is saying "Stop Smoking" and the crew say "no way, smoking is good, we have done it for years…keep doing it, and it makes us happy". This conflict leads to cravings, irritability and similar negative side-effects.
Using advanced hypnosis, the captain and crew work in harmony. There is no conflict. They are both working towards the same goal or destination, to be happier, healthier and in control of their lives. Because there is no conflict, there are no cravings, and because there are no cravings there is no overeating or irritability. Just the feeling of contentment.
The Different Forms of Hypnosis
There are different forms and levels of hypnosis. The hypnosis preferred for easy, quick and permanent results is known as Advanced Hypnosis. This uses the best of traditional hypnosis, and boosts it using the most modern tried and tested parts of Neuro Linguistics (the way the mind communicates to create behaviour).
The practitioner must be recognised by an official group like "The General Hypno-therapist Register" and be a qualified Hypnotherapist and a master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner, if not a Trainer. Like all trades, there are good practitioners, and poor ones. Look at your prospective practitioners' file of testimonials to give yourself the peace of mind as to the competence of the practitioner.
By Gordon D’Silva BSc ACA MNLP HNLP
All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have the author name and all the links intact.
Author:Gordon D’Silva BSc ACA MNLP HNLP
Biography: Gordon is founder of the Silva Institute for Excellence and a qualified Advanced Clinical Hypnotist. He is a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner, and also trains others to become Master Practitioners.
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by WWH terms and conditions. | <urn:uuid:2fd01a86-e833-401a-a4e7-1a2c6adb0129> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.worldwidehealth.com/health-article-Stop-Smoking-with-Hypnosis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949659 | 1,314 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Mechanisms for a Beneficial Effect of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Osteoporosis in Women, Menopause Reveals
8/3/2012 7:36:14 AM
Women after menopause tend to develop weaker bones from what is known as osteoporosis, which may lead to fractures (especially hip fractures) from falling. The weakness of the bones results from an imbalance between the normal resorption (a type of dissolving of old bone) and the laying down of new bone, an ongoing process for both men and women referred to as "bone turnover." For poorly understood reasons, after menopause the resorption of old bone in women continues but new bone is laid down less well, leading to a decrease in bone density. A variety of substances (calcium, vitamin D and various medications) have been used in an attempt to prevent the development of osteoporosis; in epidemiologic studies, moderate drinking of alcohol has also been shown to lower this risk. | <urn:uuid:9e45f692-fdd3-4d16-a881-45055633062e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.biospace.com/news_print.aspx?NewsEntityId=268887 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397864.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940803 | 205 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Indexing Into Strings
You can index into variables as though they are character arrays. Indices are zero-based. For example:
s = "abc" x = s // x now contains the string "a"
Indexing into a variable yields a new string containing a single character.
The string that is returned by indexing one past the last character is an empty string. This is similar to zero-terminated strings in C, only the zero “character” is an empty string.
s = "abc" length = strlen(s) ch = s[length] // ch now contains the empty string if (ch == "") msg "End of string." | <urn:uuid:cebe8c94-312a-44d9-807b-57f22d03cc69> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sourceinsight.com/docs35/ag922170.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00039-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.87389 | 143 | 4.09375 | 4 |
Sleep deprivation has a similar impact on the body to the ageing process and may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes, researchers have found.
These days, the average number of hours people spend asleep per night in more developed countries has decreased from nine hours to seven-and-a-half hours. The change has been made to accommodate increased demands of work and more leisure activities.
A team from the US Department of Medicine in Chicago, investigated whether lack of sleep can alter metabolic and hormonal functions. Professor Eve Willis, who led the study, said: "We found that the metabolic and endocrine hormonal changes resulting from a signficant slep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of ageing.''//
The Chicago team tested the effect of different amounts of sleep on 14 young men. The participants were allowed eight hours per night for the first three nights of the study. On the following six nights, the participants were restricted to four hours' sleep a night. Finally, they were allowed 12 hours' sleep a night for the concluding seven nights of the study.
The investigators took measurements during the day of glucose tolerance, cortisol concentrations (a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar concentrations), heart rate, sleepiness, and the impact on the production of various hormones. Following the period of sleep deprivation, the researchers found subjects had higher levels of glucose and cortisol in their blood.
Sleep deprivation also led to an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many of the body's "involuntary" functions.Dr McKinley, a consultant respiratory physician at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, said the research showed sleep deprivation provoked a typical stress response in the body, characterised by raised cortisol and glucose levels.
Dr McKinley said the amount of sleep people required varied
between individuals. The important thing was to feel thoroughly rested after waking up.In many cases the quality of sleep was more important that the quantity, he said.
He said persistently high levels of glucose increased the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and strokes
Related medicine news :1
. Cooling Can Reduce The Risk Of Brain Damage In Oxygen Deprived Newborns 2
. Government’s Welfare Plan For Deprived Families Affect Other3
. Sleep Deprived BPO Employees Could Suffer From Premature Ageing4
. Good sleep enhances task performance5
. Individuals with sleep related breathing disorders more prone to heart disease6
. Cure for sleepless nights7
. Warm yourself to sleep8
. Genetic disorder related with sleep patterns9
. Less sleep increases mortality rates10
. Gastrointestinal conditions affect sleep11
. Brain changes observed in people with sleep apnoea | <urn:uuid:a1d76e3e-023f-4653-92d9-d6971ae981e0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Deprived-sleep-leads-to-ageing-673-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00188-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93634 | 554 | 3.3125 | 3 |
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A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg
MEANING:adjective: Humbly pleading.
ETYMOLOGY:From Latin supplicare (to kneel). Ultimately from the Indo-European root plak- (to be flat) that's also the source of fluke, flake, flaw, plead, please, and supple.
USAGE:"The supplicatory attitude that some Taiwanese politicians have shown to China to win its favor must stop."
Bill Chang; Warnings on China Also Meant For Taiwan; The Taipei Times (Taiwan); Jun 11, 2005.
See more usage examples of supplicatory in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:Affliction, like the iron-smith, shapes as it smites. -Christian Bovee, lawyer and author (1820-1904) | <urn:uuid:a0b4ef27-3766-4a74-a85d-df9a5bed9ba0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://wordsmith.org/words/supplicatory.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.840899 | 203 | 2.78125 | 3 |
|CCYF Safer Than You Think|
A Statistical Analysis of Youth Football Players Aged 9-13 Years
An April 2002 study by the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic shows, among other things, that "the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than other recreational or competitive sports."
While many studies have been done on football players in the past, most of them focus on the high school age or older. As outlined in the report, "the purpose of the project was to determine the risk of injury in youth football games."
After receiving written consent from all of the parents, the researchers studied over 900 youth football players, ranging in age from 9-13, for an entire season.
The study concluded that "youth football injuries are uncommon. Most injuries are mild." | <urn:uuid:578feb49-8e8a-4c2f-b547-5cf15ac671ee> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://clarkcountyyouthfootball.com/about-us/ccyf-safer-than-you-think | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00145-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963716 | 165 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 — May 30, 1640) was a prolific seventeenth-century Flemish Baroque painter, and a proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. He is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.
In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp which produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically-educated humanist scholar, art collector, and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, King of Spain, and Charles I, King of England.
Peter Paul Rubens “St. Peter Preaching” Etching AFTER the artist Peter Paul Rubens work in oil and etched by the leading etcher of the period William Unger on antique wove paper.
Plate mark measures 5.50 by 8 (etched work) inches approximate.
William Unger The long-lived William Unger is important not only as an etcher but as an influential scholar and teacher. Serving as professor of graphic arts at the Vienna Academy he taught etching techniques to many of the finest Austrian, German and French artists of the early twentieth century. He was also a founder of Zeitschrift fur Bildendekunst (1866), an important journal which promoted etching, engraving and lithography. Unger’s autobiography, Aus meinen leben, was published in Vienna in 1928.
William Unger began his formal art studies in 1854 as a student of Joseph Keller, in Dusseldorf. He then finished his studies at the Academy in Leipzig. During his successful career as an etcher Unger received numerous awards including medals from expositions in Paris (1878), Vienna (1888) and Berlin (1891). Unger became most famous for his etchings after the paintings of both old masters and contemporary artists, and these reproductive works occupied most of his career.
Art (paintings, prints, frames) | <urn:uuid:83039b66-6952-43be-a84e-1f8286761b75> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.antiques.com/classified/Antiques/Art--paintings--prints--frames-/Antique-Peter-Paul-Rubens----St-Peter-Preaching----Etching | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970835 | 439 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Alternative beliefs by some liberal & mainline
Christians, secularists, etc.
There is a near consensus among liberal, and some mainline theologians,
- The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were not written by Jesus' disciples but by
person or persons whose names are unknown.
- Neither Paul nor any of the Gospel writers had been an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry,
execution, or after-death appearances.
- The Gospels record the beliefs and memories of various Christian groups as they had
evolved at the time they were written.
- God did not directly inspire the authors of the Bible. Instead, the
writers composed text in support of their personal beliefs and those of
their faith group. In particular, the Gospels contain various passages
of religious myths which describe Christian traditions which were
invented after Jesus' death.
- The Bible is not inerrant. Many passages in the Gospels and Epistles
of the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) contain religious
propaganda, beliefs unique to the author and his/her faith group, words
created by the authors and attributed to Jesus, stories of events that
never happened, material picked up from surrounding Pagan cultures, etc.
compare Bible passages in the light of contemporary Jewish, Pagan and non-canonical
Christian writings. They also study the culture of the time and the beliefs of surrounding
Pagan societies. Of particular interest are the evolving beliefs of the followers of
Christ during the approximately seven decades between the crucifixion and the completion of
the last Gospel, John. They have come to very different conclusions about the
What many liberal theologians believe about Jesus' death:
Many liberal and some mainline Christian leaders believe that Jesus died
during the crucifixion, did not resurrect himself, and was not bodily resurrected by God.
At his death, his mind ceased to function and his body started the decomposition
process. Returning to life a day and a half later would have been quite
impossible. The story of having been wrapped in linen and anointed with myrrh
seems to have been copied from the story of the death of Osiris -- the Egyptian
God of the earth, vegetation and grain. The legend that he visited the
underworld between his death and resurrection was simply copied from common
Pagan themes of surrounding cultures. One example
again was Osiris. "With his original association to agriculture, his death
and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the
crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile." 1
They also believe that Paul regarded the resurrection to be an act of God in which
Jesus was a passive recipient of God's power. Paul did not mention the empty tomb,
the visit by a woman or women, the
stone, the angel/angels/man/men at the tomb, and reunion of Jesus with his followers in his resuscitated body. Rather, he believed that
Jesus was taken up into heaven in a spirit body. It was only later, from about
70 to 110 CE when the four canonic Gospels were written, that the Christians
believed that Jesus rose from the grave in his original body, and by his own power.
Later, perhaps after Paul's death, there was great disappointment within the Christian
communities because Jesus had not returned as expected. They diverted their focus of
attention away from Jesus' second coming. They studied his life and death more intensely.
Legends without a historical basis were created by the early church; these included the
empty tomb and described Jesus returning in his original body to eat and talk with his
In previous centuries, almost all Christians believed in miracles as
described in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). These included creation, the
story of Adam and Eve, a talking serpent, the great flood of Noah, the drying up
of the Red/Reed sea, a prophet riding on a talking ass, the sun stopping in the
sky, etc. From the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), they believed in the
virgin birth, the Christmas star, angels appearing to the shepherds, Jesus
healing the sick, etc. Many, perhaps most, liberal Christians now believe that
these stories are not to be interpreted literally as real events. Their faith
has not been damaged by losing faith in the reality of these events. A growing
number of liberals are now taking the final step by interpreting the stories of
Jesus' resurrection and his appearances to his followers and to Paul as other
than real events. Retired bishop John Shelby Spong commented:
"I do admit
that for Christians to enter this subject honestly is to invite great anxiety.
It is to walk the razor's edge, to run the risk of cutting the final cord still
binding many to the faith of their mothers and fathers. But the price for
refusing to enter this consideration is for me even higher. The inability to
question reveals that one has no confidence that one's belief system will
survive such an inquiry. That is a tacit recognition that on unconscious levels,
one's faith has already died. If one seeks to protect God from truth or new
insights, then God has surely already died." 3
How some liberals believe that the resurrection story evolved:
It is unfortunate that the Christian Scriptures are arranged in the order Matthew to
Revelation. Some publisher would do a great service to humanity by publishing a New
Testament in which the books are re-arranged in chronological order by the date in which
they were written: i.e. I Thessalonians would be the first book. It would be followed by
other epistles and gospels, perhaps in the order: Revelation, John, Jude, II Peter,
Mark, Matthew, Luke, Acts, Hebrews,. Last
would be group of Pastoral Epistles attributed to Paul but which were written decades
after his death in the 2nd century CE. There is much debate among theologians about the absolute dates of each
of these books. There is greater agreement of the probable sequence in which they were
written. A New Testament in chronological order would help the reader understand the
development through time of various Christian beliefs, including that of the resurrection.
Consider the following time line; dates are approximate:
- 30 CE: The approximate year of Jesus' execution by the Romans.
- 50 CE: For two decades, the words and acts of Jesus and his followers had been
transmitted orally. Nothing seems to have been written down before this date. One or more
members of one group of Jesus' followers write the first draft of the Gospel
of Q. The author(s) do not mention the resurrection. This may well have been because they
were unaware of the event. It could be argued that it was not important to
then and that they wanted to concentrate mainly on Jesus'
Paul wrote I Thessalonians. The main thrust of his letter deals with the
second coming of Jesus which he expected would occur at any time. But he mentions the
resurrection in two passages:
- I Thess. 1:10: He describes God as having been responsible for raising Jesus "from
- I Thess. 4:14: "We believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God
will also bring with him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep [in death]"
His message was that God raised Jesus from the dead and will do the same thing for
- 55 to 65 CE: Paul writes a series of letters to churches in various cities. In I
Corinthians 15:3-8" he says "...I [Paul] passed on to you...that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he
appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five
hundred of the brothers at the same time,...then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles, and last of all he appeared to me..." Paul used the phrase "he
was raised" As Bishop Spong has written:
"...the power of resurrection resided with God. God was the initiator...Jesus
was the recipient, the one acted upon. Paul never used anything but the passive verb to
discuss the Easter event and he used that form 37 times. For Paul, Jesus was raised by
God. Jesus did not rise." 2
To Paul, Jesus was not restored to life in his original body in order to walk around
and talk to his followers. Rather, Jesus was raised from death into the presence of God in
a spiritual body. As he writes in I Corinthians 15:50 Paul believed: "...flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does the perishable inherit the
Paul seems to be unaware of the empty tomb, of the bodily resurrection, of the
visitation by one or more women, and other details of the resurrection story as was
written later in the gospels. It is also doubtful that the story was known by other
Christians at that time. It is probable that the account was created after Paul's death.
It is also doubtful that Jesus appeared to a crowd of more than 500. A dead man talking
to a group would be such a miraculous event that word of it would spread very widely. The
incident would have been recorded by other Christian authors and also by non-Christian
historians of the time. No other trace of the group of 500 exists.
- 64 CE: This is the approximate date when Paul was executed by the Romans.
- 70 CE: The Jerusalem Temple, the center of Judaism, and the city itself was
destroyed by the Roman Army. Many Jews were driven from Palestine and dispersed.
- 73 CE: At about this time, an unidentified author wrote the first of the gospels
which made it into the official canon: the Gospel of Mark. By this time, a legend had
grown up which added to people's beliefs about Jesus' death and resurrection. It consisted
of a series of images which together made a bare-bones account of the events: Jesus' last
words; the temple veil, the comment by a centurion; the watching women; Joseph of
Arimathea obtaining the body; the tomb and its stone; visitation by some women; the young
man in the white robe, and the women fleeing from the tomb, telling nobody of their
experience. The cave and its stone was probably a Midrash
echo of Joshua, Chapter 10.
Perhaps the most important component of these 22 verses is
the simple phrase in Mark 16:6: "...He is risen!..." Mark
contradicted Paul's concept that Jesus was raised by God. Mark writes that Jesus has
The gospel has one major deficiency: its ending leaves a reader hanging. The young man
has told the women to go to the disciples and tell them that Jesus will wait for them in
Galilee. But they ran away and didn't tell anyone. So, we do not know if the meeting
actually took place.
- 83 CE: At about this time, another unidentified author wrote the Gospel of
Matthew, using the text of Mark as a foundation. "Matthew" augmented Mark's
account of the resurrection. He added some new story elements that he picked up from
accounts circulating in the early 80's. These included: the earthquake at the time of
Jesus' death, the tombs breaking open and the holy people returning to life.
time, over 50 years after the crucifixion, there was a serious conflict between the
Christian movements and the Jewish authorities. The Jews believed that the disciples had
stolen Jesus' body in order to falsely claim that he had risen from the dead. To counter
this argument, Matthew apparently added verses 27:63-6 and 28:11-15.
Mark's young man in a white robe became an angel with the appearance of lightning. The
confused women became women who were afraid yet filled with joy. The angel told the women
that Jesus "is not here; he has risen, just as he said..." (Matthew
28:6). They were instructed to tell the brethren that "He has risen from the
dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee." The brethren went there, and Jesus
gave them the Great Commission. The seal on the stone and presence of the guards may be a
Midrash link back to Daniel 6:17. The shining angel and trembling guards may be a
link to Daniel 10:4-10.
Matthew added the first Biblical passage to be written which describes Jesus in his
original body talking to believers. The women recognized him, and "clasped his
feet"; he spoke to them. Matthew is explaining that Jesus appeared in a physical
form - his original human body. The break from Paul's belief of a spirit body which Mark
stated is here confirmed by Matthew.
- 90 CE: An unidentified author wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts
at about this time. The resurrection story had expanded by this time to include grave
clothes; one man had become two; Jesus met Cleopas and a friend on the road to Emmaus;
Jesus had a meal with them and then disappeared; Jesus appears to the disciples "and
those with them and proves to them that he has a real body; he ate some fish, and
preached to them. Finally, he took them to Bethany, blessed them, and ascended into
heaven. (The meals of course would be proof-positive that Jesus was in a real, human body;
ghosts don't eat.)
The NIV translation of the Bible appears to contain a error. Verse Luke
24:7 reads "The Son of Man must....be raised again. Describing Jesus as
having to "be raised" would be a throwback to Paul's belief that Jesus was
passively raised by God - an unlikely event. The Amplified Bible, King James Version,
Living Bible, Modern Language Bible, New American Bible, New American Standard Bible, New
Revised Standard Version, and Reims New Testament all have Jesus "rise"
from the dead. The NIV translation of this verse is incompatible with the rest of the
gospels and should probably be ignored.
- Approximately 100 CE: An unidentified author or group of authors wrote the Gospel
of John over an extended interval of time. The author(s) add still more details to the
resurrection story: the two men have become two angels; Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
after the disciples have left the empty tomb; the "doubting Thomas" story is
included; Jesus appears at the Sea of Tiberias and the miraculous catch of fish; Peter is
reinstated to a position of authority.
One interpretation of the resurrection story concludes that the earliest followers of
Jesus knew nothing about the resurrection. Paul believed that Jesus had a passive role in
his resurrection. He was raised by God into heaven, housed in a spirit body. His physical
body rotted. The story of the tomb, its stone, the angels, men and women at the tomb, of
Jesus meeting, talking and eating with his followers, etc. is a myth, a legend created by
various Christian movements many decades after Jesus' execution. That saga became captured
in the four canonical gospels at different stages in its development.
The early belief, that Jesus was raised in a spirit body, blends with the later myth
that Jesus rose himself, in his original body. Echoes of both beliefs are seen in the
- References to His Spirit Resurrection: Some Gospel passages imply that he was
housed in a spirit body. The Gospel authors might have been influenced by
Gnostic Christian beliefs:
- Luke 24:31: Jesus suddenly disappeared from sight.
- Luke 24:37: The disciples thought that he was a ghost.
- John 20:17: Jesus cautioned Mary Magdelene not to hold on to him because he had
not yet returned to the Father.
- John 20:19-26: On two occasions, a week apart, Jesus suddenly appears with the
disciples in a locked room, apparently by walking through the walls or
- References to his Bodily Resurrection: Other passages in the gospels emphasize
Jesus physical body, his ability to speak and to eat:
- Matthew 28:9: Jesus is described as speaking; two women clasped his feet.
- Luke 24:15: Jesus meets two disciples; he walks and eats bread with them.
- Luke 24:15: Jesus shows his disciples the wounds in his hands and feet. Then he
ate some fish, perhaps to emphasize that he was in his human body.
- Luke 24:50: Jesus raised his hands and blessed them. Then he was taken up into
- John 20:20-27: Jesus twice shows his disciples his injured hands and side.
- John 21:12-13: The disciples ate breakfast with Jesus.
- Odd References to Jesus' Appearance: There are also strange references to Jesus'
after his resurrection which seem to indicate that he did appear in a human body that
was not his original body. Although his followers had spent either one year (as stated in
the synoptic gospels) or 3 years (as described in John) in close contact with Jesus during
their travels, they did not recognize him when they saw him after his resurrection:
- Luke 24:31: Two of his followers walked and talked with Jesus, perhaps for hours.
But they did not recognize him.
- John 20:15: Mary Magdalene saw and talked to Jesus, but thought that he was the
- John 21:4: The disciples did not recognize Jesus on the sea shore.
J.S. Spong, "Resurrection, Myth or Reality? A Bishops
Search for the Origins of Christianity", Harper San Francisco, CA,
(1994) Page 50 .
John Shelby Spong, "The Easter Moment: What Really
Happened? Is the literal claim of Easter still believable? Can
Christianity afford to debate its originating moment?," at:
Copyright © 1998 to 2008, by Ontario Consultant on Religious Tolerance
Essay last updated: 2008-OCT-05
Written by: B.A. Robinson | <urn:uuid:54689a5b-3c36-4c46-a91e-b7138d837ca4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.religioustolerance.org/resur_lt.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971682 | 3,842 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Adaptations are how the engine computer learns the particular behavior of the engine and uses that information to "tune" the engine. For instance, the BMW engineers know that for a certain amount of air flowing into the engine, it will require a certain amount of fuel. But each engine and each MAF sensor is different, so the whole system of engine, sensors, fuel injectors etc. has to be calibrated to work correctly with one another.
By leaving the oil cap off, you introduced a lot of "false air" into the engine and it disrupted the adaptation values stored in the ECU. By erasing the error codes in the ECU, you will re-set the adaptation values back to the factory defaults. After driving for a while, the adaptations will eventually return to where they were prior to this mishap. | <urn:uuid:38b73159-3f62-4651-82f5-0743efca1141> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7339301&postcount=5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00191-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941144 | 168 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Hemangiosarcoma of the Bone in Dogs
Hemangiosarcoma is a fast spreading tumor of the endothelial cells -- a group of cells that form to line the inner surface of blood vessels, including veins, arteries, intestines, and the bronchi of lungs. Hemangiosarcomas affect the bones and may compromise the integrity of the bone involved, resulting in loss of strength leading to bone fractures. Such fractures may be seen without any prior trauma and are characteristic of cancers that affect the bones. This tumor commonly affects the bones of the limbs but may also affect other bones in the body, like the rib bones.
As with many types of cancers, hemangiosarcoma is usually diagnosed in older dogs.
Symptoms and Types
- If tumor is on leg, lameness and/or swelling
- Fracture due to weakness in bone
- Swelling at affected site
- Difficult breathing may be present if tumor involves the rib
- Pale mucous membranes (i.e., nostrils, lips, ears, genitals)
- Anemia due to blood loss from ruptured tumor
The exact cause for hemangiosarcoma of the bone is still unknown.
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your dog, including a complete blood profile, a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. These tests may indicate whether any of the organs are being affected, and whether any other conditions are present. Some of the conditions that may be concurrent with hemangiosarcoma are regenerative anemia, which is determined by an abnormally high number of immature red blood cells; an abnormally low level of protein in the blood (hypoproteinemia); an abnormally high white blood cell count (leukocytosis), which can be indicative that the body is fighting off a diseased condition; a low level of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia), which are responsible for blood clotting; and blood cells of unequal or abnormal size (anisocytosis and poikilocytosis, respectively).
Radiographic studies of the affected bone will also reveal valuable information to help your veterinarian in the diagnosis of this tumor. Computed tomography (CT) scans can help to determine the extent of bone involvement and also help your veterinarian in planning an effective surgery. Biopsy may be attempted for a definitive diagnosis, but this may not be practical for this type of tumor, since it originates in the vessels.
A confirmative diagnosis may be based on finding spaces within the vessels that are filled with red blood cells, clots, dead cellular debris, and variable tumor cells.
An increase in the number of white blood cells (abnormal)
A condition of the cells; means that they are abnormally shaped
An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness
Any type of pain or tenderness or lack of soundness in the feet or legs of animals
A tumor made up vascular tissue
A condition of the blood in which normal red blood cell counts or hemoglobin are lacking.
A condition in which cells are unequal.
The process of removing all or part of a body part; usually refers to a limb (arm or leg) and is done for medical reasons. | <urn:uuid:f9df34b1-17fe-43d5-a350-bc514f1b3de7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cancer/c_dg_hemangiosarcoma_bone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00172-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893287 | 692 | 3.25 | 3 |
The exhibition, currently on show at the Z33 Art Centre in Hasselt, Belgium, takes its title from the percentage of water on earth that is drinkable.
The exhibition features work from artists and designers including Brandon Ballangée, Lucy Orta (top image), Fulgaro, Ideo and Doshi Levien (above).
Above: reHOUSE/BATH by Fulgaro and TJAW (see our previous story)
The public are encouraged to send samples of fresh water to the exhibition's Water Archive. Details can be found on the One Percent Water website.
Above: Deformed Amphibian DFA 19 'Io' by Brandon Ballangée
One Percent Water will continue at the Z33 Art Centre until 28 September.
Above: Flow by Amy Jenkins
The following is from One Percent Water:
Although 70% of the planet’s surface is water, 1% is the amount of freshwater that is readily available to us. Factors such as the world’s rapidly increasing population and increasing consumption, climate change and pollution mean that even this limited and unevenly distributed resource is under threat, and water - one of our basic needs - has become a political issue and a challenge for our future.
Above: The State of Water by Karlssonwilker
It goes without saying that water is the stuff of life; it feeds earth’s ecosystem, flows through our cities, our buildings and our bodies. It is essential to our existence and a portal to our dreams.
Above: Aquaduct by Ideo (see our previous story)
And yet - largely through the way we use and abuse this precious resource - we face a water crisis and many of the ways we use water today are no longer appropriate to our future.
Above: Mobile Intervention Unit by Lucy Orta
1% WATER aims to be a catalyst for change. It explores ideas that can help us reconnect physically and psychologically to water and highlights the experimental thinking that will help shape a sustainable future.
Above and below: Water archive at Z33. Photo by Kristof Vrancken
Section 1- Water Archive
How do we treat this precious resource? The Archive is a ‘laboratory’ of water samples provoking questions about the character of natural waters and raising awareness of man-made issues such as pollution. It reveals how water is far from being the odourless, colourless, meaningless stuff that we perceive it as today.
It is a dynamic living element that has different characters depending on where it is from and, if it is abused, quite simply dies. Here is water from rivers, lakes, groundwater, rain water, spring water, bottled water, religious water, toxic water, sewage, industrial water, water from fridges or a water bed, even tap water. Samples are collected and documented via www.onepercentwater.org
Above: The State of Water by Karlssonwilker
Section 2 - AbUse
The first step towards creating a new water consciousness is awareness of water today. More than a third of the world is short of water and the situation is likely to get worse. The works of artists Brandon Ballangée, Edward Burtynsky, Lucy Orta and Phillip Ross, and the graphics of Karlssonwilker make us think about how we use and abuse water today and the problems we face in the immediate future.
Above: Malamp by Brandon Ballangée
The concept of the water footprint - the total water used for the production of the goods and services we consume - is still fairly new but awareness of individual as well as collective responsibility is increasing. AbUse is deliberately ‘dry’, to emphasise how we have made water invisible and turned it into a commodity.
Above: Junior Return by Philip Ross
Section 3 - Sacred Waters
Not surprisingly given our dependence on water, water has always been accorded a metaphysical and spiritual dimension; a dual nature as a life-giving substance, a religious and spiritual force and a well spring of the creative imagination.
Above: Ebb by Amy Jenkins
Sacred Waters explores water in relation to our psyche and the senses through the mythology and rituals around water. Historically water was protected and revered as the source of life. With industrialization it has been drained of meaning.
Above: Stamping the Water by Song Dong
Works by artists Song Dong, Michaela Nettell, Elina Brotherus Amy Jenkins and Michael Cross address the cultural and spiritual values associated with water in different cultures and eras and we argue that in order to survive we need to revalue water and how we treat it.
Above: Tasting waters
The Water ‘Wunderkammer’ brings together objects associated with water rituals and ceremonies from different cultures and eras. Historically water was valued and protected as a vital communal resource and revered as the source of life.
Above: Water Wunderkammer
This has generated an extraordinary material culture reflecting the spiritual and mythological values and beliefs associated with water and the relationship between nature’s rhythms and man’s needs.
Here historic examples are juxtaposed with contemporary objects that show how designers are beginning to be inspired to make a more resonant object culture today.
Section 4- Reconnect Workshop
Reconnect highlights the first shoots of experimental thinking that is beginning to shape a new water consciousness and point the way to a more sustainable future.
It looks at how the problems of water explored in AbUse are challenging us to find new ways with water but also how designers are absorbing the sense of cultural meaning and values explored in Sacred Waters to give a new sense of wonder as well as care and respect to the water environment. The installation is staged as an inventor’s workshop.
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of all our stories | <urn:uuid:06f27f09-1c07-4270-a80a-6639194b7bab> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.dezeen.com/2008/08/22/one-percent-water-exhibition-at-z33-art-centre/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938832 | 1,195 | 2.625 | 3 |
Visitors to the New-York Historical Society (as well as many copy editors and printers throughout the ages) have often wondered why the title of our institution includes a hyphen between the “New” and “York”. The answer is simple; when the New-York Historical Society was founded in 1804, New York was generally written as “New-York.” This practice was adhered to in books and newspaper titles and often applied to the spelling of other states such as New-Hampshire and New-Jersey. The general use of the hyphen in such words began to subside in the mid 1800’s, but some publications and legal documents continued to use it officially. For instance, The New York Times was one of the last holdouts and used the hyphen in its masthead until the 1890’s. See the N-YHS trivia book When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? for further details.
The fact that the hyphen in the Society’s name was never officially dropped generally went unnoticed. However, in January of 1945 the New York World-Telegram reported that certain city council members became upset when one of them noticed the hyphen in the Society’s name on a subway advertisement for the institution. The paper stated that Chief Magistrate Henry H. Curran told President of City Council Newbold Morris “This thing -this hyphen- is like a gremlin which sneaks around in the dark…You should call a special meeting of City Council immediately and have a surgical operation on it! We won’t be hyphenated by anyone!” The Council soon attempted to pass a law barring the use of the hyphen in New York.
Despite these harsh words, curators and librarians at the Society stood by the hyphen and bravely confirmed that the hyphen was in the Society’s name since it was founded. Librarian Dorothy Barck declared that she could not locate any evidence that the official hyphen in “New-York” was ever officially deleted by the city or state. Curator Donald A. Shelley remarked that we couldn’t even change our name if we wanted to because, “It’s chiseled in stone on the front of our building.”
All this press over something so silly, especially during World War II, naturally called for mockery. In March of 1945, a group of musicians and composers wrote “The Hyphen-Song” to be sung at a city council meeting. The words to this love song about hyphens written by Leonard Whitcup included:
Take a boy like me, dear
Take the girl I’m dreaming of-
Add a hyphen, what’ve you got?
You got-UM-M- you’ve got love!
Me without you-you without me
It’s a sad affair-
But take a tip from the hyphen-
And baby we’ll get somewhere
It appears that no law was ever passed outlawing the infamous hyphen, and the Society continues to use it in its official name. Today the New-York Historical Society is proud of the hyphen in its name. The hyphen is still prominently displayed outside the building in stone and the Society’s summer softball team name is called “the Hyphens.” | <urn:uuid:bd24e114-be8c-4c7b-8264-ee131ccd5863> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.nyhistory.org/it-can-hyphen-here-why-the-new-york-historical-society-includes-a-hyphen/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00009-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960793 | 706 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Holland Land Company, Dutch enterprise active in the settlement of much of W New York and some of NW Pennsylvania. Organized by Dutch bankers in 1796, it secured lands in New York (known as the Holland Purchase) from Robert Morris, who had assembled them as part of a gigantic land speculation. The company developed its holdings, planned town sites, and sold the lands on liberal terms directly to settlers. Its main land office was opened (1801) in Batavia, N.Y. About 1846 the affairs of the company in the United States were liquidated.
See studies by P. D. Evans (1924) and W. Chazanof (1970).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:25ecf63d-a51a-4f89-b262-d0791df743ac> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/history/holland-land-company.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00085-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955058 | 162 | 2.859375 | 3 |
E. Cobham Brewer 18101897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
To cry out haro to anyone. To denounce his misdeeds, to follow him with hue and cry. Ha rou was the ancient Norman hue-and-cry, and the exclamation made by those who wanted assistance, their person or property being in danger. It is similar to our cry of Police! Probably our halloo is the same word.
In the Channel Isles, Ha! ho! à laide, mon prince! is a protest still in vogue when ones property is endangered, or at least was so when I lived in Jersey. It is supposed to be an appeal to Rollo, king of Normandy, to come to the aid of him suffering wrongfully. | <urn:uuid:b98ffa42-984b-4f65-9966-7fc57e96e7e9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://bartleby.com/81/7984.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00053-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969795 | 160 | 3.21875 | 3 |
FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDIA FILTRATION FOR IRON AND MANGANESE REMOVAL
Iron and manganese cause staining. The water may look clear, but staining appears as the water is used. Although there are no known health-related implications, the federal EPA considers iron and manganese aesthetically objectionable, so it has listed them under the Secondary Drinking Water Standards. The maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for iron and manganese are 3.0 mg/L and 0.05 mg/L, respectively.
Filters with Cullsorb manganese greensand media reduce iron and manganese through a combination of oxidation, ion exchange and particle entrapment. There are two common processes: one requires continuous potassium permanganate feed ahead of the filter, the other uses potassium permanganate as a regenerant on a batch treatment basis.
Continuous feed systems inject potassium permanganate into the raw water to oxidize iron and manganese. When iron is present in concentrations greater than a few milligrams per liter it is often more cost effective to pretreat with chlorine to reduce the amount of permanganate required. Feeding a cationic polymer also aids the filtration process.
The filter bed contains Cullsorb media topped with a coarse, light material called Culicate® filter medium. The top layer traps larger particles to reduce the load on the underlying Cullsorb media. The finer Cullsorb media removes remaining traces of manganese and iron. It also removes any residual potassium permanganate. When the pressure drop increases 5 to 10 psi (34 to 68 kPa) the filter must be backwashed. An upflow rate of 12 gpm/ft (29 m/hr) for 10 minutes is usually sufficient to clean the dual media bed. A 5-minute downflow rinse settles the bed before returning the filter to service.
Batch systems are suited to applications with small amounts of iron or manganese, or where the system will operate largely unattended. The filter uses a deep bed of Culisorb media activated by passing a potassium permanganate solution through it (a dosage of a few ounces per cubic foot is sufficient). As raw water passes through the filter, iron is removed and manganese may be reduced. Each cubic foot of media will remove about 6000 ppm-gallons (about 0.8 ounce by weight or 23 grams) of iron before exhaustion.
Regeneration consists of a 10 minute backwash at 12 gpm/ft (29 m/hr), injection of potassium permanganate, a slow rinse to ensure proper contact time and to displace residual permanganate from the tank, and a 5 minute fast rinse. The entire regeneration takes less than an hour.
Cullsorb media has some limitations. For example, the pH of the raw water should be at least 6.5 - higher if possible - in the presence of sufficient alkalinity so that iron precipitation occurs. Culligan engineers can help in proper application of this equipment. | <urn:uuid:c9f96a2b-578c-4086-b27d-45d450dc7a06> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.culliganmiami.com/pf2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00175-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.896897 | 629 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Adenauer and Kennedy
German-American relations during the years 1961-1963 were characterized by tension and disagreement as President John F. Kennedy attempted to redefine America's commitment to the goal of German reunification, one of the major foreign policy priorities of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Dr Mayer's book focuses on how this process of redefinition affected the Berlin Wall Crisis of 1961-1962. He also delved deeply to look at the way in which Adenauer overcame the hostility displayed by the American Government toward the Franco-German Treaty of January 1963 which Adenauer believed was a necessary and historic component of his policy of reconciliation with France. Ultimately, Mayer looks at how the Adenauer-kennedy era impacts on contemporary relations between America and a united Germany. | <urn:uuid:fb97ff06-f2d9-47ae-992e-a468704f8f09> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.history.ac.uk/history-online/book/isbn/0333673468 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00042-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967241 | 154 | 3.6875 | 4 |
While today the word "hell" is often used in situations involving long lines and a lack of caffeine, in the Middle Ages hell was darker, hotter and had a lot more pits. A new exhibition at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, "Heaven, Hell and Dying Well: Images of Death in the Middle Ages," depicts the rewards and punishments of the world beyond in a collection of artworks and manuscripts.
The exhibition features a collection drawn both from the Getty's permanent collection and several new acquisitions, made up of remarkable imagery from illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, printed books and paintings. Skulls, angels, gruesome demons and lost corpses are rendered in incredible detail, rendering a convincing view of damnation. In one piece, titled, "The Beast Acheron," a giant, open-mouthed monster holding lost souls in its maw resembles something in Hieronymus Bosch's vision of hell. There is also an early form of Os Gemeos' street art monster-men in there as well, don't you think? If you're in LA, take the rare opportunity to see the roots of Western morality and Western art in one place. But, be warned: While hellfire is makes for great artwork it makes for horrible nightmares.
"Heaven, Hell And Dying Well: Images Of Death In The Middle Ages" is on view at The Getty Center in Los Angeles from May 29 until August 12. | <urn:uuid:03bff02a-f199-4c61-8092-459c2176728a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/heaven-hell-and-dying_n_1546729.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783408828.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155008-00106-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948308 | 290 | 2.6875 | 3 |
(above) Twilight, Uyuni Salt Flats, Potosi, Bolivia
A mirror to calibrate the senses
Voyage to the amazing salt flats of Uyuni
By Dr. Ivar Mendez
Dr. Ivar Mendez was born in Bolivia and has established The Ivar Mendez International Foundation (IMIF), a charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in the poorest regions of the Bolivian Andes (imif.ca). Mendez travels to Bolivia two or three times a year to oversee IMIF projects.
He visits remote communities such as the Chipayas and his trip to the salt flats of Uyuni was in conjunction with a visit to poor aboriginal communities on the shores of the salt flats.
(below) Geometry in salt, Uyuni Salt Flats
Mendez is the Fred Wigmore professor of surgery and unified chairman of the department of surgery at the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatoon Health Region.
The rain is brief and barely a couple of centimetres of water accumulates on the surface of the ground, but the effect is utterly magic.
Suddenly, the boundary between earth and sky disappears, changing dramatically our perception of the landscape. The Toyota SUV in which we travel appears to float on a sea of cumulus clouds as if gliding over the surreal vastness of a gigantic mirror - the salt flats of Uyuni.
(below) Gliding on the sky, Uyuni Salt Flats
Ten billion tons of salt are confined to an area of 10,582 square kilometres at 3,656 metres above sea level in southeastern Bolivia, creating the largest salt flats on the planet. Calculations using a global positioning system (GPS) have shown that variations in the ground surface are less than one metre, making the surface of Uyuni the flattest region on Earth.
This surface is so uniform the salt flats are used to calibrate the altimeters of satellites orbiting the globe. The calibrations performed on the surface of the salt flats are five times more accurate than satellite calibrations that were, until recently, made using the oceans as reference. Although the annual precipitation in this region is minuscule, in the rainy season, from January to March, the salt flats are flooded by a few centimetres of water, converting it into the largest mirror on Earth, easily distinguishable from space.
We head to the interior of the salt flats where a hotel made entirely of blocks of salt has been erected. The horizon is a straight white line scratching the cobaltblue sky of the Bolivian plateau.
(below) Salt flats on fire, Uyuni Salt Flats
The hotel looks like an enlarging dot trapped between the salt and the sky as if suspended between reality and the imagination. Its blocks have a café au lait tone due to alternating layers of clay and salt.
The crust of the salt flats has 11 layers of salt with a thickness of about 10 metres. Below this superficial layer, there is a lake of brine with depths that reach 120 metres.
It contains the largest untapped reserves of lithium in the world. Lithium is in increasing demand globally as it is a key component of the manufacturing of batteries that power smartphones and electric cars. It is estimated the salt flats contain 100 million metric tons of lithium. Bolivia's prosperity in the future may depend on the salt flats of Uyuni and its reserves of lithium.
(left) Harvesting salt, Uyuni Salt Flats
A native legend tells about the origin of the salt flats. In ancient times, when the mountains knew how to walk and fall in love, the stunning volcano Tunupa, who was a lovely maiden, fell in love with the mountain Kusku. Unfortunately, Kusku abandoned the pregnant Tunupa. She became very sad and while nursing her newborn her tears mixed with her breast milk and spilled on earth, forming the salt flats of Uyuni. Geologically, the salt is the product of the transformation, 40.000 years ago, of prehistoric lakes in the region.
It is late afternoon and the sun slowly sets over Uyuni, painting the sky with a palette of red, orange and gold. The sky is mirrored on the surface of the salt flats, creating a magical kaleidoscopic reflection of clouds and fire. We seem to be walking on the sky and I have an intense desire to kick a particular round cloud as if it was a football. The sun's reflection is so strong it is almost blinding.
(below) Endurance challenge, Uyuni Salt Flats
We settle in the salt hotel in the evening. The dinner is served on tables made of blocks of salt; the meal starts with a delicious soup of papalisa, which is one of the more than 5,000 varieties of potatoes that since Inca times still grow in the Andes. The main course is a tasty steak of llama meat. After dinner, we go for a walk. The night has an exquisite freshness and serenity; the pristine celestial vault is studded with the flashes of billions of stars, their prehistoric luminosity has taken light years to reach the Earth.
It dawns on me that this vast cosmic panorama so real and sublime is only the reflection of a distant past. Absorbed looking at the night sky I have not noticed that every detail of the firmament is faithfully reflected in the magic mirror of Uyuni. I can clearly see the bright expanse of the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, Orion's Belt and other constellations that seem to ride on the surface of the flooded salt flats.
(below) Chipaya round houses, Oruro, Bolivia
It is almost a mystical experience and it is hard to resist the urge to rush to the surface of the salt flats and dive into the reflected sea of stars and constellations.
As I contemplate the cosmos displayed in stereo, simultaneously on the sky and the salt flats, my memory rewinds to the time I spent with the Chipayas, an aboriginal community located on the shores of the smaller salt flats of Coipasa about 20 kilometres north of Uyuni. I remember my admiration for their ancestral language, their culture and their round houses cleverly built to keep their interior warm by aerodynamically dispersing the icy winds that punish this region.
The Chipayas told me of the llama caravans that since time immemorial criss-crossed the salt flats of Uyuni transporting blocks of salt to the urban markets of the Inca Empire. The caravans travelled at night to avoid the blazing sun of the daytime. The llama shepherds navigated this featureless landscape by consulting the night sky, not the stars but the dark spots created by the uneven distribution of star clusters in the Milky Way. Tonight, the Milky Way is displayed at my feet in all its glory and I can clearly see in its dark spots the outline of a celestial condor with its beak pointing south. This breathtaking vision fills me with awe and I feel in harmony with myself and the universe.
(below) Chipaya women, Oruro, Bolivia | <urn:uuid:58205dca-3b5e-4d62-b2a0-ece271533ba8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.amigosdeboliviayperu.org/NewsStories2013/B747MirrorToCalibrate.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00154-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92647 | 1,473 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The decline of honeybees in the United States — a third of the country’s hives were wiped out in 2008 — and elsewhere has been a matter of concern for a number of years. Recent studies in France and Britain now point the finger at a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. These commonly-used pesticides, which are often used to treat seed corn ahead of planting, work against the bees in two ways: by confusing their homing capability and limiting their ability to provide enough food to their hives for producing new queens. Other studies in the U.S. and Germany indict the pesticides but for different reasons. Calls for banning neonicotinoids were immediate.
Why should we care about bees and pesticides? Honeybees are responsible for pollinating some 70% of the earth’s food crops. No less an authority than Albert Einstein predicted that “if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, man would have only four years to live.” Bees are also an indicator species. What happens to them has effects further up the chain of life. To the organic gardener, the honeybee studies are just another reason to resist the use of chemical pesticides. And not just for the sake of the bees. | <urn:uuid:e4ed7dd0-c1b5-447e-a31c-bccfc5ea8d2f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.planetnatural.com/bees-pesticides/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966887 | 253 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Hip Hop Lifestyle
With roots in New York, hip hop expanded and evolved throughout both coasts of the United States in the seventies and eighties. Artists like Talib Kweli, Gangstarr, and Mos Def have been at the forefront of this movement for years. While telling stories of the perils and unique quirks to inner-city life, hop hop artists have also been known to spread messages of peace, love and acceptance that cross cultural as well as racial boundaries. However, while it may be accurate to say that hip hop evolved from a form of music - there is so much more than meets the eye.
Along with hip hop culture comes a language, tradition and activities that are entirely unique. Beatboxing, breakdancing and graffiti all stems from hip hop culture. Many modern fashions are derived from urban styling, and the use of ebonics has been taken from hip hop and spread amongst the mainstream. Truly, the hip hop culture is an all-encompassing one which has touched the hearts and lives of thousands, while influencing art, language and tradition in all corners of the globe.
With humble beginnings in the Bronx, it is safe to say at this point that hip hop is taking over the world. What was started by Afrika Bambaata in New York can now be found on shelves in Japan, Australia, and everywhere else you can imagine. There is really nothing in the world quite like hip hop. | <urn:uuid:5eea3f8b-5bc6-45b8-9239-8b2330b7ea2b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.plasticlittleraps.com/hip-hop-lifestyle.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966075 | 295 | 2.609375 | 3 |
“The nation needs to focus dollars and efforts on reforming school climates to keep students engaged in ways that will lead them toward college and a career and away from crime and prison,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. “The school-to-prison pipeline starts and ends with schools.”
The report includes a state-by-state breakdown of estimated annual crime savings, which vary from $14 million in New Hampshire to $215 million in Nevada to $2.4 billion in California. This data shows that all states stand to gain from increasing their high school graduation rate.
In addition to the estimated $18.5 billion savings related to national crime, the report also projects that the U.S. economy would benefit by as much as $1.2 billion in additional annual earnings from a 5 percentage point increase in the high school male graduation rate. Texas’s share of the additional annual earnings total is $119 million for a total benefit to the state’s economy of $1.8 billion.
In addition to examining total crime savings, the report projects the number of individual crimes that could be prevented by increasing the male high school graduation rate by 5 percentage points, and finds that such an increase would decrease overall annual incidences of assault by nearly 60,000; larceny by more than 37,000; motor vehicle theft by more than 31,000; and burglaries by more than 17,000. It would also prevent nearly 1,300 murders, more than 3,800 occurrences of rape, and more than 1,500 robberies.
Saving Futures, Saving Dollars notes the disparity between annual federal spending on students and inmates, and the findings are staggering; the United States spends $12,643 to educate one student for one year versus the annual cost of $28,323 to house one inmate. “If the nation made a comparable investment in effort and dollars in schools as it does in jails and prisons, the return would be decreased levels of criminal activity and incarceration as well as significant and life-changing impacts on the individual,” the report notes.
There is an indirect correlation between educational attainment and arrest and incarceration rates, particularly among males, the report finds. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice, 56 percent of federal inmates, 67 percent of inmates in state prisons, and 69 percent of inmates in local jails did not complete high school. Additionally, the number of incarcerated individuals without a high school diploma is increasing over time.
“Dropping out of school does not automatically result in a life of crime, but high school dropouts are far more likely than high school graduates to be arrested or incarcerated,” Wise said.
Equity plays a large role in the connection between education level and crime rates; African Americans and Latinos are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. It is no coincidence, the report notes, that these same groups are disproportionately relegated to the nation’s most troubled and low-performing schools.
The report finds that both school climate and discipline play large roles in whether a student graduates from high school and how likely a student is to be arrested or incarcerated. Suspended students, the report notes, are twice as likely to drop out as those who have not been suspended. African American high school students are at least twice as likely as their non-black peers to be suspended.
The report recommends policy efforts at the national, state, and local levels to support school reforms to keep students on track to graduate from high school. It also notes that school-based interventions are needed to bring struggling students up to grade level and bring real-world experiences into the classroom to keep students engaged.
“Improving high schools will lead to increased graduation rates, which, in turn, will lower crime and incarceration rates and improve the nation’s economy,” Wise said. “Focusing on engaging students through digital learning, or the effective use of technology paired with quality teaching, will not only save the nation dollars, it will save students’ futures.”
The full report, including a state-by-state breakdown of potential crime-related savings and earnings, is available at www.all4ed.org/files/SavingFutures.pdf.
The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC–based national policy and advocacy organization that works to improve national and federal education policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century. www.all4ed.org. | <urn:uuid:4b310bac-1ff9-42de-9771-7d368dcc587e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://gilmermirror.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Crime+rates+linked+to+educational+attainment-+new+report+shows%20&id=23614091 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00012-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967962 | 954 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Health & Harmony
An attitude of gratitude is an actual healthcare treatment that can affect the emotional wounds as well as those of mind and body. A colleague of mine, the famous cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, in her book, The Heart Speaks, talks about an attitude of gratitude as one of the predictors of heart health.
Gratitude, feeling grateful, is total relaxation. It is the feeling we get when we bask in the warm sunshine of a beautiful day. Gratitude is the feeling we have that we are able to experience the goodness of life.
An attitude of gratitude is healing because you can feel the relaxation that it brings when you are conscious of all the gifts life has to offer and the understanding that they are yours for the taking.
Just as in the garden plots we have so carefully planted and tended, there comes the time of ripeness when you rejoice in the fruits of your labor and delightedly pick them and make a feast of them.
Attitudes are readily seen in physical bodily postures. Tension is a visual signal that is easily picked up from another person's posture. Attitudes are also picked up in the tone of voice when a person speaks to you.
People who are grateful for their lives and who actualize their potential are those whom we say have "good vibes" when we meet them. They exude an attitude of peace and carry themselves with a relaxed posture. An attitude of gratitude.
It's a conscious choice each and every moment to live in the present and to be thankful for that moment. It is as simple as that. And that's the key. Simplicity. Take a look at nature all around us. I am always astonished by the way in which nature unfolds. I planted seeds and have been watching my tomato plants grow. I didn't even have to water them much because there has been so much rain. They just flourish in their own way in response to the environmental influences, earth, air, water and fire (sun). I also give my plants an attitude of gratitude every day as I groom them, pick out the weeds and make sure they are growing straight and tall. That's the chiropractor in me. Posture is important in plants as well. They need to climb, unencumbered, in the direction of the sky and take in all the sunlight they can. So do we. We are a part of nature just the same as the plants are. We often forget that. We forget that when we relax and let nature take its course, we will grow and be abundant as well.
It's all about attitude. It's your personal view of how you see the world. And that is in your control. You can see the glass as half empty or you can see the glass as half full. You can be grateful or remorseful. You can bear fruit or you can be barren. It is as simple as that. Simplicity is the key.
An attitude of gratitude is a healing treatment. Treat yourself to one. Affordable health care at its best!
May The Blessings Be! | <urn:uuid:e3e566b8-7725-4852-b498-f3b6aeb956bb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.rockawave.com/news/2009-08-14/columnists/046.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392159.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976376 | 630 | 2.53125 | 3 |
All that walking you're doing to meet your daily step-count goal could soon start paying off -- and not necessarily in the way you expect.
Yes, it will it make you healthier, but it could power your activity tracker, too, thanks to an insole that sits inside your shoe and harvests energy from your footsteps.
Researchers at the University of Southampton, England, have designed the removable insole to collect the kinetic energy generated by the movement of your body and the pressure of your feet hitting the ground. This kinetic energy is then transformed into electrical energy that can be used to power small devices.
"The most realistic application is to extend the battery hours, but the ultimate goal of our research is to make wearable devices battery-free," said electronics and computer science researcher Jerry Luo, speaking at the Wearable Technology Show in London on Wednesday.
Feeble battery life often tops the list of people's complaints about their various smart devices. Batteries are also space hogs, and when companies like Apple and Fitbit design wearables, there's always a trade-off between battery life and device size. There's the inconvenience factor too -- the charging process, however quick, is a pain. Your footsteps are never going to keep your household lights on, but they might be a lifeline for the smaller gadgets that are increasingly appearing in everyone's lives.
It will primarily be up to those making wearable gadgets and smart clothing to figure out how best to put the insole to use, but the researchers have come up with a few ideas of their own, including identification, indoor tracking and activity measurement.
Other ventures are also looking into what might be called smart shoes. Samsung Creative Labs spinoff Iofit, for instance, has created footwear that uses pressure sensors paired with an app to show you information about your stance and golf swing.
The Southampton research team, meanwhile, has been gauging interest from apparel companies like Adidas, Brooks and New Balance to see if they have any interest in using the technology. The response, said Luo, has been positive.
But the first real-life application of the insole will be in medicine. The research team has partnered with a local hospital to replace balance and foot pressure tests conducted on recovering patients in time-consuming clinics with continuous measurement thanks to the insoles.
The insoles are only able to transfer power to devices that are close to them, so aren't ideal to use with smartwatches or anything too far up the body, according to Luo. The same technology could be used to power a smartwatch, but would have to be incorporated into clothing instead, picking up vibrations in the fabric and from arm movements.
The insole is still a work in progress, but over the course of the last six months, massive leaps have been made in the amount of power that the insole can transmit. It's gone from being able to send a single byte of information (that is, roughly enough to encode a single character of text) to powering a sensor chipset.
The next step for the insole will be to build partnerships with tech companies, as well as to improve the design of the product, which has not really been a focus until now. "It's not really fashionable," said Luo. "But it is scientifically interesting." | <urn:uuid:a17ddf25-359c-4498-85fe-f8fc847d76f5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cnet.com/news/battery-free-wearables-of-the-future-could-be-powered-by-your-footsteps/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00189-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962747 | 672 | 2.609375 | 3 |
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